USA > Indiana > Kosciusko County > Progressive men and women of Kosciusko County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography > Part 43
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1851 Jacob came front Wayne county, Ohio, to Seward township. Kosciusko county, indiana, and located on his land. Hle brought his family and few belongings in a wagon, the distance being about two hundred and fifty miles. Previene to this, however, he had come out and had cleared a small tract of the land and had created a small log cabin, in which to place his iam- ily when they should be removed to the Indiana home. Upon his arrival with his family he began in earnest to clear off the heavy timber. In time one hundred and twenty acres were cleared and in 1868 a good frame house was built, said to have been the best in the county at that time. It is still standing. Jacob Jontz was a man who attended closely to the work of his farm, and was quiet and unassuming in his habits and manger. He was thoroughly honest and died with the respect of all who knew him. The mother died in 1872. The father lived with his sons. Robert and Abraham, until his death in 1896. He was the father of six children. as follows: Rob- ert M. and AAbraham, twins, born March 28. 1852: Abraham married Miss Melissa Oldfather and lives in this township; Susan, who wedded John Haney and lives in Silver Lake, Indiana; Ross, who died when a boy: Emma, who died a young maiden: Lee: Ella, who became the wife of Reese Dillingham and is deceased. Rob- ert M. and his twin brother, being the old- est children of the family, were required to assume much of the responsibility of the parents. They assisted materially to clear of the forest and to raise the crops of grain, receiving the meanwhile a fair edu- cation. In 1888 Robert Jontz married Mrs. Martha Maggart, widow of William Maggart and daughter of Lewis Cornwell.
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her father having been a resident of this county for thirty years. She was born Oc- tober 3, 1859. To subject the following children were born: Bennie, born October 25. 1888; Charles, born September 17. 1890; Gordon, born February 4. 1893: Edna. born February 4. 1897: Ray, born December 10, 1800. When Bennie Was born Gen. Benjamin Harrison was the can- didate for president, and the boy was named for him. Mr. Jontz has followed farming all his life, has been successful and is highly respected. He is a Republican and takes much interest in the affairs of his party, having represented his township in county conventions. He is well known and has the respect of everybody.
NORMAN TUCKER.
This active and progressive farmer and stock raiser of Lake township, Kosciusko county, Indiana, well deserves mention in a volume devoted to the biographical memoirs of the prominent and influential citizens of this county. He was born in Franklin township August 2, 1868, a son of Albert and Katie (McNeal) Tucker, who were the parents of six children, namely: Nor- man, the subject ; Charles M .; Lee : Curtis ; Nellie; and Ora. Lee, Curtis and Nellie are deceased. Albert Tucker is an exten- sive farmer and stock raiser of the county and his biography will be found elsewhere in this volume.
Norman Tucker was educated in the common schools of the district and ac- quired an excellent education under the prevailing conditions which environ the av- erage country school. The extensive busi-
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ness operations of his father served to broaden his practical views on business matters, and his judgment of all kinds of stock was not valy exceptionally good, but was early developed, thus quickly quality- ing him for the business career in which he has been so successful.
On October 22. 1867. Norman Tucker led to the marriage altar Miss Nehe Creiglebaum, a daughter of Nathaniel and! Rosa ( Bitzer) Creiglebaum, natives di Ohio. Mrs. Tucker was educated in the common schools of her native state and is a lady of fine attainments and presides with grace and dignity over their delightful home. As her maiden name indicates, she is of German descent. On the consumma- tion of the marriage ceremony, which was performed at the home of her parents in. Chillicothe, Ohio, they immediately cane to Franklin township, going to the home farm of his father, where he remained until 1800. when he moved to his present farm of three hundred and sixty acre- located in section 10. Here he follows farming and stock raising and is meeting with remark- able success. His broad meadows and ex- tensive fields are specially well adapted to the grazing of cattle and hogs. He is al- ways a heavy purchaser of young cattle in the spring of the year, pasturing during the summer and rounding them up on grain during the fall. thus putting them in the best possible condition for market. His sales will average two carloads of cattle each fall, and are shipped to such market as promises the best returns. Much of his time is consumed in buying stock, which requires his absence from home.
