A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 96

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 96

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In Olive township, Elkhart county, Indi- ana, December 19, 1882, Mr. Good was united in marriage to Catherine Rebecca Holdeman, and for twenty-seven years they have trav- eled the journey of life together. She is a daughter of Joseph and Anna (Nusbaum)

Holdeman, the former of whom was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Ashland county, Ohio. Mr. Holdeman died on the 19th of August, 1894, at the age of seventy-two years. He was one of the leading men of his community, having been one of its prominent educators, teaching in all eighteen terms of school, and was also a deacon in the Mennonite church for many years. Mrs Holdeman died at the age of seventy-eight years. In their family were fifteen children, but of that large number only four are now living: Christian; Cath- erine R. Good; Margaret Flickinger; and Anna Willard, whose husband is a banker of Wakarusa. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Good, the elder of whom, Anna, is the wife of W. S. Weaver, a car- penter and contractor, and they have one child, Catherine R. The only son and younger child, Joseph C. Good, received an excellent educational training, attending first the country schools, later the Wakarusa high school, and completed his training in the Elkhart Institute. He is now a mail clerk on the Chicago & Cleveland division of the Lake Shore Railroad. As a representative of the Republican party Mr. Good of this re- view takes an active part in public affairs, while the cause of education finds in him a firm and helpful friend. He was a member of the advisory board at the time the high school in Madison township was built, and he has ever manifested an intelligent and dis- criminating interest in public affairs. His religious affiliations are with the Mennonite church, of which he is a worthy and valued member.

JACOB BEEHLER, a well known agriculturist and popular citizen of Madison township, has resided here since his early boyhood days. He is a frank and genial gentleman, success- ful in business, honored and esteemed at home and abroad. He was born on the 20th of December, 1845, near the river Rhine, in Bergen, Germany, a son of Phillip and Cath- erine Beehler, who were numbered among the very early pioneers of Madison township, St. Joseph county, Indiana. When their son Jacob was a little lad of nine years they sailed with their family for the United States, spending thirty-three days on a sailing vessel in reaching the harbor of New York, from whence they went to Buffalo, that state, and one year later by boat to Toledo, Ohio. From there they came to Madison township, St.

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Joseph county, Indiana, establishing their Link, who was born in the state of New York, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Beehler) Link, both natives of Wurtemberg. Germany. Crossing the ocean to the United States, the family located in Cattaraugus county, New York, near Jamestown, where the father spent the remainder of his life and where the mother is yet living on the old family home- stead. They were the parents of four chil- home on a heavily wooded farm adjoining the present homestead of Mr. Beehler of this re- view. Their first home was a little log cabin, eighteen by twenty-four feet, a loft above serving as the sleeping apartment of the chil- dren. The stable and other buildings were also of logs, and the family began their life in Madison township in true pioneer style. In their family were seven children: Phillip, . dren, of whom three are living,-John, Fred- a resident of South Bend; Jacob, whose name erick and Anna Beehler. Of the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Beehler eight are now living : Emma, the wife of George J. Birk, of Madison township; Ed, a resident of South Bend; Sarah Beehler; Martin, of Penn township, St. Joseph county ; and John, Anna. Olga and Walter, at home. Two daughters are deceased: Elizabeth, the first wife of George J. Birk, died at the age of twenty- two years; and Louisa Lechlieter died at the age of twenty-three years, leaving one son, Harris B., who makes his home with his grandparents. As a representative of the Democratic party Mr. Beehler takes an active part in local politics, and during his incum- bency of the office of supervisor he was active in the building of the corduroy roads in Madi- son township. He is a member of the Evan- gelical church, and in the community in which he has so long resided he is held in the highest regard by his innumerable friends. introduces this review ; Peter, a resident farm- er of Madison township; Henry, of Penn town- ship; Elizabeth, the wife of Peter Kelley, Sr., of Madison township; Mary Beehler, also of this township; and Emma, the wife of P. G. Horine, who resides on the old homestead farm. After a long and useful life, devoted to agricultural pursuits Mr. Beehler, the hus- band and father, passed to his final reward at the age of seventy-eight years, honored and revered by all who knew him. He was a member of the Evangelical church, and helped to build the church of that denomination in this community and remained one of its most active supporters until his busy and useful life was ended. Mrs. Beehler has now reached the age of eighty-eight years. She has lived to see her children grow to success- ful man and womanhood, and nobly did she perform her part in the establishment of the home in the wilds of Madison township.

