A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 30

Author: Howard, Timothy Edward, 1837-1916
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 887

USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 30

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Arriving at his home on the 25th of July, 1865, Mr. Kemble began at once to learn the mason's trade, which he has mastered in every detail, and in 1869 he began contract- ing in masonry work. Gradually he has forged to the front in his chosen line of endeavor, and has long been recognized among the leading mason contractors in St. Joseph county. many of its large buildings being the .

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result of his handiwork, including the city library and the county jail and many of the residences of South Bend.

The first marriage of Mr. Kemble was cele- brated in 1866, when Anna Matlock became his wife, and after her death he married Dr. Lorena Duch in 1873. She was born near Akron, in Stark county, Ohio, November 29, 1848, and when but five years old was brought by her parents to South Bend, where she received her literary education, and her med- ical training was received under the precep- torship of Dr. William Buchel. In 1876 she entered upon the active practice of her chos- en profession, which she has continued during the long period of thirty years in South Bend, . rence Barrett, E. L. Davenport, Thomas Sal- where she has become widely known both pro- fessionally and socially and is enjoying a large and representative practice. She speaks several languages, including the Polish, Hun- garian, German, French and English. Mr. Kemble is a member of Auten Post No. 8, G. A. R., in which he has filled all the chairs with the exception of that of commander. He is a Democrat in his political affiliations, and during Cleveland's administration served as a mail carrier in South Bend.

DAVID A. WESTBURY. One of the leading citizens and influential business men of South Bend, Mr. Westbury has for a number of years been an active factor in its industrial circles as a representative of the plumbing and heating business. He was born in Ro- chester, New York, August 12, 1854, a son of James and Anna (Carter) Westbury, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of the north of England. The Westbury fam- ily came to America in 1827, and James Westbury was an expert in the mixing of glass and also as a shoemaker. In 1855, with his family, he emigrated to Iowa, locating on a farm near Cedar Falls, where they con- tinued to reside for about nine years, when they sold their possessions there and returned to Rochester, New York. There Mr. West- bury passed away in death at the age of sev- enty-nine years, his wife having preceded him to the home beyond, dying when fifty-nine years of age. They were the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters.

Their son David was the eldest child in order of birth, and he spent nine years of his early life in Iowa, returning to his na- tive city of Rochester when a lad of ten years. When fifteen years of age he began learning the plumber's trade, serving a three

years' apprenticeship, during which time he received fifty dollars in money and his clothes for his first year's work, boarding at home, and the third year he was advanced to sev- enty-five dollars. During a year and a half at the close of his apprenticeship he worked as a jobber in Rochester, and then, abandon- ing his trade, spent nine years on the stage in concert work with many noted companies, namely : The John T. Raymond, Frank Mayo and Abbie & Schofield at Buffalo; Norcross & Nixon Minstrels at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania; spent one season with Joe Murphy and Latta, and was also with Mary Anderson, Adeline Neilson, Charlotte Cushman, Law-

vina, Janauschek and other companies. He won for himself widespread fame as an artist of great ability, but returning to Rochester at the close of his nine years on the stage, he resumed his old trade of plumbing, and for seven months continued that occupation in his native city. At this time Mr. West- bury received an offer to assume charge of the American Heating & Plumbing Company at Winnipeg, Manitoba, which he accepted and remained there until December of 1884, when he removed to Chicago, and in the spring of 1885 came to South Bend to install the heating plant at the Oliver Opera House. After completing the work, he went to New Orleans and other parts of the country in the interests of the heating trade, and finally accepted a position with E. P. Bates, of Syracuse, New York, taking charge of all his western work, and making his head- quarters at Chicago. His interests, however, were centered in many of the leading western cities, including St. Louis, St. Paul and Min- neapolis. Returning to South Bend in June, 1887, Mr. Westbury put in the heating works at the Oliver plant, and afterward installed heating plants for the Studebakers, the Bird- sells, the Wilson Brothers shirt factory, the Colfax Manufacturing Company, St. Mary's Academy, thence returned to the new plants of the Olivers and the Studebakers and also cleared up all the work for E. P. Bates. In 1894 he engaged in business with Mr. Blair, this partnership continuing until 1901, when Mr. Westbury purchased his partner's inter- est, and has since carried on his vast and important business alone. His relations, how- ever, in this city are many and varied, for he is one of the directors of the South Bend Mercantile Association, ex-president of the

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South Bend Business Men's Association, of which he is a member of the board of direc- tors, and is one of the city's leading business men.

