USA > Indiana > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery county, Indiana; with personal sketches of representative citizens, Volume II > Part 23
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To the first union of our subject and wife four children were born, one of whom is deceased; they were named: Belva, born January 22, 1895, is living at home; Mabel, born May 2, 1898, is in high school; Ruth, born August 16, 1900, is attending graded school. Mr. Graham later married on April 12, 1911, his second wife being Armenta Patton, a widow, whose first husband was James Harriman, who died when comparatively young. Our subject's second wife was born on May 26, 1868, in this county, and
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here she grew to womanhood and received a common school education. She is a daughter of John and Nancy (Coons) Patton, both parents being de- ceased.
Mr. Graham began farming for himself early in life and he has con- tinued in this field of endeavor ever since; in connection with general farm- ing he has devoted a great deal of attention to the raising of good live stock of various kinds. He formerly lived about a half mile east of his present place on a farm of one hundred and thirteen acres. He sold out in 1912 and purchased the place where he now lives, consisting of one hundred and twenty-two acres in Sugar Creek township. It is all in excellent condition, well tiled and otherwise well improved. It is a well located place and productive and on it stand good buildings.
Politically, Mr. Graham is a Democrat, but he has never been very active in political affairs. He is an active member of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and is steward in the local congregation.
DAVID C. CAMPBELL.
One of the large land owners and progressive citizens of Sugar Creek township, Montgomery county, is David C. Campbell, a man who is a be- liever in modern methods of agriculture so far as they are applicable to local conditions, for he believes in getting out of the old ruts and forging ahead with the times. But it is to be expected that a man who has traveled and observed and read as much as he would be an advocate of whatever is new and at the same time utilitarian. Such men make for the general ad- vancement of any community.
Mr. Campbell was born on June 4, 1855, in Buchanan county, Iowa. He is a son of Martin and Emiline (Cameron) Campbell. The father was born on January 22, 1830, having enjoyed the distinction of being the first white child born in Sugar Creek township, Montgomery county, Indiana, his parents having moved here on October 30, 1829, and established their home in the wilderness, beginning life here in true pioneer fashion, and here amid the rugged scenes of the first settlers the father of our subject grew to manhood, working hard in assisting his parents to establish the family home in the wilderness, and here he received a meager schooling in the early log cabin school houses of his day. He has devoted his life to general farming and has been successful. He is now living quietly at his home at Clark's
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Hill, having attained the advanced age of eighty-three years. His wife was born in 1835 in Clinton county, Indiana, and her death occurred on Novem- ber 8, 1903.
Ten children, seven of whom are still living, were born to Martin Campbell and wife, namely: John is deceased; David C., of this review ; W. S., physician in California; Abner B., Mrs. Rose B. Harter, Nancy J. is deceased; Mrs. Susan Dell, R. N., a physician and chairman of the board of health, and Minerva.
David C. Campbell grew to manhood on the home farm and there he assisted with the general work when a boy, and he received a common school education. On February 14, 1876, he was married to Margaret Oglebay, who was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, March 17, 1856, and is a daughter of James and Rebecca (Conrow) Oglebay. The father was from Maryland and the mother hailed from Ohio. Mrs. Campbell re- ceived a common school education.
Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, namely : Eva Belle, born December 28, 1877; Jessie, born February 10, 1879; John W., born August 1, 1881; James M., born December 31, 1883; Edith Elea- nor, born March 8, 1886; Bessie E., born January 12, 1888; Letha Rose, born February 5, 1891; Ester Fay, born September 4, 1896; Benjamin Floyd, born March 24, 1900, is in school; the other two children are de- ceased.
Mr. Campbell began farming early in life and this has continued to be his chief line of endeavor; however, he has been a minister in the Brethren church for the past thirty-two years, during which time he has traveled ex- tensively and appeared in many pulpits, doing a great work in this denom- ination, being regarded everywhere as an earnest worker and forceful and pursuasive as well as an entertaining speaker and he is popular with a vast acquaintance. He also traveled for several railroad companies for seven or eight years, giving entire satisfaction in this connection, and he is at this writing in the employ of the Union Pacific and Oregon Short Line.
