USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > A standard history of Elkhart County, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development, Volume II > Part 37
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A Pennsylvanian by birth, he was born November 12, 1857, near Freeburg, in Union County, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Au- miller) Kantz. Jacob Kantz was born in Pennsylvania, as was his father Philip Kantz, while great-grandfather John Kantz also spent
Jacoboslantz.
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his life in Pennsylvania, and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
The parents of Mr. Kantz were of thrifty German stock, and his father early learned the cabinet maker's trade and on coming to In- diana in 1866 located near Bristol where he resided until the fall of 1866. He then moved to Vandalia, Michigan, where he resided until the spring of 1872 when he returned to Bristol and continued his residence there until his death, which occurred in 1904, at the age of seventy-nine. In his earlier years he was also a teacher. Elizabeth Aumiller, his wife, was a native of Pennsylvania, a daugh- ter of John Aumiller, who was of English, Swedish and German ancestry. She died in Elkhart County in 1903. Their ten children were: Andrew J., who died at the age of four years ; Christian N .; John E .; Philip; James E., who died at the age of two years ; Jacob O .; Abbie W .; George A .; Sarah E .; and Anna F.
Jacob O. Kantz was brought to Elkhart County by his parents in 1866 at the age of eight years, but from 1867 until 1872 he lived in Michigan. He pursued his early education in the public schools of Bristol, afterwards at Goshen, and attended the Normal School at Hillsdale, Michigan. After completing his education he taught school for ten years in Elkhart County, five years of that time at Nappanee. While in that vocation he took up the study of law, and in due time successfully passed his examinations and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1892. Mr. Kantz has always made a living out of his profession, but he is not the type of man who makes business by encouraging litigation. In fact he has rendered his best service by advising his clients to compromise and settle their difficulties out of court, and for this reason he has always enjoyed the confidence of the better class of citizens and is esteemed both as a safe adviser and a friend.
He has never participated to any extent in politics though for two years he served as town clerk of Nappanee, being elected on the prohibition ticket. In fact he is absolutely independent so far as party politics is concerned. For years he has been one of the active temperance workers in the county. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, and as a boy was catechized under the Lutheran Church, later for a number of years was a member of the Evangeli- cal Association, but is not now a member of any denomination.
His interests as a collector of the rare and beautiful has extended to shells, and he has many beautiful specimens gathered from many countries. Perhaps of even more interest is his collection of ancient coins, both foreign and American. He has two specimens of Roman coins issued during the reign of Julius Caesar, one of which was
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taken from the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. There is also a dollar of United States coinage bearing the date of 1798, for which he has been offered $35. He has a number of old time relics, includ- ing a flint-lock musket which, according to a sworn affidavit that is with the implement, saw service both in the Revolution and in the War of 1812. There are also some specimens of battle axes, cleav- ers, darts, pestles, etc., representing the stone age of civilization. It has taken time, patience and the expenditure of considerable money to collect these articles, and Mr. Kantz has informed himself thor- oughly of the life and times of the country and the stage of civiliza- tion represented by these various curios.
At White Pigeon, Michigan, September 3, 1881, Mr. Kantz mar- ried Miss Flora Truex, a daughter of Jesse and Susannah ( Cotner ) Truex. Members of her family were among the early settlers of Elkhart County. Jesse Truex was born in Ohio June 18. 1834, a son of Obediah Truex, who was born July 30, 1801, a son of John and Parthenia Truex. Obediah Truex came to Indiana about 1845, locating in Union Township of Elkhart County, where he secured a tract of government land one mile north and one mile east of Nappanee. There he improved a farm and lived until his death April 25, 1878. The maiden name of his wife was Jerusha Akers, who was born March 10, 1802, and died December 14, 1892, having reared seven children. Jesse Truex grew to manhood in Elkhart County, learned the trade of cooper, and followed it until his enlist- ment in 1862 in Company I of the Seventy-fourth Regiment of In- diana Infantry. He went South and in January, 1863, was detailed to Company I of the First Pioneer Corps, with which he continued his service until honorably discharged in 1865. Returning home he bought a farm in Locke Township, later followed farming in Kosci- usko County, but spent his last days retired in Nappanee, where he died October 13, 1896. He was married June 1, 1858, to Susanna' Cotner, who died October 24, 1913, leaving two children, Mrs. J. O. Kantz and Thomas O. Truex. Susannah Cotner was born in Tus- carawas County, Ohio, May 6, 1835. Her father George Cotner was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in January, 1803, and her grandfather Jacob Cotner was born in Pennsylvania in 1765 and died in Ohio July 16, 1860. Jacob Cotner married Susanna Cook, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1765 and died in Ohio September 1, 1847. George Cotner came to Indiana in 1836, locating in Union Township of Elkhart County, where he did some of the first pioneer work of improving the land. He spent his last days in Nappanee, the home of his daughter. George Cotner married Nancy Leather- man, whose father, John Leatherman was a Dunkard preacher and
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came to Indiana in 1836, locating four miles west of Milford in Kosciusko County, where his wife Catherine died in September, 1850. Nancy Cotner died July 10, 1867.
