The son, Lafayette, was reared on his father's Darke county farm. He obtained a meager education in the poor schools of the time and district, and worked on his father's farm until he grew up. He was an industrious youth and proved an able assistant to his father in clearing his land and in bringing it to a comparative state of cultivation. He lived in Ohio until 1872, when he crossed over into Indiana and settled in Adams county.
When the Civil war plunged the country into strife Mr. Rape answered one of the first calls for volunteers and in 1861 enlisted in the Army of West Virginia. His active service began in 1862 and in an early engagement he was wounded in the arm and breast. The succeeding: three months he was confined by his wound in a hospital. When he was discharged from the hospital he rejoined his regiment at Richmond, Kentucky . However, in March of the same year, he was compelled to return to the hospital and remained there until November, 1863, when he was transferred to the veteran reserve corps, with which he remained until his final discharge in October, 1864. Following his discharge he returned to Ohio, and from there came to Indiana.
In 1876 Mr. Rape married Miss Sarah Buckey, a daughter of George and Melinda (Kelly) Buckey, both natives of Shelby county, Ohio. The ancestors of Mrs. Rape came from Virginia, and her father was a tanner and farmer. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rape. These are: Lewis, Perry, Benjamin Franklin, Nellie M., Jesse C, Elmer F., Grace M., Blanche, Bessie M., Charles and Gilbert L. Lewis served with distinction in the Spanish-American war and was a member of Company B, One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Jesse enlisted in the navy and is serving aboard the battleship New Jersey. Benjamin is living in Oklahoma and Elmer is at home.
The Rape homestead consists of one hundred and seventy-five acres, one hundred of which are cleared and cultivated. The remainder is devoted partially to pasturage and is under timber. Mr. Rape has applied himself industriously since he established his home in Indiana and with the assistance of his sons has made an excellent and highly productive farm out of his tract. He follows a general farming business and in addition raises stock. He is a man who appreciates the value of modern methods, and his farm is conducted along the most improved lines of modern agriculture. His stock is uniformly of a good grade and commands a high price in the markets where it is offered for sale.
Mr. Rape is one of the progressive men of his community. He has been active in the affairs of his township and county and has filled several important public offices. He is a Republican in his political affiliation and was elected a trustee of the township. This office he filled with ability and faithfulness for six years and has also served a four-year term as postmaster of Geneva. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a consistent and honored member of the Friends church, and with his wife and family lends his moral and financial support to the denomination he adheres to.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 370 (image 759).
To one who today views the smiling acres of the fine farms that dot Adams county in the northeastern part of Indiana it seems a far cry to the days when this section of the state abounded in wild animals and still wilder men. The contemplation of existing conditions gives no hint of the hardships and the labor endured by the men and women who transformed a forbidding wilderness into a region productive and safe to live in. Still it is a fact that the pioneers did transform a wilderness and many are living on productive farms today whose fathers' axes hewed away the forests and whose rude plowshares first turned the virgin soil. Among the sons of pioneer parents is William Hall, with whose career this sketch is concerned. He was born in 1843 in Perry county, Ohio. He was the son of Samuel and Margaret (Brown) Hall. His father was a native of the Buckeye state and his mother of Maryland. One year after the birth of William his parents journeyed to Indiana and settled in Hartford township, Adams county. The father entered one hundred acres from the government. He was a carpenter by trade and worked at this trade in connection with his farming for one year after coming to Indiana, when he died, leaving a widow and six children, of whom William was the youngest. The death of her husband brought Mrs. Hall face to face with a serious problem. She was alone with her children, but was determined to keep her little family together. The older children set to work to clear the hundred-acre farm and place it under cultivation. They worked earnestly and with a determination to make every hour count. In the end their efforts were crowned with a large measure of success and they found themselves in possession of a fine farm, well cultivated and improved and substantially appointed. Three of these children are still living. They are: Elizabeth, Margaret and William. The three who are dead were: John, Mary and Nathan. For a time the grandfather of this family, Nathan Hall, lived in Indiana, to which state he came from his home in Ohio. But later he returned to Ohio, where he died at the remarkable age of one hundred and six years.
But the interest in this sketch centers about the youngest member of this plucky family. William was a rugged, sturdy youth who contributed even in his youth to the labor of the farm. He obtained a meager education in the schools of the district and worked as hard as did any of his brothers and sisters. When he grew to manhood he was married in 1869 to Miss Melissa French, a daughter of Joseph and Eliza (Beach) French. His wife's father was a native of New York and her mother of Maryland. They moved to Adams county in 1835 and settled on land that Mr. French's father had entered from the government some time before. This property contained some four hundred acres and was located in French township, which was named after the grandfather of Mrs. Hall, who was the first white settler in that township. Joseph French cleared some of the land he entered before his death and after his death his children completed the work he had left unfinished. The great grandfather of Mrs. Hall was an Englishman who came to the United States at an early day and settled in what subsequently became New York state.
Following his marriage to Melissa French, William Hall purchased eighty acres of land in Hartford township. All of this land was under timber. He built a log cabin which he made his home and proceeded to clear the land. After a few years of the hardest and most attentive sort of labor he cleared his land and had it all under cultivation. The years that followed rewarded his efforts. His crops were generous and he sold the products of his husbandry at a good profit. He built a comfortable house and added modern buildings to his farm's equipment as they became necessary. However, he did not destroy the original log cabin home. This structure he allowed to stand and it is today a relic of the early days on the farm and by contrast a monument to his ingenuity and thrift.
Mr. Hall is a man who is wide awake all of the time. He has taken an active part in the affairs of his county. He has served his fellow men in public office, being elected in 1885 to the important office of township trustee. This office he held for five years and three months. His political convictions are those of the Democratic party. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hall. These are Rachel, Elizabeth and Chester. The son lives with his parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hall are highly respected members of their community and are received into the best social circles of their neighborhood. Mrs. Hall and children are members of the Baptist church.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 368 (image 755).
One of the most progressive and successful farmers of Adams county and a man who has come to be admired and esteemed by his neighbors and associates for many valuable characteristics is Moses Augsburger. He springs from hardy German parentage and the lessons that his forebears learned in the fatherland have come down through the intervening generations to him. In his life he has profited by them and is a living instance of the beneficial effects of a fine heredity. Moses Augsburger was born on a farm in French township, Adams county, Indiana, September 26, 1865. He is the son of Christian and Barbara (Liechty) Augsburger, concerning whom an extended narrative appears in the sketch of John C. Augsburger elsewhere in this volume. It is sufficient for the purpose of this sketch to say that they were honest, Godfearing people who believed in the gospel of work, and early taught this gospel to their children. The parents of Mr. Augsburger owned and conducted a farm in French township and it was on this farm that their son was reared. His life was directly in line with the lives of hundreds of other farmer boys of the period, and he worked on his father's farm and attended the schools of his vicinity during his earlier years. Early in his career as a farmer he showed that he was destined to grow into a conservative and able manager. His work was intelligently directed, and he soon gained an expert knowledge of agriculture. He continued to live on his father's estate until the year 1890.
In this year occurred the marriage of Mr. Augsburger to Miss Anna Steiner, a daughter of Peter C. and Fannie (Stauffer) Steiner. Peter Steiner was a native of Wayne county, Ohio, as was his wife, and they moved to Adams county, Indiana, the elder Steiner coming with his parents in 1839, and the girl who later became his wife coming with her parents a year following. The children of the pioneer couples were married in Adams county in 1853 in Monroe township and a year later moved to Hartford township, where the husband purchased a farm. The young people settled on this tract of land. The country was rough and the new farm was almost all covered with timber. The work of clearing the land was an arduous effort, but in the end the land was cleared and made productive. As time went on Mr. Steiner improved his land more and more, and it is now one that speaks volumes for the industry of its owner, and is one of the show places of the county. Since his marriage to Miss Steiner, Moses Augsburger has managed and conducted his father-in-law's place and contributed much toward its high state of cultivation. His idea of farming is one that calls for general as opposed to specialty farming, and he raises such crops on the land he manages as the climate and section of the state makes it best adapted for. In addition he believes in keeping good stock, and his cattle, sheep and swine are of standard grades and all valuable.
Mr. Augsburger is a man who takes a lively interest in the affairs of his county and state. In politics he is a Democrat and in 1904 was elected a township trustee by the members of his party. He assumed the duties of his office January 1, 1905, and continues to discharge them with ability and discrimination. To Mr. and Mrs. Augsburger have been born two children: Menno and Willis.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 367 (image 753).
Europe has contributed in a large measure the sturdy families who settled and made productive the central western section of this country. The names that are known in the hamlets and villages of many European countries are familiar names in the new world. Strong, vigorous young people severed their home ties and boldly took up the search for a new home and a new beginning in what was to them an alien land. They soon became a fixed and valuable part of their adopted country's social and economic system, and the vast majority of them prospered. A son of such parents is Peter Roth. His father was Jacob P. Roth and his mother was Magdalena (Schmugle) Roth. Both parents were natives of France and crossed the ocean to this country and settled in French township, Adams county, Indiana, in 1849. The elder Roth was a farmer and tilled his farm in French township until his death in 1866. He and his wife were the parents of fourteen children, three of whom are still living.
