Isaac D. Waits, who was born on October 8, 1840, was twenty-one years old on the day he enlisted as a soldier in the Union army for service during the Civil War, October 8, 1861. He joined Company E, Fiftieth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which was veteranized on March 2, 1864., and consolidated with the veterans of the Fifty-second Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, attached to the army of General Thomas, in middle Tennessee. After departing from Louisville, Kentucky, Mr. Waits' first engagement was at Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the regiment had its first fight. After this he was stationed at Nashville, Tennessee, for one year and was engaged there in fighting Morgan's guerillas. In the invasion of western Tennessee the army saw a great deal of hard fighting, especially in the pursuit of General Forrest, who was defeated on the Tennessee river.

Being taken ill about this time, Mr. Waits was confined in the hospital at Memphis during the winter of 1863, and in the spring rejoined his regiment at Little Rock, Arkansas. On account of the delay occasioned by failure to get transportation, he ran away from the hospital and found his way by boat and otherwise to Little Rock. The winters of 1863 and 1864 were spent at Lewisburg, Arkansas. During the famous cold New Year's day of 1864 he nearly froze to death, having been on guard duty uninterruptedly for forty-eight hours. In February, 1864, on the regiment's return to Little Rock, began the Camden campaign, which lasted for forty-two days, during which time there was continual fighting. During this campaign occurred the battle of Saline river, which lasted seven hours, one of the fiercest and hardest fought battles of the war. For more than seven hours, on account of the incessant din of battle, Mr. Waits was unable to distinguish the crack of his own gun, and could discern its fire only by the "kick." In that campaign eight thousand Union soldiers defeated forty-four thousand Confederate troops under General Smith.

After Mr. Waits' re-enlistment in the Fifty-second, that regiment was engaged by General Smith at Mobile, Alabama, an engagement which lasted thirteen days. During the progress of this battle Lee's surrender was announced and Lincoln was killed. When the army received word of Lincoln's assassination it sent one hundred shells into the rebel fort. On the first day of the fight Mr. Waits was wounded by a spent six-pound solid shot, which struck his gun, and which also paralyzed his right leg. He was unable to use this leg for seven weeks, and, although he was sent to the hospital, his spirit was so aroused after the death of Lincoln that he limped away from the hospital and rejoined his regiment, using his gun for a crutch. Afterwards he marched sixty miles on crutches. At the Tom Bigby river the regiment was discharged, December 19, 1865, and came home by the way of Atlanta and Chattanooga. After two weeks in camp at Indianapolis the soldiers were paid off and discharged.

Isaac D. Waits is the son of William and Catherine Ann (Hicks) Waits, the former of whom was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, in 1798, the son of John Waits, a native of Maryland, who migrated to Kentucky during the pioneer days and became a prosperous farmer of Harrison county, that state, where he reared a large family, of whom William Waits was the eldest child. The latter grew to manhood in Kentucky and in 1822 came to Indiana, locating in Rush county, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. About 1816 he was married in Kentucky and to that union there were born six children before the family came to Indiana in 1822. Seven more children were born after their arrival in this state, making thirteen altogether, of whom Isaac D. was the last born. Catherine Ann Hicks was the daughter of Joshua and Ann (Chambers) Hicks, both natives of Ireland, who came to America some time before the American Revolution. Joshua Hicks, a molder by trade, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was detailed to mold cannon balls, serving valiantly throughout the War of Independence. A young man when he came to America, he was not married until after the beginning of the Revolution, when he was thirty years old, his wife, Ann Chambers, being fifteen years old at the time. They lived together as man and wife for eighty-five years, their deaths occurring within a few hours of each other, and their remains were buried in the same grave. They were the parents of seventeen children, of whom Catherine Ann (Hicks) Waits, the mother of Isaac D. Waits, was the last born. Joshua Hicks also served as a soldier in the War of 1812, doing duty in the same capacity as in the Revolutionary War, as a molder of cannon balls. His eldest son, Isaac, then about eighteen years old, was a helper. After the discharge of Isaac D. Waits from the Union army he returned home to Rush county, Indiana, to which section his father had moved in 1856, and on February 23, 1866, was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Akers, the widow of John F. Akers, a soldier of the Civil War, a member of Company H, Second Indiana Cavalry, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Barnell Station, Georgia, and died in Andersonville prison in September, 1864. Mrs. Waits is a daughter of William and Margaret (Chowley) Gibson, who were natives of Ohio county, Indiana, of Pennsylvania stock. Mr. and Mrs. Waits began life together on a farm in Ohio county, where two of their children were born. In February, 1870, they came to Decatur county, settling in Adams township, where they lived for two years, at the end of which time they removed to Clinton county, Indiana, where they remained for two years, after which they returned to Adams township, this county. After living on a farm there for a short time they moved to the village of Adams, where they have lived ever since.

To Isaac D. and Elizabeth (Gibson) Waits six children have been born, as follow: Minnie J., who is the wife of Clay Aldridge, of Greensburg; Cora, who is the wife of William E. Laws, of Adams township; Eddie L., whose home is at Adams, but who is at present at Lexington, Kentucky; Jane F., the deceased wife of John Shupherd; Frank, who died at the age of eleven years, and Pearl M., who died at the age of four.