Mr. and Mrs. Kantz have reared three children. The son Thomas E. is still unmarried. Grace M. is the wife of John R. Mur- ray. Pansy B. is the wife of Harry M. Reiff, and their two chil- dren are Jeanne Eleanor and Robert Harry.
JACOB B. WELDY. In that fertile and prosperous section of Elk- hart County southwest of Goshen one of the first family names to be encountered in going back over the old records is that of Weldy. A great many acres of native forest were cleared by members of this family, and they have been largely responsible for the con- verting of a portion of the wilderness into a smiling landscape of farms.
One of the older living representatives of the family is Jacob B. Weldy, who, however, was only an infant when brought to Madison Township, St. Joseph County.
He was born on a farm in Holmes County, Ohio, February 25, 1849. His father was John Weldy, born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in 1799, his grandfather was Abraham Weldy, a native of the same state, while his great-grandfather was John Weldy, a native of Switzerland. It is probable that John Weldy was one of three brothers who came from Switzerland to Amer- ica in colonial times and established homes in Pennsylvania. Abraham Weldy moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio about 1812, and located in Tuscarawas County. At that time Ohio was the Far West, and everything beyond the Mississippi was included in that. vaguely defined country known as Indiana or Illinois Territory. In fact the Indians had not yet deemed to contest their rights to the hunting grounds of Ohio. Many years passed before the first canals were built and many more before the first railroads penetrated the state. The tables of the early settlers were abundantly supplied with game of all kinds and with fish from the streams, there were no convenient markets for products, and consequently little money in circulation, and at the same time those old settlers felt little want for the luxuries which the present day demands. Grandfather Abraham Weldy was a prominent man in the Mennonite Church. a preacher and bishop, and did much to extend the influence of his church in Ohio, making his rounds on horseback. He also rode his horse many times to Pennsylvania. He continued to make his home in Tuscarawas County until his death. Abraham Welly mar- ried Elizabeth Overholt, or Overholtzer, who was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They reared a family of nine children.
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John Weldy was still a child when his parents moved to Ohio, and during his boyhood he learned from his mother the trade of weaver. His mother was very accomplished in many housewifely arts which have now become obsolete, and she could card, spin and weave the cloth with which she dressed her family. Thus John Weldy employed his time as a weaver while his brothers worked to clear up the pioneer homestead. From Tuscarawas County he moved to Holmes County, Ohio, and with his brother Abraham bought 100 acres of timbered land, and that was his home until 1852. Early in the spring of that year he made a visit to Northern Indiana, and in Elkhart County bought a tract of land in Olive and Madison townships, twelve miles due west from Goshen and bor- dering the St. Joseph County line. Having thus acquired a new stake in Indiana, he returned to Ohio, arranged his affairs there, loaded his household possessions on a wagon, and accompanied by six of the seven children started for Elkhart County. When he arrived they took shelter in an old log house which stood on the land, and a few acres had been cleared for cultivation. Later John Weldy hought adjoining land in St. Joseph County, but he con- tinued to live on the old homestead in this county until his death at the age of seventy-two. John Weldy married Anna Kitch, who was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Martin Kitch, and she died at the age of seventy. Her seven children were Abraham, Elizabeth, Susan, Esther, Keziah, John and Jacob B.