Peter Roth was born in France and came to America in 1853, four years after his parents. His birth occurred in 1833, and so he was nineteen years of age when he reached this country. In 1860 he married Lydia Horn, a daughter of Christ Horn, who, with his wife, was born in Switzerland. They emigrated to America and settled in Stark county, Ohio, where they followed the calling of farmers. After coming to this country Peter Roth spent one summer in Wayne county, Ohio. He then moved westward to Indiana and bought eighty acres of land in Hartford township. He cleared and improved this land and after his marriage he erected a log cabin and began his earnest life. His life following his settlement on his land was a hard struggle. The days were filled with the hardest kind of manual labor, but he was persistent, and in the end succeeded in getting the better of his antagonistic conditions and found himself in possession of a fine and highly productive farm. Previous to his marriage he worked for other people and cleared something like a hundred acres for them. Today he is in possession of one hundred and twenty acres of fine land. He has replaced the rude log cabin of his earlier days with a fine, modern brick residence and a large and commodious barn. His land is well drained and fenced and his annual crops are ample and are among the best raised in this particular section of the state. His land lies in the Indiana oil belt and six wells have been put down on his property. From these wells he derives the profit from the sale of every sixth barrel of oil pumped, and enjoys a handsome income from this source. He has been a conservative man all his life and has not taken an interest in politics, having never voted.
To him and his wife have been born ten children, seven of whom are still living. His living children are: Christian, Rossanna, Jonathan, David, Mary, Sarah and Noah. Of the family Barbara, Catherine and Levi are dead. He and his wife are highly respected and are counted among the best people of their community. He is a member of the Mission church and takes an interest in all of the things that center about the work and purpose of this church.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 366 (image 751).
It was by but a narrow margin that Henry Lankenau missed being born a citizen of the country he served gallantly throughout its war to preserve its integrity, and of a portion of which country he has been all of his busy mature life an honored and useful citizen. Had the stork tarried but a year he would have first opened his eyes under the stars and stripes. However, it was to be otherwise, and the German empire was the scene of his birth. Frank and Catherine (Meislahn) Lankenau were natives of Germany. The father was a shipbuilder by trade and followed this calling in his native city of Bremen. He became dissatisfied with the conditions that surrounded him in Bremen, and decided to migrate to the United States. He did this in 1844. September 19, 1843, about a year before the family migration, Henry Lankenau was born.
His father and mother set sail from Bremen for the infant republic on the western side of the Atlantic and landed at New Orleans . The elder Lankenau sought work at his trade in the Louisiana capital but was unsuccessful and made up his mind to journey northward. He followed the course of the Mississippi river northward and finally found his way to Indiana. He settled in Fort Wayne. He worked at boat building in Fort Wayne in connection with carpenter work for a number of years, and when the Wabash Railroad opened its shops in that city he secured employment in the shops. He continued in the employment of the Wabash Railroad Company for a long time and died in Fort Wayne in his sixty-fifth year. His wife survived him a number of years, dying when seventy-nine years of age.
Of a family of eight children born to this estimable couple, Henry Lankenau was the eldest. His youth was spent at his father's home in Fort Wayne and he received his education in the common schools of that city. He was an industrious and dutiful son and improved all the opportunities to better his condition educationally that presented themselves. When the war broke out and men were hurrying to enlist in defense of the Union he was among the first. Early in the summer of 1862 he enlisted in Company D of the Fifth Indiana Cavalry. Soon after he joined his command it was sent to the front. During the months that followed he saw much active service, and was a gallant participant in a number of battles and lesser engagements. During the siege of Atlanta by the Federal troops he was taken prisoner and sent to Andersonville. He endured the hardships and horrors of this Confederate prison for months and was eventually removed with other Union soldiers to Millen, Georgia. Later he was sent to Florence, South Carolina, and a few months after being incarcerated in the South Carolina prison was sent to Wilmington, North Carolina. Some months of additional misery were spent in the seaport prison before he was paroled and forwarded to Camp Chase, Ohio. He was kept at Camp Chase for a short time and then discharged from the service of the government.
Broken in health and showing the results of the many hardships he had endured in defense of a principle, he returned to Indiana and resumed his residence in Fort Wayne. When he had sufficiently recuperated his health he secured employment in a printing office and followed this employment for a few years. He was then chosen a deputy sheriff and two or three years filled the duties of this important office acceptably and efficiently. He decided to take up the profession of teaching, and in 1875 he went to Van Wert county, Ohio. The four years that followed he taught in the schools of this Ohio county and then returned to Indiana and settled in Adams county. He was appointed teacher of St. John's parochial school in Preble township, and filled this office for twenty-one years. In this time he came to be one of the most efficient and best known educators of northeastern Indiana and many of the men of prominence in the township today owe their introduction to the world of letters to the kindly and intelligent instruction given them by Mr. Lankenau. His success as an educator in Preble township secured for him a call to other fields, which he eventually accepted. After the close of his long service as the teacher of St. John's school he made up his mind to engage in other pursuits for a time. Following this idea he removed to Decatur and entered the mercantile business. He was employed as a clerk for five years and then returned to his teaching. In 1905 he engaged as the teacher of Zion's parochial school and occupies today the position of principal of this institution.
The marriage of Mr. Lankenau and Miss Catherine Schumm was solemnized in Fort Wayne, July 18, 1867. His wife is a native of Van Wert county, Ohio, and is a daughter of Jacob and Hannah Schumm. Eleven children have come to bless this union. These children are: Frank, Ada, the wife of Louis Schust; Clara, Louise, Flora, the wife of Herman Gerke; Adolph, Oscar, Alma, the wife of Glenn Seip; Enno and Herbert. The parents and children are respected members of the English Lutheran church and are among the most highly esteemed people of their community. Mr. Lankenau is a public-spirited man and an adherent of the Democratic party, but has never sought public office.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 365 (image 749).
Few boys, even in the rigorous and strenuous days of the pioneer period of Indiana, had more real difficulties to contend with or faced a more serious life problem than fell to the lot of John Hall, who died June 7, 1907. His early life was a struggle for life itself, and the fact that he forced success from antagonistic conditions reflects but the more credit upon him. He was born in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1830, and was the eldest of his parents' children. When still young his parents removed to Adams county, reaching Indiana in 1844. A year later his father died and his mother found that she was left with several children and a practically uncleared tract of land. The situation was desperate indeed for the little family. John was the eldest, but he was little more than a mere youth. But on him devolved the larger measure of the family's responsibility. He realized that if success was to come to his family it would come only through the hardest kind of work. He began to win success. For years the struggle was almost hopeless. The family at times had to endure many hardships. But the faithful mother and the industrious son and other children ate their meager fare of corn bread and hoped and strove for better things. Years succeeded each other rapidly and the family toiled incessantly. In the end the place was cleared and all of the acres brought under cultivation. Improvements that made the farm more valuable were added from time to time and new and better buildings were erected when necessity arose or when prosperity made them possible. The surrounding country that at the time of his father's death afforded no nearer neighbors than those living five miles distant is now thickly inhabited, and among the farms that exist today, that reclaimed by John Hall is one of the finest.
When comfort was assured his mother and her family, John Hall began to think of making a home for himself. He wooed and won Mary Ann Burgess, to whom he was married July 2, 1862. Mrs. Hall is a daughter of Henson and Catherine (Hains) Burgess. Her father was a native of Maryland and her mother of Ohio . Both parents came to Adams county in about the year 1844 and settled on a farm in Hartford township. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have been the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living. These are: Clara, Edward, Samuel, Catherine and Ellen. William and May are deceased. Despite his active and hard life, Mr. Hall has found time for many things. He is a Democrat in politics, and has served for two years as a county supervisor. He has lived a consistent life on his mother's old farm, and he and his family are respected and esteemed by all who have come in contact with them.
The family are members of the Christian church. Hanson Burgess, father of Mrs. Hall, died in June of the present year (1907).
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 364 (image 747).
Among the successful farmers of Washington township, Adams county, none stands higher than Henry Eiting. He is a man who has achieved independence and has been accorded distinction through his own efforts. He was born in Germany in 1849. His parents were Casper and Margaret (Scheerer) Eiting. Soon after his marriage Casper Eiting decided to seek his fortune in the new land on the western side of the Atlantic. He made his preparations to remove to the United States, and in 1853 he came. He located on a farm near the present city of Decatur. When, he entered his land Decatur was a straggling hamlet of a few houses and gave not a hint of its present size and commercial importance. Mr. Eiting labored on his new farm for a year and then sent for his wife and family. They reached Indiana in 1854 when Henry was a chubby lad of five years. The father moved from one place to another for a few years, and then settled on the land that is now known as the "old Eiting farm." He died in 1901. His wife died in 1872. He had four children, but one of whom, the subject of this sketch, is living. The children were Henry, Cornelius, John and one who died in infancy unnamed. Casper Eiting was a Democrat and while he took an interest in the affairs of his county, he never aspired to or held office. He was an active man and cleared much land and assisted in the labor of building roads. He did much to improve Washington township and was in all respects a valuable citizen.
Henry Eiting was the eldest of his father's family. He was educated in the schools of his neighborhood and obtained as good an education as was possible in that district at the early day he studied. He learned the lessons a farmer must acquire in order to be successful and he assisted his father in the farm work on the homestead as soon as he was old enough to do so. He remained on the homestead until his twenty-sixth year, assisting in the management and cultivation of the farm. His life since leaving his father's farm has been an exceedingly busy and active one. He was engaged in the grocery business in Decatur for eight years and after he closed out his interests in this business he bought grain for Hale & Company, of Decatur, for four years. He was also engaged in the timber business for six years. However, he returned to farming and developed a large estate.