In 1882 Mr. Westbury was united in mar- riage to Lucy Convery, and they had one son, John D., now a resident of Pana, Illinois. For his second wife he chose Ella Holtorf, their marriage having been celebrated in 1893. Mr. Westbury has fraternal relations with the Masonic order and the Elks of South Bend, and is a valued worker in the ranks of the Republican party.

F. M. CIMMERMAN for a number of years has been prominently identified with the busi- ness interests of St. Joseph county, and in that time has become recognized as one of its most valued and useful citizens. Connected with real estate operations, he is well known in South Bend. He was born in Logansport, Indiana, January 13, 1866, a son of Peter and Mary (Shiers) Cimmerman. The mother claimed Ohio as the state of her nativity, while the father was born in Maryland, just one year after the arrival of his parents in the United States from Germany. He con- tinued a resident of the Buckeye state until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he en- listed for the struggle in the Ninety-third Ohio Volunteers and served during the entire campaign. His military career was one which will ever redound to his honor as a loyal and devoted son of the republic and as one whose courage was that of his convictions. After the close of the war he removed to Logans- port, Indiana, which continued as the family home until 1876, when a removal was made to St. Joseph county, and here the father en- gaged in agricultural pursuits.

There the early part of Mr. Cimmerman's life was spent on the farm. At the age of thirteen he left the farm and was engaged in various kinds of work, from a section hand on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to that of a grocery clerk, that he might educate him- self. In March, 1884, he came to South Bend, where for the following thirteen years he served in a clerical capacity for the A. C. Kern Dry Goods Company, while for the fol- lowing seven years he was with the Livings- ton Clothing Company. Thus for many years he has been an active worker in the mercan- tile interests of South Bend, and through his diligence, perseverance and business ability was enabled to enter into trade relations for himself, and since 1904 has been numbered

among the leading real estate dealers of St. Joseph county. An ardent advocate of the principles of the Republican party, it was in but natural sequence that he should be- come an active worker in the cause and one of the leaders in political work. In January, 1906, he was elected chairman of the Repub- lican central committee.

In 1889 Mr. Cimmerman married Miss Jessie, a daughter of David Card, one of the honored early pioneers of St. Joseph county, and one daughter has blessed this union, Lu- cille, who was born on the 9th of September, 1891. In his fraternal relations Mr. Cim- merman is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Protective Or- der of the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Cimmerman also holds the very responsible position of assistant postmaster.

JOSEPH SCHMIDT. The name of Joseph Schmidt is deeply engraved on the pages of South Bend's industrial history, for through many years he has been a prominent con- tractor in cut stone, and many of the noted buildings of northern Indiana and southern Michigan stand as monuments to his ability. With a mind capable of planning, he has combined a will strong enough to execute his well formulated purposes, and his great ener- gy, keen discrimination and perseverance have resulted in placing him among the lead- ing business men of the community.

Mr. Schmidt's birth occurred in Germany on the 22d of March, 1864, and he remained in his native land until eighteen years of age, attending its public schools until his four- teenth year and serving his time as an ap- prentice to the stone cutter's trade. Crossing the ocean to the United States, he located at Columbus, Ohio, where he began working by the day, but steadily he worked his way up- ward, overcoming many difficulties and ob- stacles in his path, until he became a well known contractor of cut stone in that city. After a residence there of eighteen years he came to South Bend and resumed operations as a contractor, and among the buildings which are the result of his handiwork may be mentioned the city hall, the Perley, Oliver, grammar, Studebaker and Mussell schools, the Elks and Masonic temples, and he now has un- der construction the cut stone work for the Y. M. C. A. building, the Studebaker office build- ing and the First National Bank building of Gary, Indiana, an all-stone front building. also the Mix residence, city hall and school

