USA > Ohio > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of Wayne County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families > Part 33
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esty of King George II and his succes- sors, kings of Great Britain, etc.
D. L. Kieffer and wife are the parents of one child, George Lincoln Kieffer, a youth of much promise and intelli- gence. In 1881 D. L. Kieffer was ap- pointed family historian of the great Kieffer family, of which he kindly fur- mishes the following historical sketch:
We trace our ancestral lineation back to France- to the fifteenth century-to the commencement of the persecution of the religious reformers in that kingdom, who, because of their meeting for wor- ship in the night time in subterrancons vanhs near the gate of the chy of Ingon, were, by way of contempt, called " Huguenots;" this being previous lo the permanently establishing of surnames among mankind, the custom of which took rise in France about the twelfth century, but was not universally assumed until about 300 years thereafter. About this time there existed a large relationship in the southern part of the Kingdom of France, known by the name of " Michael." These claimed dessen sion from the illustrious Michael. smnamed An- droniens, whose glory -hone in ancient Byzantinm in the thirteenth century, and, on the assuming of surnames, one of these Michaels in France was suruamed Tomellies tthe French name of cooper). hence his name was Michael Tonellies. He was The great-great grandfather of my great great- grandfather, and one of his sons was named De Wald Tunnellies, About the year 1548 at the time the darkness of persecution and massacre of the Huguenots bung over France in its direct aspect. under the heinons scepter of Queen Catherine, this De Wald Tonnellies departed from France to find peace and refuge in Germany. He was a native of Paris, and was of wealthy and noble ancestry, But under the inspiration of the love, light and guid- ance of the Gospel, he chose abandonment of friends, case, rank, nativity and heritage of estate, and became striker at the anvil for a blacksmith at Kettenheim. And now, under compulsion of change of language, habits, society, occupation and circumstances all around, he deemed is eligible also to change his mume from French to German. namely: from De Wald Tonnellies to De Wald
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Knefer (Tonnellies being the French name for the coopering trade, and Knefer the German name for the same). He now saw that he mmist, as it were, commence life anew. Stimulated under these con- victions, he unstrung every nerve to rectitude, in- dustry and economy, and in course of time he came to be master of the forge himself. Late in life he was married, and came to be the father of one son, whom he named Michael, in honor of his native ancestry. At the time of his arrival at Kettenheim. Germany was under the imperial power of the wise and humane Emperor Maximilian HI, who is said to have been the most amiable prince that ever swayed the imperial scepter. With most sanguine benignity he tolerated religions reformation, which seemed to have a benign influence upon the hearts of all of his people, and, with vebement salutations, they welcomed to their open arms those who lled from martyrdom in France.
After De Wald Kuefer, the great-grandfather of my great grandfather, who fled to escape the perse- cntion in France, had enjoyed true peace in Germany for abont fifty-five years, " papal wrath" here, too. spewed vengeance, and now baptized with tears and blood the peaceful plains of Lutzen. Now the religious war commenced in Germany, and raged for thirty years, commencing in 1618, and ending in 1618. When this war commenced the Kuefer family, which is now so large, was in its mere in- fancy, consisting of but our revered great-grand- sire, De Wald, and his only child, sou Michael, the wife and mother being dead. Michael, like his father, too, came to be a blacksmith; was, too, advanced in years when married, but came to be the father of three sons-Jacob, Michael and De Wald. And these three sous and brothers were the tirst ones of our name to cross the ocean for Amer- ica. They came over with Francis Daniel Pastor- ious, a native of Sommerhousen, in Franconia, who brought over a small colony chiefly from Cleves, in Westphalia. June 8. 1683, they took passage on board the ship " The America," and sailed from Rotterdam, under Capl. Joseph Wases, landing on the soil of the New World, at Philadelphia, Angust 20th of the same year. Philadelphia having just been laid out previous to their arrival here, and the rude aspect of the new country, in contrast with their native home, presenting to them most lonely and fearful forebodings, the three Kuefer brothers were indneed to return to Europe. Jacob, the eldest of these three brothers, had five sons- Michael, Valuntine, Leonlidt, Friederich and
Jacob. In 1689 he and his two eldest sons went up to Denmark. In 1699 these two brothers, Michael and Valentine, through the conflict between Lord Nelson and the confederacy of what was called ". The Northern Powers against the Naval supe- riority of Great Britain," crossed the ocean and came to settle in the province of Canada. In 1732 the other three brothers-Leonhardt, Friederich and Jacob-came to America on the ship " Samnel," under Capt. Piercy, sailing from Rotterdam Angust 11, 1732, and landing at Philadelphia October 10; after a stay of about two months, they returned to Germany. Michael. the second of these three brothers, had two sons, and these, after arriving at manhood, went back to France to enjoy the life of the fatherland and of their ancestry. Here their name of Knefer became changed to Kevere. De Wald. the youngest of these three brothers, was the grandfather of my grandfather; he had four sons-Abraham, Casper, Martin and Michael. Of these four brothers, ahout sixty-five years after their father and two nneles had visited America. and while the great war between Great Britain. Germany, France, Spain, Austria. Sardinia and lolland was raging in its highest heat, the two eldest. namely: Abraham and Casper, came to America. They took passage on board the ship "Two Brothers," under Capt. Arnatt, sailing from Rotterdam Inly 20, 1318, and landing in port Philadelphia September 15 of the same year.
