USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 64
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107
F. C. Batdorf was reared on the farm, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools, and remained there until his parents removed to St. Paris in 1887, when he became identified with the affairs of the store with which his father was connected and has ever since been thus engaged in association with his partner, having taken over the business when his father and Mr. Mitchell retired in 1902, the store since then being conducted under the firm name of Batdorf & Berry. Mr. Batdorf is an energetic and enter- prising business man and has ever since becoming connected with the busi- ness interests of St. Paris given his earnest attention to the general develop- ment of the material interests of that town. He is a Democrat and takes a good citizen's interest in local politics, but has not been a seeker after public office.
On April 10, 1890, F. C. Batdorf was united in marriage to Susan Brown, daughter of Levi and Maria Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Batdorf have a pleasant home at St. Paris and give proper attention to the general social activities of their home town, helpful in the promotion of all worthy local causes. Mr. Batdorf, is a charter member of St. Paris Lodge No. 344, Knights of Pythias, and is past chancellor commander of the lodge, in the affairs of which he has ever taken a warm and active interest.
635
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
WALDO E. ZERKEL.
One of the successful educators of Champaign county, who has won distinctive prestige in his chosen vocation while yet a young man is Waldo E. Zerkel, superintendent of the Concord consolidated schools. He was born in Bebee, Arkansas, December 4, 1890. He is a son of E. C. and Rebecca (Leonard) Zerkel, both natives of Mad River township, Cham- paign county, and there they grew to maturity and attended the public schools. Later E. C. Zerkel taught school for some time in the schools of his native county. He finally removed with his family to Arkansas, where he continued teaching. Upon returning to Champaign county, Ohio, he again resumed teaching but eventually turned his attention to farming. He was regarded as one of the ablest teachers in the common schools in his day and his services were in good demand. He is now living near Thackery, Ohio. He is a Democrat, and he and his wife belong to the Methodist church at Terre Haute, Ohio. They are parents of five children, named as follow : Waldo E., of this sketch; Elva, who was educated in the high school at Thackery, is single and lives at Tremont City, Ohio; Nettie, who was also educated in the Thackery high school, is the wife of Gail Brenner and they live at Bellefontaine, Ohio; Samuel is a student in the high school at Terre Haute, Ohio; and Erma, who is now (1917) four years old.
Waldo E. Zerkel was eighteen months old when his parents brought him from Arkansas to Champaign county, Ohio. Here he grew to manhood and when a boy attended the high school at Thackery, from which he was graduated in 1909. He then entered Wittenberg College at Springfield, Ohio, where he made an excellent record and from which he was graduated, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He has since done post-graduate work there. After leaving college he followed in the footsteps of his father in a professional way and took up teaching which he has continued to the present time, being very successful from the start. He has remained a deep student and has therefore kept fully abreast of the times in all that pertains to his profession. As superintendent of the Concord consolidated schools he is giving entire satisfaction to the board, the pupils and patrons. He has introduced various new and modern methods and has everything under a superb system. He gives promise of ranking among the leading men in educational affairs in the state in future years.
Mr. Zerkel was married in July 12, 1916, to Helen Snarr, a native of
636
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
Champaign county, and a daughter of Jacob and Carena (Packer) Snarr. She has enjoyed excellent educational advantages. After graduating from the Urbana high school she took the normal training course in Wittenberg College at Springfield, after which she taught school successfully until her marriage. They have one child, Leonard Snarr, born May 11, 1917.
Politically, Mr. Zerkel is a Democrat. He is a member of the Concord Methodist church, and is teaching the young men's class in the Sunday school.
GEORGE W. PENCE.
One of the well-known farmers of Jackson township, this county, is George W. Pence, the owner and proprietor of a fine farm of two hundred and thirty acres on the Kirkpatrick road two miles south of St. Paris. He was born on what is known as the old Brubaker farm, one mile south of St. Paris, January 22, 1848, the son of Allen and Sarah ( Riker) Pence, both of whom were natives of this county.
