USA > Ohio > Erie County > A standard history of Erie County, Ohio: an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, civic, and social development. A chronicle of the people, with family lineage and memoirs > Part 78
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MADISON MIXTER
MRS. NELLIE E. MIXTER
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April 5, 1854, now living in California, has three children, Breta L., Josephine C. and Susan Lovisa all of whom are married. George, Jr., was born June 21, 1857, and died December 10, 1859. Emerson, born March 1, 1860, lives in San Diego, California, and has a son Arthur M., also married. Lovisa, born May 21, 1862, died December 4, 1897. Madison was next in age. Samuel G., born December 27, 1866, died November 5, 1893, leaving one son, now deceased. Chloe C., born April 25, 1870, died May 9, 1893, after her marriage to Clayton W. Graham.
Mr. Madison Mixter was born June 5, 1864, at the old homestead, on the Huron River near Milan Village. That was the locality which furnished him the associations for his childhood and youth, and from the country schools he continued his education in the Milan Normal. In the house where he was born he spent forty-seven years and in that time developed many interests as a farmer and came to enjoy the confidence and respect of a large community. On leaving his coun- try home he moved to a beautiful estate close to Milan Village, comprising 1712 acres of ground, and with a substantial eight-room house. Ile carries on farming on the intensive plan though with limited acreage, and he still owns the old homestead of eighty acres, which he has improved with a set of solid farm buildings, including a big bank barn on a foundation 34 by 66 feet. This farm has some of the best improvements found on any place in Erie County, while the house is one of the oldest in this section of Erie County, but still doing good service. Running water is supplied throughout the barn and the feed lots and also to the house.
On December 17, 1890, Mr. Mixter was married in Milan Township to Miss Nellie E. Cummins. She was born in Milan August 21, 1865, finished her education in the Normal School, and spent eight years as a successful and popular teacher before her marriage. Her parents were Capt. Enos C. and Ilarriet A. (Humiston) Cummins. Her father was born at Lorain, Ohio, December 25, 1826, and was of Scotch stock and ancestry. The mother was born at Friendship, New York, Feb- ruary 13. 1829, and was of English lineage. They were married Febru- ary 22, 1853, in Milan, and spent the rest of their days in Erie County, where the mother died in the home of her daughter Mrs. Mixter in Milan, February 5, 1910. Capt. Enos Cummins was best known as a sailor, having gained his first experience on a lake vessel when a boy, and following the Great Lakes in almost every capacity up to captain, for a great many years. Ile was master of different vessels for over twenty years, and while in command of the Fannie Jones he went down with his boat in a storm just outside the breakwater at Cleveland, Ohio. Ilis death occurred August 12, 1890. He was one of the best known of the old time lake captains, and had friends all around the Great Lakes. In politics he was a republican, and his wife was a member of the Presbyterian Church, which he also attended.
Three sons comprise the household circle of Mr. and Mrs. Mixter. George Addison, born September 20, 1891, was well educated in the public schools and is now living at Philadelphia ; he married Sarah M. Neeley, and they have a son George A., Jr., born May 21, 1915. Fred Cummins, the second son, was born October 20, 1893. He was educated for the electrical engineering profession by courses in the Scranton School of Correspondence, from which he holds a diploma, was also graduated from the Milan High School and is now following his voca- tion as electrician in Cleveland ; he married September 6, 1915, Caroline J. Weinbrenner. Madison Clark, the youngest son, was born October 23, 1897, finished the course of the Milan High School in 1915, and is now a capable assistant to his father on the home farm. Vol. II-33
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Mr. and Mrs. Mixter and their sons are all members of the Presby- terian Church, and at Milan he has served as an elder for the past twenty-five years. Fraternally he is now serving as master of Erie Lodge No. 239, F. & A. M., at Milan, and also belongs to Milan Chapter No. 135, R. A. M., and the Council No. 24, R. & S. M. of Norwalk. Both he and his wife are identified with the Eastern Star and he is patron of Edison Chapter No. 112 at Milan, and for the past six years Mrs. Mixter has been secretary of the chapter. Their interests as farmers have naturally brought them into close membership with the Patrons of Husbandry, and for years they have been identified with Milan Grange No. 342, P. of II., in which Mr. Mixter was master five years and he is now master of the County Pomona Grange, having been first elected to that conspicuous honor in 1911. In politics he is a republican. There are few names in Erie County that have so much real significance in agricultural affairs as that of Madison Mixter.
