Richland County, Ohio- Genealogy Trails

The Mansfield News (Mansfield, Ohio) September 3, 1921
Clever Reunion.
The sixth annual reunion of the Clever family was held yesterday at North park, and 114 were present. John Clever, Bellville, was elected president; Jesse Spitler, Hart, Mich., vice president; Mrs. Leland Clever, city, secretary; Miss Glenna Clever, Grand Rapids, Mich., assistant secretary; Carl Spitler, Hart, Mich., treasurer; Miss Daisy Holmes, Hart, Mich., historian, and Miss Bessie Clever, Butler, necrologist. Among those present from out of the state were, Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Hoover, Piercetoh, Ind; Glen Switzer, North Manchester, Ind.; Mrs Clayton Switzer, Mentone, Ind., and Mr. and Mrs. H. Spitler, Hart, Mich., and Jesse Spitler, Hart, Mich. The next reunion will be held at Nashville, Mich. The Clever family are old time residents of southern Richland county, but many emigrated to Michigan and Indiana a number of years ago.

The Mansfield News (Mansfield, Ohio) August 21, 1925
CLEVER FAMILY GATHER FOR ANNUAL REUNION
Descendants of John Anthony Clever, who came to America in 1783 locating in Pennsylvania, held their tenth annual reunion yesterday at South park with 125 present. The pavilion was utilized during the time the picnic dinner was served and for the business session.
Mrs. Leah Price, of Butler, historian of the Clever family related some interesting facts relative to the time that the Clevers came from Cumberland county, Pa., in 1834, and settled among the hills and woodland of Washington township near the Ebenezer church, and followed the various generations of the name down to the present time.
J. P. Strickler of North Manchester, Ind., talked along lines on the maternal side of the Clever family of which he was a member. The Stricklers also came from the Keystone state in the early days, locating in Worthington township. The grandfather, Conrad Strickler, was laid to rest in the Easterly cemetery north of Butler. A brief talk was given by LeRoy Baker, a banker of New London, and others, during the afternoon.
Officers elected were, Peter Kunz, president of Hastings, Mich., where the next reunion will be held. Willis Clever, Hart, Mich., vice president, and Mrs. Wilda Endersley, of Nashville, Mich., secretary and treasurer. Mrs. Leah Price of Butler, was retained as historian.
Michigan guests of the association were Mrs. E. A. Shisler and children, Mrs. Phronia Spitler and Willis Clever, of Hart; Mrs. Rose Lee and son Harry, Trustine, Mrs. Ida Halpin, Jackson, and Mrs. Louisa Ackett, Battle Creek, J. P. Strickler and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Will Ebbenhouse, North Manchester, Ind.

The Mansfield News (Mansfield, Ohio) August 28, 1925
CLEVER REUNION
The tenth annual reunion of the Clever family was held Thursday of last week. Following the picnic dinner a talk relating incidents of the Clever family were given by J. P. Strickler of North Manchester; New London and several recitations were given by the children which were all enjoyed. Officers for the coming year were as follows: Peter Kuntz of Hastings, Mich., president; Willis Clever of Hart, Mich., vice president; Mrs. Wilda Endersley, Nashville, Mich., secretary, Leah Price of Butler, historian. One hundred twenty-five were present. The reunion next year will be held at Nashville, Michigan.
Those in attendance from a distance were: Mrs. S. A. Shipner and two daughters, Mrs. Sophronia Spitler, Willis Clever, Hart, Mich; LeRoy Baker of New London, Mr. and Mrs. Will Ebbinghouse and Lulu Ebbinghouse of North Manchester, Ind.; Mrs. Ida Halpin of Jackson, Michigan and Mrs John Ackett, of Battle Creek, Michigan.