In politics Mr. Tucker is a Republican, and being so generally on the road has ac- quired a knowledge of politics in their re-
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lation to the business affairs of life that enables him to discuss intelligently any question in issue. He is a live and active worker in local and county elections and his influence in behalf of his party is felt and appreciated. Among his friends and neighbors it is well known he has no aspira- tion for political preferment, as the duties of office would cause a sacrifice of his busi- ness interests. Mr. Tucker is still a young man, being but little past thirty years, and there are many years of usefulness in store for him. That he will develop into a man of exceptional usefulness in this section of northern Indiana is undoubtedly true, and the future for him is indeed bright. Mrs. Tucker is a member of the United Brethren church. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker are the par- ents of one child, Freda D., born May 31. 1899. She is a bright little girl, and under the wholesome influences of her parents, surrounded with all that can add to her hap- piness, her future is indeed promising. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker enjoy the friendship and esteem of many friends, which will con- stantly increase with the coming of years.
JOHN L. ARTHUR.
In the old countries of the world, par- ticularly in those governed by king's or em- perors, there is a sharp contrast drawn be- tween persons of title and the laboring classes. The aristocratie members of those countries, from time immemorial, have tried to make it appear that the kings or emperors ruled by divine authority, and the families of the nobility attempted to establish their own superiority over the working classes by claiming the same authority. As a conse-
quence, laby r was looked upon in those count- tries as degrading, instead of being the no- blest calling to which man can turn his hand. In our country, on the other hand, it has been the aim to ennoble labor, and the re- stilt has been to make the farmer and the artisan the peer of the wisest and best in our land. And this view is borne out by such men as the subject of this memoir. He was born in Wabash county, Indiana, January 23. 1855, and is the son of Shelby and Re- becca (Neff ) Arthur. The AArthur family are originally from the Old Dominion and are of Scotch descent, while the Nefis, who also lived in Virginia, are of German de- scent. While in Virginia the Arthur fam- fly were the owners of slaves, and Shelby was reared on a plantation where many of them were kept and owned. In his youth he became familiar with the auction block from which the slaves were sold like cattle at - much per head. The Arthurs and the Net's lived not far apart in Virginia, and Shelby and Rebecca became acquainted in early life and upon reaching maturity married in that state in the year 1840. Shelby was edu- cated better than usual, as his parents gave him the benefit of private instruction under tutors. Three children were born to Shelby and wife in Virginia, and then the parents. not wishing to rear their family in contact with slavery. concluded to leave Virginia for one of the free states. Accordingly, they loaded all their effects needed in their new home and which were not sold. in two wagons and in 1847 started for the new home in Indiana. Mr. Arthur had been out prospecting in 1844, and had bought a small farm in the northern part of Kosciusko county, but had sold the same a year later. The trip of the family to their new home was
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made in the fall of the year, when the roads. such as there were, were in very bad condi- tion. It required five weeks to make the journey. They stopped in Wabash county. where they bought a farm of eighty acres, all covered with heavy timber. A small spot was cleared, and a rude log cabin was erected. In the meantime, while Mr. Arthur was building his log cabin, his family lodged with a family named Fogarty. Mr. Arthur owned this farm until a few years ago, when he sold it and now lives in Roann. He made great improvements on the same, and did much of the clearing himself, being mate- rially assisted by his boys. As time pro- gressed, he built a better house and better barns for his stock. Three of their children were born in Virginia : James W., Charles F. M. and Joseph; after they came to In- diana the following children were born : Nancy M., John L .. Sarah E., Julia A. and Rosa A. All of these children are still liv- ing. James married Miss Mollie Prince, and is an attorney at law in North Manchester. Indiana: Charles married Miss Mollie E. Samsel and is the editor of the Wabash Times, of Wabash, Indiana ; Joseph married Miss Kate Prince, who died in 1874, and he then married Miss Leva Fague, and upon her death married Miss Melissa Kemper and lives in Silver Lake; Nancy became the wife of S. J. Johnson and lives in Virginia : John 1 ... subject : Sarah married Arthur Ken- nedy and lives in Roann: Julia married Jacob Wagner and resides in Wabash com- ty: Rosa married Burris Johnson and re- sides in North Manchester, Indiana.
