History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 155

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302

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1901; and William Henry Harrison, who was born May 5, 1824, and died Sept. 18, 1856. This was one of the best known families of this section of Crawford county, O.

To Mr. and Mrs. Sheckler the following children were born: Rachel Elida, who died when aged one and one-half years; Mary, who resides at home; and Edith Blanche, who is the wife of D. F. Grove, who carries on the farm for Mr. Sheckler. Mr. and Mrs. Grove have seven living children and one deceased. For many years Mr. Sheckler has been a mem- ber of the Auburn Baptist church. Formerly he was interested in the Grange and in all other movements that promised to benefit his neighborhood. He belongs to the progres- sive wing of the Republican party but has never accepted any public office except that of supervisor. In his long life he has seen many changes take place in his immediate com- munity as well as in the country at large, his years having bridged a very important period in the history of the world.

JONATHAN F. KIMERLINE,* formerly county auditor of Crawford county, O., for many years has been prominently identified with public affairs and business interest of Bucyrus as well as other places of former residence, and may be said to bear a name that is a household word in educational circles throughout the county. And yet no man ever had to face more difficulties or overcome harder conditions than he in his efforts to se- cure an education for himself. He was born December 6, 1855, at Wooster, O., and is a son of John and Hannah (Derr) Kimerline.

John Kimerline was born at Stuttgart and his wife at Baden, Germany, and after their marriage in the latter place and the birth of four children-William, Louis, John and Mar- garet-they decided to emigrate to America. In 1854 they left Hamburg, Germany, on board a sailing vessel which landed them, 52 days later, in the harbor of New York. A brother had already established himself at Wooster, O., and to that place the German family proceeded. John Kimerline followed the shoemaking trade during the rest of his active life at Wooster. He came to Bucyrus in 1804 to spend his last days with his son, Jonathan F .. and died there in 1895 in his

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79th year, having survived his wife since 1881. Both he and wite were members of the Ger- man Lutheran church. They had seven chil- dren, three having been born in America. William, the eldest son, became a confectioner at Findlay, O., where he died in 1865. Louis, who is a retired drover and butcher, resides at New Washington, O., and has a family of two sons and four daughters. John died at Cleveland, O., in 1889. He had been assistant cashier for 14 years with the Cleveland Pro- vision Company. Margaret married Anthony Gillis, a provision dealer at Half Moon Bay, Calif. Christina died at New Washington, Crawford county, while her parents were visiting there. Jonathan F. was the sixth in order of birth. The youngest child, Elizabeth, died in 1866, when aged seven years.

Jonathan F. Kimerline was the one member of the family that determined to have a thorough education and living in a college town but stimulated this ambition. He attended the common schools regularly until he was 16 years of age but his father was not able to help him on the way to further education and for a time the youth had to contend with many obstacles. However, he later made arrange- ments by which he was able to clothe himself decently and pay his way through college, and long ago has settled all the obligations lie then assumed. He passed through Smith. ville College and then took a course in the Ohio Normal School at Ada, O., and in 1874 was called to Chatfield township, Crawford county, to become principal of the schools and this position he satisfactorily filled for two years and then became principal of the schools of New Washington and for 20 years thereafter he was principal and superintendent. During this time he made many changes all progres- sive ones and when he left that city a fine school building and many graduates testified to his educational an executive ability. In 1895 Mr. Kimerline was elected county au- ditor of Crawford county and served efficiently in that office for six years and afterward for seven years was deputy auditor, under his brother-in-law, J. I. Smith. Later he became clerk of the board of county commissioners, an office he holds at the present time. While still engaged in aducational work he was a member of the State Board of State Examiners

and at present is clerk of the Bucyrus Board of Education. He is interested in everything along educational lines and for the past five . years has been a member of the Public Library Board. For four years he has had charge of the educational department of the Crawford County Agricultural Society and is a member of the board of directors of the Bucyrus Y. M. C. A., of which he was one of the organ- izers.

Mr. Kimerline was married in 1881, at Congress, O., to Miss Ida M. Brenneman, a popular teacher and accomplished lady, a na- tive of Wayne county, O., and a daughter of J. H. and Lydia Brenneman, formerly of West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Kimerline have had four children, two of whom, Florence and Clifford Dale, died on the same day, in 1890, aged respectively five and six years. The two survivors are Marie L. and Harry B. Marie L. graduated in the class of 1908 from the Bucyrus High School. She is talented in music and makes use of her gifts as a teacher. Harry B. Kimerline is making a name for himself as a mining chemist and at present is prospecting in the Altal mining district of Mexico. He graduated from the Bucyrus High School in the class of 1904 and later took a course in applied science at Case Col- lege and then spent one year at Ann Arbor, Mich., and subsequently graduated at Perdue University of Ind., taking his degree. Mr. Kimerline is prominent in two fraternal or- ders, having filled all the chairs of Lodge No. 661, Knights of Pythias, at New Washington. and being past chief of the order of Ben Hur.

