USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 21
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 21
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J. D. Jones, like the majority of men who
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
came to Van Wert when the country was new, passed the early years of his uneventful life amid the rugged duties of the farm, and he early selected agriculture for his life work. He was married, in ISSI, to Margaret Evans, daughter of Zachariah and Jane (Jones) Evans. The parents of Mrs. Jones were born in north Wales; they came to the United States a number of years ago, locating on what is known as Paddy's Run, Butler county, Ohio, and in 1845 moved to the county of Allen, locating near the town of Gomer, where the father died in 1886, his widow following him to the grave two years later. Zachariah and Jane Evans were the parents of five children-May, Anna, Margaret, Thomas and Richard-the last named dying in childhood. Mr. Jones owns a splendid farm with fine improvements, includ- ing good barns and a commodious dwelling, supplied with many modern conveniences. He is, in every respect, a self-made man, and has forged his way to the front by overcoming obstacles that would have discouraged men with less will and determination. His reputa- tion in the community is a most excellent one, and he numbers his friends by the score, and although still a young man has won for him- self a conspicuous place among the substantial citizens of the township in which he resides. He is a member of the Calvinistic Methodist church, to which his wife also belongs, and is active in all church work. He has decided opinions relative to the liquor traffic, and believes that prohibition is the only , sure remedy for this gigantic evil; accordingly, he supports with his ballot the prohibition party.
ENRY KANNEL, a prosperous farmer of Pleasant township, Van Wert county, is a son of Joseph and Peggy (Welsh) Kannel, and was born in Richland county, Ohio, in 1848. Joseph, the
father, was born in Adams county, Pa., in 1815, and was a son of Jacob, who was born in Germany about the year 1770, and when a young man settled in the Keystone state. About 1832 Jacob came to Ohio, located in Stark county, where he passed four years, and then removed to Richland county, where he died in 1845. Joseph Kannel. the youngest son of Jacob by a marriage to a lady who bore the maiden name of Hoover, came to Stark county with his parents, and learned the trade of carpenter and builder. In 1853 he moved to a farm he had long previously purchased in Crawford county, and there died February 2, 1890. Miss Peggy Welsh, whom Joseph Kan- nel married December 6, 1839, in Richland county, bore to her husband seven children, viz: Mary and James, who died in childhood; Margaret; Henry, the subject of this sketch; Sarah J .; a deceased infant, and John, who still lives on the homestead in Crawford county. The mother of these children was born in Richland county, Ohio, April 14, 1817, and is still living on the farm in Crawford county, a member of the United Brethren church, of which her husband had also been a member.
Henry Kannel, the subject of this sketch, was educated in Crawford county, Ohio, first attending the little log-cabin school of his neighborhood, and later attending a seminary at Lexington, Richland county, and for two terms an institution of learning in Ashland county. In his early youth he had learned the carpenter's trade, but preferred teaching for a livelihood, and in 1869 entered upon his vocation in Crawford county. For eleven terms he followed the profession, and of these eleven terms three were taught in Seneca county. The marriage of Mr. Kannel took place December 25, 1877, to Miss Lucy A. Briegel, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Shaffer) Briegel, and to this union one daugh-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
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ter has been born and named Alvira C. Mrs. Lucy A. Kannel is a native of Crawford county, Ohio, and was born in 1853. Her father was born in Baden, Germany, about 1812, and when twenty-one years old came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, where he married Elizabeth Shaffer, who bore eleven children to the union. After his marriage Mr. Kannel lived in Bloomville, Seneca county, about eleven years, following his trade, that of a car- penter. In 1886 he purchased the farm on which he still lives, in Pleasant township, Van Wert county, where he has since been engaged most successfully in agricultural pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Kannel are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and by their daily walk through life give full evidence of their sincere belief in its teachings. In politics Mr. Kannel is a republican, and, though no office seeker, never fails to show his loyalty to his party through the exercise of his franchise.
Q ALEB JOSEPH, a veteran of the Civil war, who lost a leg in the serv- ice of his country, and is now a resi- dent of Van Wert, Ohio, is a native of Lawrence county, Pa., is a son of William and Lydia (Brown) Joseph, and was born April 6, 1842. The maternal grandfather of our subject, William Tindall, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and the Joseph family were of very old Pennsylvania stock. William Joseph was a miner by occupation, and was the father of seven children, viz: Marinda, John, Caleb, Joshua C., Mary, William and Eleanor. The father, William, when about forty years of age, was killed in a stone quarry, in 1851, by the premature or accidental dis- charge of a blast. Three of his sons served in the Civil war, viz: John, who was in the One Hundredth Pennsylvania infantry a short time; Caleb, whose services will be related be-
low, and Joshua C., who served over four years, and who, during his term, was shot through the lung at Chickamauga, and after his recovery was placed in the invalid corps, where he had a leg broken; he eventually died at Convoy, this county, of the combined effects of his injuries.