Despite the weight of their years, Mr. and Mrs. Waits are in good health and spirits and retain the liveliest interest in current affairs. A Republican in politics, Mr. Waits is stanch and true to the party of Lincoln. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and Mrs. Waits belongs to the Ladies' Relief Corps. Both are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are held in the highest esteem by their many friends in this county.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

On December 24, 1879, John C. Black was married to Alice Parker, daughter of John G. Parker, of Sand Creek township. After his marriage Mr. Black lived for three years, one month and ten days on the Alexander farm in Jackson township, until October 25, 1883, when he located on his present farm. In 1895 he purchased this farm for forty dollars an acre. He has invested hundreds of dollars in various kinds of improvements and now has a commodious farm house, attractively painted and a large barn. This farm, which he originally purchased at forty dollars an acre, is now worth in excess of one hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre.

In politics Mr. Black is a Republican but has never taken any part in the councils of his party, preferring to devote himself exclusively to farming. He is a member of Greensburg lodge No. 36, Free and Accepted Masons. Mrs. Black is a member of the Baptist church. Although Mr. Black is not a member of any church, his parents were leading Presbyterians in this section.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

John W. Taylor was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, in 1837, the son of William T. and Maria (Adams) Taylor, natives of Kentucky, the former born in 1784 and the latter in 1806, who were the parents of five children, of whom John W. was the eldest son. When John W. Taylor's parents died, the family of small children were left to the mercy of a cruel and difficult existence, hence early in life John W. developed the habit of self-reliance and patient endurance. The responsibilities thrown upon his shoulders when a mere lad, probably had much to do with making him a strong and sturdy character.

In April, 1862, John W. Taylor answered the call of his country for help in the great struggle for the preservation of the Union, and enlisted in Company H, Sixty-eighth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served with distinction until the close of the war, being mustered out as a corporal. In many hard-fought battles, he was a brave soldier and had a distinguished record. At the termination of his service he returned to Decatur county and took up the occupation of farming, in which he was quite successful.

In 1906 John W. Taylor was married to Mrs. Nancy (McCoy) Altizer, widow of John Altizer. She was born in 1842 in Jefferson county, Indiana, the daughter of Daniel and Rachel (Phillips) McCoy, both of whom were natives of Kentucky and who moved to Jefferson county, Indiana, when that section of the country was a wilderness. Her father was a carpenter by trade and many houses are still standing in Jefferson county as a monument to his skill and honesty. Mrs. Taylor was educated in the district schools, but her advantages for obtaining an education were limited to three months a year and she was compelled to walk two and one-half miles to school. Mrs. John W. Taylor was first married in 1858 to John Altizer, who was born in 1840 and died in 1881. He was the son of Isaac and Sarah Altizer, of Jefferson county, Indiana, the former of whom was a native of that county. The Altizers comprised a good old substantial family, prominent in the affairs of Jefferson county. Four years after the marriage of John Altizer and Nancy McCoy, the former enlisted in the Union army and served for one month, or until he was severely wounded during the battle of Franklin. After several months in the hospital, he was discharged for disability. The wound received in his gallant service for his country caused a lingering illness from which he never fully recovered. On account of lameness he was unable to engage in any strenuous labor after the war. However, he took up milling and was very successful in that business, accumulating considerable property. He was the father of five children: Morton, who lives in Missouri; Ella, the wife of James Kenipp, of Illinois; Robert, of Adams, and Oscar and Gilbert, both deceased. John Altizer was a Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

The late John W. Taylor was also a Republican in politics, intensely loyal to his country and a patriot of the highest type. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, in the affairs of which he took a warm and active interest. He was a member of the Methodist church at Adams at the time of his death and one of the every-day kind of Christians, widely known for the high character of his life. Mrs. Taylor is a member of the Methodist church at Adams, with which she became affiliated when fourteen years old. She is a woman of generous impulses, dearly loved by her children and esteemed and respected by her neighbors.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Charles F. Risk was born on August 5, 1874, in Marion township, Decatur county, Indiana, the son of John A. and Eliza (Flemming) Risk, the former of whom was born in 1852 in Kentucky, came to Decatur county in 1872, and now lives in Greensburg, where he moved in 1903 and where he is a well-known and successful business man. The latter was born in 1844 in Ohio. All of the six children, born to James A. and Eliza (Flemming) Risk, are still living, and are as follow: Mrs. Libbie M. Weaver, Crawfordsville; Charles F., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Carrie Glass, of Marion township; Eva; Frank M., of Chicago, and Della.

In 1902 Charles F. Risk was married to Melissa Sparks, who was born in 1874 in Montgomery county, Indiana, the daughter of William O. and Lucy P. (McCracken) Sparks, natives of Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, the former of whom was born, October 27, 1843, and died, December 10, 1879, when Melissa was five years old, and the latter of whom was born, January 27, 1834, in Clinton township, the daughter of Hugh McCracken, an early settler of Decatur county, and died, September 29, 1884. William and Lucy P. (McCracken) Sparks were married in Decatur county, but immediately removed to Montgomery county, and there spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of five children, two of whom are now deceased. Of the deceased children, Alvin was born September 30, 1870, and John, the youngest, born March 5, 1878, died in 1879. The three living children are as follow: Hugh, born February 15, 1872, lives in Rush county; Melissa, born March 29, 1874 and married Charles F. Risk; and Ellen, born December 4, 1875, lives in Ft. Wayne.

