History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 35

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 618

USA > Indiana > LaGrange County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 35
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 35

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The son, William Elmer Carey, is now in active charge of the home farm and one of the most pro- gressive young farmers in Richland Township. He was born April 26, 1896, and was educated in the public schools, graduating from the eighth grade at the age of thirteen and from the Eden High School in 1913. December 24, 1916, he married Miss Arilla A. Van Zile, of Richland Township, daughter of Alonzo and Sina (Strubel) Van Zile. To their marriage has been born one son, LaMar Gordon, January 27, 1918.

William E. Carey is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias at Metz, and he and his wife are very active members of the Christian Church at Eden. He has been superintendent of the Sunday school for three years. Politically he votes as a republican.

JOHN K. RIDDLE is one of the old timers of Noble County, having lived here for seventy years, and throughout this long period has been actively identi- fied with farming. He now lives with his only son, O. F. Riddle, in Wayne Township.

He was born in Morrow County, Ohio, April 20, 1845, a son of Joseph B. and Traney M. (Knox) Riddle. Both parents were born in Richland County, Ohio. In 1848 they came to Noble County and when all the country was new settled in Jefferson Town- ship and lived there for some years, later moving to Albion in Noble County, where both of them died. Joseph B. Riddle was a republican in politics. Of their nine children six are still living: Elizabeth, widow of John Cotton; William W., former treas- urer of Noble County, living at Kendallville; John K .; Homer; Comfort, widow of Henry Stanley; and Edith, wife of John G. Gill.

John K. Riddle was three and a half years old when brought to Noble County and as a boy he at- tended the local schools near his father's home. His education was finished at the age of eighteen, and since then he has been bearing his part as a sturdy laborer in the world. At the age of twenty-one he started out for himself. January 29, 1871, he mar- ried Miss Jennie Foster. She was born in Noble County, and after over forty-one years of married companionship passed away April 16, 1912. Of her two children, one died in infancy.

O. F. Riddle, only child of his parents still living, graduated from the Albion High School and also attended college at Lansing, Michigan. He married Lida Grate. They have four children: Howard and Ralph W., both students in high school; Mar- garet, in the sixth grade; and John Harold. O. F. Riddle is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a republican voter. The home farm comprises 269 acres, highly cultivated, improved, and kept up in a high degree of productiveness.

CHARLES W. BENDER. One of the best improved farms in York Township of Noble County is that owned by C. W. Bender in sections 20 and 20. Mr. Bender has lived there practically all his life, and has succeeded beyond the ordinary as a farmer and stock raiser, and also as a capable citizen and worker in his community.

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He was born in the house where he is still living July 1, 1870, son of John E. and Evaline (Lafevre) Bender. John E. Bender, his father, was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, March 4, 1815. He was left an orphan at the age of seven and for the next ten years lived as a bound boy with Samuel McClintock. During that time he had no oppor- tunity to attend school, and was given a mere living, and left his employer with only an old suit of clothes. He then went to work on a salary, and the first year received only $8 a month. His wife, Evaline Lafevre, was born in Tennessee. In 1868 they settled in Noble County, Indiana. John E. Bender and wife had four children: Charles W .; Myra, deceased wife of Samuel DePew; John A., a farmer in York Township; and Joseph, who died in infancy.

Charles W. Bender grew up on the old farm in York Township and had a district school education. For many years he has been a general farmer, and now owns 200 acres of land. He is also a breeder of Belgian horses and has several pure blooded animals of that strain. He has done much shipping of live stock in past years. Mr. Bender was a charter member and one of the solicitors for the stock at the organization of the Kimmell State Bank and became one of its first directors.

February 11, 1892, Mr. Bender married Miss Nancy E. Kiester. She was born in Washington Township of Noble County. They were happily married twenty-five years, and Mrs. Bender passed away November 7, 1917. She was the mother of three children: Ermal, born April 9, 1894, is a graduate of high school and attended Goshen Col- lege and is now the wife of Dr. Homer Hiatt, serv- ing with the rank of first lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the United States Army. Cecil, born De- cember 7, 1895, is also a high school graduate and is the wife of Ralph Denny, an attorney. Carl, born July 22, 1902, has finished the common school course. Mr. Bender also has two grandchildren.

He is a member of the Christian Church, as was his wife. He is past noble grand of Kimmell Lodge No. 773 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, has sat in the Grand Lodge, and his wife was active as a grand of the Rebecca Lodge and also repre- sented her lodge in the Grand Lodge.

