USA > Indiana > Shelby County > Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, Vol. 2 > Part 25
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liams were an exemplification of much that is noble. just and magnanime us. and their present descendants in Shelby, Johnson and Bartholomew counties seem to have inherited many of these praiseworthy traits.
JAMES CUTSINGER.
Few men in the state are better versed in the details appertaining to the proper management of a farm than James Cutsinger. of Hendricks town- ship. Shelby county. Mr. Cutsinger is a native of the county, having been born in Jackson township. April 4. 1841. He is the son of John and Jare ( Williams) Cutsinger. The parents of the latter were natives of Tennessee. The father of James was born in Kentucky and was the child of George and Rebecca Cutsinger, both of whom came from Germany. After remaining in Kentucky a number of years they decided to try their fortunes in Indiana. then practically an unbroken wilderness. They chose Shelby county as their future home, and entered upon a large trace of "wild" land. George Cut- singer combined the business of farmer and that of distilling. They had three children, one of whom was John, father of the subject. He was born December 27, 1808, and died May 8, 1859. The wife died April 20. 1875. The father of Mr. Cutsinger had very little chance to go to school. and there- fore was enabled to procure but a meager education. He learned to read and write, and that was about as far as his education extended. Later. however. he made himself proficient in both of those branches by hard study. becoming a very fine perman. He served for several years as a Justice of the Peace. He and his wife had seven children. The first child. George, is dead. He lived in Johnson county, was a Democrat and served as Treasurer and County Commissioner : he married Julia Ann Ballard and they had four children : Mary became the wife of S. B. Law and is now dead: Jane married Peter Heck, of Johnson county, both of whom are now dead, and ten children were born to them: James ( subject ). fourth child: Alexander. deceased, married Saloma Bradford, had four children: Thomas, farmer, residing in Hendricks township. Shelby county, married Hannah Higgins, three children ; Samuel. resident Jackson township. stock dealer. wife dead.
James Cutsinger remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age. and then began to hire out to neighboring farmers. When a young man Mir. Cutsinger took a great deal of pride in his ability to perform farm lalor of all kinds in an energetic and expeditions manner. He held the record of the county and, no doubt. of this section of the country as a lightning corn- husker. In the presence of fifty neighbors, for a prize of fifty dollars, he husked perfectly clean twenty-five bushels and eight pounds of corn it fifty -
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six minutes. This occurred in a field adjoining the village of Marietta, when he was about twenty-one years old. He is also an expert with the gun and won a beautiful silver cup in 1906 at the contest of the Marietta Gun Club. Although the cup has been contested for several times since. Mr. Cutsinger still retains it.
During the Civil war Mr. Cutsinger served two years as a musician un- der officers recruiting men for companies and regiments in various parts of the state. During his period of service in that capacity he tendered his ser- vices to Governor Morton for the purpose of enlisting as a private to go to the front. but the Governor desired him to continue as a musician, which he did. It was understood that he was to receive pay for his work, but through some oversight no official record of his service was ever made and Mr. Cut- singer failed to receive any remuneration from the state or government.
He was married in 1863 to Myra Williams, daughter of Jackson Wil- liams. of Johnson county. The first wife of the subject died in 1868. leaving two children, Mollie and Fannie F. The former is dead, while the latter lives at Marietta, Indiana, is the wife of David R. Snapp, and has three children. Mary, Jane and Grover. The second wife of the subject was Mary A. Mc- Farren, daughter of Thomas and Eliza Jane ( Gully ) MeFarren, both natives of Kentucky. The former endured many hardships in the early days. Hc came to Indiana in 1818, being alone in the world. He died in 1882, while his wife survived him twenty-five years. For a long time he conducted a saw mill, and got out lumber for railroad companies. Ile was a Republican. but never held any office.
James Cutsinger and his second wife had three children. Alexander .1 .. Grace and Daniel. the latter being dead. Mr. Cutsinger is a self-made man in every sense of the word, and as the fruits of his early labors he is the owner of a very fine farm. in a high state of cultivation. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Red Men. He holds strong temperance views, and did much in aid of the movement to eliminate the saloons in Shelby county. For many years Mr. Cutsinger and wife conducted a dairy.
