USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 71
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On April 15, 1902, Virgil J. Barker was united in marriage to Lola Paxton, who was born at Liberty, in the neighboring county of Union, a daughter of William J. and Sarah (Brown) Paxton, the former of whom for many years was a teacher in the schools of Union and Fayette counties. Mr. and Mrs. Barker are members of the Central Christian church and take a proper interest in church affairs. Mr. Barker is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, affiliated with both the subordinate lodge and the encampment of that order, and takes a warm interest in the affairs of the same.
WILLIAM HENRY MOYER.
One of the well-known and prominent retired citizens of Connersville, who has met with much success during his long life of usefulness and activity, is William Henry Moyer, who was born at Port Jefferson, Ohio, on November 1, 1838, a son of David and Ruth (Venemon) Moyer, who were both born in the state of Ohio. The former, who was born on January 2, 1813, died on April 16, 1877, and the latter, born on March 3, 1813, died on July 4, 1853. They were born near the town of Sidney and there they were educated and were later married. As a young man the father learned the cabinet-maker's trade, and continued in that line of work in the Buckeye state until 1842, when he and his family came to Indiana, with horses and wagon, and located in Fayette county. During the first few years of his
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life in this county David Moyer worked on the canal and later in a stone quarry and brick yard. Mr. Moyer was three times married. His first wife died at Benton, Indiana, and after her death he married Amanda Thompson, and at her death, Susan Stephens. By his first wife he was the father of four children: Deliah Jane, William H., Alex. Marshall and Charles Edgar. By the second wife one child was born, Amanda, who is now deceased. There were no children by the third marriage.
William Henry Moyer received a limited education in the early schools of his home community and remained at home until his marriage on Septem- ber II, 1861, to America Crosson, who was born on March 4, 1841, daugh- ter of James and Susan (Johnson) Crosson, who were natives of the state of Ohio and who came to Indiana in 1830 and settled in Fayette county. They established their home on a farm on Williams creek, where they made for themselves a home in the wilderness, and had much to do with the gen- eral development of the district. It was there that the mother died. The father died at Connersville, to which place he had moved after the death of his wife. They were the parents of ten children, only two of whom are now living.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moyer established their home in the city of Connersville, where for a number of years Mr. Moyer was engaged in the grocery business and later in the brick business. He met with much success as a business man, and on his retirement from the brick business he engaged in the furniture business until the time of his retirement from the more active duties of life. Today he is known as one of the men who has helped to make Connersville the hustling and progressive little city that it is today. Few of the present residents of the city had more to do with its early life and later development.
To Mr. and Mrs. Moyer five children have been born, only one of whom is now living, Clara E., wife of George E. Reese, one of the well- known and highly respected citizens of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Moyer are active members of the Grand Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, with which they have been connected for many years, and have ever taken an active interest in the services of the church and the growth and success of the society.
William Henry Moyer and his wife have lived in Connersville and in this vicinity for many years, during which time they have seen many changes and many improvements. Coming to the county as he did, a mere child, when the territory surrounding Connersville was for the most part an undeveloped wilderness, he has seen the dense forest become a thing of the
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past, and has witnessed the making of one of the great farming districts of Indiana, with splendid homes and hustling and progressive towns and cities. In all this he has his part. His advent into the business world was as a poor boy, who had to depend upon his own resources for his advance- ment. His life has been an active one and he has made good, so that today the name of William Henry Moyer is synonymous with progress and success.
MINOR E. LEFFINGWELL.
Minor E. Leffingwell, member of the firm of M. Holberg & Company, clothiers and shoe dealers, at Connersville, is a native son of Fayette county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in Jennings township, this county, August 10, 1864, son of Jonathan Avery and Lucy (Ellis) Leffingwell, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Indiana, a member of one of the pioneer families of Fayette county.
