By: Mark Holtsberry
The story of Moses Edward Kerns (alias Edward D. Kerns) has a strange twist and not sure why. Moses was born May 15, 1875 in Indiana. The son of Mathew Allison and Margaret (Grosscross) Kerns. Mathew and Margaret were married February 26, 1868 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Mathew was born in 1844, Margaret was born in 1850. Mathew was a Civil War Veteran serving with Company A. 66th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. By 1880, the Kerns family, Mathew, Margaret and four children, had moved to Antwerp. Mathew was a laborer. By 1898, as war was looming with Spain, citizens from Paulding wanted to form a Company of men to serve in the Spanish American War. Company M. 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was formed in Paulding. At the age of 23, Moses Edward Kerns enlisted with Company M. and was mustered into service, May 10, 1898. While the Company was in Georgia, Moses became ill on numerous occasions. He, along with the rest of the Company was mustered out of service, February 10, 1899. On September 18, 1899, Moses married a gal named Sarah Elizabeth Barnhart, also will be known as Lizzie. She was born April 4, 1880 in Michigan. She was the daughter of George and Margaret (Flickinger) Barnhart. By 1900, the couple were living in Antwerp. Moses was working as a laborer. His illness had prompted him to file for a pension, October 23, 1900. A daughter, Luella Elizabeth, was born January 5, 1903. On March 23, 1908, a son Moses Edward Kerns Jr. was born. On August 28, 1909, Moses Sr. passed away in Antwerp. He was buried in Maumee Cemetery, Antwerp. Old Section, Lot 107, Grave 2. On September 25, 1909, Sarah filed for widows pension. The word, (alias) appears on the pension form. Apparently, Moses went under the name Edward. His military tombstone reads Edward Kerns. By 1910, Sarah, Louella and little Eddie, (as he was called), was living on Perry Street in Antwerp. Sarah worked as a day laborer. Sarah passed away June 22, 1912. She was buried in Maumee Cemetery. Edward’s father, Mathew, passed away, in 1914. He was buried in Maumee Cemetery. By 1920, Louella and Edward Jr. moved to River Street to live with their grandmother, Margaret Barnhart. Margaret passed away in 1929. Louella married and had children and lived in the Antwerp area. She passed away in 1980. She and her husband both are buried in Maumee Cemetery. Moses Edward Kerns Jr. registered for World War Two draft. He signed his name as Edward M. Kerns! He was not selected to serve, moved to the state of Oregon. Lived out his days until he died, August 15, 1978. He is buried in Oregon. A poor person doing research to locate someone, has a hair pulling nightmare when folks do not use their true first name.
…Until Next Time!
