USA > Indiana > Greene County > Biographical memoirs of Greene County, Ind. : with reminiscences of pioneer days, Volume II > Part 16
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William T. Danely, the subject, married Sarah Ann Dean, February 11, 1858, therefore making the rounding out of a happy married life of fifty years on February II, 1908. To this union were born John F., Mahulda, Clarissa, William and Alonzo. Only two of these chil- dren are living at the present time, John F. and Mahulda.
The subject went to farming early in life and has made a success from the first. In the fall of 1873 he moved to Vermillion county, Illinois, where he continued farming, later moving with his family to Oklahoma at
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the opening of the "strip," September 16, 1893. They went to Enid in 1901, where they have since resided. John F. Danely, the son of the subject, was elected county clerk, beginning his services in January, 1903, serving acceptably as such until September 16, 1907. He first went to Oklahoma in the fall of 1904, and James G. Danes, who married the subject's daughter, Mahulda, went to that state in the spring of 1903. John F. Danely is married and has five children, one of his daugh- ters is married and has one child.
William T. Danely was among the stanch sons of the North who, in the dark days of our nation's history. severed home ties and went to fight for his country, en- listing in Company A, One Hundred and Fifteenth Reg- iment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He saw hard serv- ice as corporal and remained in the Union army until the close of the war. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Methodist church.
WILLIAM G. ROTH.
Many of the sturdiest of our American citizens trace their ancestry to foreign shores. One example of this type is found in the person of William G. Roth, who was born at Bloomington, Indiana. Mr. Roth's mother, Louisa Reuter, was born at Bedford, this state; but his father, Charles Roth, was born in Germany, coming to America when still young. He came to Bloomington, Indiana, and engaged in business as a clothier, moving
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in 1869 to Worthington, where he engaged in business continuously for thirty-nine years. He is at present (1908) over seventy-two years of age, and looks back with satisfaction over a well-spent and industrious career. One of his brothers, who enlisted in an Indiana regiment during the Civil war, lost his life upon the field of Gettys- burg. Six children, all of whom are living, were born into the family.
William, our subject, received his early education in the public schools of Worthington, and upon reaching maturity became engaged in the hardware business, fol- lowing this for over twenty years. He later began handling poultry and produce, and his energetic methods and business integrity soon secured for him a thrifty volume of trade. No details are too small to receive their share of consideration, and to this careful attention to what may seem minor matters must be attributed much of Mr. Roth's success as a dealer.
The subject has taken an active interest in the work of the Odd Fellows and Red Men. He has held in- portant offices in both societies, and is regarded as a valuable exponent of the principles upon which these fraternities are founded. He has also been town clerk for eight or ten years. He is a Republican in politics, and does much to promote a high standard for party conduct in his community.
Mr. Roth was married in September, 1893. in Owen county, Indiana, to Mary E. Heaton, daughter of Eben and Louisa ( Nelson) Heaton, and by this union one child. Charles E., was born. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Roth owns residence and business property.
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HON. JAMES BASIL FILBERT.
In the roster of Greene county's successful profes- sional men and influential citizens the name of James B. Filbert is accorded prominent place. As one of the lead- ers of the local bar he holds distinctive prestige. As a pro- moter of various business and industrial enterprises he has kept in close touch with the growth and advancement of the city of his residence, and as an official in one of the most responsible and exacting of positions he acquitted himself with honor and earned more than local reputa- tion by his faithfulness in subserving this important trust.
Wharton B. Filbert, the subject's great-grandfather, was a Revolutionary soldier from Virginia, where the family originally settled, and his grandfather, Luke Fil- bert, a Kentuckian by birth, served in the war of 1812. Joel Filbert, son of Luke and father of James B., was a soldier in the war with Mexico, and also served three years during the late rebellion, as did his two brothers, James and Wharton, the former in the Thirty-first In- diana, Infantry, the latter in a Missouri regiment. Other members of the family took part in both wars with Eng- land, the Indian wars of the northwest and the great rebellion, patriotism and love of country appearing to have been a family characteristic.