ISAAC EATON. Large land ownership, good agri- cultural methods, public spirited citizenship and an influence steadily directed toward elevating the reli- gious and moral life of the community have been characteristics of the Eaton family in Steuben Coun- ty for many years. Mr. Isaac Eaton, one of the extensive land owners and successful farmers of Fremont Township. is the only child of the late Lucien B. and Melinda ( Phelps) Eaton. On both sides he represents pioneer families in this section of Northeast Indiana. His mother, Melinda Phelps, was born near Brookville in Franklin County, In- diana, November 15, 1815. She was born when In- diana was still a territory. Her parents were Reuben B. and Ruth (Carson) Phelps. Reuben B. Phelps deserves a special memory as one of the earliest settlers of Steuben County, having moved here from Franklin County about 1833. His place of settlement was on the left side of Lake James in Pleasant Township. This Steuben County pioneer had no male descendants, the line being carried on through his five daughters, Melinda, Lucinda, Julia, Ruby and Ruth.

Lucien B. Eaton was born in Canada. December 17, 1808, and died in February, 1880. He came to Steuben County from New York State, settling in Jamestown Township with the very first pioneers there in 1836. He was a man of unusual person-

ality, business energy and enterprise, and at one time owned about 000 acres of land in Steuben County, and also had extensive farming interests in Michigan, selling his Michigan property about 1875. These landed accumulations were enough to absorb the energies of an ordinary man, but in addition he did much work as a Methodist preacher, preaching in his home locality, and his last regular charge was in Whitley County, Indiana.

Mr. Isaac Eaton acquired his education in the public schools of Fremont. He was born on the farm where he now lives, January 12, 1855. For over thirty years he has been a farmer in that neighborhood, and is the owner of over 500 acres. Mr. Eaton is thoroughly well informed on the Scrip- tures and Biblical history, and is a member of the "Beasterian" Church, the name of which is the coin- age of Doctor Lane, of Fort Wayne, and represents an effort to return to the original sources of reli- gion as given by God, untainted with paganism and racial antagonisms.

ENOCH DAVIS, who is now retired as one of the oldest residents in Clear Lake Township of Steuben County, grew up there from the age of ten years, and was for a long time a factor in the farming enterprise of that locality.

Mr. Davis was born in Noble County, Ohio, July 12, 1847, a son of Hiram and Esther (Jefferson) Davis. His parents came to Steuben County in 1858, settling in Clear Lake Township. In 1862 Hiram Davis bought a saw mill, and used it for the manufacture of lumber and incidentally as a means of clearing up much of the land in this part of the county. He died in 1897, at the age of eighty-six, while his wife passed away in 1895, aged seventy. They were the parents of six children : William, who enlisted in 1862 and served two years and ten months as a Union soldier and is now de- ceased; Martha, deceased; Enoch ; Joseph ; Samuel ; and Adelaide. Hiram Davis was a republican, and he and his wife were members of the United Brethren Church.

Enoch Davis grew up in Steuben County, and after leaving the public schools went to work on a farm. In early manhood he bought forty acres in Fremont Township, and after selling that spent three years in California. . On his return to Steuben County he acquired a farm of ninety-two acres, and on selling that bought the seventy-seven acres where he lives today. He has effected some of the good improvements on this land, and has good buildings but has turned over the management to a son and is now living retired. He is a republican, and with his wife is a member of the Latter Day Saints Church.

In 1869 he married Dora Ellis. They had two children, Byron and Leona. Leona is the wife of Bert Dagert, of York Township. Byron, who was born January 2, 1872, owns forty-three acres of land in Fremont Township and rents and manages his father's farm. He married Allie Geedy, who died leaving him four children: Roy, Orville, Gladys and Golda. Roy saw two years of service in the National army, and was in France about six weeks.

CLYDE FRANKLIN WILSEY. The Wilsey name has been one of honored consideration in DeKalb County since 1848 and has many worthy representatives here at present, a well known one being 'Clyde Franklin Wilsey, an active and substantial citizen of Corunna and the owner of the Corunna Telephone Exchange. Mr. Wilsey was born in DeKalb County September 22, 1884.

The first Wilsey in DeKalb County was William H.

