A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 86

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806

USA > Ohio > Darke County > A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography > Part 86

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"Mary Ann Zeller was born near Lights- ville, Ohio, March 1, 1843, and died May 5. 1896, aged fifty-three years, two months and four days. Her illness was of short duration, proving fatal from the day 011 which she took her bed. Although hier suf- ferings were great, yet she bore them with Christian fortitude, realizing that though her trials here were many, they would soon be over and that she would meet the loved ones who had preceded her to the better world. She embraced religion and joined the United Brethren church in Montgomery county. in 1863, and afterward removed to Darke county and joined the United Brethren church at Rose Hill, and lived a consistent religious life till death. She was married to Cyrus Zeller November 2, 1862. She leaves her devoted husband, five daughters, three sons, five sisters and three brothers,

together with a large number of relations and friends to mourn her loss. The funeral occurred at Teegarden's chapel, and was largely attended."

Mr. Zeller has reached the sixty-fifth milestone on life's journey, and his record has ever been an honorable one, marked by firm support of principle and fidelity to every duty. To his intimate acquaintances he has ever been a faithful friend and neighbor, and his devotion to his family has been marked by the most unselfish effort to pro- mote their happiness and welfare.

JOHN HERSCHEL MORNINGSTAR.

This well-known business man of Green- ville, Darke county, Ohio, was born in that town, January 3, 1851, and is a son of Will- iam H. and Elizabeth ( Wagner) Morning- star. The father was born near Xenia, in Greene county, Ohio, September 5, 1805, and in early life followed farming, but later he was for many years engaged in mercan- tile pursuits in Greenville, where he settled int 1840. He continued in active business there until within a short time of his death, which occurred December 28, 1886. His wife, the mother of our subject, died in Greenville, April 7, 1869. Her parents were George and Sarah ( Stevens) Wagner. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and an early settler of Darke county, Ohio. At an early day he came to this county, and spent the remainder of his life in German township.

Reared in Greenville, Jolın H. Morning- star acquired his early education in its public schools. Later he was a student at Chicker- ing Institute, in Cincinnati, and subsequently took a commercial course at Eastman's Col- lege, Poughkeepsie, New York. Soon after

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his return home he was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Ferguson, a daughter of Robert H. and Mary A. (Turner) Ferguson, of Dayton, Ohio.

Mr. Morningstar embarked in the con- fectionery business in Greenville soon after his marriage, March 1, 1877, and has since successfully engaged in that line of trade. For thirty years he has dealt in ice. He owns a beautiful park containing a small lake skirted by one thousand fruit trees. He has provided a good band stand, boats and seats for the convenience of his guests, and many other accommodations. It has become a popular resort during the warm season, and is frequented by large crowds of pleasure-seekers. Being a pleasant, genial gentleman, Mr. Morningstar thoroughly understands the best methods of conducting such an enterprise. Socially he is a mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias fraternity.

STEPHEN SHEPHERD.

This progressive and enterprising citizen of Neave township, Darke county, whose home is on section 30, was born near Ham- ilton, Butler county, Ohio, June 22, 1831. and is a son of Dennis and Hester ( Stephen- son) Shepherd, both natives of Pennsyl- vania and of Irish descent, the maternal grandparents of our subject being natives of the Emerald Isle. The paternal grandfather was born in New Jersey, of Irish ancestry. After their marriage the parents of our sub- ject came to Ohio and settled in Butler coun- ty, where the father improved a farm and en- gaged in agricultural pursuits throughout his active business life. In politics he was a stalwart Democrat, and was widely and favorably known. He was about ninety years of age at the time of his death, and

his wife lived to be eighty-seven. They liad nine children, eight sons and one daugh- ter, and with one exception all grew to man- hood or womanhcod.

Stephen Shepherd, who was the eighth child and seventh son in this family, was educated in a log school house, and on lay- ing aside his text books at the age of four- teen served a six-years apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade, after which he en- gaged in the same line of business on his own account. He opened a shop at a little place called Soccom, in Twin township, Darke county, where he carried on business until 1862, when he purchased the farm on section 30, Neave township, where he now resides. Here he has lived ever since with the exception of three years spent in Ar- canum, but at present he is now actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, renting his farm of one hundred and fifty-seven and a half acres to his son-in-law. He is a good horseman and has always devoted consider- able attention to the noble steed and now owns some very good horses, which he is training for the road, having a half-mile track upon his place.

