USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 53
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 53
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1 After due preparation he began the study of medicine, and after graduation began practice in southern Illinois, where he followed his profession until his death. In 1830 he mar- ried Miss Mary G. Ufford, who was born in Middletown, Conn., and who died in Novem- ber, 1863. Dr. E. W. Weir served through- out the war of the Rebellion in the Eleventh Missouri volunteer infantry, and three of his sons also served through the same war, in the Forty-eighth Illinois, Seventh Ohio and Sixth Indiana regiments At the time of his death, in ISSo, the doctor was one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the United States, being a charter member of lodge No. I, of Cincinnati, and also charter member of Mahoning lodge, No. 29, at Warren, Ohio, and few men were more generally and highly esteemned, both profes- sionally and fraternally.
Dr. William H. Weir was educated pri- inarily in the public schools of Warren, Ohio. and later attended one terin of school at West Farmington, where he was a classmate of Lient .- Gov. Jones. In 1855 he read medicine with Profs. William Paine and Judson Davis, at Warren, and then attended the Eclectic Medical college, at Philadelphia, Pa. After graduating. he practiced one year in New Wil- mington, Pa., and in 1859 removed to Xeni :: , Ill., where he remained until the spring of 1861, when he went to Elizabethtown, Bar- tholomew county, Ind., meeting with succe .:: in his profession in both places. He entere.1 the Union army in September. 1861, went to the front with company G, Sixth Indiana vol- unteer infantry, and served three years and one month as surgeon's steward and acting-as- sistant surgeon, and was with his regink ni from the battle of Shiloh to the fall of Atlanta After the battle of Chickamauga, he received. in recognition of his meritorious services, a recommendation from the officers of his regi- inent, to the governor of the state, a copy of which document concludes this article. After his return from the army, the doctor came direct to Edinburg, Portage county, Ohio, in November, 1864, where he held a lucrative practice until the fall of 1876, when he re- moved to Stark county, Ind., where he re- inained until the spring of 1886, when he finally returned to Edinburg, Ohio, where his success has induced him to remain ever since
The marriage of Dr. Weir took place Sep- tember 23, 1860, to Miss Mary J. Force, daughter of Isaac and Mary Force, and to th's union have been born two children-Elton (. (deceased) and William W. The father of Mrs. Weir, Isaac Force, was a native of New- ton, N. J., and died in Trumbull county. Oh .... April 23, 1865, having lived in the county ov f seventy-seven years; his wife, Mary (M.n: Force, of Sparta, N. J., died April 17, 1867.
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
Dr. Weir is a member of Douthitt post, No. 177, G. A. R., of Edinburg, of which he was commander one year; of the National Union, Ravenna council, No. 188; of the Junior Order United American Mechanics, No. 198, of Edinburg; of Atwater lodge, No. 649, Knights of Pythias, at Atwater; of Buckeye division, No. 97, uniform rank, Knights of Pythias, of Ravenna. He is a republican in politics and has served his party and his fellow- citizens as coroner of Portage county two years, and is now trustee of his township. He stands very high in the esteem of the com- munity both as a physician and citizen, and the following credentials or recommendations, alluded to in a former paragraph, will show that this esteem is well deserved:
To his Excellency, Oliver P. Morton, Gor- ernor of the State of Indiana :
Governor-We, the officers of the Sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, take great pleasure in recommending to your favor- able notice Dr. W. H. Weir, as a man in every way worthy of your confidence. The doctor desires an appointment as assistant sur- geon in one of the new regiments now being raised in the state, and should your excellency think proper to give him an appointment, we feel satisfied that the doctor will fill the posi- tion with credit to himself and government.
Silas D. Huckleberry, captain of company I; Daniel W. Conner, lieutenant of company I; Oscar F. Rodamel, captain of company E; Henry E. Van Tress, lieutenant of company E; Chas. C. Briant, lieutenant of company K : James F. Simpson, lieutenant of company H; Chas. Neal, captain of company H; S. T. Finney, captain of company G; A. F. Conner, first lieutenant of company D; W. P. Dillon, second lieutenant of company D; D. Kav- anaugh, captain of company A; W. N. Will- iams, first lieutenant of company G: A. W. Prather, captain of company C; Chas. A. May, lieutenant of company (; Geo. B. Green, first lieutenant of company K; jos. J. Siddall, adjutant; C. D. Campbell, major commanding.
It is but a duty to me to add my recom- mendation to those of the principal officers of the Sixth, our regiment, of Dr. W. H. Weir, for promotion. He has in reality, during my absence from the regiment on detailed duty. more then any other person, attended to the wants of the sick in the regiment. He was present and with the regiment in all the battles in which it was engaged, constantly active, energetic and efficient. Of temperate habits, and well versed in his profession, he deserves a preferment, although I consider it as a loss to the regiment.
