CASSIUS CALDWELL first saw the light of day in the town of Burlington, Chittenden Co., Vt., February 10, 1817, son of Matthew and Dolly (Knight) Caldwell, the former of whom was a native of the "Granite State." His mother, whose maiden name was Hannah Humphries, was of Irish descent and attained the advanced age of eighty-three years; her death occurring in Vermont about the year 1835. Matthew was reared in his native State, but upon reaching manhood went with his family to New Hampshire, where he met and married Miss Knight about the year 1815. She was born on Grand Island, Lake Champlain; her father being a Methodist minister. The Knight family was of English descent. After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell, they made Burlington, Vt., their home for a number of years, Mr. Caldwell being engaged in the manufacture of brick. In the fall of 1836, the family emigrated to Indiana, arriving in South Bend on October 31, 1836; settling about three miles southwest of the town. Mr. Caldwell had made a trip through this part of the country in 1834, and after the arrival of the family they spent the winter of 1836 at the home of relatives. The following spring Mr. Caldwell leased some land and began the manufacture of brick, which occupation he continued to follow for two years. He then moved to South Bend and continued making brick for several years, then gave up the business to purchase a farm in German township, where his son Cassius now resides, and where he resided until his death. His wife survived him several years, having borne him nine children: Abigail, Cassius, James, John, Laura, Maleta A., Cornelia E., Melville and Wesley. All these children are deceased except Maleta A. (Roe), of South Bend, and Cassius. The latter was reared in his native State and there received a fair education in the district schools. He also attended De Pauw University at Greencastle, Ind., one term after coming to South Bend, which institution at that time was known as Asbury University. Mr. Caldwell was about nineteen years of age when his parents came to South Bend, and upon his lather's removal to the farm in German township, he took charge of the brick yard at South Bend, which business occupied his attention until 1848. In the fall of this year he decided to seek his fortune in the newly discovered gold fields of California, and had nearly completed arrangements for the trip via New York and the Isthmus, or "round the Horn," when acquaintances in South Bend made arrangements to go across the plains, and Mr. Caldwell abandoned his. original idea and joined a company of thirty-one members which left South Bend, February 20, 1849, with ox teams. Schuyler Colfax, who was a young man at that time, made a farewell speech to the departing gold-seekers from the second story of what was known as the old Washington Building. The trip to the Missouri River was attended with many drawbacks and delays, owing to bad roads, etc., as it was May 11, when they crossed the "Big Muddy." From that time on the party made very good time considering their mode of travel, and arrived in the gold section of California September 5, 1849. Mr. Caldwell's trip to that section was successful in so far as his expenses and time were concerned, and upon returning home he brought with him some money which he had earned. His return to the States was by way of the Isthmus. He located in South Bend, where he made his home until 18__, when he settled on the farm in German township, where he is at present residing, although he still retains his South Bend property. At the time the town was organized as a city, he was elected street commissioner, in which capacity he served six years, and also served as assessor of South Bend one year. Mr. Caldwell was married, January 29, 1857, to Miss Rachel West, who was born October 17, 1830, in Pennsylvania; a daughter of Abraham and Anna (Ross) West, the former of whom served seven years in the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell are the parents of three children: Charles W., John E. and Matthew S. Mr. Caldwell is the owner of ninety-six acres of land, nearly all of which is in a fine state of cultivation, situated on the banks of the St. Joseph River. Mr. Caldwell and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically he is a Republican. His life, with the exception of his trip to California, has been rather uneventful, but he has always shown those qualities which mark the useful, progressive and law-abiding citizen, and has many warm friends wherever he is known.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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JEREMIAH TROYER is a practical farmer and substantial citizen of Elkhart county, Ind., has real estate embracing 233 broad acres, the result of persevering and honorable toil. He is descended from "Swisslanders" who settled in Pennsylvania during a very early period of this country's existence, and in their religious proclivities were Amish Mennonites, for which reason they had to fly from their native land and seek an asylum in the wilds of the New World. They were followers of Simon Meno and a religious teacher by the name of Amon; were peaceful, law-abiding citizens, and their descendants, who are scattered all over the United States, are industrious, thrifty and upright farmers. John Troyer, the grandfather of Jeremiah Troyer, was born in Somerset county, Penn., but he became one of the early settlers of Holmes county, Ohio, was one of the first Amish Mennonites to settle there and was an honorable, hard-working farmer until his death. He was married to Madalena Miller who bore him six children: Samuel, Michael, Abraham, John, Mary and Sarah. The eldest of these children, Samuel, was born and brought up on his father's farm in Somerset county, Penn., and in his youth learned to read and write German. He was twelve years of age when he settled with his parents on their pioneer farm in Holmes county, Ohio, and was but fourteen years of age when the head of the house was called from life. He then began making his home with an uncle, Mr. Miller, and being not unfamiliar with the hardships and struggles of pioneer life on a farm, he early imbibed the ideas of independence and industry which are essential to a successful career in any calling. Born on a farm, he involuntarily grew up with a better knowledge of agricultural affairs than one who was not reared to the life, and at an early period he was made to feel that he was equally responsible for harmony, justice and equity in governmental affairs as in social relations. He received the rudiments of his education in the district schools in Holmes county, and when manhood was reached he led to the altar Miss Madalena Hostetter, after which he at once settled on