USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 28
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GEORGE N. SPILMAN
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Mock, who died in February, 1918, leaving one child, Carlos; Vernon married Mabel IIolden and they have a son, Cecil. Mr. Spilman gives his support to the Democratic party. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church at New Salem and has served in prac- tically all the offices of that society, being at the present time trustee and steward. He is also a member of the advisory board. Mrs. Spilman also was born in Decatur county, of which county her father also was a native, a member of one of the old families down there. Her mother was born in the neighboring county of Frank- lin, a member of a pioneer family there. Jeremiah Dugan was a substantial farmer in Decatur county, and his last days were spent there. He and his wife had four children, those besides Mrs. Spil- man being Clara, Rosa and Frona.
IRA A. SOMERVILLE, a well-to-do retired farmer of Anderson township, this county, now living at Milroy, where he has made his home for the past ten years or more but who still retains the fine farm which he developed during his years of residence on the same, is a native son of Rush county, a member of one of the old families in the southern part of the county, and has lived here all his life, doing well his part in the general development of the section in which he has so long resided. He was born on a farm in Anderson township on November 13, 1855, son of William A. and Eliza (Hood) Somer- ville, further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume of biographies relating to the old families of Rush county. William A. Somerville was one of the most substantial farmers of his neighbor- hood, at one time the owner of 300 acres of excellent land, and devel- oped a fine property. He died in August 15, 1909, in his ninetieth year. His wife had preceded him to the grave nearly ten years, her death having occurred in 1900, in her eighty-fourth year, and both left good memories in the community which had so long known and honored them. Reared on the home farm, Ira A. Somerville grew up under the thoughtful direction of his father to be an excellent farmer and stock raiser. He completed his schooling in the Milroy high school and in the old Richland Academy and then continued on the home farm, helpful in the labors of developing the same. Some time after his marriage he bought the farm of 215 acres which he still owns in Anderson town- ship and there established his home, remaining there until after his wife's death in 1909 when he retired from the farm and moved to Milroy, where he has since resided and where he is very pleasantly and very comfortably situated. Mr. Somerville is a Republican of life long standing and has ever taken a good citizen's interest in local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after office. He is a member of the Methodist church at Milroy and has served that con- gregation as a member of the board of stewards. In his fraternal relations he is affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order. of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Red Men and in the affairs of these several organizations has long manifested a warm interest. Mr. Somerville has been twice married. In 1876 he was
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united in marriage to Elizabeth E. Crawford, daughter of R. B. and Mary A. (Mitchell) Crawford, and to this union one child was born, a son, Pearl C. Mrs. Elizabeth Somerville died on May 23, 1878, and in 1880 Mr. Somerville married Malinda Somerville, who was born in Illinois, daughter of Alexander and Rosa (Cochran) Somerville, and to that union one child was born, Albert Alexander, who is now vice- president of the Vanderbilt Rubber Company of New York City. Pearl C. Somerville was graduated from DePauw University in 1900 and now occupies the chair of English in Wesleyan College at Bloom- ington, Illinois. He married LaRose Culiver and has four children, Guinevere, Merlin, Gareth and Alfred Alexander. Albert A. Somer- ville married Emma Louise Rapelye and has two sons, Norman Alex- ander and Marion Lynn.
