USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 29
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John R. Holland received his early education in the Wood- ington school, following which he attended the Bethel school, and during this entire period spent his summer months in assisting his father on the home farm. He did not embark . upon a career of his own until he reached the age of twenty- six years, at which time he began renting land from his father,
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and from that time to the present his efforts have been marked by decided success. While general farming has occupied a large part of his time, he has also given considerable atten- tion to the breeding of livestock, and his operations in this line have developed so rapidly that today he is accounted one of the leading breeders of Duroc-Jersey swine of the county, if not of the State. Straightforward in his dealings, his asso- ciates have implicit confidence in his integrity, and his judg- ment is rated so highly that he is often consulted on matters of importance in the livestock line. Mr. Holland is a follower of the Christian Church, is interested in all of its movements, and has been a liberal contributor to its charities. In political matters he is a Democrat and has been active in the ranks of his party, although more as a directing force than a seeker for personal benefits. He may be justly numbered among Darke county's representative men.
JOHN STOCKER. .
An important factor in the agricultural life of Greenville township, John Stocker has gained his present position through his own unaided efforts. Recognized as a skilled agricul- turist, his standing in public confidence is equally high, and as a member of the township board of school directors he is rendering signal service to his community. He came to Darke county with no capital save his sturdy heart, his willing hands and his indomitable spirit; today he is the owner of seventy- five acres of excellent land on the Fort Recovery road, about five miles northwest of Greenville. Mr. Stocker was born January 24, 1856, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Andrew and Margaret (Rater) Stocker, natives of Wurtemburg, Germany.
Andrew Stocker received a somewhat limited education in the schools of his native country, he being obliged to go to work at an early age, owing to the death of his father. He made the most of his opportunities, however, and in his youth was thrifty and industrious, so that at the age of twenty years he was able to pay his passage to the United States, having decided that a better future awaited him here than he could see before him in the Fatherland. On locating in America, he made his home in Lancaster county, Penn-
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sylvania, there engaging in agricultural pursuits until his re- moval to Montgomery county, Ohio. While living there, at Miamisburg, his mother, who had followed him to this country some years after his emigration, passed away. Mr. Stocker is now living a retired life and is one of the substantial old citizens of Greenville. He married Margaret Rater, also a native of Germany, and they became the parents of twelve children : John, Jacob, Andrew, Elizabeth, Mary, Kate, Henry, Albert, Flora, Adam, Elmer and William, of whom Elizabeth, Katie and Albert are now deceased.
John Stocker received his primary education in the old sub- scription school in the vicinity of his home in Lancaster county, Pa., and later received the benefits to be derived from attendance at the public schools of Darke county. His boy- hood and youth were spent in the hard farm work that de- volved upon him as his father's eldest son, but he thus gained experience that has proven invaluable to him in subsequent years. On attaining his majority he at once embarked in operations on his own account, beginning as a renter and saving his first $500 from the sale of corn at eighteen cents per bushel. After leaving his first property, he spent eight years on the Jackson farm, and then moved to the vicinity of Web- ster, Darke county, and there rented 165 acres of land of J. J. Ryan for twenty years, during which time he accumulated the means wherewith to buy his present property, bought August 30, 1906. He carries on general farming operations, raises good stock, and is acknowledged to be thoroughly. pro- ficient in every line of his chosen work. As president of the Mutual Insurance Company he has the full confidence, and regard of his associates and his executive ability has made this one of the strongest concerns of its kind in this part of the State. Mr. Stocker is a Democrat and has taken an active interest in public matters, although his only office has been that of school director, a capacity in which he is acting effi- ciently at the present time. With his family, he attends the Lutheran church.