About this time the spelling of our name became changed from Knefer to Kieffer, so as to pronounce the same in English as in German. The third of the fom brothers, Martin, never crossed the ocean. But Michael, the youngest of the four, was my great-grandfather. He was born May 8, 1724, near Kettenheim, in Europe; May 10, 1250, he was mar- ried to Margaret Miller, of the same place, born December 11, 1529. They were the parents of eleven children, born and named as follows: Anna Eliza- beth, February 21, 1252; Anna Odilia. December 12, 1758; Anna Barbara, October 16, 1755, Anna Eva, May 5, 1757; John Jacob, October 15, 1759; Anna Elizabeth, July 26, 1761; John Michael, November 1. 1763; John Adam, August 7, 1765; Anna Margaret, August 23, 1767, John Valuntine, May 1, 1:59; ]. Valuntine, the second, born November 26, 1972. Anna Elizabeth, the first born, and the first- named John Valentine, died in infancy, and are buried at Zweibrücken, in Europe. In the year 1773, about the time of the threatening crisis which, from the great revolution in Sweden, the dismemberment
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of Poland by Russin, Prussin and Austria, filled every heart with consternation throughout the German Empire, Michael Kieffer, our great grand- father, with his wife and nine remaining children, started from Zweibrücken for America, sailing on ship " Britannia," under Capt. Peters, April 15, 1773. While on their voyage his wife took sick, and on the 10th of May she died, and was buried amidst the waves of the Atlantic. After a voyage of over ninety days of " troubled farings on the sea," he, with his nine children, landed in the port of Baltimore. Ou his arrival here, Anna Odilia, his eldest daughter, suddenly sickened and died, and was buried at that place .. His family was now completely scattered; two of the children lay in the earth of Zweibrucken, his wife was buried at sea, and the oldest daughter in Baltimore. Ile now took the remainder of his family and went to Bed: ford County, Penn., where he remained eight years. He then crossed the Alleghany Mountains, and settled in Somerset County, same State. Here, March 26, 1805, he died. in the eighty-first year of his age, and was buried in Brother Valley Town- ship, Somerset Co., Penn. Ilis eldest son. Jacob, our grandfather, was born October 15, 1759, and was fourteen years of age when he came from Eu- rope. September 2, 1787, he was married to Eva Margaret Fritz, a native of Lancaster County, Penn., born September 27, 1769. To them were born nine children: Michael, Margaret, Elizabeth, Adam, Mary, Jacob, Susauna, Joseph and Eva, all born in Somerset County, Penn.
