USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 82
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heard from. His mother, Catherine, hav- ing died when he was five years old, he was reared by Moses Hopkins, of Ross county, later marrying Nancy Waugh, niece of his foster-parent, when quite young. Her father, Joseph Waugh, was an honorable citizen of Ross county, being a near relative of Bishop Waugh, of the Methodist church. His wife was Mary Hopkins, both of Scotch ancestry. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Compton settled in the woods in Smith township, and there both passed their lives, mak- ing a good farm of excellent soil. He died February I, 1903, in the ninety-first year of his age. The deed to his land was signed by President Jackson. She died October 4, 1884, aged sixty-four years. Mr. Compton was a Republican and had served as assessor and trustee of the township. He was all his life a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a class leader for years in Concord church. Of his ten children nine reached maturity and eight are still living, two only in Whitley county, Mrs. More and Almira J., wife of J. W. Smith, of Churu- busco county. Dr. Charles M. Compton, one of the sons, is in the employment of the United States government at Washington, Oklahoma. Ira N. Compton, another son, is postmaster at Hamlet, Indiana.
AMBROSE KIESTER.
Ambrose Kiester is a native Hoosier, be- ing born in Washington township, Noble county, January II, 1847, and is the son of Levi and Catharine (Crumley) Kiester, both
.
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natives of Pennsylvania, but married in Stark county, Ohio. In an early day they removed to Noble county, Indiana, and pur- chased school land. They were industrious farmers, soon accumulating a large amount of land and other property, which increased rapidly in value; and notwithstanding they had a large family of children, each received a good start in life on arriving at maturity, leaving the old home farm intact at the time of the father's death, which occurred Febru- ary 6, 1898, aged eighty years. The widow is still living at the age of eighty-five, her home being in Elkhart county with a daugh- ter. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church from an early day. Twelve children were born to them: John, living on part of the old homestead; Nancy Jane, deceased; Mary, a resident of Elkhart county; Emma, of Ligonier; Miles and Catherine, deceased; George, living in Cromwell; Charles, living in Mishawaka; Edward, living in Auburn; Ambrose, Gor- ham and Anna, deceased.
Ambrose Kiester grew to manhood on the home farm, receiving a common school education. His first purchase was of forty acres, on which he lived ten years and then traded it for his present farm in Troy town- ship. This consists of two hundred and forty acres eight miles northwest of Colum- bia City, with modern buildings and all the conveniences and improvements necessary for profitable and successful farming. Part of the home farm was entered by Jacob Scott under President Van Buren. He was a brother of Mrs. Kiester's mother. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Gray county, Kansas, and also residence property in Columbia City.
December 3, 1868, he was married to Mary Ellen, daughter of James and Jane (Scott) Blaine, born in Troy township, De- cember 2, 1849. Her parents were natives of Ohio and came to Indiana before mar- riage, she being a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Melvin) Scott. James Blain im- proved a farm from the woods. The widow is still living on the farm near Mr. Kiester's. James Blain died March 28, 1902. They had twelve children : La Fayette and John, deceased; Mary Ellen, Ida Ann, now Mrs. Iva Grant, of Columbia City ; Thomas, Mi- nerva and William, deceased; Frances, of Chicago; Roxey, living with her mother; Miles, deceased ; Melvin, ex-county treasur- er, living in Columbia City ; Della, living in Noble county.
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kiester: Perry B. and wife, Della (Grant) Kiester, live in Troy township and have seven children, Bessie, Herbert, Cecil, Carl, Ralph, Guy and De Witt; Arminda, wife of Glenwood Groves, living in Troy township, has four children, Gail, Pauline, John and Ella; Levi, with his wife, Nora (Bowlby) Kiester, live on his father's farm in Troy township and are the parents of three chil- dren, Blanch, Homer and Jackson Ambrose; James married Ethel Hyer and lives in In- dian Territory ; one died in infancy ; Maud, wife of William Strauss, lives in Columbia City; Ella Mary, wife of Clarence Malone, of Columbia City; Chloe, living at home; Flossie, died in infancy ; and Dwight A.
Mr. Kiester is a Democrat and member of Hecla Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Kiester is a member of the Presbyterian church. The family have many personal friends and are held in high esteem by all with whom they are acquainted.
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WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
GEORGE H. HERRICK.
