A.C. MANWARING, one of the earliest pioneers of Mentone, and an active and public-spirited citizen, is a native of Kosciusko County, Indiana, born in Franklin Township, in 1857, a son of Elliott and Sarah (Dulaney) Manwaring, the father born in Oswego, New York, and the mother a native of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Elliott Manwaring came with his parents to Kosciusko County, his father, John Manwaring, entering the land upon which he now resides in 1844. John Manwaring built the first cabin on this tract when the entire county was almost an unbroken wilderness, the nearest neighbors to him in those pioneer days being John Dunnock, Christian Sarber, Benjamin Blue and William Blue. The parents of our subject were married in Kosciusko County, Indiana, in 1856, and to them were born the following children - Artemus C., our subject, Laran D., Mary A. (deceased), Susan A., John A. and Frank M., all born on the homestead farm in Kosciusko County, which is still in the possession of Elliott Manwaring. A C. Manwaring, the subject of this sketch, received a good education in the schools of Warsaw and after leaving school followed teaching in Kosciusko County for a number of years, commencing at the Benton Sarber school when seventeen years of age. July 10, 1879, he was united in marriage in Severance, Kansas, to Annie L. Plank, a daughter of E. Pryor and Katie Plank, who were both natives of Pennsylvania. Two children have been born to this union - Franklin and Nellie. Mr. Manwaring settled in Severance, Kansas, in 1877, where he engaged in the confectionery business on a small scale, his first bill of goods amounting to $54.35. He commenced on a borrowed capital of $50, and by his excellent business management he prospered even beyond his expectations and the third year found him a partner in the best general store in the village he returned with his family to Kosciusko County in 1882, locating at Warsaw, and September 4 of the same year began the erection of the first building in Mentone, and October 1 put in a stock of goods and engaged in the mercantile business in that village. Seeing the need of a flouring mill in the village, he, in company with Samuel S. Mentzer, began the erection of a large roller-process mill, which was ready for operations October 1, 1884, the cost of the mill being $14,000. The mill has a capacity of 100 barrels per day, and has been a successful enterprise from its commencement, and during the summer of 1886 was run night and day. Mr. Manwaring has made a decided success out of his retail store, his business since October 1, 1882, amounting to $150,000. Although a comparatively young man, Mr. Manwaring is one of the most successful citizens of the county, and is now rated at $20,000, every dollar being made by fair and honorable dealing since 1879. In the building up and improvement of Mentone he has done as much as, if not more than any man in the village, erecting a number of residences himself, and aiding others with limited capital to build substantial homes, having expended over $14,000 in improvements since making his home in the village.

Source: History of Kosciusko County
Date Posted: September 16, 2000

HARVEY MEREDITH is another Kosciusko County citizen who had to start life with very little capital, with such experience as he had been able to gather when a boy on the farm, and he has utilized his opportunities and directed his energies to a point where he is now the possessor of a good farm, is more than paying his way, and is looked upon as one of the most substantial citizens of Seward Township. His home is on Rural Route No. 3 out of Akron, Indiana.

Mr. Meredith was born a few miles west of where he now lives, in Franklin Township, March 26, 1875, a SOII of Simon and Sarah (Cattern) Meredith. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of Ohio. They married in Franklin Township of this county and were identified with farming in that locality until the death of the father. The widowed mother survived until 1911. There were three sons - Willis, who lives on the old homestead; Harry, whose home is three and a half miles southeast of Claypool, and Harvey.

Mr. Harvey Meredith grew up in Franklin Township and attended the public schools of his home locality. He made himself useful by his work on the home place until he was twenty-five, and then established a home of his own by his marriage on February 4, 1900, to Miss Ada Paxton. Mrs. Meredith was born in Silver Lake, Indiana, and was educated in the schools of Seward Township. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Meredith chose the role of renters for a time, later bought land in Seward Township, and a few years ago traded that for the sixty-acre farm where Mr. Meredith and his family still reside. Mrs. Meredith died July 12, 1917, and four children mourn her loss. These children are: Opal, Trelba, Alonzo and Donovan. Opal, the oldest, was born July 1, 1902, and has finished the work of the common schools. Mr. Meredith and children are members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and in politics he votes as a republican.

