USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 32
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Mr. Foudray was married October 20, 1874, to Emma A. Wolfe, the daughter of Michael and Hettie (Cable) Wolfe. Mrs. Foudray was born in Stephenson county, Illinois, and is one of the oldest of twelve children. They were married while Mr. Foudray was living in Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Foudray have been born eight children: Esther L., born September I, 1875, and died November 2, 1881; Mrs. Ida M. Hadley, born August II, 1876, now living in Minnesota; Mrs. Lottie M. Davis, born November 5, 1878, now living in Indianapolis; Mrs. Carrie A. Miller, born July 9, 1881, now resides in Central City, Iowa ; Mrs. Emma G. Coleman, born November 7, 1884, now living in Indianapolis; Mrs. Martha C. Stiles, born March 9, 1887, also a resident of Indianapolis ; Edgar E., born December 8, 1889, who is still under the parental roof; Mrs. Marietta E. McClellan, born April 6, 1893, lives on a farm in Marion county, this state.
Politically, Mr. Foudray is a Democrat, and takes an active interest in the affairs of his party. Religiously, he and his family are faithful and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give their active support.
Mr. Foudray's life has been an active and busy one and the systematic
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and honorable business methods which he has followed have succeeded in gaining him the confidence of those with whom he has had business dealings, and the respect and esteem of all who know him.
ROLLIE GARNER.
There is no calling, however humble or exalted, but what may be pro- ductive of some measure of success, if enterprise and industry, coupled with a well directed purpose, form the motive force of the person directing the same, and in no case is this fact more apparent than in agricultural pursuits. This fact applies to Rollie Garner, the immediate subject of this sketch, who, by industry and honesty, is succeeding well in his chosen vocation and who, while applying himself primarily to the interests of his family, has so ordered his mode of life as to win the esteem of those with whom he comes in con- tact and in every avenue of life has proven himself a worthy citizen.
Rollie Garner is a native of this county, born on April 23, 1870, in Brown township, the son of Harrison B. and Frances (Lowder) Garner. Harrison Garner was born in Kentucky, in 1828, the son of Solomon and Deborah Garner, who came to this county in 1832 and settled on the farm near where the subject was born. They entered this land from the govern- ment, cleared it and established a happy home, where they lived the balance of their lives. Frances Lowder, mother of the subject, was a native of North Carolina, born in 1832, the daughter of Solomon and Sarah Lowder. In 1836 the Lowder family came to this county and settled southwest of Browns- burg. A few years later, her father started back to North Carolina on horse- back, to settle an estate in which he was interested, and was never heard from again. The mystery of his disappearance has been unexplained through all these years. When the family first came here, they made the journey overland in wagons, and upon settling in this county they entered land from the government, and here the widow passed her remaining days and the family grew to maturity. After Harrison Garner's marriage he took up his resi- dence on the farm which his father obtained in pioneer days, and died there in 1902. His wife followed him into the great beyond in 1907. There were nine children in the family, of whom the subject was the youngest and he was twenty-eight years old before there occurred a death in the family.
In 1894, on March 4th, the subject was united in marriage with Ella Hufford, who was born in Lincoln township, the daughter of Gideon Franklin
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Hufford and wife. For four years previous to marriage Mr. Garner had farmed his father's farm on shares and for two years after his marriage this same arrangement held good. He then moved to Washington township, one mile east of Avon, and for four years farmed on land given him by his father-in-law. Here he built a house and in September, 1900, he moved to his present location, a farm of seventy-five and one-half acres two miles west of Brownsburg. To Mr. and Mrs. Garner have been born ten children, of whom the eldest, Hazel Marie, born in 1896, passed away on February 8, 1898. Those remaining are Edna Blanche, Bernice, Irene, Hubert Frank- lin, Mabel and Merle, twins; Harrison Harold, Inez Roberta, Lois Ernestine, Edith Frances and Johanna Lee.
Mr. Garner's fraternal affiliation is with the Knights of Pythias, of which he has been a member for some time. He is a man of marked domestic traits, kind and considerate to his family, honest and reliable in all his deal- ings and a thoroughly good, helpful neighbor. Because of his genial disposi- tion and genuine worth he is liked and respected by all.