George H. Herrick, a well known farmer of Troy township, was born at Scope Island, Noble county, Indiana, March 21, 1862, and is the son of William and Mahala (Jones) Herrick, the latter born in Ohio January 13. 1817, and the former born in Canada, June 21, 1810, coming to the United States when quite small and growing to manhood in the state of New York. He was the son of John Herrick, who died previous to the birth of his son. William learned the trade of shoemaker in New York, where he worked several years and conducted an extensive manufactory and store, and where he was married. Five children were the result of his first marriage : Harriet, Emily, Ella, Wil- liam and Jane : the only son, William, lost his life in the cause of his country. dying of star- vation in a rebel prison. The father removed from New York to Fort Wayne, where his wife died and where he married Mahala Jones, widow of James Robinson, and to this union four children were born : James, living at Elkhart : Sarah, living in Albion ; John, deceased in infancy : and George H. The par- ents lived some time in Fort Wayne, then in the state of Michigan. finally closing their lives at Wolf Lake, Noble county. the death of the husband occurring March 6, 1885, being followed by that of the wife on Sep- tember 2, of the same year. Both were mem- bers of the Free Will Baptist church, highly respected and devotedly religious. Formerly a Democrat he reared his first family in that faith, though events of the war caused him to change his views and to induce his second family to adhere to the Republican party. Her children by the former marriage
were : Mary, living in Decatur, Illinois ; Elizabeth, living in Albion, and Eliza, who died in childhood. Both families were reared together, no distinction being shown. George H. Herrick grew to manhood in Noble county, performing important duties on the farm, except for some nine years spent in Michigan, receiving the advantages of a com- mon school education. May 7, 1881, he was united in marriage to Alice J., daughter of Peter J. and Lorinda (Bodine) Surfus, who was born February 11. 1864, near Hunter- town, Allen county. Peter Surfus, the father of Mrs. Herrick, was born in Allen county. son of William and Sophia Surfus, while the mother was born in Fostoria, Ohio. They were married in Allen county. Indiana, spent four years in Iowa, then moved to Noble county. Indiana, then to Williams county, Ohio, finally in later years returning to Noble county, where the wife died December 20, 1887, aged fifty-two years, eight months and one day. The husband still lives in Noble county in the enjoyment of good health. He was a farmer and widely known as a saw mill and threshing machine opera- tor. They were the parents of six children : Eventus Leroy, an extensive farmer of Noble county : William D., residing at Wolf Lake, Noble county : Alice J. : Myrtle M., wife of H. M. Edsall, a government meat inspector at Washington City; Charles Eugene and Elizabeth Irene, twins dying in infancy. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Herrick : Irene May, wife of Millard Foster. a rural deliverer living in Thorncreek town- ship: Adelbert P .. married to Elizabeth Bates, a farmer of Union township, with one child. Alice Lester : Dollie C., wife of George LeRoy Kenner, of Columbia City; Georgia
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and Hazel Marie, living at home. Mr. Her- rick is a Republican in politics and his wife a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. The family is highly respected and comfortably situated. After marriage Mr. Herrick lived in Noble county till 1892, came to Union township and after various changes secured his present farm in 1904. This farm is six miles northwest of Columbia City and contains seventy-five acres, to which he de- votes his business life.
HERBERT B. CLUGSTON.
Herbert B. Clugston was born Novem- ber 18, 1876, at Larwill, Whitley county, being the youngest of the family of D. B. Clugston, of whom special mention is found on another page. In his twentieth year he became a partner in the mercantile house of Clugston Brothers & Co., with which he has since been identified. In his business relations he has achieved signal success and as a representative of the commercial inter- ests of the city is ever found advocating its progress and advancement.
Clugston Bros. & Co., more extended mention of whom is found elsewhere, is the largest and most extensively patronized mercantile establishment in Columbia City and in the extent of business done and stand- ing in the commercial world holds priority over many houses of much greater preten- si ns in metropoltian centers. The man- agers are men of sagacity, wide experience and keen insight, alive to the interests of their customers. The safe and conservative policy which they have heretofore pursued affording unmistakable assurance of the
large place in public esteem which the firm is destined to hold in years to come.
Mr. Clugston has been twice married. the first time to Miss Mabel Carter, whose death occurred in less than a year there- after. September 3, 1906, he was united with Miss Helen Wunderlich. Mr. Clug- ston is a Mason and a Knight Templar.
JOHN HENRY ZUMBRUN.
