BORN IN CONVOY, OHIO. HIS PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WERE PROBABLY BURIED IN MENTZER OR "LOST" PANCAKE OR OTHER CEMETERIES IN VAN WERT COUNTY IN OHIO. CHILD OF JOHN W. HEATH AND ELLEN "BANK": FATHER JOHN W. HEATH
(BORN JULY 11,1834 IN HARRISON COUNTY, OHIO-DIED JULY 20, 1881, "AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS...LEAVES A LARGE FAMILY TO MOURN HIS DEATH); HE MARRIED JAMES MOTHER ELLEN "BANK" ON MARCH 25, 1858 IN VAN WERT COUNTY. HIS FATHERS PARENTS (JAMES GRANDPARENTS) WERE JOHN HEATH AND ELIZABETH BETSY "WRIGHT", WHO PROBABLY MOVED TO VAN WERT COUNTY IN THE LATE 1840S OR EARLY 1850S. ELLEN WAS BORN ON APRIL 25,1840 IN PENNSYLVANIA AND DIED IN 1895 (SHE PROBABLY WAS REMARRIED AFTER JOHNS DEATH TO ISAAC RASH ON MARCH 4,1884 IN VAN WERT COUNTY). "EPH" ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIS YOUNGER SISTER (ANNA ELIZABETH "ELIZA" BORN ABOUT JUNE 14, 1866) IN A TRAGIC HUNTING ACCIDENT IN JANUARY 1882 WHEN THEY WERE OUT HUNTING FOR A BEAR. SHE DIED OF HER INJURIES SOME MONTHS LATER ON APRIL 12,1882 AGED 15 YEARS 9 MONTHS 29 DAYS IN OR NEAR CONVOY (SEE VAN WERT PAPER DATED APRIL 14, 1882). HIS OTHER SIBLINGS WERE: SARAH AGNES "SADIE" "MILLER" (BORN SEPTEMBER 2, 1857 (#61000836) AND DIED IN 1925 [LATER MARRIED JOHN RASH 2ND MARRIAGE?]); MERRIMAN JESSE "MEL"; WILLIAM JOHN; ELLEN?; MARY (OR MARGARET) SUSAN HEATH (JUNE 11,1868-DIED AUGUST 1882 OF TYPHOID FEVER); PETER ALEXANDER; JACOB MERRITT "JAKE"; ELIZABETH "LIZZIE" (BORN SEPTEMBER 3,1877); AND MATILDA ARBELLE "TILLIE". (FROM THE VAN WERT PAPER SEPTEMBER 1,1882 DIXON?: "It has been said that afflictions never come singly. Six weeks ago the widow (ELLEN) Heath's oldest son (MERRIMAN?) was taken down with typhoid fever. The fever was long and very hard. He is just able to sit in the big chair, with a chance of recovery. Last Friday two small boys of the same family were attacked with the same disease; also two young ladies of the same family, Sarah and Susan Heath. Susan died Tuesday evening, aged 14 years and two months. This is the third death in the family since July,1881.")