A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 61

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 61

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

descent, and were represented in the Revo- lutionary war. William Pottinger was a na- tive of Kentucky, but reared in Ohio as an agriculturist, and with the passing years be- came a successful business man. His politi- cal affiliations were with the Republican party, a strong and active worker in its ranks, and his death occurred in Ohio at the age of seventy-one years. Mrs. Pottinger was a native of Ohio, and was a Scotch Presby- terian, her death occurring when she had reached the good old age of eighty-three years. Mr. Place is a stanch and true Demo- crat, and both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. They aided ma- terially in the erection of the beautiful church of that denomination in Walkerton, and have ever been active workers in the cause of Christianity. Mr. Place is a trustee and elder in the church, while his wife is a mem- ber of its Ladies' Aid. Walkerton may well be proud to claim them among her honored citizens, and in the history of St. Joseph county they deserve a foremost place.

MYRON D. LEROY is numbered among the native sons of St. Joseph county, and here he has spent his entire life, thus becoming well known to the citizens of his locality, who esteem him highly for his true worth of char- acter. His birth occurred on the 6th of Jan- uary, 1859, a son of John S. and Ruth (Giberson) Leroy. To them were born three children, namely : J. D., a resident of But- ler county, Iowa, where he is now serving as the deputy sheriff of the county; Myron D., the immediate subject of this review; and William S., who is an agriculturist in Lincoln township and also serving as route agent for the government. John S. Leroy, who traced his lineage to the French, was born in New York in 1821, and his death occurred in Lincoln township, St. Joseph county, Indiana, in 1904. Remaining in his native commonwealth until reaching man's estate, he emigrated to St. Joseph county about 1856, his first purchase of land here consisting of fifty-one acres in Lincoln town- ship, and here he spent the remainder of his life with the exception of a three years' resi- dence in Laporte county. In his early manhood he had learned the carpenter's trade, but his life was principally devoted to agri- cultural pursuits. Formerly a Whig, he joined the Republican party at its organiza- tion. and both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. During

Digitized by Google

943

HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

the period of the Civil war he served about one year as a soldier, when he received an honorable discharge and returned home. Mrs. Leroy also claimed New York as the state of her nativity, born about 1829, and her death occurred in 1905. She traced her lineage from the Scotch.

Myron D. Leroy is indebted to the public schools of St. Joseph county for the early educational training which he received, but the greater part of his education has been obtained in later years, by reading and ob- servation. Reared as a farmer's lad, he re- mained with his parents until his marriage, first wedding Miss Mittie Whetzell, by whom he had one son, Worth J., who is a graduate of the Walkerton high school and is now employed with the Illinois Steel Company at South Chicago. He affiliates with the Re- publican party, and also has membership rela- tions with the Masonic and Knights of Pythias orders in Walkerton. The wife and mother died in March, 1888, and for his sec- ond wife Mr. Leroy chose Miss Nina Martin, and their only child is a daughter, June. She graduated from the eighth grade of the Walkerton high school with the class of 1907, and has also taken musical instruction, being a vocalist of more than ordinary ability, and as such has taken an active part in the social life of Walkerton. Mrs. Leroy was born in Van Buren county, Michigan, July 11, 1870, a daughter of S. D. and Amret (Gage) Martin. She remained in her native state of Michigan until her eighteenth year, receiving her education in its common schools. Her father, whose birth occurred in Noble county, Indiana, traces his ancestry to the Emerald Isle, the birthplace of his grand- parents. His business career has been de- voted to the tilling of the soil. The wife . and mother is deceased.

Mr. Leroy began the battle of life for him- self as an agriculturist, pursuing this voca- tion for nine years in La Porte and St. Jo- seph counties, and on the expiration of the period, in 1891, turned his attention to the livery and sale stable business in Walkerton. In 1897, however, a fire destroyed his barn and burned twelve head of horses and all his vehicles, and although this was a terrible loss this indomitable will proved equal to the emergency, and Phoenix-like there arose from the ashes in the following spring a larger and better equipped barn, strictly mod- ern in all its appointments, in which he now

has eighteen head of horses and a fine line of buggies, hacks and carriages, he also doing the hearse work of the town. He has also been extensively engaged in buying and sell- ing horses, and in 1906, in company with another gentleman, he sold one hundred and fifty head in Walkerton. Success has at- tended Mr. Leroy in his business efforts, and by his courteous treatment and honorable dealings he has won the confidence of the public. His political support is given to the Republican party, casting his first presiden- tial vote for Garfield, and at various times has been selected to represent the people's interests in the county conventions, while for two terms he was also a councilman in Walkerton. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity No. 263, of his home city. The family are classed among the lead- ing residents of Walkerton, and it is with pleasure we present this review of their lives in the Twentieth Century History of St. Joseph county.