Jacob B. Weldy recalls many of the early incidents and sur- roundings of Southwestern Elkhart County when he was a boy. The first school he attended was held in a log house with a mud and stick chimney, heated by fireplace, with slab benches for the pupils to sit upon, there being neither a back nor a desk in front. For a number of years he wore only the simple clothing made at home, his father plying his trade as weaver, while his mother spun the flax or wool. After his father's death he continued to manage the farm until his mother passed away, and he then bought the northwest quarter of section 34 in Locke Township. There he erected a substantial brick house, improved the barn, and remained a resident there until 1904. His next home was a place a short dis- tance north of the Village of Locke, where he lived seven years. He then came to the homestead he now owns and occupies close to the northern limits of Nappanee.
On June 18, 1871, Mr. Weldy married Emma Kreider, who was born in Medina County, Ohio, a daughter of David and Magda- lene ( Hoover) Kreider. Her parents were of German ancestry
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and from Ohio moved to Elkhart County, living in Baugo Town- ship until they passed away. Mrs. Jacob Weldy died in 1894. In 1896 he married for his second wife Nancy E. Brenneman, who was born in Allen County, Ohio. Her father, Isaac Brenneman, was born in Edom, Rockingham County, Virginia, May 12, 1825, a son of John Brenneman, who was also a native of Rockingham County but moved from there to Ohio and settled in Fairfield County, pur- chasing timbered land and striking out a farm from the wilderness. Late in life he went to Allen County, Ohio, to live with his son and died there. John Brenneman married Elizabeth Beery, who was born at Edom in Rockingham County, Virginia, February 6, 1797, a daughter of Abraham and Magdalena (Rice) Beery, and a granddaughter of Abraham Beery, who came from his native coun- try of Switzerland to America in 1736 and located in Philadelphia. His descendants are now scattered over many states, and a history of the Beery family has been published by Joseph H. Wenger. Mrs. Weldy's father was quite young when his parents moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood, but soon after reaching his majority moved to Allen County, Ohio, and bought eighty acres of timbered land. He cleared up part of his land before he married, planted an orchard, and built the hewed log house in which Mrs. Weldy was born. Isaac Brenneman was a man of great industry, and succeeded in placing himself and family in a very prosperous condition before his death at the age of sixty. His wife was Eliza- beth Iluber, who was born in Perry County, Ohio, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Huber. Mrs. Elizabeth Brenneman died at the age of forty-eight, having reared four children, named Benjamin, Nancy, John and Susanna. Mrs. Weldy grew up on the old home farm in Allen County, Ohio, and remained there until her marriage to Mr. Weldy.
By his first wife Mr. Weldy reared three children, Anna, Aman- da and John. Anna is the wife of Cornelius Yoder, and her four children are Elmer, Martha, Noah and Harold. Amanda is the wife of Christian Hartman. The son John C. married Cora A. Stahly and his three children are Fern, Stanley and Stahly. Mr. and Mrs. Weldy were reared in the Mennonite Church and have always held to that faith.
ABRAHAM M. GARBER. Practically every successful career is actuated by an earnest purpose and an energy of action sufficient to carry out definite plans and accomplishments. As the result of such qualities Abraham MI. Garber has made himself one of the leading contractors and builders in the southwest part of Elkhart
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County. From an early age he has been self reliant, independent, and for his success owes more to himself than to any influence or environment.
He represents an old and honored family name in Elkhart County, and was himself born in a log cabin in Clinton Township March 13, 1858. His father was Abraham Garber, born in Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania, March 9, 1820. His grandfather, David Garber, was a native of the same state and the great-grand- father was a native of Switzerland, who emigrated to Germany and from there came to the United States. One of his brothers settled in New York and the other two in Pennsylvania. The great-grand- father located in Lancaster County and spent the rest of his days there. Grandfather David Garber was reared and married in Lan- caster County, moved ont to Ohio and after some years spent in Wayne County came, in 1848, to Elkhart County and established a home in Clinton Township. After buying a tract of timbered land he devoted a number of years to its clearing and cultivation and resided in that community until his death at the age of about sixty years. He reared five sons, named Jacob, Henry, Christian, David and Abraham, and four daughters, named Annie, Mattie, Mary and Hettie, and all of them subsequently became residents of Elkhart County.