After the death of her parents Mrs. Risk came to Sand Creek township, and made her home with Silas White and Margaret Susan (McCracken) Garrison, her uncle and aunt. The former was a son of Mary Fugit, a daughter of Judge John Fugit, one of the early settlers of Decatur county, who came to Fugit township in 1818, settling one mile east of Clarksburg. John Fugit was born, October 5, 1832, and died, December 21, 1900. Silas White Garrison, a native of Decatur county, born in Clay township, was the son of David and Mary (Fugit) Garrison. His wife, who before her marriage was Susan McCracken, was born, January 29, 1839, in Clinton township, and died May 12, 1914; Silas White Garrison was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil War, and served one hundred days in the One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry.

The farm of a hundred and thirty-seven acres in Sand Creek township, on which Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Risk live, was the Garrison home place, bequeathed to Mr. Risk and his wife by her uncle and aunt. They moved to this farm immediately after their marriage at which time Mr. Risk abandoned his trade and engaged in farming. He also owns eighty acres of land in Marion township. On the home place there is an attractive farm house situated on a graveled road and well shaded with magnificent trees. The farm also has good barns and other out-buildings. Mr. Risk ordinarily raises a hundred head of hogs annually, and breeds a cross between Duroc-Jerseys and Poland Chinas. He has been very successful as a farmer.

Mr. and Mrs. Risk have one child, Geneva, who was born on December 13, 1910. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Risk is a progressive Republican. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Letts. Although Mr. Risk has lived in Sand Creek township a comparatively short time, he has made a host of friends since coming here and is a man who during his comparatively brief residence has won the confidence and esteem of his neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Risk are both well liked in the community where they live.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Mr. Eckhart, as the eighth of a family of nine children, early in life acquired those habits of self-reliance which became valuable later on in his active career. His father, John A. Eckhart, was of sturdy pioneer fibre, coming to this country from Germany where he was born on December 18, 1839, near Frankfort. When only twelve years of age he moved to DeKalb county, Indiana, and ten years later married Lucinda D. Barrett, the marriage taking place on April 17, 1861. His wife was a native of Lagrange county, Indiana, and was born on March 25, 1844. Mr. Eckhart was known as a successful farmer. In 1880, Mr. and Mrs. Eckhart moved to Livingston county, Missouri, and in the following year, the subject of this sketch was born. In 1889 the family left their Western home for Miami county, Indiana, and seven years later, removed to Shirley, Indiana. In 1897, they again changed their place of residence to Scott county. On October 2, 1902, John Eckhart died on his farm eight miles from Scottsburg, and was buried in Galveston, Indiana. His widow is now living in Pasadena, California. John A. and Lucinda D. (Barrett) Eckhart were the parents of a large family, but in spite of the hardships of pioneer days, there was no lack in parental love and care. John, the first-born of this household, was born on January 14, 1863, and died at Tribune, Kansas, on January 8, 1908. The first daughter, Elinore I., was the wife of Will Jacobs, was born on September 12, 1864, and passed away on March 15, 1915, at Coyle, Oklahoma. Cora C. Hudson was born on July 16, 1866, and now lives in Montalvo, California. Arclemena D. died in infancy. Lillie M. McCormick was born on April 16, 1870, and her present home is in Los Angeles, California. Martha A. Haynes was born on February 20, 1872, and lives near Milford. Charles Victor was born on January 4, 1874, and lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. Leroy A. born on March 19, 1881, the subject of this sketch. The youngest child, Grace Leonore, born on June 1, 1883, married Fred L. Thurston, and resides with her mother in Pasadena.

Leroy A. Eckhart attended the schools of Scott county, and graduated from the Seymour Business College. Like the majority of the youths who were farmers sons, he worked for a while after his school days were past, on his father's farm, but this did not prove entirely congenial, and as mathematics had been a favorite study, his tastes found interesting employment when he began his duties as bookkeeper of the Scott County State Rank. Later, he was engaged by the Salem Citizens' State Bank, a position he retained for four months. He left Salem to organize the State Bank of Letts, and from that time until the present, has been its leading spirit. He is now one of the directors, as well as its cashier.

On November 27, 1901, Leroy A. Eckhart married Opal E. Rice, whose ancestors were pioneers of the Hoosier state. Mrs. Eckhart was born on the Scott county farm of her parents, February 17, 1884, her father being Giles J. and her mother Rhoda A. Rice. The latter was a native of Jefferson county, and the former, of Scott county. Mrs. Eckhart is an only child. Her paternal grandfather was Ebenezer Rice, a native of North Carolina, and his father, also named Ebenezer, was an early settler of Scott county, entering the land where Giles, who was born on June 29, 1845, now lives. The mother of Mrs. Eckhart was the daughter of Samuel McCurry of North Carolina, who came to Indiana in her early history, settling in Jefferson county. Rhoda A. Rice was born on January 27, 1849. Giles J. Rice has been a successful farmer, now in possession of farm lands amounting to four hundred and eighty acres, having recently sold forty acres of his five hundred and twenty.

