USA > Indiana > Kosciusko County > Progressive men and women of Kosciusko County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography > Part 73
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Richard Guy, the subject proper of this review, was reared on the farm, educated in the public schools, and has always followed the pursuit of agriculture for a livelihood. After completing the common-school course he entered the high school at Syracuse, where he prosecuted the more advanced branches for some years thus acquiring a good mental discipline which has enabled him to meet life's duties manfully and tran- sact his business affairs with promptness and dispatch.
Mr. Guy was married March 17, 1889. to Miss Ida Strieby, whose birth occurred in Turkey Creek township on the 9th day of November, 1867. Mrs. Guy is the daugh- ter of John B. and Delilah ( Cable) ) Strieby and the oldest of a family of four children. the names of the other three being Floyd. Alphretta and John F. The Striebys were among the early settlers of Kosciusko conn- ty, and always bore enviable reputations. Mrs. Guy is a lady of sound, practical sense and varied intelligence, well qualified to be the wife of such a stirring, energetic hus-
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band, and is popular with a large circle of the best people of her neighborhood. She has been her husband's active co-laborer and. besides presiding with ease and becom- ing dignity over his household, has contrib- tied not a little to his success by her wise counsel in matters of business and other af- fairs in which they are mutually interested.
Since his marriage Mr. Guy has devoted his attention assiduously to farming and to-day has one of the best improved and most fertile, as well as one of the most valu- alle, places of its area within the limits of Turkey Creek township. It contains one hundred and seventeen acres, one hundred of which were originally included in the paternal homestead and the extra seventeen came to him by his wife. The buildings are substantial and sufficiently spacious to meet all purposes for which intended, the dwell- ing being well constructed and amply fur- nished, the barn and other structures com- paring with the best buildings of their kind in the neighborhood.
Mr. Guy brought to his lifework a phy- sique well developed by healthful outdoor labor and exercise and a mind of which self-reliance, strong will power and a proper respect for the rights of others are promi- neix characteristics. He cultivates the soil according to modern scientific methods, uses in his labors the best and most approved implements and devices and makes agri- culture an intellectual discipline as well as a series of physical efforts. Financially his success has been most gratifying, being the possessor of a competence which places him- seli and family in a position of independence as far as any anxiety for the future is con- cerned.
Mr. Guy has displayed a commendable
public spirit in relation to the affairs of his township and county, standing for progress and improvement and ready to lend his in- fluence at all times to further enterprises calculated to advance the country along ma- terial lines and develop its resources. In all things he is an up-to-date man, believ- ing in getting all out of life there is in it. He has done much in the way of beautify- ing his home, as the well-kept lawns, fine gardens, neat shade trees and other access- ories of modern life abundantly demonsrate, good taste as well as thrift being one of his predominant characteristics. In politics Mr. Guy is a pronounced champion of Repub- lican principles, believing the policy of the party relative to all great questions to be for the best interests of the American peo- ple. He has never aspired to leadership in his party nor asked for honors or emolu- ments of office at the hands of his fellow citizens, being content to vote his sentiments and work with the rank and file. Person- ally he is a popular man and the name of his friends is legion. He has shown him- self worthy of this friendship. his integrity having never been assailed nor the correct- ness of his motives called in question.
Mr. and Mrs. Guy's home is made bright by the presence of an interesting daughter of eleven summers, Miss Alda, who was born on the 23rd day of July. 1891. Mr. Guy has an old parchment deed, bearing the date of March 15. 1837, and the sig- nature of Martin . Van Buren.
JOHN STETTLER, DECEASED.
With pleasure the biographer essays the task of noting the salient points in the ca- reer of this honorable and honored gentle-
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man, a man who during his residence in this community merited and received the highest respect and esteem of his acquaint- ances. A man of honest motives, purest purpose and kindliest feelings toward all. he made and retained for himself a host of friends.
