USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 59
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
industry and good management he had gradually increased his hold- ings until he became the owner of 508 acres of fine farm land, all lying in Richland township. To him and his wife were born two children, the subject of this sketch and Dwight. Leslie Miller received his educational training in the common schools of Richland township and then rented land from his father, continuing his farming operations in that way until the father's death, when he inherited a portion of the homestead. He is now operating 222 acres, which he devotes to general farming and stock raising, in which he has met with a gratify- ing measure of success. He feeds about 125 head of hogs a year. On April 10, 1904, Mr. Miller was married to Grace E. Mercer, the daughter of James and Maggie Mercer, and they are the parents of two children, Naomi Ruth and Robert Kenneth. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are active members of the Hopewell United Brethren Church. Mr. Miller is a stanch supporter of the Republican party and he takes an intelligent interest in all public affairs, especially as relating to his own county and township, ever giving his support to all movements for the advancement of the general welfare.
OSCAR H. REES, a well-known farmer and landowner of Union township, proprietor of a well kept farm on rural mail route No. 7 out of Rushville, was born in that same township on June 19, 1876, son of John and Alice (Hassard) Rees, the latter of whom is still living, now making her home in Rushville. Mrs. Alice Rees was born in the state of Delaware and was but a young girl when she came to Indiana with her parents, Doctor Hassard and wife, the family locating at Fairview in Fayette county, where for years Doctor Hassard was engaged in the practice of his profession. John Rees was born in the neighboring county of Fayette, son of John and Nancy Rees, Pennsyl- vanians, who were among the pioneer residents of Fayette county, and he grew to manhood in that county, a farmer from his youth. A year after his first marriage (to Nancy Gray) he came over into Rush county and bought a tract of 107 acres in Union township, the place on which his son Oscar is now living, and there he spent the remainder of his life engaged in farming. He prospered in his operations and bought an adjacent tract of 140 acres, thus increasing his land hold- ings to 247 acres, and was accounted one of the substantial citizens of the community. He and his second wife, Alice Hassard, were the parents of three children, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Burton and Justus Rees. Reared on the home farm in Union township, Oscar Rees received his schooling in the Ging schools and continued farming with his father until his marriage at the age of twenty-one years, after which he rented a farm over in Fayette county for a year, at the end of which time he returned to Rush county and bought an eighty-acre tract in the Fairview neighborhood. Two years later he traded that tract for a part of the Rees home farm, where he is now living, and has since resided there, the owner of eighty acres, besides which he is farming an adjoining tract of 107 acres, making 187 acres which he has under his charge. In addition
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to his general farming Mr. Rees feeds out a couple of car loads of hogs a year and is doing well in his operations. In 1898 Oscar Rees was united in marriage to Leona Hartman, a daughter of Hezekiah and Florence Hartman, and to this union seven children have been born, Lois, Delphine, Carroll, Donald, Florence, Francis and Cather- ine. Mr. and Mrs. Rees are Republicans. They are members of the Ben Davis Christian Church and Mr. Rees formerly was a deacon in the church and for the past twelve years or more has been one of the elders, he and his wife for years having given their earnest attention to the work of the church.
GEORGE M. WALLACE, one of the prosperous farmers and stockraisers of Rushville township and a well-known citizen of Rush county, a member of one of the old families of this region, was born at Rushville on September 7, 1892, son and only child of John C. and Katie (Mull) Wallace, the former of whom was born at Rushville, and the latter in Walker township, this county. After he left school John C. Wallace went into the printing and publishing business, he and his brother issuing the Jacksonian at Rushville, and continued to do so for about fifteen years. He then retired from newspaper work and took up farming in Rushville township, on the farm now operated by his son, George M. Wallace. Here he resided for a number of years, but is now retired and living at Rushville. George M. Wallace was reared and educated at Rushville and was graduated from the high school in 1912, after which he entered the employ of the United States Express Company, with which he remained for two years, at the end of which time he began farming, locating on the homestead of 240 acres which he rents from his father. Here he is carrying on general farming and raises abont 250 head of hogs annually. On May 29, 1914, Mr. Wallace married Florence Nipp, daughter of John and Lydia Nipp. Mrs. Wallace was born in Washington township, this county, and took the first three years of high school work at Raleigh, completing it in the Rushville high school. Her father was a miller of Washington township, and had the following children, all of whom are living: Carl V., John, Jr., Gilbert E., Ralph A., Frank M. and Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace have one son, John M., who was born on August 10, 1915. Mr. Wallace is a member of Ivy lodge, No. 27, Knights of Pythias, and of Rushville lodge, No. 1307, Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of the Presbyte- rian church at Rushville. Mr. Wallace has always voted the Demo- cratic ticket. He is properly numbered among the alert, enterprising and successful young men of Rush county and stands high in popular esteem.
