USA > Indiana > Adams County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume II > Part 49
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume II > Part 49
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
Christian F. Bleeke, son of John II. and father of Otto Bleeke, was born in Prussia May 7, 1821, and was fourteen years old when his parents eame to America. IIe was a young man able to do a man's work in developing the pioneer home in Adams County and in 1852 he built the substantial home where his parents spent the rest of their years. He was one of the most prosperous and substantial men of the county, developed a fine farm of about 400 aeres in section 21, and lived there until his death March 10. 1898. In 1849 he married Louisa Falsing, who was born in Prussia in 1833 and was brought to America in 1842. She died in 1856. In 1858 Christian Bleeke married Mary F. Rupp,
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who was born in Tusearawas County, Ohio, in 1833, daughter of George and Amanda Rupp. Mary Rupp Bleeke died November 26, 1897. By his first wife Christian Blecke had three children: Mary, Sophia and John H. There were ten children of the second marriage : Eliza, Charles, Frederick, Martin, Theodore, Edward, Matilda, Otto and two who died comparatively young, Christian and Christine.
Mr. Otto Bleeke grew up in the home of his parents, was edueated in parochial and public schools, and remaining at home he took an active part in the management of the farm and finally bought the old home- stead of 155 acres, which he successfully cultivates and uses as the basis of his career of usefulness in the county.
On April 19, 1900, Mr. Bleeke married Amelia Steele. She was born in Kirkland Township of Adams County April 11, 1882, a daughter of James M. and Catherine (Breiner) Steele. Mrs. Bleeke was reared in Preble Township of Adams County until the age of twelve, when her parents removed to Van Wert County, Ohio, and she lived there until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Otto Bleeke had eight ehildren: Erna M., Eliza, Grover C., Gretchen, Morris, Raymond, Nora and Vera. The family are members of the German Lutheran faith and attend Emanuel Church in Union Township. Mr. Bleeke is one of the aetive supporters of that church. In polities he is a democrat.
JAY A. CLINE. A resident of Adams County all his life, where his pioneer grandfather settled nearly eighty years ago, Jay A. Cline in his own career has been a representative of the progressive rural citizenship of Root Township, and still owns a model farm in that locality, but recently retired from its activities and enjoys the comforts of a good town home at Ninth and Jackson streets in Decatur.
His ancestors for several generations lived in the State of Pennsyl- vania. His grandfather Jacob Cline, whose name deserves a high place among the pioneers of Adams County, was born near Donegal, Penn- sylvania, about 100 years ago. In his native state he married Barbara Robinson, of another Pennsylvania family. Immediately after their marriage they moved to Tuscarawas County, Ohio. While living there two children were born to them, Robert and John R. When John, who was born in 1837, was a small infant, his parents loaded their household possessions npon a wagon, and with ox and horse teams crossed the entire stretch of country to Northeastern Indiana. It required many days of hard travel to surpass the difficulties of the rough highways of that day, but finally they arrived in section 14 of Root Township, where Jacob Cline secured his 160 acres of land direct from the Government. A house of logs was constructed in the northwest quarter of section 14, and for several years the family put up with the primitive conditions of this section, living on eorn bread and wild meat and enjoying limited social contact with their few neighbors. Jacob Cline had a resolute pur- pose and physical strength sufficient to carry out his plans as a home- maker in that wild region, and in the course of time he had most of his 160 acres under the plow. He and his wife spent their last years in eomfort and retirement. Besides making a home they did mueh to build up and support the First Methodist Episcopal Church in their section. The first church edifice was ereeted in the northeast quarter of section 21 and was known as the Alpha Methodist Church, of which Jacob Cline was a class leader for many years. The old homestead deseended to his oldest son Robert, and Robert's widow, Eliza, now has a life tenancy in this property but she herself lives on Mercer Avenue in Decatur with her daughter Mrs. Brokaw.