a farm, and set energetically to work to accumulate a competency for himself and increasing family. His wife died in Holmes county after having become the mother of seven children: Madalena (who died after attaining womanhood), Jeremiah, Lydia; Sarah, Samuel, Barbara and Annie. Mr. Troyer's second marriage was celebrated in Fairfield county, Ohio, Miss Esther Stutzman becoming his wife and in process of time the mother of his four children: John, Adam, Jonathan and Daniel. About 1836 Mr. Troyer removed with his family to Indiana and settled on the west line of Elkhart county, which was then a wilderness abounding in game, such as deer, wild turkey, wolves, etc. Out of the heavy timber of that section Mr. Troyer carved a home for himself and family, but at the end of three years was left a widower for the second time. Later he returned to Holmes county, Ohio, where he took for himself a third wife in the person of Mrs. Sarah (Schrock) Yoder, the widow of Abram Yoder, and their union resulted in the birth of eight children: Yost, Simon, Moses, Joel, Susan, Benjamin, Eli and Elizabeth. Thus Mr. Troyer was the father of nineteen children, a family like the patriarchs of old. Mr. Troyer eventually became a resident of Miami county, Ind., on a farm in which section he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy-three years. He was a man of many sterling traits of character and his career was characterized by geniality and large-heartedness as well as the most unswerving honor. Jeremiah Troyer, son of Samuel, and the subject of this sketch, was born on his father's farm in Holmes county, Ohio, and although he received but little education he can read and write German. His early days were devoted to the farm and to carpentering and since his seventeenth year he has been a resident of the "Hoosier State." When he had attained his majority he returned to Holmes county and was married there on February 4, 1851, to Mary, daughter of Joseph C. and Mary (Hostetter) Troyer, after which he returned to Indiana and purchased land in Miami county. In 1874 he removed to La Grange county, but since 1887 he has been a resident of his present farm, which is one of the best and most fertile in the county. His property has been obtained by the sweat of his brow and he has the satisfaction of knowing that it has not been obtained at the expense of others. A good old-fashioned family of fourteen children were born to himself and wife: Cornelius, Lydia, Mary, Sarah, Samuel, Susan, Barbara, Polly (who died after reaching womanhood), Jeremiah, Abraham (died in infancy), John, Elizabeth, Moses and David. Mr. Troyer, like his father before him, has always been an earnest Christian, and by precept and example has reared his family to honorable manhood and womanhood, in which labor of love he was ably seconded by his worthy wife. She was born in Holmes county, Ohio, November 29, 1832, and died April 26, 1890. The Troyers have always been noted for their excellent characters and as law-abiding and public-spirited citizens.

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1893
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JOSEPH J. STUTZMAN. The remote ancestors of this gentleman were among the earliest inhabitants of Pennsylvania, coming to this country from Germany. Christian Stutzman, the grandfather of Joseph J., was born in Somerset county, Penn., was a fanner by occupation, and was a member of the Amish Mennonite Church. Jacob, Christian, Abraham and Elizabeth were his children, the first mentioned of whom was born on his father's farm. Although his advantages were not of the best for obtaining an education, he possessed a desire to learn, and in time could read and write both German and English. He was married to Fannie, daughter of David L. Lehman, a Pennsylvania farmer, to which union the following children were born: Samuel, Joseph, Moses, Jacob, Elizabeth, Barbara, Magdalena and Harmon. In 1867, while in his declining years, he moved from his old home in Pennsylvania, where the early part of his life had been passed, and took up his abode in Elkhart county, Ind. where he was called from life in 1873. Like the majority of Germans he was industrious and hard working, as well as strictly honorable, and the lesson which his life taught was that success in life is the reward of honest effort, industry and sobriety. He was no idler or trifler, but an earnest, conscientious and persistent toiler, who deserved all the success which he achieved. His fine farm of 400 acres in Pennsylvania was very valuable, the proceeds from which aided his heirs very materially in gaining a foothold on the ladder of success. Joseph J. Stutzman was born on this farm December 22, 1839, his early education being only such as the common schools afforded; but during his walk through life he has acquired a thorough education in the great school of experience. He was married to the daughter of David C. and Susan (Miller) Yoder, Rachel Yoder, and a family of eight children gathered about their hearthstone in the course of time: Daniel, Susan, Fannie, Jeremiah, Levi, Joseph, David and Edward, the two eldest of whom were born in Pennsylvania. Although Mr. Stutzman owned a fine farm of 300 acres in Pennsylvania, he thought to better his financial condition by removing westward, and the year 1866 is the date of his arrival in Indiana. He first purchased 160 acres of land, and by the exercise of all his energy, enterprise and judgment he has become the owner of 360 acres, and with the improvements that have been made upon it, constitutes one of the most valuable tracts of real estate in the county. Mr. Stutzman has been a deacon in the Mennonite Church for twelve years, and is in every sense of the word a true Christian gentleman. His children have been given good educational advantages, and on various occasions he has served in the capacity of school director. As a citizen his good name is above reproach, and he can be truly said to be that noblest work of God - an honest man. His career has been useful in the best sense of the term, and although he has never been ambitions to fill public office he has pursued the "even tenor of his way," and the result of his undivided attention is his comfortable and well-kept home. His father-in-law, David C. Yoder, came of Amish Mennonite stock, and was born in Somerset county, Penn. After attaining manhood and receiving a common-school education he was married to Susan Miller, who bore him twelve children: Polly, Rachel, Valentine, Catherine, Levi, David, Jacob, Susan, Jeremiah, Tobias, Annie and Samuel. Mr. Yoder owned a fine farm of 200 acres in Pennsylvania, but became a resident of Indiana in 1869. He was a highly respected citizen, and his death at the age of seventy years was universally regretted.

