USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 50
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ORA COCKERELL.
For thousands of years, since the earliest days of civilization, the work of the carpenter has been a necessity among men and has been honored by numbering among its ranks some of the brightest lights of history. Since the multitudes of mankind have forsaken tents of skin and huts of clay and have sought for their shelter houses built of wood, the carpenter has plied his trade, advancing and perfecting the details of building as the centuries have passed, until the primitive houses of our ancestors have given place to the present type of building, and our homes, stores and public buildings are mar- vels of convenience and luxury. Many new inventions in machinery and tools have come to facilitate the work in recent years, and yet, in many of the essentials, the fundamental principles of carpentry have not changed since the days when the Lowly Nazarene stood at his bench in Nazareth, and dig- nified for all time the profession of carpentry. Today the builder finds
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his opportunities unlimited, and his profession numbers among its thousands many men of education, ability and wealth.
In our midst we have one member of this profession who is well known and holds an enviable position in the community, Ora Cockerell, the son of a carpenter, was bred to the use of tools. He was born December 8, 1872, in Middle township, Hendricks county, the son of Andrew Jackson and Mary Jane (Griffith) Cockerell.
Andrew Jackson Cockerell was a native of Carroll county, Kentucky, but emigrated to Hendricks county in 1856, making the journey alone and taking up his abode in Middle township. Here he followed the carpenter's trade, building some of the stanch, heavily-timbered houses which still stand as evidence of the thorough workmanship done upon them. Later he learned to be a wagon-maker, but devoted comparatively little time to this work. He was married to Mary Jane Griffith, a native of Hendricks county, who proved a devoted wife and mother. To them were born nine children, as follows: Benjamin Thomas, who died in 1902; Henry Marshall, James Wesley, Willis Elmer, Eva Jane (Pounds), Rosa (Hicks), Ora, the immediate subject of this article, Nettie Marie, who died in January, 1887, and Alice (Davis). In the year 1887 death deprived Andrew J. Cockerell of the companionship of his faithful wife, leaving him a large family of children to rear without her aid and encouragement. He proved himself a kind, patient father, teaching by example as well as precept, and instilling the principles of temperance, so- briety and industry into his boys. He was a member of no church and took no active part in politics, although a consistent adherent of the Democratic party, finding his associations and limiting his outside activities to the local lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of whch he was a member, and to the various social affairs of the neighborhood. He died in 1906, leaving a large, respected family to perpetuate his name and teachings, and many friends who revere his memory.
Ora Cockerell spent his boyhood days in Middle township, Hendricks county, attending the elementary schools of the township, and at the early age of fifteen years learning the carpenter's trade. On December 23, 1896, he married Alta Estella Roseboom, and to them have been born four children, three sons, Paul Gilbert, Charles Harold and Frank, all of whom the all- wise Father saw fit to take unto himself in their childhood; and one daugh- ter, Genevieve May, who is the constant companion of her mother and the source of inspiration to her father.
Mr. Cockerell is a man of few words, quiet and unassuming, but his judgment in business affairs is unquestioned, and his advice in public affairs
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at all times carries great weight with his associates. His life has been one of accomplishment for himself and the community. Starting in life with little capital save his own knowledge of his chosen trade, he has worked conscientiously and well, first as a good carpenter and later as a successful contractor, upon whose word clients can safely depend. His own home is visible evidence of his ability as a builder, being a beautiful, modern struc- ture, thoroughly equipped with every convenience for the comfort of the family and to facilitate the work of the home. The fact that he has twice been elected a member of the town board of Pittsboro, serving two terms in this capacity ( from 1906 to 1908 and from 1911 to 1913), speaks more elo- quently of the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow men than any words of ours could do.
Firm in his convictions and unswerving in adherence to principle, his political affiliations have not always been with the most popular party; but he has worked diligently for and looked forward to the abolishment of the liquor traffic and its attendant evils in his own community and throughout the nation, and to this end has consistently allied himself with the Prohibition party. Fraternally, he is a member of the Pittsboro Lodge, Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows; the Knights of Pythias, at Brownsburg, and the Im- proved Order of Red Men at Lizton. He is a member of the Baptist church of Pittsboro, while Mrs. Cockerell has her membership in the Methodist church.
