USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 94
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In October, 1881, Mr. Orndorf was mar- ried to Miss Jennie, daughter of William G. and Nancy Hyatt, who were old settlers of Allen county. Mr. and Mrs. Orndorf have an only daughter, Miss Ila, and the family are welcome in the best social circles of the county. Mr. Orndorf is a member of the Masonic fraternity and with his wife and daughter also holds membership in the East- ern Star. Mrs. Orndorf is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and takes an active interest in the work.
JONATHAN ULREY.
The Ulreys were amongst the early set- tlers of Pennsylvania, from which state Samuel Ulrey emigrated to Ohio as long ago as the year 1800, being among the dar- ing pioneers who first penetrated the forests
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of the latter commonwealth to plant the his fellow citizens. Of the one hundred and standard of civilization in what was then forty-seven and a half acres which his estate contains, one hundred acres are under culti- vation, the grain raised thereon being large- ly fed to stock, in the breeding and raising of which his success has been most gratify- ing. Living within a mile of South Whitley, which lies on, the south, he enjoys the advantage of excellent markets and other facilities in keeping therewith. the "far west." John S. Uulrey, son of Sam- uel, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1809, remained near the place of his birth until the year 1837 and then migrated to northern Indiana, settling on a farm in Wa- bash county, where he made his home until his removal in 1850 to Kosciusko county. He purchased a farm in the latter county and there spent the closing years of his life, dying at a good old age in 1891 .. He mar- ried Sarah Swihart, a native of Ohio, who bore him eight children, three of whom sur- vive. She departed this life in Kosciusko county in the year 1853. John S. and Sarah Ulrey were estimable people and exerted a healthful moral influence in the different communities of their residence. They were zealous and faithful members of the German Baptist church, earnestly devoted to their re- ligious faith, and are remembered for their many acts of kindness, for charities dis- pensed among the poor and needy and for long and useful lives filled to repletion with good to their kind. Jonathan Ulrey, one of the surviving children, was born at Liberty Mills, Wabash county, Indiana, September IO. 1843. From his youth he has devoted his energies to cultivating the soil, with the result that he is today in independent cir- ADAM S. WARNER. cumstances, with a comfortable competency for future years. He is well read, keeps informed on current events and the leading questions of the day and his judgment and discretion are seldom at fault. Mr. Ulrey has a fine home. well supplied with the com- forts and conveniences that make country life attractive and as a farmer and stock raiser occupies a conspicuous place among
In 1875 Mr. Ulrey married Eliza A., daughter of Robert and Francis (Russell) Wilson, natives of Champaign county, Ohio, but early settlers of Whitley county, to which they came about 1856, locating on a farm in Cleveland township, which their son-in- law now owns and occupies. Mr. and Mrs. Ulrey have had four children: Karl, who lives at home; Orville, who married Edith Blue and resides in Whitley county; Lee WV., deceased ; and Frances, who lives with her parents and works as a milliner. Mr. Ulrey gives his support to the Republican party and belongs with his wife and family to the Baptist church, both being highly esteemed by the membership of the local congregation.
The family of this name in Whitley county is an old and honorable one, whose genealogy dates back to a remote period in the history of Maryland. The great-grand- father of A. S. Warner spent all of his life in that state and was a man of considerable local prominence. His son, also a Mary- lander by birth, grew to manhood in his na-
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tive commonwealth, moved first to Pennsyl- vania and thence to Harrison county, Ohio, where he ended his career after a long and useful life, his wife dying at the remarkable age of one hundred and two years. George Warner, father of Adam S., was a native of Maryland, but in early life accompanied his parents to Pennsylvania and thence to Harrison county, Ohio, where he engaged in farming, which vocation the majority of the family appear to liave followed. He mar- ried Mary Snyder, a native of Maryland, who bore him six children: Catherine. Adam S., Rosanna, Polly. Margaret and George, all living and having families of their own, the oldest being eighty years of age, the same number of years reached by the father, whose death occurred in 1877.
