USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 71
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HARRY ABRAM COSLER, M. D.
Dr. Harry Abram Cosler, physician at Fairfield, where he has been located since the summer of 1905, is a native son of Greene county and has lived here most of his life, the exception being the period of three years during which he was engaged in practice at North Hampton, up in the adjoining county of Clark. He was born on a farm in the vicinity of Yel- low Springs on May 4, 1873, posthumous child of Abram B. Cosler, who died on March 8, 1873, and of his wife, Susan V. (Stutsman) Cosler, who survived her husband many years, her death occurring on May 28, 1911.
Abram B. Cosler, who was a veteran of the Civil War, was born on a farm in Beavercreek township, this county, and his wife also was a native of this county, born in Bath township. Reared as a farmer, Abram B. Cosler was engaged in that vocation all his life. During the progress of the Civil War he enlisted his services in behalf of the cause of the Union and went to the front as a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Upon the completion of his military service he returned to this county and resumed farming, after his marriage locating on a farm in Beavercreek township, where he resided four years, and then moved to near Yellow Springs, where he died, as noted above, in the spring of 1873, a little less than two months before his second son, the subject of this sketch, was born. To him and his wife was born another son, Samuel S. Cosler, who was serving as deputy county treasurer under John Nesbit, at the time of his death at Xenia in 1807.
About three years after the death of fier husband Mrs. Cosler moved from the farm to Yellow Springs and it was in that village that Harry A. Cosler grew to manhood. He was graduated from the high school there when sixteen years of age and then entered Antioch College, which he attended for three years, at the end of which time he entered Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, from which institution he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1897. Three years later he received from that college the degree of Master of Arts. Upon the declaration of war on the part of this country against Spain in the spring of 1897 he enlisted his services and went to the front as sergeant of Company K, Fourth Regiment, Ohio Vol- untecr Infantry, with which command he served until the close of the war, being mustered out on January 20, 1899. In September of that same year he entered Ohio Medical Collere at Columbus and continuing his studies thicre was graduated in 1902 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor Cosler opened an office at North Hampton, in the neighboring county of Clark, beginning his practice there in June, 1902,
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and continued thus engaged for three years, at the end of which time he moved back down into Greene county and opened an office at Fairfield, beginning his practice there on June 27, 1905, and has ever since made that his place of residence. Doctor Cosler is a member of the Greene County Medical Society and of the Ohio State Medical Society. Fraternally, the Doctor is a Scottish Rite Mason, affiliated with the consistory at Dayton; and is a mem- ber of the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias.
On December 29, 1903, while living at North Hampton. Dr. Harry A. Cosler was united in marriage to Emma Myers, of Diaiton, a few miles north of North Hampton, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, born on November 4, 1910. Doctor and Mrs. Cosler are members of the Reformed church.
JOSEPH B. KEITER.
Joseph B. Keiter, proprietor of a farm of sixty-three acres in Sugarcreek township, is a native of Virginia, but has been a resident of this county since the days of his young manhood. He was born in Hampshire county, in that part of the Old Dominion now comprised within the state of West Virginia, May 30, 1847, son of Benjamin and Harriet (Babb) Keiter, both of whom also were born in Virginia. Benjamin Keiter was a farmer in his native state and in 1872 came to Ohio and in the next spring located on the old Allen place, now the Talbot farm, in this county, where he remained for seven years, at the end of which time he and his wife moved to the place where their son Joseph is now living, the latter and his brother meanwhile having bought the same, and there they spent the rest of their lives. Benjamin Keiter died in August, 1885. His wife had predeceased him about two years, her death having occurred in 1883. They were the parents of five children, three of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch and his twin sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Spahr, of Xenia, having a brother, Edward B. Keiter, of Beavertown.
Reared on a farm, Joseph B. Keiter was trained in the ways of farming and has followed that vocation all his life. After his marriage in 1885 he established his home on the place on which he is now living and where he had previously for some time resided, the family having taken up their resi- dence there about 1880, and has ever since made his home there.