Joel Filbert was a native of Washington county, In- diana, born in 1825. His wife, whose maiden name was Ruth Bowen, was born in 1827 in the county of Owen. They were married in the latter county, where Mr. Filbert was a successful farmer and stock raiser, and had a family of seven children, three of whom died in childhood,
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the names of the survivors being as follows : Charles L., James B., George F., and Florence, now Mrs. Daniel Alembaugh. Both parents are deceased, the mother dying in 1876 and the father in 1901 ; they were buried in the cemetery in Wright township near the farm on which for many years they lived and prospered.
James B. Filbert was born April 12, 1860, in Greene county, Indiana, and spent his childhood and youth on the home farm in Wright township, where in due time he developed a well rounded physique and became familiar with such rugged duties as life in the rural districts entail. In the public schools he acquired a knowledge of the common branches, later attended a normal institute with the object in view of fitting himself for teaching and in 1877 he taught his first term of school in Stockton township. The following year he taught in Knox county. this state, and then went to Nebraska where during the six years ensuing he was also engaged in educational work, devoting his vacations the meanwhile to the study of law, for which he early manifested a strong liking.
Realizing that success in any laudable undertaking depends very largely upon a solid mental basis and proper preparation, Mr. Filbert disposed of his interests in the west and returning to Indiana spent two years in the law department of the State University, where in 1892 he completed the prescribed course, although previously ad- mitted to the bar in Nebraska where he began practicing in the year 1886. While a resident of that state he also embarked in the field of journalism, becoming editor and proprietor of the Kenesaw Tribune at the town of Kene- saw, which he afterward moved to and re-established at
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Custer City in the Black Hills country, this being the property he sold prior to his return to the Hoosier state.
On receiving his degree in the year mentioned above Mr. Filbert opened an office in Bloomington, where he practiced with a fair measure of success until his removal to Linton in 1895, since which time he acquired an extensive legal business at the latter place, besides doing a lucrative practice in the courts of neighboring counties.
A Republican in politics he early became an influen- tial factor in party affairs and ever since attaining his majority he has been an active participant in conventions, a worker in campaigns contributing much to the suc- cess of his party's candidates in his various places of resi- dence. In 1895-6 he was city attorney of Linton. and in the spring of 1900 when the city was incorporated, he took a leading part in the proceedings, assisting in the reorganization of the new regime by drafting a number of ordinances, among which were those for the first elec- tric light plant and the first cement sidewalks. Later, in 1903, he drafted and secured the passage of an ordi- nance for the paving of the streets with brick and he also secured the passage of the gas franchise in 1904, besides assisting in promoting various other enterprises.
In the latter year Mr. Filbert was elected prosecuting attorney of the fourteenth judicial circuit comprising the counties of Greene and Sullivan, and filled the office with commendable ability for two years, being the first Republican elected to that position in this circuit, a fact which speaks much for his ability and great personal popularity, irrespective of party ties. During his incum- bency as prosecutor Mr. Filbert was keenly alert and
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J. B. FILBERT RESIDENCE.
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aggressive in the enforcement of the law against violators and evil doers, of every character. He succeeded in convicting twenty individuals charged with felonies, se- curing life sentences for four of them, and for the others terms of imprisonment ranging from one to twenty years. besides securing over fifteen hundred convictions for va- rious misdemeanors. Determining if possible to rid Linton of the gambling evil, he was untiring in running down and bringing to justice this class of offenders, eradicating every known place where any kind of chance games was carried on, destroying all slot machines and gambling de- vices, closing every house of ill-repute and clearing the city of various other moral plague spots, and giving it a · reputation for cleanliness, sobriety and a high grade of morals such as it had not enjoyed for years. He also cleared up the court docket and turned the office over to his successor with all the business practically finished. Since the expiration of his official term in 1906 Mr. Fil- bert has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession, forming a partnership in September of that year with John P. Jeffers, one of the talented young law- years of the Greene county bar with whom he is still associated.
