USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of other portions of the state, both living and dead > Part 81
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PHILIP STOOPS. The calling of the farmer is as old as the world, and the majority of the men who have followed it have led upright and blameless lives, and the career of Philip Stoops has been no exception to this rule. He was born in Nicholas County, Ky., February 24, 1815, where he continued to reside until he was eighteen years of age, his educational advantages being quite limited in the meantime, for what few schools there were were of an inferior kind. In the fall of 1833 he came with his parents to Indiana, locating in Marion County, where the father purchased 160 acres of land, the timber on a considerable portion of which had been deadened but not cleared, Here he erected him a house and on this farm made his home the remainder of his days, dying in 1859. Prior to this he had succeeded in clearing about eighty acres of land and also found time to serve his country in the Black Hawk War. He was early in life a Whig and then became a Republican and as such con- tinued to the last. While living in his native State of Kentucky he united with the Presby- terian Church but upon his arrival in Indiana, as there was no church of his denomination in his immediate neighborhood, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was married thrice, first in Pennsylvania, to Nancy James, by whom he became the father of seven children: William, who married a Miss Graham and died leaving two children, Mcclellan and Susan; John; Philip; Betsey, who married Jacob Shearer and died leaving three children, John, George and Laban; Alexander, who married Elizabeth Rayburn and died leaving two children, James and Alice; Henry, who married Amanda Hunter and died leaving three children, Rufus, Nancy and Alice; Nancy (deceased), who married Andrew Shearer and became the mother of several children. For his second wife Mr. Stoops, Sr., took Rosanna Kepbart and the following children were given them: Joseph (deceased); Polly, who married Nathan Davis; Samuel, Andrew, Ellen, who married Benjamin Springer; Sarah, who married Audrew Vansickle; Franklin, who died in the Federal service in 1863; Robert, who lives in Kansas, having served three years in an Indiana regiment during the war; Delilah, who married John Hanes, of Hancock County, Ind. ; Martha, who married Jeremiah Coffin, and
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Jacob. The father of these children died in 1855 at the age of sixty-three years, his birth having occurred in Pennsylvania. The paternal grandfather, William Stoops, was also a Pennsyl- vanian, born in 1750 and died in Kentucky about 1825, having been a soldier of the Revolu- tion. Philip Stoops, the subject of this sketch, remained with his parents until he was about twenty-three years old and assisted his father in caring for the younger members of the family. In 1838 he entered eighty acres of land in Hancock County, which he kept for several years but never lived on, and finally sold it for $200. He next purchased eighty acres in Warren Town- ship, Marion County, on which no improvements had been made and after his marriage in 1838 to Edith, daughter of John Vansickle, they settled on this land and began housekeep- ing in a little log cabin. At various times he increased his acreage until he was the owner of 140 acres, only ten acres of which were cleared, but since that time he has cleared eighty acres. In 1861 he purchased a 100-acre tract in Warren Township, and in 1866 bought eighty acres in Lawrence Township, and about 1889 forty more acres in that township. His entire land now amounts to 390 acres. To himself and wife the following children were born: Alexander, who married Catherine Morris, has four children: Mary, Elsworth, Fran- ces and Sarah; John, who was three years in the Union army, first married Sarah Marshall, by whom he has three children: Nora (who married Andrew Witte), Albert and Edna, and by his second wife, Nancy Baker, nee Carr, he had one child-Myrtle; Mary, who married Newton Ford, left two. sons: Charles and Everett; Amanda J., who married Joseph W. Irwin in 1864 and became the mother of seven children: Charles (who died in 1873), Edgar (who died in 1871), Margaret (who died 1873), Mary (who died in 1889), Laura (who died in 1890), Emma J. and Walter S. ; Charles W. was in the Federal service about six months and died unmarried; Francis Marion married Anna Wilmington, and during the war served six months in the Union army; Oliver married Elizabeth Beard by whom he has one child, Elsie Blanche; and Albert, who married Laura Hardesty. Mr. Stoops was left a widower in 1873. He has for many years been connected with the Methodist Church and politically is a Republican. His son-in-law, Joseph W. Irwin, was born in Butler County. Obio, in 1841 and came to Indiana in the spring of 1861, locating in Marion County, where he enlisted in August, 1863, in Company B, One Hundred and Seventeenth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry from which he was honorably discharged on February 23, 1864, at Indianapolis. He is a son of Robert Irwin, and is a man of sound principles and much intelligence. Polit- ically he is a Republican and he has long been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
