Memorial record of northeastern Indiana, Part 64

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 932

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Mr. and Mrs. Athey were married June 1, 1840, in Richland county, Ohio, and their children were Jane, who was born Septem- ber 1, 1841, and is the wife of Ed S. Fish, of Osage county, Kansas, by whom she has four children, -Effie, Bessie, Edna, deceased and Claudie. Clementine, born April 10, 1845, is the wife of James P. Tipps, of Huntington county, Indiana, engaged in the lumber business. Their children are Lena, Lulu and Lewis Lance. Laura, born March 2, 1847, is the honored wife of our subject. Electa, born December 13, 1859, is the wife of Samuel J. Elliott, agent for the McCormick Machinery Company at Co- lumbia City, Indiana. Elizabeth, born No- vember 28, 1851, died December 8, 1855. Willis, born July 15, 1855, died

February 14, 1860. Sarah Ellingham, born August 4, 1857, is the wife of Owen Thomas Hart, and they have one child, Jean. Ida Ann, born July 24, 1860, is the wife of Chris- topher Roff, of Whitley county. She died February 7, 1886, leaving a son, Curtis Scott, who is now living with our subject. Alex. Elsworth, born December 22, 1862, was married March 18, 1891, to Sarah Belle Elliott daughter of Robert J. and Cather- ine M. (Jones) Elliott.

Mr. and Mrs. Cummins have but one child, Naomi Octavia.

The family is one of prominence in the community, the household is noted for its hospitality and its members hold a high po- sition in social circles.

ON. ROBERT T. ST. JOHN .- For half a century this gentleman has been identified with Grant county, Indiana, and for many years has figured as one of her leading citi- zens. A biography of him will therefore be of special interest in this connection.

Robert T. St. John was born in the State of Mississippi, October 27, 1828. Among his ancestors were men of promi- nence and worth and who occupied po- sitions of influence in their communities. Both his grandfathers were officers in the Revolutionary war, his paternal grandfather a Major and his maternal grandfather a Captain; both were wounded and both served all through the war. Samuel St. John, the father of our subject, was a na- tive of Connecticut, born in the year 1789. He was married in New York to Miss Nancy Darling, like himself, a native of Connecti- cut. She was reared in Saratoga county, New York. After their marriage they re-

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moved to Indiana, thence to Alabama and from there to Mississippi, where, as already stated, Robert T. was born. Samuel St. John was by profession a physician, and at one time was surgeon in the army under General Andrew Jackson. That, however, was in time of peace. Also he owned and operated a cotton plantation and was a slaveholder. On account of his wife's ill health, he thought it necessary to make a change of location, and came North, first to Ohio and subsequently to Indiana. She died in Wabash county, Indiana, in 1851, and he survived her until 1861, when his death occurred at Marion, Indiana. They were the parents of six children, four of whom grew to maturity, namely: Abel F., deceased; Ann C. Spears, deceased; Dr. John D., deceased; and Judge Robert T.

Judge St. John is the youngest of the family and is its only living representative. He was quite small when he came with his parents to Indiana, and was reared in Frank- lin county-that county which is noted for the many prominent men it has produced. There in a log school-house he learned his early lessons. When he was sixteen he en- tered a law office and diligently began the study of law, and on attaining his majority was admitted to the bar. In the mean- time, in 1845, he came to Grant county, and it was in Marion that he received admission to the bar. Soon after this he was a victim of the California gold " fever." He crossed the plains in company with a party of gold- seekers, starting from Independence, Mis- souri, and being 138 days in making the trip from that point to "Hangtown," and thus, as one of the first to reach the mines, earned the title of what has since been popularly known as " Forty-niner." After two years and a half spent in the mines of

the Golden State, young St. John came back to Indiana, making the return trip via the Isthmus of Panama, and settled down to the practice of law in Marion, where he has ever since resided. He is now senior mem- ber of the firm of St. John & Charles, prac- tices in all the courts, and is recognized as the oldest attorney now in the city.

Judge St. John was married in 1859 to Miss Emily Ward, daughter of Willis P. Ward, formerly of New York State. She was born in Indiana, near Michigan City, is a most estimable lady, and has many friends in Marion where she has so long resided. She is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. Their union has been blessed in the birth of four children, as follows: Maggie D., wife of W. H. Charles, of the law firm of St. John & Charles; Hartley Ward, who married Miss Retta Webster; Bertha and Jessie, at home-all residents of Marion. The grandchildren number three, Mrs. Charles having two children and Hart- ley W. having one child.

