USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 88
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Mr. Conrad was married to Miss Annie M. Sharp, a daughter of William Sharp, a for- mer well known resident of Berne Township, and they have four sons : Carroll S., Randolph
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P., Frederick W. and Charles L. Mr. Conrad and family are members of the Bethel Re- formed church at Sugar Grove, O.
HON. GEORGE EWING, who is a mem- ber of the bar at Lancaster, O., bears a name that has been held in high esteem in this state for several generations. He was born at Washington, D. C., June 3, 1865, and is a son of Major General Hugh and Henrietta (Young) Ewing.
On both paternal and maternal sides, Mr. Ewing comes of Revolutionary stock. His great-grandfather, George Ewing, commanded a battery that did effective service in the battle of the Brandywine, and was one of General Washington's officers who assisted his superior in encouraging the disheartened soldiers during the long winter at Valley Forge, cheerfully en- during the same hardships. The subject of this sketch is a grand-son of the elder Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, one of the greatest lawyers and statesmen of his day. His father, General Hugh Ewing, was a distinguished soldier of the Civil War. The maternal grandfather of Hugh Ewing, Hugh Boyle, was one of the patriots who were engaged in the Irish upris- ing in the latter part of the eighteen century, and was forced to fly to America with an Eng- lish price upon his head, as the penalty for his love of country and courage in its defense.
On his mother's side, the Youngs were large plantation owners and prominent among the Catholics of Maryland from its earliest his- tory, that family having been established in America by Benjamin Young who, as Com- missioner of Crown Lands, accompanied Lord Baltimore to this country and assisted him in founding the Colony of Maryland. The ma- ternal great-grandfather of George Ewing was a neighbor and intimate friend of George Washington. Nicholas Young, his great-uncle,
established the Dominican Order in this state and was the pioneer priest of southern Ohio. Edward Fenwick, first Catholic Bishop of Cin- cinnati, was his great-granduncle.
George Ewing was educated at St. Vincent College, near Pittsburg, Pa. He graduated from the law school of the Cincinnati Univer- sity and was admitted to the Bar of Ohio in 1888. In politics, he has been an active Demo- crat. In 1892 he was appointed by Governor McKinley upon a bi-partisan commission to in- vestigate irregularities in the Ohio Boys' In- dustrial School, and subsequently was ap- pointed by him as the Democratic member of the Ohio State Board of Pardons, in which capacity he has served the state for nearly twenty years, concurrently with eight succes- sive governors.
In 1892 Mr. Ewing was married to Miss Agnes Donohoe, of Greensburg, Pa. They have six children: Ruth Udell, Thomas Don- ohoe, Hugh Maskell, George Hampton, John Fenwick and Agnes Wise.
COL. VAN A. SNIDER, attorney and counsellor at law, with rooms in the Martens Block, Lancaster, O., is a representative busi- ness man of this place and also a prominent politician, at present being city solicitor. He was born in Fairfield county, O., October 27, 1869, and is one of a family of eight children born to his parents. His father, Rev. A. Sni- der, D. D., is a well known minister of the United Brethren church and resides at Galion, O.
Van A. Snider was reared on a farm in Wal- nut township, Fairfield county and educated in the public schools. He subsequently taught school for two years. His law studies were pursued under the direction of Hon. J. G. Reeves, now judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and he was admitted to the bar in Octo-
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ber, 1896. His field of practice has been ex- tensive in the State and United States courts.
In November, 1909, he was elected city solicitor on the Democratic ticket and was re- elected in 1911. He is president of the Fair- field County Democratic Club.
Mr. Snider was married to Miss Cora A. Holland, who is a daughter of Hon. E. F. Hol- land, judge of the Probate Court, and they have two children : E. Miriam and M. Vaneta. Mr. Snider is a member of the United Brethren church. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, Elks, Redmen, Royal Arcanum and Knights of Pythias, having the distinction of being a colonel and chief of staff of the Uni- form Rank, Ohio Brigade, on the staff of Gen- eral Kauffman. He is an officer in the Ohio National Guard and camp on the personal mili- tary staff of Governor Harmon. Mrs. Snider belongs to the Methodist church.
FREDERICK RUFF, whose two finely im- proved farms, aggregating 165 acres, lie seven miles east of Lancaster, O., and one and a half miles west of West Rushville, on the Zanesville and Maysville pike, in Richland Township, Fairfield County, is one of the sub- stantial, enterprising and public spirited men of this section. He was born in 1852 and is a son of George F. and Anna (Shingle) Ruff.
