William Quinter Calvert

William Quinter Calvert, a minister of the Brethren Church, was married to the daughter of Thomas Couser, a 2nd generation member of William Couser lineage. Wm. Q. Calvert and David Gray Couser recorded the Couser family history and presented this narration to a Couser Family Reunion held on September 27, 1898 at the old Thomas Couser home. The Couser homestead was located nearly one mile southeast of May Hill, a village in Bratton township, Adams Co., Ohio.

Wm. Q. Calvert was born on August 7, 1851 in Franklin township, Adams Co., Ohio to Mills Calvert and Susannah Garman Calvert. Mills Calvert, born November 8, 1818 in West Virginia, was a farmer and minister of the Church of the German Brethren. His grandfather was Francis Calvert who was in a long line of Calverts, one of whom was Gov. of Maryland and one was Lord Baltimore of Maryland's earliest history. Mills Calvert died on June 12, 1877 and is interred at Dunkard Ridge Cemetery, Elmville, Highland Co., Ohio.

Wm. Q. Calvert accepted Christ at the age of 13, and by the time he was 19, he had taught eight terms of school. At age 21, Wm. Q. Calvert married Susan Elizabeth Couser on January 30, 1873 in May Hill, Adams Co., Ohio. Susan E. Couser, the 8th child of Thomas Couser and Rachel Orr Burns Couser, was born on December 14, 1854 in Adams Co., Ohio. 

Wm. Q. and Susan Calvert had 11 children, including Cora Emma (1874-1953), Susan (1876-1876), Thomas Mills (1878-1960), Albert (1880-1880), Jesse Arthur (1881-1952), Tirzah (1883-1976), Anna Rose (1887-1912), David William (1890-1971), Walter Quinter (1892-1906), George Carmen (1896-1982), Hazel (1901-1992).

William Quinter and Susan Elizabeth Couser Calvert Family

In April, 1877, Wm. Q. Calvert and his uncle William Calvert were called to the Brethren Ministry. The group of Brethren Churches in that part of Adams County, Ohio, consisted of the May Hill Church, Strait Creek Church, The Ridge Church and the Marble Furnace Church. They underwent independent reorganizations in 1880. Wm. Q. and William were brought into the ministry structure for these churches, and were elevated to the second degree of the Brethren ministry. It was said Wm. Q. Calvert, in order to meet the breadth of his preaching assignments, traveled two thousand miles annually, mostly on horseback. He had the joy of seeing more than 250 church followers under his preaching, supervising a 100 funerals, and officiating at 150 weddings.

William. Q. Calvert resided in Ohio until 1900, when he moved to the Inglewood and Glendora areas of California, where he was engaged in Evangelical church functions. After his wife Susan passed in 1912, he moved to La Verne CA In 1913, where he served in the Brethren ministry until he retired. Wm. Q. Calvert married Mary V. Ebersole on January 30, 1916.

At age 74, Wm. Q. Calvert passed at his home at 333 E Fifth Street, La Verne, CA, on December 16, 1925. He was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, CA., along with his wives Susan E. Couser Calvert and Mary V. Calvert.

Grave Marker, Wm. Quinter Calvert

                                                 Grave Marker, Susan Couser Calvert