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Wilsey, a native of New York, who married Ursula Jane Haskins, a native of Vermont, January 25, 1843. Five years later they moved from New York to Indiana and entered land in Fairfield Township, DeKalb County, paying $1.25 an acre for the same. On that farm three generations of the Wilsey family were born. Henry E. Wilsey, father of Clyde F., was born here November 28, 1860, and on January 26, 1882, he was married to Mary L. Krum, who is a daughter of Jacob and Martha (Holden) Krum, old residents of Steuben County, Indiana. There were five children in the Krum family, namely: Martha, Elizabeth, Eugene, Allen and Minerva, the last named being deceased. Two children were born to Henry E. Wilsey and his wife: Clyde Frank- lin and Grace, the latter of whom was married De- cember 25, 1906, to Elmer E. Shipe, and they have one son, Ford. Henry E. Wilsey and wife reside at Hudson, Indiana.

Clyde Franklin Wilsey was educated in the public schools. On November 1, 1906, he bought the Corunna Telephone Exchange and has had charge ever since and many extensions have been made since that time, this exchange being now considered indispensable to both business and social life. For some years he was editor and publisher of the Corunna News. He has been active in community welfare effort, an example being his suggestions that a park be maintained along the New York Cen- tral Railway line at Corunna, and mainly through his efforts the plan was carried out, the park, with shrubbery, park seats, swings and other forms of amusement, together with band concerts ofter given, providing an admirable opportunity for out door en- joyment. In this and other ways Mr. Wilsey has made himself very unselfishly popular, an evidence of this popularity being shown when he was elected constable on the democratic ticket, although he had always been a republican.

Only July 30, 1905, Mr. Wilsey was united in mar- riage to Miss Nettie A. Wilhelm, who is a daughter of John and Mary (Cook) Wilhelm, who were married July 9, 1865, and resided at Elkhart, Indiana, their children being: William, John, Mary, Albert, Harrison, Clarissa, Rilla, Nettie and Cora. Mr. and Mrs. Wilsey have three children, the oldest born on the old homestead: Lester A., born May 15, 1906; Bernardine M., born October 29, 1911; and Robert L., born February 6, 1915, the last two born in Corunna. Mr. and Mrs. Wilsey have a charming summer place in Island Cottage on Story Lake, and when not stopping there themselves, they generously permit their friends to use it.

On January 25, 1893, the grandparents of Mr. Wil- sey celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. It had been the cherished ambition of the venerable grandmother to make the most of the preparations for this event with her own hands. It was an occa- sion never to be forgotten by her loving descendants, but these tender preparations probably overtaxed her strength, for she passed away ten days later and with her passed one of the noble pioneer women of De- Kalb County. The grandfather lived six years longer, passing away December 6, 1899.

The early Wilsey family belonged to the United Brethren Church, while the Wilhelms were members of the Evangelical body. Clyde F. Wilsey and fam- ily belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Corunna. He is not active in fraternal life but as a prominent and responsible citizen constantly is in co-operation with others in laudable civic movements and in helpful enterprises here and elsewhere that relieve distress.

JACK BUCKLES is distinguished among the resi- dents of York Township of Noble County as pro- prietor of the Maple Grove Stock Farm, where he breeds and raises some of the finest Shorthorn cattle and big type Poland China hogs found anywhere in Northern Indiana. The farm comprises 198 acres, located in the northwest quarter of section 32.

Mr. Buckles was born in Washington Township of the same county November 22, 1866, son of John H. and Mary (Wiley) Buckles. His father, a na- tive of West Virginia, came to Noble County, In- diana, when only four years old, was reared here, and after his marriage located in Washington Town- ship, where he acquired a good farm of 160 acres. He is also a thresher man and sawmill man, and has a great deal of enterprise which he has used profit- ably both for himself and his community. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church. His wife is a native of Washington Township. They had a large family of children, noted briefly as follows: Jack; Nellie, wife of John Earnhard; Ida, wife of Ed Pollock; Mary, wife of Frank Braden; James, a carpenter of Fort Wayne; Austin Buckles, of Cygnet, Ohio; Jennie, wife of H. O. Barllet, of Chicago; Winifred, wife of Walter Sanders, of Marshalltown, Iowa; Grace, wife of Louis Hade, of Wawaka, Indiana; and T. A., of Indianapolis.

Jack Buckles grew up on his father's farm in Washington Township, and had a practical educa- tion to fit him for the duties and responsibilities of life. He married Minnie D. Blain. They had no children of their own but have an adopted daughter, Bonnie Louise, who was born February 10, 1916. Mr. Buckles is a member of Wolf Lake Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks of Ligonier, and in politics is a democrat.

