USA > Indiana > Memorial record of northeastern Indiana > Part 34
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It was on June 8, 1851, that. Mr. Decker married Miss Eleanor Crouse, a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, born January 10, 1833, daughter of Barney and Christina (Kepple) Crouse, both natives of that State, her father born in Lancaster county and her mother in Westmoreland. They were what is known as Pennsylvania- Dutch. Her maternal grandfather was Louis Kepple. In 1846 her parents removed with their family from Pennsylvania to In- diana, locating in Allen county, eight miles west of Fort Wayne, on the farm of Lot Bayliss. Subsequently her father purchased a farm near that place. Both he and his wife died there in 1862. They were the
Sa. 9. Zaniena.
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parents of ten children, all of whom reached adult age, namely: Samuel, deceased; Eli, deceased; Isaac, deceased; Catharine Swine- hart, deceased; Lucy Karnes, deceased; Eleanor, now Mrs. Decker; Henson; Jesse; David; and George M., deceased. Three of the sons, David, George M. and Jesse, were Union soldiers during the late war. George M. was taken prisoner and was con- fined first at Libby and afterward at Ander- sonville, and was released at Annapolis, Maryland, where he died soon afterward. Mrs. Decker was reared a Lutheran, her parents being devoted members of that Church. She was twelve years old at the time the family removed to Indiana, and her opportunities for getting an education were limited. Three months would prob- ably cover the whole of her schooling. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Decker were eight in number and as follows: Henry, who mar- ried Mary Albert and has six children, lives in Washington township, Whitley county; Mary C., wife of David Bechtel, Columbia City, Indiana, has five children; Louisa, wife of Charles A. Stallsmith, Washington township, has three children; Benjamin F., deceased; Isabel, wife of John Rusher, Huntington county, Indiana, has four chil- dren; Amanda M., wife of Albert L. Wagner, Washington township, has six children; Nora O., wife of Ernest Jordan, Hunting- ton county, Indiana; and one that died in infancy.
For more than thirty years Mr. and Mrs. Decker have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He has filled the offices of both Steward and Trustee, his service in the former capacity covering a quarter of a century. During the past four years Mrs. Decker has been a Class-leader. Politically, Mr. Decker casts his vote and 16
influence with the Republican party, but has never been an office-seeker, the only office he ever filled being that of Road Supervisor.
EORGE W. LAWRENCE, an ag- riculturist of Union township, re- siding on section 30, descended from one of the old families of Pennsylvania. His grandparents, Christian and Magdaline (Epley) Lawrence, were both natives of the Keystone State and of German descent. In 1822 they removed westward and cast their lot with the early settlers of Wayne county, Ohio, locating upon a wild tract of land, where they made their permanent home.
Peter Lawrence came over in the ship Lydia, James Allen, commander, Septem- ber 27, 1740. He was the father of John Philip Lawrence, John Valentine Lawrence and John Lawrence, who came over on the ship Edinburg, James Russell, master, Sep- tember 5, 1748. Hantz Peter Lawrence arrived at Philadelphia October 13, 1747. Peter Lawrence, who came over on the Edinburg, was also the father of Peter Lawrence, who was born after their arrival in the New World, in September, 1747, in Greene township, Lancaster county, Penn., and is the grandfather of Christian Law- rence. Christian Lawrence is the grand- father of our subject.
The father of our subject, John A. Law- rence, was born in Dauphin county, Penn- sylvania, in January, 1808, and on arriving at years of maturity married Sarah Rouch, who was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1807, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth Rouch. The father was born in Pennsyl- vania, and the mother in Maryland, and both were of German lineage. They be-
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came residents of Wayne county, Ohio, in 1819, their home being a farm which Mr. Rouch developed from the wild land. The parents of our subject were reared in Wayne county. The father received but limited school privileges, yet he managed to ob- tain a fair English education and possessed a large fund of common sense. In Wayne county he cleared and improved a farm, and upon his father's death he purchased the old homestead, which belonged to the latter and on which he still resides, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. His wife died on the 5th of February, 1889. In their family were eleven children who grew to mature years, while ten of the number are still liv- ing. All are married and have families of their own, and three of the sons, -John F., Henry H. and Dr. Isaiah, -were soldiers in the Civil war. The father was a member of the German Lutheran Church in early life, and was one of the founders of the English Lutheran Church at Wooster, Ohio, serving as an official in the same for many years. He is now, however, a member of the German Reformed Church, to which his wife also belonged. The cause of edu- cation found him a devoted advocate, and he took a deep interest in everything per- taining to the welfare of the community. Hle is recognized as a valued citizen, and was twice elected to the office of County Surveyor.