It was in February, 1885, that Joseph B. Keiter was united in marriage to Emily Edwards, who was born and reared in Cincinnati, daughter of I. N. Edwards, and to this union five children have been born, namely : Ida
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N., wife of Lawrence Coy, a farmer of this county ; Lina Etta, wife of J. W. Bellmeyer, a Spring Valley township farmer; Lawrence, who is also a Greene county farmer, residing on the Fairfield pike; Warren Sheldon, a soldier of the National Army, now (spring of 1918) in training at Camp Sherman for foreign service, and Florence and Margaret, at home with their parents.
CHARLIE K. COX.
Charlie K. Cox, a rural mail carrier living at Yellow Springs, was born in that village on February 28, 1873, a son of Richard and Susanna (Crist ) Cox, the latter of whom was born in the neighboring county of Clark and both of whom are now. deceased, the former having died in the fall of 1903 and the latter, in 1908. Richard Cox also was born in Yellow Springs, lie having first seen the light of day in the house in which his son, the subject of this sketch, later was born. It was in 1849 that he was born and he grew up at Yellow Springs and there became a blacksmith, becoming associated with his brother, S. W. Cox, in the blacksmith business, the brothers con- tinuing thus engaged together for years. During the last twenty years of his life Richard Cox was a wide traveler and his death occurred while travel- ing in Central America. It was in the fall of 1903 that he died and his widow survived him about five years, her death occurring at Yellow Springs in 1908.
In April, 1872, Richard Cox was united in marriage to Susanna Crist, who was born in the neighboring county of Clark, a daughter of Adam and Margaret (Fhlore) Crist, and to that union three children were born, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Clifford, born in 1874, who is engaged as a salesman for a wholesale grocery house at Springfield, and a sister. Olivia T., who for the past eighteen years has been employed in the postoffice at Yellow Springs.
Reared at Yellow Springs, Charles K. Cox received his early schooling in the schools of that village and at the age of seventeen years began work- ing in a saw-mill there. In 1895, he went to Springfield, where he took a course in a business college and was thus enabled to return to the saw-mill as bookkeeper for the concern. After a while he transferred his services to the bank and was for several years engaged as a bookkeeper in that insti- tution, after which he for two years was engaged at farming, having bought a farm in Miami township. At the end of two years of agricultural expe- rience he sold his farm and took a position on the stock farin of E. S. Kelly, continuing thus engaged until 1905, in which year he received an appoint- ment as a rural mail carrier out of the Yellow Springs postoffice and has
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ever since been thus engaged, now carrying the mail on rural route No. 1 and making his home at Yellow Springs. Mr. Cox is a Republican and is a member of the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Modern Woodmen of America.
On December 23, 1898, Charles K. Cox was united in marriage to Mary E. Dunevant, who was born on a farm in Spring Valley township, this county, daughter of Zadock and Sarah (Frazer) Dunevant, both of whom were born in Ohio, the former in Darke county and the latter, at Wilmington, in the neighboring county of Clinton, and who were the parents of nine children, of whom Mrs. Cox was the eighth in order of birth, the others being the following: Mrs. Florence Linder, of Yellow Springs; Luther, who died in childhood ; Samuel, of Yellow Springs, who married Matilda Wilson, who is now deceased; John, deceased; Mrs. Margaret Holland, deceased; Mrs. Alice Osborne, deceased: Mrs. Emma Linson, who is living in the vicinity of Yellow Springs, and William, who married Mary Baker and who also lives in the Yellow Springs neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Cox are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
ARTHUR EDWARD WILDMAN.
Arthur Edward Wildman, proprietor of a farm in Cedarville township, rural mail route No. I out of Cedarville, was born on a farm one mile north of the village of Selma, in the neighboring county of Clark, August 10, 1869, a son of Marion and Elizabeth (Walton) Wildman, both of whom were born in Greene county, members of pioneer families in this part of the state.