JOHN HUNGERFORD, a well-known retired farmer of Orange township, this county, was born in that township on July 26, 1851, a son of John and Nancy (Callahan) Hungerford, the former of whom was born in Butler county, Ohio, and the latter in Fleming county, Kentucky. They were married in Rush county and spent their subse- quent lives here, John Hungerford being a farmer and owning 160
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acres of land in Orange township. Of their seven children the follow- ing are living : Pliny, Elbert, Mary and John. John Hungerford attended the district school near his father's farm in boyhood and remained at home working for his father until his own marriage, when he began farming for himself. He bought the farm of eighty acres in Orange township on which he still lives and for many years operated it as a grain and stock farm. He is no longer active as a farmer, having a very satisfactory arrangement with tenants. On September 17, 1876, Mr. Hungerford married Malissa Harcourt, who also was born in Rush county, daughter of James F. and Harriet (Keeler) Harcourt, also natives of this county. James F. Harcourt was a farmer and also was an inventor and the Harcourt wheat drill that he manufactured was his own invention and became quite generally used hereabout. Of his nine children there are six surviving : Alonzo, Edgar, Wilbur, Ira, Elmaza G. and Malissa. Mr. and Mrs. Hunger- ford have two sons: Bert, who follows farming in Rush county and who married Stella Conn and has two children, Vaughn and Crystal ; and Leslie, also a farmer in Rush county, who married Emma Kney. Mr. Hungerford is one of the older members of the Big Flat Rock Christian Church, in which organization he has long been a deacon and also a member of the board of trustees. He is of the Democratic faith and for one term served the public as trustee of Orange township.
RAY POWER. That agriculture can be made one of the most agreeable and satisfying occupations of human life, that industry, good judgment and perseverance bring results, and that honesty and fairmindedness are among the most useful of assets, are facts empha- sized in the life of Ray Power, one of the substantial agriculturists of Anderson township. Mr. Power was born in that township on Novem- ber 26, 1885, a son of George and Lurissa (Crawford) Power, natives of Rush county. George Power was reared and educated in Ander- son township and as a young man adopted farming, a vocation which he followed during the remainder of his active life. He retired in
1916 and since that time has lived quietly in his comfortable home at Milroy. The district schools of Anderson township furnished Ray Power with his early education, following which he enrolled as a student at the high school at Milroy, where he was a member of the first class to graduate after a four-year term. Upon leaving school, he became associated with his father in the operation of the home farm and remained with the elder man for eleven years, but following his marriage moved to his present property. In 1915 Mr. Power had bought the home farm of 160 acres, but in September, 1919, when he bought his present place of 370 acres he disposed of the farm upon which he had been born. At the present time Mr. Power carries on general farming and stock feeding. He feeds his grain to his live stock, feeding out about 300 hogs a year. During his active career Mr. Power has lived close to high ideals, and his citizenship has imparted strength and substantiality to all undertakings in which his
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ability and worth have been enlisted. He is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church at Milroy, of which he has served as a member of the board of trustees for a number of years, and in his political views maintains an independent stand. Mr. Power married Ethel Meal, daughter of James and Mary Meal, and they have two children, Gladys and Cedric, both of whom are attending the grammar school at Milroy.