George W. Lawrence was the eldest son and second child of the family. He was born in Wayne county, Ohio, September 3, 1832, and was reared there until after he had attained his majority. His school priv- ileges were meager, but he managed to ob- tain a good education by study at home, and reading and observation have made him a well informed man.
In the fall of 1853 Mr. Lawrence pur- chased his farm in Whitley county, and then returned to Ohio, where in 1854 he was united in marriage with Miss Eva Ann Mowrey, a native of Wayne county, Ohio, and a daughter of Michael and Nancy (Rouch) Mowrey, who were natives of the Keystone State. She was born August 1, 1830, and her grandfather was Michael Mowrey. In 1855 Mr. Lawrence brought his bride to his Indiana farm and they began their domestic life in a rough log house, which in 1867 was replaced by a substantial residence. Good barns and other necessary outbuildings have been erected, and about the place is an air of thrift. To his original possessions he has added from time to time until he now owns 871 acres of valuable land, all of which is under cultivation. He rents a large portion of this, but is still act- ively engaged in business for himself. In connection with general farming he is en- gaged in fruit-growing, and raises consider- able stock, making a specialty of Oxford sheep, Durham, Holstein and Jersey cattle, Poland-China hogs and a good grade of horses. He carefully superintends his busi- ness, and his efficient management, his per- severance and industry have made him emi- nently successful.
To Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have been born three children,-Michael E., John C. and Harvey S. The last named is now a student in Wittenberg Seminary, of Spring- field, Ohio. The parents are faithful mem- bers and active workers in the Lutheran Church, of which Mr. Lawrence has served as Elder, and in the Sunday-school he has taken a very important part. Socially, he is connected with the Masonic fraternity, hold- ing membership in the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery of Columbia City,
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and the Scottish Rite of Fort Wayne, Indi- ana. He is a trustee of the chapter, and is connected with the Grange of Spring Run. The cause of education finds him an able supporter; he built the schoolhouse of his neighborhood, and for a number of years has efficiently served as School Director. He votes with the Democracy, and has been honored with a number of local offices, having served as Justice of the Peace for twelve years, as County Commissioner for seven years, and during that entire time was president of the board. It was while he held that office that the present court-house at Columbia City was erected. The success of his life is the reward of his own efforts, and overcoming the obstacles and difficul- ties in his path he has worked his way stead- ily upward until he has become one of the substantial citizens of the county in which he has now made his home for the long period of forty consecutive years.
J OHN HUFFMAN is ranked with the representative farmers of Whitley county, Indiana, his farm being lo- cated on section 22, Cleveland town- ship.
He is a son of Moses Huffman, deceased, and was born in Preble county, Ohio, March 10, 1831. In 1840 his father and family moved out to Indiana and settled on land in section 21, Cleveland township, and here the subject of our sketch was reared, his boyhood days being spent not unlike those of other frontier farmer boys. He helped his father in the clearing of their farm, and when not thus occupied attended a subscrip- tion school held in a log schoolhouse. On attaining his majority he started out in life on his own responsibility. He did farm
work and taught school and made his home in Cleveland township until after his father's death and the division of the farm, when he went to Noble county, this State, and bought a tract of wild land. This land he improved and sold some years later for more than double its cost, in this way getting a start.
After disposing of his farm in Noble county, Mr. Huffman returned to Whitley county. For a few years he loaned his money. In 1867 he bought the 120 acres where he has since lived, at the time of pur- chase only partially improved, and to the cultivation and development of this farm has since devoted his energies. He has fenced it and ditched it and erected its pres- ent buildings. Wheat, corn and oats form his chief products, and he each year raises a large number of hogs. Hard work and good management have characterized his life and his earnest efforts have been attended with uniform success. Mr. Huffman has a family on his farm, with whom he has made his home since 1867, he never having mar- ried. He is broad and progressive in his views, and in his political inclinations is Dem- ocratic. He believes in morality and Chris- tianity, and for his honorable and upright life he is esteemed by all.
