USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 22
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 22
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY .
J OHN KESLER, a substantial farmer of Tully township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a native of the county and was born March 22, 1841, a son of Samuel and Louisa (Frazier) Kesler. Samuel Kesler was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, was reared a farmer, and early in 1841 settled in Ridge township, Van Wert county, where he entered 160 acres of land, which he subsequently in- creased to 310 acres. He and wife became parents of thirteen children.
John Kesler received a fair education in the common schools, was reared to manhood on the home farm, and December 3, 1865, mar- ried Hannah S., daughter Job and Lydia A. (Cavett) DeCamp, of French origin. Job DeCamp, however, was born in Licking county, Ohio, a son of John DeCamp, of Pennsylvania. Job DeCamp came to Ridge township, Van Wert county, Ohio, in 1840, and here entered 160 acres of woodland, which he succeeded in clearing and converting into a farm that equaled any in the township. His family com- prised ten children, named as follows: John, Mary E., William H., Andrew E., Joseph W., James (deceased), Hannah S., Newton A., Arrilla, and Thomas P. The father of this family was called to his long home at the age of sixty-six years, dying an honored and re- spected citizen. After marriage, Mr. Kesler settled on a farm of eighty acres on the Defi- ance road, where he lived until he bought his present farm of 120 acres. To his marriage have been born two children-Joseph E. and Almeda. Joseph E. Kesler, the son, married Sarah J. Harris, of Union township, and has had born to him one child. John Kesler has been very successful as a farmer, and his dwelling and grounds give evidence of skillful cultivation and thrifty progress. He is highly respected in the community in which he lives, has afforded his children all the educational advantages within his power, and has proven
himslf to be a first-class and progressive citi- zen, well deserving the high esteem in which he is held by his neighbors.
H ARON KEVER, a substantial farmer of Tully township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is of Pennsylvania-German de- scent, mixed with an Irish extraction. Jacob Kever, father of Aaron, our subject, was born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio when a young man, settling in Tuscarawas county. He there married Anna Hoagland, daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth Hoagland, and became the father of eight children-Amy, James, William, Elizabeth, Aaron, Margaret, Susan and Matilda. In 1840 Jacob Kever came to Vau Wert county and settled in Tully town- ship, bought and cleared eighty acres of land, assisted in the latter task chiefly by his son. Aaron, and died at the age of about fifty-six years, after having been bed-ridden for about five years.
Aaron Kever, the subject proper of this sketch, was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio. February 13, 1828, resided for a time in Rich- land county, and when about twelve years of age was brought by his parents to Van Wert county. He is now the oldest resident in Tully township, and one of the most respected. In March, 1850, he married Miss Sarah A. Clem, and for two years afterward lived on the home farm with his mother. In 1852 he bought eighty acres of his present farm, and by the exercise of the most assiduous industry, aided by the lessons he had learned in agricul- ture in his earlier days, he has wrought out from the heavy timber a homestead that any farmer might be proud of, and has also in- creased his estate to 150 acres. In politics he is a democrat, and has held the office of town- ship trustee four terms. His wife is a daugh- ter of Samuel and Susan (Ridenhour) Clem.
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the former of whom was a prominent farmer of Monroe township, Allen county, Ind., and had born to him eight children, viz : Andrew, Sarah A., William, David, Malinda, Henry, Samuel and Adam. The father of this family, in his later days, became a Lutheran clergy- man, and did good and faithful service in the vineyard of the Lord until his death, at the age of seventy-three years. To the marriage of Aaron Kever and Sarah A. Clem have been born eight children, in the following order : Samuel; Alexander, who died at twelve years of age; Henry; William; Ellen, who died at the age of two years; Susan, Matilda and Mary E.
ILLIAM KIMMELL, the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylva- nia in January. 1820, and was a son of John Kimmell, who was also a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1792. John Kimnmell was of German descent and was reared by his parents on a farm. Upon arriving at the proper age he was married to Miss Rachel Gregory, also a native of Penn- sylvania, and in 1845 removed to Holmes county, Ohio, remaining there until 1850, when, with his family, he removed to Mercer county, where he resided until his death. He was a very liberal man, always ready to aid progressive enterprises and gave freely of his means to charitable purposes; but, notwith- standing all this, at the time of his death he left his family in comfortable circumstances. During the greater part of his life he was a consistent member of the Lutheran church, and politically he was a member of the demo- cratic party. He and his wife were the par- ents of five children, viz : William, Elizabeth, Sarah, John and Rachel, the last named being the only one now living, and who is a widow, living in Paulding county, Ohio.