Allen Pence was born on the old Pence homestead farm in Johnson town- ship, this county, east of St. Paris, the son of Isaac Pence, who came from Virginia to Champaign county, Ohio, being among the early settlers of the county. After his marriage to Sarah Riker, Allen Pence continued to live on the old home farm for a few years, two of their children being born there. They then moved to Jackson township, where they lived the remainder of their lives. Allen Pence was a successful and well-to-do farmer and stock- man, and during his lifetime accumulated about seven hundred acres of land, always investing any surplus capital he had in land, this being in his judgment the safest investment. He was a Democrat in politics, and active in the coun- cils of his party, being a man of strong convictions. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, six of whom are now living: Mary, deceased, who was the wife of James Wiant, also deceased; B. F. A., a farmer of Jack- son township; George W., of this review ; Winfield, living in Maryland; Elen- ora, deceased; Elizabeth, wife of James Martin, of Dayton, Ohio; Mandy, widow of Leer Smith, of St. Paris, Ohio, and Lottie, wife of Wilson Baker, of Urbana, Ohio.
George W. Pence was reared to manhood on his father's farm in Jackson township, receiving his education in the district schools of his home township. After his marriage he started out in life for himself on eighty acres of land in Jackson township, and has since made this place his home, on the old Grafton
637
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
farm. Here he has carried on general farming and stock raising, and that he has been unusually successful in his chosen calling is attested by the fact that he added to his land holdings until he became the owner of three hundred and thirty acres of fine farming land in the township. However, he now has but two hundred and thirty acres, having divided one hundred acres between his two children. For many years he and his brother, B. F. A. Pence, were engaged in importing and breeding thoroughbred Shire horses, in which they were very successful. However, Mr. Pence has discontinued that branch of farming, and now devotes his attention to the breeding and selling of thor- oughbred Polled Durham cattle and hogs. Besides his farming-interests, Mr. Pence is a stockholder and director in the St. Paris Grain Company.
On March 1, 1873, George W. Pence was united in marriage to Minerva Long, daughter of Sampson and Elizabeth Long, residents of Johnson town- ship, and to this union have been born two children: Cory, living on part of her father's farm, married Dove Ward, and is the mother of two children, Grace and Harold; and Otie, the wife of Ira E. Hance, of Indianapolis, In- diana, is the mother of two children, Richard and Georgotta.
Mr. Pence is a Democrat in politics, but has never taken a very active part in political matters, although interested in the social and civic betterment of his community.
MARTIN LUTHER BENEDICT.
Martin Luther Benedict lives on his farm, rural route number eleven, near Tremont City, Champaign county, Ohio. He was born in Benton county, Indiana, February 10, 1864, a son of Levi and Mahala (Kolb) Benedict. His father was born in Ohio and his mother in Indiana. Levi Benedict is a son of Martin Benedict, who, with his family moved to Benton county, Indiana, in an early day. Here Levi was reared and educated and was married, and continued to live until his death, in 1912. His wife is still living in Benton county, Indiana. They were farmers and were the parents of seven children, four of whom are still living: Martin L., our sub- ject; John F., a farmer in Colorado; Albert, a farmer in Benton county, Indiana; Hattie, unmarried, living at home.
Martin L. Benedict was reared on a farm in Benton county, Indiana, and received his education in the district schools of that county. After arriv- ing at the age of twenty-one, he rented a farm and engaged in farming on his own account. March 3, 1891, he was married to Emma Jordan, who
ยท
638
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
was born in Pike county, Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. After marriage they settled on a rented farm in Benton county, and continued to live there until 1914, when they bought a farm of one hundred and sixty- three acres in Mad River township, north of Springfield, Ohio. They removed here and have since made this their home. They have one son, Orville, J., born January 15, 1892. He graduated in the schools at Oxford, Indiana, in the class of 1909. He married Ellen M. Edwards, of Benton county, Indiana, June 8, 1915. He is a member of Oxford Lodge No. 191, Free and Accepted Masons.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin L. Benedict are members of the Church of Christ, of Springfield, Ohio. He affiliates with the Democratic party.
