USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 78
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Ezra F. Beery was born in Pickaway County, O., a member of an old and substantial family of this state, and from there came to Fairfield County, in 1856, locating on the present farm, on which he died, May 14, 1896. By his marriage with Elizabeth Courtright, he united with a prominent family of Fairfield County, and a family of eleven children was born to them, namely : David N., Parthenius, Albert (deceased), Sallie, George, Samuel, John, Charles, Maggie, Annie and Florence, all of whom survive except George, Albert and Florence. Ezra F. Beery was a man of influ- ence in Bloom Township and stood high in the church and community. Politically he was a Democrat and served as constable and as asses- sor, while in his religious faith he was a Luth- eran. His widow survives.
Charles E. Beery was educated in the county schools and was graduated from the Lithopolis High School, after which, for some fifteen years, he taught school, having only four dif- ferent schools in all that period. As an educa- tor he was well and favorably known all through Fairfield County and there are many of his students who have moved to other sec- tions where they have gone into business and reflect credit on the thoroughness of the in- struction imparted by Mr. Beery. In 1910, after retiring from the teaching field, Mr. Beery came to his present farm and has made many substantial improvements, including the
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erection of a handsome modern residence. He devotes his attention to general farming, along the most approved lines, and to stock raising, keeping only high grade stock. He keeps fully abreast with the times as an intelligent agri- culturist and is a valued member of the Grange.
Mr. Beery has always been a stanch Dem- ocrat, one from principle. He is a Knight of Pythias and a Mason and belongs also to the auxiliary of the latter fraternity, the Eastern Star. Mr. Beery is unmarried.
THOMAS M. SPANGLER, county sur- veyor of Fairfield County, O., has served in this office continuously since 1901 and is num- bered with the county's most efficient officials. He was in Pleasant Township, Fairfield County, O., November 29, 1862, and is one of a family of eight children born to his parents who were Solomon and Mary (Macklin) Spangler, who live retired at Lancaster, O.
Thomas M. Spangler was educated in the public schools and at Pleasantville Academy, being a graduate of that institution. ยท Later he took a special course of study in civil engineer- ing in the Ohio State University. In 1887 he began to teach school and continued in profes- sional work along this line until 1899, in the meanwhile perfecting himself in various higher branches. These made him eligible when the Democratic party sought a skilled and reliable man for the position of county surveyor, in 1901, and approbation has been shown by his subsequent re-elections. The work in the sur- veyor's office is carefully and accurately carried on by Mr. Spangler with the help of one assist- ant. He has served also as township assessor.
Mr. Spangler was married to Miss Carrie M. Wilkins, a daughter of Isaac and Anna (Hart) Wilkins, of Liberty Township, and they have two children : Rodney W. and Dollie M. Mr. Spangler and family are members of the Eng-
lish Lutheran church. He is a prominent Odd Fellow, belonging to the lower branch and also the Encampment and is also a Knight of Pythias, while both he and Mrs. Spangler are members of the auxiliary orders of Pythian Sisters and the Rebeccas. The attractive family residence is situated at No. 244 E. Sixth Avenue, Lancaster.
J. FRANK TAYLOR, a prominent citizen of Violet Township, now serving in his second term as township trustee, being president of the board, was born in Franklin County, O., April 19, 1851, and is a son of James and Rebecca A. Taylor.
James Taylor was also born in Truro Town- ship, Franklin County, O., and was a son of Matthew Taylor, who came to Franklin County from Truro, Nova Scotia, being one of the earliest settlers in what it now Truro Township. He was accompanied by four of his brothers and they settled together and gave the name of their old home to the township which was soon after organized. David Taylor, one of the brothers, subsequently became a man of consequence in that section and was elected to the state legislature, and one of his grandsons, Hon. Edward Taylor, Jr., is serving in his third term as a member of the U. S. Congress. James Taylor, father of J. Frank Taylor, spent his entire life in his native township, where he served in the office of justice of the peace for thirty-five years and held other offices of re- sponsibility. His wife was a native of Mis- souri. They had three sons, one of whom died at Vicksburg, during the Civil War, shortly after the surrender of that city to the Union forces. The two survivors are J. Frank and Harvey M., the latter of whom is a resident of Columbus, O.
J. Frank Taylor attended the district schools in Truro Township. He learned practical
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farming on the homestead and has devoted himself more or less to agricultural pursuits all his life. He owns a valuable farm of 160 acres, carries on general farming and is num- bered with the successful stock raisers of this section. In politics he is a Democrat and is active in furthering the interests of his party and frequently takes part in party councils. As trustee of the township he has proved honest and capable and his judgment is valued by the other members of the board.