Jonathan Avery Leffingwell came to Indiana from New York state with his parents when a boy, the family settling in Harrison township, this county, in the thirties. His father died not long after coming here, leaving a widow and eight children, among whom, besides Jonathan A., were Artemas, Lem- uel. Lavant, Amanda and Hannah. The widow retained the home farm and there Jonathan A. Leffingwell grew to manhood, assisting his brothers in the development and improvement of the same. He married Lucy Ellis, who was born in Harrison township, daughter of Lewis and Samantha (Thomas) Ellis, natives of New York state and early settlers in this county. Lewis Ellis inherited the farm which his father, Moses Ellis, had settled in Harrison township and there he and his wife spent their last days, both living to ripe old age, he being eighty-four years of age at the time of his death and she, seventy-six. Lewis Ellis and wife were the parents of sixteen children, Caroline, Lucy, Melvin, Eliza, Ellen, Hewitt, Nancy, Minor, who died while serving as a soldier of the Union army, and seven others. After his marriage Jonathan A. Leffingwell began farming on his own account in Jennings township and there developed. an excellent farm of one hundred. acres, to which he added until at the time of his death he was the owner of two hundred acres. He died in 1884, at the age of fifty-eight years, and his widow survived him until 1901, she being sixty-seven years of age at the time of her death. They were devoted members of the Primitive Baptist church and their children were reared in that faith. There were nine of
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these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being as follow: Lewis, of Posey township, this county; Ada, who married Mathias Neff and is now deceased; Emma, of Conners- ville; Elmer, who is living on the old Leffingwell farm in Harrison town- ship; Minnie, wife of S. D. Lynch, of Kennewick, Washington; Edgar, who died at the age of seven years, and twins, who died in infancy.
Reared on the paternal farm in this county, Minor E. Leffingwell received his elementary schooling in the district schools in the neighborhood of his home and supplemented the same by a course in the Central Normal School at Danville, this state. He continued on the farm until 1887, when he took employment as a clerk in the shoe store of L. C. Everton at Con- nersville. A year later he transferred his services to the store of M. Hol- berg, clothier and shoe dealer, at Connersville, and has ever since been con- nected with that establishment, a partner in the firm since 1900, the firm doing business under the style of M. Holberg and Company, one of the best- known and most firmly established commercial concerns in this part of the state. Mr. Leffingwell is a Republican and has ever given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office.
On January 22, 1889, Minor E. Leffingwell was united in marriage to Clara Rieman, who was born in Germany and who was but three years of age when her parents, Henry and Gretchen ( Pernon ) Rieman, came to this country with their family from their native Hanover in 1866 and located at Hamilton, Ohio, moving thence to Oxford, that same state, and thence, in 1876, to Connersville, where they established their home. Henry Rie- man's parents spent all their lives in their native Hanover. Their three sons, Ernest, Henry and Charles, came to this country, but their daughters remained in their native land. Henry Rieman was a landscape gardener, employed on the royal estate in the Fatherland, and upon coming to this country became engaged as a florist. Upon locating at Connersville he established there a greenhouse and remained engaged as a florist the rest of his life, his death occurring in May, 1913, he then being eighty-six years of age. His wife had preceded him to the grave many years, her death having occurred in 1884. She was the only child of her parents, her father, a sea captain, having been lost at sea when she was a small child. Henry Rieman and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, those besides Mrs. Leffingwell being Andrew H., Charles A., Geredena, widow of E. E. Lewis, and Clara (first), Ernest and Nettie, who died in youth.
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To Minor E. and Clara (Rieman) Leffingwell one child has been born, a son, Carl, who died when twelve years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Leffingwell are members of the Presbyterian church, in the affairs of which they take an active interest, Mr. Leffingwell being one of the elders of the local con- gregation. Mr. Leffingwell is a thirty-second-degree Mason, being affiliated with Warren Lodge No. 15, Free and Accepted Masons, at Connersville, and with the consistory of the Valley of Indianapolis, Ancient Accepted Scot- tish Rite, and is a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mys- tic Shrine, affiliated with Murat Temple of that order at Indianapolis. He also is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen of America and in the affairs of these several fraternal organizations takes a warm interest.
JASPER L. KENNEDY.