J OHN STALLSMITH, a well-to-do and highly respected farmer residing on section 34, Washington township, Whitley county, Indiana, is one of the oldest settlers in this vicinity, he having resided on his present farm for a period of forty-five years; and by virtue of his long residence here and his high standing in the community, he is entitled to some personal mention in this volume.
John Stallsmith is a son of Daniel and
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Catharine Miller) Stallsmith, natives of Pennsylvania, who emigrated with their family from the Keystone State to Ohio at an early day, settling in Stark county. In 1844 they continued their way westward to Huntington county, Indiana, where they made their home two years, removing thence to Whitley county and settling in section 34 of Washington township. That was in 1846. There were then but few white settlers here, the chief inhabitants being. Indians and wild animals. The subject of our sketch well remembers being at the Indian camp when a treaty was made be- tween the Indians and the Government. Some years later Daniel Stallsmith moved from his first place of location in this town- ship to a farm northeast of it, and here he spent the residue of his life and died. He and his wife were the parents of four chil- dren, of whom only John, the subject of this article, survives. The father was a soldier in the war of 1812; was a man in whose make-up was found the elements of a true pioneer, and in the several frontier settle- ments in which he lived he enjoyed the con- fidence and respect of all who knew him.
Coming now to the life of John Stall- smith, we find that he was born in Pennsyl- vania, November 14, 1824; moved with his parents to Ohio and to Indiana, as above recorded, and remained a member of the home circle until he attained his twenty- second year. He was married in 1848 to Miss Ann Boles, a native of Indiana and a daughter of one of the early pioneers of this State, her father having settled in Hunting- ton county in 1837. Mr. Boles died on his farm two miles from Huntington. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stallsmith settled on the farm he had purchased and began housekeeping in a log cabin, and to
the work of improving a farm and making a comfortable home devoted their earnest efforts, the result being that they now have a fine farm of 180 acres with excellent im- provements thereon. Besides clearing his own land, Mr. Stallsmith has done much in the way of clearing for other people.
As the years glided by, sons and daugh- ters to the number of eight were given them, all of whom are now living except one. Their family record is as follows: Ellen; Huldah, wife of Lewis Richard, Columbia City; Charles, who married Louisa Decker, lives in this township; Frank, a widower with two children; Lottie; William, who married Effie J. Bechtel, daughter of Mar- tin Bechtel; and Hester.
Mr. Stallsmith and his family are identi- fied with the Baptist Church, in which he is a Trustee. His support, politically, has always been given to the Democratic party. He served two terms as Constable and for a number of years has been Supervisor. He is what may be termed a self-made man. He started out in life without means, and to his own honest toil and good management, together with the able assistance of his wife, may be attributed the success he has attained.
O ZIAS METZ owns and occupies one of the finest rural homes in Cleve- land township, Whitley county, In- diana, and is recognized as one of the leading farmers of his community. It is fitting, therefore, that appropriate men- tion be made of him in the work now under consideration.
Mr. Metz, like many of the good citizens of this county, had his birth in the adjoining State of Ohio. He was born in Stark coun-
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ty, that State, December 29, 1833, and traces his ancestry in the agnatic line as fol- lows : Jacob Metz, his father, was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, January 7, 1800, son of Jacob Metz, a native of Pennsylva- nia. The father of the latter gentleman was also born in Pennsylvania and his father came to this country from Switzerland pre- vious to the Revolutionary period in this country. The Mr. Metz who came here from Switzerland was the son of a French- man, and his settlement was made at Lan- caster, Pennsylvania. The mother of our subject was by maiden name Miss Catharine Gisleman, and she, too, was born in Penn- sylvania, the date of her birth being January I, 1803. Her father, John Gisleman, re- moved with his family to Ohio when she was a little girl and settled on a farm in Columbiana county, that State, where, amid frontier scenes, she was reared. In Colum- biana county Jacob Metz and Catharine Gisleman were married and after their mar- riage they settled on a tract of wild land in Stark county. That was about 1824. There they continued to reside until 1853, when they moved to Whitley county, In- diana, and located on section 6 of Washing- ton township, this farm being only partly improved at that time. Here the father died January 7, 1881. His widow survives and still resides at the old home place. In their family were eleven children, ten of whom grew to maturity and four of this num- ber are now living. They are as follows : Eliza Wolf, deceased; Sarah Essig, deceased; Catharine Hoke, deceased; Margaretta, de- ceased; Aaron, deceased; Lewis, a resident of Oswego, Indiana; Ozias, whose name in- troduces this article; Caroline Spinkle, a resident of Illinois; Moses, Columbia City, Indiana; Manassas, deceased; Rachel Hoke,
deceased. The mother is a devoted mem- ber of the German Baptist Church, as also was the father, and for a number of years he was a Deacon.