OTIS L. MILLER, a prominent and well-known citizen of Rich- land township and a man who has achieved a marked degree of success in his chosen vocation, so that he now enjoys to a notable degree the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens, was born in Douglas county, Illinois, on the 10th day of March, 1877, and is the son of E. B. and Mary A. (Blue) Miller, who spent their last days in Rush county. E. B. Miller was an honored veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted his services in behalf of the cause of the Union on July 21, 1862. He went to the front as a private in C Company, Sixty-eighth regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served with that command for nearly three years, being discharged at Nashville, Tenn., June 25, 1865, a sergeant of C Company. Mr. Miller was a farmer all his life. His wife died in October, 1886, and his death occurred in March, 1887. They were the parents of seven children, of whom five are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Stella, Earl, Angus and Harry. Otis L. Miller was but a child when his parents came to Rush county and he was but ten years of age when his father died. The death of his mother the year before thus left him doubly orphaned and he was reared in the family of Jesse I. and Louella® Lafforge, with whom he remained until his marriage, receiving his schooling in the excellent schools of Richland township. After his marriage Mr. Miller started farming on his own account, renting land from Mr. Lafforge, and has farmed as a renter continuously since. He has been a good manager of his business affairs and has been prospered in his efforts, so that he has become the owner of 160 acres of excellent land. He is now farming 377 acres in Richland township, on which he carries on general farming and stock raising. He feeds annually about 200 hogs and a carload of cattle. He is up-to-date and progressive in his methods and is a man of sound and practical ideas. Mr. Miller was married to Mary L. Smith, the daugh- ter of Dr. J. L. and Sarah (Shepard) Smith, and they are the par- ents of six children, Melvin, Jesse, Gertrude, Charles, Thelma and Mary Elizabeth. Melvin Miller married Myrl Emsweller, and they have a daughter, Rosemary. Mr. Miller and his family are identified with the United Brethren church and in politics he gives his support to the Republican party. Genial in disposition and unassuming in manner, he enjoys to a marked degree the respect and esteem of the entire community in which he lives. Mrs. Miller was born at Clarks- burg, in the neighboring county of Decatur, where her father, Dr. J. L. Smith, has been engaged in practice for many years, though now living practically retired. Doctor Smith was born in Jefferson
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county, this state, a member of one of the pioneer families down there, and his wife was born in Ohio. The Doctor grew to manhood in his home county and completed his schooling there in Hanover Col- lege, after which for some time he was engaged in teaching school with a view to earning his way to medical college. In time he was able to matriculate at the Cincinnati Medical College and upon receiving his diploma from that institution located at Clarksburg, where he is still living. He and his wife have had seven children, of whom six are still living, those besides Mrs. Miller being Jessie G., James T., Fred J., Carlos and Pauline. Miss Jessie G. Smith has been for years a teacher of music and voice culture and in this vocation has traveled quite extensively.
THOMAS W. LOWER, who is engaged in operating the home- stead farm of his family in Rushville township and is so successful in his business that he is numbered among the leading agriculturalists of Rush county, was born in that township on January 19, 1865, son of John W. and Rhoda A. (Edmondson) Lower, both of whom were born in Rush county, near Rushville, the former on May 3, 1830, and the latter in April, 1833. All his life John W. Lower was a farmer and he became the owner of eighty acres of land, upon which his son is now living. He and his wife had seven children, five of whom are now living : Amanda, Emily, Anna, Martha and Thomas W. Thomas W. Lower attended the local schools and then began farming with his father, with whom he remained until his marriage, at which time he left home and rented eighty acres of land and operated it for two years. He then returned to the homestead and operated the farm for his father until his death, after which he operated it for his mother until her death, which occurred about a year later. Mr. Lower then bought the property from the other heirs and has since lived on it. In addition to doing general farming he raises about 150 head of big type Poland China hogs annually. On November 15, 1894, Mr. Lower married Anna L. Hilligoss, daughter of Elliott and Rosanna (Sell) Hilligoss, natives of Rush county, where Elliott Hilligoss was engaged in farming all his life. Mrs. Lower was born in Madison county, Indiana. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lower, all of whom are living : Florence A., who married Denzil Mull, a farmer of Walker township, and has a daughter, Maxine; Jolin W., a farmer of Walker township, who married Favora Goddard; Lafayette B., Edith L., Ellen, Rosanna S. and Ruth E. The Lowers are members of the Pleasant Ridge Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Lower is a Democrat. Having spent all of his life in Rushville township Mr. Lower is naturally much attached to the locality, and here all of his interests center. He is proud of his old home and neighborhood and supports those movements which have for their object the improve- ment of local conditions.
