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 53
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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
472
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Shenk and Henry J. Trame, a brother-in-law of the subject. This firm continued until 1871, when Mr. Trame retired in order to accept the secretaryship of the Ohio Wheel company, Mr. Osterndorf and Mr. Shenk conducting the business under the same firm name.
On April 25, 1873, Mr. Shenk and his wife left home for a trip to Europe. They took a steamer at New York May 8, and sailed for Hamburg, at which port they landed after a voyage lasting twelve days. They spent six months in Europe, spending about one month at Mr. Shenk's old home. They also made a tour of Switzerland, spending about four weeks visiting all the principal points of interest in that country, and then went to Paris, spending about two weeks at that place. They also visited most of the important cities of Europe, and sailed from Bremen on their return voyage on the 28th of September, landing in New York after a voyage of twelve days, and arriv- ing at home in Delphos October 16 following, Mr. Shenk continuing as a member of the firm of J. Ostendorf & Co. until the fall of 1879, when he purchased his partner's interest.
In 1863 Mr. Shenk was elected clerk of Washington township, Van Wert county, Ohio, which office he held for about eighteen years. In the spring of 1881, he was appointed treasurer of Van Wert county, to fill the unex- pired term of A. Balyeat, whose death occurred a short time after his election, and held the office for two years, He continued in busi- ness in Delphos, appointing a deputy who attended to the details of the official business in Van Wert. After buying out Mr. Osten- dorf in 1879, Mr. Shenk continued the business until 1884, when he closed out the entire stock of goods and was out of business until the spring of 1886. In 1885 he purchased his present brick business house on the corner of Main and Second streets, and in 1886 he opened up a large stock of dry goods.
In 1887 Mr. Shenk was appointed, by President Cleveland, postmaster at Delphos, which office he held for a year and a half, when he resigned in favor of Mayor Baxter, his object in so doing being his inability to give the office his personal attention on account of his business affairs.
Mr. Shenk is a member of Saint John's Roman Catholic church and for two years was one of the trustees of that church. He was treasurer and secretary of Saint John's church, during which time he also held the position of trustee of the Saint Mary's school building. Hc was the first prefect of Saint Aloysius sodality, organized in 1856, which position he held unt . his marriage. Mr. Shenk was quite active in the building of the narrow-gauge, now the Clover Leaf railroad. He also laid out and platted Charles E. Shenk's first and secon. additions to the town of Delphos.
August 15, 1881, Mr. Shenk had the great misfortune of losing his wife, who died sud- denly of heart disease, in the fortieth year of her age.
LEXANDER SHENK, one of the leading citizens of Delphos, Ohio and a well known man in both Allen and Van Wert counties, is a native of Prussia, born July 19, 1842. His parents, Martin and Christine (Kern) Shenk, bot !. natives of Prussia, are mentioned in the biog- raphy of Charles E. Shenk, elder brother the subject.
Alexander Shenk attended school in his native town of Rangeudingen, Prusz a. and for a while in Delphes. At about the age of twelve years he took a position as clerk in the drug store of J. W. Hunt in Delphos, where he worked for about seven years During that period he thoroughly learned the drug business, including the filling of perscriptions
473
OF ALLEN COUNTY.
In 1861 he and his brother, Saffron Shenk, engaged in the drug business, opening a store in the lower end of the town. At the expira- tion of two years our subject purchased his brother's interest in the business, and con- ducted the same alone for about three years, when, having accumulated some capital, and being ambitious to extend his operations, he bought out the other drug store in Delphos (that of Mr. Hunt, where he had served his apprenticeship). He then took in as a part- ner John Walsh, and they conducted the two stores together for about one year, and then our subject disposed of his interest in the busi- ness to Mr. Hunt, his old employer. About four months later Mr. Shenk again engaged in the drug business as a partner with Michael Brickner, which firm continued together for about two years, at the expiration of which time Mr. Shenk bought out his partner, and at once took in as his partner George F. Lang, who had been clerking for Mr. Shenk for about six years. The firm of Shenk & Lang continued in the drug business until 1880, when they sold out the same.
