Rev. Francis Reno

Rev. Francis Reno's parents were: John Reno and Mary Susannah Thorn. He married LYDIA SAVIERS June 15, 1784 in Washington Co., Pennsylvania, daughter of CHARLES SAVIERS and JANE BELL. She was born December 15, 1764 in Patterson Creek, Hampshire Co., VA, and died March 23, 1842 in Old Beaver Cemetery, Beaver, PA. Children of FRANCIS RENO and LYDIA SAVIERS are: John Reno, b. March 20, 1785, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. April 10, 1862, Rochester, Beaver Co., PA. , Elizabeth Reno, b. December 01, 1787, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. 1817, Beaver Co., PA; died without children; m. Josiah Laird. , Charles Saviers Reno, b. May 14, 1789, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. July 23, 1845, Beaver Co., PA, buried Old Beaver cemetery. 104., Lewis Reno, b. October 30, 1791, Chartiers Creek, Allegheny Co., PA; d. July 31, 1870, Rochester, PA. , William Reno, b. October 09, 1793, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. March 05, 1860, Rochester, Beaver Co., PA. . Nancy Reno, b. December 26, 1795, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. October 20, 1822. , Jane Reno, b. January 28, 1798, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. May 1864; m. Isaac Walker , Thomas Thornton Reno, b. June 28, 1800, Beaver Co., PA; d. July 18, 1875, Arvada, Colorado; buried Arvada cemetery. 108. ix. Francis J. Reno, b. March 25, 1802, Rochester, Beaver Co., PA; d. September 03, 1864, Youngstown, Mahoning Co., Ohio., Susanna Reno, b. April 26, 1804, Beaver Co., PA83; d. February 20, 1807, Beaver Co., PA. 109. xi. Jesse Reno, b. February 27, 1807, Beaver Co., PA; d. December 27, 1880, Mercer Co., PA; buried Clarksville Citizens Cemetery. Francis and his brother Thomas attended the McMillan Latin School in Washington County, first at Dr. McMillan's house and later in a log cabin.

He married Lydia Saviers in 1784. When it came time for him to become a minister, he traveled to Philadelphia where he was ordained as a priest in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States on October 28, 1792 by William White, Bishop of the church. In 1792 he came to the old Church at Woodville, known as Chartier's Chapel. In 1799 he set out with his wife and six children and all their household goods in an ox cart and blazed a trail to a spot near present-day Rochester, PA where they built a house. The Reno family were the first recorded settlers at Rochester. He was the first Episcopal minister west of the mountains, and preached in log cabins, barns, and groves all over the county. He lived to be 80 years old, spending much of his live in a house on the upland on Deer Lane, near what is known as "Stile's property". He had long, white hair, was venerable in appearance, and loved little children (from article entitled "The Pioneers" on Beaver County history). In 1959, town leaders obtained permission from the Pennsylvania State Legislature to remove the headstones at the Old Beaver Cemetery (now Clark Park) and to rebury the bodies. The headstones were placed in the Vanport Sand and Gravel pit and covered over, whereas the bodies were reburied in a common grave in the new Beaver Cemetery. A memorial column was placed in Clark Park with four bronze tablets upon which were inscribed the names of the dead from the Old Beaver Cemetery, including 9 Renos. His obituary appears in an old newspaper at the Beaver Falls, PA Historical Society: "Departed this life, on the 12th inst., the Rev. FRANCIS RENO, aged about eighty years, who has since the year 1798 been a resident near the town of Beaver. This venerable patriot and devoted laborer in the Vineyard of his great Redeemer, early emigrated with a respectable connexion of relatives from Virginia, to the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, on the waters of Chartiers, at a time when it was necessary to carry arms for defence against the ruthless savage, the dangers and toils of which he bore his part. Having received an education for the Gospel ministry, and studied Divinity, in part under the instruction of the late Dr. McMillin, D.D. about the year 1790 or '91, he attached himself to the Episcopal Protestant Church, and soon after became a licentiate in that body, and on the 28th October 1792, was canonically ordained by the Protestant Episcopal Church, by the Rev. Bishop White of Philadephia. From that time he devoted himself assiduously to his pastoral labours; he being for a long period the only clerical gentleman in western Pennsylvania, in the branch of the church to which he belonged. His duties were arduous and his efforts indefatigable, in the building up of churches in various places in the country around where he lived. He continued his labors until within a few years, when he being severely afflicted with Rheumatic affections, and the decline of strength natural to old age, was forced to abandon them. This devoted follower of the Divine master, after a long life spent within the circle of an extensive connection of relatives and acquaintances, by whom he was beloved and esteemed, and a large family of children and a beloved and amiable wife, sunk into the arms of death, without a sign or a groan, by whom it may have been emphatically said, "O, death, where is thy sting! O, grave, where is thy victory?". Rev. Francis and Lydia are buried in the Old Beaver cemetery.

