USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 99
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June. 1868. he was again appointed and served three years more in the same capacity. The office at that time was similar to the present office of county superintendent of schools. On three occasions he was also elected township trustec of Jackson township. in 1874. 1876 and 1882. In 1894 he was elected clerk of the Hancock circuit court for a term of four years. He was a life- long Methodist and took an active part in the church and Sunday school. Fra- ternally he was affiliated with the Masonic order, being also a Knight Templar. a member of the Greenfield commandery. Ilis untimely death was caused by the cyclone of June 25. 1902. Mrs. Sample is still living and resides at Green- field. The daughter. Mary, graduated from Indiana University several years ago. She taught in the high school at Courtland, Indiana, and later took charge of the English department of the Greenfield high school. In 1913 she went abroad, spending a year at the University of Berlin and in traveling. For the past several years she has been at the head of the English department of the high school at Kankakee, Illinois. She spends her vacations, or at least a part of each summer, with her mother at Greenfield.
Judge Sample spent his early years on the old homestead in Jackson town- ship. In 1894 he graduated from the Greenfield high school, and entered the county clerk's office as his father's deputy. This office offered a splendid opportunity to become familiar with legal forms. He also devoted himself assiduously to the study of law and on June 20, 1898, on motion of Edward W. Felt. he was admitted to the bar. In 1898 he also entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, giving his time to literature and law, and graduat- ing from the law department in 1900. Upon returning to Greenfieldl a part- nership was formed with Edward W. Felt, which continued until the latter's election as judge of the Hancock circuit court. . Mr. Sample then continued in the practice alone until 1906, when he formed a partnership with the late U. S. Jackson, which continued for a period of five years. In 1912 he became the Democratic candidate for the judgeship in his native county, and was elected. He has now served nearly four years as judge of the eighteenth. judicial circuit. The usual number of appeals have been taken from his rul- ings and decisions, but to this time the higher courts of the state have not reversed him in a single case. With the exception of serving as city attorney for the city of Greenfield from 1904-08, he has sought no other office.
Judge Sample has had the common experience of attorneys, and has a clear understanding of the term "lean" as descriptive of the early years of a lawyer's practice. He is preeminently a trial lawyer, and for this work he is gifted by nature and qualified by training. During the six of seven years preceding his election to the bench, there was hardly a case of any importance
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before the court in which he did not appear upon one side or the other. As an advocate he is easily the peer of any lawyer that has addressed the juries impanelled in the Hancock circuit court.
Since 1896 he has also taken an active interest in political affairs. In that memorable campaign he "stumped" the sixth congressional district in behalf of the Democratic ticket. In the campaign of 1914 he spoke in twenty- one counties of the state. In addition to campaigning. the Judge has been upon the lecture platform, and has refused attractive offers from bureaus in order that he might devote himself exclusively to the law.
On July 15. 1908, Mr. Sample was united in marriage with Roxie Thomas, who was born in Jackson township, June 18, 1884, the only child of William M. and Sophronia Alice ( Barrett) Thomas. Her father. William MI. Thomas. was a prominent farmer of Jackson township, and in 1892 was elected county commissioner of Hancock county, serving two terms. The daughter still owns his farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson township, in the manage- ment of which Mr. Sample takes an active interest. The Judge's family con- sists of three members, a daughter, Louise, having been born September I, 1910.
Mr. Sample was reared a Methodist. For about twelve years he taught a class in the Methodist Sunday school, and for a time was the Sunday school chorister in the church at Greenfield. Mrs. Sample is a member of the Christian church.
Fraternally, the Judge is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight Templar, a noble of Murat Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Indianapolis, a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and a Modern Wood- man. He was prelate of the Greenfield commandery for three years, and was the first worthy president of the Greenfield Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles.
THOMAS BENTON KIRLIN.
Thomas Benton Kirlin, a native of Wayne county, was born on June 17 1854. the son of John and Rebecca Frances ( Sealock) Kirlin, natives of Vir- ginia and Wayne county, respectively.