Abraham Garber, father of Abraham M., spent most of his early youth in Wayne County, Ohio, where he married, and in 1850, two years after his parents had come on to Elkhart County, he him- self came West, accompanied by his family and making the journey overland. Like his father he bought timbered land in Clinton Township, and there erected a log cabin in which Abraham M. was born. This was still largely a new country, and Goshen and Elkhart were very small places, the railroad having only recently reached there. During the early residence of the Garber family in Elkhart County the good mother carded and spun and wove the cloth with which her family were clothed. The Senior Abraham Garber had worked at the carpenter's trade in Ohio, and he followed the same vocation in Elkhart County, leaving the labor of clearing and farm- ing largely to his sons. He continued to reside on the old farm in Clinton Township until his death in the eightieth year of his life. In the meantime he had witnessed the clearing up and improvement of the greater part of his farm, and during his last years he lived in a comfortable frame house, surrounded with barns and other necessary farm buildings. Abraham Garber married Fannie Mar- tin who was born in Wayne County, Ohio, a daughter of Henry and Fannie Martin. She is still living at the venerable age of eighty-
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eight years, and reared twelve children to do her honor. These children are Henry, Jacob, Fannie, Nancy, Christian, Mary, Abra- ham, John, David, Martin, Annie and Elizabeth.
It was the Brown district school which supplied Abraham M. Garber with his earliest educational advantages, and like other boys of the time a greater part of the year was devoted to the duties of the farm. At the age of twenty he began learning the carpenter's trade and he continued work in that line, making his home in Clinton Township, until 1882. He then removed to Emmett County, Mich- igan, bought a tract of new land, and lived there for seven years. His next removal took him to Seward County, Nebraska, where he followed his trade two years. Then returning to the old home farm in Clinton Township, he resumed farming until 1896, and in that year moved to Nappanee and set up in business as a contractor and builder. In the fall of 1907 Mr. Garber again went West, this time to LaJunta, Colorado, where he followed his trade until the spring of 1910. Since that date his home has been in Nappanee, and as a contractor and builder his services have been much in demand and are represented by many solid and substantial pieces of construction in this part of the state.
In 1881 Mr. Garber married for his first wife Mary Troyer. who was born in Clinton Township, while her father, John D. Troyer, was born in Hohes County, Ohio, as was also her grand- father, David Troyer. Her great-grandfather, Joseph Troyer, was a native of Pennsylvania and of Swiss ancestry, and became an early settler in Holmes County, Ohio. David Troyer married Elizabeth Plank, also a native of Holmes County, where she and her husband spent their lives. Mrs. Garber's father grew up in Holmes County, but in 1858 came to Elkhart County, where he soon afterwards mar- ried and he lived in Clinton Township until 1881. In that year he moved to Michigan, lived in that state ten years, and then went West to Milford, Nebraska, where he followed his business as con- tractor and builder. John D. Troyer married Catherine Egli, who was born near Canton in Stark County, Ohio, a daughter of Chris- tian Egli, a German, who subsequently came to Elkhart County and improved a farm in Clinton Township, which he occupied until his death.
In 1906 Mr. Garber lost his wife, and she was survived by two children, Celeste and Elva. Celeste is the wife of Walter Jones and has two children named Wade and Mary. The daughter Elva mar- ried William Oesch, and their two children are Alice and Herbert.
In 1910 Mr. Garber married Anna King, who was born in Cass County, Missouri, daughter of Solomon and Lavina ( Zook) King,
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natives of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Garber are rearing two orphan children in their home. Both are members of the Mennonite Church.
JONATHAN J. YARIAN. One of the most prosperous agricultural districts in Elkhart County is that bounding the little City of Nap- panee in the southwestern part of the county. These conditions are comparatively recent, however, since forty years ago all that country was little more than a marsh. Drainage, ditching, and other measures of improvement have practically reclaimed the dis- trict. One of the pioneers who located there before the Town of Nappanee was born is Jonathan J. Yarian, who is now living retired, but who about forty-five years ago was located east of the city. He has borne his full share of responsibilities in making that com- munity what it is today.