The K. of P. building at Lizton, the Sawyer block and Hayworth block at Pittsboro, and numerous other buildings throughout the county speak of his ability as a builder, while his reputation for strict integrity, honor, indus- try and the performance of all good works in his power for the community at large, speak of a life of service, well spent and productive of marked re- sults for himself and his neighbor.
JOSEPH G. WALTER.
The pursuit of agriculture in itself seems to make a peculiar appeal to those characteristics in mankind which tend toward and develop the true and sincere in character. Nearer, in his daily life, to the beautiful heart of nature than any other man, witnessing in all around him the wonders which the Almighty daily performs; seeing in the sprouting of the seed, the purling of the brook and the habits of live creatures the miracles which are hidden
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from the cliff dweller of the crowded city, is it small wonder that he is uncontaminated by the petty, mean things of life. And as he sees these things in his daily life and work, his nature deepens and truth and sincerity become his natural attitude toward life and his fellow men.
It is of such a man we wish to speak in this article. Joseph G. Wal- ter was born January 29, 1848, in Middle township, Hendricks county, the son of William Eli and Caroline (Reynolds) Walter. His boyhood was spent upon the farm of his father, and here he roamed the fields and learn- ed the fundamental principles of his vocation. He attended the schools of the township, assisting his father with the work of the farm in his spare time.
In 1872 Mr. Walter was married to Virginia Dickerson, but in the year 1880 death called her from him. In 1891 he again married, Azzie Pierson, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Jones) Pierson, becoming his wife. Three children have come to bless this union, all of whom are still at home with their parents.
During his early life, Mr. Walter was at one time seized with the de- sire for a change, and this wanderlust led him to seek new scenes and new faces and new occupations in the far West. The beautiful state of Colo- rado eventually became his goal and there, for five years, he engaged in the work of mining silver, but the love of home and the memories of the green fields of his native county were strong within him and he finally turned his back upon the glories of the beautiful Rockies and returned to the Hoosier state. Here he has since remained, eventually purchasing a farm of about sixty-four acres, lying both in Middle and Union townships, and this tract, with its comfortable house and well-kept buildings, is one of the well known homesteads of the locality.
The subject's father, Eli Walter, was a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, but emigrated while still a young man, to Hamilton county, Ohio, remaining in this place about two years. A residence of about five years in Wayne county followed, and there he met and married Caroline Reynolds, a native of the state of New Jersey. Eleven children were born to them, as follows: Sarah, John W., Nancy Rachel, Lucy Jane (Anderson), Alex- ander, Joseph G., Martha C. (Thompson), George. Benjamin, William and an infant who lived but a few hours. Of these children but three survive, Joseph G., Lucy Jane and Martha C. Mr. Walter entered land from the government in St. Joe county, and also in Tipton county, this state, but it was in Hendricks county that he chose to spend his days and rear his family. He was untiring in his efforts upon the farm, giving his time and
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energy to the successful cultivation of the soil, drawing therefrom sus- tenance for his large and growing family. The faithful wife and mother was called from this earth to her final rest in 1857, and for thirty-three years thereafter he found his comfort in his home and children, until death called him in 1890.
In manner, Joseph G. Walter is quiet and unassuming, yet sociable withal and a man to inspire confidence. His reputation for honesty and veracity is unquestioned and his friends speak of him as a man "whose word is as good as his bond." He is a firm believer in the tenets of the Republican party ; a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Pittsboro, and is also affiliated with the Masonic order of that place. He has aspired to no political office, devoting his energies to his home, his farm and the improvement of his surroundings, but in all questions touching the wel- fare of the community at large he shows a vital interest. Though not an active member of any church, his sympathies are with the Christian denomina- tion. Both he and his wife are devoted to their three children and are popular with the young people in their vicinity.