CHARLES M. GRUELL, one of the general farmers and stock- raisers of Noble township, is recognized as a substantial citizen of Rush county. He was born in Union township, October 4, 1859, son of Isaac and Sarah (Young) Gruell, both of whom were born near Waterloo, Ind. When he was eight years old Isaac Gruell was brought to Rush county by his parents who settled in the vicinity of Rushville, and there he was reared to manhood, receiving his educa- tional training in the local schools. His life was spent at Rushville and in Union township, and he devoted himself to farming and veter- inary work. Although he did not invest in a farm of his own, he conducted large farming properties which he rented, and was success- ful in his undertakings. He was a son of Atica and Rachel Gruell, the former of whom opened a tannery at Rushville about 1836 and con- ducted it for a number of years. Isaac Gruell and his wife had eleven children. namely : William, Clayburn, Jennie, Harvina, Charles M., George W., Lincoln, Samuel, Joseph, Newton and Albert, of whom the following survive, George, Lincoln, Samuel, Newton, Charles M., Jennie and Harvina. Charles M. Gruell attended the schools of Union and Noble townships, and as soon as he was old enough began assisting his father in his farming. Later he began farming for himself in Richland township, renting land there for twenty-seven years, after which he moved to Noble township and spent three years on rented land. For the next year he was in Union township, and then bought a farm of seventy-two acres in Noble township, adding to his holdings until he now has 397 acres, all of which is in Noble town- ship. All his life he has been engaged in general farming and stock- raising and has become very expert in both lines. On August 24, 1882, Mr. Gruell was married to Catherine D., daughter of Thomas N. and Charlotte (Thompson) Smith, who was born in Noble town- ship, as were both of her parents. They were reared and married in Noble township, but a year after their marriage moved to Union township where they remained until claimed by death. Mr. Smith was a farmer and stockdealer all of his life, owning over 600 acres of land in Union, Noble and Richland townships and being one of the wealthy men of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had three children : IIattic, Mrs. Gruell and one who is now deceased. The children born
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to Mr. and Mrs. Gruell are as follows: Hattie, Newton, Clem, Lottie, Josephine, deceased, Alice and Harvina. Hattie Gruell married Louis Wilson and they had seven children born to them, namely : Owen (deceased), Merle, Thelma, Carl, Monroe, Lowell and Roland. Mr. Wilson died, and Mrs. Wilson was later married to James F. Wilson and they have had two children, Donald and Robert. Newton Gruell married Una Spilman and they have two children, Lowell and Harold. Clem Gruell married Olive Beaver and has two children, Lorene and Thomas N. Lottie Gruell married Ernest Crim and has one child, Oletha. Alice Gruell married Bert West. Harvina Gruell married Glenn Miller aud has one daughter, Catherine. Mr. Gruell belongs to the Methodist Protestant church at New Salem, and is held in high esteem in that congregation as he is elsewhere. In politics he is a Republican, but has never come before the public for office, being fully occupied with his private affairs.
JESSE I. LEFFORGE, who labored so long and so effectively as an agriculturist in Richland township, died more than six years ago, but his memory is still kept green in the hearts of the many who knew him and appreciated his sterling qualities, and he is still remem- bered as a man of the highest principles and strictest integrity. Mr. Lefforge was born in Richland township, Rush county, October 19, 1855, a son of Isaac and Florinda (Brown) Lefforge. Isaac Lefforge was born October 17, 1819, in Franklin county, Indiana, and as a child of three years was brought by his parents to Rush county, where he spent the remainder of his life. He married Florinda Brown, who was born May 3, 1825, in Campbell county, Kentucky, and they became the parents of eight children : Mary, Philander and Lewis, who survive ; Thomas and Jesse I, deceased, and three who died in infancy. Jesse I. Lefforge was educated in the country schools of Richland township and remained on the home farm as his father's associate until his marriage at the age of twenty-four years, when he began farming on his own account as a renter, which was his status for four years, at the end of which time he and Mrs. Lefforge moved to a farm of ninety-three acres which had been given them by her father. This property continued to be their home for sixteen years, after which they removed to another property, on which they lived until Mr. Lefforge's death, February 14, 1915. At that time, with his wife, he was the owner of 444 acres of good land, and was known as one of the substantial agriculturists of his locality. Mr. Lefforge was married October 19, 1879, to Luella Miller, who was born in Richland town- ship and educated in that locality, a daughter of Charles S. and Sarah A. (Simmonds) Miller, natives of Franklin county, Indiana. Mr. Miller was a lifelong farmer of Richland township, Rush county, and at one time was the owner of 500 acres of land. He and his wife had seven children, of whom Mrs. Lefforge is the only survivor, the others being George W., James T., William A., Abraham L. and two who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Lefforge had no children. Since 1920 Mrs. Lefforge has made her home at Rushville, where she occupies a pleasant and comfortable residence at 717 Perkins street. She belongs
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to the church of the United Brethren in Christ, of which church her husband was also a member. In politics Mr. Lefforge was a Republican.
