USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 57
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Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Jane McKee, a daughter of John and Catherine McKee, who were born in Pennsylvania but later came to Shelby county. Mrs. Thompson is the only one living out of eight children. In politics Mr. Thompson has always been a democratic voter but, with one exception, has never accepted public office, having served through one term as township supervisor.
DARWIN H. WARNER, proprietor of the D. H. Warner Grocery Store, one of the leading business houses of Sidney, and one of the stable and repre- sentative men of this city, was born at London, Madison county, O., June 8, 1868, and is a son of Louis and Lida (Williams) Warner. The parents of Mr. Warner removed to South Charleston, in Clark county, in 1870, where the father engaged in work at his trade, being a carpenter, and from there moved to Port Jefferson, in Shelby county, in 1876.
Darwin H. Warner attended the public schools of Port Jefferson and afterward went to work as an employe of the Sidney Wheel Company, chang- ing to the Philip Smith Company six months later, and remained with the latter concern for about nine years, being connected with the hollow-ware department. For eight years prior to first embarking in the grocery business he was connected with a Sidney manufacturing plant, and after conducting a grocery for two years, closed that interest for one year, during which he was with the Sidney Steel Scraper Company. About 1909 he reentered the grocery trade, conducting his business, at his excellent location at No. 414 North Main street. Mr. Warner has long been recognized as a citizen of sterling worth and has been and still continues an important factor in civic life. He served usefully in the city council for four years, for two years rep- resenting the Second ward, and for two more years being councilman-at- large, resigning that office in order to accept his present office, that of direc- tor of public service, the duties of which he assumed on January 1, 1912.
Mr. Warner came to Sidney in 1890 and in the same year he was mar- ried to Miss Rosetta Snodgrass, and they have a family of four children: Blanche, who is the wife of Oscar Burns; and Clara, Doris and John. Mr. Warner is a prominent Odd Fellow, belonging to both the Encampment and the subordinate lodge, and belongs also to the Knights of the Golden Eagle, in which organization he has passed all the chairs and has been a delegate to the Grand Lodge.
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WILLIAM J. MEYER, residing three miles east of Fort Loramie, on his exceedingly valuable farm of 240 acres, situated in section 4. McLean township, is a well known and highly respected citizen of Shelby county, where his parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Meyer, were early settlers. He was born at Fort Loramie, O., June 22, 1876, and was educated mainly in the Berlin Special School District.
Farming and stock raising have engaged the time and attention of Wil- liam J. Meyer ever since he reached manhood, and he is numbered with the sensible, practical and successful agriculturists of this section. After some early experience he engaged in farming for two years in Cynthian township but has been on this farm for the past five years and has been six years a continuous resident of McLean township. He has impressed his fellow citizens as a man of reliability and character and in January, 1912, he was elected a member of the board of education of the Sherman Special School District, a mark of public confidence.
Mr. Meyer was married to Miss Carrie Struckamp, a daughter of Barney and Elizabeth (Burwinkel) Struckamp. The parents of Mrs. Meyer were born in Germany. The father came to the United States when a young man and was a bricklayer by trade and at the time of Mrs. Meyer's birth was a resident of Mercer county, O. His first marriage was to Catherine Vondrelle and two children were born to them: a child that died in infancy. and Mrs. Henry Barhorst of Shelby county. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Burwinkel and seven children were born to the second union: Car- rie, who became Mrs. Meyer: Henry; Benjamin, who was accidentally drowned in childhood: John and Louis, and two who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have five children : Ralph, Julia and Aslea, twins, and Agnes and Leona. The family belongs to St. Michael's Catholic church at Fort Loramie.
LINK T. SNODGRASS. Probably one of the best known men in Shelby county, is Link T. Snodgrass, of Sidney, who, for twenty years has followed the business of auctioneer, one who, with never failing wit, humor, serious- ness or pathos, has sold commodities of all kinds, on all occasions and at all points where his services have been called for. He handles farm lands and chattels with remarkable success for their owners and the mere fact of his being the auctioneer for the occasion, is sure to bring a large concourse to hear him. It is a real gift that Mr. Snodgrass possesses and there are those who declare he was born with it, and that a story told of his childhood is that one of his first conscious acts, while still in his cradle, was an attempt to auc- tion off his teething ring and baby rattle.