John Henry Zumbrun, who is widely known as a practical farmer in Thorncreek township, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, March 17, 1851. and is a son of Henry and Julia (Kinsey) Zumbrun. Henry Zum- brun was born in Maryland and resided there until he became forty years of age. He then located in Ohio and in 1854 removed to Whitley county, where he bought a tract of one hundred and eighty acres of wild land. By diligent and continuous toil and superior management he reduced the greater part of his land to tillage and today it is considered one of the finest farms in the county. Judia Kinsey was the daughter of Christopher Kinsey and was born in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Zumbrun had twelve children : Hannah, deceased : Jacob. who died in the army; Levi, a farmer of Noble county : Lucinda, deceased : Daniel. a farmer residing in Smith township: Chris- topher, a farmer residing in Noble county : Sabia, widow of Frank Smith, a resident of Noble county : John Henry ; Mary Ann, the wife of William Brown, a resident of Smith township: Catherine, the widow of Charles Bower, a resident of Whitley county; Eliza- beth. wife of David Miller, of Columbia
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township; Sarah, deceased. Mr. Zumbrun tlied in September, 1883, and his wife died in June, 1891. They were both original members of the Blue River German Baptist church and were liberal contributors to the support of that body.
John Henry Zumbrun was reared on the home farm and was instructed and trained in the best methods of agriculture. His ed- ucation was received in the common schools and he remained at home until he was twen- ty-one years of age, when he started out upon an independent business career. He pur- chased eighty acres of partly improved land in Thorncreek township, which he has de- veloped into a good farm, the greater part of which is under a high state of cultivation, besides containing many substantial im- provements in the way of buildings and fences. He resided at this place for six years, when he removed to Cedar county, Missouri, and lived there one year. He then went to Jasper county, Missouri, but lived there only six months, when he came back to Noble county, Indiana, and rented a farm for one year. Subsequently he bought a farm of two hundred acres in Green township, Noble county, and there lived for six or seven years, when he disposed of same and purchased the old homestead and has lived there ever since with the exception of three months that he lived in the state of Washington. He is now the owner of one hundred and eighty acres of fine land ad- joining Cedar Lake and everything about his farm is kept up in first-class condition. The residence was built by his father in 1862 and the barn two years later, the improve- ments being among the best in the county at that time. September 9, 1870, Mr. Zum-
brun chose a life companion in the person of Lucetta Cramer, a native of Whitley county, and a daughter of John and Sarah (Essick) Cramer, both natives of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Zumbrun have had twelve chil- dren: Cora, wife of Jesse Yoder, a resi- dent of Kendallville, this state, and the mother of four children, Lillie, Voida, Plen and Nora; Dora, wife of Joseph Smith, a resident of Noble county, has two children, Vera and Vida; Elnora, wife of Clem Sul- livan, has seven children, Caster, Earl, Le- land, Mabel, Edward, Chloe and Benjamin ; Daniel, who married Iva Egolf, has four children, Emmett, Lottie, Lilah and Dorthy; Edward, at home; Sarah, wife of Walter Trowbridge, a resident of Noble county, has three children, Gertrude, Nora and Joseph ; Saba, wife of Evan Coulter, a farmer of Smith township, has three children, Arthur, Herschel and Hazel; Henry, at home; Julia. wife of Roe Miller; and Grace, John Victor and Noah A., who are still at home. Mr. Zumbrun is a Republican, while he and his entire family are members of the German Baptist church at Blue River. This family is of a cordial, social nature, delighting in entertaining their friends, in return enjoy- ing the hospitality of many of the best homes of the locality and all who know them hold them in high esteem.
JAMES GARRISON.
James Garrison, who successfully oper- ates a highly cultivated farm of one hundred and forty acres in Thorncreek township, was born in Richland county, Ohio, October 9,
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1831, and is the son of Card and Elizabeth (Davis) Garrison, both natives of Cayuga county, New York. The paternal grandfa- ther was William Garrison, a Vermont yan- kee who located in Richland county, Ohio, soon after the war of 1812, entering land from the government and lived there during the remainder of his days. After his death his son Card took the farm in hand and by his untiring efforts and indefatigable energy was soon able to pay off his indebtedness. He had left the old homestead going to Plymouth, where he passed away June 5. 1894, his wife having died July 27, 1885. They had seven children : Martin D., James, Mary Ann, Sarah Ann, Lyman, Amos and Orrin Franklin. His old homestead is now owned by his grandson.
