A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1, Part 30

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1310

USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 30
USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 30

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children, viz: David, Noah, Magdalena. Fan- nie, Nancy, Annie, Susannah I., Sophia, Elizabeth and Christian. Christian Culp came to Allen county in 1851 and settled in Sugar Creek township on an eighty-acre tract, which had been partially cleared, but not to any great extent. He performed this laborious work himself and in a short time retrieved from the wilderness a fertile farm, on which he passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1883 at the age of sixty-seven years and in the Mennonite faith, of which he had been a preacher.

After marriage Henry Good settled on his present farm, which then consisted of ninety acres, but which he has since increased to 190 acres, improved with a tasteful modern dwell- ing, substantial and commodious barn and other out buildings, and has thoroughly drained. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Good have been bom thirteen children, of whom four died young, the nine survivors being named as follows: Christian. Faunic, Abraham, Elizabeth, Loma, Aaron, john. Ezra and Laura. Mr. and Mrs. Good are strict members of the Mennonite church. in which members of the family have been minis- ters for generations. Mr. Good is a practical and successful farmer and a gentleman of modest behavior and truly christian principles: he is self-made and has accumulated his pos- sessions through his own manual labor and good management. winning the respect of all know him. He and his aimable wife have given their children good educations and reared them to moral and industrious habits.

IMON P. GOOD, a leading farmer of Marion township, AAllen county, Ohio, is a son of Abraham P. and Rebecca Rhodes, Good, and was born in Rock- ingham county, Va .. March 27, 1857, and

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OF ALLEN COUNTY.

well remembers the raids of the soldiers through his native Shenandoah valley while he was yet a child, and the departure of the family from the valley just before the final raid by order of Gen. Phil. Sheridan. When our subject was but seven years of age the family came to Ohio, in 1864, and here made their final settlement in Allen county.

Simon P. Good was reared a farmer, re- ceived a good common-school education, and at the age of about nineteen years became a member of the Mennonite church, Rev. John M. Brenneman being the pastor, and since then has been a devoted adherent of the faith. September 4, 1883. he married Miss Barbara Greider, a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, born July 30, 1860, a daughter of Rev. John M. and Anna (Erb) Greider. Mr. Greider was born in Lancaster county, Pa., February 28, 1823, was a farmer and at twenty-four years age was married. He then came to Ohio and located in Clarke county, and there became a bishop in the Mennonite church; from Clarke county he removed to Montgomery county, bought 165 acres of land and cleared up a good farm. To himself and wife were born thir- teen children, of whom ten have lived to ma- turity and are named Samuel. Tobias. Susan- nah, Christian. John. Barbara, Mary, Benja- inin, Jacob and Elizabeth. Mr. Greider died October 14 1891. honored alike by the mem- bers of his church and the entire community. The parents of Rev. John M. Greider were Christian and Susannah (Miller) Greider, also natives of Pennsylvania, and had born to thein the following children: John, Christian, Ben- jamin, Anna, Elizabeth, Mary, Barbara, Amos and Jacob. The father of this family lived to reach the patriarchal age of ninety-five years, a venerated christian farmer.

After his marriage, in Montgomery county. Simon P. Good came directly to his farm of eighty acres in Allen county, which he had

purchased a few years previously, and which. with the aid of his faithful wife, he has con- verted into a most comfortable home, and in- creased in dimensions to 120 acres, and made equal to any farm of its size in Marion town- ship. Here have been born their four chil- dren, viz: Anna, Rebecca, Mary and Eliza- beth. Mr. and Mrs. Good are devout members of the Mennonite church, of which Rev. John M. Shenk is pastor. Of this denomination Mrs. Good has been a member since seventeen years of age, having united, in Montgomery county, with the congregation of which her father, Rev. John M. Greider, was the minister. and having been baptized by Rev. Joseph Bix- ler. Mr. Good and wife are among the most prominent residents of Marion township, being well known for their charity and strict morality, and their children, beside being well instructed in the ordinary branches of a secular course of education, are being trained thoroughly in the morality taught by the Mennonite church.

....