On March 14, 1878, Mr. Stocker was married to Miss. Eliza- beth Eshelman, who is now deceased, since February 15, 1900. She was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, April 3, 1851. When a child of three or four years she came with her par- ents, Jno. and Mahala Eshelman, to Adams towaship, Darke county, Ohio, near. Stelvideo. Mr. and Mrs. Stocker- were the parents. of six. children : Bertha Pearl, born December 20,
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1878, who married Daniel Crow1 April 20, 1902, and has four children, Sherman Emery, Clarence Omar, Maurice J., and Herman Ullery; Earl Roscoe, born July 21, 1880, who mar- ried Miss Florence Katherman July 7, 1901, and has three children, Velma Loy (deceased), Kathryn Isabel, and Dorothy Maxine; Lula May, born February 24, 1882, died September 6, 1896; Ruda Morris, born November 28, 1883, who married Miss Maud Sipple December 26, 1906, has two children, Chalmer S. and Clara Elizabeth; Orla and Ortha (twins), born January 5, 1886. Orla married Miss Nora Katherman, December 24, 1912, and has one child, Lois Evelyn. Ortha married Miss Lucinda Smith, January 29, 1913.
Mr. Stocker celebrated his second marriage with Mrs. Anna J. Ullery (nee Rohr) on April 23, 1902. She was a daughter of Joshua and Louisa (nee Koester) Rohr, Mr. Rohr being a pioneer settler and farmer of Adams township, Darke county, Ohio, near Webster. Mrs. Rohr was a native of Han- over, Germany. Mrs. Stocker was born and reared on the same farm on which her father was born. Mr. Rohr is now a retired and substantial citizen of Greenville, and has passed his eightieth milestone in life. Mrs. Stocker was born March 5, 1864. She celebrated her first marriage with Frank W. Ullery, May 29, 1884, to whom two children were born; Hugh Emmett was born September 22, 1886, and died May 8, 1891, in Los Angeles, Calif. Inez Frances was born in Lordsburg, Calif., June 1, 1892; was married to Orville L. Hart, June 30, 1912, and has one child, Georgiana Maxine.
DANIEL B. VAIL.
Darke county is celebrated for its fine farms, and among those who aid in sustaining this reputation at the present time is Daniel B. Vail, an enterprising, progressive farmer and tobacco raiser of Greenville township, who owns and operates an excellent property, pleasantly located about three miles northeast of the city of Greenville. This is a valuable tract, owing to the well-directed efforts of the owner, who has placed the fields under a high state of cultivation and made many excellent improvements in the buildings and other accessories of the farm. His business methods are above ques- tion, and industry and energy are his dominant charac- teristics, so that in business circles he occupies an enviable
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position, having the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been brought into contact.
Mr. Vail was born in Middletown, Butler county, Ohio, August 22, 1849, and is a son of Aaron and Sarah (Katy) Vail. His father came to this county as one of the pioneers, and through a life of industry and sustained effort became one of the substantial agriculturists of his community, while his honorable dealing and public-spirited citizenship made him honored and esteemed by all with whom he had transac- tions. He and his wife were natives of Montgomery county, Ohio, where they were married, and where they early joined the faith of the Dunkard Church, to which they were true throughout life. They were the parents of a family of eight children.
Daniel B. Vail received his education in the public schools of his native locality, and this has since been supplemented by wide experience and close observation which have com- bined to make him a man well educated in the important matters of life. He early learned the lesson of thrift and industry, and decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a tiller of the soil. Accordingly, while living at home and assisting his father, he carefully saved his earnings until he was able to embark in business on his own account, purchasing a small tract of land, to which he has since added until he now has forty acres. This tract he has developed into one of the finest tobacco farms to be found in Darke county, with a large brick residence and modern buildings of substantial character for the housing of his implements, stock and tobacco. He has no hobby outside of his business; his whole time and attention has been devoted to the development of his land, and he has found no time to enter the political field, although he supports the men and measures which he feels will advance the interests of his community. He has not been active in fraternal life, but is genial and sociable and enjoys the companionship of his fellows. His support is given to all religious creeds and no worthy cause is refused his contribution.
In 1883 Mr. Vail was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Puterbaugh, daughter of David and Amy (Parent) Puter- baugh, well known agricultural people of Darke county. Mr. and Mrs. Vail have had two children. Aaron and Abbey, both of whom live with their parents and assist their father in tobacco raising.
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CHARLES RIPPETOE.