PETER KISSEL. Among the substantial German-American citizens of this country, and especially of Marion County, Ind., well worthy of mention, is Peter Kissel, who is a product of Prussia, Germany, where he was born on February 19, 1823. He was brought up in his native land, and attended the schools of his country from the time he was six years of age until he was fourteen, after which he began assisting his father, Henry Kissel, who was a small farmer, being the owner of about twenty acres of land, all of which was in a high state of cultivation, and he was also a skillful weaver of linen. At the age of twenty the subject of this sketch drifted into the army, in which he served three years, being stationed in the city of Berlin. After serving out his term he returned home, and remained there until he came to America. February 17, 1848, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of George Glosner, a native of Prussia, and a week after his marriage he was called out for military service, but did not remain on duty long. April 1, 1852, he and his wife and two children sailed. from Bremen for America, and after a voyage of thirty-seven days landed at Philadelphia. From there they came to Marion County, Ind., arriving May 25, 1852, and Mr. Kissel at once secured a job on the Center Railroad, which had just started. Here he worked until the fall, then purchased sixty-five acres of land in Warren Township, for which he paid $600. There was no clearing or house on the land, but during the fall and winter he put up a cabin, and the following spring moved into it. There he has lived ever since, but has greatly improved his property, and at one time added ninety-six acres to it. Besides this he has 233 acres for which he paid $4,000, but lost it all owing to the dishonesty of the man from whom he had purchased it, who had it mort- gaged for $5,000 unknown to Mr. Kissel. Mr. and Mrs. Kissel became the parents of ten children, three of whom died in infancy, and the rest grew to maturity: Elizabeth, who is dead, became the wife of Christian Droger, and left nine children; William, Christina (who
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married Fritz Sutmeyer), Chris, Louisa (who married Chris Miller), Anna, Mena, Emma, John and Benjamin; Peter married Mary Caspari, by whom he had seven children, and for his second wife chose Louisa Donner, and by her has one daughter; Christina married John Buchfink, and has six children; John married Marian Nane, and has three children; George P. married Sophia Nane, and has one daughter, Stella; Henrietta married Charles Fritsche, and has these children, Harry, Etta and Gustav, and Henry. Peter's children by his first wife were Melinda, Lena, George, Anna, Margaret, Leonard and Elizabeth. His only child by his second wife was named Florinda. Christina's children were named as follows: Anna, Mary, John, Lena, and Lisetta; John's three children are John, Eda and Emil. Mr. Kissel has always been a Democrat politically, and his first vote was cast for James Buchanan. He and his wife have long been earnest and worthy members of the Evangelical Church, and he is a substantial and honorable man, highly esteemed in the section in which he resides. He has given his sons land as they married and settled in life, but still owns the home place, and is possessed of a comfortable competency. His father. in-law was George Glosner, who married Margaret Raab, their children being Margaret (deceased), Elizabeth (Mrs. Kissel), and Mary (deceased).
WILLIAM BADE. This gentleman is a successful German- American farmer, who has made his own way in the world and is now in possession of a considerable amount of this world's goods. He was born in Prussia, Germany, October 5, 1837, and came to America with his parents in 1846, sailing from Bremen to Baltimore, and nine weeks and two days later they landed in Indianapolis, Ind., where two of the father's brothers preceded him about ten years. Mr. Bade's father purchased sixty acres of land of a Mr. Lowman in Warren township, fifteen of which were cleared, and on this farm young William was brought up, his education being limited to such schools as were held in the vicinity of his home, and lasted only until his fourteenth year. He remained with his parents until he attained his majority, then he began laboring for the various farmers in the vicinity, and so continued until he was twenty- five years of age. He then purchased eighty acres of land of Frederick Piel, whose daughter, Ellen, he had married in March, 1862, and there being a small frame house on the place, the young couple moved into it and began housekeeping. In this house they continued to make their home until 1888 when they erected a neat and commodious new dwelling-house. In 1865 Mr. Bade added twenty acres to his original purchase, in 1868 twenty acres more, but in 1870 sold this tract. To himself and wife children as follows have been given: Mary, who married Chris. Brinkman, has three children : Emma, William and Ida; Mena, who married Chris. Ropp; Louisa; Henry; William and Ida. Mr. Bade has always been a Democrat, and his first vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas. He has served several times as supervisor of his township, but aside from this has not been an aspirant for office. He is a member of the German Lutheran Church, as is his wife, and he has held official position in the same. He is a son of Aaron Bade, who was born in Prussia in 1808. The latter was engaged in herring fishing during the summer months, as well as following the occupation of farming, and by this means he made a comfortable living. He was married to Christina Coleman, and after coming to America and locating in Marion County, Ind., he became the owner of sixty acres of land. to which he later added twenty acres. On this fertile and well-kept farm he resided until his death in 1880. He was also a Democrat and a member of the Lutheran Church. He and his wife became the parents of the follow- ing children: William, the subject of this sketch; Frederick, who married Mary Bade and is the father of three children: William, Emma and Charles; Henry, who married Emma Brademeyer and has two children: Panlina and Emma; Christina, who married Frederick Bucksot; Andrew, who married Mary Prange, and has three children: Albert, Louis and Frank, and a child that died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1847, about one year after their arrival in America. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, also bore the name of Aaron Bade, and his arrival in the United States dates from 1841, but about four years after his arrival he died in Wheeling, W. Va., at the home of his son, Frederick.