Caleb Joseph, our subject, received the usual common-school education, and was be- tween nineteen and twenty years of age when he enlisted, August 27, 1861, at New Wilming- ton, Lawrence county, Penn., in company B, One Hundredth Pennsylvania infantry, under Capt. M. E. Dawson, to serve three years or during the war, but on account of wounds re- ceived, was honorably discharged December 13, 1862, at Hilton Head, S. C. He fought at Hilton Head and James Island, and at the latter place was struck by a piece of shell in the left leg, the lower part of which was left hanging by the tendons; he was at once taken to the field hospital, where the limb was am- putated, and was then sent to the general hos- pital at Hilton Head to be nursed and cared for, and was there under treatment over two months. After his return home to Pennsyl- vania he learned shoemaking, and married, September 26, 1864, Rachael Stevens, daugh- ter of Moses and Levina ( Howe) Stevens. Mr. Joseph, after marriage, resided at New Castle. Lawrence county, Pa., until about 1870, when he came to Van Wert county, Ohio, and pur- chased forty acres of land, on which he made his home for thirteen years and then sold, be- ing unable to attend to it on account of his army disabilities, and for a number of years thereafter passed much of his time in travel and in the recreation of hunting and fishing. He has three times visited Puget sound for the purpose of hunting deer, elk and moose, and engaging in salmon fishing, Mrs. Joseph being his companion. They have passed seven years on the Pacific coast and have visited British
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
Columbia, Manitoba and Canada, and they own a nice estate on Puget sound. To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph no children have been born, but they have adopted a daughter, whom they have reared from eleven months of age, and who is named Florence Jones. She has been well educated and is now the wife of William W. Walls, a farmer of McMurray, Puget sound, and is the mother of one child.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph are members of the Methodist church, in which he has been a Sunday-school superintendent many years; in politics he is a republican and has twice been a member of the republican county conventions at Puget sound, affiliating with the party of the same name at that point; he is a member of Capper post, G. A. R., at Convoy, Van Wert county, Ohio, and was a strong man when he entered the army, but has been a constant sufferer since the loss of his leg; nev- ertheless, he possesses a genial temper and pleasant manners and a character pure and unsullied.
B ENJAMIN KELTNER, a respectable fariner of Washington township, Van Wert county. Ohio, is a native of this state, and was born in Darke county February 1, 1842, where his earlier days were passed upon the home farm. His father, Michael Keltner, was born in Schuylkill county. Pa., of German descent, August 23, 1805, and is now living with his son in Hoaglin township, Van Wert county, Ohio.
Michael Keltner, when a boy, was brought to Ohio by his parents, who settled in Warren county, where the boy became a man and first married Miss Susan Wertz, of Pennsylvania- Dutch descent, to which union were born five children-William, Ira, Martin, David and Sarah. After his marriage, Mr. Keltner farmed in Warren county until 1838, when he moved
to Darke county and cleared up eighty acres from the woods on his own account, beside doing a large amount of work for other parties. There his wife died, and there his second mar- riage took place to Sarah Wolfe, who was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. This union resulted in the birth of ten children, who were named Benjamin (our subject), Louis, Nathaniel. Robert, Eli, Edward, Harriet, Catherine, Ellen and Jennie. In 1862 Mr. Keltner came to Van Wert county and is now retired from active life, making his home, at the extreme age of ninety-two years, with his son. Louis. In re- ligion he is of the Evangelical faith, although originally a German Baptist. In politics he was first a democrat, but after three of his sons had volunteered in defense of the Union he became a republican. Of these three sons, Louis served about ten months in the Forty- seventh Ohio volunteer infantry, and Nath- aniel, for a year, in the Forty-sixth Ohio. The military record of the eldest, Benjamin, will be detailed in a coming paragraph.
Benjamin Keltner, with whose life this sketch is most concerned, after leaving his fa- ther's farm, was for a year or so a clerk in a grocery store, and afterward began his busi- ness life as a cattle dealer, which he carried on quite extensively on his own account. He was still a young inan when he came to Van Wert county, in October, 1859, and in 1860 bought forty acres across the line in Paulding county, to which he subsequently added by purchase another tract of 160 acres. Making sale of this property, he bought eighty acres in Jack- son township, Van Wert county, cleared this tract up and made another good farm.