He has had a long and active career, and spent some time in the Union army during the Civil war. Jonathan J. Yarian was born on a farm in Randolph Township of Portage County, Ohio, May 13, 1837. His father, Jacob Yarian, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, December 24, 1812, a date which indicates how very early the Yarian family established a home west of the Allegheny Moun- tains. Grandfather Conrad Yarian, a native of Germany, where he was reared and educated, came to America at the age of twenty- two, and was one of the first to settle in Columbiana County, Ohio. Somewhat later he fought as a soldier in the War of 1812. He cleared up one of the first farms in Columbiana County and spent the rest of his days there, living to the venerable age of ninety-three. He reared a family of thirteen.
Jacob Yarian after reaching manhood moved to Portage County and bought ninety-six acres of timbered land in Randolph Town- ship. On that land he erected a commodious two-story hewed log house, and in that rather pretentious dwelling for the time, nine of his children, including Jonathan J., were born. In time the log house gave way to a substantial brick dwelling, and Jacob lived there until the death of his wife, and afterwards made his home with his oldest daughter until he died March 28, 1895. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Sweitzer, who was born in Columbiana County near Lisbon, September 23, 1815. Her father, Jacob Sweitzer, was born in Switzerland, was reared in that country, and at the age of twenty-seven came to America, locating in Columbiana County where he secured a tract of timbered land and literally hewed a farm from the wilderness. Both he and his wife survived to be old people, and he passed away at the age of eighty-seven and
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she at the age of eighty-three. Of their family of seven daughters, Mrs. Jacob Yarian was the oldest, and she died July 7, 1894. Her nine children were Susan, Jonathan, Eli, Benjamin, David, Mary C., Eva, Jacob, Rebecca.
Jonathan J. Yarian spent his youth in Eastern Ohio and had a taste of pioneer circumstances. He attended school when instruc- tion was confined to the three R's and as a boy he observed and be- came acquainted with many of the pioneer practices. For instance, his mother carded and spun and wove the cloth with which she dressed her family in homespun, and she did all the cooking by an open fireplace except the baking, which was performed in a clay Dutch oven built out of doors.
At the age of twenty-four Mr. Yarian left home, having ac- quired the trade of carpenter and he combined that trade with farm- ing for a number of years. He was married at the age of twenty- four and in 1860 he came to Indiana, locating in Noble County, where he acquired a tract of 128 acres of timbered land in Swan Township. His first home was a cabin of round logs, and he was unable to construct a better home until he had cleared up a portion of his land.
While on this farm Mr. Yarian recalls a circumstance which should be described since it illustrates some of the pioneer helpful- ness which was so manifest in the early days. During the harvest season in 1862 he was ill and unable to work. He had twenty acres of wheat ready to cut, and had it been necessary for him to perform the task the crop would have been entirely lost. It had been sown on new ground and among the stumps, and as it was a very wet sea- son the water stood in places a number of inches deep. At the Thursday night prayer meeting the minister told the ladies to come next Sunday morning with baskets of provisions and told the men to bring their cradles and sickles, saying, "we will cut brother Yarian's grain." On that Sunday seventy men and women gath- ered at the Yarian farm, the wheat was quickly cut and bound, and on account of the wetness of the land, the shocks were placed on stumps and later the neighbors ricked the grain. When he threshed the crop there were 650 bushels of first class wheat, and he sold it at $1.50 a bushel. But when he approached his neighbors to pay them for their kindly aid, not one would take a cent for the services.
In September, 1864, Mr. Yarian enlisted in the Union army and mustered into the Thirty-fifth Indiana Regiment of Infantry. He went to the front with this regiment, joined General Thomas' com- mand in Tennessee, and was with his regiment during the concluding campaign in the western part of the Mississippi Valley. He fought Vol. 11-23
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at Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. At Franklin eleven bullets penetrated his overcoat, and on December 16, during the second day's battle at Nashville, he was severely wounded and taken to Cumberland Hospital, where his left leg was amputated. On the first of February, 1865, he was granted a furlough and returned to his father's home in Portage County, Ohio, his wife and two chil- dren having preceded him two days. Nine days after his return home he was stricken with smallpox and the family of fourteen were quarantined, but fortunately none contracted the disease from him. His furlough was extended until he was sufficiently recovered to report, then went to Indianapolis and was detailed as clerk in the hospital in that city. A short time later he was stricken with the disease known as "black tongue," from which he soon recovered. Mr. Yarian remained at the hospital on duty until May 26, 1865, when he was honorably discharged.
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