History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 92

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

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 92

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Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Shealy, namely: Christian W., who re- sides at home, and who married Laura Myers and has one daughter, Gwendoline E .; Ella M., who married O. L. Green, of New Wash-

ington, O., and has two children-Russell and Virgil; Albert, who resides at New Wash- ington, O., and who married Matilda Feicht- ner, whose one child died in infancy; Hattie, who is the wife of Clarence Miller, and re- sides at home; Emanuel, who is deceased; and Emma M., Edna May and Mildred Marie, all three living with their parents. Mr. Shealy and family are members of the Lutheran church. He is a Democrat in politics and ex- erts considerable influence in this section, be- ing considered a man of excellent judgment and of sterling character. He has served as township trustee and as school director.

SAMUEL RORICK, a retired farmer, who, for twenty years has occupied his com- fortable residence at No. 523 South Sandusky Street, Bucyrus, O., was born in Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., April 28, 1839, and is a son of Augustus Rorick and his wife, Elizabeth (Ream) Rorick.

Augustus Rorick was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1800, where he grew to man- hood and married Elizabeth Ream. In 1832, after the birth of their third child, Augustus Rorick and wife took passage on a sailing ves- sel for America and after a voyage of ninety days, were safely landed at Baltimore, Md. Their objective point was Crawford county, O., and they made the overland journey as rapidly as they were able and finally reached this section, which, at that time was almost a wilderness. Augustus Rorick secured eighty acres of Government land and later added to this tract and continued to live here until the time of his death, in September, 1873, when he was aged 75 years, his wife having died in the previous year. They attended the Ger- man Reformed church. They had four chil- dren, as follows: Henry, who was 83 years of age at time of death, was a retired farmer, married Katie Bremen and they left descend- ants; August, who died in Marion county, O., at the age of 69 years, married Rosanna Gold- smith, also now deceased, and they left chil- dren; William, who died in Whetstone town- ship, Crawford county, at the age of 55 years, was married twice but left no children; Samuel, who was born after the family came to Ohio, is the only survivor.

Samuel Rorick for many years was a very

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successful farmer and stock raiser and owned 250 acres of valuable land. Politically he is a Democrat and for a long period served more or less continuously in township offices, his fel- low citizens regarding him as a man of un- usual good judgment and knowing him to be of sterling integrity. In 1862 he was married in Whetstone township to Miss Mary Jane Heinlen, who was born there May 26, 1846, a daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Deebler) Hein- len. In the thirties the Heinlen family came from Pennsylvania to Crawford county, driv- ing their ox-teams the whole distance. They were true pioneers and at first lived in a log cabin that had only an earth floor ; quilts served ed to cover the window spaces, as they had no glass. Not only did Indians visit them but al- so wolves came out of the near-by forest and often endangered their lives. Later in life Jacob Heinlen and wife retired to Bucyrus, being then able to live in comfort, and there his sudden death occurred in December, 1889. He was a Democrat in politics and both he and wife belonged to the Reformed church. Mrs. Heinlen, who on June 24, 1912, became 90 years of age, remains active in body and enjoys a social visit with her many friends in Bucyrus. Mrs. Rorick was an only daughter and the only member of her family now alive except the aged mother. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rorick, as fol- lows: Mary E., born in 1862, died in 1904, the wife of J. D. Snyder; William M., born in 1864, died in 1888, unmarried; Charles A., born in 1866, who follows the trade of paper hanger at New Chester, Crawford county, married Carrie Kern and they have children; Elma D., born in 1869, is the wife of H. J. Stump, of Whetstone township and they have two children; George L., born in 1871, died in 1887; Sarah A., born in 1873, is the wife of D. M. Roberts, of Lorain, O., and they have two children; Henry J., born in 1875, lives at home and is unmarried; Anna C., born in 1879, is the wife of J. C. Bauman, lives at Mansfield, O., and has two children; Samuel O., born in 1879, died in 1888; Rosa Alice, born in 1887, died at the age of eleven months; Urban Paul, the remaining child, was born May 25, 1889. The latter is a well edu- cated young man and has become a skilled machinist. He continues to live with his

parents. The Roricks are all members of the Reformed church.