The Mansfield News (Mansfield, Ohio) September 2, 1927
CLEVER FAMILY HOLDS REUNION
Eighty Attend Gathering Held at South Park on Thursday
The twelfth annual reunion of the Clever family held Thursday at South park was attended by 80 members of the family living in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Recitations were given by Margery Gongwer, Evelyn Gongwer, and Dean Lemley. Historical sketches of the Clever family were given by Mrs. Leah Price of Butler and Walter Lemley.
The officers elected are the Rev. George Spitler president, Willis Clever vice president and Christian Shisler of Hart, Mich., secretary-treasurer. The next reunion will be held in Michigan. Mrs. Leah Price was selected to prepare the history of the Clever family.
Those from other states who attended the reunion were Blanche and Ethel Clever of Shippensburg, Pa., Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Nenninger of (illegible) Pa., Mrs. Frank Sager, Hart, Mich., Willis Clever, Hart, and the Rev. and Mrs. Spitler of Battle Creek, Mich. They will visit relatives in the southern part of the county. Mrs. Johnson of Battle Creek was also present.
The Rev. and Mrs. Strohll of Johnsville were guests at the reunion, the Rev. Mr. Strohll making a short talk.

The Mansfield News-Journal (Mansfield, Ohio) August 10, 1934
Observe 100 Anniversary of Clevers Settling in Ohio
The 19th annual Clever reunion was held Thursday at South park with 125 members of the family present. This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the settling of the Clevers in Ohio.
After the fine dinner, there was a program and a history was read of the Clevers and their migration to Ohio from Pennsylvania. John and Mary Clever, antecedants of all the Clevers who attended the reunion, were among the early settlers of Ohio, coming from Cumberland, Pa, in the fall of 1834.
The journey was made in an old fashioned covered wagon, in which there rode John Clever and his wife and five children--Leah, Anthony, Mariah, John and Joseph. The family settled on a farm six miles south of the little trading town of Mansfield.
After landing in Ohio they were blessed with six more children, Jonah, Sarah, Henry, Conrad, Suzie and Danile. Four of the sons, Jonah, Henry, Conrad and Daniel served in the Civil war, and all returned home.
At one time the older Clever and his seven sons owned a section of Land and ran a sawmill. John, the patriarch of the family, died in 1864 and Mary, his wife, died in 1886.
The family, through the first Grandmother Allen, are said to be descendants of William Penn.
When the World war called for men, again there were four Clevers who answered the call. Paul Clever of Bellville being one of them.
The 1935 Clever reunion is to held at South park, Mansfield, on the second Thursday of August, next year.

The Mansfield News-Journal (Mansfield, Ohio) August 17, 1936
Picnic Served at Clever Reunion
The 21st annual reunion of the Clever family was held Sunday, at South park, with 108 in attendance. After a picnic dinner at noon, a program of talks by Mr. Keefer, of Butler, a guest, and George Clever, of Fresno, Cal., was enjoyed. Officers elected during a business session are Fred Clever, president; Harry Clever, Vice president; Mrs. Lloyd Clever, secretary-treasurer, and Mrs. Russell Kochheiser, assistant secretary-treasurer.
Relatives from a distance present were Mr. and Mrs. George Clever, of Fresno, Cal., and Mrs. Rosa Lee and son, Wallace, of Cadillac, Mich.

(submitted by Ida Maack Recu)

The Mansfield News (Mansfield, Ohio) August 6, 1922
MONTH OF AUGUST USHERS IN MANY PICNICS AND REUNIONS
The largest reunion held yesterday in point of numbers was the Spayde reunion of North park. Members of the family from Richland, Knox and Cuyahoga counties were present, making an assembly of 159, an increase of 20 over the attendance last year.
The Spaydes of Richland county are the descendants of Henry Spayde, who located in Jefferson township in the early days of the county, and a farm east of Bellville was the home of a large number of the family until they grew up. From the large family of the elder Spayde, has sprung several generations of the name, and after arriving abroad--until their descendants number several hundred people, located in many parts of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.
H. L. Spayde of Mansfield was elected president of the association, and G. E. Spayde, Bellville, secretary and treasurer. Among those present from out of the county were Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Taylor, Canton; Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Spayde and children, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Johnston and Mrs. Bina Mishey, Cleveland, Mrs. Charles McGinley, Mt. Vernon, and others from Bellville, Lexington and Butler.

(submitted by Ida Maack Recu)