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building of Mishawaka, the Huntington li- brary at Huntington, Indiana, the library at Goshen, the library building at Port Huron, Michigan, a church at Plymouth, the First Congregational church and Elks Temple at Elkhart, the Plymouth State Bank, and a church in Troy, Ohio, which is built entirely of stone, as is also the Elkhart church, and many other public buildings and private resi- dences. He furnishes constant employment to twenty men, all of whom are skilled arti- sans in their calling and are paid the highest wages. His business methods have ever been in strict conformity with the ethics of com- mercial life, and he has long been accounted one of the leading citizens of St. Joseph county.

In 1896 Mr. Schmidt married Etta Schwank, and their two children are Richard and Lawrence. He gives his political sup- port to the Democracy, and is a member of the Elks and Turners fraternities.

HARRY L. YERRICK, the leading undertaker of South Bend, was born in Springfield town- ship, Summit county, Ohio, five miles from Akron, April 2, 1872. His father, Benjamin F. Yerrick, also claimed Summit county as the place of his nativity, and he was there reared and married. When about five years of age Harry L. Yerrick accompanied his par- ents on their removal to St. Joseph county, Indiana, their first home being in Walkerton, where the son remained until seventeen years of age. In February, 1889, he became a citi- zen of South Bend, spending his first seven years in this city in the special order depart- ment of the toy works. In January, 1897, he took up the work of an undertaker, con- tinuing with some of the leading firms of the city until 1904, when he embarked in the business for himself. In the meantime he had pursued a two months' business course at Indianapolis, Indiana, and in 1889 secured his license as an undertaker from the state board of health and the State Board of Em- balmers. He is now the only undertaker in the city who owns his own stable and fur- nishes his own horses and carriages, owning six splendid turnouts. The success which has attended his efforts is but a merited reward, for in him are embraced the characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabating energy and industry that never flaggs. He is public spirited and thoroughly interested in what- ever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of the city in which

he has so long made his home, and he is rap- idly winning for himself a place among its most valued citizens.

In 1895 Mr. Yerrick was united in mar- riage to Ada A. Hood, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Hood, and two children, a son and a daughter, have been born to them, Helen M. and Harry L., Jr. Many of the fraternal societies of South Bend claim Mr. Yerrick as a member, namely: The Knights of Pythias, Elks, Eagles, Royal Arcanum, the Loyal Americans and the order of Ben Hur, and he is also a member of the Grange. In the Masonic order he has attained the Royal Arch degree. He upholds the principles of the Republican party, but at local elections votes independent of party ties, and is a worthy member of the Grace Methodist Epis- copal church.

Ross K. SCHUTT, identified with the busi- ness and social life of South Bend, was born in Noble county, Indiana, on the 12th of October, 1882, his parents being Abraham and Harriett (Skinner) Schutt, both natives of Indiana and still well known citizens of Noble county, where the father is engaged in agricultural pursuits. In their family were seven children, four sons and three daugh- ters.

Their son Ross K. received his educational training in the schools of Noble county, and in early life began the study of his chosen life work. His studies were pursued in the east with several prominent architects, and for a year and a half he was with the Col- liery Engineering Company of Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1903 he came to South Bend and opened an office for the practice of his profession, in which he has met with a very high degree of success. In addition to the local work which he is called upon to perform Mr. Schutt has also accomplished considerable state work, and at the present time is erecting the city hall at Kendallville, Indiana. He has made thorough research along the line of his profession, and although he has already achieved success, still brighter prospects await him.

In 1904 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Schutt and Miss Nettie H. Gundaker, she be- ing a daughter of Jacob Gundaker of Denver, Colorado. One daughter has been born to bless their home, Ruth Margaret, whose natal day was the 12th of November, 1906. Mr. Schutt is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows No. 29, the Elks and the

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Young Men's Christian Association. His re- ligious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church.

