History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 58

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 58
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 58
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 58
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 58

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).

During 1849 Marvin Green, son of John Green, came to Steuben County, at first stopping in Scott Township, but moving from there to Pleasant Town- ship. Still later he moved back to Scott Township, where he lived until he retired from the arduous labors of farming, at which time he settled perma- nently at Fremont, where he died. Marvin Green was married in Medina County, Ohio, to Flora Jones, born in Licking County, Ohio, and their chil- dren were as follows: Lewis, Ella, Emma, Elmer, Sarah, Matilda, Berton and Charles. A hard work- ing thrifty man, Marvin Green became prosperous and he was also one of the highly respected men of his community.

The late Elmer A. Green spent his life in farm- ing, and was eminently successful in that line of endeavor. His first experience was gained in Scott Township, but in 1886 he moved to Fremont Town- ship, where he was engaged in farming for three years. In 1889 he returned to Scott Township and lived there until 1905, when he bought a farm of 146 acres of land in Pleasant Township, in section 13, on which he continued to do general farming and stock raising until his death July 31, 1916.

Elmer A. Green was married to Christie Stick, born in Salem Township, Steuben County, Novem- ber 5, 1864, a daughter of Hollister and Lovina (Shaffstall) Slick, and their children were as fol- lows: Leslie H .; Lizzie Pearl, who died in child- hood; and Freddie J. Mr. Green was president of

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the advisory board of Pleasant Township at the time of his death, and was otherwise prominent, his loss being felt as a public calamity. In addition to the farm which he left his family, Mrs. Green owns forty acres of land, so she and her sons have two adjoining farms along the Angola and Fremont road, about two and one-half miles from Angola. These properties have excellent buildings on them and are well improved. Since the demise of Mr. Green Mrs. Green and her sons have conducted these farms. It would be difficult to find better or more representative people than the Greens, and their location in Steuben County was a decided acquisition for this section, for those bearing the name have always been upright and public-spirited, and their example has proved a stimulus to further industry and good citizenship.

URIAH M. MILLER. A representative citizen and excellent farmer of Clay Township is found in Uriah M. Miller, whose well cultivated farm indi- cates careful management with profitable returns. Mr. Miller is one of the best known residents of LaGrange County, where almost all of his life has been spent. He was born in Missouri, June 3, 1872, and was but four months old when brought to this county by his parents, Moses P. and Eva (Hostett- ler) Miller, further mention of whom will be found in this work.

When Uriah M. Miller was four years old his parents moved from Eden to Clay Township. Here he grew up on his father's farm well trained in agricultural industries, and obtained a public school education. Since then in addition to carrying on general farming and stockraising for twenty-six seasons he has engaged in threshing. After leaving home he operated first the old Robertson farm of eighty acres, next the farm where John Troyer lives, then the farm owned by Orvin Troyer, known as the Jacob Rowan farm. In 1907 he bought the Parker farm, which is his present home place. Mr. Miller has eighty acres, only fifteen acres having been cleared when he purchased the property, and he has put up first class buildings and made many substan- tial improvements.

In 1893 Mr. Miller was married to Miss Barbara Kauffman, who was born in Newbury Township, LaGrange County, February 5, 1876. Her father, Tobias Kauffman, was born in Ohio in 1827, and died in Indiana in 1881. He came when a young man to LaGrange County, and was married here to Bar- bara Hershberger, a daughter of John and Eliza- beth (Lehman) Hershberger, who were pioneer set- tlers in Newbury Township. The mother of Mrs. Miller died in February, 1876. Mrs. Miller was the eighth in a family of eight children, the others being as follows: Daniel C. and John, both of whom are deceased; Samuel, who resides at Middlebury; Elizabeth, who died in infancy; Mary Ann, who is the wife of Jonas Yoder; Rudolph, who is deceased ; and Abram, who is in the grocery business at Goshen, Indiana.

To Mr. and Mrs. Miller the following children have been born: Mary Ellen, who lived one year, one month and one day; Mabel Edith, who passed away in 1918, when aged twenty-one years and ten months; Susie Elmira, who completed the eighth grade at school and now assists her mother; Irma Elizabeth, who is a member of the junior class in the Shipshewana High School; Elva Adeline, who is also a student in the above school; and Fanny Elnora, Daniel Truman, Eva Arlene, Uriah Bernon, all of whom are attending the public schools. Mr. Miller and his family are of the Mennonite faith. In politics he is a democrat. He is known as an

honest, upright man, good farmer and trustworthy citizen.