As the Letts Corner State Bank has played an important part in the life of our subject, it may be of interest to note a few facts regarding this well known business institution. The Letts State Bank was organized by Leroy A. Eckhart on October 2, 1913, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars and deposits amounting to forty-two thousand dollars to forty-five thousand dollars. The bank is operated in its own building, a substantial and artistic structure of brick and stone with dimensions twenty-four by fifty-four feet. The interior furnishings include a tiled floor of beautiful design, handsome office fixtures, and a fire and burglar proof iron vault and safe. The officers of the bank, are: President, Dr. J. A. Welch; vice-president, K. L. Adams; cashier, Leroy A. Eckhart. The directors are J. A. Welch, K. L. Adams, L. A. Eckhart, W. C. Marshall, A. M. Alexander, M. R. Taylor, and Delger Moor.

Mr. Eckhart's political interests have been identified with the Democratic party, and while he has not ranked as a politician, he has always stood for the measures and movements that mean good citizenship. Mr. and Mrs. Eckhart are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which their influence has been a distinctive force for good. Mr. Eckhart believes in the beneficial effects of social organizations, and is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Deputy, Indiana and of Lodge No. 506 at Beechwood. As an evidence of Mr. Eckhart's business ability, it may be noted that he is the owner of eighty acres of valuable land in Scott county.

It may be seen from the above brief sketch that, although its subject is a young man, his life and work have already come to occupy an important place in the economic and social affairs of the town in which he has made his home since boyhood. Although his life has not been characterized by adventure or unusual incident, it has had in some degree the elements of greatness. It has been marked by honor and integrity in business transactions, by fidelity to high ideals, and by a uniform courtesy and kindness in associations with his fellowmen. Such a career cannot fail to be an incentive to others.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Henry C. Kirby, who was born in Decatur county, Indiana, was the son of Clay Madison Kirby, a native of Kentucky, whose wife, the mother of the late H. C. Kirby, died when the latter was a small child. Some years after her death, Clay M. Kirby married, secondly, Tirza Meck, a member of one of the old and respected families of this county. H. C. Kirby grew to manhood on his father's farm in Decatur county and when the Civil War broke out, enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, serving until he was taken ill and discharged for disability.

After the war, Henry C. Kirby began farming in Decatur county. He married Epsie Guthrie and after her death, about ten years later, was married, in 1881, to Ada McClerkin, the daughter of James and Martha (Meek) McClerkin, the latter of whom was the daughter of Thomas Meek, a son of Adam Meek, one of the prominent pioneer settlers of this county. James McClerkin was a native of Decatur county, a farmer by occupation and a well-known and well-respected citizen of the county. To this second union one child was born, a son, Harry M., born on March 9, 1884, in Adams township, this county.

After the second marriage of the late H. C. Kirby, he and his wife began life in Adams township on a farm. He was an ardent Republican and patriotic citizen. He was a devoted member of the Baptist church, as is his widow, and their son was reared in that faith. Mr. Kirby died on March 19, 1909, and he was widely mourned, for he was a good man.

Among the prosperous young farmers of Adams township, Harry M. Kirby, the son of the late H. C. Kirby, takes high rank. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and ten acres, lying to the north of Adams, land of the very finest quality. Mr. Kirby is known as one of the most progressive young business men and farmers in that part of the county, specializing in purebred, big type Poland China hogs. Upon completing the course in the Adams high school, Harry M. Kirby studied and mastered telegraphy. After an apprenticeship of about ten months, he was given a position with the Big Four Railroad, which he held for nine years. During the past five years, however, he has devoted his energies to the business of progressive farming, to which he intends to devote the remainder of his life. Mr. Kirby is a bright young man with a promising future before him. He is possessed naturally of a likeable personality and is so constituted that his friends predict he will win recognition in his chosen field of endeavor. He is one of the "true-blue" variety of Republicans in his political affiliation and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Adams and has attained to the encampment of that order. He is also a member of the Baptist church, as is his mother. Mrs. Kirby is a woman of strong and forceful character, of grace and charming personality. Possessed of a cheerful, optimistic disposition, she is popular in a large circle of friends and especially popular in church work, to which she devotes a considerable portion of her time.

The Kirby family for two or three generations has been prominent in the agricultural, civic and political life of this township, earnest and sincere people, conscientious in giving to the world a full measure of performance in all of the duties of life.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Mr. Donnell, who is a native son of Decatur county, has had an interesting career as a printer and newspaper man. In 1911 he was honored by the Indiana State Legislature, receiving in January of that year the appointment by the Legislature to the important position of purchasing agent of the General Assernbly, a position in which he displayed such a fine grasp of the state's needs in the way of public printing that the state bureau of public printing further honored him by making him clerk of the board, a position which he since has held and the duties of which he has discharged with such fidelity and with so high a regard for the state's best interest as to merit the praise of those in authority; a meed of praise which is given as ungrudgingly as it is well deserved. During former sessions of the Legislature the alleged looseness with which affairs connected with the printing department and the furnishing of legislative supplies had been conducted amounted at times almost to an open scandal and the 1911 Legislature determined to put a stop to this loose manner of conducting affairs in that department. To this end it was decided to put the whole matter of the purchasing of supplies into the hands of an accredited agent of the General Assembly. It was a matter of general congratulation on the part of Decatur county folk when the news was given out that a Decatur county man, Edwin D. Donnell, had received the appointment to this highly responsible and important position. That Mr. Donnell did his work well was attested when, at the close of the session of the Legislature, the state printing board appointed him to the responsible position of clerk of the bureau of public printing, the department of state which conducts the business connected with the large amount of printed matter which is required for state uses. Mr. Donnell is very popular with the Decatur county colony at the state capital and still retains the warmest interest in Decatur county affairs. Few native sons of this county have a wider acquaintance hereabout than he and the following biography will be read with interest by all.

