Homer was born on 10 January 1886, the 5th child of #9 Watson Leach and #10 Sarah Catherine Kenney. He never knew his older sister (Estella) because she died before he was born. One of his older brothers, #5 Charles Albert Leach, was the webmaster's grandfather.

The 1900 census shows Homer is 14 and living with his father and stepmother. Two brothers (#5 Charles and 5c Harold (Hal) and half brother (5f Ralph) are also living there. [His oldest brother, 5a Arthur (Art), had moved out of the home. Younger sister 5e Belva, was living with Aunt Louisa and Uncle John Conger]

The Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 records Homer W. Leach (age 24), a teacher, married Blanche Ewers (age 22) on 31 August 1911. Homer was living in Delaware County. The probate judge who signed the document of marriage was from Mt. Gilead, Ohio.

(Photographs of Homer are courtesy of Sharon Hinckley, granddaughter of Belva Leach).

On March 11, 1915, Homer and Blanche's first child, a baby boy, Kent W. Leach was born.

Below: Kent is 3 months old. (Photograph is courtesy of Sharon Hinckley).

 

Below: The next three photographs were found in an old trunk that had belonged to Jane Leach Webster (Homer's niece and Charles Leach's youngest daughter). (Courtesy of Steve Webster- Jane' son). The woman in the photographs is Blanche and the little boy is Kent.

The 1920 federal census shows Homer is living in Marietta Ward 2, Washington, Ohio. He is 33, married to Blanche 30, renting, and teaching in a high school. He has a son, Kent, aged 4 and a daughter Marjorie, aged 0.

The 1930 census shows he has moved to Lima, Allen, Ohio, is married, renting, and the principal of Public H School. He and his wife have two children: Kent Watson. Leach -15 and Margery E. Leach - 10.

The 1940 census shows he is 54, married, living in Lima, Allen, Ohio, is a principal and owns his home. His daughter (Marjery) (20) is still living at home.

According to Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records 1774-1993, Homer's son, Kent W. Leach, a teacher, married Marjorie W, Kuhl on July 20, 1940 in Cuyahoga County , Ohio. The reverend was Howard B. Withers.

Below is the announcement of the marriage of Homer and Blanche's daughter, Margery Eleanor, to Mr. Benjamin David Loan on 26, June, 1943. (Courtesy of Sharon Hinckley, 2022)

Below is a photograph of Margery and Ben Loan at a later age. (This photograph was found among the possessions of Helen Sharpe (Leach) (#2). Helen's husband, Russell Leach #3, was Margery's 1st cousin. The picture had probably been sent in a Christmas Card.)

The following photographs of Margery were found in the old trunk belonging to Jane Leach Webster. (Courtesy of Steve Webster- Jane' son).Jane and Margery were first cousins. Image 1: Margery and cousin Jane Webster; Image 2: Margery

Below: Margery and her second husband, Hal. She married Hal after Ben died.

Below: Margery

 

In a letter written by Homer to his sister Belva in February 1944, the letterhead below confirms that he was the principal of Central High School in Lima, Ohio

The 1950 census shows Homer and his wife are still living in Lima, Allen, Ohio. He owns his own business. He is 64 and Blanche is 60. Both kids have moved out of the house.

In August 1955, Homer received a phone call from Tulsa, Oklahoma telling him that his oldest brother, Arthur had died. Arthur had never married and had not communicated with the family for many years. Upon hearing the news, Homer and his brother Harold (Hal) drove to Tulsa to make the arrangements for the funeral. Homer wrote a letter to his sister Belva, explaining their arrangements for their brother. The letter and its transcript can be read in its entirety here.

In a letter dated Dec 21, 1966, Homer wrote to Belva and her daughter Roberta (his niece). He said, "Blanche & I am driving up to Ann Arbor Sat. to spend Christmas day with Kent & family. His daughter Alice graduates from the Univ. of Mich. next Apr. His son is a Junior in high school in Ann Arbor. Our other granddaughter, Becky, Margery's girl is a Freshman at Baldwin Wallace College this year. They now live in Xenia, Wis. " In his letter, he expressed his concern that Belva had shingles.