SYDENHAM C. EWING. One of the leading citizens and influential business men of Walkerton, Mr. Ewing has spent many years of his life in this immediate community, and is therefore well known to its residents. He was born in La Porte county, Indiana, De- cember 29, 1868, the third in order of birth of the six children, three sons and three daughters, born to George D. and Mary (Cogley) Ewing, three, of- whom are now living: Sydenham, whose name introduces this review; Maude, who received her educa- tion in the Oxford Female Academy, and is now a teacher in both vocal and instrumental music in Indianapolis; and Earl, a machinist of that city. Mr. Ewing, the father, is a native of Ohio, born February 10, 1838, and he is now a resident of Indianapolis and a representative of the photographer's profes- sion. In his early youth he emigrated from his native commonwealth of Ohio to La Porte county, Indiana, with his parents, the jour- ney thither having been made in wagons and in true pioneer style. He was left fatherless in his early manhood, much of the responsi- bility for the support of the family thus falling upon his young shoulders, and in those early days much of his time was spent as a tiller of the soil. but later he took up the profession of a photographer. For ten years he was a resident of the city of La Porte, for two years was located at Chester- ton, from there removed to Garrett, this

Digitized by Google

944

HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

state, and in 1877 came to Walkerton. From that time until 1900 he was engaged in the work of his profession in this city, but at the expiration of the period went to Indian- apolis, where he has ever since made his home. In the early years of his life his political sympathies were with the Greenback party, but later identified himself with the De- mocracy, and during his residence in Walker- ton he served as a member of the town council. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and both he and his wife are adherents of the Presbyterian faith. Mrs. Ewing is a native daughter of Ohio, born July 30, 1844, and she attained to mature years in Indiana, re- ceiving her education in the St. Rose Acad- emy of La Porte, Indiana.

Sydenham C. Ewing was but eight years of age when he became a resident of Walker- ton, receiving his early educational training in its public schools, but he is principally a self-educated man. When he had reached the age of eighteen years he began as a wage earner, his first employment being with the Michigan Central Railroad Company, with whom he remained for eighteen months. Like many other young men he met with many reverses on his road to success, but with the aid of his estimable wife he has gradually climbed the ladder of success and has be- come influential in the business life of Walker- ton. He learned the practical details of pho- tography in his father's studio, and from O. F. Townsend, of Walkerton he learned the barber's trade, while at the present time his is one of the leading tonsorial parlors in the city.

On the 22d of September, 1897, Mr. Ewing was united in marriage to Miss Marie Mikesell, and a son and daughter have been born to them, but the little daughter is de- ceased, and the son, Donald, is now their only surviving child. Mrs. Ewing was born in Carroll county, Indiana, June 6, 1875, the youngest of six children, three sons and three daughters, born to Philip and Suzanne (Hasting) Mikesell. Four are yet living, namely: Margaret, a resident of Chi- cago; Charles W., engaged in the livery busi- ness in Indianapolis: Bowman, a leading business man of Idaville, White county, In- diana; and Marie, the wife of Mr. Ewing. Mrs. Ewing was left an orphan at an early age, her mother dying when she was only two years old, and her father when she was sixteen, the children then being left without

any financial resources and from that time were obliged to make their own way in the world. Mrs. Mikesell was a member of the Church of God. Mr. and Mrs. Ewing began their married life with but little means, but by their united efforts they succeeded in canceling some debts and with the passing years have become prosperous and influential citizens. They own one of the pretty cottage homes in the little town of Walkerton, and here they dispense a gracious hospitality to their many friends and acquaintances. Mrs. Ewing is a pleasing hostess, a model house- keeper, and has ever been an able helpmate to her husband. Mr. Ewing is independent in his political affiliations, and fraternally is a member of the Masonic order, affiliating with Lodge No. 619 at Walkerton, and at Wina- mac he became a member of the Knights of Pythias, Lodge No. 274, but he now frater- nizes with Castle Hall Lodge No. 263, at Walkerton. Mrs. Ewing is a member of the Rebekahs, also of the Knights of Columbus. now known as the Royal Americans of the Republic, and is a Pythian Sister. Both are devout members of the Presbyterian church at Walkerton, and in this city, where they have so long made their home, they have many friends and acquaintances.

