USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 74
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command, by reason of the overwhelming force of the enemy surrounding it, was re- ported lost or captured. Cutting his way through the opposing force General Wilder succeeded in effecting his escape, this being one of the two hundred battles in which the brigade participated. Mr. Hartman was honorably discharged at Macon, Georgia, in August. 1865. and immediately resumed the peaceful pursuits of civil life as a tiller of the soil. In 1867 he moved to the farm in Columbia township, three miles southwest of Columbia City, on which he still lives and which. under his persevering toil and able management, has been cleared and brought to an advanced state of tillage, one hundred acres being under cultivation. the remaining sixty consisting of fine timber land and pas- turage. The original log cabin has been re- placed by a splendid modern residence and in place of the pole stable and rude sheds for live stock there are now a first-class barn and substantial outbuildings. The farm is well drained and in all that constitutes a representative agriculturist its owner may be reckoned among the most enterprising and progressive.
November 11, 1866, Mr. Hartman en- tered the marriage relation with Miss Anna Nolt, born September 9. 1843. in Whitley county, whose mother. Reginia Schrader, German by birth, died here in 1900, at the ripe old age of ninety years. The children are : William H. ; George A., died in child- hood ; Mary S. is the wife of Charles Schra- der : Cora married Byron Yohe: John Na- than: Olin: Katherine, wife of Edward Metz : Franklin ; Irven L. : Jennie is the wife of Harry Steele and Fannie at home.
Four of the sons. William, John. Nathan
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and Olin, each have a section of land in ters are deceased: Fanny, who married Cherry county, Nebraska, which they are holding as homesteads. Charles Schrader and Byron Yohe are farmers of Miner township. Edward Metz is a stenographer with the Capitol Rattan Company, In- dianapolis. Franklin is employed on drain- age work in Iowa. Irven L. is operating the home farm and Harry Steele is a carpenter in Orland township.
Mr. Hartman holds to the faith of the Church of God, in which he has been an elder much of the time during the past twenty years. His wife was born and reared a Mennonite and is still loyal to the teach- ings of that denomination.
Henry Eberhart, and died past seventy, and who had survived her husband eighteen years. Their son Jacob has her share of the Nolt estate; Mary married Jeston Honni- thore-both are deceased; his son William is on the old homestead : Leah married Wil- liam Lichtenwalter and died soon after mar- riage : he finally sold the farm and with a daughter lives in Illinois. Each daughter received one hundred and sixty acres or its value of the original purchase.
REV. DAVID A. WORKMAN.
Mrs. Hartman is daughter of Jonas and A preacher himself and a son of a preacher, a lifelong farmer, and descended from a generation of farmers, the above named gentleman is now enjoying repose at his well earned home in one of the best agri- cultural sections of this county. Though not a once numerous family, which included sev- eral sets of children, with the usual collateral relatives now all gone. His parents, Levi and Catherine (Hunter) Workman, were farmers in Ohio in the olden days of that ståte, but came to Kosciusko county, Indi- ana. in 1859, found a home on a small farm and there spent the remainder of their lives. They were devout members of the German Baptist church, in which denomination the father was a preacher for forty years, and was the elder in the Columbia City church at its organization and continued to serve this church for several years. Their children, eight in number, were George, Norman. Isaac, Sanford, Eliza, David A., Lydia and Robinson, David being the only survivor. Regina (Schrader) Nolt, who came from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, to Whitley county in 1845, purchasing two thousand one hundred acres of land in The Beaver Re- serve, settling two miles south of Columbia City. He soon after built a saw mill and . as yet an old man, he is the only survivor of carding mill on the banks of Eel river, one mile from his house, placing his oldest son Jolin in charge, he devoting his attention to making a farm. He died in February, 1857, aged fifty-eight. His widow survived till past ninety. At the father's death two sons, Amos, aged twenty-one, and Emanuel, aged eight. died of the same disease, typhoid fever. John took charge of the farm, living on the old homestead during his life, dying at about forty. His widow still lives at the old homestead. Of six daughters there are living in 1907: Barbara, a widow of James Myers, who has part of the original pur- chase of his father; Lizzie, wife of Na- than Roberts, also farmer on same tract; and Anna, Mrs. Hartman. Three daugh-
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Mr. Workman later married Julia Secrist, by whom he had two children, Martha and Mary. His second wife dying, there was a third marriage to Sarah Andrews, who died without issue. David A. Workman, the sixth child, was born in Knox county, Ohio. September 4, 1848, and hence was about eleven years old when the parental emigra- tion to Indiana took place. He remained at home as a helper in the farm work until he had completed his twenty-fourth year, when he engaged in labor on his own account. In 1876 he was elected a minister of the Ger- man Baptist church and ordained by the el- ders of the church in the same year. His first regular charge was the church at Co- lumbia City and he has continued to serve that church most of the time since. He has done evangelistic work elsewhere, including various places in Ohio, as also in many coun- ties of Indiana. Himself and wife are the only resident survivors of the original mem- bers of the Columbia City church. He has generally attended as a delegate to the dis- trict conference. Failing health in 1900 compelled him to give up ministerial work. He owns a neat farm of forty acres in Thorncreek township, where he lives in prac- tical retirement. He is a man of intelli- gence, well informed on public questions, stanchly Republican in politics and regarded favorably by all his acquaintances.