James Garrison was reared on his fa- ther's farm and was early taught to be hon- est. energetic and industrious. Throughout his entire life he has engaged in the occupa- tion of farming, which was the pursuit to which he was reared and concerning which he gained practical experience in his youth. He came to Whitley county in 1867 and pur- chased his present fine farm and has lived there all his life. Mr. Garrison's farm is finely improved with excellent buildings and well kept fences and his efforts have been rewarded with a gratifying degree of suc- cess. Mr. Garrison has been twice married. first to Emma Gingher, a native of Lancas- ter county, Ohio, by whom he had one son, Lorenzo B., who married Addie Robbins. and resides in Lagrange county. Mrs. Gar- rison died Setpember 28, 1873. and Decem- ber 17, 1874. Mr. Garrison married Elmira (Carter) Summer, the widow of Samuel Summer, who died in 1860. Elmira Car-
ter was born in Logan county, Ohio, July 25, 1839, and is a daughter of Asahel and Catherine (Horn) Carter, natives of Vir- ginia, who came to Smith township, Whitley county, in 1843 and purchased from the government forty acres of wild land. They at first moved into an abandoned school house, but later built a log house. Mr. Car- ter died in 1851 and his wife in 1877. They were members of the Baptist church. They were the parents of six children : Elizabeth, Asa H., Mandaville O., Arthur P., Cynthia, Elmira and Jesse W. Mrs. Garrison is the sole survivor of her family, as her husband is of the Garrison family. They have one son, Amos C., who married Bertha May Walker, and operates the homestead. They also have reared from childhood a niece of Mrs. Garrison, who still remains with them. Mrs. Garrison has one son by the former marriage, William Alonzo Summer, who owns the Summer homestead in Smith town- ship. where his parents' married life was: passed and is a rural mail carrier. Mr. Gar- rison enlisted in 1864 in Company H. One Hundred and Sixty-third Ohio Infantry, but did not see much active service. His com- pany was in the state guards, but was sworn into regimental duty and they were known as one-hundred-day men. He is a Republican and himself and wife are members of the Methodist church.
WILLIAM HENRY BETZNER.
William Henry Betzner, a prosperous and successful farmer of Thorncreek town- ship, was born in Whitley county Novem-
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ber 16, 1858, and is the son of Owen and Catherine (Pletcher) Betzner. His grand- father was John Jacob Betzner, a native of Germany, who came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, but later removed to Ohio, subsequently locating in Whitley county, where he bought a fine farm and also owned and operated a country blacksmith shop. His death occurred in this county. He was twice married and by the first union there was one child, Owen. The mother is now living in Missouri. Owen was a mere lad when he accompanied his father to Whitley county. He spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, performing his full share in the labors of the field. He and his wife were the par- ents of five children, John A., who is a farmer of Columbia township; Mary, who died at the age of two years ; Franklin, who is living in Montana; Malissa, who is the wife of Eli Bolinger, a resident of Colum- bia township; and William Henry. Owen Betzner died in 1872 and his widow married John Snyder. The father having died when the children were quite young the responsi- bility of supporting and educating her chil- dren devolved upon the mother. She did everything in her power to advance their in- terests and had reason to be proud of them. while they in turn had every reason to be grateful to her for the sacrifices which she made in their behalf. She and her husband now live near Taylor Station.
With the aid of his brother John. Wil- liam Henry Betzner successfully operated the home farm. In 1878 he married Lavina J. Essig, who was born in Whitley county April 14. 1862, the daughter of George Washington and Polly (Snyder) Essig, na- tives of Ohio, both now deceased. Mr. and
Mrs. Essig had eight children, Christ, who is living in Arkansas; David W., who is living in South Whitley ; Anna, who mar- ried Matthew Smale, a resident of Califor- nia; Lavina J .; Catherine, wife of Samuel Prichard, a resident of Richland township; Ida, wife of James Tantlinger, a resident of Arkansas; Lyman, who is living in Ne- braska, and Melvin, living in Arkansas. After Mr. Betzner's marriage he worked by the day for a year and a half, when he and his brother rented the old home- stead, which they successfully operated for three years. He then bought a small farm near Columbia City and during the time of his residence there worked in a saw mill. having been employed by the Peabody Saw Mill Company for a period of five years. Subsequently he bought the old Essig farm of eighty acres and two years afterward, having disposed of this, he purchased his present farm of one hundred acres, nine miles northeast of Columbia City, and has lived there continuously to the present time. He gives much time and attention to the ro- tation of crops, his farm is finely improved with excellent buildings and well kept fences and his efforts have been rewarded with a gratifying degree of success. Mr. and Mrs. Betzner are the parents of twelve children : Clarence, who married Maggie Aborn, and is a mail carrier in Columbia City: Myrtle, wife of Doc Addis, has two children. Marie and Robert William; William Loyd, who married Nora Monroe, has two children, Constance and Russell; George, who married Lulu Ward, lives in Thorncreek township; Nellie, a resident of Fort Wayne, who mar- ried Merle Pence, has one son, Vallorous ; Ethel: Hazel, at home: Carl, deceased at
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nine years; Neva, deceased in childhood; Ruth, Gladys and Zella. Mr. and Mrs. Betz- ner are members of the St. John's United Brethren church. Mr. Betzner is a Demo- crat and his fraternal relations are with the Modern Woodmen. He is systematic and up-to-date in his methods and has achieved a distinctive success in his line.