When he was nine years of age Jacob Beeh- ler accompanied his parents on their removal to the United States, and on the old home farm in Madison township he grew to a sturdy manhood, receiving his educational training in the primitive schools of the early days and he became proficient in both the German and English languages. At the age of twenty- one years he began work for himself in a saw mill, and by industry and economy he soon became able to purchase forty acres of land, which was heavily covered with sycamore tim- ber. He performed the arduous labor of clearing his land and placing it under culti- vation, and with the passing years he has added to its boundaries until he is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres, all well tilled and improved and constituting a valuable and beautiful estate. His residence is a pleasant and commodious home, sur- rounded by trees and flowers, and his fine bank barn is forty by seventy feet.

When he had reached the age of twenty- six years Mr. Beehler was married to Anna

REV. PAUL GROB, pastor of the Zion Evan- gelical church of Madison township, is a man of ripe scholarship and marked ability. and one whose life is consecrated to the cause of the Master and to the uplifting of man. His birth occurred in Germany, in Wurtem- berg, on the 1st of October, 1861, a son of John and Louisa (Greib) Grob, both of whom spent their entire lives in that country, where the husband and father served as foreman of a factory in his native village. Their son Paul, the second in order of birth of their four children, received an excellent educa- tional training in his youth, having attended college at Basle, Switzerland. In 1885 he left his German home for the United States, first residing in Marshall county. Indiana, and a short time afterward came to St. Joseph county, where he remained for two years. At the close of that period he returned to his native land for a visit of three months, and again crossing the Atlantic took up his abode in Lansing, Michigan. Later he spent four years in Elkhart county, Indiana, and it was at the expiration of that period that he came

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to Madison township, St. Joseph county, and assumed charge of his present church.

The Zion Evangelical church was erected in 1856. It is a pleasant and commodious build- ing, with a seating capacity of four hundred, and the church has an enrollment of one hun- dred and seventy-five members. The average attendance, however, reaches as high as twelve hundred, and the Sunday-school has an en- rollment of one hundred, and is under the superintendency of P. G. Horine. The church society also owns a large and pleasant par- sonage, and there is a school in connection with the church which is in session about three months of the year and in which the children become familiar with the German language. The pastor, Rev. Grob, is devoting himself without ceasing to the interests of his church and to the furtherance of all good works, and his efforts in his holy office have been abundantly blessed. In addition to his own church he also preaches at the Wood- land St. John's Evangelical church once in two weeks, where he has a congregation num- bering about one hundred and fifty members. Adjoining the parsonage he has fifty-nine acres of good farming land, the work of which he carries on by the help of his eldest son.

In Bourbon, Marshall county, Indiana, in 1889, Rev. Grob was married to Mary Lam- ler, who was born and educated in that county, a daughter of Frederick and Eva ( Tischbein) Lamler. They have seven chil- dren,-Frederick, Alma, Freda, Eva, Ru- dolph, Theodore R. and Paula. Rev. Grob has devoted many years of his life to the work of the ministry, and there has not been denied the full harvest whose garnering shall bring full reward.

JOHN FREDERICKS, a prominent farmer of Madison township, is one of the thrifty and industrious men to whom this community owes its substantial development and prog- ress. He was born in Bedford county, Penn- sylvania, May 4, 1840, and is a representative of a prominent old family of the Keystone state. His parents, William and Sarah (Hudson) Fredericks, both also had their na- tivity in that commonwealth, but the father's death occurred when he was a young man. The mother lived to the good old age of seventy-five years, and died in Tiffin. Ohio. In their family were the following children : Francis Marion; Thomas B., a resident of Fostoria, Ohio; and William.

John Fredericks, the first born, grew to

years of maturity in Pennsylvania and Ohio, where he was reared as a farmer lad and was early taught the work of the fields. The first nineteen years of his life were spent in Bed- ford county, Pennsylvania,. from whence he removed to Tiffin, Ohio, in 1859, and when he had reached the age of twenty-six years he came to St. Joseph county, Indiana, this being in the year of 1866. Madison town- ship has ever since continued as his home, and he is now the owner of a valuable estate of eighty acres.