On December 7, 1876, Mr. Taylor was mar- ried to Miss Emma J. Dovel who was born in Violet Township, Fairfield County, a daughter of Andrew J. Dovel, who formerly was a prominent citizen of Violet Township, where he died March 8, 1888. His father, Peter Dovel, was a native of Virginia. Mrs. Taylor has one sister, who is the wife of Col. A. M. Whims, of Violet Township. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have two children ; J. A. and Louise D., both residing in Violet Township.
J. A. Taylor is a graduate of the literary department of the Ohio Northern University at Ada, O., where he also secured his degree in law. He is a Democrat in politics and is a member of the Board of Education, is town- ship clerk and for a number of years has been a member of the Violet Township Democratic Committee. Fraternally he belongs to Violet Lodge, Odd Fellows, at Pickerington, while his father is identified with the Masons at Rey- noldsburg, O. Both father and son are repre- sentative men of the township, taking a manly and public spirited part in all that tends to its progress and development, thereby assisting their fellow citizens to the extent of their power, and adding to the general welfare of all.
WILLIAM E. SITTERLEY, a member of one of the old families of Fairfield County, O., and a well known resident of Bloom Township,
owns 216 acres of fine land situated three miles southeast of Lithopolis. He was born on this farm, in 1879, a son of John and Sarah (Weist) Sitterley.
John Sitterley was born in Ross County, O., but the greater part of his life was passed in Fairfield County, where he followed an agri- cultural life and became widely known through his business connections. His death occurred in Bloom Township, June 15, 1911. He mar- ried Sarah Weist, who was born in Greenfield Township, Fairfield County, O., where her family had settled early.
William E. Sitterley obtained his education in Fairfield County and afterward taught school for about four years prior to taking charge of the home farm, which he has owned and operated for some years. He carries on general farming and stock raising and has rea- son to take pride in his productive fields and in his herds and stock. The farm buildings, in- cluding one of the finest residences in the town- ship, were erected by his father, but Mr. Sitter- ley has been concerned in keeping up the im- provements.
Mr. Sitterley was married to Miss Alice Haas, a daughter of Benjamin Haas, who was a leading man in this section for a number of years and for a time one of the directors of the Fairfield County Infirmary. He was born in Pickaway County, O., but later moved to Amanda Township, Fairfield County, where he died in October. 1910, at the age of seventy- two years. He married Louisa Bright and they had four children: Leota, Etta, Alice and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Sitterley have two sons, John H. and Kermit C. Mr. Sitterley and family are members of the Evangelical church. He is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the Knights of Pythias and also to the local Grange.
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C. C. BRANDT, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Rush Creek Township, Fair- field County, O., whose valuable 200-acre farm lies in Sections 27 and 33, was born in Perry County, O., July 1, 1851. His parents were Elijah and Barbara (Kagy) Brandt.
Elijah Brandt was reared in the town of Somerset, O., and he was probably born in Perry County. He married Barbara Kagy, who was born in Pennsylvania and was brought to Fairfield County, O., by her father, Christian Kagy, when she was four years old. Five children were born to Elijah Brandt and wife: David, Mary, Martha, Christian and Lewis. Mr. Brandt subsequently sold his farm in Perry County and moved to Rush Creek Township, Fairfield County, living on the farm now occupied by David Stewart, and he died at the age of thirty-nine years. His widow bought a small farm that is now owned by Ira Morris, situated west of Bremen, and there her death occurred when she was aged eighty-two years. She was a member of the Presbyterian church and her burial was in Grand View Cemetery, in Rush Creek Township. The burial of her husband had been at Columbus, O., he having died in a hospital in Columbus, many years before, as mentioned.
C. C. Brandt obtained his schooling in Rush Creek Township and as soon as he was old enough began to be self supporting, working by the day and on farms in the neighborhood, and having the reputation even then of being a reliable and industrious youth. For twelve years after he married he resided on rented land and then bought a farm of eighty-five acres, which he sold at a later date and pur- chased his present place. The land was some- what run down and had to be enriched and carefully tilled and many improvements had to be made before Mr. Brandt was satisfied with his home. He carries on general farming and
stock raising, making a specialty of Duroc hogs.
