USA > Indiana > Dearborn County > History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 57
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John and Mary C. (Hobbs) Mefford were both born in Kentucky. Mr. Mefford is deceased, but his wife still survives him. They had the following children : Dempsey, Minnie M., Josie Riley and Burus.
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Minnie M. Fisher was John Mefford, whose wife was Patsey Mefford, natives of Kentucky, and farmers. Their children were John and William.
The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Minnie M. Fisher was John Hobbs, who died at the age of ninety-four years. He was married four times.
On December 12, 1906, Harry E. Fisher was married, secondly, to Jean Berkshire. daughter of John W. and Fannie (Walton) Berkshire. She was born at Petersburg. Boone county, Kentucky.
John W. and Fannie (Walton) Berkshire, parents of Mrs. Jean Fisher, were natives of Petersburg. Kentucky, where they were very prominent. Mr. Berkshire was a member of the state Senate of Kentucky, and had
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formerly served as representative two terms. He owned a large and profitable mercantile establishment, and was also a tobacco dealer. He died in Law- renceburg, from a stroke of paralysis, in March, 1914, aged seventy years, leaving a widow and six children, whose names are: Frank, John, Jean, Maude, William and Bernard. .
Mr. Fisher is one of the best-known and most highly respected citizens of Lawrenceburg, in which town he takes considerable personal pride.
EDWARD GREENHAM.
Following is a short sketch of the career of Edward Greenham, a farmer ` of Manchester township, Dearborn county, Indiana, and a descendant of one of the first families in this section.
Edward Greenham was born on December 4, 1858, in Manchester town- ship, a son of Sebastian and Mary (Barrows) Greenham. His father was born on September 15, 1840, in this same township, and was educated in the early subscription schools. He was raised on a farm, making his home with his grandparents. He married Mary Barrows and took his bride to his grand- parents' home and they continued to live there until the death of the older couple about a year later. At that time, Sebastian took complete charge of the homestead of eighty acres and has continued to make his home there through succeeding years. There were eleven children in the family, all born and reared under the same roof, of whom the immediate subject of this sketch is the eldest. The second child was Douglas, a farmer near Manchester. He married Amanda Tyrell and they have one child, Ivy. McClellan married Belle Risinger and he is a merchant in Manchester and the father of three children : Pearl, Fern and Lela. Grant is deceased. He owned and cultivated, up to the time of his death, a large plantation in Mississippi. He left a widow, who was Anna Hargitt, and ten children. These were, Bertha, Whitfield (deceased), John, Mary, Frieda, George, Sophia, Mercer, Roger and Ches- ter. Thomas married Clara Ruble and lives on a farm near Moores Hill, this county. They have two children, Wilmer and Minnie M. Anna is the wife of John Gabler, a carpenter living in Aurora, this state, and the mother of three children, Iva, Molton and Parker. John has never married and is in the creamery business at Versailles, Ripley county. Clint married Edna Manlief and is a farmer near Manchester. They have two children,
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Evelyn and Dorothy. Claude married Nellie Russell and is a farmer and the father of two children, Ruth and Erma. Wilmer and Lillie remain at home with the father.
Edward Greenham received his education in the district school near his home and continued to live with his parents until the time of his marriage to Carrie Sims, September 11, 1881. At that time he rented a farm from Frank Reynolds, where he lived a year as a renter and then purchased the place and has since given his attention to general farming.
Carrie Sims was a daughter of Andrew J. and Margaret (Ellis) Sims and was born in Manchester township, September 3, 1856. She was educated in the public schools of her home district. There is one child to this union, Bernice E., who has been a teacher in the Manchester township schools for the past twelve years.
In politics Mr. Greenham is a Democrat and served his party as road supervisor for twelve years, with satisfaction to all. Since March 1, 1914, he has been superintendent of the Dearborn county infirmary, located in Man- chester township. The family are members of the Christian Union church. Mr. Greenham holds his fraternal affiliation with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having successively filled all the chairs in his local lodge. Mr. Greenham enjoys in a large measure the sincere regard and confidence as well as the good will of all who know him, and is numbered among the good citizens of his locality.