HARRY J. MARTIN, an enterprising agriculturist of Dallas township and the own- er of 40 acres of land, was born December 10, 1875, on this farm. His parents, Henry and Elizabeth (Miller) Martin, were early settlers in this township and industrious farming peo- ple. The father was a Democrat and with his family attended the Methodist church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Henry Martin are now deceased and buried in Bucyrus. They were the parents of a number of children, namely: George; Alice, the wife of Henry Linn; Mary Jane, the wife of Jacob Linn; Anna, the wife of Horace Munsen; Ella, deceased, who was the wife of Ira E. Quaintance; Ida, the wife of William Booze; Viola, the wife of John Bone; Charles, the subject of this sketch; and Blanche, the wife of Ed. Harvey.

Harry J. Martin in his boyhood attended the common schools of his locality and since then has devoted his attention to general farming and stock raising, though he does not make a specialty of the latter, merely raising enough stock for his own needs. His farm is a part of the old Martin homestead and was purchased by Mr. Martin from the other heirs. He has made a success of his agricul- tural operations and does some farming on land besides that which he owns.

Mr. Martin was united in marriage on Feb. 22, 1905, with Miss Mary J. Turney, a daugh- ter of Eugene and Catherine (Brown) Tur- ney. Mr. Turney is a well known farmer of Wyandot county. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Martin were named: Harry, who is de- ceased; Claude; and Florence, the wife of William Cochran. To Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Martin have been born the following children: Mildred, Blanche, Eugene and Elizabeth.

In his political views Mr. Martin is a Dem- ocrat but votes according to his judgment. He has been road supervisor for two years and is now serving his second term as school direc- tor. Religiously, the Martin family is affiliat- ed with the Methodist church.

ALBERT G. STOLTZ, cashier of the Sec- ond National Bank at Bucyrus, O., with which institution he has been identified for

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the past thirteen years, is a native of Craw- ford county, O., to which section his family came in 1836, from Pennsylvania.

Michael Stoltz, the paternal grandfather, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, July 9, 1809, and was eight years old when his parents emigrated to the United States, locating in Ly- coming county, Pa. He grew to manhood there and married Mary Kober in 1833. A part of their family of children were born be- fore they started westward and finally located in Whetstone township, Crawford county, of which section they became worthy and sub- stantial residents. Michael Stoltz died in this township in his eighty-eighth year, his entire family of nine children passing away with the death of the last son, which occurred October 19, 19II.

George Stoltz, father of Albert G., was born in Lycoming county, Pa., in 1835, and died on his farm in Whetstone township, Craw- ford county, O., September 10, 1888. He spent a long and busy life engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. He was never active in politics but voted with the Democratic party and al- ways lent his influence in support of law, tem- perance and religion. On January 18, 1867, he was married to Susan Stump, who was born March 25, 1839, in Whetstone township, Crawford county, where she continued to live until a few years since. She then came to Bucyrus, where she has since made her home. She was reared a Methodist but later united with the German Reformed church and at- tended it with her husband. She has a wide social circle and is active in neighborhood benevolence. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Stoltz: Laura, who died at the age of nine years; Samuel, who died when three years old; Emma, who is the wife of S. D. Beal, at Bucyrus; a daughter that died un- named; and Albert G.

Albert G. Stoltz was graduated from the Bucyrus High School in the class of 1897, af- ter which he took a commercial course in the Ohio Normal University at Ada, Ohio. He then entered a business house as a bookkeeper, afterward becoming teller in a bank, but re- signed that position in order to go to New York, there becoming bookkeeper in an office connected with the Government Navy Yard. On February 1, 1903, he accepted a position as

assistant teller in the sub-treasury, where he remained until January 1, 1904, at which time he came back to Bucyrus. At this time Mr. Stoltz accepted the position of assistant cashier in the Second National Bank and so continued until 1907, when he was elected cashier. For the duties of this position, as will be seen above, he has had an excellent training and among the great assets of this bank his name, as an important official, car- ries considerable weight.

Mr. Stoltz was married at Bucyrus to Miss Laura Hurr, who was born in Whetstone township, a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Sherer) Hurr. They were natives of Penn- sylvania and in youth accompanied their par- ents to Crawford county, later married and lived on a farm in Whetstone township until somewhat advanced in years, when they re- tired to Bucyrus, where the father of Mrs. Stoltz died in 1904 and the mother in 1907. They were Methodists in religious faith. Of their children Mrs. Stoltz was the youngest born. Of the five members of the Hurr fam- ily yet living, all are married and all but one are residents of Bucyrus. Mr. and Mrs. Stoltz have two children: Albert George, who was born November 18, 1906; and Dorothy Virginia, born February 21, 1908. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, Mr. Stoltz being one of the church officials. In politics he is a Republican. He is identified fraternally with the Masons, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias.

