USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 38
USA > Indiana > LaGrange County > Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 38
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THOMAS PEATLING is a native of England, where his birth occurred September 7, 1828. His parents, William and Ann Peatling, were English people ; the former was born February 7, 1798, and the latter June 20, 1802; their marriage occurred September 12, 1820. Mrs. Ann Peatling died May 30, 1842, and August 4, 1845, William Peatling was again married. In 1848, he emigrated to America, settling in Beaver County, Penn., where he is yet a resident ; his second wife died September 1, 1873. Thomas Peatling crossed the ocean in 1850, and went to Beaver County, Penn., where he was married
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March 28, 1855, to Elizabeth Calpass, also a native of England, born June 26, 1826. She is next to the youngest of seven children born to Robert and Ann Calpass. In 1874, Mr. Peatling moved to St. Joseph County, Mich., where he remained until 1880, when he sold out and bought the farm where he now lives, in Section 16, of this township. He owns 240 acres of land that is fur- nished with good buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Peatling belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have had six children-Willard C., born September 9, 1856; Ann C. and Edward A., twins, born May 13, 1858, the latter died July 27, 1858; Thomas E., May 4, 1860; Elizabeth, March 23, 1862;, died February 6, 1864, and Joseph B., November 12, 1864.
P. W. PRESTON is the son of Thomas Preston, one of the oldest pioneers of La Grange County. The subject was born in England October 9, 1820, and came to this country with his parents, who settled on land in Section 26, of this township. He is one of nine children, and lived at home until twenty-six years of age. May 30, 1847, he married Margaret C. Iron, a na- tive of Delaware, where her birth occurred June 8, 1828. They did not locate permanently until after his father's death, when he removed to and soon after purchased the homestead farm, where he has since remained, and has assisted in caring for his aged mother. The farm consists of 109 acres and is excel- lently improved. Mr. and Mrs. Preston are members of the Baptist Church, and have a family of eight children-L. H., Mary C., W. S., E. W., Eliza- beth J., R. A., Martha B., and Margaret F. Although Mr. Preston is a mechanic, he devotes his attention exclusively to farming.
JOHN F. ROTE is the third of a family of seven children, and a native of Snyder County, Penn, where he was born April 9, 1842. His parents were Solomon and Maria Rote ; they were both born in Pennsylvania, the former in 1809 and the latter in 1810. In 1849, they removed from their native State to St. Joseph County, Mich., where Mrs. Maria Rote died in 1870, her husband's death occurring three years later. John F. Rote accompanied his parents to Michigan and remained with them until he was twenty-four years old. He has been married three times ; his first wife was Harriet Brokaw, to whom he was united December 22, 1866; his second marriage occurred March 14, 1872, to Lucy A. Robinson, by whom he had one child-Solomon D. Mrs. Lucy Rote died in 1873, and May 22, 1879, he was married to his present wife, Jennie Dean. They have one child-Ira U. Mr. Rote owns a good farm of eighty acres, and is a member of the Reformed Church.
JACOB SCHMIDT, the eldest of a family of nine children, born to Jacob and Elizabeth Schmidt, is a native of Germany, his birth transpiring October 13, 1831. He is of German parentage, the birth of his father occur- ring in 1803, and that of his mother seven years later; they were married in 1830, and passed their entire lives in Germany. Mrs. Elizabeth Schmidt died in 1865, and five years afterward her husband followed her to the grave. Jacob Schmidt came to America in 1854, and located at White Pigeon, Mich., where he was married November 15, 1862, and resided until he moved to his present home in this township. He is the owner of 186 acres of land that is under good cultivation and lies in Section 18. Mrs. Schmidt, formerly Nancy Steininger, was born in Pennsylvania September 24, 1839. In the family of Mr. Schmidt there are eight children-John W., Ellen A., Ida E., George E., Louisa M., Charles C., Edward W. and Lula A.