GEORGE SUTTON, M. D.
The foot-prints that some men leave behind them serve as guides along the pathway, which those coming after may follow with impunity. It is the lack of continuity and thoroughness that is responsible for so many fail- ures in life, and unless that which one undertakes is given the proper amount of interest and attention, it is useless to hope for the desired success. Dr. George Sutton, whose name introduces this biographical sketch, and who has passed to the "great beyond," gave the best there was in him to his life work, the truth of which statement is substantiated by the degree of promi- nence to which he arose, and the high order of skill he attained in his calling.
George Sutton was born on June 16, 1812, in London, England. the son of George and Elizabeth (Ives) Sutton, with whom he came to America in 1819, locating at Cincinnati, Ohio, from which city they removed to the
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GEORGE SUTTON, M. D.
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Whitewater valley in Franklin county, Indiana. After he had spent several years at Miami University, George Sutton began the study of medicine in Cincinnati, under the instruction of Prof. John Eberle, and afterwards under that of Prof. S. D. Gross, a distinguished authority on medicine. After at- tending three full courses of lectures at the Medical College of Ohio, he was graduated from that institution in 1836. From this sterling old college two of his sons have since received diplomas. Locating at Aurora, this county, Dr. George Sutton practiced his profession there for fifty years, building up a large and profitable business. Doctor Sutton was a close and observant student, and all his writings are replete with original and valuable ideas. He contributed largely to both medical and scientific literature, his articles having been extensively copied in various journals of the country. In the winter and spring of 1843 he wrote a series of papers on epidemic erysipelas, popu- larly known as "black tongue," a disease then prevalent in Aurora and the sur- rounding country, which papers were published in full in "Copland's Medical Dictionary," and "Numerly on Erysipelas," both standard English works. Doctor Sutton gave much attention to microscopic study, and made valuable discoveries in regard to trichina and trichinosis, showing that from three to ten per cent. of the hogs in southeastern Indiana are affected with trichina, and that the disease may assume various forms hitherto unnoticed by the pro- fession. "His method of reducing dislocations of the hip joint," says Pro- fessor Pooley, of Columbus, Ohio, "is a beautiful, original and practical piece of surgery, and one sure to be adopted by the profession." In 1867 Dr. George Sutton was elected president of the Indiana State Medical Society, an honor highly appreciated by him, because he was not present at that meeting and had not suggested the office. In 1877 he was chosen president of the board of trustees of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Indiana, and served in that capacity for several years, delivering the annual address to the graduating classes. As president of the Rocky Mountain Medical Association he de- livered a masterly address before that body at its meeting in New Orleans on May 6, 1885. Although engaged in active practice in the different branches of his profession, he devoted a portion of his time to geology, meteorology and archaeology, directing his special attention to the antiquities of the neigh- borhood. He made a collection of fossils and geological specimens, forming a cabinet of many thousand specimens, unsurpassed by any other of the kind in this section of Indiana. Among the subjects upon which Doctor Sutton had written are here mentioned, cholera, erysipelas, trichina, scarlatina, pla- centa, praevia, parasites, dislocation of the hip joint, epidemics of southern
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Indiana, hog cholera, glacial deposits, formation of storms and causes of the great floods in the Ohio valley. Doctor Sutton was a man remarkable for independence of thought and action, and enjoyed the confidence of his fel- lowmen for over half a century. He took an active part in whatever was for the good of the city; was elected mayor of Aurora for three successive terms; was a member of the board of school trustees for more than sixteen years, being instrumental in the establishment of the graded school system and the erection of the handsome school building in the southern part of the city.
On June 7, 1838, Dr. George Sutton was married to Sarah Folbre, 10 which union five children were born, four sons and one daughter, of which number only one, Dr. Harley H. Sutton, is now living. At the time of his death, Doctor Sutton was a member of the International Medical Congress, the American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Association, the Dearborn County Medical Society, which he helped to found. and which is now one of the foremost in the state: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Archaeological Association of Indiana, the Nat- ural History Society of Cincinnati and the Natural History Society of Dear- born county, being president of the latter, and an honorary member of numer- ous societies of similar character.