John R. Cline, father of Jay A. Cline, grew up from early childhood
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in Adams County, and as a hoy early began to assist his father in the strenuous labors of the home farm. On reaching his maturity his father gave him forty acres in section 14. This was completely uncleared, and he had to cut away a number of trees and brush before he had a spot on which to erect his log cabin home. He also set out an orchard, and to this place of humble comforts he brought his bride when he married at the age of twenty-four. Her maiden name was Agnes Peoples, and she was born in Carroll County, Ohio, daughter of Robert and Margaret (Redinghouse) Peoples, natives of the same county, where they married and where two children were born to them, Elizabeth and Agnes. Agnes was born in 1839 and a few years later the family came with horse and ox teams to Adams County, Indiana. After a journey of many days they located on a tract of Government land in Root Township on sec- tion 11, where her father continued his work as a homemaker until his death. When he was forty-seven years of age while cleaning ont a well on his farm he was attacked by the "damps" and died before he could he rescued. He was a highly esteemed and useful citizen of the com- munity, a democrat and a member of the United Brethren Church. His widow survived him many years and passed away in 1886. Only two children of Robert Peoples and wife survive, Mrs. John R. Cline and John R. Peoples, the latter a resident of North Dakota. Mrs. Cline is now seventy-nine years of age and lives with her son Jay A. She is an invalid. She is active in the United Brethren Church as was her hus- band, and in politics he was a democrat.
After they had married John R. Cline and wife lived on their farm in Root Township and after clearing up their original forty acres sold it and bought other lands which they improved and cultivated until they retired and moved to Decatur.
Jay A. Cline was one of two children. His only brother Amacy died at the age of seven years. Jay A. Cline was horn in the old log cabin on his father's original forty-acre farm on January 3, 1865. He grew up there, and as a boy attended the old Aber schoolhouse in section 23 of Root Township. He mastered the fundamental branches of learning and with the training he received on the home farm he was well equipped for the practical duties of life. At the death of his father he succeeded to the old homestead, and thus acquired 120 acres of well improved land, on which he continued to make betterments and from which he derived a steady source of income which now constitutes a modest competency and which in March, 1917, enabled him to retire and move to Decatur. Mr. Cline was for several years assessor of his home township.
On December 22, 1899, he was married in Madison Township of Allen County. Mrs. Cline was born October 6, 1864, grew up and received her education in Allen County and also at Fort Wayne, and prior to her marriage was a very popular teacher of that locality, teaching altogether thirteen terms. The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Cline is John A. Cline, who is employed in the Van Camp condensary at Bryan, Ohio, and mar- ried Cleo Nidlinger, of Union Township. Adams County. Harold A., the second child, was born April 29, 1897, is a graduate of the Decatur High School, and is now foreman of the Cocola Bottling Works at Fort Wayne. The youngest of the family is Clyde, who was born March 2, 1907, and is now in the fifth grade of the public schools at Decatur. Mr. and Mrs. Cline are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and politically he affiliates with the democratic party.
JOHN T. JONES has for many years heen an important factor in the life and affairs of Jackson Township. Besides managing a farm he has furnished facilities to a large territory as a merchant, mill man and
MR. AND MRS. JOHN T. JONES
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competent mechanie, and throughout that section of Wells County his name is spoken with respect and esteem that it deserves.
Mr. Jones was born in Salamonie Township of Huntington County, Indiana, February 21, 1844, a son of Ezekiel and Esther (Taylor) Jones, and a grandson of Daniel Jones. This branch of the Jones family has been known since earliest pioneer times, not only in Huntington but also in Wells counties. Daniel Jones was a native of Pennsylvania, lived in Ohio, and from there moved to Jackson Township in Wells County. Ezekiel Jones spent his aetive years as a farmer in Salamonie Township of Huntington County. The family have always been identified either with the Methodist Episcopal or the Methodist Protestant church. Ezekiel Jones and wife had the following children: Susan, Daniel, Esther E., Naney, John T., Emily, Oma, Eurilla, Henry and Morris O.
Mr. John T. Jones spent his early life on a farm a mile and a half east of Warren. He had limited advantages in sehool, and lived at home until he was twenty-one sinee which time he has spent most of his years in Wells County. In July, 1866, Mr. Jones married Miss Susan Tom- lison. She was born near Muncie, Indiana, and came to Jackson Town- ship of Wells County during the Civil war. After his marriage Mr. Jones located in Wells County, but subsequently lived for eight years in Huntington County. His permanent home has been in Jackson Town- ship, where he now owns 105 aeres, constituting an excellent farm, and in connection with its management condnets a store, feed mill and black- smith shop.
Mr. Jones' first wife died leaving four children, Vinton, Jefferson, Ella, and Pearl. On March 22, 1885, he married Mrs. Amanda M. (Duekwall) Williamson, widow of Aaron Williamson. She had two children by her first marriage, Amy, deceased, and Charles, living in Dilman, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have two children, Carrie and Ira. The family are members of the Methodist Protestant Church, and Mr. Jones has served it as trustee and has always been active in church affairs. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Warren, and is a democratie voter. For a time he filled the office of justice of the peaee in Blackford County.