At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Fred- ericks married Susan A. Grimes, whose father, Dr. Joseph Grimes, was a well known phy- sician of Tiffin, Ohio. Four children have been born to them: John, George O., Joseph and Amanda, the sons all being residents of Madison township, and the daughter, the wife of John Willard, lives in Niles, Michigan. Mr. Fredericks votes with the Democratic party, and has always taken an active interest in local affairs. Mrs. Fredericks is a mem- ber of the Methodist church.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN GROSE. In the devel- opment of Madison township the Grose fam- ily have borne an important part, and throughout his entire business career Abra- ham L. Grose has been identified with the agricultural interests of this community. His birth occurred on the land which he now owns November 7, 1862, but he is of German parentage. His father, Christian Grose, one of the prominent and well known German- American citizens and farmers of Madison township, was born on the river Rhine in . Alsace, France, now a province of Germany. and was a son of Jacob Grose, who was a prominent factor in his native village of the Rhine. Some of the land owned by this fam- ily in Germany became the property of Mr. Grose of this review, and he has a deed to one hundred and twenty acres signed by the president of the United States. Christian Grose, the father, was but a small boy when he came with his parents to this country, the family home being first established in Stark county, Ohio, and there he grew to years of maturity on a farm. He was also there mar- ried to Sophia Shearer, who spent the first seventeen years of her life in her native coun- try of Germany, coming thence to the United States. In 1848 Mr. Grose came with his family to Madison township, St. Joseph county, Indiana, establishing their home in the woods, and they were numbered among

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the first settlers of the community. The lit- tle log cabin in which they first made their home in time gave place to a modern and commodious residence, the land was cleared and improved, and Mr. Grose became one of the foremost settlers of the township. Of the fourteen children born to this honored pioneer couple the following are now living, namely : Maggie Shefer, a resident of Union township, St. Joseph county; Sadie, the widow of W. Marble and a resident of South Bend; Catherine Seifer, also of Union town- ship; Abraham L., whose name introduces this review; Christian, who makes his home in Union township; Phillip, of South Bend; Ellen Ruff, of Madison township; and George A., a resident of Madison township. Mr. Grose, the father, died at the age of fifty- nine years, after an active and useful career. He was a man of strong physique, was an excellent financier, and as a representative of the Republican party he took an active part in the public affairs of his community. In 1856 he was made the supervisor of Madi- son township, and to him belongs the credit of building some of the excellent highways which add so much to the value of the town- ship. He was a member of the German Bap- tist church.

On the old farm which his father had evolved from a wilderness Abraham L. Grose grew to a sturdy manhood, in the meantime becoming well educated in both the German and English languages. When he had reached the age of twenty-eight years he was married in Penn township November 20, 1890, to Olive Crofoot, a daughter of Henry Cro- foot, one of the prominent early settlers of that township. Two children, Hilda G. and Mayme M., aged respectively fifteen and thirteen years, have been born of this union. Mrs. Grose was born April 10, 1872. With his family Mr. Grose resides on his pleasant and valuable estate of two hundred and four acres, located in section 21, Madison town- ship. The farm, which is rich and fertile land under an excellent state of cultivation, is adorned with valuable buildings. and in addition to his agricultural labors Mr. Grose has also been engaged in the saw-milling busi- ness during the past seventeen years, owning a good forty-horse power mill with a capacity of twelve thousand feet a day. The Repub- lican party receives his support and co-opera- tion, and he has membership relations with the Modern Woodmen of America.