He was married to Miss Catherine Meyers, a daughter of Bernard and Elizabeth (Christcamp) Meyers. The wedding was celebrated in 1875. Mrs. Eiting is one of a family of five children born to her parents. These children are: Bernard, Mary, Catherine, Elizabeth and Christian. Mr. and Mrs. Eiting became the parents of six children, four of whom are living. The living children are: Bernard, Frances , Clara and Mary. Christina, the eldest child born, is dead, and another died in infancy unnamed.
Mr. Eiting is one of the most prosperous and successful farmers of Adams county. He owns a fine tract of two hundred and thirty-five acres in Washington township, all of which, with the exception of thirty acres, is under cultivation. He has cleared, ditched and fenced his land and made of it a valuable property. The buildings on the farm are good and are admirably suited to their purposes. The farm lies adjoining the Decatur city line and this increases its value. In addition to improving his own farm, Mr. Eiting has improved a farm for his son. He is a valuable citizen and has served his fellow citizens of Washington township in public office. He was city councilman of Decatur for two years and served as one of the early marshals of Decatur. He is a Democrat in politics and takes an active part in party work. He is a man who takes a deep interest in religious matters and with his wife and children is a devout and consistent member of the Catholic church.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 363 (image 745).
Theodore Bleeke, who resides on section 16, Union township, and successfully follows farming, was born in this township on June 16, 1869, and is the son of Christian F. and Maria (Rupp) Bleeke, both of whom are now deceased, the father dying at the age of seventy-eight and the mother when sixty-five years old. Of their large family the subject was one of the youngest members and was reared under the parental roof. He has always followed farming and is the owner of a splendid farm of one hundred and twenty acres, upon which are erected a good set of farm buildings and other accessories which go to make up a complete farm.
Mr. Bleeke was married in Union township to Miss Hedric Schindler, who was born in Saxony, Germany, on the 20th of March, 1880, the daughter of William and Augusta Schindler, and to this union have been born three children: Erich, Gerhard and Reinhold. Mr. Bleeke possesses many fine personal qualities, is honest and upright in his dealings with his fellow men and enjoys the warm regard of all who know him. Mr. and Mrs. Bleeke are members of the Lutheran church.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 362 (image 743).
Jacob Koos, a farmer of Union township, Adams county, Indiana, was born on a farm in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, on April 13, 1859, and is the son of John and Catherine (Burkhard) Koos, natives of Baden, Germany, both of whom came to the United States when small children. After their marriage this couple located in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, where they lived until October, 1864, when they removed to Adams county, Indiana , and settled in Saint Mary's township, where they lived until their deaths. The father died June 29, 1885, at the age of sixty-three years, and his widow survived but a little over a year, dying in August of the following year, at the age of sixty-three. They were the parents of nine children, six of whom are still living: Philip, Margaret, wife of Albert Shell; George, Maria, Rebecca, wife of Daniel Jackson, and Jacob, Caroline, who married George Meyers. John, who was a farmer in Saint Mary's township, and one who died in infancy are deceased.
Jacob Koos, next to the youngest of the family, was five years old when the family came to Adams county, and was reared in Saint Mary's township, where he also received his education. He remained under the parental roof until 1883, when he located on a farm in Union township, on which he now resides. The place comprises eighty acres, which are maintained at the highest standard of excellence, and the tract has been improved by the erection of several substantial and commodious farm buildings. Mr. Koos has consistently devoted his entire attention to farming and has thus been able to achieve a distinctive success in this line.
On March 22, 1883, Mr. Koos married Elizabeth Emeline Steele, a native of Washington township, Adams county, Indiana, who was born June 23, 1862, the daughter of Washington and Polly (Zimmerman) Steele, both natives of Ohio. These parents settled in Washington township, where the mother is still living. The father died July 20, 1900, at the age of sixty-nine years. They were the parents of four children, of whom the subject's wife was the youngest: Mary Frances, wife of Lewis Swartz; Eli W. and John D. Mrs. Koos was reared in her native township and there received her education. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Koos are the parents of four children: Alice E., Washington F., who died at the age of thirteen months; Harvey W. and Essie P. Mr. and Mrs. Koos are members of the Evangelical church. In politics Mr. Koos is a Republican.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 362 (image 743).
William F. Bleeke, who successfully operates a fine farm of two hundred acres in Union township, Adams county, Indiana, was born in this township on the 13th of April, 1855. His parents were Frederick and Mary (Bievelheimer) Bleeke, the former a native of Prussia and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father came to America at the age of ten years and subsequently married in Adams county, his parents being among the early settlers of Union township, where they both died. Frederick Bleeke died at the age of seventy-eight and his wife at the age of fifty-six. They were the parents of ten children, nine of whom lived to maturity: William F., Louisa, the wife of William F. Reinking; Caroline, the wife of John A. Ehrman; Christine, the wife of Henry Bischoff; Edward C, Helena, the wife of Frank Lankenau; Mary, the wife of George Runge; Sophia, the wife of Herman Jaebker; Ferdinand, and a daughter who died in infancy.
The subject of this sketch was reared in Union township and educated in the parochial schools. Under his father's instructions he early learned the rudiments of agriculture and by dint of persistent application and steady toil he has developed into one of the leading agriculturists of the township. The farm is well improved with a full set of buildings and the place is in every respect well kept up.
Mr. Bleeke was married in Root township, on the 25th of September, 1881, to Miss Louisa Holle, who was born in Root township on the 5th of March, 1860, the daughter of Henry and Louise (Kettler) Holle, natives of Germany, in which country they were married and emigrated to America in about 1857, settling in Root township, where they both died, the father at the age of seventy-seven and the mother at the age of eighty-two. They were the parents of six children: William, Fred, Adam, who died in infancy; Louise, Sophia, the wife of Fred Thieme, and Emma, the wife of Martin Bleeke. Mr. and Mrs. Bleeke are the parents of ten children, namely: Gustave, Emma, the wife of Herman Heuer; Bertha, Amanda, Hulda, William, Adolph, Frederick R., Richard, Louise and Herman, who died at the age of seventeen months. Mr. Bleeke and family are members of the Emanuel Lutheran church and occupy a highly respected position in that part of the township in which they live.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 361 (image 741).
Ferdinand Bleeke, an enterprising and successful farmer of Union township, Adams county, Indiana, was born February 23, 1872. He is the son of Frederick and Mary Bleeke, the father a native of Prussia and the mother of Pennsylvania. The father was brought to America at the age of ten years and here married and settled in Adams county, where he lived during the remainder of his life, his death occurring in his seventy-eighth year and that of his wife at the age of fifty-seven. Of their ten children the subject of this sketch was the youngest in order of birth and he was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in the parochial schools of the township. He has always followed farming, in which he has achieved more than ordinary success, and is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he has erected a number of neat buildings, and which is considered in its entirety one of the best farms of the township. Mr. Bleeke gives his undivided attention to his farming interests and has achieved commendable success.
In Union township, on October 29, 1896, Mr. Bleeke married Miss Matilda Koldewey, who was born in Union township on November 19, 1874, daughter of Lewis and Sophia (Tieman) Koldewey, both natives of Germany, and who were among the early settlers of Union township. Here the father died at the age of seventy-one. Of their ten children Mrs. Bleeke was the seventh child in order of birth. To the subject and his wife have been born five children: Hedwig, Edgar, Marie and Alton, and a baby, Norma. Mr. and Mrs. Bleeke are members of the Emanual Lutheran church, of which Mr. Bleeke is one of the trustees. He is a man of many fine personal qualities and enjoys the warm regard and esteem of all who know him.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 360 (image 739).
Prosperity and a comfortable degree of competence has come to Frederick Thieme, one of the best known farmers of Union township, Adams county, and he can say with justice to himself that whatever measure of success he has achieved has come through his individual efforts. He had no unusual opportunities when a youth and young man, and his life has been marked by hard work. However, he is possessed with an indomitable spirit that knows no such thing as failure, and his fixed purpose through his life has been to make every effort and hour count for its utmost. He was born in Union township, Adams county, October 1, 1858. He is the son of Andrew and Christina (Kruckeberger) Thieme. Both of his parents were natives of Germany. They spent their youth in the fatherland, and after coming to the United States were married in Union township, Adams county. The father purchased land in Union township and followed the occupation of farming. He was successful and carved a fine estate out of practically wild land. He continued to live on his Union township farm until 1878, when he removed to Thayer county, Nebraska, where he died in 1906, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. Six children came to bless the union of this estimable couple, and of these children Frederick Thieme was the eldest.
The youth of Frederick Thieme was spent on his father's farm in Union township. There was nothing about his boyhood days spent on the home farm to distinguish them from the days of hosts of other boys of his time and locality. He passed through the winter terms of the neighborhood schools and from the time he was old enough assisted his father in the cultivation of his farm. He was a dutiful son and did what he could to lighten the burdens of his parents. He learned the wholesome lessons to be learned on a farm and in time became a skilled farmer. He did not have the advantages in educational matters that are offered the average boy reared on a northeastern Indiana farm today, but he made the most of such opportunities as presented themselves to him. He learned the meaning of industry and thrift early in his life and he applied his knowledge later in life to his profit and satisfaction.
The marriage of Frederick Thieme and Miss Sophia Holla occurred in Root township and after this marriage the couple set up a home for themselves, where he now resides. Mrs. Thieme bore her husband one son, Andrew. She died nine months after their marriage. Mr. Thieme was married again some time after his wife's death. This time he was united to Miss Sophia Kruckerberger. Eight children were born of this second marriage. These children are: Martin, Richard, Clara, Charles, Paulina, Fred, Sophia and Seymour.