George F. Ruff and wife were both born in Wittenberg, Germany, and after marriage came to the United States, settling somewhat later in Richland Township, Fairfield County, O., where Mr. Ruff died at the age of fifty-five years. His wife died at the age of fifty-six, surviving him about eight years. For a while they resided in Hocking County. But three of their nine children are now living, namely : John and Frederick, both of Richland Town- ship, and Emanuel, who lives in Pleasant Township.
Frederick Ruff, our direct subject, since early manhood has been engaged in farming and stock raising. His property is well located and on his farms he has made some of the best improvements to be found in this part of Fair- field County, his buildings being both substan- tial and attractive. A man of progressive ideas, his agricultural operations are carried on along modern lines and have proved very successful. He is a director and stock holder in the Rush- ville Banking Company, and a promoter of and stock holder in the Rushville Oil and Gas Com- pany-a prosperous concern-and his judg- ment as a business man is usually regarded as safe and sound by his neighbors.
Frederick Ruff married Miss Anna Geb- hardt, who was born in Fairfield County in 1856, a daughter of George and Catherine Anna (Zigler) Gebhardt. Mrs. Ruff had three sisters, two of whom are now deceased. The other, Elisabeth, resides with Mr. and Mrs. Ruff. Mr. and Mrs. Ruff have three children -Clara Catherine, Emma May, and Viola Etta. Clara Catherine is the wife of Frank L. Rowles and resides in Pleasant Township, not far from Pleasantville, O. Her husband is a farmer and stock raiser and deals in Jersey cattle. She has two children-Dorothy Eva- line and Frederick W. Emma May Ruff mar- ried Harvey L. Irvin, of Licking County, Ohio, they residing near Thornville, where Mr. Irvin follows farming. They have a daughter- Anna E. Viola Etta is the wife of Sherman S. Weidner, who is a farmer in Berne Town- ship, Fairfield County. They have a son- Alva Edison.
Mr. and Mrs. Ruff are members of Grace Lutheran church, to the erection of which, in 1884, he contributed of his means, and of which he has been a trustee since its organiza- tion. He formerly served on the township school board and is at present a member of the
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Fairfield County Agricultural Board. Mrs. Ruff and her sister Elisabeth own what is known as the George Gebhardt homestead of sixty-two acres, on which there is a good house, barn, and out-buildings. Mrs. Ruff is also a stock holder in the Rushville Banking Company at Rushville, O.
LEMUEL H. MEEKER, whose fine farm of one hundred and one-half acres lies in a very desirable part of Clear Lake Township, Fairfield County, O., belongs to an old county family and was born in Amanda Township, January 10, 1860, a son of Sherman and Eliza ( Allen) Mecker.
Sherman Meeker was born also in Fairfield County and farming was his occupation through life. His father, Aaron Meeker, was one of the early settlers. Sherman Meeker was twice married, first to Eliza Allen, a daughter of Howard and Sallie Allen, and they had the following children : Mary E., deceased, who was the wife of Isaac Lear; Sarah M., who is the wife of J. C. Barr ; Anna E., who is the wife of Monroe Hickle; Ollie S., who is the wife of Absolom Peters; Lemuel H .; Alpha E., and John S. The second marriage was to Ellen Griffith and one daughter was born to that union, Ida, who is the wife of George Shadle. Sherman Meeker was a Re- publican in politics and he reared his children in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church.
After his school days were over, Lemuel H. Meeker assisted his father on the home farm and has been a farmer ever since. In 1893 he purchased this farm in Clear Creek Town- ship from the Samuel Barr heirs and imme- diately began to improve it, repairing the farm buildings and erecting a new residence. The farm gives evidences of thrift and good man- agement and an air of comfort prevails, Mr.
Meeker having the assistance of his one son in his agricultural operations.
On September 20, 1883, Mr. Meeker was married to Miss Alice Barr, a daughter of Samuel and Catherine ( Hammil) Barr, of an old family of Fairfield County. Mrs. Meeker is the youngest member of her parent's fam- ily, the others being: J. C .; Louisa, wife of Judge S. T. Shaffer; David; John; Nancy, second wife of Judge S. T. Shaffer; and Simon. Mr. and Mrs. Meeker have had two children, Maimie Marie and Russell Earl, both of whom have been given school advant- ages. The family belongs to the Lutheran church. Nominally Mr. Meeker is a Repub- lican but he reserves the right to vote inde- pendently according to his judgment. He has long been connected with the Odd Fellows at Amanda.
HENRY H. FAUBLE, one of the leading citizens of Berne Township, Fairfield County, O., and the present township treasurer, was born in this township, January 20, 1857, and is a son of Christopher and Annie C. (Martin) Fauble.