A man of large acquaintance, many friends and a host of well wishers, his life has been a source of uplift to those with whom he has come in contact, and the community at large is the better for his having lived in it. Thus has he fulfilled man's highest mission in life, to so live that when he is called from hence he shall leave the world better than he found it.
CYRUS H. MASTEN.
One of the best farmers of Hendricks county, who by virtue of his strong individual qualities has earned his way to a high standing in the esti- mation of his fellow citizens, is Cyrus H. Masten, who, by sheer force of character and persistency, has won his way from a humble beginning to a place of influence and prominence in the community where he has been active for many years. As a young man he taught school for nine years and the training and discipline which he acquired as a result of his teaching ex- perience has made him a valuable man in the life of the community. He always keeps well informed upon all the latest methods of agriculture and comes as near being a scientific farmer as any one in the county.
Cyrus H. Masten, the proprietor of one hundred and thirty acres of fine land in Franklin township, was born July 2, 1854, in the county where
MR. AND MRS. CYRUS H. MASTEN
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he has lived his entire life. His parents were John and Sarah (Harvey) Masten, his father being a native of North Carolina, while his mother was born in Ohio. John Masten came to Hendricks county, Indiana, at the age of five, with his parents, who were farmers, and, after a limited educa- tion in the subscription schools of that period, he started to work on his father's farm. While still a young man he married Sarah Harvey, the daughter of Nathan and Ruth (Jones) Harvey, and to this union there were born eight children: One who died in infancy; Ruth, who first married Clark Hodson, and after his death, W. R. Shirley, and later Allen Wicker ; Emory, who married Emma Mendenhall; Elmer and Anna, both unmarried and living in Amo; Sarah, deceased; Milo, deceased, and Cyrus, the im- mediate subject of this sketch.
Cyrus H. Masten was interested in education from the time that he took his first reader to school, and before he completed his education he had finished the common school course and also the courses at Valparaiso Uni- versity and the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute. With this preparation he started to teach in the public schools of his county and for the next ten years he was one of the most successful teachers in the county. The teaching profession lost an able instructor when he decided to retire from the school room and engage in farming. He had taught two years before he graduated. As a farmer he has been no less successful than as a teacher, and the same qualities which brought him success in the school room have been of benefit to him in his agricultural career.
Mr. Masten was married to Laura E. Hadley, the daughter of Jehu and Jerusha (Stiles) Hadley, and to this union there were born five children, Verne, Ray H., Floy (who married Ralph Shields and has one child, Donnas Lucile), Earl H. and Eva. The parents of Mrs. Masten were prominent citizens of this county, and raised an interesting family of ten children : Nancy, wife of William Daggy; Mary, wife of Dr. H. Gibbons; Henry, unmarried; George, deceased; Sybil, wife of W. Wilson; Marcus, deceased; Alice, wife of D. B. Matlock; Laura, wife of the subject; Jerusha, wife of Edward Ragland : Jehu, who married Olive Wilhite. The latter two are twins. The mother of Mrs. Masten died in 1899, and her father in 1894.
Mr. Masten is a Progressive in politics, having joined that party upon its organization in the fall of 1912, because he felt that in the principles advocated by that party there was a splendid opportunity for improving the condition of the community at large. He and his wife are devoted mem- bers of the Christian church at Stilesville, Indiana, and are interested in all
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of its various activities. Mr. Masten has always been active in all move- ments looking toward the welfare of his locality. He has always been a sympathetic and ready helper of all public enterprises. He is a genial man and one who has a host of friends throughout the township and county who admire him for the sterling uprightness of his character.
ELMER SMITH.
The following is the sketch of a plain, honest man of affairs, who by correct methods and a strict regard for the interests of those with whom his business interests brought him into contact, has made his influence felt in Brownsburg and vicinity and has won for himself distinctive prestige in the business circles of that city. He would be the last man to sit for romance or become the subject of fancy sketches; nevertheless his life presents much that is interesting and valuable and may be studied with profit by the young whose careers are yet to be achieved. He is one of those whose integrity and strength of character must force them into an admirable notoriety, which their modesty never seeks, who command the respect of their contemporaries and their posterity and leave the impress of their individuality deeply stamped upon the community.