Mr. Thieme is one of the most highly respected men of his community. He is a progressive citizen and takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to his county and township. He is an advocate of improvement and is a hearty supporter of all movements for the advancement of the industrial, educational and social interests of his section of Adams county. He is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres and has improved it and brought it to a high state of productiveness. His land is well drained and fenced and his buildings, recently erected, are substantial and well adapted to the purposes for which they were designed. With his wife and the members of his family he is a member of the Lutheran church and lends his hearty and generous support to this denomination.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 359 (image 757).
Andreas F. Thieme was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana , August 30, 1865. He is a son of Godfrey and Amelia (Reusher) Thieme. Both of his parents were born in Saxony, Germany, and spent their youth in that province of the fatherland. After they grew to maturity they migrated to the United States and were married at Fort Wayne, Indiana . They lived for a time in Fort Wayne, where our subject was born, and in 1867 removed from Fort Wayne to Adams county. They settled on a tract of land in Union township, Adams county, and they lived on and cultivated this tract until their deaths. Mrs. Godfrey Thieme died at the age of sixty-five years and her husband lived until he attained the ripe age of seventy-one. They became the parents of eight children, of whom Andreas F. Thieme was the sixth in order of birth.
Andreas F. Thieme was one and one-half years of age when his parents left Fort Wayne and settled in Union township. He was reared on the farm his father purchased and secured a common school education in the schools of the neighborhood. He was an industrious youth and improved his opportunities, meager as they were. He attended the winter terms of the schools of his district and as other boys of his neighborhood and day assisted in tilling his father's farm in the summer months as soon as he became old enough to apply himself to this labor. His early life was not an easy one and was filled with hardships and trials. However, his sturdy nature surmounted all obstacles, and he laid the foundation for his future life and success while he worked on his father's estate.
The marriage of Mr. Thieme and Miss Wilhelmena Kruekeberg was solemnized in Union township, September 15, 1889. His wife is a native of Adams county and was born in Preble township. Soon after her birth her parents settled on a farm in Union township and Mrs. Thieme grew to womanhood in this latter section of Adams county. Mr. and Mrs. Thieme have become the parents of seven children. These children are: Hugo, Walter, Sene, Amos, Ernst, Max and Glenn.
It is no exaggeration to say that Mr. Thieme is numbered among the prosperous and substantial men of Union township. He is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all of which is under cultivation. He has improved his land and has brought it to the highest point of productiveness. His land is well drained, fenced and otherwise improved, and the buildings he has erected upon it are substantial and well adapted to the purposes to which they are put. He is a progressive man and believes in applying modern methods and modern machinery to the cultivation of his estate. He has always taken an active part in township affairs and served his fellow residents of Union township for ten years in the important office of constable of the township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Thieme are earnest and consistent members of the Emanuel Lutheran church and both accord their hearty and generous support to the aims and charities of this denomination.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 357 (image 733).
Frederick F. Frech was born in Rhine, Bavaria, Germany, December 14, 1836. He is a son of the Rev. Frederick Frech, who was born in Germany, November 29, 1809. His mother was Elizabeth (Schaff) Frech, a native of Wagenheim, Germany, in which city she was born June 14, 1815. Frederick Frech was a minister in Germany and some time after his marriage decided to come to America. He made his plans accordingly, and severing the home ties that bound him and his wife to the Fatherland started on the then perilous journey across the western ocean. The journey was made in 1839 in a sailing vessel and required thirty-six days. The little family landed in New York in safety and without untoward incident. They had decided to push on westward to Ohio, but found when their ship touched port that they would be delayed because the Erie canal was frozen over between Troy and Buffalo and was impassable for boats. However, with the opening of canal navigation in the spring he started for Ohio and reached this then frontier state. He was a clergyman of the Evangelical Association and preached the doctrines of this denomination in a number of places after reaching Ohio. Finally he settled in Eagle township, Hancock county, and followed farming in connection with his work as a minister of the gospel. He continued to preach in Ohio until he was retired on the superannuated list in about the year 1870. He lived on his farm in Hancock county from 1851 to November 28, 1885, the date of his death. After his death his widow continued to live on the Hancock county farm until her death, March 17, 1907, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. This estimable couple became the parents of five children, three sons and two daughters. One of their sons died in Germany in his infancy.
Frederick F. Frech was the eldest of his parents' children. He was about three years of age when his parents decided to emigrate to the United States. At the time his parents settled in Hancock county, Ohio, he was fourteen years old. He was educated in the common schools of Hancock county and grew to manhood on his father's farm. When the call for volunteers to serve one hundred days was issued at the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served four months with this command. Again, May 4, 1864, he enlisted in Company A., Forty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served throughout the remainder of the war, being finally discharged from the government's service at Washington, D. C. While a member of this latter regiment he was with Sherman 's army on its famous march to the sea and was a participant in the hard-fought engagements of Fort McAllister and Bentonville, North Carolina . After he was discharged he returned to his home in Hancock county, Ohio, and lived there until 1871.
Mr. Frech was married in Hancock county, December 3, 1867, to Miss Mary A. Graham. His wife was born in Hancock county, August 16, 1839, and is a daughter of George W. and Catherine (Crabel) Graham. Both of her parents were natives of Ohio, her father being born in Madison county and her mother in Starke county. Her father died when forty-six years of age and her mother lived in Hancock county until she reached the age of seventy-three. Mrs. Frech was the eldest child of a family of nine born to her parents. She was reared in Hancock county and received her education there. Mr. and Mrs. Freeh are the parents of two children: Nellie, the wife of Frank Mcintosh, and Alice, the wife of Henry Funk. One son and one daughter born to Mr. and Mrs. Frech died in their infancy, and another son, Frederick, was accidentally drowned by falling into a cistern when he was seven years of age.
Mr. Frech has led a busy and useful life. He is a successful farmer and has added to his original purchase of one hundred and sixty acres in Union township from time to time until he is now possessor of a fine tract of two hundred acres. He is a modem farmer in all that the term implies and through his intelligence, industry and thrift has developed an exceedingly fine country property. His farm is very fertile and is highly improved. The draining and fencing are good and the buildings are wholly adequate to the purposes for which they were erected. He is a man of much public spirit and has always taken an active part in the affairs of his county and township. He has served his fellow residents of the township in the important office of township trustee and as a justice of the peace. Mr. Frech is a member of the Evangelical Association, but both he and his wife are supporters of the Clark Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal church and worship with the members of this denomination. He is a member of the Sam Henry post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Decatur .
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 357 (image 733).
Ask almost any man you meet along the roads of Union township, Adams county, whether he knows Mr. C. H. C. Grote and he will hesitate a moment and then ask: "Do you mean 'Henry' Grote?" While Mr. Grote is known on the tax books of his county as "C. H. C. Grote," among his intimates and the men of the county who grew to manhood with him he is called Henry Grote. But as the poet asked, "What is in a name?" Mr. Grote's individuality is strong enough to show distinctly through any mere appellation, and whether he is called by one designation or the other he is admired and esteemed. He is a native son of Adams county, and was born and reared on the farm on which he still resides and which through the course of years has come into his possession. He was born February 26, 1853, on the family homestead in Union township and is the son of Charles and Caroline (Kukeberger) Grote. Both of his parents were born in Germany and came to the United States in their youth. They settled with their respective families in Adams county and were reared in that section of Indiana. After both grew to maturity they were married and continued to live in Adams county. When Charles Grote attained maturity he purchased a tract of eighty acres in Union township. This land was still in a wild state and necessitated clearing and much similar labor before it could be made productive. However, he worked industriously and at the time of his death his farm was cleared and improved and a profitable property. His death occurred June 27, 1878, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. He and his wife became the parents of ten children, of whom nine are still living. These children are: C. H. C., Sophia, the widow of Israel Lee; Caroline, the wife of Frederick Beuckner; Louisa, the wife of William Dittmer; Minnie, Mary, the wife of Frederick Reinking; Charles, Frederick and Hermann. One son died in infancy.
Of this large family of children born to his parents, C. H. C. Grote was the eldest. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm in Union township and received as good a common school education as the schools of his immediate neighborhood made possible. He attended the winter terms of the schools of the district in which he lived, and when he became old enough he assisted his father in the cultivation and management of the family homestead. He became a skilled farmer under the tutelage of his father and he applied the lesson he learned on the home farm to excellent advantage after he had grown to manhood.
The marriage of Mr. Grote and Miss Elizabeth Schoenstedt was solemnized June 27, 1886. His wife is a native of Ohio, being born in Hancock county of that state, March 19, 1857. She is a daughter of Frederick and Agnes (Tecamp) Schoenstedt. Mr. and Mrs. Grote have become the parents of two children: Esther A. and Roland F.
After he grew to manhood and started in life for himself Mr. Grote purchased the family homestead of eighty acres and has continued to live on it and cultivate it. After a few years he purchased an additional forty acres adjoining his farm and now owns one hundred and twenty acres, about eighty of which are under cultivation. He is a modern farmer in all that the term implies and his estate is among the most valuable and best equipped in the township. He rotates his crops with judgment and finds that each year they prove more profitable. He is a man who takes a live interest in the economic and political affairs of his township and county and is a prominent figure in all movements that are designed to advance the industrial and social welfare of his community. With his wife he gives his allegiance in religious matters to the Emanuel Lutheran church and is a consistent and generous supporter of this church and its aims.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 356 (image 731).