William and Rachel ( Willits) Kirlin, the grandparents of Thomas Ben- ton Kirli, came from Virginia to their Indiana home in Wayne county in a wagon. There they entered one hundred and sixty acres and later bought fifteen acres, where Mr. Kirlin erected a saw-mill. The farm was cleared
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through the efforts of Mr. Kirlin and the first building- were created by him. which were later replaced by more substantial and modern ones. There Mr. and Mrs. Kirlin made their home until their death. Daniel Kirlin, a grand- son, now resides on the farm. William Kirlin was a captain in the War of 1812 and was past ninety years of age when he died.
Daniel Sealock and wife, the maternal grandparents of Thomas B. Kirlin, were natives of Virginia and came to Indiana, where they were very early pioneers of Wayne county.
John and Rebecca Kirlin received their education in the early schools of the county. . As a young man Mr. Kirlin engaged in farming and continued in the work during his active life. Ile and his wife both died on the old home farm. They were the parents of three children: James, Thomas Benton and Omer.
Thomas Benton Kirlin received his education in the schools of Wayne county. AAfter completing his education he engaged in farming in Wayne county until 1886, when he purchased his present farm in Green township. Here he has eighty acres of well improved and well cultivated land, where he does general farming.
On March 27. 1881, Thomas Benton Kirlin was united in marriage to Mary Sowers, of Wayne county, daughter of Henry M. and Katherine ( Boyer ) Sowers, the mother being a native of Wayne county and the father of Pennsylvania.
Henry M. Sowers was the son of Jacob and Mary ( Miller) Sowers. natives of Pennsylvania and Germany, respectively. Mrs. Sowers came to America as a girl with her parents. There were three sisters and one son in the family, the son died on the voyage and was buried at sea. The family were early pioneers of Wayne county. He later established a general store at Germantown, which he conducted with success. For a number of years before his death. he was the postmaster at Germantown.
Jacob and Katherine ( Boughner ) Boyer, the maternal grandparents of Nirs. Thomas B. Kirlin, were natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland, re- spectively. When the two first met, he being a German could not speak English, and she being English could not speak German. In time the diffi- culty was overcome and the two were married and came to Indiana, where they entered land in Wayne county and there lived on the farm until their death.
Henry M. Sowers remained a resident of Wayne county, where he was engaged in conducting a general store, until his health failed him, at which time he traded the store for a farm, where he lived until his death some vel-
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later. He and Mrs. Sowers were the parents of five children: Mary, Frank ( deceased ). Harry. Nell .Alpha ( deceased ) and Rose. The family were all members of the Lutheran church.
Thomas Benton Kirlin and wife are the parents of two children, Flora and Floyd. Flora is the wife of Earl McCarty, of Madison county. They are the parents of three children, Verl, Harold and Iva May. Floyd is a clerk in the postoffice at Indianapolis. Fraternally, Mr. Kirlin is a member of the Eagles at Greenfield.
JOHN W. KNOOP.
Among the progressive and public spirited citizens of Hancock county, Indiana, is John W. Knoop. a farmer of Sugar Creek township, who was born in that same township. December 2. 1868. a son of William and Louisa (Roesner) Knoop.
William Knoop was born in Germany in 1841. a son of Christian and Christina Knoop, both natives of that land, who emigrated to America and settled in Hancock county in the early history of this section. They were the parents of six children. Christian, William, a daughter. Charles, Henry and August, all of whom are deceased and at the time they came to this country. there were but two children. Christian and William. The father was a miller in his native land and after coming to this county he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land located about two miles north of New Palestine. The
place was but slightly improved and he and his good wife established then- selves like other pioneers of the section and bravely set out to bring about better conditions of living. Christian Knoop prospered and about 1870 he purchased an additional tract of forty acres, about one mile cast of his old home and on this latter farm passed his declining years, passing away about 1888. His widow survived him for four or five years.