JOHN SHERWOOD, son of William H. and Elizabeth Sherwood, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., September 26, 1821. His parents were
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natives respectively of Orange and Oswego Counties, N. Y., the former born October 18, 1798, and the latter August 26, 1799. They were married May 4, 1819, in the latter county, and remained in New York until 1853, then moved to Elkhart County, Ind., settling near Goshen. About ten years after- ward they emigrated to Illinois, and lived with their daughter, until he died, March 18, 1873. She afterward went to Marshalltown, Iowa, where she died, November 27, 1875, at the home of her son, Dr. A. C. Sherwood. They were parents of nine children-Sarah, deceased ; John, Diana, Betsy A., deceased ; A. C., M. A., deceased; Isaac N., deceased ; Mary L .; and D. B., deceased. The subject lived with his parents until seventeen, and received a good educa- tion. In 1842, he came to Steuben County, Ind., going from there to Ohio, but returned soon to this State, and engaged in school teaching near Goshen. He remained about four years, and April 9, 1845, was married to Lucinda M. Storn, who was born in New York, June 21, 1828. She died eighteen days after her union with Mr. Sherwood, and he then returned to his home in New York. December 24, 1846, he was married to Elizabeth Savage, also a native of New York, born March 29, 1824. He left New York in 1854, and went to Michigan, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits, continuing the same until April, 1857, when he sold out and began farming in Cass County, Mich. Two years afterward he located in this county, and has since remained. He is one of the prominent citizens, owns a farm of 220 acres in this township, is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., and has a family of nine children-Almond E., Nelson A., Ida L., Amy H., John B., Editha J., Ella A., Guisippi G. and Sarah E.
H. M. SIDENER, a prosperous and enterprising farmer, is a native of this county, where he was born October 3, 1841, and has ever since made it his home. His marriage to Miss Mary C. Hinkle was consummated June 22, 1869. She was born in Pennsylvania May 13, 1849, and is the daughter of William and Matilda Hinkle. In 1867, Mr. Sidener bought property located in Section 28 of this township, where he resided until 1880, when he sold it and purchased a farm in Section 29, where he took up his abode, and has remained since. He has always been engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, and at present owns 111 acres of fine land. Mr. and Mrs. Sidener have an only son-Roy G., who was born in this county, March 11, 1881. Mr. Sidener is the son of Nicholas and Margaret Sidener.
NICHOLAS SIDENER owns 300 acres of land in this township, which is well improved. He came to La Grange County, in 1835, and bought his present farm. Returning to Ohio, he was married April 6, 1837, to Margaret Bussard, and soon after settled in this township, on Section 30, where his farm was located, and where he had entered 160 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Sidener are both natives of Fairfield County, Ohio. He was born December 3, 1811, and she June 27, 1817. They have had nine children-Dellia J., Henry M., Samuel L., Willard, John, Mary, James E., Martha E. and Margaret E. They are among the oldest resident pioneers, and belong to the M. E. Church, of which Mr. Sidener has been a member since 1839. He is the son of Nicholas and Nancy Sidener. His father was born in Virginia September 1, 1773, and was twice married ; first, in Kentucky, to the subject's mother, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1782, and died in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1821; they had eleven children. His second wife was Mrs. Sarah Prough, by whom he had five children. He died in 1851. Mr. Sidener has accumulated all his present wealth (except $1,000) by his own exertions, and has sold 113 acres of fine land. He has assisted in laying out the roads, and in building the bridges in
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the township, and is a respected and valued citizen. Both his grandfathers came from Pennsylvania, and resided at one time in Kentucky ; his grand- father Kline subsequently locating in Ohio at an early day.
SAMUEL L. SIDENER, the son of Nicholas and Margaret Sidener, was born in this county July 23, 1843. He remained at home and assisted his parents, until he was twenty-two years old. April 18, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Ettie E. Parker, who was born in this county in 1848. Soon after, they located on one of his father's farms on Section 20, this town- ship, where they resided until her death July 24, 1875, after which Mr. Side- ner returned to the home of his parents. January 18, 1878, he was married to his second and present wife, Annie E. Wolf, a native of Erie County, Penn., where she was born June 25, 1852. They moved into a house built by his father, where they have since lived, and he has been engaged in farming the old homestead. Mr. Sidener has a family of two children-Ralph, born Jan- uary 20, 1868, and Alta M., September 23, 1870.
E. SIXBEY is the son of John and Elizabeth Sixbey, natives of New York; the birth of the former occurring September 9, 1781, and that of the latter August 28, 1782. They were married in their native State in 1805, and in 1835 went to White Pigeon, Mich., remained until they came to Indiana, where she died in La Grange County, in May, 1852, and Mr. Sixbey subse- quently married, and died in 1855. The subject, one of thirteen children, was born in New York January 5, 1819; came here with his parents, and remained with them until the age of twenty-six. February 15, 1843, he was married to Orpha L. Barnes, a native of New York, born October 17, 1820. After farming two years on his father's place, Mr. Sixbey moved to his land in Sec- tion 14, this township, where he is now living. In 1850, he went to Califor- nia, where he was engaged in mining five years. He owns 150 acres of land and has a family of five children-Frank E .. born February 24, 1844, now a stock-dealer of New Mexico; John, April 11, 1846, railroading; Catherine S., August 20, 1848, school-teacher ; Charles, March 6, 1858, railroading ; and Orpha M., April 6, 1862, a music-teacher. Mr. Sixbey is a member of the Masonic Order, and has served his township two years as Trustee.