Charles C. Miller, the subject of this brief sketch, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Lawrence county, that state, April 14, 1859. He is a son of Jacob and Mary (Reinhard) Miller. His father was born in Germany and came to this country when young, and his mother was born in Pennsylvania. His father died in Pennsylvania and after his death his widow married James G. Miller. Charles Miller was the only child born to his mother as the result of her first marriage. He spent the first sixteen years of his life in Pennsylvania. There were no incidents in his younger life that marked it apart from the lives of the average boys of the time and community. He was educated in the schools of his neighborhood and played his part in the cultivation of his father's place. When he was sixteen years of age he came to Van Wert county, Ohio, and remained in this county for the following five years. Then he removed to Adams county, Indiana, and with the exception of one year spent in Saint Mary's township has spent his entire life in Union township, where he resides.
After he reached Indiana he engaged in farming and has followed this occupation steadily since that time. He spent his life for a number of years in preparing for his present competency. He was an intelligent and progressive man and early saw the advantages of applying modern methods to his work and to using his brain as well as his hands. In time he was able to purchase land for himself, and increased his holdings as the years passed until today he is the owner of a fine farm of ninety acres, all under cultivation, and ranking among the more valuable and productive farms of his section of Adams county.
The marriage of Mr. Miller and Miss Theresa Springer was solemnized in Decatur, July 30, 1882. His wife is a native of Adams county, being born in Saint Mary's township, June 13, 1863. She is a daughter of Samuel and Pernetta (Pring) Springer. Both of her parents were born in Ohio and spent their youth in that state. After their marriage they removed to Indiana and were among the earlier settlers of Adams county. They purchased land in Saint Mary's township. Her father lived on and cultivated his farm in Saint Mary's township until his death, at the age of sixty-two. They became the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. Miller was the fourth in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of four children. These children are: Francis A., Clarence N., Myla M. and Lewis C. Both Mr. and Mrs. Miller are esteemed and faithful members of the Evangelical church of their neighborhood.
In addition to being numbered among the successful farmers of his township, Mr. Miller is considered one of the best citizens of the township. He is a progressive man and keeps in touch with the great movements of the country. He is a man well informed on public questions, and in matters that affect more particularly his own county and township his counsel is frequently sought. He is a good citizen and discharges the duties of his citizenship with judgment and fearlessness. In politics he is a Republican but has never aspired to public office.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 355 (image 729).
None among the present men owning and operating farms in Union township, Adams county, is better known, more highly respected or has contributed more to the material welfare of his community than has Edgar S. Moses, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Root township, Adams county, April 22, 1856. His parents were Samuel and Eliza (Hunter) Moses. Samuel Moses was born in Shade township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, February 21, 1825. When he was seven years of age his parents left Pennsylvania and journeyed to Ohio. They settled on a farm in Carroll county, where their son, Samuel, was reared. He was educated in the common schools of his neighborhood and learned the life of a tiller of the soil. He grew to manhood on his father's farm and was married November 20, 1845, to Miss Eliza Hunter. His wife was bom in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1824, and when still a young girl removed with her parents to Carroll county, Ohio. She was the daughter of James and Jane (Cochran) Hunter. James Hunter was born in Ireland and the ancestors of Jane Cochran came originally from Switzerland.
Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Moses decided to emigrate to Indiana. He settled in Adams county in 1853 with his wife and four children on a farm a short distance south of the present Alpha Methodist Episcopal church in Root township. He lived on this farm for the next four years, when Mr. Moses sold it and purchased forty acres in section 23, Root township. This farm was partially improved when he purchased it and from time to time he added to its improvements until it became a valuable and profitable piece of farm property. He continued to live on his Root township farm until his death, which occurred May 5, 1891, when he was sixty-six years of age. His wife survived him four years and died December 20, 1895, at the age of sixty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Moses were the parents of a family of seven children, of whom two died in infancy. Those that reached maturity were named: Rebecca J., the wife of Abraham Farrey; John S., James C, Clara C, the wife of Michael B. Krouse, and Edgar S.
Of his father's family of seven children Edgar S. Moses was the youngest. He was reared on his father's farm in Root township and obtained his preliminary education in the common schools of his immediate neighborhood. After he had completed the courses offered in the common schools he supplemented the education thus gained by two years' study at Wabash College at Crawfordsville, Indiana . His progress in Wabash College was satisfactory and he made the most of his opportunities. After leaving college he returned to Adams county and taught school during the winter months for several terms. However, his chief concern was farming and he assisted his father in the management and cultivation of the home estate. Under the tutelage of his father he became a skillful farmer and learned the lessons he applied so admirably to his profit in after life.
Mr. Moses was married April 8, 1888, in Saint Mary's township, Adams county, to Miss Margaret A. Dailey. His wife was born in Saint Mary's township, July 11, 1858. She was reared in this township and received her preliminary education in the township schools. After she completed this stage of her education she studied in the normal college at Valparaiso, Indiana , and graduated from this educational institution. Following her graduation she taught school in Adams county for six years before her marriage to Mr. Moses. She is a patron of education and is prominent in educational circles of her neighborhood.
Mrs. Edgar Moses is a daughter of James T. and Mary (Johnson) Dailey. Her father was born in Maryland and came with his parents to Ohio when a youth. He was reared in Athens county, Ohio, and grew to manhood in that county. Mary (Johnson) Dailey was born in Hardin county, Ohio, September 22, 1822. She was a daughter of James and Mary (Frazier) Johnson. James Johnson was born in Cork, Ireland , and died in Athens county, Ohio . His wife was a native of Maryland and also died in Athens county, Ohio, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. When Mary Johnson was fifteen years of age she came to Van Wert county with her parents and lived with them on their farm until her marriage to James T. Dailey. Soon after this event the Daileys removed to Indiana and settled in Saint Mary's township, Adams county, on a tract of eighty acres of land which James Dailey entered from the government. He prospered and became one of the largest landholders in the township. At the time of his death, which occurred in 1864, he was the owner of six hundred acres of fine land. His widow survived him a number of years and followed him to the grave December 6, 1885. Both Mr. and Mrs. James Dailey died on the farm he entered from the government. The following named children were born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. James Dailey: Nimrod, Davis, Mary, the wife of Benjamin Jones; Joseph J., Amy, the wife of John C. Cowen; Emily C, the wife of J. C. Moses; Samantha V., who was the wife of Charles Gage and who died in Saint Mary's township; Margaret A., the wife of the subject of this sketch; James T. and E. W.
Following the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Moses they lived for two years on a farm in St. Mary's township and two years later he purchased his present farm in Union township. This estate he has greatly improved since it came into his possession and it is today one of the finest and most productive farms in the township. He employs modern methods and machinery in its operation and his crops are annually large and profitable. One child, a daughter, Gertrude E., has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Moses. She is an exceedingly talented young woman and has created an enviable place for herself in the musical world of the country. In her youth she displayed an unusual musical talent and her parents have done much to develop it and have given their daughter exceptional opportunities to pursue musical studies. She was a pupil for several years at the American Conservatory of Music at Chicago, and graduated from that institution when but eighteen years of age, receiving a gold medal in recognition of her remarkable accomplishments. After the completion of the regular course at the conservatory she took post-graduate work and again graduated from the higher departments with distinction. Her second graduation was accomplished when she was but twenty years of age. She is now an instructor in the piano department of the music department of the Yankton College at Yankton, South Dakota, which position she has held for three years.
Some years ago Mr. and Mrs. Moses took a little girl into their family to rear. This little girl, Mary Gage, was left an orphan at the time of her mother's death, and was but seventeen months of age when she was taken by Mr. and Mrs. Moses. Although she has not been adopted by her foster parents she has been reared by them as though she was their own child. She is a daughter of Samantha V. Gage, who was the wife of Charles Gage and a sister of Mrs. Edgar Moses.
Mr. Moses is one of the prominent men of his township and county. For many years he served as the chairman of the Adams county institutes, and he is the present chairman of these bodies. With his wife he is a member of the Presbyterian church and has been exceedingly active in the affairs of this denomination. He has been an elder of his home church since 1889 and a representative of the congregation to the general assembly which met at Saratoga, New York, in 1894. In addition he has represented his congregation at various church assemblies in this state. In politics he is an ardent Republican and a faithful worker in the interests of this party. His work and interest have not been confined to his immediate vicinity, for he has been a representative of his fellow residents of Union township in district and state assemblies. He is greatly esteemed by all whose privilege it has been to know him and to be associated with him in business, political and social affairs and is counted among the strong men of the community in which he lives. Mr. Moses owns a one-half interest in the Earnsberger Bros. & Moses winter vegetable green house at Decatur, one of the largest of its kind in the state.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 352 (image 723).
When he was a young man twenty years of age Christian Schamerloh left his home in the Fatherland and emigrated to the republic on the western shore of the Atlantic. He was born in Germany, February 15, 1831, and landed in the United States in 1851. He came directly west after he disembarked and located in Fort Wayne. He remained in that city until the spring of 1852, when he went to Indianapolis, believing that his chances were greater for success in the larger place. He followed various pursuits in Indianapolis and other central Indiana cities for the next six years, and in 1858 returned to northeastern Indiana. During the years he worked in central Indiana he saved money and prospered. He was of a frugal and thrifty disposition and made all of his savings count toward a competence for after life. With the money he had saved he purchased a tract of seventy-five acres in Adams county and settled down to the life of a tiller of the soil. The land he purchased was wild and unimproved. However, its wild state did not discourage him. He was accustomed to hard toil and the prospect of clearing his farm was not one that he feared to face. He saw farther than the limits of the timbered and marshy acres he purchased—he looked ahead and saw a farm productive and profitable and a home that was comfortable and attractive. With this vista spread before him he went eagerly to work to clear his tract and after the lapse of a few years he found himself in possession of a good farm that had been brought to a high state of fertility and cultivation. Although his early life on his Indiana farm was a hard one and comprised much arduous toil, he has the satisfaction today of viewing his broad acres complacently and in knowing that he has accomplished all by himself.