William Kimmell, like his father before him, was reared upon a farm and received as good an education as was then afforded by the district schools. For several years before attaining his majority he taught in different country schools, making more full and accurate the knowledge obtained therein as a student, and at the age of twenty-one he removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio, in which state he fol- lowed the profession of teaching with gratify- ing success, being especially adapted to the work because of his bright and active intel- lectual character. Mr. Kimmell was married May 30, 1847, in Holmes county, to Miss Eliza Fry, a native of that county. During the same year he removed upon a farm in Mercer county, and, being an industrious man, met with unusual success in agriculture, as he had done in teaching school. Removing to Massillon in 1853, he there engaged in busi- ness as a dry-goods merchant, in which he was likewise very successful. After six years thus spent, on account of failing health he was compelled to retire from business and removed to Michigan, where he remained for eighteen months, when he removed to Van Wert, Ohio, and was there engaged in business as a dry- goods merchant for seven years, at the end of which period he engaged in the sale of machinery for the sake of the exercise in the open air. Not long afterward he was elected superintendent of the Van Wert county in- firmary by a large majority. Filling this position with extraordinary credit to himself and satisfaction to the people of the county for one term of four years, they insisted upon his re-election to the place, notwithstanding his desire to retire, and he was again elected by a handsome majority, but afterward retired on account of ill-health. It has ever since been generally conceded that Mr. Kimmell was one of the best, if not the best, infirmary superintendents Van Wert county ever had.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
In business he was always straightforward and honorable, and as a natural result of fair deal- ing was uniformly successful, and at his death, which occurred July 23, 1893, his family were left in comfortable circumstances. Politically he was an uncompromising democrat. Besides being a most enterprising man, he was un- usually liberal and free to aid all charitable works. He and his wife were the parents of three children, viz : E. G., M. J. and J. F. E. G. was married in 1862 to Ellen Heath, and now lives with his widowed mother; Jen- nie was married to Mr. J. F. McGather and died in 1878 in Van Wert county, and Frank married Catherine Heath in 1877 and is a prosperous young farmer of Van Wert county.
Mrs. Eliza Fry, the widow of William Kim- mell, was born October 24, 1829. Her father, Frederick Fry, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1811. A shoemaker by trade, he con- ducted a shoe store and met with great suc-
cess. In 1821 he married Miss Catherine Holderbaum in Holmes county, and by her had the following named children: Eliza, Amanda, Maria, Josiah, John. Jacob, Michael, Julia, Joseph, Rachel, William and Lucinda, five of whom are deceased. Mrs. Kimmell is a highly respected lady, is a consistent member . of and a faithful worker in the Presbyterian church, and has numerous friends. She now resides in her beautiful home in Van Wert, where she is passing the evening of her days in the consciousness of a life well spent in devo- tion to the welfare of her fellow-beings.
ENRY H. KING, carpenter and livery- man of Willshire, Van Wert county, is a son of Jesse and Catherine (Sivey) King, and was born in Franklin county, Ohio, February 3, 1842.
Jesse King, father of Henry H., was born in Franklin county, in 1805, and was a son of
Philip King, of German descent and a native of Pennsylvania. By occupation Philip King was a farmer and married Miss Leah Wright, by whom he had six children, of whom Jesse was the second-youngest child. Philip King emigrated to Fairfield county, Ohio, when Jesse was but a small boy, and there he spent the remainder of his life. During the war of 1812-15, he served as a soldier in defense of his country, and in politics he was an old-line whig. He having died, his widow removed to Van Wert county, where she died in 1850 at the home of her son. Jesse King was reared upon a farm in Fairfield county, and in 1830 married Catherine Sivey, daughter of John and Phoebe (Holler) Sivey. Jesse King and his wife were the parents of six children, viz: Will- iam, deceased; Solomon, a retired farmer and and owner of valuable coal mines in Kansas, -was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion and served in company A, Thirty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry for two years: John, de- ceased, served in the war as a member of the Eighty-eightli Ohio volunteer infantry; Philip. was a soldier in company F. Ninety-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, served three years and was killed at the battle of Nashville, in December, 1864; Henry H. is the subject of this sketch; Jesse is a prosperous farmer of Black Creek township, and Franklin, who died in infancy.