In addition to his large and growing legal business Mr. Filbert, as already indicated, has been identified with every movement calculated to enhance the interests of Linton, and to him as much as to any one man is due the recent remarkable growth of the city. As president of the Linton Commercial Club for three years, he was largely instrumental in securing two railroads for the city, also the fine new opera house in which the people
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take a pardonable pride, besides promoting various impor- tant enterprises, including among others the interurban line which ere long will be constructed, the investigations looking to the development of the oil industry in this part of the state and the development of the rich coal fields around Linton and elsewhere, embracing active opera- tions in five counties. While successful in the general practice of his profession he devotes special attention to law relating to real estate and corporations. He has one of the best equipped law offices in Greene county, his library being among the largest and most carefully se- lected in this part of Indiana, and he spares neither pains nor expense in adding to it by the purchase of valuable works.
Mr. Filbert was married September 5, 1893, to Louisa A. Finley, daughter of George P. Finley, of Mon- roe county, the union being without issue. Fraternally he belongs to the Order of Ben-Hur, having been one of the organizers of the Linton Court, No. 140, in which he has held the position of scribe since the year 1898, and he is also a charter member of Linton Lodge No. 866, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
JOHN THOMAS FRANKLIN.
If a life has been spent in the right way and there has been success in the accumulation of sufficiency to permanently keep the wolf from the door, old age may be sweetened by a retirement that will be a well earned
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rest, and the farmer who has toiled hard and long to improvements in the condition of the country to bring en- joyment to his posterity well deserves the few days and weeks toward the end of his life. Retirement is a posi- tion of honor which is given a farmer in return for those blessings he has brought to the next generation.
John T. Franklin, now living in Switz City, who may be placed on our honorable list, was the son of John and Martha (Elliott) Franklin, and born in Owen county November 14, 1847. His mother was a native of Vir- ginia and his father came from North Carolina. He was but one year old when he was brought in 1848 to Owen county by his father, Thomas Franklin, who was one of the pioneer farmers of Owen county and spent the rest of his life there, dying in 1890. On October 31, 1843, he was married to Martha J. Elliott, who died when our subject was only three years old. There were three children born to this union-James, a retired farmer liv- ing in Owen county; John, our subject ; Joseph S., liv- ing in southwest Missouri. The father was married a second time to Susan McNault, the widow of John Mc- Nault. To them were born five children-Robert B., living in Owen county; Highland, wife of Jacob Patrick, living in Morgan county ; Dollie, widow of Mac. Ooley, living in Owen county; George M., living on the old homestead in Owen county, and Dellie married and died, leaving one son.
Our subject was raised on his father's farm in Owen county and his education was such as the common schools of the time afforded. He grew to manhood, remaining at home until he married, and then purchased a farm not
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far from the old home place and settled down to the task of making a home for himself. Selling this home in 1878 he came to Greene county and bought a farm in Fair Play township, where he remained until 1903, when he retired from the activity of the farm life and bought a home in Switz City. He still owns his farm of one hun- dred and twenty acres, making it the basis of support.
In 1868 our subject married Rebecca J. Shelburn, daughter of James and Jane Shelburn, early settlers of Monroe county, and natives of Kentucky, who moved from Monroe to Owen county and thence into Greene, settling in Fair Play township. (See sketch of James Shelburn.) To Mr. and Mrs. Franklin were born three children-Charles, living in Louisiana, who married Car- oline Danningburg, and has two children, Thelma and Pearl. Their second child is Grace, wife of Walter Rec- tor, a merchant of Switz City. They have been blessed with five children-Franklin, William, Geneva, Rebecca, Mary, deceased, and John. Their third was Emma Jane, deceased wife of Carl B. Sexon.
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin are firm believers in the Christian religion, being actively identified with the Bap- tist church. In politics he is a Democrat. The people of Switz City speak of our subject with pride, point out a neat, beautiful house as their home, and where they ex- pect to live until the final summons come.
WILLIAM HENRY BLAND.
The subject of this brief review is one of the suc- cessful farmers of Highland township, and was born
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there November 12, 1856. He never had the desire that seems to have possessed so many of his neighbors to roam about the country seeking a better locality in which to make a living and a more pleasant place to live, but was contented to remain on his native soil, having attended school there and spent his life within a few miles of where he was born, having always been a farmer. He married in 1881 Elmira Goodwin, daughter of Abner and Darthulian ( Padgett) Goodwin, residents of Greene county. She had a brother, William Goodwin, who was a soldier in the Civil war. He died in Highland town- ship. The subject and wife have the following children : Winona, deceased; Gertie, deceased ; Fila, deceased ; Lu- cretia, the wife of W. D. Stalcup, who has three children living; Cratsia, the wife of Otis Bedford, who has two children.