But the mere possession of land does not constitute a home. This idea presented itself to Mr. Schamerloh, and accordingly he decided to marry. He chose for his bride Catherine Kirkenberg and after their marriage installed her as the mistress of his home. During their life together nine children came to bless their union. Of this number five lived to reach maturity. These were William, Henry, Sophia, who was the wife of Frederick Bohnke, and who died in Decatur in May, 1895; Caroline, who became the wife of Theodore Thieme, and Anna. Mrs. Christian Schamerloh died in Union township in her thirty-second year. Some years after the death of his first wife Mr. Schamerloh married again. His bride this time was Miss Amelia Berger, who was born in Fort Wayne. Two children were born of this second union, of whom one, Beata, is surviving. She is the wife of Arthur Blakey. Mrs. Amelia Schamerloh died at her home in Union township, January 25, 1906.
Mr. Schamerloh is counted among the most highly respected men of his township. He has taken an interest, although not an active part, in the affairs of his township and county and has contributed to all the movements that were destined to increase the prosperity of his community. His life has been an active and useful one and in the evening of his days he is now enjoying the plentiful fruits of his earlier labors and efforts. He takes an interest in the religious matters of his neighborhood, and is an honored and consistent member of the Emanuel Lutheran church.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 351 (image 721).
Among the clergymen of northeastern Indiana who are powers for good in the respective communities is the Rev. Gottlieb Bauer. He is a young man and one who is an aggressive and intelligent worker in his sacred calling. His place among his people is an important one and he enjoys their entire confidence and their love and esteem. He is the son of a clergyman and was born in Allen county, Indiana, November 17, 1869. His father is the Rev. Heinrich Bauer and his mother was Sophia Koenemann before her marriage. The Rev. Heinrich Bauer was born in Bavaria, Germany, and spent his boyhood there. After coming to America he settled in Indiana and married his wife, who is a native of Preble township, Adams county. His parents have resided in Decatur since 1905. They are the parents of eight children, of which number our subject is the fifth in order of birth.
The youth of Gottlieb Bauer was spent in Allen county. He attended the schools and received a good preliminary education. In youth he was destined for the ministry, and after completing his common school education he went to Springfield, Illinois , and entered the Concordia College Theological Seminary at that city. Before he went into college, however, he removed with his parents to Grand Haven, Michigan, where his father held a pastorate for ten years. Later he lived in southern Indiana and still later in Goodland, Indiana . While he was attending the seminary and college at Springfield, Illinois, he became an earnest and industrious student. He stood high in his classes and attained much proficiency in theological knowledge. He completed the full course prescribed by Concordia College and was graduated from that institution with the class of '96.
Following his graduation from the theological seminary he began the active work of the ministry. His first charge was at Goodland, Indiana, and he continued to preach at that place until 1905, when he was called to take charge of the Emanuel Lutheran church in Union township. This church is among the most flourishing religious institutions of Adams county. The present church building was erected in 1892 at a cost of approximately five thousand dollars. Its congregation numbers in excess of three hundred and twenty-five people. In connection with the church a parochial school is conducted, and like the church, the school is in a most satisfactory condition and has an attendance of about seventy pupils. During the pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Bauer Emanuel Lutheran church has grown and expanded and is today one of the most important religious bodies of the county, both in numbers and in financial standing.
The marriage of the Rev. Mr. Bauer to Miss Elizabeth Walter was celebrated at Goodland, Indiana, September 24, 1898. Mrs. Bauer was born in Goodland, Indiana, September 18, 1879. She is a daughter of August and Ricke Walter. Three children have come to bless the union of the Rev. and Mrs. Bauer. These children are: Esther, Hermann and Arnold.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 350 (image 717).
Herman F. Reinking, who owns a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Union township, Adams county, Indiana, was born in Preble township, this county, on the 9th of August, 1849. His parents were Conrad and Mary Christianer Reinking, natives of Germany. They emigrated to this country and were married here, after which they located in Preble township, where they lived until their deaths, the father dying at the age of seventy-eight years and the mother at the age of seventy-one. They were the parents of nine children: Herman, Henry, Ernest, William F., Martin, Frederick (deceased), Carl, Louisa (deceased) and Gustaff.
The subject of this sketch received his education in the common schools and remained on his father's farm in Preble township until eighteen years of age, when he started out in life by himself. For some years he worked at different occupations and learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for about four years. He then engaged in farming in Union township and has since consecutively followed this occupation, with the exception of one year spent at the carpenter's trade in Indianapolis . As before stated, he owns one hundred and twenty acres of land, all under the plow and highly improved, with good buildings, substantial fences and other accessories of an up-to-date farm. He is methodical in his work and gives proper attention to the rotation of crops and other things which contribute to successful agriculture.
On April 20, 1873, Mr. Reinking was married to Miss Mary L. Blakey, who was born in Union township, Adams county, Indiana, on November 14, 1851, the daughter of Christian F. and Louisa (Fhalsing) Reinking (sic; should be Blakey), natives of Prussia . These parents emigrated here in an early day and were married in 1850. They both died here, the father at the age of seventy-eight and the mother at the age of twenty-three. The father afterward married Miss Maria Rupp, who died in this township at the age of sixty-five years. To the first union were born three children: Mary L., Sophia and John H. To the subject and his wife have been born nine children: Adeline, the wife of William Bosecker; Ida, Gerhard, Charlotte, Maria, Herman and three who died in infancy. Mr. Reinking takes a healthy interest in township affairs and religion, and his wife are members of the Emanuel German Lutheran church. Mr. Reinking is a Democrat.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 349 (image 715).
Wesley W. I. Wass was born in Carroll county, Ohio, March 1S, 1837. His parents were Samuel and Phoebe (Ward) Wass, both natives of England, where they were married. They came to America in an early day and settled on a farm in Carroll county. After a number of years' residence in Ohio they decided to remove to Indiana, and accordingly purchased land in Adams county and settled upon it. Their tract was situated in Union township and here they made their home for about ten years. Samuel Wass died in Monroeville, Allen county, at the age of eighty-three years and his wife survived him several years, finally passing away in Decatur at the advanced age of ninety-three years. They became the parents of nine children, of whom Wesley Wass was the youngest.
The youth of Mr. Wass was spent on his father's farm in Carroll county. He attended the sessions of the schools of his immediate neighborhood and secured as good an education as was possible under the circumstances. He assisted his father in the cultivation of the home farm and lived on it until he grew up and was married. Two years after his marriage, in May, 1864, he enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with this command in Virginia and Maryland until his period of enlistment expired in September of the same year. He received an honorable discharge and returned to his home in Carroll county. In the spring of the following year he decided to remove to Indiana and did so, settling on the farm in Union township, where he still resides.
The marriage of Mr. Wass and Miss Elizabeth Potorf occurred in Carroll county, Ohio, May 2, 1862. His wife was born in Carroll county and was a daughter of Jacob S. and Hannah (Gilmore) Potorf. Mr. and Mrs. Wass became the parents of six children: Luella, the wife of Judge R. K. Erwin; Laura, the wife of John A. Barkley; Dwight, a farmer in Union township, Mary, the wife of Curtis Reynolds; Alice is at home, and one son died in infancy. Mrs. Wass died in Union township in her thirty-fifth year. Mr. Wass took for his second wife Caroline Wagner, a native of Germany. They became the parents of two children: Daisy, the wife of Frank Crates, and Maud, the wife of Harley Baker.
Mr. Wass is a fine type of a successful farmer. His life has been an active one and he has made the most of all of the opportunities that presented themselves to him. He is the owner of one hundred and seventy-five acres of excellent land, all of which is improved and under cultivation. His estate is large and one of the most profitable in the township. His buildings are large and comfortable and his crops each year are disposed of at a handsome profit. He takes an interest in the affairs of the township and county in which he lives, and in earlier years was an active worker for all measures that were destined to increase the material prosperity of his neighborhood.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 348 (image 713).
John A. Barkley, the present trustee of Union township, Adams county, is a successful farmer and a safe man, is the opinion of his fellow residents of the township, in whose hands to place their political interests. He was born in Union township. August 2, 1859. He is a son of Elias and Mary (Clem) Barkley. His parents were born in Ohio and came to Adams county among the older settlers. They secured a tract of land in Union township and followed the occupation of farmers. Elias Barkley died July 7, 1904. He was the father of seven children, of which number John Barkley was the second in order of birth. The subject of this sketch was reared on his father's farm in Union township and attended the common schools of his immediate neighborhood and received as good an English education as was possible in the community in which he lived during the period of his youth, and as he grew to manhood assisted his father in the management and cultivation of his farm. Under the wise instruction of his father he developed into a manly youth and in time became an expert farmer. With the exception of five years he has spent his entire life in Adams county and on a farm in Union township.
He was married March 18, 1885, to Miss Laura L. Wass. His wife was born in Carroll county, Ohio , and is a daughter of Wesley I. B. Wass and Elizabeth (Pottorf) Wass. Her paternal grandfather, Samuel Wass, was a native of England and was among the older settlers in northeastern Indiana. The entire married life of Mr. and Mrs. Barkley has been spent on their home farm in Union township and they have become the parents of five children. These children are all living and are: May A., wife of Orville Wherry, and resides in Allen county, Indiana; L. Madge, Irene Merle, Lester W. and Nellie G.
