USA > Indiana > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Indiana: its people, industries and institutions > Part 93
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119
Mr. and Mrs. Remy are members of the Presbyterian church at Greens- burg and are active workers therein. Mr. Remy is a Republican and takes an earnest interest in the political affairs of this county and the state at large. He several times has been a delegate to the state conventions of his party and in 1912 was a delegate to the historic national convention of the party at Chicago. He is a member of the local lodges of the Elks, of the Knights of Pythias and of the Woodmen, in the affairs of all of which he takes an active interest. He and Mrs. Remy take a proper interest in the social affairs of the city in which they live and are very popular, being held in the highest regard by a large circle of friends.
956
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
FRANCIS M. PUMPHREY.
At the election in 1914 Clay township elected one of the foremost and most progressive citizens of Decatur county to serve in the important and responsible office of township trustee, one of the most important offices within the gift of the people: the office which bears a closer relation to the intimate affairs of a community than any other. That the nomination for this office was given to Francis M. Pumphrey by a vote of two to one is satisfactory evidence that the people of the township were convinced of that gentleman's eminent qualifications for the proper and faithful administration of the affairs of this office, and his subsequent election by a very gratifying majority was further confirmation. Mr. Pumphrey is devoted to the school interests of his home township. holding the belief that in educational matters no pains or expense should be spared to secure the best results in behalf of the youth of the township. Clay township schools are well organized and the township high school at Burney is the pride of the township. Erected at a cost of something like fifteen thousand dollars, this admirable high-school building is thoroughly equipped with all the modern appliances for an up-to-date edu- cational plant and the assurance is given that Trustee Pumphrey will neglect no precaution necessary to further advance the high reputation this excellent school has earned throughout that section of the county. Unusually success- ful in the management of his own extensive business enterprises, Mr. Pumph- rey is bringing to bear on his administration of the affairs of his new office the same sound judgment and fine executive ability that has brought him a pronounced personal success, and the general consensus of opinion there- about is that the affairs of the township are in most competent and capable hands. Mr. Pumphrey for years has been largely interested in the stock- buying business and is known far and wide as one of the most extensive buy- ers and shippers of live stock in Decatur county. He owns two small farms, one of sixty acres, one-fourth of a mile north of the village of Burney, and one of forty acres, three-fourths of a mile south of that town, and, while giving to these farms his careful attention, makes his chief business that of a stock dealer, a business in which he has been actively engaged since he was twenty years of age.
Francis M. Pumphrey was born on the home farm in Clay township in the year 1865 and has always lived in that township. He is the son of Wil- liam and Lodusky (Jewell) Pumphrey, former prominent and well-known residents of Clay township, the former of whom was a native of Kentucky,
957
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
who died about six years ago at the age of seventy-two years, and the latter of whom died about twenty years ago.
William Pumphrey was a stanch and stable citizen, a successful farmer and a leader in the good works of the community in which he had lived so long. He and his wife were members of the Methodist church and their children were reared with the strictest regard for all the moral obligations of good citizenship. William Pumphrey abhorred profanity and all coarse- ness of speech and his sons grew up with the same feeling of repugnance toward such forms of expression, and it is a matter of pleasant neighborhood note that to this day no one can be found who ever has heard any of the Pumphrey "boys" swear. Though a successful farmer along the general lines of agriculture, William Pumphrey's specialty was the breeding of hogs and cattle for the market and his son, the immediate subject of this sketch, came into the live-stock business quite naturally.
To William and Lodusky (Jewell) Pumphrey were born eight children, namely : James A., a prominent farmer of Clay township, who lives north of Burney, on one of the finest and best farms in Decatur county ; Francis M., the immediate subject of this sketch; William, who lives in Shelbyville, Indiana; Edwin, a progressive and up-to-date farmer living three-fourths of a mile north of Burney; Elizabeth, the wife of Frank Alline, a well-known farmer living one and one-half miles south of Burney; Fannie, the wife of Joseph Minor, of Burney; May, the wife of Clyde Elliott, a well-known farmer living one mile west of Burney, and Iva, the wife of Earl Littell, of Indianapolis.
