Our immediate family's story starts in Henry County where the town of New Lisbon stands today. One of the first pioneers, Joshua Mercer, was my great great grandfather. Joshua was born on April 25th, 1817 near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia. When he was 15 (1832) he moved to Indiana and lived with "Aunt" Polly Grove in Dublin, Indiana until he married Catherine Swafford on October 24th, 1839. Catherine's family was from Randolph County, North Carolina. Aunt Polly was the sister of Joshua's mother's second husband.

Joshua was one of two children (the other was a sister, Phebe) and it is not known why he chose to leave Virginia where he had many relatives. Perhaps he had a great desire for adventure, for the Indiana Territory was still occupied by Indians and only recently had Tecumseh's War come to a conclusion. It is fact that his father, William, drowned while crossing a "mountain river" on horseback (1815 or 1818). Perhaps this is why Joshua left Virginia, but in any event, he should be considered a true pioneer. Indiana was still the western frontier in the early 1800s.

Joshua and Catherine Swafford had nine children, one of whom was James Madison Mercer, my great grandfather. The family lived on a farm they rented for six years (and later bought) near New Lisbon, Indiana in Dudley Township, Henry County. James grew up on the family farm and went to school nearby. He became a carpenter and followed that trade off and on for about ten years in Henry and Wayne counties. Later James became a farmer and continued part time as a carpenter. In 1902 he owned a total of 143 acres.

My grandmother gave me James Madison Mercer's discharge papers from the Civil War. He was a private in Company A of the 54th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Captain Thomas commanding. The regiment was sent to the western front as part of General Sherman's Yazoo Campaign. James' company fought at Chicksaw Bluffs (Mississippi) and Arkansas Post (Arkansas). During one of these engagements James was hit by a "spent ball" and was so disabled that he was discharged at Indianapolis in 1863. He may have been lost on the field of battle or wounded to the point that he wandered off because (like many others) he was charged with desertion. Later that charge was reduced to AWOL indicating he was probably just separated from his regiment. He received a pension of $8 per month for his service. I have seen newspaper articles mentioning his name as a member of the Grand Old Army when he was in Fourth of July celebrations and also his obituary (1931). After he was discharged his unit fought at Chickamauga and Vicksburg. I have his copy of "Indiana at Chickamauga" in my library.

Returning to his farm, James married Elizabeth Hanby, daughter of William Hanby (Maryland) and Hannah (Kentucky). They had six children including Chester Clinton Mercer, my grandfather.

James was a Sunday school teacher and the superintendent of the Sunday school. He belonged to Post 148 of the GAR. James was the first president and one of the organizers of the New Lisbon Telephone Company. He was known as a man of broad humanitarian principles who led an upright life and promoted the welfare of the community.

He died on March 9th, 1931. Elizabeth passed away of "dropsy" on June 19th, 1914. While I never met James, I recall seeing his pictures in family albums and my father told me that when my grandfather bought one of the first cars in New Castle, Indiana, James would sit up front chewing tobacco and spitting out the side. The tobacco juice would often fly into the back seat!

Chester Clinton Mercer, my paternal grandfather was known as "Chet" to almost everyone in New Castle, Indiana. Chet left the family farm near New Lisbon and lived several places, finally settling down in New Castle where he became the telegrapher for the New York Central Railroad. He held this job for 37 years until his retirement. Before that I believe he farmed for a while in Illinois and Indiana.

Chet was the youngest of six children and was born on April 17th, 1884 on the family farm. He married Annette Gilbert on September 11, 1910 and the couple had two boys, Frederick Wayne Mercer and Mark Lamont Mercer, my father. After he retired from the railroad I don't believe Grandpa had any special interests or pastimes. He eventually grew forgetful and possibly had Alzheimers, but we were told he had "hardening of the arteries" and blood clots in the brain caused him to forget who he was and where he was. He wandered off throughout town and fortunately everyone knew him and would help him home. Finally Grandma had to put him into a special facility where he died on March 30th, 1955.

