USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 144
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J. W. and Nellie (Lenhart) Lowry have two children living and one deceased : Chloe, May 23, 1888, and died August 9, 1888; Serge, born on December 4, 1889, who married Mary Anderson, of Monmouth, Illinois, and Henry Forest, June 17, 1901. Mr. Lowry and his family are members of the United Presbyterian church, of Toledo. He is active in the welfare of his community along every line. He has been master of the Grange ever since it was organized, with the exception of two years, and is always active in the fight for temperance. He has served about fifteen years on the school board and has frequently acted as executor of estates, and has settled no less than ten estates, always giving uniform satisfaction in the administering of such duties. He has been a life-long Republican and has always taken an intelligent interest in the affairs of his party. Hospitality is a feature of the Lowry family, and the wayfarer is always sure to receive a warm and hearty welcome at their pleasant home.
WILLIAM M. FRENCH.
The whole career of more than sixty years of William M. French has been spent within the limits of Putnam county, Ohio. He was reared and educated in the county, and after his marriage located on a farm in Van Buren township, where he has since resided. He has engaged in general farming and stock raising and his farm bears ample witness to the thrift and enterprise of its owner.
William M. French, the son of James and Catherine (Stout) French, was born at Gilboa, Putnam county, Ohio, on November 23, 1854. His father was born in Virginia and came to Putnam county, Ohio, when a small boy and made his home with Robert Steward. His parents had died when he was very young and Mr. Steward and his wife took him into their family and gave him a good home until he was grown. He attended the public schools at Gilboa and when a young man started in for himself by buying a grist-mill at Gilboa. He also assisted his future father-in-law on
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the farm, who was one of the largest landowners in the township. In addi- tion to operating the grist-mill, he learned the carpenter trade and worked at various times at this business. James French married Catherine Stout, a daughter of Elisha and Abigail Stout, natives of Licking county, Ohio, and to this union six children were born, Margaret, Elisha, Elizabeth, William 11., Mary and James C. Margaret and Elisha died in infancy, and Elizabeth died unmarried. Mary became the wife of H. Higgenbottom, of Phoenix, Arizona, and has two children, Leo and Bertha, both of whom are married. James C. married Elizabeth Carr.
William M. French spent his boyhood days in Blanchard township, and received such education as was afforded by the district schools of his boyhood days. He continued to reside on the home farm with his parents, northeast of Gilboa, until he was thirty years of age, when he married and moved onto his present farm, where he has since resided.
Mr. French was married to Clara Guear, a daughter of David and Catherine (Conine) Guear. Her father came with his parents from Virginia when he was eight years of age and located in Licking county, Ohio, while her mother was a native of Licking county, and her grandmother a native of Connecticut.
JOHN G. YENNER, JR.
A retired farmer of Putnam county, Ohio, who is now making his home in Ottawa, is John G. Yenner, Jr., who was born in this county more than sixty years ago. He comes from sturdy German parentage, and has in- herited from his ancestors those characteristics of the German people which insure success in whatever occupation they choose to direct their energies. Mr. Yenner has been a life-long farmer and when he retired from his farm in 1911 to spend his declining years in the county-seat, he owned three hun- dred and forty acres of excellent land in the county.
John G. Yenner, Jr., the son of John G. and Christina (Bauer ) Yenner, was born in Liberty township, Putnam county, Ohio, in 1852. His father was born in Wurttemberg, Germany, in 1820, and grew to manhood in his native country. Christina Bauer was born in Erdmanhausen, District of Marboch, in the kingdom of Wurttemberg, Germany, near the city of Stutt- gart, on July 14, 1827. She passed away at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Pitney, in Leipsic, August 10, 1913, at
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the age of eighty-six years and twenty-six days. She was united in mar- riage to John G. Yenner in 1849. They were both born in the same place and grew up and married there. In the spring of 1852 they came to America and after a short stop at Columbus, Ohio, and in Findlay, they located in Liberty township, Putnam county, where John G. Yenner, Jr., now has a splendid farm. Christina (Bauer) Yenner was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church in her native land and continued faithful to the end. In her later years she lived as in the presence of God. Her chosen devotions were sweet and sacred to her. She loved to read sermons in the German language when she was no longer able to attend church. Her husband died eleven years before she did. After his death she lived with her daughters, Mrs. G. C. Mack and Mrs. George Pitney.