Mr. Barkley is the owner of a fine farm of sixty acres in Union township, on which he makes his home. His land is among the most fertile in the township and he has brought it to a high state of productiveness and profit. He is a believer in modern methods and modern machinery in farm operation and he applies these beliefs in his work. He rotates his crops with judgment and the result is that his crops are uniformly large and satisfactory. From time to time he has added improvements to his estate which is thoroughly drained, strongly fenced and equipped with a fine home residence and substantial farm buildings. He takes an active part in all township and county affairs and in 1904 was elected to serve his fellow residents of Union township in the important capacity of township trustee. This office he is still holding. He is in all respects an exemplary citizen and a successful man. With his wife and the members of his family he worships with the United Brethren denomination and gives the church of this denomination in his neighborhood his earnest, generous and hearty support.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 347 (image 711).
John H. Blakey, who has spent his entire life in Union township, Adams county, Indiana, where he is now successfully following agricultural pursuits, was born in this township on February 17, 1855. His parents were Christian F. and Louisa (Fhalswg) Blakey, natives of Prussia. Christian Blakey came to Adams county, Indiana, in 1836 and was married here in 1850. This couple resided here during the remainder of their lives, the father dying at the age of seventy-eight years and the mother at the early age of twenty-three. They were the parents of three children: Mary L., the wife of H. F, Reinking; Sophia, the wife of William Holle; John H., the subject. After the death of his first wife Mr. Blakey married Miss Mary Rupp and to this union were born the following children: Christian, who died in childhood; Eliza, who died at the age of twenty-four years ; Charles, Fred (deceased), Martin, Theodore, Edward C, Matilda, the wife of Adam Bentz, and Otto. John H. Blakey was reared on his father's farm and during his youth obtained a fair education in the common schools. He early gave attention to the labors of the farm, assisting his father in clearing and cultivating the land, and has always been considered among Union township's practical men. He owns two hundred and twenty acres of as good land as can be found in the township and gives his every effort to maintain it at a high standard.
On September 29, 1878, in Union township, Mr. Blakey married Miss Amelia Thieme, who was born in Fort Wayne on May 23, 1857, the daughter of Godfrey and Amelia (Roscher) Thieme, who emigrated to this country from Saxony, Germany, locating in Union township, where they died at the respective ages of seventy and sixty-seven years. To the subject and his wife have been born eleven children : Julia A., the wife of Frank Kirbach ; Arthur C, Adelia, who died at the age of eight years ; Amelia, John, Christian, Clara, Louise, Lydia, Rosa, who died at the age of two years, and Henry. Mr. Blakey takes a deep interest in local public affairs and has always voted with the Democratic party. He and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church and are highly respected in the community.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 347 (image 711).
William Kline, a successful farmer of Union township, Adams county, who is leading a retired life after a busy one spent in cultivating his fine estate, was born in Root township, Adams county, March 25, 1840. He is a son of Jacob and Barbara (Robinson) Kline, who were born in Pennsylvania. After the marriage of his parents they emigrated to Ohio and settled on a farm in Tuscarawas county, where they lived until about the year 1837, when they moved further west into Indiana. They settled on a tract of land they purchased in Root township. They were among the earlier settlers to invade the northeastern Indiana wilderness. When they arrived the country was still in a wild state and there were few settlers. The land was heavily timbered and much work had to be done before it could be made productive. However, each was possessed with the indomitable spirit of the pioneer and the future outlook held no terrors. They matched themselves against the problem that confronted them and in a few years had their land cleared, improved and under cultivation. They both lived on their Root township farm until their deaths. Mrs. Kline died at the age of sixty-seven and her husband survived until he reached the advanced age of eighty-one. They were the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters. The latter died in infancy. The sons surviving are: William, George B. and Jonas. Two sons, Robert and John R., are deceased. Of this family William Kline was the fourth in order of birth.
There was nothing out of the ordinary in the youth of the subject of this sketch to contrast with the life of the average boy who was raised on a farm at that time. He spent his youth on his father's farm and when he became old enough assisted in the cultivation of the farm. He received a fair education in the schools of his neighborhood and applied himself diligently to his studies. He continued to live on his father's farm after his marriage and then, after the lapse of a year, removed to his present place in Union township. In September, 1864, he enlisted in Company I, Fifty-first Indiana Volunteers, and served until the close of the war. He was present in the engagements fought by his command at Franklin, Columbia, Tennessee, Duck River and Nashville. After his discharge he returned to his home in Union township and resumed the peaceful pursuit of agriculture.
The marriage of Mr. Kline and Miss Nancy E. Mumma occurred August 5, 1860. His wife is a daughter of John and Catherine (Snyder) Mumma and was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, June 23, 1840. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her mother was born in Maryland. They came to Adams county from Ohio in 1853 and settled in Root township. They purchased a farm and cultivated it until their deaths, which occurred in Root township. Mr. Mumma died at the age of sixty-eight and his wife lived to be eighty-one years of age. They were the parents of four children: Solomon, Eliza J., Nancy E. and Emily C. Mr. and Mrs. Kline are the parents of five children: Louisa J., the wife of J. D. Nidelinger; Emma F., the wife of Elijah Nidelinger; Franklin E. married Ora Conkleton; Elmer A., married Lulu M. Nelson, and Bertha A., the wife of L. C. Miller.
Mr. Kline has led a busy and useful life. He is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres of fertile land that is highly improved and is under profitable cultivation. He takes an active interest in all matters affecting his county and township and is a staunch adherent of the Republican party. He is a member of William Henry Link post of the Grand Army of the Republic and is prominent in affairs affecting this organization in his county. He, with his wife and the members of his family are members of the United Brethren church and he is a generous and consistent contributor to the aims and charities of this religious body. He is highly esteemed and is ranked as one of the most substantial citizens of his district.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 346 (image 709).
John H. Mumma, in whom the interest of this sketch centers, is a progressive and successful farmer of Union township, Adams county. He was born near Canal Dover, Tuscarawas county, Ohio , November 26, 1837. He is a son of Christian and Rebecca (Snyder) Mumma. His father was born in Ohio and his mother was a native of Maryland. His parents were married in Ohio and lived there some years following the occupation of farmers. In 1851 they disposed of their property in Tuscarawas county and journeyed to Indiana. They settled in Root township, Adams county, where they purchased a tract of land. The family continued to reside in this section of Adams county until 1861, when Christian Mumma disposed of his land and purchased another tract in Union township. He continued to live on this latter place until his death in February, 1865. His widow survives him and has attained a ripe old age. He died at the age of fifty-two. This couple became the parents of nine children, four sons and five daughters. Of this family of children John H. Mumma is the eldest.
When his parents moved to Indiana from Ohio John Mumma was about fourteen years of age. He spent his boyhood on his father's farms in Indiana and Ohio and secured a good education in the common schools of his neighborhood and for some years taught school. As he grew he assisted his father in the management and cultivation of the home farms and became in time a skilled agriculturist. He lived on his father's estate until he reached manhood and married. He left his father's home in February, 1859, and settled on a place in Union township and began life independently. He lived on his Union township farm until December, 1864, when he responded to a call for volunteers and enlisted in Company I, Twelfth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served with this command for about four months and then was mustered out of the federal service. Following this event he returned to his farm and took up the work of its cultivation where the war had interrupted it. He has since lived on his farm. It is a fertile tract of ninety acres, well located and under a high state of productiveness. It was comparatively rough and unimproved when he settled on it, but during the years that have followed his settlement he has made many changes and many improvements. He has drained the farm and fenced it and erected a comfortable residence and outbuildings of a commodious and substantial nature. His place is operated along modern lines and is one of the really attractive and profitable farms of its neighborhood.
The marriage of Mr. Mumma and Miss Catherine Lower was solemnized in February, 1859. She was a daughter of William and Catherine Lower, who settled in Union township, Adams county, in 1852. Mrs. John Mumma died June 12, 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Mumma became the parents of the following children: Wesley W., Marietta, the deceased wife of William Harden; John L. (deceased), Mary F. (deceased), Charles S. and Milton L. Mrs. Mumma was an exemplary wife and mother and an earnest member of the United Brethren church, to which denomination her husband and surviving children give their hearty and generous support.
Mr. Mumma is a man who takes an active and intelligent part in the affairs of his county and township. He is a man who believes in keeping in touch with the trend of events and is well informed on the subjects of the day. He is one who co-operates heartily in all plans for the improvement and betterment of his community, and his support in such matters can be confidently counted upon. He is numbered among the substantial citizens of Union township and his counsel and advice are valued and frequently sought. He is a Republican in politics and in 1890 was the census enumerator for Union township.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 344 (image 705).
John D. Nidlinger, who conducts a fine farm and occupies an enviable position as a progressive and successful citizen in Union township, Adams county, Indiana, was born in Root township, this county, on March 27, 1861, and is the son of Nathan and Jane (Walters) Nidlinger, natives of Pennsylvania. They were not married, however, until they came to Adams county, their union occurring on the 23d of December, 1847. They immediately settled in Root township, where they resided until their deaths. They were the parents of seven children: George, Sarah, the wife of Charles Baker; Rachael, the wife of Lafayette Baker; Mary, who died at the age of three years ; Elizabeth, the wife of J. D. Stultz; John D. and Elijah H. The father of these children died January 3, 1894, at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife died January 25, 1890, at the age of sixty-six.