EDWARD GRIDER, to whom belongs the honor of being a pioneer merchant of Walk- erton, and to whom has also come the repu- tation of being one of its solid and substan- tial business men, is descended from the sturdy and honored German race, the name having been changed from its original Ger- man form of Greider to its present orthog- raphy. His birth occurred in the county of Allen, Indiana, on the 27th of May, 1846, his parents being Martin and Mary (Lef- fler) Grider, of whose family of five children. three sons and two daughters, only two are now living, Mr. Edward Grider and his sis- ter Martha, who is the wife of George Norris, of La Porte, Indiana. Martin Grider. the father, was a native of Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania, and was an agriculturist during his business life. In a very early day he emi- grated to Indiana, making the journey hither in wagons and in true pioneer style, and on his arrival in Allen county he purchased land and continued its cultivation until his life's labors were ended in death, passing away when his son Edward was but a babe of two years. His widow, who is a native of Ohio, is yet living, having reached the eighty-

Digitized by Google

945

HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

second milestone on the journey of life, and is an honored resident of Johnson township, La Porte county. She is a worthy member of the Methodist church, and is one of those brave pioneer women whom it is a delight to honor and revere.

Edward Grider spent his boyhood days as a farmer's lad in Allen county, receiving his education in one of its primitive pioneer schools, a little log building twenty by twenty- four feet, with a clapboard roof and heated by an old box stove. The desks were made of a broad board resting on wooden pins, while the seats were made from splitting bass- wood logs in two pieces. They had no text books in those early schools, and they used the old fashioned goosequill pen. The schools were maintained by private subscriptions and taxation, and they present a striking contrast to the modern schools of the twentieth cen- tury. At the age of twenty years Mr. Grider began the battle of life for himself, practi- cally without capital, and his first employ- ment was cutting cord wood at one dollar a cord. This was during the war, and he later took charge of a farm on the shares, where he remained for two years. In 1870 he re- moved to La Porte county, Indiana, where he purchased thirty acres of land, going in debt for a part of the tract, but his excellent busi- ness ability and industry soon enabled him to clear the indebtedness, and he also added to his original purchase until he became the owner of one hundred and sixty-four acres, all in Johnson township. In 1882, however, Mr. Grider transferred his residence from La Porte to St. Joseph county, and entered into partnership with Daniel Brubaker in a general store in Walkerton, this relationship continuing for seven years, but on the ex- piration of that period, in 1889, Mr. Grider sold his interest to another party and retired for a time from a business life. In 1892, however, he again entered the commercial cir- cles, forming a partnership with Charles Ste- vens, but this relationship was severed in 1902, and since that time Mr. Grider has been engaged in general mercantile pursuits at his present location, his being one of the leading general stores of the township. The stock comprises a full line of dry goods, gro- ceries, boots and shoes, and all county prod- uce. and the volume of business which he annually transacts amounts to twenty thou- sand dollars. By fair and honorable deal- ings he has won the confidence and good will

of the people, and is therefore accorded a liberal share of the patronage of the sur- rounding country.

Mr. Grider married Miss Anna Ake, their wedding having been celebrated on the 18th of December, 1868, and of the three children which blessed their union, one son and two daughters, all have passed away. Mrs. Gri- der is a native of Allen county, Indiana, born October 9, 1850, and during the long period of thirty-nine years she has traveled the journey of life with her husband, assist- ing him in the establishment of their home and at all times proving a true and worthy helpmate. Mr. Grider is a stanch Repub- lican in his political affiliations, casting his first presidential vote for General Grant, and he has frequently been selected as dele- gate to the county conventions. He also served as trustee of his town for one term, was treasurer of Walkerton for one term, was a member of the old board of education and is now treasurer of the present school board. His fraternal connections are with the Knights of Pythias, Lodge No. 263, in which he has passed all of the chairs, and also served as a delegate to the Grand Lodge in 1901. His wife is a member of the Pythian Sisters, and both are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. They are numbered among the leading citizens of Walkerton, and their long identification with the place and their prominence here entitles them to more than a passing notice in a work of this char- acter, devoted as it is to the portrayal of the lives of the representative men and women of St. Joseph county.