CHAS. SCHUSSLER,
Surgeon Sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, at present acting medical director. Second division, Twentieth army corps.
..
OLLIN S. WEBB, an eminent attor- ney of Garrettsville, was born in Freedom township, Portage county. Ohio, January 4, 1844, and is a son of James and Eliza (Landfear) Webb, natives respectively of Confu, Genesee county, N. Y., and Hartford, Conn.
John Webb, grandfather of Rollin S .. was the founder of the family in the United States, having early settled in Genesee county, N. Y., where he owned one of the largest and miost valuable farms in the county. He had a fam- ily of eleven children and lived to reach the great age of ninety-four years.
James Webb, father of subject, was born in Genesee county, N. Y., in 1799. His early youth was passed on the farm, but, not being favored with robust health, he later gave more attention to study than to farm labor. His preparatory education was secured at Batavia, N. Y .; later he studied and graduated in medi- cine, practiced for some years in Holley, N. Y., and about 1840 came to Ohio, and settled in Freedom township, Portage county, where he bought a small farm and also owned a drug store, but his medical practice was very exten-
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
sive and claimed alinost his exclusive attention until his death, which occurred in 1852. His widow subsequently romoved to Garrettsville, where her death took place. To these parents were born ten children, viz: Cornelia, who is married to James Scott Reilley, of Bay City, Mich .; Warien J. was a member of the law form of Davis, Wingate & Webb, of St. Louis, Mo .. and died in 1858; Eliza J. is the wife of Dr. A. H. Tidball, of Garrettsville, Ohio; Caroline is married to W. S. Wight, also of Garrettsville; Sarah M. died in. Freedom and was unmarried; Mervin F., a member of the Fifteenth Ohio battery, died at Natchez, Miss .; Rollin Samuel is the subject of this biography; Helen M. was married to Warren Peirce and died in Garretsville; Charles B. re- sides in Garrettsville, and Mary is the wife of Charles Roberts, of Trumbull county, Ohio. The parents of this family were members of the Congregational church, and in politics the father was a democrat.
Rollin Samuel Webb received a common- school and academical education, and at the age of eighteen years went to Youngstown, where he clerked a year, and next taught school one year in Ravenna; he then clerked a year in Garrettsville. after which he went to Trumbull county, Ohio, where he studied dentistry, and for a few years practiced that profession in Garrettsville. He next studied law, was admitted to the bar by the supreme court at Columbus, in 1880, and was also ad- mitted to the Portage county bar in the same year, since when he has been in active prac- tice, and has steadily risen to prominence. He has an office in Garrettsville and one in Ravenna: is attorney for the Western Union Telegraph company; for the R. G. Dun com- pany, and for many years has been attorney for the First National bank of Garrettsville, and has a large general practice in the state and United States courts, having also been
admitted to the bar of the latter --- his practice being about equally divided between the two.
Mr. Webb was united in marriage, in 1871, with Miss Vine F. Gilson, a native of Mid dlefield, Ohio, and a daughter of William II. Gilson. This union has been blessed with one child- - Roscoe J., who is a student at Hiram college.
In politics Mr. Webb is a republican and has served as city solicitor many years under the auspices of his party. He is a member of the Garfield club and is an ardent worker for the success of republicanism at each and every campaign. Fraternally, he is a royal arch Mason, and is a past member of Garrettsville lodge, No. 246, F. & A. M.
DAM WENKLER, a thriving farmer, and respected citizen of Rootstown township, Portage county, Ohio, was born in Darmstadt, Germany, July 4, 1829, a son of John and Catherine (Yountzer) Wenkler, the former of whom was a musician, and died August, 1839, at the age thirty-nine years, the latter having passed away in 1834 -- both in the Catholic faith, and the parents of three children, viz: Adam, George, and one who died in infancy, unnamed.