In his native land, John G. Yenner, Sr., was a cooper by trade, but after coming to America, devoted all of his time to farming. There were ten children born to John G. Yenner, Sr., and wife, Mrs. Mary M. Pitney, John G., Jr., George S., Mrs. Matilda Mack, Carl, William, Mrs. Pauline Schey, Mrs. Caroline Konst, Mrs. Annie Konst, and one who died in infancy.
John G. Yenner, Jr., received all of his education in the schools of Liberty township and lived on his father's farm until his marriage, at the age of twenty-two. He then operated his father-in-law's farm in Liberty township for two years, after which he built a house of his own and began farming for himself. He continued in active life on the farm until 1911, when he moved to Ottawa, where he now resides. During his long career on the farm he accumulated three hundred and forty acres of excellent land, nine acres of which is in Ottawa, and the remainder in Liberty township. He was an extensive stock raiser while on the farm and made it a rule to keep nothing but high grade stock. Altogether John G. Yenner, Jr., has four farms all in Liberty township and in a part of the county noted for its fine farms and fine country homes. Mr. Yenner's farm is counted one of the best and his buildings are among the most substantial.
Mr. Yenner was married in 1874 to Almira Clark, the daughter of Samuel and Malinda (Todd) Clark. Her parents came from Wayne county, Ohio, about 1845, and located in Blanchard township, Putnam county, where her father owned a farm and ran a blacksmith shop. Her father lived at various places while he followed the trade of a blacksmith, and also oper- ated a saw-mill and grist-mill at Medary for some time.
John G. and Almira (Clark) Yenner are the parents of seven children, the first dying in infancy. The six living are as follow: Effie M., the widow of John H. Mullett, who died in 1910, and the mother of five chil-
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dren, Floyd, Lola, Carl, Esta and Wava; Myrtle, who is at home; Harry, a farmer of Liberty township, who married Lydia Harter, and has two chil- dren, Doris and Clarence, the mother of these children dying in 1913; Lillie, the wife of Harry Haughn, of Medary, Liberty township, and the mother of four children, Gladys, Geneva, Thelma and Wilma; Zoe, the wife of Fred Hauk, a farmer of Liberty township, and the mother of two children, Richard and Robert; and Alva, who is managing the old homestead, married Bertha King and has two children, Madonna and Dale.
Mr. Yenner and his family are members of the Lutheran church. Fra- ternally, he is identified with the Free and Accepted Masons and is a member of the Reindeer lodge. He is a Democrat and took an active part in the civic life of his township. He served as trustee of Liberty township for two terms and for a number of years was a member of the school board.
AUGUST H. WEHINGER.
The Ottawa Tile Company is one of the most important business con- cerns of Putnam county. In 1907 the four Wehinger brothers, August H., William A., Frank J. and Joseph C. bought the tile factory of C. B. Van Cleve, at Ottawa, which plant was located just south of the present factory of the Ottawa Tile Company. In 1911, the brothers organized the Ottawa Tile Company, the present officers of which are as follow: President, Will- iam A. Wehinger; secretary and treasurer, August H. Wehinger; vice- president, Frank J. Wehinger; general manager, Joseph C. Wehinger. In 1909 they built the present plant and have since enlarged it in order to take care of their constantly increasing business. They have four kilns and manu- facture a great amount of drain tile, as well as hollow and solid brick.
August H. Wehinger, the son of Antone and Abby (Lenhart) Wehinger, was born on October 4, 1874, at Piqua, Ohio. His father was a native of Germany, coming to this country with his parents when a babe in arms. They located at Loramie, Shelby county, Ohio, and in that place Antone Wehinger grew to manhood and married Abby Lenhart, a native of Shelby county, Ohio, and a daughter of Adam and Mary Lenhart. Antone Wehinger was a shoemaker until 1897, and then engaged in the manufacture of tile at Gutman, Auglaize county, Ohio. Six years later he bought a farm in that county, near Wapakoneta, where he is now living.