JOHN A. GIBBS.
John A. Gibbs, whose life history now comes under brief review, is one of the solid men of brain and substance who in the aggregate have given to Hendricks county, Indiana, the excellent reputation which it bears for pros- perity and a high plane of life among the sister counties of the state. After all, the history of a community is but the reflection of the lives of its lead- ing citizens and it is such stalwart men as he whose sketch the biographer now takes up, who are the bone and sinew of the moral, material and educa- tional life of this county.
John A. Gibbs, well known farmer of Lincoln township, Hendricks county, was born in Brown township, this county, February 4, 1868, being the son of William Gibbs, born in 1825, and Elizabeth (Burden) Gibbs, born in 1826. Both parents were natives of England, where they remained until after their marriage, when, desiring to try their fortunes in the New World, they left their native heath and landed on American soil about the year 1850. They came almost directly to Bridgeport, this state, where he engaged in gardening and remained there for several years. About the year 1867 they came to this country, locating in Brown township, where he farmed the rest of his life. William Gibbs departed this life on November 24, 1903, in his
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eightieth year, and his wife passed away some years before him, on April 28, 1897, at the age of seventy-one years. He had aligned himself with the Democratic party upon becoming an American citizen and was a faithful member of the Methodist church, his wife being identified with the Baptist church.
John A. Gibbs grew to manhood on the homestead in Brown township, attending the district schools of the locality and receiving from his father careful training in the secrets of successful husbandry. He has been en- . gaged in farming all his life and remained in Brown township until in 1911, when he went to Marion county, this state, where he only remained for one year and in the spring of 1912 moved to his present home in the southeastern part of Lincoln township, where he has since resided. In 1891 he was united in marriage with Catherine Hogan, who was born and reared in Brown town- ship, being the daughter of Michael and Bridget (Cassidy) Hogan, both of whom were natives of Ireland, the former born in county Conemaugh and the latter in county Galway. There they grew up and were married before com- ing to America. This was prior to the Civil War and they came immedi- ately to this county upon arriving in the country and here lived the remainder of their days. They owned a farm of eighty acres and it was here the wife of the subject was born. Michael Hogan passed from this life on June 24, 1912, his wife having preceded him on November 27, 19II. Both were Catholic.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs have three living children, the eldest being William, who was born May 28, 1892. He is a graduate of the Brownsburg high school, attended the State Normal School at Terre Haute for two years and is at present finishing his third term as teacher in the schools of the western part of Marion county. The second son is Clarence, born July 30, 1894, who is his father's assistant in the work of the farm. James, who was born March 24, 1897, passed from life June 29, 1913, at the age of sixteen years and four months. Monica Catherine, sole daughter of the family, was born December 13, 1906. Mrs. Gibbs' parents settled in Brown township when it was nearly all timber and swamp. They first directed their efforts to mak- ing a small clearing and erecting a cabin home and gradually reclaimed the land from the wilderness and swamps and improved living conditions as rap- idly as they could. By much labor and tireless effort, they in time had made of their land a fine farm, one fit to compare with any of its size in the county. During the war, Michael Hogan was drafted into the army. In view of the fact that he had a wife and five small children, he felt his greater duty was to ' remain beside them and by paying five hundred dollars he secured a substitute.
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William Gibbs, father of the subject, was twice drafted. He had a wife and six children to support and, too, felt that his greater duty was to remain home and care for them. Each time he was forced to buy a substitute, cost- ing him in all sixteen hundred dollars and so crippling him financially that he lost his farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs are both communicants of the Roman Catholic church and his fraternal affiliations are with the Improved Order of Red Men. His life has been one of unceasing industry and perseverance and the systematic and honorable methods which he has ever followed have resulted not only in gaining the confidence of those with whom he has had dealings, but he has been able to hold friends so gained throughout the years. He is a public-spirited man, well and favorably known throughout the township for his honesty and uprightness in all his business dealings.
THAD. S. ADAMS.