Darke county is essentially a farming community, but its thriving towns and villages, its numerous large industrial concerns, its excellent schools and its influential churches prove that a vigorous life underlies every activity, although, here, as in every section of the world, dependence is neces- sarily placed upon the products of the land and the labor of those who develop it. It is of no moment how or in what manner men may toil, or how much they may achieve in any · direction-they must be fed, and it is the farmer in the back- ground who turns the wheels and furnishes the sustenance for the world's workers. Happily, in Darke county, there are owners of land who intelligently and willingly carry on the peaceful pursuits of agriculture and, although they do not seek such a term of approbation, are, nevertheless, benefac- tors of mankind. A native son of the Buckeye State who is meeting with well-merited success along agricultural lines is Charles Rippetoe, the owner of eighty acres of fine land on the Ansonia road, about five miles north of Greenville, in Greenville township, who is also extensively engaged in the threshing business. Mr. Rippetoe was born October 13, 1876, in the vicinity of Brush Lake, Champaign county, Ohio, and is a son of William and Sarah (Benedict) Rippetoe. The father was a native of Greenbrier county, West Virginia, (then Virginia), from whence he came as a boy to Champaign county, Ohio, and here received his educational advantages. He took up farming as a vocation in young manhood, and ac- cumulated a property in Champaign county, upon which he resided until 1890, in that year coming to Darke county and purchasing his present farm. He still resides in Greenville township, where he is known as a substantial farmer and in- fluential citizen.
The only child of his parents, Charles Rippetoe received the greater part of his education in the city schools of Urbana, Ohio. He worked with his father on the farm during the summer seasons, and thus grew up to sturdy manhood, train- ing alike his mind and his body for his subsequent battle with life. On attaining his majority he started farming on his own account, and after several years invested in a trac- tion engine and modern thresher, and each year his business in this direction has increased. During seasons he travels all over his section of the county, and his thorough relia-
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bility and strict adherence to honorable business methods have given him an enviable reputation among those with whom he has had transactions. Mr. Rippetoe has always taken an interest in the breeding of good livestock, and the animals on his property are of excellent breed and in a healthy, sanitary condition.
In 1895 Mr. Ripetoe was married to Miss Bertha Boxwell, daughter of George and Henrietta (Edmonds) Boxwell, promi- nent farming people of Darke county, who were formerly residents of Warren county, Ohio. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rippetoe, namely : Glenn A., Helen L. and Mabel E. The family does not hold membership in any particular church, but Mr. and Mrs. Rippetoe have always supported religious movements and their charities have been many. Their friendships are many throughout Greenville township.
DANIEL D. RUH.
The appeal of the soil is very strong to some men, who after years spent in other lines of endeavor return to the peaceful vocation of tilling the land, and find its rewards compensating for the industrious toil it demands. Not all, however, have met with the success that has attended the efforts of Daniel D. Ruh, of Greenville township. Reared on a farm, he gave up agricultural pursuits for a few years. Since his return to farming he has met with prosperity, being now the owner of 162 acres of well-cultivated and valuable land on the Ruh road, about two and one-half miles north of Green- ville. Mr. Ruh was born on the farm which he now culti- vates, August 12, 1868, and is a son of Anton and Barbara (Rinck) Ruh. His father, a native of Germany, fought as a soldier in the Prussian army as a young man, and on com- pleting his service emigrated from his native Baden to the United States, subsequently becoming a substantial agricul- turist of Darke county. Here he passed away in advanced years, as did his estimable wife. They were the parents of five children: Eddie, who is deceased; George, a resident of Ansonia; Daniel D .; Mary, who married a Mr. Hoffman. and Barbara, who married Mr. Sczerwinski.
Daniel D. Ruh was given the educational advantages at- tainable in the Lindenmuth school, in Greenville township,
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in the meantime assisting his father in the work of the home farm, in which he has continued to the present time, suc- ceeding his father in the ownership of the old homestead. In addition to general farming, he is greatly interested in breeding stook of all kinds, and has met with particular suc- cess in raising Red Polled cattle, of which he ships a large number each year to the markets. He is progressive, enter- prising and energetic, and through good management and well- applied effort makes his broad acres pay him handsomely for the labor he expends upon them. In politics he is a Repub- lican, but takes only a good citizen's interest in public mat- ters. With his family, he attends the Lutheran church and for some years has been active in its work and charities.