Submitted by: Cheryl Hawley
Source: History of Kosciusko County
Date posted: 12/6/98

RICKARD H. MERRICK, deceased, was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, August 10, 1813. He was reared to manhood in his native county, and in his younger days was engaged in teaming, and for a short time followed blacksmithing. His educational advantages were quite limited. He was married in Maryland June 6, 1837, to Miss Nancy Halbert, a native of Morgan County, Virginia, and a daughter of Noah and Susan Halbert. When she was about eleven years of age her mother died, and when she was sixteen years of age she removed to Maryland, where she married the subject of this notice. To this union were born three children - Henrietta S., wife of O.D. Felkner, of Warsaw, Missouri; Henry E., of this county, and Mary C., wife of Myron Potter of Washington Territory. In 1848 Mr. Merrick emigrated with his family to Montgomery County, Ohio, and resided there until 1857, in which year he came to this county, and for seven years worked the farm of William Felkner south of Milford. He subsequently removed to Milford, where he died November 29, 1884. He owned eighty acres of land in Monroe Township, which is well improved. He was a member of the Christian church, and was for many years an elder in that church. His widow is also a member of the same church. He was a kind and loving husband and father, and was respected by all who knew him. Mrs. Merrick still resides at Milford.

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

HIRAM D. MILLER. The chief financial institution in the southeastern corner of Kosciusko County is the Bank of Sidney. Above and more important than its financial status and resources are the personnel of the men behind it and active in its management. A. B. Palmer is president, G.J. Smith is vice president, Hiram D. Miller is cashier, and the other directors are Sam Funk, Eli Circle and O. Palmer.

Hiram D. Miller has been cashier of the bank nearly ten years. He is a well trained and efficient business man, and has lived in this community most of his life. He was born in Jackson Township, on a farm four miles south of Sidney, March 19, 1874, a son of Levi J. and Anna E. (Ulrey) Miller. Both his father's and mother's families have been long and usefully identified with this section of Indiana. His father was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, October 4, 1845, while his mother was born in Jackson Township of Kosciusko County, September 2, 1847. The grandparents were John and Mary A. (Mishler) Miller, who brought their family to Indiana in 1847 and settled in section 18 of Jackson Township. The grandparents spent the rest of their days on their farm, and they were active members of the Church of the Brethren, the chief religious organization in that part of the township. Levi J. Stiller was one of a family of six sons and four daughters. After his marriage to Anna E. Ulrev he located in Jackson Township, lived there until 1876, then had a farm two and a half miles east of Claypool in Clay Township until the fall of 1882, when he returned to Jackson Township and continued his active life as a farmer until 1908. His wife died in 1905, and in 1908 he moved to Wabash County, lived on a farm there for ten years, and in the spring of 1918 retired to North Manchester, where he is still living. In his family were seven children by his first marriage, and those living today are: Joseph H., cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Cherubusco, Indiana, and who formerly served as postmaster of Syracuse, of Kosciusko County, fourteen years: Hiram D.; Ora, wife of Vern Bushong; Melvin F., assistant cashier of the Bank of Sidney; Lizzie, wife of Ford Landis; and Dayton, a farmer in Elkhart County. The one deceased child was named Alvin.

Hiram D. Miller grew up in Clay and Jackson Townships. The education of his youth was supplied by the local schools also the higher schools at North Manchester and the Tri-State informal College at Angola. With this splendid education Mr. Miller was a successful teacher for seven years, altogether in Jackson Township. Then for six years he was engaged in the hardware business at Sidney, and selling out removed to Syracuse, where he remained eight months, and for two years was located at North Manchester. Returning to Sidney in March, 1909, he took up his present duties and responsibilities as cashier of the local bank.