The enlistment of Mr. Keltner took place in Darke county. Ohio, September 19. 1861. in company F. Fortieth Ohio volunteer in- fantry. for three years, and in October, 1864. lie was honorably discharged at Louisville, Ky .. as corporal. He served in Kentucky, Tennes-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
see and Mississippi, chiefly on guard duty, but took part in many skirmishes, including those at Clarksville, Fort Donelson, Cumberland Shore, Clifty Creek, Fort Burnside and Fish- ing Creek, Ky. His only indisposition was an attack of measles, which confined him to hos- pital for three months. After the war he came to Van Wert county, and March 26, 1868, married Mrs. Julia Hamilton, who was born January 1, 1841, was a widow, and a daughter of Phillip and Margaret Caton. Mr. Caton was a native of Ireland, was a farmer, and was married in Liverpool, England. About 1830 he came to America and settled near Co- lumbus, Ohio, but in his latter days came to Van Wert county and resided with his children, who were four in number and named Margaret, Richard, Mary and Julia. He lived to the ex- treme age of eighty-nine years and died in the faith of the Catholic church at the residence of our subject. After his marriage, Mr. Kelt- ner settled on his present farm in Washington township, and here have been born to him seven children, viz: Rosie, James, John, Florence, Louise, Josie, and Homer. Mr. and Mrs. Keltner are pious members of the Meth- odist church, in which he was a class leader, in the younger days. In politics Mr. Keltner is a republican. He is a substantial farmer, owning 137 acres, and has been very exten- sively engaged in stock raising and dealing, and is widely known as an upright and industrious man, and a highly respected citizen.
ATHAWAY KEMPER, prominent as an attorney at law, of Van Wert, Ohio, was born in Dayton, of the same state, October 11, 1852, and is a son of Rev. James S. and Frances L. (Gas- per) Kemper, the former of whoin is a well- known Presbyterian divine, but now retired from active life, in his eighty-second year, with
his residence at Dayton. Hathaway Kemper was reared and educated in Dayton until 1870, when he entered the sophomore class of La- fayette college of Easton, Pa., from which in- stitute he graduated in 1873, and then com- menced the study of law under Conover & Craighead, attorneys of note in the same city, and with this firm he pursued his studies until admitted to the bar in January, 1876; he be- gan the practice in Van Wert, April 21, 1876. and for cighteen months held a partnership with W. H. Cunningham; he then practiced alone until 1881, and then for a year in con- junction with F. P. Edson, since which time he has been alone in the profession, making an enviable reputation.
The marriage of Mr. Kemper was solemn- ized, at Van Wert, December 23, 1885, with Miss Minnie J. Scott, born October 9, 1861, a daughter of W. L. and Mary E. Scott, and to this felicitous union have been born three chil- dren, named James S., W. L. and H. G. Mr. and Mrs. Kemper are consistent in their mem- bership of the Presbyterian church, and in pol- itics Mr. Kemper is a republican. He is pres- ident of the Van Wert Building & Savings company, and as a lawyer and citizen is deservedly held in high esteen1.
HOMAS C. KENSLER, a well known and experienced farmcr of Ridge township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a native of Delaware county and was born March 29, 1828, a son of John and Sally (Longwell) Kensler. John, the father, was born in Pennsylvania, and was a boy when he was brought to Delaware county, Ohio; Sally (Longwell) Kensler was a native of Delaware county, and by her marriage with Mr. Kensler became the mother of eight children, viz: Elizabeth, wife of Henry Valentine, of indiana; Thomas C., our subject; Catherine, wife of
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
Gideon Alspach, of Miami county, Ind. ; James; Louis; Harrison, who died in childhood; Will- iam, who also died young, and Matilda. The mother of this family died in June, 1843, and in November of the same year John Kensler married Louisa Flemming, and to this union were born the following named children: Sally Mona, John, David, Alfred, who died young, and Martha. In 1851, John Kensler went to Fulton county, Ind., and bought a farm, but in 1855 removed to Madison county, Iowa, where he bought another farm, on which he resided until his death, in November, 1859.
