Ada Alice Horner, a granddaughter of John Horner gave his name and his wife’s names as John W. Horner and Sarah (Delaney) Horner in History of Pleasants Co., West Virginia to 1980. Other family trees (without sources) give his name as John L. (Lewis) Horner, but those may be suspect. Also, the 1900 census names him John Horner, Sr. As his son was John William Horner, Jr., he must have been John William Horner, Sr., not John L. Horner.

According to the History of Pleasants Co., West Virginia to 1980, John and his wife, with their children, moved to West Virginia in 1863, after statehood was achieved. They settled first near Cameron, WV but soon moved to Cloverdale in Pleasants Co. They lived in that area for the rest of their lives. Their farm was located in the McKim District, on the slopes of Little Panther Run, a tributary of McKim Creek, and was selected because of the abundance of natural water springs.140

John possibly died in 1920, Geary, Roane Co., WV. Need to confirm. It seems unlikely; he would have been about 95 years old.

1850 Census, 64th Dist., Wetzel Co., VA, Sept. 10, 1850, p. 26
Horner, John, 24, farmer, $100, b. VA
Sarah, 24, b.VA
Aradia, 1, female, b. VA
Leander, 1/12, male, b. VA
Elizabeth, 10, b. VA

(If Elizabeth was their child, then she was born when they were 14; highly unlikely)

1870 Census, St. Marys PO, McKim Dist., Pleasants Co., WV, June 27, 1870, p. 478
Horner, John, 48, farm hand, personal estate $25, b. VA
Sarah, 45, b. VA
Seradia, 18, female, b. VA
Leander, 18, male, b. VA
Secel, 14, b. VA
Mary, 12, b. VA
Marselis, 9, b. VA
John W., i, b. VA
Mandie? 3, female, b. VA

1880 Census, McKim, Pleasants Co., WV, p. 129D
Horner, John, 55, b. PA, farmer, parents b. PA
Sarah, wife, 55, b. PA, housekeeper, parents b. PA
Cecil, son, 26, b. VA, farmer
Marzelous, son, 24, b. VA, at home
John, son, 19, b. VA, at home
Rebeca, dau., 12, b. VA, at home
Delana, Jenny, aunt, 19, b. VA, parents b. PA

1900 Census, McKim Dist., Pleasants Co., WV1791
186 Horner, John, Sr., head, 74, b. Jul 1825, widowed, farmer, b. WV, parents b. PA
John F., grandson, 12, b. Oct. 1887, farm laborer, b. WV, parents b. WV