Augustus H. Wehinger remained at home until his marriage. He
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learned the tile-making business in his father's factory and assisted his father until 1907, when he came to Ottawa and engaged in the same business with his brothers.
On October 19, 1898, Augustus H. Wehinger was married to Mary Debbie Thrush, who was born near St. Johns, Auglaize county, Ohio, a daughter of B. R. and Margaret (Bailey) Thrush. Her father has been a life-long farmer and has lived all of his life on the farm where he was born. The Thrush family were pioneer settlers in Auglaize county. Mr. Wehinger and his wife are members of the Catholic church, and he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and other orders.
Joseph C. Wehinger was born in 1884 on his father's farm near Wapa- koneta, Ohio. After receiving a good common-school education, he entered his father's tile factory, where he learned the business with his brothers. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age and then came to Ottawa and became a partner with his brothers in the tile factory at that place. He was married in 1906 to Odessa Irwin, who was born in Hardin county, Ohio, twelve miles west of Kenton, near the village of Roundhead, and is a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Keith) Irwin. Her father was formerly in the tile business at Kenton, but is now living a retired life at Geyer. Joseph C. Wehinger and wife have three children, Glenna Marie, Celia A. and Adelia Isabel. The family are all members of the Catholic church and Mr. Wehinger belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The wife of J. C. Wehinger is of Irish parentage on her father's side.
The Wehinger Brothers are excellent business men and their factory at Ottawa gives employment to several men. Their product is shipped all over this section of the state of Ohio, and their business is constantly increasing.
THEODORE HASELMAN.
Farming has been the basis of many large fortunes, but fortunes from the farm are built up out of self-denial, industry, economy and good fore- sight. The German people have been successful farmers because possessed of all these qualities. For many years the Haselman family have been among the most prominent, enterprising and successful farmers of Putnam county, Ohio.
Theodore Haselman, a prominent and successful farmer of Liberty
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township, was born in 1866, one mile west of where he is now living. He is a son of John and Catherine ( Beihmer ) Haselman. John Haselman was a native of Germany, his birth occurring at Munster, where he grew to man- hood. While still a young man, he came to America, from Antwerp, the voyage occupying six weeks. He located first in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked as a box maker, afterward starting a box factory of his own. In 1863 he moved to Putnam county, Ohio, and purchased one hundred and twelve acres of land in the southern part of Liberty township, where he farmed the remainder of his life. His wife, Catherine Beihmer, was also a native of Munster, Germany, and came to this country when about twenty- three years of age, the ocean journey, owing to storms and icebergs, cover- ing a period of three months, after which she was married to Mr. Hasel- man. They were the parents of nine children, of whom three are living, William, Catherine and Theodore.
Theodore Haselman grew up on the home farm and lived there until his marriage, on April 27, 1887, in which year he married Anna Schu- macker, who was born at Glandorf, in this county, the daughter of Joseph John and Mary (Wellman) Schumacker. Joseph John Schumacker was born at Glandorf, Ohio, a son of Anthony Schumacker and wife, who came from Germany and settled at Glandorf, in this county, with the early pio- neers. In those days it was necessary to carry grain to Findlay, Ohio, a distance of twenty miles, to have it ground, which was an inconvenience be- cause of the time consumed in going to and from the mill. Anthony Schu- macker and wife spent their lives at Glandorf. Joseph Schumacker was a carpenter and farmer, having learned the former trade when sixteen years of age. His wife, Mary Wellman, was born at Delphos, Ohio, the daughter of Conrad Wellman and wife, natives of Germany, who came to America about 1840. Joseph Schumacker spent most of his life at Glandorf, but now lives on a farm south of Ottawa. His wife died on October 4, 1886.
When John Haselman, the father of Theodore, arrived in America, he had no money, and was in debt. He made his own way entirely, starting with nothing and gradually working his way to the front. He first pur- chased a little place at Ottoville, but disposed of it later after a high flood. when he bought land in Liberty township, adding to it as he was able until, at the time of his death, he was worth over forty thousand dollars.