The finely improved place on which Mr. Campbell lives consists of ninety-seven and one-half acres, which is well tiled and all tillable, all the excellent improvements having been made by our subject himself. He is also owner of a fine and productive farm of four hundred and fifty-six acres southwest of Crawfordsville.
Personally, Mr. Campbell is a man of scrupulous honesty and charit- ably inclined. He is neighborly, genial and kind, and numbers his friends only by the limits of his acquaintance.
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OMER DORRIS NASH.
It is the progressive, wide-awake men of affairs who make the true history of a community, and their influence as potential factors of the body politic is difficult to estimate. The examples such men furnish of patient purpose and steadfast integrity strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is always full measure of satisfaction in adverting even in a casual manner to their achievements in advancing the interests of their fellow men and in giving strength and solidity to the institutions which tell so much for the prosperity of the community. In every life of honor and usefulness there is no dearth of incident and yet in summing up the career of any man the biographer needs touch only those salient points which give the keynote to his character. Thus in setting forth the life record of Omer Dorris Nash, an enterprising young man of Crawfordsville, Indiana, suffici- ent will be said to show what all who know him will freely acquiesce in, that he is one of the deserving, capable and honorable citizens of Montgomery county. Such a life as his is an inspiration to others who are less courageous and more prone to give up the fight when obstacles thwart their way, or their ideals have been reached or definite success has been obtained in any chosen field. In the brief life history of Mr. Nash are found evidences of char- acteristics that always make for advancement, achievement and success- persistency coupled with fortitude and lofty traits, and as the result of such a life he has won a host of friends since taking up his residence here, and is achieving material success.
Mr. Nash was born in Brownsburg, Indiana, October 18, 1882, and he is a son of George and Amanda (Herring) Nash. The father who is also a native of Brownsburg, born there in the year, 1858, is now living retired, hav- ing spent his active life successfully engaged in farming. He is well known in his native county and is highly respected there. His wife, Amanda Herring, was born near Brownsburg in 1860. There they both grew to maturity, re- ceived their educational training and were married.
Omer D. Nash grew to manhood in Brownsburg, and there he received his early education in the public schools, working on the home farm during the summer months. He learned telegraphy at which he worked for about eighteen months, then attended the Clark Embalming School at Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he was graduated, having made a splendid record there. Desiring to further his knowledge of this science, to learn every phase of the
O. D. NASH
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same and to render his work superior to that of his contemporaries he went to Chicago where he took the course in the Barnes Embalming School.
Thus well equipped for his life work he returned to Brownsburg and engaged in the undertaking and furniture business for a period of three years, building up a good business. Seeking a wider field for the exercise of his talents he went to Indianapolis and took a position as embalmer and funeral director with the large establishment of Finn Brothers, where he re- mained for a period of five years, giving his employers entire satisfaction and furthering his knowledge of the ins and out of his chosen vocation. He then came to Crawfordsville and engaged in business for himself at 120 North Green street, where he is still located. He enjoys a large and growing business, and promptness and high grade service are his watch words.
Fraternally, Mr. Nash is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Patriotic Order Sons of America. Politically, he is a Democrat, and is a member of the Christian church.
Mr. Nash was married on April 11, 1905, to Grace Hughes, of Browns- burg, her birth having occurred there on April 1. 1883. She is a daughter of Everett T. and Alice (Ohaver) Hughes, a highly respected family there.
LUCIEN D. COYNER.
Nearly three-quarters of a century has dissolved in the mists of the ir- revocable past since Lucien D. Coyner, venerable farmer of Sugar Creek township, nrst saw the light of day, being a worthy son of a pioneer family, who braved the wilds of Montgomery county when settlers were few and little improvement had taken place. He has lived through one of the most remarkable, and in many respects the most wonderful, epoch in the world's history. There will never be another like it, for it embraced the period when the strong-armed home-seekers from the Eastern states invaded the great Middle West, the Coyners being among the number, and redeemed this fertile section of our hemisphere from the wilds, bringing it up through various stages to its present high state of cultivation and civilization. To all these changes in Montgomery county, Mr. Coyner has been a most in- terested spectator, never by any means sitting passively by and watching others do the work, he having at all times sought to do his full share in the work of progress in the locality which his father selected as the spot on
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which to build the family's future home. He talks most interestingly of the early days when customs and manners were different, men and women were different, everything, in fact, unlike what our civilization is today. He and others of our patriarchal citizens are of the opinion that those were better, at least happier, times than now, and this is, in the main, true.