WILLIAM SANDERS. The earliest ancestor of which the subject of this sketch has any knowledge, was Joel Sanders, his grandfather, who was presumably a native of South Caro- lina. He was an early emigrant to Georgia, in which State he married and spent the rest
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of his days, his death occurring before the subject of this sketch was born. He was the father of two children, William, and Barbara, who married Samuel Whitson, by whom she became the mother of one daughter, Charity. Their son William was born in the Palmetto State in 1777, was taken by his parents to Georgia and in 1806 removed to Ohio and in 1832 became a pioneer settler of the Hoosier State. He located on a farm of 320 acres in Deca- tur Township, Marion County, which he bought of Martha Hawkins and her heirs, and here he lived a contented, prosperous and useful life until the hand of death closed his career in 1841. He was united in the bonds of matrimony with Amy, daughter of Daniel Williams, and to them a good old-fashioned family of thirteen children were given, two of whom died in infancy. Those who grew to maturity are as follows: Sarah (deceased) married William Scott and after his death Samuel Millhouse, who is also deceased (she left five children); Mary (deceased) married Enoch Mills (deceased) and is survived by six children; Charity (deceased) married Mark Mills (deceased) and has four surviving children; Rebecca (deceased) married Moses Rich by whom she became the mother of four children; Daniel (deceased) married Rachel Mills, then Mary Haughton, and for bis third wife took Cynthia Mendenhall (he has five surviving children); Rebecca (deceased) married Moses Reid and has four living children; Joel married Mary Bates first and afterward Elizabeth Jones (he has two children); Eli (deceased) first married Ruth Mills and afterward Jane Burham and has a family of ten children who survive him; Elihu (deceased) was married to Bathsheba Boles by whom he has three surviving children; Rhoda and William. The father of these children was a member of the Friends Church and politically was a Whig. The subject of this sketch, a sister and his brother Joel are the only surviving members of his father's fam- ily, and like their father before them they are all members of the Quaker Church and like him and all who belong to that religious sect, are honest, industrious, God-fearing, peaceable and law-abiding people. William and Joel are Republicans in their political views, and both have served as supervisors in their township. They are men of worth and have good and comfortable homes, the result of honest and persistent effort.