GEORGE P. Ross. During a number of years George P. Ross has been a resident of Walkerton, St. Joseph county, and has also been prominently identified with its business interests as a hardware merchant. He was born in Davis county, Iowa, February 19, 1859, a son of Samuel F. and Samantha A. (Bell) Ross, to whom were born four sons, and the three now living are Frank M., who is married and resides in Davis county, Iowa, where he is a prominent merchant; George P., whose name introduces this review; and Fred F., who is married and resides in Michi- gan City, there following the trade of tin- ning. Mr. Samuel F. Ross, the father, was a native son of Maryland, born about 1831, but when quite young he left that common- wealth and thereafter resided in Iowa and Ohio, but was a resident of St. Joseph county

Digitized by Google

946

HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

at the time of his death, which occurred in 1903. In his early life he had learned the trade of shoemaking, but afterward became a merchant, and was succeeded by his son, George P., in the hardware business in Walk- erton. He was an ardent supporter of Re- publican principles, and his fraternal con- nections were with the Masonic and Odd Fel- lows orders, his funeral services having been conducted under the auspices of the former fraternity. Mrs. Ross was born in Ohio, and is yet living, a resident of Iowa, she having reached the age of seventy-one years, and is a valued member of the Presbyterian church.

George P. Ross, in whose veins flows the blood of his Scotch ancestors, was reared and educated in his native state of Iowa, there remaining until his thirteenth year, when he came to Walkerton, St. Joseph county, In- diana, and has here made his home during the past thirty-five years. He is a self-educated but a thorough business man, and for fifteen years he served as a commercial traveler in different lines of trade, his route being to Chicago and La Porte, Indiana. In 1897 he purchased his father's business in Walker- ton, but for three years thereafter he con- tinued on the road, although he superin- tended his hardware interests, and since that time has given to it his entire time and atten- tion. The business is now one of the leading ones of Walkerton, his sales annually amount- ing to eighteen thousand dollars. His large trade has been secured through his honorable methods, his earnest desire to please his pat- rons and the excellent line of goods which he carries, and such qualities cannot fail to win success. Under his management the busi- ness has been constantly enlarged and broad- ened, and now embraces the sale of buggies, carriages and machinery.

In 1885 Mr. Ross was united in marriage to Miss Acta Buckles, and they have had two children, a son and a daughter, but the latter, Hazel Catherine, died when a babe of four years. The son is a member of the graduating class of 1907 in the Walkerton high school, and has the honor of being the historian of his class. Mrs. Ross is a native daughter of St. Joseph county, her parents being Harvey and Elizabeth (De Armand) Buckles. Mr. Ross is a Republican in his political affiliations, casting his first presi- dential vote for Garfield, and in his frater- nal relations he has attained high rank in

the Masonic order, having served as most worshipful master of the local lodge of Walk- erton, No. 619, also serving as its representa- tive to the Grand Lodge, and is a member of Walkerton Knights of Pythias, Lodge No. 263, which he has also represented in the Grand Lodge at Indianapolis. The family are well and favorably known in the com- munity, and stand high in its various circles.

ISAAC T. SNETHEN. In reviewing the life history of Isaac T. Snethen we find one who has risen through his own efforts to a posi- tion of prominence in the business life of this section of St. Joseph county, represent- ing its agricultural interests. His birth oc- curred in Montgomery county, Ohio, Febru- ary 8, 1851, the second in order of birth in a family of four children, three sons and one daughter, born to Abram and Mary (Thomas) Snethen. Only two of the children are now living, the daughter being Mahala, the widow of Robert Robinson and a resident of Walk- erton, where she has charge of the Baltimore & Ohio Company's lunch room. Mr. Snethen. the father, was also a native son of Ohio, born in 1831, and his death occurred in St. Joseph county, Indiana, in 1857, when his son Isaac was a little lad of six years. He was numbered among the early pioneers and agriculturists of St. Joseph county, and the first home of the family here was a little log cabin. The wife and mother, who also claimed Ohio as the commonwealth of her nativity, passed away in death at the age of thirty-two years, dying in St. Joseph county.