Francis M. Pumphrey was reared on the paternal farm in Clay town- ship, receiving his education in the excellent schools of that township. At the age of twenty years, he engaged in the live-stock business on his own responsibility and has become one of the most successful stock buyers in Decatur county, it being doubtful if any dealer in the county handles more stock in the course of a year than does he. When twenty-three years of age, Mr. Pumphrey was united in marriage to Margaret Stealman, daughter of James Stealman, a prominent farmer of the Burney neighborhood. James Stealman, now deceased, was a native of Virginia, whose home was near the famous natural bridge.
To Francis M. and Margaret (Stealman) Pumphrey have been born three children, Floyd, who married May Champ and lives at Burney ; Isophene and Marie, the daughters both being at home. Mr. and Mrs. Pumphrey are members of the Baptist church at Burney and take a leading part in the gen- eral good works of the community, being highly regarded throughout that
958
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
whole section of the county. Mr. Pumphrey is a Democrat and for years has taken an active part in local politics, though he had never been a candidate for public office until his recent successful candidacy for the office of town- ship trustee. He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Burney and has been one of the most active promoters of the interests of that popular organization. His extensive business affairs have brought him into touch with the leaders of the business interests of Decatur county for years and he enjoys the unbounded confidence and the utmost esteem of all his associates.
HENRY M. REDELMAN.
Henry M. Redelman, farmer and stock breeder of Marion township, this county, is a representative of the second generation of the Redelman family in America. The owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land, one hundred acres of which is in timber, situated in Marion township, Mr. Redelman has been a breeder of live stock for many years. He owns four registered Percheron mares, two Percheron stallions, a German coach stallion, Ernus, and one jack. He began breding Aberden Angus cattle in 1898. and now raises, feeds and sells a great many head every year. He also keeps thoroughbred Duroc-Jersey hogs, which he raises for breeding purposes, selling them all over Decatur county. His breed is widely and favorably known, particularly since his farm is immune from cholera. He also has specialized in poultry and is an extensive fancier of thoroughbred Barred Plymouth Rocks. He sells pullets, roosters and settings and has a large business in poultry. Of the stallions which Mr. Redelman owns. "Massala" is an educated horse that has been taught many tricks. A fine driving mare has also been trained to perform many tricks. Mr. Redelman's fine farm house is thoroughly modern, having been remodeled in 1913 and painted a salmon color. It is equipped with an acetyline-light plant and with a private water system. A large yellow barn, forty-six by fifty-six feet, with sheds on three sides, giving plenty of room, and other attractive out-buildings, including a garage, make the Redelman farm one of the most attractive spots in Marion township. The owner and proprietor of this farm has every reason to be proud of his success as a farmer and breeder.
Born on May 31, 1854, in Decatur county, Indiana, Henry M. Redelman is the son of Mathias and Mary ( Bergsterinan ) Redelman, both natives of Germany, the former of whom was born in 1820, and died in 1855, and the
959
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
latter of whom was born in 1826, and died in 1866. Mathias Redelman came to America in 1849 and after spending a few years in Cincinnati came to this county, locating in Marion township, where he purchased a farm two miles south of that now owned by his son, Henry M. He and his wife were the parents of two sons, Henry M. and John W., the latter of whom died in 1895. After her husband's death, Mrs. Mathias Redelman married Bernard Rolfes, to which union one child was born, Herman, who died in infancy. After Mrs. Rolfes' death, in 1866, Bernard Rolfes married an aunt of Henry M. Redelman's. Mrs. Mary Redelman, the widow of Frank, who was the mother of eight children at the time of the marriage, and who after her second marriage gave birth to three more. Of the eight children born to Frank and Mary Redelman, the whereabouts of two, H. B. and John, are unknown. Of the others. Ferdinand, is living at Peoria, Illinois; Rosina married Adam Ruhl, and died in Nebraska; Mrs. Christina Ruhl lives in Minnesota; Frank lives in Franklin county; Joseph is deceased, and Mrs. Mary Wagner lives in Peoria, Illinois. The three Rolfes children are Her- man, of Washington township: Elizabeth, who married Orville King, of Greensburg, and Mrs. Katie Stier, of Harris City.
Beginning life on his own account in 1869, at the age of fifteen years, Henry M. Redelman learned the cigarmaker's trade in Cincinnati. After serving his apprenticeship he worked for three months in Indianapolis and then went to St. Louis, where he found his trade unprofitable. About that time he began selling medicine, traveling with a horse and rig in Illinois in 1873 and in Missouri in 1874. In the fall of 1874 he returned to Indiana, driving through from St. Louis. Here he followed his business for several years, eventually settling on a farm in 1885.