September 8, 1872, Mr. Workman mar- ried Henrietta, daughter of Joseph and Charity (Bowman) Connell. of Stark county, Ohio. Her parents came to Indiana in the spring of 1865. first settling in Kosciusko county, but eight years later they came to Whitley county and located on a farm in Thorncreek township. The father died in
1894. but his widow is still living. Their eight children were Henrietta, Samantha, Levi. Rachel, Lemon, Harriet, William and May, of whom six are living. Mr. and Mrs. Workman have had seven children : Charity, deceased in young girlhood; Minetta, wife of Dr. L. A. Kenner: Ira, a railroad man, married Bertha Jackson and lives in Fort Wayne; Amos, who married Estella Shu- man and is a railroad employe; Homer is also with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Fort Wayne; Blanche, wife of Horton Bills, of Troy township; and Roy, deceased at thir- teen.
JAMES L. MALONEY.
An emigrant ship that came over in 1832 brought a bright Irish lad by the name of Patrick Maloney. He was the poorest of the poor but being ambitious was determined to make a success of life somewhere in the great republic. Making his way to Indiana, which was then an uninviting wilderness, Patrick joined the early pioneers in Whitley county and was one of the noble band that redeemed it from the wilderness. A few years after his arrival an Irish girl, by the name of Cath- erine Welsh, also became a resident of Indi- ana. They met and married and about 1836 settled on a tract of wild land in Smith town- ship, just north of Churubusco. Since then the name of Maloney has been a familiar one in this locality and none has enjoyed more general respect as a member of the pioneer army who made Whitley county. Patrick Maloney died when about fifty-five years old, but his widow long survived him, spending the last years of her life in Swan
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township, Noble county, where she passed away in the seventy-sixth year of her age. Patrick Maloney's children that attained ma- turity were Mary, wife of George Hull, and lives in Noble county ; Ellen married Wil- liam Kennedy and lives at Elwood, Indiana : John is a farmer of Eel River, Allen county ; James M. ; Patrick died at the age of twenty- five years: Nancy, deceased wife of John Wilkinson; Bridget married Edward Sum- mers and are both deceased. James L. Ma- loney, fourth of the seven children, was born on the paternal farm in Whitley county. October 9, 1846. As he grew up he helped in all the work incidental to pioneer farming, mastered the details and thus qualified him- self for his future responsibilities in the same line of business. In the course of time he became owner of this Smith township land. which now amounts to two hundred and thirty acres. the greater part of which is well improved. He is regarded as one of the model farmers and as he has spent all his life on his place just north of town, has ob- tained a wide acquaintance both with the older and younger generations. His long residence of over sixty years in his native township gives him rank as a charter mein- ber of the early pioneers and entitles him to a front seat in the meetings of old settlers. Though not an office-seeker. Mr. Maloney is not neglectful of public affairs and as a stanch Democrat may be relied on to assist whenever anything is on hand concerning the welfare of the community.