On July 29, 1968, Harold (Hal) wrote a letter to his sister (Belva) about their brother Homer's stroke. In his letter, he refers to other letters he is enclosing, but they were not in the envelope in 2022, when the webmaster examined it. Hal stated, "These letters contain all the information I have of advising you of the situation rather than repeating the information in this letter. While the letter states the stroke is a slight one it impresses me that it is a pretty severe stroke, and at Homer's age it would seem doubtful that he will ever be the same."

In a letter postmarked December 13, 1968 , Blanche told Belva "It was so nice to see you last Fall. It did Homer a lot of good. He is getting stronger all the time, but still can't go without the walker unless someone holds onto his arm. He can't balance. He is still pretty much an invalid. I still bathe and shave him each day." "Margery and I took him to an eye Dr. and he has cataracts on both eyes, one is quite bad....." "Kent has been so good to us too. He hired a boy to mow the lawn since Dad was sick and he has hired him to tend the snow."

In a letter written March 5, 1972 from Homer to Belva, he stated, "You said that you didn't know Dorothy [their niece] had passed away until you got back from Cal. We didn't know it either until the next week after the funeral. Blanche's niece in Columbus sent us a clipping from the Columbus paper. She was almost like a daughter to me. When I was in O.W.U. I think it was in 1910 I went to summer school at O.S.U. One summer I stayed at Charles when Dorothy was just a baby. I use to study French & rock her cradle with my foot when she got to crying, if that didn't keep her still I would pick her up & rock her, so Hazel [Charles' wife] could go on with her work. We got a card from Jane [Dorothy's sister] not long ago & she said she suffered terribly before the end came." "Did you know that Bob, Dorothy's brother was appointed a member of the Ohio Supreme Court? Did you know that Kent Leach, my son is a full professor in the U. of M. at Ann Arbor?" Our Margery lives in Springfield, Ohio her husband is a Methodist Minister there."

In a letter written about 1972 by Marjorie to her Aunt Blanche, Marjorie said, "Dad and Mother are doing quite well-considering the damage caused by Daddy's stroke about 5 years ago- it was a terrible blow to him, I know - and it was heartbreaking for us all. I go up to Lima every couple weeks to help run errands - but it is little help, really - wish there were some way to make their life easier.""Picture on the front of this notepaper is the chancel of the church my husband serves - We've been in Springfield 2 1/2 years ." [ The church is Story-Hypes Memorial United Methodist Church ].

In letter postmarked December 1973, Marjorie shared with her Aunt Blanche, "Our daughter, Becky, is twenty-five years old- has her degree in art from Baldwin Wallace but this year just completed her certification for primary teaching all subjects - (K-6)- and art, (K-12). She is engaged - and will be married in the coming year." "Wish you could write a note to Daddy - it would cheer him so - He mentioned to me just recently how he would love to hear from his sister, Belva!" "My brother, Kent , has made fantastic research on the Leach family-even went to Westchester Co., in New York & he and I both went to Vermont & traced the family back even further. He also has bought a new headstone for Grandfather Amos Leach (buried in Delaware Co.) (this ancestor was 1st come to Ohio) and had all the printing re-done on all Leach family head stones that had weathered to much".

All letters referred to in green above were courtesy of Sharon Hinckley. Portions of the letters were transcribed by the webmaster on September 4, 2022

By 1976, Homer and Blanche had moved to N. High Street in Columbus, Ohio, as indicated on a return address label on a Christmas card sent to Russell (their nephew) and his wife Helen.

Homer died on 12 March 1977. He is buried at Rivercliff Union Cemetery, Mt. Gilead, Ohio;

Photographs below: courtesy of Debe Clark's photographs posted at Find a Grave Website.

Blanche lived 10 for ten more years. Her funeral information is below: (Courtesy of Sharon Hinckley).

 

Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com