Lewis W. EDMUNDSON, one of Jay county's best known and most substantial farmers and oil operators, proprietor of an excellent farm in section I of Penn township, where he has a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Pennville, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. The EDMUNDSON's are among the old families of Jay county, the first of this name here having been Thomas EDMUNDSON, a Maryland Quaker, who came here with his family from Ohio in 1837 and settled on a tract of land which he had entered from the Government the year before in what later came to be known as the Balbec neighborhood in Penn township. Thomas EDMUNDSON and his wife Elizabeth, grandparents of Lewis W. EDMUNDSON, were among the leaders in that community in its developing stage and left good memories at their passing. Their two elder sons, Thomas and William EDMUNDSON, entered lands there at the same time and thus the EDMUNDSON's early became substantial factors in the settlement. One of the younger sons of this pioneer pair, John EDMUNDSON, who was born in Maryland and who was the father of Lewis W. EDMUNDSON, was thirteen years of age when he came here with his parents and he grew to manhood on the pioneer farm in the Balbec neighborhood, in turn becoming a farmer on his own account and coming to be the owner of a well developed place of more than 300 acres. He also early became engaged in the sale of buggies and farm implements and it is said that he sold the first mower used in Jay county. On his place he started a broom factory, raising the broom corn on his farm, and developed quite an industry along that line as well as encouraging the growth of broom corn on the farms of his neighbors, continuing in this business until his death. John EDMUNDSON married Rachel Ann PUGH, who was born in Harrison county, Ohio, and who had come here with her parents when a child, and to that union were born nine children, five of whom are now living, Lewis D. EDMUNDSON and his brothers, William and Elwood EDMUNDSON, and sisters, Elizabeth and Marietta. Lewis W. EDMUNDSON was born on the home farm in Penn township on December 11, 1866, and there grew to manhood. He received his schooling in the Balbec schools and from boyhood was a helpful assistant to his father in the operations of the farm and the broom factory, helping to raise the broom corn in the summers and operating" the factory during the winters, and kept this up for more than twenty-five years, or until about 1913, when the broom factory was abandoned. In 1886 Mr. EDMUNDSON bought a tract of eighty acres of land in section I of Penn township and has since resided there. To this tract he has added until now he owns 312 acres, which he has improved In admirable fashion and all oi which is under cultivation save thirty-five acres. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable attention to live stock, with particular reference to pure bred Poland China hogs, and has done well. Mr. EDMUNDSON has four producing oil wells on his farm, which were brought in 1917, and also has profitable oil leases in other parts of the county. He is a Democrat and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club at Portland, is past chancellor commander of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Pennville, a member of the lodge of the Pythian Sisters at that place and also is an active member of the local grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. Lewis W. EDMUNDSON married Delilah WILLIAMS, a daughter of James and Hannah WILLIAMS, and to this union eleven children have been born, nine of whom are living, namely: Zeila E., Esther M., Harry G., Albert L., Ertle, Harold L., Edwina, Marie and Ralph. Zeila EDMUNDSON married Charles CASH and has six children. Esther M. EDMUNDSON married D. C. PENROD and has four children. Harry G. EDMUNDSON married Millie RICHEY and has three children. Ertle EDMUNDSON married Dean RAINS and has four children. The other children of this family are unmarried and at home with their parents.
SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.315-316. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.