In 1873 the Union Flouring mills began operation in Delphos as a stock company. After five years' time the mill closed down, the company making an assignment owing to large losses, and, going into litigation, was sold in the fall of 1879 at sheriff's sale, Mr. Shenk bidding in the property, acting as the agent of what was then the First National bank, the main creditor of the old company. The same year Mr. Shenk and another direct- or of the bank were instructed to remodel the property and put it into operation, and about the first of April, 1880, the mill was started up. While acting as one of the com- inittee from the bank to look after the mill, Mr. Shenk conceived the idea of taking hold of the mill himself, feeling that he could make a success of t. This was in 1880, and Messrs.
Shenk & Lang closed out their drug business purchased the mill property and immediately took hold of it. The mill has been twice re- modeled under the ownership of Shenk & Lang, the first time in 1882, when a full roller system was put in at a cost of $9,000, and again in 1892, when the old machinery was taking out and entirely new and improved ma- chinery placed in. The mills are known as the Eagle Flouring mills, and are among the largest and best in this part of the country. The capacity is 150 barrels per day, the pro- duct being consumed in the surrounding towns and country. The firm is also one of the largest wheat buyers in Allen and Van Wert counties, shipping on an average of 200,000 bashels annually. In about 1872 Mr. Shenk became a director in the First National bank, continuing as such until the expiration of the bank's charter. In 1883 the Delphos Na- tional bank was organized as successor to the First National bank by the same people, Mr. Shenk being a director in the same. Upon the death of the old president, Theodore Wrocklage, in 1891, Mr. Shenk was elected as his successor, a position he has since held.
For thirty years Mr. Shenk has always taken an active part in the building up of Delphos, and probably not a single worthy en- terprise has been launched during that time to which he has not given his aid and assistance, and been connected with as a stockholder. Among the most important enterprises with which Mr. Shenk is and has been connected, we mention the following: The Delphos Elec- tric Light & Power company, of which he is vice-president; the Delphos Building & Loan association, one of the largest financial institu- tions in the city, of which he was one of the organizers and has been the president from its beginning; the Ohio Wheel company, of which he was a stockholder for a time. Mr. Shenk began his public life when he was about twenty-
م؛.
474
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
.
one years of age, by being elected to the office of clerk of Marion township, Allen county, which office he held for about twelve years. His next office was that of township trustee of the same township, which he held about two years, and following that he was elected town- ship treasurer, which office he held for about ten years. During the time he served as town- ship treasurer he served part of one term by appointment and two full terms by election, retiring from that office in 1892. The latter year he was appointed by the board of com- missioners as one of the board of trustees of Allen county Childrens' home, located near Lima, which is one of the finest public institu- tions in the state of Ohio. Mr. Shenk is one of the most prominent members of Saint John's Roman Catholic church of Delphos, of which church he has been a member all his life. In 1878 the building of the present handsome church edifice was begun, at which time Mr. Shenk was a member of the board of trustees and treasurer of the board, and it was during his administration the building was completed, he having supervision of the same and attend- ing to the contracts, raising of the money and disbursing the same. The building is one of the largest and handsomest in the state, cost- ing in round numbers $100,000.
Mr. Shenk was married, in 1863, to Miss Elizabeth Wrocklage, born in Germany, and a half-sister to the late Theodore Wrocklage, one of the prominent citizens of Delphos.
Mr. Shenk is a self-made man in the true sense of the word. He has inade his way in life by his own efforts and exertion, depending upon his business ability and natural talents to succeed. How well he has done this is set forth in this brief biographical sketch. And his success has not been secured at a sacrifice of his standing and reputation as a man and citizen, as is attested fully by the esteem and respect in which he is held by his neighbors
and fellow-citizens. His career in public office has been in keeping with his business life, he always discharging the duties of the office he has filled with strict fidelity, impartiallity, and with an eye single to doing justice to both the office, the public and himself, and giving en- tire satisfaction to all concerned.
YLVESTER F. SHENK, one of the representative citizens and leading business men of Delphos, Ohio, is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, and was born December 31, 1847, a son of Martin and Christine (Kern) Shenk. Martin Shenk was one of the early settlers of Deiphos, he having located in this place in the latter part of 1853. (Further mention of him may be found elsewhere in this work.) Sylvester F. Shenk received a common-school ed ration, and at the age of thirteen years began work as a clerk in a store in Delphos, which occupa- tion he continued until 1876, when he began business for himself as senior member of the firm of Shenk & Zimerle. This firm continued until 1880, when Mr. Zimerle retired, since which time Mr. Shenk has been in trade alone. His place of business is on the corner of Main and Second streets, where he occupies three floors, carrying a complete line of dry goods, clothing, carpets, etc., his establishment being the leading one in his line in Delphos, and one of the largest in this part of the state.
