Levi Rollins Simmons was born in Brown township, Miami county, January 25, 1825, and died November 21, 1898, after a long, active, useful and honorable career. The family is of German lineage and the ancestry can be traced back to Philip Simmons, the great-grandfather of our subject, who was born in Germany and came to America in 1763. Jacob Simmons, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania about the close of the eighteenth century, and in 1801 was taken by his parents to Dayton, Ohio, and six years later to Miami county, where both the father and the mother died. Jacob Simmons married Mehitable Rollins, a native of Vermont, and five years his junior. During a long period they were residents of Brown township, Miami county, where the father died at the age of sixty-one years, the mother at the age of eighty-two years. Their children were: Mrs. Catherine Snyder, who had three sons, John, Levi and William; Levi R.; Peter, who resided in Brown township and had two sons, Frank and John; Sarah became Mrs. Biggers and had a son, John: and Philip, who was killed in the war and left three children, two now in Nebraska and one in California.

Levi R. Simmons spent his boyhood days on his father's farm in Brown township, pursuing his education in the common schools through the winter season. He afterward engaged in teaching, following that profession through the winter months, or from 1843 until 1863. During the remainder of the year he followed farming, and it was probably his principal occupation in life, although he was highly successful as an educator. He was married, October 27, 1848, to Sarah Eyers, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1824, her parents being natives of the same state. She died in October, 1885, leaving no children, and on the 21st of April, 1895, Mr. Simmons was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Ninetta R. Rozell, nee Strain. The lady was born in Greene county, Ohio, and was there married to Clark Rozell, who was also a native of Greene county and died in Miami county in 1889. She lost a daughter in infancy, but has one son yet living, John B. Rozell, who was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, January 12, 1877, and was married October 11, 1898, to Miss Pearl McSherry, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Pottorf) McSherry. They have one child, Leonard C. Rozell, who was born May 10, 1899.

Mr. Simmons death occurred very unexpectedly, although he had been ill for a year previous. He was a Democrat in his political faith and served as assessor and township clerk, filling the latter position for twenty-five years, a fact which well indicates the able manner in which he discharged his duties. He was true to every trust reposed in him and in business affairs was thoroughly reliable, enjoying the confidence and respect of his fellow men. Mrs. Simmons still resides upon the old homestead farm and is an estimable lady, having many friends in the community.