USA > Ohio > Putnam County > A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Putnam counties, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio, pt 1 > Part 37
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Lewellyn Jones, the subject of this sketch, was born in Sugar Creek township, March 17, 1856, and received a good common-school education. He was reared a farmer, but carly in life ! arned the undertaker's trade, and fol- lowed it in the connection with his father. Since then he has made it hus own business and is called upon professionally throughout the entire surrounding country. He hasa the
hearse and all the improved appliances used in this business.
Mr. Jones is a member of the Welsh Congre- gational church, having joined when he was eleven years old. He stands high as a citizen and as a man of the best character. He is in- telligent, well informed, and is thoroughly qualified for his profession, and enjoys the con- fidence of the entire community. Mr. Jones is not married, and his pleasant home is pre- sided over by his sister, Martha, a lady of in-i telligence and refinement. The parents of Mr. Jones died in 1889, both of them at the great; age of eighty years.
ENRY J. KAVERMAN, member of the city council of Delphos, and one of the well-known citizens, is a native of Hanover, Germany, where he was born April 3, 1864, and is the son of Henry and Catherine (Schulte) Kaverman, both of Hanover. He attended school in the old country, and at the age of fifteen years began an apprenticeship at the cabinetmaker's trade, serving three years at the same. He worked at his trade in the old country until he was nineteen years of age, and then, in 1883, he came to the United States. He landed in . Baltimore on the third day of May, and came direct to Delphos, where an uncle of his, Mathias Kaverman, was living on a farm two miles west of town in Van Wert county. The second day after arriving in Delphos, Mr. Kaverman went to work for Frank H. Heitz, a contractor, and for three years was at work building churches. During that time he worked on five churches-one at Ottoville, one at Fort Jennings, one at Derance, one near Upper Sandusky, and one 'u Delphos. Mr. Heitz died in the fall of 1886, and in the spring of 1887 our subject went to work for
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James H. Klime, working for one and a half years at the bench, and then was made fore- man of the shops, and during Mr. Klime's ab- sence he was also manager of the business. Mr. Kaverman is a member of the democratic party, and takes an active interest in public matters, In the spring of 1894 he was nomi- nated by the democrats of the Third ward for councilman, and was elected by a majority of eighty-five, he receiving one more vote than any man on the ticket in his ward. During the year 1894 he was chairman of the sanitary committee, and was a member of the com- mittees on sewers and on claims. In 1895 he was made chairman of the fire department committee and a member of the committees on finance and on improvements. Mr. Kaverman is a member of the Delphos Savings & Loan Association company. He resides on. South Clay street, Delphos, Van Wert county, where he owns a cottage residence, one story and a half, and sixteen acres of land.
Mr. Kaverman was married October 27, 1886, to Clara Mesker, who was born in Allen county, Ohio, about one mile east from Del- phos, and is the danghter of Casper Mesker. To Mr. and Mrs. Kaverman one child has been born-Henry M. They also have an adopted daughter. He and family are members of Saint John's Roman Catholic church. Mr. Kaverman has met with deserved success since coming to America. When he reached Del- phos he had about thirty-three dollars in his pocket, and did not understand the Enghsh language. But, being industrious, energetic and ambitious and quick to learn, he has suc- ceeded in acquiring the language so that he not only speaks it fluently, but can read and write in English as well as German. He has lived an active and honest life, and has had no trouble in getting along. He is recognized by all as a good citizen, ready to aid in any publi. movement calculated to benefit the city and
develop its growth. His position on the city council alone speaks for his popularity in the city.
S AMUEL W. KEMP was born in Amanda township, Allen county, Ohio, February 16, 1853, is now one of the representative business men of the village of Kempton, and is the third child and only son of a family of six children born to John W. and Nancy J. (Andrews) Kemp, who are now both deceased. The father, John W. Kemp, was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, February 1, 1828, and died October 5, 1891, in Allen county, where he had lived the life of a pioneer, having settled here in the year 1847.