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1893
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GEORGE W. SHOWALTER. As a pioneer, Mr. Showalter has left his impress upon Elkhart county, Ind., and to no one who has any knowledge of the history of that section, is his name an unfamiliar one. For more than forty years he has resided on his present farm, and during this time he has been a leading spirit in promoting the material growth and prosperity, as well as building up the religious, educational and benevolent institutions of his locality. He comes of sturdy German ancestry, for, according to tradition, four of his name came from that country to America and settled in Pennsylvania, and for many years his grandfather was a successful farmer in the vicinity of Schuylkill. His sons bore the good old Scriptural names of Jacob, John and David, the latter of whom became the father of the subject of this sketch. He was reared on his native soil of Pennsylvania and became a soldier in the War of 1812, during which time his health became permanently injured. He was married to Agnes Linville and to them was born a family of the good old-fashioned order, consisting of twelve members: Benjamin, Matthias, John, David, George, William, Lewis, Melvina, Ann, Catherine, Margaret and Sarah. After residing for some time near the old homestead in Pennsylvania, Mr. Showal¬ter removed to Rockingham county, Va., and became the owner of two good farms at Cross Keys, near the head of the Shenandoah River. His efforts to secure a competency for his family were crowned with success, and his two farms of 101 and 250 acres, respectively, were conducted in a manner which could not fail to result satisfactorily. He lived to be seventy-five years of age, dying in the faith of the Mennonite Church, in which he had "kept the faith" for many years. His wife was a Methodist. George W. Showalter was born on his father's farm in Virginia, March 11, 1825, and throughout his youth and early manhood he helped to till and make other improvements on the farm, and a common-school education represented the sum total of his accomplishments when he began life for himself. All old-time farmers considered themselves entitled to the services of their sons up to the time they reached the age of twenty-one, and Mr. Showalter's experience was no exception to the rule. In addition to becoming familiar with the principles of agriculture, he learned the cooper's and carpenter's trades, and to these occupations he gave his time and attention. In 1851 he left the shelter of the parental roof and set out for the then wilds of Indiana and so pleased was he with the promises offered to the agriculturist that he purchased the fine estate on which he is now residing. Time has shown the wisdom of this investment, for his land has always produced good crops and has yielded a comfortable competency. After making the purchase of his land he returned to his home in Virginia and married Margaret, daughter of William and Margaret (Altaffer) Saufley, their union taking place January 10, 1854, and with his young bride returned to his Indiana possessions, which consisted of 137 acres of land and which they reached in March, 1855. In time the following children were born to their union: William R., Mary, Maggie, Libbie, Edson and Franklin. Edson was born September 6, 1860; was reared on his father's farm and has been a tiller of the soil and a carpenter for six years. The parents are members of the New School Lutheran Church and the father is now classed among the honored, old settlers of Elkhart county. The mother was called from life on June 14, 1892, having bean a worthy Christian all her life. Edson Showalter was married February 6, 1888, to Miss Orpha, daughter of Silas and Margaret (Dally) Shoup. By her he has two children: Leo R. and Noble L. Edson Showalter owns, in company with his brother, William R., 148 acres of land, is industrious, honorable and pushing and a man highly esteemed in the community in which he resides. William R. was born on his grandfather's farm in Rockingham county, Va., January 9, 1855, and was an infant two months old when brought by his parents to Indiana. In his youth he was considered one of the best scholars in his district. October 1, 1884, he was married to Frances, daughter of John and Catherine (Jacoba) Wert, and to them four children have been born: Earl S., Clayton W., Irwin E. and Edna I. Like his brother he is a public-spirited man, honest, industrious and successful, and politically is a Democrat. His wife is one of the following family of children: Emeline, Mary J., Caroline, Catherine, Adeline, Leah, Josiah, Jeremiah, Lucinda, John, David, Frances, William and Cyrus. Our subject has been master of Middlebury Grange for two years. The Showalters are a religious people and have always been associated with the Lutheran Church.

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1893
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ABEL E. WORK. A short time prior to the great American Revolution the Work family tree took root in American soil. At that time the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Samuel Work, came from County Antrim, Ireland, to take up his abode upon a new soil and in a foreign land. He was of Scotch-Irish birth, and was married on the Isle of Erin to Jane Dunn, who bore him the following children: Aaron, Robert, Samuel, Elizabeth, Margaret and Jane, all natives of America, to which country Mr. Work brought his young bride soon after their marriage. At the opening of the Revolutionary war they were residing on a farm near Philadelphia, Penn., and from here Samuel Work at once enlisted in the patriot army, serving until the struggle ended. Later he disposed of his property in Pennsylvania and after several moves finally found himself in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1812, where he lived only until 1817, when death finished his earthly career. He was a Presbyterian in his religious views. His son Aaron, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Chester county, Penn., and as his father was identified with the agricultural growth of the section in which they resided, his early life was much the same as that of other boys of his age and generation - he was a farmer's boy purely and simply, doing his part of the necessary work about his rural home. In time he took for himself a wife in the person of Millicent, daughter of Abel and Bridget (McMurtny) Everett, the former of whom also participated in the war of the Revolution, and was in the battle of Monmouth, where he saw Gen. Washington and his staff ride through a wheat field. A family of eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Work: Abel E., Samuel, William, James, Martha, Jane, Mary and Elizabeth, all of whom were born in Fairfield county, Ohio. Mr. Work passed a useful life on his well-tilled farm in Fairfield county, and at the ripe old age of eighty years was called to his fathers, his wife living to be four years older. He was a man of lofty character, possessed exceptionally sound and practical views on all subjects, and for sixteen years of his life much of his time was devoted to adjusting his neighbors' difficulties as justice of the peace. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, in which church his wife was also a member. Abel E. Work, the immediate subject of this biography, was born on the 29th of June, 1815, received a common school education and learned the blacksmith's trade. They started out to fight life's battles well equipped morally, mentally and physically for the active duties of life, and endowed by nature with that splendid courage and resistless energy which has been so important a factor in the advancement of western civilization. He removed to Middlebury township, Elkhart Co., Ind., in 1842, and for thirty-six years worked faithfully at his trade of blacksmith. He also purchased land and earnestly tilled the soil, and by the exercise of his admirable mental faculties he has now a fine farm of 105 acres. On the 15th of September, 1836, he was married to Miss Cynthia Larimer, who was born March 22, 1814, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Larimer. The children that in time gathered about the board of Mr. and Mrs. Work are as follows: Aaron, born May 26, 1837; Isaac L., born December 16, 1838; John W., born January 11, 1841; Samuel, born February 26, 1843; James, born February 15, 1845; William C., born June 19, 1847; Robert W., born June 20, 1849, and Abel E., born September 13, 1851. Mr. Work is a stanch Democrat politically, and during the lamentable Civil war was a loyal Union man. Two of his sons were in the service: Isaac L., who became a member of Company I, Seventy-fourth Regi¬ment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he enlisted in August, 1862, at Goshen, Ind.; John W., enlisting the same day in the same company and regiment. They were in one battle, were very much exposed to the inclement weather during the hard marching, which resulted in lung disease, from which both died, and are buried in the cemetery at Galatin, Tenn. Three sons are members of learned professions: Abel E., graduated from the Theological Seminary at Cincinnati, Ohio, and is now a Presbyterian minister in South Dakota; Samuel A., graduated from the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Harbor, and is now a practicing physician at Vandalia, Mich.; James A.., graduated from the same institution, and is now practicing his profession in Elkhart, Ind. Mr. Work has twenty-nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His first wife, and the mother of his children, died May 23, 1883, and on June 16, 1885, Mrs. Barbara A. (Biddle) Keysor, a widow with two children (Leander S. and Albert A.), became his wife. Mr. Work's life has been usefully and profitably spent, and he is well posted on the current issues of the day, is wide awake to the interests of his section, and is a man of unblemished reputation. His second wife is a daughter of George Biddle, a member of an old Virginia family. Isaac Larimer, his first wife's father, was the son of Robert Larimer, a Scotch-Irishman, who, upon coming to this country, was shipwrecked on the coast of Pennsylvania, and although he had paid his passage to this country, was sold by the captain of the rescuing vessel, and was compelled to pay his passage again. Robert Larimer became a farmer of Juniata county, Penn., but in the latter part of the last century went to Fairfield county, Ohio, of which section he was one of the pioneers. Isaac Larimer, his son, was married to Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Moses Wood, and by her became the father of the following children: Robert, John, James, Moses, Isaac, Wright, Sarah, Elizabeth, Phoebe and Cynthia. Isaac Larimer was a soldier in the War of 1812, in which struggle his sons, Robert and John, also participated. Robert and his father were in Hull's inglorious surrender. He was a substantial farmer, and died at about the age of fifty years, in Fairfield county, Ohio. He was a gunsmith by trade, and he and his wife became the parents of eleven children: Jacob, Mary, John, Valentia, Frederick, Levi, Barbara A. and Elizabeth are still living.

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1893
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REV. BENJAMIN SCHROCK. This gentleman comes of a good old family of German extraction, that was highly honored and respected in the "Keystone State." It is a true observation that “There is no royal road to fortune,” and this just statement is fully verified by a study of the lives of the pioneer farmers of Indiana. When such a man as Benjamin Schrock starts out as he did, with no pecuniary help and with no fortune except good health, robust strength, and yet succeeds in securing a fine property and that degree of competence which allows him to retire from business and live in comfort, it can be realized that the old saying has not outgrown its lease of life. The paternal grandfather of Benjamin Schrock came from Zweibrocken, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany, in 1780 to America in search of a fortune, settling in Huntington county, Penn. At that time he was the father of three children: Jacob, Barbara and Catherine, but his wife bore him three sons and one daughter after their settlement in this country: Andrew, John, David and Elizabeth. Mr. Schrock's expectations of realizing a fortune in this country were not realized, and he had a hard struggle for many years to keep the wolf from the door. He attained the advanced age of four-score years, a member of the Mennonite Church, dying at the home of his son, John Schrock, in Holmes county, Ohio, where his wife also spent her declining years. John Schrock, their son, was a product of Pennsylvania, his birth occurring May 6, 1779, and about 1815, in the early days of Ohio he went to that State and carved out a home for himself and family in the wilderness. Hordes of Indians roamed over the country at that time, and although their lives and property were at various times threatened, they escaped better than the majority of early settlers and continued to prosper in spite of adverse circumstances. He became a substantial farmer of the section in which he settled, and gave each of his children a good start in life. He was honorable and upright in character, kind and considerate in his family, a faithful friend, an accommodating neighbor, and on February 16, 1858, died as he had lived, an earnest Christian, having attained to the age of sixty-eight years nine months and ten days. His wife was born February 11, 1797, and bore her husband the following children: Elizabeth, Benjamin, Abraham, Barbara, Magdalena and Susannah. Benjamin Schrock, a member of this family, was born February 22, 1819, but owing to his father's straitened circumstances he was compelled to labor industriously on the farm during the summer months, and his chances for obtaining an education were only such as could be obtained while attending school irregularly during the winter seasons. He was married in Holmes county, Ohio, to Miss Mary Stutzman, daughter of Jonas and Magdalena (Garber) Stutzman, soon after which, as he was a young man of pushing energy and