Adam S. Warner, the second of this family, was born December 24. 1828, in Harrison county. Ohio. spent his youth and young manhood at his native place and on leaving the parental home learned the car- penter's trade, to which his life has been. very largely devoted. In 1855 he came to Whitley county and settled in Cleveland township, where he followed his chosen call- ing until 1883, when he disposed of his in- terests and removed to Kansas, where he spent the succeeding fifteen years in the city of Newton, contributing much to the mate- rial advancement of that place. At the ex- piration of the period indicated he returned to Whitley county and since then has resided in Cleveland township, where he still de- votes considerable time to mechanical work. Although past his seventy-eighth year, Mr. Warner retains to a marked degree the possession of his faculties, physical and mental. being quite rugged and strong and
capable of doing much more labor in the same length of time than many men greatly his junior. He has been a Republican since the organization of the party and still man- ifests keen interest in public questions, and political issues, on all of which he has intel- ligent and well grounded opinions.
Mr. Warner was married about 1853 to Mary Holin, of Stark county, Ohio, by whom he had five children: H. H., Levi, Emma, Sherman and Joseph. The mother died in 1866 and by a second marriage, with Rebecca Bruch, he has seven children: Al- bert, Delmar, Aden, Lyman, Myrtle, Ada, and Lester.
HENRY SICKAFOOSE.
Like so many of the representative cit- izens of northern Indiana, Henry Sickafoose is a native of Ohio, having been born in 1834. in the historic county of Stark. John Sickafoose, his father, was a Pennsylvanian. married in his native state to Margaret Swartwood, and shortly afterward migrated to Stark county, Ohio, came from there to Whitley county and settled in the wilds of Cleveland township, of which he was among the early pioneers. He purchased, cleared and developed a farm and in due time be- came a leading citizen of the community, achieving influence as a Republican in local political circles. For many years he was a prominent member of the Lutheran church. the success of which was largely due to his financial assistance. He held all the town- ship offices within the gift of the people and in many ways made himself useful until the
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time of his death, which occurred in Jan- uary. 1876, that of his wife following in Oc- tober. 1878.
Henry Sickafoose, one of the three sur- vivors of their twelve children, was only about four years old when his parents came to Indiana in 1838. his development, educa- tion and subsequent career occurring in the township of his adoption. He passed through many of the experiences incident to the pioneer period, became familiar with hard work in the woods and fields and grew to manhood with the proper equipment for the making of a successful farmer. He has devoted all his adult life to agriculture and for many years was recognized as an en- ergetic and progressive tiller of the soil. For a long time he made his home in Wash- ington township, where he owned a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres, but in 1891 disposed of this place and purchased a neat rural home of five acres in Cleveland township, where he has since been living in retirement. He has beautified the surround- ings and made it one of the most attractive places of residence in the county, where an old-fashioned hospitality is dispensed to all visitors.
In 1860 Mr. Sickafoose was united in marriage with Sarah .A., daughter of Mich- acl and Polly ( Stilts) Holem, natives of Stark county, Ohio, who in 1854 came to Indiana and spent the closing years of their lives in Whitley county. Mr. and Mrs. Sickafoose have five children : Margaret : Jane, wife of A. B. Henry; Ephraim, who married Mamie Cunningham and lives in Mishawaka, Indiana: Levi D., who mar- ried Susan Pimlot, of Whitley county, and lives at Logansport ; Ethel, who lives with
her father ; and Rev. Curtis Sickafoose, min- ister of the United Brethren church at Gal- veston, Indiana. The parents also belong to this church and have always taken a deep interest in its work. The political affilia- tions of Mr. Sickafoose are with the Repub- lican party, of which he has been a lifelong member.