School at Valparaiso, taking the studies prescribed for teachers in the commerci ..; and the teacher's courses. Thus he was pre- pared for teaching and accordingly secured his certificate. During the winter of 1875-6 he taught his first term and afterward taught three others. On September 30, 1876, he was mited in marriage with Miss Surfinie Haney, who was born March 14. 1856, be- ing a native of Wabash county. Their chi- dren are as follows: James C., born Sep- tember 4. 1883: Julia R., born March 12. 1889: Glenn, born May 14, 1892: Arthur .A., born October 5. 1893. and two that died in infancy. In the spring of 1877 Mr. Ar- thur moved to this county. He learned the drug trade with Dr. P. J. Burket and John Valentine and worked at the same for three years. In 1880 he began to learn telegraph at Silver Lake and remained there two years. In 1882 he was appointed agent at Summits. Ville, Indiana, and remained there and 1887. He then was engaged in fitting ga- fixtures in the fields for a time. He entered the office of the Big Four railroad as bin clerk and in 1890 was transferred to Berrien Center, Michigan, in ISor he was trans- ferred to Silver Lake as station agent and remained until December. 1900. In the spring of igor he returned to the farm. hay- ing been elected trustee of Lake township. Ile is a Democrat and is strong in the court- cils of his party. He was a member of the school board of Silver Lake, is a member ... the Masonic lodge, serving as master for six years, represented his ledge in the grand lodge, and is also a member of Lodge No. 576. 1. O. O. F., having passed all the chairs in the latter. He is one of the most prom- inent citizens of the county, and his name
John L. Arthur was reared in Wabash county, on his father's farm. He attended the country schools; and finished with a course at the Northern Indiana Normal ' and honor are above question.
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CHRISTIAN E. FRANTZ.
in the German language. He died March 1 6. 1850, and his wife died August 8. 1838. One of the oldest, most substantial and highly respected agriculturists of Lake township. Kosciusko county, Indiana, is Christian E. Frantz, who descends from one of the ante-Revolutionary families of Vir- i ginia, of remote Dutch extraction, although Christian E. was born in Clarke county. Ohio, January 28. 1817, and is a son of and their remains lie buried in the graveyard in the northeast quarter of section 7. Pike township. Clarke county. Ohio. They were the parents of the following children : (IN) Jacob, Christian, Elizabeth, Catherin ... Mary. Magdalena, Esther, Vima and Sally. (IV) Jacob Frantz was born March 22. 1784. and died December 19. 1851. He Jacob and Sarah ( Eversole) Frantz. The : was a miller in Virginia and accompanied original Frantz family came to America in his father to Ohio, where he engaged in 1727, and of its members Michael, the first to arrive, settled in Pennsylvania : later an- other of the family came over the ocean and settled in Virginia ; from the latter it is in- ferred that the Indiana family has its de- scent. The record of descent is briefly given as follows :
farming. He married in Ohio, March 22, 1813. Sarah Ebersole, who was bern about 1780, and died September 27. 1855. Their children are noted as follows: John, born July 18. 1815. married Susan Frantz, and they had the following children: Katy, Jacob, Mary and Sarah. ( V) Christian E .. (1) Michael Frantz was born in Switz- , the subject. Phabe, born April to, 1819. erland. September 1, 1087, and came to America in the ship "Molly," John Hodge- son, master, from Rotterdam, arriving here ; September 30. 1727. He died in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1748.
( II) Michael Frantz was born in Ger- many in 1725. and accompanied his father upon his emigration to America in 1727. Hle married Magdalena Zug, and moved to Botetourt county. Virginia, where his death occurred in 1807. Their children were Michael, Johannas, Abraham. ( III) Chris- tian, Jacob, Daniel, Peter. David, and a daughter who married a Mr. Gharst.
( III) Christian Frantz was born about 1766 and was united in marriage to Mary Garst. Ile was a clergyman in the German Baptist church and was also an agricultur- ist. He came from Virginia and settled ship eventually culminated in warmer feel- on a farm in Clarke county, Ohio, among other early pioneers, to whom he preached
married Joel Ohmart and they have one sein, WEli. Anna, born April 17. 1821, unmarried. Elizabeth, born December 7, 1825. married Lewis Myres and they had children. Simon, William. Aaron. John Ezra. Noah. Mary Ann. Sarah Elizabeth and Clara Nella. Aaron, born April 10. 1830. married. July 17. 1853. Mary Ryman, and their children are Lewis, Adam. Sarah, Elizabeth, Simeon. Samuel Ryman, Jacob Christian. Harrison. John Eli. Mary Catharine.