WILLIS RHODES.
Willis Rhodes, a farmer living four and one-half miles northeast of Columbia City in Thorncreek township. is the son of John J. and Phimela (Parkason) Rhodes, and was born in Thorncreek township May 15, 1865. John J. was the son of Jacob Rhodes, who came from Switzerland to America in 1844 and settled in Licking county, Ohio. John J. was ten years old on coming to America, moved to Whitley county in 1860 and bought forty acres in section 17, now a part of the Milo Lawrence farm. This he sold in 1862 and bought eighty acres in section 36, which he sold the same year and pur- chased eighty acres in section 25. where he remained to the end of his life. December 30, 1899. Jacob's wife died in Ohio, after which he came to Indiana and resided with his son, John J., until his death in 1869. Phimela Parkason was born in Licking county, Ohio, in 1826, and died August 12, 1905. She and her husband were members
Willis Rhodes was married December 30, 1889, to Ida M., daughter of David M. and Mary (Kinsey) Waugh, natives of Ohio. but later settled in Smith township, where Mrs. Rhodes was born in 1871. After mar- riage they removed to the eighty-acre farm which was half of his father's homestead, where they now reside. He has erected new buildings and has about sixty acres in culti- vation. Some thirty acres have been re- claimed by drainage, about two hundred and fifty rods of tile being already laid. This bottom land is proving very valuable and at a late farmers' institute his son, Mark W .. carried off three prizes for corn which was produced on some of it. He also read an essay on corn culture which was much ad- mired. Mr. Rhodes and wife have five chil- dren : Mark W., Margery, Mary, Paul and Louis. By industry and economy they are able to enjoy the products of a good farm, with a comfortable house of eight rooms and other improvements to correspond. The family are members of the Methodist church. Mr. Rhodes is a Republican.
WESLEY KISER.
The history of this family presents the characteristics of industry, honesty and fru- gality, all of which are strongly marked in the subject of this sketch. He was born near Canton, Ohio. April 30. 1851, and is of the Methodist church and were the par- the son of Michael and Julia ( Malone) ents of four children : James, who died at fourteen ; Willis; Ella, wife of Charles Pence, living in Thorncreek township: Ida. wife of Ivy VanHouten, living in Thorn- creek township.
Kiser. The parents moved from Pennsyl- vania to Ohio in an early day, and in 1851 to Jefferson township, Whitley county. lo- cating on the farm near the one now owned by Mr. Kiser. To them were born thirteen
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children, five of whom are still living, name- ly: Elizabeth, Wilson S., Wesley, Malinda and Charlotte. He was a Democrat, but never held office, as he applied himself closely to the farm, enjoying the work and making it profitable. He passed away in 1884 and his wife followed in 1887. Wesley Kiser was married in 1873 to Frances J., daughter of Andrew and Susan (Day) Tay- lor, who came from Ohio in 1853 and settled in Union township, Whitley county. They have seven children: Cora, still at home; Albert, a resident of Jonesboro, Indiana ; Flora E., wife of Roy Conner, a hardware merchant at Fort Wayne; Joseph, a farmer, married Laura Shoenauer ; Roy F., deceased at the age of seventeen ; Ora and Mattie.
Mr. Kiser owns one hundred and twenty acres of land, one hundred of which are cleared and drained with five hundred rods of tile, on which very profitable crops of all kinds of grain are grown. The major part of this is fed to Poland-China hogs and Dur- ham cattle. The barn, forty by eighty feet, is always well filled with the best of feed, which is given to the stock with skill and system. The entire farm presents every evi- dence of thrift and success, and Mr. Kiser takes just pride in its appearance. He is a Democrat and the family enjoy the social and religious influences of the Christian church.
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