Edwin Dobyns Donnell was born at Clarksburg, Decatur county, Indiana, November 11, 1861, son of William Addison and Mary E. (Dobyns) Donnell, the former of whom also was born in Clarksburg, a son of Luther S. and Jane Wright (Braden) Donnell, natives of Kentucky, who came to Decatur county at an early day and settled on a farm one mile southeast of Clarksburg, becoming prominent in the pioneer life of that community. In later years they moved into the town of Greensburg, where Luther S. Donnell died. Jane Wright Donnell, who lived to the age of ninety-two, spent her last years in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Hamilton, at Clarksburg.

William Addison Donnell was reared on the paternal farm near Clarksburg, remaining there until 1865, in which year he moved to Greensburg, this county, where he engaged in the hardware and farm implement business, later buying the Greensburg foundry, which he operated for some time. In 1878 he purchased the Decatur County Press, changing the name of the same to the Decatur News, and it was on this paper that Edwin D. Donnell received his initiation into the printing and newspaper business. In 1885 Mr. Donnell sold the Decatur News to James E. Mendenhall, present mayor of Greensburg, who gave the paper a new name, the New Era.

In 1886 Edwin D. Donnell bought an interest in this paper, retaining the same for three years, at the end of which time he sold his interest to Mr. Mendenhall and in 1889 went to Greeley, Colorado, where for four years he published the Greeley Sun, selling the paper in 1893 to Brent Patton, another Decatur county boy. Mr. Donnell then returned to Greensburg, shortly afterward going to Springfield, Ohio, where, from April to September, he was foreman of the mechanical department of the Springfield Republic-Times. He again returned to Greensburg and for one year was associated with Allen W. Clark in the publication of the New Era, as foreman of the composing room. At the end of this time he bought a third interest in the Greensburg Review and was thus connected with the publication of that paper for one year and six months. He then went to Elwood, Indiana, where, for a year, he acted as head of the advertising department of the Elwood Courier. In 1899 Mr. Donnell moved to Cincinnati, in which city he was employed in a job-printing house until the fall of 1905, at which time he went to Nashville, Tennessee. In January of 1906 he returned to Greensburg, taking the position of superintendent of the mechanical department of The Baptist Observer, a position which he retained for more than three years. He then was engaged for a year as foreman of the composing room of the Greensburg News and in June of 1910 went to Indianapolis, in which city he was employed as foreman of the plant of the Capitol Printing Company until January, 1911. At that time he was appointed purchasing agent of the Indiana Legislature, and at the close of the session of 1911 was appointed clerk of the state bureau of public printing, a position which he is still filling to the entire satisfaction of the authorities composing that important bureau of the state service.

Mr. Donnell received his education in the Greensburg high school and in the Agricultural-Mechanical College at Ashland, the old home of Henry Clay, near Lexington, Kentucky. In 1888 Edwin Dobyns Donnell was united in marriage to Ollie Rogers, who was born in Switzerland county, Indiana, daughter of Edward H. and Mary Jane (Shull) Rogers, both of whom were born near Vevay, Switzerland county, the former of English and the latter of German descent. During her early childhood the parents of Ollie Rogers moved to Greensburg and it was in that city Mr. Donnell's wife was reared and there she received her education. Edward H. Rogers traveled for the Standard Oil Company for a period of thirty years or more and died at Hope, Indiana, in 1909.

To Edwin D. and Ollie (Rogers) Donnell one child has been born, a son, Clifton E., who was born at Greeley, Colorado, in 1892. He was graduated from the Manual Training high school at Indianapolis and is a member of the 1916 class of the Indiana Dental College.

Mr. and Mrs. Donnell are members of the Christian church and take an active interest in church work. Mr. Donnell is a member of the Masonic lodge at Irvington, his home being located in that beautiful suburb of Indianapolis, and is a member of Keystone chapter, of the same order. He also is a member of the Knights of Pythias, retaining his membership in lodge No. 148 of that order at Greensburg. He is a member of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Indiana Democratic Club. He is exceedingly popular among his associates and enjoys the highest confidence and esteem of state-house circles.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

George W. Moor, the senior member of the firm of Moor & Crise, was born, December 31, 1853, in Decatur county, Indiana, on a farm, the son of William Oliver and Margaret J. (Forbes) Moor, the former of whom was born in Franklin county, Indiana, September 23, 1825, and who was killed by a fall from a horse, in Sand Creek township, June 27, 1885. The latter also was born in this state. William Oliver Moor was a son of Edwin, a native of New York, who when a boy of nine years was brought to Ohio by his father, Ezra Moor, who, after living for a time near Cincinnati, removed to Franklin county, and later entered a tract of land in Jackson township, the farm where M. B. Taylor now lives. Here he cleared the land and lived until his death. As nearly as it can be ascertained he must have come to Jackson township during the early forties. William Oliver Moor, who was a carpenter by trade, followed this occupation in Jackson and Sand Creek townships and farmed to some extent. He died at the home of his son, George W., the subject of this sketch. His wife, who before her marriage was Margaret J. Forbes, died in 1872. They were the parents of seven children, as follow: John E. lives in Iowa; George W. is the subject of this sketch; Riley F. lives in Kansas; William L. lives in Washington; James M. lives in Mason City, Iowa; Mrs. Ina L. Birch lives in Seattle, and Mary E. is deceased.

