Surnames: Stephens, Farquhar
Johnson R Stephens, a farmer of Washington township and descendant of an old Fayette county family, is a son of Levi Stephens and Mary Farquhar Stephens and was born in Washington township, Fayette county, Penna, May 8, 1824.John Stephens, great grandfather of Johnson R Stephens, emigrated from Wales to eastern Pennsylvania prior to 1762 and finally removed to Washington township where he died.
His son, Levi Stephens, was born in Bucks county. At eighteen years of age he came as a land surveyor to what is now Fayette county, taking land in pay for his services and became the owner of a large estate. He married Elizabeth Brown of Westmoreland county. They had nine children, of whom the following seven lived beyond infancy: Nathaniel Stephens; Levi Stephens Jr; John Stephens; Thomas Stephens; Sarah Stephens; Nancy Stephens; and Elizabeth Stephens. Six of these children married and reared large families.
Levi Stephens Jr was born September 10, 1790, and died January 13, 1878. He married Mary Farquhar, daughter of Robert Farquhar. They were the parents of nine children: Robert Stephens, dead; Esther Stephens, dead; Johnson R Stephens; James Stephens; Mary Stephens; Jehu Stephens; Rachel Stephens; Aarond Stephens, died 1870; James R Stephens; Robert Stephens, who was a steamboat engineer and died at New Orleans in 1837 of yellow fever. James Stephens resides in West Virginia. Mrs Stephens was born in 1796. Levi Stephens Jr was an industrious farmer and highly esteemed in the community where he lived.
Johnson R Stephens grew up on his father's farm and attended the winter sessions of the old subscription schools. In 1848 he married Miss Sarah Stephens, daughter of Nathaniel Stephens. To their union were born seven children: Cassius Stephens; Curtis Stephens; Mary Stephens; Horace
Stephens; James Stephens; William Stephens and an infant unnamed, all of whom are dead except Cassius and James of Dunbar township.Mr Stephens owns eighty five acres of well improved land and makes a very desirable home. This land is part of the original two thousand acres belonging to Levi Stephens. He is honest in his business relations, enjoys life in his comfortable home and is an honorable citizen.
The Stephens family have been and are largely of the Methodist persuasion. The old stone house standing on Mr Stephens farm was built in 1801. This home was a favorite stopping place of Bishops Asbury, George and McKendrick of the Methodist Episcopal church.