N. N. SIXBEY was born in New York, January 31, 1833 ; two years later his parents, Nicholas and Christiana Sixbey, natives of New York, came west to White Pigeon, Mich., thence to this county, where they bought 640 acres of land, subsequently moving to St. Joseph County, Mich., where they lived on a 240-acre farm until 1865, and then removed to near Sturgis, where they lived five years, finally locating in Vistula, Elkhart Co., Ind., where Nicholas Sixbey died November 26, 1875, and his wife December 20, of the same year. The former was born February 13, 1806, and the latter Decem- ber 20, 1804. They were married in Kentucky in 1824, were members of the Reformed Church and had thirteen children. November 17, 1857, N. N. Sixbey and Louisiana Olney were married. She was born in this county November 30, 1837, and is the youngest of two ohildren in the family of Asa and Thank- ful Olney, natives of Ohio. Her father was born in 1805 and her mother in 1811 ; they were married in 1829. They came to this county about one year afterward, and are now living in Section 18, this township. Mr. and Mrs. Sixbey first located on Section 14, this township, afterward removing to Sec- tion 13, where they are living, and he owns 214 acres of land that is well improved. They are of the Methodist denomination and have a family of two children-Cora E., born March 6, 1870, and Lora E., November 27, 1874.
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EDWARD SNYDER was born in Union County, Penn., September 17, 1812, where he passed the earlier part of his life and was married in 1832, on the 22d of September, to Mary A. Stallnecker. She was born in the same county August 11, 1813 ; they moved on a farm, previously purchased by the subject, and lived there until 1866, when they sold out and removed to Noble County, Ind. Near Avilla they settled on a farm, making their home there eight years, at the end of which period Mr. Snyder bought his farm in this township. It comprises 120 acres of good land, and is located in Section 15. Mrs. Edward Snyder died at her home August 13, 1873, leaving a husband and six children to mourn her loss. The children are Charles, Mary E., Sarah, Add M., Anna E. and Edward S. Mr. Snyder's parents-George and Peggy Snyder-were natives of Pennsylvania. Subject and family are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.
SAMUEL H. STEININGER is a native of Snyder County, Penn., and the son of Simon and Catharine Steininger. They came to this county about 1854 and are now living in White Pigeon, Mich., and are parents of three children. Simon Steininger was born April 27, 1818, and Catharine, his wife, September 18, 1825. Samuel H. was their second child. He was born May 14, 1844, and came here with his parents, remaining with them until twenty- three years old. After he was married, December 24, 1867, to Miss Amanda Sterner, he worked the home farm until he moved to his present location, that was purchased by his father in 1876. The latter owns considerable real estate and has retired from active labor. Mr. and Mrs. Steininger are among the estimable families of this township and are members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs. Steininger is a native of the Buckeye State, where her birth occurred September 26, 1844, and has borne her husband two children. Willard S. was born January 27, 1869, and Franklin I. December 23, 1871.
ROBERT T. THORN was born in England July 23, 1809; married there in 1832, July 2, to Miss Maria Dunn, and remained there until about forty years of age. He worked at a mechanic's trade in England until 1850, when he emigrated to America and located at Bellville, Ohio. Eight years subsequently he removed to Indiana; resided in Elkhart one year, then settled on his farm in this township, where he owns eighty acres of good farm- ing land. Mr. Thorn has retired from active work. His parents, John and Elizabeth Thorn, were English people. His wife also was born in England, in 1811, on the 25th of March. Mr. and Mrs. Thorn have had born to them twelve children, six of whom have died. Those living are Elizabeth M., Maria, Robert, Seella, Emma and William H., and those deceased, John, Theresa, Richard, William, Theresa and John.