JOSEPH A. FREDERICKS. Madison township includes among its representative farmers Joseph A. Fredericks, who owns a valuable estate of eighty acres, on which he has placed many valuable improvements, including a pleasant residence and a fine bank barn. His fields are well tilled and fertile, and the farm is one of the pleasant rural homes of the com- munity. His birth occurred on the old home- stead of his father in Madison township April 7, 1868, and this section of St. Joseph county has long been the home of the Fredericks. The grandparents, William and Sarah (Hud- son) Fredericks, were natives of Pennsyl- vania, the former of whom died when young, and the latter died at Tiffin, Ohio, at the age of seventy-five years. They became the par- ents of four children,-John, Francis M .. Thomas Benton and William. John Fred- ericks, the father of Joseph A., was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, in 1840, and in the commonwealth of his nativity he spent the first nineteen years of his life, re- moving thence to Tiffin, Ohio, where he was married to Susanna A. Grimes, a daughter of Jonas Grimes, one of the prominent early settlers of Tiffin, and a sister of Dr. Grimes. a prominent physician of St. Joseph county. In 1868 Mr. Fredericks came with his family to Indiana, where he became the owner of the farm which is known as the old Fred- ericks homestead, and here he yet resides, one of the honored old pioneers of the county. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Fredericks, and the three sons, John, George O. and Joseph, are all prominent agricul- turists of Madison township, while the daugh- ter, Amanda Willard, is a resident of Niles. Michigan.

When he had reached the age of twenty- one years Joseph A. Fredericks left the paren- tal roof and established a home of his own by his marriage to Nora B. Andrews, the wedding having been celebrated in Olive town- ship, Elkhart county, Indiana. She was born in Kosciusko county, this state, near War- saw, a daughter of Rufus and Mary (Dal- rimple) Andrews. The father's birth oc- curred in Illinois, but his death took place in Madison township, St. Joseph county. where he had long been well known as & farmer and as a Methodist Episcopal min- ister. The mother's death occurred when she had reached the age of thirty-eight years. Four living children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fredericks,-Grace S., Hattie B ..

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Edna M. and Lillie R. They also have three children deceased, Franklin Albert, the first born, who died at the age of eleven years; a girl baby who died when three months old; and Agnes A. Mr. Fredericks affiliates with the Republican party.

MARTIN E. GORDON, manager of the Oak Grove Creamery and proprietor of the Grove store, has passed his entire life in this com- munity, and it has been one of uniform honor in business and fidelity in places of trust. He is therefore deserving of mention among the representative men of this section of the state, and it is with pleasure that we present his history to our readers. His birth occurred on the old homestead of his father, Moses Gor- don, November 16, 1872, and in the district school near by he received his educational training. He remained in the parental home until twenty-three years of age, when he was married and establishd a home of his own. The creamery of which he is the proprietor transacts a large and remunerative business, taking in about fifty-five hundred pounds of cream a day, and under Mr. Gordon's effi- cient management it is constantly increasing in volume and importance. He is an excellent business man, and his sound judgment, enter- prise and laudable ambition have all con- tributed to make his business career a pros- perous one.

Mr. Gordon married Mary Stuart, who was born in Lock township, Elkhart county, In- diana, September 15, 1876, a daughter of Andrew and Lucinda (Huff) Stuart, both also natives of Elkhart county, Indiana. In their family were four children: George M., John M., who died and left two children, Alva O. and Mary E. Gordon. The father died at the age of thirty-six years, and the mother is still living at the age of sixty-four years, a member of the Baptist church. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, William Jennings, Jesse F., George G. and Moses R. (deceased). In his political affiliations Mr. Gordon is a Democrat, labor- ing earnestly for the principles which he be- lieves will best advance good government. He enjoys the regard of his fellow citizens, and is well known throughout his native town- ship of Madison.

GEORGE H. GRISE, proprietor of Poplar Hill Farm, one of the finest estates of Madison township, is a representative of one of the county's oldest and most honored families. His birth occurred in Stark county, Ohio,

near Canton, February 14, 1843. His father, David Grise, was a native son of Maryland, but was only three years of age when taken by his father, George Grise, a native of Ger- many, to Stark county, Ohio. There David grew to years of maturity on a farm, and was married to Martha Landon, who was born in Connecticut, a daughter of Henry Landon, also a native of that commonwealth and a soldier in the war of 1812. In 1856 David Grise came with his family to Madison town- ship, St. Joseph county, Indiana, and his death later occurred on the old homestead which he had cleared and cultivated near Woodland when he had reached the age of fifty-four years, his widow surviving until the age of sixty-seven years, when she joined him in the home beyond. In their family were five children, namely: George H., whose name introduces this review; Frank- lin P., a resident of Mishawaka; Albert C., who makes his home in Petersburg, Mahoning county, Ohio; Josiah D., who married Alice Goodrich and resided in Madison township until his death; and James N., a resident of Madison township. Mr. Grise, the father, was a Democrat in his political affiliations, a stanch Jackson man.