Thus their little son was left an orphan at an early age, and until his eighteenth year he made his home with an uncle, enjoy- ing but meager school advantages. He was reared as a farmer boy, but during a part of his early business career he was also en- gaged in gardening. On the 1st of January, 1874, he was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Pollock, and of their six children. four sons and two daughters, five are now living. Daisy, the eldest, is the wife of Ed Rupel, a resident farmer of Lincoln town- ship, and they have four children, Edna. Elsa. Walker and Willard. Mrs. Rupel was well educated, and was formerly a teacher in St. Joseph county. The son Elmer is a prac- ticing dentist in Evansville, Indiana. He graduated from the scientific course at Dan- ville, Indiana, August, 1899, where he won a gold medal for proficiency. also freshman honors, i. e., free tuition of one hundred dol-

Digitized by Google

947

HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

lars. He then graduated from a dental col- lege in Louisville, Kentucky. He wedded Miss Verona Herman October 7, 1901, and they have two children, Dorothy and Merrill. Dr. Snethen was also a successful teacher for five years. Perry, who was for five years a teacher in the township and high schools, has been pursuing the civil engineer's course at Purdue University during the past two years. He graduated from Walkerton high school in 1899, and also graduated at Marion, Indiana, in the scientific course in 1905. He wedded Miss Pearl Stair June 12, 1907. Millie is the wife of Guy Holmes, a general merchant at Kingsbury, Indiana. Edward, the youngest of the family, resides with his parents. He received his diploma from the Walkerton high school with the class of 1905, and during the past two years has been teach- ing in Lincoln township and St. Joseph county. He also pursued a twenty weeks'. course at the Marion Normal School and is now taking the scientific and oratory course at the same place.

Mrs. Snethen, the mother, was born in Allen county, Indiana, November 12, 1856, a daughter of Charles and Mary (Leffler) Pollock, in whose family were eight children, three sons and five daughters, and six are now living; Mrs. Snethen; Isabelle, the wife of James Jackson, an agriculturist of Walker- ton; Lucy, the wife of William Devine, a mechanic in South Bend; Ella, the widow of Evan James and who resides on a farm in Lincoln township; William, who married Miss Addie Snell and has a restaurant in Wana- tah, Indiana; and Eliza, the wife of Jacob Paul, a farmer of Laporte county, this state. Mr. Pollock, the father, was a native of Ohio, and his death occurred when his daughter Amanda was eighteen years of age, after a business career devoted to agricultural pur- suits. Mrs. Pollock was born in Pennsylvania in 1827, of German ancestry, and she now re- sides in La Porte county, Indiana, an hon- ored and revered pioneer lady. Mrs. Snethen was but thirteen years of age when she ac- companied her parents on their removal to La Porte county, and there she completed her educational training and grew to years of maturity.

Mr. and Mrs. Snethen began their married life on the farm where they yet reside, their first home being a little log cabin, but this has long since given place to the comfortable and commodious brick residence in which

they now reside. Their valuable little home- stead of eighty acres, all of which is under cultivation but ten acres, comprises rich and fertile land and contains many valuable and substantial improvements, while his stock are all of the standard breed. Mr. Snethen gives his political support to the Democratic party, casting his first presidential vote for Horace Greeley, and both he and his wife are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Walkerton. Their homestead is known as . "Walnut Lane Farm."

WALTER F. LA FEBER. Among the younger representatives of the business interests of St. Joseph county we are pleased to present the name of Walter F. La Feber, the trusted agent of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad at Walkerton. He was born in Hamilton county, Indiana, November 10, 1871, a son of Joseph and Caroline (Waltz) La Feber, in whose family were four children, three sons and one daughter, namely: Henry W., who is married and is an iron worker in Atlanta, Indiana; Walter F., whose name introduces this review; Frank, a hardware merchant and one of the leading business men of Atlanta; and Nellie, the wife of J. M. Noble, connected with the light company in Indianapolis. Joseph La Feber, the father, is a native of Ohio, born November 28, 1844, and was there reared and educated in the common schools. During three years he served as a soldier in the Civil war, as a member of the Sixth Regiment of Ohio, and he now holds pleasant relations with his old army comrades of the blue by his member- ship in the G. A. R. post. He has ever cast his ballot in favor of Republican principles, and fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fellows order. His business career was de- voted to the tilling of the soil, and with his wife he now resides at Atlanta, Indiana, where they are earnest and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. La Feber is a native daughter of Wayne county, Indiana, born on the 10th of September. 1845, and the family is one of prominence in At- lanta, where they have so long made their home.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 61

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