As soon as Theodore Haselman married, he began farming on his present farm. He had one hundred acres with which to start, but now owns two hundred and eight acres of fine farming land. He has overcome many difficulties during his career in this township. Mr. Haselman had a large family of fifteen children, losing three of them in seven months, and has
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had eight deaths occur in his home. Theodore and Anna (Schumacker) Haselman have nine children living, Anna is the wife of Henry Wyant, and lives on a farm west of Leipsic. They have three children, Gilbert and Hildegard, twins, and Carmeleta. The other eight children are, Joseph, Aloysious, Lucinda, Adeline, Marcelline, Colletta, Estella and Theodore.
Mr. Haselman is enterprising, progressive and possessed of a genial dis- position, and is well known throughout Putnam county as one of its best farmers. The Haselman family are all active and devout members of the Catholic church, in whose welfare they are deeply interested, and to whose support they are liberal contributors.
JOHN E. JONES.
Agriculture has always been an honorable vocation and at the present time the agricultural output of the United States is more than equivalent to the total output of all the factories of the country put togeher. There is one thing in the life of a farmer which distinguishes it from any other occu- pation. It is the farmer's ability to exist independent of other vocations. The merchant, the banker and the manufacturer are all dependent absolutely upon the farmer's crop. A famine throughout this country would bankrupt the strongest merchant, wreck the largest bank and close the most extensive factories. Business men can see their business collapse within a week, but nothing short of an earthquake can ruin the farmer. Land is and always has been, the most favorable financial investment. Panic may sweep the manufacturer out of his business over night, but the farmer can survive when every other business fails. Putnam county farmers are equal to those to be found anywhere in the world. Their history is largely the history of the material advancement of the county. Among these splendid farmers there is none more deserving of recognition than John E. Jones, of Pleasant township.
John E. Jones was born on December 24, 1870, in Richland township, Allen county, Ohio. He is a son of Philip and Area (Buckingham) Jones, whose history is to be found elsewhere in this volume in the life sketch of Charles Jones, of Pleasant township.
Mr. Jones left Allen county with his parents when one year old and came to Pleasant township, Putnam county, Ohio. After his marriage he left home and farmed for one year in Pleasant township and three years in
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Riley township, Putnam county. In the latter township he owned forty acres of land, which he afterward sold and purchased eighty acres in Union township, in this county, and farmed on this place for three years, at the end of which time he sold and purchased the John Light farm, con- sisting of one hundred acres in section 22. He farmed this place for nine years, and again sold out, when he removed to his present farm of one hundred and three acres, in Pleasant township, on March 1, 1912. During that year Mr. Jones built a splendid new barn, thirty-six by sixty-two feet with slate roof, concrete floors and thoroughly modern in every respect. He has remodeled his house and lives in a splendid and comfortable home, thoroughly modern and up-to-date.
John E. Jones was married on December 24, 1893, to Laura Henderson, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hartman) Henderson. Thomas Henderson is a native of Shelby county, Ohio, who came to Putnam county in 1872. He moved to Allen county after his marriage and remained there for a period of four years, where he was a farmer. He then came to Putnam county and settled on a farm in Pleasant township. Here he rented land for a couple of years and then purchased one hundred and twenty acres in Pleasant township, about two and one-half miles northwest of Columbus Grove, where he farmed for four years, when he traded his farm for another tract of land about one-half mile north of Columbus Grove, which farm he operated for thirty-five years. Mr. Henderson now lives at Elmore, Ohio, and is near eighty years of age. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Columbus Grove and a school director and town- ship supervisor, as well as township trustee for two terms. Incidentally, he was a stanch Republican, and a member of the United Brethren church. His wife was also a native of Shelby county, Ohio, her death occurring in 1894 on the homestead farm in Pleasant township, at the age of fifty-six years. She was a daughter of Jonathan Hartman. Thomas Henderson and wife were the parents of eight children, William, James and John are de- ceased; Laura is the wife of a Mr. Jones; Mary is deceased, and Edward is still living in Pleasant township. The seventh and eighth of these chil- dren died in infancy.
John E. and Laura (Henderson) Jones have had seven children, Stella died at the age of five years; the fourth child died in infancy; Anna, the youngest child, died at the age of ten months; Ruth, Clarence, Ralph and Lawrence are still living.