Elmer Smith was born May 2, 1873, in Pike township, Marion county, Indiana, the son of Elijah and Evelin (McCurdy) Smith, the former of whom was born in Brown township, Hendricks county, on September 29, 1846. He was the son of Thomas D. and Susan (Ford) Smith, natives of Kentucky, who, soon after their marriage, came to Indiana, making the journey on horseback. Thomas D. was the son of Isaac Smith, who was a native of North Carolina and went to Kentucky with his father when a boy. He later moved to Indiana and settled about four miles southeast of Browns- burg in Hendricks county.
Elijah Smith, father of the subject, was one of a family of nine chil- dren and lived at home until the time of his marriage, being in the mean- time instructed by his father in the proper methods of agriculture. After his marriage, he took up his residence in Marion county, this state, where he had rented a farm on Eagle creek. There he made his home from 1870 to 1900, having purchased one hundred and forty acres of land thereabouts. In 1900 he disposed of a portion of this land and removed to Brownsburg, where he purchased property and now resides. In 1870 Elijah Smith was
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united in marriage with Evelin McCurdy, daughter of David and Nancy (Hill) McCurdy, and in July, 1902, she died, leaving two children, the subject of this sketch and his brother, Alvin A.
Elmer Smith remained at his father's home until the time of his mar- riage, having received his education in the district schools of Marion county. After his marriage he took up his residence on a farm he had purchased adjoining that of his father. He remained there until 1903, when he re- moved to Brownsburg, where he resided for about nine months, and in August of that year he took up his residence on a farm which he had pur- chased in Brown township, this county. There he lived for three years, when he returned to Brownsburg. In the spring of 1907 he engaged in the retail hardware business in Brownsburg, and remained in that connection until the spring of 1910, when he disposed of his business and engaged in the sale of real estate. For two years he worked at this line and in March, 1912, opened up the first garage in town, known as Smith's garage. He also has the distinction of having started the first hardware business in the town, and on February 1, 1914, he again opened up a hardware busi- ness in connection with his garage. Mr. Smith has been eminently suc- cessful in the various business ventures in which he has engaged and in addition to his present thriving business, owns forty acres of land on the eastern edge of Brownsburg besides the property adjoining his residence, also another house and lot and five lots in the Johnson-Hughes addition to Brownsburg and his business property. He has at various times owned different pieces of property in the town, as well as farms in both Marion and Hendricks counties, all of which he has handled in a way to his own right- ful advantage. While engaged primarily in fostering his own interests, Mr. Smith has ever so ordered his principles of private life and business as to win the confidence and respect of those with whom he comes in contact.
On December 29, 1897, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Maud E. Delong, born February 3, 1882, daughter of F. A. and Mollie ( Matt- hewes) Delong, at present residing near Traders Point, this state. Mrs. Smith, however, was born in Michigan. Her father, F. A. Delong, came orig- inally from Boone county, this state, being the son of David and Sally De- long. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a family of four children, Elva, Mary, Freeda and Russell, all living with the parents. The family is identified with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Smith is an active and consistent member, and his fraternal affiliations are with the time-honored body of Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
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and the Knights of Pythias. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of Rebekah. Mr. Smith has all his life been aligned with the Democratic party and has taken an active interest in its affairs. While not an aspirant for office himself, he has taken a keen interest in seeing the right man go into the right place and his influence is a thing reckoned with by those seeking public office. Mr. Smith was elected justice of the peace for his community recently, but refused to serve, at the same time appreciating the honor conferred upon him. He also made the race for county commissioner in 1914. Mr. Smith has always been regarded as a man of high principles, honest in every respect and broad-minded. A man of depth of character, kindness of heart to the un- fortunate and ever willing to aid in any way any cause for the betterment of the community and the public with which he has to deal, he is, conse- quently, held in high favor and the utmost respect by all who know him. Genial and sociable in his temperament, he has a host of friends and retains them throughout the years.