THE SHOWALTER FAMILY.
E. P. Showalter, father of Mrs. Purley B. Miller, was a native of Penn- sylvania, and the son of Joseph Showalter, who moved to that state many years ago from Maryland, and later migrated to Union county. Indiana. where he spent the remainder of his life. E. P. Showalter was eight years old when his parents moved to Indiana. He grew to maturity in Union county, and on February 13. 1848, married Mary Abernathy, who was born
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in that county, December 16, 1828. In the fall of 1829 this couple moved to Moral township, Shelby county, where Mr. Showalter purchased land, which he cleared and improved, and on which he lived and prospered for a period of forty-eight years, or until he died in Van Buren township. September 16, 189S. He was an enterprising farmer, a public-spirited citizen, and during his long residence in the township of Moral, wielded a strong influence for the good of his fellowmen, and was held in high esteem by a large circle of neighbors and friends. Of the eleven children who constituted the family of E. P. and Mary Showalter, the following are living in 1909: George, a resident of Johnson county, Indiana : Mrs. W. W. Rigdon, of Greenfield. In- diana ; Mrs. Flora B. Lewis, of Hanover township: Mrs. Dora B. Miller, Mrs. Emma St. Clair, of Indianapolis, and Mrs. Ada Miller, of Freeport ; Flora and Dora being twins.
PURLEY B. MILLER.
The subject of this sketch is a prosperous farmer living on the north- west quarter of section 16. Van Buren township, where he first saw the light of day November 29. 1861. being the third of six children born to Sinon and Sarah (Sexton) Miller, who are noticed elsewhere in these pages. Reared under excellent home influences on the family homestead, he assisted with the farm work as soon as old enough, and during the winter months attended the district schools until about twenty years of age. Ilis father then hired him to manage the farm, and he continued in this capacity until his marriage, when he located in Hanover township, but in September of the following year re- turned to the township of Van Buren, where he cultivated the soil as a renter, until buying land of his own. This purchase consisted of forty acres in sec- tion 9, and he at once inaugurated a series of improvements, which, in due time, added greatly to the value of the place and under his labors and man- agement it soon became one of the best farms of its size in the township.
When a favorable opportunity presented itself. Mr. Miller purchased eighty acres of the George DePrez farm in the same locality, to which he has since added until he now owns one hundred and twenty acres of excellent land, the greater part under a high state of cultivation and containing seme of the best improvements in the community. It has not been many years since Mr. Miller began life for himself, as a hired hand at the ordinary wages, and the fact of his having saved his earnings until able to become a land owner and his subsequent advancement to an influential position among the success- ful agriculturists of Van Buren township, bears testimony to his energy, in- dustry and ability to make time and circumstance subserve his purposes. . As
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a farmer he is easily the peer of any of his neighbors, being progressive in his ideas and a firm believer in advanced methods of tillage and modern im- provements. He pays considerable attention to live stock, and has met with gratifying success in the breeding and raising of fine grades of cattle and hogs. these and his grain crops constituting his chief source of income. He is now in comfortable circumstances, and with a beautiful and well appointed home, an agreeable family circle and a sufficiency of this world's goods to make him independent, his lot is indeed a happy and enviable one.
The maiden name of Mrs. Miller was Dora Showalter, and, as already stated. she became the wife of the subject in 1884. the ceremony being solem- nized on the 27th day of December. Three children have been born to them : Howard C., who was born September 16, 1887. and who married Mary Sedg- wick, is a farmer of Van Buren township: Esta, born April 13, 1891, and Virgil, born April 25, 1894. are still with their parents.
Mr. Miller and family belong to the Methodist Protestant church, and are numbered among the active and influential members of the local society with which they are identified. In politics he voies the Republican ticket, and is a firm believer in the principles of his party, but has never sought office nor aspired to public recognition.
ADAM MELLIS.
