USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 106
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L. E. WILLIS.
L. E. Willis, owner of the North Lewisburg Telephone Company and proprietor of an up-to-date garage at that place, is a native son of Ohio, and has lived in this state all his life. He was born at Sabina, in Clinton county, June 28, 1865, son of W. E. and Jane Willis, both of whom also were born in Clinton county, and who in 1873 moved to Broadway, in Union county, where they still make their home. For some years after moving to Broadway, W. E. Willis had charge of a saw-mill there and during the Cleveland administration served as postmaster of that town. To him and his wife seven children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch is the only one living in Champaign county.
Reared at Broadway, he having been but seven or eight years of age when his parents moved to that place, L. E. Willis received his schooling at that place and there learned the art of telegraphing. Upon completing the course in the high school he began working for the Erie Railway Com- pany as a telegraph operator and in 1889 was stationed at Marion, this state, as the company's operator at that place. In 1891 Mr. Willis was trans- ferred to Kennard. as agent for the Erie at that place, and was thus engaged there for ten years, or until 1901, in which year he moved to North Lewis- burg and there became engaged in the furniture and undertaking business. Three years later he disposed of his business in that connection and set about promoting the organization of the North Lewisburg Telephone Com- pany and establishing a telephone plant there. Mr. Willis was quite suc- cessful in that undertaking and succeeded in the construction of an admir- able plant, which is now serving more than three hundred and seventy-five subscribers, and of which plant Mr. Willis is now sole owner and manager. In 1912 Mr. Willis engaged in the automobile business at North Lewisburg and erected a substantial and up-to-date garage, which he since has been conducting quite successfully. He is the local agent for the sale of the Maxwell car and is regarded as one of the best-known and most energetic automobile men in the county. Mr. Willis is a Democrat and ever since taking up his residence in this county has given his earnest and thoughtful
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attention to local civic affairs. He is a member of the Champaign county election board and is a member of the board of trustees of the Champaign County Childrens' Home, in the affairs of which institution he takes a deep interest.
In December. 1891, L. E. Willis was united in marriage to Zora Col- lins, daughter of William Collins and wife, of Broadway, this state, and to this union five children have been born, namely: Burrill, who married Nela Bates and has one child, Klair; Alonzo, who married Madge Parrish, of Lawrence, Kansas, and Mary, Leahbelle and James. Mr. and Mrs. Willis have a very pleasant home at North Lewisburg and take a proper interest in the general social activities of their home town. They are members of the Methodist Episcopl church and are active in church work, Mr. Willis being secretary of the official board of the church. He is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias, past chancellor commander of the same, and has for years taken a warm interest in Pythian affairs.
HERBERT C. EVERHART.
Herbert C. Everhart, trustee of Union township and one of Champaign county's well-known and progressive young farmers, was born on a farm in the neighboring county of Clark, son of John A. and Melissa Ann ( Near) Everhart, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio, who later became resident of Champaign county, John A. Everhart becoming a sub- stantial farmer in the Mechanicsburg neighborhood, where he spent his last days. His widow is now making her home at Catawba.
John A. Everhart was born in Loudoun county. Virginia, and was a young man when he came to Ohio with his parents, Israel and Maria (Ropp) Everhart. also natives of the same county, the former born in 1811 and the latter in 1817. It was in the spring of 1861 that the Everharts came to this state and settled on a farm in the Catawba neighborhood, in Clark county, where Israel Everhart and his wife spent their last days, the former dying in 1883 and the latter some years later, she having been eighty years of age at the time of her death. They were the parents of six children. further mention of which family is made elsewhere in this volume, John A. Everhart having had four brothers, William, Thomas, Edgar S. and George, and one sister, Matilda, the family becoming widely known in upper Clark county and in the eastern part of this county. Israel Everhart was
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a building contractor at his old home in Virginia, but upon settling in Clark county became a farmer and followed that vocation the rest of his life. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Protestant church and their children were reared in that faith.