RICHARD RAWLE. The career of Richard Rawle of Milan constitutes a steadily progressive suecess since early boyhood. He worked at a mechanie's trade and in ship building for many years, but eventually took up a new profession and occupation with the pioneer undertaker and embalmer at Milan, and now conducts the best known service in that line in Milan Township. He also carries a large stock of other goods, ineluding wall paper and takes contraets for house decorating and picture framing. For the past twenty-three years he has been an embalmer, having graduated from the Clark School of Embalming at Cleveland in 1892. When the state law went into effect requiring licenses for embalmers, he seeured such a state license in 1902.
The undertaking house of Mr. Rawle at Milan was established more than thirty-five years ago by Henry L. Wilson. Mr. Rawle became apprenticed to Mr. Wilson in 1883 and after learning the business was taken into partnership. The two were together until 1899, at which time Mr. Rawle bought Mr. Wilson's interest and has since been sole proprietor. He has all the equipment and facilities necessary for his work, inelnding a motor ambulance and a motor touring car.
By birth Richard Rawle is a native of Cornwall, England. He was born at Newquay, a popular summer resort in the southwestern part of England, and his birthday was August 5, 1856. His ancestors for several generations had been Cornishmen. His father, Robert Rawle, was born in Land's End, England, and spent most of his active career as a lead miner in the mines of Cornwall. IIe died there in 1898 at the age of seventy. He married a native Cornwall girl, Mary Ann Geary, who is still living in Cornwall, hale and vigorous, though in May, 1915, she celebrated her eighty-third birthday. She comes of a very old and hardy stock, and her grandfather was 101 years of age when he died, and had planted his garden only a few months before his death. There is an old painting of this venerable gentleman which shows rugged lines of character as well as physique. The family in England were members of the Congregational Church. Richard Rawle was next to the oldest in a family of eight children, the names of whom were : Richard, William, Thomas, Henry, Lewis, Bessie, Mary and Anna. All grew to maturity, but Bessie died at the age of twenty-one and Thomas is also deceased. The others are living, and all married except Anna, who lives at home with her mother. Thomas at his death left a widow and children, and had spent two years in America. Richard Rawle and his nephew William are now the only ones in America.
At the old home in Southwestern England Richard Rawle spent his childhood and gained some education in the local schools. At the age of fourteen he took up the ship carpenter's trade, and in 1879, at the
Grange Fick
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age of twenty-three arrived in the United States. lle spent some time at Warren, Pennsylvania, was in the ship yards at Chautauqua Lake, New York, in the Rateliff yards at Cleveland, and -in 1881 came to Milan and spent a year with the Fries ship yards. He was there when the Golden Age was being built and later helped to construct the tug Shepherd at Huron. He also did work in his trade at Vermilion, and then returned to Milan and started learning an entirely new profession under Mr. Wilson, the pioneer undertaker.
Mr. Rawle was first married at Milan to Adelia Spratt, of a well known old family in Milan Township. She died nine years after her marriage, and had lost a daughter, Eva M., and was survived by one son, Robert, who now lives at Norwalk and is married and has a son, Harold. For his second wife Mr. Rawle was married, also in Milan, to Rena Stickradt. She was born in Milan, and educated in the local schools. Her death occurred in 1905, when thirty years of age. For his third wife Mr. Rawle married Miss Elizabeth Melford. She was born in this section of Northern Ohio thirty-nine years ago and of German parentage. Both her parents are now deceased. She was reared and educated in Erie County and is a confirmed member of the German Evangelical Church. Mr. Rawle is a republican in politics, has always been interested in local affairs, and is well known for his publie spirit. Ile is affiliated with Milan Lodge No. 117 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
GEORGE FEICK .. For half a century much that is substantial and prominent in the City of Sandusky has borne the impress of the indi- viduality of George Feick. Mr. Feiek is a contractor and builder whose work finds striking testimony in many familiar structures not only in Erie County but elsewhere. These include some of the notable publie and institutional buildings. Many of the qualities of durability and strength which he has introduced into his buildings have been found latent factors in his own character, and accounts for his success.