John Stettler began his mercantile ca- reer in Syracuse in 1874 in company with his wife's brother, Joe Kindig. The latter had been in business for some years prior to this time at the old store known as the Bee Hive and afterward at the corner where William Strieby is now located. In 1878 Mr. Stettler became sole proprietor of the business, but later Professor Dalons was in- terested with him for a few months. Mr. Strieby entered the store as a clerk and later Mr. Stettler sold him a half interest in the business. Mr. Stettler retained his interest 1 his widow disposed of it to Mr. Miller, of
in the business until his death, after which i members of the Lutheran society in Syra-
cuse. The latter took an especial interest the firm of Strieby & Miller. The concern : in her church, giving to it regularly one- did a fine business, having been favored with ! tenth of her income. She died June 28. 1892, at the age of seventy-five years and one week.
a steady and healthy growth from the be- ginning. Joe Kindig, who retired from the partnership about 1878. went to Goshen, where he conducted a drug store. Later he removed to Milford and there died about twelve years ago. During his active career the subject gave the larger share of his at- tention to the mercantile business, also in- vesting quite largely in farm land. How- ever his attention was not given exclusively to business and he kept in touch with the varied interests of the community at large. This was evidenced by his service in the state legislature, to which he was elected as the nominee of the Republican party in 18044 and 1896. In that body he served with distinction and achieved an enviable
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record for his broad and comprehensive grasp of all questions affecting the public welfare. He was very firm in his views and carnest in his advocacy of measures meet- ing with his approval. He had been reared a Democrat, but, with three of his brothers. always affiliated with the Republican party. Of the five brothers, three served in the Civil war, one, Ira, losing his life in the struggle.
Mrs. Stettler, wife of the subject of this memoir. is a daughter of Samuel and Re- becca (Anstine) Kindig, early settlers in York county., Pennsylvania. In 1857 the Kindig family came to Goshen, Indiana, and the same year came to Syracuse, the father passing away about four years later. The Stettlers were affiliated with the English Lutheran church in later years, Mrs. Stett- ler and her mother being among the first
Fraternally Mr. Stettler was affiliated with the Masons, having joined that fra- ternity at Goshen, Indiana, and for the long period of twenty years was worshipful mas- ter of Syracuse Lodge No. 454. Every year he was an attendant at the sessions of the grand lodge. An okl soldier, he at- tended the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic held at Co- lumbus, Ohio, and kept in touch with his old comrades at the reunions of his regi- ment. He was an omnivorous reader and kept in touch with all the leading questions of the day.
The elegant brick house in which Mrs.
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Stettler now resides was erected thirteen the age of twenty, September 19, 1868. Years ago on the site of her mother's former home, to which she was brought when but eleven years old. Previous to her marriage to the subject she had wedded Martin Wey- bright, a German Baptist minister, and re- sided with him upon a large farm two and a half miles from Syracuse. She always maintains a close interest in her church and assists in whatever way possible in its up- building and advancement.
ANDREW EDMONDS.
The following life story is worth the perusal of every youth, the history of this man's endeavors well illustrating Benjamin Franklin's words, "God helps them that help themselves." Andrew Edmonds, one of the substantial citizens of Kosciusko county and one whose success is distinctly the result of his own efforts, was born in Sweden, July 2, 1848. He received a good education, attending not only the common schools but also the Skara high school, where he took a literary course. His studies in history aroused military and patriotic feelings within him, which led him to read with great interest the accounts of the Civil war in the United States. With a strong desire for adventure and full of the hopes of youth, he determined to come to this ; country and left school for that purpose with one year of the course unfinished. This move was made with his parents' con- sent and their kindness and the confidence they had in their son is shown by their giv- ing him five hundred dollars for this, his first journey in the world. Accompanied by a classmate, he landed in New York, at
From New York he went to Paxton, Illi- nois, where he secured work at cutting "broom corn. His previous life having been that of a student and he therefore being little used to manual labor. this work proved too hard for him and he set about to learn the cigarmaker's trade. In company with the classmate, who still remained with him, he soon bought a cigar store, but within three months this venture had failed be- cause his partner, who was salesman on the road, did not discriminate in customers and many accounts could not be collected. They left Paxton for Chicago. arriving there with only one dollar and a half between them; but they started out bravely and found a boarding house and when the landlord learned . their straitened circumstances he agreed to keep them until they could get work. Three months later Andrew was employed with the Rock Island Railroad Company in the construction of its road in Iowa, where he worked for a year. The first money he received was sent to pay the board bill due the kind-hearted landlord in Chicago, and thus early in his career did honesty, one of the principles which has led to his success, appear. With his knowledge of geometry and other branches of mathe- maties, the duties of civil engineer were soon familiar to him, making him a valuable as- sistant, working for various contractors, sometimes as foreman or as timekeeper, and in many states, including Kansas, Missouri, lowa, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. This wandering life brought him many hard ex- periences, but as the bitter must always be mixed with the sweet, so he- found many pleasures with change of scene and new ac- quaintances.