Christopher Fauble and wife were both born in Germany and they came to America in 1850 and immediately located at Sugar Grove, in Fairfield County, O., where he worked at his trade of tailor, for a number of years. Later he moved to Hocking County. O., and there was a farmer for a long period in Good Hope Township; he died there in 1891. Of his chil- dren the following survive: John, residing in Hocking County; J. C., in Berne Township; Adam, in Ohio City, O .; Henry H., in Berne Township; Daniel D., in Hocking Township; and Mary, wife of John F. Bowers, living in Berne Township.
Henry H. Fauble was reared to manhood
MR. AND MRS. JOIN G. RUFF
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under the care and protection of good parents. He attended school in Hocking County, Hol- brooks' Normal School at Lebanon and the Normal School at Ada, O., and afterward taught school for three years in Hocking County. Farming and stock raising, however, have engaged the most of his attention and he owns 100 acres of land which is cultivated along modern lines. Mr. Fauble is a Democrat in his political views and on the Democratic ticket was elected treasurer of Berne Town- ship in September, 1909, for a term of two years and assumed the duties of office on Jan- uary 1, 1910, and is making a very acceptable official.
Mr. Fauble was married to Miss Nettie Rudolph, who was born in Berne Township, a daughter of Peter Rudolph, a native of Penn- sylvania, and they have one son, Emmmitt L. He is a graduate of Crawfis Institute, Berne Township, and is assistant principal of the grammar department of the Sugar Grove Spe- cial District public schools. Mr. Fauble is a member of the Lutheran church at Sugar Grove and has been a member of the board of deacons.
JOHN G. RUFF, proprietor of Sunny- side Farm, a valuable tract of ninety-four acres of land situated in Hocking Township, Fairfield County, O., was born in Marion Township, Hocking County, O., October 10, 1861, and is a son of John G. and Magda- lena B. (Walter) Ruff, the former of whom was also born in Hocking County, where he died March 4, 1886. His widow survives and lives at Lancaster, O. She was born in Germany, in 1836, and it is probable that she came to Ohio in infancy with her par- ents, who settled in the same neighborhood as did her husband's people.
John G. Ruff was reared on the home farm
in Marion township, Hocking County, which had been settled by his grandfather, Fred- erick Ruff, and attended the district schools. Afterward he learned the principles of agri- culture while assisting his father in cultivat- ing the land and caring for the stock in- crease, and by the time he was called on to take responsibilities on himself he was pre- pared for them. He came to Fairfield County in 1889 and for some years after- ward lived in Greenfield Township, and later in Pleasant Township and still later in Rich- land Township, coming to Sunnyside Farm in 1909. He engages here in general farming and dairying and is numbered with the suc- cessful, intelligent and prosperous business men of this section.
Mr. Ruff married Miss Alice M. Kull, who was born in Fairfield County, O., a daughter of Edward Kull, formerly a farmer in Berne Township but now a retired resident of Lan- caster. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ruff : Clarence E., Leona Ida, Floyd E., Cora E., Florence E., Minnie and Dorothy. Mr. Ruff and family are members of the Emanuel Lutheran Church at Lancas- ter and he has served as a church trustee. Nominally a Democrat, Mr. Ruff has his own views on public questions and fre- quently casts his vote according to his own judgment.
CHARLES GLICK, one of Bloons Town- ship's most successful and thrifty farmers, re- sides on the old Glick estate of 200 acres, sit- uated four and a half miles southeast of Lith- opolis, Ohio. Charles Glick was born May I, 1873, on the same farm where he now resides. He was the third son and fifth child born to Manasseh and Eliza (Hartman) Glick. Mr. Glick owns 50 acres and he with his two sisters, Mary and Loa, owns the old homestead of 200
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acres. All his land is located in Bloom Town- ship, Fairfield County, Ohio.
Manasseh Glick, father of Charles, was born in Bloom Township, Fairfield County, his fam- ily being among the early settlers in this sec- tion. He followed farming as his life's occu- pation and was seventy-two years of age when he died on the old Glick homestead. He mar- ried Eliza Hartman, whose people were among the early settlers also. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Manasseh Glick, namely, Mary, Jonathan, Alice, George, Charles and Loa.
Charles Glick received his education in a dis- trict school of Bloom Township and, growing to manhood on the old homestead, naturally made agriculture his chief occupation. His many acres of well tilled and cared for land show his great interest in his occupation as a farmer. He resides in the farm house, which was erected by his grandfather in 1837, which still affords a stanch and comfortable home.