John W. Kemp was a son of Joseph and Lucinda Kemp, was a single man at the time he located in Allen county, and with his father located upon land in section No. 36, Amanda township, which was an unbroken wilderness, there being at that time but three families in the township. The grandfather, Joseph Kemp, cleared up the 120 acres of land on which he lived until his death; he reared a family of seven children, of whom John W. Kemp, the father of our subject, was the eldest, and re- mained under the parental roof until he was married in 1849, which event took place two years after coming to the county. He imme- diately thereafter purchased forty acres of timberland, which he owned, however, but a short time, when he sold and bought eighty acres in section No. 1, same township, where the village of Kempton now stands. This tract was also in the unbroken wilderness, but he set about cutting away the forest, and cleared therefrom a good farm, and while doing so, experienced many of the privations attendant on the life of an early settler; he lived upon this farm until the time of his death, after having accumulated a for competence,
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the result of an industrious and active life. He was a prominent and active member of the Odd Fellows' order and a member of the G. A. R., having been a soldier in the war of the Rebellion. He enlisted twice ---- first for three months and afterward for one year, and the war closed prior to the expiration of his term of enlistment. He was mustered out as third ' sergeant. His first wife, Miss Nancy J. An- drews, was born in Fayette county, Ohio, November 21, 1826, and died December 24, 1876. To this union six children were born: Catherine and Lucinda, deceased, the latter the wife of Charles Barrick; Sammel W., with whom this sketch mostly deals; Margaret E., wife of T. B. Bowersock, of German township, deceased; Sarah A., wife of C. B. Crites, of Amanda township, and Emma, deceased. .
Samuel W. Kemp received his education in. the public schools of the county, After marry- ing, he rented a farm for two years, after which he engaged in the grocery business. which he followed for five years, when he came to his present location at Kempton, opened a general store and for six years gave his exclui- sive attention to his trade, after which time, however, he has divided his occupation by buying and shipping corn, and after a year thus employed, associated himself with A. E. Clutter, of Lima, Ohio, in buying and ship- ping hay and together they are now doing an extensive business, their transactions aggregat- ing $25,000 annually. In the year of 1894 Mr. Kemp began handling Jersey cattle for breeding purposes and has brought into Aller county some of the choicest blood of that famous stock. In his various branches of business, Mr. Kemp employs from fifteen to twenty-five men, and is himself one of the most energetic business men of Allen county. He is wide-awake, up-and-doing and progress- ive. He is one of the leading and substantial men of the community, and his business and
financial success is due to his own personal efforts and push, combined with those of his wife, who is an intelligent and energetic woman, who aids his best efforts with her counsel, He is one of the solid democrats of the county and has filled the office of township treasurer and justice of the peacc, two terms each. His marriage to Miss Eudora Bice occurred Novem- ber 18, 1875. She was the daughter of Will- iam and Tibitha Bice, of Amanda township, and was born September 21, 1857. One child has been born to them-William Guy Kemp. Mr. Kemp was appointed postmaster of Kemps- town in 1878, and with the exception of four years has held the office up to the present time.
p ROF. OLIVER KIES is a well-known school-teacher and highly respected resident of Spencerville, Allen county, Ohio, and at the present writing is assistant postmaster of Spencerville and justice of the peace of the township. He is one of the native sons, having been born here Janu- ary 29, 1867. He is the son of J. M. and Mary (Volz) Kies, old residents of Spencer- ville. Oliver attended the public schools of the town and the Normal school at Ada, tak- ing a teacher's course in the latter. For seven years, during the summer, he found employ- ment in the stave-factory-from nine years of age until sixteen-when he began teaching, to which honorable profession he has since de- voted his entire time, except in sumner, when he occupies the position of assistant postinas- ter. He has taught in Allen county excepting the last year, when he was called vo Auglaize county. He was appointed assistant postmas- ter in April, 1895, and at the spring election of this year was elected justice of the peace. He has always been an active worker in the democratic ranks and finds here the best inter-
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pretation of his political ideas. In February of the same year (1895) he was married to Miss Mary Ward, the accomplished daughter of Jeremiah and Catherine (McCarty) Ward. She was a Hoosier by birth, having been born at Aboit, Allen county, Ind., September 8, 1876. Oliver Kies is always spoken of as one of Spencerville's thoroughly wide-awake young men, who will probably some day be heard of outside of his native county, and, as an evi- dence of his all-around ability, it may be casu- . ally mentioned with his profession and other occupations, he finds time to do a thriving real estate and fire insurance and collection business, and it is now thought that he will be led to relinquish teaching altogether, an event that will be deplored by the community at large.
EV. WILLIAM MEIRION DAVIS, an eloquent, pious and prominent clergyman of the Welsh Congre- gational church, and for the past seven years the beloved pastor of that denom- ination at Gomer, Allen county, Ohio, is a na- tive of one of the northern shires of Wales and was born November 17. 1834.