The subject is the wife of Simon and Rachel ( Mock) Bland, both natives of Greene county. His grandfather Bland was a native of Virginia and came to Greene county, where he died. Simon Bland, father of the sub- ject, also spent his life in this county, having had sev- eral farms in this and Owen counties. He died on the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch in 1900, at the age of seventy-five years. The subject's mother died when he was small. They were survived by three children.
William H. Bland, while a public-spirited man and particularly interested in the development and welfare of his native county, has never aspired to office, although he has always been a good Democrat and well known to those of a similar faith in his community. He is a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows.
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JOHN BERNS.
A dry recital of a man's career can convey no proper notion of what manner of an individual he is in his methods, his ideals and his influence among his fel- lows. Only those who come in personal contact with the subject of this sketch can thoroughly understand how nature and training, habits of thought and action have enabled him to accomplish his life work and made a fit representative of the enterprising farming class of people to which he belongs.
John Berns was born in Stockton township, Greene county. March 9, 1855, and he has preferred to make his permanent home in his native community rather than risk bettering conditions elsewhere. He is a son of Peter and Catharine (Stockrahm) Berns, both natives of Ger- many, the former emigrating to America in 1848, in a sailing vessel, the time required being eight weeks; forty years later Peter Berns made a visit to Germany and the voyage required eight days. He settled in Stockton township and followed the vocation of a farmer with marked success, having been a man of sterling qualities, a hard worker and honest in his dealings. The subject's parents were married in Germany and to them were born four children as follows : Jacob, a prosperous farmer of Stockton township ; Helena, wife of John G. Haseman, of Linton ; Dr. S. P. Berns, of Willow Hill, Illinois, and John Berns, our subject.
The subject was married December 25, 1879, to Catharine Linderman, a daughter of William Linderman, who also came to America from Germany in the same
MR. AND MRS. JOHN BERNS.
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vessel with Peter Berns on the date mentioned above. The subject and wife are the proud parents of the following children : Herman E., living at Linton ; Ernest J., a resi- dent of Detroit, Michigan ; Charles H., Mamie E., John E., Willie, all living at home; Ethel died at the age of eight years.
Mr. Berns made his home with his parents until he was twenty-five years old, assisting on the farm and at- tending school, also studying at home in his spare time. for he always had a thirst for knowledge, and by close application to his studies gained a good education. Tak- ing up the teacher's profession he followed this work in an eminently successful manner for a period of fifteen years, during which time he was recognized as one of the leading educators of the county. He began his first school in November, 1873, in Highland township, after- ward teaching in Wright, Grant and Stockton townships. Something of his popularity as a teacher can be realized when we learn that during all his years of teaching he never solicited a school, his services always being in de- mand, and he always received good wages.
After his marriage Mr. Berns bought and moved to his present home two miles north of Linton. which was soon well improved under his able manage- ment, and now owns two hundred and fifty acres, the crops being rotated in a skillful manner so that the soil is kept in a high state of productiveness.
Mr. Berns is regarded as a representative of that class of American citizens who are the strength and safety of the nation. He is a loyal Democrat, and in 1898 was his party's candidate for county treasurer, and made
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a splendid race, but was defeated by a small majority in a county safely Republican. He was county chairman of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association when this organ- ization was in the zenith of its popularity, and his advice was always sought in directing the affairs of the associa- tion during that time.
Mr. and Mrs. Berns worship at the German Re- formed church, and no members of that congregation stand higher in public esteem or are more highly respected.
JOSEPH M. VAILS.
