History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 96

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 96
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 96
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 96
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 96

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).

William B. Lawhead was six years old when his mother died and he grew up on the home farm in Jackson Township, acquired a common school educa- tion and remained with his father to the age of twenty-one. In April, 1894, he married Sarah McKinley, who was born in DeKalb County. They have three children: James G., who is a graduate of the Garrett High School and was with the American forces in France in 1918-19; Archie R., who is at home; and Orpha D., a graduate of the high school and for one year was a teacher.

The operations of Mr. Lawhead as a general farmer are conducted on his home place of 101 acres in Butler Township and forty acres in Jackson Township.

WALTER B. TINGLEY is one of the later comers to LaGrange County, where he has acquired a good farm and has shown a great deal of progressive enterprise in improving his own property and identi- fying himself with the welfare of his community in Greenfield Township.

Mr. Tingley was born in Mercer County, Ohio, October 15, 1876, a son of John B. and Martha (Baltzell) Tingley. His father died in 1901 and his mother in 1898. He spent his active life as a farmer in Mercer County, Ohio, and was a democrat in politics.

Walter B. Tingley, one of nine children, five of whom are still living, grew up on the home farm in Mercer County, and had a public school educa- tion, spending one year in the Rockford High School. Later he bought the old home place, and kept it until he sold to his brother-in-law, and on February I, IgII, bought a. farm of 145 acres in Greenfield Township of LaGrange County. In 1917 he sold forty-five acres of this, but still has a place sufficient

Orville Sterne Levouse.

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for his work and enterprise. He has improved the farm in many ways, and is a breeder of pure-bred Shropshire sheep. He is a democrat and member of the Methodist Church.

In 1898 Mr. Tingley married Miss Bessie Beving- ton, of Van Wert, Ohio. They have six children, named Mildred, Leona, Pauline, Carl, Catherine and Madge. Two of the daughters have become success- ful teachers. Mildred is a graduate of the high school at Howe, attended the Tri-State College at Angola and spent one year in the Indiana State University. She is an instructor in the Howe High School. Leona is also a graduate of the Howe High School, spent one year in the Indiana State Univer- sity, and is a teacher at Ontario.

JOHN A. CROXTON, prominent and widely known all over Steuben County as a banker, stock dealer and man of varied enterprise, was born at Angola September 11, 1874.

The Croxtons are an old and prominent family of this part of Indiana. His parents were William G. and Sarah (Carter) Croxton. William G. Croxton, who was born in Ohio in 1834, came to Steuben County in early days, and was a lawyer by profession. At one time he practiced in partnership with Joseph Woodhull. He and Orville Carver organized the Steuben County State Bank in 1889, and Mr. Croxton was its president until his death in 1903. He also acquired a large amount of land in the county. He was an Odd Fellow and liberal in his religious views. He married after coming to Steuben County. He had three sons: Mark, who died at the age of five years; Paul A., who died in 1905, at the age of thirty-six ; and John A.

John A. Croxton, who was five years old when his mother died, grew up at Angola, attended the high school and the Tri-State College, and at the age of eighteen began buying livestock. He was in that business continuously for twenty-five years. In the Spanish-American war he went with the Second Illinois Infantry in the capacity of a team- ster to Cuba. He was a farmer and livestock man, and still owns a large place adjoining the Fair Grounds. His father was one of the organizers of the Steuben County Agricultural Association. Mr. Croxton left the farm in 1902 and was engaged in the livestock business until 1918, since which date he has given much of his time to the buying of wool and hay. He is now president of the Steuben County State Bank, having succeded his brother Paul in that office in 1905.

Mr. Croxton is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner and a democrat in politics. He married Jennie A. Anderson in 1900. She was born in Steuben County, a daughter of John and Mary Anderson. Mr. Croxton is the father of five chil- dren, Mark E., Marion C., William Paul, Jack A. and Emily Ruth.

ORVILLE GOODALE STEVENS, a native of Steuben County, has been a partner in the Goodale Abstract Company of Angola since 1914.

He was born at Metz, October 29, 1883, son of Abraham and Florence Amelia Stevens. His father was born in Philadelphia, August 2, 1840, and his mother was born in Metz, Indiana, August 4, 1848. Orville Goodale Stevens finished his education in the Tri-State Normal College and completed his civil engineering course in the College of Engineering there in 1908. The following six years until 1914 he followed his profession, and was engaged in heavy construction and contracting in Portland, Oregon.