NATHAN RATLIFF. Among the representative farmers of Decatur Township we are pleased to present a sketch of the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this para- graph, and whose pleasant home and excellent farm attest the thrift and enterprise of the owner. His father, Joseph Ratliff, was born in North Carolina in 1788 and there grew to manhood and married Miss Rebecca Lamb, daughter of Isaac Lamb. In 1816 he came to Indiana and located in Wayne County, near Richmond, and there resided until the spring of 1824, when he moved to Henry County, Ind. Here he entered 440 acres of land, the patents being signed by John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson, settled in the green timber and there resided until his death in 1837. To his marriage were born nine children, as follows: Jane, deceased, married Bailey Pearson and became the mother of a family of children. Three of her sons served in the Civil War. Reuben, deceased, was married twice. His first wife was Margaret Kendall. His second marriage was with Penelope N. Bell, deceased, and they have two living children, Margaret and Elias. Huldah (deceased) married Daniel Pressnall (deceased), and these children were born to them, Rebecca, Han- nah, Joseph, Lindley M., Jesse, Cynthia, Elizabeth and Sarah. Anna (deceased) was the wife of John Hinshaw (deceased). and they have children living as follows: Cynthia, John and Rebecca. Elizabeth (deceased) was the wife of Elisha Dans and they have several children. Jesse died unmarried. Eli married Jane Draper and they have three children, Huldah, Calvin and Charles. Nathan (our subject), and John (deceased), who married Asenath Palmer and became the father of one child, Franklin. The father of these children was a Quaker in his religious views and never bore arms. He was an elder in the Friends Church when he died. Previous to his death he bad cleared about ninety acres of land in Henry County, Ind., and was a prosperous farmer and an excellent citizen. Richard Ratliff, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, born about 1762, and came to Indiana about 1816. He died in Henry County, Ind., about 1827. He had married Miss Bettie Pearson and to them were born these children: Anna, Joseph, Nathan, Mary, Jonathan, Richard, Gabriel, Elizabeth and Cornelius. All are deceased (1893) except the last named who resides in Grant County, Ind. The subject of this sketch was born in Henry County, Ind., about four miles west of Newcastle, December 9, 1824, and there he was
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taught the arduous duties of the farm. He received his education in the subscription schools of those days, three months during the winter session, and attended until seventeen years of age. He was only thirteen years of age when his father died and he remained on the old home place till about forty years of age. He was married first in 1852 to Penelope, daughter of Tristram Coggeshall, a native of North Carolina. Six children were born to this union. Cynthia, who married J. M. Ballard; Dr. Barclay Ratliff, of West Newton, who mar- ried Miss Emma Allen and became the father of one daughter, Mary; William H., unmarried; Millicent H. died when twenty-five years of age; Ruth E., unmarried, and Naomi, who died when twenty-four years of age. Mr. Ratliff's first wife died February 22, 1864, and our sub- ject was married again in 1865 to Hannah, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Casterling) Furnas, and to this second union were born three children, Joseph F., unmarried; Luther H. and Mary, the last two also unmarried. While residing in Henry County our subject acted as one of the three trustees of Harrison Township. In politics he is a Republican and cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren in 1848. The next election he voted for John P. Hale, also a Free Soiler; in 1856 he voted for John C. Fremont, and since then he has voted the straight Republican ticket. He belongs to the Friends Church.
WILLIAM LEEMAN. On the farm on which he now resides William Leeman first saw the light of day, November 20, 1833, and there he has made his home ever since. This land, consisting of 240 acres, was entered by his father, John Leeman, at an early day, the patent being signed by President Andrew Jackson. The educational advantages of William Lee- man were confined to the early subscription schools of Decatur township, which he attended about two months out of the year up to the age of twenty-one, although during this time he missed attending several winters. Politically he has always been a Republican, and cast his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont. He has long been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and is an active member of the Masonic fraternity, besides being a worthy, upright and useful citizen of the section in which he has so long made his home. His father was born in the vicinity of Bardstown, Ky., in 1800 and in early manhood came with his parents to Indiana, locating in Hendricks County, near the Marion County line. He was mar- ried in 1829 to Margaret, daughter of Parker and Mary (McCreery) Keeler and as above stated became possessed of a fine farm of 240 acres in Marion County, the most of which was cov- ered with a heavy growth of timber. He built thereon a log house in which he lived until his death in 1847, prior to which event he had become the father of two children: James, who was born Marchi 7, 1831, and was married to Nancy, daughter of John Vogus, after which he resided on a portion of his father's farm until his death, in 1883, bis wife having been called from life in 1871, leaving four children: Rosenna, who married Eli Stinson and has one child, Chester; Phama J. who married Reuben P. Cox, and has one daughter, Ada; Enoch S., and William P. The father of these children was a Republican, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which church his mother was connected, while his father was a communicant of the Christian Church. Robert Leeman, the paternal grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was a Kentuckian by birth and upon his removal to Indi- ana in an early day, he entered eighty acres of land in Hendricks County, upon which he lived until his death. His family consisted of eight children whose names, so far as remembered, are as follows; John; George, who married a Miss Cook, and died in 1889; Sarah (deceased), first married a Mr. Jessup, by whom she had two children, and for her second husband, wedded James Merritt, by whom she had several children; Martha, now the widow of Edward Merritt; Elizabeth, the widow of Edward Sharp; Cornelius. who married Sarah A. Schultz; William, who married Harriet Edwards; and Jane, who married William Edwards. Robert Lee- man was a soldier of the War of 1812. The mother of William Leeman, the subject of this sketch, died on the February, 20, 1889.
