USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 39
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Shortly after the death of her husband Mrs. Rawlings rented her farm of one hundred and eighty-four acres of land and moved to Urbana, where
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she is now-living and where she is very pleasantly situated. She has been for many years a member of the Buck Creek Presbtyerian church, as was her husband, and has ever taken an active interest in church work and in other neighborhood good works, helpful in many ways in advancing the cause of the common welfare in the community in which she has lived all her life.
W. W. WILSON.
W. W. Wilson, president of the Citizens National Bank of Urbana and an honored veteran of the Civil War, is a native son of this county and has lived here practically all his life. He was born on a farm in Concord town- ship on May 1, 1842, son of Elias R. and Mary ( Russell) Wilson, both of whom were born in that same township. Elias R. Wilson died in 1846, leaving his widow and two sons, the subject of this sketch having a brother, John R. Wilson. The widow Wilson later remarried, but this fact did not materially increase the prospects of the boys and when eight years of age W. W. Wilson found himself face to face with the serious responsibilities of life, beginning then practically to look after himself. He took up farm- ing and was thus engaged when the Civil War broke out. Later he worked his way through school and was graduated from the Urbana high school.
Upon the first call to arms in April, 1861, W. W. Wilson became a miem- ber of a company of Home Guards, of which A. F. Vance, Sr., was captain, and in September of that year he enlisted for a period of three years as a member of Company G, Sixty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and in the following January went to the front with his command, bearing the rank of sergeant. In the following June, at the battle of Port Republic, Virginia, Mr. Wilson received an injury to one of his legs which totally dis- abled him from further service and which later necessitated three different stages of amputation. While thus suffering Mr. Wilson was captured by the enemy and for four months was held prisoner, being confined successively in the Weier's cave prison at Waynesboro, in the prison at Lynchburg and .in Libby prison, until he finally was exchanged, and in December, 1862, he received his honorable discharge on a physician's certificate of disability.
Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Wilson returned to Urbana. During the sessions of the Ohio Legislature in 1866 and 1867 he served as journal clerk for the House of Representatives and in the latter part of 1867 was appointed United States revenue collector for this district.
W. W. WILSON.
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That position he held for eleven years, or until the time of his appointment to the position of cashier of the Citizens National Bank of Urbana, a posi- tion he held until his promotion, in 1916, to the presidency of the bank, which position he now occupies, one of the best-known and most influential figures in financial circles in this part of the state. Mr. Wilson is an active member of W. A. Brand Post No. 98, Grand Army of the Republic, at Urbana, and has for years taken a warm interest in the affairs of that patriotic organ- ization.
In 1868 W. W. Wilson was united in marriage to Anna Virginia Rus- sell, who died in 1898, leaving three children, William R., Carrie V. and Frank C. In 1900 Mr. Wilson married, secondly, Mrs. Mary B. Murray, widow of Rev. James Murray. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Wilson has been a steward for fifty years. He also for years was superintendent of the Sunday school and for many years has been and is still a teacher in the same.
JOHN M. JAMISON.
John M. Jamison, a well-known interior decorator at Urbana, was born in that city and has lived there the greater part of his life. He was born on September 25, 1850, son of David and Mary (Bell) Jamison, the former a native of the state of Pennsylvania and the latter of whom was born in Urbana, a member of one of the oldest families in this county, the Bells, of Irish descent, having been among the very first settlers in Urbana. David Jamison was a young man when he came to this county from Pennsylvania and located at Urbana, where he married and where he engaged in the man- ufacture of carriages, one of the first persons thus engaged in that city. In 1852 he moved to Marysville, Illinois, and a few years later moved from that place to a farm in the near vicinity of Marysville, later called Potomac, in Vermillion county, that same state, where he became a well-established farmer and where he spent the remainder of his life. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, four of whom are still living, the subject of sketch having two sisters, Mary Ellen and Belle, and a brother, Merrill Jamison.