H. H. WARNER.
H. H. Warner, one of the five surviv- ors in a family of twelve children, whose parents were Adam S. and Mary (Holin) Warner, is a native of Whitley county, In- diana, born October 1, 1856, in the town- ship of Cleveland, where he still resides. He was reared under the healthful and wholesome influence of farm life, and is in- debted to the district school for his prelim- inary education, the training thus received being supplemented by a year's course at the Sixteen College in Huntington county. where he made substantial progress in the higher branches of learning and earned an honorable record as an industrious and pains- taking student. With this discipline as a foundation and by taking advantage of ev- ery opportunity for mental culture. Mr. Warner has become one of the well informed men of his community, being a wide reader of current and general literature, also a thinker and close observer, with the result that he is familiar with the leading ques- tions and issues of the day, and to no small degree an authority among his friends and associates. Early in life he matured plans for his future course of action and by ad- hering to the same, his career has been emi-
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nently honorable as well as financially suc- ·cessful, standing today among the most pro- gressive and public-spirited citizens of his township and enjoying repute as an enter- prising farmer who has made agricultural science the subject of critical study. Mr. Warner's farm is admirably situated, well drained and improved with good buildings, fences, etc., every acre of tillable land being fertile and highly productive, the estate as a whole representing a value considerably in excess of one hundred dollars per acre. On taking possession of his place he addressed himself to the task of making such a home as his ambition had long coveted. To ac- complish this required result the exercise of those qualities of perseverance and economy more essential in farming perhaps than in any other vocation. How well he has suc- ceeded in his laudable undertakings is proved by the comfortable residence, commodious barn and other structures, which adorn the place : also by the rich fields and careful fenc- ing, which encloses the various tracts set apart for crops, orchard and pasturage. Mr. Warren does not confine himself strictly to growing crops for an income, but gives at- tention to the raising of good breeds of cat- tle and hogs, which materially increase the profits arising from his cereal products. while the eighty acres under his careful and prudent management present not only an at- tractive and desirable country home, but a delightful picture of rural beauty, pleasing to every beliolder.
In addition to his agricultural interests, Mr. Warner is vice-president of the Farm- ers' State Bank, of South Whitley. the du- ties of which office he discharges in a highly «creditable manner to all concerned, being fa-
miliar with financial matters and well quali- fied to fill positions of honor and trust. He has also held various local offices and for a number of years has been an advocate of pub- lic improvements, encouraging all enter- prises with this object in view, also stand- ing for whatever makes for the social and moral good of the community. A Repub- lican, well versed in the principles and his- tory of parties, he has seldom been drawn into the arena of partisan politics, neverthe- less his influence has done much for the success of the ticket and he has proven an earnest worker in a number of hotly con- tested campaigns. Fraternally he is a Ma- son, belonging to Lodge No. 510, at South Whitley, and in religion the United Breth- ren church embodies his creed.
June 25, 1879, Mr. Warner married Miss Isadora, daughter of John and Jane (Hard) Henry, and they have three children: Fer- mar A., cashier of the wholesale grocery firm of A. H. Perfict & Company, at Fort Wayne: Effie May and Lloyd H., who are still under the parental roof. After his mar- riage Mr. Warner was in the saw-mill busi- ness five years before he engaged in farming. At the fall election in 1906, he was elected a member of the Whitley county council.
MARTIN H. BRIGGEMAN.
Martin H. Briggeman, farmer and stock raiser of Cleveland township and son of Henry and Minnie Briggeman, is a native . of Whitley county, Indiana, born May 31. 1853. He enjoyed the advantages of the common schools and grew to maturity in
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close touch with nature on the farm and hay- ing early decided to make agriculture his life work has pursued the same for himself ever since attaining his majority and is now well situated as concerns material things, own- ing a small though excellent farm, which is tilled according to modern methods and 011 which are to be seen some of the best im- provements in the community where he re- sides. In connection with tilling the soil Mr. Briggeman has done considerable work in the line of carpentry, which trade he learned in his younger days. He put up all the build- ings on his own farm in addition to which his services as a mechanic have also been much in demand by his neighbors, having erected a number of dwellings, barns and other structures in his own and adjacent lo- calities, besides having done a thriving busi- ness in masonry work and moving buildings. Mr. Briggeman possesses sound intelligence, mature judgment and his ideas and opinions have weight with his fellowmen. He is keenly interested in the events of the day, well informed on the leading questions of the times. and as a neighbor and citizen stands high in the community, commanding the respect and confidence of all with whom he has relations of a business or social na- ture.
