USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 78
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William A. Leech attended the public schools, thus acquiring a good education and upon taking up life's duties entered upon a farming career, in which he has been success- ful. He was a year and one-half old when he was brought by his parents to Whitley county and has spent practically his entire life on his present farm. In November, 1882, he was married to Leila Lavina Pence, born in Smith township September 15, 1858, and daughter of Absalom and Clara (Van Houten) Pence. Mr. and Mrs. Pence had six children : Northan W., deceased at twenty-five: Leila Lavina; Melda, deceased in infancy ; Jacob, a resident of Smith town- ship: Effie, deceased; one who died in in- fancy, unnamed. Mr. Pence died in 1875 and his wife is living with her son Jacob in Smith township. In 1894 Mr. Leech returned to the old homestead after an absence of about ten years, some five of which were spent in selling goods. This comprised one hundred and sixty acres, of which he now has sixty-
Daniel Zumbrun, a well known and re- spected farmer of Whitley county, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, May 16, 1843, and is the son of Henry and Julia ( Kinzie) Zumbrun. Henry Zumbrun was born in Maryland and resided in the state of his na- tivity until he became forty years of age. . He then located in Ohio and afterwards re- moved to Whitley county, at a time when wild game of all kinds was plentiful, and there bought a tract of land of one hundred and eighty acres of unimproved and heavily timbered land. By diligent and continuous toil and good management he reduced the greater part of his land to tillage and today it is considered one of the finest farms in the county and is now owned by his youngest son, John Zumbrun.
Daniel was a lad of ten years when he accompanied his parents to Whitley county. He passed his youthful years much the same as did the average farmer boy of the locality and period, having been reared to manhood on the old homestead in Thorn- creek township and having early begun to
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assist in its work. He continued to be associated in the work of the home place until he attained the age of twenty-one years, when he was united in marriage March, 1864, with Sarah Ott, who was born in Preble couny, Ohio, September 2, 1841, and is the daughter of George and Mary (Brown) Ott, natives of Ohio. George Ott came to Noble county. Indiana, in 1842 and settled on a tract of heavily timbered land, comprising one hundred and sixty acres which his father had purchased from the government and given him. Here he maintained his home dur- ing the remainder of his life, his death oc- curring September 9, 1887, and that of his wife October 28, 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Ott were the parents of ten children : Sarah : Mary Ann, wife of Thomas Young, of Noble county ; Matilda, widow of Nicholas Henry, resides in Ohio; Ellen married David King and lives in Noble county; Hetta, wife of ยท Jesse Lock, of Churubusco; Louisa Jane, wife of Christ Zumbrun, a resident of Smith township ; Daniel P. Ott, of Kosciusko coun- ty, but who remained on the old homestead while the parents lived: Olive, widow of Andrew Marker, living in Noble county ; Almeda, wife of Jacob Leamon, of Noble county ; and John Franklin, who died in in- fancy.
After Mr. Zumbrun was married he lo- cated in Noble county and rented a farm of John Ott for five years, when he pur- chased eighty acres directly across the road from his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Smith township. He is now the owner of a well improved farm of one hundred and eighty acres , part of which is under effective cultivation and on which are raised all the crops common to this latitude.
Mr. and Mrs. Zumbrun have had six chil- dren : Elom Harvey, who married Ida Crig- ger and has one child, Pearl; Saba Elmina, wife of Clarence Shively, has four children, Floyd, Stella, Jesse and William Henry ; Net- tie, wife of Noah Shively, has six living chil- dren, Lawrence, Essli, Lois, Murry, Ethel, Isa, and Martha, widow of Ira Claxton and has one child, Clyde; Caroline, wife of Wil- liam Brumbaugh, a resident of Smith town- ship, has three living children, Melvin, Lilia, and Hallie; Anna, wife of David McCoy, lives on a part of the Zumbrun farm. Both Mr. Zumbrun and his wife are members of the German Baptist church, and their active efforts in its behalf have been of material benefit. In his political views Mr. Zumbrun is a Republican and while deeply interested in all political and public matters, has never taken an active part. He is widely known and his upright character has gained for him the unqualified confidence of all.
ALBERT A. DEMONEY.
