USA > Indiana > Delaware County > A portrait and biographical record of Delaware county, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 90
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sey has in a great measure solved the problem of success, and he occupies a prominent place among the professional brethren of Delaware county. He is an enterprising citizen, alive to all the better and higher interests of the community and he endorses and patronizes all movements having for their object the promo- tion of the general welfare.
Dr. Munsey was married September 3, 1873, to Sarah Trout, daughter of Washing- ton and Carmilla (Christe) Trout. Two chil- dren were born to this union, namely: Ger- trude, a student at Terre Haute, and Bessie. Mrs. Munsey died September 4, 1883, and on the 15th of December, 1885, the doctor mar- ried Mrs. Kate McMahan of Madison county, Ind., and daughter of William and Catharine Knipe. Dr. Munsey served six months in the late war as member of company B, One Hun- dred and Thirty-fourth Indiana volunteer in- fantry, and during that time did duty princi- pally as a guard of railroads. He was dis- charged in September, 1864. He is a mem- ber of the G. A. R., and votes the democratic ticket. He owns a farm in Washington town- ship and several lots in the village where he resides.
A BRAHAM W. PENCE .- Those who visit Abraham W. Pence will be ready to join with his neighbors in pro- nouncing him a genial, pleasant, and kind hearted man of decided intelligence, who takes a deep interest in matters pertaining to his community. Mr. Pence was born in Henry county, Ind., February 8, 1831, and lived under his father's roof until he was twenty-four years old, working upon the farm, and making himself generally useful. He married, March 23, 1854, Miss Elizabeth Moffett, who was born August 5, 1827, in Wayne county, Ind. She was the daughter
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of Lambert Moffett, a native of Ireland, who came to this country when a young man. In 1827 Mr. Moffett purchased land in Mount Pleasant township, this county, where he lived until his death.
Mr. Pence is the son of Christian and Frances (Fisher) Pence, the father born in 1805, and the mother in 1810, both natives of Virginia. These parents moved to Henry county, Ind., in 1829, and the father entered 160 acres of land, which he worked, and at the same time followed his trade as a cooper. At one time, Christian Pence owned 600 acres of land, and he lived upon his original tract until his death, which occurred in 1875. He gave his son, Abraham W., a 160-acre tract, upon which the latter now lives in Washing- ton township. The wife of Christian Pence survived her husband a few years. Abraham W. Pence removed to this township after his marriage, and located upon the farm which his father gave him. It was at that time a wil- derness, but with energy and hard work he converted it into a very good farm. He had the misfortune to lose his wife March 16, 1869, and since that time has remained unmarried. Mr. Pence is of German parentage, and his wife was of Irish descent. She, like her hus- band, was a member of the Christian church, and her remains lie buried in the Perry Grove cemetery. Mr. Pence has always voted the republican ticket, and is an active worker in that party. By his marriage he is the father of seven children, as follows: Christian, Samuel P., Frances Maria, Amanda Jane, Susan, Alfred James, and an infant unnamed.
J AMES RIGDON is a worthy citizen of this county whom it is a pleasure to know, because of his many sterling qualities. He was born Angust 12, 1834, in Guernsey county, Ohio, being the son
of Eli and Harriet (Slater) Rigdon. The father was born in Harford county, Md., Oc- tober 4, 1792, and the mother was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, in 1812. Eli Rigdon left home when a boy and went to Baltimore, where he worked in a store mornings, evenings and Saturdays, and attended school. This youth was resolved to have an education at any cost of honest work, and his father was just as determined he should grow up in ignor- ance. This is why he left home, and his father disinherited him. Eli taught school for a few years during the winter months and then went to Ohio, teaching school in that state. In Ohio, Eli bought eighty acres of land, but finally lost this by going security for a friend. He came to Indiana in 1834, located in Grant county and entered 160 acres of land, after- ward trading that for a saw and grist mill in Blackford county. This property, too, he lost by going security for a friend, and then he bought forty acres of land, upon which he lived until 1855, when he came to Wheeling and bought a small farm, which he afterwards sold. At this time he embarked in the mer- cantile business at Wheeling, and continued in it until his death, which occurred January 24, 1864. He was one of the first county commis- sioners of Blackford county. Brought up an old line whig, he continued in that party until the republican party was formed, when he joined that and and voted with it until he died. In religion he was a Baptist and held firmly to the teachings of that church.