Enjoying distinctive prestige in a profession which requires of those who adopt it a strong mentality and painstaking preparation, together with a natural aptitude for its duties and responsibilities, Thad S. Adams is one of the essentially representative lawyers of Danville. He has built up a lucrative clientele and a wide reputation as an able and successful lawyer and has been connected with some of the most important cases in the local courts. As a public-spirited citizen he readily lends his aid to every cause having for its object the moral and material advancement of his community.
Thad S. Adams is a native of Hendricks county, born in Union town- ship November 6, 1853, the son of Solomon and Nancy (Griffith) Adams. Solomon Adams was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, in 1799, a son of Thomas Adams. He grew up in Kentucky and there married Nancy Griffith. who was born in Bath county, Kentucky, in 1811, a daughter of Jackson Griffith. While she was a child her parents removed to Switzerland county, Indiana, where she grew up. ( Solomon Adams and wife came to Hendricks county in an early day, and he entered government land in Marion township, where they lived for some years and then' removed to Union township and entered other land 'and established their permanent home. He was a life- long farmer and for many years was assessor of Union township. He was originally a Douglas Democrat, but from the opening of the war he was a Republican. He and his wife were charter members of the Christian church
THAD S. ADAMS
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at Lizton. Solomon Adams died in 1863 and two weeks later his wife fol- lowed him in death. Of the eleven children born to Solomon and Nancy Adams four were in the Union army during our great civil conflict. Ga- briel H. Adams and Joshua G. Adams were in the Fifty-first Indiana Vol- unteers. Dr. Thomas J. Adams and Hiram F. Adams were members of the Ninth Indiana Cavalry. Hiram was killed in Mississippi while in the service. Dr. Thomas J. was in active service until the close of the war, after which he located at North Salem, Hendricks county, and is mentioned at length elsewhere in this volume.
Thad S. Adams was but ten years old when death deprived him of his parents. For the following two years he lived with a brother in the state of Illinois, and then came to North Salem, Hendricks county, and made his home with another brother, Dr. Thomas J. Adams. During these years he attended the public schools and worked by the month on a farm until he was seventeen years of age, when he began teaching school, which enabled him to attend Northwestern University at Indianapolis. After leaving the university, he came to Danville in 1875 and took up the study of law in the office of Adams & Cooper, the senior member of this firm being his brother, Joshua G. Adams. While reading law he also taught school for two or three years. About 1878 he was admitted to the bar on motion of the late Leander M. Campbell, who afterwards became his father-in-law. He has been engaged in the practice of law in Danville since that time, and during these years has attained to distinctive prominence and success as an able advocate and well fortified counselor at law. His course has been such as to retain to him at all times the unqualified respect and esteem of his professional brethren, as well as the public at large. In 1889 he was ap- pointed by Governor Hovey prosecuting attorney, and his fitness for the place was so readily recognized that he was, in 1890, nominated and elected for the regular term, thus serving in all four years.
On May 6, 1880, Mr. Adams was married to Effie A. Campbell, a daughter of Leander M. and Matilda (Hammond) Campbell. A sketch of Leander M. Campbell appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Adams was born and reared in Danville, graduating from the Central Normal Col- lege with the class of 1879. To this marriage were born three children, Ruth Adams, L. M. Campbell Adams and Donald Griffith Adams, the two sons residing in New York City where they are associated with the National Surety Company. Miss Ruth is at home. All three of the children are graduates of Indiana University.
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Mrs. Adams was called by death May 14, 1913. She was a woman of rare culture, active in civic and church affairs, and of wonderful executive ability. She took a broad and kindly interest in the community welfare, and she was beloved by everybody in the community who had known her since girlhood. She was a life-long member of the Christian church and active in many departments of church labor.
Thad S. Adams is a prominent Mason, being identified with the Scottish Rite and the Mystic Shrine. He is a man who has always shown a deep and abiding interest in all that concerns the welfare and progress of his native county, and here he maintains a secure hold upon popular confidence and esteem.
CECIL FORREST PREBSTER.