William Knoop passed his youth on the original farm home in Sugar Creek township, receiving such education as the schools of this section at that time afforded and was still quite a young man at the outbreak of the Civil War. When twenty-one years of age, in 1862. he enlisted as a private in Company D, Seventy-ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war. He participated in some of the most important battles of the Rebellion, among them being Lookout Mountain. Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta. Stone's River, Franklin and Nashville He was wounded in
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the leg and his health completely undermined by the exposure to which the sol- diers were subjected. He never fully recovered and hence his death in 1878 at the early age of thirty-seven. After his return from the army, he was united in marriage with Louisa Roesner, who was born in Sugar Creek township in September of 1844, a daughter of William L. and Christina (Braedemeier ) Roesner, both natives of Germany and among the early settlers of this section. Louisa (Roesner) Knoop, who still survives, was one of eight children, four boys and four girls, of whom but three others survive, William. Henry and Anton. William Knoop was a devout member of the Lutheran church, a Democrat in politics, and spent his declining years on the old homestead where he was born and reared.
John W. Knoop is one of eight children, the others being Mary, Emma, Louis, William and Louisa (twins), Carrie and a daughter who died in infancy; all of whom are living except Emma and Carrie. John Knoop spent his boyhood on the old farm his grandfather had purchased, receiving his edu- cation at district No. 4 and the German school, and at the early age of fifteen. on account of the death of his father, he was forced to shoukler the responsi- bility as the head of the family and together with his younger brothers he managed the work of the farm.
.At the age of twenty-five he was married, May 6. 189.4. to Carrie Harvey. born in Buck Creek township, this county, April 17, 1870, a daughter of Mil- ton and Sarah ( West) Harvey, both natives of this state. Milton Harvey was born in Fayette county on April 29, 1833. and passed from this life at his home in Buck Creek township. September 23, 1909. He was the son of William and Jane (Eastes) Harvey, both also natives of Indiana. Sarah West Harvey was the daughter of Israel West and wife, the latter of Irish parentage. Carrie (Harvey) Knoop is one of a family of ten children, those surviving being William, John, Maggie. Dena. Carrie, Tillie, Lee, Katie and Bennie, the one deceased being Gary. After marriage, John W. Knoop and wife took up their residence on the old Knoop homestead, where they remained but a year, and then moved to the east forty, where they have since resided. Mr Knoop manages his mother's farm of two hundred acres and is regarded as one of the more advanced agriculturists of this section.
There are two children in the Knoop family: Raymond M .. born on July 11. 1896, and Gladys Louise, born on February 13, 1900. The family are members of the German Lutheran church, and politically Mr. Knoop ad- vocates the principles of the Democratic party. For four years he served as deputy assessor of Sugar Creek township and is one of the most highly re- spected citizens of this part of Hancock county.
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CONRAD ERNEST GUNDRUM.
Conrad Ernest Gundrum, one of the representative citizens of Sugar Creek township, Hancock county, Indiana, and one of its most progressive agri- culturists, is a native of this country, born in New Palestine. April 9. 1877. a son of John and Mary Jane ( Gates) Gundrum. John Gundrum was born in Sugar Creek township. August 10, 1843, and died there on August 10, 1904. He was a son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Gemmer ) Gundrum, the former born in Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany, in 1820, and died in 1889 on the old Gundrum homestead in this county. Conrid Gundrum came to America shortly after his marriage, making the voyage on a sailing vessel and consuming three months in making the trip. He came directly to Indiana and located in Han- cock county, Sugar Creek township. He purchased land located near New Palestine, procuring this from John Faugher, who had entered it from the government in 1825. Conrad Gundrum purchased land from time to time until his holdings amounted to two hundred and forty acres, which constituted the old Gundrum homestead, and on his land he built a hewed log house which was occupied for many years. As he prospered. he desired a more pretentious residence and himself made the brick which entered into the erection of a fine eight-room house which is standing today. Conrad Gundrum prospered and reared a family of eight children, only three of whom survived him. These were John. Mary and Emma, and the latter is the only one living at the present time.
John Grundrum grew up on the family homestead amid pioneer surround- ings, receiving his early education in the schools of New Palestine. Ile remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage, when for a time he lived in New Palestine and operated a saw-mill. However, he soon engaged in farming east of New Palestine and still later settled on the northern part of the old homestead, where his father erected for him a splendid nine- room frame residence, which is still considered one of the best built houses in the county. This home was almost entirely built from material grown on the home place and the timbers are very much heavier than those entering into modern construction. It was on that farm and in that home John Gundrum spent the remainder of his life, and at his death in 1904 he owned a splendid farm of one hundred and ten acres.
