USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part Two > Part 2
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Politically Mr. Gayer is a Republican and he has taken an active interest in public matters for years, frequently serving as a delegate to important party conventions. He is a Mason, belonging to the Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter at Spencerville, and the Council at Del- phos. He is also an Odd Fellow, having mem- bership in both lodge and encampment.
OUIS J. STUEBER, M. D. The late Dr. Louis J. Stueber, whose death, in the very prime of a happy and useful life, brought grief to a singularly de- voted family at Lima, and to friends in many sections, including barely civilized savages of far-away lands to whom he had giv- en kindly help in times of sickness, was the
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younger son of Andrew J. and Catherine (Marx) Stueber.
The father of Dr. Stueber came to Lima as early as 1867 and long was one of the faithful mechanics of the Pennsylvania Railroad. His death took place some years since but his aged widow still survives, with one son, Dr. Freder- ick G. Stueber.
Louis J. Stueber was liberally educated and was a young man of the greatest promise. He was a graduate of Rush Medical College, Chi- cago; after completing his professional course there, he became an interne of the Alexian Brothers Hospital in Chicago. When the Spanish-American War broke out, he went to the front as first assistant surgeon of the Sec- ond Regiment, Ohio Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, and after the close of that war, upon being urged by the Surgeon General of the United States, he accepted a position on the surgical corps, which was sent to the Island of Mindanao, one of the Philippines. During his two years of service in the far East, he won admiration for his surgical and medical proficiency and the kindest memory that many of the savage Mo- ros have of the hated and feared white man, is this kind and skillful doctor who brought to them healing. Dr. Stueber returned to Lima in 1901. His death occurred while on a visit to Texas, in the Alamo Plaza, at San Antonio, on December 8, 1904.
Dr. Stueber was married on May 21, 1890, to Nina E. Purtscher, who is a daughter of the late Christian Purtscher, a native of Switzer- land. They had one daughter-Martha A.
Dr. Stueber was a member of the German Reformed Church, where the funeral services were held. The various organizations of which he had been an honored and beloved member --- the United Spanish War Veterans, the Elks, the Eagles and Odd Fellows-attended in a body.
The Second Regiment, Ohio National Guard, adopted resolutions of respect setting forth their appreciation of his services during the Spanish-American War, when he distin- guished himself in the faithful discharge of his duties in relieving the sufferings of his fellow- soldiers in the fever-stricken camps and on the field of battle in the Philippines.
B AXTER TREVOR, a retired citizen of Lima, was born in England in Janu- ary, 1843, and was reared and edu- cated in his native land though all his subsequent development has been in the United States. He served bravely in the army of his adopted country, suffered in her de- fense, and later through his own efforts reached a position of importance in the business world and in the confidence and friendship of a large number of his fellow-citizens.
After coming to America, Mr. Trevor fol- lowed farming and also went to school in Hu- ron County, Ohio. Our subject gained his first military experience in 1862 with the "Squirrel Hunters," called out to repell a Confederate in- vasion of Ohio. He was at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, when the "Island Queen" was scuttled and set adrift on Lake Erie. At this time he joined a company which had for its captain young John Brown, a son of John Brown, of Harper's Fer- ry fame. In October, 1864, he enlisted in Com- pany D, 55th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. The Regi- ment was sent at once to Atlanta and attached to the 20th Army Corps, and Mr. Trevor par- ticipated in all the battles until Bentonville, on March 17, 1865, when he was wounded in the right arm, which was so shattered that he was obliged to submit to its amputation on the field. His sufferings during his conveyance in the rude ambulance over the rough, corduroy roads, to the hospital at Goldsboro, North Car- olina, only served to demonstrate what youth and vigor can stand without giving way. His wound was so serious that after a season at Goldsboro he was sent on to New Bern, where he was placed on the hospital boat and taken to David's Island, New York, where he could re- ceive more skilled care. He arrived in that city on the day following President Lincoln's assassination, when the city was almost para- lyzed with grief. He was conveyed to the gen- eral hospital on David's Island, where he re- mained until June 14, 1865, when he was dis- charged, though not cured. One ligature which was affected was not removed until later and until that was done, he suffered severely.