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Rev Francis Reno Birth 7 Feb 1758 Frederick County, Virginia, USA Death 12 Aug 1836 (aged 78) Rochester, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, USA Burial Beaver Cemetery and Mausoleum Beaver, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, USA Memorial ID 11416616 · View Source Rev. Francis Reno's parents were: John Reno and Mary Susannah Thorn. He married LYDIA SAVIERS June 15, 1784 in Washington Co., Pennsylvania, daughter of CHARLES SAVIERS and JANE BELL. She was born December 15, 1764 in Patterson Creek, Hampshire Co., VA, and died March 23, 1842 in Old Beaver Cemetery, Beaver, PA. Children of FRANCIS RENO and LYDIA SAVIERS are: John Reno, b. March 20, 1785, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. April 10, 1862, Rochester, Beaver Co., PA. , Elizabeth Reno, b. December 01, 1787, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. 1817, Beaver Co., PA; died without children; m. Josiah Laird. , Charles Saviers Reno, b. May 14, 1789, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. July 23, 1845, Beaver Co., PA, buried Old Beaver cemetery. 104., Lewis Reno, b. October 30, 1791, Chartiers Creek, Allegheny Co., PA; d. July 31, 1870, Rochester, PA. , William Reno, b. October 09, 1793, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. March 05, 1860, Rochester, Beaver Co., PA. . Nancy Reno, b. December 26, 1795, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. October 20, 1822. , Jane Reno, b. January 28, 1798, Chartier's Creek, Washington Co., PA; d. May 1864; m. Isaac Walker , Thomas Thornton Reno, b. June 28, 1800, Beaver Co., PA; d. July 18, 1875, Arvada, Colorado; buried Arvada cemetery. 108. ix. Francis J. Reno, b. March 25, 1802, Rochester, Beaver Co., PA; d. September 03, 1864, Youngstown, Mahoning Co., Ohio., Susanna Reno, b. April 26, 1804, Beaver Co., PA83; d. February 20, 1807, Beaver Co., PA. 109. xi. Jesse Reno, b. February 27, 1807, Beaver Co., PA; d. December 27, 1880, Mercer Co., PA; buried Clarksville Citizens Cemetery. Francis and his brother Thomas attended the McMillan Latin School in Washington County, first at Dr. McMillan's house and later in a log cabin. He married Lydia Saviers in 1784. When it came time for him to become a minister, he traveled to Philadelphia where he was ordained as a priest in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States on October 28, 1792 by William White, Bishop of the church. In 1792 he came to the old Church at Woodville, known as Chartier's Chapel. In 1799 he set out with his wife and six children and all their household goods in an ox cart and blazed a trail to a spot near present-day Rochester, PA where they built a house. The Reno family were the first recorded settlers at Rochester. He was the first Episcopal minister west of the mountains, and preached in log cabins, barns, and groves all over the county. He lived to be 80 years old, spending much of his live in a house on the upland on Deer Lane, near what is known as "Stile's property". He had long, white hair, was venerable in appearance, and loved little children (from article entitled "The Pioneers" on Beaver County history). In 1959, town leaders obtained permission from the Pennsylvania State Legislature to remove the headstones at the Old Beaver Cemetery (now Clark Park) and to rebury the bodies. The headstones were placed in the Vanport Sand and Gravel pit and covered over, whereas the bodies were reburied in a common grave in the new Beaver Cemetery. A memorial column was placed in Clark Park with four bronze tablets upon which were inscribed the names of the dead from the Old Beaver Cemetery, including 9 Renos. His obituary appears in an old newspaper at the Beaver Falls, PA Historical Society: "Departed this life, on the 12th inst., the Rev. FRANCIS RENO, aged about eighty years, who has since the year 1798 been a resident near the town of Beaver. This venerable patriot and devoted laborer in the Vineyard of his great Redeemer, early emigrated with a respectable connexion of relatives from Virginia, to the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, on the waters of Chartiers, at a time when it was necessary to carry arms for defence against the ruthless savage, the dangers and toils of which he bore his part. Having received an education for the Gospel ministry, and studied Divinity, in part under the instruction of the late Dr. McMillin, D.D. about the year 1790 or '91, he attached himself to the Episcopal Protestant Church, and soon after became a licentiate in that body, and on the 28th October 1792, was canonically ordained by the Protestant Episcopal Church, by the Rev. Bishop White of Philadephia. From that time he devoted himself assiduously to his pastoral labours; he being for a long period the only clerical gentleman in western Pennsylvania, in the branch of the church to which he belonged. His duties were arduous and his efforts indefatigable, in the building up of churches in various places in the country around where he lived. He continued his labors until within a few years, when he being severely afflicted with Rheumatic affections, and the decline of strength natural to old age, was forced to abandon them. This devoted follower of the Divine master, after a long life spent within the circle of an extensive connection of relatives and acquaintances, by whom he was beloved and esteemed, and a large family of children and a beloved and amiable wife, sunk into the arms of death, without a sign or a groan, by whom it may have been emphatically said, "O, death, where is thy sting! O, grave, where is thy victory?". Rev. Francis and Lydia are buried in the Old Beaver cemetery.

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• Residence: Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States - 1830
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 25 2022, 19:46:43 UTC