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In 1874, having saved money enough to farms of others as well as his own. As a take him to his old home in Sweden, he : farmer he has been eminently successful. His farm, lying three and one-half miles
spent a year in visiting the scenes and friends of his youth. He found his old Feast of Syracuse, is a first-class one, with classmates prosperous and holding respon- good buildings, and its cultivation has yield- ed him a handsome return. He has taken commendable pride in the breeding of fine stock, for which he has always found ample demand and ready sale. He has fed cattle, his operations in this line having required the control of several hundred acres at à time, which he has done by renting land near his own. Among the elements contrib- uting to his success were his ability for hard work and the foresight to intelligently con- duct his business. His perseverance is one of the fine traits of his character; if one venture failed, without loss of courage he tried another. He has proven that man is not ruled by the circumstances of his life if he wills to be master of them. sible positions, and this determined him to return to America to make a better showing for his own life endeavors. He had come 16 Kosciusko county with the building of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1873, and had charge of some of the work between the villages of Syracuse and Cromwell. In- diana. Upon returning from Sweden, in 1875. he again came to this vicinity and. though having but thirty dollars in money he invested it in a field of wheat. The crop failed and he realized from it but fifteen dol- lars, half of his investment. his first venture thus proving a failure. He was not the kind of a man to be discouraged by the fail- ure of a single crop of wheat, his energy leading him to take jobs of ditching and dearing land. Making some progress, he began to get out railroad ties and lumber some four miles east of Syracuse, a busi- ness which proved profitable and at which he continued until the timber was exhausted. Having saved some money, he invested in 'and which he partially cleared and im- : : proved by the erection of buildings, and which he then sold. This process was re- peated until he had cleared about three hun- Gred acres. He now owns the third farm thus developed, which contains eighty acres.
With the determination to win and the opportunity for endeavor, success crowned His efforts. He took advantage of the con- dition of the country, which, being low and marshy, had to be drained before it was fit for cultivation, and laid extensive timber ditches, thus enhancing the value of the
On the 25th of December. 1879, Mr. Edmonds was married to Angeline Snavely, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Snavely, of Turkey Creek township. After years of close attention to the details of the farm. on account of the failure of Mrs. Edmond's health, they moved to their pleasant village home in Syracuse, where they are enjoying a quiet life and the well-earned fruits of their labor. But one child lived to maturity, Myron H .. who is now a young man of twenty. He was educated in the schools of Syracuse and is now employed in the cement works.
In 1870, in Butler county, Kansas, when that country was being settled, Mr. Ed- monds, in company with three other young men, took a homestead with the intention of receiving naturalization papers, but the crops failed and he gave up his interest.
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Later. in Warsaw, he applied for and re- time of wonderful achievement in all av- ceived the papers which made him a citizen enues of civilization and enlightenment, the name of the venerable gentleman whose name appears above is conspicuous. Na- thaniel Crow is to-day one of the oldest citizens of the county in point of continuous residence. of the United States. When a student in the schools of Sweden his admiration for Lincoln led him to accept the principles of that administration and as a citizen of the United States he naturally affiliated with the political party representing those prin- ciples. He has never sought public office, but has been busy with the duties of a private citizen. He is the present chancellor commander of Kosciusko Lodge No. 230, K. P., in Syracuse, which lodge is in a thrifty condition, having fifty active mem- bers. He also belongs to the Masonic fra- ternity, holding membership in Lodge No. 4544 and the chapter at Syracuse.