Link T. Snodgrass was born February 14, 1861, in Orange township, Shelby county, O., a son of Alexander and Climena ( Boyer) Snodgrass. The father was born near Sidney and was a son of Thompson Snodgrass, one of the pioneer settlers of this section. Alexander Snodgrass married Climena Boyer, a daughter of Jacob Boyer, who was a man of large substance, having entered 284 acres of land from the government when he first settled here.
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Mr. Snodgrass died at the age of sixty-two years on the farm on which he had spent his life, his widow surviving some years and dying at Sidney, in her seventy-third year.
Link T. Snodgrass continued to make his home on the farm until he was twenty-eight years of age, having been educated in the public schools. In 1885 he was married to Miss Jennie N. Proctor, of Green township, a daugh- ter of George W. Proctor, who, for forty years was a school teacher.
In view of the success that Mr. Snodgrass has had as an auctioneer it is interesting to learn how he began. Putting aside the amusing story of his infantile attempts, he made a beginning by selling cakes and watermelons, auctioning them off at social festivals, when a mere boy. The first sale he cried in the rural regions was for Mrs. Sallie Metz, while still living on the farm, and he had associated with him George De Nise, a well known local character. His largest sale was in 1907 when he sold at auction almost a half-million dollars worth of real estate for J. D. Barnes, receiver for the German American Bank, the auction continuing for a number of days. He also does a general real estate business, mainly handling farm properties. He belongs to the order of Elks and to the Odd Fellows, both the lower and Encampment branches. Mr. Snodgrass is a man of wealth and has a rep- utation for a great deal of quiet charity. His business brings him into contact with many very distressing situations and his warm heart is often touched. For business as well as pleasure, MIr. Snodgrass travels over the country in his speedy automobile.
WILLIAM A. FERGUS, general farmer and stock raiser, residing on his well cultivated farm of forty-four and one-half acres, situated in Perry township, belongs to old county families, his grandfathers having settled here in early days. Mr. Fergus was born in Shelby county, May 12, 1857, and is a son of Joseph and Barbara (Uhlrey) Fergus.
Joseph Fergus was born in Shelby county and here learned and followed the carpenter trade and later was in the lumber business. He was a republi- can in his political views but was no politician, just a quiet, busy man, attend- ing to his business and performing life's duties according to his best judg- ment. Both he and his wife were members of the United Brethren church. They had a family of children and almost all of them survived their parents. The record reads as follows : Caroline, who married George Faulder ; Richard; Sarah, who is deceased, was the wife of William Valentine, also deceased ; John S .; William A .; Mary, who is the wife of Thomas Mitchell; Joseph ; Winfield S. : Stella, who married P. O. Stockstill; Laura, who married Samuel Knoop and Charles.
William A. Fergus obtained his education in the public schools and afterward, until he was twenty-two years old, worked for his father at log- ging for the latter's saw mill. He then rented a farm of 105 acres on which he resided for seventeen years, when he moved to the Norman Key farm and rented that for ten and one-half years, and in 1907 bought his present
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place from William Dormire. Like his late father, Mr. Fergus is a republi- can but no office-seeker.
In 1879 Mr. Fergus was married to Miss Belle Sheppard, who was born in New Jersey, a daughter of Charles and Mary Sheppard. Mrs. Fergus had three brothers, David, George and Martin, the first named being deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Fergus the following children have been born : Edward, who married Eva Simes; Bertha, who married Otto Steenrod; Clinton, who mar- ried Grace Stevenson; Edith, who married Roy Fogt; and Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Steenrod have two children: Gladys and Harold; Clinton Fergus and wife have two children: Joseph and Frances; and Mr. and Mrs. Fogt have two daughters : Thelma and Roma. Mr. Fergus and family attend the United Brethren church. He takes an interest in all that promises to benefit his sec- tion, gives encouragement to local enterprises and is a stockholder in the Farmers Telephone Company.
BERNARD VONDRELE, whose valuable farm of 114 acres, situated in section 12, McLean township, is bordered on the south by the Loramie reser- voir, is one of the best known residents of this section of Shelby county, where the greater part of his life has been passed. He was born in this township, three miles east of Minster, O., August 13, 1843, and is a son of Bernard and Margaret (Qoutte) Vondrele.
