Franklin Pierce Sellers is a farmer and landowner of Perry Township long well and favorably known to the people of that community, where more than eighty years ago the family established itself and entered upon their duties and tasks as pioneer homemakers.
Mr. Sellers was born in section 30 of Perry Township July 27, 1866, a son of Joseph and Leah (Crumerine) Sellers. His father was a native of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, son of Leonard and Eliza (Weinert) Sellers, who leaving Pennsylvania came to Allen County in 1837, driving overland. At that time Lima was a little hamlet of log houses. Leah Crumerine was born in Perry County, Ohio, a daughter of Martin and Catherine (Broshes) Crumerine, also originally Pennsylvanians and early settlers in Allen County, Ohio.
Joseph Sellers after his marriage lived for a few years in Auglaize County, but then bought eighty acres of unimproved land in section 30 of Perry Township. He was a very capable and industrious farmer and in subsequent years acquired the ownership of more than 500 acres, all in Perry Township except sixty-five acres in Shawnee Township. Much of this land was improved by his labors and under his supervision, and some of it is still owned in the family. Joseph Sellers was born March 2, 1828, and died in August, 1892. His wife died in 1895. Their children were: Daniel and David, both living in Perry Township ; Eliza, Mrs. George Beeler, of Perry Township; William, also of Perry Township; Mary M., widow of George Mosier; and Franklin Pierce.
Franklin Pierce Sellers is the youngest of the family and has never married. His life from birth has been spent on the old homestead, and many years ago he secured eighty acres, including the home place. In 1906 he improved his farm with a fine concrete block house and continued to be actively identified with the cares and responsibilities of the farm until 1917, since which date he has rented out his fields. Mr. Sellers acquired his early education in District School No. 9 near the home farm. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, is a democrat in politics, and served one term as township trustee.
His home is capably looked after by his widowed sister, Mary M.. who was married in May, 1883, to George Mosier. Mrs, Mosier has two children, Tolbert, now at Lima, and Leah Viola, living with her mother.
William Sellers, brother of Franklin P., was born at the old home in Perry Township July 30, 1859. He was first married in 1886 to Viola Haines, but his wife died at childbirth a year later. He then lived in Perry Township with his father-in-law for a year or so, later bought twenty acres in section 31 and his father also deeded him eighty acres, all but twenty acres in timber. Of this tract Mr. Sellers has cleared all but seventeen acres of timber, and now has a fine group of farm buildings and one of the good and productive farms of the township. In 1920 he formed a partnership with his son as a manager of the farm.
In 1889 he married Daisy Ulry who was born in Perry Township, a daughter of Silas and Lillian (Munch) Ulry. They have five children: Victor Norman, of Lima; Grace, Mrs. Samuel Lowrey, of Shawnee Township; Harold, who is his father’s partner on the farm; Doris W. and Lois, both at home.