Educated in the common schools of Decatur county and in the Hartsville school, George W. Moor was for fifteen years a teacher in Jackson, Sand Creek and Adams townships. Five years of this period were spent as a teacher in Harris City. During the last five years of Mr. Moor's experience as a teacher he was also engaged in farming, and later he devoted himself exclusively to farming for fire years in Sand Creek township. From 1891 to 1895 he was engaged in the hardware business, and this business was the beginning of his present large enterprise. In 1895 he also engaged in the grain business and in 1910 he took Mr. Crise as a partner in the firm. The pages 1083 through 1086 are missing from this scanned book.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Abram F. Venner was born on February 10, 1847, in Harrison county, Indiana, the son of John Adams and Jane (Wiseman) Venner, natives of Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, respectively, the former was the son of Jacob Venner, who was in turn the son of the founder of the Venner family in America.

After removing from Harrison county to Hartsville to educate his son, John Adams Venner returned to Harrison county, where he died. His younger sons were all educated in Hartsville College. His children in the order of their birth were Elizabeth, Rosann, Malinda, Mary Catherine, John, Daniel, George, William and Abram F.

Educated in the public schools of Harrison county, and in Hartsville College, where he lacked six months of graduation on account of illness, Abram F. Venner taught school for three years at Lanesville, Bogart Springs and Middletown. Well informed and well trained in methodical and careful thinking, Abram F. Venner has applied to the problems of agriculture the logical and consistent reasoning which he acquired during his school days. It was at Hartsville College that Mr. Venner met his future wife.

Abram F. Venner was married, August 12, 1869, to Louisa Belle Rhoher. After their marriage they came at once to their farm, and here they have lived for forty-six years. Mrs. Venner was born, October, 1851, and is the daughter of Simeon and Sarah (Collier) Rhoher, the former of Pennsylvania ancestry, and the latter of Kentucky. Simeon Rhoher moved from Ohio to Indiana. The Rhohers were early settlers in Jackson township, most of them taking government claims and clearing the land for cultivation. Simeon Rhoher's father, John Rhoher, owned one thousand acres of land. He himself owned three hundred acres.

To Mr. and Mrs. Abram F. Veiiner have been born two children, Jessie (deceased) and Corda De Ella. On March 3, 1887, Corda De Ella married John Warren Smith, who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Venner, and who cultivates eighty acres of land in addition to the Venner farm.

John Warren Smith was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, February 4, 1861, and came to Decatur county, Indiana, in the fall of 1885. He was a school teacher in Kentucky and Indiana several years. Mr. Smith has been one of the leading farmers. Mr. Venner and Mr. Smith have made a specialty of Hereford cattle, Duroc Jersey hogs, Shropshire sheep and Plymouth Rock chickens.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one child, Bessie Venner, who married Harold Brown Ogden, of Forest Hill, April 7, 1915.

Harold Brown Ogden was born on October 12, 1885. He is a graduate of Hanover College, Indiana, and took post-graduate work in science at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and Purdue University, Indiana. Mr. Ogden was professor of science for two years at Park College, Parkville, Missouri. He is now farming in Jackson township, this county.

Mr. Venner's career has been too busy to permit him to take any considerable interest in politics, but he is identified with the Republican party. Mr. and Mrs. Venner and family are members of the United Brethren church at Mt. Pleasant.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

John G. Gartin was born in Clay township, Decatur county, Indiana, just one mile west of where the town of Burney now is situated, on June 14, 1865, the son of Felix and Dorcas (Pavy) Gartin, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families, the latter of whom was the daughter of John T. and Nancy Pavy, also natives of Clay township, who were born not far from where the family now lives. For details regarding the genealogy of the Pavy family the reader is referred to the memorial sketch relating to the late John T. Pavy, presented elsewhere in this volume.

Felix Gartin was the son of Griffith and Mary (Fear) Gartin, the former of whom was a native of Kentucky, who came to Decatur county in the year 1823. Mary Fear was the daughter of William H. Fear, a Virginian, who came to this county with his parents in the year 1825. Both the Gartins and the Fears became prominent in the pioneer affairs of the county, $clearing fine farms from the forest wilderness and becoming recognized as among the substantial families of that section of the county in which they settled. Griffith Gartin was a man of fine executive ability, energetic and enterprising, and was very successful, being the owner of seven hundred or eight hundred acres of land at the time of his death. He was a thoroughgoing business man and became one of Decatur county's most successful dealers in live stock, his specialty being mules and cattle, his eight sons taking charge of his extensive farming interests. He was an ardent Whig and exerted considerable influence over the political destinies of the county. He and his wife were devoted adherents of the Baptist church and their children were reared in that faith, the family becoming a strong moral influence throughout that whole section of the county. Griffith Gartin is recalled by those of his contemporaries who are still living as a man of noble characteristics, generous to a fault and ever ready to lend a helping hand to those less comfortably circumstanced than himself. He died at the comparatively early age of forty-nine years, just in the prime of his life and in the midst of his greatest activities and was sincerely mourned throughout that whole region.