August 21. 1876. Mr. Maloney was mar- ried to Mary Ann. daughter of Philip and Julia (Cullen) Lynch, early settlers of Green township. Noble county. Mr. and Mrs. Ma- loney have nine living children: Edward.
on part of the homestead. his wife being Elizabeth Burns: Lawrence married Bessie Magers and is an electrician at Ouray. Colo- rado; Joseph; Patrick, a teacher in the Whitley county schools; Catherine was edu- cated at Sacred Heart Academy and is a teacher of music at the home: Julia. Lewis, Mary and Bernard are all at home. The family are members of the Immaculate Con- ception Roman Catholic church and are much esteemed as they are good friends. good citizens and good neighbors.
JOHN M. SMITH.
Among the emigrants from the Rhine Baier, Germany, who settled in Ohio in 1843 were Henry and Catherine (Lepley) Smith. They located in Tuscarawas county and lived there many years, but in 1856 re- moved to Whitley county and took posses- sion of a farm in Smith township three miles south of Cherubusco. Eventually finding old age pressing on, the father located in Churubusco and lived in retirement until his career was closed by death. when about eighty-five years old. His widow died in Union township in her eighty-ninth year. Six of their children reached maturity : Cath- erine, widow of James Roach, of Union township; William, of Middlebury, Indiana : Henry, in Union township; John M. ; Philip, of Richmond, Indiana, a lumber dealer, and Adam J. Smith, of Decatur, Indiana, also a lumberman. John M. Smithi was the fourth in age. He was born in Tuscarawas county. Ohio, March 18, 1848, and thus was eight years old when his parents reached their
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new home in Indiana. He grew up on the Smith township farm, and after completing his twenty-first year began working out by the montli with farmers of the neighbor- hood. Too ambitious to continue this line. he rented his father's farm when twenty-four years old and managed it in his own interest until 1876. At that time he removed to Ar- cola and put in three years at hauling saw- logs for the neighboring mills. In 1879 he returned to his father's farm, took charge as before and conducted it for four years and then purchased a place in Union township. where he made his home until December, 1904, when he decided to retire from active business. Taking up his residence at Churu- busco, he has since been one of the respected citizens of that place, esteemed for his probity and kindly disposition. Mr. Smith is a Democrat in politics and though not seek- ing office for himself, keeps posted on public questions, especially those of a local nature, and may be counted on to lend a hand when questions are being considered for the ad- vancement of the public welfare. His farm in Union township consists of one hundred and seventy-two acres, has been well culti- vated for years and is regarded as valuable and productive property.
May 23, 1878, Mr. Smith was married at Arcola to Tillie A. Binkley, daughter of Ohio pioneers. Her parents, Abraham and Leah (Emley) Binkley, came from Stark county, Ohio, in 1864 and were long resi- dents of Allen county, but in 1897 removed to Whitley county. The father died at Chur- ubusco in his eighty-sixth year and the mother passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Chauncey Wigent, in Union township, after reaching her seventy-sixtlı
year. Of their five children, Mrs. Smith was the fourth, her birth occurring in Stark county, Ohio, March 19, 1855. Allie, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, is the wife of Samuel De Poy and resides in Co- lumbia City. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
MARTIN KOCHER.
Though Germany has contributed many valuable citizens to the United States, it is doubtful whether any of them stand better in their respective communities than this popular boot and shoe man of Churubusco. He has the German geniality, the German energy and thrift and pretty much all the good qualities that have made that nation- ality famous throughout the world. Louis and Mary Kocher were poor but respected citizens of Alsace and there spent all the years of their lives. They had a large family of children, of whom Martin Kocher was the seventh. He was born in Alsace, Ger- many, then France. July 4, 1853, and grew up in his native land, where he obtained a fair education and learned the trade of shoe- making. Like many another he looked long- ingly across the waters to the great republic and finally decided to cast his lot with the people of this nation. It was in 1872 that he enrolled his name on the passenger list of one of the steamships plying between Germany and America, and made the trip without accident or mishap. On arrival at Castle Garden he bought passage to Buffalo and spent three years in that city in diligent prosecution of his trade. In 1876. he went
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to Ohio, but after spending a year there de- cided to push farther west in search of an advantageous situation. It was late in 1877 that Mr. Kocher found himself in the coun- ty seat of Whitley county. and he lost no time in resuming work at his bench. Being favorably impressed with Churubusco as of- fering an opening in his line. Mr. Kocher came there in 1878 and opened up in the boot and shoe business. He has prospered and has something to show as the result of his twenty-eight years' residence in the town of his adoption. Above all, he has many friends, has gained the good will of the com- munity and is regarded as a safe and reliable citizen. Being a friend of education and in- terested in the welfare of the young, he ac- cepted and now holds the position of school trustee.