Mr. Shenk was married June 29, 1872, to Miss Rosilla, daughter of Francis J. Lye, one of the pioneer settlers of Delphos, then sec- tion No. Ten. Mr. and Mrs. Shenk have eight children, as follows: Frank. Mary, Martin, Amedeus, Alexander, Sylvester, Richard and Robert, and the family are members of the Saint John's Roman Catholic church of Del- phos. Mr. Shenk has given his time and at- tention almost exclusively to his business, and
475
OF ALLEN COUNTY.
as a natural result has met with flattering suc- cess. While he has never held or sought po- · litical office or honors, he has always taken an active interest in the affairs of his city, county and state, and has never failed to perform willingly the duties incumbent upon all good citizens. He has always been found ready and willing to assist in the building up of Del- phos, having at heart the best interests of the city's enterprises and institutions.
EV. JOHN M. SHENK, a prominent minister of the Mennonite church, as well as a substantial farmer of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, is of good old German extraction, but more proxi- mately of Pennsylvania descent, the grand- father, Jacob Shenk, having been born in Lancaster county, that state, whence he moved to Rockingham county, Va. He was wedded to Miss A. Miller, by whom he became the father of the following children: Henry, John, Jacob, Michael and Anna. He lost his first wife in middle life, and his second mar- riage was with Anna Stauffer, who bore him four children, viz: Christian, Fannie, Lydia and Mary. He owned a good farm of 160 acres near Harrisonburg, Va., which he dis- posed of for $13,000, retired to private life, and died at the age of about seventy-five years. Mr. Shenk was a devout member of the Mennonite church, and, although an exten- sive farmer, was bitterly opposed to slavery. He was greatly honored for his upright life and his generous and open-hearted liberality.
Henry Shenk, son of Jacob Shenk, was born on the homestead in the Shenandoalı valley, Va , received a good common school education, and was fully instructed, also, in farming. When a young man he came to Ohio, located in Fairfield connty, and there 18
married Miss Susannah Brenneman. He then moved to Hocking county, Ohio, where he cleared eighty acres from the wild wood, but a few years later moved to Hamilton county, Ind., where he purchased another farm of eighty acres and also ran a saw-mill for a few years, and then returned to Ohio, lived in Franklin two or three years, then went back to Fairfield county, and finally settled in Marion township, Allen county, on a farm of 160 acres, that had been partly cleared. His nine children were named Jacob, Henry, Anna, John M., Andrew, Daniel, Katie, Lydia and Abraham. Of these, two are in the ministry -John M. and Andrew. The death of Henry Shenk took place on his farm at the age of fifty-eight years, and his loss was deeply lamented by the whole community, who felt that one of their best neighbors had been taken from their midst.
Rev. John M. Shenk, our subject, was born in Hocking county, Ohio, January 19, 1848, and was seven years of age when brought to Allen county by his father. He was educated in the common schools, but sufficiently well to enable him, in turn, to become a teacher, a vocation he followed a few years and then turned his attention to farming. At the age of twenty-one years he was married, in Marion township, December 24, 1868, to Miss Fantie Good, who was born March 24, 1849, a daughter of Abraham and Rebecca (Rhodes) Good. Abraham Good was of German de- scent, and was born in Rockingham county, Va., a son of Peter and Anna (Diller) Good, and was the father of ten children. Elizabeth, Fannie, Henry, Simon, Christian, Frank, John, Lydia, Daniel and Jacob. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Shenk settled on their present farm of forty acres in Marion township. The greater part of this farm Mr. Shenk has him- self cleared up and has erected on it all the buildings, set out the orchard, and brought it
476
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
to a high state of cultivation, and increased its dimensions to 190 acres.