December 24, 1899, Mr. Miller married Miss Susie Ulrey, who was born in Kosciusko County, member of one of the well known families of that name in the southeastern part of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four children: Paul and Pauline, twins born May 8, 1901, now in the third year of the local high school: Carl, born August 1, 1912: and Bennett, born July 8, 1914.

The family are members of the Brethren Church, and Mr. Miller is clerk of the church society. He is now serving as Master of Sidney Lodge No. 579, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; he is also affiliated with Chester Chapter No. 47 Royal Arch Masons. Politically he has taken a quite active interest in the republican party, and for several years has been a local committeeman.

Submitted by: Cheryl Hawley
Source: History of Kosciusko County
Date posted: 12/6/98

JOSEPH K. MOCK, farmer, resides on section 33, Turkey Creek Township, where he owns 160 acres of land. He was born in Turkey Creek Township February 24,1836, and was reared a farmer. Between the ages of four and twenty he spent in Jefferson Township, Elkhart County. Since that time he has lived in Turkey Creek Township. His father, Jacob Mock, was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, April 18, 1804, and when he was nine years old moved to Preble County, same State, where he lived until he was thirty-one years of age, then removed with wife and one child to Kosciusko County. They settled upon the farm where Jacob Whitehead now lives. The father died February 20, 1874, and is buried in Webster Cemetary. His mother, Margaret (Keltner) Mock, was born August 28, 1815, reared, educated and married in Preble County, Ohio, and died July 7, 1874, aged fifty-eight years ten months and nine days. For four years after his marriage Joseph rented a farm, which was the same he now owns. He started in life with nothing but his hands and a span of horses, and nothing to hitch them to. He now owns 160 acres of good land with a very good frame house, built this present year. In 1882 he built his fine bark barn, at a cost of $1,000, and he furnished a portion of the lumber. When seven years of age he commenced going to school, and received a very good common-school education for that day. He was married July 81, 1859, to Miss Hannah Spillers, who was born in Harrison Township, Elkhart Cuunty, February 10, 1889, and when she was a child her parents moved to this county, where she was mostly reared. Her father, William Spillers, was a native of Pennsylvania, and her mother, Susan (Burns) Spillers, of Ohio. She was only one and a half years old when her father died. The mother again married, her second husband being Joseph Shock. She died in 1877, at the age of fifty-seven years, and is buried in the Shock cemetery. Mrs. Mock's father left three children - Sarah A., Hannah and Catherine. All are married, have families and are living in Turkey Creek Township. Mr. Mock's parents had ten children, of whom Joseph was the second - Maria E., born February 1, 1834; Joseph K., born Febmary 24, 1836; Mary A., born March 9, 1839; Eliza J., born January 8, 1841, died March 24, 1871; Lewis T., born March 18, 1843, was a soldier in the late war, enlisted in Company C, Thirty-eighth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, died February 24, 1881; Amanda was born December 28, 1845; Chancey, born October 13, 1848, died February 20, 1880; Commodore P., born December 19, 1851, died September 11, 1878; William E., born August 12, 1854; John N., born February 22, 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Mock have six children - Perry E., born October 3, 1859; Reuben 3., October 13, 1860; Lewis A., February 25, 1862; Marion F., July 1, 1864; Charles A., November 17, 1867; Sanford M., October 10, 1869. Mr. Mock served as justice of the peace four years, and was re-elected in 1886. Politically he is a Republican. Mrs. Mock is a member of the United Brethren church.

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

Rose MOCK was born 1857 in Kosciusko County, IN. She was a daughter of David MOCK and Catherine GIBLER. David Mock was a son of John MOCK and Elizabeth SMITH. Rose married Wesley BERRY in 1879 in Kosciusko County. Rose and Wesley had three children; Grace, Sidney and John. This photo was taken on 25 March 1873 when Rose was 16 years old on a trip with cousins Peter SMITH and Frederick HARTLINE to Columbia City, Indiana. This trip is recounted in Frederick Hartline's diary.
(The link to the photo mentioned above is on the Kosciusko County USGenWeb page.)

Contributed by: Jim Hartline and Gene Andert
4/15/98

Deb Murray