In 1840, Adam Wenkler came to Olio with an uncle. Being a poor boy of eleven years of age, and left to his own resources, he sought employment on the canal, where he worked a short time, then secured a position on the railroad, and also worked in different capacities among the farmers until he had saved sufficient means to buy a place for him- self. He was first married, October 6, 1850, to Miss Catherine Gauer, daughter of John and Margaret (Rice) Gauer, and to this union were born seven children, viz: John; Valentine W .; Catherine, wife of Joseph Husler: Frank; Elizabeth, wife of Orlando Bosserman; Mar-
1
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
garet, wife of John Jordan, and Charles. The mother of these children died February 6, 1870, at the age of forty years, and on the 12th day of November, 1873, Mr. Wenkler was united in marriage with Miss Mary Ann Zer- mer, and to this union was born one child -- Kate, the wife of Henry E. Frank. Mrs. Mary A. Wenkler was called from earth April 14, 1878, aged thirty-two years, and for the third time Mr. Wonkler was joined in matri- mony, October 7, 1882, marrying Mrs. Reid- inger, a daughter of Michael and Barbara (Flowers) Rose, but to this marriage no chil- dren have born, although Mrs. Wenkler was the mother, by her former husband, Henry Reidinger, of three children, two of whom still survive, viz: Barbara, wife of William Wenk- ler, the son of our subject, and John; Mar- gaiet died December 6, 1895, at the age of thirty years, the wife of Daniel Morgan. The parents of Mrs. Wenkler were natives of Lo- benstein, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where Mrs. Wenkler was herself born, September ?8, IS38. The father was a farmer, and died in Germany in 1867, at the age of fifty-three years, and the mother in 1881, aged sixty- seven, both members of the Catholic church, and the parents of nine children, viz: Mrs. Wenkler: Michael; Barbara, the wife of Charles Carl, and Jacob, all still living, and John Adam, Philip, Christine and Valentine, all de- ceased. In 1882, Mrs. Weukler (then Mrs. Reidinger), brought her two children to America, coming to Rootstown township, where she met and married our subject, as re- lated above.
In 1879. Adam Wenkler made a trip to Germany, where he remained four months, and on his return engaged in farming in Roots- town township, of which he has made a com- plete success. In politics be is a democrat, and has filled various township offices, inchuid- ing that of school director, in which latter
capacity he has served the past nine years, He has been a steward in the Catholic church for twenty years, and is greatly respected as one of the most industrious and useful citizens of Rootstown, and is regarded as among its most prosperous and substantial farmers.
RANCIS SALMON WESTON, one of the most prosperous farmers of Springfield township, Summit coun- ty, Ohio, is a native of this county and was born January 11, 1857, and is a son of Salmon N. and Mary J. (Force) Weston. He received his education in the district school and was reared on his father's farm until sev- enteen years of age, when he engaged in agri- cultural pursuits on his own account. May 27, 1880, he was united in marriage with Miss Cora J. Elliott, daughter of James and Lu- cinda (Norton) Elliott: and this union has been blessed with six children, viz: Nellie V , who was born December 11, 1882, and died in September, 1883; Cynthia B., born March 10, 1885; Howard S., December 17, 1886; Leora A., June 6, 1889; Mary L., June 26, 1892; and King, September 21, 1896.
Mrs. Cora J. (Elliott) Weston was born in Springfield township, May 27, 1859, her par- ents being also natives of this place. King J. Elliott was an extensive farmer, in connection with which vocation he was for many years engaged in threshing, and was likewise a breeder of throughbred horses, owning, among others, the well-known trotting stallion, North Light, which he purchased in Kentucky. To his marriage with Miss Lucinda Norton were born three children, two of whom are still liv- ing-Mrs. Weston and Frederick K. ; a daugh- ter, who was married to Mr. White, was called from earth December 7, 1891, at the age of thirty-four years. In politics, Mr. Elliott was very prominent as a republican,
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
and served for a number of years as county commissoner, for over twenty years as a mem- ber of the school board, and for a long time was township treasurer. Fraternally, he was an Odd Fellow and a member of the Knights of Honor, and died, a greatly honored citizen. November :2, 1896, having been preceded to the grave by his wife, who died September 4 of the same year.
Francis S. Weston, our subject, in connec- tion with general farming, was for about eleven years engaged in dairying, and also in raising live-stock, breeding from North Light, mentioned above, and which was eventually sold for $4,000, In politics, Mr. Weston is an active and influential democrat, and has served his fellow-citizens as township super- visor, as school director for ten years, and in 1897 was elected township treasurer, an office he still retains. He is prominent as a citizen, and his reputation as a farmer and live-stock breeder is not confined to his immediate local- ity, his name being most favorably known throughout Summit and adjacent counties. His integrity has never been impugned, and he and family are honored and respectfully alluded to wherever the name of Weston is known.