Mr. Stevens since 1916 has been president of the Board of Children's Guardians. He is treasurer of the Angola School Board, having filled that position since August, 1917.

FREMONT FOLCK. There are many advantages of living in one neighborhood continuously, and those who have centered their interests upon a community are more attached to it than if they had moved from one place to another, severing connections and uprooting ties of friendship and business co-opera- tion. The fertility of the soil of Steuben County, its desirable location with reference to transportation facilities, combined with the character of its people, seem to form a combination difficult of resistance, and the majority of its citizens have lived here the greater portion of their lives, and many of them are native sons of the county. One of these men who is recognized as a useful and competent aid in the development and preservation of the agricultural prominence of this section is Fremont Folck, a pros- perous farmer of Scott Township.

Fremont Folck was born on his present farm in section II, Scott Township, Steuben County, Indiana, February 13, 1863, a son of John K. Folck and grandson of Abram and Hannah Folck. John K. Folck was born in Pennsylvania, April 30, 1823, and when he was four years of age his parents brought him West as far as Knox County, Ohio, from whence removal was made a little later to Morrow County, Ohio, and there John K. Folck was reared. In 1841 he left Morrow County and made an ex- perimental trip to Steuben County, Indiana, travel- ing alone and on foot. Not being satisfied, he re- turned home, but in 1845 went back, and, selecting a tract of land, remained on it long enough to girdle the trees for future clearing. In 1847 he moved to Steuben County with his family and settled on land which is now a portion of section II, Scott Town- ship. His farm comprised 160 acres of land, and the brick schoolhouse of District No. I is on the southwest corner of the original entry.

In 1843 John K. Folck was married first to Mar- garet Valentine in Morrow County, Ohio, who was a native of Seneca County, Ohio, and she died in 1859, aged thirty-six years, leaving five daughters, all of whom married, they being as follows: Mrs. Sarah L. Weiss, Mrs. Hattie E. Myers, Mrs. Ann E. Dygert, Mrs. Mary A. Henry and Mrs. J. C. Fulmer. In 1860 John K. Folck was married to Mrs. Martha Rathburn, a daughter of Samuel Nichols, and they had one son, Fremont Folck. The second Mrs. Folck died in 1863, aged thirty-five years. The third marriage of John K. Folck occurred in 1870, when he was united with Mrs. Louise Headley, widow of Daniel Headley, an early settler of Steuben County. Mrs. Folck was always prominent in local affairs, and was very active in promoting the development of Scott Township in every respect. He served as as- sessor of the township for two terms, and was ap- praiser for one term under the old system. Prior to the organization of the republican party he was a strong abolitionist, but with the birth of the new party he accepted its principles and voted its ticket the remainder of his life, he being spared until 1907. When he came to Scott Township . his land was covered with timber, and he cleared this off with his own hands and made his farm one of the best in the township. While not a member of any church, as he was very liberal in his religious views, he took part in forwarding all good work, and was a man of high moral rectitude. It was his boast that he never used either tobacco or intoxicants in any form, and to this in part he attributed his long life and mental and physical activity. He was a man who possessed the broader sense of responsibility which made him feel it incumbent upon him to so order his life as to set an example for those weaker than he, and few men were held in such high respect by all who had the honor of his acquaintance.

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Fremont Folck attended the schools of Scott Township and learned farming under his father's efficient direction. After attaining to his majority he began farming the homestead, and has con- ducted it on his own account for thirty-six years. All of the modern improvements on the farm have been made by him, and it is now an exceedingly valuable property. In 1906 he built a large barn on modern principles, and his other buildings are equally suitable for the purposes for which they are used. He carries on general farming and stock raising, specializing on breeding blooded O. I. S. Chester-White hogs and Shropshire sheep.

On April 5, 1887, Mr. Folck was united in mar- riage with Rebecca Kuffman, a daughter of John and Mary Kuffman, and they have the following children : Dorsey, who married Mildred Gundrahin, Ford and John K. Mr. Folck is a charter member of Fremont Lodge, Knights of Pythias. Like his father he has rendered efficient service as a public official, having been assessor of Scott Township for four years and commissioner of Steuben County from 1905 to 1911. Mr. Folck has devoted himself to mastering one line of business, and his success proves that it is desirable to have a definite aim in life and press forward toward that goal.