Politically, Judge St. John has ever been a stanch Republican. During that dark period known as the Civil war, al- though he did not enter the ranks as a sol- dier, he was faithful in the performance of his duty at home and was a strong supporter of the Union cause. On various occasions he has been the recipient of official honors. In the early part of his career he was Prosecut- ing Attorney for Grant, Blackford and Dela- ware counties. In 1872 he was a member of the Indiana State Legislature, and after a service of forty days in that body he and thirty-three others resigned to prevent the passage of an apportionment bill designed to shut Governor Morton out of the United States Senate. In 1886 he was elected Judge of the Circuit Court, the territory over

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which he presided including both Grant and Blackford counties, and on the bench he served efficiently for a period of six years. Another important position which has been ably filled by him is that of President of the Board of Directors of the Northern Peni- tentiary of Indiana. He served in this of- fice two years.

A lawyer of marked ability, a trusted and faithful official, a worthy citizen and a true friend, -in these few words may be summed up the life history of Judge Robert T. St. John.

ILLIAM A. KUNKLE, ex-County Surveyor, is one of the most pop- ular of the young business men of Wells county, of which he is a native. He was born in Lancaster town- ship, Wells county, Indiana, January 31, 1868, and is a son of Michael Kunkle, who was born in Pennsylvania, September 21, 1816. By occupation Michael Kunkle was a farmer, which calling he followed during his entire life. He was twice married, his first wife being Julia Mason, who died in 1847, leaving five children, only two of whom now survive. His second wife was Mary A. Klenknight, by whom he had seven children, five of whom are now living, as follows: John O .; Matilda J., wife of Thomas M. Souder, of Wells county; Rebecca J., wife of Henry Masterson, of the same county; Theodore H., who is engaged in the cloth- ing business in Warren, Huntington county, Indiana; and William A., our subject. In 1842, shortly after his second marriage, Michael Kunkle with his family removed to Adams county, Indiana, and located on a farm near Decatur. Two years later he re- moved to Wells county, Indiana, and opened 30

up a farm in Lancaster township, where he resided until two years previous to his death, which occurred May 7, 1886. Although a native of Pennsylvania he was of German parentage. Mrs. Mary A. Kunkle, the mother of our subject, is now living in Bluff- ton. She was born December 3, 1827, and is a woman greatly beloved by all who know her. She was not only a true mother to her own flesh and blood but also to the chil- dren of her husband's first wife, each of whom greatly esteemed and loved her.

William A. Kunkle, our subject, grew to manhood in Lancaster township and spent his boyhood and youth in assisting in the cultivation of the farm and attending the district schools until sixteen years of age. He then entered the high school at Bluffton, at which he graduated in 1886. On leaving school he was employed for about three months in Ashaucher's clothing store in Bluffton. He then taught one term of school in Rockford township, Wells county, after which he secured a position as chief clerk to the resident chief engineer of the "Clover-Leaf " Railroad, where he remained one year. Having studied surveying and fitted himself for that profession, he was ap- pointed deputy surveyor of Wells county, and in 1890 was nominated on the Demo- cratic ticket for the office of County Survey- or and duly elected, receiving a larger vote than any of his associates on the ticket. He was re-elected in 1892 and completed his second term November 13, 1894. De- clining a re-election, he turned his attention to the purchase and sale of oil wells, in which he has been very successful. Being a civil engineer and surveyor, the knowledge acquired in those professions has been of great benefit to him in his present business.

On the 24th of June, 1891, Mr. Kunkle

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was united in marriage with Miss Minnie A. Morgan, daughter of John V. and Mary Morgan, of Bluffton. She was one of Bluff- ton's society leaders, and her family are among the most esteemed of the pioneer families of Wells county. They have one child, William A. Kunkle, Jr., born Feb- ruary 20, 1895. Fraternally Mr. Kunkle is a member of the Knights of Pythias; of Bluffton Lodge, No. 145, F. & A. M. ; of the Bluffton Council, R. A. M .; and of the Knight Templars of Bluffton. He is also a charter member of the Bluffton Lodge of Elks.