HENRY ORT, whose name is one which has been prominently identified with the annals of St. Joseph county from an early period in its history, was born in Penn township, on the 31st of March, 1853. His father, Fred Ort, was a native of Little York, Pennsyl- vania, and as his father died in early life the responsibilities of the family fell upon the son's young shoulders. In his native state he was married to Charlotte Novis, who was born and reared in Germany, and to them were born five children, three sons and two daughters, four of whom claimed St. Joseph county as the place of their nativity. Shortly after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ort came to this county, settling in Mishawaka, Penn township, where they secured one hundred and twenty acres of land in the dense woods, and in addition to clearing and cultivating his land he was also employed in Judson's flour mill. As they grew older the children assisted in clearing the farm, and in time the fields were placed under an excellent state of cultivation, and the little log cabin in which they began life in this county was re- placed by a commodious and comfortable dwelling. There the father lived and labored many years, then removed to South Bend and purchased a home on Colfax avenue on the site now occupied by the high school. There his useful life was ended in death, when he had reached the age of sixty-three years, leaving to his children valuable property in South Bend, as well as farm property. He was a valued member of the Evangelical church, having been one of the founders of that denomination in this locality, and was a Republican in his political affiliations. His wife was nineteen years old when she came to America with her parents, Henry and Eliz- abeth Novis, who were early settlers in Misha- waka. Henry Novis lived but a few years, and after his death his widow continued to live with her daughter (Mrs. Ort) till her death. Fred Ort and wife reared four chil- dren, Elizabeth, Daniel, Frederick and Henry M., Margaret dying in infancy. The mother now resides with her daughter Mrs. Streibel of South Bend.

Henry Ort, a son of this honored old pio- neer, spent the early years of his life in Penn township, and then came to South Bend, where he was married on the 15th of Janu-

ary, 1873, to Mary Keller, who was born in Berrien county, Michigan, July 12, 1851, of German parentage. Her father, Jacob F. Keller, came from the fatherland to America when very young, residing first in New York, where he was engaged as a packer and butcher. In that state he was married to Rosanna Beyrer, also a native of Germany, and they were the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom Mrs. Ort was the youngest in order of birth and only two of the number are now living. From New York Mr. Keller removed with his fam- ily to Ohio, and subsequently to Berrien county, Michigan, where he became the owner of a section of land, but subsequently sold a part of his farm and came to St. Joseph county, Indiana. After a time he removed to Niles, Michigan, but shortly returned to St. Joseph county, where for a number of years he was engaged in agricultural pur- suits in German township. After the death of his wife he returned to his native land of Germany, but it was not long before he again set sail for America, eventually drifting to the far-off state of California, where the re- mainder of his life was spent. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Ort has been blessed by the birth of five sons, Edward H. (deceased), Harry F., Arthur D., Howard J. and Marvin K., all of whom were born in this city.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Ort erected his present home on West Colfax street, South Bend, and in addition he also owns three hundred acres of land in Greene township. He follows in the political footsteps of his father and votes with the Republican party, and fraternally he is a member of the Mac- cabees and the Grange. His religious affilia- tions are with the St. Paul Methodist Episco- pal church, of which Mrs. Ort is also a mem- ber.

MARION BROWN RUSS. As the labors of the faithful pioneers of a new country must of necessity be devoted to the rugged, practical and often prosaic task of making it habitable for future generations, due credit must be given their children for devoting their lives to the upbuilding of local governments which are also prime necessities to the progress of settled and advanced communities. Marion B. Russ comes of pioneer stock on both the paternal and maternal sides, and has had a large share in the efficient development of both the educational and civic institutions of St. Joseph county, thereby upholding and

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perpetuating the family name in the highest sense of the phrase.