EARL HINCHMAN, one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of Union township, was born in the house in which he is now living in that township on January 2, 1878, son
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of Sanford and Clara (Stephens) Hinchman, both members of pioneer families in this section of Indiana, the latter born over in the neigh- boring county of Franklin. Sanford Hinchman was born in Union township, Rush county, a son of John and Margaret Hinchman and a member of the well known pioncer family of that name, many repre- sentatives of which are living here in the present generation, and grew to manhood on the home farm. After his marriage he estab- lished his home on a farm of his own in the same township and was there actively engaged in farming until his retirement in 1917. To him and his wife were born six children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Albert, Murtella, Edith, Madison and Leslie. Earl Hinchman was reared on the home farm in Union township and received his schooling in the nearby district school. Until he was twenty-five years of age he continued farming with his father and then rented a farm and started out "on his own hook," continuing thus engaged as a renter for fourteen years, at the end of which time he bought the old home place of 120 acres and has since made his home there, carrying on the operations of the place in up-to-date fash- ion. Since taking possession of this place Mr. Hinchman has made numerous improvements in the way of a modern readjustment and has a well equipped farm plant. In addition to his general farming he gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock and is doing well. In 1904 Earl Hinchman was united in marriage to Catherine Ryburn, who was born in Fayette county, daughter of Agnew G. and Martha (Murray) Ryburn, and to this union four children have been born, Helen, Marion, Howard and Edward. The Hinchmans have a very pleasant home on rural mail route No. 1 out of Glenwood and have ever taken an interested and hospitable part in the com- munity's general social affairs. Mrs. Hinchman is a member of the United Presbyterian church. Mr. Hinchman is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs.
RICHARD M. FARLOW, the proprietor of a well-cultivated and productive property in Anderson township and a farmer and citizen of substantial standing, still in the prime of a useful life, is a native of Anderson township, where his position of honor has been earned by years of labor and intelligently directed industry. Mr. Farlow was born on September 14, 1860, a son of Reuben and Elizabeth (Gosnell) Farlow, natives of Rush county. His grandfather, Hiram Farlow, was born in the Carolinas, and as a young man migrated to Indiana, here meeting and marrying Elizabeth Townsend, a native of Kentucky. Settling in Orange township, this county, they engaged in agricultural pursuits and there rounded out long and useful lives. Reuben Farlow attended the district schools of the log cabin style of architecture and grew to manhood in Rush county, where he engaged in farming as the associate of his father. At the age of twenty-four years he was married and commenced operations on his own account, first as a renter, which was his status for eighteen years, and then as the owner of a property of his own. Mr. Farlow became one of the successful
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agriculturists of his locality and accumulated some 400 acres, but much of this land has been distributed among his children, and at present he is the owner of 190 acres, upon which he is still directing operations as a general farmer and stock raiser. His wife died on March 20, 1921. They had the distinction of being the oldest couple in Anderson township, Mr. Farlow being eighty-eight and his wife eighty-nine years of age. Of their four children, two are living: Richard M. and Susan, the wife of Stillman A. Fisher. Richard M. Farlow received his education in the country schools of Anderson township, after leaving which he took up farming on the home place and continued his operations as the associate of his father until reach- ing the age of twenty-three years. He then embarked in activities on his own account on a part of his present farm, upon which he has put all the present modern improvements. Mr. Farlow now is the owner of 260 acres in Anderson township, 160 acres in Adams township, Decatur county, and eighty acres in Jennings county, and applies himself to general farming and the raising of live stock, feeding about 200 hogs a year, besides his cattle. Mr. Farlow married Lida Steel, daughter of Warren and Elizabeth Steel, and to this union there have been born three children: Walter, who married Grace Williams and has two children, Kenneth and Ralph; Mabel, who married Dwight Davison, and Clarence, who is attending high school at Milroy. Mr. and Mrs. Farlow and their children are members of the Church of God. In his political allegiance he is a Democrat.
