Child of John Crumbaker and Catherine Kaylor and husband of Margaret (Piper) Crumbaker.

Married on May 4, 1843 in Jacobsport, Coshocton County, Ohio.

Children: Elizabeth, John Henry, Marion Victor, Sarah Catherine, Oliver Mitchell, Mariah Ellen (Maria), Samuel William, Jonas Allen, Joanna Olive, William Armstead, Margaret Jane and Ellen Alice (Alice)


Obituary from the Illinois newspaper dated August 1901:

William A. Crumbaker was born in Loudoun Co., Virginia, February 4, 1822. His parents moved to Adamsville, Ohio, in 1829, and there he grew to manhood and secured a good education in the schools of the Buckeye state. He was married to Miss Margaret Piper of Coshocton county, Ohio, May 4, 1843, and they were the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters. Two children died in infancy, but the remaining ten are living and are all married. Two sons are in the state of Washington, three daughters in Nebraska and the rest in Illinois.

Mr. Crumbaker became a Christian and united with the Methodist Protestant church in 1860. He moved with his family to Illinois in 1864 and first settled in Lawndale township, where he remained for only a year and then moved to Lexington township and rented the farm of Jackson Henline. In 1867, however, he bought the place where he spent the remaining years of his life. Mr. Crumbaker was an earnest, broad-minded working Christian, and as soon as he arrived in Illinois, there being no Methodist Protestant church, he at once affiliated himself with the M. E. people, joining the Lawndale class. The meetings were first held in the neighborhood school house, but a little later the Lawndale M. E. church was erected, and he was one of the charter members of the church. In 1867, upon moving to the farm he bought, he joined the church in Selma, as it was far more convenient for himself and family, and here he was an active, honored and consistent member for over a third of a century. Soon after his arrival in Illinois he was made a class leader, which important position he held with great acceptance for many years. He was also an active and efficient Sunday school worker a good share of his life.

Mr. Crumbaker was public-spirited and took a deep interest in whatever affected the welfare of the community, state and nation. He was road commissioner for fifteen years and it was during his administration that very important advances were made in the improvement of the public highways, such as tiling, graveling, etc. One thing about him was that whenever he accepted responsibility he could be depended upon to give it time and thought and his best endeavor. Among other positions he held that of school director for many years and devoted a great deal of attention to this work. Mr. Crumbaker was a great reader, and was particularly interested in his earlier life in history and biography and upon these subjects he was quite an authority. He also had a remarkably good working knowledge of figures and was quick at mental computation.

Mr. Crumbaker was quite a rugged man for one of his age until about four months ago, when he became afflicted with ulcer of the stomach, which resulted in his death at 10:15 p.m., Tuesday, July 30. His three daughters from Nebraska, Mesdames Finley, Wilson and Smith, were with him during the last week of his life, as were all his children except his two sons in far away Washington.

The funeral was held in the Selma M. E. church at 2 p.m. Thursday and the body was laid to rest in the Lexington cemetery. The attendance was very large. His pastor, the Reverend W. E. Evans, officiated.

In the death of Mr. Crumbaker the community has lost one of its best and most upright citizens, the church a faithful and consistent member, the children a noble and loving father, and his wife an affectionate and devoted husband. It is said whenever he was satisfied a thing was right that was sufficient and nothing could turn him. He was honest, industrious, faithful and conscientious, a man whose example it is safe to follow. The family have the sympathy of their hosts of friends in their hour of bereavement and sorrow. All are thankful that he lived and glad for his example.