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MRS. M. H. STEPHENS. 



MORDECAI H. STEPHENS. 



Mordecai H. Stephens was born in Canisteo, 

 Jan. 13, 1810. He is son of Col. William and Anne 

 Stephens, and grandson of Uriah Stephens, the first 

 settler of the Canisteo Valley. 



Col. William Stephens was a native of Pennsyl- 

 vania, being born at the mouth of the Juniata, April 

 26, 1777. 



His wife was a native of New Jersey, born Sept. 

 18, 1777. 



Col. Stephens came to the Canisteo Valley in the 

 spring of 1791, having assisted in driving cattle up 

 the river into this country. He was married Aug. 

 14, 1797, and settled in Hornellsville, where he 

 however resided only a short time, and removed to 

 Canisteo and settled on the old homestead, now owned 

 by Thomas Hallett. 



He was a farmer most of his life ; was a repre- 

 sentative man of his town. He ranked as colonel 

 in the State militia; served as supervisor several 

 years ; was a man of great sociability, and partici- 

 pated in the various early enterprises of local im- 

 provements in the town. 



He died Nov. 4, 1855. His wife died May 6, 

 1847. Their children are Mrs. Charles Moore (de- 

 ceased) ; Benjamin (deceased) ; Obadiah (deceased) ; 

 Mrs. Philip Lee, now Mrs. William Bennett, of 

 Hornellsville; Mordecai H.; Mrs. Seth S. Beckwith, 



of Kansas ; William B. ; Uriah, of Kansas ; and 

 John, died young. 



Obadiah was prominently identified with the inter- 

 ests of the town and county, and was elected to rep- 

 resent his Assembly district in the State Legislature. 



One brother of Col. Stephens — John — also ranked 

 as colonel ; and one brother — Elias — was major. 



Mordecai H. Stephens remained at home until the 

 age of twenty-four, when he married Phebe, daughter 

 of Uriah Upson, of Canisteo. She was born Sept. 

 30, 1814. 



He settled on a part of the old homestead, where 

 he remained as a farmer the most part of his active 

 business life. 



He was formerly identified with the Whig party, 

 and has been a member of the Republican party since 

 its formation. Soon after his marriage he became a 

 member of the Masonic fraternity of Canisteo, and 

 has held various offices in that body. He has been 

 for many years a member of the Hornellsville Chap- 

 ter, No. 101, and a director of the Southern Tier 

 Masonic Eelief Association of Elmira. 



His wife died Oct. 30, 1875. Their children are 

 Meribath, who resides with her father ; Mrs. Charles 

 Hinkley, died June 17, 1873, aged thirty-three, 

 leaving one daughter, Myrtie E.; and Hiram B., 

 now a resident of Ruffin, Rockingham Co., N. C. 



