Notes for LEVI ELSTON DECKER:

Son of ? and ?.
Born: February 7, 1811 in New Jersey.
Died: August 22, 1893 in Archers Fork, Washington County, Ohio.
Buried: Bowerstock (Decker) Cemetery, Washington County, Ohio.
Married: Grace Ferguson August 26, 1835 in Washington County, Ohio.

His brother, Moses, married Grace's sister, Wealtha.

THE LEVI ELSTON DECKER FAMILY
Levi Elston Decker was born in Eastern New Jersey, February 7, 1811, and by his family was removed in the year 1818 to a point in Virginia, now West Virginia, nearly opposite the mouth of Rea's Run, Washington County, where he grew to manhood and from which point he made trips to Cincinnati and New Orleans, and also to Indiana to assist in locating his married sister and her family. His nature and temperament fitted him in a peculiar manner to risk and endure the hardships of the pioneer, and during the year 1833, attracted by the pine timber, he entered the then Wilderness of Archers Fork. He erected a saw mill, built a home and engaged in the lumber business, rafting and floating the product of his labor to the Cincinn?ati market.

As timber grew scarce, he combined farming with lumbering, and later abandoned the business and turned his entire attention to farming.

On the 26th day of August, 1835, he was married to Grace Ferguson who was born and reared at Ferguson's Landing, near Newport, Washington County. Her father, Thomas Ferguson, was the first postmaster at Newport.

There resulted from this marriage a family of twelve children.

Levi Elston Decker was a man of energetic and positive temperament; of strong and lasting convictions, and physically the peer of any man. He was a warm and sympathetic friend, a loving father and fond husband. He was my great-grandfather. He died August 23, 1893, at his home on Archers Fork, Independence Township and is buried in the Decker Cemetery near the original Decker home.
Submitted by
E. Glen Duvall
(Source: http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/washington/bios/decker391bs.txt")