Mr. Charles Glick married Miss Anna Glick, a daughter of Zeno Glick, of Fairfield County, O. They attended the Lutheran Church. Politically, he is a Democrat and fraternally a member of the order of Knights of Pythias.
CHARLES A. KEFAUVER, M. D., who has been engaged in the practice of medicine at Stoutsville, O., for over a quarter of a cen- tury, is one of the leading men of his profes- sion in Fairfield County. He was born at Fairfield, Franklin County, Pa., May 4, 1856, a son of Lewis and Amanda (Rautzhan) Kefauver.
Rev. Lewis Kefauver was a prominent clergyman in Ohio for many years, for thirty years being pastor of the First Reformed Church at Tiffin, O. He attained high position in his religious body, receiving the degree of D. D., and for a long period was chancellor of
Heidelberg University at Tiffin, Ohio. Both he and wife died at Tiffin, O. They had the following children : Charles A .; Elmer R., who is an express messenger on the Hocking Val- ley Railroad; Elizabeth, deceased, who was a teacher in the public schools of Tiffin ; and Wil- liam F., who is in the furniture and undertak- ing business at Manistique, Mich.
Charles A. Kefauver was afforded excellent educational advantages and after graduating from the High School at Tiffin, entered Heid- elberg University, where he spent four years. He then entered the medical department of Adelbert University, at Cleveland, O., and was graduated with his degree in 1886. Dr. Ke- fauver immediately settled at Stoutsville and here, for the past twenty-six years has been continuously in practice. He is recognized as a very able member of his profession, belongs to all the leading medical organizations and for the past twelve years has been a member of the county board of pension examiners. He is also a member of the board of regents of Heidelberg University and one of the trustees of the Lancaster Classics.
Dr. Kefauver was married in December, 1891, to Miss Mary E. Baker, a daughter of Hon. George S. and Rachel Baker, natives of Stoutsville, O. Dr. and Mrs. Kefauver have three sons : Ross B., Addison L. and Robert S.
JOHN W. KUNKLER, a member of the board of trustees of Berne Township, residing on his excellent farm of eighty-four acres, has additional interests, engaging in threshing during the season, and baling hay extensively, and he also owns and operates a traction saw- mill. He was born in Good Hope Township, Hocking County, O., February 24, 1872, and is a son of Nicholas and Mary (Kost) Kunkler.
The parents of John W. Kunkler were both
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born in Hocking County but have resided near Bremen, in Fairfield County, for over a quar- ter of a century. The father has frequently served in public offices in Rush Creek Town- ship and is one of the highly respected citizens of that section. On both his side and that of his wife, the ancestry is German. Of their children seven survive, as follows : John W., of Berne Township; Christian V., of Hocking County; Clara, wife of William Smeltzer, of Rush Creek Township; Margaret, of Rush Creek Township; Stephen and Edward, both of South Dakota; and Philip, of Rush Creek Township.
John W. Kunkler was ten years old when he accompanied his parents to Fairfield County and he grew to manhood in Rush Creek Town- ship, where he attended school during boyhood. In the fall of 1898 he came to Berne Township, where he has been a leading citizen for the past twelve years. He has served two terms as township road supervisor and is chairman of the board of township trustees, in which he is serving in his second term. Mr. Kunkler has also been a school director of District No. 12, Berne Township. In politics he is a Democrat. He married Miss Annie Bash, who was born at Logan, O., a daughter of Morn Bash, and seven children have been born to them, namely : Wilfred J., Mary A., Charles L., Leo, John H., Susan M. and Harold. Mr. Kunkler and family are members of the Roman Cath- olic church at Sugar Grove.
AMOS J. WINEGARDNER, general farmer and stock raiser, who resides on the old Winegardner homestead containing 120 acres, situated in Richland Township, Fairfield County, O., one mile north of Rushville, was born in 1869 and is a son of Herbert and Sarah (Anspach) Winegardner, both families being formerly of Perry County, O. The
father of Mr. Winegardner died at the age of seventy-five years. There were five children in the family, namely : Margaret, who married M. Fisher and lives in Perry County; Eliza- beth, who lives in Perry County; G. W., who married Florence Daniels; Owen, who married Elsie Zartman, and lives in Perry County ; and Amos J.
Amos J. Winegardner was reared on the home farm and obtained his education in the district schools. He was well trained in boy- hood and youth concerning agricultural mat- ters and has devoted his mature life to farm pursuits, meeting with a large degree of suc- cess.