The gentleman whose life history we now take under consideration is a descendant of those hardy people from that romantic land of bills and heather. and he, in many respects, has inherited the sterling characteristics of his worthy father. Archibald Mellis, who was born in Scotland, and who came to the United States when he had reached maturity. locating in Pennsylvania. in which state he married Jane Brander, and from which they came to In- diana, locating in Clark county, near Madison, where our subject. Adam Mel- lis, was born June 24. 1848. But believing that better opportunities awaited him in Shelby county, a newer country than that along the Ohio river, Archibald Mellis brought his family hither in 1865, locating at Freeport. where he pur- chased the woolen mill, operating the same in a successful manner until his death in January, 1875. He was a man of excellent business endowments, and he and his wife were regarded by all as people of honesty and intelligence. The latter passed away in 1887. To them were born seven children, namely : John, a soldier in the Civil war: Nellie was the wife of Horace Patterson. deceased : James, who was a soldier in the Civil war, gave his life for his coun- try at Kenesaw Mountain : Alexander is living at Freeport. Indiana : Adam. subject of this sketch : William, living in Hanover township. Shelby county ; Emma J. is the widow of William Hill. of Freeport.
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Adam Mellis was reared on his father's farm, working during the sum- mer months and attending the common school for a short time during the winter months. Coming here in 1865. he worked in the woolen mills for a time with his father, and later went to farming, of which he has made a success in every respect. now owning one Inundred and sixty acres of a most desirable farm, which he has greatly improved, bringing the fields up to a high state of cultivation and erecting on the place a comfortable dwelling and substantial outbuildings, everything in keeping with a twentieth century country place. All this he has made himself by thrift, industry and economy. He spends all his time looking after his general farming interests, raising some good stock, to which he feeds a part of his grain.
Mr. Mellis was married to Nancy Sleeth on February 12, 1871. She was born in Marion township. Shelby county, Indiana. November 7, 1849. and was educated in the common schools. No children have resulted from this union, but the subject and wife reared Lola Hargrove.
In politics Mr. Mellis is a Republican, but he prefers to spend his time looking after his farming interests rather than seck public office. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church at Freeport, and he and his es- timable wife are held in high favor by their neighbors, owing to their worthy lives.
JAMES K. KEMPER.
Among the well known agriculturists and Civil war veterans of Shelby county, none are more deserving of a place in this book than James K. Kem- per, as a study of his life record will show. He was born in Union township. this county. August 1. 1842, the son of John and Mariah ( Crall ) Kemper. both natives of Kentucky, in which state they grew to maturity and married, later coming to Shelby county, Indiana, about 1833. being among the earliest pioneers of Union township. where they entered eighty acres, the deed hav- ing been dated October 29, 1834. signed by the great name of Andrew Jack- son, then President of the United States. When John Kemper came to Union township it was all a wilderness, but he went to work and cleared his land, later developing a good farm, but he was stricken with cholera, which was prevalent over the country during the forties, and died, leaving a widow and eight children. Mrs. Kemper, who never re-married. successfully man- aged the farm and reared the following children : Margaret, Elizabeth, Sarah A., Zerilda, Henry, James K., John C., Mary E. Of these, three have joined the great majority in the silent land. Henry W .. John C. and James K. were in the same company of the Fifty-first Indiana Regiment. the latter having enlisted in Company F. September 6, 1862. This company was first engaged
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in Kentucky, and was in the great battles of Murfreesboro, or Stone River : also Dug's Gap. Crooked Creek. Blunt's Farm. Missionary Ridge, Straw- berry Plains, Mossy Creek, Dalton. Columbia, Franklin and Nashville, the battle there being the last general engagement the company was in. In all these conflicts James K. Kemper is said by his comrades to have conducted himself in a very gallant manner. He was never wounded. although many bullets passed through his clothing. He was mustered out in June, 1865. after which he returned to his home in Union township, and went to work on his mother's farm. In 1866 he left home and began life for himself, and married Matilda Rhodes, widow of Enoch Rhodes: her maiden name being Phares. They started out poor. but being hard workers, they made a good living. To them three children were born, namely: Elvira, wife of Charles Comstock, of Shelbyville. Indiana : Delphina, wife of Wilbur Smiley, of In- dianapolis: W. L., who lives with his father.