Two years before removing to the farm, Henry M. Redelman was married, on November 27, 1883, to Sarah A. Hermann, who was born in this county on February 25, 1864, the daughter of Joseph and Susanna (Young) Hermann, the latter of whom came to this country at the age of six years with her parents, who located in Ohio. There were five children in the Hermann family, those besides Mrs. Redelman being as follow: Susanna, now deceased, who married Valentine Hahn, of Marion township, this county; Lizzie, who, upon the death of her sister, Susanna, married the latter's husband, Valentine Hahn, and is now living in Marion township; Josephine, who married Michael Wurtz, of Indianapolis, this state; and Henry, a well-known farmer of Marion township, this county, who married Katie Lohman. The mother of these children was twice married, her first husband having been a Mr. Farraday, a native of Germany, who died about
.960
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
1849, to which union there were born two children, Mary, now deceased, who married Ben Flack, of Indianapolis, and Anthony, who married Jennie Holwell and lives in Colorado.
To Henry M. and Sarah A. (Hermann) Redelman have been born six children, namely: George F., cashier of the bank at New Point, this county ; Walter B., who owns a farm near Slabtown, one mile north of his father's home; Mae J., the wife of T. A. Woods, of St. Denis, Jennings county ; Edward V., who is employed by the Sears-Roebuck Company, of Chicago, and Maurice H. and Arthur S., living at home. George F. Redelman mar- ried Lena Spitzmesser and they have one son, Norbert. Walter married Amelia Zaphe and they have one daughter, Edna. Mrs. May Woods has one child, Marjorie. Edward married Laura Ruberg. Mr. and Mrs. Redelman's children, several of whom now have homes of their own, are leading honor- able and useful lives in the various communities in which they reside.
The success of Henry M. Redelman as a farmer and stock breeder has not been won without patience, toil and consistent diligent effort. He is a man of generous impulses, who takes a commendable interest in the welfare of his neighbors and who is a popular citizen of Marion township. There are no better citizens living in this county than Henry M. Redelman. Mr. and Mrs. Redelman are members of St. Mary's Catholic church at Greensburg, active in all good works, and their children have been reared in that faith. Mr. Redelman is a Democrat and for years has taken a good citizen's part in the political affairs of the county, ever having been an exponent in the best sense of that term.
JOHN GRAHAM EVANS.
In any review of the lives of those men and women who wrought largely and well in that portion of Decatur county comprised in Jackson township, the historian is compelled to give due weight to the influence exerted in the carly period of the settlement of that section by the Evans and the Davis families. These families for many years have been prominent in all the good works of that community, few families thereabout having done more for the material and social advancement of that section than they. When, by the marriage in 1887, of John Graham Evans and Emma B. Davis, there was effected a happy union, all the neighbors joined in wishing the new home well, for the union was regarded universally among the friends of the young cou- ple as one of the most fitting that could be brought about. As predicted by
JOHN G. EVANS.
961
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
all, the new home prospered and very properly became one of the social cen- ters of that part of the county, the genial hospitality of the host and hostess and the engaging qualities of the children who presently came to bless that union, making the Evans home one of the most delightful in the county. This home was established in a fine, large farm residence which Mr. and Mrs. Evans caused to be erected on their Jackson township farm, one of the most substantial houses in the county; white and green, standing in the midst of a large, well-shaded lawn, with farm buildings of the most substantial char- acter-an immense barn, painted yellow and white, with outbuildings to
match. In the fall of 1914, the head of this pleasant family met his death as the result of an accident, Mr. Evans having died from injuries received in a fall from the haymow. His widow and those of his children who have not yet married and left the paternal roof, still occupy the Evans homestead and in their hearts is enshrined the memory of a kind and devoted husband, a loving and indulgent father.
The late John Graham Evans was born on the farm on which his whole life was spent, in Jackson township, Decatur county, Indiana, on May 6, 1864, the son of William A. and Emily ( Hice) Evans, and died at the same place on November 23, 1914. William A. Evans, who was born on Novem- ber 3, 1835, and died on October 11, 1910, came to this county with his fath- er, William Evans, from Hamilton county, on November 5, 1837. At that time a dense forest marred the site of the present beautiful Evans home in Jackson township, for it was there that William Evans settled. He cleared the forest and established a prosperous home and there his son, William A., was reared and in turn established his home there, to be succeeded by his son, the late John G. Evans.