JONATHAN LOWE.
In the early days, when our state was young and sparsely settled, the riches of the earth seemed inexhaustible, and after the arduous labor of clearing away the grand old forests which covered so much of the ground was accomplished, the pioneer farmer found the land fallow and black, ready to produce bountiful harvests each season, without the necessity for specialized training in the science of food production. But gradually, as the magnificent tracts of forest land became more and more scarce and population increased, more was demanded of the soil. And gradually, also, pests of various kinds multiplied to interfere with the growth and blight the maturity of the fruits of the land, until now, agriculture has become a science in itself, and men of high intelligence and broad education find a profession worthy of their utmost effort. This condition of affairs has brought prominently to the front the broad minded, highly educated, special- ized agriculturist of today, and with such a man our sketch has to deal.
Jonathan Lowe, son of Nathan B. and Sarah (Coffin) Lowe, is a splendid example of this class of progressive, up-to-date farmer. Himself a product of Hendricks county, he was born October 4, 1880, in Middle township. Here he spent his boyhood on the farm of his father, attending the town-
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ship schools, and after graduating there, taking the full course in the high school at Lizton. This was followed by two terms in the Central Normal College at Danville.
Mrs. Jonathan Lowe is also a member of a well-known family, being the daughter of William H. Walter, one of the early inhabitants of the county, a successful farmer, and the father of eleven children, as follows : Mrs. Martha Carrie Overstreet; Orrie, deceased; George Elvin and Charles, twins, the latter of whom death claimed in 1912; Mrs. Mertie Keeney; Mrs. Mary A. West; Mrs. Elizabeth Alice Leak; John A .: Jessie Mable. the wife of the subject; Ernest R., and Marion, who died in infancy. Mr. Walter was a member of Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteers, enlisting shortly before the close of the war and remaining in the service until peace was declared, being mustered out at Indianapolis in July, 1865. He was married in the year 1866 to Anna Eliza Talbert, a native of Hendricks county, and found in her a faithful helpmate and a devoted mother to the children which she bore him. Mr. Walter passed away April 20, 1907. His widow still survives, a well-known and respected resident of Middle township, this county.
Jonathan Lowe and his wife are widely known for their broad minded- ness, activity in church and social affairs and the progressive spirit which dominates their undertakings. Mr. Lowe takes great pride in the upkeep of his buildings and the improvement and development of his farm of forty acres, which is a part of the tract of six hundred and forty acres entered from the government by his maternal grandfather. The famous old beaver dam is located on the south part of this ninety acres, and although it is now mostly filled in, it is an interesting landmark, having formerly been con- sidered the best in the county.
On October 4, 1908, Mr. Lowe was married to Jessie Mable Walter, who also is a native of Hendricks county, and one year later the young couple began their residence on the farm which they now occupy. Two sons, Joel Walter and James Elvin, have come to brighten their home.
Mr. Lowe is of Scotch-Irish descent, through his father, Nathan B. Lowe, the son of William and Grace Lowe, of Backcreek township, Ran- dolph county, North Carolina, honest, sturdy adherents of the Quaker church. In 1860 Nathan Lowe migrated to Rush county, Indiana, and a year later came to Hendricks county, where he remained until the day of his death, the 3d day of January, 1903. He was a well-informed, broad- minded man, a successful farmer and a useful member of the community.
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Early in life he was married to Sarah Coffin, a native of Hendricks county, and to them were born six children: Lydia J. and James (both deceased), Elizabeth Grace, Joseph C., Jonathan and Sarah Alice. His wife was the youngest daughter of Joseph I. Coffin, a large land owner, aggressive in busi- ness affairs, though quiet and conservative in manner. One of the early settlers in the county, he entered from the government six hundred and forty acres of land, and by his diligent efforts this and much surrounding land was provided with adequate drainage, greatly enhancing its value and render- ing much of it available for valuable farming land which otherwise could not have been cultivated. An inherent trait of character was the desire to use the very best methods of work, and to this end he made the first plows which were used in Hendricks county. This trait is still evident in his descendants.
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