The first wife of James K. Kemper died in 1901, and he was again mar -. ried, October 4. 1905. to Mrs. Ora B. Woodward, widow of George Wood- ward, her maiden name having been Spurier. the daughter of joseph Spurier, and her date of birth was March 7. 1852. When a young man Mr. Spurier came to Morristown, Indiana, and taught school here for a period of thirty years. By her first marriage to George Woodward, on December 7. 1872. she became the mother of a son and a daughter. William C. and Mary .1.
Mr. Kemper's beautifully located home is one-half mile cast of Morris- town, where he owns one hundred and forty-four acres. all of which he has secured through his own efforts. having gone in debt. but has paid all and is in easy circumstances. His land is worth one hundred fifty dollars per acre. and he is worth eighteen thousand dollars. He is a stockholder in the Citi- zens' Gas Company, in which he is a Trustee. He is regarded as one of the best general farmers in Hanover township, and he raises much grain.
Mr. Kemper is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In poli- tics he is a Democrat. Mrs. Kemper is a member of the Christian church, at Morristown. No people in this vicinity are held in higher regard than Mr. and Mrs. Kemper.
GEORGE W. COPPLE.
A native of Shelby county. Indiana, and one of the leading citizens of the community which he honors by his residence, is the gentleman whose name appears above, the third of a family of nine children, whose parents were Nicholas and Jane Copple, the former of North Carolina and the latter of Indiana. Nicholas Copple was born August 17. 1805, came to Indiana in his boyhood and grew to maturity in Shelby county, where in due time he mar-
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ried Jennie Calclazier, whose birth occurred on October 10, 1810. The follow- ing are the names and dates of the birth of the children born to this estimable couple: Jonathan, February 17, 1833; Eliza E .. September 20. 1835: Sarah J .. November 8, 1836: George W., of this review. October 5. 1838; Lucy .\., August 30. 1840; William E. September 8, 1842; Samuel, September 3. 1844: Lafayette, February 14. 1848, and Margaret, who was born March 20, 1850. All but four are deceased.
After his marriage Nicholas Copple settled in Van Buren township. where he cleared and improved a farm and reared his family ; he was a suc- cessful farmer and excellent citizen, and lived to a good old age, dying on the place he developed from the forest in May. 1870, his wife preceding him to the grave by several years.
George W. Copple was reared on the family homestead in Van Buren township: attended at intervals the schools of the day and remained with his parents until he began life for himself at the age of twenty-one. At first he farmed as a renter, but later succeeded in accumulating sufficient means to pur- chase land of his own, since which time his progress has been steady and sub- stantial as his present independent position abundantly attests.
Mr. Copple owns a beautiful and well kept farm of one hundred acres, on which he has lived and prospered since the year 1866, and as stated above. is the possessor of a sufficiency of this world's goods to enable him to live in comfort with ample means to render his declining years free from care.
Mr. Copple was married in February, 1866, to Abigail Fox, whose birth occurred in Shelby county on the 23d day of March, 18.4.4, being a daughter of Alfred Fox, who moved to Indiana many years ago from his native state of North Carolina. Mr. Fox was born August 18. 1814, and departed this life on May 9. 1886. His first wife, who bore the maiden name of Nancy Kester. was born in Indiana, October 15. 1823. and died in the year 1852. after bear- ing him the following children : Benjamin, born April 2. 1845: Iliram, June 1. 1847: Alexander. November 1, 1849: Jacob, May 23. 1852. and Mrs. Copple, who, as mentioned above, was the first in order of birth. By a sub- sequent marriage Mr. Fox became the father of five children, of whom all grew to maturity.
Mr. and Mrs. Copple are the parents of six children, the oldest being Emma, whose birth occurred on December 5, 1867. and who is now the wife of Benjamin Winton, ci Union township: two of the others died in infancy and three after reaching more mature age.
In his political affiliations Mr. Copple has always been a Democrat and deeply interested in the success of his party. He and his wife attend the Methodist Protestant church, his wife belonging to the church at Freeport, of which she has been a consistent member for a period of forty-four years. Immediately after their marriage this couple settled on the farm where they
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have since lived, and are now the best known and most highly respected people of the community. Mr. Copple is now spending his declining years in hon- orable retirement, though still looking after his farm.
JAMES B. SEVER.