WILLIAM BOATRIGHT. This gentleman is a product of Marion County, Ind., his birth occurring on the farm owned by his paternal grandfather, William Cool, in Wayne township, September 16, 1837. There he resided with his parents until he was about twelve years of age, after which he made his home in the vicinity of his birthplace, but upon another farm, until he was about twenty seven. He attended the early subscription schools quite regularly until he was about fifteen years of age, and after that irregularly up to the age of twenty- one. November 7, 1865, he won for his wife Eliza J., daughter of Charles and Mary
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(Johnson) Robinson, very soon after which he moved on to a rented farm of eighty acres in Center township, where he made his home for about a year, then rented 300 acres in Decatur township, and two years later he rented 120 acres more. His next move was to the river in the vicinity of Cold Springs where he rented thirty acres of Mr. Barth and seventy-five acres of N. McCarby, the thirty acres being principally devoted to the raising of garden products. Some time later he purchased twenty acres in Belmont (now West Indianapolis) out of which he made a garden, in addition to which he still continued to rent a part of the land belong- ing to Mr. McCarby, in all from fifty-five to seventy-five acres. He then purchased 124 acres in the southeast part of Decatur township of John Billingsly, for which he paid $10, 000 in cash in 1871, and to this tract he has added from time to time until he is now the owner of 375 acres, about thirty-five acres being still devoted to gardening. He has always been a Democrat politically and his first Presidential vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas. He became the father of seven children, one of whom, Marietta, died in infaney. The others are: Nellie, Charley, William B., Bertha M., George and Laura B. The mother of these children died in 1883, since which time Mr. Boatright has remained unmarried. His father, Carey Boatright, was born in Virginia in 1810 and when grown came to Indiana, locating in Marion County, where he laid out what is now West Indiana, or rather what was then known as Boatright's addition to Indianapolis. He was married in 1836 to Saralı, the daughter of William Cool, and William, the subject of this sketch, was their only child. She was his third wife and died in 1885. He was by trade a carpenter, but later turned his attention to farming, in which occupation he was fairly successful.
WINFIELD TAYLOR WRIGHT. On the farm on which he is now residing the subject of this sketch first saw the light of day November 6, 1847, and there he was reared and became familiar with the duties attendant upon farm life. He obtained a practical education in the common schools which were conducted in the vicinity of his rural home, and a part of the time attended the subscription schools which were in vogue in his early boyhood. His school days ended when he was about fourteen years of age, and he then assisted his father on the farm until his marriage, which occurred December 20, 1876, to Maria, daughter of Charles Robinson, when he began doing forhimself. His union has resulted in the birth of a daughter, Minnie. Mr. Wright has always been a Republican in politics, and has served in the capacity of supervisor of his district, but aside from that has not been an aspirant for office. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and command the utmost respect in the community in which they live. The father of Mr. Wright, Hiram Wright, was born in Washington County, Ind., January 18, 1819, and lived there until 1831, when he came with his parents to Marion county and located in Perry Township on a farm on Lick Creek. There he resided until 1845, when he was married to Mary A." daughter of Andrew Hoover, and came to Wayne Township, locating on 160 acres of land, which had been given him by his father. Here he lived until his death in 1888, having been first a Whig and afterward a Republican in his political views, and served as one of the three treasurers of Wayne Township. To him and his wife six children were given, three of whom lived to maturity; as follows: Winfield T., the subject of this sketch; Missouri who married Bales Fatout, of Indianapolis, and had one daughter: Pearl R .; and Noah, who married Emma Brice and has seven children: Austin, Oscar, Nellie, Edna, Frank, Harry and Margaret. The paternal grandfather was Noah Wright, who was born in North Carolina, August 30, 1784, and at an early day came to Indiana locating in Washington County, where he was married to Susanna Parr, by whom he had a family of six children: Betsy A. (deceased), who married James Rooker, and had one son: Hiram; Hiram; Isaac (deceased), who married Ellen Martin and had two children: Alfaretta (Bailey) and Harriet (Myers); Polly A. (deceased), who married Morris Wise (deceased); Jasper N., who married and became the father of five children: Susan (Kegrice), Elmer, Newton, Harry and Jane; Susanna (deceased), who married Eli Haverstick, and has two children: Mary (Morgan) and Christiana (Moffett). The father of these children died in 1863, having at one time served as sheriff of Washington County, Ind.
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