Jasper L. Kennedy, former auditor of Fayette county and now engaged in the hardware and farm-implement business at Connersville, senior mem- ber of the mercantile firm of Kennedy & Lewis, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all his life, his residence having been confined to Fayette county and the neighboring county of Franklin. He was born at Metamora, in the latter county, August 9, 1866, son of John R. and Tempa A. (Thomas) Kennedy, both now deceased, the former of whom, an hon- ored veteran of the Civil War, was a native of the state of Ohio and the latter of Indiana, and who were for years well-known residents of Frank- lin county.
John R. Kennedy was born and reared on a farm near New Richmond, in Clermont county, Ohio, son of Milton C. Kennedy and wife, both natives of that same state and who spent all their lives there. They were the parents of four sons, Aaron, Benjamin, John R. and Milton. As a young man, John R. Kennedy came over into Indiana and settled at Metamora, where he opened a cooper shop and where he married and established his home. He was living there when the Civil War broke out and in 1861 he enlisted as a private in Company C, Sixty-eighth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served with that command until the close of the war, his period of service being but two days less than four years, and was mustered out with the rank of lieutenant. Upon the completion of his term of military service Mr. Kennedy resumed his cooperage business at Metamora, but cooperage
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timber presently becoming exhausted in that vicinity, in 1872 he located on a farm in the near vicinity of Blooming Grove, in that same county, and there was engaged in farming for some years, at the end of which time he sold his farm and moved to Blooming Grove, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there on June 9, 1912, he then being seventy-eight years of age. His wife had preceded him to the grave about eighteen months, her death having occurred in December, 1910, she then being sixty-eight years of age. She was a daughter of John L. Thomas, whose wife was a Rothrock, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and of South Carolina, who had come to Indiana with their respective parents in the days of their youth, the two families settling in the Metamora neighborhood in Franklin county, where they were married and where they reared their family of three daughters, Mrs. Kennedy having had two sisters, Lucinda and Indiana. John R. Kennedy and his wife were very active and earnest members of the Methodist church, their home for years being noted as a stopping place for itinerant preachers of that denomination, and their children were reared in that faith. There were six of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow : Edward W., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Emanuel P., of Blooming Grove, in the neighboring county of Franklin; Cora B., wife of W. L. White, also of Blooming Grove; Clifford M., of South Sharon, Pennsylvania, and John K., of Dunreith, this state.
Jasper L. Kennedy was but a child when his parents moved from Meta- mora to the farm near Blooming Grove and there he spent his boyhood, receiving his elementary schooling in the neighboring district school. He supplemented that course of schooling by a course in a private school and in a business college at Richmond, and then took up the trade of carriage blacksmithing and followed the same at Connersville until 1906, in which year he was elected to the office of county auditor. So acceptably did he perform the important duties of that office that he was re-elected in 1910 and served a second terni of four years, thus serving the public in this capacity for a period of eight years, his term of service expiring on December 31, 1915. A few days later, on January 3, 1916, Mr. Kennedy engaged in the hardware and farm-implement business at Connersville, in partnership with C. S. Lewis, and has ever since been thus engaged, the firm doing busi- ness under the style of Kennedy & Lewis. Mr. Kennedy is also the head of the blacksmithing firm of Kennedy & Loper. Mr. Kennedy is a stanch Republican and has for years been looked upon as one of the leaders of that party in this county. In addition to his public service rendered as
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auditor of Fayette county, he for eleven years served as a member of the board of trustees of the East Connersville schools.
On September 27, 1890, Jasper L. Kennedy was united in marriage to Cora B. King, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, daughter of William H. and Mary (Acre) King, natives of that same state, who are now living in East Connersville. William H. King served for four years as a Union soldier during the Civil War and he and his wife have three children, Mrs. Kennedy having a sister. Nettie, and a brother, J. Dillon King. To Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy two children have been born, Madge L. and Clyde C. The Kennedys are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Ken- nedy is a Mason, a member of Warren Lodge No. 15, Free and Accepted Masons, at Connersville, and is likewise a member of the local lodge of the Improved Order of Red Men.
MILES K. MOFFETT.