Thomas C. Kensler was reared on the home farm until he was nineteen years of age, when he went out to work, at $12 per month; three months later he hired out by the year, at $ro for the first year, and at $120 for the next three years following. At about the age of twenty-five years he had saved some money. and he then purchased a small piece of land in Delaware county, Ohio, and also rented a farm of his uncle; at the age of thirty years he was married, April S, 1858, to Miss Phebe Ketcham, which union was blessed by the birth of three children: John W., who married Irene Cramer, who became the mother of Fred, Ray, Wil- bur, Thomas and Virgil; the second child born to our subject was named Charles, and died at the age of twenty years, and the third child, Eva, died in childhood.
In 1863, Mr. Kensler came to Van Wert county, having previously purchased eighty acres of wooded land in Ridge township and also eighty acres in Jackson township. His possessions now comprise 180 acres in Van WVert county, as he has disposed of a part of his original purchases. Mr. Kensler, on his first coming to his present home, found it necessary to labor hard one-half day in order to chop a pathway within his building site. The cabin that first sheltered his little family on this farm yet stands in his doorway.
March 10, 1882, Mr. Kensler had the sor- rowful misfortune to lose his helpmate, who had been a devout member of the Methodist church - from twelve years of age-of which church, also, Mr. Kensler has been a com- municant since 1875. Mr. Kensler has served his fellow-citizens as infirmary director, filling the position six years, and also served as township trustee for three terms. He is a gentleman in whom the people of Ridge town- ship place every reliance and feel that they can implicitly trust, as there has never been a word uttered that would in any way impugn his honor or integrity. He is, as will be per- ceived, an entirely self-made man, and well deserves the confidence which is placed in him by all who know him.
AMUEL KESLER, deceased, of late one of the most experienced and well- to-do farmers of Ridge township, Van Wert county, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in July, 1812. His parents, Peter and Elizabeth (Bowman) Kesler, were natives of Pennsylvania and had born to them, beside Samuel, the following-named children: Abraham, who settled on a farm in Allen county, Ohio, and there died in 1890 or 1891; Polly, who died in early womanhood; Jakey, who died in boyhood; Barbara, now the wife of Reuben Timbers and residing in Ridge township; Milly, now Mrs. Zeigler of Illinois; Eli, who died about the year 1881; John, who was a soldier in the late war and died from disease; Anna, wife of Charles Sterling, of Illi- nois; Betsey, who died in early childhood, and Peter, who still resides in Fairfield county, Ohio. About the year 1852, the parents of our subject, who had settled in Fairfield county, Ohio, made a trip to Allen and Van Wert counties to see their boys, and shortly after their return to Fairfield county, while
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
preparing on a Sunday to attend church, their horse, which was being held by Mrs. Kesler, suddenly became unmanageable and broke away, throwing the lady to the ground. The wheels of the vehicle to which the animal was attached passed over the prostrate form of Mrs. Kesler, inflicting injuries which resulted in her death, and shortly thereafter the dis- consolate husband moved to Allen county and there made his home with his eldest son, Abra- ham, until he was himself called away.
The first marriage of Samuel Kesler took place, when he was twenty-two years of age, to Miss Louisa Frazier, and for four years after this event worked by the day on his father's farm and elsewhere; he also farmed on rented land in his native county until 1840, when he came to Van Wert county, and entered 160 acres in a dense forest in Ridge township-a part of his present farm. His first care here was to erect a cabin in which to shelter himself. his wife and three children. After that time more than 1,000 acres were bought and sold by him, and at his death he was still owner of a magnificent farm of 295 acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Kesler were born the following children: Jacob, who was a soldier in the late war, served a little over two years, and died in 1865; Peter, who was also a soldier, now lives in Illinois; Barbara, is the wife of George Workman; Mary Jane, who was twice married, is now deceased; John is a resident of Van Wert county; Louisa is the wife of Mr. Griswold, of Fort Wayne, Ind. ; Sarah is married to Thomas Hyers, of Van Wert county, Ohio; Martha is the wife of Emanuel Baker, also of Van Wert county. and Ellen, who became the wife of Loren High, is now deceased. The mother of this family having died, Mr. Kesler married, in 1885, the widow of Benjamin Fisher. Mr. Kesler was a member of the Lutheran church, stood high in the good opinion of the people
of the township and county, and in the Lutheran faith. Mr. Kesler was called away November 20, 1895. In politics Mr. Kesler was a demi- ocrat and for two terms served as township trustee. His respected widow still resides in Middlepoint, Van Wert county.