When his parents moved to Illinois J. M. Jamison remained at Urbana with his aunt, Mrs. Sarah Smith, and was reared by her in that city. He
(25a)
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received his schooling in Urbana and early learned the trade of carriage paint- ing, a vocation he followed for years afterward. When eighteen years of age he started out as a "journeyman" carriage painter and in this capacity visited numerous cities throughout the country, in several of the cities in which he worked being made foreman of the shops in which he was employed. During all this time, however, he kept in close touch with his home town and in 1891 returned to Urbana, in order to take care of his cousin, John N. Smith, Sarah's son, in his declining years, as he had cared for him in his youthful days, and he since has made his home there. Upon his return to Urbana Mr. Jamison set up an establishment for interior decoration and has since been quite successfully engaged in that line, having built up an extensive business.
On September 18, 1869, J. N. Jamison was united in marriage to Adeline Keneaster, daughter of Henry Keneaster and wife, and to this union two children have been born, Harry, who married Anna Young and has one child, a son, Jack, and Marie, wife of Warren Law. The Jamisons have a pleasant home in Urbana and take a proper interest in the general affairs of the city.
GEORGE WAITE.
One of the leading lawyers and esteemed citizens of Champaign county during the generation that has just passed, was the late George Waite, for a long lapse of years a well-known figure in the city of Urbana, where his influence for good in the general welfare of the locality was by no means a negligible quantity. He was born at Woodstock, Ohio, January 12, 1862. He was a son of Cicero and Julia ( McDonald) Waite, both natives of Champaign county, where they grew up, attended the common schools and were married. The mother was a daughter of George and Rachael McDon- ald. The father of the subject of this memoir established his home at Wood- stock, where he engaged successfully in the manufacture of tile. His first wife, mother of George Waite, died there, and the father later married again and spent the last years of his life in Union City. Indiana, where his death occurred. His second marriage was without issue, and only two children were born to his first marriage, George, of this sketch, and Cyrus, now a resident of Anderson, Indiana.
George Waite grew to manhood at Woodstock, where he received his early education in the public schools. He began life for himself as a teacher,
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which profession he followed for a period of twelve years in Champaign and. Union counties. He was a very successful educator and his services were in great demand. He was a man of advanced ideas and introduced many advanced methods into the schools where he taught. He was always popu- lar with both pupils and patrons.
Finally deciding that a legal career held greater opportunities for him, Mr. Waite abandoned the school room for the bar. He had been for some time, during his leisure hours, perusing Blackstone and Kent, and he read law under Judge E. P. Middleton, later took the regular course in the Cincin- nati Law School, where he made a good record and from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1892. Returning to Champaign county he began the practice of his profession at Urbana, forming a partnership with Sherman S. Deaton, the partnership continuing until the death of Mr. Waite. They built up a large and satisfactory legal business. Mr. Waite, with his habits of industry, strict application to business, natural aptitude to the legal profession, and care in the investigation and preparation of cases, had the right to confidently expect a larger and wider boundary for the exercise of his abilities, and he was not disappointed: his career at the bar was eminently satisfactory.
Mr. Waite was married in 1887, to Mollie Hanley, of Woodstock, Ohio, where she was reared and educated. She is a daughter of David and Cath- erine Hanley, who lived on a farm near Woodstock for many years, dying . there. To David Hanley and wife the following children were born: Mar- garet. deceased : Catherine, living in Columbus, Ohio: Julia, living in Ander- son, Indiana; David, who makes his home at Urbana, Champaign county ; Mollie, who became the wife of Mr. Waite, of this review; Guy, who died in Woodstock; Ann, living at Anderson, Indiana, and several other children who died in early childhood.
To George Waite and wife one child, George Waite, was born, his birth occurring at Woodstock, Ohio, August 3, 1890. There he spent his childhood, and received his education in the public school of Urbana, includ- ing the high school. Later, he was a student in Wittenberg College, also the Ohio State University. Deciding early in life to follow in the footsteps of his father in a professional way, he began studying law at home, when but a boy, later entered the Cincinnati Law School, where he made an excellent record, and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, on Febru- ary I, 1917. He is now engaged in the practice of his profession in Urbana and is making a very promising start. He makes his home with his mother. He was admitted to the bar January 2, 1917. Fraternally, he belongs to
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the blue lodge of Masons, the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.