Wounded, weak, without funds and with- out a home, the future looked bleak to the young man, as may well be imagined, but he
JONATHAN CUSTARD
MRS. SARAH T. CUSTARD
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was given a welcome at the Soldiers' Home at Cleveland, and had been there but a month when he had so gained the good will of those with whom he came in contact, that he was chosen for one of the positions at the home, the light duties of which he could perform. This was to meet every train and conduct to the home the weary boys in blue who sought its shelter. The next fall Mr. Trevor secured a position in the Cleveland Postoffice which he held for four and a half years, and then followed book can- vassing through Ohio and Pennsylvania for the same length of time. From this latter occupa- tion he drifted into the business of selling books and stationery and established a store at Nor- walk, Ohio, which he conducted for nine years. He was then recalled to Cleveland for the pur- pose of assisting in the settling up of an estate in England. While there, he carried on a news and stationery business until 1885,. when he came to Lima and bought the "City Book Store," forming a partnership and doing busi- ness for a time under the firm name of Trevor & Robinson. Then Mr. Trevor sold to his part- ner and embarked in a book and stationery bus- iness for himself, near High street, which he continued until he retired from active business. He accompanied Mr. Knight, the lecturer, dur- ing one year, the subject of the entertainment being certain thrilling events of the Civil War. Mr. Trevor was appointed, in 1890, decennial appraiser of the Fifth and Sixth wards of Lima.
In 1886 Mr. Trevor was married to Anna Bilton, of England, and they have three chil- dren, viz .: Ada Adelaide; Maud Gertrude, wife of Clarence F. Spaulding, of Buchanan, Michigan ; and Kyle C., who is with R. G. Dun & Company at Springfield, Ohio. He is a mem- ber of Mart Armstrong Post, No. 202, G. A. R. He belongs to the First Congregational Church of Lima.
ONATHAN CUSTARD, one of Lima's esteemed retired citizens, whose period of residence covers almost a half cen- tury, was born in November 17, 1834, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and is a son of Daniel Custard.
Daniel Custard was born in Maryland.
When he was 10 years old, his people moved to Pennsylvania and later to Tuscarawas County, Ohio. In 1835 he moved to Allen County and lived on a farm in German township, where he also conducted a small store, until 1856, when he came to Lima and for some years operated a general supply store on the present site of the Court House. He was the father of 12 chil- dren, of whom our subject is the only sur- vivor. Daniel Custard died in 1868, aged 83 years. In politics he was a strong Whig and later a Republican.
Jonathan Custard was reared on a farm and was educated in a select school in Lima. His entrance into business was in the grocery line and later he was connected with the sewing machine trade. For the past 14 years he has mainly occupied himself in looking after his investments and large property interests. He has enjoyed traveling with his wife and daugh- ter and has frequently visited the various points of interest in California and sojourned at that pleasant Pacific city, Los Angeles.
On January 1, 1857, Mr. Custard was married to Sarah E. Terry, a daughter of Enos and Delphia (Watson) Terry. Enos Terry was born in Warren County, Ohio, and came to Allen County in 1830, when the country was still a wilderness, inhabited by wild beasts and Indians. He helped to lay out what is now the beautiful city of Lima and during this period, on many occasions, his efficient wife cooked the dinners for the men engaged in this work. Mrs. Terry was born in Virginia. Enos Terry was the pioneer nurseryman of Allen County' and was engaged in that business almost the whole of his active life. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Custard, and of these two are now living, namely : Edwin K., of To- ledo, Ohio, and Delphia Terry. The other two, who died in infancy, were: Lillie Ann, born November 1, 1858, and deceased January 2, 1863; and Daniel Enos, born May 5, 1862, and deceased June 4, 1863. Edwin K. Custard was married in April, 1887, to Nellie Dunsby, who was born in England and has lived in America since she was four years of age. They have had five children, as follows : Jonathan, Leonise. Madeline, Ocia and Edwin Coldor, deceased. Delphia Terry Custard was married on No-
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vember 30, 1905, to Frank J. Wurmser, of Lima. Mr. Wurmser is a native of Findlay, Ohio. The family are members of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Lima, which Mr. Custard served as an official for 17 years.
Both the Custard and the Terry families have been identified with the development of Allen County for a great many years. Mr. and Mrs. Custard have a fund of interesting reminiscences of the early days in Allen County. Mrs. Custard remembers hearing her parents tell of their removal from Lebanon, Ohio, into the wilderness of Allen County. They came in a covered wagon, which they had stocked with supplies designed to comfortably support them for a year, but a large part of these went to feed the hungry Indians who came begging, Mrs. Terry fearing to refuse them.
Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Custard accom- pany this sketch, being shown on a preceding page.
€ G. WEADOCK, M. D., one of the prominent young medical practitioners of Lima, is a native of this city, where he was born in 1876, and where he has been established as a physician and surgeon since 1900.
He was primarily educated in the common and parochial schools at Lima, and was grad- uated in 1894 from the Lima High School. He then turned his attention to the study of medicine and in 1896 was graduated from As- sumption College, Ontario, Canada, and com- pleted his medical education in the University of Michigan, in 1900. Dr. Weadock immed- iately entered into practice in his native city. where he secured recognition very soon, and for the past three years he has been surgeon for the police and the fire departments of Lima and the County Jail. He is local surgeon of the U. T. C. and Brotherhood of Locomotive and is also examining physician and surgeon for the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Catholic Knights of Ohio and the Catholic Mutual Benevolent Association, to which he belongs, He is a member of the medical staff of the Lima Hospital and takes a deep interest in all that concerns the sanitary condition of the city.
Dr. Weadock is county president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He is a worthy member of St. Rose Catholic Church.
cDOUGALL EMMITT, secretary of the Lima Progressive Associa- tion, is a well-known newspaper man, having for 15 years been con- nected with the leading publica- tions of Pike, Ross and more recently, of Allen County. Mr. Emmitt was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1868. In his youth his parents moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, where he received the greater part of his education. He is a grad- uate of the Waverly High School.
After leaving school, he entered a newspa- per office of Waverly, where he remained for five years. He next accepted a position on the Chillicothe Gasette and four years later came to Lima where he was connected with the Times-Democrat. He was employed on this paper six years, resigning his position in Aug- ust, 1905, to accept the secretaryship of the Lima Progressive Association. He was mar- ried July 7, 1892, to Edith McKinzie, of Wa- verly, Ohio.
RA R. WETHERILL, M. D., one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Bluffton, was born July 21, 1853, in Hardin County, near the village of West Newton. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Gloyd) Wetherill. His father was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 19, 1809, and was 10 years of age when his father, whose name was also John, came from England and settled in Virginia. Later they came to Richland County, Ohio, where the grandfather of our subject died at the age of 45 years, leav- ing five sons and two daughters. John Weth- erill, Jr., was married in 1836 to Elizabeth Gloyd, who was born in Rockingham County. Virginia, in 1816, and came with her parents to Richland County, where she was married. In 1839 Mr. Wetherill took his family to Har- din County, where he cleared and put under cul- tivation a large tract of land. He was an in-
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dustrious, thrifty man, a devout Methodist, and and in early years a Democrat, although after the nomination of Lincoln he supported the Re- publican ticket until his death in 1899. His wife died in Hardin County in her 49th year, leaving 14 children, all of whom grew to adult years except the youngest, who died in infancy. Of this family, 12 were married and eight are now living.
Ira R. Wetherill attended public school and engaged in teaching district schools for several terms, supplementing this with a course in the university at Ada, and, later, in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, Maryland. Graduating from this institution in 1881, he at once began the practice of his profession at Beaver Dam, where he remained 10 years be- fore locating in Bluffton. He enjoys a large general practice and has been very successful in his work.
In 1874 Dr. Wetherill was married to Sus- an A. Lattimore, who was born in Hardin County, Ohio, April 24, 1857, and was a daugh- ter of John and Sarah (Shanks) Lattimore of that country. Mrs. Wetherill died in 1895, leaving three children, namely: Ova, wife of Row Ewing, of Bluffton; Webb; and Cliff, a freshman in the medical college at Columbus, Ohio. Webb is a soldier in the United States Army, and served three years in the light artil- lery, two of them being spent in the Philippines He served three years in the coast artillery, when he was stationed at Fort Hamilton, New York and has but recently reenlisted in Califor- nia in the light artillery. The Doctor is a Re- publican. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias of Bluffton and is a genial, popular gentleman. He is president of the Bluffton Telephone Company, having held the office dur- ing the past four years.