Among the younger agriculturists of Hendricks county, Indiana, is the subject of this sketch, who, while still a young man, has devoted several years to this particular line of effort. The younger generation of farmers have started out upon their life work in their chosen vocation with consider- able to their advantage over the conditions met by their fathers and grand- fathers. The advantages for education are so vastly superior to those en- joyed by the youth of an earlier generation, and this education permits the men of the present day to profit by the vast experience of others in scien- tific research work as related to farm life, whereas those of an earlier time were far more handicapped in their chosen work. Then, too, the men of the present day find the lands in the Hoosier state at least all prepared for their efforts, whereas the farmers of an earlier day found themselves face to face with the gigantic task of removing primeval forests, draining swamps, breaking the virgin soil and the thousand and one hardships met with and conquered by our pioneers, to whom we of a later day owe an unending ob- ligation.
Cecil Forrest Prebster was born on April 17, 1881, on a farm about two miles west of Brownsburg, this county, being land which was origi- nally entered from the government by his paternal great-grandfather. He is the son of Anderson and Alice Prebster, and is one of a family of two chil- dren; the other is a daughter, Bertha Eleanor, who is the wife of Fred Smith, a farmer of this county, and the mother of two sons, Leo Walter and Milby Alonzo. Anderson Prebster, father of the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Lincoln township, this county, in 1853, the son of
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Emanuel and Mary (Milby) Hollett-Prebster. Emanuel Prebster was born in southern Ohio, the son of John Adam and Christina ( Bartlett) Prebster, and John Adam Prebster was a native of Germany, who in early days emigrated to this country, settling in New York state, where he met and married Chris- tina Bartlett, also a native of Germany. They remained for a short time in New York, later coming to southern Ohio, where their son, Emanuel, was born, and there remained until he was about twenty-one years of age. Emanuel was the oldest of four sons, the others being Reuben, Frederick and Christian, and these, together with the father, came to this county about the year 1834, the father having entered a tract of land here the year previous. Frederick married Eliza Surber and lived in Lincoln township, where for many years he was engaged in farming. Reuben and Christian never married and spent their lives west of Brownsburg on land which they had entered from the government. In 1850 Emanuel Presbter was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary (Milby) Hollett, widow of Mark Hollett, deceased. She was born in North Carolina and was left an orphan through the death of her mother while she was still small, and the loss of her father at sea. When about nine years old she was brought to this state by an aunt, who settled near Rich- mond. At the age of sixteen Mary Milby was united in marriage with Mark Hollett and they made their home near Richmond. During the forties they came to this county, where they made their home near Brownsburg, and they later moved to Iowa, where Mr. Hollett died a victim of cholera. His death left his young widow and family of five children among strangers, and Mr. Baxter, stepfather of Mark Hollett, made the long journey overland in a covered wagon to Iowa, bringing the widow and children back to this vicin- ity. Here, sometime later, she was united in marriage with Emanuel Preb- ster and they made their home west of Brownsburg on land which had been entered from the government by his father, of which he owned one hundred and fifty acres. His death occurred in January, 1899, and she died in 1907. At their death they left three children, Eliza Christina, Anderson and Ever- son. Eliza C. became the wife of John Henderson and lived on the home farm which she inherited from her father. She passed from this life Febru- ary 6, 1913. Everson Prebster also lives on the home farm where his father died. He married Ella Harding and they have two children, Beulah and Lessie.
Anderson Prebster remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage in 1880 to Alice Clark, who was born in Brown county, this state, the daughter of Franklin and Mary (Baker) Clark, the former of whom was born in Kentucky, where he grew to years of maturity. He then came
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to this state, where he met and married Mary Baker, who was born not far from Indianapolis, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Caylor) Baker. Henry Baker was a native of Maryland and Elizabeth Caylor was born in Ohio. Franklin Clark, father of Alice (Clark) Prebster, was a carpenter all his life and followed his trade most of his active years in Indianapolis. In 1875 he moved to Brownsburg, where he spent his declining years quietly, and there his death occurred in 1903. For about four years during the six- ties he had resided in Tipton, this state, and there his wife died in 1868. Im- mediately after his marriage, Anderson Prebster established his home in the log house in which he was born and there remained for thirteen years, when he moved to another house he had built on the same farm, where he re- mained until 1906, when he built at the edge of Brownsburg, where he still resides. In addition to this home, he owns ninety acres of farm lands, on which his children live, having disposed of part of the acreage of which he was once possessed.
