THE FRANCIS MAY (MAI) FAMILY GENEALOGY IN OHIO
Several May farmers arrived from Germany in the 1850's to reestablish their farming skills in this rich farm land. Francis May came from Bennsheim, Hessen-Darmstadt. He was commonly entered in records, and known, as Frank. The archives in the St. Joseph Parish registry show his last name as: Frazissi Mai; Franzis May, Francisus May; Franz May; Franciscus Mai. His grave marker at the parish cemetery reads Frank May. The other May immigrants to the Suffield area appear to have been from a town in Germany named Kirschhansen or Kirschhausen in the parvecia of Heppenheim. Thus began the new-world life of Dean May’s grandfather, (Frazissi) Frank (Mai) May of Suffield Ohio.
Francis May supposedly came to Ohio in 1854 through Erie, PA in 1860. He was born in 1819 in Bensheim, Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. Census records indicate that Frank was a farmer in the providence of Heppenheim (in which Bennsheim is located). According to his naturalization paper filed April 09, 1860, he immigrated to the states with his wife Margerete Hohenadel. and two children (Frank and Valentine). Frank died in 1893 of "dropsy" (footnote 5) Margarete Hohenadel was born in 1829 and christened in Sonderback, Germany. (footnote 4) She died August 31, 1899 in Suffield a widow at age 72. She also died of "dropsy".
Francis and Margarete children:
Frank (died at sea); Valentine; Elizabeth (Lizzie); Agnes; John (father); George; Adam; Joseph; Mary (for detailed genealogy, refer to footnote 6)
John J. May Family
John, the fifth child of Frank and Margarette May was born September 27, 1858. He married Lucinda Dorothea (Cinda) Bauer on 28th of November 1884 at St. Joseph Church in Suffield. John and Lucinda resided on, and operated, a farm In Suffield located at 2017 Steffy Road. (footnote 7) The original house and barn still stand on this property.
It was rumored that there were two other John May farmers in the area. As each became established in the greater Suffield community, their personal accounts and mail were becoming crossed up and their identities confused. A pragmatic solution was arranged: two of the three Johns took middle initials. Father John took the initial J. and from then forward was John J. May and referred to as "Big John". The other, John L., was known as "Little John". Research has not confirmed a third John May.
Lucinda Dorothea Bauer was born March 11, 1857 in Suffield, Ohio.
John and Lucinda moved to 1865 East Market St. Akron, Ohio between 1900 and 1905. He built a home on this property. Around 1910 he purchased a large plot of land around a pond on Akron – Canton Road (State Route 91) in the community identified at “East Moreland”. John built an unknown number of homes around the pond area. One of those houses was subsequently sold to Dean and Amelia.
John J. and Lucinda May Children:
1. Elsie 2. Clarence 3. Dean 4. Margaret 5. Evelyn 6. Jo 7. Betty 8. Mil
(Their common names are used here. Ref: footnote 8 for complete genealogy)
Notes:
4. Hohenadel name is well known in Summit County through most of the 20th century for their chocolate shops located in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.
5. An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. Today one would be more descriptive and specify the cause such as having edema due to congestive heart failure.
6. Francis and Margarete children:1. Frank – Born 1847. Died 1853 at sea in route to the States.2. Valentine – Born in Germany 1847. Died June 9, 1919 Married Catherine (Kate) Bissler 3. Elizabeth (Lizzie) – Born in Suffield August 12, 1854. Died May 23, 1923. Married Edward Bissler Family of note: Bissler funeral/ furniture business through 20th century, Kent 4. Agnes – Born in Suffield January 27, 1858. Died at 3 years, 4 month. 5. John – Born September 27, 1858. Died 1930 in Akron, Ohio (Grandfather May) Married Lucinda Dorothea (Cinda) Bauer6. George – Born December 1, 1862. Died June 15, 1927 Married Josephine Gless
7. The farm was on Steffy Road, 0.3 mile east from Congress Lake Road in Suffield Township. The property remains an active farm. Many other farm properties in the area were abandoned becoming residential developments.
8. John J. and Lucinda May Children:1. Elsie Otiliam (?) - Born October 18, 1885. Died 1918 Married Louis Edward Adelman2. Clarence Willard -Born January 9, 1887. Died December 6, 1971 Married Beatrice Marie Loichot 3. Dean Francis - Born March 25, 1889. Died February 5, 1949 Married August 4, 1915 to Amelia T. Stutz - Born September 6, 1896 Died 1927 12. (Obituary) Married February 6. 1929 to Dorothy L. Cranz - Born December 2, 1905 Died June 6, 1994 13.(Obituary) 4. Margaret Abigail - Born June 4, 1891. Died November 22, 1972 Married Leo Gustave Walter5. Mary Evelyn - Born October 1, 1893. Died February 1978 Married Walter Viggers 6. Josephine Esther - Born April 3, 1893. Died July 27, 1955 Married John Reavis7. Elizabeth Hazel - Born July 16, 1899. Died 1989 Married: 1. Robert Whitworth - divorced; 2.George Zumwinkle - died; 3. Jacques Pascal - died8 .Mildred Catherine - Born September 1902. Died June 4, 1979 Married Hillard Don Carlos