The mother of these children was born in Richmond, Va., in 1816, and while yet young removed with her parents to Franklin county, Ohio. Her father, John Sivey, was a native of Virginia, and of German ancestry. By trade he was a miller, and was one of the early sut- tlers of Franklin county, remaining there until ( $24, when he removed to Adams county. Ind .. where he built a mill at what is now called Pleasant mills, and there passed the rest of his days. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812 in the same company as did the paternal
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
grandfather of our subject. He and his wife were parents of four children, viz: William, Jonathan and Levi, all deceased, and Cath- erine, mother of the subject.
A few words more are due in this sketch to Jesse King and his wife. After their marriage they located in Franklin county, where Mr. King followed farming until 1844. They then removed to Mercer county, and there he en- tered 300 acres of land from the government, 160 acres of which are still owned by his son, Jesse. Upon this 300-acre tract Mr. King erected a log cabin, cleared his land and lived there until his death, which occurred in March, 1867. He was one of the prominent farmers and citizens of his day; filled the office of justice of the peace for eighteen years, was township trustee a number of times, and also held other and minor offices. In politics, to- ward the latter part of his life he became a republican, and he was an active member of the United Brethren church, holding at differ- ent times all its offices. His wife, equally as devoted a Christian as himself, was a member of the same church, and died in 1878.
Henry H. King, of whom it is now designed briefly to treat, was educated in the common schools, was reared on his father's farm, but learned the trade of carpenter, and has fol- lowed that trade all his life. In August, 1862, he enlisted for three years in company F. Ninety-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served in his regiment down to the battle of Stone River, where he was shot through the ankle and had to be sent to the hospital at Nasliville, from which he was discharged in December, 1863. He participated also in the battle of Cumberland Gap, which took place previously to that at Stone River.
In October, 1863, Mr. King was married to Miss Margaret Slusser, daughter of Jacob Slusser; but she lived only seven months after her marriage, dying in her twenty-second year.
On August 10, 1865, Mr. King married Miss Miranda Jolly, who was born June 6, 1844. To this marriage were born four children, viz: William H., born August 5, 1866, now deceased; James W., of Convoy; John W., of Willshire, and Charles F., September 26, 1873. The mother of these children died in 1877, and Mr. King married, for his third wife, Miss Anna L. Conklin, daughter of Theodore and Jane (Dawkins) Conklin. To this marriage there has been born one daughter, viz: Frances Marie, born March 18, ISSO.
Miss Anna L. Conklin, the third wife of Mr. King, was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., February 21, 1848. Her father was a native of New York, was a wagon-inake by trade, and located in Fort Wayne in 1843. At Fort Wayne he worked at his trade and also founded an art studio. He was an able and industrious man and was well thought of by all that knew him. In politics he was a republican and served as justice of the peace one term. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, as also was his wife. He died April 1, 1880, in his sixty-eighth year. Her mother was born in Kent county, England. but came to the United States when thirteen years of age, and married here. Her children were three in number, viz: Frank, wife of George Martin, of Chicago; Kate, wife of Michael Bixler, of Hudson, Steuben county, Ind., and Anna L., wife of Mr. King, already mentioned. The mother of these three children died when Mrs. King was seven years of age.
J 'AMES W. KISER, manufacturer of tile, living at Dull station, Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Bureau county, Ill., October 22, 1848. His grandfather, George W. Kiser, was born in Pennsylvania, of German parentage, and moved many years ago to eastern Ohio, where
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
his death occurred. Lewis Kiser, son of George W. and father of the subject, was also a native of the Keystone state and a farmer by occupation. He married Elsie Spake, daughter of James Spake, and reared a family of five children, viz: Sarah J., Tabitha, James W., Mary M. and Byron. After their marriage, Lewis and Elsie Kiser moved from Ohio to Bureau county, Ill., where they lived for several years, thence emigrated to the state of Missouri. Still later, Lewis Kiser lived in Iowa and Nebraska, and followed agricultural pursuits for a livelihood. He served three years in the late war, participated in a number of bloody battles, and earned a reputation for bravery and gallantry of which any soldier might feel deservedly proud. Mr. Kiser and wife were members of the Christian church and highly respected people.