CHARLES FREMONT MONROE, pro- prietor of the Commercial Printing Company, at Galion, O., is a well known newspaper man of this section and is widely known all over Crawford county. He was born in Franklin county, O., Oct. 18, 1857, and is a son of Isaac and Mary (Vorys) Monroe.

The name Monroe has been one of distinc- tion in the United States and in all probability the bearers of this name descended from three brothers who came together from across the Atlantic Ocean, one of these locating in New England, one in Virginia and the third in what is now Ohio. Leonard Monroe was the name of the Ohio settler. Possibly he was

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born in 1755 and it is known that he served in the War of the American Revolution and that he died in Delaware county, O., where he had long been a resident. Names of his children as follows have been preserved: Lemuel Franklin, Alonzo, Samuel, Isaac and Elsie.

Lemuel Franklin Monroe was born in Dela- ware county, O., May 18, 1790, served in the War of 1812 and later became a Universalist minister. On Dec. 29, 1814, he married Mar- garet Brown, who was born March 7, 1798, and to this union twelve children were born.

Isaac Monroe, the eldest son of Rev. Lemuel Franklin and Margaret Monroe, was born in Delaware county, O., July 17, 1816, and died April 28, 1887, in Knox county, O. He be- came a school teacher and even at that day this profession was considered one of extreme im- portance and formidable contracts were drawn up between teacher and patrons. From school records of that day the following is copied as an interesting bit of family history.

"An article of agreement made and con- cluded this 16th day of April, 1824, between Isaac Monroe of the county of Delaware and the State of Ohio of the one part and we, the undersigned subscribers of the other part, wit- nesseth that the said Monroe doth agree to teach a regular English school, for the term of one year, consisting of reading, writing and arithmetic, in a school house in the district near Leonard Monroe's where the majority of the subscribers may think proper. in con- sideration of which we, the subscribers do agree to pay the said Monroe one hundred and twenty-five dollars, to be paid in wheat, rye, corn, linen, tallow or beeswax, to be paid at the expiration of each quarter, at cash price. also to furnish a sufficient supply of fire wood for the use of said school, likewise to make and keep said house comfortable. Said teacher is to keep six hours in each day and five days and one-half each week, school to commence the third day of May next. The trustees of said school may discharge the teacher at the expiration of any quarter if he neglect his duty in any respect. Said teacher may quit the school at the end of any quarter if he thinks proper." This paper was signed by a dozen patrons who agreed to pay sums rang- ing from fifty cents to $1. Educators of the present day might hesitate to sign documents

like the above and it is doubtful if many of them would be led from other occupations by the compensation offered. For a number of years, however, Isaac Monroe appears to have engaged in teaching and he also became prom- inent in the work of the Union Sunday-school. He married Mary Vorys, who was born March 26, 1824, in Washington county, Pa., and died at Galion, March 6, 1907. They were the parents of nine children.

Charles Fremont Monroe was well in- structed in boyhood and youth and at the age of 19 years began to teach school, later at- tending Prof. Holbrook's Normal School at Lebanon, O., and was graduated in the teach- ers' class from that institution in 1881. For 15 years Mr. Monroe was superintendent of the Taylor Township High School in Union county. For seven years he resided at Mil- ton Center, O., where he was mayor and editor and proprietor of the "Milford Center Ohioan," and from there, in 1904, came to Galion, where, in association with John W Cupp, he embarked in the newspaper business. He became editor of two old established jour- nals, the "Daily Leader" and the "Sun-Re- view," then operated by the Sun-Review Com- pany. The former newspaper was established by Christian F. Eise, in 1891 and in 1896 had been taken over by the Sun-Review Company. In 1909 Mr. Monroe and Mr. Cupp sold their newspaper interests and organized the Com- mercial Printing Company, of which Mr. Monroe became sole proprietor in 1910.