LEO W. KEISLING, one of the best known and most enterprising of the younger generation of agriculturists of Richland township, and a member of one of the leading families of Rush county, was born on February 10, 1896, on the farm on which he now resides and he is a son of L. W. and Lillie (Gordon) Keisling, the former a native of Anderson township, Rush county, and the latter born in Franklin county, Indiana. L. W. Keisling grew to manhood in this county, attending the common schools of his home neighborhood, and then attended Moores Hill College. After completing his collegiate edu- eation, Mr. Keisling took up farming as his life vocation, and remained actively engaged as such until his retirement, in May, 1920, when he went to Rushville to reside. He was successful in his business affairs and accumulated a fine farm of 400 acres. Mr. Keisling has been mar- ried twice. To his union with Lillie Gordon were born three children, George, Kate and Leo W. After the death of the mother of these children, the father was married to Lucy Guffin. Leo W. Keisling received his elementary education in the public schools of Richland township and the high school at New Salem, and then attended Pur- due University two years, taking the general agricultural course the first year and animal husbandry the second year. On leaving college, Mr. Keisling returned home and assisted his father in the operation of the home farm until the latter's retirement, since which time he has operated the farm on his own account. His preliminary acquaintance with the farming methods of his father, supplemented by his studies
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at Purdue, amply qualified him for conducting the work on a high plane and he has already demonstrated his ability in an unmistakable manner. One hundred and twenty acres of the land are devoted to corn, eighty-five acres to small grain and sixty acres to clover seed. Mr. Keisling gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock, feeding practically all his corn to hogs and cattle. On June 12, 1920. Mr. Keisling was married to Olive Ginn, a daughter of Frank and Pearl Ginn. Mr. and Mrs. Keisling are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Richland and in politics Mr. Keisling gives his support to the Republican party. Genial in disposition and unassum- ing in manner, he enjoys to a marked degree the esteem and friendship of all who know him.
FREDERICK W. POSEY, of Rushville township, one of the enterprising young farmers who are assisting in maintaining Rush county's undisputed agricultural prestige, was born in Posey town- ship, this county, January 29, 1886, son of William A. and Laura F. (Conde) Posey, both of whom were born in Rush county, the former in Walker township and the latter in Rushville township. A farmer all his life William A. Posey became the owner of 140 acres of land in Rushville township. Of his nine children the following are now living : Fred W., Iva, Mary, Lola, Jessie, and Ethel. Frederick W. Posey was reared in Rushville township and attended district school No. 8. Until his marriage he remained at home, during the last two years of that period operating the farm for his widowed mother, after the death of his father. Following his marriage Mr. Posey rented 232 acres of land in Rushville township and is still operating this farm and another one, owned by his uncle, Charles H. Posey. He carries on general farming and raises about 150 head of hogs annually. On November 8, 1919, Mr. Posey married Ada McConnell, daughter of Madison and Martha (Rease) McConnell. Mrs. Posey was born and educated in Fayette county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Posey have one son, Frederick Eugene, who was born on October 5, 1920. Mr. Posey is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Arlington and is a Republican.
JUSTUS REES, a well-known farmer of Union township, was born in that same township, March 2, 1879, and has lived there all his life. He is a son of John and Alice (Hassard) Rees, further mention of whom, together with additional details of the Rees and Hassard families, is made elsewhere in this volume and the latter of whom is still living, now making her home at Rushville. She is a daughter of Doctor Hassard, who for years was engaged in the practice of medicine at Fairview. John Rees, who at the time of his death was the owner of 247 acres of good land in Union township, was a son of John Rees and wife, who had come to Indiana from Pennsylvania and located in Fayette county. A year after his first marriage (to Nancy Gray) John Rees came to Rush county and established his home in Union township, where he spent the remainder of his life. He and his second wife (Alice Hassard) were the parents of three sons, the subject of
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