Homer H. STEED, a well known and substantial farmer and landowner of Jefferson township, proprietor of an excellent farm on rural mail route No. I out of Redkey, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. STEED was born on a farm in Jefferson township on November 2, 1858, and is a son of William W. and Eliza J. (HESTON) STEED, both of whom were members of pioneer families in this county. William W. STEED was born in Virginia and was twelve years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents, John and Frances STEED, of whom further and fitting mention is made elsewhere in this volume, the family settling on an eighty-acre farm in Jefferson township and becoming influential in the early days of that community. Of the four children born to the pioneer John STEED and wife, William W. STEED was the youngest. He completed his schooling in Jefferson township and remained at home until after his marriage when he began farming on his own account, starting out with a quarter section in Jefferson township for which he paid $600. As his affairs prospered he added to his land holdings until he became the owner of 480 acres and was long accounted one of the substantial men of that community. He continued actively engaged in farming until his retirement. His last days were spent in this county, his death occurring in 1899. To William W. STEED and wife were born seven children, all of whom are living save one ,Chester, the others besides the subject of this sketch being Louvernia, Elmer, Lewis, Matilda and Maude. Reared on the home farm in Jefferson township, Homer H. STEED received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and from the days of his boyhood was a valued aid in the work of developing his father's farming interests, remaining there during the years of his young manhood and for seven years having charge of the home place. He married at the age of twenty-four years and the first land he bought was a quarter section in Jefferson township, a part of the place on which he is now living in that township. Since taking possession of that place Mr. STEED has done well in his operations and has increased his holdings until now he is the owner of a well kept place of 307 acres. Mr. STEED is a Democrat and has ever taken an interested part in local political affairs. It was on November 26, 1882, that Homer H. STEED was united in marriage to Phoebe Jane McDONALD, who then was living in the Como neighborhood, and to this union nine children have been born, four of whom, Foster, Guy, Ruby and Beverly, are deceased, the others being Eltha, Belva, Chester, Preva and Tyra, the latter of whom married Howard JONES and is now living at Redkey. Preva STEED is unmarried and is at home with her parents. Eltha STEED married George F. MILLS, of Muncie, [Delaware Co.] Ind., and has one child, a daughter, Madge. Belva STEED is the widow of the late Ross BELL, of Ft. Wayne, [Allen Co.] Ind. Chester STEED married Winifred WALTERS and to that union one child has been born, a son, Philip, deceased. Mrs. Phoebe Jane STEED, was born in the neighboring county of Delaware and is a daughter of George and Sarah Ann (SHRACK) McDONALD, who moved over into Jay county when she was a child and settled on a farm in the vicinity of Como, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mrs. STEED has a brother and sister in Jay county, Henry McDONALD, of Jefferson township, and Mrs. Inez PETTIJOHN, of Dunkirk.