In the spring of ISH he, with his family, im- migrated to Wayne County, Ohio, and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 35, Milton Town- ship. This was the second family in the township. Their hardships and privations were many. The Indian, the bear, stag, wolf, porcupine and the rattlesnake were their datly visitors. After endur. ing the trials and privations consequent to pioneer life, after battling with the forest for about thirteen years, when the wilderness just began to put forth the first buds of hope and promise, he was sum- moned to his death bed, and on February 23. 1828, he died, in the sixty ninth year of his age, and was buried in the family graveyard on his place. lis widow died September 29, 1813, and was buried by the side of her husband. Michael, their eldest son, was born Angust 7, 1785, and was married to Eliz- abeth Giedig, of his native place; in 1820 she died, and was buried in the graveyard of his father; in 1823 he married Barbara Hoffman, a native of
Elsas, in Europe: in 1836 he died in Milton Town- ship, on the farm whereon he settled in 1815. in the forty ninth year of his age, and was buried by the side of his first wife. . Margaret, the chest daughter, was born September 22, 1789, and was married to Benjamin Sanford, a native of the State of Vermont; she died November 5, 1839, in Copley Township, Summit Co., Ohio, in the fiftieth year of her age, and was buried in the center of Copley. Elizabeth, the second daughter, was born June 12, 1793, and was married to Peter Flickinger, a native of Hagerstown, Md .; she died August 23, 1813, in Greene Township, on the farm whereon she and her husband had settled in 1815, and was buried in the family graveyard of her father. Adam, the second son, was born October 23, 1795. married Marin Lasure, a native of Lancaster County, Peun .; he died in Greene Township. November 20, 1853. in the fifty-ninth year of his age, on the farm where he and his wife settled in 1820, and was buried in the graveyard at Smithville. Mary, the third daughter, was born September 10, 1798, and married James Medsger; she died in the forty -first year of her age, in Milton Township. September 14, 1839, on the farm whereon she and her husband settled soon after they were married; she is buried in the old family graveyard. Jacob, the third son, was born February 21, 1802, married Rachel Kon- merer; his wife died February 5, 1813, and was buried in the old family graveyard; in 1-66 he died, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, on the funn where he and his wife had settled soon after they were married, and was buried in Milton Township. Susanna, the fourth daughter, Was born April 20, 1801, married John Young; she died in the seventy first year of her age, in 1815. in Milton Township, on the farm whereon she and her husband had settled in 1895. Joseph, the young est son, was born January 5, 1507, and married Mary Blacher: he died in Milton Township in 1560, in the fifty-fourth year of his age, ou th farm where he had settled with his parents in 1811. Eva, the youngest child, was born August 11, 1809; in 1830 she married Jucob Billman; in 1911 she died on the farm where she and her husband had settled in 1830, and was buried in the graveyard of St. Paul's Church. in Wayne Township. This may truly be said to have been a generation which had to encounter many trials and hardships. They settled in Milton Township before there were any ronds established in or near the township. Coming here, they had to make the road as fast as they went
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Trom Canton, in Stark County, to where they locat- ed in Milton Township, Wayne County. Rather remarkable, as. in course of time, one after another commeneed for himself, they settled ou farms of their own, whereon they remained until they died- not one of them moving once until taken to the grave. The faith of their religion was the creed of Imither. Mine were the parents of ten children, viz .: Elizabeth, Daniel L., Jacob J., Quincy A., Jesse S., Mary M., Joseph J., Catherine E., Josiah M. and Isaiah N., all born and reared on the farm, and all principally following the calling of the farmer, except the last named, who follows the ministry.
S INCLAIR JOHNSON, a son of James and Mary Johnson, was born February 23, 1824, on the farm now owned by him in Salt Creek Town- ship, Wayne Co., Ohio. His grandfather, Thomas Johnson, previous to the War of 1812, moved from near Baltimore, Md., to Fayette County, Penn., where he re- mained several years, and then came to Wayne County, arriving April 9, 1816; he died in a fit of apoplexy on the road southwest of Dalton, this county. He was the father of five children, three sons and two daughters, all now deceased.
James Johnson, father of the subject of this sketch, and also a native of Mary- land, removed from there to Fayette County, Penn., where he married Mary, daughter of John White, of Uniontown, same State. Here they located for a brief time, and then came to Salt Creek Township, Wayne Co., Ohio, where they
settled on the farm now owned by Sin- dair Johnson. James Johnson died Oc- tober 26, 1870, and his widow in 18.55. Their children were William W., Isaac S., Ruth and Sinclair. Of these, William W. married, and located in Salt Creek Township, Wayne County (he died at his late residence, near Wooster) ; Isaac S. married, and located in Salt Creek Town- ship, where he was engaged in agricult- mral pursuits, and died; Ruth married W. C. Grant, of Stark County, Ohio.
Sinclair Johnson, the subject of this memoir, when a child of eight months was stricken with fever, remaining ill for a period of three days, when he apparent- ly fully recovered, his mother leaving him at play upon the floor while she en- gaged in spinning. His screams called her attention, when she discovered that ' the child could not draw his limbs after him, and found that he had lost the use of his lower limbs. He, however, retained his mental and physical vigor, and per- severed in securing an education, receiv- ing an elementary training in the schools of the county. In 155T he graduated from Jefferson College, and became a profes- sional and eminently snecessful teacher, having taught at Fredericksburgh, Mid- dletown. Shelby. Apple Creek, and in other schools of the county.