REUBEN E. BORNTRAGER. LaGrange County has been the scene of some of the most profitable agri- cultural activity this part of Indiana has known, for the farmers who own its broad acres have known how to make their land produce banner crops, and taking a pride in their properties have not hesitated to expend considerable time and money upon improving them according to modern ideas. One of the men who is justly accounted as belong- ing to the best class of farmers of this region is Reuben E. Borntrager of Newbury Township. He was born in Clinton Township, Elkhart County, In- diana, July 13, 1852, and the following year was brought to Newbury Township, LaGrange County, by his parents.

Growing up in LaGrange County, Reuben E. Born- trager here learned how to be a practical farmer and acquired the fundamentals of a common school education in the neighborhood schools. As he earned money he invested it in land, and now owns 3011/2 acres in Newbury Township, and at one time also owned 320 acres in Kansas. Mr. Borntrager was a general farmer and stock raiser, and one of the substantial men of his neighborhood. He is a Mennonite in his religious faith.

In 1872 Mr. Borntrager was united in marriage with Elizabeth Yoder, a daughter of Joseph Yoder, an early settler of LaGrange County, now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Borntrager became the parents of children as follows: Anna, who is the wife of David Shrock, and has two children, Polly and Elizabeth; Joseph R., who married Magdalena Schlabach, has the following children: Fannie, David, Samuel, William, Amanda, Lizzie, Polly, Mattie and Daniel. Daniel R., who married Millie Winyard, who died leaving two children, Lizzie and Annie, and he married second Gertie Eash, a daugh- ter of Tobias Eash, of Eden Township, their chil- dren being Mary and Abraham; Manassas, who died at the age of nineteen years; Polly, who is the wife of William Miller, has the following chil- dren: Lizzie, Sam, David, Millie and Amanda (twins), Anna, Levi, Nettie and Wilma; David, who married Lydia Christner, has the following children: Amanda, Levi, Amos, Lizzie; Abraham, who died in October, 1918, aged twenty-eight years, left a widow whose maiden name was Susie Christ- ner, and the following children: Millie, Amos, Har- ley and Abraham; Levi, who married Anna Christ- ner, a sister of the wife of David Borntrager, has a daughter, Edna May; and Edward, who married Mabel Hostetler, but has no children.

After many years of hard work in 1915 Mr. Born- trager felt that he was entitled to a little rest, and so relinquished his active supervision of the affairs of his farm, although he is still interested in keep- ing up the improvements. He is a man who has always stood very high in the public esteem and is recognized as upright and sincere and one who car- ries his religion into his everyday life.

JOSHUA SHOWALTER, an honored veteran of the Union army, who also had a son in the recent great war, has lived in Steuben County sixty-five years. He went from this county into the army, and on his return took up the duties of civil life, mainly farming, which he has followed for half a century. He is still living at his rural home in Pleasant Township.

He was born in Wayne County, Ohio, November 2, 1840, a son of Michael and Mary (Welpmore) Showalter, the former a native of Pennsylvania . and the latter of Virginia. Michael Showalter

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brought his family to Steuben County in 1854, locating on a farm in section 12 of Pleasant Town- ship. He was in comfortable circumstances, owning 250 acres, and lived in that locality until his death. His children were: Elizabeth, Solomon, Simon, Joshua, Hiram, Mary, Jacob, Wesley and Sarah.

Joshua Showalter was fourteen years old when he came to Steuben County. Prior to that he had attended district schools in his native county of Ohio. In Pleasant Township he completed his edu- cation in the Pleasant Hill school. He was not yet twenty-one when in August, 1861, he enlisted in Company A of the Forty-Fourth Indiana Infantry. He saw four years of active service, receiving his honorable discharge in September, 1865. He was in the battles of Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing and Stone River, in the terrible fighting at Chickamauga, and in various skirmishes in Tennessee and Georgia. When he left the army he worked at the carpenter's trade for three years and since then has been stead- ily identified with agricultural pursuits. He bought a place in Pleasant Township and now has forty- seven acres of fertile and nicely situated land on the east side of the first basin of Lake James. He has lived on his present farm since 1895. Mr. Sho- walter is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

In 1871 he married Amelia Musselwhite. She was born in London, a daughter of John Musselwhite. To that marriage were born five children: Alice, who died in childhood, Albert, Freeman, Medie and Edith. In 1885 Mr. Showalter married Ella Wilsey, daughter of John and Margaret (Lint) Wilsey. They became the parents of six children: Ruth, Onia, Michael, Ira, Lena and Frederick. Ira is the soldier son of the family, being a member of Bat- tery B of the Three Hundred and Fourteenth Field Artillery in the Eightieth Division. For a number of months, 1918-19, he was with the American Ex- peditionary Forces in France.