Marion Wildman was born in Cedarville township, this county, in November, 1838, a son of Edward and Hannah (Thorne) Wildman, the latter of whom was born in that same township, her parents having been among the early Quaker settlers in that part of the county and prominent among the "conductors" of the "underground railroad" that was maintained between the various Quaker settlements in this state for the purpose of assisting runaway slaves to freedom. The Thornes came up here from Ten- nessee. The Wildmans also were Quakers and Edward Wildman was for years a leader in and the heaviest contributor to the Friends meeting at Selma. Edward Wildman was born in the year 1800 and was about nine years of age when he came to this state with his parents, John Wildman and wife, from Virginia, the family settling on the northern edge of Cedar- ville township. this county, but later moving up into the Selma settlement in the adjoining county of Clark, where the Wildman homestead thus came to be established. Reared on that place, Edward Wildman established his
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MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR E. WILDMAN.
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home there after his marriage to Hannah Thorne and became the owner of more than twelve hundred acres of land on the line between Greene and Clark counties. In 1873 he was gored by a bull and received injuries which resulted in his death. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom Marion was the third in order of birth, the others having been Will- iam, who continued to make his home on the Wildman homestead tract a mile east of Selma; John, who developed a farm property in Cedarville town- ship, this county, and Rachel, who married Israel Hollingsworth and is now living in the vicinity of Richmond. Indiana, to which place she and her husband moved in 1899.
Though born in this county, Marion Wildman was but a child when his parents moved up over the line and established their home in the Selma neighborhood and there he grew to manhood, receiving his schooling in the Selma schools. During the days of his boyhood it not infrequently became a part of his duties to assist his grandfather Thorne in the operation of the "underground railroad" by hauling runaway slaves from the Thorne "sta- tion" to the next "station" north at North Lewisburg. He had a birthright in the Friends meeting at Selma and was ever devout in his service, but never forward. After his marriage he bought a tract of one hundred and fifty acres a mile north of the village of Selma, but in 1874 traded that farm for the Samuel C. Howell farm in Cedarville township, this county, and on the latter place established his home. He had inherited about three hun- dred acres adjoining the Howell place and after acquiring the latter place had seven hundred and thirty acres, of which all but about one hundred and fifty acres lay in Greene county. He had a brick house, just off the Colum- bus pike, and in addition to his general farming fed about one hundred and fifty cattle for the market every year. Originally a Republican, Marion Wildman in his later years espoused the cause of the Prohibition party. In 1897 he retired from the farm and moved to Richmond, Indiana, where he died on February 18, 1901, and where his widow and youngest daughter are still living.
Marion Wildman was twice married. His first wife, Elizabeth Walton, was born in Spring Valley township, this county, in 1842, and died at her home in Cedarville township on May 28, 1884. She was a daughter of Moses and Mary (Cook) Walton and a sister of Capt. Moses Walton, a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume, the Wal- tons having been early residents at Spring Valley. To Marion and Elizabeth (Walton) Wildman were born four children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being Howard, now a resident of Clark county ; Mary, who died unmarried in 1908, and Ethel D., also unmarried, who is now making her home at Selma. Following the
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death of the mother of these children Marion Wildman, in 1885, married Almeda M. Johnson, who had been reared in the household of her grand- father, Moses Walton, at Spring Valley, and to that union was born one child, a daughter, Olive M., who is living with her mother at Riclimond.
Arthur Edward Wildman was about five years of age when his parents took up their residence on the farm on which he is now living and which he owns and he consequently grew up there. His early schooling was obtained in the "College Corner" district school and he supplemented that course by attendance at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, from which institution he was graduated in 1891. Upon leaving college Mr. Wildman went to Chandlerville, in Cass county, Illinois, where he was for a year engaged in teaching school, and then returned home and resumed his place on the farm, after his father's retirement he and his brother Howard taking the manage- ment of the place, an association which was continued for eight years. In the division of the estate following the father's death Mr. Wildman received one hundred and forty-three acres, including the residence site, and after his marriage in the fall of 1904 he continued his residence there and has since made the place his home, managing also the interests held by his sisters in the place, thus operating in all a tract of five hundred and seventy-five acres. In addition to his general farming Mr. Wildman feeds about four car loads of cattle each year. In 1915 he remodeled the old farm house along modern lines. He and his wife are members of the Friends church at Selma.