WILLIAM CAMERON BEER was born in Bucyrus, O., on June 16th, 1874. He was the second son of Capt. William Nevin Beer and his wife Mary, whose maiden name was Mary Denman Swingly. His father was the sixth son of Rev. Thomas Beer and Margaret Cameron, the former being of Irish and the latter of Scotch parentage. His mother was the daughter of Dr. Frederick Swingly and Mary Denman; she was born and reared in Bucyrus, O., where she still resides.

The ancestors of Mr. Beer were among the early settlers of this country, and they endured the trials and privations that fell to the lot of the hardy pioneers who developed the American commonwealth. William Beer, the first of the family to emigrate to this country,

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left his home in Derry county, Ireland, in 1764 and took up his abode in Pennsylvania. His son Thomas, who accompanied him, served throughout the War for Independence.

The Denmans, Mr. Beer's maternal ances- tors, were among the very early settlers in New England; authentic records on file in the Connecticut State Library show them to have been residents of that colony as far back as 1650.

In the early Indian wars, in the War for Independence, in the War of 1812 and in the Civil War, the ancestors of Mr. Beer rendered valuable service to the colonies and to the United States. William N. Beer, as captain in the IOIst O. V. I., and four brothers, fol- lowed the fortunes of the flag in the great Civil War. Mr. Beer's grandfather, Dr. Frederick Swingly, and his uncle, Frederick Swingly, were soldiers in the army of the North-the former a surgeon with the rank of captain, and the latter a hospital steward. When the war with Spain was declared, Mr. Beer and his brother, Frederick T., followed the traditions of the family by enlisting and serving with Company A, Eighth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry during the war. They saw active military service in the Santiago cam- paign in July, 1898.

William Cameron Beer began his education in the public schools of Bucyrus. In 1896 he graduated from Nelson's Business College at Springfield, Ohio. For a short time thereaf- ter he was engaged in newspaper work. On the breaking out of the war with Spain, as above narrated, he became a member of Com- pany A, Eighth O. V. I., and served during hostilities. Upon his muster-out he went to Belle Plaine, Ia., where he entered the service of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. as a stenographer. June 30, 1900, he mar- ried Jessie Blanche Hutchison at Lake City, Ia.

In June, 1901, Mr. Beer entered the law de- partment of the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated with the degree of LL. B. in 1903. He was admitted to the prac- tice of law in Ohio in December, 1903, and in April of the following year he began the prac- tice of his profession in Bucyrus, Ohio, as a partner of the late Judge Thomas Beer. Upon the death of Judge Beer in 1910 he formed

a partnership for the practice of his profes- sion with J. W. Wright, under the firm name of Beer & Wright; this firm was dissolved in January, 1912. Mr. Beer was elected city solicitor of Bucyrus in November, 1905, and held the office for two years. He is a member of Bucyrus Lodge No. 156, B. P. O. Elks; Camp Thoman No. 33 United Spanish War Veterans, and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. In politics he is a Republican, being the chairman of the Re- publican Executive Committee of Crawford county, Ohio.

C. E. HILDEBRAND, druggist, who is the leader in his line at New Washington, O., is sole proprietor and successor of J. F. Hilde- brand & Bro., which firm succeeded J. F. To- bin. Mr. Hildebrand was born at New Wash- ington, June 29, 1875, and is a son of George and Frederica (Michelfelder ) Hildebrand.

George Hildebrand was born at Broken- sword, O., and after an agricultural life, lives retired at New Washington. He is a strong supporter of the Democratic party and a faith- ful member of the Lutheran church. In this city he was married to Frederica Michelfelder, a daughter of John and Frederica (Utz) Michelfelder, and they had two sons-J. F., who is deceased, and C. E.

C. E. Hildebrand attended school at New Washington and then entered the Ohio Nor- mal University at Ada, O., where he com- pleted his course in pharmacy. In 1896 he purchased his interest in the present store, from his brother, and the firm was known as J. F. Hildebrand & Bro., until 1899, on the death of the senior partner, C. E. Hildebrand becoming the sole owner. He carries every- thing usually found in a modern drug store, including a complete line of drugs, wall pa- per, paints, china, books, novelties and fancy and toilet articles, perfumes and choice con- fectionery, occupying a double room 44x76 ft. in dimensions.