CASPER WEISS is a native of Germany, born November 25, 1840, the next to the youngest of eight children born to Emanuel and Elizabeth Weiss, who were natives of Germany. The subject, at the age of seventeen, emi- grated to America, going first to Erie County, Penn., where he lived four years and during that time learned blacksmithing. He next removed to Grant County, Wis., and there resumed his trade. After a lapse of two years he returned to Erie County, Penn., and September 3, 1864, enlisted in the army, serving until its close. Returning to Pennsylvania, after a brief period he came to this county, selecting, as a desirable location, Van Buren, where he established a shop and resumed his trade, and is doing a good business. Octo- ber 26, 1865, Mr. Weiss was married to Mary Schwitzer, and they have one child, a daughter, Rosie A., who was born July 13, 1872. They are members
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of the Evangelical Church. Mrs. Weiss was born in Germany September 14, 1845, and he owns property in this town.
HENRY WEISS is a native of Germany, where he was born August 19, 1834. He started for America the 13th of April, 1856, and landed in New York City June 7 of the same year. Starting the next day, he went direct to Erie County, Penn., where he remained some time, and was married March 27, 1861, to Anna Schweitzer, who was born in Germany November 14, 1843. In 1865, they came to Indiana, settling in Van Buren Township, this county, and in 1874 purchased his present farm of eighty acres in Section 23. Mr. Weiss belongs to the Evangelical Church, and is the son of Emanuel and Elizabeth Weiss, who were Germans and parents of eight children, viz .: John, Justus, Elizabeth, Peter, Henry, Jacob, Casper and Catherine. Emanuel Weiss was born in 1800 and his wife in 1796. They were married in 1826, and she died in Germany July 22, 1855. He came to America in 1868, and spent the remainder of his days with his son Henry. He died June 20, 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Weiss have three children-Charles E., born April 29, 1862; J. Casper, January 17, 1865; and Clara, April 4, 1870.
JONAS WENGER, son of John and Mary Wenger, natives of Canada ; Jonas was born in Canada December 16, 1828, and was next to the oldest in a family of seven children. He came to the United States with his parents in 1847, and remained with them until he was twenty years old. He was mar- ried, August 30, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth Black, who was born in Ohio October 19, 1824. After their marriage he purchased a farm in Elkhart County, Ind .; here they moved and lived until 1863, when he sold out and came to La Grange County, purchasing and settling on a farm in this township, in Section 16; in 1872, he removed to Section 21, where, at present, he is located, and owns 340 acres of excellent land. Mr. Wenger is one of the enterprising farmers of his township. He and wife belong to the Evangelical Church, and have a family of four boys and two girls-John F., Samuel, Henry, Mary A., Jacob and Katie L.
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
J. K. BYLER, the proprietor of a hardware and agricultural implement store in Haw Patch Center, is a son of Jonathan and Catherine C. Byler, natives of Pennsylvania. He was the third in a family of eight children, and was born in Union County, Penn., July 26, 1847, and came to Noble County with his parents in 1855. Beginning in 1871, he served an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade and worked at carpentering about two years, after which he was engaged, by J. W. Hall, in the sale and erection of the Hall Wind-mill. He continued in this employment after the firm changed to Flint, Wallen & Co. He subsequently engaged in farming, continuing until October 25, 1881, when he started his present line of business. He carries a complete stock of goods, and is receiving the assistance his enterprise merits. Mr. Byler was married to Hannah M. Miller December 28, 1875, in Noble County ; she was a native of Pennsylvania; they have two children-Ida, born June 3, 1878, and Ora, born August 22, 1880. Mr. Byler owns some property in this vicinity, and his family follow the teachings of the Omish Mennonite Church.
PATRICK, CARR, son of Franklin and Mary Carr, was born in Ire- land March 17, 1829; his parents were married about the year 1811, and died in Ireland, his father's death occurring about 1841, and his mother's
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in 1833; Patrick Carr was the third of eight children, and remained in Ireland until 1850, when he came to the United States, landing in New York. He remained there and in vicinity five years, then came to this county, and, in 1861, December 25, enlisted in Company I, Forty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the war until its close. After his return he purchased his farm in this township. Mr. Carr is a systematic and thrifty farmer. November 22, 1865, he was married to Miss Hannah Carey, who was born in Boston, Mass., December 20, 1848. Her parents were Michael and Catherine Carey, natives of Ireland ; they have seven children-Lilly C., born November 21, 1866 ; Mary B., October 8, 1868; Frank J., January 3, 1870 ; Michael C., October 23, 1875; Thomas L., March 10, 1877; and twins, William P. and John W., born October 20, 1881. Mr. Carr and family are all members of the Catholic Church.