The immediate subject of this sketch, James W. Kiser, spent the first twenty-six years of his life with his father on the farm, and then began assisting in the manufacture of tile, to which business he has since devoted his attention. About the year 1878, he em- barked in the business upon his own responsi- bility in Van Wert county, Ohio, and during the past fifteen years has operated the factory, which he now owns, at Dull station, it being one of the largest and most successful enter- prises of the kind in the county, representing a capital of over $4,000. Mr. Kiser manufac- tures a superior grade of tiling, which finds a ready sale in Van Wert and adjoining coun- ties, but he frequently ships to more remote markets. His success has been most encour- aging, and he is classed with the well-to-do business men of the township of Liberty. Politically he is a democrat, but while taking an active interest in the success of his party, has never been an aspirant for office.
Mr. Kiser was married in Whitley county, Ind., to Miss Louisa Gleason. daughter of
Stephen and Amanda Gleason, to which union two children, Ora M. and Hattie M., have been born, the former deceased. The parents of Mrs. Kiser were married in the state of New York, and were among the early pioneers of Van Wert county, Ohio, settling in Pleasant township, where Mr. Gleason was one of the leading farmers.
J OHN KETZENBARGER, an enterpris- ing young farmer of Hoaglin township, Van Wert county, Ohio, was born No- vember 28, 1851, a son of Sebastian and Rachael (Cramer) Ketzenbarger. Sebastian was born in Germany in 1823, and was but twelve years of age when brought to America by his parents, Michael and Eve (Staungy) Ketzenbarger. the former of whom died in Hancock county. Ohio, in !858, and the latter in Wood county, Ohio, in 1874, at the age of eighty years. Sebastian was reared to farni- ing, and about 1847 married Rachael Cramer. daughter of Philip and Christina (Harmon) Cramer, to which union were born nine chil- dren, viz .: Belle. John (our subject , Sarah (deceased), Andy, Rene, George, Ella (de- ceased), Oliver and Mrs. Mary Hammon. Philip Cramer was a native of Pennsylvania and in youth was brought to Ohio by his par- ents, who located in Fairfield county, where Philip grew to maturity and was married, the the six resulting children being named Adam (deceased), Daniel, Jacob (deceased), Rachael (Mrs. Ketzenbarger), Christina and Peggy (both deceased . Rachael, subject's mother, was born in Fairfield county about 1818, and died in Hancock county in 1893, a member of the United Brethren church.
John Ketzenbarger, our subject, was born in Hancock county, Ohio, was reared a farmer and educated in the common schools of his township. In 1872 he married Miss Mary
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
Fackler, daughter of Henry and Nancy (Bear) Fackler, whose biography is attached hereto. To this union have been born five children, viz .: Homer M., Hermi I., Florence E., Alice J. and Earnest J. Mrs. Ketzenbarger was born in Richland county, Ohio, in 1853, and was married in Wood county, where her husband had located in 1866, and where he followed farming until 1890, when he came to Van Wert county and purchased his present home, which is one of the finest farms in Hoaglin township. In February, 1893, Mr. Kentzenbarger met with a serious accident on the Pittsburg railroad, near Columbus City, two coaches, in one of which he was a passen- ger, being precipitated down an embankment about twenty-five feet deep, killing one passen- ger outright and injuring some thirty others. In this disaster Mr. Ketzenbarger had a shoul- der dislocated and sustained a number of other injuries, from which he has not yet fully re- covered. In politics Mr. Ketzenbarger is a democrat, and holds the office of township. treasurer; fraternally he is a member of Van Wert lodge, No. 251, I. O. O. F., and is rec- ognized by the community at large as a straightforward, upright gentleman; as a farmer he is progressive and prosperous, taking an active interest in the welfare of his county and aiding in every public enterprise designed for its advancement.
Henry H. Fackler, a prominent farmer of Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Dauphin county, Pa., in 1823, to Abraham and Barbara (Hough) Fackler. Abraham Fackler was born in the same county in 1777, and was a son of Wentle Fackler, who was born in Germany, in 1746. At the age of seventeen years Wentle came to America, and was sold or ap- prenticed, on the streets of Philadelphia. for three years to reimburse the funds necessary to defray his passage expenses, but by the time his term had half expired he was released by
his master and employed at regular laboring rates. Two years later he returned to his native country for his mother and two brothers, his father having been killed in battle. On his return to America he served three years in the Revolution under Washington, enduring the hardships.of Valley Forge and encounter- ing Burgoyne in the north and Cornwallis in the south. He then bought a tract of land from the government and hewed out a home. He married Anna Rank, and to this union were born ten children. of whom Abraham was the eldest son, and departed his life in 1823, a member of the Presbyterian church.