Owen Davis, father of our subject, was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and in his na- tive land married Elizabeth Rowland. Both were long members of the Welsh Congrega- tional church, of which Mr. Davis was a deacon for thirty-five years. He and wife were the parents of seven children who were born in the following order, and who all lived to man- hood and womanhood-David, Catherine. Howek, William M., Elizabeth, Jane and Hugh. Mr. Davis was a successful contractor in his line of business, and lived to the great age of seventy-six years, dying in his native village of LIgelley, where he had passed all the days of his life, a respected and honored citizen. He was a son of David Owen, the 11
custom being in an early day in his part of Wales, as it is, indeed, in many parts to-day, to transpose the name of father and son, as, for instance, the name of the great-grand- father of our subject being Owen David, his son, the grand-father of our reverend subject, was known as David Owen, and his son, in turn, the father of our subject, became Owen David, bearing the same name as that of his grandfather. Custom continued to change, and in course of time David became anglicized into Davis, and so come about the name of our subject -- the custom of using one uniform surname only having been also introduced.
The Rev. Mr. Davis, in his youthful days, learned the printer's trade, and between nine- teen and twenty years of age, in 1856, went to London, England, where he worked a year at his trade, and the following year began preach- ing at a Welsh Congregational church in the great metropolis. He had been received into the congregation of his native village when but sixteen years of age, and while still very young had displayed an aptitude for preaching, and after receiving a call to preach at London, be- came a student under Dr. Gwesyn Jones, of Radnorshire, Wales, under whom he studied a few months before he entered the famous Brecon college, then the most renouned Welsh Congregational Seminary in the country. For four years he pursued his studies, and was then ordained. He received calls from two churches in Caermarthenshire, and for the lengthened period of twenty-seven years held the pastorate of these two congregations, and through a successful eloquence built them up into flourishing and wealthy bodies.
April 29, 1862, Mr. Davis married Miss Margaret Thomas, who was born August 28, 1842, a daughter of Thomas Thomas. Mr. Thomas was a prosperous gener d merchant, who died at the comparatively early age of forty years, leaving three children, beside Mrs.
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Davis, who still survive- Amy, John and Ann. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Davis has been blessed with the birth of eight children, in the following order; Margaretta, Thomas O., Elizabeth, David J., Edward M. (who died at the age of twelve years), Mary J., William H. and Edwin. In April, 1889, Rev. Mr. Davis came to America, bringing with him his family, with the exception of Margaretta and Thomas O., who, being married and settled, remained in Wales. Having received a call from the Welsh Congregational church at Gomer, Ohio, Mr. Davis at once settled at that point, where he has ministered to the spiritnal welfare of his congregation ever since, winning, in a marked degree, the esteem, confidence and love of his people. Mr. Davis is one of those divines who are stamped by nature as mein- bers of the ministerial profession, having intuitively a clear compenhension of the com- plexities of theology and being blessed with the gifts of eloquence, piety and fervor. His standing in the community at large is on a par with his elevated position in the esteem of his flock, by whom he is most dearly beloved, and which is to be congratulated on its having secured so able a pastor.
PILLIAM T. KIMES. - The Kimes family, of which a brief history is here presented, is of German extrac- tion, and settled in this country at an early date. Samuel Kimes, the father of the subject, was born in Adams county, Pa., but in his young manhood removed to Alle- gheny City, Pa., and was employed there by a lead company for many years. His wife died when the subject of this sketch was quite young. Her name was Elizabeth Spear, and she was a daughter of Robert Spear, a native of Ireland, who settled in Franklin county, Pa., so that William T. Kimes is of both German and
Irish parentage. Robert Spear reared young William T. Kimes from the time of his moth- er's death until he reached his twentieth year, which was in 1861, he having been born No- vember 16, 1841.
In August, 1862, our subject enlisted in company K, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania infantry, in which he served nine months, during which time he saw some of the hardest fighting of the war. He was in the battle of Sheppardstown, in that of Fred- ericksburg, and in the battle of Chancellors- ville, three of the great battles of the war. But he was neither wounded nor taken pris- oner, so that he was much more fortunate than thousands, who, like him, went out to battle for their country's canse. At the close of his term of service he returned to the farm, upon which he remained until 1867, when he settled on his present farin of sixty-five acres in sec- tion No. 25, Shawnee township, a good farm upon which he has made all the improvements himself. He is a progressive fariner, and a successful man, independent in politics, and a member of Mart. Armstrong post, No. 202, G. A. R., of Lima. He is patriotic, indus- trious and honest, in every way a highly re- spected citizen, and though not desiring polit- ical preferment, yet has been elected township trustee for one term, which is all the official experience he desires.