In August, 1880, Mr. Kocher was mar- ried to Laura D. Shoemaker, who was born in Ohio but reared in Indiana. Her parents. Henry H. and Matilda Shoemaker, became early settlers in Noble county Mr. and Mrs. Kocher have four children: Louis H .. a partner with his father; Frank A., a shoe clerk in Indianapolis; Wilma A. and Mary. Mr. Kocher is a Democrat. He is interested in farming, having one hundred and twenty acres in Smith township.
OVIN BOGGS.
It was in 1846 that William Boggs came in from the east and settled on a farm in Smith township, where he entered upon the hard work of clearing and improvement. In Pennsylvania he had married Susanna
Moore, but on the 9th of November, of the same year that witnessed his arrival, he died at the comparatively early age of fifty-two. His widow after surviving him forty-seven years, passed away on the originally settled farm. February 13, 1893. when nearly sev- enty years old. This pioneer couple had teu children, the third being Ovin Boggs, who was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. November 2, 1829. He was seventeen years old when he first came to Whitley county and has been a resident of it for over sixty years. During this time, however, he lived in Noble county for four years but all of his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. In 1902 he removed to Churubusco, where he is passing the evening of life in well earned ease. His farm in Smith township is rented, the income furnishing a competent support.
February 12, 1860, Mr. Boggs was mar- ried in Smith township to Maria Penn, who was born in Richland county, Ohio. Octo- ber 15. 1835. Her parents, John and Mary (Chamblin) Penn, had ten children, of whom Mrs. Boggs was the sixth in order of birth. She came to Whitley county when nineteen years old and has spent all the remainder of her days as one of its esteemed citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Boggs have had nine children, of whom six are living: Lawrence, Ella. El- mer, William, Eulalia and Francis. Two children died in infancy and one, Jesse, passed away when twenty-three years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Boggs are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and no couple in Churubusco have more friends or general re- spect than these two pioneers. Mr. Boggs is public spirited and allows nobody to get ahead of him in movements to benefit the community. He knows everybody and
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everybody knows him, and he is looked up to for advice and counsel by members of the rising generation.
JOHN A. BRYAN.
The family of this name originated in Ohio, where for many years they were farm- ers in Hancock county. Jacob Bryan there married Jennie Pickens, both finally ending their days on their farm in Hancock county. John A. Bryan, the second of their three children, was born in Hancock county, Ohio, August 16, 1850, and was reared there after the usual manner of farm boys of the pe- riod. As soon as he reached the legal age lie went into business for himself as a farmer and this occupation he followed in his na- tive county for over twenty years. In 1892 he came to Whitley county and purchased a farm in Smith township, which he cultivated for ten years with success. He sold this place and purchased a farm of one hundred acres in Noble county, after which in March. 1902. he located at Churubusco, where he has since lived a retired life.
July 24, 1873, Mr. Bryan was married in Hancock county, Ohio, to Miss Martha, daughter of George and Sophia (Sholty) Dice, who came to Whitley county about 1876, and she died in Smith township when fifty-eight years of age. He is now living retired at Garrett, Indiana. Mrs. Bryan was the second of her father's family of five children. Mr. and Mrs. Bryan had six chil- dren: Blanche B. is the wife of Newton McGuire, of Erie, Pennsylvania ; Linnie J. is married to Edward Miller, of Churnbus-
co; Lettie B. is the wife of Jesse Green- walt, also of Churubusco; Earl A. operates his father's farm; George E .. with the Strauss Real Estate Company, of Ligonier : and William S., a painter. The family are well known in their section of Whitley county and enjoy the regard of a wide cir- cle of friends. Mr. Bryan takes life easy after years of struggle to establish himself and finds the evening of life passing pleas- antly in his home at Churubusco. He is a Republican and formerly took quite a part in public matters. Mrs. Bryan is a member of the United Brethren church and Mr. Bryan is a Knight of Pythias.
