George Leas ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

George is said to have been the first of the brothers, Geoarge, William and Daniel to migrate to western Ohio. From the Preble County History, H.L. Williams and Brothers Publishers, 1881, "Considerable difference of opinion exists as to the date of the first settler's entrance, although all concur in the tradition that the first settler was George Leas, and that he settled on Section 21, on the north bank of Twin Creek.

In 1832, George and Mary Leas lived on the farm which by 1915 was the home of the Preble County Infirmary. Land Purchase(5): Census(6): Lease, George OH PREBLE CO. EATON page 364 (Is this the George Leas, s/o Daniel and Lydia?) Census(7): Town of Eaton, Preble County, OH 127/132 Page 240 George Leas - Age 73, Male, Born PA Sythe and Sickle maker, $500 Real Estate Mary Leas - Age 73, Female, Born PA Mary Leas - Age 8, Female, Born IN

Will(8): I, George Leas of Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, do hereby make my last will and testament as follows, that is to say,
1st ~ It is my will that all my just debts, expenses and charges, funeral & otherwise, all be paid out of my estate -
2nd~ I give, bequeath and devise to my son James O. Leas and his heirs forever all the estate and property I own, personal and real, wherever the same may be situated, he, the said James O. Leas having taken me in my old age and infirmity and kindly and affectionately sustained me in comfort as long as I shall be permitted to live -
3rd~ I do not give any thing to my other children, namely Eliza Brues, Julia Miller, Lydia Hains, Daniel Leas, Frank Leas or to my grandchildren, being the children of my daughter, Susan Long, deceased, and the children of my son, Thomas Leas, deceased, I having already given to each of my said children as much of my estate as I think just and proper in my condition - I have done justice as I think to all my children and heirs in making this disposition of my estate, and I cherish a fond hope that they will all be satisfied therewith - - As to my son, James with whom I now live - he has cared for me in my weakness and my age and condition in life requires his kind care and attention which he freely gives to me; therefore I have felt it to be my duty to remunerate him as well as I can for his trouble on my account -
4th~ I hereby consitute and appoint my said son James. O. Leas, sole executor of this my last will and testament and I wish that the Probate Court may permit him to execute the same without requiring him to give bond of such execution - and I also wish that no appraisement or sale of my property may be made and I request said Court to make such order that the same may not be made - I hereby revoke and annul all former and other wills by me made and I hereby declare this to be my last will and testament _ In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal August 30th 1860 --


George Leas Seal Witnesses present . . I. Hampson Solomon Banta C.A. Smith

[Transcribed by Kathryn E. Stuart March 27, 2001 from a certified copy obtained from Preble County Probate Court.] Tax List(9): General(10,11): From the Preble County History, H.L. Williams & Brother Publishers 1881, "Considerable difference of opinion exists as to the date of the first settler's entrance, although all concur in the tradition that the first settler was George Leas, and that he settled on Section 21, on the north bank of Twin Creek. Leas was a Pennsylvanian, born in Cumberland County. (P. 216)

In 1832, George and Mary Leas lived on the farm which by 1915 was the home of the Preble County Infirmary.



Sources cited by Kathryn Elizabeth Leas:

SOURCES
1. William Arthur Leas. LEAS RESEARCH / William Arthur Leas. Unpublished family research, Pedigree charts and family group records. 2. Researcher. Edith Smith / Rita Ahern. 3. Ibid. Elizabeth E. Leas. 4. Ibid. Linda E. Leas. 5. Joe Bosserman. Miami Valley Genealogical Index. 6. Researcher. Marjory Eickenberry. 7. Census Records. 8. Researcher. Marjory Eickenberry. 9. Ibid. Elizabeth E. Leas. 10. CEMETERY Records. 11. Researcher. Bonnie Leas Jones citing Obituary Abstracts from the Eaton Register and Democrat
newspapers of Preble County, Ohio.
12. Ibid. Edith Smith / Rita Ahern.
13. CEMETERY Records. Research done by Bonnie Leas Jones.
14. Researcher. Van Hyning/ Schilling Family Tree by Amy E. Van Hyning on Ancestry.com citing the research of Diana Muir. 15. Census Records. 1850 Census. 16. Researcher. Bonnie Leas Jones citing Obituary Abstracts from the Eaton Register and Democrat
newspapers of Preble County, Ohio.
17. CEMETERY Records. Research done by Bonnie Leas Jones.
18. Obituary. Lydia Haines' obituary: The Eaton Democrat, Thursday, March 8, 1894. 19. Compiled by Audrey Gilbert, 604 St. Rt. 503 South, West Alexandria, Ohio 45381. Probate Abstracts Estates & Guardianships, Preble County, Ohio. 1999. Book 6, page 67-68. 20. Obituary. Lydia Haines obituary: The Eaton Democrat, Thursday, March 8, 1894. 21. CEMETERY Records. Mound Hill Union Cemetery, Eaton, Ohio compiled by Joan Bake Brubaker, West
Alexandria, Ohio copyright 1992.
22. LDS Records. 1880 Census
Census Place 1st Ward, Peru, Miami, Indiana
Family History Library Film 1254298
NA Film Number T9-0298
Page Number 531A.
23. Ibid. 1880 Census, p. 531a.
24. Ibid. 1880 Census Place 1st Ward, Peru, Miami, Indiana
Family History Library Film 1254298
NA Film Number T9-0298
Page Number 531A.
25. Ibid.
26. Fay W. Leas. LEAS GENEALOGY. 1950 Publication, Fort Wayne, Indiana. page 81 per Norma Gregerson, daughter of Mary Jane Leas.
27. LDS Records. Film Number: 537263
Page Number:
Reference number: 12848.
28. Researcher. Van Hyning/ Schilling Family Tree by Amy E. Van Hyning on Ancestry.com.

  Noted events in his life were:

• United States Census: Residence, 1850, Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, USA.

George married Mary "Polly" Weems, daughter of Major John Weems and Unknown. (Mary "Polly" Weems was born about 1776 in Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania, USA, died on 2 Apr 1859 in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, USA and was buried in Mound Hill Cemetery, Eaton, Washington Township, Preble County, Ohio, USA.)