JACOB WERSTLER, a prosperous farmer and highly-respected citizen of Suffield township, Portage county, Ohio, was born January 21, 1839, in Lake township, Stark county, Ohio, a son of Jacob and Sarah (Harley) Werstler, the former of whom was a native of Maryland and the latter of Stark county, Ohio. The father was but six years of age when brought to Ohio by his parents, who settled in Stark county, where he was reared on a farm He was twice mar- ried, his last wife being Miss Harley, daughter of John Harley, and to this union were born
nine children, of whom six are still living, vi John, Jacob, Benjamin, Sarah (wife of Jon. Heiser), William and Allen. The deceased were named Daniel, Christine (wife of John Eicholtz) and Lewis. In politics the father was a democrat, and served as school director and supervisor; in religion he was a Lutheran. and died in this faith in July, 1866, at the a.p of sixty-five years, a highly-respected citizen The Harley family is of German origin, the grandfather of Mrs. Sarah Werstler being the first of this immediate branch to come to America.
Jacob Werstler, the subject of this bin: raphy, was reared on his father's farm in Stark county, and was educated in the district school. At the age of twenty-two years he left the home place and engaged in farming on his own account, and, March 5, 1865, formed his first matrimonial alliance, which was with Miss Rebecca Gingerich, daughter of Christian and Mary (Bernheisel) Gingerich, and to this union were born three children, viz: Mary E. (wife of Jacob Bear), Zachariah and Harvey. Mrs Rebecca Werstler was called from earth August 30, 1878, at thirty-four years of age, and Mr Werstler chose for his second helpmate Mi ... Hannah Shafer, to whom he was united Jau- uary 30, 1879, and this union has been blessed with three children, viz: Richard Earl, Thomas F. and Salvia Ruth. Mrs. Hannah Werstler was born in Marlborough township, Stark county, Ohio, January 9, 1851, and is a daugh- ter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Snyder) Shaler. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania, but came to Ohio in early life and here married Miss Snyder, the result of the union being eight children, three of whom died in infancy. the survivors being Christe Ann, wife of Joseph Bitterman; George; Mrs. Werstler, and Ann. wife of Wesley Wise; Gadilia, who was mar- ried to Solomon Snyder, and died in i891. The father was a tailor by trade, but his later ye d's
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
were passed in farming. He was a member of the United Brethren church and passed away in this faith at the age of sixty-six years, his wife dying in March, 1878. aged seventy-two, also in the same faith.
Jacob Wer. tler, the subject of this memoir, first followed agricultural pursuits in Portage county after marrying, but shortly afterward returned to Lake township, Stark county, where he followed the same calling until 1875. when he came back to Portage county and parchased his present place in Suffield town- ship, which has since been his permanent home. He is industrious and thoroughly prac- ! tical and well knows how to make his farm profitable. In politics he is a democrat, and . in Illinois, where he was taken by his parents has served as school director three years. He and family are consistent members of the Lutheran church, and are greatly respected by . the entire community in which they live.
0 SCAR BOSLEY, an old soldier, and for many years engaged in the lum- ber business and saw-milling in Gar- rettsville. was born in Farmington, Trumbull county, Ohio, June 15, 1846, a son of Elisha and Elvira ( Griffith) Bosley, of an old New York state family, and early settlers in Ohio.
Elisha, the father of Oscar, was born in Ohio, and was a carpenter. He married, in Trumbull county, Elvira Griffith, and the fam- ily moved to Illinois about 1848, and located first at Poplar Grove, and shortly afterward settled in Whiteside county and worked at his trade in Morrison and Portland. His children were Oscar, Annie, George. Carrie, Mary (who died aged about twenty-eight or thirty years) and Flora, who died a married woman aged about thirty-two years. Elisha Bosley en- listed, in 1861. in company K. Thirty-fourth regiment Illinois volunteer infantry, for three
years or during the war, served three years and three months, and was honorably dis- charged at Springfield, Ills. He was in many battles, and in the great Atlanta campaign. In his last battle his company suffered fear- fully and had but few men left. He was sick with rheumatism in hospital and was greatly disabled by his services, and died about 1883. from the effects of his army life, at Garretts- ville, Ohio, aged about sixty-one years. He and wife were both members of the Disciples' church and later in life became members of the Baptist church. Mr. Bosley was a very straight and active man and a respected citizen.