Mr. Monroe was married Dec. 21. 1886, to Miss Mary Josephine Burson, and they have had the following children: Florence Olive, who was born at Broadway, Union county, O., March 13, 1887, and is the wife of E. Flickinger, Jr., of Galion; Willard Taylor, who was horn at Broadway. July 31, 1891, and died at Galion, Nov. 17, 1894: Rowena, who was born Oct. 3, 1901, at Milton Center, O .; and Charles Fremont, who was born Dec. 8, 1903.

Ever since reaching manhood Mr. Monroe has been an interested and active citizen and has been prominently identified with the Repub- lican party. During 1908 and 1909 he served as chairman of the Crawford County Repub- lican Central Committee, and in 1910 became a member of the State Republican Central

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Committee representing the 13th Congres- sional District. He is a past master Mason and a member of Galion Lodge No. 414 F. & A. M. and belongs also to the Elks and Knights of Pythias. He takes a public spirited inter- est in everything tending toward the develop- ment of Galion and looking to the welfare of the people, and is a needed and valued citizen.

JAMES M. HANNA, one of the leading growers and shippers of thoroughbred stock and cattle in Crawford county, O., resides on his farm of 115 acres, which lies in section 21, Auburn township, was born on a farm that adjoins his own on the east, June 27, 1852, and is a son of James and a grandson of Samuel and Elizabeth Hanna.

When Samuel Hanna came to Crawford county from Harrison county, O., he entered 160 acres of land in Auburn township, the rec- ord of which is preserved at Wooster, O. His subsequent life was spent on his property and he died there, having lived retired for some years previously. Both he and wife were laid to rest in what is known as the Hanna Cem- etery, land that he donated for cemetery pur- poses. His children were: James; Samuel, who resides on the east half of his father's old farm; John, who followed the blacksmith trade at Decalb, O .; Margaret, who married Andrew Dixon of Vernon township, Craw- ford county; Thomas, who died while serving in the Civil War; William, deceased, who lived on a farm in Hancock county; Archibald, de- ceased, who also lived in Hancock county ; and Eliza Jane, who died and is buried in Hancock county.

James Hanna, son of Samuel and father of James M., was six months old when his par- ents came to Crawford county and he grew to manhood in Auburn township and later se- cured 80 acres of the western part of the old farm and lived there until within a few years of his death, when he retired to Tiro. He was a leading member of the United Presbyterian church, there and was a member of the build- ing committee which erected the church ed- ifice. He was one of the solid and reliable men of both township and town and was held in great esteem. He married Clarissa Scott and all their children were born in Auburn township, namely: Catherine. now deceased, who was the wife of James Cahill: James M ..

subject of this article; and William Scott, who is the present owner of the old homestead of his father and is a resident of Tiro. He com- pleted his education at Ada, O., while his brother and sister attended the Savanna High School, all having enjoyed excellent advan- tages.

After completing his education James M. Hanna married and then settled on his pres- ent farm, which was then known as the Jonah Ashley farm, although Mr. Hanna had pur- chased the property from his father. He has his land all under cultivation with the excep- tion of 15 acres fenced off as a woodland past- ure, and this is needed as Mr. Hanna has made a specialty of raising fine cattle and stock and owns the only herd of thoroughbred Short- horns in this section. He devotes consider- able attention to raising Chester White hogs and for some twelve years has grown Shrop- shire sheep that have become so standard that he is called on to ship them all over the state. His place shows that many substantial im- provements have been made here and that Mr. Hanna is a careful as well as successful agri- culturist.

On Sept. 29, 1874, in Plymouth township, Mr. Hanna was married to Miss Harriet I. Chambers, who was born in Morrow county, O., March 30, 1853, a daughter of William Park and Mary Jane (Dougal) Chambers. They were born and reared in Springfield township, Richland, county, and during life made several removals, living mainly in Rich- land county. Mrs. Chambers died in Jackson township, when aged 52 years and her burial was at Shiloh, O. Mr. Chambers survived her, dying at Cleveland, when aged 69 years and six months. They were members of the United Presbyterian church.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hanna the following chil- dren have been born: Jennie Wilson, who is the wife of John F. Sawyer; Charles M., who resides two miles south of his father, and who married Jenette Carouthers and has two chil- dren-Sarah Harriet and Robert Laird; Grace Dora; Martha May, who is the wife of Orian Armstrong of Youngstown, O .; and Robert R. and Ida Marie, both of whom live at home. The family belongs to the United Presbyterian church at Mansfield. In politics Mr. Hanna is a Republican.