ORVILLE GOODALE, one of the most prominent and widely known citizens of Steuben Township, was born in York Township of that county, March II, 1846, a son of Burdett B. and Mary Ann ( Macart- ney) Goodale. His father was born near Wethers- field, Connecticut, in 1817, and his mother in 1821 at New York City. The paternal grandfather was Joseph Goodale, who moved from Connecticut to the Western Reserve of Ohio and in 1843 settled in Steuben County in Richland Township. His chil- dren were Burdett, Dewitt, Gera, Juliette, Emily and John, all now deceased.

Burdett Goodale was educated in Ohio and first came to Steuben County about 1837, but did not make permanent settlement until 1842, when he located on a farm in York Township. He was a carpenter as well as a farmer and also a local min- ister of the Christian Church. In politics he was a whig and free soiler, and his death occurred in June, 1855, before the organization of the republi- can party. He and his wife had the following chil- dren : Albert, who became a Union soldier in 1861 and was killed at the battle of Chickamauga; Charles W., a physician who served in the Civil war and spent his last years in Steuben County; Orville; and Florence Amelia, wife of Abraham Stevens.

Orville Goodale acquired his early education in the public schools of York Township, attended Hills- dale College of Michigan, and was also a student at Angola, and for about twelve years taught, being connected with the select and public schools at Metz. He completed his education in Hiram College of Ohio. In the intervals of teaching he spent his sum- mers in farming. In 1878, at the age of thirty-two, he was elected clerk of courts of Steuben County and reëlected in 1882, filling that office for eight years. During his official term he also looked after his farming interests. In 1893 he bought a half interest in an abstract office which had been established by his uncle, Francis Macartney. It was continued as the Goodale Abstract Office, and Mr. Goodale was associated in partnership with his nephew, Burdett B. Goodale, for four years, this nephew having bought the interests of Francis Macartney. Mr. Goodale later sold his interests to his niece, Miss Callie Brandeberry. Mr. Goodale now owns a farm of sixty acres near Lake James, where he spends his summers, and has a good town home in Angola.

He is an independent republican in politics, served as a member of the City Council of Angola six years, and for a long time was secretary of the Steuben County Agricultural Association. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church.

October 3, 1867, he married Miss Mary Fast, who was born in Steuben County in 1850, a daughter of Christian and Henrietta (Soule) Fast. Her people were pioneer settlers of Steuben County. Mr. and Mrs. Goodale have four children : Winifred, a graduate in literature and music from the Tri-State Normal College at Angola, is the wife of Rev. B. S. Ferrall, a prominent minister of the Christian Church, who has had one pastorate at Buffalo, New York, for eighteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Ferrall have a daughter, Mary, who is married and has a daughter, Ellen. Albert W. Goodale, a physician at Orland, Indiana, married Eva Morse. Mamie is the widow of Byron Allison, deceased, and has a daughter, Byrona. Ralph H., the youngest child, is professor of English at Hiram College, Ohio. He married Hazel Litchfield and has a son, Edmund Elliott.

ALBERT W. GOODALE, M. D. A busy and successful physician who has made an enviable reputation pro- fessionally and as a good citizen at Orland, Dr. Goodale is a native of Steuben County, a son of Orville Goodale. Further reference to this well known family is made in preceding sketch.

Dr. Goodale was born in Pleasant Township, a half mile north of Crooked Lake, and when about five years old the family moved to Angola, where he acquired his literary education. He was in the public schools and high school, also the Tri-State Normal College, graduating in 1896, and he took his medical degree from the University of Buffalo in 1907. He spent one year as interne in a hospital at Detroit and did his first professional work in Salem Center. He was there one year and on Jan- uary I, 1910, began his practice at Orland. He is a member of the County, State and American Medical Associations and in politics is a republican.

November 9, 1899, he married Miss Morse, a daughter of Frank and Nellie (Nordly) Morse, of Angola. They have an adopted daughter, Hannah Winifred, now five years old. Dr. Goodale is af- filiated with Orland Lodge No. 225, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Orland Chapter of the Royal Arch.

DAVID T. OBER is a member of an old and well known family of DeKalb County, and he owns seventy-five acres in section 17 of Butler Township, most of which has been owned by and under the management of the Ober family for half a century.

Mr. Ober was born in Bedford County, Pennsyl- vania, June 10, 1864, a son of Levi S. and Elizabeth (Teeter) Ober. His parents came from Bedford County, Pennsylvania, to Indiana in 1866 and spent the rest of their lives in section 17 of Butler Town- ship. Both parents were members of the Church of the Brethren or Dunkard. The record of this family, including that of the eight children of Levi Ober and wife, is given in more detail on other pages.

