Bazel Lemley
3rd cousins, 4X removed
George Lemley & Eva Catrina Yoho
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Jacob Lemley-1765
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George Lemley-1768
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| Jacob Lemley-1798 | Catherine Lemley-1793 |
| Israel Lemley-1820 | Hannah Okey-1819 |
Bazel Lemley-1842
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Edward Brown-1838
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John Waggonfield Brown-1860
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Ira Edward Brown-1894
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Elisha Kane Brown-1921
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Kathleen Elizabeth Brown Hill – 1947
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WAYNESBURG, Feb.18, 1943 - Bazel LEMLEY, Greene County's last Civil War Veteran died at 8 o'clock this morning at his home at Mt. Morris at the age of 101 years. In November Mr. LEMLEY recovered from bronchial pneumonia, but weakened gradually since that illness.
Only a week ago on Feb. 10, Mr. LEMLEY celebrated his 101st birthday. For almost the entire 101 years of his life he had been a resident of Greene County. He was born at Marietta, Ohio, February 10, 1842, a son of Israel LEMLEY and Mazie (WHITE) LEMLEY. When he was only five weeks of age his parents moved to Greene County, where he spent the remainder of his long life, with the exception of four years devoted to fighting for the North in the Union Army in the 1860's.
When the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Bazel LEMLEY went to the front with the first troops leaving Greene County. He enlisted June 30, 1861 and was mustered into the Federal service July 15, 1861 as a member of Company I, Eighth Pennsylvania Reserve Corps (37th Regiment). He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, and on May 15, 1864, he was transferred as a veteran to the 191st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. He was the last survivor of his unit.
He saw action in 19 battles of the war, but the only wound received was at the Wilderness. During a military review he shook hands with President LINCOLN: and at a review of Union veterans held at the battlefield of Antietam over 70 years later he again shook hands with a President of the United States - Franklin D. ROOSEVELT. At this meeting he told the president that if he ever had the opportunity he would vote for him, and though a staunch Republican, he made good on this promise in 1940. He was mustered out of the service with an honorable discharge on July 5, 1865, after which he returned to Greene County, where he spent the remainder of his life.
Mr. LEMLEY in July, 1865, became a member of Waynesburg Lodge No. 469 I.O.O.F. and on February 12, 1942, just two days after his 100th birthday he was honored at a meeting which he attended. At that time and at the time of his death he was the oldest member of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Pennsylvania and perhaps in the United States.
President Franklin D. ROOSEVELT, Governor Arthur H. JAMES and Senator James J. DAVIS sent him congratulatory Messages on his 100th birthday. On this occasion he was elected to membership in Pittsburgh’s Dapper Dan Club, a nationally known charitable organization with 2,500 members. He was considered Greene County’s best dressed senior. Between 75 and 100 persons attended the dinner given in his honor on February 10,1942.
Mr. LEMLEY was a regular attendant at the annual national encampment of the G.A.R. and at he time of his death was chaplain of the G.A.R. for Pennsylvania.
When the Department of Pennsylvania, Grand Army of the Republic, held its 72nd encampment in Washington from June 19 to 23, 1938, Mr. LEMLEY was one of four surviving Civil War Veterans living in Greene County. The others were Derrick U. SHAFFER of Waynesburg; Robert WATSON of Holbrook, and Elijah WATTERS of Carmichaels. Only two of these veterans – Mr. LEMLEY and Mr. WATSON – were able to attend the encampment. Mr. LEMLEY was the last survivor of this quartet.
On September 3, 1865, Mr. LEMLEY was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Jane HIGGENS, who died February 27, 1925. Three daughters survive: Mrs. Dora KERR, Orlando, Fla.; Mrs. Lou HEADLEE, Toledo, Ohio and Mrs. Bertie AREFORD, Waynesburg. On October 7, 1935, he married Mary Kennedy ENGLE, who survives. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist church.