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A. A. STARNER, M. D., proprietor of the Starner Hospital, at Galion, O., and a well known general practitioner of medicine and surgery, was born at Glenmont, Holmes county, O., and is a son of Alexander and Margaret (Ulrich) Starner.

Alexander Starner was born on the Atlantic Ocean during the voyage of his parents from Germany to America, and he died in Ohio, Dec. 21, 1894. In this state he married Mar- garet Ulrich, who was also of German par- entage but was born in Ohio. On March 17, 1912. Mrs. Starner celebrated her 70th birth- day.

In the schools of Glenmont, Millersburg and Ada, O., A. A. Starner received his early edu- cational training, afterward teaching school two years. He then entered the office of the late Dr. Joel Pomerene, of Mt. Hope, O., who was one of the best known surgeons of that part of the state and with him received his preliminary medical reading, continuing there for two years. In 1892 he became a student in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Chicago, Ill., where he was a brilliant student and was graduated in 1896. At the end of his first year, Dr. Starner was the head of his class in anatomy and at the end of his third year re- ceived the Byford prize in gynecology, and at the end of his senior year was one of the six graduates of his class who carried off the high- est honors. At the end of his junior year he practiced to some extent in Chicago, having one district in Cook county, and at the end of his senior year, by competitive examination, won the desired position of interne in the Alexian Brothers Hospital, Chicago. Prior to coming to Galion, in 1892, Dr. Starner practiced his profession at Danville, O. In 1906 he opened his private hospital in this city, erecting a commodious building in a fa- vorable situation, fitting it up with all modern conveniences and appliances for hospital pur- poses. Here patients are treated with pro- fessional skill and they come from every sec- tion of the country. Dr. Starner keeps fully abreast with scientific progress, having taken two post graduate courses under the famous Mayo Brothers, surgeons of world-wide fame, at Rochester, Minn., since opening his hospital, and prior to this time took two courses in the great medical centers of Chicago.

Dr. Starner was married to Miss Emma C. Snyder, who was born and reared at Mt. Hope, O., and completed her musical education at Evanston, Ill., after which she taught music for a time. Dr. and Mrs. Starner have five children : Genevieve, Kathleen, Joel, Virginia and Mary. The eldest daughter was so pro- ficient in her studies that last year at school she was awarded a gold medal. Dr. Starner and family are members of St. Patrick's Ro- man Catholic church. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus and is identified with the leading medical organizations of county and state.

JOSEPH NIEDERMEIER, who carries on general farming on section 23, Cranberry township, Crawford county, O., where he owns 80 acres of valuable land, situated on the south side of the East and West road, was born on this farm, June 28, 1866, and is a son of Peter and Barbara (Rauner) Niedermeier.

Peter Niedermeier was born in Australia and married there and then came to America and settled in Auburn township, Crawford county, O., where they lived until they moved to the farm above mentioned. When Peter Niedermeier took possession of this farm it was covered with a native forest growth and it took much hard work and a number of years to place it in its present high state of cultivation, it now being one of the best farms in the township. Mr. Niedermeier and wife finally retired to New Washington and lived there for four years, and there his wife died, June 27, 1898, aged 76 years. After her death he returned to the old homestead and his last years were spent with his son Joseph, and here he died June 27, 1903, his birth hav- ing taken place May 23, 1825. Both he and wife were faithful members of the Roman Catholic church and they were interred in the church cemetery at New Washington. There were seven children in the family and five of these survive.

Joseph Niedermeier, with his brothers and sisters, attended school in Cranberry town- ship. While the others left home when they formed domestic ties of their own, he re- mained with his parents and later purchased the farm and has continued here ever since. He has already done much improving and at the

A. A. STARNER, M. D.

THE STARNER HOSPITAL, GALION, O.

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time of writing ( 1912) is erecting a fine brick residence, with modern improvements which will be a beautiful home.

Mr. Niedermeier married Miss Rosa Big- lin, who was born in the Shelby Settlement, a daughter of John and Margaret Biglin, and they have five children: Frank, Linus, Clar- ence, John and Edward. The family belongs to St. Bernard Catholic church. In politics he is a Democrat.

Andrew Niedermeier, a brother of Joseph, has recently purchased 90 acres in section II, Cranberry township, two and one-half miles northeast of New Washington. He married Margaret Bigley of Richland county, a daugh- ter of John Bigley, and they have ten chil- dren: Rosa, Roman, Blanche, George, Mary, Clara, Joseph, Alfred, Carl and Arthur. Mr. Niedermeier resided on a 40-acre farm west of the homestead, for 20 years. Like his brother Joseph, he is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Catholic church. The Nie- dermeier family is known and highly respected all over Cranberry township.