ACOB STALEY, an influential agricul- turist of Allen County, has resided on the farm of 150 acres in sections 19 and 20, Jackson township, his entire life, having been ushered into the world on homestead farm September 11, 1839. His parents were Jacob and Eunice ( Fisher) Staley, both of whom were natives of Virginia. 24
Jacob Staley, Sr., was born in 1800 and was married in his native State before coming with his parents and family to Ohio. He was one. of a large family of children born to Peter- Staley and his wife, all of them came to Ohio .. They were as follows : Wilkes who was a farm- er and conversed almost entirely in the German : language; Peter; John; Sally ( Hall) ; Betsey; (Mauch) ; Jacob; Eva (Suddith) ; and Katie (Fisher). Jacob Staley was a man of tall, spare build, capable of accomplishing a large amount of work. He entered 160 acres of land on Hog Creek and lived there until his death at: the age of 62 years. He voted with the Whig. and Republican parties and was a devout mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His, wife passed away in 1887 at the age of 86 years .. Their children are as follows : Betty (Grant) ,. deceased; Eva (Watt) ; John; Jemima (Boyd) ; Eunice ( Hall) ; Jacob and Hannah (Mrs. Thomas Watt).
Jacob Staley, the subject of this biography,. has been a farmer and for 25 years was en- gaged, in quarrying stone, giving up that occu- pation only about three years ago. He has been very successful as a stock-raiser and general farmer and has put many of the improvements on the farm. On December 5, 1861, he was married to Olive Hall, of Jackson township, who was born May 10, 1842, and is a daughter of William M. and Lydia G. (Walton ) Hall, who came here from Pickaway County and. were among the first to take up a claim. Mr. and Mrs. Staley have no children. Mr. Staley is a Democrat.
LIFFORD L. KIPLINGER, a leading contractor and carpenter of Lima was reared and educated in this city- where he was born 46 years ago. Daniel Kiplinger, his father, is now in his 76th year, and is one of the most respect- ed citizens of Lima. He is a native of Spring- field, Clark County, Ohio. In 1854 he came to Allen County, where he soon became one of the most successful contractors and carpenters. At the time of his settling in Lima, it was a village. of some thousand inhabitants and, as Daniel Kiplinger was among the first contractors to
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locate here, he built a large per cent. of the structures erected in this vicinity. He is the father of two sons, namely: Clifford L. and Clarence, who is located at Columbus and is agent of the Pittsburg Reduction Company, having under his management three States- Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
Clifford L. Kiplinger began working at the carpenter trade when he was a lad of 15 years and, after mastering it, became a partner with his father, with whom he was associated in the contracting and building business for 13 years. He then engaged in the same business by him- self, and has been busy with general contract work during the eight years he has been alone. He is a first-class workman, and many of the finest buildings in Lima and vicinity stand as monuments of his skill. Mr. Kiplinger was married in 1885 to Lizzie Moore, whose father Amos Moore, was at one time a prominent con- tractor of Zanesville, Ohio, where he died in 1873. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kiplinger, Lawrence, the elder, was graduated from the Lima High School before he had reached his 17th year; he then entered the offices of the Buckeye Pipe Line Company, where he is still employed. Karl, the younger son, is still attending High School. Mr. Kip- linger is a member of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Lima.
D AVID W. HIGBY, superintendent of the Allen County Children's Home for the past seven years, was born in Hardin County, Ohio, July 25, 1854, son of Elisha and Rebecca ( Priest) Higby. His father was born in Canada but came to Columbus, Ohio, where he was mar- ried. Afterwards he located in Hardin Coun- ty where he and his wife died. Their family consisted of four children, viz: Mattie, who married George Woods and now resides in To- ledo; David W .; Joseph, deceased ; and Lydia, who married Richard Walker and lived in Har- din County until her death.
David W. Higby became a carpenter and worked at that occupation in his native county until his 24th year, when he came to Allen County. Locating in Harrod, he worked as a
millwright and also conducted the Central House there until 1899. Having been appoint- ed by the Board of Directors as superintendent of the Allen County Children's Home, he took up his duties at once and has discharged them in a manner to win the hearty commendation of all. The home has been in active operation about 12 years, and is one of the institutions of which Allen County may well feel proud. furn- ishing, as it does, temporary care and shelter for hundreds of homeless children until the management can place them in permanent homes. Eighty-two little ones are now being cared for in the institution. They will be placed with families where they will be given parental love and reared to lives of usefulness and honor. It would be impossible to give an estimate of the good that is done in thus caring for children, many of whom would otherwise grow up in ignorance, poverty and vice. The farm belonging to. the home has about 1521/2 acres of land and this, with the work about the building which is a fine brick edifice, requires the employment of at least 10 persons. Mr. Higby has been in charge since the sixth year after it was opened. He has everything in the most perfect working order and at the same time keeps the expense within reasonable limits.