To Griffith and Mary (Fear) Gartin were born nine children, namely: Felix, father of the immediate subject of this sketch, who died on January 24, 1902; Edmund, who married Alice Bruce, of Sand Creek township, this county, and lives at Marion, Indiana; Rev. C. M. (deceased), a one-time well-known minister of the Baptist church; William H., who lives at Spannburg, Texas; Mrs. Nancy Ann Hanna-Cristler, who lives in the state of Pennsylvania; Nugent, who lives at Columbus, Ohio; Z. T. (deceased); W. H., a well-known farmer of Clay township, this county, and Griffith, of Muncie, Indiana, one of the most widely-known auctioneers in that part of the state.

Felix Gartin received a careful training on the home farm, as did all of Griffith Gartin's sons; he was educated at Hartsville College and early prepared to take an active part in the affairs of the community. When the call to arms came at the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted for service in behalf of the Union cause and was attached to the Eleventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a part of General Sherman's army, known to fame as "the bloody Eleventh." He served through the historic siege of Vicksburg and on July 12, 1863, during the memorable battle at Jackson, Mississippi, received a severe wound, from which he never fully recovered, suffering from the after effects of the same all the rest of his life. The disability due to this wound became so pronounced that in November, 1863, he was discharged from the service, returning home shortly thereafter, and was unable to re-enlist.

In August, 1864, Felix Gartin was united in marriage to Dorcas Pavy, a member of an old and prominent family in this county, and to this union the following children were born: John G., the subject of this sketch; Nancy Ann. wife of John E. Robbins, of Sand Creek township; James W., of Rushville, Indiana; Tillie, deceased.

Felix Gartin was a man of high ideals and in his neighborhood ever was recognized as a man whose "word was as good as his bond.'' He and his good wife were leaders in the social and religious life of the community in which they lived and ever exerted a wholesome influence upon the lives of those about them. They were members of the Baptist church and were among the leaders in the local congregation, being active in all good works, and were held in the highest regard throughout that whole section. Felix Gartin was a charter member of the lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Burney, and ever took an earnest interest in the affairs of that popular fraternal organization.

He was an extensive feeder and shipper of live stock, his specialty being Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs, the firm of F. Gartin & Sons, shippers, being well known in live stock circles throughout Indiana and neighboring states. He had hosts of firm friends throughout the county and all through this part of the state and his death, in 1902, was widely mourned. His widow, who was a most excellent woman, died on March 10, 1915.

John G. Gartin was reared on the old home farm and was educated in the common schools of this county, this schooling being supplemented by a course at Hartsville College and a course at Franklin College. His health failing before his studies were completed, he was unable to graduate, much to his regret, and upon returning home became an active assistant in his father's extensive farming and shipping operations. The breeding of purebred hogs became his specialty, Poland Chinas being his choice of this form of stock. A little later he began in earnest the breeding of Shorthorn cattle and while thus engaged bred the champion herd leader, "Monitor," the victories of which famous bull in the way of prizes in the great stock shows of the country are detailed in a preceding paragraph of, this narrative. Mr. Gartin became an unusually successful cattle breeder and for four years served as secretary of the Shorthorn Breeders' Association and for two years was honored by the election to the presidency of that organization. He also gave considerable attention to the breeding of purebred horses, both speed and draft, but years ago discontinued that line of the stock business. In 1893 he sold his famous Shorthorn herd and retired from the business, but in 1900 he restocked his farm with the same favorite breed of cattle and achieved new successes as a breeder, continuing in the business until 1913, in which year he again sold his herd. In recent years Mr. Gartin has achieved a wide reputation as the "baby-beef man," he being a pioneer in the now well-recognized line of handling fine hand-fed stock for select markets. He was the first man in this part of Indiana to take up the ''baby beef" business and has become one of the most successful dealers in that form of stock in the country, having created a very Choice market for his "baby beef" in the East, his product being quite too choice for the demand of the Chicago and Indianapolis markets. In preparing his "baby beef" for the market, Mr. Gartin feeds from sixty to seventy-five pounds of "black-strap" feeding molasses and from thirty to forty tons of cotton-seed meal, this diet imparting to the flesh of his stock that fine flavor so much desired by Eastern epicures. He feeds an average of one hundred to one hundred and ten head each year.

On February 4, 1886, John G. Gartin was united in marriage to Mary K. Alexander, who was born in this county, daughter of A. J. and Charlotte (Steward) Alexander, members of two old and influential families hereabout, the genealogy of the Alexancler family being set out in the biographical sketch relating to Frank Alexander, presented elsewhere in this volume. A. J. Alexander was a native of Ohio, of Scottish extraction, and Charlotte Steward was a native of Ireland.