Mr. Coyner was born on October 13, 1839, in Montgomery county, In- diana, and here he has been content to spend his long and industrious life. He is a son of John D. and Delila (Peterson) Coyner. The father of our subject was born on August 3, 1810, in Virginia, from which state he re- moved to Indiana when a young man, locating in Montgomery county, where he married and here spent the rest of his life, and died on his farm heer on October 17, 1895. The mother of our subject was born in 1818 in Ohio, from which state she came to Indiana when a young girl and here her death occurred in 1844. John D. Coyner was a tanner by trade, which he followed in connection with farming; however, toward the latter part of his life he turned his attention exclusively to general farming. His family consisted of eleven children, nine of whom are still living, namely: George W., who was a soldier in the Union army, died while in the service at New Orleans, Louisiana; Lucien D., subject of this sketch, was second in order of birth; M. P. was the third; and Delila is deceased; William was next in order; Jacob is deceased; Jesse, Seymour, David, Mary and Joseph are the younger children.
Lucien D. Coyner grew to manhood on the old homestead and, being a pioneer child, he found plenty of hard work to do in assisting his father develop the farm from the wilderness. He received such education as the pioneer schools of his time afforded. On October 6, 1861, he married Mar- tha A. Bowers, who was born in this county on May 20, 1841, her family also being early settlers, she being a daughter of Edmond and C. (Drow- linger) Bowers, who came here from Ohio. Mrs. Coyner grew to woman- hood and was educated in her native community.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Coyner, namely: George died March 24, 1901; Violet, who married W. O. Armsby, died in 1911; Charlotte; W. T. and Stella, twins; Lel is at home.
Mr. Coyner began farming for himself when a young man and he has lived on his present farm in Sugar Creek township since 1871, which place consists of fifty-seven and one-half acres, all tillable, well fenced and well tiled. He cleared this land and built his own residence and outbuildings.
Politically, Mr. Coyner is a Democrat and has voted for thirteen dif-
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ferent Presidents. He has taken considerable interest in local public affairs, and for a period of sixteen years was justice of the peace of Sugar Creek township, discharging the duties of the office in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned, and his decisions were always characterized by a soundness of judugment, fair- ness and faithfulness to duty.
WILLIAM H. BUNDY.
Endowed with a liberal share of good common sense and possessing sound judgment, backed by a well founded purpose to succeed, William H. Bundy, well known merchant at Bowers Station, and trustee of Sugar Creek township, Montgomery county, has labored with the object primarily in view of making a good home for himself and family and acquiring a com- petency for his declining years. This laudable desire is being realized, and he is in what we sometimes call "easy circumstances," with a sufficient sur- plus for the proverbial "rainy day," which sooner or later comes to every individual, and also, when not provided for, results in at least much incon- venience and unhappiness if not downright suffering. It is perhaps possible for every able bodied young man to prepare against such a time, but some, instead of doing so, trust to luck, which is an elusive and capricious thing, and so, believing in the optimism of the future, they spend all on the pres- ent. Mr. Bundy, it seems, has been wiser and his prudence has urged him to pursue a different course, which, all contemplative minds will agree, is the wiser, and therefore his example and that of his worthy father before him as well, are to be commended to the younger readers of this work whose destinies are yet matters for the future to determine and who are hesitat- ing at the parting of the ways.
Mr. Bundy was born on January 17, 1869, near Thorntown, Boone county, Indiana. He is a son of A. D. and Rosa A. (Tetrow) Bundy. The father was born on January 3, 1848, also in Boone county. He was married in Clinton county after which he moved to Montgomery county, and is now living at Smartsburg, Indiana. The mother of our subject was born in Pennsylvania on November 27, 1847. in Summerset county, and she removed to western Indiana with her parents when she was five years old. Her death occurred on November 5, 1885.