EWIS GRIFFITH, one of the set- tlers of Sugar Creek township. Allen county, Ohio, and a substantial farmer and highly respected citizen. is descended from excellent Welsh stock. His grandfather, whose name was also Lewis, was a native of Montgomeryshire, Wales, and of his children only three are now remembered. viz: Lewis, William and Mary. Lewis, the eldest son of Lewis Griffith, and the father of of the subject, was born in Montgomeryshire. Wales, about 1780. He was married in Wales to Miss Jane Mills, daughter of John and Mary Mills. In 1832 he came to the United States. sailing on the ship George Washington, and after a voyage of seven weeks landed in New York. He brought with him his wife and two children, viz: Lewis and Margaret. He -et- tled at Paddy's Run. Butler county, Ohio,

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where he lived the remainder of his life, and where he followed his trade, that of blacksmith. He died in middle life, aged fifty-four years, on July 31, 1834. He was a man of fine character and disposition, honest with the world, and kind to his family. His widow, in 1835, married Joseph Griffith, in Butler county, but to them no children were born. They re- moved to Sugar Creek township, then Putnam, now Allen county, January 31, .1841, settling on 150 acres of land. Here he prospered ex- ceedingly, owning, at the time, 230 acres. He died at the age of seventy-three, and she died at the age of eighty-four years and ten months.

Lewis Griffith. the subject of this sketch, was born in Radnorshire, an inland county of southern Wales, January 14, 1828, and was thus four years old when he was brought to the United States by his parents. Here he has lived ever since, an honored citizen.

J OSEPH FORD, an old settler of Allen county and now largely engaged in farming in Marion township, was born September 17. 1816, a mile and a half southwest of Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Snell) Ford.

. Joseph Ford, the father of our subject. was born near Hagerstown, Md., March 4, 1781, was a substantial farmer, and married, April 12, 1803, Catherine, a daughter of Sammuel and Christian Snell, and born May 4, 1781. After marriage Mr. Ford removed to Kentucky, and after living a few years in the wilderness of that state, canie to Ohio and first located in Champaign county, in the woods, four miles south of Urbana, and in due course of time cleared up a good farm He was also an okt- time wagoner or teamster, and hauled freight between Cincinnati and Dayton, and likewise

teamed for Gen. Wayne's army. To himself and wife were born ten children, viz: Sarah. James, Christina, Nancy, John, Harrison, Joseph, William, Maly and one that died in infancy. Mr. Ford served as a justice of the peace for eighteen years, was captain of a rifle company, was a successful fariner, own- ing 134 acres of land near Urbana, and died at the age of seventy-two years, a member of the Methodist Protestant church, of which Mrs: Ford was also a member and of which he had been a deacon for many years.

Joseph Ford, the subject proper of this biography. received a fair education for his early day, and began his business life as a teamster, using one of his father's teams, con- sisting of four to six horses and an immense freight wagon. On one of his early journeys he passed through Allen county, when the town of Lima was erecting its first log cabin in the woods. He followed teaming until twenty-seven years old, and then engaged in farming and married, January 5. 1844. Miss Isabella Moore, who was born February 2. 1826, a daughter of Thomas and Martha (Dodson) Moore, of Irish extraction. Thomas Moore was a farmer. drover and teamster, was an early settler in Kentucky, and later in Champaign county, near Urbana, Ohio. He was twice married-first to a Miss MeCorkle. who bore five children-Betsey. Sally. Ann. David and Cyrus; to his second marriage were also born five children-Jesse, Samuel, Will- iam. Isabella and Martha J. The father of these families, Thomas Moore, was a major in the war of 1812, and was surrendered with the garrison at Detroit by Gen. William Hull. who had marched and cut his way through from Urbana, Ohio, a distance of 200 miles. Mr. Moore was the owner of a farm of ibo acres. and was the first man to plant an orchard in his county. He was a member of the Methodist church, and before reaching his

JOSEPH FORD. MRS. JOSEPH FORD.

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fiftieth year of age died in his wagon while on one of business trips.

Our subject and wife lived in Champaign county until 1854, then came to Allen county and located on a tract of 160 acres of wood- land, which Mr. Ford had purchased in 1849. This tract he cleared up, and, with the aid of his faithful wife, increased it to 200 acres, and now has as fine a place as there is in the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Ford have been born the following children: Dora, John, Mary, James, Anna, Thomas, Edward, Frank, Alice, Maly and Ollie. In politics Mr. Ford is a democrat and has served as township trustee. He has given his children fine edu- cations, and he and family are among the highly respected residents of Marion township.