ARTHUR L. BUDD is a well-known farmer and business man of Noble County, proprietor of the Glendale Farm of sixty-four acres in Green Town- ship, and also active in insurance and other busi- ness lines.

Mr. Budd was born in Ashland County, Ohio, De- cember 31, 1879, but has lived in Noble County since boyhood. His parents, Thomas E. and Agnes (Davis) Budd, both natives of Ashland County, grew up and married there and were farmers in that locality. The mother died on the home farm in Ashland County in 1881. Thomas Budd continued to live in Ashland County until 1887, when he moved to Noble County, Indiana, and bought 120 acres in Green Township. He continued active as a farmer until 1906, when he became one of the organizers and a director and is now president of the Farmers State Bank at Churubusco, in which town he makes his home. He and his first wife had two children: Effie J., wife of Leroy Ressler, of Green Township, and Arthur L. By his second marriage he also had two children; one of whom died at the age of eight- een months. The surviving child, Erlin, was educated in the common schools and is now a second lieutenant in the American army, and when last re- ported was at Winchester, England.

Arthur L. Budd was eight years old when his father came to Noble County, and here he grew to manhood and received a good education in the local schools. He continued to live with his father until his marriage with Mina May McWilliams, daughter of Frank W. McWilliams.

Mr. Budd has made a success of the management of his small but well improved and productive farm. He is also agent for the Fidelity Phoenix Fire Insurance Company, and does a considerable busi- ness as a horse buyer. He has been active in re-

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publican politics and has been honored with positions of trust and responsibility by his fellow citizens.

ROBERT N. TATE. For over sixty years the name Tate has been an honored one in Noble County, always representing sturdy, honest and industrious people, good citizens and supporters of education and religion. The old Tate farm in Wayne Town- ship, on rural route No. 3 out of Kendallville, now has as its proprietor Robert N. Tate, son of the first settler in that community.

Robert N. Tate was born in Wayne Township October 13, 1856. His father, James Tate, was born at Paris, Flaxby Grange, Westriding, York- shire, England, February 22, 1822. When a young man he came to Ohio, and there married Carolina Julia Scofield. After a number of years they left Ohio and in 1854 settled in the northeast corner of Wayne Township, Noble County. In 1864, ten years later, they moved to the farm where Robert N. Tate now lives. In 1872 James Tate moved to Orange Township, near Rome City, and there he spent his last years. He and his wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and gave liberally to its support and all its causes. He was also a Mason and was a leader in the local republican party. Of the six children only two are now living: Robert N. and Dora L., the latter the widow of W. L. Wones and living in Warsaw, Indiana.

Robert N. Tate has spent nearly all his life in Orange and Wayne townships of Noble County. His education was supplied by the district schools. He came to manhood with a good training and discipline in farm work and inherited the old home- stead from his father. He has 170 acres of well cultivated land in Wayne Township and eighty acres in Orange Township, and is also a stockholder in the State Bank of Wolcottville and in the Noble Motor Truck Company.

Mr. Tate is a republican and a member of the Orange Township Advisory Board. He is affiliated with Rome City Lodge No. 451, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, with Kendallville Chapter No. 64, Royal Arch Masons, with the Council,, Royal and Select Masters and with the Knights Templar Commandery No. 19.

CHARLES L. BORTON, gardener, poultry raiser and summer resort proprietor of Clear Lake, has been a resident of Steuben County for twenty years and came here from Fulton County, Ohio, where his people were among the earliest settlers.

The Borton ancestry in America goes back to Quakers who on account of religious persecution emigrated from England in 1674 and settled in New Jersey. Mr. Borton's grandfather, John Borton, came from New Jersey to Ohio in 1836 and located in the woods of Fulton County, his first home being a log cabin. He was greatly prospered and at one time owned more than 1,300 acres. His wife was Elizabeth Taylor. Charles L. Borton was born in Fulton County, April 9, 1868, a son of William and Regina (Oliver) Borton. His parents have spent all their lives in Fulton County and his father is a farmer. They had five children: Ada, deceased; Charles; Sadie, deceased; John; and Arthur.

Charles L. Borton was reared and educated in his native county and was a farmer there until 1899, when he moved to Steuben County and acquired his present farm of sixty-four acres in Clear Lake Township. He took this land when its improve- ments were still largely characterized by a log house. That old building has been replaced by modern, up- to-date structures, and he now has facilities for handling with profit a large flock of White Leghorn

chickens, makes a specialty of raising garden prod- uce, and has part of his land situated on the banks of Clear Lake, set apart for about forty cottages, all of which are usually occupied in the summer season.