WILLIAM B. MARTIN, whose life is an illustration of the possible control over early limitations and of the wise utilization of ordinary opportunities, his career extending from the day of humble beginnings to his present place of prominence in his commu- nity, as the owner of 225 acres of valuable land in Anderson town- ship, was born near Spring Hill, Decatur county, Indiana, April 25, 1855, a son of James H. and Mary A. (Munns) Martin, natives of Kentucky, who were married in Decatur county. James H. Mar- tin, a farmer all his life, died when his son, William B., was an in- fant, leaving his widow with five children, of whom three are now living : Nancy, James H. and William B. Mrs. Martin survived un- til 1912. Her father was born in England and as a young man came to the United States and settled in Kentucky, where he married a native of that state. Later he moved to Decatur county, Indiana, where he rounded out a long, honorable and useful career in the pur- suits of agriculture. William B. Martin received his education in the district school in Fugit township, Decatur county, after leaving which he started to work ou the farm of his maternal grandfather, with whom he had lived since the death of his father. He was thus associated with the elder man until he reached the age of twenty- one years, at which time the grandfather died. However, Mr. Mar- tin remained on the farm with his mother, and he and his brother, James H., rented land and bought other property and worked successfully in the development of a good estate. This partnership continued until James H. Martin was married, at which time it was mutually dissolved and William B. Martin started farming on his own account. His first venture was a modest one, consisting of operations on seventeen acres of land, and this small tract formed the nucleus for his present estate of 225 acres, located in Rush and Decatur counties. Mr. Martin has done much work in the way of development and improvement and his property shows the pres- ence of able management and modern, enlightened views. Of more recent years he has given up much of the hard work that marked his earlier struggles, but still maintains supervision over his land and directs the operations being carried on in the line of general farming and the raising of live stock. In his political allegiance Mr. Martin supports the Democratic party. His religious connec- tion is with the Methodist Episcopal church at Milroy.
JOSEPH F. BOWEN, M. D., of Occident, this county, whose name for many years has been a household word in the northern part of the county and where he is known as an able, reliable and progres- sive physician, was born in Center township, this county, on Decem- ber 22, 1870, and is the son of C. J. and Sarah A. (Collins) Bowen, the former a native of Kentucky. The subject secured his elemental education in the Center school, Center township and then entered the
WILLIAM B. MARTIN
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
Danville Normal School, where he spent two years in preparation for teaching. He then returned home and during the following three years he was employed as teacher at the Ball and Demmick schools in Center township. Then, having determined to make the practice of medicine his life work, he matriculated in the Medical College of Indiana, from which he was graduated on March 31, 1897, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Doctor Bowen at once located in Occident and has been actively engaged in the practice of his profes- sion there ever since. He has firmly established himself in his profes- sion and has won the confidence and esteem of the people and his pro- fessional brethren, for he possesses the natural endowments that go to make the successful physician. On September 12, 1894, Doctor Bowen was married to Minnie A. Hackleman, who was born and reared in Center township, the daughter of John F. and Minerva A. (Garmon) Hackleman, the former a native of Ripley township and the latter of Jackson township. Mr. Hackleman followed farming all his active life, being the owner of 150 acres of land in Center town- ship, of which township he served as trustee for one term. To him and his wife were born five children, four of whom are living, namely : Edward, Minnie, Wallace and Arthur; Belle died at the age of sixteen years. Doctor and Mrs. Bowen have three children, Luva, Bert V. and Raymond F., all of whom are at home. Fraternally, the Doctor is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to the blue lodge, council and chapter at Rushville; to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. His son Bert is also a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows orders at Rushville. The Doctor is a member of the Rush County Medical Society and the Indiana State Medical Society. His wife is a member of the Little Blue River Baptist Church. He is a man of sociable nature, straight- forward, obliging and unassuming.
