The biography gives us an excellent description not only of Dr H. S. Preston's life but also includes some information about the life of his parents Willard Bainbridge Preston and Angeline Shackford and lists all their children!
HENRY S. PRESTON. M. D.
Dr. Henry S. Preston, for many years a well-known physician of
Mutual, this county, now retired from active practice and devoting his
attention to his general mercantile business in that village, former president
of the Champaign County Medical Society, former postmaster of Mutual
and former treasurer of Union township, is a native Hoosier, but has been
a resident of Ohio ever since the days of his early childhood. He was
born in the city of Indianapolis on February 14, 1844, son of Willard B.
and Angeline Preston, natives of the state of Vermont, who were married
in their native state and later, in 1838, came to Ohio, locating in Columbus,
where for several years Willard B. Preston was engaged in the dry-goods
business. In 1842 he moved to Indianapolis, where he was engaged in
the mercantile business for several years, at the end of which time he
returned to Ohio, bought a farm in the vicinity of Columbus, in Franklin
county, and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives.
They were the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this biog-
raphical sketch was the first-born, the others being Adeline, Francenia, Ida,
Rose, Prentice and Corrella.
Having been but a child when his parents returned from his native
Indianapolis to Ohio and settled on a farm in the vicinity of Columbus, in
Franklin county, Henry S. Preston grew to manhood on that farm and
received his elementary schooling in the schools of Franklin county. He
early turned his attention to the study of medicine and in due time entered
Columbus Medical College, from which institution he was graduated in
1876, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Upon receiving his diploma
Doctor Preston came to Champaign county and opened an office for the
practice of his profession at Mutual, where he ever since has made his resi-
dence, for many years one of the best-known and most influential residents
of that section of the county. Doctor Preston continued actively engaged
in the practice of his profession until 1905, when he retired from practice and
has since been devoting- his attention to his mercantile interests in the vil-
lage, he being the proprietor of a well-stocked general store there. Until
his retirement from practice, Doctor Preston was an active member of the
Champaign County Medical Society and had served that body as its presi-
dent. He is a Republican and has ever given his earnest attention to local
civic affairs, having served the public as township treasurer and for nine
terms as postmaster at Mutual in the days before that thriving village lost
its postoffice and became a part of rural mail route No. 5 out of Urbana.
In addition to his mercantile interests the Doctor is the owner of consider-
able real estate in and about Mutual. He is affiliated with the Masonic
lodge at Mechanicsburg.
In 1867 Dr. H. S. Preston was united in marriage to Charity Hush-
ower, and to this union four children have been born, namely : Catherine,
wife of J. R. Todd, of Urbana; Willard, who died at the age of thirty-
eight; Adeline, wife of Frank M. Stone, of Springfield, Ohio, and Charity,
wife of Edwin A. Baker, also of Springfield. The Doctor and Mrs. Pres-
ton have a very pleasant home at Mutual and have ever taken a proper inter-
est in the general social and cultural affairs of the village.
All we can add are a few more details about the children of Dr Henry Samuel Preston and Charity Elizabeth Hushower (1849-1924):
Williard Brooks Preston (1868-1906) - we believe he married Amelia O'Haver
Catherine Angeline Preston (1871-1943) - went by Kate, married James Rawlings Todd, a Justice of the Peace in Champaign County
Adda Corilla Preston (1877-1958) - married Frank M Stone
Charity Isabelle Preston (1882-1969) - married Edward Albertus Baker
REFERENCES
Middleton Evan P., History of Champaign County, Its People, Industries and Instutions with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families (Volume 2) (Indianapolis, Indiana: B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc, 1917), page 1008-9; transcribed document (with errors corrected), Archive.org (http://archive.org/ : accessed 6 November 2014.
Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953, , Henry Samuel Preston d., 14 February 1931; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 2 November 2014).