J OHN GROTHAUS, an ex-soldier of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, and a prosperous farmer, was born in the village of Gressnold, kingdom of Hanover, German empire, February 2, 1841. Conrad Grothaus, father of our subject, was a farmer in Hanover. married Gertrude Raugh. and had born to his union four children-Ma- tilda (who died at the age of about thirty years), Gertrude, Joseph (now in the German army), and John (our subject). The father of this family died at the age of of seventy-four years, a devout member of the Catholic church. and an ex-soldier of the Germano-Russian war.

John Grothaus, our subject, received a good common-school education in his native village, and at the age of eighteen years (1859) left the fatherland to escape a seven-year serv- itude in the German army, and came alone to America, preferring to fight for the rights of man and republicanism than for monarchical rule, which gives man no rights. He landed in New Orleans from a sailing vessel, after a voyage of nine weeks' duration, and at once

came to Delphos, Allen county, Ohio, and engaged in farin labor until his enlistment at Delphios, in May, 1862, in company F., Capt. Riley, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio vol- unteer infantry. for three years or until the close of the war, if sooner terminated. But his services over-lapped the three years, as he did not receive his discharge until July, 1865, and that was an honorable one and issued to him at Columbus, Ohio. During his military service Mr. Grothaus took an active part in twenty-two battles and in many skirmishes that deserve the name of battles in more than one instance. Among the heaviest and most serious of his regular engagements were the following: Louden, Knoxville, Lookout Moun- tain, the Atlanta campaign. Resaca, the fall of Atlanta, and all the conflicts from Atlanta to Goldsboro, N. C., thus witnessing the cli- max of the struggle, as it were, March 19, 1865.

When "the cruel war was over" Mr. Grothaus returned to Delphos, Ohio, and there married, in March, 1867, Miss Mary Suthoff. to which happy union there came ten children, of whom seven lived to maturity, viz: Mary. Frank, Lizzie, William, Henry. Louis and John. Immediately after marrying. M. Grot- hause located on a forty-acre farin in Putnam county, Ohio, which farm belonged to his wife and had been partly cleared. The uncleared part Mr. Grothaus soon denuded of its forest growth and added twenty acres to the forty- acre trrct: in 1880 he sold the sixty acres and came to his present farm of 120 acres in Mar- ion township. Allen county. This tract, also, was a wildwood, but Mr. Grothaus, by the ex- ercise of strenuous and constant industry, has made of it as good a farmi as as may be found in the township.

In 1888 Mr. Grothans suffered the afflic- tion which comes to all through death, the "insatiate archer, " in this instance, taking from him his beloved helpmate, who was a

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woman beloved by all who knew her, a de- voted mother and a true Catholic. Mr. Grot- haus never again married, but since the death of his wife has devoted his attention to the care of his farin and the welfare of his chil- dren. He has done much toward the up- building of his township, was very liberal in his aid toward the erection of the Catholic church at Delphos, and as a soldier and cit- izen enjoys the unlimited respect of all his fel- low-townsmen.

OHN T. GROVES, of Marion township. a highly respected farmer and pioncer of Allen county, Ohio, was born in Champaign county, May 21, 1819, and is paternally of pure Dutch descent. Of four brothers who came from Holland in the early settlement of this country one found a hoine in the state of New York, one went to Virginia, one settled in Pennsylvania, and of the fourth all trace was lost. Of these four, the great- grandfather was he who went to Virginia, and from him is descended the branch of the family now so favorably known in Ohio and other western states.

Henry Groves, a son of the original Vir- `ginia immigrant and the grandfather of John T., our subject, was a native of the Old Dominion, where he married and reared the following children: Henry, Thomas, Peter, John, Mary, Anna, and one whose name has been forgotten by the present generation. Mr. Groves was a farmer at Harper's Ferry, where his son Henry, father of our subject, was born, was reared a farmer and married Susan Spear, of Irish descent, the union resulting in the birth of Jacob. John T .. Peter, Cyron, Mary, Thomas, Elizabeth and Andrew. Henry Groves, father of our subject, directly after his marriage came to Ohio, accompanied by two brothers, Thomas and John, and in 18rt set-

tled in Champaign county. being among the original pioneers. Thomas Groves became a soldier in the war of 1812, and under " Mad " Anthony Wayne ascended the Auglaize river and was at Fort Wayne when that famous general and hero died. In 1835 Henry Groves brought his family to Allen county and settled in Marion township, where his death occurred August 20, 1840, at the age of about fifty-two years, in the faith of the Lutheran church, and a man of decided mark and influence.