On May 27, 1842, was born, among the rolling hills of Daviess county, Indiana, the subject of this biography. Joseph M. Vails, the son of Lewis Vails, who, when thir- teen years of age, came to Orange county, Indiana, with his parents, who were among the pioneer settlers of the southern part of the state. These parents were sturdy and energetic people, who took up government land, and by clearing and cultivation transformed the virgin wilder- ness into fruitful and profitable fields. She was a mem- ber of the Christian church, and they finished their days in the county to which they had come. Lewis Vails was married to Rhoda Skaggs, a native of Orange county, and they chose farming as their life work, and in con- junction with this they brought up a most creditable fam- ily, the children born to them being as follows: William departed this life in 1881 while farming in Kansas; George, also deceased; Joseph, our subject ; Nancy be-
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came the wife of James Courtney, now of Daviess coun- ty ; Lorena, now deceased, was married to Richard Hast- ings, also of Daviess county ; Jane married J. R. Baker ; Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Henry Taylor ; John died when seventeen years old.
Joseph was reared on the home farm and received such education as was afforded by the pioneer schools of the day, the conditions of which are familiar to all. consisting of the usual log walls, oiled paper windows, fireplace and puncheon floors. In addition to this meager training he had the good fortune to spend a short time in the Newberry school, and also took a brief course in a select school.
He remained with his parents until 1869, having, up to this time; busied himself not only with grappling with the work of managing the farm, but had also engaged extensively in handling stock. At this time he removed to Greene county and took up quarters on a farm in Fair Play township. In 1869 he purchased the one hundred and twenty-acre tract which lies in section 25, and two years later was joined in marriage to Mrs. Jeretta Farm- er, of Owen county. She was the widow of Guideon Farmer and the daughter of Absalom Lukenbill, a man of German extraction, a farmer of Fair Play township and one who stood well in the community as a citizen and neighbor.
Joseph and Mrs. Vails have become the parents of two children, viz .: Bessie and Otis. The former is at home with her parents. Otis married Louisa Hawkins, of Washington township, and they are the parents of three children-Selma, Bonitt and Maxine. They are occupying the old family homestead.
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In 1882 Mr. Vails moved to the farm which forms his present home and consists of two hundred acres of land, all but about thirty of which are under cultivation. This farm has been the object of his exacting care, and he has spared no pains or labor in his endeavors to bring it up to the highest possible state of productiveness.
He has studied the qualities of the soil and adapta- bility of various crops, and has been a successful producer of hay and the other various grains. In conjunction with this he has devoted much attention to stock raising. His knowledge of the demands of the market and the requi- sites of a saleable animal enable him to be a leader as a stock raiser. He has of late regularly brought to mar- ket fine hogs, whose ready sale bear testimony to their quality.
Mr. Vails has been called upon by the citizens of his township to serve them as assessor, and responded by giving them judicious and willing service in that capacity. Seeing the general need and great advantage of good roads, he took an active part in promoting this needed improvement in the township, with the result that great advancement has been made of recent years in this par- ticular.
A thorough Christian gentleman, a Democrat of the cleanest type, and a successful business man, mark him as one of the community's most worthy citizens.
WILLIAM LAWSON STEPHENSON.
Every life has more or less to do with the making of this country of ours. In all the great struggles that
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settled important questions, many of our fathers were eyewitnesses of sacrifice and blood that were made for the civilization we now enjoy. Surely the subject of this sketch has gone through with more than the average share in all that goes to make up a country's history. Mr. Stephenson first saw the light of day in Jennings county, January 22, 1835. His father, John L. Stephen- son, came from South Carolina and settled in Hendricks county before Indianapolis was a town. His mother, Mary H. (Sullivan) Stephenson, came from Tennessee. John L. was a farmer and carpenter and died in 1844. The wife lived until 1863. They were of the Baptist faith. They had thirteen children-Sarah, Owen, Ma- linda, Nancy, Jackson, Mary Ann, William Lawson, our subject ; Elizabeth, Cynthia, Mehala, Orlena, Elwood, and one dying in infancy. The father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and a Democrat in political faith. When William was nine years of age his father died and his mother moved to New Albany, Indiana, where he went to work in a brick-yard and learned the brick- maker's trade. He continued here until he was eighteen years of age. He then moved with his mother to the northern part of Hendricks county, where the woods were full of wolves, wildcats and other wild animals, and many interesting stories are told of those days. From there they moved to Danville, where his mother died while he was in the war. After the war he engaged suc- cessively in brick-making at Clayton, Mooresville and West Newton, where he remained for seventeen years, and in 1894 he went to Switz City, Greene county, where he has engaged in the tile and brick manufacturing busi- ness ever since.
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