LAVINA PENCE RICHEY.
Miles and Miranda (Woodrow) Richey who came from Pennsylvania to Whitley county in 1850, brought with them a son Lemuel, who was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, January 11, 1843. The father died on his farm in Smith town- ship, when eighty-six years old, being sur- vived by his widow four years. Abraham Pence had come to Whitley county in 1836, had here married Nancy Bucklew, and set- tled on a farm in Smith township, farming part of the section of land purchased by his father. where both ended their days. The father died in his seventy-eighth year. and his wife when about forty-four years old. This couple had eight children, the third of whom was Lavina Pence. She was born on the family homestead December 13. 1846. April 18, 1867, she was married to Lemuel Richey and thus the families of the two old
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
settlers were united. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Richey continued to reside in Smith township, pursuing the occupation of farming and improving a farm from the wilderness. With the exception of four years spent in Fort Wayne as fireman on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Mr. Richey was a permanent resident of Whitley county. He returned to Churubusco and engaged in the hardware business. but was compelled after more than twenty-five years to relinquish this on account of failing health, about five years before his death, which occurred, June 23. 1906. Mr. Richey was an energetic and use- ful man during his lifetime. He was elected township trustee and held that important of- fice for two terms and in addition to this served as a member of the school board of Churubusco at different times for several years. Mrs. Richey, who is a woman of un- usual business sense, owns the old homestead of one hundred and sixty-nine acres, three miles west of Churubusco, which is rented. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and takes an active interest in all af- fairs affecting its interests. Mr. Richey was a soldier with an excellent record. He en- listed in the Forty-fourth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but after serving a short time with this command was discharged on account of disability and soon after joined Company D. of the One Hundred and Twen- ty-ninth Indiana Regiment of Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war. That he made an excellent soldier is attested by the fact that a short time before the con- clusion of hostilities, Mr. Richey was com- missioned as captain of his company. He was for many years a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity. and in every way an estima-
ble man and citizen. Having no children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Richey took into their home and hearts May Dorsey at four years old and who has ever remained with her foster parents. She was married Decem- ber 3. 1903. to Laurence Jackson, who has operated Mrs. Richey's farm but is now giv- ing a general supervision of Mrs. Richey's financial interests, including business prop- erty in Churubusco. They have one child. Everett.
JAMES W. BURWELL.
This name has long been familiar in Whitley and adjoining counties by reason of an active career in business and connection with public affairs. The family was of Ohio origin, as Joseph Burwell, a soldier of the Mexican war, and a cooper by trade, spent there most of his forty-six years of life. His death occurred in 1863. when he was a resi- dent of Madison county, Ohio, and the widow found herself with five children to support. Deciding to seek a new location. Mrs. Burwell came to Whitley county in 1865. settling in Thorncreek township. where she eventually died when seventy years of age. James W. Burwell. third of her family of five, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio. December 13. 1847, and hence was seventeen years old when he became a resident of Whitley county. During the next seventeen years he was engaged in farming in Thorncreek township, but finally decided to abandon agriculture for commercial pursuits. Establishing a hardware business at Laud. he prosecuted this diligently for seven years. Later he reopened in the same line in Sidney.
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Kosciusko county, and remained there until 1901. After selling his store, Mr. Burwell went to South Whitley and formed a part- nership with M. H. Maston to conduct a hardware business, which was continued un- til 1906. In that year he joined with his son, Walter K., to purchase the hardware establishment of Welsheimer Brothers at Churubusco. Mr. Burwell has not only been an active business man, but usually took the lead in questions of public interest in the various localities where he has resided. While a citizen of Jefferson township and during his residence in Kosciusko county he was elected to the position of trustee and served six years. His standing in the com- munity is attested by the confidence thus re- posed in him. He holds membership in the Masonic fraternity.
September 21. 1871, Mr. Burwell mar- ried Miss Caroline C., daughter of William P. and Rachel Craft, who were old settlers of Whitley county. Mr. and Mrs. Burwell have five living children: Edna, wife of Calvin C. Miller ; Walter K., in partnership with his father; Cecil Blanche, a teacher in Kosciusko county; Geneva N., a graduate of the high school; and James B. Lester died at Sidney when fifteen years old.
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