Mr. Ruh was married October 14, 1901, to Miss Augusta Clara Ostermann, daughter of Herman Ostermann, and to this union there have been born five children, as follows: Mildred, Marjorie, Helen, Elsie and John.
EZRA PLESSINGER.
Among Darke county's sons who have attained distinction in fields of active usefulness is Ezra Plessinger, who was born on the farm which is now his home, February 16, 1864. His valuable property comprises a tract of forty acres, situ- ated on the Winbigler road, about nine miles north of Green- ville, in Richland township, which he has brought to a high state of development, and the well-tilled fields of corn and other products, the handsome buildings, the well-fed and con- tented stock and the general air of prosperity which marks the place, all speak eloquently of the presence of good man- agement, thrift and industry. Not alone in the field of agri- culture has Mr. Plessinger attained prominence, for in various public offices he is showing his worth and capability and his constant and earnest endeavors in behalf of his community mark him as one of his township's most public-spirited men. He is a son of George and Mary (Harmon) Plessinger, and a grandson of Philip and Fay Plessinger, who came from Bed- ford county, Pa., and took up government land under the administration of President Jackson.
George Plessinger was born in Bedford county, Pa., and was a lad of ten years when he accompanied his parents to
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Darke county. He grew to manhood among pioneer condi- tions, securing his educational training in the subscription schools, and assisting his father to clear the land from the virgin timber. As a young man he was employed during the winter terms as a teacher in the early schools, but never gave up farm work, and finally gave his entire attention to the tilling of the soil, becoming one of Richland township's substantial agriculturists. Mr. Plessinger married Miss Mary Harmon, and they became the parents of twelve children, as follows: Lawson and Fay, who are deceased; Sarah J., who married Mr. Davidson; Anna Mary; George A .; Lucy, Emma and Almeda, who are deceased; Philip; Ezra; Millie and Joseph.
Ezra Plessinger was given good educational advantages in the common schools and when not busy at his studies as- sisted his father and brother in cultivating the home farm. He always showed himself an industrious and hard-working youth, and thriftily saved his earnings, so that at the age of twenty-one years, when he was married, he was able to enter upon a business career of his own. He has continued to be engaged in farming and stockraising to the present time, making a specialty of raising corn, in which he has attained some very satisfactory results. His reliance has been placed in the substantial qualities of perseverance, untiring enter- prise, resolute purpose and commendable zeal, and his actions have been guided by an honesty of purpose that none have questioned. Since attaining his majority he has been inter- ested in public matters, and in the exercise of his right of franchise has supported Democratic candidates and principles. At this time he is serving as a member of the board of trus- tees of Richland township, and is ably discharging the duties devolving upon him. Believing that good roads are vital to economic country life, he has interested himself in the build- ing and upkeep of highways, and is now serving as superin- tendent of roads. Mr. Plessinger is a staunch friend of edu- cation, and for ten years served as a member of the school board of Richland township. His family belongs to the Chris- tian church.
In 1885 Mr. Plessinger was married to Miss Belle York, daughter of Joseph and Hulda (Shook) York, the former of whom, a prominent farmer, came from York township, while the latter belonged to a family of near Wabash, Ind. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Plessinger: Mattie,
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who is deceased; George H., a carpenter of Versailles, Ohio, who married Mamie Martin, and has two children, Floyd and Robert; Richard, residing with his parents, and operating a tract of eighty acres of land adjoining his father's homestead; Hazel, who married Walter Gerlack, and has one daughter, Dorothy B .; and Ray, at home, who is managing his father's farm.