Coming to the United States at the age of seventeen he has molded his destiny by his own efforts, and honorable purpose. He was born at Steinau, Kreis Dieburg, Hesse Darmstadt, January 23, 1849. He was reared in his native land, was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, and had a common school edneation. For three years he also served an apprenticeship in the cabinetmaker's trade. With this experience and qualifications he set out in 1866 for the new world, and on July 10th of that year joined his brothers, Philip and Adam, in Sandusky. For several years he was employed by Adam Feiek, but in 1872 they formed a copartnership, which endured to their mutual satisfaction and success until the death of Adam Feick in 1893.
While the Feick brothers were associated in partnership they erected many fine buildings, some of which may be mentioned as follows: Tenth Ward School Building ; Erie County Jail ; a part of the Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Ilome; the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad stations in Sandusky and in Painesville: Taleott Ilall for Oberlin College; the State Capitol Building at Cheyenne, Wyoming.
During the last twenty years Mr. George Feick has been in the con- tracting and building business alone, and during the greater part of the time has had as his capable associate his son, Emil Augustus Feiek. In this time the work has gone forward characterized by the same ability and skill as in earlier years. George Feick was the contractor who built the Law Building of the Ohio State University at Columbus : the Edward Gymnasium for the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware: several buildings for Oberlin College, including the Severance Chemical Labora- tory ; the Warner Gymnasium: the Carnegie College Library and the Phinney Memorial Chapel, the Men's Building, Rice Hall, Keep Cottage,
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the Administration Building; and in 1915 he built the handsome new Sandusky High School Building.
Mr. Feick is not only a practical builder, and a man who understands all the technical details of the industry, but possesses a thorough artistic taste and talent, and has employed that not only in his business but in his avocations. Besides his business as a contractor and builder he is a director in the Citizens Banking Company of Sandusky and is president of the Sandusky Telephone Company. ITis public spirit has led him to accept the post of couneilman in Sandusky at different times, and his name and influence are counted upon as strong individual assets in the community. Mr. Feick is a member of the Lutheran Church, is a liberal republican, and has attained thirty-two degrees of the Scottish Rite in Masonry.
His first wife was Miss Angusta Ernestine Klotz, who was born at Dresden, Saxony, January 31, 1852, and died December 24, 1888. She was the mother of five children : Emil Augustus, who was born March 20, 1874, was liberally educated in the public schools at Sandusky and in the Ohio State University, and now for a number of years has been in the contracting and building business with his father. This son mar- ried Miss Louise DeLor in 1900, and they became the parents of two children, Richard and Antonette. Clara Sofia, the second child of Mr. Feick, was born May 30, 1877. George, Jr., was born January 28, 1881. Olga Charlotte was born June 20, 1885. She married Edward Younk, and they have two children, George and Mary. Ernestine, born Decem- ber 7, 1888, married ('larence llanderson. On June 22, 1892, Mr. Feiek married his present wife, Minnie A. Klotz. The only child of this union is Augustus II., born June 22, 1893.
THEODORE J. FINZEL. For nearly half a century the members of the Finzel family have materially influeneed the progress and develop- ment of various localities in Northern Ohio. The chief center of the family activities has been Milan Township. and the older representative of the name in that locality is Theodore J. Finzel, who has a fine farm located on Rural Route No. 1 out of Milan. It is only a matter of just deserts that a brief record should be given in this history of Erie County pertaining to the Finzel relationship.
They are a German family, and Theodore J. Finzel was born in Bavaria November 21, 1863, though nearly all his life has been spent in this country. His parents were George C. and Canda (Schippel) Finzel, who were born in the same loeality of Bavaria as their son, and represented old stock that for generations had made their home in Bavaria. George Finzel was a tradesman, both a harness maker and dealer, though later he became a farmer. There were two children born in the old country, Theodore and his sister Sophia. In 1865 this little family and Maria Schippel, the sister of Mrs. Finzel, set out for Ameriea. They took passage on a combination steamer and sailing ship at Bremer- haven and after twenty-one days landed in New York City. From there they came on to Sandusky, and there took up their venture in the New World, perhaps more prosperously than most immigrants, since they possessed some means which enabled them to start without the expe- riences of privation which many early settlers coming from Germany had to endure. George Finzel brought all his money in gold contained in a body belt. Several years later the family moved to Milan Town- ship, where the father bought thirty aeres on the Cleveland Road in the eastern part of the township, and there applied himself industriously to farming on the same place now occupied by his son Theodore. By much hard work and by gradual development and improvement year after year they produced a farm notable for its excellent fruits and vegetables. George C. Finzel died at that homestead in February, 1911,
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when eighty-four years of age, and his wife passed away in December, 1908, at the age of seventy-six.