On March 1. 1560, he married Lneinda B. Hatfield, and they have four children,
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viz .: Mary R. (now Mrs. Amos B. Derr, of Franklin Township), James A., Isaac A. and Sarah 1. Cunningham, of Valpa- raiso, Ind. In 1880 Mr. Johnson was again visited with an affliction, a stroke of palsy, which necessitated the relinquish- ment of active business life. Mr. John- son is a Prohibitionist, and both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and he has been a ruling elder a number of years in his church at Apple Creek. Ohio. In his affliction he feels that " He who noteth even the fall of a sparrow must have some purpose in the fate of one like him." Mr. Johnson has been reasonably successful financially, and is much esteemed by a large circle of acquaintances.
C URTIS V. HARD, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Wooster City, and a man whose success in life has been of his own making, was born in Wooster, Ohio, August 3, 1545. His father, M. K. Hard, was a native of Mo- dina County, Ohio, to which county the grandparents of Curtis V. had come from Vermont, in 1816. The ancestral lines on both the father's and mother's side extend far back in America-on the fa- ther's side several members of the family bearing arms in the Revolutionary War,
being with Ethan Allen at the storming and capture of Ticonderoga. Originally the family stock was English, and came to America about the middle of the seven- teenth century.
M. K. Hard, the father of our subject, grew to manhood in his native county, and directed for a time his attention to the study and practice of medicine, but later devoted himself to the ministry. in which vocation he spent some twenty-five or thirty years of his life. He chose as life's partner Miss Miranda Booth, of Me- dina County, who bore him six children, all of whom save one still survive. three of them in Wayne County. Owing to the nature of his calling, the home of the Rev. Hard was not permanently fixed until 1570, when he and his aged wife came to Wooster to spend their declining years, and here they still reside.
C. V. Hard received the advantages of the common schools of his native town, and later, for a time, attended Berea Col- lege, near Cleveland, Ohio, then returned to Wooster, where his life has since been spent. In 1864, being yet but a boy, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty- fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and proceeded at once to the South, and formed part of Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley. The following year he received an honorable discharge, and returned to his home, where he is now
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funiliarly known by the title of Colonel, from the position of lientenant-colonel he held in the National Guards.
In 1866 he became identified as book- keeper with the banking house of Bone- witz, Emrich & Co., and at its reor- ganization into the National Bank of Wooster was promoted to the important position of cashier, which encumbeney he is still most satisfactorily filling. He is a man of sterling business qualifications, possessing few enemies and many friends. In 1870 he was nited in marriage, with Miss Addie Jackson, a teacher in the ; ner, and eleven children have been born Wooster public school, and the daughter of Cyrus Jackson, of Wayne County. Of this nnion four children have been born.
In political life Mr. Hard is a stanch Republican, having always the interests of his party at heart, working earnestly for his friends, yet never seeking his own political preferment. He is a member of the Masonic order and the Gi. A. R.
D AVID LEHMAN, one of the prom- inent farmers of Wayne Township and who at the time of his death was one of the oldest citizens of Wayne County, was a son of Henry Lehman, and was born in Berks County, Penn., Sep- tember 15, 1802. Honry Lehman was married to Margaret Oberlin, by whom he had six children-three sons and three
daughters-David boing the second child and eldest son. In 1823 the family left Berks County and settled in Wayne Town- ship, Wayne Co., Ohio, where Henry Lehman paid $1,200 for 160 acres of land, which he bought of Dennis Driscoll, and later David Lehman purchased from his father previous to the latter's death, thus becoming owner of the traet of land above referred to. David Lehman followed farming all his life.
In 1829 he was married to Susan, daughter of Jacob and Christiana Kint- to this union, as follows: Sarah (Mrs. Elias Snyder), born in 1529; Jacob, born in 1831; Christiana (Mrs. Daniel Keifer), born in 1838; Elizabeth ( Mrs. Victor Gallagher), born in 1835; David, born in 1837; Hemy, born in 1839; Harriet, born in 1542; Daniel, born in 1541; Mary, born in 1846; Simon, born in 1819. and Sophia, born in 1851, and died in 1855. Mr. Lehman had always been a hardworking man, as the result of which, coupled with his good management. he had been enabled to retire from active labor, and was living in the village of Madisonburgh, enjoying the fruits of his former efforts, until death called him to his final rest. August 10, 1589. In all the relations of life he had the esteem and respect of his neighbors and acquaint- ances. In polities he was a Democrat.
