Obituary of Joseph H. Bible

Obituary of Joseph Bible, Coshocton, Ohio, died 12 Mar 1906, buried Prairie
Chapel Methodist Church, Coshocton, OH.

Headline: JOSEPH BIBLE DIES AT BETHLEHEM, TWP. HOME - Was 75 Years Old and
the Father of County Recorder C. M. Bible: A Prominent Citizen

"Joseph H. Bible, one of the most prominent of the older residents of
Coshocton county, died at a late hour Monday night at his residence in
Bethlehem township, after a lingering illness with kidney trouble. His last
sickness has been of about six weeks duration. Three weeks ago, he was so
much improved that he was able to be up and about. On the third of March,
however, he took a relapse and has been growing steadily worse since. He was
75 years of age.

Joseph H. Bible was born in the state of Virginia, Aug. 12, 1830. With his
parents he came to this county in 1835. Since which time he has lived in
this county. His parents were poor and his father, Philip, died while the
children were yet young, leaving the mother with ten children, 5 boys and 5
girls, to be cared for in a comparatively new country. However they all grew
to man and womanhood, each with a limited amount of education as school
facilities were in their school days very meager, expecially for the poor.
The brothers were named Stewart, Joseph, Adam, Philip and Isaac, all of whom
are now dead except Isaac, who resides in Jackson township, this county.

The sisters were Dolly, wife of G. W. Havil, late of Roscoe; Lana, wife of
Henry Strome, late of Adams Mills; Mary, wife of F. M. Butler, of Clark
township; Susan, wife of Zachariah Clark, late of Jackson township; Diana,
wife of the late William Maxwell of Jackson township; all of whom are dead
except Mrs. Susan Clark, who resides with her daughter, Mrs. Frank Foster of
South Lawn avenue, and Mrs. Diana Maxwell, who lives with her widowed
daughter Mrs. Jas. Davis on North 9th street.

He was married to Miss Margaret Courtright, daughter of the late Abraham
Courtright of Bacon in 1853. Of this union were born 6 sons and 5 daughters,
all of whom are living and married. The sons are C. M. Bible, county
recorder of this city; Capt. F. O. Bible of Pittsburg, Pa; Wm. L Bible of
Arcola, Ill.; Jos. L. Bible of Keene township; Geo. H. Bible of this city
and Addie Bible of Bethlehem township.

According to the Centennial History of Coshocton County, Ohio (1909), after
marrying Miss Margaret Courtright, Joseph H. Bible "...engaged in the
cultivation of a rented farm for three years. He then removed to Bethlehem
township, where he remained for three or four years, after which he took up
his abode in Tuscarawas township, where he remained for three years. He next
became a resident of Louisville, where he was engaged in the grocery
business at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. Two years later he
disposed of his grocery store and rented a farm in Franklin township, thus
engaging the cultivation of the soil through the period of hostilities. When
his economy and industry had brought him sufficient capital he purchased a
farm in Bethlehem township, on which he resided from 1867 until the time of
his death in March , 1906. Mr. Bible enjoyed the good will and trust of all
who knew him, because his life was upright and honorable, his actions manly
and sincere. He was entirely free from ostentation or display but those who
knew him learned of his true worth. In politics he was a democrat and while
never a politician in the sense of office seeking, he yet served as trustee
in the township in which he lived. He was an active member of the Methodist
Protestant church and a consistent Christian man. He joined the church about
1870 and thereafter remained a great Bible student, devoting much of his
spare time to the reading of the scriptures. He read the Bible through at
least once a year and he made it his guide of life. He always held some
important official position in the church, gave cheerfully of his means to
its supoprt, and did all in his power to a

 

Contributed by Bertha Hood