About three miles west of his present home Mr. Alexander was born January 4, 1870, a son of Mathew and Edith (Darlin) Alexander. His parents were both natives of Richland County, Ohio, grew up and married there, and in 1865 brought their family to Kosciusko County. The parents located on a tract of land in Seward Township about half way between Yellow Creek and Beaver Dam lakes. They spent their lives there. The father was a republican. Of the nine children six are still living. Peter, of Warsaw; Jonathan, of Seward Township; Ida, wife of Elias Parker; Nettie, wife of Hollis Tucker, of Akron, Indiana; George M., of Seward Township; and Frank.

Frank Alexander grew up on the old homestead and attended the district school in the same community. December 24, 1891, he married Miss Rose Stoffer. She was born in Miami County, Indiana. For a number of years Mr. Alexander owned eighty acres of the old homestead, but in 1907 sold that and came to his present farm, also comprising eighty acres. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising. Mr. Alexander votes the republican ticket.

He and his wife have three interesting young sons: Myrl, a graduate of the common schools and high school; Gurney L., who has finished the course of the common schools; and Luhr, now attending the grade school.

Source: History of Kosciusko
Date posted: 12/6/98

ALLISON, RANDOLPH B. The durable satisfactions of life are those won by hard work and by the overcoming of many obstacles. While he is now generally recognized as one of the successful and substantial farmers and stock raisers of Kosciusko County, there was a time when Randolph B. Allison had to depend upon the work of his hands at day and monthly wages. He paid for his first land in that way, and with the co-operation of a loyal wife has made progress over obstacles and has achieved his present position and success in the world. Mr. Allison is proprietor of the Lakeside Farm of eighty acres a half mile south of Yellow Bank in Tippecanoe Township.

He is a native of Delaware County, Indiana, where he was born November 28, 1859, son of Samuel and Martha (Fields) Allison. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, where they grew up and married, from there moved to Ohio, and a little later to Delaware County, Indiana, and their next move took them to Sullivan County in this state, and from there they came to Kosciusko County locating in Plain Township, where they acquired seventy-two acre's southeast of Leesburg. Eight years later they made their final move to Tippecanoe Township, where the mother spent her last years. The father died in Missouri. Of their twelve children eight are still living, and the family are now widely scattered: Emma, unmarried, at Leesburg; Randolph B.; Samuel, of Kansas; William, of Missouri; Perry, of North Dakota; John A. and Madison, twins, the former in Wyoming and the latter in Oklahoma; and Arthur, in Wyoming. Randolph B. Allison grew up in Kosciusko County and attended public schools to the age of sixteen. Even before that he had been working and contributing his help to the support of the family. He has made his own way since early youth.

On July 15, 1882, Mr. Allison married Miss Leuesa Stemler. Mrs. Allison was born at North Webster August 14, 1866, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Arnold) Stemler. Her parents were both natives of Germany. Her father came to this country when a young man and her mother with her parents. They married in Ohio and from there moved to North Webster. Jacob Stemler became widely known in that community. He was the first shoemaker to locate in the town, and, being a man of expert skill he had a lance trade and continued active in the work until advanced years overtook him. He was a charter member of the Evangelical Church and a trustee. His wife died in 1893, while he passed away in 1901. In the Stemler family were eight children, four of whom died young. Catherine, the oldest of those who grew up, married Hiram Kindle. The second, Mary, is the wife of John Webber, of Nappanee, Indiana; Emma is the wife of Lewis Baugher; Leuesa, the youngest, is Mrs. Allison. Mrs. Allison was educated in the common schools.

After his marriage Mr. Allison supported his little family by monthly wages, and for two years lived in Kansas. On returning to this country he again resumed his program of work by the day. His first purchase of land was ten acres and it was paid for by his wages. He then bought ten acres more, also rented ground, and finally acquired sixty acres, and has gradually guilt up the Lakeside Farm, which is widely known for its fine Norman horses.

Mr. and Mrs. Allison have one daughter, Elizabeth. She is now the wife of Milo Daniels, and lives in Elkhart, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels have four children: Ruth E., Mary E., Louise, and C. Wilber.

The family is members of the Evangelical Church at North Webster, and Mr. Allison is one of the trustees and a class leader, and for twenty years was superintendent of its Sunday school. In politics he votes as a democrat. He is one of the directors of the Farmers State Bank at North Webster.