Mr. Brandt was married to M. Ellen West- enberger, who was born in Rush Creek Town- ship, a daughter of Noah and Mary Westen- berger, and the following children have been born to them: Charles S .; Nellie; Leefe, now deceased, who was the wife of John Winters, and left three children-Charles, Mary and Florence; James, who lives with his family in Arkansas; Mary, who is the wife of Vernon Voris, lives in Rush Creek Township and has one son, Donald; John and Isaac, both of whom are unmarried; Cora, who is the wife of William Scholl, of Hocking County, O., and has one daughter, Esther; Clarence and Clara, both of whom died at the age of four years of scarlet fever, neither ever previously having been sick; and Martha, Frank and Neil. Mr. Brandt and family are members of the Method- ist Episcopal church. He has never been anxious for any public office and votes independently.
GEORGE W. SITES, a highly respected citizen of Pleasant Township, a retired farmer and a survivor of the great Civil War, was born in Rush Creek Township, Fairfield County, O., September 17, 1844, and is a son of Emanuel and Fannie (Beery) Sites.
Emanuel Sites came from Pennsylvania to Rush Creek Township when eighteen years of age, married there and afterward settled on land in Pleasant Township, a part of which George W. Sites still owns. His death oc- curred in 1899 and for many years he had been a faithful member of the U. B. church. Of his children the following are living: Henry C., of Fort Wayne, Ind .; George W .; Joseph S., a well known attorney at Lancaster; Ed- ward F., of Fort Wayne, Ind .; Charles E., of Swayzee, Ind .; Elizabeth G., wife of Lewis C.
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Miller of Greenville, O .: Catherine, wife of John E. Miller, of Lancaster ; and Emma, wife of Frank S. Beery, of Pleasant Township, Fairfield County. When Emanuel Sites died he was a man possessed of large estate, al- though he had entered the county with but fifty cents in his pocket, having walked the distance from York County, Pa. He was a man of prudence, forethought and good judgment and although throughout his whole life he never engaged in any speculating, through his in- dustry and thrift became a man of ample means, all of which was honestly earned. In his death Fairfield County lost a worthy man.
George W. Sites was about two years old when his parents moved to Pleasant Township. where he obtained his education in the district schools and afterward engaged in farming. In January, 1864, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Co. A, 17th O. Vol. Inf., and was one of the brave soldiers who accom- panied General Sherman on that memorable march to the sea, and saw service in Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Kentucky and was honorably discharged at Louisville, July 16, 1865. He participated in the noted battles of Resaca, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, siege of Atlanta and in that cam- paign was under fire for 120 continuous days. He then returned to peaceful pursuits and now resides on a well cultivated farm of thirty-five acres. He was a school director of District No. 6. Pleasant Township, and served on the school board for eighteen years.
Mr. Sites married Miss Almeda C. Graham, a daughter of Abraham Graham, of Pleasant Township, and they have four children : Lulu A., who is the wife of Dr. John Neeley, of Paulding County, O .; Homer F. and George C., both of whom live in Pleasant Township; and Judson K., who resides in Paulding County. Mr. Sites is a Republican in politics.
He is a member of Ben Butterfield Post, G. A. R. at Lancaster. With his family Mr. Sites belongs to the U. B. church.
ALEXANDER E. HUSTON, a well known resident of Richland Township, where he owns and operates 137 acres of fine land, is a veteran of the great Civil War and a sur- vivor of the great battle of the Wilderness. He was born in Pickaway County, O., in 1843, and is a son of William Huston, who was born in Ireland and came to America in 1836. Af- ter spending one year in Canada, William Huston crossed the border and located in Pickaway County, O., where he married and afterward moved to a farm in Richland Town- ship, Fairfield County. Of his four children but one survives-Alexander E., the subject of this sketch.
Alexander E. Huston was reared on his father's farm until the age of eighteen years, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War. The colonel of his regiment was B. F. Smith and the commanding general was U. S. Grant. At the battle of Martinsburg. Va., the young soldier and the captain of his company were both taken prisoner and in a short time were sent to Belle Isle and from there to Anderson- ville. Mr. Huston rejoined his regiment just in time to participate in the battle of the Wilderness, and in that great struggle of seven days was again captured, with the officers of his company and they all were sent to Libby Prison, at Richmond. Mr. Huston suffered 325 days of imprisonment and under such terrible conditions that his survival and subse- quent usefulness as man and citizen was no less than remarkable. He returned to his old home and has been engaged in general farming and stock raising until the present, residing on his beautiful farm on which he placed the improve- ments. He owns a second farm, containing
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sixty-six acres, which lies in Pleasant township.
