Susannah Friend was born about 1762 in the Northern Neck of Virginia near present day Paw Paw, WV. Susannah traveled as a child with her father, John Friend Sr. and his young family into the Wilderness of Western Maryland, settling in what would become the Friendsville area. Susannah would grow and mature in this area, then meet and marry Andrew House. In 1816 or "the year the corn wouldn't grow," Susannah and Andrew would travel to Ohio and raise a family of eight children. Her family would thrive in Ohio, immigrate to Illinois, then Iowa, and finally spread out all over the young country. Her children would help form and lead these young states. Many of her grandsons would defend and several perish while serving their country the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Susannah Friend apparently left no dairies or personal papers that might help to define this woman and her times. Unfortunately, we have found no photographs or descriptions of Susannah or her husband Andrew House. This book attempts to re-build the lives of Susannah Friend, her husband and their descendents through US Census records, family bibles, land deeds, wills, photographs, personal histories, obituaries, newspaper articles, military records as well as birth, marriage and death records. Susannah and her family will be featured in two books, because of the enormous volume of information. Her first two children, John and Mary, will be featured in Book I, while the remainder of her children, Charles, Susanne, Andrew, William, Sarah and Elizabeth, will comprise Book II. Although the children are featured in one book, they will be briefly outlined in the corresponding book. The information on Susannah Friend and an outline of her lineage back to Nils Larson Friend (Frande) will be presented in both books. We hope the two books will provide researchers the tools (and clues) to aid with their own studies and lead to a greater understanding of the life of Susannah Friend and her vast number of descendents.