Source: History of Kosciusko County
Date posted: 12/6/98

JAMES M. AMISS, M.D., is a native of Wells County, Indiana, born May 22, 1852, son of Philip M. and Rachel (Good) Amiss. The father was born near Amissville, Rappahannock County, Virginia, the village being named in honor of his family, who were old and high]y respected citizens of that county and State. The mother was a native of Perry County, Ohio. The parents removed to Wells County about the year 1850, and two years later removed to Wabash County, where the mother died in April, 1873. The father is still living on his farm, in that county, and is now in his seventy-second year. Ten children were born to them - Joseph, William, Elizabeth, John, George, Mary, James, Albert, Martha and Charles, all of whom are yet living; Charles, the youngest, is twenty-seven years of age, and all are married except him. Albert graduated from the Central Law School of Indianapolis, in the class of 1880. John is a lumber merchant of Cincinnati, Ohio. Joseph was, in 1886, the Democratic candidate for auditor of Huntington County, and he is also trustee of the township in which he resides. George is also trustee of Pleasant Township, Wabash County, Indiana. Philip Amiss was one of the pioneer teachers of Wabash County, and all of his children received liberal educational advantages, and five of them were for a time engaged in teaching school. James M. Amiss, the subject of this sketch, completed his classical education in the normal schools of Kosciusko County, and in 1876 began the study of medicine with Dr. W Y. Wells, and later attended the Medical College of Indiana, from which noted institution he graduated in February, 1880. He then came directly to Silver Lake, and from the first has met with success in his profession, and is now enjoying a good practice. In October, 1880, he was married to Miss Ella Leckron, a daughter of Benjamin and Maria Leckron, of Kosciusko County. Her parents were natives of Licking County, Ohio, coming to Indiana in 1873, and have since resided on a choice farm located near the village of Silver Lake. Dr. Amiss is a very popular citizen, always taking an active interest in every enterprise which he deems for the advancement of his township or county, and has served three terms very acceptably as village clerk. He acquired an excellent reputation as a teacher, having followed that profession for thirteen consecutive terms.

Source: Biographical & Historical Record of Kosciusko Co., IN., Lewis Publishing Co., 1887
Posted: June 26, 2000

PHILIP ARNOLD, a farmer of Tippecanoe Township, resides on section 16, east half of southwest quarter. He came to this county in the spring of 1860, having run away from home. His mother was a widow with a large family, and Mr. Arnold feared she would oppose his coming to Indiana, and came without her knowledge. He had a married sister living in this county, so he packed a small valise with his possessions, and when he arrived here he had just $1 left. He made his home with his sister, who was the wife of Jacob Stemler, and now lives in Tippecanoe Township. He first hired out to John Kramer, a farmer in Noble County, and worked for him over a year. September 20, 1881, he enlisted in Company B, Thirtieth Indiana Infantry, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out in January, 1865. His term of enlistmont expired September 20, 1864, but he was kept in hospital by a wound. His first service was in Kentucky, and then in Tennessee. He was in the battle of Shiloh, under the command of McCook, as Division Commander, and General Buell as Corps Commander. He followed the corps of Generals Buell, Rosecrans and Thomas, participating in the battle of Missionary Ridge, and was then joined to the army of General Sherman, and followed his corps to Jonesboro, where he was wounded in the left arm, the ball striking the arm at the wrist and coming out at the elbow, which caused its amputation just below the shoulder joint. During one year of his service he was detailed as a teamster, being unable to carry a cartridge box. As soon as he was wounded he was taken to the brigade hospital, thence to Atlanta for a few days, thence to Chattanooga, where his arm was amputated. As soon as he was able he was sent to Indianapolis, where he was discharged. He then returned to this county, spending a short time, then went to his former home in Ohio, and during the following summer was engaged in boating on the Ohio Canal. In 1868 he returned to Webster and opened a grocery store, and the following spring he was elected township assessor. He continued in the grocery business three years, then sold out to John C. Beagle. About this time he purchased thirty-three acres of land north of Webster Village, where he lived for six years, then exchanged it for his present farm, which runs down to Tippecanoe Lake, where he has good fishing and good water for his stock. September 24, l870, he was married to Dulcena Johnson, who was born in Tippecanoe Township, May 15, 1851, where she was reared and educated. She is a daughter of Issac and Jane (Mock) Johnson, the former a native of Harrison County, West Virginia, born February 18, 1824, and the latter of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, born July 2, 1834. Mr. Johnson moved with his parents to Kosciusko County, Indiana, in 1834. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold have six children - Clara J., Elizabeth, James F., Cora, Gertrude and Chester Arhtur. Mr. Arnold was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, October 18, 1843, where he lived until he was sixteen years of age. His parents, Jacob and Margaret (Gettle) Arnold, were natives of Germany. The mother was born in 1809, and was about a year older than her husband, who died in 1851, when Philip was about eight years old. Mr. Arnold was justice of the peace four years, and in 1888 was elected township trustee for two years. Politically he is a Republican.

Source: "History of Kosciusko County"
Date Posted: January 29, 2001