Mr. Briggeman was married in 1888 to Miss Caroline Grieser, who has borne bim five children : Franz, Traugott. Clara. Emma and Emil, all living at home. Mrs. Brigge- man was born in Allen county, Indiana, Sep- tember 5. 1861, her parents being John and Frances ( Schaffner) Grieser, natives of Ger- many, who became early settlers of Allen county and died there some years ago. John Grieser was a Union soldier during the Civil
war. Mrs. Briggeman has achieved quite a: reputation as a raiser of poultry, to which she- has devoted considerable attention for sev- eral years, making a specialty of the fine breeds. She has a number of fine fowls which command fancy prices, besides doing a lucrative business marketing the more or- dinary varieties. Mr. Briggeman and wife are members of the German Lutheran church and manifest an abiding interest in all lines of religious and charitable work un -. der the auspices of the local congregation · with which they are identified. Henry J. Briggeman was a native of Germany, born- in the principality of Lippe Dettmold, where he lived until about 1850, when he emigrated" to the United States and later came to Whit- ley county, purchasing the land in Cleveland township now owned by his son Martin, cleared and otherwise improved the same and made it a valuable farm. He was an hon- est and law-abiding man, an honorable pub- lic-spirited citizen and his death, which oc -:- curred December 27, 1905, was deeply la- mented not only by the members of his own family but by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who had learned to esteem him for many of his excellent qualities of mind and heart. The maiden name of liis wife, whom he married in his native land, was Minnie Hauptmeyer. (See sketch of William Hauptmeyer.) She bore him chil- dren as follows: Martin H .: Caroline. wife of Henry Ahneman : Emelia, now Mrs. Emil Weille: Rieke, who married Jolin Trier : Mary, wife of Edward Trier ; Henry, Minnie. wife of William Liche ( see sketch ) : Lizzie who married Christian Denges; and Annie, all living but Mrs. Denges, who. (leparted this life in September, 1906.
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WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
DAVID GABLE.
George S. Gable left his home in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, when a young man and moved to Ohio, being the only member of this family to come westward. He became a man of influence in Darke county, and as a local leader of the Democracy held various public offices. He married Eliza- beth Keaner, of Pennsylvania, and in 1850 came to Whitley county, locating on a farm in Cleveland township, where he spent the remainder of his life in agricultural pursuits, being at the time of his death one of the representative farmers of his community. He had five children: Abraham, John, de- ceased, Jacob, Lydia and David.
David Gable was born in Darke county, Ohio, March 27, 1840, and hence was about ten years of age when brought to Whitley county by his parents. Like other country boys, he had the benefit of a farm training. with the usual school advantages of those days, and when old enough to work assisted in the clearing of the new land. Eventually he became owner of this farm, which he has greatly improved, and his whole life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. His estate consists of one hundred and seventy- five acres, situated in one of the richest agri- cultural districts of the county, one hundred and fifty acres being in cultivation and thor- oughly drained with over three thousand rods of tiling. His buildings are all first- class and in excellent condition, the entire premises bearing evidence of an owner who makes every other consideration subordinate to the successful prosecution of his chosen calling.
In 1862, Mr. Gable was married to Miss Catherine, daughter of John and Susan
(Schafner) Kearns, natives of . Pennsyl- vania, who moved to Ohio and thence to Whitley county, a short time prior to the arrival of the Gable family. Mr. and Mrs. Gable have five children: Eldora, wife of George Bruch, a farmer of this county; Diana, who married Perry W. Jenkins and lives in Kansas; Malinda, now Mrs. Wil- liam E. Pence, residing in Marion, Indiana ; Sheridan, a farmer of Whitley county ; and Ida, the wife of Milton Sickafoose, who as- sists in cultivating the home farm. Mr. Gable is a Democrat, but his interest in party affairs extends no further than defending his principles and supporting the regular nominees. He discharges the duties of cit- izenship as becomes an enterprising, public- spirited American of today, keeping pace with current though and in touch with the leading questions before the people, on all of which he has well defined opinions and the courage of his convictions in their ut- terance. His financial success has been com- mensurate with the industry and energy dis- played in his chosen field of endeavor, and he is now classed among the leading farmers and well-to-do men of his township and county.
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JOHN W. EASTON.
The agricultural interests of Cleveland township are represented by some of the most intelligent and enterprising citizens of this part of Indiana, and none stand higher in the list than the well known farmer whose name appears above. He is descended from English ancestry and in his personality are combined many of the sterling qualities for which this nationality has long been distin-
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guished. His father, George Eastom, was a native of Pennsylvania and son of an im- migrant who came to this country from Liverpool, England, and settled in the Key- stone state, where he lived until his death. George Eastom married Hannah Donohoe, who was born in Virginia, where her father settled when he came to the United States from Ireland. They had six children : James. Mary, John W., Frank, Martha E. and Nancy. George Eastom removed first to Ross and later Putnam county, Ohio, where his death occurred in 1862. He was a man of unbending rectitude, a pronounced Demo- crat and a zealous member of the German Baptist church.