A well known and influential agriculturist of Noble township. Shelby county, Indiana, whose life has been led along a high plane of endeavor in such a manner as to not only gain definite success in material things, but also to win for him the respect and confidence of all who know him, is James B. Sever, who was born in this township. March 19. 1858. the son of Peter and Elizabeth ( Weidner ) Sever. Peter Sever was born March 23. 1831. He came to Shelby county. Indiana. from Clinton county, Ohio, in 1855. He bought the land where James B. Sever now lives. It was then in a primitive condition, but being a hard worker he cleared it up and improved it, making a good home. He married Elizabeth Weidner. who was born in Butler county. Ohio, November 22. 1835, and she came with her parents to Shelby county in 1841, and she has lived here ever since. She has seen this country grow from a wilderness to its present-day magnificent development. her people tak- ing no small part in the work of advancement. She married the second time. To her were born three children. James B., of this review : Catherine, who mar- ried William Sawyer, of Noble township: Josie, the wife of Oliver Lineback, of Hancock county, this state.
James B. Sever was fifteen years old when his father died. He attended the district schools and received a good common school education. During the summer months he worked on the home farm, which he helped to improve. thus growing to manhood and remaining under his parental roof until his marriage to Ellen Cuskaden, daughter of Thomas and Jane ( Long ) Cuskaden. who were of Irish descent, having come to Indiana from Philadelphia. Penn- sylvania. Two daughters have been born to this union. Cora E., born June 20. 1888, is a graduate of the common schools : Elizabeth J .. born February 13. 1891, is also a graduate of the common schools. Mrs. Sever was called from her earthly labors July 3. 1897.
Mr. Sever is the owner of a highly productive and well improved farm of ninety-three acres in section 8. Noble township. He keeps an excellent grade of pure bred stock, breeding in Polled-Angus cattle, and all his other varieties of live stock are high grade, he being considered one of the best judges of stock in Shelby county. No small part of his annual income is derived from this source. He carries on general farming with that energy and disere- tion that shows him to be abreast of the times. His farm is often visited by
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admirers of his fine stock, for which he finds a ready market. He has a com- fortable and nicely furnished dwelling and such outbuildings and farming machinery as to meet his requirements.
In his political relations Mr. Sever is a Democrat, being an active worker in the party. He has ably served as Deputy Assessor of Noble township. Fraternally he is a member of Waldron Lodge. No. 217. Free and Accepted! Masons, and St. Paul Lodge. No. 368, Knights of Pythias, being past chan. cellor of the latter. Personally Mr. Sever is a pleasant man to meet, indus- trious, sociable and he bears a reputation for honesty throughout the county.
EDWARD N. PHILLIPS.
The subject of this sketch is a progressive agriculturist and is continual- ly on the outlook for new methods which will promote the efficiency of his work, yet he does not adopt ideas unless he is convinced of their practical value and utility.
Edward N. Phillips was born in Rush county, Indiana, February 8. 1872. the son of R. HI. and Phoebe A. ( Weasner) Phillips, the former having been born in North Carolina, near Winston. Guilford county, in 1840. When eighteen years old he left that state in 1858. Before leaving his parental roci- tree, he apprised his father of the fact that he was going to the north, where- upon his father demanded his time, since R. H. was not twenty-one years old. He paid his father the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars. for which he held a receipt. As a result of this he served three years in Company C. Sixteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war. at the close of which he was honorably discharged. He returned to Rush county at once and took up farming. However, before he returned to Rush county, he mar- ried Phoebe A. Weasner, who was born in Henry county. Indiana. When he started out he had but very little, but he was a hard worker, and today he owns a good farm of one hundred and fifty-five acres in Shelby county. the balance of his farm, four hundred acres, being in Rush county. He re- sides on the latter. at this writing. He has long been regarded as a shrewd business man, and turns everything into money that he directs his attention to. He had but little education. but being a man of natural ability, he was not handicapped in this respect, and he is now well posted on farming and on general topics. He is a member of the Friends church, and was a member of the Grange. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic. at Rush- ville. He and his wife became the parents of five children, namely : Adella. who married George .Allner, is deceased, as is also Mr. Allner: Edward N .. our subject : Charles M. is rural route mail carrier from Arlington, Rush
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