ETER HERTZ, an early pioneer of Harrison township, Van Wert county. Ohio, was born January 31, 1820, in the village of Becher, Coburg, Ger- many, and is a son of Peter and Anna (Klein) Hertz, who were the parents of two children- Mary and Peter-and who came to America in 1837, and located in Holmes county, Ohio, October 13, of the same year, but a month or six weeks later moved to Van Wert county. and settled in Harrison township on the 160 acres, where Peter, our subject, now resides. August 28. 1838, a log cabin was erected, and here the father, Peter, died the year following, at the age of sixty-nine years, his widow sur- viving a few years and dying at the age of seventy-one-both members of the Evangelical church.
Peter Hertz, our subject, it will be seen, was between seventeen and eighteen years of age when the family settled on the Harrison township farm. The father dying a year later, the work of clearing devolved on our subject, who, being in humble circumstances, was obliged to do as much work for others as he did for himself. However, he succeeded in bringing the entire place under subjection, and in adding to his possessions until he owned 290 acres, beside 100 acres he has given to his son Peter. January 17. 1840, Mr. Hertz married Mary M. Germann, danghter of Henry and Anna (Reidenbach) Germann, natives respect- ively of Hesse and Homberg. Germany, who came to America three years prior to the com- ing of the Hertz family and settled first in
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PETER HURTZ, JR.
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MRS. PETER HURTZ, JR.
393-394
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
Holmes county, and in Van Wert county about 1839. Mr. Germann finally made a good farm of 160 acres, and died at the age of seventy years, a steward in the Lutheran church. His children were named: Annie, Elizabeth, Mary, Jacob, Charles, Peter, Henry, John; one also died unnamed.
After his marriage, Mr. Hertz settled down on his homestead, where to him and wife have been born the following children: Annie G., Mary, Margaret, Jacob and Peter. Mr. Hertz is now the oldest resident of Harrison township, there being no one now living who was here when he settled in 1838. He is well and widely known and has served his fellow- citizens as township trustee two terms and as township treasurer four years. He has been active in securing good schools and good roads, and has been supervisor and member of the school board, and later a member of the in- firmary board. He is a member of the Evan- gelical church, while Mrs. Hertz is a member of the Lutheran congregation.
Peter Hertz, Jr., son of our subject, was born October 12, 1844, on the old Hertz home- stead in Harrison township, was well educated for his time and was reared a farmer. May I, 1873, he married Miss Mary E. Scaer, daugh- ter of Philip Scaer, and there have been born to his marriage seven children, viz: Jacob, at Saint John's Lutheran college, Winfield, Kans. ; Otto, Anna, Karl, Theodore, John P. and Arthur W. Mr. and Mr. Hertz are members of the Lutheran church, in which he has been a deacon for three years, and in politics Mr. Hertz is a democrat. He has served as town- ship treasurer seven years, as town clerk four years, as supervisor seven years, and was elected treasurer for Van Wert county in 1892 and served two years. Mr. Hertz is the owner of a fine farin of 100 acres, and the entire fam- ily is favorably known throughout the whole township.
Philip Scaer, one of the inost substantial farmers of Harrison township, Van Wert county, was born September 8, 1825, in Prus- sia, Germany, a son of Philip and Catherine (Trase) Scaer. The senior Philip was a farmier and was the father of two children -- Catherine and Philip; he came to America with his son, Philip, and died in 1886, at the age of eighty- six years, a member of the Lutheran church and a republican in politics. Philip, father of Mrs. Hertz, married in Germany Christine Reidenbach February 28, 1847, and in 1852 came to America, bringing his family with him ---- including his father. He made choice of land in the woods of Van Wert county, Ohio, and his original purchase consisted of eighty acres of his present magnificent farm of 200 acres-all brought out through his own indus- try, skill and good management, and improved with convenient, substantial and handsome buildings, and here he has reared his five chil- dren-George, Catherine, Elizabeth, Charles and Jacob. Mr. Scaer is a devoted member of the Lutheran church, to which all his family also belong. His son Charles is a graduate from the Tri-State Normal college of Angola, Ind., and is a professor in the Saint John's Lutheran college at Winfield, Kans. George Scaer married, first, Anne Hoffman, who bore four children and then died; he next married Emma Germann, who has borne one child; Catherine is married to John Gunsett, a farmer of Harrison township, and has six children; Elizabeth is married to Peter Hertz and has seven children; Prof. Charles Scaer, of Kan- sas, married Hanna Morelock, and is the father of two children; Jacob married Lizzie Miller, who has borne three children. In pol- ities our subject is a democrat and has served as school director of his township. He is widely known and stands deservedly high in the esteem of the citizens of the community in which he is a resident.
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