Mr. Hildebrand married Miss Henrietta Heinmiller, a daughter of John and Margaret Heinmiller of New Washington, and they have three children; John, Harold and Eve- lyn. Mr. Hildebrand and family are mem- bers of the Lutheran church. Politically he is a Democrat and at times has served in the

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town council and on the school board. He is a member of the Ohio State Drug Association. Mr. Hildebrand occupiees well appointed flats above his drug store on Mansfield Street.

BENJAMIN MECK, who has been estab- lished in the practice of law at Bucyrus, O., since 1907, and is a member of the able law firm of Meck & Stalter, of this city, is also a prominent Democratic politician and a man of good report along every line. He was born March 1, 1860, in Lykens township Crawford county, O., a son of John Frederick Meck.

The ancestors of Mr. Meck came to Amer- ica from Germany and the paternal grand- father brought the family to Ohio and settled in Lykens township, Crawford county. He and his wife were among the early members of the German Evangelical church in that section. In 1831, when the family came to America, the father of Benjamin Meck was about fifteen years of age. He became a farmer in Lykens township and lived there during all his active life, then retired to Chat- field, where he died in 1899. He married and his widow still survives, being now eighty-one years old. In her girlhood days she united with the Methodist church but later attended the German Evangelical with her husband. All of their eleven children grew to maturity ex- cept one, and all live in Ohio and are mar- ried except two.

Benjamin Meck was the fifth born in the above family. His boyhood was spent on the home farm and he attended the country schools but later enjoyed other advantages, in 1883 graduating from the Ohio Normal uni- versity. He was admitted to the bar in June, 1889, and located at Upper Sandusky, where he resided for twenty years. He was recog- nized as one of the ablest members of the Wy- andot county bar and for six years was prose- cuting attorney. It was during his term that Wyandot county erected its present handsome court house, which was built under the careful scrutiny of Prosecuting Attorney Meck, with the happy result that was appreciated by the taxpayers, of moderate taxation and reason- able cost of erection. There was no opportu- nity for false representations when every item went through the office of the prosecuting at- torney as well as the auditor's and treasurer's.

His first election was in 1896 and his second in 1899, following the close of which he de- clined a third nomination. Since then he has attended closely to an ever increasing practice, both in Wyandot county and since coming to Bucyrus, and is known as a learned, accurate, high-minded lawyer.

Mr. Meck was married in Wyandot county, to Miss Mary McLaughlin, who was born and reared there, and they have five children, as follows: Henry Lehr, who is engaged in the practice of medicine at Petersburg, Mich., is a graduate of the Detroit Medical college, in the class of 1909; he married Clara Lynch, of Sycamore, O. Abraham K., who is engaged in the practice of law at Denver, Colo., is a graduate of the Chicago university; he mar- ried Maria Chenowith. Chester Allen, who is a graduate of the Bucyrus High school, is a student in the class of 1914 in the law depart- ment of the Ohio Northern university at Ada, O. Nina Augusta is the wife of Dorsey Wirth, who is a merchant at Bucyrus. Calvin Benjamin attends the public schools. Mrs. Meck is a member of the German Reformed church. Mr. Meck is identified with Walpole lodge, F. & A. M., at Upper Sandusky.

RUFUS V. SEARS, a foremost member of the Bucyrus bar and a representative citi- zen along every line of intelligent effort, be- longs to one of the old settled families of Crawford county, O. He was born on the Sears homestead, within a few miles of Bucy- rus, and was principally educated in this city. He is of Revolutionary stock in both branches of his ancestry. His parents were Benjamin and Melissa (Minich) Sears, names well known in the early settlement of Mary- land and Ohio.

After being creditably graduated from the Bucyrus High school, he entered upon the study of the law and in 1886 was admitted to the bar. He opened an office at Bucyrus and practiced alone until 1893, when he entered into partnership with the late Hon. S. R. Har- ris, his father-in-law. This law firm, collect- ively and individually, was a strong one in Crawford county for many years. Since the death of Judge Harris, Mr. Sears has con- tinued without a partner. He is additionally interested in numerous successful enterprises

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of city and section, and is officially connected with several, and is one of the directing board of the First National bank of Bucyrus. In his political views Mr. Sears is a Republican and is loyal to party and friends but has sel- dom consented to accept political preferment for himself. He has always identified himself vitally with the best interests of the city, and belongs to that class of useful and construct- ive citizens that maintain order and encourage progress, thereby establishing the good name of their section abroad.