ambition, the chances of the West became a temptation that could not be resisted, and he determined to make a home for himself on a portion of the Indian Reserve. He settled on an uncleared farm in Miami county, Ind., but at the end of thirteen years settled three miles north of Goshen, on Pine Creek, then in Clinton township, Elkhart county, and six years later, or in 1878, he took up his abode on his present fine farm of 200 acres in Middlebury township. He has always been an industrious, hard-working men, and has earned his present fine property by the sweat of his brow. His liberal views, unquestioned honesty and rugged common sense have given him an influence far beyond that possessed by many more pretentious and prominent men. He has lived a quiet life, looking after the possessions which a life of industry has secured him, and is in the enjoyment of a comfortable, refined and pleasant home. He has been the architect of his own fortunes, and success has been won through hardships and severe toil. For thirty-eight years he was a bishop of the Amish Church, but for the past forty years he has been a minister of that denomination, and a member of the church for fifty years. He is a believer in good schools, and has ever been liberal in the use of his means, and has never been guilty of turning one from his door who was really in need of his aid. He has always supported the principles of Democracy. His union with Miss Stutzman has resulted in the birth of eleven children: Abraham is a farmer and blacksmith of Clinton township, Elkhart county, was married to Miss Sarah Miller, by whom he has four children; Jacob B. is a farmer of Kosciusko county, Ind., is married to Matilda Ricks, and is the father of four children; John, a farmer of Fillmore county, Neb., is married to Anna Garber, and has three children; Annie, Elizabeth and Susannah are at home; Benjamin F. is a farmer of Middlebury township, is married to Alice Miller, and has two children; Daniel is also a farmer of this township, is married to Anna M. Yoder; Absalom is a carpenter of Anderson, Ind., and is married to Etta Miller; Mary M., who is a school teacher in Nebraska, and William, who is a farmer of Fillmore county, Neb., is married to Hannah Yoder, by whom he has seven children.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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JOHN WALMER, Middlebury, Elkhart Co., Ind. The philosophy of success in life is an interesting study. In whatever pursuit individual effort is directed, it should be entered with a theoretical knowledge acquired at the proper schools, followed by a practical application, to prepare one to successfully assume responsibilities that follow. In choosing a pursuit in life, taste, mental gifts, opportunity and disposition of labor should be considered, as every young man, who has any ambition to become a respectable and useful citizen, desires to succeed therein. A narrative of success in life affords a lesson from which others can profit. On his father's farm in Lebanon county, Penn., there was born on the 26th of September, 1817, a boy who grew up to sturdy manhood, ambitious to excel in the pursuit of his choice, and this boy was John Walmer. As he grew to manhood he became thoroughly conversant with pretty much all kinds of farm labor and evinced a fondness for agricultural pursuits which he has carried with him through life. He received few opportunities for the acquirement of an education, but through his own persistency learned to read in the German Testament and the Psalter, but acquired no knowledge of arithmetic or English except what be obtained in later years by mixing unreservedly with his fellows and in conducting the business affairs of life. He only learned to count after he had attained man's estate, by splitting rails by the hundred, a rough but most thorough school. The first work which he did for himself was at clearing land and mauling rails, and in a still-house, but the June following his marriage, which occurred February 11, 1844, and was to Miss Magdalena Hoff, he and his young wife removed to Wayne county, Ind., through the Black Swamp of Ohio, and settled one mile south or his present farm, which at first consisted of eighty acres. He labored hard to clear this land and in time added eighty acres more, which he tilled with great diligence during the summer months. His spare moments during the winters were devoted to the making of brooms; in fact, he gladly turned his hand to any employment that offered remuneration. Since 1864 he has resided on his present farm and is now the owner of 286 acres of good farming land, a water saw-mill and two good lots in Elkhart, on one of which is erected a store and on the other a frame residence and stable. Mr. Walmer has been a very strong man physically, with an iron constitution, or he could never have borne the hard labor he has undergone. It would be difficult to speak too strongly of the usefulness of his life, for he has used his talents wisely and well, and in his active life he has found time to embellish his mind with a fund of general wisdom. To Mr. and Mrs. Walmer the following children have been born: Amanda E., born February 2, 1845, married Aaron Work, township trustee, who resides in Elkhart. They have three children: Luetta, George and John, the eldest of whom, Luetta, married William Barger, a box manufacturer, by whom she bas one child, Everet, a great-granddaughter of Mr. Walmer. The latter's second child and only son, John F., was born July 2, 1850, remains with his father and is a practical farmer. The mother of these children died August 11, 1887, at the age of sixty-eight years. Mr. Walmer has an adopted daughter, Idella J. Poorbaugh, who has lived in the family since she was eight years of age. She is a member of the German Reformed Church, of which Mr. Walmer is also a member, although his wife was a Lutheran. Politically he is a Democrat. He comes of an old Pennsylvania family, members of which have been residents of the" Keystone State." George Walmer, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a blacksmith by trade and owned a small farm of forty-five acres. He was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Sarah Fisher and to them were born six children: Joseph George, John, Lydia, Catherine and Elizabeth. The mother died when her son, John, was a small boy, and the father afterward espoused Catherine Shuey, nee Miller, who died April 7, 1877, at the age of ninety years, after having borne Mr. Walmer three children: Mariah, Mattie and Benjamin. Mr. Walmer settled on a farm in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1836, on which he spent the remainder of his days, dying at the age of sixty-eight years, February 10, 1856. He was in comfortable circumstances and was a man of unblemished reputation. The wife of John Walmer was a daughter of George and Catherine (Hess) Hoff, the former of whom was a blacksmith and a substantial farmer. They became the parents of the following children: Michael, Levi, George, David, Magdalena, Catharine, Ann, Christena, Mary and Rebecca. Mr. Hoff died on his farm in Wayne county, Ohio, December 17, 1865, at the age of seventy-six years, his widow surviving him until March 5, 1873, dying at the age of seventy-six years.