Mr. Kimes was married, in 1870, to Miss Maria Mechling, daughter of Joshua Mechling, deceased. By this marriage Mr. Kimes has children, as follows: Jane, Sophia, Edna, Walter, Esther, and William R., the latter deceased. In matters of religion Mr. Kimes is a member of and an elder in the Evangeli- cal Lutheran church of Perry township, and always is interested in its success and prosper- ity. He is a highly intelligent gentleman, and is connty reporter for the agricultural depart- ment of the United States.
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J OSEPH KINDLY, one of the well- known business men and citizens of Delphos, Ohio, and proprietor of the leading cigar manufactory and tobacco store in the city, is a native of Baden, Ger- many, where he was born on October 23, 1845. His parents were Joseph and Johanna (Walter) Kindly, both natives of Baden. The mother died in 1850 and the father died in 1857. The father was a policeman in the village of Sulz for twenty-six years, and later was a constable in the same place.
Joseph Kindly, our subject, received a good common-school education in his native land and then served an apprenticeship at the cigar maker's trade. He came to the United States in 1862, landing at New York on the third day of October. From New York he came to Dayton, Ohio, where two of his elder brothers were living, they having come to the United States in 1859. In Dayton he got work at his trade in the cigar factory of Frank Schueble, with whom he worked for about a year, and then he went to work in Xenia for Preston Dills, afterward of the firm of Dills & Haynes, traveling in 1864 and selling goods for the firm and remaining with them until they went out of business in 1865. Mr. Kindly then located in Jamestown, Ohio, where he was in business until 1868, and then he came to Delphos, where he has since resided and carned on successfully the cigar and tobacco business. M. Kindly has always taken an active interest in public affairs, but has never : held or sought public office. He has been a delegate to numerous political conventions, but has always considered it best to not mix ! politics and business together. He is a mem- | ber of Saint John's Roman Catholic church, and has been quite prominent in the affairs of the congregation. He holds the office of treasurer, being the Delphos member of the
position has rendered good and valuable serv- ice. He is a member of the Catholic Knights of America, and has held numerous offices in that society. Mr. Kindly was married Octo- ber 22, 1868, to Miss Mary E. Roth, daughter of John Roth, Sr., one of the well-known citizens of Delphos. To this union nine chil- dren have been born, seven living, as follows: Johanna B., Ida, Rosa, Lucy, Gussie, Leona and Isadore. Of these, Johanna B. is tlie wife of William Amman. In 1878 Mr. Kindly made a trip to Europe for his health, which had become impaired, and traveled through France, Germany, Switzerland and other points on the continent.
LIJAH KIRKPATRICK, a retired farmer and an old soldier of Auglaize township, Allen county, Ohio, was born in Fayette county, Pa., January 12, 1826, and paternally is of Scotch-Irish extraction, and maternally of German descent.
John Kirkpatrick, father of our subject, was a farmer of some consequence in Lancas- ter county, Pa., where he married Mary Dealius, who bore to him the following chil- dren: William, who died when small; Ed- ward, also deceased; James, a soklier of com- pany G, Eighty-second Ohio volunteer infantry, who, after serving one year and after having fought in the battle of McDowell, W. Va., the first in which his regiment took part, met with an accidental cut from a broadax, and was honorably discharged; David; Eliza and Evan, twins, both deceased. Susan, Rachel, Rhoda, Mary A., Elijah, Elisha and Jane. For a few years after marriage Mr. Kirkpatrick lived in Lancaster county and then removed to Fay tte county, Pa., where the father followed his oc- cupation as stone-mason until hisde ith, winch occurred in 1836. After the doch of Mr. board of trustees of the church, and in this . Kirkpatrick his widow came to Ono and set-
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tled in Champaign county. She was a truly christian lady, held together and educated her large family, and to her instruction and noble example may be traced the habits of industry and usefulness that have characterized her offspring.
Elijah Kirkpatrick, as will have been seen, was but ten years of age at the time of his father's untimely death; up to this time he had lived on the home farm, receiving in the mean- time the usnal education of the infant school. This was supplemented, as he grew older, with a common-school education sufficient to pre- pare him for business life. He learned the carpenter's trade, when well grown, and this occupied his attention for two or more years. After reaching his majority, he married Miss M. J. Bailey, daughter of Jonathan and Mary ( Davis) Bailey, and had born to him two chil. dren-Johanna, born in Champaign county, where the marriage of the parents took place, and Minta A., born in Van Wert county, and both now married and heads of their own ยท families. After his marriage Mr. Kirkpatrick, tired of his residence in Champaign county, moved to Hardin county, where he resided for three years, and then removed to Jackson township, Van Wert county, where he passed twenty years of his industrions life on his own farm of eighty acres. He then came to Auglaize township, Allen county, where he has ever since lived, an honored citizen. In poli- tics Mr. Kirkpatrick 's a stanch republican; in religion he is a believer in the doctrines of the Christian church, and fraternally is a non- affiliating member of Ellsworth post, No. 61 G. A. R.