Albert A. Demoney, a prosperous farmer and popular citizen of Smith township, was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, March 29, 1833, and is the son of Samuel and Clarissa (Tripp) Demoney, the former of whom was of French extraction. He was a farmer by vocation and came to Richland county, Ohio, in 1846. He lived there and in Huron county for a period of about ten years, when in 1857 he removed to Scotland county. Missouri, and there his death oc- curred in July, 1885. Clarissa (Tripp) De- money was born and reared in Bradford
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county, Pennsylvania, and her death oc- curred in Kansas on March 1, 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Demoney were the parents of eight children: Albert A .; William E., a soldier in the Twenty-First Missouri Regiment, who was drowned in a hospital boat in Alabama during the war; Edward M., a resident of Adair county, Missouri; Catherine, widow of William Chartier, lives in Hope, Kansas ; John H., who is a farmer in Kansas ; Melvin F., deceased ; Hannah Ann, wife of William McMann and lives in Missouri, and Charles F., deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Demoney were zealous and active members of the Metlio- dist church.
Albert A. Demoney grew to manhood on his father's farm and attended the district schools until he became thirteen years of age. He remained at home until twenty-three. when he started out in life on his own ac- count and everything that he has enjoyed or possessed since that time has been acquired through his own efforts. March 4, 1856, he was united in marriage with Mary Donald- son, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, June 17, 1837, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah G. (Matthews) Donaldson. Joseph Donaldson was a native of Virginia and spent the latter part of his life in Allen coun- ty, Indiana, his death occurring there July 27, 1891. Almost the entire family of Donald- sons was killed by the Indians on the Sus- quehannah. one only escaping. who is the an- cestor of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Donald- son were married in Richland county. Ohio, and became the parents of seven children : Francina, deceased; John, who lives in Ohio: Mary; William, who owns a grocery and feed store ; Jemima, who died April 1, 1890; Levi, a Congregational minister at Medina,
Ohio; Emily, wife of W. S. Gandy. Mrs. Donaldson died November 1, 1897. She and her husband were both members of the Unit- ed Brethren church and in this work were active, helpful and influential. Mr. and Mrs. . Demoney have had five children : Joseph H., who married Elsie Roach and has two chil- dren : Mary C. and Blanche R. ; Elmer mar- ried Elizabeth Smith and has one child, Jessie; Rosa R., wife of David L. Pence, has three living children, Orval, Stella and Benjamin Franklin: Effie, wife of Cary Braddock, of Thorncreek township, has four children, Nellie. Elijah Yost, Albert A., Retta Fern, and John F., who died in in- fancy. After Mr. Demoney was married he lived on a farm in Ohio for about a year and a half, then in 1857 removed to Mis- souri and purchased eighty acres of land in Knox county, where he lived for three years. Owing to the unsettled condition of affairs in Missouri, he disposed of his land and moved back to Ohio, where he lived for two years or more, and came to Allen couny, Indiana, and in 1866 came to Whitley county. He pur- chased one hundred acres of heavily tim- bered land at ten dollars per acre and has cleared most of this himself. In place of the little log cabin which he built when he first be- came possessor of this land, he has erected an attractive ten-room house, modern in every sense. has built a large and substantial barn and other outbuildings and has fenced his land. thus dividing it into fields of conve- nient size. In his barn and pastures can be seen good grades of stock and his home has become one of the attractive features in this portion of the county. Mr. Demoney is a member of the United Brethren church, while his wife is a faithful member of the
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Methodist organization. Mr. Demoney is a member of the Republican party, keeps well informed on the issues of the day and is enabled to support his position by intelli- gent argument. In 1865 he enlisted in Com- pany C, One Hundred and Fifty-second Indiana Infantry, but saw no active service and was honorably discharged at Charles- town, Virginia, August 30, 1865.
GEORGE SHECKLER.
George Sheckler, a prosperous farmer and honored resident of Thorncreek town- ship, was born July 22. 1834, and is a son of John and Rachel (Pettit) Sheckler, the forni- er of whom was born in Huntingon county, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Hampshire county. Virginia. The paternal grandfather was Frederick Sheckler, a native of Pennsyl- vania, who spent his entire life on a farm and was also engaged in the distillery indus- try. The maternal grandmother was a na- tive of Germany and came from the old country at the age of fourteen years. John Sheckler's schooling was limited to one month's instruction and he was reared to the life of a farmer, which pursuit he. followed all his life. He walked from Pennsylvania to Crawford county. Ohio, where he took up a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he made a number of substantial improvements. He remained there two years. when he returned to Pennsylvania and later back to Ohio, where he died about 1859. Rachel Sheckler's death occurred about 1835. This union was blessed with eight children : Elizabeth. Catherine, David. Thomas, John, Christina, James and George.
