USA > Ohio > Wood County > Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 2 > Part 81
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He was born in Hessen-Darmstadt, on May zo, 1831, and is a son of John and Eva Catherine (Tiefdeler) Young, also natives of the same prov- ince, the father born in 1784, and the mother, in 1791. There the former engaged in farming throughout life, dying in 1851, and his wife also died in Germanyin 1876. In their family were four children: Philip is still a resident of Germany. Antoine located in Ottawa county, Ohio, in 1852,
where he still resides, and there enlisted in the Sgth O. V. I., for service in the Civil war. Sa- bine is also living in Germany. Jacob C. com- pletes the family.
In the Fatherland the last named was reared and educated, and became familiar with the duties that fall to the lot of an agriculturist. Resolved to try his fortune in America, he took passage on a sailing vessel at Havre, France, and, after a long and tedious voyage of forty-six days, landed safely at New York, in 1853, whence he came direct to Lake township, Wood county, where he worked by the day and month for some time. However, in 1857, he purchased forty acres in the woods. and at once commenced clearing the same, and erected thereon a log house, which continued to be his place of abode until 1871, when he built his present substantial residence. Notwithstand- ing all the obstacles he met in developing his wild land, he has by hard and persistent work placed it under a high state of cultivation.
During the Civil war, Mr. Young aided his adopted country in her struggle to preserve the Union, being a member of Company B, IS9th O. V. I., and was mustered into service at Camp Chase, Columbus, whence he was sent to Browns- boro and Huntsville, Ala., where he was sta- tioned most of the time. He was detailed to the quartermaster's department, in which he served until discharged in September, 1865, at Nash- ville, Tenn. He then returned to his home in Lake township.
In that township, in 1862, he was married to Miss Catherine Crossmann, a native of Germany. born November 23, 1844. Her parents, Peter and Margaret Elizabeth (Sayer) Crossmann. were born in Hessen-Darinstadt (the former March 23, ISTO, the latter November 16. 1816). and, in 1850, crossed the Atlantic, locating first at Toledo, but six years later becoming residents of Lake township, this county, where, June 8. 1891, he passed away, and where also his wife died May 9, 1893. Five children graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Young-Mrs Eva Tan- ner, of Toledo; Adam, who died in 1864; Mrs. Elizabeth Whiteman, of Ottawa county, Ohio Mary, who died in 1869; and Henry, who died in 1873.
The parents are both worthy members of the Lutheran Church at Millbury, Wood county, thoroughly identified with its interests, and are highly respected and esteemed as valued mem- bers of the community. In politics, Mr. Young affiliates with the Republican party. In his younger days he was a great hunter, and in this frontier region had ample opportunity to indulge
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in that sport, as at the time when he arrived the country was sparsely settled, and ganie was quite numerous.
HENRY SCHWENK, an agriculturist of Middle- ton township, was born near Hunt's Corners, in Huron county, Ohio, March 12, 1861, and is a son of Martin and Mary (Lydorf) Schwenk, natives of Germany. From Huron county the father re- moved to Middleton township, where he carried on farming until his death in 1870. Mrs. Schwenk afterward became the wife of Charles Keller, a farmer of Perrysburg, and died in 1889.
Our subject was the only child of the first mar- riage. In the common schools of Middleton township he acquired his early education, and aft- erward spent three years as a student in the Ger- man school at Perrysburg. He began life as a farm hand, and to-day is the owner of fifty-two acres of land which he received from his parents, being the only heir. By ditching and tiling he has drained the place, and a fine residence, good barns and other necessary outbuildings stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising. and, in addition to his home property, he is to-day the owner of three good residences in Huron county.
Mr. Schwenk has been twice married. In 1886 he wedded Rekie Huebner, who was born in Lucas county, in 1865. She died in 1890, and their only child died in infancy. April 16, 1891, Mr. Schwenk was married to Setta Keiner, who was born in Huron county, March 1, 1866. They have one son, Martin H., born June 26, 1893.
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Mr. Schwenk gives his political support to the Democratic party, and in religious faith is a Lu- theran. He is in the truest sense of the word a self-made man.
DANIEL, STAHL, of Bradner, a well-known landholder and agriculturist, is one of the influ- ential citizens of Montgomery township, where (in Section 1) he entered upon life's journey No- vember 20, 1846, the youngest son of Godfrey and Rosannah (Weigle) Stahl.
He attended in boyhood the old Prospect School, and his first teacher was hiis sister Cath- erine; but at the age of fifteen, as he was the only boy at home, and his father was in the army, he was obliged to devote his time to farin work. Although his studies were thus interrupted, he passed the teacher's examination at Fremont when he was twenty-one, receiving a license to teach. He followed this occupation for four terms in Scott and Madison townships, Sandusky
county, living at home during the time, and giving his spare time to farming. On July 17, 1873, he was married, at Bowling Green, to Mrs. Sarah (Minkler) Hamilton, the widow of George Hain- ilton. She was born January 1, 1848, a daugh- ter of Caleb G. and Alsina (McCormick) Minkler, of Scott township, Sandusky county. Her father was a millwright by trade, and followed the busi- ness in several different States. His death oc- curred at his home when he was eighty-four years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Stahl located first upon a farm of thirty-six acres, a part of the old homestead of the Stahl family. After a short time they inoved to a farm in Sandusky county, but in November, 1895, they came to Section 12, Mont- gomery township, where they now reside. They have six children: Rose E., Edna, Mertie M., Fred, Harry, and Reed Mck., all at home. Mr. Stahl owns forty-five acres of very valuable land at Bradner, and eighty acres in Section 7, Scott township, Sandusky county, as well as an inter- est in some oil holdings, and of his comfortable competence the greater part has been acquired by his own efforts. A man of great foresight in business matters, he manages his affairs with dis- cretion, and he has never sued anyone, or been sued. Politically he has always been a Repub- lican, and in 1896 was elected assessor in Brad- ner precinct. For some years he was identified with the Methodist Church, but he is not now connected with any denomination. In fraternal affiliation he is a member of the I. O. O. F. at Bradner.