Marion B. Russ, one of the county com- missioners of St. Joseph county, has for many years been a substantial and honored citizen of Mishawaka. He was born in Windham county, Connecticut, September 26, 1840, be- ing a son of Dan and Mary Ann (Brown) .Russ, both also natives of the county named. The father, a farmer through life, came to St. Joseph county in 1858, and died in the following February, at the age of fifty-six years. He had been twice married, his first union being with Esther Mosley, by whom he had three daughters (all deceased), and his second marriage with Mary A. Brown, who bore him three sons and three daughters and died near Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the age of ninety-two years.

Mr. Russ, the second child and eldest son in this family, remained in his native county of Windham until he had reached the age of eighteen years, when he migrated to St. Jo- seph county and completed his education in the schools of Mishawaka. This thorough mental training enabled him to advantage- ously enter the educational field, and for twenty years he proved an efficient teacher in the schools of Mishawaka and St. Joseph county. In his early manhood he had learned the carpenter's trade, and during the sum- mer months, when not engaged in the school room, he followed this occupation, thus build- ing into his life the stable elements both of useful manual labor and intellectual vigor. During a period of six years he was a resi- dent of Minneapolis, Minnesota, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and on his return to St. Joseph county located on a farm just out- side the limits of Mishawaka.

Thus for years living in this community as a practical and intelligent citizen, taking an active part in its useful work and highly re- spected as a representative of its best men- tality, Mr. Russ has naturally been called upon to assist in the conduct of public af- fairs. For four years he served as trustee of Penn township, for five years as its as- sessor, and in 1896 was elected a commissioner of the county. Accurate, systematic, enter- prising, able and honest in the performance of his duties, his re-nomination for the office in 1904 was equivalent to an election. This is his sixth year as county commissioner, and the general satisfaction of his constituents in- creases with his length of service. During

his official period the beautiful and substan- tial cement bridges which span the river at South Bend and Mishawaka have been con- structed under his personal supervision, and he has been altogether alive to the practical needs of all the people of the county, thor- oughly appreciating the duties and dignity of his office.

In 1865 Mr. Russ was united in marriage with Mary Olive Stuckey, daughter of James Stuckey, who was among the very early pio- neers of St. Joseph county. Mrs. Russ was born in Clay township in the county named, March 16, 1845. Her father was a native of North Carolina, where he was reared and married, and whence he journeyed, in 1832, to the wilderness then embracing St. Joseph county. Loading his household goods and family into a home-made wagon, he made the entire journey overland, and for about a year lived at Richmond. He then settled in this county on a tract of timber land which he purchased from the government. His first habitation was hastily constructed of poles, and the few white settlers at South Bend and scattered through the county were planted in surroundings almost equally rude. South Bend was then but an Indian trading post, and the savages roamed the country with wild turkey and other game. Mr. Stuckey was a skilful hunter, and in return for supplying his neighbors with meat he received the as- sistance of the settlers in clearing his land. At this time Michigan City was the nearest market for grain and depot for supplies. As the early settlers lived chiefly on the products of their land and on wild game; and wood for shelter and fuel was plentiful, it was not dif- ficult for them to obtain the necessities of life, their clothing of course being made and fashioned by the "women folks." As the years passed Mr. Stuckey's prospects and cir- cumstances improved, he cleared a generous tract of land, developed it into a good farm, erected large frame barns and other out- buildings, and the log house was replaced by a commodious brick residence in which he passed many comfortable and happy days. His death at the age of sixty-one was caused by injuries received from a runaway team. Mrs. Russ was reared amid pioneer scenes in her native town. Her first schooling was ob- tained in a log house, Anthony Navarre, an Indian, being the teacher.

Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Marion B. Russ-Irwin Warren and James

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Marion. Irwin W. Russ was born April 18, 1866, and is now a resident of Robbinsdale, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he is engaged in the grocery business. His wife was formerly Mary Cook, of that place, and she has borne him five daughters, Grace, Marion, Hazel and Harriet (twins), and Ruth.

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A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 30

Author: Howard, Timothy Edward, 1837-1916 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 887

Author: Howard, Timothy Edward, 1837-1916
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 887