On the 20th of June, 1827, he married Miss Jane Campbell, daughter of Robert and Mary (Reynolds) Campbell, and by her raised a family of seven children--Thomas, born Jan. 9, 1830; Hannab M., Nov. 1, 1831 (deceased); Obediah, C., April 29, 1833; Phoebe A., May 31, 1836 (deceased); Simeon B., Jan. 11, 1838; Eunice J., May 28, 1840; Robert married Elizabeth Williams, who died, leaving two children; he afterward married Millie A. Schade, and is now a farmer in Congress Tp.; Thomas married Margaret M. Marian, and lives in California; Obediah married Elizabeth Wirth, and is a physician in Kansas; Simeon lives in Congress Tp., and has had two wives-the first, Mary Eldridge, and after her death, Jane McMillen.

In 1825 Mr. Axtell entered 80 acres of land in Congress Tp., upon which he moved in 1828; he had no tools, team, nor money, but managed to raise three acres of corn the first year, cultivating it with rude hoes; his few supplies were obtained at Mt. Vernon; he built his own cabin, doing all the work with an ax; at the age of 22, he joined the Presbyterian Church, and was an Elder for
thirty years, first joining the Harmony Church.  He is a Democrat, and polled his first vote for Andrew Jackson; he is one of the most prominent of the Congress Tp. citizens.

Mr. Axtell's father was a native of Washington Co., Pa.; he was born there Jan. 30, 1780.  He married at the age of 21, and in the spring of 1810, left Mercer Co., Pa., and came to Knox Co., Ohio, leased a track of land near Mt. Vernon, planted ten acres of corn, and returned to Pennsylvania in harvest time for his family.

He served forty days in the war of 1812, though he enlisted for a longer period.  His wife remained alone in her cabin with her family, unprotected, and one day, meeting Johnny Appleseed, was told that the British were coming; but the resolute woman, instead of fleeing to the fort, returned to her cabin to guard her children.  The father died in 1859; after his wife's death, in 1816, he married Jane, widow of Isaac Jackson, and by her had
four children--Thomas M., Jane, Azuba D. and William M.  His first wife bore him Joel, Hannah, Joseph, Daniel, Cyrus, Mary and Rufus.