When a young man John Gundrum was united in marriage with Mary Jane Gates, born in Rush county, this state. November 2, 1847. She was a daughter of Henry and Annie Gates, who were pioneers of Rush and Han- cock counties. Henry Gates came to this section of the state from Chillicothe.
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Ohio, and his parents were born in Pennsylvania of Dutch ancestry. To John Gundrum and Mary Jane Gates, his wife, were born three children, namely : Una, wife of James Daugherty : Harry and Ernest, the latter being the imme diate subject of this sketch. John Gundrum's widow married again, her husband being J. C. Shockley, formerly of Hancock county but now residing at Randolph, Iowa.
Conrad Ernest Gundrum spent his childhood and youth in New Palestine and Sugar Creek township, his first school being district No. 6, where his first teacher was Miss Love. AAfter finishing the grades, he entered the high school of New Palestine and was graduated with the class of 1898, the first class to be graduated from that school. He then turned his attention to farm- ing. assisting his father on the home place and virtually taking charge of it. On November 2, 1902. he was united in marriage with Alice Banks, born in Columbus, this state. January 3. 1882, a daughter of Hiram K. and Florence (Fraker) Banks. Hiram K. Banks was born in Page county, lowa, in November of 1857, a son of Elijah and Lulu Ann Banks, who were natives of Shelby county, Iowa, and Florence Fraker was born near Fairland, Shelby county, this state, January 6, 1861, daughter of AAnthony and Malissa ( Bishop ) Fraker, both of whom were also born in Shelby county. Hiram and Florence Banks were the parents of nine children, two boys and seven girls, three of whom died in youth. The eldest of the family is Alice, wife of Conrad Ernest Gundrum; and then follow Edna, Russell. Eva, Thelma, John, Minnie, who died at the age of eleven ; Dessie, who died at the age of four, and Jessie, who was eight months old.
Conrad Ernest Gundrum continued in the management of the home place after his marriage and has always made his home thereon. In 1906 or 1907 he, in company with his brother Harry, bought the okl Pitcher farm. adjoining them on the east, thus giving them three hundred acres, and there they carry on extensive farming. They put seventy-five to ninety acres to corn every year, averaging fifty bushels to the acre ; the same acreage to small grains, besides other crops. They feed out on an average one hundred and twenty-five hogs per annum, all thoroughbred Duroc breed and keep on hand from twenty-five to thirty head of cattle. They have eighteen head of good grade draft horses, most of which are used in the work about the farm. The Gundrum brothers attribute their success financially to hogs, and advocate di- versified farming, feeding to the hogs the grain raised on the farm. Ernest Gundrum has a beautiful residence and a large barn forty-eight by sixty-five feet, with other buildings in keeping with the general air of the entire farm.
To Ernest Gundrum and his wife have been born two children : Lewis.
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born on August 22. 1903, and Robert, May 16. 1915. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gundrum are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he holds fraternal affiliation with the Improved Order of Red Men through lodge No. 217. of New Palestine. The Gundrum family has been identified with the life of Hancock county for many years and the various members thereof have always been men of the highest type, who have been representative citizens in their day.
HENRY MEARLING.
Henry Mearling, who has been a resident of Sugar Creek township. Hancock county, Indiana, for the past thirty-two years, is one of the well- known citizens of this locality and is accounted an efficient farmer as well. His birth occurred on May 22, 1871, in Germany, and he is the son of Henry and Christina ( Hoffmeier) Mearling, both natives and life-long residents of that country. Henry Mearling, Sr., was born in 1833 and died in 1911, his wife following him two years later. They were the parents of the children whose names follow: Christina, Louise ( deceased ), Sophia, Minnie, Henry and August.
Henry Mearling spent his early life in his native land, where he also received his education, assisting his father with the work on the home farm and herding sheep. In September, 1887, at the age of sixteen, he immi- grated to America and established himself in this county, to which place his three sisters, Christina. Sophia and Louisa, had preceded him. He immedi- ately took up his residence with his sister, Mrs. Christina Weibkey, following the trade of a carpenter for a period of six or seven months, after which he was employed by neighboring farmers until he reached the age of twenty- five years. On March 4, 1896, Henry Mearling and Sophia Hoff were united in marriage and six children were born of their union, namely: Harry, Frieda. Alfred, August. Gilbert and Wilma. Sophia ( Hoff) Mearling was born on December 10, 1875, in Sugar Creek township. Hancock county. In- diana. and is the daughter of Frederick and Louisa ( Woempner ) Hoff.