Maria Sehippel, the sister of Mrs. George Finzel and the aunt of Theodore Finzel, was quite a young woman when she came to America, and the sisters were very devoted to each other. She married Adam Wykel of Erie County, and they afterwards took up farming, lived in Townsend Township of HIuron County seven years, and finally returned to Milan Township in Erie County, where they bought a small farm, on which Mr. Adam Wykel died in October, 1911, when seventy-three years of age. Mrs. Maria Wykel died January 3, 1914, at the age of sixty-five. All the members of the Finzel and Wykel families were confirmed in Germany in the Lutheran Evangelical Church. Mr. and Mrs. Wykel had three children. The son Theodore is a skilled and high class mechanie, and stands high in the industrial affairs of Lorain County. Ile was educated in the publie schools, and in early life served an appren- ticeship in the machine shop of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, rose to department foreman, and in 1900 took charge of the engineering department of the National Tube Company's plant at Lorain in Lorain County, and by successive promotions is now assistant master mechanic and has made an excellent record all along the line. IIe is mar- ried, and has three children : Leland, aged eleven; Loda, aged nine; and Theodore, aged three. The only daughter in the Wykel family was Anna, who died in girlhood in 1898. The other son, Frank, is a tool maker and automobile engineer at Elyria, and has one son named Raymond.
Mr. Theodore J. Finzel, who is now prosperously managing the old farm formerly owned by his father, was the oldest of three children. His sister Sophia, already mentioned, is the wife of Edward Butler, and lives in Huron County. The daughter Emma is the wife of John Huber, and reference to this family will be found on other pages of this publi- cation. Mr. Finzel, who has never married, has surrounded himself with many comforts, has an excellent home, ineluding a large white eight-room house, surrounded with barns and other substantial farm buildings.
JOHN SPRANKEL. Among Milan Township farms that are deserving of mention as places of value in the material sense and as homes of thrifty and energetic citizens, there is the Sprankel place situated on Rural Route No. I out of Milan. For more than thirty years the mem- bers of the Sprankel family have been known and esteemed in this section of Erie County, and John Sprankel, above named, is one of the successful representatives of the younger generation.
Ile was born on his father's farm in Milan Township on the Berlin Road, February 4, 1886. His parents were Henry and Elizabeth (Schuester) Sprankel. Both were natives of Germany. His mother was born in Kur-Hessen, Germany, and the father was born in Hesse Darmstadt. Both eame when young people and alone to the United States. Their parents had spent all their lives in the old country and died there when quite old, and both the Sprankel and Schuester families were of the Reformed Church faith. Henry Sprankel left Germany in 1881 and after arriving in New York City came on to Erie County, and subsequently located a good farm of sixty-five aeres in Milan Township. His first wife was Udeek Zeller, and she died not long after they eame from Germany to Erie County. She left a number of children, and more extended reference to this branch of the family will be found on other pages under the name George Sprankel. Henry Sprankel married for his second wife Miss Elizabeth Schuester. They were married about thirty years ago, and before his death, which occurred October 29, 1911, when he was seventy-eight years of age, he had continued to prosper and had accumulated a large amount of fine farm land in Erie County.
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lle was a democrat in politics, and held several local offices, and in church affairs was a Lutheran. Mrs. Sprankel, his widow, is still living and with her sons conducts the fine farm comprising the homestead and is also owner of some other land. Mrs. Sprankel and her sons long since solved the problem of how to make both ends meet, and each year sees a little increase in their permanent prosperity and holdings. The Sprankel farm grows some of the finest erops, and one specialty is potatoes.