Grandma's family lived in or near New Lisbon where she and Chet met. Her father was Charles F. Gilbert and her mother's name was Carrie. The story I heard was that in their eighties they got mad at each other and he moved out to a cabin in the woods on their property. I remember Grandma in the 1940s and 1950s when we visited her and Grandpa in New Castle almost every Sunday. She always cooked chicken and dumplings and cared enough for me that she would talk to me as if I was an adult. Based on those and later conversations, I believe she was a bright, intelligent woman. She was of a plain appearance with graying red hair and freckles. My dad said she was kind of wild in her younger years, a flapper using cocaine and going out dancing. In her later years she wore no makeup and attended the Christian Science Church. I recall she said, "I reckon," and "Pert near" occasionally, true to her rural Hoosier upbringing. I know she was a member of Eastern Star, so Grandpa must have been a Mason.

Nettie was a good cook and always turned out a big Sunday dinner. Grandpaâs sister, Aunt Eva Nation, lived down the street and sometimes Grandma would take me down there to visit. Aunt Eva was the only sibling of Grandpa's that I clearly remember. She was ten years older than Chet. She wore dark clothing, was a Christian Scientist and was well-educated. I still have hand written minutes from the Mercer Family Reunion in the twenties and thirties at Memorial Park at which she presided as the secretary. I also have a family history that she prepared in the early thirties, probably for that same event which drew Mercers and others from several states.

Eva was married to Enoch Abner Nation, the "blind lawyer" of New Castle. Enoch's brother James also married a Mercer, Mary Maude, but she was not from Chet's immediate family since his sister, Mary Leone, married Henry Secrest and later Nolan Ward. It was Maude Mercer, daughter of Joshua Frank Mercer (brother of James Madison), that married James A. Nation. They lived in Straughn, Indiana. This Nation family was directly related to Carrie Nation, the reformer, famous for her temperance activities.

Another family, closely related, was the Kellam family. They became owners of the Mercer Farm at New Lisbon. I remember BernaDena Mercer Kellam, who I believe was the daughter of Charles Marion Mercer, one of Chet's brothers, who stayed on the family farm. There was also an "Aunt Matt" who I remember but haven't figured out her exact relationship. Returning to New Castle, Chester and Annette had two sons, Frederick Wayne and Mark Lamont. Mark was born on June 18th, 1912. Wayne was born on June 22nd, 1911 and was apparently the quieter of the two. He was shy. After winning an event at a track meet in high school, he was embarrassed and went home rather than accept the award. Mark brought the award home for him. Wayne worked at Delco Remy and Chrysler in New Castle until he had to retire due to ill health. Wayne married Ruth Simmons in 1934 and they had two children, Richard and Linda.

From his earliest years, Mark Mercer was outgoing and excelled at athletics, playing varsity football, baseball, basketball, and running track for the New Castle Trojans. His basketball team went to the regionals during his senior year and the following year the same team won the state championship, without Mark of course. He ran the hurdles in the state finals and came in second to a runner who went on to compete in the Olympics. He was also an excellent swimmer and diver. He was a lifeguard at the YMCA pool while in high school. Mark took banjo lessons as a boy and throughout his life he was appreciative of music, especially Dixieland jazz.

Mark was approached by famous basketball coach, Branch McCracken, to attend Ball State Teachersâ College (Now Ball State University) in Muncie, Indiana. He was given a "scholarship" which consisted of painting the wrought iron fence around the campus. He noted that by the time he finished, it was time to go around again. He also worked his way through college as a short order cook where he waited on several Chicago gangsters, including Babyface Nelson. But sports were his main interest. He lettered in basketball, baseball, track, and football. He was also an accomplished gymnast and performed on stage in the White River Review, an annual college show doing a springboard act, but was banned when he tried to do a fan dance with an electric fan and wearing only an athletic supporter!