Abraham Fackler, father of Henry H., was reared on his father's farm, and also learned the trade of weaving. He took an active part in the war of 1812, and fought, among other places, in the battles of Buffalo, N. Y., and Baltimore, Md. In early life he was a Pres- byterian, but later became a German Baptist, and married, March 30, 1801, Barbara Hough. daughter of Henry Hough, who was a Revo- lutionary officer, and to this marriage were born fourteen children, of whoni two only are still living-Wentle and Henry H. The mother of these was born in 1781, of German parentage, was also a niember of the German Baptist church. and died May 10, 1844-the father surviving until January 12, 1866, when he died in Richland county, Ohio.
Henry H. Fackler was reared a farmer, and became quite accomplished in both the German and English languages In 1840 he came with his father from Pennsylvania, in wagons, to Richland county, Ohio, and here began farmiing for himself on an eighty-acre tract, which he drained and improved with good and substantial buildings, but in 1868 sold and bought land in Wood county. Ohio, where he lived nearly twenty-two years. In ISgo he sold this farin, increased to 200 acres. and bought his present home of 239 acres, in
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
addition to which he has given homes to his children. On September 7, 1843, Henry H. Fackler married Nancy Bear, who was born in Dauphin county, Pa., in 1819, a daughter of Henry and Maria (Nisley) Bear, and this mar- riage has been blessed by the birth of the fol- lowing children: Jacob, deceased; Solomon, farmer of Union township, Van Wert county; Emanuel, deceased; Mary, wife of John Ketz- enbarger, of Hoaglin township; Leah, de- ceased; Sarah A., married to Addison Fry, of Union township (deceased); Alice, married to William Young, a farmer of Union township. In his politics Mr. Fackler is conservative, voting for a good man rather than for a party nominee.
ON. HENRY PAGE HOLMES, pro- bate judge of Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Richland county, of the same state, March 1, 1840, a son of Samuel and Clarissa M. (Page) Holmes. The father, Samuel Holmes, was also a native of the Buckeye state and was born in Harrison county in April, 1814, a son of Jacob Holmes, a native of Virginia who early settled in Har- rison county, Ohio, but later removed to Craw- ford county, where he passed his years in farm- ing, and where he died, the father of eight children, viz: Mary, Samuel, Thomas, Abra- ham, Elizabeth, John, Barrick and William. Samuel Holmes was reared a farmer and car- penter, and followed the latter vocation until 1853, when he engaged in the hotel business in the city of Van Wert, for the first two years conducting the American house, which then stood where the Hall dry-goods store now stands, then keeping the Saint Charles house for a year, after which he built the Vant Wert house and conducted it for five years, when he sold out and carried on the Avenue hotel for a year, when he retired from active life and
passed away September 12, 1889, well remem- bered for his genial disposition and unfailing urbanity. He was married in Richland county, Ohio, February 14, 1839, to Clarissa M. Page, . who was born in Windsor county, Vt., Febru- ary 9, 1820, a daughter Harry and Celina (Ives) Page, and to this union were born four chil- dren, viz: Henry P., Mary E., Celina E., and Emma A. The mother of these chil- dren now resides in Van Wert, a highly re- spected member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Henry P. Holmes was a lad of twelve years when brought by his parents to Van Wert, and here he attended the city schools until, at fifteen, he entered the Bulletin office to learn the printing business. Here he remained five years, serving in every capacity and learning every detail of the trade. In April, 1861, however, the call to arms aroused his patriot- ism, and he enlisted in company H, Fifteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, for three months, and was sent to the front in western Virginia, where he took part in the battles of Philippi, Gar- ret's Ford and Laurel Hill. Returning to his native state, he for three months attended school at Leesville, and then re-enlisted, en- tering company A, Ninety-ninth Chio volun- teer infantry, for three years; he went out as orderly sergeant, was promoted to second lieu- tenant January 2, 1863, January 9, 1863, was promoted to first lieutenant, and on January 15, 1863, was made captain of company E, of the same (Ninety-ninth regi- ment, and with this company he remained until the consolidation of the western army --- with which the regiment had been identified from the beginning-when he was mustered out on December 3ist. 1864. Capt. Hohines then came home and engaged in the milling business for two years; he then married and settled down to farming in Union township. where he still owns 320 acres of fine land, and
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