C. F. NAGEL.
C. F. Nagel, contractor and farmer, living near St. Paris, Jackson township, Champaign county, was born in Brooklyn, New York, in August, 1858. He is a son of George and Carlena (Duffrin) Nagel, both natives of Germany, from which country they immigrated to New York City when young and there they were married and began housekeeping, living in Brook- lyn for some time. The father worked at his trade of coppersmith. Later he moved to Canada and there learned the stone mason's trade. After spending three years in Canada he moved to Ohio, locating on a farm near Urbana, which he bought, and he carried on general farming and his trade of stone mason. He finally erected three buildings in Urbana and moved thereto, spending the rest of his life there. He and his wife belonged to the German Lutheran church. They were parents of eleven children, namely : C. F., of this sketch; George D. lives at Christiansburg, Ohio; Carrie is the wife of Frank Hubert of Detroit, Michigan; Mattie is the widow of Will King and she lives in Detroit; Maggie is the widow of Will McDonald and she makes her home in Urbana, Ohio; Fred lives in Urbana; Will is a contractor of Piqua, this state.
C. F. Nagel was about thirteen years old when he came to Cham- paign county. He received a common school education in Canada and in this county. He learned the stone mason's trade under his father, and when twenty-one years old started out in life for himself, locating in Jackson township and he has continued to make his home here, working at his trade. On November 28, 1880, he married Emma Johnson, a daughter of
639
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
Samuel C. Johnson and wife. She was born October 22, 1862, on a farm just across the road from the Nagel homestead and there she grew up. She attended the public schools. Two children were born to this union, namely : Bennie died at the age of two years; and Vannie, born in 1882, was gradu- ated from the common schools, and she is now the wife of F. C. Slusser ; they make their home with her father. Samuel C. Johnson, who was one of the pioneers of Jackson township, reclaimed this land from the wilder- ness and here spent the rest of his life. He walked from Cincinnati, carry- ing his ax, with which he cleared a place large enough for his log cabin, then returned to Cincinnati and brought his mother and sister and their few household effects overland in a one-horse wagon. Later he returned to Cincinnati a second time for his bride and married Mary A. Fitzpatrick, who was at that time only sixteen years old. She has lived on the home place here sixty-five years and has survived her husband thirty-three years, Mr. Johnson's death having occurred in 1884. She has lived to see the country transformed from a sparsely settled wilderness to one of the leading agri- cultural sections in Ohio.
Politically, Mr. Nagel is a Republican. He and his wife and Mrs. Mary A. Johnson are members of the Universalist church at Conover, in which Mr. Nagel is a deacon and has long been active.
RICHARD LEE.
Richard Lee, the subject of this sketch, was born in Mad River town- ship, June 15, 1844. He is living on his farm known as "Locust Hill Farm," consisting of two hundred and thirty-seven acres, located in Mad River township, Champaign county, eight miles southwest of Urbana, Ohio. He is a son of John G. and Mary (Idle) Lee. John G. Lee was born near Mount Tabor, this county, and his father died before he was born. John G. was born, April 8, 1816. His wife was born May 18, 1815; they were mar- ried July 10, 1842. He died February 9, 1865; she died January 22, 1894. When they were married he had one-fifth interest in eighty acres of land. During his life he increased his acreage until he had six hundred and seventy acres of land, the richest landowner in the township.
Richard Lee, being the oldest in the family, took the responsibility and care of the family. He remained at home until September 9, 1865, when he moved here into an old log house. He lived here until his father's
640
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
death, when he rented the old farm. He built his house in 1879, and his barns about 1904. He married Victoria Kiser, who was born in the Mad River valley, August 2, 1845, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Yarnell) Kiser, she of Maryland and he of this county. They have one son, Ward J., born October 1, 1871. He was a student of the Urbana high school, and was a teacher for eight years. He married Mary B. Leber, of Tre- mont City, Ohio. He farmed and was in the automobile business. He then went to Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, an official of the Pacific Electric railroad. They have two children, Richard and Nellie. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and an Elk.
Mrs. Lee is a member of the Baptist church in Terre Haute. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at St. Paris, and in political matters he affiliates with the Democrats, though he does not take an active part in politics. His farming interests are sufficient to occupy his time and he devotes his attention and his activities in that direction.
WILLIAM F. KIZER.