Mr. Sears was married in 1888 to Miss Sallie J. Harris, and their family consists of three sons: Paul Bigelow, Demas Lindley and John Dudley.

ALBERT L. BRIGGS, a general farmer and highly respected citizen of Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., operates a farm of eighty acres and is considered one of the successful agriculturists of this section. Mr. Briggs was born in Pennsylvania, Febru- ary 12, 1860, and is a son of Alexander and Sarah (Shearer ) Briggs.

Alexander Briggs was born also in Pennsyl- vania, a son of Jonathan Briggs, who was probably of English ancestry. Alexander Briggs carried on farming in Pennsylvania and is now deceased. He was somewhat active in the Democratic party in his locality and was a man who was well thought of by his neigh- bors. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Sarah Shearer, a daughter of Michael Shearer, and they had the following children: Albert L .; Harry; Wade; Charles; Mary, wife of Samuel Lou- den; Edna, wife of Thomas Guinn; Catherine, wife of Frank Brown; Matilda, now deceased, who was the wife of a Mr. Young; and Bertha, wife of William Bell. The mother of this family survives and lives in Iowa. She is a member of the Presbyterian church.

Albert L. Briggs attended the public schools in Huntingdon county, Pa., and assisted his father on the home place until he was twenty years of age. He then came to Crawford county, O., where he soon found employment in the agricultural districts, and thus it hap- pened that he was engaged by George Breh- man as a farm assistant and worked for two years on the present place prior to his marriage

with his employer's daughter. This marriage was celebrated January 17, 1888, the lady being Miss Matilda Brehman, a daughter of George and Hettie (Reiter) Brehman, and a granddaughter of John Brehman and John Reiter. It was Grandfather Brehman who en- tered the present farm from the Government and the deed, which Mr. and Mrs. Briggs pre- serve, bears the signature of Andrew Jackson as President of the United States. The Briggs farm belongs to Mrs. Briggs, it having de- scended to her when her parents died, and she is also one of the heirs interested in another eighty acres. George Brehman and wife were well known and much esteemed people and were faithful members of the Lutheran church. They had the following children: Martha,, wife of William Vail; Emmeline wife of Marion Smith; George; Matilda, wife of Albert L. Briggs; Malinda; Amanda; and Elias, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Briggs have three children, May, Carl and Kenneth, all of whom have been given excellent school ad- vantages. Mr. Briggs has served as school director and also as road supervisor, and is known to be a sensible, honest, practical man. The family attends the Lutheran church.

CHARLES R. ROWE, of The Rowe Bros. Co., proprietors of the leading mercantile es- tablishment at Bucyrus, O., has been a part- ner in the above mentioned business since 1897, having had previous mercantile experi- ence. He was born in Medina county, O., and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Grant) Rowe.

Dr. Thomas Rowe, the grandfather of the Rowe Brothers of Bucyrus, was born in New Hampshire and came to the Western Reserve with his family in 1840, locating in Medina county. He had much pioneering experience, as the country at that date was but sparsely settled and his practice called him long dis- tances from home and his visits were neces- sarily made in primitive style, carrying his saddle bags of medicine and instruments on horseback. Of his children, his son Thomas was a small boy when the family came to Medina county, which section continued to be his home through life. He acquired a large amount of valuable farm land. His death oc- curred in 1897, when he was aged sixty-four

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years. He married Elizabeth Grant, who was born in Connecticut, from which state she came to Medina county as a school teacher and subsequently was married to Thomas Rowe. She still survives and resides in Me- dina county and has many pleasant recollec- tions of earlier times there. She is a member of the Congregational church. To Thomas and Elizabeth Rowe five children were born, four sons and one daughter, the last, Emma, being the wife of G. W. Thompson, of Lex- ington, Idaho, and the mother of four sons and one daughter. The sons, Charles R., Thomas G., George S. and H. G., are all business men, the two older brothers being associated to- gether at Bucyrus, while George S. is with the Putnam Publishing Company, at New York City, and H. G. is owner and proprietor of the Medina County Gazette and a promi- nent resident of the city of Medina.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 92

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