USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 70
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Mayor Stolly was married to Miss Augusta Hemmert, who was born and reared in Dinsmore township, Shelby county, a daughter of Aquelin Hemmert, and they have six children: Albert, Victoria, Matilda, Annie, Nora and William. Mayor Stolly and family belong to the Catholic church.
GENERAL BENJAMIN LeFEVRE, the subject of this somewhat extended biographical sketch, is a thorough Buckeye, having been born on a farm in Salem township, ten miles northeast of Sidney, October 8, 1838. His parents were pioneers and the ancestral acres of great fertility Ben has owned for years and has recently erected a spacious farm house, approached by a drive shaded with an arcade of maples.
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From the ample porch of this delightful rustic abode he can sniff the aroma of the apple blossoms of his nearby orchard and the fragrance of its ripening fruit.
Higher criticism, with its convenient elasticity, had not been developed rendering it possible to interpret the plain injunction of Scripture to multiply and replenish the earth to mean race suicide, so the God-fearing LeFevre household was filled with a large family of stalwart boys and girls, with appetites commensurate with their healthy out-of-door activities and diges- tion that an ostrich might covet, thus furnishing a home market for the sur- plus products of the farm.
Though he was not born with a gold spoon in his mouth, as that article was not plenty in those pioneer days of nearly a century ago, he never felt the grip of poverty for the home domain was ample. As the virgin land furnished employment in all seasons, Satan, who gets in his work where there are idle hands, steered clear of that busy, industrious household.
Ben's pockets were not distended with an annoying surplus of pin money, as filthy lucre was not a profuse commodity in those days, and did not admit of liberal distribution to such an extent as to invite burglarious inva- sion, but the larder was never empty and its products were dispensed freely in those hospitable times.
He was by nature optimistic, kept himself on the silver lining side of life clouds and shadows, was full of hope and as his sky was thickly set with lofty ideals he bent every energy to achieve and realize their fruition; and his life attest how successful he has been. In his lexicon there was no such word as "fail."
What crude privileges the log country schoolhouses afforded he embraced. but the three R's were the extent of the curriculum, and to the rule of three was the limit of the pedagogic ability to instruct.
In due time he was sent to Sidney for advanced instruction, attended several terms and subsequently taught school and became a student at the Miami University at Oxford.
An episode in his pedagogical career illustrates his natural tact and diplo- macy which has served him so well in untying hard knots and straightening tangles. He had one very refractory pupil who gave him a world of trouble, and, feeling that forbearance had ceased to be a virtue, he kept the miscreant in the schoolhouse one evening for substantial settlement. When about ready to administer a deserved castigation, Ben looked out of a window and caught a glimpse of the irate mother, who was a terror in skirts, sidling up to the schoolhouse with a stride that meant business. She paused a while to listen to the interior proceedings. Not relishing the red hot fury of a woman, Ben at once changed his tactics and in a voice that could be dis- tinctly heard outside, said: "Jim, I wish you would suppress your animal spirits and mischievous ways, for you have marked ability and noble qualities. I did not keep you in for punishment but to have a good talk and appeal to your better nature. You are the hope of your kind and indulgent mother who would do anything for your welfare and solicitious as she is through the
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day for you I have no doubt that she remembers you in her prayers each night, and I am doing my best to help her make of you an honor to her and a useful man." At this the mother burst in the door, totally disarmed, and poured the contents of her vial of wrath, intended for Ben, upon her son. This diplomatic stroke endeared Ben to her not only the rest of the term but ever afterward.
When the slogan of the Civil war sounded Ben's quick and patriotic ear heard it, and he joined the Benton cadets, went to Missouri, and served in General Fremont's brief campaign, going as far as Springfield in that state. When the cadets were mustered out he came home as lieutenant and when the Ninety-ninth Ohio regiment was organized joined at Lima, serving as major in the army until the final surrender of the rebel host. He returned to Sidney, studied law with Smith and Cummins, leading attorneys of Sidney, and was admitted to the bar, but having a stronger taste for politics than of legal practice he was elected to the state legislature from Shelby county.
At the close of his term he was appointed governor of the territory of Washington by President Johnson, but which was changed to a consulship to Nurenburg, Bavaria. At that time Andrew G. Curtis, Pennsylvania's war governor, was minister to Russia, and Elihu Washburn, minister to France, and the three became fast friends.
Upon his return to this country he was employed by Col. Thomas A. Scott to look after the revenue cases of the Pennsylvania railway and remained until he resigned to run for democratic congressional nomination from this district, composed of Shelby, Miami, Darke, Mercer and Auglaize counties. A mass convention was held in Sidney, and after a fierce fight of three days and nights, the time Jonah spent in making interior observa- tions of the whale, Ben was victorious by one ond a half votes on the two hundred and eighteenth ballot for the forty-sixth congress, and triumphantly elected in November.