In Stark county, Ohio, the subject of our sketch was reared. His early educa- tional advantages were limited, but he made the best of his opportunities. Even after he was twenty-three years old he attended school about three months. He came to Indiana with his parents and remained at home until after his father's death. Since 1881 he has resided on his present farm on section 3 of Cleveland township. At one time he owned 502 acres of land here, but has divided with his children and at this writing his place comprises 310 acres, 180 of which are cleared and under cultivation. His fine barn was built in 1874 and his ele- gant brick residence was erected in 1881. All the surroundings and other improvements on the farm are in keeping with these build- ings, and combine to make a most delightful country home.
Mr. Metz was first married in 1862 to Miss Christina Shively, a native of Wells county, Indiana, but their happy married life was brief, terminating with her death in 1863. She left a babe, also now deceased. In 1865 he wedded Nancy Wagner, a native of Huntington county, Indiana. She died some years later, leaving four children, namely: Maggie, wife of William Harrid, this township, has two children; Cora Olive, wife of John Eberhard, Washington town- ship, this county; Irom T .; and Estella. His third marriage was to Fannie Remsyre, and by her he has two children,-Omer R. and Arthur R.
While Mr. Metz has spent his whole life on a farm, he has devoted much of his time to the work of the ministry, he being identi-
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ficd with the German Baptist Church and maintaining his membership at Sugar Creek. He has been preaching for twenty years and has been the means of accomplishing untold good. Politically, he has from his early manhood been an advocate of the principles of the Republican party, but has never sought or held office. He has taken a deep interest in everything pertaining to the good of his community, has given his support to all worthy enterprises, and is looked upon by all who know him as a man of sterling worth. Mr. Metz has taken a pride in affording his children good educational ad- vantages, and recently, in June, 1895, had the pleasure of seeing his son Irom graduate at the Indiana State University.
S IMEON HUFFMAN .- The biogra- pher is now permitted to touch upon the life history of one of the early settlers of Cleveland town- ship, Whitley county, Indiana,-Simeon Huffman, -who, like many of the worthy citizens of this county, is of German de- scent and a native of Ohio.
Moses Huffman, the father of the above named gentleman, was born in Greenbrier county, Virginia, May 12, 1797, the son of a Lutheran minister, the latter's father hav- ing come to this country from Germany and settled upon a large tract of land in the Old Dominion. In Virginia the Huffmans re- sided for many years, and they were as much respected as they were well known. Enos Huffman, a brother of Moses, was a soldier in the war of 1812. The mother of our subject was before her marriage Miss Rachel Tillman. She was born in Knox county, Tennessee, in 1796, daughter of Tobias and Katie (Sharp) Tillman, and lived
there until her ninth year, when she moved with her parents in 1805 to Preble county, Ohio. Moses Huffman when a young man left his Virginia home and sought his fortune in the Western Reserve, and it so happened that he, too, settled in Preble county, where he met and married Miss Rachel Tillman, their marriage being consummated in 1824. They continued their residence in that coun- ty until 1839. In 1840 they came over in- to Indiana and settled on section 21, Cleve- land township, Whitley county, this part of the country at that time being all wild land and covered with dense forest; and the woods abounded in wolves, bears and deer, and the wigwams of the Indians were more numerous than the cabins of the white men. Mr. Huffman and his family were seven days in making the trip by wagon from Preble to Whitley county. Arrived here, he built a log slope-shanty, in which they lived one summer, and before winter came on they had a substantial log cabin, into which they moved and which served as their home a number of years. Here the mother died in June, 1841, and the father in No- vember, 1854. The remains of both rest in Barren's cemetery. They were true Chris- tians and were consistent members of the Lutheran Church. In their family were seven children, all of whom reached adult age and three are now living, their names in order of birth being as follows: Simeon, with whose name we introduce this sketch; Delilah, wife of Henry Funk, had one child, and both she and her husband are now de- ceased; John, a resident of Cleveland town- ship, this county; Levi, also of Cleveland township; Enos and his wife, Leah, form- erly Koch, are both deceased, and left three children; Daniel, deceased; and Phoebe, deceased.