M. R. MARTIN.
Business circles of Woodington find a worthy representa- tive in M. R. Martin, a well known merchant who is dealing in dry goods, groceries and notions, and whose methods are such as to insure him a liberal patronage. Every branch of commercial activity is represented at Woodington, for this locality is not only a flourishing community itself, but fur- nishes a large contiguous territory that looks to it as a base of supply. For this reason, many progressive men who seek the best field for the prosecution of their lines of endeavor have settled here, confident in the future of the place and their ability to make their mark upon its development. The men who succeed here, as elsewhere, in forging ahead to the front ranks have to possess more than average ability, sound judgment and unswerving integrity of purpose. Among the younger generations, Mr. Martin has raised himself to an enviable position, and at the same time has secured and main- tained a reputation for good citizenship among his associates. Mr. Martin is a native son of Darke county, having been born in the city of Woodington, October 29, 1881, and is a son of H. Theodore and Lizzie (Mendenhall) Martin.
H. Theodore Martin, who for many years was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Darke county; became, through in- dustry and well-directed effort, one of the leading citizens of his community. For some years he has been living a retired life, and at this time makes his home in Woodington. He married Miss Lizzie Mendenhall, and they became the parents of two children. M. R. Martin was granted excellent educational advantages in his youth, being well fitted for whatever position in life he might be call upon to fill. After completing his primary course in the schools of Woodington, he entered the public schools of
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Greenville, and became a student in the Marion Normal school, at Marion, Ind. Mr. Martin entered upon his business career at the age of twenty-six years, when he opened a general store at Woodington, but about four years later, when he was nearly settled, he had the misfortune to lose his stock in a disastrous fire. Nothing daunted, however, he found a new location and stocked it with a new and com- plete line of goods, and through good management and fair dealing has built up a large and prosperous business. In the fall of 1913 he erected a new establishment, which the growth of his trade demanded and which is a welcome addi- tion to the business structures of the city. Mr. Martin is popular in fraternal circles of Woodington, where he holds membership in the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Golden Eagle. With his family he clings to the Christian Church. Mr. Martin is also agent for the P. C. C. & St. L. Railway Company and Adams Express Company, and is also postmaster.
In August, 1911, Mr. Martin was united in marriage with Miss Ethel Cox, and one child, Lorene, has been born to them. The Cox family is widely and favorably known in Darke county, Mrs. Martin's parents, Abraham and Maria (Bowman) Cox, being residents of the vicinity of Coaltown. There were five daughters in their family: Sylvia, who mar- ried Mr. Hart; Elva, the wife of Mr. Shade; Minnie, who married Mr. Bailey; Glenna, who became the wife of Mr. Dubois and Ethel, who married Mr. Martin.
HONORABLE MARTIN BRYANT TRAINOR.
Probably no man in Darke county is more popular with all classes than the Hon. Martin B. Trainor, the well-known editor and proprietor of the "Greenville Democrat,". He is known as one of the leading Democrats of the county and is prominent in social and fraternal circles as well. He is a man of pleas- ing address, straightforward and sincere in speech and his public spirit and kindly courtesy endear him to all. He has become successful through his own efforts and furnishes an excellent example of what may be accomplished by pluck, ambition and singleness of purpose. He has been identified with Greenville and its various interests over thirty years, dur- ing which he has established a high standing and an unex-
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celled reputation among .his fellow citizens. He has ever kept before him an ideal of honesty and upright dealings with the public, in private and political life, and has given the public his best efforts and faithful loyalty to the best interests of the people. He has the trust of his fellow-citizens who have every confidence in his ability and faithfulness to duty.
Mr. Trainor was born on a farm near Tyner, Indiana, January 29, 1860, and is a son of John and Phoebe Ann (Johnson) Trainor, who spent the last years of their life there and were there laid in their last resting-place. John Trainor was born at Knockfree, County Mayo, Ireland, about 1823 and died in Tyner in 1870, and his wife, who was born on a farm near Tyner, Indiana, died when her son Martin was but two years of age. The father came to America at the age of nineteen years and soon afterwards was employed in Indiana as a woodcutter, and later superintendent of the con- struction of the Peru Railroad, and thereafter a farmer, that be- ing then a pioneer state. He served in the Civil War from Indiana, having enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war.
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