Mr. Winegardner married Miss Minta Drumm, a daughter of Jacob and Amanda (Turner) Drumm, of Perry County, O. Mrs. Winegardner has four brothers-George, Ben- jamin, Orrin and Findlay; and three sisters- Mahala, who married Charles Turner; Lou, who married S. Hoover, of Perry County ; and Tona, who is at home. The father of the above mentioned family is now eighty-two years of age, and two of his sons, Findlay and Orrin, still live at home. George and Benja- min both have domestic circles of their own, Benjamin having married Netta Van Tossel, of Licking County, and George, Tela Crickert. Mr. and Mrs. Winegardner have five children, as follows : Guy, Dale, Raymond, Remola and Irene. Mr. Winegardner and family belong to the Evangelical church, in which he is a dea- con. He is a Democrat in his political opin- ions. He is one of the good citizens and re- spected residents of Richland township.
THOMAS MOYER, who is one of the well known and highly respected citizens of Pleas- ant Township, who has resided on his present well improved farm since 1851, was born May 25. 1833. in Perry County, O. His parents
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were Jacob and Margaret R. (Young) Moyer and his grandfather was George Moyer.
George Moyer was born in Germany and after emigrating to the United States, settled in York County, Pa. He married there and moved to Fairfield County when his son, Jacob, was twelve years old. The latter spent his en- tire life in Ohio and became a well known man in Fairfield County, where he died in his eighty-seventh year. He married Margaret R. Young, who was born in Fairfield County, and of their children five survive : Thomas; John, who lives at Delaware, O .; Margaret, who is the wife of George W. Cruit, of Hocking Township, Fairfield County; Mary, who is the wife of John B. Eversole, of Douglas County, Ill .; and Laura J., who is the wife of J. H. Beery, of the State of Washington.
Thomas Moyer was reared in Pleasant Township and enjoyed the educational privileges of the public schools. From youth he has been interested in agricultural pursuits and for sixty years has resided on his present farm1. He devotes his land to general farming and stock raising and is looked upon as one of the very successful agriculturists of this sec- tion. He stands high in the esteem of his fel- low citizens as a man, at all times having been a good influence in his community.
Mr. Moyer married Miss Catherine Jackson, who was born in Fairfield County, a daughter of Samuel Jackson, more familiarly known as "Esqr. Jackson," who for a number of years was a justice of the peace and a resident of Berne Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Moyer four children were born, namely: John E., who is a resident of Pleas- ant Township; Elizabeth, who is the wife of J. H. Eversole, of Champaign, Ill .; Jennie J., who is the wife of Dr. P. J. Bidwell, a promi- nent physician of Toledo, O .; and Emma, who is now deceased. Mr. Moyer and family are
members of the First Presbyterian Church at Lancaster, O., and he formerly was a member, trustee and elder in the Presbyterian church at West Rushville. He casts his vote with the Republican party.
WILLIAM I. HOY, a large buyer and ship- per of stock and a general farmer in Bloom Township, Fairfield County, O., where he owns 130 acres of well improved land, situated three miles south of Lithopolis, was born in this township in 1860, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Carter) Hoy.
The Hoy family came to Fairfield County from Pennsylvania several generations ago, as early as the great-grandfather's time, and Peter Hoy and his son, William Hoy, werc both born in the house the pioneer grand- father built. Peter Hoy was a farmer all his life and died at Canal Winchester, when in his seventy-fifth year. He was married three times ; first to Margaret Carter, and they had two children-William and Sarah-the latter of whom is deceased. His second mar- riage was to Anice Courtright and they were the parents of two children-Mary, who is de- ceased, and Margaret, who married Ross Hedges. Peter Hoy's third marriage was to Clara Hanway.
William Hoy attended the public schools in his youth and engaged in farming on the old homestead for some years and then, after a trial of several other farms, in 1894 moved to his present place, where he has 130 acres and his two daughters have eighty-seven acres. Mr. Hoy has been careful in his improvements and has erected substantial and attractive buildings. In addition to his general farming he is associated with J. M. Glick in the live- stock business and they are among the largest buyers and shippers in this section.
Mr. Hoy was married first to Miss Sarah
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Hall, who died some twenty-five years since, a daughter of Peter Hall. She was survived by two daughters: Mary, who is the wife of Noah Beery, of Columbus, and has one child, Ireta; and Estella, who is the wife of Walter Bopp, and has one daughter, Marie. Mr. Hoy was married a second time, to Miss Laura Barnhart, of Fairfield County, a daughter of George Barnhart, a well known farmer. Po- litically, Mr. Hoy is a Democrat, while fra- ternally he is a Mason and a Knight of Pythias.
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