AMOS W. SIMS.
One of the successful and well-known farmers of Manchester township. Dearborn county, Indiana, is Amos W. Sims, the subject of this biography.
Amos W. Sims was born in the township where he resides, near Hogan Hill, on February 12, 1859, a son of William and Catherine (Ellis) Sims. William Sims was a native of the Emerald Isle, born in County Antrim on April 6, 1829, a son of Robert and Rose (Mackey) Sims. When a child of two years, his parents immigrated to the United States and first located in Ohio. The father was a brick mason by trade and upon first coming to this country he worked at that occupation. Not being satisfied with their location in Ohio, they came to. Indiana and permanently settled in Manchester town- ship, Dearborn county, where he took up farming. His original holdings were not large, but he prospered in his undertaking and added to his farm from time to time by purchasing adjoining land, so that at the time of his death,
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at a ripe old age, he was possessed of over two hundred acres of fine farming land. He continued to work at his trade in addition to managing his farm, and there are some buildings still standing in the vicinity of his home which bear witness to the care and thoroughness of his work. William Sims grew to manhood in this county, and when a youth attended district school No. 10, of Manchester township. When quite young he began assisting his father with the farm work and as he grew older he also worked under his father at his trade, and until the time of his marriage he was his father's helper in whatever he undertook. William Sims was married to Catherine Ellis on May 9, 1851, and from that time on followed the trade of brick mason until his death on March 8, 1898. William was the eldest of a family of nine children, the others being Andrew, James, John, Robert, Frank. Rose (Mrs. McMullen), Jane (Mrs. Morton), and Mary, of Kansas City. Missouri.
Catherine Ellis was a daughter of David Ellis and wife, and was born in Manchester township, this county, where her parents were among the early settlers. She was educated in the early schools near her home and remained under the parental roof until the time of her marriage. Her death occurred in 1895.
Amos W. Sims is one of a family of twelve children, being the second child in order of birth. Mary (Mrs. Morton) is the eldest. The others are, Melvina (Mrs. Hall), John, Mattie (Mrs. Wilson), William D., and six who died in infancy. Amos W. Sims attended the same district school to which his father had gone in the early days of the county and still known as district No. 10. After his school days were over, he worked for his father a part of the time and at other times hired out by the month to farmers in the neighborhood. After his marriage, he rented the farm where he now lives and remained there for two years, moving from there to Wrights Corner, where he rented a farm of one hundred and ten acres and remained five years. He succeeded well in his work and by that time was able to purchase the farm where he has since lived and which at that time was owned by his father-in- law, William D. Huls.
On February 4, 1891, Amos W. Sims was united in marriage with Eva Huls, daughter of William D. and Aurilla (Greene) Huls. both of whom are descended from old families in this section, and living in Man- chester township at the time of Eva's birth. Eva received her education in the same school Amos W. Sims attended and remained at home until the time of her marriage. From early girlhood she has been a faithful member of the Baptist church and has continuously had charge of a class in the Sunday school ever since.
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William D. Huls, father of Mrs. Sims, was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, on May 26, 1821, and came to Manchester township, this county, with his parents in 1828, during the early pioneer days of this section, and many hardships and privations fell to their lot in the new home. He received his education in the early subscription schools of pioneer times and worked with the father, assisting him in clearing the land and getting it ready for culti- vation. He was married on December 24, 1843, to Aurilla Greene and brought his bride to his father's house. There they continued to reside and at the time of the father's death took charge of the farm and continued to manage it during the remainder of his life. William D. Huls died on October 31, 1893. Aurilla Greene, his wife, was born on February 18, 1829, near where the town of Manchester, Indiana, now is, and continued to reside there until the time of her marriage to William D. Huls. She was the mother of eight children, the youngest being Eva, wife of the immediate subject of this sketch. The others are: Laura (deceased), who was Mrs. Bratten; Henry, residing in California; Emmalissa (deceased), who was Mrs. McMullen; Emral, of Cincinnati; Sarah, deceased; Marius and Plubius, twins, the former deceased and the latter of Cincinnati.