Mrs. Edmonds is a member of the Evan- gelical Association, he being in sympathy with the organization and rendering finan- cial and moral support.
AA summary of this man's life bespeaks for him these words of praise: He is a fine example of the honest, educated and pro- gressive foreigner, whose wide experience in travel and the ways of men have brought him in close touch with American ideas, making him a genial companion and an al- together popular citizen.
NATHANIEL CROW.
Among the few gray-haired pioneers of Kosciusko county who are left to weave the thread of personal incident with the fabric of historic fact, whose lives have been in- reparably connected with the rise and growth of the country from the time the country was a wilderness to the present
Originally the Crows came from Ireland and settled in Virginia, the head of the family in this county being Thomas Crow, the subject's grandfather, who was a native of the Emerald Isle. The date of his ar- rival is not known, but from most reliable information at hand it appears to have been some years prior to the war of the Revolu- tion. Among the descendants of Thomas Crow was a son by the name of Joseph. whose birth occurred in Virginia and who in a very early day accompanied his parents to Ohio, where he subsequently married Martha Hull. Shortly after marriage he settled in the county of Champaign, Ohio, and there followed agricultural pursuits un- til his death, which took place a number of years ago. Some years after his decease his widow became the wife of Joseph Long- fellow, she and her second husband both living to be quite old. By Mr. Crow she had children as follows: Ezekiel H., Su- sanna, James, Thomas D. and Nathaniel. The second marriage resulted in the birth of six descendants, William, Lemuel V .. Nathan M., David S., Silas N. and Amos M.
Nathaniel Crow. of this review. was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on the 13th day of October, 1823. His childhood and youth to the age of sixteen were spent on his father's homestead and as opportu- nity afforded he attended a few months of the winter seasons the subscription schools of his native county, acquiring a fair knowl-
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edge of the fundamental branches, spelling, ; in cultivation, better buildings took the reading, arithmetic and writing. About the : place of the former log structures and the original eighty-acre tract was gradually in- creased in area until it included several ad- ditional pieces of land contiguous thereto. year 1830 he left home and went to Madi- son county, Ohio, where he worked as a farm hand the greater part of the six years following, when he left his native state and Mr. Crow was a good manager and by carefully laying his plans became in time one of the largest real estate owners in his township. He watched for favorable op- portunities to make investments and seldom allowed one to go by unimproved if he was in any way prepared to take advantage of it. By judiciously managing his farm he came to realize quite a liberal income, which was exchanged for real estate whenever a neighbor wished to dispose of his land. He continued to add to his possessions as the years went by until his estate was increased to its present area of five hundred and fifty acres of fine fertile land, every foot of which was purchased with money earned by him- self. came to Kosciusko county, Indiana, arriv- ing here sometime in 1845. Desiring to procure a piece of land and not having money sufficient to purchase, Mr. Crow made a proposition to exchange his horse, sacdie and bridle for the eighty acres he wished to possess. The trade was finally consummated by the subject paying twenty dollars additional and he thus came in pos- session of one of the finest tracts of land of its size in the township of Van Buren. Mr. Grow did not settle on this land nor im- prove it, but held it for some years and then sold it for a good price, investing the pro- ceeds in the farm in section 24. Turkey Crek township, on which he has lived ever since. On the 14th day of October. 1852. he entered into the marriage relation in 1 Elkhart county with Miss Eliza Airgood. who was born in Germany, September 13 .. 1832. and came to the United States with her parents, Frederick and Maria Airgood. when a small child.