William F. Kizer, farmer, of Concord township, was born in Johnson township, this county, on a farm two and one-half miles north of St. Paris, November 9, 1849. He is a son of Daniel and Mary (Barger) Kizer. The mother was born in this county about 1820, her family having settled here in early pioneer times. Daniel Kizer, son of Joseph and Catherine Kizer, was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, in 18II, and, when a child, his parents brought him by wagon to Champaign county, Ohio, the family being among the pioneer settlers here. Here Daniel Kizer grew to manhood, helped to clear and develop the home farm, and after his marriage he settled two and one-half miles north of St. Paris in Johnson township and lived there until he moved to Concord township. He started out on a small scale, but by industry and good management he became one of the leading farmers of his locality, accumulating by his own efforts a valuable farm of three hun- dred and forty acres. He was a Democrat, and was active in church affairs. His family consisted of five children, three of whom are living in 1917, namely : William F .; Joseph J .; Samuel P. died on May 22, 1917; Cora is the wife of A. C. Thacher of Urbana, this county ; George N., deceased.
William F. Kizer was reared on the home farm, where he worked when
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM F. KIZER
6.41
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
a boy, and in the winter time he attended the district schools in Concord township, where his parents moved when he was four years old. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-one years old. In June, 1879, he married Rebecca J. Grove, who was born in Johnson town- ship, Champaign county, and there she grew to womanhood and attended the common schools. Her father, Joseph Grove, is mentioned specifically in later paragraphs. After his marriage Mr. Kizer located on his present farm and has been here ever since. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of excellent land, six miles northwest of Urbana, in Concord township, where he has carried on general agricultural pursuits with gratifying results.
Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kizer, namely: Mary O. is the wife of Blair Stickley; D. J. married Ethel Johnson; James L., who is single, lives at home and is assisting with the work on the farm; Elmer C. is also working on the home place.
Politically, Mr. Kizer is a Democrat and is at present one of the trustees of Concord township. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church at Concord and is a member of the official board.
Joseph Grove was born in what is now Page county, Virginia, February 17, 1821, and came to this county with his mother, Catherine Grove, in 1826. They located in Jackson township and remained there till 1837, when he went to learn wagon-making with John Turner, of Mad River township. He moved to Millerstown in 1838, where he completed his trade in 1841 and then for two years worked at carpentering and cabinet-making. In 1843 he resumed his former trade which he followed at Millerstown till 1870, when he moved onto his farm in section 33, of Concord township, and was there- after engaged at various kinds of work, clearing, building and working some at his trade. He was postmaster at Millerstown about twenty years, was treasurer of Johnson township several years, trustee of Concord township three or four years and was justice of the peace several terms. He died in Concord township, aged about sixty-six years.
In August, 1845, Mr. Grove married Polly Houser, by whom he had two children, Lydia A. (now Mrs. John Heitz, of Indiana) is the surviving one; Polly Grove departed this life on March II, 1848. On March 24, 1850, Mr. Grove married Mary Strickler, who was born on March 7, 1828, a native of this county, but who was reared in Allen county, Ohio, and who died at the age of sixty-four years. Joseph and Mary Grove became the parents of four children, namely: Rebecca J. (now Mrs. W. F. Kizer), Elisha J., Laura M. E. and Minerva Catherine.
(4Ia)
642
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
WILLIAM A. NIXON.
William A. Nixon, of the firm of Fromme & Nixon, furniture and under- taking, at St. Paris; president of the Nixon Remedy Company of that city, former city treasurer, former city councilman, for nine years president of the city school board, a director of the Farmers Telephone Company and in other ways identified with the civic and business interests of his home town and of Champaign county in general, is a Virginian, but has been a resident of this state since the days of his young manhood and of St. Paris since the middle eighties. He was born at Boothsville in Taylor county, West Virginia, then a part of the Old Dominion, June 13, 1854, son of Robert P. and Catherine (Hayhurst) Nixon, both of whom were born in that county and the latter of whom is still living there at the advanced age of ninety-two years.