On December 16, 1858, William A. Evans was united in marriage to Emily Hice, a member of one of the pioneer families of Decatur county, and to this union there were born three children, John Graham, the subject of this sketch ; Milton E., a farmer of Jackson township, and Winston, deceased. Mrs. Evans died in June, 1898, and Mr. Evans married, secondly, February 19, 1901, Melissa Thompson, who died on April 20, 1908, and on July 8, 1909, he married Sarah Updike, who survives him. After his second mar- riage, Mr. Evans retired from the active duties of the farm and located in the village of Letts, this county, where his last days were spent. He is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Williams, of Delhart, Texas, and Mrs. Martha Fraley, of Forest Hill, this county. Mr. Evans was a good man and a good farmer and had prospered largely. He was an active member of the Presbyterian
(61)
962
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
church and for many years was one of the most influential men in his part of the county.
John G. Evans was reared on the paternal farm, receiving his education in the local schools and grew up to be one of the most highly-respected young men in Jackson township. On March 28, 1877 he united with the Presby- terian church and on February 3, 1900, became a member of the Mt. Aerie Baptist church, becoming a trustee of that church in 1906 and ordained as a deacon in April, 1907. Mr. Evans cultivated his farm of two hundred and ninety acres in accordance with the latest discoveries in agricultural science. using the most modern appliances in the operation of the same. He took a deep interest in affairs outside the immediate range of the farm and was one of the most active men of affairs in that part of the county. He was a director in the First National Bank of Westport and of the State Bank at Letts, and also was interested in various other enterprises of an important character. The social side of his nature was one of Mr. Evans's most engag- ing qualities and he was one of the most popular men in that part of the county. He was a member of the Odd Fellow's lodge at Westport and of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Letts, taking a warm interest in the affairs of both these organizations, both of which passed earnest resolutions of respect and condolence upon his passing. No man in the county took a deeper inter- est in good government than did Mr. Evans, and he was looked upon as one of the leaders of the Democratic party in his township. In the fall of 1908 he was elected to the responsible and important position of township trustee for Jackson township and should have served for six years, his term being due to expire on January 1, 1915. He was performing excellent service in this office, when his untimely and lamented death cut short his useful tenure. As noted above, Mr. Evans farmed on a large scale and was very successful in his agricultural undertakings; he also was an extensive breeder of Duroc- Jersey hogs.
On October 6, 1887, John Graham Evans was united in marriage to Emma B. Davis, who was born in Jackson township, this county, on Novem- ber 13, 1864. the daughter of Aaron and Jane ( Barrett) Davis, both natives of Franklin county, Indiana.
Aaron Davis was born on May 16, 1833. the son of James and Martha ( Smathers) Davis, both natives of Kentucky. James Davis was the son of Matthias Davis, a native of Wales, of Welsh and Scottish parentage, who came to this country and was a soldier in the War of 1812. He married a Miss MeClellan, a member of the same family from which Gen. George B. McClellan, of Civil War fame, sprang, and located in the Mt. Sterling neigh-
963
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
borhood of Kentucky, where James was born and reared. In 1830 Matthias Davis left Kentucky and came to Indiana, locating in Franklin county, from which point he moved to this county, settling in Salt Creek township, where his death occurred in 1840. He and his wife were the parents of ten chil- dren. Melinda. James, Joseph, Elizabeth, Isaac, Daniel, Allan, Ambrose, Wil- liam and Mathias.
James Davis, who was born in 1798 and died in 1866, was married in Kentucky to Martha Smathers, a daughter of Hugh Smathers, a native of Ireland, who immigrated to America, took part in the Indian wars and in the War of 1812 and went to Kentucky, where he married and prospered. In 1830 he came to Indiana and ten years later emigrated to Iowa, where he spent the remainder of his life. Hugh Smathers was twice married, his sec- ond wife, who was a Miss Hopkins, having been the mother of three chil- dren, Hugh, Sabina and Benjamin. To the union of James Davis and Martha Smathers there were born ten children, namely : Mrs. Sarah Shelton, Harrison, a well-known resident of Clay township: Matthias, deceased ; Mrs. Nancy Pavey, Mrs. Sabina Burkman; Aaron, father of Mrs. Evans; Mrs. Andocia Sharp; Mrs. Eliza Barnes; Martha and Elizabeth. The mother of these children died in 1866.