George Sheckler remained under the pa- rental roof until he became twenty-six years of age. He received his education in the com- mon schools, the school house which he at- tended being a very old one, the seats or benches being made of split saplings and the chimney of small sticks. About 1858 Mr. Sheckler came to Whitley county and settled on his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres, only four acres of which was cleared at the time of its purchase. By his continued efforts he soon made of this one of the most attractive and highly productive farms of the neighborhood. Year by year he prospered as his stock and crops were sold, until he was thus able to invest more and more largely in land and was at one time the owner of two hundred and sixty acres. He disposed of a portion of this. however, and at present owns the original one hundred and sixty acres which he pur- chased of his brother.
On September 14, 1865. Mr. Sheckler was united in marriage to Sarah, daughter of Matthew and Hannah (Rutman) Allbons, and to them were born five children: Cath- erine, wife of Jess Kiler, of Oak Grove ; Orin. now operating the home farm: Izora, wife of Sherman LaDow, of Crawford county, Ohio: Florence, wife of William Snyder. a lumber manufacturer of Butler county. Mis- souri, and Roscoe, a music teacher at Fort Wayne, Indiana.
July 15. 1861, Mr. Sheckler enlisted in Company E. Thirty-Fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry for three years and served in West Virginia and in the Army of the Upper Potomac. His brother David, who served in the same command, was discharged and became Captain of Company I. First Ohio Militia. James served in Sherman's
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brigade, re-enlisting toward the close of the war, and was among the last of the soldiers to be discharged.
Himself and family are members of Thorncreek Bapist church, of which body the former is treasurer and he has also served as school director. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Republican party. Mr. Sheckler has a large circle of warm friends and is well liked by all who know him .
GEORGE JUDD.
George Judd, a capable farmer of Thorn- creek township, was born in Adams county, Indiana, February 7. 1843. and is the son of John and Anna Louisa Jane (Double) Judd. the former of whom was a native of Virginia and the latter of Pennsylvania. They were married in Stark county, Ohio, in 1838, moved to Preble township. Adams county, Indiana, where he lived for a period of fifty years, his death occurring May 15. 1892, surviving his wife just five years, her death occurring May 15, 1887, and at the same hour of the day. At the time he and his wife moved to Adams county the region was in a wild state and unimproved. The forests abounded in wolves and many nights they were compelled to build a fire in order to save themselves from the jaws of these vicious animals. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Judd were born ten children : William and Elmer, deceased: George: Hesekiah, who lives in Wells county: Isabella, deceased; Isaac, a farmer of Whitley county: Jacob, deceased ; Daniel, deceased ; Mary, the wife of Samuel
Kinsey, who resides in Adams county ; and Franklin, who resides on the old homestead in Adams county. Mr. and Mrs. Judd were members of the Presbyterian church and at all times deeply interested in its welfare.
George Judd received a good practical education in the district schools and was reared to agricultural pursuits. He worked in the fields during the summer months and in winter attended school. He spent one summer with John Orr in Thorncreek town- ship and here met the girl to whom he was married. January 4. 1866. he married Catherine Miller, a native of Whitley coun- ty, Indiana, and a daughter of Solomon. Miller, of whom mention is made elsewhere. Mr. Judd then returned to Wells county. where he owned and operated a productive farm for a period of thirteen years. Hav- ing disposed of this farm he in 1882 pur. chased his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres four and one-half miles north- west of Columbia City. It is the old Samuel Miller homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Judd have had six children: Anna; Vernie, widow of George Sheckler, has two children, Vernie and Esther: Mary Malinda, wife of Jacob Erne, a resident of Columbia City, who has eight children, Raymond. Vida, Oresta, Wal- ter, Eldra, Harlow, Dewey August and Mary: Sarah died in childhood; George F. married Martha Engle and they are the par- ents of four living children. Alice. Ralph. Harold and Florence Catherine: Solomon married Myrtle Keiser and lives on the old homestead with his father: Sarepta Ellen died November 4, 1906, having remained with her parents. In politics Mr. Judd was a Democrat, while in religion he and his wife are members of the Thorn Creek Baptist
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church. Mr. Judd has served as supervisor for three years and has ever taken a deep interest in all public movements having for their object the benefit of the country. He is a quiet, unassuming man, a good neigh- bor. a reliable citizen and one who is held in the highest esteem by all who know him.
JACOB PAULUS.