Mr. Crow immediately after marriage took his bride to the farm where he now lives and together they began life's struggle under circumstances by no means the most encouraging. His land was unimproved and required an immense amount of hard labor to prepare it for cultivation, and for some years obstacles numerous and at times quite formidable beset his pathway. Con- stant and well-directed labor finally pre- valled and in the course of several years the greater part of the place was cleared and
Few men circumstanced as was Mr. Crow when he came to Kosciusko county have overcome the obstacles in their path- way, risen superior to unfavorable environ- ment and accumulated a fortune as he has done. His business abilities have certainly been of a superior order and his judgment and forethought of that high type which grasp a situation easily and seldom if ever are at fault. In the work and management of his farm he has been industrious and systematic and in all of his dealings. straightforward and the soul of honor. It must not be inferred from the foregoing reference to his success in material things that Mr. Crow has been indifferent to ai- fairs pertaining to the public good of his township and county, for such is far from the case. From the beginning of his ca-
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reer in this county his voice and influence have ever been used to advance the material interests of the country and develop its re- sources and, as stated in the initial para- graph of this sketch, his name has been in- separably identified with the rise and prog- ross of his community for a period of over a half century.
Mr. Crow's nature has been a persever- ing and indomitable one and he has sturdily beld to his course in spite of lets and hin- drances. Obstacles he has encountered and some of his best achievements have been irested from conditions insuring almost certain defeat to one less courageous and resolute. Ability to successfully meet all emergencies has been one of his chief char- acteristics and now from the topmost round in the ladder of success he can look back over a well-spent life and see in the various objects calculated to hinder and impede his progress the real tests of growth and man- hood. Such a record as he has made, both as a progressive farmer and enterprising, wide-awake citizen, stands to his perpetual honor and will continue to do so long after the last of the brave army of pioneers has answered the final roll call and joined the ranks of the larger and grander army of honorable men and true who have fought life's battles, won victories and passed to their reward.
Eight children have been born to Na- thaniel and Eliza Crow, of whom but two are living: Nellie, who married George Dull and resides in the old homestead, and Mattie M .. who is still with her parents; the following are the names of those de- ceased: George W., Sarah J., Benjamin B., Lucy .A., Charles S. and Nathaniel L. and purchased a tract of government land
DAVIS TEEPLE.
If one desires to gain a vivid realization of the rapid advance in the civilization which the last few decades have brought, he can listen to the stories that men who are still living among us and by no means over- burdened with the weight of years can tell of their early experiences when the country was new and social conditions in this part of the Hoosier state were in their formative period. The little town of Milford is now the abiding place of a number of old set- tlers who. having spent the vigor and strength of their manhood in carving from the wilderness homes for themselves and their posterity, are now in the evening of life, when the shadows are growing dim and the past gradually receding from view, spending their declining years in rest and quiet, surrounded by neighbors and friends who honor and revere them for the good work they did in laying broad and deep the foundation upon which the community's prosperity has been builded. Conspicuous among these silver-haired veterans of a period long past is the venerable and highly respected citizen, now living a life of hon- orable retirement, to a brief review of whose career the following lines are devoted.
Davis Teeple is a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, where his birth oc- curred on the 6th day of April, 1831. His parents, Peter and Peggy (Fleming) Teeple, also natives of the above county and state, were among the early settlers of Stark county, Ohio, moving there when the subject was a small child. In the year 183S they came to Kosciusko county, Indiana,
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in Jefferson township, from which in due time a farm was developed, upon which they spent the remaining years of their lives, both dying after reaching a ripe old age. Davis and Peggy People had eleven chil- dren, whose names are as follows: Belia .S., John, Joseph. Isaac, Rebecca, Davil, Sarah, Catherine, Benton, Martha and Me- lissa.
Davis Teeple, the direct subject of this review. was reared on a farm and from early boyhood followed agriculture for a livelihood. In a little log cabin, sparsely furnished with backless benches and a rough board around the wall for a desk, he ob- tained a meager knowledge of the funda- mental branches, his education such as it was being acquired under many adverse cir- cumstances. Methods of instruction at that time were of the most primitive character, teachers being required to impart to the pu- pils under their charge but a smattering of the three fundamentals, "readin', ritin' and of such opportunities as presented them- selves, but did not long attend school, his ; services as soon as he was old and strong enough being required on the farm.
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