On October 20, 1904. Arthur E. Wildman was united in marriage to Clara Augusta White and to this union four children have been born, namely: Elizabeth J., born on August 19, 1905: Marion W., January 4, 1907; Ruth A., September 18, 1908, and Robert Walton, March 27, 1910. Mrs. Wildman was born on August 7, 1875, on a farm in the vicinity of Raysville, in Henry county, Indiana, a daughter of James and Jemina D. (Henley) White, the latter of whom was born at Carthage. in Rush county, Indiana, and is still living, now in the eighty-fourth year of her age, a resi- dent of Guilford College, North Carolina. James White was born in Per- quimans county, North Carolina, in 1826 and was eight years of age when he came west with his parents, Caleb and Mary White, in 1834. the family settling in the Raysville settlement in Henry county, Indiana. There James White grew to manhood, married and established his home on a farm and spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1902. he then being seventy- six years of age. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, of whom Mrs. Wildman was the last-born, the others being Mary E., now living at Guilford College. North Carolina, widow of George W. White: Elias H., an attorney-at-law at Philadelphia; George E., who went to the state of Washington, where he is now the proprietor of a great orchard: Nereus,
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who died in the days of his youth; Caleb, who also died in the days of his boyhood; Sibyl, wife of William T. Raine, of Indianapolis; Margaret and Miles, twins, who died in childhood, and Francis C., now a resident of Chicago.
JOHN W. HARTSOCK
Ever since the second decade of the past century the Hartsocks have been represented in the Bellbrook neighborhood in this county. John W. Hartsock was born in that neighborhood and has lived there all his life, pro- prietor of a farm in Sugarcreek township, on rural mail route No. I out of Waynesville. He was born on a farm in Sugarcreek township on October 6, 1852, son of Samuel and Mary (Weller) Hartsock, the latter of whom was born in the vicinity of Dayton, in the neighboring county of Montgomery, and both of whom spent their last days in Greene county.
Samuel Hartsock was born on a farm in Sugarcreek township, this county. December 19, 1823, son of George Hartsock and wife, the latter of whom was a Cremer, born on April 3, 1828. George Hartsock was a native of New Jersey, who came to Ohio in the early days of the settlement of this county and took a farm in Sugarcreek township, where he spent the rest of his life. When he settled on that place there was a small log house on the same and a clearing of three acres. There were hundreds of magnificent sugar trees on the place and he long made a specialty of the making of maple sugar. the products of his spring camps being marketed in Cincinnati, to which city he made the long haul in person. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, David, Samuel, George, Fanny, Lucinda, Ann and Abbie, six of whom lived to maturity and reared families of their own, the Hartsock connection hereabout thus becoming a numerous one. Samuel Hartsock grew up on that farm and in turn became a farmer on his own account, here spend- ing all his life, his death occurring on March 28, 1894. His widow died March 14, 1911. They were the parents of six children, namely: Laura. who died when seventeen years of age, October 18, 1866; John W., the sub- ject of this biographical sketch; Perry, a farmer residing in the neighboring county of Warren; Euphemia, now living at Waynesville, widow of William Hough; George, a retired farmer, also living at Waynesville, and Frank, a farmer living in Montgomery county.
John W. Hartsock was reared on the home farm, received his schooling in the Sugar Creek school and in due time became a farmer on his own account, after his marriage establishing his home on the farm on which he is now living and has resided there ever since. Mr. Hartsock is a Democrat and for one term served as a member of the Bellbrook school board.
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In 1881 John W. Hartsock was united in marriage to Eliza Nelson, of Auglaize county, this state, and to this union three children have been born, namely: William, who married Verda Cook and is now living at Dayton ; Minnie, who married Charles Thomas, of Centerville, now deceased, and has one child, a daughter, Eva; and Edward, unmarried, who is at home assisting his father in the management of the farm. The Hartsocks are members of the Middle Run Baptist church. Mrs. Hartsock is a daughter of William and Mary ( Maguire) Nelson, the latter of whom was born in Holmes county, Ohio.
SHERMAN JENKS.