JAMES M. FOREMAN. For fifty years the name Foreman has had honorable associations with Adams County, especially with Blue Creek Township, where two generations of the family have left the impress of their industry and their good management, and their influence for com- munity npbuilding.
The founder of the family here was the late Joseph Foreman, who died at his home in Blue Creek Township in 1884. He was born in Fay- ette County, Pennsylvania, in 1817, and at the age of four years his parents removed to Butler County, Ohio. In that seetion of the Buckeye State he had his home until 1849, when he came to Indiana. In 1857 he brought his family to Adams County and bought a tract of land which by subsequent additions he inereased to an estate of over 700 acres, all of it representing his labor and sound judgment. He began life poor, and at the time of his death was one of the substantial men of Adams County.
In Henry County, Indiana, in 1850, Joseph Foreman married Rebeeea Crandall, who was born in Clark County, Ohio, but was reared in Indi- ana. Joseph Foreman and wife had eleven children and those to reach mature years were Elsie A., Amos, Robert L., Sarah M., James M., Frank, Seymour, Edward L., and Webster.
James M. Foreman, who still owns part of his father's old estate and is one of the enterprising men of Blue Creek Township, was born in that
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township July 16, 1863. It is a locality endeared to him by many asso- ciations from earliest boyhood to the present time, and by his own life has expressed its energies and has contributed to his own success and to the uplift of the community. He was educated in the district schools and was a factor on the home farm until his father's death, which occurred when he was twenty-one years of age. Ile afterwards acquired a part of the old homestead, and now owns 120 acres, his home being on Rural Route No. 2 out of Berne. He is a general farmer, handling good grades of livestock, and has something more than a local reputation as a breeder of registered Shropshire sheep. In polities Mr. Foreman is a democrat and has done much to build up and maintain the party in his locality He is candidate for township trustee. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
On May 18, 1886, Mr. Foreman married Miss Miranda Bebout, who was born in Jefferson Township of Adams County August 17, 1866, daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Fisher) Bebout. She was reared in her native township and was educated in the common sehools. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Foreman began their career on eighty acres of land, which he subsequently increased by further purchases from the estate. He and his wife have six children: Huldah O., wife of Chauncey Sipe; Manley J. married Lessie O. Tieters; Jesse F., unmarried and living at home; Arlie, who married Ferne Teeters and lives in Jefferson Township : True D., and Ethel M., at home.
WALTER PERRY JOHNSON. One of the prominent farmers of Adams County. Walter Perry Johnson for the past thirty years or more has given his time and attention to the development of a good farm and to the raising of crops and breeding of livestock at his home a mile east of Pleasant Mills on Rural Route No. 6 out of Decatur. He is a citizen whose material circumstances have improved steadily with the passing years, and who at the same time has gained the esteem of his community for his good judgment and his publie spirit in all matters affecting the common weal.
Mr. Johnson was born in Van Wert County October 8, 1870, a son of Wilson and Calinda (Mills) Johnson. His father was born December 12, 1840, and his mother April 18, 1846. They married in Ohio July 30, 1868. Wilson Johnson gave several years of his young manhood to help put down the rebellion as a soldier in Company A of the Ninety-ninth Volunteer Infantry. After the war he engaged in merchandising at Willshire, was a successful business man, and died at the comparatively early age of thirty-eight. He had two sons, Walter Perry and John F. The latter is a graduate of the pharmacist department of the Ohio North- ern University at Ada, and is now a successful druggist at Fortville, Indiana.
Walter Perry Johnson grew up in Willshire, Ohio, and was only eight years old when his father died. He graduated from high school there and also attended college at Valparaiso, Indiana. He went to work in the grist mill owned by the family in Willshire, and had active manage- ment of the mill property for three years. He then moved to Adams County, Indiana, and in February, 1895, located at his present home.
March 16, 1893, Mr. Johnson married Lulu Beam. Mrs. Johnson was born in Michigan March 25, 1870. daughter of Jacob Beam, who saw active service as a soldier in the Civil war. Mrs. Johnson is a graduate of the Willshire High School. She was only five years old when her mother died and she grew up in the home of Henry Banta, a dry goods and millinery merchant. She learned the trade of milliner and worked at it until her marriage.