Not long after taking up his residence in Clark county John A. Ever- hart married Melissa Ann Near, who was born in that county, a daughter of Mahlon and Nancy M. (McConkey) Near, substantial farming people of Clark county, whose last days were spent there and who were the parents of nine children, those besides Mrs. Everhart having been Jane, Sarah C. and Nancy E. (twins), Nathan O., Charles O., Mary and two who died in youth. After his marriage John A. Everhart continued to make his home in Clark county, being there engaged in farming until 1898, in which year he moved with his family to. Champaign county and located on the Layton farm in Union township. Later he bought a farm one mile west of Me- chanicsburg and there he continued farming the rest of his life, his death occurring there in 1908, he then being sixty-eight years of age. His widow is now living at Catawba. John A. Everhart was a stanch Republican and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Protestant church. They were the parents of four sons, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow: Scott, who married Ida Taylor and is still living in Clark county, where he is engaged in farming : Warren, a farmer, of Union township, this county, who married May Meyers and has one child, a son, Otis, and Robert, also a Union township farmer, who married Emma Riddle and has one child, a daughter, Margaret Ann.
Reared on the farm, Herbert C. Everhart early became a practical farmer and upon completing his schooling, at the age of nineteen years, engaged in farming in partnership with his father on the home place west of Mechanicsburg and was thus engaged for several years, at the end of which time he became connected with the work in the grain elevator at Catawba. In the fall of 1914 Mr. Everhart located on the Michael farm, in Union township, this county, where he has since made his home and where he and his family are very comfortably situated. In addition to his general farming, Mr. Everhart raises some high grade live stock and is recognized as one of the progressive and up-to-date farmers of that neighborhood. He is an active Republican and for the past four years or more has been serving as trustee. of Union township, giving his most thoughtful and intelligent attention to the duties of that important local office.
In the fall of 1902 Herbert C. Everhart was united in marriage to Bertha Michael, who was born in Union township, this county, daughter
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of W. F. and Elizabeth Michael, natives of Maryland and both of whom are now deceased, and to this union four children have been born, Roger, deceased, Mildred, Marion and John. Mr. and Mrs. Everhart are members of the Buck Creek Presbyterian church and Mr. Everhart is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Mechanicsburg.
DAVID S. SPEECE.
David S. Speece, a member of one of the pioneer families of Cham- paign county and proprietor of a fine farm of three hundred acres in Har- rison township, twelve miles northwest of Urbana, on rural mail route No. 2 out of that city, was born on a farm adjoining that on which he lives and has lived in that neighborhood all his life. He was born on June II, 1854, a son of William and Elizabeth (McIntire) Speece, both of whom were born in that same township, members of pioneer families in that part of the county.
William Speece was a son of Peter Speece, who also was reared in Harrison township, a son of one of the first settlers in that neighborhood, his father having brought his family over here from Virginia in the early days of the settlement of Champaign county and established his home in the Millerstown neighborhood. Peter Speece's father was a native of Ger- many and for some time after coming to this county taught a German school near Millerstown. Peter Speece reared his family in Harrison town- ship and later moved to Wells county, Indiana, where he spent his last days. His son. William Speece, grew up in Harrison township, married Elizabeth McIntire, also a member of one of the pioneer families of that neighbor- hood, and established his home in that same township, on a farm adjoining that on which David S. Speece now lives. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being as follow: Thomas, also a resident of Harrison township; Sarah, wife of David Taylor; Samantha, wife of William Hoffman; Mar- garet, wife of H. Pyle, of St. Paris; William H., of Degraff ; Etna, wife of J. M. Bargu, also of Degraff, and Rena, wife of L. A. Clark, of Con- cord township.
David S. Speece was reared on the old home farm in Harrison town- ship, receiving his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood, and from the days of his boyhood was a valued assistant in the labors of improving
DAVID S. SPEECE AND FAMILY
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and developing the home place. When twenty-one years of age he began farming on his own account, renting a portion of the home acres, and after his marriage in 1880 established his home on the place on which he is now living, adjoining the old home place, and where he owns three hundred acres of well-tilled and. profitably cultivated land. He has a fine house. of twelve rooms and a basement, with a hot-water heating plant, which he erected in 1897, and the other buildings which go to make up his excellent farm plant are in keeping with the same. In addition to his general farming, Mr. Speece has for years given special attention to the feeding of live stock and has done very well in his operations, long having been regarded as one of the most substantial farmers and stockmen in that part of the county.