JOHN P. SMITH. The citizenship of Clay Town- ship, LaGrange County, is made up of many fine men, not all of whom have had great advantages in youth, and there are some who have earned all they own in middle life through their own unassisted efforts. One of the substantial farmers here of the latter class is John P. Smith, who is well known all over the county. Mr. Smith was born in Clear Spring Township, LaGrange County, Indiana, in 1873.

The parents of Mr. Smith were George and Mary (Lint) Smith, the former of whom was born in 1849 and the latter in 1846, both in Clear Spring Township. The paternal grandfather, John P. Smith, married a Miss Murray, and their home throughout life was in Clear Spring Township, and there the father, George Smith, was born and at one time owned a farm there. In later years he moved to Van Buren Township and died there in 1899. His widow survived until June, 1919. They had six children, namely: Jennie, Mina, John P .. Frank M., Melvin and Grace. Frank M. was killed by a stroke of lightning in 1907.

After his school attendance was over John P. Smith made himself useful on the home place and then started out for himself as a farmer. He rented land in several townships and gained the reputation of being a wise farmer and good judge of stock. It was in 1907 that he felt prepared to invest in a farm of his own, in that year purchasing the 150 acres where he lives in Clay Township. For some years he devoted himself to raising grain but now carries on a general farming line and has been unusually successful. He has always worked hard and has justly earned his present financial independence.

In 1896 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Ada Keasey, who died in 1898, leaving a son, Howard, who lives with his father. In 1900 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Edith Swank, no children being born to Mr. Smith's second union. In politics he is a democrat. He belongs to the order of Macca- bees.

JAMES M. YODER. A number of the important dis- tinctions of country life belong to the Yoder fam- ily, the head of which is James M. Yoder of New- bury Township, LaGrange County. Mr. Yoder owns a large and fine farm in that township, is a general farmer and also a successful peppermint grower. He has some sturdy sons who are well fitted to become successors to their father in the role of agriculture, and the prize winning efforts of the Yoder boys are widely known over Northeast In- diana.

Mr. Yoder was born near his present home Au- gust 29, 1873. He is a son of Noah C. and Mary M. (Lambright) Yoder and a grandson of Christian C. Yoder, who was born in Somerset County, Penn- sylvania, May 29, 1819. Christian married Catherine Harshberger on June 27, 1841. She was a daughter of Jacob and Barbara (Summey) Harshberger. Christian C. Yoder went to Elkhart County, In- diana, in 1843, and in March, 1851, moved his home to Newbury Township of LaGrange County. Noah C. Yoder was born in Elkhart County and was a boy when the family came to LaGrange County. He spent the rest of his life in Newbury Township, where he reared a family. He died in 1897, at the age of fifty-three. His efforts brought him the ownership of 320 acres. He and his wife were active members of the Lutheran Church. His widow, still living, was born in Bavaria, Germany, a daugh- ter of Peter Lambright. The children of Noah Yoder and wife were: Albert C., a physician at Goshen; James M .; Sylvia A., widow of Samnel F. Nelson; and Rolland Otis, of Indianapolis.

James M. Yoder received his education in the district schools and at the age of twenty-one be- came a farm worker at monthly wages for Rollin Ellison. He was with Mr. Ellison for five years, and under him acquired much valuable knowledge of farming. He then returned home and began operating the homestead, and has lived there ever since. He is individually the owner of 270 acres, has remodeled the buildings and has put in many improvements. For the past twelve years he has devoted part of his land to the culture of pepper- mint. The Yoder farm is a model country place, the house having such city equipments as electric lights, steam heat and hot and cold water.

Mr. Yoder married Ella Large in 1894. She is a daughter of Samuel E. and Jane (Reickard) Large. Mr. and Mrs. Yoder and all their children are mem- bers of the Congregational Church at Shipshewana. A brief record of their family is as follows: Charles Fred, who married Bertha Nelson, and they have two children, Charles Fred, Jr., and Janette; Mabel, who is a teacher and student; Antoinette, who is the wife of Lester Oesch; Dewey Dwayne, who was an enlisted member of the Students Army Training Corps at Angola during the war and is now con- tinuing his studies in the Tri-State College there; Rollin Albert, who was also in the Students Army Training Corps at Angola; and James Willard.