Robert P. Nixon was born on January 10, 1818, and grew up at Boothsville, where he married Catherine Hayhurst, who was born at that same place on May 23, 1825 and there he established his home, spending his whole life there on a farm, his death occurring in June, 1896; and there his widow is still living. Robert P. Nixon completed his schooling in the university at Morgantown and was one of the best-educated men in his com- ' munity. For forty years he taught school, helped to establish the free-school system in his community and was ever helpful to the youth of the region over which his admirable influence was for so many years exerted in all good ways. He also for some time served as county surveyor and in that capacity helped lay out most of the public roads in that county in the early days. He and his wife were members of the Baptist church and took an active part in church work. When the question of secession reached its crisis in Vir- ginia Robert P. Nixon was one of the Union's most ardent champions in that state and was one of the leaders in his community in the movement that presently resulted in the creation of the new state of West Virginia in 1863 as a protest against the secession of the Old Dominion and he and Governor Pierpont organized the first company sent from that new state to aid the Union cause, Mr. Nixon going to the front and doing his duty as a soldier of the Union until the close of the war. To Robert P. Nixon and wife thirteen children were born. Of these children ten grew to maturity and eight are still living, all past fifty years of age. The ten who grew to maturity are as follow: S. A. Nixon, of Deer Creek, Illinois; the Rev. A. B. Nixon, a minister of the Baptist church, who died at the age of sixty-
643
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
seven years; the Rev. H. A. Nixon a minister of the Baptist church, who also was sixty-seven years of age at the time of his death in 1916; William A., the subject of this biographical sketch; Mrs. Ella C. Robinson, John S. Nixon, Mrs. Addie N. Cornwell, Harvey R. Nixon and Mrs. Alice Robinson, all of Deer Creek, Illinois, and Wayland L. Nixon, of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Upon completing the course in the common schools of his home county William A. Nixon took a course in the West Virginia College at Farmington. He taught three terms of school in his home state and then, at the age of twenty-one years, came over into Ohio and entered the National Normal School at Lebanon, teaching school during the winters and attending the normal during the summers, and was thus engaged for three years, at the end of which time he began clerking in a general store at Troy, this state. A year later he was made manager of a store at Kirkwood and remained at that place for two years, at the same time acting as postmaster of Kirk- wood. He then came over into Champaign county and engaged in the grocery business at St. Paris, doing business under the firm name of Nixon & Frazier, an arrangement which continued for two years, at the end of which time, on January 16, 1887, he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Albert Fromme, in the furniture and undertaking line at St. Paris, the two taking over the old-established concern of Frederick Fromme and has ever since been engaged in that line, the firm doing business under the firm style of Fromme & Nixon, one of the leading furniture and undertaking concerns in that part of the state. Mr. Nixon is a Republican and ever since he came to this county has taken an active interest in political affairs. For two terms he served as treasurer of the city of St. Paris, served three terms as a member of the city council and for nine years as president of the local school board, in all of these important public capacities giving his most intelligent attention to the needs of the city. Mr. Nixon is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Telephone Company at St. Paris and president of the Nixon Remedy Company of St. Paris, an incorporated concern established by himself.
On September 22, 1886, William A. Nixon was united in marriage to Clara Fromme, who was born at St. Paris, daughter of Frederick and Frances Fromme, the former of whom for years was one of the leading merchants of that city and proper and fitting mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, and to that union three children were born, namely: Nellie, wife of Prof. O. Garfield Jones, of Sioux City, Iowa; Herman W., who is living at Redland, California, where he is connected with the Mutual Orange Distributors Association, and Jessie May, who is at home. The mother of
644
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
these children died on October 9, 1903, and on September 22, 1907, Mr. Nixon married Susie May Nitchman, daughter of Thomas and Rosetta Nitch- man, of St. Paris, and to this union two children have been born, daughters, Ruth Virginia and Mary Lucile, twins, born on July 4, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Nixon are members of the Baptist church, Mr. Nixon being a deacon of the local congregation, and take a proper part in local church work, as well as in the general social activities of their home town, helpful in promoting all worthy causes. Mr. Nixon is a member of Pharos Lodge No. 355, Free and 'Accepted Masons; of St. Paris Lodge No. 344, Knights of Pythias and of St. Paris Lodge No. 246, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in the affairs of all of which organizations he takes a warm interest. He is past noble grand of the Odd Fellow lodge and is a member of the encampment of that order.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.