David Lohman Son. ACED 86 YRS.
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F RANK SHILLING, son of John Shilling, a native of Pennsylvania, and one of the early pioneers of Canaan Township, Wayne Co., Ohio, was born January 12, 1852. He lived with his father and worked on the farm until he became of age, receiving a fair com- mon-school education. Jannary 16, 1873, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary, daughter of William Kiser, and they are the parents of two children, William K. and Nellie L. William Kiser was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., July 18, 1804, and came to Wayne County, Ohio, with his father, John Kiser (a native of Maryland), by wagon, in 1822, locating on a farm near Killbuck, in the eastern part of Congress Township. He worked hard and industriously to help support his parents, and in course of time, by economy and judicious management, he was enabled to purchase the old home place, where he lived for many years and where he died.
One Nicholas Prine entered the land which is now the home of Mr. Shilling, and many years ago offered to sell it to Mr. Kiser for $110, payable in sums not less than $10 at a time; Imt of even this liberal offer Mr. Kiser was then unable to avail himself. Leaving home, however, at the time of the construction of the Pittsburgh Canal, in company with one Michael Totten, he and his friend went to
work at the then considered good wages of $8 per month; and after several years hard labor he managed to save enough money to buy himself a home. In 1826 he purchased of Mr. Prine, for $320, the property spoken of above, which was then all in the woods, and he immediately com- meneed to cut down the timber and clear himself a farm. By hard work, thrift and good management Mr. Kiser amassed a fortime, being at the time of his death, March 16, 1886, owner of 422 acres of fine farm land.
Mr. Shilling, the subject proper of this biographical memoir, is much respected, and is recognized as one of the careful, prudent, industrious and progressive farmers of Wayne County.
W ILLIAM SHIBLEY, Wooster, was born in Germany in 1842, and is a son of Gottlieb Schible, as he spelled his name. The latter, with his wife and children, immigrated to America in 1854, loeating first in Cincin- mati, Ohio, and going thence, in 1860, to Missouri, where both of the parents died. Their family consisted of ten children, all born in Germany.
The subject of these lines received his early education in his native land, and was about twelve years old when he came
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to this country. For four years after his arrival he worked at various employments in Cincinnati, and in 1858 came to Woos- ter to learn the trade of a jeweler with his brother Lewis. He served until 1861, and on the outbreak of the Rebellion en- listed in the Sixteenth Ohio Infantry, serving his adopted country for over three years, being in service the entire time, except three weeks he was in a hospital near Vicksburg, Miss. He was in all of the engagements in which his regiment participated, but was never wounded. He was all through the siege of Vicksburg, his brigade being the first to make the assault at Chickasaw Bayou. October 31, 1864, he was honorably discharged at Camp Chase, and returned to Wooster, where he worked for his brother until 1876. In April of that year he began business for himself in a watch, elock and jewelry store, which he still carries on.
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In October, 1869, Mr. Shibley was united in marriage with Miss Rosa Young, a daughter of Wendell and Rosa ( Hahn) Young, and a native of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Shibley are members of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church of Wooster. He belongs to Given Post, No. 133, G. A. R., of Wooster, and both he and his estimable wife are widely and favorably known throughout Wayne County as people of integrity, whose good name has never been tarnished. Starting in life poor, the
success which Mr. Shibley has attained is very flattering to him. It is due to his earnest and industrious character, and to his correct habits, and in a large measure to the help of a wife who has in all things been a helpmate to him.
EWIS SNYDER is one of the well- known citizens of Wayne County, within whose borders he has passed more than half a century. He was born in Union County, Pen., May 19, 1824. His Father, Jacob Snyder, was also a na- tive of that State, born in Berks County, near Reading; he was by occupation a farmer, and, on reaching manhood, was united in marriage with Susannah Hock, who likewise was born in the Keystone State, and who became the mother of Lewis Snyder. In the fall of 1836 this couple came to Wayne County with their family, for whom they wished to make a home in this then new country. Their settlement was on a farm in Franklin Township, upon which the remainder of their lives was passed. The father was called to his eternal rest August 7, 1860, at the age of sixty-nine years, after a resi- dence here of twenty years, and the mother in 18SO, at the age of eighty- Seven years. Both were faithful meyi- bers of the Lutheran Church, and both
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