William D. Huls was a son of William D. Huls, Sr., and Fathia Smith, his wife. When the senior William Huls came here in the year 1828 he secured a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of government land in Man- chester township, for which he paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. He was able to clear part of this and tilled the land so prepared for cultivation until the latter years of his life, when his son took charge of the farm. Will- iam Huls, Sr., died about 1859, and was the first person laid to rest in Hogan Hill cemetery. Fathia (Smith) Huls came from Ohio to this section with her husband in 1828 and proved a most faithful and helpful wife to him throughout the years which were filled with heavy burdens for her in rearing and raising her family in a new territory. She was the mother of five chil- dren : Pamelia (Mrs. Riggle), James, Edmond, William D., Jr., and Henry. Henry was preparing himself for the ministry and had been licensed to preach in what is known now as the Hogan Hill Baptist church, but died at the early age of twenty-one years, before taking charge of the work.
Amos W. Sims is known as one of the leading farmers of his community and throughout the years of his life in this section he has always been ac- corded the respect of those who know him. Honest and sincere in all he undertakes, he is eminently entitled to the esteem in which he is held. He is a faithful member of the Baptist church and in accordance with his convictions
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on the liquor question he votes the Prohibition ticket. He is a man of sterling character, one who gives an air of substantiality to any community and he gladly renders any service which counts for the betterment of any phase of the life of the section in which he dwells.
HENRY H. ELLINGHAUSEN.
A beautiful country home is one of the most pleasing sights upon which the eye could possibly rest in a day's travel through the rural district, and the residence of Henry H. Ellinghausen is one that not only presents an attractive exterior, but it suggests that the interior receives the same care and attention, and gives a general impression of peace, quiet and happiness beneath its roof.
Henry H. Ellinghausen is a son of Henry and Sophia (Schrader) Elling- hausen, and was born on April 13, 1860, in Manchester township. Here he received a good public school education. Before his marriage he bought out the other heirs of his father's estate of one hundred and sixty acres of land, and through good management, he continued to add to this tract, until he now owns about five hundred and eighty-five acres, a possession upon which any man might look with pride. Mr. Ellinghausen devotes his time and at- tention to general farming and stock-raising, in addition to which he conducts a good-paying dairy business. He believes strongly in the Democratic poli- cies, and has served as superintendent of the Dearborn county poor farm for the past ten years, and is also one of the directors of the Kyle Creamery Company. During the years when toll roads were owned in this locality, Mr. Ellinghausen was president and director of the Manchester Turnpike .Com- pany.
Henry Ellinghausen, Sr., was born in 1817, in Germany, where he at- tended school, and grew to young manhood, and served for a short time in the German army. When twenty-three years of age he came to the United States with his parents, landing at Baltimore, and coming directly to Dear- born county. They settled in Manchester township, buying forty acres of timber land, where a place had to be cleared before they could build a log cabin. Mr. Ellinghausen soon united his fortunes "for better or for worse" with those of Sophia Schrader, and immediately set up a new housekeeping establishment in the new log cabin, which he had helped to build. After finding this farm too small for his requirements, Mr. Ellinghausen sold out,
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and bought a tract of one hundred and fifteen acres, and in 1864 again sold and moved to Kyle, Indiana, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres, which he cultivated until his death, which occurred on December 18, 1875. He was a loyal Democrat and a member of the Lutheran church, of which he was one of its official board members. His wife, Sophia Schrader, was also a native of Germany, where she received her education, coming to America with her parents a short time before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Ellinghausen were the parents of the following children: Albert, Sophia, Mary (deceased), Henry H., and Martha.
Henry H. Ellinghausen was married April 13, 1898, to Mary Fillenworth, who was born in 1864, in Manchester township, and whose death occurred on July 2, 1912. She was a daughter of Jacob and Catharine Fillenworth. This union has been blessed with one child, Selah, who is now a student at Kyle, Indiana. They also have an adopted child, Elsie Ellinghausen, whom they took into their home while she was very young. She is now the wife of Julius Lange, a farmer in Manchester township, to whom she was married on December 24, 1914.