DR. J. N. DENNY, son of John and Mary Denny, is a native of Elkhart County, Ind. His father was born in Wheeling, W.Va., March 8, 1790, and his mother in Franklin County, Penn., April 23, 1797. Their marriage was celebrated at Steubenville, Ohio, March 2, 1822; they remained at the latter place until 1834, at which time they came to Elkhart County, then a wilder- ness filled with wild animals, but three years later took up their residence in La Grange County. The father died at his residence on Section 35, in April, 1867, but the mother yet survives. This worthy man and wife experienced through the long years all the trials incident to the settlement of a new coun - try. The father was a man of more than ordinary intelligence. At last, full of years, like the patriarchs of old, he was gathered to his fathers-his life work was done. To these parents four children were born-W. J., in Ohio, March, 1825; J. M., in Ohio, October, 1827; F. M., in Ohio, April, 1832, and J. N., the subject of this sketch, in September, 1834; the latter has al- ways been the " home boy." His early education was received from different sources, but in 1856 he began the study of medicine at Goshen, continuing hard at work for three years, at the end of which time he took a course of lectures at the famous Rush Medical College, Chicago. He then returned to his father's farm on Section 35, " hung out his shingle," where he has remained in successful practice since. He is yet unmarried. The four children of this family are, intellectually, much above the average. W. J., the eldest, lives at the old home, himself and Dr. Denny owning 300 acres of fine land. J. M. is an eminent attorney at Albion, and is the author of an excellent chapter in this volume. F. M. is a practicing physician in California. The father was for some time an Associate Judge of the county, and his memory is treasured by a large circle of friends and relatives.
W. H. FRANKS, M. D., is the only son of Samuel and Susan Franks, and was born in Fayette County, Penn., April 26, 1841. Though his educa- tion was obtained under difficulties-by reason of limited means-yet, with that determination and perseverance characteristic of the man, he succeeded in fit- ting himself for almost any position in life. At the age of sixteen, he attended the George's Creek Academy, near his home. For two years, while at his father's, he studied medicine, then placed himself under the tuition of Dr. F. C. Robinson, subsequently attending lectures at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He then commenced the practice in partnership with his preceptor, in his native county. A few months later he came to Noble County and commenced practice in Brimfield. In the winter of 1873, the Doctor, after attending lectures at the Rush Medical College, in Chicago, graduated. After
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this his practice so increased that he injured his health ; and with the intention of giving up his profession, he sold his property in Brimfield, and after a resi- dence of about one year in Noble County, purchased the farm where he now lives, on the Haw Patch. Here the call for his professional services necessitated resuming practice, and he now devotes all his time to this calling. Dr. Franks was married, September 24, 1866, to Mary E. Gibson, who was born in Noble County, May 26, 1848, a daughter of A. G. and Eliza Gibson, now living in Noble County. A family of four children has been born to them-Walter E., September 15, 1867 ; Ernest G., September 25, 1873 ; William A., Decem- ber 7, 1878, and Ada M., May 31, 1880. The Doctor owns eighty acres of finely improved, and eighty acres of timbered land, also an eighty in Kansas. He is a member of the Northeastern Indiana and the Noble County Medical Societies, of which he has served as President. Himself and wife belong to the Baptist Church. The Doctor's parents were natives of Pennsylvania; the father born about 1805 and the mother about 1809. They were married about 1830 ; their children were Sarah A., Anna, Elizabeth H., William H., Eliza J., Mary C., Amanda and Susan. The mother died August 15, 1864; the father still lives in the old place in Pennsylvania, where he has filled many positions by the suffrage of the citizens of his county.
MILTON HERALD was twenty-nine years old on the 22d of September, 1881. His father, William, and mother, Sarah Herald, the former a native of Holmes County, Ohio, and the latter of Armstrong County, Penn., were united in marriage in the last-named county in 1849. After a short time, they moved to Wayne County, Ohio, where they still reside. They own 313 acres of land there, besides 110 in La Grange County, Ind. Milton, the sec- ond of a family of five, remained in Wayne, his native county, until 1876, when he came to La Grange County, and began working the farm his father had previously bought. He married Miss Mary M. Denny January 9, 1878. This lady's parents are J. and Sarah Denny. Mr. Herald moved on his father's farm, buying the same and increasing it until he now owns 134 acres, one of the finest farms in the township. He owns a fine brick residence and one of the largest and most convenient barns in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Herald are industrious and bright, and may be numbered among the best resi- dents of the township. They have no family. Mr. Herald's father was born in 1824, his mother in 1823 and his wife in 1854. The elder Herald's occu- pation was farming and stock-raising.
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