George Waite, Sr., was a member of the Masonic order, including the chapter and council, also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a member of the Universalist church. His death occurred on July 27, 1913. in his fifty-second year, while still in the prime of life and usefulness.
SAMUEL W. CAREY.
Samuel W. Carey, one of Urbana's progressive and enterprising florists of Urbana, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born on July 14, 1879, son of David and Sarah J. (Perry) Carey, the former of whom was born in this state and the latter in Pennsylvania and the former of whom is still living at Urbana at a ripe old age.
David Carey was born in Defiance, this state, but when he was a child his parents moved to Piqua, where he received his schooling and where he grew to manhood. While living in Miami county he married Sarah J. Perry, who was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and who was but four years of age when she came to this state with her parents, the family first locating at Gallipolis and later moving to Piqua, where she was living at the time of her marriage. Shortly after his marriage David Carey came to Champaign county and became engaged in farming at Lippincott Station. later moving down in the Dugan Valley section, where for thirty years he was engaged in farming. He then moved to Urbana, where he is still living, one of the oldest and best-known residents of that city. During his resi- dence on the farm Mr. Carey was quite extensively engaged in the raising of broom corn and after moving to Urbana became connected with the Urbana Broom Company and was thus connected until his retirement from business some years ago. To him and his wife seven children were born, of whom six are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being William N., George E., Charles J., Mary and Hattie.
S. W. Carey received his schooling in the schools of Urbana and at the age of fourteen years began working in the greenhouse of the Reeser Floral Company, with which he was connected for about eight years, during which time he thoroughly familiarized himself with the details of the florist business and at the end of which time he started a greenhouse of his own and as since continued in that business, gradually building up his plant to its
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present extensive proportions, and has long been recognized as one of the leading florists in this part of the state. Upon starting in business for him- self Mr. Carey erected two greenhouses, seventy feet in length, carrying about two thousand square feet of glass; and this has been enlarged as the growing demands of his trade warranted until he now has seven greenhouses, one hundred and forty feet in length, carrying about fifteen thousand square feet of glass. His extensive plant is well equipped and up-to-date and his floral products cover a wide variety, suitable to all demands requisite to the needs of this section. Mr. Carey is a Democrat and gives a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office.
In 1906 S. W. Carey was united in marriage to Catherine A. Plank, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Plank, and to this union four children have been born, Howard, Claude, Sarah E. and Goldie. Mr. and Mrs. Carey are members of the Lutheran church and take a proper interest in church work, as well as in the general social activities of their home town. Mr. Carey is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge, the chapter and the council at Urbana, and takes a warm interest in Masonic affairs. In the conduct of his business he is energetic and enterprising and is accounted one of the public-spirited business men of Urbana.
HENRY A. CHURCH.
Henry A. Church, superintendent of beautiful Oakdale cemetery at Urbana, is a native of the old Green Mountain state, but has been a resident of Ohio and of this county since he was eight years of age and is therefore very properly entitled to be numbered among the old settlers of Champaign county. He was born at Woodstock, in Windsor county, Vermont, Novem- ber 29, 1847, son of Joel and Elizabeth (Bennett) Church, both natives of that same county, who in 1855 came to Ohio and settled on a farm in the neighborhood of Woodstock, in Rush township, this county. There Joel Church died on August 27, 1861, about six years after his arrival in this county, he then being thirty-eight years of age. His widow survived. him many years, her death occurring in November, 1907, she then being in the eighty-fourth year of her age. They were the parents of two children, sons both, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Charles B. Church, who is engaged in the insurance business at Los Angeles, California.