In September, 1860, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Shepherd and Miss Ada- line Lowry, a native of Neave township, and a daughter of Reuben and Mary Lowry, early settlers of this county. Mrs. Shep- herd is the second in order of birth in their family of five children. To our subject and his wife have been born three children, namely : Clayton T., a practicing physician of Dayton, Ohio; Lizzie C., wife of V. M. Carry, who operates the home farm; and Percy, better known as R. H.

Since casting his first vote Mr. Shep- herd has always affiliated with the Demo- cratic party and taken an active interest in

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political affairs. He served as a trustee of his township five years and is one of its honored and highly esteemed citizens.

HARVEY H. BIRELEY.

Harvey H. Bireley was born in Green- ville, Darke county, February 22, 1844, and is the fourth son of William J. and Eliza- beth Bireley. His great-grandfather was born in Wittenburg, Germany, was a tanner by trade and emigrated to the United States, locating in Maryland, near Hagers- town, where he spent his remaining days. His son, John, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in that locality and was reared to manhood under the parental roof. He learned the trades of tanner and shoemaker and later engaged in the manufacture of paper, also owning and operating a flour- mill. He married Barbara Brindle, and unto them were born eleven children, one of whom, William J. Bireley, became the father of our subject. He was born April 3. 1812, in the family home in Maryland, but his parents removed to Liberty, Mont- gomery county, Ohio, during his early youth. There he learned the shoemaker's trade, and he was wont to relate with pride that on his thirteenth birthday he made com- plete the largest pair of shoes manufactured. (We regret to say that the name of the man who wore the shoes is forgotten !) On the death of his father the support of the fan- ily devolved upon William J. Bireley and his mother, so that his educational advantages were limited to about three months' study in the schools. Being of a studious nature, however, he supplemented his school train- ing by extensive reading and observation, and possessing an observing eye and retent- ive memory he became a well informed man.

In 1832 he was united in marriage to Eliza- Leth Martin, who was born November 19, 1812, a daughter of Christopher and Eliza- beth (Laurimore) Martin, both of whom were natives of Maryland To Mr. and Mrs. Bireley were born ten children, namely : Ira J., deceased; Anna E .; Henry P .; William WV .; Harvey H .; Barbara C .; Rebecca, who died in infancy; Wade G .; Margaret, who died in infancy ; and Mary R.

In 1833 William J. Bireley came with his family to Darke county, locating at Green- ville, where he built a pottery, which he op- erated until 1856. In 1859 he bought a farm in Adams township and commenced the manufacture of lime, continuing in that enterprise until 1862, when he returned to Greenville. During his six years' residence there he dealt in lime and cement and then returned to his farm, where he remained until his life's labors were ended in death, October 9, 1888. His widow is still living on the old homestead, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.

Harvey H. Bireley spent his early child- hood in the city of his birth. In the year 1852 his father purchased the Henry House farm, situated on the Fort Jefferson pike. Among his schoolmates were John and Marion Harper, J, M. Craig, Elizabeth Craig Stephenson, George and Elias Westfall, John, William and Dan Studebaker, James and Isaac Arnold and others. Among his school teachers were D. H. R. Jobes, J. T. Martz, George Martz, John Shepherd and others. During his early years as a student grammar was looked upon with disfavor and was not taught, but Mr. Bireley's fa- ther took an active interest in matters of education and through his efforts a night class for the purpose of studying grammar was formed, with George H. Martz as in-

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structor. Kirkham's grammar was the text book, and once or twice each week during the entire . winter the class met and made rapid progress. From that period grammar was taken up as one of the regular studies of the curriculum.

. While the Bireley family lived upon the home farm they carried on the work of im- provement. There were many clumps of willows growing upon the place, and, wishi- ing that he might cultivate the land, the fa- ther made what was called a "harpoon," to which he attached two yoke of oxen and soon there were enormous piles of the wil- lows ready for the torch. In grubbing up those trees Mr.' Bireley of this review re- ceived his first lesson at driving oxen, and he drove oxen as long as that farm was owned by his father. The son learned that the best way to treat dumb animals was to be kind to them and such a course he has ever followed.

