g-granduncle of Judith Corrigan

g-granduncle of Marilyn Dietz

Private    Co. K 196^th Ohio Volunteeer Infantry
Dates of Service:  6 Feb 1865 - 2 Jun 1865

The 8th child and 5th son of John W. and Betsy Davis Sharp, James Everett Sharp was born Feb. 17th, 1849 in Ashtabula County, Ohio. At the age of 16, he followed his older brothers into the service of his Union by enlisting in the 196th OVI. "The 196th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio, and mustered in March 25, 1865, for one year service under the command of Colonel Robert Patterson Kennedy. The regiment left Ohio for Winchester, Virginia, March 26. It was assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Provisional Division, Army of the Shenandoah. Performed duties at Winchester until July, then moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and served garrison duty there and at Fort Delaware until September. The 196th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service September 11, 1865, at Baltimore, Maryland." [Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/196th_Ohio_Infantry]

James mustered out at Camp Dennison, Ohio, and returned to farming in Ashtabula County. At the age of 19, he married a local girl, 14-year-old Evangeline Davis, about 1868. They welcomed their first child, a daughter Jessie Rosamond on Dec. 26th 1869. 1870 found them farming in Morgan, Ashtabula County. By 1874, they had followed his family to Michigan where their 2nd daughter, Mildren was born. Guy Ellsworth was born in 1876; then in 1878 a baby girl Birdie who only lived 2 months; and another son Emory Villorie in 1879. By 1880, the young family was farming in Ashland, Newaygo County. James's mother Betsy died in Sept. 1882, and then he lost his beautiful young wife on Nov. 26th, 1882, at the age of 28, and his 4 young children were motherless. Evangeline was buried in the Ashland Center Cemetery in Grant, Michigan. 

James started drawing a military service pension in 1883, based on his disability of "disease of lungs, results of wounds." 

On Nov. 22nd, 1884, in Ashland, Newaygo, James married 19-year-old Jennie E. Taylor. Not much can be found about her short life. She passed away in Ashland Jun. 29th, 1889, at the age of 24 years and 3 days, cause of death unknown. Her parents' names and her birthplace were also unknown. She was buried in Ashland Center Cemetery.

James married for the 3rd time on Dec. 23rd, 1890, in Grant to Lizzie Giles; he was 41 and she was 24. Together they had one more child, a son Neil Everett Sharp, in 1893. Lizzie and James would farm together in Newaygo County for almost 41 years, until his death in 1931. Throughout the remainder of his life, James held offices as Ashland Township Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Supervisor of Ashland Township for 13 consecutive years. He also served as Sheriff of Newaygo County for one term. James was elected to the State of Michigan Legislature in Nov. 1910, serving one term. [Source - Newaygo County History and Biographies, shared on ancestry dot com.]

"JAMES E. SHARP OF GRANT DIES

- WAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE, SHERIFF, AND VETERAN OF CIVIL WAR -

     Hon. James E. Sharp of Grant, former representative in the state legislature from Newaygo County and former sheriff, died at his home in Grant Saturday night after a long period of ill health. 

     Mr. Sharp was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and spent his boyhood in that state. He was a veteran of the Civil War and served in Co. K 196th Regiment Ohio Infantry. In 1871 he settled on a farm in Ashland Township, Newaygo county, and lived there until twenty years ago when he moved into the village of Grant where he resided until his death.

     In politics, Mr. Sharp was a Democrat, and in 1910 he was a candidate for representative in the state legislature and defeated Attorney Edward L. Brooks of this city. He was a candidate for re-election in 1913 but was defeated by Wayne Rice of White Cloud. He also served two years as sheriff of the county, was supervisor of Ashland Township for 13 years, and was secretary of the Soldiers Relief Commission for a number of years but was compelled to retire from this office on account of failing health.

     Mr. Sharp was a life member of Newaygo Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge.

     Besides his widow, Mrs. Lizzie Sharp, he is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Jessie McKinley of Grant and Mrs. Mildred Reddy of Fremont, and one son, Neil Sharp of Grant.

     The funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the Ashland Center Baptist Church and interment took place in Ashland Cemetery." [transcribed from the clipping shared by chall461, ancestry dot com public tree https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/6494617/person/-764850177/media/c9d7aa1c-e2cf-40a3-8105-7676728307d5?_phsrc=cOD4&usePUBJs=true]

Lizzie collected James's pension until she remarried in the spring of 1939 to Wilson E. Shiffert, a retired retailer from Fennville. He died in 1944. Lizzie passed away Dec. 9th, 1952, and is buried in Bridgeton, Newaygo, Michigan.

GRAVESITE: Ashland Center Cemetery, Grant, Newaygo, Michigan

Written by Dorotha Piechocki, March 2020