John Sprankel since the death of his father has assumed much of the active responsibilities in connection with the management of the old homestead, and is a valuable assistant to his mother. As a boy he attended the public schools of Milan and has deservedly prospered. John Sprankel married Gertrude Goodsite. She was born in Huron Township, September 9, 1893, and grew up and received her education in that locality. Her parents were Charles and Jeannette (Paul) Good- site. ller father was born in Germany and now lives in Milan Town- ship, and her mother was a native of Erie County and died in Huron Township.
Martin Sprankel, brother of John, was born November 15, 1898, and is unmarried and lives at home with his mother and brother. Both these young men are democrats in politics.
PRESCOTT MILLIMAN, whose valuable and well managed farm is situ- ated in Milan Township, comes of the old pioneer stock of Erie County. In the early days his grandfather performed a much needed service to his community as one of the early blacksmiths. On the whole the family have been devoted chiefly to agriculture, and in the different generations they have lived upright and useful lives, have provided well for them- selves and for their descendants, and the family record is one of un- broken thrift and good citizenship.
Amherst Milliman, grandfather of Preseott, was born near Tona- wanda, New York. about the beginning of the nineteenth century. He had a brother William who went West to Indiana in the early days, lived there as a farmer, and left descendants in that state. Amherst Milliman married Sarah Young. He was married after he came out to IIuron County. ITis location in Huron County was prior to the division of that territory and the creation of what is now Erie County. Amherst Milliman's home was what was known as the old stone house east of West Corners in Townsend Township, Huron County. Being a black- smith by trade, he established a shop there, and for a number of years werked industriously engaged in the general repairing of tools and implements, and included in his routine work was the making and fitting of shoes for the work oxen, which were then so generally used instead of horses. From blacksmithing Amherst Milliman gradually took up farming, and continued that as his chief means of livelihood until he retired. Ile died in 1880, followed four years later by his wife, and both were about the same age. Amherst Milliman in polities east his ballot for the whig candidates as long as that party was in existence and after- wards was a stanch republican. He and his wife had fourteen chil- dren, divided equally between sons and daughters. Several of the sons gave a good account of themselves as soldiers in the Civil war. The names of these soldier sons wore Thomas, Ezekiel, Robert, George. Jolin and Bryant. George died while in the army from black measles. Robert saw some service on Johnson's Island in Lake Erie as a guard to rebel prisoners. Ezekiel went through all the war and is now living at To- peka, Kansas. Thomas also had nearly a full term of service in the war. Lieutenant John and his brother Thomas were both in the Seventh Ohio Regiment of hundred days' men. John later enlisted in the One JInn-
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dred and First Ohio Infantry, and was first lieutenant of Company E. He participated in some of the greatest campaigns in the history of the civil conflict. He was present at Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, and other places in that vicinity, went with Sherman in the Atlanta cam- paign, and followed him on his march to the sea. He was once made prisoner and for a time was confined in Andersonville prison. He also received three wounds. At one time a rebel bullet injured his scalp, another shot struck him in the foot, and a third wound was in the hip, and this bullet was never extraeted, but remained in his body for a great many years and was ultimately the immediate cause of his death, which occurred Deeember 5, 1913.
After the war John Milliman became very stout and at one time weighed 320 pounds. In spite of this weight he was a very active man, and made a successful record as a farmer. Following the war he bought fifty aeres of land, and gradually increased that until at one time he owned 165 acres; 115 acres of this is now included in the homestead owned by Preseott Milliman. John Milliman spent most of his years at this homestead farm, and died there. Ile was a strong republican in polities. In Berlin Township he married Miss Maria Hoak. She was born on the old Hoak farm in Berlin Township, August 31, 1842, a sister of Nathan Hoak, a family to whom reference is made on other pages. She was reared and well educated, and at one time was a student under the noted Erie County educator, Job Fish. For several years before her marriage she taught sehool, and is still living, quite active in spite of her years, in Milan Township. Religiously she is a member of the Spiritualist faith. John Milliman and wife had three children. Lucy, who died in 1904, had attended some of the schools taught by Job Fish, and afterwards married Edward Butler, who is still living and has chil- dren named Myrtle. Ruth and Mark, all of whom have completed their education and are living in Huron County. The next in age is Prescott Milliman. Ernest, born February 12, 1874, gained his education in Milan, and is now a farmer in that township: he married Bertie Curtis of Milan Township, and their two sons are named Russell and Donald.
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