Miles K. Moffett, a well-known druggist at Connersville, former post- master of that city, former clerk of the Fayette circuit court and for years actively identified with the commercial interests of his home town, is a native son of Fayette county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in Fairview township. September 21, 1860, son of John and Fannie J. (Hamilton) Moffett, the former a native of the state of Pennsylvania and the latter of Indiana, both now deceased, who were for years well-known among the old settlers of this county.
John Moffett was but two years of age when he came to Indiana with his parents, Thomas and Salome (Heller) Moffett, from Pennsylvania in 1822. Thomas Moffett entered a tract of "Congress land" in Fairview township, this county, and there established his home, one of the earliest settlers in that part of the county. He established the first grist-mill on Williams creek and also kept a general store there. He took an active part in the civic affairs of the county in early days, was a member of the board of county commissioners when the old court house was erected and also served for years as trustee of Fairview township and as a justice of the peace in and for that township. His wife died in 1865 and he survived her for some years, living to a ripe old age. Those of their children who grew to maturity, besides John, were Rachel, Thomas, Robert, William C., Jane and Sarah. It was on that pioneer farm in Fairview township that John
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Moffett grew to manhood and there he spent his last days, in addition to his farming being also actively engaged for years as a carpenter. He also took an active interest in local public affairs and for six years served the county as appraiser of real estate. John Moffett died on the home farm in 1874, he then being fifty-four years of age, and his widow survived him for nearly twenty years, her death occurring in 1892. She was born in this county, a daughter of George Hamilton and wife, pioneer settlers in Connersville township, whose last days were spent there, both living to advanced ages, George Hamilton living to the extraordinary age of ninety- six years. Besides Mrs. Moffett there were two sons of the Hamilton family who grew to maturity, Stephen and William Hamilton. John Moffett and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. There were eight of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the seventh in order of birth, the others being as follow : Oliver P., deceased; Almarinda, who married Philander Wymore and is now deceased; Nancy, who married Hiram Rees and is now deceased; Florence. who married Samuel M. Atherton and is now deceased; John E., deccased: George T., of Huntsville, Alabama, and Charles O., of Harrison township, this county.
Miles K. Moffett was reared on the home farm in Fairview township and received his elementary schooling in the district schools of that neigh- borhood, supplementing the same by a course in the Central Normal School at Danville, this state, after which for twelve years he was engaged in teaching school, spending his summers on the farm. He then was elected clerk of the Fayette county circuit court and was re-elected to that office, thus serving in that important capacity for eight years and at the end of that term of service was commissioned postmaster of Connersville, in which capacity he further served the public for a period of eight years. At the completion of his term of service as postmaster Mr. Moffett engaged in the drug business in Connersville, in 1910, and has ever since been thus engaged. Mr. Moffett is a Republican and has long been looked upon as one of the leaders of that party in this county.
On May 4. 1886, Miles K. Moffett was united in marriage to Anna Hoak, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1865, daughter of Henry and Christina (Keen) Hoak, natives of that same state, who came to Indiana with their family in 1866 and settled in Hendricks county, where Henry Hoak, who was a school teacher, spent the rest of his life. His widow is still living. They were the parents of two children, Mrs. Moffett having a brother, Benjamin M. Hoak. Mr. and Mrs. Moffett
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have two children, Claire, who married Mary Conoway and is assisting in the management of his father's drug store at Connersville, and Christine, who married Fred Leeds, of Connersville, and has one child, a son, Frederick M. The Moffetts are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest in the affairs of the same, Mr. Moffett being a member of the board of trustees of the local congregation. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Knights of Pythias, of the Improved Order of Red Men and of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and in the affairs of these several organizations takes a warm interest.
FREDERICK C. NEAL
Frederick C. Neal, of the firm of Neal & Stoll, plumbing and heating, at Connersville, and long recognized as one of the most enterprising business men in that city, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all of his life. He was born in the little Quaker village of Westfield, in Hamilton county, Indiana, March 20, 1867, son of the Rev. Jabez and Mary E. (Bowman) Neal, the former of whom was born in Texas and the latter in North Caro- lina, whose last days was spent in Noblesville, this state.