Jacob Paulus, a well known farmer and ex-county commissioner of Whitley county, was born in Preble county, Ohio, January 17, 1839, and is the son of Simeon and Barbara (Gephart) Paulus. His grandfather was Abraham Paulus, who came to Preble county, Ohio, in an early day and lived there all his life. Simeon Paulus was a native of Maryland and came to Whitley county about 1860, locating in Smith township. Here he remained for some time, but sub- sequently removed to Iowa and afterwards came back to St. Joseph county, Indiana, where he resided until his death, which oc- curred at the age of seventy-seven, being survived some years by his wife. They were the parents of eleven children : John. deceased: Christina, the wife of Ira Kelt- ner, a resident of Iowa ; Abraham, deceased : Mariah, the widow of Joshua Aller, a resi- dent of Ohio; Jacob; Daniel, a farmer of Noble county: Catherine, wife of Joseph Haas, of St. Joseph county, Indiana; Jo- seph, deceased ; Peter, a resident of Colum- bia City; Margaret Ann, who died in in- fancy ; Emeline, the wife of John Wallace, a resident of St. Joseph county.
Jacob Paulus received a good education
in the district schools and spent his boyhood and youth on his father's farm in the county of his nativity. At the age of twenty-one he began to work out as a farm hand, but at the same time performed his full share of the labors on the homestead, In 1869 Mr. Paulus was united in marriage with Anna Lavering, born in Hancock county, Ohio, July 23, 1847, and a daughter of Harvey R. and Rebecca (Dye) Lavering, both na- tives of Ohio. They came to Indiana early in the fifties when the country was a wilder- ness and settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. Paulus. Mr. Lavering and family settled on the farm and here spent their lives, he surviving his wife several years, being nearly seventy at his death. Their six chil- dren to reach maturity were: Charles D., now of Kansas; Anna; Morgan, of Colo- rado; Lucretia, wife of Isaac Hively, lives in Thorncreek; Mazie, wife of John S. Iler, of Thorncreek ; and John, a resident of Col- rado Springs. Mr. Paulus and wife were the parents of nine children: Lavina, wife of S. S. Fogle; Harvey, deceased at eight- een ; Allie, widow of George Claybaugh; Joseph, married Emma Cake, operates the homestead and has one child, Velma : Clara resides in South Bend; Ira in the state of Washington : Mazie died in childhood; Gro- ver resides at Columbia City; Arvilla died in childhood. The mother was summoned to eternal rest on July 15, 1898. Jacob spent some time in the sawmill business, but has de- voted the greater portion of his life to farm- ing. He is a man of good business judg- ment and indefatigable energy and is de- serving of the success which has accompa- nied his efforts. About twenty years since he secured the Lavering homestead of one
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hundred and twenty acres, his wife's father is a resident of Columbia City, and has two spending his latter years with him. Mr. Paulus lends his support to the Democratic party and in religion is a devout member of the Methodist church, as was his wife dur- ing her lifetime. . In 1896 Mr. Paulus was elected to the office of county commissioner, which position he held capably for three years.
ISAAC JUDD.
Isaac Judd, an industrious and progres- sive farmer of Thorncreek township, was born in Adams county, December 16, 1848, and is the son of John and Anna Mariah (Double) Judd. Isaac received a good edu- cation in the district schools of the neighbor- hood and learned under his father's instruc- tions the secrets of successful husbandry and his efforts have been exerted along this line during the subsequent years. At the age of twenty-three he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Jane Miller, who was born in Whitley county October 17, 1849, and is the daughter of Solomon and Malinda (Aus- paugh) Miller. Mr. Judd worked two years at the carpenter's trade and then purchased sixty-five acres of unimproved land, the only building on it being an old log cabin which was used for a voting place. Mr. Judd at once began to clear the land and put it in a state of cultivation and in 1884 erected a neat seven-room house, a large and substan- tial barn and other accessories which go to make up a complete set of farin buildings. Mr. Judd and wife have had five children : John W., a railroad employe at Fort Wayne ; William, who married Miss Laura Egolf,
children, Hilda Myrtle and Opal ; Elsie May, wife of Otto Arthur Sutton, a railroad man at Garrett, has three children, Arlington, Harlin and Ralph Arthur; Clarence is working out as a farm hand ; and Solomon Franklin died at the age of two years. Mr. Judd is a Dem- ocrat and takes an active interest in all pub- lic questions affecting the local welfare. He and his wife are well and favorably known and their family is one of he most highly re- spected in the community.
