He went by both Francis and Marion during his life, but Melva's bible lists him as Marion F. Moats and his obit lists him as Marion, while many other records list him as Francis.
Listed in his grandparents home in 1850, age 6 with his brother Enos.
Listed with his grandparents in 1860, at age 17 as a laborer.
Marriage record to Harriet Galloway shows the license was issued 12 Aug 1861 and that they were married by John S. Kellam, Probate Judge in Knox Co. The next year their daughter Ida Ellen was born 18 Dec 1862 in Bangorville, Richland Co, OH. Followed by Frank Benjamin on 22 Jan 1864 (location unknown).
There is a land record in Licking Co for his sale of two adjoining parcels of 37.9 Ac each on 26 Oct 1867 to Joseph Pound for $50. These are the same two parcels his grandfather obtained via land Patents in 1835 and 1837. Since his grandfather had $1,200 of land in 1860 and died before 1870, it may be that he got the land as an inheritance, which would further establish the date of death for his grandfather, David Moats.
In 1870 he is listed with his grandmother Elizabeth, his mother Margaret, and his brother Enos. It shows him as 26, a common laborer with no land and unable to write english. It appears his wife had died before this, as their son & daughter were living with her parents in Richland Co.
On 19 Feb 1875 he was (2)married to Sarah (Tucker) Graves in Union Co. They apparently had a daughter Rosa the following year. By the time of the 1880 census they had separated and she was living with her mother in Richwood Village, Union Co along with her 3 children. He was listed as (36) working on the Durbin farm in the 1880 census for Jefferson Twp, Richland Co, near the Galloway's where his daughter, Ida was living (pg 68). It says his parents were born in Ohio.
On 3 July 1882 he was (3)married in Richland Co to Mary E. Swank.
He died May 23, 1885 according to the Family Bible of Melva Estella (Wells) Bradrick which lists burial as 24th May. It was in the possession of Betty (Hissong) Bowman, her granddaughter, of Mt. Vernon, OH in 1995.
[Obituary] Newark Weekly American - 4 June 1885
Died at his late residence in Mary Ann township, of that dread disease, pneumonia on the lungs, Francis Marion Moats, on Saturday morning, May 23rd, 1885. Marion, as he was generally called, breathed his life away. His suffering was very great, but as he came near the end he became peaceful and died without a struggle. He was married three times and leaves a wife and two children by his first wife to mourn his loss. He was conscious to the last, having called his wife to his bedside and gave her his parting requests in a clear, strong voice. Marion was born within a half mile of where he died. He was born 24 Feb 1844 and died as above stated, being aged 41 years, two months and 29 days. He was followed to his last resting place by a large concourse of friends and relatives. Rev Madden, of Hebron, conducted the services at the grave in a very neat and impressive manner, standing under the shade of the beautiful trees in our rural cemetery, with the open coffin and its breathless inhabitant and listening to the solemn words as they fell from the lips of the minister, all made this one of the most solemn and impressive sights the writer ever saw. “Life’s race well run, Life’s work well done, LIfe’s crown well won, Now comes rest.” R. E. F.