As already stated, Mr. Kunkle is one of the most popular men in Wells county. His position as County Surveyor has called him to almost every nook and corner of the county, and he is therefore personally known to many thousands of people. In his busi- ness relations he has shown that he has the proper conception of doing the right thing at the right time, and success has crowned his efforts. Every position occupied by him he has filled acceptably, and has always held the good will of those with whom he has been associated. As yet a young man, in all probability he has a bright future be- fore him, and the past should be a guaran- tee of his future success.

ARTON W. QUINN is a resident of Decatur and one of the most highly esteemed citizens of Adams county. He is a son of James Quinn, who was born on the site of the pres- ent city of Dayton, Ohio, August 14, 1800. James was a son of Thomas Quinn, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to America when fourteen years of age and became a pioneer in the settlement of Ohio. His death oc-

curred in 1823. Subsequent to his death his widow with her children moved to Harri- son county, that State.

Here James, the father of our subject, grew to manhood and was engaged in the vocation of farming. He married Miss Rachel Moody, a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, born April 25, 1807. Their marriage was consummated December 21, 1824. They resided in Harrison county until September, 1853, when they moved to Adams county, Indiana, and located on a farm four miles southwest of Decatur, which became their permanent home. Both were exemplary members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and vied with each other in the performance of Christian and charitable works.

Mrs. Quinn descended from Scotch and German ancestors and possessed all the kindly rugged characteristics of the races from which she sprang. Ten children were born to this worthy couple, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, namely: Thomas; David; Jane, wife of Lewis An- drews; Mary, wife of Reuben Quinn; Eliza, deceased wife of David Replogle; Harriet, wife of Stewart Gronigar; John P., who served throughout the late war as Sergeant of the Eighty-ninth Indiana Volunteer In- fantry; Ellen, wife of John Winters; James K. and Barton W. Mr. Quinn died Decem- ber 4. 1878, and Mrs. Quinn, after surviv- ing her husband a few weeks, passed away, February 28, 1879.

Our subject was the youngest son and child of this family. He was born in Frank- lin township, Harrison county, Ohio, March 8, 1850. He was three years of age when his parents settled in Adams county. It was his privilege to attend the winter terms of school after reaching the proper age, and

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as he grew older it was also his privilege to as- sist in clearing the land his father had bought. That early home lives in his recollection. It was a low log cabin of two rooms, and his play- ground was either a cleared patch or the primeval retreats of labyrinthian woods. Upon attaining his majority he accepted a position in the general merchandise store of Funke & Brother, and soon afterward the firm went into bankruptcy, which necessi- tated our subject's return to the farm. Pre- vious to this he had, during the winter of 1870-71, taught school in Washington township. In the fall of 1871, after his experience with Funke & Brother, he attended a normal school, subsequently teaching, read law and did various other kinds of work. Studabaker & Quinn (the latter his brother) were his law precep- tors.

In December, 1874, he was admitted to the bar before Judge Haynes, of Jay county. In 1881 he entered into the law and collect- ing business, which proved a source of profit and in which he was engaged till 1886. In 1888 he was elected chairman of the county Republican central committee, and during the campaign that followed he did most efficient work, greatly reducing the Demo- cratic majorities of the past. In Au- gust, 1889, he was appointed Postmas- ter of Decatur which position he held four years and a half. In May, 1894, he was elected Mayor of Decatur, overcom- ing a Democratic majority of nearly 400, carrying every ward in the city, and his own, a Democratic ward, by ninety-four majority. This office he now holds. Mr. Quinn was reared a Democrat, but at the age of twenty- one years he embraced the principles of the Republican party, which he has warmly esponsed ever since.

Socially he is a member of Knights of Pythias, having filled all the chairs of the order. His marriage to Miss Miranda Barnett was consummated March 8, 1890. He and his estimable wife are members of the Episcopal Methodist Church.