Bernard Vondrele was born in Germany and was a young man when he came to this section and he assisted in the construction of the Ohio Canal, working in Shelby, Auglaize and Mercer counties. In Shelby county he mar- ried Margaret Qoutte and then settled on the Harman Siesman farm in McLean township, where he died when his only child, his namesake, was a babe of one year, his burial being in the Minster cemetery. The farm of forty acres belonged to his widow and she remained on it and later bought forty acres more and here she resided until the time of her death, at the age of sixty-two years. She was a faithful member of the Catholic church at Minster, O.
After his school period was over, Bernard Vondrel applied himself to farming and stock raising and following his marriage settled on his pres- ent farm in section 12, which, at that time was partly cleared. Mr. Vondrele has carried on all his farm undertakings in a practical, common sense way, draining his land and putting down tile as he found desirable and raising grain and stock. He is one of the leading democrats of the township and served four years as township trustee and has always been interested in hav- ing good schools.
Mr. Vondrele married Miss Caroline Drehman, who was also of German extraction and was born in Germany, a daughter of Herman and Catherine Drehman. The five children of Mr. and Mrs. Vondrele were all born on this farm, namely : William, Joseph, Herman, John and Frank, the two youngest sons assisting in carrying on the farm industries. Mr. Vondrele and family are members of St. Michael's Catholic church at Fort Loramie and he was a liberal contributor to the building of the present church edifice.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
HENRY A. ERNST, who, for eight years, has been a member of the board of education of the Sherman Special School District in McLean town- ship, Shelby county, O., owns the old homestead farm in section Io, contain- ing 185 acres of well improved land, situated three and one-half miles south- east of Fort Loramie. Mr. Ernst was born on this farm, March 10, 1867, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Barringhaus) Ernst, both of whom died on this place, fine people and faithful Catholics.
Henry A. Ernst has lived on his present farm all his life. He attended the Sherman school in boyhood and has always been interested in advancing the cause of education in this section and hence has consented to serve for so long a time on the educational board. It is to Mr. Ernst and his fellow mem- bers that the township looks for the increase and permanence of its school facilities and it is due to their wisdom and liberality that educational work is so far advanced in this part of the county. Mr. Ernst is a busy and success- ful farmer, carrying on a general line, raising grain, hay and stock, and finds a market for his overplus at Fort Loramie. He has his place well drained but has not deemed it necessary to replace the buildings that were erected by his father, they being in good condition.
Mr. Ernst married Miss Mary Borchers, a daughter of Barney Borchers, of McLean township, and the family of ten children were born on this farm and all live in the vicinity except the fifth child, Urban, who died when aged two years. The others are: Clemens, Bernard, Louis, Anton, Henrietta, Wilhelmina, Carl, Henry and Mary. Mr. Ernst and family are members of the Catholic church. He has always cast his vote with the democratic party.
JOHNSON GINN, who is well known all over Shelby county, O., is a very large and successful dealer in livestock, devotes the greater part of his time to the buying and selling of cattle and resides on his farm of ninety- two acres which is situated in section 10, Walkup Special School District, McLean township, three miles west and one-fourth mile south of Port Loramie. Mr. Ginn was born on this farm in April, 1847, and is a son of William and Marian ( Bodkin) Ginn.
William Ginn was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and there married his first wife, Jane Walkup, who died in Miami county, O. William Ginn and wife and their eight children settled three miles north of Troy, O., and remained there one year when the wife died and he moved to the farm in McLean township now owned by Johnson Ginn. He found work on the Miami Canal near Fort Loramie and in that way earned the money which he invested in this land. Later he married Marian Bodkin, who was born in Virginia and came with her people to Ohio. Six children were born to this marriage, the second wife dying when their son Johnson was two years old. William Ginn was married a third time, Mrs. Jennie ( Mullen) Rutledge, a widow, becoming his wife. She was also born in Ireland and died when over sixty years of age, having had three daughters born to her first marriage. William Ginn outlived all his wives, he being in his eightieth year at time of death. He was a man of many fine traits of character and continued to be
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active both in mind and body into advanced years. He served as a soldier in the Civil war but escaped all injury. When he settled on his land in McLean township it was heavily timbered, not a stick of wood ever having been cut, and it was through his untiring industry that the first building on the place was put up and preparations made to convert the wilderness then prevailing into a comfortable homestead. Gradually he acquired other tracts of land until at one time he owned about 500 acres situated in Darke and Shelby counties. After improving his McLean township land so that others could live on it with a large degree of comfort, in 1851 he made himself a home on his Darke county land, just across the road, and there continued to live until his death. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his burial was in the Sidney cemetery.