David T. Ober was about two years old when brought to DeKalb County, and he grew up on the home farm and acquired an education in the district schools. He remained at home with his parents until he was past thirty-three years of age, and in that time he bore a large part of the responsibility in managing the fields and crops of his father. On July 4, 1897, he married Miss Sadie Pepple. She was born in Swan Township, Noble County, In- diana, November 29, 1875. She had a high school

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education and for several years was a successful teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Ober have three children: Manford, born in February, 1900, who is a graduate of the common schools; Jesse E., born July 29, 1903, now in the second year of the Garrett High School; and Mary E., born August 16, 1905, who has com- pleted the grade school work.

Mr. Ober and family are members of the Church of the Brethren and he is one of its trustees and deacons. Politically he is a republican. Aside from his interests as a farmer he is a stockholder in the Garrett elevator and the Fort Wayne Tire and Rubber Company.

FLEMING BARR. One of the oldest families estab- lished in LaGrange County is that of Barr, and one of its present representatives is Mr. Fleming Barr, of Greenfield Township.

Mr. Barr, whose activities for many long years have identified him with farming, was born on his father's homestead in Greenfield Township, near Scripture School House, August 26, 1852. He is a son of John and Matilda (Elya) Barr. His paternal grandparents, Amos and Vereba (Bloxton) Barr, in 1829 came to LaGrange County, Indiana, and after spending the winter at White Pigeon, Michigan, located in Greenfield Township and entered land now contained in the Hopkins farm. Amos Barr acquired a large amount of land and at his death owned 160 acres in Salem Township of Steuben County, besides his homestead property. His chil- dren were Naomi, Jane, Mary, Elizabeth, Nancy, Amos, Rhoda, John and Margaret.

John Barr was born in Ohio in 1826, and was three years old when brought to Indiana. He grew up on the old homestead and married Matilda Elya, who was born at Batavia, New York, December 25, 1825, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Green) Elya. The Elya family came to Springfield Township of LaGrange County in 1847. David Elya at that time bought forty acres, later another forty acres, and he spent his last years in Springfield Township. His children were Mary Matilda and Julia, twins; Nancy and Bruce. John Barr received a good education, attending the LaGrange County Collegiate Institute. He inherited a part of the homestead and traded land with his sister, Mrs. Mary Ewing, who later became the wife of Fleming Hopkins. At the time of his death in 1883 John Barr owned 220 acres. He had lived retired for several years, for about one year at Sturgis, Michigan, and then in LaGrange. His death, however, occurred on the old farm. His widow spent her last years with her daughter Libbie Anderson at Sturgis, Michigan, where she died in 1914. The father was a republican in politics and a member of the Masonic Order. His children were three in number : Julia Ann, wife of Charles Miller, of Greenfield Township; Fleming, and Libbie, wife of Milton Anderson.

Fleming Barr grew up on the home farm, attended the public schools and the Orland Academy, and for eight winters was a teacher. Since early manhood he has been engaged in farming and in 1879 he bought forty acres and also owned forty acres of the old homestead. His present place comprises 100 acres, and he has remodeled the house and placed many other improvements. He is a repub- lican and served as trustee of Greenfield Township six years and for five years filled the office of assessor. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Mongo. He was also road super- visor nine years.

On September 1, 1878, he married Miss Ella Fre- leigh. She was born in Springfield Township, near Mongo, January 5, 1859, a daughter of John Frank- lin and Susan Ann (Shepardson) Freleigh. Her

mother was a daughter of Otis and Susan (Gibbs) Shepardson. Jolin Franklin Freleigh was born in Ontario County, New York, in 1829, and in 1836 went with his parents to Sandusky County, Ohio, and in 1845 settled in Scott Township of Steuben County, Indiana. Later he located in LaGrange County, where he married. He died December 5, 1890, and his widow December 8, 1900. They were the parents of five children: Eva Jane, Ida May, Ella, Arthur Pliney and Frank Leander.

Mr. and Mrs. Barr were the parents of five chil- dren. Lillie May, the oldest, was born April 1, 1879, and is the wife of Milo H. Weaver. Her daughter, Irma Mildred, is the wife of Jeremiah Allen Wilber. Estella, the second of the family, was born Novem- ber 19, 1880, and died September 8, 1881. Alma Veda was born April 16, 1882, and was first married to Samuel Lint, by whom she had one child, Cleola Margaret, and after the death of her first husband she became the wife of Archie Roberts on Septem- ber 2, 1916, and by that marriage has a daughter, Eileen. John, born July 24, 1883, died June 7, 1884. The youngest of the family is Frank Arthur Barr, who was born April 21, 1885, is a graduate of the LaGrange High School and the Tri-State College, and for two years was principal of the Brighton High School. He began teaching at the age of ei,,hteen and has also been a farmer. He owns a place of forty acres. He married Hulda Wilber. Their children are Ralph Wilber, Leona May, Mil- dred Margaret, who died in infancy, and Harold.

