says of Israel Cloud: Early in life he went to the state of Ohio and settled in the neighborhood of Urbana and Somerset. He was a carpenter and builder by occupation and also a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, having been ordained by Bishop Janes in 1847. He held various offices in the counties of Franklin and Perry, such as Justice of the Peace, etc. He first married Elizabeth Henthorn in 1816 of whom he wrote, "She early sought her maker and was happy in her God." They had ten children of whom four grew to maturity and two married. In 1893 all were deceased. Some time after the death of his first wife he married (1846) Mary Lakin, a granddaughter of Rev. Thomas Lakin one of the pioneers of Methodism. In 1893 she was still living, still active and in good health physically and mentally, then at the age of 80 years. She wrote of Israel Cloud, "He was one of the best and most upright of men that ever lived. He was quiet in his ways, gentle almost to the appearance of timidity in his manner. His brother used to say, "He was afraid to eat cherries for fear the stones would choke him." He was firm in principle and made religion the great business of life.