ALBERT N. McMICHAEL, a well known farmer of Posey town- ship who has by his energy and practical activity won the respect and confidence of the community in which he resides, was born in Posey township on the 27th day of October, 1864, and is the son of William J. and Sarah (Worth) McMichael, both of whom were born, reared and educated in Rush county, where the father followed farming throughout his active life. Of the seven children who blessed the union of himself and wife, six are living, namely: William W., Albert N., Ernest, Eva, Alice and Myrtle. Albert N. McMichael received his educational training in the Berrill school house in Rush- ville township, and after completing his schooling he assisted in the work of the home farm until his marriage, in 1892, when he rented the place where he now lives. After renting the farm for twenty-two years, Mr. McMichael bought the place and since made a number of important improvements, including a new house, and the farm now presents a very attractive appearance. It consists of 100 acres of fine land, which is devoted to the crops common to this section of the country. Mr. McMichael is up-to-date and practical in his methods and enjoys a high reputation as an enterprising and successful agri-
15
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married Luticia Skillman, a native of Rush county; Effie who became the wife of Leroy Divelbiss, of Rush county, and has four children, Bernard, Gilbert, Myrtle and Ruby; Edward (deceased), who was born on October 9, 1868, received his education in the schools of Center township, and then engaged in teaching school, in addition to which he also farmed; he married Mrs. Anna J. (Clark) Rhodes and they had one child, Marie, and Amy, who died aged twenty months. Mr. Rhodes has been true to his conscience and his judgment in every relation of life, having so lived as to receive the confidence and respect of the entire community, where his influence has ever been given in support of those things which make for the general welfare.
DARIUS PATTERSON, a substantial landowner of Richland township, now living retired in his comfortable country home there, and whose active career was one of self-made manhood, in which he rose from the status of a renter to the owner of a valuable prop- erty solely through the medium 'of his own efforts, was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, September 13, 1848, a son of Thompson and Rebecca (Day) Patterson, natives of the same county. In his youth, Thompson Patterson mastered the trade of blacksmith, which he followed in Kentucky until 1852. In that year he brought his wife and family to Indiana, locating at Clarksburg, Decatur county, where he conducted a blacksmith shop for four years, coming then to Rush county and purchasing a farm of 121 acres. On this land he built a shop, and for several years followed his trade in con- junction with his farming activities, but eventually gave up black- smithing entirely and devoted himself to farming, which enabled him to increase his holdings to 176 acres. Ile and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom five are now living, Thomp- son, Lovell, Edward, Darius and Maria. Darins Patterson spent his boyhood on the home farm and secured his education at the Butler schoolhouse in Richland township. His schooling completed, he obtained employment on neighboring farms as a hand, and was thus engaged, as well as on the home farm, until he reached the age of twenty-three years, when he was married. Desiring a prop- erty of his own, and not being possessed of the means of buying one, he rented a property in Richland township, and for ten years continued to operate this land, but in 1901 was able to buy a farm and moved to the one which he now owns. By good management and wise investment he increased his holdings to 256 acres, all in Richland township, and in 1913 retired from active labor. Since then he has lived quietly in his comfortable home, enjoying the fruits of his earlier years of toil. During the active part of his career Mr. Patterson was justly considered one of the able farmers and stock raisers of his locality. A man of modern and progressive inclinations, the improvements on his property are of the best, and he is always willing to support good movements which promise to make for substantial advancement. On October 26, 1871, Darius Patterson married Mary Irene Ilite, daughter of William N. and
DARIUS PATTERSON
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
Sarah (Fisher) Hite, and a member of one of the old and honored pioneer families of Richland township. To this union there have been born three children: Normal V., who married Lillie Cloud, and has seven children, Howard, Mary, Ruth, Stanley, Willard, Whitmer and Maurice; Lola M., who married John S. Davis and has one child, Laverne; and Cora L., who married Cliff Winship and has one child, Miriam. Mrs. Patterson is a member of the Christian church, and the children have been reared in that faith. Mr. Patterson is a Democrat, but has not songht official honors.