James Rigdon lived at home until he was twenty-two, then engaged in farming for one year, at the end of which he bought an inter- est in a blacksmith shop at Wheeling, at which he worked until 1859. Selling out, he went to the mines of Colorado, proceeding by rail to Jefferson City, and thence to Denver with an ox team. He remained there until the fall, engaged in mining, but proved un-
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profitable; so he returned to Wheeling and went into a blacksmith shop of his own, re- maining at that trade until 1869, then, in 1869, having saved enough for the purpose, he bought 160 acres of land near the town, the same costing $3,000. Since that time he has followed farming and has been very successful, now owning 400 acres around Wheeling. He was married January 25, 1861, to Jane, daughter of John and Susan (Ginn) Sanders, who settled in this county, in 1838, and owned a great deal of real estate. Mrs. Rigdon died August 11, 1866. Mr. Rigdon then married, February 14, 1867, Rebecca, the sister of his deceased wife. Rebecca was born November 28, 1848. By the first marriage there were no children, but by the second there were three-Minnie, deceased; Eli S., at home; and Frank, deceased. Mr. Rigdon voted for Peter Cooper, and is a strong peo- ple's party man.
0 AVID E. ROWLETT, a prominent business man and ex-soldier, now located in the pleasant village of Gaston, Delaware county, Ind., was born in Wayne county, Ind., June 28, 1849, son of Edwin and Mary E. (Wright) Rowlett, natives ot Indiana and Pennsylvania respectively. Mr. Rowlett's father first located in Wayne county, where he lived for some time, when he moved to Jay county, Ind., and then to Madison county, Neb., where he is now en- gaged in farming and stock raising. He has been thrice married, and is the father of twenty- one children, thirteen of whom are yet living. He is a member of the Methodist church, and is a temperance man, voting the prohibition ticket.
David E. Rowlett was reared in Jay county, Ind., where he was given a limited amount of
schooling, but when little over fourteen years of age, he enlisted in company B, Eleventh Indiana cavalry, November 4, 1863, for a term of three years, and received his honorable dis- charge at Indianapolis, September 19, 1865. He participated in the battle of Nashville, but the greater part of his service was spent as a scout. He now is the recipient of a pension of $10 per month.
When the war closed Mr. Rowlett was still a boy, and immediately after leaving the army he began working in a saw and grist mill, which occupation he followed until 1872. In the latter year he engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes, which business he has pur- sued since locating in the village of Gaston, in 1881. He now deals in boots, shoes and har- ness, and does a very prosperous and satisfac- tory business. Mr. Rowlett married May 17, 1868, Miss Esther A. Heaton, born in Dela- ware county, December 28, 1851, daughter of Madison Heaton, a pioneer of the county and state. By this marriage, five children have been born, as follows: Mary J., Edwin M., George W., Ida B., and John deceased. Mrs. Rowlett died January 5, 1879, and on May 9, 1880, Mr. Rowlett was united in marriage to Miss Samantha A. Brock, born in this county, December 16, 1852, daughter of Jackson and Elizabeth (Barrett) Brock, and three children have been born of this union, as follows: Orpha B., Arthur Jackson, deceased, and Mettie E. Mr. and Mrs. Rowlett are mem- bers of the Methodist and United Brethren churches, respectively, and are highly esteemed in the community where they reside. Mr. Rowlett belongs to the G. A. R. and also to the order of I. O. O. F. He owns eleven acres of fine land in the village of Gaston,. which promises to be very valuable. Politi- cally, he is a republican and upholds the prin- ciples of his party with spirit, intelligence and energy.