John T. Groves, the subject proper of this memoir, was a youth of seventeen years when he came to Allen county with his father in 1835, and had early been inured to farm labor. a vocation he has continued to follow mitii the present time. March 12, 1846, he was first united in marriage with Catherine Palmer, daughter of Christian and Annie Palmer. Mr. Palmer was a Virginian by birth and of Ger- man descent; he was a pioneer of Allen county. having settled on eighty acres of land near Delphos, in 1836, which land he cleared up, made into a good home, and died thereon at the age of about seventy-five years, a member of the Lutheran church and the father of the following children: John, Catherine, Mary, Christian and Samuel.

After marriage Mr. Groves bought a fifty- two-acre tract of land in the woods, and this he cleared from the forest, but sold it and bought ninety-five acres of his present farm. which he also cleared up, thus doing his share of the hard work that has made Marion town- ship the garden it now is. To John T. and Catherine Groves were born six children --- Henry, died October 31, 1894, aged forty-six years. one month and one day; Mary, Witham. Elizabeth, Christian C. and Sarah E. Jane 12. 1866, he had the great misfortune of losing his wife, who was a lady of many womanly virtues and greatly respected by her mans friends and immediate neighbors. Of her

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OF ALLEN COUNTY.

children, William married Barbara Oberinger, is the father of four children, and resides on the home farm; Elizabeth is the wife of Will- ianı Bryan, a farmer of Iowa, and is the mother of three children; Christian C. is a farmer of Indiana, is the husband of Sadie Philips and is the father of one child; Sarah E. is married to Christian C. Donaldson. of Paxton, Ill .. and is the mother of two chil- dren. The second marriage of John T. Groves, our subject, was with Elizabeth Cotner, daughter of Thomas Cotner, and to this union have been born four children-Catherine A., John T., Susie and Arminta. In politics Mr. Groves is a republican, but has never been an office seeker. He is a typical American pio- neer and has always subsisted on the product of his own labor-every foot of his present possessions being the result of his honest toil. and now, venerable in years, he is enjoying in peace the fruits of early industry, respected by all who know him.

William Groves, the third child born to John T. and Catherine (Palmer) Groves, was born on the Groves homestead in Marion 1 township, Allen county, Ohio, August 16, 1854, received a good common-school edu- cation and was reared a farmer. At the age 1 of twenty-five years he married Miss Barbara Oberinger, a native of Ohio, born January 3, 1859, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Neece) Oberinger. The father, John Ober- inger, was born in France, reared to farming, served in the French army, and on coming to America made his home in Putnamn county, Ohio, where his death took place at the age of about sixty-nine years, the father of the following children: Michael, Barbara, Mary, Martin, Catherine, John and Lena. Mr. and Mrs. Groves have always made the home farm their residence since their marriage and are , choice animal than to harbor an indifferent the parents of the following children: Lillie. one. Starting in life empty-handed, be bas. Heury L., Walter F. and Clara. In politics by his own energies, prospered and thrived.

Mr. Groves is a republican. He is a thor- oughly practical farmer and has done much to assist his father in redeeming the township from the wilderness. He is a gentleman of the strictest integrity, and is deservedly re- spected by the citizens of the community in which he was born and reared.

HOMAS GRUBB, one of the enter- prising farmers of Amanda township, Allen county, was born in La Fayette, Ohio, September 27, 1853. His par- ents were John B. and Elizabeth |Robinson) Grubb, who are at this writing both residents of Anglaize township. Six children were born to them, two sons and four daughters, our subject, Thomas, being the fourth child.

Thomas Grubb, the subject proper, spent his early years upon the farm, and his edu- cation was obtained in the common schools. He lived with his parents until 1878, and two years later came to Amanda township and pur- chased 120 acres of land in section No. 35, on which he located. The land was wholly un. improved, and was a veritable frog pond. as its owner facetiously remarked. With indus- try, combined with good judgment, however, he has made his once forlorn farm one of the finest in this section of the country, and at present has 100 acres of it under cultivation. having placed in the soil 2, 500 rods of drain- tile, and enclosed with substantial fences. In 1890 lie erected a commodious frame residence. and in 1894 put up a handsome frame bara, 40 x 50 feet, with eighteen-feet posts. Numer- ons other buildings and conveniences have been added, and the farm approaches an ideal one. He keeps a high grade of stock, belles- ing that the expense is no more to grow l

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and may be justly esteemed as a self-made man and one of the well-to-do citizens of the county.