ILLIAM E. HEAL .- A native of the State of Indiana, and one whose ancestral history has been identified with that of the State since the early pioneer days, there would, on this score alone, be a marked congruity in incorporating in this volume a resume of the life history of him whose name initiates this review, but superinduced upon this there are other elements which render such a recogni- tion practically imperative if the work is to be consistent with itself. Mr. Heal occu- pies conspicuous official preferment as Treas- urer of Grant county, is distinctively one of the representative citizens of the city of Marion, and has attained a reputation as one of the ablest mathematicians in the world, as will be shown later in the context of this article. There is particular interest attach- ing to his high attainments as a mathemati- cian from the fact that he has conducted his studies alone and without instruction, save that afforded by text books; has mastered the most abstruse and intricate problems of the higher branches of this science, and has gained the endorsement and commendation of the leading mathematicians of the world.

A native of Grant county, Indiana, Will- iam E. Heal was born on the 17th of May, 1856, being the son of John W. Heal, who also was born in the Hoosier State. The latter also was a son of William Heal, who was one of the earliest settlers in Delaware county, Indiana, where he reclaimed from

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the wilderness a fine farm on or near the Grant county line. He was a native of France and came to America in his youth or early manhood. The mother of our subject, Irene V. (Zahn) Heal, was a native of the Old Dominion State, being a daughter of John Zahn, who emigrated from Virginia to Indiana in the pioneer days of the latter State. He settled in Grant county, and here in later years occurred the marriage of his daughter to John W. Heal. After their marriage the parents of our subject settled on a farm in Jefferson township, this county, where they continued to abide until 1866, when they removed to Delaware county, lo- cating on a farm which was in the immediate neighborhood of that owned and occupied by William Heal, grandfather of our subject. John W. Heal is now a resident of Black- ford county, this State, and is one of the honored and venerable pioneers of Indiana. His cherished and devoted wife was sum- moned into eternal rest in the year 1883. They were the parents of two children: Will- iam E., the immediate subject of this re- view; and Oliver P. M. a resident of Black- ford county, Indiana. The father is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while the mother adhered to the faith of the Christian Church. John W. Heal was one of the brave and loyal men who went forth in defense of the nation's honor during the late war of the Rebellion.

engaging in teaching school. He was thus retained for eight terms, his service in this pedagogic capacity being principally in Del- aware county. He also taught two terms in the normal school. He has, as before stated, followed through the branches of higher mathematics almost entirely by him- self, and that he has mastered this greatest of the exact sciences stands in distinctive evidence of his alert mentality and his in- defatigable industry and application as a student. He has solved problems that have puzzled or baffled the best mathemati- cians of the world. His interest in this science is a most lively one, and he has an extensive and valuable mathematical library, -principally English and French works, but including the most important of the German texts. It is but in natural sequence that there should have come to Mr. Heal a pronounced recognition on account of his abilities in the line noted, and we find that he is a member of the American Mathemat- ical Society, of New York, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and also a member of the Lon- don (England) Mathematical Society. He corresponds for the Annals of Mathematics, published at the University of Virginia; for the Mathematical Magazine, of Washington, D. C .; for the Mathematical Monthly, and for various other publications in the line. By individual study and research he mas- tered the problems of astronomy, after which he continued his labors in analytical geometry, and finally made himself an authority in the branch of higher plane curves. The solution of the great problem of the bitangential of the quintic stands to his credit alone of all the mathematicians of the world, signal failure having attended the

Our subject was reared in Grant county and received his preliminary educational dis- cipline in the common schools, subsequently supplementing the knowledge thus acquired by attending a normal school. He then turned his attention to that vocation which has proved a stepping-stone to so many of the representative men of our country, put- ting his acquirements to practical use by . efforts of all others who essayed the task of

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solving this most difficult and abstruse problem. This achievement on the part of our subject attracted the attention, as it could scarcely fail to do, of the greatest mathematicians of the world, and resulted in bringing to Mr. Heal a personal letter, of a most complimentary kind, from Pro- fessor A. Cayley, professor of mathematics in the University of Cambridge, England. This problem was published in Salmon's Higher Curves in England, and it baffled all the mathematicians of the world, includ- ing the author of the book. Mr. Heal solved the problem and sent it to Dr. Salmon, and Prof. Cayley, who brought it before the London Mathematical Society, in March, 1891. In consequence of his extraordinary accomplishment in the prem- ises, there was conferred upon Mr. Heal the distinguished honor of being elected a Fel- low of the society mentioned.