Oscar Bosley received a common education when but a child. He enlisted, at the age of about seventeen years, at Eaglesville. Ashta- bula county, Ohio, April 9, 1865, in company B. Twenty-third Ohio volunteer infantry. the same regiment in which President Mckinley served as a private ten months before he was promoted to he second lieutenant. Mr. Bos- ley enlisted for three years or during the war, and was honorably discharged at Cleveland, Ohio, in November, 1865, on account of the closing of the war. He was an active soldier and on duty with his regiment at Strasburg. and Staunton, Va. He returned to Eagies- ville, Ohio, but later engaged in saw-milling at Cory, Pa. He worked at the transfer station, near Sharon, Pa., and then came to Warren. Ohio, where he worked in a rolling mill for about eighteen years, as weighmaster and shearer-a good position. He next engaged in the hotel business for two years in Warren, and came to Garrettsville in March, ISSo, and engaged in teaming. He then entered the employ of O. Collings in his saw-mill and rake factory, and worked until the death of Mr. Collings, and then, in company with Nelson Steele, bought the mill property and has since done a good business, and is well known as a
41
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
straightforward business man. Mr. Bosley married, October 7, 1866, in Warren county, Ohio, Catherine Meesmer, of Champion, Ohio. She was born in Mercer county, Pa., daughter of Jacob and Cassie Meesmer, of sturdy Penn- sylvania-Dutch stock. To Mr. and Mrs. Bos- ley have been born Frank, Nellie I. and Ger- trude. In politics Mr. Bosley is a republican, is a member of Mark Horton post, G. A. R., at Garrettsville, and has held the offices of junior vice-commander and chaplain.
Mr. Bosley is an excellent citizen and stands high for his integrity of character. Mrs. Bosley had two brothers in the Civil war- Jacob in the Sixth Ohio cavalry, who veteran- ized; David was in the Ohio infantry, enlisting in the three years' service.
SAAC CORNELL, of Garrettsville, Ohio, is one of the old soldiers of the Civil war and an honored citizen. He was born in Orleans county, N. Y., August 6, 1844. He enlisted, September 6, 1862, at Barre, N. Y., as a sharpshooter in Bowen's independent rifles, when he was but eighteen years old, but the company was mus- tered as company A, One Hundred and Fifty- first New York volunteer infantry, Capt. H. Bowen, for three years or during the war, and served until honorably discharged at Washing- ton, D. C., June 26, 1865. He was in the following battles: Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, second, Cold Harbor, third, Petersburg, Monocacy, Charlestown, Winches- ter, Opequon, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Petersburg, and Sailor's Creek, the last battle of any consequence of the war, and was also in many skirmishes. Mr. Cornell was always an active soldier, except three months, when he was in hospital with typhoid pneumonia at Washington and Central Park, N. J. He was in all the campaigns, marches, battles and
skirmishes, except the battle at Locut Grove, Va., while he was sick in hospital He considers the battle of the Wilderness to be the hardest in which he was engaged, last- ing thirty days. His hardest march wason July 4, from Frederick City, Md., to South Mount- ain Gap, eighteen miles, through a very heavy thunder storm.
At one time he marched twenty-five miles in six hours, and carried his knapsack and accouterments, weighing sixty pounds, and was one of five comrades of his company who came into camp. This march the boys made with light hearts, as the war was over and they were on the return home in 1865.
He had received, when young, a common- school education, and attended the academy at Albion, N. Y., one term, and one week on the second term, when he enlisted from purely patriotic motives. On his return to Orleans county, N. Y., he engaged in farming on hi- father's farm, and remained until 1873. He married, in Orleans county, October 2, 186 ;. Sarah Axtell, daughter of Charles and Phebe (House) Axtell.
Mr. Cornell moved to Garrettsville in 18; 3. and here he has since lived, and for nearly twenty-five years has been employed in the Pail factory, in which he owned a one-quarter in- terest when he came to Garrettsville, but since has sold out. His first wife died November 12, 1874, at Garrettsville, and he next mar- ried, September 2, 1875, near Garrettsville, Sarah Linton, who was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, May 23, 1854, a daughter of Charles and Charity Linton. Mr. Linton and wife were from Somersetshire, England. He was a farmer, and settled in Ashtabula conn- ty, Ohio, early in the 'forties, and was a re- spected citizen. His children were Elizabeth, Thomas, Mary, Sarah, Jennie and Urich. ile lived to be seventy-four years old, and died in Ashtabula county, a member of the Methodist
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
church, and an industrious and straightforward citizen.
The Cornell family is of sturdy Holland- Dutch ancestry, and early settlers of the old Dutch colony of New Amsterdam.
Peter Cornell, the father of Isaac, was born on the Hudson river, and became a sub- stantial farmer. His father, Cornelius Cor- nell, was a large landowner of Dutchess county, N. Y. and owned 600 acres of land. Peter Cornell, the father of subject, owned a farmi of 300 acres in Orleans county, N. Y. His first wife, the mother of subject, was Amanda Hall. The maternal grandfather was impressed in England, and forced into the British army, and came to America to fight for the cause of his king in the war of the Revolution, but deserted and joined the cause of the colonies. His father, Gen. S. G. Hall, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Peter Cor- nell and wife had three children who lived to maturity, viz: Cornelius A., Amanda J., and Isaac. Mr. Cornell lived to be about sixty years old, and died on his farin a much re- spected citizen.
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