LEROY WOODS DAY, one of the successful farmers and stock raisers and influential citizens of Morris township, is a native of Washington county, born in this township, April 24, 1833. He is the youngest of a family of five children born to Lemuel Fordham Day and Nancy Jordan Day. The family is an old and well-known one of English descent, and can be traced to the nobility of that country. Of the five children born to Lemuel F. and Nancy Day, two died in infancy. The others are as follows: Stephen F., born July 22, 1827, left Washington county in 1852, and died March 6, 1892, in Nebraska. He was never married. He left a large landed estate to his brother, L. W. Day, and his niece, Cora B. Minton. Eliza, born April 7, 1831, was married in 1852 to Dr. Artemas Day, of this township, and became the mother of one child, Cora Bell, who married S. D. Minton. Mrs. Day died in 1864. Leroy Woods Day received such an education as was afforded the country youth of that day, and was reared to a practical knowledge of farm life, which he has turned to good account. He resides on the valuable tract of land lying about one-half mile north of Sparta, which has been in the possession of the Day family for more than fifty years. He gives much attention to sheep-raising, to which his place is especially adapted, and he is one of the most successful wool- growers of this county. Through some means, which he attributes to the lay of the land and the breed of sheep, his stock has never been infected with those diseases which so materially lessen the profits of most sheep raisers. Mr. Day was married April 27, 1855, to Miss Miranda Vankirk Day, a daughter of Daniel Day, of Morris township, to which union there have been born eight children, all of whom are living except the eldest, Horace Mann, who was born December 27, 1856, and died November 12, 1857;. Charles Sumner, born February 2, 1855, married October 21, 1880, Miss Sarah M. Auld, of Greene county, Penn., a daughter of John Auld; Stephen Ellsworth, a graduate of the Normal School at California, and also of Washington and Jefferson College, class of 1892, was born August 8, 1861, married Annie M., daughter of Theodore Day, July 21, 1892, and now resides at Washington, Penn.; Edward Sullivan, a vocal and instrumental musician, and dealer in musical instruments, was born February 7, 1865, and married Josie, daughter of Shepherd Kerns, December 24, 1891; Lemuel Clarence, born July 15, 1867, graduated with the class of 1892 from the State Normal School at Edinboro; Howard Woods, born December 5, 1869; Hilliard Daniel, born November 15, 1872, and Minor Harold, born February 25, 1876. The family is an accomplished one, and especially gifted in music. They have among their own members a sextet brass band, and their musical performances are of the most creditable character. In August, 1862, Mr. Day enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment P. V. I., in which he served until honorably discharged, on account of disability, in January, 1864, at which time he was third corporal. In politics he is a Republican, and in religion both he and Mrs. Day are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Old Concord. Mr. Day is also a member of Luther Day Post, No. 395, G. A. R., and is at present Post Commander.

Text taken from page 1049 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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