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Reared in this county, Henry A. Church received his early schooling in the common schools here and supplemented the same by a course of two years in college at Delaware, this state. Upon leaving college, he took ser- vice with the Urbana Elevator Company and was engaged with that concern for four years, at the end of which time he entered the service of the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company and was thus engaged at Urbana for two years. He then spent seven years engaged in the agricultural-implement business and was thus engaged from 1877 to 1885, two years as a traveling salesman and five years locally connected with the business. In February, 1886, Mr. Church was appointed superintendent of Oakdale cemetery at Urbana, a position he ever since has occupied and to the duties of which he has ever given his most thoughtful attention. During his long period of superin- tendency Mr. Church has succeeded in effecting many beautifying changes in Oakdale, which has long been recognized as one of the most admirable and beautiful cemeteries in Ohio, the people of Urbana and of this section being very-properly proud of the manner in which this silent city of the dead is kept up. Mr. Church is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office.
On September 17, 1872, Henry A. Church was united in marriage to Sarah E. Miller, who was born in Urbana, a daughter of Sylvanus and Mar- garet (Pence) Miller, who came to this county from Rising Sun, Indiana. After a sometime residence in Urbana, Sylvanus Miller moved to Concord township, this county, and upon his retirement from the farm returned to Urbana, where he died in 1882, at the age of sixty-two years and past. His wife survived him many years, her death having occurred in 1914, she then heing ninety years of age. They were the parents of seven children, those besides Mrs. Church, the last-born, being Charles (deceased), John (deceased), James T. (deceased), Edward F., of Toledo, Ohio; Fannie { deceased ), and Irene B., of Springfield, this state.
To Henry A. and Sarah E. (Miller) Church five children have been horn, four of whom, Harry, Harley, Arthur and Frank, died in childhood, the survivor being Sylva, who married Charles D. Siegel, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has two children, Lois and Arthur. Mr. and Mrs. Church are members of the Baptist church at Urbana and take an active interest in the various beneficences of the same. Mr. Church is a Knight Templar and Royal Arch Mason and is affiliated with the Royal and Select Masters, a member of the blue lodge, the chapter, the council and the commandery { Knights Templar) at Urbana, and takes a warm interest in Masonic affairs.
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WILLIAM SUNDAY.
William Sunday, a retired farmer, living at Kingston, Salem township, Champaign county, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, December 15, 1847. He is a son of John and Ann (Herman) Sunday, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they grew up, were married and established their home. The father was a carpenter by trade, which he followed in his native state until 1852, when he removed with his family to Miami county, Ohio, where they lived a year or two and then came to Champaign county, locating on a farm three miles southwest of Urbana, which he rented. John Sunday remained in this county until 1871, when he went West and bought a farm in Clay county, Illinois, where he farmed the rest of his life, dying in the year 1898. His wife died in 1904. They were parents of eight children, five of whom are still living, namely: Mary, Sarah, Missouri, Frank and William. The last named is the only one of the family now living in Cham- paign county.
William Sunday grew up on the farm, and he attended school in Urbana township, Champaign county. When a young man he began farming here, which he continued until 1870, then went to Clay county, Illinois, where he farmed a year, in partnership, then married and began farming for him- self, remaining in that county until 1882, when he returned to Champaign county, locating on a farm four miles southwest of Urbana, renting land there for some time, then moved to Salem township and bought seventy acres, which he operated until 1913, when he retired from active life and moved to the village of Kingston, owning three acres and a cozy home, and here he has since resided. Besides working his own land he rents a small tract of corn land each season in his vicinity.
Mr. Sunday was married in 1871, to Mary E. Thackery, a daughter of John and Rachael (Hammond) Thackery, and to their union two children have been born, one of whom died in infancy; Anna May is the wife of A. B. Swisher, the village blacksmith of Kingston, and they have two chil- dren, Herman R. and John Harold. Mrs. Mary E. Sunday was born three miles southwest of Urbana, Ohio. Her father came to this country from England, when fourteen years old, landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his parents, the family coming on to Champaign county, and locating in the southwestern part of the county, in the timber. Here John grew to manhood and helped clear and develop the farm. After his marriage he moved to Mad River township, this county, where he spent the rest of his
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life on a farm. She was a native of Philadelphia, from which city she came to Champaign county with her parents at an early date. Ten children were born to John Thackery and wife, six of whom are still living, namely : Martha, James, Mary, Alma, Minerva and Joseph.