Mr. Huston married Miss Sarah Murphy, a daughter of Theodore Murphy and a sister of Henry and Alfred Murphy, both of whom re- side near Rushville, O. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Huston, namely : William, who married Lizzie Black, and lives near West Rushville; Margaret, who is a resi- dent of West Rushville; Theodore, who is de- ceased; Arlie E., who married Ethel Lewis and resides at Amanda, O .; and Arthur, who married Catherine Upp, lives on the home farm, and assists his father. Mr. Huston and sons are Democrats in politics and all are men of reliability and good citizenship. The fam- ily belong to the Presbyterian church.
JACOB ERNST, an honored veteran of the great Civil War, who resides in his comfort- able home at Stoutsville, O., where he has two and one-half acres of valuable land, was born in Berks County, Pa., September 30, 1830, a son of Daniel and Sarah (Mohn) Ernst.
Daniel Ernst was born in Berks County, Pa., of German parents, in 1808, and died in 1843. He was a farmer all his life and in 1837 came with his family to Ohio, locating in Washing- ton Township, Pickaway County. He was a member of the Lutheran church. He married Sarah Mohn, who was born in 1806, in Berks County and died in 1873. She belonged to the Reformed church. They had five children, namely : John; Jacob; Margaret, wife of Jesse Brown; Sarah, wife of William Upp; and Mary M., wife of M. Van Buren Lothouse.
Jacob Ernst was seven years old when his parents brought him to Ohio and still recalls some of the events of the long and unac- customed journey. During boyhood he went to school in Washington Township when he could be spared, the early death of his father throwing many responsibilities on his shoul-
ders. He was a hard worker all through his active years, for twenty-five of which he fol- lowed threshing and also worked as a farmer and stone-cutter. He assisted in the erection of many buildings, especially the schoolhouses in Clear Creek Township and several dwelling houses at Stoutsville. Politically he is a Dem- ocrat and for fifteen years served as a trustee of Clear Creek Township and for twelve years as a member of the school board. His service in the Civil War was a member of Co. I, 159th O. Vol. Inf., and in 1864 he was honorably discharged and mustered out at Zanesville.
In 1853 Mr. Ernst was married to Miss Catherine Stout, a daughter of Jonathan Stout, an old settler in Clear Creek Township. Mrs. Ernst died July 10, 1909, and her burial was in Maple Hill Cemetery, Clear Creek Township. They had two children : Amanda, who is the wife of L. F. Crites; and Noah A., who is a traveling salesman. Mr. Ernst has been a member of the lodge of Odd Fellows at Tarl- ton, O., since 1863, and has always been active in fraternal work. He is a member of the Re- formed church, in which he has served as an elder and he helped to build the present church edifice at Stoutsville.
DANIEL FAUBLE, clerk of court, Fair- field County, O., and a justly popular public official, has been a resident of Hocking Town- ship since 1892 and owns a valuable farm of sixty acres. He was born August 28, 1859, . at Sugar Grove, O., and is a son of Christ- opher and Catherine E. (Martin) Fauble.
The parents of Mr. Fauble were born in Germany and came from there in the forties. Christopher Fauble was a tailor by trade and for a number of years carried on a tailoring business at Sugar Grove. He became a fore- most citizen who, at times, was called on to take an important part in township affairs,
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serving on the school board and as trustee. His death occurred in 1892 in Hocking County, to which he moved about 1862, set- tling in Good Hope Township.
Daniel Fauble was reared from the age of three years in Hocking County and after at- tending the public schools in Good Hope Town- ship, became a student in the Fairfield Union Academy at Pleasantville, and later came un- der the instruction of Prof. Holbrook in his Normal School at Lebanon, O. Mr. Fauble there prepared himself for teaching school and for twenty-three consecutive years continued in educational work, but for some years has been interested in farming. He settled on his present place in Hocking Township, Fairfield County, in 1901, where he continues his agri- cultural activities and also looks carefully after his public duties.
Mr. Fauble was married first to Miss Frances L. Alfred, of Hocking Townsihp, and secondly to Miss Elizabeth Shaeffer, of Clear Creek Township. Two children were born to the second union, Virgil H. T. and Verna L. Mr. Fauble has a wide circle of appreciative friends and prior to being elected clerk of Courts of Fairfield County, in November, 1910, had served four years as clerk of Hock- ing Township. With his family he belongs to the Lutheran church.