John W. Eastom was born October 28. 1838. in Ross county, Ohio, spent his early years on his father's farm, received his edu- cation in the common schools and remained at home until the outbreak of the Civil war. In 1861 he enlisted at Tiffin in Company I, Forty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, under command of Colonel Gibson, with which he served three years and fif- teen days. He went through a number of noted campaigns and took part in many bat- tles, among which were Bowling Green and Green River Kentucky, Nashville, Chatta - nooga and other engagements in Tennessee. his regiment being with General Sherman during this period. The Forty-ninth Ohio was the first Union force to cross into Ken- tucky and during most of his service Mr. Eastom was in the Army of the Cumberland, experiencing all the perils and hardships that fell to his command. He was honor- ably discharged in September, 1864, and at once returned to his home in Putnam coun- ty, Ohio, where he remained until 1869 and
then removed to Whitley county, settling near Larwill. Richland township, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1903. he purchased land in Cleveland township. where he has since lived and prospered. own- ing at this time a well improved farm of one hundred acres, the greater part in cultiva- tion and lying a short distance from South Whitley. in proximity to as good markets as northern Indiana affords. Mr. Eastom deals considerably in real estate, especially farm property, which he buys and sells quite extensively, realizing no small sum in this line of business. He was formerly a Demo- crat, but eventually became a Republican as the result of issues growing out of the war. He has held various local offices, including that of supervisor and school director, and is at present a township councilman. elected for a term of four years.
In May, 1865, Mr. Eastom married Miss Sarah J., daughter of David and Rebecca (Haeger) Wallace, natives of Wood county, Ohio, and both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Eastom have had eight children : Jennie M. and Cora, deceased: Martha E ... Gertrude. Charles, Edward. Clarence and Elsie. The parents are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, of which Mr. Eastom was for many years a minister. but is now retired. He is a comrade of the South Whitley Post. Grand Army of the Republic.
OZIAS METZ.
Among the leading men of Cleveland township whose influence was always for the right and who by a life of usefulness in-
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duced many to seek the better way, was the late Ozias Metz. He was born in Stark county, Ohio, December 29, 1833, the son of Jacob and Catherine (Giselman) Metz, natives of Pennsylvania, the father a farmer by occupation, but for many years working as a carpenter. Jacob and Catherine Metz lived in Ohio until 1853. when they came to Whitley county, settling on a farm in Washington township, where the former died in 1881 and the latter June 24, 1899. They had eleven children: Eliza, Sarah, Catherine, Margaret, Aaron, Lewis, Ozias, Caroline, Moses, Manassah and Rachel, the majority of whom grew to maturity and reared families.
Ozias Metz was reared to manhood in his native state, spent his early years on the family homestead in Stark county and by attendance at school and home reading be- came an unusually well informed man. He accompanied the family on their removal to Whitley county and from that time devoted his energies to the pursuits of agriculture, eventually being able to purchase a farm of his own in Cleveland township, which, under his judicious management, was highly im- proved and has become one of the beautiful homes of the county, containing at present two hundred and forty-six acres. Admir- ably situated about one mile southeast of South Whitley, in the midst of one of the most fertile and productive agricultural dis- tricts of northeastern Indiana, the improve- ments consisting of a fine brick residence of modern design, a large, well constructed bank barn, good outbuildings of all kinds, the fields enclosed with high-grade wire fences, the Metz home attracts the attention of every passer and impresses the beholder
as a model rural estate. Mr. Metz was a man of enterprise, systematic in all of his undertakings, prudent in the conduct of his . business and at the time of his death was one of the financially substantial men of Whitley county. Possessing unimpeachable integrity, his reputation was unsullied by the commission of a single unworthy act, while his character as an upright man won him the esteem of all with whom he came in contact and gained him a name that was long synonymous with integrity and fair deal- ing. In early life Mr. Metz united with the German Baptist church and from that time until his death his daily walk and con- versation where consistent with his profes- sion as a sincere follower of Christ. A number of years ago he became a minister and wielded a salutary influence, not only among the members of his own religious sect but among the people wherever he pub- licly proclaimed the gospel. Mr. Metz was a Republican but took no active part in po- litical campaigns. After a long and useful life, he passed away April 26, 1901, his death being widely and deeply lamented as the loss of a kind and accommodating neigh- bor, a sincere and devoted friend and a worthy citizen in the best sense of that term.
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