Mr. Grubb has served his township as jus- tice of the peace six years, and is a member of the order of Patrons of Husbandry, and has been secretary of the county organization, having held nearly all of the offices of the fraternity, and has been a member ever since its introduction into this section. His polit- ical faith is that of a populist, and in this, as in all his hands and heart find to do, he abides no lukewarm or half-way measure.

In August. 1878, he was married to Miss Catherine Bowers, daughter of John B. and Amanda E. (Shannon) Bowers. She was a native of Clarke county, Ohio, and was born near Springfield, April 20, 1857. Three chil- dren came to bless this union, viz: Rolla G., Laura B. and Zida M. Mr. and Mrs. Grubb are worthy members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and Mr. Grubb is a stewart of the sarne. He is also president of the township Sunday-school association, and is an active and efficient worker in the various church societies. It is an agreeable task to write of such men, and it makes one reflect how much more than riches are such persons to be valued in a community.

J ACOB B. HALLER is one of the old and greatly respected citizens of Ger- man township, Allen county, Ohio, who has seen it transformed from a dense forest into one large fertile field, and has done his part in the way of bringing about this great change. Mr. Haller was born Jannary 15, ISTO, in Lancaster county, Pa., is the third son and third-born child, and the only one now living of a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Beck) Haller, who were both

natives of Lancaster county, Pa., where they both grew to man and womanhood, were there married and resided for a number of years, when they sold their possessions and removed westward, locating for a time at Lan- caster, Ohio, and later came still farther west and located in German township, Allen county, and settled in the almost unbroken forest. where they lived the life of pioneers, experi- encing all its hardships and privations. They became the parents of the following named children: John, Samuel, Jacob B., Catherine and Betsey, now Mrs. Plummer. Mr. Haller was a mason by trade in early life and the after part of his life was prominently identified as a farmer and stock dealer; he was a dem- ocrat in politics and prominent wherever known. He and his wife both died on their homestead farm in German township and were greatly missed among those with whom they had associated during the stirring scenes of the settlement of this wild country.

Jacob B. Haller, the subject of this men- tion, was but a mere lad when his father moved to Lancaster, Ohio, and still quite young when they came to Allen county, where he finished his education in the common schools. He took an active part in assisting to redeem the home farm from the wilderness and re- mained under the parental roof until arriving at his majority, when he began business life nearly or quite empty-handed. Mr. Haller had been taught industry in his youth and knew well its effectiveness in the affairs of life: thus did he willingly put his shoulder to the wheel i and began in earnest to make himself a home. His first purchase of land was eighty acres, now a part of the homestead. farm which he redeemed from the forest and pat under a good state of cultivation He. Bike others, who located in Allen county at an early day. erected the round-log cabin which formed a shelter for himself and his family for several

JACOB B. HALLER.

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THEO. A. HANDEL.

MRS. THEO. A. HANDEL.

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OF ALLEN COUNTY.

years, and from the beginning, lie prospered, and soon added to his first purchase of land, so that the home place now consists of 117 acres. In 1855 he erected a fine brick residence, which took the place of the first, or his pio- neer home, and this is the home that has been known for its generous and hospitable enter- taininent dispensed for several decades. Mr. Haller affiliates with the democratic party, and is a stanch adherent to its principles. and by said party was elected to fill the office of county commissioner for two terms in succes- sion, and it can be said that he filled the office with credit to himself and all his constituents. He has also filled many of the local offices of his township, in each proving himself a safe and conservative official and one weli worthy of the trust imposed in him.

Jacob B. Haller chose for his life-compan- ion, quite early in life, Miss Leah Myers, who was a native of Cumberland county, Pa., born, July 13, 1815. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Haller has been blessed by the birth of eleven. children, viz: Jacob M., deceased; Christian L., a merchant of New York city; John F., deceased; Mary E., wife of Milton Carter, of Lima, Ohio, who is a machinist by trade; Catherine, wife of Lawrence Holzfoster, who now lives upon the home farm: Sophia, de- ceased; the other five children all died in in- fancy. Mrs. Haller died May 13, 1888, having been a consistent member of the Lutheran church the greater part of her life, and a fond and loving companion as well as mother. Mr. Haller is one of the prominent members in the Lutheran church and is active in promoting all church interests as well as the education of the young and rising generation, and is one of the prominent and highly esteemned citizens in the community where he as resided for over half a century.

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A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1, Part 30

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Bowen Number of Pages: 1310

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1310