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Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have a large family of eleven children : Helen, Graee, Florenee, John and Hester, twins, Edith, Benoit, Harry, Thelma, Dorothy and Mary A. The oldest Helen finished her education in the public and high schools of Willshire and Deeatur. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Willshire and Mr. John- son affiliates there with the Knights of Pythias Lodge, of which he is a charter member, and with Lodge No. 402 of Masons and with the Mod- ern Woodmen of America of Pleasant Mills. He is a republican in polities.
SAMUEL A. ROOP. For upwards of thirty years Samuel A. Roop has been a recognized faetor in the farm and community life of St. Mary's Township, elose to the Ohio State line. He and his family have a highly cultivated farm of 123 acres, and Mr. Roop has done much in the way of high elass livestoek. In past years he has made something of a specialty of Barred Rock chiekens. His farm is on Rural Route No. 6 out of Deeatur.
Mr. Roop is a native of Van Wert County. Ohio, but his birthplace was only two miles southeast of where he now lives. He was born there November 19, 1867, a son of Samuel and Margaret (Frisinger) Roop, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Van Wert County, Ohio. His parents married in Ohio and spent their lives as farmers in that state. They were good and faithful members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church and fraternally the father was affiliated with the Masonie Lodge. They reared a large family, eleven children in all, and seven are still living, two daughters and five sons: Rosa, wife of Samuel Acker : Sarah, wife of John Dealy; and James, Joseph, Amos, Albert and Samuel.
Samuel A. Roop grew up on his father's farm just over the state line in Ohio, and had a good training for the serious responsibilities of life both in the common schools and by the work that was assigned him at home.
January 10, 1889, he married Miss Etta Aeker. Mrs. Roop was born on the farm where she now lives. and also had a common sehool educa- tion. Mr. and Mrs. Roop have nine children : Viola. Samuel R., Estella, Walter, Daisy, Harry, Helen, Leah and Forest. Mr. Roop is a demo- eratie voter.
HENRY COLTER. For a period of over thirty-five years Henry Colter has made his work of value in Adams County and surrounding territory as a manufacturer of hardwood lumber. His Adams County mill is at Bobo. Mr. Colter is a practical sawmill man and has led a life of extreme industry and his relationships with the community have always been most commendable.
Mr. Colter was born in Prussia, Germany, March 28, 1848, son of Jacob and Carolina (Leppla) Colter. His parents lived in the old country until they had three children in the family, and in 1852 started for the United States. They lived in Ohio until 1881 when they moved to Adams County, Indiana.
Mr. Henry Colter grew up in Ohio, was educated there in the local sehools and in early life began saw milling. For some years before he was engaged in the business of eontraetor and builder. He was a skill- ful carpenter. He huilt a number of houses in this section of the eoun- try. On September 14. 1881, he came to Adams County and bought a saw mill near Bobo. In 1884 he built a saw mill there which burned down. He then rebuilt his present mill at Bobo which he has kept work- ing praetieally every season for over thirty years. His mill has eon- Vol. II-22
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verted vast quantities of the hardwood timber in this part of Indiana into lumber, and he finds a local and distant market for his product. A number of years ago Mr. Colter also bought a farm of eighty acres where Bobo now stands, and now has ninety-eight acres there in two pieces of land.
On June 28, 1871, at Bolivar, Tusearawas County, Ohio, Mr. Colter married Miss Ellen E. Rennels. Mrs. Colter was born in Tuscarawas County November 4, 1850, daughter of Sampson and Rachel (Cable) Rennels, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. The parents married in Ohio and the father was a contractor of bridges. He was in the Civil war, serving four years, being in sixteen of the hard-fought battles. Mrs. Colter was edneated in the common schools of her native state. Mr. and Mrs. Colter have four children: William A., Ben S., Charles HI., and Earl D. William A. is now cashier of the Willshire Banking Company at Willshire, Ohio. Ben S. is principal of the Bobo publie schools. Charles H. is connected with the Smith & Bell Lumber Company at Deeatur. Earl D. Colter, the youngest son, was born in Adams County September 14, 1890, attended the public schools of Bobo, graduated from the Deeatur High School in 1911, and in June of the same year took the active management of his father's saw mill at Schumm in Van Wert County, Ohio. He continued in active charge of this mill until December 13, 1917, when he enlisted in the Twentieth Engineers and was stationed near Washington, D. C., at the grounds of the American University, but is now in France.