William H. Bundy received a common school education and he grew
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to manhood on his father's farm, the elder Bundy having always engaged in general farming, but a few years ago he retired from active work on the farm and went into the merchandise business. Besides our subject he has one other child, George, who was born in 1871 and owns a grocery store in Crawfordsville.
William H. Bundy came to Montgomery county in 1890. He was married in 1891, on March 15, to Laura A. Gordon, who was born in How- ard county, Indiana, in 1872. She is a daughter of W. R. and Hester (Coy) Gordon, a well known Howard county family. Mrs. Bundy re- ceived a common school education.
Eight children have been born to our subject and wife, four of whom are still living, namely: Marie, born March 19, 1899; Gladys, born Octo- ber 23, 1903; Leoda and Leo, twins, born July 2, 1910.
Upon moving to this county, Mr. Bundy took up the saw mill busi- ness and later entered the mercantile field at Bowers Station in 1899.' and here he has continued to the present time, enjoying an extensive trade with the surrounding country, his being the only store in this village. He was appointed postmaster here on June II, 1907, and he is also railroad agent here for the Vandalia line. He owns his store, forty by fifty feet, also owns his home and a small farm near here, also a blacksmith shop, store buildings, three dwellings, a coal yard and a scale yard. He is one of the energetic and successful business men of the county.
Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic Order at Colfax, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Darlington, the Improved Order of Red Men at Bowers Station, and he is a member of the Horse Thief Detective Associa- tion, and the United Brethren church. Politically, he is a Democrat. He was elected trustee of Sugar Creek township in 1908. He at one time had a half interest in the Bowers elevator, known then as Jordan & Bundy, but he sold out his interest in 1911 to his partner. He also runs a huckster wagon on the road, and it is considered one of the best and most popular in the county. It makes all the eastern part of the county and parts of Tippe- canoe county. He is known to insist on his driver or buyer paying the high- est prices possible under the market for produce and dealing honestly and courteously with all his hundreds of regular customers.
The following article appeared in the Crawfordsville Review under date of January 9, 1913, and is self explanatory, and we deem well worthy of reproduction here. It was under the caption "Bundy Makes Good Showing in Sugar Creek."
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"Trustee W. H. Bundy, of Sugar Creek township, is the first of the township trustees to file his annual report for 1912. Trustee Bundy com- pleted four years in office January 8th and during this time he has made an excellent record, his wise and judicious administration of the affairs of his office putting Sugar Creek township in the best financial condition.
"Trustee Bundy was elected on the Democratic ticket and is the first of that party to hold the office in Sugar Creek in many years. Pessimistic pre- dictions were made regarding his ability, and he has shown the utter absurdity of these by making the best trustee the township has ever had.
"When he went into office Trustee Bundy's predecessor turned over to him a balance of $4,244.90. His report for 1912 filed yesterday shows a balance in all funds of $12,072.79. Mr. Bundy has increased the balances in the various funds by approximately $7,828, in the four years he has held the office. The tax levy in Sugar Creek has not been increased during Trustee Bundy's term and the substantial showing made is due entirely to his able handling of the finances of the township. Below is given a sum- mary of Mr. Bundy's report for 1912:
"Balance receipts-township fund, $2,000.31; road fund, $1,421.72; special school fund, $7,361.82; tuition fund, $8,266.35; dog fund, $179.27. Disbursements-township fund, $933.98; road fund, $734.48; special school fund, $2,832.42; tuition fund, $2,590.80; dog fund, $65. Balance, town- ship fund, $1,066.33; road fund, $689.24: special school fund, $4,529.40; tuition fund, $5,675.55 ; dog fund, $114.27."
G. O. GODARD.
Among the enterprising and successful business men of Darlington, Montgomery county, who have made a success of their life work and are deserving of the title "progressive" is G. O. Godard, a well known and popu- lar merchant, a man who has never depended upon others to do what he knew to be his own tasks, and he has always endeavored to carry into his business and social life the principles based on the old Golden Rule, consequently his large success in a material way has been deserving and he is worthy of the trust and confidence that has been reposed in him by all who know him.