(V) Christian E. Frantz was reared on the home farm in Ohio, and there also ac- quired a limited education in a subscription school. He carly became acquainted with Miss Mary Heckman, who lived with her 1 | parents on a farm about three miles from the | Frantz homestead, and this acquaintance- ings, resulting in their marriage. March 7. 1 1844. The parents of this lady were also
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natives of Virginia, but she was born 'n Ohio, January 26, 1824, and, considering the limited school facilities the country af- forded in that early day, secured a very fair education. To this marriage have been born ten children, of whom eight grew to , maturity and six still survive, whose names are as follows: Hannah R., married to David Miller: Phebe E., wife of John W. Ulrich : George, who is married to Lizzie Kripe: Matthew, married to Anna Teeter : Simon, married to Mary Snepp: Reuben, married to Kate Snell and living in North Manchester, Indiana; Minervia, widow of Noah Buttenbaugh; Martha, deceased wife of Levi W. Witter.
Three years after marriage Christian E. Frantz and wife came to Kosciusko county, purchased eighty acres in section 13. Lake township, and here they still make their home, but have since added to the farm un- til it now comprises two hundred and ten acres. The first purchase at that time, 1847. was all woodland, infested with wild ani- mals of a savage nature, although game was also abundant. There were no roads through the wilderness stretching from Clarke coun- ty, Ohio, to the new home in Kosciusko county, Indiana, but they managed to drive a wagon through by frequently cutting a way, and the journey consumed a week's time.
Mr. Frantz was very hard-working, however, and prospered. Life in the wildler- ness was not altogether one of toil, and there were periods of relaxation passed in hunt- ing or fishing and in the enjoyment of the various "bees," such as log-rolling, house- raising, corn-shocking, quilting, etc., in which the sparsely settled neighborhoods all gladly took a part and greatly enjoyed them-
selves. As time progressed. Mr. Franta added to and improved his property, until now. at the age of eighty-five years, at- though still a worker, he is enjoying his days in a fine brick house and is surrounded with all the luxuries of modern country life. Mr -. Frantz has been a worthy helpmate to her husband, and has heroically borne her part in the battle of life, standing shoulder t. shoulder with her husband. They have se- cured to themselves a competence of at least thirty thousand dollars, every cent of which has been accumulated through their own in- dustry and thrift, as when they settled in this county they had nothing, not even chairs. to sit on.
Mr. and Mrs. Frantz have been members of the German Baptist church since 1861. and have very freely contributed from their means to its support, and there is no family in Lake township more highly respected than theirs. In politics Mr. Frantz is a Re- publican, but his first presidential vote was cast for the Whig ticket, headed by William Henry Harrison, of "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," fame.
GEORGE W. RICKEL.
Human life is made up of two elements. power and form, and the proportion mus: be invariably kept if we would have it sweet and sound. Each of these elements in excess makes a mischief as hurtful as world be its deficiency. Everything turns to excess : every good quality is noxious it mimixed, and to carry the danger to the edge of ruin nature causes each man's peculiarity to superabound. One speaking from the standpoint of a farmer would
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adduce the learned professions as examples of this treachery. They are nature's vic- timis of expression. You sindy the artist, the orator of the poet and find their lives ne more excellent than that of mechanics or farmers. While the farmer stands at the head of art as found in nature, the others get but glimpses of the delights of nature in its various elements and moods. The subject of this sketch is one who takes de- ligin in existence. It is because he is in touch with the springs of life. ra substantial frame house, and the fanns was by this time "out of the words" and out of pioneer times as well. On this farm. Samuel and Sarah passed the remainder of their days. Mr. Rickel was a man of steady and industrious habits and his honor was unquestioned. He was a Democrat of the Jackson type, a man of fint convictions, and at one time before Franklin and Seward townships were separated he served as trustee. In fact, he was one of the first to till that position for either of these town- George W. Rickel was born in Wayne county, Ohio, February 16, 1838, and is the son of Samuel and Sarah ( Moyer) Rickel. The Rickel family are of German descent and are natives of Pennsylvania. The fa- ships. He was the first postmaster of Beaver Dam, his appointment being made in 18444 by President Tyler, and he served in that capacity for about seventeen years. To the marriage of Samuel and Sarah the ther was born in Bedford county, of that following children were born: William. George W., Eliza, Reason, Catherine, John, Malon, Sarah A. and Winchester. Oi this family three are deceased;