The Colter family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Bobo and Mr. Henry Colter is one of the church trustees and has always been successful in attendance and liberal in support of all church activities. In matters of politics he is a republican. He is still owner of the saw mill formerly conducted by his son at Sehumm, Ohio.
E. BURT LENHART, a lawyer of high standing at Deeatur, and secre- tary of the Deeatur Abstraet & Loan Company, represents a family that has had a part in the making and development of Adams County from the very beginning of settlement here, a period of over eighty years.
His grandfather and some of his earlier ancestors spelled the name Linhard. Mr. Lenhart's great-grandfather, John Linhard, came from Pennsylvania to Adams County about the time the county was organ- ized in 1836. He located on wild and unbroken land in Root Township, not far from the present eity of Decatur and took a full share of the responsibilities and hardships that went with pioneering. He accumu- lated several hundred aeres of land, and this property once in his owner- ship is now worth many thousands of dollars. He lived a long and use- ful life and died in the early '70s when a very old man. His wife also lived to a good old age.
In their large family one of the children was Lawson, grandfather of E. Burt Lenhart. Three of Lawson's brothers and sisters are still living: Joseph, Mrs. Catherine Chronister of Bobo, and Mrs. Anna Shaekley of Decatur, all of them past eighty years of age.
Lawson Lenhart was quite young when he came to Adams County and he married here Miss Lois Brown of another pioneer family. After their marriage they located on a farm of ninety-four acres, improved it from a wild condition, and were prosperous and sneeessful farmers. Lawson Lenhart died at the age of seventy-five and his widow survived him several years and died about the same age. In polities the older members of the family were all followers of the fortunes of the whig party and later became republicans. Lawson Lenhart and wife had the following children : John Henry; Samantha, Mrs. William II. Brown
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living in Southern Indiana; Sanford B., who is an operator in the oil fields about Robinson, Illinois, married and has a family; Ellen, who died after her marriage to Greenbury Baxter and left three children; Lawson C .; Marcus M., and Artie E., wife of William L. Bremer.
The late John Henry Lenhart, father of E. Burt Lenhart, was in his time one of Adams County's most eonspieuous citizens. He was born March 8, 1847, and died June 6, 1903. He gave many years of his life to educational work, teaching in Root, Union and Kirkland town- ships. For a long period he was member of the firm Steele & Lenhart, lumber manufacturers and dealers at Peterson in Adams County. One of the specialties they manufactured was Texas stirrups, and they also eondueted a planing mill. John Henry Lenhart served as justice of the peace of Kirkland Township for some years and for eight years was eounty clerk of Adams County, from 1891 to November, 1899. His funeral at Deeatur was one of the largest attended in Adams County. For two hours all the business houses and the county officers were closed in his honor, and the funeral was attended by the Adams County Bar Association, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Masons and the Daughters of Rebekah in a body. The funeral service was held at the Methodist Episcopal Church hy Rev. John C. White, the pastor.
It is appropriate to quote some of the words found in the local paper at the time of his death : "Impressive and solemn were the sad rites and the great erowd in attendance hut dimly portrays the high esteem in which Mr. Lenhart was held by the citizens of Decatur and Adams County. Many people were present from Berne, Geneva, Peterson, Bobo and other towns, while the country distriets were also well represented. The beautiful easket was nearly buried in floral wreaths and emblems, the gifts of lodges, friends and relatives. The eortege was the largest seen here for many years. Interment was made at the Maplewood cemetery where the lodges performed the last offiees in honor of their deceased brother. He is dead, but the good he has done will live for many years and his elean record, pure heart and upright principles should be a lesson for all. He lived a noble life."
At the same time the Adams County Bar Association passed reso- lutions, containing the following sentences: "Whereas it has pleased the Supreme Judge of the Universe to remove from our midst our brother, companion and fellow eitizen, John H. Lenhart, it is resolved that in his death we have sustained a loss which we deeply deplore. As an offieer of this eourt for eight years he was honest, npright and had ever in his mind the duties and responsibilities of his trust. As an attorney of this bar since the 7th dav of October, 1898. he was ever faithful and true to his elientage. discharging the duties of his calling to the best of his knowl- edge and ability. As a eitizen he was ever kind and courteous, leading a pure and open life, always ready to lend a helping hand to the needy and poor.
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