Johnson Ginn attended school near his father's farms and then began his own career as a farmer, residing south of his present farm for some years and selling the same before coming back to the old home place. This property he has under a tenant's care as he devotes the most of his time to his stock activities. The land is well tiled and much of it is in pasturage and fifteen acres remain in valuable timber.
Mr. Ginn married Miss Minerva Houston, who was born in Darke county, O., a daughter of Eli and Melvina Houston. Mr. and Mrs. Ginn have had two daughters: Florence, who resides at home; and Abigail, who died when aged six months. In political connection Mr. Ginn has always been a repub- lican as was his father.
WILLIAM H. BOWEN, one of the substantial citizens and excellent farmers of Turtle Creek township, where he owns 120 acres of fine land, was born in Washington township, Shelby county, July 24, 1869, and is a son of Joseph and Christina E. (Strate) Bowen.
Joseph Bowen, who is a leading business man at Hardin, O., where he has been a merchant for a quarter of a century, was born in Clermont county, O., in 1844, a son of Clark and Elizabeth (Godfrey) Bowen. Joseph Bowen served as a soldier in the Civil war from 1861 until 1865, afterward en- gaged in farming and then established himself at Hardin, and is one of the representative men of that section. In 1868 he married Christina E. Strate, who was born in Germany, and they have had seven children born to them.
William H. Bowen, the eldest of his parents' children, was afforded edu- cational advantages and after completing the public school course spent two summer terms at the Ohio Normal School, at Ada, O., and for six years thereafter taught school in his native county. He then became associated with his father in business but three years later sold his interest and since then has devoted himself to agricultural pursuits exclusively. He is a pro- gressive farmer, adopting new methods according to the latest scientific plans for agricultural advancement and is a valued member of the local Grange.
On September 14,- 1893, Mr. Bowen was married to Miss Nancy M. Mal- colm, who was born in Indiana but was reared in Shelby county, being six months old when her parents, James and Elizabeth ( Davenport) Malcolm.
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brought her to this section. The father was a farmer until his death. Mrs. Bowen has three sisters and one brother: Lucy, wife of Wallace Gamble; Cora, the wife of G. T. Patton; Clara, wife of J. D. Price; and J. Harper, Mrs. Bowen being the youngest of the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowen have seven children: Helen, Elizabeth, Elsie, Hazel, Dorothy, Joseph and William Kenneth. Mr. Bowen and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he is trustee of the parsonage. In politics a republican, Mr. Bowen has served on the township school board for the last twelve years.
SAMUEL M. DORSEY, who is very capably managing his mother's farm of 160 acres of valuable land, which lies in Green township, Shelby county, O., belongs to one of the old families of this section. He was born in Green township, October 26, 1868, and is a son of Snowden T. and Anna M. (Mathers) Dorsey. His father died in 1894, one-half mile east of the old Dorsey homestead where he was born in 1825.
In the public schools Samuel M. Dorsey secured his early educational training and later pursued higher branches at Lebanon, O. For two years afterward he taught school and as an educator fulfilled every expectation but as a business, agriculture made closer appeals to him and for many years he devoted himself to farming and stock raising. He is connected at Sidney with the Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and he belongs also to the Presbyterian church at Sidney. In politics he early identified himself with the republican party and has served in the office of township clerk.
WV. H. HIGGINS, who belongs to one of the old families of Shelby county and is a successful general farmer in Orange township, was born in the Russell settlement, in Turtle Creek township, and is a son of J. V. and Sarah Elizabeth (Dunn) Higgins. For many years the father was a prosperous farmer in this section and lived to the age of seventy-one years. The mother still survives and lives on her old homestead, now aged seventy- eight years.
W. H. Higgins attended the township schools and then turned his atten- tion to farming, which has been the family business. He worked for five years by the month and afterward rented farm land, living on the home place until five years after his marriage, when he moved into Washington town- ship, Miami county, and lived there for one year. In 1903 he settled on his present farm of fifty acres, which lies seven miles south of Sidney, and here has successfully carried on farming and stock raising ever since. He is iden- tified with none of the political parties, belonging to a very independent family. but nevertheless has frequently had township offices tendered him and has served as road supervisor.