Aaron Davis was reared on the home farm in this county, receiving such educational advantages as the schools of his boyhood afforded, and at eigh- teen years of age began to work for himself as a farm hand. When twenty- one years old he married and settled on a small farm in Sand Creek town- ship, which he sold and bought a farm in Clay township. Four years later he sold this farm and bought one hundred and sixty acres near the village of Letts, in Jackson township. Here he prospered and gradually added to his holdings until he was the owner of two hundred and forty acres of excel- lent land, on which he erected a fine, large two-story brick house. In 1881 he and O. S. Mitchell built a grain elevator at Letts and for some time he was successfully engaged in this business, but in 1894 sold his interest to his . partner and retired from active business. He was a Republican and took a warm interest in local politics, being one of the strongest factors in the pro- motion of the cause of good government in that part of the county.
On October 24. 1858, Aaron Davis was united in marriage to Jane Barrett, who was born in Franklin county, this state, October 10, 1837, the daughter of Charles and Mildred (Gentry) Barrett, natives of Virginia. Charles Barrett was a soldier in the War of 1812 and died in Franklin coun- ty in 1837. His wife was the daughter of Clairborn Gentry, a native of Vir-
964
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
ginia, and who came of an old Colonial family, who settled in Franklin count- ty in 1837.
To Aaron and Jane ( Barrett) Davis were born eight children, namely : Jolını C., a former instructor in the United States army, in service in Cuba, now living in Montana; Albert, who lives in Idaho: Emma B., the widow of Mr. Evans; Mrs. John Shafer, who lives in Pierce, Colorado; Mrs. Ida M. Moore, who lives in Champaign, Illinois; Rev. Henry Davis, a minister of the Baptist church, who, on September 27, 1899, married Eva White and lives at Eugene, Oregon; Everett, who lives in the state of Washington, and Clifford C., who is operating the old home farm.
To John Graham and Emma B. (Davis) Evans were born six children, as follow : Mrs. Ethel Williams, of Letts, this county, who has a daughter, Ruth: Mrs. Hazel Gilmour, of Jackson township; Nelle, a teacher in the schools of Jackson township; Mildred, a student in the Newburg high school; Blanche, who is in the sixth year of her school work, and Russell, who is in the fifth grade of his school work.
Mrs. Evans is a member of the Mt. Airie Baptist church and is devoted to the good works of the same. Her influence is felt in many ways througli- out that part of the county in which she lives.
ALBERT LINK.
Agriculture has been an honored vocation front the earliest ages and, as a usual thing, men of honorable and humane impulses as well as of energy and thrift have been patrons of husbandry. The free outdoor life of the farm has a decided tendency to foster and develop that independence of mind and self-reliance which characterize true manhood. No greater blessing can befall a boy than to be reared in close touch with nature in the healthful, life-inspiring work of the fields. Albert Link is a prosperous and skillful young farmer of Clay township, who has always enjoyed the best advantages of farm life. At the present time he is farming one hundred and thirty- three acres of land of his own and an additional farm of ninety acres, alto- gether one of the finest tracts of land in the county. He has a magnificent home situated on a knoll, with a wide lawn and many shade treees. Two large yellow barns and other outbuildings in a splendid state of repair, make his home one of the most attractive in that section of the county. The farm
965
DECATUR COUNTY, INDIANA.
is owned jointly by Mr. Link and his father-in-law, John F. Templeton, who specialize in cattle, but plant forty acres of wheat and sixty acres of corn, yielding from seventy-five to eighty bushels to the acre.
Albert Link was born in Greensburg, this county, on January 29, 1891, the son of Henry and Elizabeth Ling, natives of Germany, the former of whom was born in 1854 and who came to America in 1880, settling in Greens- burg, where he engaged in the meat business with Charles Zoller, Sr. He made a success of this business and retired a few years ago, now living in a fine home in the southeastern part of the city. Of the eight children born to Henry and Elizabeth Link, seven are living: Anna; Lizzie, who married Thomas Miller, of Clinton township; Cora, the wife of Roy Privett, of Greensburg; Albert, who is the subject of this sketch; Charles, a traveling salesman, living in Greensburg, and Lewis and George, who live on their father's farm on the outskirts of Greensburg. Albert Link was educated in the public schools of Greensburg, Indiana, and early in life took up the butcher business with his father, in which business he was engaged until his marriage.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.