Isaac Schiadei.
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Simeon Huffman first saw the light of day in Preble county, Ohio, October 19, 1827, and in his native county he spent the first fourteen years of his life. In 1840 he came with his parents to Indiana. He as- sisted his father in the clearing of their farm and remained at home until he attained his majority. Educational advantages here on the frontier were, of course, limited and all the education young Huffman got he "dug out " for himself. But he acquired sufficient knowledge to enable him to teach, and for eleven years he spent his winters in the schoolroom as teacher. He taught two terms in Noble county, one in Wabash and eight in Whitley. Twenty-two years ago he settled on his present farm on section 30 of Cleveland township. Here he has 100 acres, about half of which is cleared and under cultivation. He built his present residence in 1882. He is pleasantly and comfortably situated and for some years past has given his attention to general farming.
Mr. Huffman was married March 4, 1873, to Miss Hannah Whitestine, a native of Perry county, Ohio, and a daughter of David and Cecilia (Hull) Whitestine, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia respectively. Her parents were married in Ohio and lived there a number of years. About 1844 they moved to Huntington, Indiana, where Mr. Whitestine worked at his trade, that of brick and crock maker. He manufactured the first brick ever made in Huntington county. Both he and his wife have long since passed away. In their family were seven children, six of whom reached adult age and four are still living. Those deceased are Jacob, Jesse, and Martin, and those liv- ing are Mrs. Mary Rittenhouse, Mrs. Ann Calhoun, Mrs. Huffman, and Mrs. Eliza- beth Tillman. Mrs. Huffman was born
July 12, 1841, and was reared in Hunting- ton, Indiana. She and Mr. Huffman have two children, -Frances Jane, wife of B. F. Turner, and Mary Ettie. Mr. and Mrs. Sumer reside with her parents, and they have two children. Mrs. Huffman is a mem- ber of the United Brethren Church.
In his political views Mr. Huffman is an independent, voting for men and measures rather than party. During the war he served one year as Assessor of Cleveland township. Fraternally, he is identified with both the I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R. His service in the late war was brief, but none the less honorable. It was in the fall of 1864 that he enlisted, and as a member of Company I, Thirty-fifth Indiana Volunteers, immediately went to the front, joining his regiment at Columbia, Tennessee. He participated in the Nashville campaigns and at Franklin and was in a number of minor skirmishes, continuing on duty until the war ended and he received an honorable dis- charge.
Such is an epitome of the life of one of the esteemed and worthy citizens of Whit- ley county.
I SAAC SCHRADER, a most promi- nent farmer and honored resident of Whitley county, now deceased, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania, on the 14th of March, 1840, and was reared on his father's farm until twenty-one years of age, becoming familiar with all the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. Whether at work in the fields, in his coun- try's service, in the church or in the home, he was always faithful to his duty and to any trust that might be reposed in him; and when a lad of about five years he came with
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his father's family to Whitley county, where he passed his life.
After the breaking out of the Civil war he felt that his country needed his services, and in August, 1862, joined the boys in blue of Company F, One Hundredth Indiana In- fantry. He took part in the battles of Vicksburg, Mission Ridge, Black River, New Hope, Bentonville, Lookout Mountain, Resaca, Atlanta and every engagement in which his regiment shared save that of Jack- son, Mississippi, during which he was con- fined to the convalescent camp at Memphis. He went with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea, and after nearly three years of loyal service was honorably dis- charged at Indianapolis, Indiana, in June, 1865. He loved his country and its govern- ment, and was ready to make any sacrifice for its perpetuity. He was strictly an American, and American institutions were very precious to him. In his political views he was a Republican from the organization of the party, and was at one time the candi- date for the State Legislature.
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