EPHRAIM C. LANTZ is at once one of the busiest men and also one of those with the largest number of active business interests in the Topeka com- munity. While he lives on his farm a half mile south of that village in Eden Township, he spends much of his time in Topeka, where he is president of the leading bank and an extensive dealer in live- stock.

Mr. Lantz was born in Elkhart Township of Noble County September 17, 1869, a son of Noah and Lydia E. (Yoder) Lantz. His father was born in Fairfield County and his mother in Wayne County, Ohio. The father came with his parents to Noble County, Indiana, when twelve years of age, the family locating in Elkhart Township, where the parents spent their last years. Lydia Yoder came to LaGrange County about 1868 with her husband after she was married in Wayne County, Ohio. They lived in Eden Townshin twelve vears and then moved to Perry Township of Noble County. Noah Lantz died in Elkhart Township of Noble County, and his widow spent her last years in Topeka. They were members of the Mennonite Church. Of their eight children one died in infancy and five are still living: Ephraim C .: Anna, wife of Sherman Reave ; Alva, of Topeka; Delta. unmarried and living at Topeka: Edith, wife of Ernest Yoder, a farmer in Eden Township.

Ephraim C. Lantz grew up on a farm and had a common school education. When he was twenty- one years of age he rented his father's place for several years. On November 6, 1802, he married Elizabeth Plank. She was born in Wayne County, Ohio, October 3, 1868. and met and married her husband while visiting in Indiana. For twelve years after his marriage Mr. Lantz was a tenant farmer, and has made his enviable prosperity from humble beginnings. He finally bought forty acres, and later eighty acres where he now lives, and is also owner of 100 acres in Elkhart Townshin. Noble County, and has 400 acres in Oklahoma. Mr. Lantz is pro- prietor of a feed store at Topeka, and huys and feeds hogs, marketing five or six carloads every year.

He and his wife have three daughters; Fern, a

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graduate of the Topeka High School, was well edu- cated in music and drawing and is now teacher of those arts in the Topeka schools; Ruby, a graduate of high school and the wife of Alvin Kempf, of Topeka; and Catherine, who was born in 1909. The family are members of the Mennonite Church in Maple Grove, and Mr. Lantz is a republican.

He was one of the active organizers of the Farm- ers State Bank at Topeka in 1917, and has been its first and only president. The other officers are: John W. Priest, vice president; Dane D. Secrist, cashier; and the directors are Mr. Lantz, John W. Priest, Dean McIntire, Myron F. Walters, Charles Hartzler, Leon Rose, Abe Mier and Isaac Rose, all well known and substantial citizens of LaGrange county.

EUGENE KELLEY has lived for more than three- quarters of a century, has had a life of great variety and altogether one of success in its many relations, was a soldier in many battles during the Civil war and has had the patriotic satisfaction of seeing sev- eral of his sons fighting for their country in recent years.

Mr. Kelley, who is now living retired at Steuben- ville, where he has served as postmaster for a num- ber of years, was born in Medina County, Ohio, No- vember 2, 1843. He was eighteen months old when his father, Stephen Kelley, lost his life by drowning. His mother's maiden name was May Pixley. She died in LaGrange, Indiana, in 1864. Eugene Kelley had an older sister Elizabeth. His mother married for her second husband William Johnson, and by that union had six children: Albert Nelson, Wil- lard, George, Emma, Adeline and Bird. Adeline was accidentally killed at Williamsport, Indiana.

Eugene Kelley first came to Steuben County when five years of age, while his mother was visiting. At that time Angola only had one store. He has been a permanent resident of the county since 1859. He lived with his mother to the age of fourteen, then went to work on a farm, and later found some employment at Pleasant Lake. From Pleasant Lake early in 1861 he went to Chicago and enlisted in Company G of the Forty-Second Illinois Infantry. He was with that regiment in all its active service, including twenty-five battles, and he participated in all of them except one. He was wounded at Mari- etta, Georgia, July 4, 1864. Captured, he spent a period of imprisonment in Libby prison and in other southern places of confinement.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 96

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