state, March 14. 18to. He was reared on a farm and in early manhood chose farm- ing as his life's occupation. He had a fair education in both English and German. Mathias Rickel, the grandfather, came from Bedford coumy, Pennsylvania, to Wayne county, Ohio, when Samuel was a boy of six years. There Samuel grew to years of maturity, and upon reaching manhood mar- ried Miss Sarah Moyer. Soon after their marriage, in 1842, they came to Kosciusko county and settled in Franklin township, where the father entered a tract of govern- mient land, all of which was covered with heavy timber. Their nearest neighbors were more than a mile away, the woods were filled with wild animals and the In- dians were still to be seen here. He built a small log cabin in the woods and into the same moved his family. They began the hard work of clearing off the big trees, and eight years later built a large hewed-log honse, which was a palace compared with the first rude structure. In 1864 he built
George W. Rickel passed his youth like all boys of that period, going to the sub- scription schools in the winters and work- ing on the farm and in the forest during the summers. Upon reaching his majority he hired out to Horace Tucker and worked for him four and a half years. January 1, 1863. he married Miss Mary C., daughter of William and Susan Dunlap, a lady of mixed Scotch and Irish descent, who was born April 18, 1846. She was brought from Ohio to Kosciusko county in 1854. Her father bought the farm where George W. Rickel now resides, and became a prom- inent and useful citizen. He served his township for thirty years as justice of the peace, this fact showing the high esteem in which he was held. He was also post- master at Sevastopol and was a strong . Democrat. In his family were eleven chil- dren. To subject and wife three children
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were bern : Olive .A., born September 21. 1865. and became the wife of Edson B. Sarber, the present trustee of Seward town- ship: Lloyd A., born August 12, 1877. mar- ried Miss Redie Black and resides in Frank- ! iin township. Sarah .A., born Jannary 23. 1882, is unmarried and still lives with her father. Out of his wages and otherwise the subject had saved about one thousand dol- lars, and with it he took an interest in farm- ing with Horace Tucker. In 1865 be bought the land where Sevastopol now stands and moved onto the same. He now owns one hundred and forty acres of excellent land in this township, and is in comfortable cir- cumstances. Besides farming, he makes a specialty of fine horses. In politics he is a Democrat and as such was elected in 1800 trustee of this township, and continued to serve acceptably for a period of fourteen years, later serving another term of two years. He built the first brick schoolhouse in the township, and during his administra- tion built seven schoolhouses in all. He is well known and universally respected and no citizen stands higher in the estimation of the people. Mr. Rickel has in his posses- sion an old parchment deed, dated Septem- ber 2, 1839, and signed by President Mar- tin Van Buren.
the population is growing and the the- which wood is put are ever on the increase. What a mine of wealth the farmer wolf ! have if he could draw from the supplies . timber which he cut down and burned up t get out of the way forty, Mity and sixty Years ago. In many instances the timber washi be worth more than the land, house. and stock put together. But if the timber could be put back as it was, the crops world! be cut off, and so it is better as it is. The settler was compelled to destroy the timber or else the land would you be a wilderness. The business of the subject of this sketch re- quires him to use up large quantities of virgin timber. He obtains his supplies from the remnants of the forests which once cur- ered all of this land, but his products are necessities and in strong demand. He was born in Trumbull county. Ohio, June v. 18.10, and is the son of Robert and Mary ( Fisher ) Turuball. The father was a na- tive of Ohio and was of Scotch-Irish de- scent, a race that is noted for its orators and statesmen. The Fisher family also hall from the Buckeye state, and are of Germanic descent, a race famous for its sturdy quali- ties and education. The parents grew up in Ohio and were there married. To them were born eight children. as follows: Eli. subject : Martha J. who wedded Isaac Davis and lives in Churubusco. Indiana: Margaret, who married John Summers and ELI TURNBULL. resides in Churubusco: Sarah F., who mar- ried Oscar Layman and is deceased : Annora. ' One of the largest industries of the , who wedded Smith Matthews and resides in United States, if not the largest, is that of Churubusco. Two of the children died in infancy. John was killed by a falling tree when he was about twenty years old. Eli grew up on his father's farm and received in the meantime a fair education at the com- the lumber business. When the figures are laid before a person it is staggering to see the magnitude of the trade. And the de- mand is constantly on the increase, because
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