Our subject's advent in the city of Marion dates back to 1880, and for a time he was employed in the inercantile business, after which he accepted a position in the office of the County Clerk, retaining this incumbency for two and one-half years. He then became bookkeeper for Winchell & Company, remaining in this position one year, after which he was employed in a similar capacity, for one and one-half years, in the Marion Bank. He served for four years as Deputy County Treasurer, under H. D. Reasoner, and for an equal length of time under J. H. Parker.

In his political adherency Mr. Heal is strongly arrayed in the support of the Re- publican party and its principles, and in the fall of 1892 he was the successful candidate for the office of Treasurer of Grant county, -a position for which he is most eminently qualified. His term of office extended over

two years, beginning August 2, 1893, and in the fall of 1894 he was elected as his own successor, for a second term.

In his fraternal relations our subject is prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, retaining a member- ship in both the subordinate lodge and the Encampment, at Marion. He is also a member and Trustee of Lodge No. 103, Knights of Pythias, and is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

The marriage of Mr. Heal was solem- nized in 1878, when he led to the hymeneal altar Miss Nancy Parrill, a native of Grant county, Indiana, and the daughter of the late Charles W. Parrill. Mr. and Mrs. Heal are active and zealous members of the First Methodist Church of Marion, of which organization our subject has served as Steward. They are the parents of five children, namely: Orian V., Hammond, Elva, Jessie, and Harry.

Enjoying a distinctive popularity and known as a man of talent, sterling attributes of character and earnestness of purpose, Mr. Heal has gained and retains the confidence and respect of the community and is known as one of Marion's representative citizens.

A C. ALEXANDER, who occupies the distinctive preferment as Sher- iff of Grant county, and who is one of the well known and popular citi- zens of Marion, Indiana, is a native of Wells county, this State, born February 16, 1860.

His father, John Alexander, a native of Logan county, Ohio, born April 23, 1825, was a son of Rev. Robert and Mary (Wilkin- son) Alexander, the latter a daughter of Ashael Wilkinson. The Rev. Robert Alex- ander was born February 16, 1793; was

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married February 26, 1822; and in 1837 moved with his family to Indiana, locating first in Elkhart county and the following year making permanent settlement in Wells county. In Jackson township he entered 160 acres of Government land, he being the third man to enter land in that township. He was a Methodist preacher, did much missionary work among the Indians, and was the means of accomplishing untold good in the frontier settlement. His father, the great-grandfather of our subject, was James W. Alexander. John Alexander spent his youthful days in Wells county, and under the able instructions of his father received a far better education than the average boy of that period in Indiana. When he grew up he entered 160 acres of land near his fa- ther's farm, which he cleared and improved, and where he continued to reside until 1874. That year he removed to Hartford City, where the rest of his life was passed, and where he died April 4, 1886. He was a class-leader and exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church, served as a member of the official board of the Church in Hartford City, and throughout his life was noted for his generous financial and personal support of church work. In early life he was a Whig, later affiliated with the Republican party, and was for years one of the leaders in politics in Wells county. During the Civil war he enlisted his services for the protection of the Union, but was rejected on account of physical disability.

Of the mother of our subject, we record that her maiden name was Melissa Sparr, and that she was born in Delaware county, Indiana, July 15, 1827, daughter of John and Mary Ann (Guthrie) Sparr. John Sparr was a soldier in the war of 1812, was at one time Sheriff of Greenbrier county, Vir-

ginia, and about 1824 or '25 moved from Virginia out to Indiana, and located in Rush county. He was interested in build- ing the National Road through this State. His marriage to Miss Guthrie had occurred in Virginia, January 18, 1810, and when he came out to Indiana he brought his family with him. In 1836 they removed from Rush to Delaware county, where he died March 24, 1843, at the age of fifty-three years. His wife was born in Montgomery county, Virginia, October 14, 1790, and died October 13, 1872. Both were mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Melissa Alexander is still a resident of Hartford City. She is the mother of seven children, all of whom reached maturity, namely: Rachel, wife of George E. Fox, Loveland, Colorado; William G., who mar- ried Mary Peters and lives in Denver, Colo- rado, has one child, Beulah; Robert V., de- ceased; John Benson; A. C., whose name heads this article; James M., a resident of Oklahoma; and Oliver M., Denver, Colorado, married Georgie Taylor and has one child, Florence.

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Memorial record of northeastern Indiana, Part 64

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 932

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 932