SAMUEL STERNAMAN, a prominent agricultur- ist of Webster township, was born March 31, 1830, in Erie county, N. Y., ten miles east of Buffalo. His father, Jacob Sternaman, a native of Pennsylvania, and a wagon maker by trade, married Miss Catherine Slaybaugh, of Adams county, Penn. In October, 1836, they moved from Erie county, N. Y., to Portage county, Ohio, then in October, 1844, to Wood county, locating upon a farm of forty acres in Troy town- ship, then moving to Webster township, in 1867. The father died in 1856, the mother on February 13. 1878. Eight children were born to them: William, deceased; Jonas, a farmer of Troy township; Peter and Benjamin, both deceased; Elizabeth, who married Hiram A. Kyes, of Free- dom township; Susanna, the wife of James Booth; Samuel, the subject of this sketeb; and one that died in infancy.
Our subject's early education was obtaine 1 in an old log school house in Troy township, but
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Samuel Sternaman
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WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
his time was largely given to the farm work on the old homestead, where he remained until he was twenty-six years old. He then bought eighty acres of wild land in Webster township, near Luckey, which he has transformed into a fine farm with modern improvements. He was the first to operate drilling machines for water wells in his township. The experiences of pio- neer life are fresh in his recollection, and he has seen Indians, bears, wolves and turkeys roaming at will on land which is now dotted with farms and villages. In 1869 he was married to Miss Mary Brown, a native of Perry county, Ohio, born September 20, 1828, a daughter of Matthew and Mary (Queen) Brown, prominent residents of Bowling Green. No children were born of this union, but Mr. and Mrs. Sternaman have cared for and educated Zerna Myers, an adopted daughter, and Mary and Erastus Sternaman, the orphan children of Wm. Sternaman, our subject's brother. Mary married John E. Myers, of Penn- sylvania, and has seven children: Zerna, Julia Ann, Clemson, Robert, Rosena, Lottie and Gertrude.
Mr. Sternaman is a Democrat in politics, as was his father before him, and he has taken an active part in the affairs of his locality, serving as supervisor for a number of terms. His pro- gressive spirit and industry and honesty of pur- pose, make him a valuable official.
D. E. NIVER, superintendent of water works at Bowling Green, and who for a number of years was a well-known educator of Wood coun- ty, was born in Huron county, Ohio, three miles north of Chicago Junction, March 4, 1856. The parents of our subject were George M. and Ada- line (Van Liew) Niver, the former a native of New York State, who removed to Huron county, Ohio, about 1840, where he was married. His wife, the mother of our subject, died when the latter was only nine days old, and the father married, for his second wife, Miss Lovenia Bart- lett. They still reside in Hnron county, and have one daughter, Carrie A., who is the wife of Stanley Gage. The Nivers are of Scotch de- scent.
After the death of our subject's mother he was reared by his grandparents, beginning work on his grandfather's farm when thirteen years old, where he was employed by one of his uncles at a regular salary. The following three years he spent alternately at work and in attending school at Republic, Ohio, and when sixteen years of age taught his first school, which was a short sumnier term. He then went to Fostoria, where
he attended a Normal school, teaching during the vacations in the country districts, and in this way supporting himself, and at the same time acquir- ing a sufficient degree of mental discipline to fit him for taking a place among the educators of this great State. His first work in a department school was at New Stark, Hancock county, and in the fall of 1879, after his graduation from the Northwestern Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio, he was made principal of the public schools at Nevada, Wyandot Co., Ohio, which comprised six department schools. In 1885, after six years' service, Mr. Niver resigned his superintendency of the Normal schools, and removed to Bowling Green, where he held the office of superintendent of schools for four years, when he resigned to engage in other business.
Mr. Niver was a member of the hardware firm of Cumming, Ross & Co., for two and a half years, at the end of which time he sold out his interest, expecting to engage in business for him- self. The financial panic which at this time swept over the country, caused him to defer his plans, and in the meantime he was appointed superintendent of the water works, which re- sponsible position he at present holds. Niver is a man of sterling qualities, well informed on all topics of the day, of good business judg- ment and executive ability, and is popular with all classes. He was a member of the city council of Bowling Green from 1892 to 1895, and has always used his influence to further the interests of his community. He is a member of Wood county Lodge No. 112, F. & A. M., of which he was master for four years, and also belongs to Crystal Chapter No. 157, R. A. M.
Mr. Niver was married July 29, 1879, to Miss Mary Davenport, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, November 24, 1855. They have one child-Clair E.
JAMES F. BYRNE. The subject of this sketch was born in Maumee, May 3, 1844, and is the son of John and Esther Byrne, the former of whom was born in Queens County, Ireland, and came to America when eighteen years of age. settling in Maumee. He was a whip sawyer by trade, and was employed in the shipyards. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. and died in 1882, and was buried in Fort Meiss cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Byrne were born seven children -- six sons and one daughter -- orly two of whom are living: Edward, now living in Ironville, Ohio, and our subject.
James F. grew up in Perrysburg, and obtained his education in the Union schools of that place.
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