Politically, Mr. Sunday is an independent Democrat. He is a member of the Baptist church, in which he is now a deacon, and is active in church work.
SCOTT KITE.
The subject of this sketch lives on his farm in Mad River township. three and a half miles east of St. Paris, and one-half mile north of the Piqua and Urbana pike. His farm consists of three hundred and twenty acres lying in Mad River township and about sixty acres in Jackson township, all fine land and well improved.
Scott Kite was born on this farm, in the old brick house which is still standing, April 15, 1856. He is a son of George W. and Nina (Fuson) Kite. George W., who was born on this farm and reared here, was a son of Adam and Elizabeth Kite, who came to this county from Virginia. in 1808. and settled here on government land which he entered. Here they lived and died and are buried in the old Kite burying ground on this place. Nina Fuson was born in Champaign county, Ohio, a daughter of Rev. Will- iam Fuson, an old pioneer Baptist minister and circuit rider. He was one of the best known men of his day, a man of sincere convictions and with the courage to declare them anywhere and at all times. He lived and died in Jackson township and his remains now lie in Mt. Zion cemetery in this town- ship.
After marriage George W. and Nina Kite settled on part of the old Kite land, living in a log cabin. Later they built the brick house, for which they burned brick on the place, this house being the one in which the subject was born. There they lived until Mrs. Kite died, when he removed to another farm located on the Piqua-Urbana pike, where he spent the remainder of his days. For his second wife he married the widow of Isaiah Kite. George W. and Nina Kite were the parents of ten children, of whom the subject is the only one living and the youngest one of the family. The children were named: Jane, Angeline, James, Diadena, Sarena, Thomas P., John, Scott, our subject ; Elizabeth and William. The family were members of the Myrtle Tree Baptist church and always took an active part in the affairs of their
SCOTT KITE AND FAMILY.
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church. The father was regarded as one of the pillars of the church. He was a man of great industry and was regarded as a successful man in his day. He accumulated considerable means and was the owner of about four hundred acres of land. In politics he was a Democrat, but did not take an active part in political affairs.
Scott Kite was reared on the old Kite farm, in Mad River town- ship. He was educated in the district schools of the township and lived at home until grown to manhood. He was married, November 5, 1874, to Ella Pence, daughter of Amos and Clarinda (Browning) Pence. After marriage they set up housekeeping in the house where they now live, later removing to the red brick house, and then, after that house began to decay. they removed back to the new modern home which they now occupy, which was built in August, 1902. It has thirteen rooms and is modern, having electric lights and other improvements.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kite three children have been born: Richard, who died in infancy ; Daisy May married Elmer Apple and they have two children, Donald S. and Doretha E .: Grace Maude married Wilber Faulkner, of Springfield. Ohio, and they have two sons, Kite and Wilbur.
Mrs. Kite is a member of the Myrtle Tree Baptist church. In politics Mr. Kite affiliates with the Democratic party and he served six years as trustee of his township and twenty years on the township school board.
IRWIN F. GARARD.
Agriculture, in its varied phases, has claimed the attention of Irwin F. Garard, of Salem township, Champaign county, and he has made a suc- cess of his chosen life work, partly because he likes it and partly because he is energetic and persistent. He was born in Fond-du-Lac county, Wiscon- sin, July 10, 1856. He is a son of John R. Garard, who was born in Berke- ley county, now a part of West Virginia. In 1845, when a young man, he came on horseback from his native state to Ohio. The old saddlebags in which he brought his clothes along are still in possession of the subject of this sketch. He first stopped in Greene county, working in a saw-mill there about a year, the mill being busy getting out timber with which to build the woodwork of the Big Four railroad. He then came to Champaign county, locating on Pretty Prairie, in Urbana township, where resided his sister, Ruth, who had married Hamilton Hedges. There he took up farming and
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