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HOMPSON SHARP, a prominent farmer of Washington township, and "one of the leading citizens of Dela- ware county, is a native of Indiana, born on the 12th day November, 1827, in the county of Henry. His father, Edward Sharp, was born June 4, 1801, in Tennessee, and the mother, whose maiden name was Anna Thompson, was a native of Virginia, where her birth occurred on the 18th day of January, 1808. Edward Sharp, in an early day, accom- panied his father to Ohio, were he remained for a few years, and then came further west, locating, in 1820, in Henry county, Ind. Subsequently he purchased a farm in Salem township, Delaware county, where, in time, he became the possessor of a large tract of real estate, owning, at the time of his death, in 1855, 640 acres, the result of his own energy and thrift. In addition to the pursuit of agriculture, he dealt, quite extensively, for a number of years, in live stock, purchasing in various parts of Indiana and driving to Cincin- nati, making of this a very profitable business. He was recognized as one of the leading citi- zens of the community in which he resided; was a prominent member of the Christian church, and exerted a wholesome moral influ- ence upon all with whom he had business or other relations. His wife, a most estimable christian lady, and a member of the Protestant Methodist church, departed this life in 1862, and was laid to rest by the side of her husband in the Sharp cemetery, in the township of Salem.
Thompson Sharp remained under the pa- rental roof until his majority, working on the farm during the summer attending school about three months of each year until reaching the age of thirteen, consequently he is not an educated man in his knowledge of books, but in the practical affairs of life possesses a knowledge such as institutions of learning fail
to impart. Immediately after his marriage, which occurred in his twenty-first year, he re- moved to his present farm in Washington township, where he has since resided, actively engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. At that date the farm consisted of 120 acres, but he has since enlarged its area until, at this time, it contains 340 acres, the entire place being under cultivation, the improvements upon the same ranking among the best in the township and county. Mr. Sharp has surrounded him- self with all the modern improvements and conveniences of agriculture, and devotes to his calling the energies of a strong practical mind, believing in the true dignity of the farm- er's vocation. He is recognized as one of the intelligent and substantial citizens of the com- munity, manifests a lively interest in every- thing that pertains to the material and moral well being of the township of which he has so long been a resident, and as an active worker in the republican party is widely and favorably known throughout the county. As a reward of his party service, he has been twice elected to the responsible position of county commis- sioner; in 1888 first, and second in 1892, of which office he is a present incumbent, and the duties of which he has discharged with ability and most commendable fidelity. His mar- riage, as already noted, was solemnized on the 15th of November, 1849, with Miss Christena Bowers, who was born March 20, 1828, the daughter of Jacob and Susanah (Andes) Bow- ers. These parents were natives of the state of Virginia, born in the counties of Shenan- doah and Rockingham, respectively, and be- came residents of Salem township in 1841, purchasing a farm of 160 acres of land, upon which the remaining years of their lives were spent. The following are the names of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson Sharp: Jemima A., Florence O., Otto, mar- ried Kate Stradling; Oral L., wife of John
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Hall; Noah, married Amanda Prim; George, Nelson Grant, Dora, wife of James Lewis and Ozora T. This is a most interesting family, and the children, like their parents, are held in the highest esteem in the community. The youngest son, Ozora T., is a graduate of one of the leading literary and law schools of the country, and since his admission to the federal and supreme courts at Indianapolis in June, 1893, has practiced the legal profession very
successfully in Delaware county. He is a young man of more than ordinary ability ahil- ity and bids fair to make a creditable record as an attorney. Mr. Sharp, although in his sixty-sixth year, possesses in a remarkable de- gree his faculties, both mental and physical, and may be considered as in the prime of vig- orous manhood. He has borne well his part in life, and it is with pleasure this brief tribute to his worth is presented in this connection.
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