Mr. Higgins married Miss Lula M. Moore, a daughter of Jacob Moore. an
GEORGE H. BILLING AND FAMILY
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old resident of the county, and they have four children : Jessie, Floyd, Robert and Francis. Mr. Higgins is an Odd Fellow and belongs to the lower branch at Kirkwood and the Encampment at Sidney.
GEORGE H. BILLING, who owns large bodies of land in different sections of Shelby county, O., is one of the county's best known men. He was born in Franklin township, this county, February 12, 1865, and is a son of Frederick and Sarah (Knasel) Billing.
Frederick Billing was born in Germany and after coming to the United States became a farmer. He married in Shelby county, O., and there both he and wife died. They were well known and highly respected people. A family of eight children was born to them, namely: Susan, who is the wife of Samuel Hagelberger; John; Sophia, who is deceased, was the wife of Jacob M. Finkenbine; George H .; William; Louisa, who is the wife of W. J. Fogt; Lena, who is deceased, was the wife of Samuel H. Fogt; and Edward, who is a resident of Michigan. These names represent some of the best people of Shelby county.
George H. Billing secured a common school education and remained at home with his father until he was twenty-eight years of age when he started out as a farmer on his own responsibility, at first renting land from his father and afterward acquiring it for himself, although he first rented the homestead during the last years of both parents, afterward buying out the other heirs. When they died he inherited 100 acres but the purchase of the remainder of the estate cost him $1,000. He has made many improvements including the remodeling of the barn and at the present time of writing is converting the old farmhouse into a modern and attractive residence. He owns 378 acres of valuable land in Shelby county, 160 of which is located in Salem township and 218 acres in Frank- lin township and is one of the county's large tax payers.
In 1892 Mr. Billing was married to Miss Elizabeth Gerber, who was born in Shelby county, a daughter of John C. and Catherine (Smith) Gerber, and they had the following children: Sarah, Elizabeth, Edward E., Albert, Clara, George, Henry, Charles and Anna, Charles being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Billing have three children: Leota, Raymond, and Ora. The family belongs to the Lutheran church at Anna. In politics Mr. Billing is a democrat but has not been willing to accept public office although ever an interested and liberal-handed citizen.
W. T. PICKERING, who is numbered with the prosperous and progres- sive agriculturists of Washington township, owns a farm of 140 acres which lies twelve miles southwest of Sidney. He was born in 1880, in Putnam county, O., and is a son of M. S. Pickering, who was born in Fairfield county, a member of one of the old pioneer families. M. S. Pickering was a farmer first in Paulding county, later in Shelby county and at present is a resident of Fairfield county.
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W. T. Pickering attended school in both Putnam and Paulding counties and remained with his father until 1897, when he came to Shelby county and in 1907 purchased and settled on his farm in Washington township. The general improvements he has placed here give evidence of good judgment and he probably has as fine a modern residence as can be found in the township. He raises the usual grains of this section and also devotes attention to stock raising.
Mr. Pickering was married in 1901 to Miss Katie Patterson. Thy are members of the Presbyterian church at Piqua. In his political sentiments he is a democrat.
NATHAN MOYER, who resides on his valuable farm of 147 acres sit- uated in section 20, Cynthian township, Shelby county, O., was born in this township, on an adjoining farm, which is now owned by J. C. Short, Decem- ber 22, 1841, and is a son of George and Sarah (Seymour) Moyer.
The parents of Mr. Moyer were born in Pennsylvania. They were farm- ing people in Shelby county, and the father died in Cynthian township, when aged sixty-two years, and the mother in her eighty-fourth year, and their burial was in the cemetery at Oran, O. George Moyer owned a farm of eighty acres which he cleared and improved to some extent, at the time of his settlement in Cynthian township the country being yet in a wild condition. In those days even the ordinary domestic duties were carried on in a burden- some way. Mr. Moyer remembers when his mother wove all the family wearing apparel, coloring the cloth afterward and fashioning it into garments. She also cooked the toothsome viands for which the pioneer home was cele- brated, in the open fireplace, Mr. Moyer being seventeen years old before he even saw a cook stove. All the family attended church, a spring wagon being called into requisition when the distance was too far to cover by walking, but in those days it was considered no disgrace to wear a patched coat or gown or to appear with bare feet. Mr. and Mrs. Moyer were long remembered in their community for those virtues which prevailed in old days-kindness, generosity, charity and hospitality.
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