On the 4th of August, 1862, Mr. Bireley enlisted as a musician in Company G, Forty- fourth Chio Infantry, and the regiment joined the Army of Kentucky. In August, 1862, it became a part of Burnside's com- mand, and on the 17th of that month start- ed on the marchi to Knoxville, Tennessee, a distance of two hundred and four miles. The regiment to which Mr. Bireley belonged was the first to enter the city. They were besieged from October until the 7th of De- cember, when General Sherman raised the siege and the troops proceeded to Strawberry Plains, where they engaged and defeated the enemy. They had received neither clothing nor rations from the government during the siege and had been forced to live upon lialf rations of bran and cornmeal during a part of the time. The Forty-fourth Ohio veter- anized on the Ist of January, 1864, and

returned over the same march of two hun- dred and four miles in the dead of winter, suffering many hardships and discomforts. They were obliged to forage for supplies and slept where night overtook them with- out other shelter than a "dog tent." In February they received their first change of clothing since the preceding August. They were granted a thirty-days furlough, and on their return, in May, 1864, they were mustered in as the Eighth Ohio Veteran Vol- unteer Cavalry and were sent to Virginia under the command of Colonel Owens. Sub- sequently they were transferred to General Phil Sheridan's command in the Shenan- coali valley. The band of which Mr. Bireley was a member was commanded by Sheridan to listen for the signal of the gun, and when they heard it they were to play a national air at double-quick time. The signal was given and the band, stationed between two batteries, struck up Yankee Doodle and the refrain was caught up and echoed by the men along the entire line of five miles, and under the inspiring notes of the music the memorable charge of Cedar Creek was made. On the IIth of January, 1865, Mr. Bireley was captured at Beverly, West Virginia, by the troops of General Rosser. He and his fellow prisoners were taken to Charles- ton, Virginia, and then to Libby prison, where they were exchanged February 15. 1865. Mr. Bireley weighed one hundred and fifty-two pounds when captured and one hundred and fifteen pounds when released ! They returned to Camp Chase and received a thirty-days furlough, on the expiration of which time our subject with his command was discharged, May 30, 1865.

Returning to his father's farm our sub- ject engaged in the manufacture of lime for two years. In 1867, feeling the need

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of a more thorough business training, he took a commercial course in the Bryant & Stratton College at Indianapolis. On the 25th of August of that year he was united in marriage to Henrietta V. Weills, wlio was born May 9, 1850, the eldest daughter of Rev. Solomon and Lydia (Shaffer) Weills. To Mr. and Mrs. Bireley have been born five children-Bessie, Ira, Alma, Agnes and Sylvia. The son died in in- fancy.

After his marriage Mr. Bireley removed to Tippecanoe City, where he was employed by Ford & Company in a wheel factory for six years. From there he went to Colum- bus Grove and engaged in the confectionery business for two years, after which he re- moved to Painter's Creek, in Franklin town- ship, Darke county. He has been engaged in general merchandising for seventeen years at this place, conducting a profitable store. He served seven years as township treas- urer, for six years as justice of the peace and for twelve years as postmaster. In pol- itics he is a Republican and since 1873 he has been a member of the Odd Fellows society, belonging to both the subordinate lodge and the encampment. He is also a member of Dan Williams Post, G. A. R., of Pleasant Hill. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church.

ALLEN FRY.

Allen Fry, a prominent and influential citizen of Neave township, Darke county, Ohio, who is now serving as treasurer of the township, was born on the farm on sec- tion 23, where he now resides, August 19, 1853, and is a son of Thompson and Phoebe (Jeffries ) Fry, 1.atives of Preble county, this state, where they were reared and married.

It was on the ist of April 1835, that they came to Darke county. The father, who was born in 1820, died in this county at the age of sixty-two years. He was a farmer by oc- cipation, a Democrat in politics and an ear- nest member of the United Brethren church. He held the office of school director, but never cared for political preferment. His father, Cornelius Fry, who was born in Pennsylvania, of German ancestry, was an early settler of Preble county, Ohio. He followed farming as a life work and held sev- eral minor offices in the county. His brother, Rev. Andrew Fry, a Methodist Episcopal minister, was a prominent citizen of Fort Jefferson, Darke county, and served as jus- tice of the peace for several years. The mother of our subject is still Living. Her father, Seth Jeffries, came to this state from New Orleans and was one of the early set- tlers of Preble county.

Allen Fry is the seventh child and fourtlt son of a family of eleven children. He ac- quired his education in the district schools near his boyhood home and early became familiar with the duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He has spent his entire life on the old homestead and is successfully engaged in general farming, having a well improved and highly cultivated tract of sev- enty-seven acres.