Mr. Shenk united with the Mennonite church at the age of nineteen years and at once took an active part in Sunday-school work. November 30, 1876, he was ordained a minister at Elida, Allen county, since when he has preached constantly and most accept- ably to the flock confided to his charge. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Shenk have been born eleven children, named as follows: Henry (died in infancy), Abraham, Amos, Simon, Moses, Reuben, John, Levi, Daniel, Rebecca and Jacob. Mr. Shenk is largely self-educated and is still a hard student, read- ing constantly works on theological subjects `and papers on horticulture. In his vocation of farming he lias a special taste for agricul- ture and horticulture, and his orchard is well stocked with every kind of fruit trees indige- nous to the temperate zone. He is a gentle- man of refinement and culture, and is honored and respected by all classes, and is withal a progressive and useful citizen.
R EV. ANDREW SHENK, a prominent minister of the Mennoite church of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, is a son of Henry and Susannah (Brenneman) Shenk, and was born in Hamil- ton county, Ind., August 19, 1850, on his father's farm.
Andrew Shenk was but an infant when brought to Ohio, in 1852, by his parents, who first located in Fairfield county, and in 1855 came to Marion township, Allen county. He received a limited education in the district schools, but, being of studious habits, with an inquiring turn of mind, as well as possessing a retentive memory, he gained a practical edu- cation by studying at home. In Elkhart county, Ind., March 24, 1872, he married Susannah
Good, who was born July 7, 1850, in Fairfield county, Ohio, a daughter of Noah and Frances (Culp) Good. The father, Noah, was of Penn- sylvania-Dutch stock paternally, and a son of Daniel and Magdelena (Campbell) Good; he was married in Fairfield county, Ohio, where he was a prosperous farmer, and to him and wife were born ten children, viz: Sophia, Mag- dalena, Elizabeth, Joseph, Susannah, Annie, Nancy and Fannie (twins), Christopher and Lydia. Mr. Good came to Sugar Creek town- ship, Allen county, in 1851, where he lived on rented land until 1864, when he moved to Page county, Iowa, and thence, in 1872, moved to Kansas. He and family, with the exception of two children, are all pious adherents of the Mennonite church, and he still has his residence in Kansas, being now seventy-four years of age. After marriage Mr. Shenk settled on his present farm, then consisting of forty acres of partly cleared land, but this farm, by industry and thrift, he has increased to eighty acres, all of which he has now cleared and converted into a good liome. The marriage of Mr. Shenk has been blessed with eight children, named as follows: Henry G., Noah H., Perry J., Gabriel D., Rhoda F., Timothy C., and Mary E. and Martha A., twins.
Rev. Andrew Shenk has been a member of the Mennonite church for twenty-seven years, and his wife twenty-eight years, and for the past four years he has been preaching very acceptably to quite a large congregation, handling his various themes with picus fer- vor and always with a view to lead sinners to Christ and the saved to a higher spiritual life. He has educated his children as well as the advantages of the district schools will per- mit, and he and his faithful helpmate are rec- ognized as among the truly good, charitable, and sincerely pious members of the community of which they have >> long been respected members.
---
التقشير: ٠واجبات الفرا
477
OF ALLEN COUNTY.
3 OHN SCHERGER, a well-known citi- zen of Delphos, Ohio, was born in Seneca county, in August, 1847, and is the son of Antone and Josephine Scherger, both of whom were born in Germany. Antone Scherger came with his family to the United States in 1845, and settled in Seneca county, Ohio, where he purchased land and followed farming for many years. His wife died in 1851, her death resulting from falling in a well and drowning. His death occurred in Del- phos in 1875. They had four children, three of whom are still living, as follows: Antone, now a farmer of Seneca county; Constantine, of the firm of C. Scherger & Son, marble and granite dealers in Delphos, and our subject.
John Scherger remained on the farm in Seneca county until he was eighteen years of age, and then came to Delphos and went to work for his brother Constantine, who was en- gaged in the blacksmithing and wood-working business. After working one year in the wood- working shop our subject went into the black- smith shop and learned that trade. He worked for his brother for two years, and then formed a co-partnership with William Han- kins, the shop foreman, and bought out the blacksmith shop. He and Mr. Hankins con- tinued together for four years, and then our subject bought out his partner and has carried on the business by himself ever since. When he first began the business it was on a very small scale, but it grew and enlarged from year to year until he soon had one of the lead- ing shops in Delphos. In 1880 he began building buggies, carriages, wagons and all kinds of vehicles, and for over ten years did a large and successful business in that line, em- ploying a large force of hands. Since 1892, however, he has been doing all kinds of repair work, and in this he has all he can do. In 1887 he erected a large two-story brick busi- ness house on Main street, between Fourth
and Fifth streets, on a lot 66x132 feet. This building was destroyed by fire on the evening of July 4, 1891, but he rebuilt it the same summer and now occupies it. This was the second time he had been burned out. In 1875 he joined his brother Constantine in the marble business in Delphos, he still keeping up his other business. Two years later, however, after the marble business had been put on a successful footing, he retired from the same, as his own business demanded all his time and constant attention.