Mr. Borton is a republican in politics, and he served as township trustee and assessor for one term each. In 1894 he married Miss Nora Alberta Baker, of Hillsdale County, Michigan. They have four children: Ruth, who was educated in the public schools and the high school at Montgomery, Michigan, is the wife of Glen Forester; Allen, a graduate of the Montgomery High School, is em- ployed at Fremont, Indiana; Dorothy is a student in the Fremont High School, and Chester is still in district school.

WILLARD S. TUSTISON. The residence of Mr. Tusti- son is in the extreme southeast corner of DeKalb County. He is a farmer, and was born on the land which he owns today, in section 33, April 29, 1859. Mr. Tustison has always enjoyed the confidence of his neighbors and friends in DeKalb County and is a former trustee of Newville Township.

His parents were Sebastian and Anna (Allen) Tustison. His father was born in Crawford County, Ohio, a son of Nelson and Sarah (Brown) Tustison. Nelson Tustison was a native of Copenhagen, Den- mark, and when he ran away from home at the age of sixteen went to sea and was a sailor to many of the ports of the world for sixteen years. He left the sea and settled at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania County, where he married and afterward moved to Crawford, Ohio, and spent the rest of his life as a farmer. He possessed unusual business judgment, a great amount of energy, and accumulated about 600 acres of land in Crawford County. These ample .posses- sions he shared with his family of nine sons and one daughter, all of whom are now deceased.

Sebastian Tustison grew up in Crawford County, had a common school education, and in 1845 moved to DeKalb County, Indiana, and after his marriage settled in the southeastern corner of the county. He was a farmer there and at one time was superin- tendent of some men employed on the Baltimore & Ohio Railway. He also participated in local affairs, being assessor and justice of the peace and in politics was a democrat. He was the father of four children : George W. and Henry, deceased; Mary Jane, wife of Joseph Langham; and Willard S.

Willard S. Tustison grew up on the home farm and had a common school education. On December 12, 1878, he married Lois Jump, who was born in Scipio Township of Allen County, Indiana. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Tustison lived for three years in Scipio Township, and rented his father-in-law's farm. They then returned to New- ville Township and bought sixty acres and after four years he bought out the other heirs in the old Tustison homestead. Mr. Tustison has ninety-one acres in his farm and has it stocked with some good grade Durham cattle. As a factor in local politics he served six years as justice of the peace, four years as assessor, and four years as township trus- tee. Like his father he is a democrat, and he and his family are members of the Methodist Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Tustison had eight children, seven of whom are still living: Delmer D., of Hillsdale, Michigan ; Linnie, wife of Frank Lash, of Michigan; Grace, wife of Guy McCurdy, of Allen County, In- diana; Rena, wife of Albert Shaffer, of Garrett; Owen S., of Garrett, Indiana, who is a graduate of the Hicksville, Ohio, High School, as is also his next younger brother, Ross C .; George W., who was with the Aviation Corps of the American Army

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and died November 17, 1918, while in the overseas service near Liverpool, England; and Paul, who is married and lives at Hicksville, Ohio.

JOHN A. BAUGHMAN. Some of the best land of Noble County is in Noble Township, so there also are found some of the best and most progressive farmers. One of them is John A. Baughman, who has lived in that locality for over forty years, and though he started life with practically no capital, he has made good in every sense of the word and is now owner of one of the excellent places in his locality.

Mr. Baughman was born in Richland County, Ohio, November 26, 1855, a son of Gideon and Mar- garet (Swiggart) Baughman. The Baughmans originally came from Germany and were early set- tlers in the colony of Virginia. Gideon Baughman was a son of Henry and Susan (Trumbull) Baugh- man. Margaret Swiggart was a daughter of John and Barbara Swiggart, early residents of Stark County, Ohio. John Swiggart was born in 1779 and served as a captain in the War of 1812 and was the first school teacher in Monroe Township of Richland County, Ohio. Gideon Baughman and wife were reared and married in Ohio, the former being a native of Ashland County and the latter of Stark County. They lived there for many years and in 1876 moved to Noble County, Indiana, spend- ing the rest of their lives in this county. They were members of the Lutheran Church. The father was a democrat. Of six children two are still liv- ing: Susan, widow of Archie Collins, living in Ohio, and John A. The four deceased were Michael, Martin L., Henry M. and Elizabeth, the latter the wife of John Oller.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 35

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 618

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 618