On September 26, 1880, David S. Speece was united in marriage to Margaret DeWeese, who was born in the neighboring county of Shelby in September, 1858, and to this union four children have been born, namely : William M., who married Catherine Carey and lives at Rosewood; Erma, wife of B. A. Phineger, of Harrison township; Cora, wife of Fred Heir- ingberg, of Urbana, and Frank T., who is at home assisting his father in the operation of the stock farm. Mr. and Mrs. Speece are members of the United Brethren church at Rosewood and Mr. Speece is a member of Rose- wood Lodge No. 213, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically, he is a Democrat, but has never been particularly active in political affairs, though ever giving a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, and has done his part in the general upbuilding of the community in which he has lived all his life.
EMMET A. BODEY.
Among the younger farmers of Johnson township, this county, who have proved themselves progressive and scientific in their methods, is Emmet A. Bodey, who was born on the farm where he now lives, one and one-half miles west of Millerstown, on April 14, 1875. He is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Vincent) Bodey, both of whom were natives of Ohio, the father having been born in this county, and the mother in Logan county.
The Bodey family were among the early pioneer settlers of this part of Ohio, Adam Bodey, the father of Henry Bodey, coming to Ohio at an early date from Virginia. The family are of German descent. Henry Bodey and wife were the parents of six children, of whom four are now living: Hen- rietta, the wife of Charles Pence, residing in Washington; Lottie, deceased; (67a)
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Anna V., of Redmond, Washington; Mary, deceased; Carl, a resident of Johnson township, and Emmet A., the subject of this sketch.
Emmet A. Bodey was born and reared on the farm just north of where he is living, which was a part of the old Bodey home place. He received his education in the rural schools of his home township, and at the age of six- teen, went to Oregon, where he was employed at farm labor for three years. At the end of that time he returned to Champaign county, remaining on the home place eighteen months, at the end of which time he again went West, his destination being Seattle, Washington. He secured employment in the lumber woods and was thus engaged for three years, during which time he acquired twenty acres of land in that state. Upon the death of his father he returned to Champaign county to take charge of the home farm, and has since lived there, carrying on general farming and stock raising.
Emmet A. Bodey has been twice married, his first wife having been Rosa Smith. To that union six children were born, only two of whom are now living, Mary and Dale, both of whom are living at home with their father. After the death of the mother of these children Mr. Bodey married Ada Kautz, the daughter of Charles Kautz and wife, both of whom were natives of Ohio. Mr. Kautz and wife were the parents of three children, two of whom are now living, Harry, of Urbana, Ohio, and Ada, the wife of Mr. Bodey. Mr. Bodey is an independent voter. He is an up-to-date, progressive farmer, and ranks high in the esteem of his neighbors and friends.
WILL B. CROCKETT.
Will B. Crockett, a farmer, of Harrison township, this county, was born on September 23, 1864, on the farm where he now lives. He is a son of Newton I. and Rachel J. (Baker) Crockett, the former of whom was born on the farm where his son, Will B., now resides. The mother was born in Dayton, Ohio, a daughter of J. H. and Catherine (Altick) Baker. Her parents moved to Wabash, Indiana, when she was eight years of age, and there she grew to womanhood and married. She received a good education and taught school a number of years in Wabash county, Indiana. After his marriage Newton I. Crockett located on the farm where the subject of this sketch now lives, but three years later moved back to Wabash county, Indiana, where he died, in 1868, after which his widow brought her children to Cham- paign county and located on a farm in Harrison township, the old home
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place. Later she married H. A. Crockett, a brother of her first husband. To her first marriage two children were born, namely: Olive A., the wife of J. M. Pittman, of Harrison township, and Will B., the subject of this sketch. The mother of these children is still living, being now well advanced in years.