Mr. Scherger was married, in 1872, to Eva Sorge, the daughter of Peter Sorge, of Seneca county, Ohio, and to their union ten children have been born, seven of whom are living, as follows: Louis, Edward, Mary, Ella, Ora, Frank and Albert. Mr. Scherger and family are members of the Saint John's Roman Cath- olic church. When Mr. Scherger came to Delphos he was a poor boy, without much schooling or a trade. He here learned his trade, and worked industriously, lived econom- ically, and soon engaged in business for him- self. Since then he has attended strictly to his calling, and he has met with deserved success. He now owns his place of business on Main street, also his residence on Fifth street, Van Wert county, and another piece of property in Delphos, Allen county. The attention of the reader is respectfully called to the biography of Constantine Scherger, on page 461.
ENRY J. SHERRICK, one of the most substantial farmers of Marion township, Allen county, and an ex- soldier of the late Civil war, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, March 16, 1834, and is a son of Samuel and Barbara (Stemen) Sherrick, pioneers of Allen county, mention being frequently made of both families within the covers of this volume.
478
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Henry J. Sherrick received the usual education granted the pioneer lad, but, having a natural aptitude for the acquireinent of knowledge soon added greatly to that which he had secured at school, and later fully pre- pared himself for the business affairs of life. In the fall of 1842 he came with his parents to Allen county, and still remembers the journey, which was made with horses attached to three wagons. The father, with the aid of his chil- dren, had to cut his way through the woods from Lima to the tract he had selected for a home in Marion township, on which our sub- ject still resides. There were but few cabins then in Lima, and a log structure answered the purpose of a court-house.
. Samuel Sherrick, on coming to Allen county, settled on a farm of 160 acres, in the clearing up of which from the primitive forest our subject gave valuable aid. Henry J., although young, was a strong and vigorous youth, and many a black walnut and oak and hickory tree fell under the sturdy strokes of his ax, to be rolled into heaps and destroyed by fire.
The first marriage of Mr. Sherrick took place in Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, September 26, 1858, with Miss Mary M. Stuckey, who was born April 14, 1838, in Marion township, Putnam (now Allen) county - a daughter of Samuel H. and Mary (Peters) Stuckey. The father, Samuel H. Stuckey, was a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio with his father, Christian Stucky, and settled in Fairfield county as a pioneer. In 1838 he came to Allen county and settled in Marion township, on the line of Sugar Creek township, when there were but four families in Marion, and the township itself a vast wilder- ness. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Stuckey was blessed by the birth of the following children: Levi, Ezra, Betty, Mary M., Maria, Daniel (who was a soldier in the late Civil
war), Sarah and Christian, Mr. Stuckey cleared up a good farm of 140 acres, became a well-to-do farmer, and was noted for his piety and religious zeal, being a member of the German Reform church, while his wife was at first a Lutheran and later a member of the United Brethren congregation. Mr. Stuckey was an elder in his church for many years, was a Sunday-school superintendent, and also served as township trustee and in several minor offices. His death took place April 19, 1874, on his farm in Marion township, at the age of sixty-nine years, six months and twenty days.
After his marriage Henry J. Sherrick set- tled on a tract of eighty acres two and a half miles southwest af Delphos, and cleared :p, of this tract, fifty or more acres, selling most of the timber to the Pittsburg & Fort wayne railroad company. Being a very robust man he made much money, and in the fall c : 863 removed to a farm of 103 acres, which he also cleared up and converted into a pro : : ble farm, built a tasteful residence, a substantial barn snd all necessary farm building-, and otherwise improved, so that the place is un- surpassed by any other farm of its dimensions in the township-being all well drained and fenced. The children that blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Sherrick were six in number and were born in the following order: Shel- den, Sabina, Alfred M .. Newel Sylvester, Mat- tie Dell and Samuel Francis.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.