Mr. Higby was married in 1878 to May Eubanks, a native of this county and a daughter of Thomas and Sarah ( Darby) Eubanks. Mrs. Eubanks was twice married, her second hus- band being Enoch Harvey. . Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Higby, namely : Maude, born December 23, 1880, who is the wife of Cliff Breese; and Blanche, born Feb- ruary 23, 1885. Mr. Higby is a Democrat but does not take an active part in politics. He is a member of Lima Lodge, No. 91, Knights of Pythias Lodge, and is a man who will ever be found true to his friends.
BRAM HARROD, a highly esteemed retired resident of Lima, was born in Mercer County, Ohio, April 27, 1850, and is a son of David and Jane ( Rick- mire) Harrod.
The father of Mr. Harrod was born in 1792 in Knox County, Ohio, and the mother in the
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same locality two years later. After marriage they settled near Fort Recovery, in Mercer County, in 1837, and lived there on a farm until 1852, when David Harrod went west on a pros- pecting tour, in search of a suitable location to which to remove. He was taken ill with chol- era on a steamboat on the Missouri River and died far from home.
Abram Harrod lived at home in Mercer County until 1875 and then went to California, where he spent one year and then settled at Ge- neva, Indiana, where he engaged in an undertak- ing and furniture business for some seven years, removing then to Portland, Indiana. There he embarked in an implement business which he continued four years. On January 1, 1886, he came to Lima and became traveling salesman for Henry Parham in an implement business. After seven years in this employment, he took up the duties of county recorder, to which he had been elected on the Democratic ticket. He served six years and eight months, having been reelectd. Since retiring from this position he has been traveling representative of a Court House supply firm. Recently he has been ap- pointed market master by the Board of Public Service of Lima.
On May 15, 1875, Mr. Harrod was married to Harriet Smith, of Van Wert County, Ohio, who is a daughter of David and Jane (Hart- zog) Smith. They have two sons, viz .: Bert G., who is connected with the Lima Locomotive Works, and Robert L., who is traveling for a wholesale implement firm of Kansas City, where he resides. He is a graduate of the law department of the University of Michigan, but imperfect hearing interfered with his profes- sional career. Mr. and Mrs. Harrod are mem- bers of the Methodict Episcopal Church.
T. FURNAS, proprietor of the Apex Skirt Company, of Lima, was born at Pleasant Hill, Miami County, Ohio, in 1852, and was there reared and ed- ucated. His first commercial venture was in his native village, where he conducted a dry goods store for about three years. He next went West and was in the dry goods busi-
ness in Luzerne, Iowa, about four years, when he returned to Ohio and for 11 years conducted a merchant tailoring establishment at Colum- bus Grove. In 1883 he came to Lima and pur- chased the business of John Siegfried, mer- chant tailor, and for 20 years devoted his time and attention to working up a large trade. Dur- ing recent years he saw the possibilities awaiting the individual who could supply the ever-grow- ing demand for ladies' tailored skirts, and in 1903 the Apex Skirt Company was established by him. The success of the undertaking has shown the correctness of his theory. He has traveling salesmen in Michigan, Illinois, Indi- ana, Ohio and Pennsylvania and the company employs a large number. of workmen to keep up their orders.
Mr. Furnas was married in 1874 to Anna Tinker, daughter of Samuel Tinker, of Ches- ter, Massachusetts. They have two children, Everett C. and Anna. The son is engaged in business with his father.
OHN W. ROTHE, one of the substantial farmers and representative citizens of German township, where he owns land aggregating 292 acres, situated in sec- tions 13, 14 and 23, was born in Ger- many, November 29, 1830, and is a son of Frederick and Mary Rothe.
In 1855 John W. Rothe, accompanied by his parents, came to America and located in Perry township, Allen County, Ohio, where he bought 50 acres of land for which he paid $12 per acre. It was a piece of woodland on which a round-log cabin stood, and this was the fam- ily home for 10 years. Mr. Rothe then pur- chased 80 acres in sections 13 and 14, German township, subsequently adding to this until he now owns 292 acres of some of the finest land to be found in the county. Prior to coming to the United States he had learned the blacksmith trade at which he worked during his younger years.
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