Will B. Crockett grew up on the home farm, attended the district schools, and has spent his life in Harrison township, remaining on the old home- stead, which he has kept well improved and well cultivated, and now owns one hundred and thirty-four acres of good land. On April 24, 1882, Mr. Crockett was married to Mary B. Lapp, who was born in Union township, Logan county, Ohio, a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Yoder) Lapp, who make their home near West Liberty, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Lapp are parents of fourteen children, four sons and ten daughters, namely: Emma, the wife of Ezra Kauffman; Malinda, next in order of birth; Lydia, the wife of John Musser; Jacob, an architect, who lives in Dayton, Ohio; Fannie, the next child; Sadie, the wife of J. A. Zook; John H., who lives in New Philadelphia, Ohio; David A., who married Fannie Hartzler; Mary B., wife of the subject of this sketch; Catherine, the wife of A. F. Yoder; Alva, who married a Miss Auxbarger; Nellie, the wife of Edward Shoemaker ; Celesta, the next in order of birth, and Saloma, the wife of George Harmon. Mr. Crockett is a Republican. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at St. Paris. His wife belongs to the Christian church at West Liberty.
PROF. RAY D. CONRAD.
Prof. Ray D. Conrad, of Woodstock, one of the best-known members of Champaign county's efficient teaching force, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born on September 20, 1888, son of Firman Oliver and Alberta (Collins) Conrad, both of whom are still living in this county. Firman Oliver Conrad was born on July 30, 1863, son of Howard and Amelia Jane Conrad, of American birth, and his wife was born at Tremont City, in the neighboring county of Clark; October 29, 1867, daughter of Margaret and Thomas Collins, also of American birth. Mr. and Mrs. Conrad have two children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Mrs. Nellie Pence, also a resident of Champaign county.
Ray D. Conrad was graduated from the Westville high school in 1907: from the Urbana high school in 1908, and from the Wittenberg Col-
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lege at Springfield in 1914, receiving from the latter institution the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In the spring of 1917 Wittenberg College conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. Upon leaving high school Pro- fessor Conrad began teaching and has since been thus engaged, save for the period spent in completing his studies in college, his summer vacations from his teaching service in this county being spent as an instructor in the Culver Military Academy at Lake Maxinkuckee, in Indiana. The Professor is a stockholder in the Hermine Operating Company, of Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania. Politically, he is a Republican. By religious persuasion he is a Methodist and is affiliated with the church of that communion at Terre Haute, this county. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, his connection being with the lodge of that order at Christians- burg.
On December 24, 1913, at Westville, this county, Prof. Ray D. Conrad was united in marriage to Abbie Keith, who also was born in this county, February 1I, 1889, daughter and only child of Elbert Lewis and Mary Keith. Elbert Lewis Keith, who was born in 1849, died in 1902. His widow, who was born in 1852, is still living. Professor and Mrs. Conrad have two children, Dorothy Mae, born on October 16, 1914, and David, June 29, 1916. They have a very pleasant home at Woodstock and take an interested and helpful part in the general social and cultural activities of the community at large.
JOHN COWGILL.
John Cowgill, one of the careful farmers of Salem township, this county, was born on May 12, 1856, in the same locality where he now resides, and has been content to spend his life in his native county. He is a son of Thomas and Matilda Ann (Watkins) Cowgill. the former a native of Co- lumbiana county, Ohio, and the latter, of Logan county. this state. Thomas Cowgill was about six years old when his parents brought him to Champaign county. He was a son of Thomas and Anna Cowgill. The former was born in Frederick county, Virginia, July 27, 1777, and his death occurred in Champaign county, Ohio, September 14, 1846. His wife was born in Stafford county, Virginia, September 16, 1780, and her death occurred in Champaign county, Ohio, June 18, 1868. To Thomas and Anna Cowgill
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eleven children were born, of whom Thomas, Jr., was the sixth in order of birth.
Thomas Cowgill, Jr., father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Salem township, this county, in 1811, grew to manhood amid pioneer condi- tions, attended the old-time schools here and assisted his father clear and develop a farm from the wilderness. When a young man he took up surveying and later practiced medicine, a country doctor of the old school, and became one of the most prominent and successful general physicians in Champaign county in his day and generation, practicing his profession here for many years. He became well-to-do and was owner of a large tract of valuable farming land. He was a man of many commendable personal characteristics, a fine example of a successful self-made man, and was popular throughout the county. His family consisted of but two children, of whom the subject of this sketch alone survives.