On the 27th of February, 1876, Mr. Fry was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Schlechty, a daughter of Christian and Mar- garet (Thompson) Schlechty, early settlers of Darke county, where they were reared and married. They had five children, three daughters and two sons, of whom Mrs. Fry is the fourth in order of birth. To our sub- ject and his wife have been born five chil- dren, namely : Minnie, now the wife of Herman Shellhaus, of Greenville, Darke

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county ; Frank, now in Minnesota; Harry, Jay and Susie, all at home.

By his ballot Mr. Fry supports the men and measures of the Democratic party, and takes quite an active and prominent part in local politics, having been a member of the central committee of his township. He has filled the offices of school director, con- stable and road supervisor, and in 1893 was elected treasurer of his township, in which position he has served with credit to him- self and to the entire satisfaction of the pub- lic ever since, being twice elected and once appointed to that office. He is also a mem- ber of the Horse Thief Protective Society, and is actively identified with every enter- prise which he believes calculated to prove of public benefit, being one of the most pub- lic-spirited and progressive citizens of his community.

NOAH W. BROWN.

In the compilation of a work of this na- ture it is always gratifying to the biographer to note the salient points in the career of one who has attained a position of prominence in any field of endeavor, and in the case at hand we have to do with one of the repre- sentative farmers of Darke county, his ex- cellent homestead being eligibly located on section 3, Harrison township, while his post- office address is New Madison. He has at- tained success through his own efforts, is a scion of a worthy ancestry and is well de- serving of honorable mention in this work.

Mr. Brown was born in Hampstead, Carroll county, Maryland, on the 22d of February, 1855, being the son of George W. Brown, who was a native of the same place, his birth having taken place in 1814. He was a blacksmith by trade and was a man

of sterling integrity. He married Martha Ann Stich, and of their five sons and four daughters all grew to adult years except the daughter, Elizabeth, who passed away at the age of nine years. One son, Christopher W., died in September, 1899, in his sixty-fourth year. He was twice married and left ten children to mourn his loss. The surviving children of George W. and Martha A. Brown are as follows: Thomas, a resident of Baltimore county, Maryland, has three children; Alverta, the widow of Frank Peterson, has two children; Sally, widow of John Watson, has three children; Charles, a resident of Baltimore county, Maryland, has eight children; Noah W. is the im- mediate subject of this sketch; John L. is a successful farmer in Neave township, Darke county. The father of these children died at the age of seventy-eight years, his widow surviving until March 24, 1900, when she passed away at the venerable age of eightv- two years.

Noah W. Brown grew up under the sturdy and invigorating discipline of the farm, receiving his educational discipline in the district schools, the advantages af- forded in this line being limited in scope, as his services were demanded on the home farm, early and late. He began an appren- ticeship at the blacksmith trade when he was nineteen years of age and soon became an expert artisan. He came to Ohio in 1878 and for two years was employed by the month, working for William Thomas and George M. Noggle, to the latter of whom individual reference is made in another sketch appearing within these pages. At the expiration of the interval noted Mr. Brown rented a farm for one year in this county, and he then made ready to establish a home of his own in the proper sense of the

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term, being united in marriage, on the 3d of March, 1883, to Miss Susanna Noggle, daughter of Michael and Mary ( Mote) Noggle. The young couple settled on their farm of eighty-three acres, the place, which was entirely unimproved or reclaimed, hav- ing been given to Mrs. Brown by her father. This farm has ever since been the home of our subject, and the place to-day has slight semblance to the primitive forest tract which constituted the original farmstead. The ill- defatigable industry and well directed efforts of Mr. Brown have made the place one of the most desirable and attractive of the many fine farms in Darke county, and the im- provements are all of superior character. Our subject raises diversified crops, having grown three thousand bushels of corn and six hundred of wheat as an annual yield, and he gives special attention to the breed- ing of swine of high grade, marketing from three to four droves each year. This branch of his business has been practically his leading and most profitable enterprise, and though he had severe losses during the ravages of the hog cholera he was not dis- couraged and his efforts have given him good returns. He is recognized as one of the best judges of swine in the county, and is an authority on all matters pertaining to the care and improvement of this sort of stock. By the judicious crossing of breeds he has secured a fine grade of swine, and he controls a large business in this branch of farming industry. In his life he has la- bored without ceasing, has had many ob- stacles to overcome and has been animated by a singleness of purpose which would not recognize defeat. He is thus entitled to much credit for what he has accomplished, and his inflexible integrity in all the rela- tions of life has won him the confidence and