Mark met Bessie Pope at Ball State. Bessie, aka "Betty", was from Kendallville, Indiana. She also helped earn her way through college by playing viola in a string quartet, often for the Ball family at their mansion in Muncie. They both received teaching degrees in 1936 and went out into the world.

They found positions in nearby towns and married in 1937. In the summer Dad managed a large outdoor swimming pool (Laughing Waters) not far from Knightstown where he taught. They spent their honeymoon there, living in a tent on the far side of the creek which they had to cross on a log. Their first son, Allan Eugene Mercer, was born in New Castle, Indiana. Their second son, Jerry Lamont Mercer, was born in New Castle.

When war broke out in 1941, Dad was 4F because he was nearly blind in one eye, so he took over the coaching position at Knightstown and spent many hours at practice with his teams which were fairly successful. I still remember the victory bell ringing around town after a Falcon victory in the same gym where Hoosiers was filmed decades later. Mom says Dad took up the drums as an outlet for frustrations resulting from coaching and probably from teaching, too. Dad had a dance band for several years in which he played drums and occasionally sang. Dad was also a part time deputy policeman and related many stories about his adventures.

During this time, Mom taught music at the Indiana State Soldier and Sailor's Children's Home near Knightstown. She excelled as a music teacher and had many successful students. She was also the organist at the First Christian Church and participated in many community activities.

Dad decided to leave Knightstown and we moved to Wolcotville, Indiana where Mom took charge of the band and the chorus, and taught music. Later she would be my 7th grade English teacher. Dad taught at LaGrange a few miles north, very near the Michigan state line. Two years later we moved to Florida.

In 1952 we were in Callahan, Florida where Dad taught Political Science and Mom taught Band, Chorus, and Music. Callahan taught us a lot about the rural South.

Our next stop was Groveland, Florida. Mom took on the usual music duties and Dad taught fifth grade at Mascot and (later) sixth grade at Clermont. I believe he also served as principal for a while. Allan graduated in 1956 from Groveland High School and went to Florida State University. I attended The Bolles School in Jacksonville, graduating in 1958 and going to University of Florida at Gainesville. By that time, Dad had once more felt the traveling itch and decided to go to California.

Mom and Dad taught in Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley in Californiaâs high desert east of Los Angeles. They next decided to go overseas and teach for the US Navy in Morocco. This was to be only the first of their several overseas teaching jobs during the next few years. After two years in Morocco, Mom and Dad taught at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During their time at "Gitmo" the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred and along with hundreds of dependents, they were evacuated on a Navy transport ship. The Navy then assigned them to San Diego for a short while until they were returned to Cuba. After finishing their tour in Cuba, they lived in Hemet, California for a while where Mom taught and Dad golfed. Next they went to Guam and then Tinian. Finally they returned to the states and decided to move to Morro Bay, California where they purchased some rental property. Dad golfed at the country club there and made his first (and last) hole in one on that course. He had a heart attack at this time and was revived by the aid unit. Then he found out he had cancer. He decided the best thing to do was move closer to Allan which turned out to be a wise decision, because he died of prostate and/or bladder cancer on April 22nd, 1979. He was a man of high ideals and broad intellect. Dad never tired of telling us humorous stories, his adventures around the world, and facts that he thought would help us through life. I believe he faced death in the same manner... as another adventure.

At the time of his death, Mom was still teaching at a magnet school in Chula Vista. She taught there until age 74 when she finally decided it was time to retire. Energetic as she was, she soon became a volunteer at the local hospital and was playing the organ at church. She also entered the Senior Olympics in her eighties and won a running event (fifty yard dash) and swam also. A really remarkable woman, at ninety-two (at this writing) she is still going strong after defeating breast cancer, a broken femur, and several falls.

Jerry L. Mercer
22 August 2005

To contact Jerry go to: Jerry Mercer