John Cowgill grew to manhood on the home farm in Salem township and received his education in the district schools. He has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising on a portion of the old homestead, but he has of late years not been as active as formerly. He married Doschia Slaughter, and to their union five children have been born, namely: Goldie Ruth, Pearl Mae, Mary Elizabeth, Doschia and John Henry. Mr. Cowgill is a Republican. He belongs to the Quaker church.
JOSHUA H. CLARK.
Joshua H. Clark, of Urbana, one of Champaign county's best-known farmers and former trustee of Salem township, who for the past seven or eight years has made his home in Urbana, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Urbana township on November 23. 1855, son of Jacob A. and Susanna (Swisher) Clark, natives of Virginia, who had come to this county in that same year and the latter of whom is still living, an old resident of Salem township.
Jacob A. Clark was the son of Isaac and Mary (Ambrose) Clark, also natives of Virginia, who drove through to Urbana some little time after their son Jacob had settled in this county and settled on a farm south of Urbana, later moving to the Cable neighborhood in Wayne township, where their last days were spent. Isaac Clark and wife were the parents of seven children, Joseph, Jacob A., Joshua, John, Peter, Harrison and Margaret.
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It was in 1855 that Jacob A. Clark and wife, shortly after their marriage, came to this county from Virginia. For some time after coming here he lived on a rented farm and then bought a farm of one hundred and twenty- three acres in Salem township, where he established his home and where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in May, 1901. His widow is still making her home on that farm, where she is very comfortably situated. To Jacob A. Clark and wife were born nine children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first born, the others being as follow : Gabriel, who married Minnie Gusness and is farming in Union township: Samuel, who married Lizzie McKee and is living at Cary, where he is engaged in carpentering ; Eliza, who married John Powl and is now deceased ; Jacob, who married Louise Nanceyhaufer and is engaged in farming in the King's Creek neighborhood; Laura, wife of William Briggs, of Urbana : Della, deceased, who was the wife of J. E. Hougyshell: Elmer, a carpenter and bridge builder, now living at Bluffton, Indiana, and Cora, wife of Griffith Fox, of Urbana.
Joshua H. Clark grew to manhood on the home farm in Wayne town- ship, to which his parents had moved from Urbana township when he was a boy, and he received his schooling in the district school in that neighbor- hood. Being the eldest son he was a valued assistant to his father in the labors of developing and improving the home place and he remained at home until his marriage when twenty-six years of age, after which he began farm- ing for himself on a farm on the Urbana and Cable pike, four miles north- east of Urbana, in Salem township, and there resided until he presently bought the Captain Diltz farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres, on the line between Urbana and Wayne township, and there remained for seven years, at the end of which time he sold that place and bought ten acres of the Will Long estate in Salem township, where he made his home for eleven years, at the end of which time, in 1910, he moved to Urbana and has since been residing there in a house at 837 North Main street which he had bought in 1907, known then as the Jennings property, and where he and his wife are very comfortably situated. In addition to looking after the farming inter- ests of his own place Mr. Clark has been farming his father's old home place for the past fifteen years or more and is doing very well. He is a Republican and during his residence in Salem township gave his earnest attention to local political affairs, serving for five years as trustee of that township. He also served for some time as a member of the school board in Wayne township during his residence in that township.
It was on July 20, 1882, that Joshua H. Clark was united in marriage
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to Amanda Birks, who was born on a farm in Concord township, this county, a daughter of Adam and Hannah (Heller) Birks, the former of whom was born in Germany, a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, and who upon coming to this country had proceeded on out to Ohio and after a sometime residence near West Liberty, had come to this county and located in Con- cord township, where he spent his last days, his death occurring in 1871. His widow survived him for twenty-eight years, her death occurring in 1899. They were members of the Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There were nine of these children, of whom Mrs. Clark was the eighth in order of birth, the others being as follow: Henry, a mechanic, of Springfield. this state; Margaret, wife of Joseph Irestine, of Salem township, this county; Mary, deceased; William, a carpenter, living at Springfield; John, of Urbana; Frank, deceased; Charles, deceased, and Anna, of Urbana, who married William Pangle and after his death married Willard Stewart, who also is now deceased.
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