When a little lad of thirteen years George H. Grise accompanied his parents on their removal to Madison township, St. Joseph county, and thus during a long period he has been identified with its interests. In 1871 he purchased a large tract of heavily tim- bered land in this township, on which he erected a saw-mill, and thereafter did an ex- tensive business in clearing the land and saw- ing the timber. With the passing years he transformed the farm into one of the most valuable tracts in Madison township, and Poplar Hill Farm is now a beautiful home- stead. It contains three hundred and sixty acres of fertile and well tilled land, and is adorned with a beautiful residence, costing thirty-five hundred dollars, and one of the largest barns in the township, a rock base- ment structure forty-one by eighty feet, with an L thirty by fifty feet for stock feeding purposes. He raises high grade cattle of the Short-horn breed. one of which weighs seventeen hundred pounds. In his pastures are also found large numbers of high grade sheep, and both in his stock-raising and agri- cultural interests he has achieved a notable success.

Mr. Grise wedded Mary A. Kettring, a

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member of one of the old families, and they have five children, namely : John F., a busi- ness man of Bremen, Indiana; Clara F., of Madison township; Charles H., also a resident of this township; Ellen M., at home; and Min -. nie, the wife of John H. Doering, a promi- nent business man of Wakarusa. The politi- cal affiliations of Mr. Grise are with the Demo- cratic party, and he at one time served as a member of the advisory board of the town- ship. In his religious associations he is a worthy and valued member of the United Brethren church.

JOHN M. TRUAX, one of the prominent and well known residents of Madison township, was born within a few miles of his present home, in Union township, Elkhart county, August 22, 1853. His father, Amos Truax, was born at Mount Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio, which was also the birthplace of Abra- ham Truax, his father, but the latter's par- ents had their nativity in Pennsylvania. Abraham and Sarah Truax, his wife, took up their abode in Elkhart county, . Indiana, among its earliest pioneer settlers, and there they spent the remainder of their lives. On the old home farm in Ohio Amos Truax grew to mature years, in the meantime assist- ing in the clearing and cultivating of the land, and his educational training was re- ceived in the old-time log schools of Morrow county. In an early day in its history he established his home in Elkhart county, In- diana, and was there married to Anna Gor- don, a daughter of William Gordon, the his- tory of whose life will be found in the sketch of his son, Moses Gordon, elsewhere in this work. Of the ten children born of this union three grew to mature years, namely: John M., whose name introduces this review; Wil- liam, who is a well known citizen of Madi- son township, and is now serving as its as- sessor; and Isaac, a resident of Elkhart county. The remainder of the children died when young. During the boyhood days of their son John the parents removed to Madi- son township, St. Joseph county, where the mother died at the age of fifty-four years, but the father afterward went to Arkansas and died there at the age of fifty-six years. He was a farmer throughout the entire period of his business career, was a Democrat in his political views, and both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church.

On the old Truax homestead in Madison township John M. Truax grew to manhood's

estate, receiving a practical education in its common schools. He is now the owner of one hundred and forty acres of fertile and well improved land within the borders of this township, which returns to him each year bounteous harvests, and he also has twenty acres of timber land.

At the age of twenty-two years Mr. Truax married Abigail Wilson, a native daughter of St. Joseph county, where her parents, Amos and Abigail Wilson, established their home in an early day, and one son was born of the union, Amos Truax, a resident of South Bend. The wife and mother died at the early age of twenty-six years, passing away in the faith of the United Brethren church, of which she was a worthy and consistent member. In 1888 Mr. Truax married Matilda Denney, who was born in Whitley county, Indiana, a daughter of James and Leticia Denney, both now deceased. Two children were born of the second union, Roscoe C. and Lottie A., aged respectively seventeen and fifteen years. Mr. Truax is one of the leaders in the ranks of the Democratic party in Madison town- ship, and as its representative he has served in many of its leading offices, including those of deputy assessor for twenty years and as- sessor for many years, was at one time a can- didate for the office of sheriff, and has many times served as a delegate to its conventions. His fraternal relations are with the Masonic order, and he stands high in the regard of his brethren of the craft, as well as with the resi- dents of the community in which so many years of his life have been passed.

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A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 96

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