L. V. GUYTON, the mention of whose name in Rush Creek Township, Fairfield County. O., recalls to the minds of a large ma- jority of the residents, one of the most success- ful and popular teachers of this section, one whose educational efforts covered a long pe- riod and brought wide acquaintance through this part of Fairfield County, now resides two and one-half miles northeast of Bremen, O. He is a native of Rush Creek Township, born
here December 25, 1866, and is a son of Wil- lian and Mary Catherine ( Lemon) Guyton.
William Guyton was born in Perry County, O., a son of Harry Guyton, who was an early settler there. He bought 120 acres of land in Fairfield County, on which William Guyton settled in 1864 and remained during the rest of his life, engaging in farming and stock raising until his death, when aged fifty-two years. He married Mary Catherine Lemon, who was born in Perry County and still sur- vives, residing on her farm in the northeastern part of Rush Creek Township. Seven chil- dren were born to them, as follows : Isaac W., who is a resident of Michigan; Mrs. Alpha Retta Huntwork, who lives in Perry County, near Rushville; L. V .: Henry and Alice, both of whom are deceased: Mrs. Callie M. Young, who lives in Rush Creek Township; and Mrs. Annie Maud (Geiger) Garrison, who resides at Columbus, O.
L. V. Guyton easily recalls the old pioneer log house in which he was born and the first school he ever attended. He was an ambitious boy and as he was not satisfied with the rather meager opportunities offered by the local schools, his parents permitted him to attend the High School at Canal Winchester. For some years he divided his year between farming in the summer time and teaching school in the winters. Later he gave the larger part of his year to educational work and taught the Purvis School, the Fairview School and others in Fair- field County and also the Frog Pond School in Perry County. After his marriage he resided with his father-in-law for one year and then bought twenty-five acres of land in Redding Township. Perry County, and greatly im- proved his property. He continued to teach in Perry County between 1892 and 1900, having charge of the Pike, Otterbein, Perry's swamp
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and Petty (then Pisgah in Perry County) and Dead Man Schools. In 1900 he came back to Rush Creek Township and located on his pres- ent home place of twenty-two acres, which he has so improved that it is one of the most at- tractive and well kept properties in this whole section, and he also owns a second farm of thirty acres situated to the east of his present home. Mr. Guyton was soon prevailed upon to resume teaching and since then has taught the Cross Roads School for four years, the Beach Hill School for one year, and the Locust Grove School for six years, after which he re- tired from professional work. He devotes his time and attention to his agricultural interests and on his second farmi has a productive oil well.
Mr. Guyton married Miss Alice Leckron, a daughter of Christian Leckron, a native of Pennsylvania and an early settler in Fairfield County, and they have four children-Maude Viola, Ruth Inez, Howard Mervin and Russell Wayne. The family attend the United Breth- ren church. In politics Mr. Guyton is a Dem- ocrat and at present is serving in the office of township assessor and for a number of years has been quite active in public matters. He is secretary of the Farmers' Institute, serving in his fourth year, and formerly was president of this body. He is a man of progressive ideas and convincing personality and during his many years of educational work awakened in- terest and enthusiasm in his hundreds of pupils, many of whom preserve a sincere per- sonal friendship for their former faithful and interested teacher.
CHARLES E. BLUE, who has spent al- most his entire life on his finely improved farm of 200 acres, situated in Amanda Township, was born in Walnut Township, Pickaway County, O., December 12, 1867, and is a son
of John Quincy and Louisa (Gallagher ) Blue, a grandson of Michael Blue, Jr., and a direct descendant of Richard Blue.
Richard and Donald Blue, twin brothers, came to America from Scotland in the 16th century. They were shipwrecked but both were saved in life-boats, these, however, land- ing at different points in South Carolina. They subsequently found each other and lived for a time near Charleston, S. C., when Donald went to the thien far West and apparently was lost sight of. Richard traveled as far north as Richmond, Va., or to that site on the James River, where he died, survived by a son, John Michael Blue, who was the father of Michael Blue, Sr., who was the great-grandfather of Charles E. Blue of Amanda Township. Michael Blue and his wife Mary, moved from Virginia to Ohio in 1812, when the country was yet largely inhabited by Indians. They located near what is now Bloomingsburg, Fay- ette County. For those days he accumulated a fortune, all in gold and silver and this, be- fore he died, he distributed among his children.
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