Jacob and Catharine Fillenworth, parents of Mrs. Ellinghausen, were of good pioneer stock in this section, where they built a good foundation for the future welfare of their descendants.
CLAUDE D. GREENHAM.
Claude D. Greenham, son of Sebastian and Mary (Barrows) Green- ham, was born in Manchester township, April 11, 1875, where he was reared and educated. After his marriage, he established himself on a fifty-six-acre tract at Holman Ridge, in Manchester township, which he had previously purchased, and which he cultivated in connection with one hundred and twenty-seven acres belonging to James Murdock. In 1914 Mr. Greenham added to his possessions by the purchase of a six-acre tract, containing a good house and barn. He is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Christian Union church, and his fraternal interests are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
For the history of Sebastian and Mary (Barrows) Greenham, parents of Claude D., the reader is referred to the sketch of Edward Greenham, pre- sented elsewhere in this volume.
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Claude D. Greenham was married on February 28, 1901, to Nellie Russell, daughter of William and Jane (Walker) Russell. She was born in Manchester township, where she was educated. Mrs. Greenham was left an orphan at the tender age of five years, when she went to live with an aunt in Kansas, and two years later was adopted by James and Anna Murdock, of Manchester township, with whom she lived until her marriage. Mrs. Green- ham is a direct descendant of the Ball family, who came to America in the "Mayflower." Mr. and Mrs. Greenham have had two children, Ruth Eliza- beth and Irma Mildred.
William Russell, father of Mrs. Greenham, was born on December. 27, 1846, in Manchester township, where he attended the public schools. He was married on May 19, 1869, to Jane Walker, and immediately went to housekeeping on a farm previously purchased, and after cultivating the same for several years he disposed of it and bought another place near Cold Springs, Indiana. Remaining here a few years he again sold out and moved his family to Illinois, where he bought a farm which he cultivated until his death, August 27, 1903. Mr. Russell was a Democrat. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Russell was allied with the Masonic order, in which he was a past master. His wife, Jane (Walker) Russell, was a daugh- ter of Alexander and Elizabeth (Turner) Walker. She was born in Sparta township, and remained at home until her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Russell were born four children, Robert, Nellie, Mary, who died aged eighteen months, and William, also deceased. Robert Russell and his wife, Sarah (Vincent) Russell, reside on a fruit plantation in Arkansas, of which he is overseer. They have four children, Ivan, Floyd, Paul and Noel.
Mr. Russell could trace his lineage back to General Russell, who fought under William of Orange.
EDWARD COOPER, D. V. S.
There are individuals in nearly every community who, by reason of pro- nounced ability and force of character, rise above the heads of their fellows and command the esteem of their fellow men. Characterized by perseverance and a directing spirit, two virtues that never fail, such men always make their presence felt and the vigor of their strong personality serves as a stimulus to the young and rising generation. To this energetic and enterprising class
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the subject of this review properly belongs. Having never been seized with the roaming desire that has led many of Dearborn county's best young men to other fields of endeavor and other states, Doctor Cooper has devoted his energies to enterprises at home and that he has succeeded well is proven by his present position in the business life of Dearborn county.
Edward Cooper was born in Miller township, Dearborn county, Indiana, May 31, 1863, a son of John and Ruth Ann (Darling) Cooper. John Cooper was a native of England, having first seen the light of day in Lincolnshire, January 18, 1814. He received a good education in his native land and worked for his father on the family homestead until 1832, when, together with a sister, he immigrated to the United States. They landed in New York, where they resided for some time and where John learned the cooper's trade. He worked at that in New York City for a few years and then came westward, locating at Cheviot, Ohio. At that point he secured employment on a large stock farm, and being somewhat versed in the care of live stock, he soon became manager of the establishment and remained there for several years. He purchased in that locality a tract of land, which is now the present site of a portion of the city of Cincinnati. While living there he married and became the father of two children, later losing his entire family through death. He then disposed of his holdings at Cheviot and came to this state, locating in Ripley county, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres. He lived there but a short time and removed to Miller township, this county, where he was joined in marriage with Ruth Ann Darling, January 1, 1845.
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