JOHN W. STUCKMAN,* who owns and operates 160 acres in Bucyrus township and 40 acres in Tod township, Crawford county, and who is also a stock holder in the Farmers & Citizens Bank, was born in Bucyrus town- ship, Feb. 23, 1867, a son of Peter and Mar- garet (Bickel) Stuckman. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Stuckman had the following children : George P .; Anna, the wife of Rev. J. H. Patterson, a minister of the U. B. church, who is an elder of the Eastern Ohio Conference; John W .; Maggie, the wife of John C. Kraner; Aaron A .; and Esther, deceased.

After his education in the common schools of his locality was over John W. Stuckman entered the Ohio Northern University at Ada and spent one year there. He then learned telegraphy and for two years was engaged in that work in the Pennsylvania Railroad of- fice in Bucyrus. He then turned his attention to agriculture and has since devoted himself to that occupation in connection with stock buying. His live stock trade is carried on the markets of Buffalo and Pittsburg and he also deals extensively in poultry in the eastern markets.

On March 27, 1895, Mr. Stuckman was mar-

ried to Grace L. Albright, a native of this township and a daughter of Emanuel and Catherine ( Rexroth) Albright. Emanuel Al- bright was born in Pennsylvania and his wife in Germany. He was a Republican in politics and with his wife attended the Methodist church. They were the parents of the follow- ing children: William, Joseph, George, Mary (the wife of Lewis Kissling), Gertrude (the wife of John Kissling), Grace L. (the wife of our subject), Nellie (the wife of George Fahl), Frederick and Margaret (the wife of Henry Gushman).

Mr. and Mrs. John Stuckman have the fol- lowing children: Hazel, Harlan, Helen and Hester. He is a Democrat in politics. He served as central committee man of this dis- trict for several terms, was a member of the school board for about 20 years and is now president of the Agricultural Society of Craw- . ford county. He is a member of the F. & A. M., K. of P. and F. O. E., all at Bucyrus. Mr. and Mrs. Stuckman are members of the U. B. church.

MRS. CATHERINE SHELL, who is a well known and very highly esteemed resident of Cranberry township, Crawford county, O., was born in Germany, Nov. 28, 1849, and is a daughter of Joseph and Barbara (Holly) Kreim.

Joseph Kreim was born in Bohemia, Aus- tria, a son of Joseph and Mary Ann Kreim, the youngest of their five children. He and his brother Philip came to America and the latter lived two miles west of Plymouth, O. on the Westfall farm. He was a weaver of cloth in Germany and after coming to the United States learned to weave rag carpets.

In Germany Joseph Kreim was married to Barbara Holly, who was born there June II, 1826, and died Aug. 17, 1910. For six years after marriage they lived in Germany and then came to America and joined his brother Philip, near Plymouth. Afterward he moved to Sandusky, O., prior to the Civil War, and there assisted to build the Ohio Canal. For five years afterward he and family lived on a small farm near Ripley and then moved on the Westfall farm near Plymouth. He then bought 40 acres of land in Cranberry town- ship on which his family lived during his ab-

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sence of nine months in the army, during the Civil War. After he received his honorable discharge he was so anxious to reach home that he walked the entire distance from Shelby and Mrs. Shell remembers how she was the one that met him at the door in the middle of the night. Later he erected another house on the place and it was in that residence that he died on Feb. 1, 1897. Both he and wife were devoted members of the Catholic church and it was a source of great pleasure to them that all their children became devout church mem-, bers.

The eldest child of Joseph and Barbara Kreim was an infant that lived but four days. Catherine was the second born. Philip, who was two years old when his parents came from Germany, married Caroline Weis and they live near Cleveland, O., and have nine children: Leo, Louisa, Frederick, Fredericka, Rose, Theresa, William and John. Mary Madeline, who was three months old when the family came to America, married F. X. Blum, of Cranberry township. Joseph, the fifth in or- der of birth, never married. He died in Penn- sylvania on April 25, 1909, at the age of 53 years and was buried by his family in the Catholic cemetery at New Washington. Frank J., resides in Cranberry township. Amelia, deceased, was the wife of John Muhr, who lives in Cranberry township. Anna Mary married Joceph Lang, of Crestline, O., and they have two children, Walter and Anna. Two children, Anthony and Mary, died in in- fancy.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 155

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1302

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302