Abraham Flory

Abraham Flory

Abraham Flory was born in Randolph Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1735 and died in 1827. He is the only son of the Joseph Flory family of which we have any authentic record, and the only child born in America. He was 6 years of age when his father died.

He and his mother, Mary, lived in or near the homes of his older brothers Joseph Jr. and John. Abraham appeared on Randolph Township, Lancaster County tax list in 1758 as a "free Man" living with the Flory family. Daughters of the American Revolution records give

1735 to 1827 as his date of birth and death and these dates are corroborated by his Ohio descendants. He was identified with the Conastoga Church of the Brethren and their first westward movement was to Waynesboro region in Franklin County, which at that time was Cumberland County. This was a short distance north of Hagerstown, Maryland and Harpers Ferry both on the southern route of migration to Shennandoah Valley, Virginia. Abraham did not appear on Rapho Township tax list in 1759 and had probably migrated to Washington Township, Franklin County, that year with the Brethren movement. According to Pennsylvania archives, series 3 volume 23 page 665, Abraham was a First Class Private in Captain Samuel Rogers Company 8th. Battalion Cumberland County militia in 1779, this was the American Revolution. About 1796 Abraham moved to Somerset near Myersdale, Pennsylvania and to Montgomerey County, Ohio in 1805. He settled about 10 miles west of Dayton, Ohio on the farm long known as the Elder Jacob Garber farm, located 1 mile east of Diamond Mills Road and north of Eaton Heights. For several years previous to his death he lived with his children. Indians were common along the Wolf Creek in those days and often came to the Flory home to get their guns repaired at the farm blacksmith shop. Living was simple and most of their clothes and farm tools were made on the farm.

Abraham married Catherine Blocker. They were the parents of 5 sons; Abraham, John, Joseph, Emmanuel and Henry. Abraham died at the age of 92 years, a rather long life for a person living in that century.