Following his marriage, Ilony Mearling rented the farm of George Huntington. in Buck Creek township, and engaged in farming for two years. after which he purchased sixty acres of land one mile south of Julietta, Frank- lin township, Marion county, Indiana, remaining there for two years. He then sold the place, in the fall of 1800. and purchased the present farm of seventy three acres in the north half of the southwest quarter of section 18.
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Four years after the purchase of this property he moved his residence from the rear of the place to the front and the following year erected a common- lions barn, forty-eight by sixty-eight, a large corn-crib, a granary and tool-shed and other necessary buildings. Beside his own farming interest -. Henry Mearling cultivates a neighboring property consisting of one hundred and ten acres, seventy-two acres of the two places being devoted to the raising of small gram, fifty aeres to corn and eighteen acres to hay. About one hun- dred head of Duroc-Jersey hogs are fed out, while twenty head of Shorthorn cattle and thirteen head of Norman draft horses are retained on the farm.
In all matters of religion, Henry Mearling is faithful to the German Lutheran church, of which he was a trustee for four years. His wife is also a member of this denomination and an active worker in same. Politically, he is a stanch Democrat and is active in all local elections.
CLARENCE HASKETT.
Clarence Haskett, the son of Josiah M. and Anna ( Hawley ) Haskett, was born on January 11. 1878, in Dudley township. Henry county. Indiana. Josiah M. Haskett is the son of Robinson Haskett and wife, who were early settlers of Henry county. Robinson Haskett came from North Carolina and located in Dudley township. Here he was one of the first settlers and here he farmed all his life. He was an extensive landowner and a man of much prominence, taking an active interest in all the affairs that tended to the ad- vancement of the community. He and his family were active members of the United Brethren church.
Josiah M. Haskett grew to manhood on the farm of his father and was engaged in farming all his life. In young manhood he married Anna Ml. Hawley, who was a native of Henry county and a daughter of Eli and Mary J. (Jacoby) Hawley, who came from Pennsylvania in an early day. After coming to the county. Eli Hawley entered land from the government, north- west of Strawns Station. Hle farmed all his life and owned five hundred acres of land. Eli Hawley was a man who took much interest in the devel- opment of the community in which he lived and, because of his wise judgment. he was often the adviser in many of the affairs of the neighborhood. ile was recognized by all as a prudent leader.
Josiah Haskett and wife, like their parents, were active in the work of the United Brethren church. Mr. Haskett was a man of excellent business- (65)
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judgment and ability, and he had the confidence and the respect of all who knew him. His wife preceded him in death by one year. Josiah M. Haskett and wife were the parents of seven children, as follow : Izora M., of Straughn : A. Clifton, of Rush county ; Claude, who lives at Lewisville. Indiana : Clarence. of Charlottesville: Clessie, whose home is at Strawns: Chauncey, of In- chanapolis, and Borga, of Bloomington, Indiana.
Clarence Haskett grew to manhood on the farm of his father. He com- pleted the common and high school of Strawns and took a course of normal school work. He began farming for himself on his father's farm and in 1902 bought a farm of one hundred and fifty-seven acres, southwest of Knightstown, where he remained for five years. He then sold the farm and came to Charlottesville, where he was engaged in the buying and selling of live stock. He later bought a farm near Strawns, which he still owns. On November 1. 1913, he organized the Citizens' Bank of Charlottesvile, and has been the cashier since that time. The bank was organized as a private bank, owned by and incorporated company, with a capital of ten thousand dollars.
Besides his farm, Mr. Haskett owns a tract of farm land adjoining Charlottesville on the west, which is used for a feeding farm. His farm is a well-improved tract, with modern and convenient buildings and in a high state of cultivation. His success as a farmer has been in keeping with his progress in other lines of work. He has the confidence and respect of a large number of the best people of the community in which he lives and where he is engaged in business.
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