The Rev. Jabez Neal was an itinerant circuit-riding Methodist preacher, who continued active in the service of the church as long as he was able to do so. As a young man he came to Indiana from Texas and settled in Hamilton county, where he married Mary E. Bowman, daughter of Edwin W. Bowman and wife, who had come to Indiana from North Carolina and had settled on a farm in Hamilton county, where they spent the rest of their lives, both living to ripe old age. Edwin W. Bowman and wife were the parents of eight children, those besides Mrs. Neal being George W., Phoebe, Martha, Augusta, Emily, Anna and Alice. During the last twenty years of his life the Rev. Jabez Neal resided at Noblesville, to which city he had moved from Westfield, and there he died in 1896, at the age of eighty-one years. His widow survived him until 1915 and was eighty-four years of age at the time of her death.
Frederick C. Neal was about ten years of age when his parents moved from Westfield to Noblesville and in the latter city he completed his school- ing. He early learned the plumbing trade and after awhile started in busi- ness for himself in that line in Noblesville, where he remained thus engaged until 1903, when he moved to Connersville and there formed a partner-
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ship with A. J. Stoll, in the plumbing and heating line, and has ever since been thus engaged, the firm doing business under the style of Neal & Stoll. This firm carries a large stock of goods in its line and has an extensive and growing business. Mr. Neal has other business connections in Con- nersville and is regarded as one of the public-spirited men of that city. He is a stockholder in the Central State Bank of Connersville and a member of the board of directors of the Fayette Savings and Loan Company. He is a Republican and gives a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office.
On December 29, 1897, Frederick C. Neal was united in marriage to Freda Stoll, who was born in Germany, March 18, 1875, daughter of John and Catherine (Sweikley ) Stoll, natives of that same country, the former of whom died in the Fatherland, after which his widow and her four chil- dren came to this country and located at Connersville, where she still resides. Mrs. Neal has three brothers, John, Jacob and Adam Stoll. To Mr. and Mrs. Neal two children have been born, John F. and Arthur E. The Neals are members of the Presbyterian church, in the affairs of which they take a warm interest. Mr. Neal is a thirty-second-degree Mason and a Knight Templar, being affiliated with Warren Lodge No. 15, Free and Accepted Masons; with Maxwell Chapter No. 18, Royal Arch Masons; with Con- nersville Commandery No. 6, Knights Templar, at Connersville; with the Indianapolis consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, and with Murat Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Indian- apolis. He also is a member of the local lodge of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, and in the affairs of all these organizations takes an active interest.
SAMUEL O. McKENNAN.
Samnel O. McKeunan, secretary of the Home Loan Association of Connersville and formerly and for years engaged in the drug business in that city, was born on a prairie farm six miles west of the village of Reynolds in White county, Indiana, August 27, 1854, son of Thomas A. and Anna (Fleeger) McKennan, natives of Pennsylvania, both now deceased.
Thomas A. McKennan was born and reared in Pennsylvania and there learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed for some time, in addition to farming, after he came to Indiana and settled as one of the pioneers in the prairie section of White county. He later moved to New Holland, Illi-
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nois, where his death occurred in 1884, he then being sixty-four years of age. His widow survived him for years, her death occurring in 1913, she then being seventy-nine years of age. Thomas A. McKennan and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church, of which he was an elder for many years, and their children were reared in that faith. There were four- teen of these children, seven sons and seven daughters, namely : Howard A., deceased; Edward M., of Garrett, Indiana; Elmira, who married David Earhart, of Indianapolis, and is now deceased; Samuel O., the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Elda J., wife of V. N. Hinkle, of Decatur, Illinois ; Altona V., wife of John Everson, of Peoria, Illinois; Frank B., of Quincy, Illinois ; James L., of Kinney, Illinois; Josie, wife of Samuel Keys, of Lincoln county, Illinois; Sylvia B., wife of George Warren, of Middletown, Illinois; Madge, who married John Colvin and died at Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Sylvester, of Chicago; Flora, wife of E. L. Prather, liv- ing near Chicago, Illinois, and Joseph T., of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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