Since the organization of the LaGrange Corn School each of the Yoder boys has entered corn or other exhibits and each has been awarded prizes and honors. Charles Fred has been a prize win- ner every year he has entered and has won three scholarships to Purdue University. Dewey Dwayne

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has also been successful at every entry he has made and was given a twelve weeks' scholarship at Val- paraiso University, and in 1913 at LaGrange received the silver cup as the first prize for scoring corn. Rollin Albert has been honored for his work in scoring and in raising corn, while James W. was given a prize for an original essay and also for a corn exhibit and corn scoring.

DAVID F. CLINK. Many winters and summers have come and gone since the Clink family estab- lished itself in Steuben County. David F. Clink, son of the settler of over sixty years ago, is living on the farm in Steuben Township where he was born, and his own part has been that of an indus- trious and capable farmer, thus continuing the hon- orable record of the family.

His father, John R. Clink, was born in Sandusky County, Ohio, April 23, 1836, a son of George and Catherine (Smith) Clink, both natives of Germany. George Clink came to the United States with his parents when twelve years of age, lived in Penn- sylvania and afterward in Sandusky County, where he and his wife died. John R. Clink came to Steu- ben County, Indiana, in the spring of 1855, and five years later bought eighty acres in section 36 of Steuben Township. He lived in the log cabin that stood on the land, and had a log barn, the latter being replaced in 1867 by a large frame barn. The home was built in 1873, and at that time was re- garded as one of the best in the township. He did much as a horticulturist, setting out a large number of apple, cherry and peach trees and other small fruits. The last few years of his life John R. Clink spent in Ashley, where he died November 20, IgII. His widow is still living at the old home with her son David. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Ritter. She was born in Wayne County, Ohio, April 15, 1834, a daughter of Henry Ritter, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Steuben County, In- diana, in 1851 and was a pioneer settler on section 8 of Steuben Township.

David F. Clink was one of the seven children of his parents, their names being George H., Ezra E., Charles K., Clara B., Cora E., David F. and Fred- erick J.

David Clink attended the public schools of Steu- ben Township, also those of the Village at Hudson, and began his career as a farmer with his father. He spent one year railroading with the Wabash Railroad Company and for three years worked in the northern woods. Since 1909 he has given all his time to farming the old homestead. December 26, 1906, Mr. Clink married Lena Johnson, a daughter of A. B. and Mary (Slaybangh) Johnson. Her father died in 1902 and her mother in 1904. A. B. Johnson came to Scott Township of Steuben Coun- ty about fifty-five years ago, when a boy, with his father, and later moved to Angola, where he spent most of his life. The three children of A. B. John- son and wife were Alsines B., Lena and Hannah. Mr. and Mrs. Clink have two children, Jolın Ray- mond and Edwin Willis. Mr. Clink is affiliated with the Loyal Order of Moose and his wife is active in the Christian Church at Ashley.

CHARLES W. SLACK. Perhaps no family in La- Grange County is better known than the Slacks, for they have been here many years and have been good people, excellent farmers and useful citizens. Charles W. Slack, who is engaged in farming and stockraising in Clay Township, is a grandson of Isaac Slack, who came here sixty-seven years ago.

Charles W. Slack was born at LaGrange, Indiana, September 12, 1868, the eldest of four children born to William J. and Lucy P. (Preston) Slack. Wil-

liam J. Slack was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1845, a son of Isaac and Ann F. (Sawyer) Slack, who came to LaGrange County in 1852. They settled first in Johnson Township, then owned a farm in Van Buren Township and later the farm in Clay Township, now the property of Samuel Yoder. Isaac Slack and wife died there, the former May 29, 1890. William J. Slack was married Octo- ber 15, 1867, to Lucy P. Preston, who was born in Portage County, Ohio, October 27, 1848. Her parents were John and Fidelia (Waldo) Preston, who came to LaGrange County May 15, 1850. Wil- liam J. Slack and wife lived at LaGrange until 1877, and then moved to a farm in Clay Township. The father was accidentally killed on a bridge near La- Grange June 18, 1888. The mother of Charles W. Slack survived until December 28, 1916. They had the following children: Charles W .; Grace M., who married John F. Boesinger; Harry C., who mar- ried Clara A. Porter ; and Newton W., who married May Griffin, of North Yakima, Washington. The father was a republican in his political views. Both parents belonged to the Presbyterian Churth.