W. H. CARTER.
A few biographical details of W. H. Carter cannot fail to prove of interest to many and any history of the county would be deficient that failed to include them. Mr. Carter was born at Massillon, Ohio, Octo- ber 15, 1856, his parents being of English birth. His father having died in 1864 at Cleveland, the widow came to Indiana with her parents and two sons and located near Churubusco. W. H. Carter, eldest of the children, attended the district schools until fourteen, put in a term at the Ligonier graded school and in 1873 secured work with J. L. Isherwood in a general store at Churubusco. When this firm sold in 1887. he took a position with G. W. Maxwell & Co., and later with Jontz, Lancaster & Co. Being appointed postmaster in 1873 lie at- tended to the office aided by a competent as- sistant, but also found time to act as sales- man for S. F. Ort & Bro. Mr. Carter per- formed his double duties so well as to give general satisfaction to all concerned, making
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a most efficient postmaster. During this period he was active in many ways and con- tributed much to the advancement of the town. Prominent in Democratic politics, his party early recognized him as a wise counselor and leader. He served four years as precinct committeeman, five years as town committeeman and was town councilman for four years, resigning in 1893 before his last term had expired. Some of the town's most substantial improvements are due to Mr. Car- ter's work and influence while a member of the board. Included in these was the ordi- nance to pave streets which was secured after violent opposition .. Having done well in the local arena there was a call for him to go up higher, resulting in his nomination as candidate for county auditor on the Dem- ocratic ticket in 1898. His party backed him loyally, the newspapers of his own and neighboring counties were unusually enthu- siastic in his behalf and the result was his triumphant election. He served with entire acceptability for four years, retiring Janu- ary 1, 1903. During his term the county reform law was put into operation and he cast the tie vote that selected G. H. Tapy as county superintendent. June 1. 1903. Mr. Carter purchased the drug stock of E. J. Mowey in Columbia City and in less than four years has made a brilliant success in his new undertaking. Though experienced in general merchandising the druggist trade was out of his line, but by diligent study of the details, good natural business judgment and close application he has made the name of "Carter, the druggist" widely familiar. In fact his place opposite the Masonic temple has become a feature of Columbia City and a popular resort for all classes of people.
The results set forth above are very credit- able, when it is remembered that Mr. Carter came to the county when only nine years old and since his eleventh year has made his way in the world without a dollar of financial help.
In 1886 Mr. Carter was married at Woos- ter, Ohio, to Miss A. M. Eckenroth, by whom he has three children : Arthur B. is a phar- macist, graduating from Purdue University in March, 1906, as the youngest member of a class of thirty-three. In the examination before the state board for a license he passed with a general average of ninety-four per cent., being the highest out of the seventy- two applicants, and that when less than nine- teen years old; Misses Martha and Anna are pupils in the Columbia City high school. Mrs. Carter is a highly educated lady as well as possessing excellent business qualifica- tions. A graduate of the Wooster, Ohio, University, she taught school for some time at Churubusco and while her husband was postmaster acted as his "right hand man" in conducting the affairs of office.
MILO HARSHBARGER.
The gentleman of whom the biographer writes in this connection is an Indianian by adoption, being like so many of the substan- tial citizens of Whitley county, a native of Ohio. His ancestors were among the early settlers of Pennsylvania, from which state his grandfather moved to Ohio and located in Summit county, where his parents, Lewis and Katherine (Mancer) Harshbarger, lived until 1856. Lewis Harshbarger was reared
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in the above named county and in early man- licod followed the undertaking business, but in the year indicated discontinued that call- ing and moving his family to Whitley coun- ty, Indiana, settled on a farm of sixty-six acres in Union township. Like all early comers his beginning in the new country was on a very modest scale, the only im- provements his land contained when he took possession being a rude log cabin and about six acres from which a part of the timber had been cut, but a second growth had sprung up in the meantime, which required almost as much work to remove as did the original. Mr. Harshbarger had a yoke of oxen, with which he broke ground and culti- vated the crops and during the winter months applied himself to the clearing of his farm, until within a few years the greater part of the original purchase was rendered tillable, in addition to which he bought other land until his holdings finally amouned to two hundred and forty-two acres, nearly all of which was reduced to cultivation during his lifetime. He was a man of great energy, did much to develop the township in which he resided and after a very active and useful life was called from the scenes of his earthly labors in the prime of his powers, dying in 1875, at the age of forty-seven years. His widow, who is still living on the old family homestead, has reached the age of seventy- five and is widely known and grealy es- teemed by her neighbors and friends. Mr. and Mrs. Harshbarger had a family of nine children, the oldest of whom is the subject of this sketch. The others are Emanuel ; Lavina, who first married Hiram Gradless, after whose death she became the wife of Chris Judd ; David died in boyhood ; Matilda.
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