Christian Exley and Leah Best

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Husband Christian Exley ¹

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            AKA: Christopher Exley
           Born: 1831
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Godfrey Exley, Sr. (1789-1863) 1
         Mother: Mary "Maria" Schneider (1791-1877) 1

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       Marriage: 24 May 1855

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Wife Leah Best

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           Born: 1832
     Christened: 
           Died: 1902
         Buried:  - Wentlings Corners, Clarion Co, PA

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Children

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1 F Maria Helena Exley ³

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            AKA: Mary Exley 2
           Born: 8 Mar 1856 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Charles Jonas Best (      -Bef 1913) 3

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2 M Samuel Pierce Exley ³

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           Born: 1 Apr 1859 - Knox, Beaver Twp, Clarion Co, PA 3
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef 1926
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Emma Marie Slaugenhaupt (      -      )
           Marr: 17 Jan 1890

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3 M George Davis McClellan Exley ³

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           Born: 8 Apr 1863 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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4 M William Henry Exley ³

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           Born: 21 Dec 1867 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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5 F Emma Louise Exley ³

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           Born: 10 Aug 1869 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 11 Jun 1951
         Buried:  - Emlenton Cemetery, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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6 F Frances Catherine Exley ³

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           Born: 3 Jan 1873 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Jan 1964 - Meadville, Crawford Co, PA 3
         Buried:  - Emlenton Cemetery, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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General Notes: Husband - Christian Exley

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Christian Exley was a man of excellent repute, a good husband and father who provided well for his family. After a business transaction (oil wells on his farm) he started on foot to go to Knox to deposit the money in the bank. He was not seen or heard from again. That was the night most of the town of Knox burnt down. The railroad had gone through a few years earlier and this was followed by a succession of tramps who followed the railroad and begged for food. Most of them were considered harmless but there had been rumors of several holdups and it was supposed that Christian had been murdered for his money. Several years later a man out west stated that he had murdered Christian Exley and took his money. He stated from his jail cell that he had thrown the body down a cave. To this day no one has been able to locate the cave or the body.

1 Terrance L. Johnson-Cooney, The Exley Family 1789 to 2005 (Self-published, Aug, 2005), Pg 5.

2 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 593.

3 Terrance L. Johnson-Cooney, The Exley Family 1789 to 2005 (Self-published, Aug, 2005), Pg 150.