The military experience of Mr. Kirkpatrick was arduous and hazardous, as well a varied. December 11, 1861, he enlisted in company 6. Eighty-second Ohio volunteer infantry, and with his regiment went through the campan, us of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and later
fought through the campaigns of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. Without attempting to place in chronological order the batties in which Mr. Kirkpatrick took an active part, it will be only necessary to state that, as an evi- dence that he was always at the front, he was shot through his sleeve at the battle of Mc- Dowell, W. Va; was at Cedar Mountain; at the first and second battles of Bull Run; at Chancellorsville, where he had two holes shot through his blouse; took part for three days in the decisive battle of Gettysburg; was at Look- out Mountain, in the "fight in the clerds," and in marches and skirmishes beyond count until finally discharged, December 13, 1864, after a faithful service of over three years.
Gilbert E. Burden, son-in -law of Mr. Kirk- patrick, was born in Union township, Auglaize county, Ohio, November 18. 1866, and was reared by his grandmother, Mary (Watson) Morris, from the age of two years until he reached his majority. July 25, 1894, he mar- ried Miss Minta A. Kirkpatrick, who was born January 12, 1875, and whose ancestral history is given above. To the union of Gilbert E. and Minta (Kirkpatrick) Burden was born a daughter, Beatrice M., December 16, 1895. His own grandfather, Joshua Burden, was born July 30, 1812, was of German descent, mar- ried Mary VanTrees, who was born January 29, 1818, and settled on 180 acres of land in Auglaize county, Ohio. Mr. Burden eventu- ally sold the farm and retired to Wapakoneta, where he died at the age of eighty-three years, four months and twenty-one days, having lost his wife, in the same village. June 20, 1876. Franklin Burden, father of Gilbert E., was born in Anglaize county, Ohio, September 18, 1839, married Mary Ann Morris, daughter of John and Mary (Watson) Morris. She was born in 1847, and bore two ' dren- Gilbert E. and William N. She died in 1869 and Mr. Burden married Mary Palette, daughter
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of John and Hannah Parlette, and to this union have been born seven children. Frank- lin Burden served three years in the Fifty- seventh Ohio volunteer infantry during the late Civil war, and Gilbert E. Burden is now the most popular tonsorial artists in Harrod.
J OSEPH KREBS, one of the most thriv- ing farmers and substantial citizens of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, is a native of the Buckeye state, was born in Seneca county, October 5, 1838, was reared to his present vocation, and acquired the usual amount of schooling customary at that day to be granted to the sons of pioneer farmers.
Peter Krebs, the father of our subject, was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, but carly lost his father, Fred Krebs, and at the age of fourteon years was brought to America by his mother, Mary Krebs, who was then the mother of two children-Peter and Frederick. This adventurous widow located near Adamsburg, Westmoreland county, Pa., where she married Peter Klink, but by him became the mother of no children. There her son Peter learned the shoemaker s trade and was also reared to farm- ing. Peter, after reaching manhood, came to Ohio, and while working at his trade of shoe- maker at Canton, met and married Miss Mary Debis, who bore him ten children, viz: Joseph, After he had married, our subject settled in the woods near Ottoville, Putnam county, Ohio, on a forty acre tract of land, which he cleared up and converted into a good farm, but sold, and, February 10, 1879, came to Marion township, Allen county, and bought his present place of 110 acres, which is now one of the handsomest farins in the township. In religion Mr. and Mrs. Krebs are true Catho- lics, having been brought up from childhood in that faith, and are members of the congrega- John, Nicholas, Peter, Frank, Mary, Susan- nah, Jacob, Henry and Conrad. It was some time after his marriage that Peter Krebs moved to a farm in Seneca county, on which he lived until 1850, when he removed to Putnam county, and cleared up a forty-acre farm from the woods, and which he increased to eighty acres, and finally to 192 acres, the greater portion of which he has distributed among ins sous, giving joseph, Peter and Nicholas each forty-eight acres, thus giving each a fair chance ' tion worshiping at Landeck; m politic: Mr.
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