To John G. and Mary R. (Alexander) Gartin three children have been born, namely: Earl F., born on April 4, 1888, a well-known auctioneer, of Burney, this county, who owns a farm west of the home place and lives in Burney; Lottie D., January 9, 1891, who married Donald Webb and lives in Shelby county, this state, and Charles A., August 29, 1898, living at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Gartin are members of the Baptist church and are devoted to the welfare of the community in which they live, being among the leaders in all good works thereabout. Mr. Gartin is an active, energetic, enterprising citizen and is regarded as one of the most substantial men in Decatur county. He and Mrs. Gartin have host's of friends throughout the county and they and the members of their family are held in the highest regard by all. Mr. Gartin is a Republican and has held township offices. He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias, in which fraternity he has filled all the chairs and is past chancellor. Mr. Gartin is one of the heavy stockholders in the bank at Burney, Indiana.

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"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

As Mr. Wynkoop's wealth grew he was able to provide himself, his wife and his children with greater comfort and about 1894 began extensive building operations. He now has one of the most attractive homes in Sand Creek township. There are four barns included in two sets of buildings. Altogether Mr. Wynkoop owns now two hundred and ninety-one acres of land, worth probably thirty thousand dollars. His home farm is worth at least two hundred dollars an acre and is well improved. Mr. Wynkoop rents out his corn land.

Born on February 24, 1850, on a farm in Franklin county, Isaac Newton Wynkoop is the son of James and Barbara (Hetterick) Wynkoop, the former was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1817, and died, February 27, 1893, and the latter was born, January 23, 1817, in Pennsylvania, and died, November 30, 1903. James Wynkoop was brought to Franklin county, Indiana, by his parents when a lad of four years, and they, in 1853, came to Decatur county, purchasing a farm where the village of Horace is now situated. Mrs. Barbara Wynkoop was the daughter of John and Catherine Hetterick. She was married to James Wynkoop, February 27, 1840. Of the ten children born to James and Barbara (Hetterick) Wynkoop all are now living except two, Mrs. Mary McCracken who was the wife of Thomas McCracken, and Mrs. Rebecca McCracken who was the wife of James McCracken. They were the third and fourth born in a family of five sons and five daughters. The living children are as follow: Mrs. Sarah Howell, of Kansas; William, a veteran of the Civil War and a farmer of Clay township; Mrs. Martha Myers, the wife of J. A. Myers, of Washington township; Isaac N., the subject of this sketch; John, who lives near Waldron, in Shelby county; James, of Sand Creek township; Charles, who lives with his brother William, in Clay township; and Mrs. Nevada Davis, the wife of John L. Davis, of Letts Corner.

On September 31, 1874, at the age of twenty-four, Isaac Newton Wynkoop was married to Mary Elizabeth McGee, who was born on April 8, 1854, in Sand Creek township, within one-half mile of her present home. Mary Elizabeth McGee was the daughter of Ralph and Sarah (Jones) McGee, the former was born, January 8, 1827, and died, June 20, 1909, and the latter was born, April 12, 1832, and died, February 3, 1906. Ralph McGee was the son of John McGee, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to Butler county, Ohio, in 1810. John McGee was a soldier in the War of 1812. A tailor by occupation, he married Jane Cassell. The late Ralph McGee, who began life a poor boy, became a very wealthy man, and in March, 1853, removed to Decatur county, Indiana. He was a pioneer breeder of Poland China hogs, and established a tile factory in this county, which he operated for many years. He was known as a good man and a faithful and loyal member of the Baptist church. In politics he was a Republican. His wife was a woman of most lovable disposition, a woman of strong religious nature, conscientious and kind-hearted not only in her own family, but in the neighborhood where she lived. She knew what it meant to toil as did also her husband, who had made his own way in the world from the time he was ten years old. At the time they came to Decatur county in 1853 they purchased a hundred and forty-one acres of land in Washington township, and here they lived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. Ralph McGee's land was well improved and especially well drained with tile which he himself had laid.

The McGees have an especially splendid record for longevity. All of the nine children of Ralph and Sarah (Jones) McGee are living. The names of the children in the order of their birth are as follow: John Philip, of Clay township; Mrs. Sarah J. Lundy, of Clay township; William H., of Clay township; Mrs. Mary E. Wynkoop; Charles L., of Greensburg; Ralph T., of Greensburg; George M., of Greensburg; James A., of Washington township; Mattie M., the wife of Edward Samuels, of Washington.

To Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Newton Wynkoop there have been born three children (daughters), two of whom are married, and all of whom are living. Cora, married Ira A. Moore. They have two children, Mabel and Mary, and reside in Clay township. Gertrude married Walter Boling, of St. Paul, Indiana, who is the proprietor of the feed and grist-mill at that place. Martha, the youngest of the family lives at home with her parents.

It can hardly be expected that Mr. Wynkoop has ever busied himself with very much else but his own business. He is a Republican, but has never taken an active interest in politics. He has been too busy with his own personal affairs, providing for himself and his family a competence. Mr. and Mrs. Wynkoop are people of strong religious instincts, and devout and faithful church members. They belong to the Liberty Baptist church. Mr. and Mrs. Wynkoop stand high in the community where they live. Their success is not accidental and their fortune is self acquired. They are delightful people to know, hospitable in their home, kind and considerate to those who have been less fortunate and less successful.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.