Sherman Jenks, a Silvercreek township farmer and stockman, now liv- ing practically retired on his farm in that township. the operations of the farm now being carried on by his son, Glenn M. Jenks, is a native "Buckeye" and has lived in this state all his life, a resident of this county and of the farm on which he is now living since his marriage nearly thirty years ago. He was born in Jefferson township, in the neighboring county of Fayette, November 5, 1865, son of Levi and Betsy (Sanders) Jenks, both of whom were born in the same county and who were the parents of nine children, those besides the subject of this sketch, the last in order of birth, being the following: Smith, who is now living at Solon, this state; Ruth, who is living at Yellow Springs, this county, widow of Moses West; Taylor, of Sabina, in the neighboring county of Clinton; Solomon, a farmer, living a half mile east of Xenia ; Jane, wife of Gideon Shirk, a Fayette county farmer ; Lee, a resident of Edgefield, in Fayette county; John, grain dealer, living at Jamestown, who operates an elevator at that place and at Jasper and Edge- field, and Charles, deceased. Levi Jenks owned a farmi in Fayette county and was also a dealer in live stock. Politically, he was a Republican and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church at West Lancaster. He died at his home in Fayette county in 1900, being then seventy- two years of age. His wife died in 1893, she then being sixty-eight years of age.
Reared on the home farm. Sherman Jenks received his schooling in the West Lancaster schools and remained at home until after his marriage in 1889, after which he came over into Greene county and established his home on the farm on which he is now living and which has ever since been his place of residence. Mr. Jenks has one hundred and forty-eight acres and since taking possession of the same has made numerous improvements, the
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most notable of which perhaps is the dwelling house erected there in 1900. In addition to his general farming Mr. Jenks has given considerable atten- tion to live stock, buying and feeding for the market, and has been assisted by his son Glenn, who is now practically in charge of the farm. Mr. Jenks is a Republican and a Baptist. His wife is a member of the Christian church.
On December 26, 1889, Sherman Jenks was united in marriage to Annetta Glass, who was born in Silvercreek township, this county, March 29, 1869, daughter of Francis M. and Anna (Thornburg) Glass, both of whom were born in that same township, the latter a daughter of Alfred and Lavina (Hogan) Thornburg, the former of whom also was born in that township and the latter in Ireland. Alfred Thornburg was a son of John William Thornburg, a Virginian and one of the early settlers of Greene county, and he and his wife were the parents of seven children, those besides the daugh- ter Anna, who married Francis M. Glass, having been James, of Illinois; George, who spent all his life in this county; Lizzie, who married Perry Griffin : Sallie, who married Abraham Aldrich; Melissa, who married Ben- jamin Gifford, and Nancy, who married James Wendell. Francis M. Glass was born on June 1, 1844, son of William and Lucinda ( Stanley ) Glass, who had come to this county from Virginia and had settled on the farm now occu- pied by James Tidd in Silvercreek township, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were members of the Christian church and were the parents of seven children, those besides Francis M. having been Sidney, who married I. K. Evans; Angeline, who married James Bryan: Louisa, who married William Offrey; Nancy, who died unmarried; Lavina, who married William Tidd, and Susanna, the only one of the family now living, who is the wife of Andrew Turner, of Silvercreek township. Francis M. Glass and Anna Thornburg were united in marriage on December 16, 1863, and after their marriage established their home on the McClintock farm, sixty- four acres of which Mr. Glass bought, and there he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on January 19, 1918, and his widow is still living there. She is a member of the Christian church at Jamestown, as was her husband. He was a Republican. They were the parents of four daughters, of whom Mrs. Jenks was the third in order of birth, the others being Lucinda, born on October 16. 1865, now the widow of Lora Hinckley and making her home with her widowed mother; Louisa, March 7, 1867, now deceased, who was the wife of Clinton Moorman, and Minetta, April 27, 1873, who died in the days of her girlhood. Mr. and Mrs. Jenks have one child, a son, Glenn M. Jenks, born on July 16, 1896, who on November 10, 1917, married Opal Woods and is now taking charge of the operations of his father's farm.
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BURT L. LACKEY, D. D. S.
Dr. Burt L. Lackey, dental surgeon at Xenia, was born in the vicinity of Oakland, in Clinton county, this state, June 15, 1872, son of Enos Ells- worth and Laura (Sellars) Lackey, both of whom were born and reared in the neighboring county of Warren and the latter of whom is still living, now making her home at Xenia.
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