Wayne County Press
Thursday, March 20, 1890
p. 8, col. 3.

Not long after the commencement of the Revolutionary war, John Spicer, who was then in the British army, was sent with his comrades to America to help subdue the rebellious Colonists, but his sympathies being with the Colonists he deserted and joined the Continental army under Washington, with which he served until the close of the war, when he settled in Pennsylvania and married a Dutch woman and lived there until 1819, when he moved to Muskingum Co., Ohio, with a grown up family of nine children.   His second son, Daniel Spicer, the father of Joseph, was born in Pennsylvania in 1788, and died in Wayne County, Ill., in 1862. He served in the War of 1812. His third wife and mother of Joseph was a lady named Darner, of Muskingum Co., O., and who died at David Spicer’s in Wayne County, Ill., last September, at the age of 83 years.  Daniel was noted for his swiftness on foot, at one time passing the stage coach and coming in ahead on a long heat. Daniel had nine children by his last wife, of whom John K., David, Jacob, Joseph, William S., Mary J. and Naomi all came to Wayne County where Mary and Naomi changed their names to Weaver and where Naomi died.

Joseph Spicer, the subject of this sketch, was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, Feb. 12, 1825; married to Ann E. Daily near Adamsville, Ohio, Feb. 22, 1849; buried in the Hale graveyard near Johnsonville, Ill.

He leaves three children to mourn his loss, Mrs. John Hargrave, Mrs. Sylveter Bernard [sic] and Mrs. Alney Hargrave. He had his father’s fleetness of foot, for in his younger days he was never beaten in a foot race and even a short time before his death he would think nothing of an eight or nine mile walk.

Uncle Joe, as he was familarly called, was converted in 1839 and joined the United Brethren church, and in 1848 he united with the M.E. church in which faith he lived and died a consistent member. He was a stalwart Republican in politics, voting nothing but the straight ticket. Uncle Joe as a faithful friend, a kind father, a good neighbor and above all he was a faithful follower of the Master, humble, honest and kind. Good  old man we miss you, but while we drop a tear to your memory, we know all is well.