esteem of all with whom he has come in con- tact. Though denied the privileges of scholastic training in his youth he has a high appreciation of the advantages of ed- ucation and his aim is to afford to his chil- dren the best possible opportunities in this line. In his political adherency he is a Dem- ocrat, but has been signally averse to ac- cepting official preferment, his only service in this direction having been as road super- visor. Mr. Brown is known as an enterpris- ing and public spirited citizen and is held in high esteem in the community. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown have a most inter- esting family of children,-one daughter and three sons,-of whom we enter brief record as follows: Bessie E., born Decem- ber 6, 1883, is an attractive young lady, an excellent student and one who has marked musical ability ; George A. was born January 24, 1886; Charles M., August 14, 1889; and Virgil A., March 7, 1894.

GEORGE M. NOGGLE.

Among the successful agriculturists and representative citizens of Darke county is Mr. Noggle, whose fine farmstead is located on section 3, Harrison township, his post- office address being New Madison. He is a native of this township, having been born on a farm two miles south of his present place on the 7th of July, 1847, the son of Michael Noggle, who was born in Lee town- ship, this county, January 10, 1819. The latter's father, George Noggle, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1775, and he died on the farm owned by our sub- ject in the year 1853. His father was a farmer of the Keystone state, where he died, the family being of German extraction.

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George Noggle, grandfather of our subject, was married, in Pennsylvania, to Catherine Hoenline, who was born in 1773, and they became the parents of five sons and five daughters, all of whom lived to maturity and had families. George Noggle was a man of great physical power and indomit- able courage, being the hero of many a pugilistic encounter and never having been vanquished. He was very industrious and energetic and he cleared up two farms in this section of Ohio. He came here from Penn- sylvania in 1812, being one of the pioneers of Darke county, where he took up his abode in 1816. In 1825 he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Harrison town- ship, section 15, and there he died in June, 1853, his widow surviving until 1860, when she passed away at the age of eighty-seven, hier death resulting from a severe fall into a cellar of her home. She was a woman of fine presence, being of large stature and noble bearing.

The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Mote, and she was born in this neighborhood June 14, 1821. On the 16th of January, 1840, was solem- niżed her marriage to Michael Noggle, the groom being twenty-one years of age and the bride sixteen. Mrs. Noggle was the daughter of Jonathan and Susanna ( Kefler) Mote, the former of whom was of English ancestry, his birth having occurred in the state of Georgia. He was four times mar- ried, and of the first union six sons and five daughters were born, and there were several children by the second marriage. Of the cleven children of the first marriage and the three sons of the second all lived to pass the half-century mile post on life's journey and five of the number are still living, the eldest being in his eighty-third year. The

mother of our subject died at the age of sev- enty-one.

Of the five sons and two daughters of Michael and Mary Noggle we offer the fol- lowing data: Phœbe Jane, born April 26, 1841, married and died in 1872, leaving five children ; Alfred, born April 4, 1843, died at Richmond, Indiana, in 1895, leaving one son ; Ephraim, born May 5, 1845, is a farm- er in Butler township, this county, and has six children ; George M., the fourth in order *of birth, is the immediate subject of this re- view: David, a successful farmer of Clark county. Ohio, has five children; Susanna, wife of Noah Brown, is mentioned in an individual sketch of that gentleman else- where in this volume; and Jonathan, born in 1855, died in infancy. The mother of our subject died in 1892, and the father on the 6th of April, 1898. They were people of the highest integrity and were among the honored pioneers of this section of the state. Like his father, Michael Noggle be- gan work at an early age and he was soon inured to the severe labors of clearing up and reclaiming the frontier farms, having cleared up the farm now occupied by our subject and having spent two years in Wa- bash county. He inherited eighty acres from his father and he and his brother, David, took up and owned some four hundred acres in Harrison township. On the farm which is the home of his son, George M., of this sketch, he erected, in 1868, the fine brick residence which is one of the most spacious and attractive country homes in this section. He farmed on an extensive scale, being as- sisted in his operations by his four sons, being very successful in his delings in the product of his farms and realizing large profits at a time when these commodities commanded high prices. In 1861 he paid

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A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 86

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 806

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806