Cecil Forrest Prebster, son of Anderson Prebster and the immediate sub- ject of this sketch, attended the district schools of the township when a boy, later graduating from Brownsburg high school. This was in 1901, and since that time he has been engaged in farming the land on which he was born. On March 25, 1906, he was united in marriage with Bertha Thomp- son, daughter of Jesse and Mary (Mitchell) Thompson, and born in Pitts- boro, where she passed her girlhood with the exception of six months spent at North Salem. She was graduated from the Pittsboro high school in 1904. Jesse Thompson, father of Mrs. Prebster, was born in Madison county, Ken- tucky, where his mother died when he was still a small boy. His father re- married and Jesse remained with him until he grew to manhood, when he came to this state and county and here met and married Mary Mitchell. She was born in Starke county, North Carolina, a daughter of William and Rachel Mitchell, who came to this county when she was but three or four years old. They located near Raintown. After Jesse Thompson was mar- ried he made his home in Pittsboro, where he has followed various pursuits, being engineer of the mill at that place, also engaged in farming, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Cecil F. Prebster have a family of three children, Maurice Thomp- son, Marian Alice and Dorothy Aileen, and' both are members of the Chris- tian church, with which also both parents are identified. The Prebster family is one of the oldest and best families of the county and in the immediate subject of this sketch the family has a member who is progressive, alive to the opportunities of the present and courteous and agreeable in manner.
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CALVIN W. WARREN.
Not all men are born to be leaders of their kind or to take a prominent part in any phase of life. It is the exceptional few who rise above their fellows and come to be known far or near as belonging to this class. Such men have the leading parts in the scheme of life and stand as the representa- tives of the great masses of honest, industrious and patriotic citizens who are the real stamina of national life. The foremost figures in our country today would lose their significance were there not back of them in almost countless numbers these sober, honest, quiet lives which are the bone and sinew of a prosperous country. To this latter class of dutiful and patriotic citizens the subject of this sketch belongs.
Calvin W. Warren, residing two miles northwest of Brownsburg, was born October 12, 1842, at Knoxville, Tennessee, the son of William and Lydia (McCaslin) Warren, both of whom were born and reared in Guilford county, North Carolina. William Warren was a son of Henry Warren and Lydia McCaslin was the daughter of John McCaslin. The subject's parents were married in their native state before they left it and took up their resi- dence in Knox county, Tennessee, where they remained until 1850. By that time they had a family of ten children, eight of whom they brought with them to this state, making the trip in a wagon. Two of the older children had made the trip the year before on foot the entire distance. When first coming to this state, they located in Brown township, Hendricks county, but later moved near Bridgeport, in Marion county, and there the parents passed the remainder of their lives, he dying in Marion county and she in Hen- dricks county.
Calvin W. Warren grew to manhood on the home farm in this county, where he remained until in 1863, when, in response to the promptings of patriotism, he enlisted for service in the Seventeenth Indiana Battery, Light Artillery, where he remained for three years, during which time he saw much active service. He was stationed around the upper Potomac river, around Harper's Ferry and Baltimore and was in the battles of Winchester, Cedar Creek and Fisher's Hill. During the earlier part of the day's engagement at Cedar Creek, the subject and his companions were thankful to be able to effect a retreat from the enemy, but rallied their forces and in the afternoon the tables were turned and they routed the enemy to a finish. He was espe- cially fortunate during his service in that he came through so many close places without even a wound. He was mustered out of service on July 8,
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1865, and immediately returned to this county and has been engaged in farm work near Brownsburg ever since.
Mr. Warren has never married and makes his home with his brother William H., west of Brownsburg. Politically, Mr. Warren has always been identified with the Republican party, to which he has given his loyal support throughout the years. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Re- public. Mr. Warren has lived a quiet, retired life and has ever so conducted himself as to win the trust and confidence of those with whom he came in contact. He is known as a man of excellent character, sober and industrious. During his youth he was denied many advantages in the way of education, but has become a great reader and is well informed on many subjects.
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