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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SOLOMON M. KAUFFMAN. The success which has attended the efforts of Mr. Kauffman as an agriculturist is by no means a matter of chance, nor was he in any sense an especial favorite of fortune, for when he started out in life he began at the lowest round of the ladder. In his case fortune smiled upon him because of his untiring efforts, his close and intelligent application to the ordinary affairs of life, and his thrift and enterprise, which were of a character to merit success under any circumstances and ill any field of labor. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, September 20, 1837, being one of the following family of children: Mary, Martha, Jonas, Jacob, Solomon, Fannie, Elizabeth, Lydia, Joseph, Rebecca, Moses and John. The father of this somewhat numerous family was Moses Kauffman, and their mother was Lydia, daughter of John Plank. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman were of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and for many years the father was a farmer of Somerset county, Penn., and supported his family comfortably, but they never counted on being supplied with many of the luxuries of life. Moses Kauffman removed to the wilds of Ohio when a young man; was married in Holmes county, and without any very considerable resources, they settled down to the business of making the best of their opportunities, and getting ahead in the world as rapidly as possible, and turned their attention to tilling the soil as a sure means of gaining a livelihood. After making a few changes they finally came to Elkhart county, Ind., and since 1851 have been residents of Middlebury township, where they at one time owned 280 acres of fine farming land. Being a minister of the Amish-Mennonite Church, he reared his children carefully and upon his death in his sixty-eighth year he had the unbounded satisfaction of knowing that they had attained honorable manhood and womanhood. The early members of his family were persecuted in Germany on account of their religious principles, but upon an invitation from William Penn they sought an asylum in the New World and carved a home for themselves in "Penn's Woodland." The family has grown with the country's growth and has contributed much to the thrift, the industry and the prosperity of this country. Solomon M. Kauffman was about fourteen years of age when he became a resident of Elkhart county, Ind., and as much of his time during the years of his boyhood was occupied with tasks set him by his parents, who believed in industrial training, his education was only such as he was able to obtain in the common schools. However, he was enterprising and ambitious, and with indomitable energy and determination, qualities which he, no doubt, inherited from his sturdy Dutch ancestors, began laying the foundations for a successful future, and in the field of agriculture he has made the best use of his talents. He now has a fine and well-kept farm of 203 acres, on which is a substantial brick residence with good farm buildings of all descriptions. November 29, 1866, he was married in Millersburg to Miss Catherine Speicher, who was born March 8, 1840, soon after which he settled in the southern part of Middlebury township, where he made his home for seven years, then came to his present farm, which at that time consisted of 123 acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman the following children have been born: Charles E., born December 10, 1867; Frank E., December 20, 1876; Emma D., May 10, 1879; Cora M., September 8, 1873; Mary E., May 24, 1872; Fred L., born July 10, 1882, died February 13, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman and three of their children are members of the Lutheran church, to the building of which he was a liberal contributor and is now one of its most generous supports. He stands high as an honorable and useful member of society, and has always been an earnest supporter and patron of educational institutions. His son, Charles E., is one of the reputable and successful teachers of this county and is at present attending Valparaiso Normal College; Mary E. is an accomplished musician, has at present a class of fourteen music scholars, and is the organist in the Lutheran Church. Mrs. Kauffman is a daughter of Jonathan and Eliza (Yergin) Speicher, both of whom were members of old German families who have been known in the history of Pennsylvania for many generations back. When a young man Mr. Speicher removed to Wayne county, Ohio, where he married and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He is a member of the German Reformed Church and has always been an honest man and a law-abiding citizen. His wife, who died on the 7th of April, 1842, bore him five children: Mary A., Frances, David, Catherine and Eliza. In 1846 he married Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, by whom he became the father of five more children: Harriet, Rebecca, Rosanna, William and Emily. The mother of these children was blind for fourteen years of her life and is now deceased. For the past thirty-six years Mr. Kauffman has followed the calling of a thresher in Elkhart county and in the winter runs a portable saw-mill, which is in active operation the most of the time and has proven a valuable source of revenue. He is universally esteemed by his friends and associates for his integrity and good citizenship, and he has done his full share toward promoting the commercial, social and religious development of his section.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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J. H. MYERS, Middlebury, Ind. It is a pleasure to chronicle the history of a man whose life has been one of honor and usefulness, and although he has considerably passed the zenith of his career, Mr. Myers has accumulated a fortune that enables him to enjoy to the fullest extent the true comforts of a home that is made beautiful by the sweet spirit of kindliness and mutual appreciation among the members of the family. He comes of good old Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and is descended from one of the early colonial families that have for generations been residents of York county, Penn. The paternal grandfather, Conrad Myers, was born in that county, and like the most of the male members of his family, became a well-to-do farmer and miller, and lived to attain the age of seventy years. Jacob R. Myers, his son and the father of the subject of this sketch, was born and reared on his father's farm in York county, Penn., and like a true son of his father became a tiller of the soil when thrown upon his own resources. He acquired a practical education in the German language in the common schools of his vicinity, and upon reaching man's estate was married to Lydia, daughter of Andrew Utz, also a native of York county and of Dutch descent. To this union a good old-fashioned family of thirteen