Mr. Jones is a Republican, and has always taken an active interest in local public affairs. He was township trustee of his home township for two
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years, 1911 and 1912, and has been a member of the school board for some years, but is not active, however, at this time. He is a stanch member of the United Brethren church at Columbus Grove, in which denomina- tion he is a trustee. The family are also members of the church and take an active interest in its welfare. Mr. Jones is congenial in his manner, possessed of a sterling character and is a good farmer, believing strongly in modern methods of agriculture and good roads. John E. Jones regards farming as a science and his success is largely due to the fact that he has farmed along scientific lines.
JOSEPH H. EDWARDS.
Civilization is a matter of organization of men and materials and lays out roadways, builds factories, equips them with machinery, educates men to the use of this machinery, all for the purpose of converting raw materials into useful commodities, men and materials being organized so as to build, manufacture, distribute and transport the necessities of life. The first neces- sity in organization is initiative. An initiative is imagination in action. Initiative does not imply merely the suggestion of the right things; men of initiative are men who carry their plans to a successful issue. Intelligent supervision of the labor of other men is a rare gift. Nine out of ten men do not possess it at all. Hardly one in ten thousand can do it well. That there are enormous differences in the casual power exerted by different minds, depending on their place of vantage in the social system, is, of course, true. Most men merely echo the prevailing opinion or swell the general tide of thought. The contribution of a single member of the mass is not comparable with that of an individual who occupies a place of prominence or authority. Such a mind operates at a source, coloring all that springs from it, or at a crucial point where every slight deflection is enormously magnified in the. consequence. From such minds come the models of opinion; it is such minds that actuate the men of light and leading, the directors in the greater affairs of mankind. Happy is the community in which there are men pos- sessed of such minds, men of initiative, the born leaders of society; men who instinctively and by inherent right, though modestly and with a reserve born of their intuitive sense of right proportion, take the direction of affairs in whatever course of action they decide upon. In Putnam county there are numerous examples of this sort, men who are acknowledged to be the natural
JOSEPH IL. EDWARDS.
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leaders n ther several fields of acton; leaders in the political, social and re- ligious life of the county, directors in the financial affairs of the community and managers of great industrial concerns, and all are glad to do these men. honor, for to their initiative and sense of direction much of the prosperity of the commonwealth is due. Among the men thus included none is better known or more highly regarded in the community in which his natural leader- ship so long has proved its value than Joseph H. Edwards, banker, manufac- turer and capitalist, of Leipsic, this county, a brief and modest review of whose career is here presented, not only for the information of the present reader of this valuable historical work, but for the guidance of the future: historian who may seek in these pages a proper reflection of the life of the present generation in this county.
Joseph H. Edwards was born in Licking county, Ohio, in the year 1852,. the son of Thomas W. and Isabel ( Huston) Edwards, the former of whom was the son of Walter Edwards, a native of Wales, who came to America with his parents when he was twelve years of age and was reared on a farm on which his parents located in Muskingum county, Ohio.
Walter Edwards grew to manhood on the paternal farm in Muskingum county and there married and reared his family, achieving by right of worth and industry, an honorable place in the community. There, in the year 1823, was born his son, Thomas W., who grew to manhood on his father's farm, receiving such education as the schools of that district were able to supply at that time. Thomas W. Edwards married Isabel Huston, a member of one of the pioneer families of Licking county, Ohio, and about the year 186I came to Putnam county, locating his family on a farm three miles- east of the town of Leipsic, where he remained until advancing years warned him to retire from the active life of the farm, whereupon he moved into- the town of Leipsic and spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on December 3, 1905, his wife having predeceased him several years, her death having occurred in 1892. Thomas W. Edwards was a man of excellent parts, a fine farmer and a good citizen in all that much-abused term implies. His influence ever was exerted in behalf of good things and the people in that part of the county hold his memory and that of his gentle wife in the highest respect to this day.
To Thomas W. and Isabel (Huston) Edwards were born seven children, all of whom are now deceased save Joseph H., the immediate subject of this sketch; Mary, the wife of A. J. Hoffman, and Sarah, the wife of E. S. Perry. James and David Edwards died in infancy; W. W. Edwards, for many years a partner with his brothers in a business way, died in 1913, and
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