Charles W. Slack attended school for one term in the oldest schoolhouse at LaGrange, and after the family moved to the farm in Clay Township he at- tended the country schools. He has devoted him- self to agricultural pursuits all his life. In 1902 he bought his present well improved farm of thirty- one acres in Clay Township and established him- self there in September of that year. He carries on general farming and raises stock.

Mr. Slack was married on February 1, 1891, to Mary Smith, who was born in Crawford County, Ohio, February 1I, 1870, a daughter of John Fred- erick, and Caroline (Walter) Smith. The mother of Mrs. Slack was born at Alstadt, Germany, May 7, 1840, and died in De Kalb County, Indiana, March IO, 1888. The father was also born in Germany, No- vember 17, 1833, and came to the United States and settled in Crawford County, Ohio, later coming to Bloomfield Township, LaGrange County, where he died in 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Slack have three chil- dren, namely: Harley, Ora and Vivian M., the youngest of whom was born October 23, 1909. The eldest, Harley Slack, was born February 18, 1892. He completed the high school course and afterward entered Purdue University. He married Miss Mabel Gottschalk. Ora Slack, the second son, who has just been welcomed home from overseas military service in the World war, was born in September, 1893, and was graduated from the eighth grade in the public schools. On November 22, 1917, he an- swered the call to war service, went to Camp Custer and from there to Waco, Texas, for training, and on February 18, 1918, left for France with a contingent of the American Expeditionary Forces and landed at Brest March 4, 1918. He served as a member of Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth In- fantry, was transferred to Company I, One Hun- dred and Twenty-Eighth Infantry, took part in all the battles of his division with American bravery, but rejoiced to return home when the war was over, crossed the Atlantic on the George Washington and was safely landed in New York harbor May 5, 1919, and was honorably discharged at Camp Custer May 17, 1919. This young hero's name should appear on Indiana's roll of honor. He has resumed work at the carpenter trade as a finisher.

Mr. Slack is somewhat independent in his political views but usually votes the republican ticket. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the order of Maccabees.

CHARLES HENRY BANGS, of the Bangs homestead in Richland Township, DeKalb County, is a member

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of "The Edward Bangs Descendants," one of the colonial families which traces its lineage back to 1297, at which time the early English records show the crossing of the family from France to England. They lived there until their descendant, Edward Bangs, came to America to establish the new branch in 1623. The early church records of England in- dicate the same family tendency as shown in its history in America, that of following the learned professions. "The Edward Bangs Descendants" numbers among its members such celebrities as John Kendrick Bangs, Governor Eugene Foss, Pro- fessor Francis S. Bangs of Columbia University ; Congressmen Foss and Ireland, George D. Bangs, superintendent of the Pinkerton Detective Agency whose father, in the same capacity, planned and carried out the protection of Abraham Lincoln on that first momentous trip to Washington, together with many other notables in the professions. The American lineage in brief is as follows :

Edward Bangs, born in Chichester, England, 1591, died at Eastham, Massachusetts, 1678. He came to America in "Ye Goode Ship Anne" in July, 1623; settled at Plymouth and superintended the building of the first bark there; was made a freeman in 1633; settled at Eastham, Cape Cod, 1644; town treasurer, 1646-1665; selectman and deputy to Colony Court, 1652. Was married first to Lydia, daughter of Robert and Margaret Hickes, and sec- ond to Rebecca.

Jonathan, sea captain, second son of Edward, born 1640, married July 16, 1664, Mary Mayo. Seal of early ancestors used and still preserved.

Captain Samuel, fourth child of Captain Jonathan, born at Harwick, Massachusetts, July 12, 1680, died June II, 1750, married first January 13, 1703, Mary Hinckley, daughter of Samuel H. She died Jan- uary 7, 1741, at Harwick; married second Widow Mary Rider, April 1, 1742, leaving one son.

David Bangs, third child of Samuel, born March 29, 1709, at Harwick, married Eunice Stone, daugh- ter of Rev. Nathaniel Stone, son-in-law of Gov- ernor Thomas Hinckley. Moved to Wilmington, Windham County, Vermont, where he died in April, 1803, aged ninety-four years. His wife, born Sep- tember 23, 1721, went to see her sixteen sons enlist in the Revolutionary war. At death she was aged one hundred and four years and nine months.

Azariah Bangs, sixth child of David B., was born April 8, 1740.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 58

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