children was born, two of whom died in infancy, the rest reaching maturity: Jesse H. (the subject), Elizabeth, John B., Andrew, Samuel, Levi, Daniel, Hiram, Moses, Aaron and Frank. In 1832, with the ambition, courage and sturdy manhood which have always been distinguishing characteristics of American pioneers, he pushed into Stark county, Ohio, in search of land upon which to make a settlement and located on a farm four miles South of Canton, where he made his home until 1853, when Elkhart, Ind., became the scene of his labors. He became the fortunate possessor of a fine, arable farm of 200 acres, on which he passed the remainder of his days, dying at the age of sixty-two years in 1868. Like the majority of agriculturists he was hard-working and honest, and left a valuable estate to his heirs. Politically a stanch Democrat, he was a very strong Union man during the war, and gave two of his sons to assist in protecting the Union, both of whom served three years in the Seventy-fourth Indiana Regiment, and were in several battles, among which was Lookout Mountain. They miraculously escaped wounds and sickness and returned home able-bodied men. Their mother was a member of the Dunkard Church. Jesse H. Myers, the subject of this sketch, first saw the light of day on his father's farm in York county, Penn., June 18, 1826, and owing to his early removal to Ohio where schools were few and far between, and even then not of the best quality, his education was limited to the three R.'s, - "readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic." He early learned the detai1s of farming which was conducted in the old-fashioned way; the grain being tramped out by horses on the barn floor. Eventually Mary, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Albright) Oberlin, became his wife, their union being consummated in Stark county, Ohio, to which section her parents came from Lancaster county, Penn., when the country was a wilderness inhabited by the red man and infested by numerous wild animals. However, Mr. Oberlin wielded his axe to some purpose and finally became the owner of a valuable farm, dying on the same at the ripe old age of eighty years. To Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Myers four children were born: William H., January 19, 1850; Emma E., September 26, 1851; Edward L., April 24, 1862, and Kate A., October 19, 1866. In 1855 Mr. Myers came with his family to Elkhart county, and purchased a good farm one mile west of Middlebury, which he has greatly improved and which has since been his home. Everything about his place is in harmony, for each nook and cranny of fields, fences and barns is well kept, neat and attractive, speaking well for the management of the owner, who looks beyond the work of the moment and the gain of the moment to the future. His farm is well adapted to the raising of stock, for it is well watered, and to this branch of agriculture Mr. Myers has given considerable attention. His wife died November 16, 1887, a devout member of the Lutheran Church, and October 18, 1888, Mr. Myers took for his second wife Mrs. Sarah Fulton, widow of Dr. J. H. Fulton, of Otsego, Mich., by whom she became the mother of two children: Nellie, wife of Matthew L. De Wolf, a station agent of San Antonio, Texas, and Frank. Mrs. Myers was the daughter of Mercon and Elizabeth (Quackenbush) Fox, the former of whom was a member of an old American family of English descent, whose wife bore him twelve children, seven of whom lived to mature years: Arthur, Ralph, Sarah, Fannie, Henry, Albert and James. Albert, Arthur and Henry were soldiers in the Civil war, and the first mentioned, who was a soldier in the Twenty-ninth Indiana Regiment, was killed at the battle of Chickamauga; and Henry, who was in the Thirteenth Michigan, was killed in the battle of Murfreesboro. Mr. and Mrs. Fox were members of the Presbyterian Church of Lima, and were substantial and upright farmers. Mr. Myers is a member of the Lutheran Church, and held the office of trustee and elder for three years, and has been superintendent of the Sunday-school for the past seven years. He has given his children good educations, for he recognized the fact that a good education is rather to be desired than great riches, and his son Edward is teaching a graded school at Burlington, Kan. Mr. Myers is well contented with his lot in life, for he is in comfortable circumstances and holds a high place in the estimation of his fellows as an honorable, straightforward man. January 27, 1892, a reunion of the Myers family was held at the residence of J. H. Myers, and nine stalwart brothers and one sister once more gathered at the same board, for the first time in thirty-five years. Forty members of the family were present, and the occasion will long be remembered. The eldest son of J. H. Myers, William H., was married to Annie Balyeat, by whom he has one child, he is residing on an excellent farm given him by his father in Middlebury township; Emma married Isaiah Goodyear, a farmer of Clinton township; Edward L. married Jennie Smith, by whom he has three children; and Katie is married to Charles Wehmeyer, a real estate and insurance agent of Goshen, Ind.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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DR. C. C. BAUMGARTNER, physician and surgeon of Elkhart, Ind., is successfully engaged in practicing, a calling which is perhaps the most trying on brain and body of any in the field of science. He is one of the busiest of this busy class of men, and is well equipped and fully prepared to meet any professional demands that may be made upon him, and has met with flattering success from the start. He was born in the canton of Berne, Switzerland, February 2, 1842, a son of John and Catherine (Lehman) Baumgartner, the former of whom was born in Switzerland, and there passed from life. His widow survives him and is a resident of Bluffton, Ind. She bore her husband two children: John J., who joined the Fourth Indiana Volunteers and died in Andersonville prison, and C. C., who was ten years of age when he left his native country. He took passage for this country on a sailing ves¬sel for Havre de Grace, and after an ocean voyage of forty-two days landed at New York City. His mother, brother and some other relatives came at the same time, and he, with his immediate relatives, located in Adams county, Ind., and in the public schools of that and Wells county he acquired a fair practical education. Until eighteen years of age his attention was given to farming, but at that age he began the study of medicine at Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from a medical institution of the latter place in the spring of 1861. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession in Wayne county, Ohio, but about seven years later became a practitioner of Adams county, Ind., where he continued to devote his talents to healing the sick and afflicted for seven years. He then gave up attending to the physical wants of his fellow creatures and began looking after their spiritual welfare, and for three years was a member of the Evangelical Association at Wabash City, and one year in Elkhart, Ind. His scholarly attainments, eloquence and earnestness soon made him a power in church circles, and for eight years he acted in the capacity of presiding elder, four years being spent in Indianapolis and four years in the Elkhart District. He became well known for his earnestness and zeal, and his discourses were considered able, eloquent and of a most convincing order. During his last term as a presiding elder he was crippled by an accident, after which he located in Elkhart, again took up the medical profession, and is successfully pursuing this honorable calling. During his residence in this city he has won many friends by his straightforward, gentlemanly and courteous conduct, and his earnest support and connection with everything tending to the welfare and progress of the city and section, especially in church matters, has done much toward making him the popular and respected citizen he now is. In 1863 he was married to Miss B. C. Lehman, by whom he has three sons: William H., Albert J. and Reuben A., all of whom are residents of Elkhart. Dr. and Mrs. Baumgartner have a very comfortable and pleasant home where they dispense a refined and generous hospitality. Albert J., their second son, is now taking his first course of lectures in Rush Medical College at Chicago; Reuben A. is clerk in the district passenger office of the Big Four Railroad, and William H. is a carriage trimmer in Pratt's Carriage Works in Elkhart.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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GEORGE D. MATHER is a prominent farmer, residing in the vicinity of Middlebury, Ind., and is descended from a distinguished colonial Puritan family, who were among the founders of the early New England churches and have been prominent as clergymen, statesmen and lawyers for generations. For the early history of this family see the sketch of J. R. Mather, of Elkhart, Ind. The grandfather of George D. was Jonathan Mather, son of Samuel, and was born in New Jersey, July 4, 1787, and died December 30, 1860. He married Anna Bishop, of West Hampton, N. J., in 1809, and by her was the father of ten children: Mary, born December, 1810; David B., born June 8, 1812; a son who died in infancy; Phoebe, born September, 1816; Lydia Ann, born February 22, 1819; Jonathan R., born May 25, 1821; Caroline M., born December, 1827; Irene A., born May 1, 1823; Joseph H., born June 14,1825, and Ira L. David B. Mather was born in Orange county, N. Y., was principally self-educated and became a good mathematician. He was married in his native county to Melissa, daughter of Jonathan Sayer, a farmer of that county. To David B. Mather and his wife five children were born: Jonathan S., Mary, Charles, Joseph and George. In June, 1837, Mr. Mather came to Elkhart county, Ind., having previously entered land in Middlebury township, now occupied by Jonathan S. Mather. He brought his family thither in the fall of 1837 and cleared a farm from the forest, to which by thrift and industry he added until he finally accumulated 2,100 acres. Upon first coming to Middlebury he engaged in the mercantile business, but this venture did not prove successful. When a young man he had traveled with the famous VanAmburg show, and had learned to auctioneer and to keep track of his sales in his head, and thus became an expert. After his mercantile experience he became an auctioneer and for years traveled extensively throughout northern Indiana, selling stocks of goods, etc.; was also collector for Eastern firms, and in this way did a large business. He was a very energetic man and read law after reaching middle life, and practiced law in the justice's courts throughout the county, becoming the legal adviser for many of the pioneer settlers. At first he was an old line Whig, but afterward became a Republican, being one of the founders of that party in Elkhart county, the principles of which he espoused in many a stump speech. He was a man of moral worth and integrity of character. He was a large land holder, having much of it under cultivation, and possessing a strong constitution and active mind, he kept his varied interests all in good working order. He was an extensive dealer in stock, one of the largest in northern Indiana, and in all matters was wide awake, enterprising and pushing. He gave all his children good educations, and taught them in the practical affairs of life. He was essentially a self-made man, and became well educated through he own mental efforts and the varied experiences through which he passed. He lived to be fifty years of age, but unfortunately had greatly injured his health by his travels, exposure and the arduous duties of his life, which greatly shortened his career.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
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1893
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GEORGE D. MATHER, his son, was born on the old Mather homestead June 21, 1859, and received a good education in the Middlebury High School, from which he graduated, afterward attending the commercial college at Kalamazoo, Mich. He then clerked for his brother, C. S. Mather, in Middlebury for two years. On September 1, 1880, he married Minnie B., daughter of John K. and Lydia J. (Brown) Burridge, the former of whom was born in Braintree, Vt., and was drowned in Lake Michigan September 7, 1868. He was the owner of a fine fruit farm at Benton Harbor, Mich., and socially was a member of the A. F. & A. M. He was the father of four children: Minnie B., George E. L., William S. and Lola N. After marriage Mr. Mather settled on the good farms which he inherited from his father, and which now contain 264 acres of land within the corporation of Middlebury. He has erected a fine two-story residence of brick and stone at a cost of $6,500, the construction taking place in 1883. It is very beautiful, and does credit to Mr. Mather's taste for the fitness of things and for the beautiful. He also has fine barns. He and his wife have one child, Lola Mabel, born December 12, 1881. Since his marriage, Mr. Mather has extensively engaged in farming and stockraising, and has a herd of fine Jersey cows. He has been quite an extensive traveler, has visited all the Eastern States and cities and points of interest, as well as Chicago, Kansas City, and other Western points. He is a stanch Republican, as his father was before him, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a public-spirited gentleman, in favor of all enterprises for the good of his section, and to this end gives liberally of his means. His traveling experiences, in which he took great interest, have added to his general information and contributed to make him one of the most intelligent and practical men of his section. He is essentially a man of his word, and his honor is unimpeachable.

“Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana
Together with Biographies of Many Prominent Men of Northern Indiana and the Whole State, Both Living and Dead”
Goodspeed Brothers Publishers, Chicago
1893
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Deb Murray