OLIVER M. SILER, a well-known farmer of Jackson township, and formerly and for six years trustee of that township, is a native son of Rush county, having been born in Ripley township, on the 11th day of October, 1866, and he is the son of Peter and Frances (Herkless) Siler, both of whom also were natives of Ripley township, where the father followed the vocation of farming. Peter Siler was twice married. By his union with Frances Herkless he had two sons, the subject of this sketch and James P., the latter of whom died on his eighteenth birthday. By his second wife, Emma Miller, he had four children, Ora, Thomas, Oma and Boyd. The subject of this sketch received his educational training in the schools of Ripley township, including the Carthage school and Earnest school. On completing his schooling Mr. Siler secured employment as a farm hand and was so employed for about twenty-five years. He then began farming on his own account, buying forty acres of land in Ripley township. In addition to this he also cultivated and lived on eighty additional acres which he rented. Seven years later he sold the forty- acre tract and moved to Jackson township, where he bought the place on which he now lives. His first purchase was ninety-one acres, to which he added eighty-four acres by a later purchase. Mr. Siler removed to Jackson township in 1900 and gave personal direction to the cultivation of his land until 1918, when he began to rent it ont. At the same time he rented eighty-seven acres of land from his mother- in-law, which he is now engaged in farming with success. He is thor- oughly practical and up-to-date in his methods and results have demonstrated the wisdom of his judgment. On April 20, 1890, Mr. Siler was married to Maude Kirkpatrick, who was born on the place where they now live. She is the daughter of John W. and Margaret E. (Dill) Kirkpatrick, both of whom were natives of Rush county, where Mr. Kirkpatrick followed farming and stock buying for a num- ber of years. They became the parents of the following children : Sylvester, Pendleton H., Mrs. Alice Smith, Mrs. Flora B. Powell and Mrs. Siler. Mr. and Mrs. Siler are members of the Hannegan Chris- tian church. Fraternally, Mr. Siler is a member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 62, Free and Accepted Masons, and Lodge No. 35, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Rushville. Politically, he gives his active support to the Democratic party and during the six-year period, 1914- 20, he rendered efficient service as trustee of Jackson township. A man of pleasing address and obliging manner, he has won and retains a host of friends throughout his community.
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W. D. MARTIN, a well-known farmer and swine breeder of An- derson township, is a member of one of Rush county's pioneer families, his grandfather, James Martin, having come up here from Kentucky as a young man and established himself here in the early days. Some time after coming here James Martin married Mary Ann Muus, who also was born in Kentucky, and after his marriage settled on a farm in Anderson township where he spent the rest of his life, one of the useful pioneers of that neighborhood. John D. Martin, one of the sons of this pioneer pair, grew to manhood on that farm and in turn became a farmer on his own account. He married Mary F. VanHook and for some years afterward continued to make his home in Anderson township, living on a rented farm, and then moved over into Decatur county where he rented a farm in Clinton township and in that town- ship spent the rest of his life, his death occurring there in 1887. Of the six children born to John D. Martin and wife W. D. Martin, the subject of this sketch, was the third in order of birth. Four of these children are still living, those besides W. D. being Janie, Frank and Anna. W. D. Martin was but a child when his parents moved from here to Decatur county and in the latter county he received his school- ing and grew to manhood. He was but eight years of age when his father died and thus early began to assume mature responsibilities in connection with the operation of the farm, remaining on the home farm, he and his brother carrying on the work of the same until after his marriage when he rented a farm and began operations on his own account and has so continued, at present carying on operations on a 400-acre farm in Anderson township, on which, besides his general farming operations he is extensively engaged in the breeding of big type Poland China hogs, feeding about 300 head a year, and is doing well. It was in 1903 that W. D. Martin was united in marriage to Hat- tie Tompkins, who was born in this county, daughter of Ira and Arkie (Richey) Tompkins, of Anderson township, and to this union one child was born, a son, Earl Thornton. Mrs. Martin died on March 24, 1921. Mr. Martin is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and has ever given his interested attention to the work of the church, being one of the stewards of the same. In his political affiliation he is a Democrat and in his fraternal affiliations is connected with the local lodges of the Masons and the Knights of Pythias, and has been "through the chairs" in the latter lodge.
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