Mr. Godard was born in Mercer county, Illinois, on August 19, 1872. He is a son of Samuel and Mary (Dean) Godard. The father was born on July 3. 1835, and his death occurred in March 18, 1901. The mother was
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born in 1847 and is still living, making her home in Arkansas. She received a good education and attended college; taught school sometime before her marriage. Samuel Godard spent his life successfully engaged in agricul- tural pursuits, specializing on raising horses, principally Clydesdale horses, which, owing to their superior quality, found a very ready market. He was regarded as an exceptionally good judge of a horse. He was a quiet man, preferring to remain close to his farm and home, and took little interest in public matters. Politically, he was a Republican, and during the Civil war he served gallantly as a soldier for the Union, having enlisted in October, 1861, in Company G, One Hundred Twenty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served three and one-half years, then was honorably discharged on ac- count of bad health.
Six children were born to Samuel Godard and wife, five of whom are still living, namely: Myrtle, G. O., of this sketch: Ray. Dana, Stella and Banner, the latter being deceased.
G. O. Godard received a good common school education in his native community in Illinois and there he grew to manhood on the home farm, re- maining under the parental roof-tree until he was nineteen years of age when he went into the dry goods business. His start was humble, having been made in an old huckster wagon, he having gathered up produce around Francisville, Indiana, making that town his headquarters. He soon, how- ever, had a start, and, seeking a better field he came to Lafayette, Indiana, where he remained awhile engaged in the same line of endeavor. Subse- quently, he followed this line of endeavor in a number of other places, always with growing success, becoming one of the best known men in his line of business in this part of the state. In 1900 he moved to Indianapolis and went into the dry goods business, being with several large dry goods mer- chants, including Wm. Laurie Co. and W. H. Block, and for a short time he was in business for himself there. In 1910 he moved to Darlington and entered the dry goods business under the firm name of Godard & Peters. Mr. Peters retired June 10, 1911 and Mr. Godard continued the business under the name of G. O. Godard. He has met with a large degree of success, enjoying an extensive and lucrative trade with the surrounding country. He carries a large and carefully selected stock of up-to-date goods at all seasons and his hundreds of customers always receive honest and courteous treat- ment. He has the largest stock of dry goods in this part of the county.
Mr. Godard was married on February 21, 1898 to Lena Vickers, who
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was born in Kentucky on September 27, 1877, there grew to womanhood and received her education.
To our subject and wife has been born one child, Marian, whose birth occurred on January 17, 1903. She is attending school.
Politically, Mr. Godard votes independently. Religiously, he is a mem- ber of the Christian church.
WILLIAM S. HAM.
Among the most enterprising citizens of Ripley township, Montgomery county, is William S. Ham, of the village of Alamo, a man of known skill as a painter and of modern methods as an agriculturist. Thus he keeps very busy, for his fine farm claims a great deal of attention, and, being one of the most careful and skilled painters in this part of the county his services are in great demand. The reason he has the confidfience of the people of this locality is because he has ever dealt honestly with them and has done his work well and conscientiously.
Mr. Ham was born in Fountain county, Indiana, on August 7, 1870. He is a son of Rhoden and Mandy J. (Willis) Ham. The father was born on January 16, 1839, in Montgomery county, Indiana, and he spent his life in his native state, devoting his manhood years to agricultural pursuits. His death occurred in July, 1907. His wife, Mandy J. Willis, was born on July 15, 1843, in Montgomery county, Indiana, and there she grew to womanhood and received her education in the old-time district schools. She is still living. making her home with her son, William S., of this review.
To Rhoden Ham and wife were born four children, two of whom are still living, namely: Albert is deceased; William S., subject of this sketch : Fred is deceased; Lewis is the youngest of the family.
William S. Ham grew to manhood on the home farm and there assisted with the general work when a boy. He received a common school education. He began life's serious work as a farmer and this he has continued to follow with success. He also learned the painter's trade when a young man and this he has followed in connection with farming for many years, but general farming and stock raising has claimed the major portion of his attention. He owns a finely improved and well cultivated farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Ripley township, nearly all tillable, but about ten or twelve acres, and his fields are well tiled, fenced and free from rock. Mr. Ham
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