The subject of this sketch was reared in Root township and educated in the common schools. During his early years he was inured to the labors incident to farm life, to which he has given his attention during the subsequent years. In about 1881 Mr. Nidlinger settled in Union township on his present place, which he has since successfully conducted. In connection with farming he has also given considerable attention to stock buying and breeding, and has been successful in all lines. His farm, comprising, as it does, one hundred and forty-five acres, is well improved in every respect and is considered one of the most valuable pieces of agricultural property in the township. He has erected a number of good buildings and keeps the place up to a high standard.
On December 15, 1881, Mr. Nidlinger was married to Miss Louisa J. Kline, daughter of William and Nancy E. (Mumma) Kline, who was born in Root township, this county, on May 23, 1861. To this union were born five children, namely: Elva M., the wife of Jacob D. Barkly; Earl W., Irene, Ruth, and Hugh. Mr. Nidlinger has held the office of township trustee for over four years and was at one time president of the Great Northern Indiana Fair for two years. He is now president of the State Fair Association, and has always taken an active interest in the agricultural affairs of the state.
Mr. Nidlinger is identified with the Democratic party and religiously is affiliated with the United Brethren church, in the activities of which he takes a prominent part.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 344 (image 705).
Joseph W. Smith was born in Washington township, Adams county, Indiana, December 7, 1843. He is the son of Zacharias and Susanna (McClellan) Smith. His father was born in Virginia and his mother in Pennsylvania. His parents were married in Fayette county, Ohio, where they settled at an early date, and then came to Indiana in 1833, settling on a farm in Washington township, Adams county. They lived on this farm in Washington township for about twelve years and then moved to a farm in Saint Mary's township. Shortly after coming to Saint Mary's township Zacharias Smith met an accidental death in his thirty-seventh year by drowning. His wife continued to reside on the homestead until 1861, when she made her home with her children. She died in Saint Mary's township at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Jane Acker, in her seventy-eighth year.
Mr. and Mrs. Zacharias Smith were the parents of nine children, of whom Joseph W. Smith was the youngest. He lived on the homestead after his father's death and assisted in its cultivation until his eighteenth year. In the meantime he had secured as good an education as the district schools afforded. When he was eighteen years, of age he decided to make a place for himself and accordingly he left his home. He worked at various forms of employment until August, 1862. At this time the Civil war was drawing on all parts of the north for volunteers and the various calls for soldiers had been made by President Lincoln. Young Smith was attacked by the war fever and he decided to get into the fray. Accordingly he enlisted in Company I, Eighty-ninth Indiana Volunteers, and was soon at the front with his regiment as a part of the Army of the Cumberland. Almost from the start of his campaigning he was under fire. At the engagement fought at Mumfordsville, Kentucky , he was taken prisoner by the Confederate forces. He was held but a short time and then paroled. Soon after receiving his parole he was exchanged and he rejoined his regiment and served to the close of the war. He served his country with gallantry and distinction and after the close of the war received an honorable discharge. When his regiment was disbanded he returned to Adams county and resumed his work of farming.
The marriage of Mr. Smith and Miss Catherine Gulick was celebrated in Saint Mary's township in February, 1866. His wife was a daughter of Amos and Elizabeth (Acker) Gulick, who were among the earliest settlers of Adams county. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of five children, four of whom lived to maturity. One child died in infancy. Those living are: Annie, the wife of Albert Chronister; Maryette, the wife of J. A. Hendricks; Samuel W. and Amos Z. Mrs. Smith died in Saint Mary's township in her twenty-ninth year, in September, 1873, and her husband took a second wife. His second marriage was contracted with Mrs. Adeline (Acker) Brittson, the widow of David Brittson, who died in Saint Mary's in 1872. The Smith-Brittson wedding was celebrated April 15, 1876. By her first marriage Mrs. Smith was the mother of two children—Albert and William Floyd. She was born in Saint Mary's township, February 25, 1848, and is a daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Kiser) Acker, who were among the pioneers of Adams county. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Mrs. Smith is the youngest. She was reared and educated in Saint Mary's township and has lived there all of her life. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had by their marriage six children: Marion, Nora D., Mintie, who died when fourteen years of age; Faye, Rose and Carl.
Mr. Smith is the owner of one hundred and eighty-four acres of productive farm land. His estate is all under cultivation and is highly improved. His buildings are in excellent condition and are large and comfortable. As a whole, his farm ranks among the best in the county, and is one of the most attractive. He is interested in public affairs and takes an active part in those affecting his township and county. He has served as township trustee for seven years. His wife is an active and honored member of the Presbyterian church and takes much interest in the charities and work of this denomination.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 342 (image 701).
Josiah L. Chronister is numbered among the highly successful farmers of Adams county. He was born in Saint Mary's township, Adams county, April 25, 1856. He is a son of Conrad and Catherine (Lenhart) Chronister. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of Ohio. After the marriage of his parents in the latter state they removed to Indiana in 1840 and, deciding- to locate in the northeastern part of the state, they settled on a farm in Adams county, Saint Mary's township, that is still in the family. The elder Chronisters lived on their homestead, which they had brought to a high state of cultivation, until their deaths. Conrad Chronister died in his seventy-seventh year, October 8, 1906.
Their son, Josiah, was the third in order of birth of a family of eleven children. He was reared on his father's farm and took part in clearing it and later in its cultivation, attending the schools of the neighborhood and obtaining as good an education as the time and opportunities afforded. He was an industrious boy and a dutiful son and assumed his full share of the responsibilities incident to the management and improvement of the home farm. In time he became an expert farmer and was acknowledged one of the best in his line in the entire county.
January 4, 1883, he was married to Miss Ida Merrill. Six children have been born of this union: Ada, the wife of William Gyer; Clarence, Bessie and Milton are living. Two died in infancy. Mrs. Ida Chronister died in 1897 and Mr. Chronister was married again in 1901. His bride this time was Miss Ida Ayres, who was born in Adams county, December 9, 1860. One child, Rufus, has been born of this marriage.
Mr. Chronister is one of the substantial men of his community. He is not only a progressive and up-to-date farmer, who has made his business a success, but he is also a man who is alive to his responsibilities so far as his fellow men are concerned. He owns forty acres of his father's original farm and has it well improved and highly productive. His residence and farm buildings are comfortable, attractive and models of their kind, and his place is well drained and fenced. He has served his fellow residents of Saint Mary's township in public offices, being a supervisor for a number of years, and was a member of the advisory board for eight years. He is a good neighbor and an exemplary citizen. With his wife, he is a member of the United Brethren church and he gives this denomination his earnest and liberal support. His first wife was also a member of this church.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 341 (image 699).
Edwin W. France is the son of a distinguished father. The latter, William Henry France, was one of the oldest, best known and most highly respected residents of Saint Mary's township, Adams county. His mother was Phoebe A. (Mathewson) France. This couple migrated to Indiana and settled in Adams county early in 1850. Throughout his life William Henry France was one of the leading men of the county. He was a progressive man and in many respects was far in advance of his contemporaries. He cultivated a farm and served his fellow residents of Adams county in public capacities faithfully and well. For eight years he was the superintendent of the Adams county infirmary and he administered the affairs of this institution to the entire satisfaction of the men who selected him fur the place. He was also twice elected county auditor, discharging the important and exacting duties of this high office through the greater part of two terms with a keen honesty and with care and conservatism. He died before the expiration of his second term as auditor, his death occurring July 25, 1895, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, and was generally mourned as an exemplary citizen and a faithful and painstaking public servant. His wife survived him until 1903, in June of which year she died, and was fifty-eight years of age. This worthy and respected couple had six children, of whom Edwin W. France was the eldest. He was born on his father's place in Saint Mary's township, May 25, 1861, and spent his boyhood on his father's farm and assisted in the cultivation of his father's estate, securing his education in the schools of his neighborhood. After he grew to manhood he continued to cultivate the soil and was a successful farmer for several years.
After a few years spent in farming he decided to engage in the mercantile business, and in line with this determination he formed a partnership with C. W. Yager. A store was opened at Pleasant Mills by these gentlemen and it soon became a fixture and a necessity in the commercial life of the district. After four years in this business, during which time the store was placed on a profitable basis, Mr. France decided to return to farming, and accordingly, sold his interest in the Pleasant Mills store and returned to his farm, which he cultivated until 1904, and then re-entered the mercantile business field. He engaged this time in the hardware business and this still retains his interest and attention.
May 4, 1882, Mr. France was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Yager, a daughter of Jacob and Mary Yager, who were early settlers in Preble township, and who removed to Saint Mary's township in 1872. Mrs. France's birth occurred in Preble township, January 16, 1863.
Mr. France is a man who is greatly interested in the affairs of his county and township, is essentially public spirited and is a man who exercises good judgment and acts upon principle. He has been active politically and has served as county truant officer. In addition to this public service he served as constable for a term of two years. In both of these offices he acquitted himself with rare credit and gained the confidence and respect of his fellows. He owns forty acres of good land and his farm, although it is small, is one of the best in the township, it being well improved, equipped with good buildings, profitable and attractive. With his wife he is a consistent member of the Baptist church and gives his liberal support and hearty co-operation to this church and denomination. He is highly respected and is one of the most esteemed men of the community in which he resides.
Submitted by: Margie Pearce
Snow's History of Adams County, Indiana,
John Fletcher Snow,
B. F. Bowen, Indianapolis, IN, 1907,
p. 340 (image 697).