While serving his first term the district was changed to comprise Shelby. Auglaize, Allen, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Defiance and Van Wert coun- ties. Five of these counties were represented by W. D. Hill, who was up for renomination, but Ben won on the first ballot. The district was again changed and Ben served continuously for eight years. It is safe to say that no representative ever served his constituents with more fidelity than General LeFevre, or procured more lucrative employment for democratic boys in republican administrations than he. His diplomacy and suavity did the work. Milton E. Ailes, who subsequently became assistant secretary of the treasury under Lyman D. Gage, was one of his boys from Sidney.
Upon entering congress he served on the committee on agriculture and the committee on military affairs, and introduced the first bill for the suppres- sion of contagious diseases among domestic animals. He introduced the resolution creating the department of agriculture and always espoused the cause of the soldiers, and was ever at his post.
At the close of his congressional career he was engaged by the Erie rail- way to look after claims, and for twenty-three years was in its service,
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resigning in the summer of 1909, much to the regret of the railroad mana- gers, as letters show.
Many of these years his vacations were spent in Europe, and he has crossed the Atlantic over twenty times and visited all the countries of the continent and nearly all the cities, and sipped the waters of its famous springs. Being a great pedestrian, he mingled much with the peasants and common people studying their habits and modes of life, and has made foot- prints, man's size, in the soil from Italy to Finland, not giving Sweden and Norway the go-by. His views afoot if written out would fill volumes.
After Mr. LeFevre's resignation as a railway official, he again set sail for Europe, and pausing long enough to get breath, started on an overland trip to the Orient. It was more of a leisurely saunter than trip, as he took his own time and avoided the water as much as possible. He left France, traversed Austria and Hungary and the Balkan states to Constantinople, where he spent two weeks. A religious festival was in progress and the supply of Moslem prayers seemed to be largely in excess of the demand. He next went to Smyrna and to Jerusalem, where he stayed three weeks, visit- ing all the places of interest and some not so interesting. It seemed as if all the beggars were expecting him, from the welcome they gave him, and had an idea that he had a souvenir for each one. Ben donkeyed and cameled it across Arabia and sailed across the Arabian sea to Bombay. India, a most wonderful city, with the finest architecture in the world. The hotel Taj Mahai is not excelled for artistic beauty by any on earth, and is owned by a parsee. He made the acquaintance of several parsees, who are the merchants of the city. He journeyed to Delhi and at Agra saw the famous tomb Taj Mahal, built for an Indian princess at a cost of $20,000,000. When Lord Curzon was viceroy of India he had a lamp that had been destroyed or taken from the tomb replaced, but could find only two men that could do it. One of these was brought from Persia, and they were about two years in fashioning it. He passed through Lucknow and Cawnpore on his way to the sacred city of Benares, on the Ganges, where he paused for several days. From thence he went to Calcutta, at the delta of the Ganges on the Bay of Bengal. It is the most interesting city that he saw so far on his journey, and its jute mills are the largest in the world, employing 57,000 men. The experts in these mills get twelve cents a day and the others less. They live on rice the year around, a most monotonous diet, and it goes without saying that they do not buy it in Sidney nor Dayton. From there he sailed diagonally across the Bay of Bengal, rounded the peninsula of Malacca, passed Singapore on his way to Borneo, Hong Kong and Canton, a most interesting city, where half a million people live on boats, briefly viewed the Philippines on his way to Japan, where he remained for some time, then took a Pacific steamer for San Francisco, halt- ing for awhile at the beautiful flower-embowered city of Honolulu. From San Francisco he went to Southern California and returned by way of Texas to Sidney, where he was most warmly greeted by his many friends after a year's absence. Abstemious in his habits, careful in diet, drinking Vichy water as a beverage, the year was one of unbroken health and enjoyment.
CHRISTOPHER ENDERS
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How one so genial and a social favorite has managed to elude Cupid's darts seems strange, but he has, and is as ever in "maiden meditation and fancy free," with no obvious symptoms of change for "better or for worse."
A. B. C. HITCHCOCK.
GEORGE W. ZEDEKER, residing on his valuable farm of 120 acres, situated in Salem township, Shelby county, O., was born in Montgomery county, O., January 30, 1864, and is a son of John W. and Mary ( Branden- berg) Zedeker. He has one brother, Oliver C. Zedeker, who is also a well- known resident and successful farmer of Salem township. The parents live retired in Franklin township.
George Zedeker was about ten years old when his parents moved to Shelby county and here he completed his school attendance. With his brother he assisted on the home farm and continued with his father until five years after his marriage, moving then to his wife's old home farm. Later he bought a one-half interest in the same which he subsequently sold, then bought his present farm from the Widow Davies and ever since has been actively engaged in general farming and stock raising, such as horses, cattle, hogs and sheep which demand good prices.
In 1888, Mr. Zekeker was married to Miss Martha West, a daughter of William and Lavina (Conover) West, farming people of Shelby county. The mother of Mrs. Zedeker was born in Miami county but the father came from Virginia. Mrs. Zedeker had four brothers and one sister : Elizabeth, wife of Shelby Brandenberg, and John, Edward, Charles and Lester, the last named being· deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Zedeker five children have been born : Ethel, Hazel, John, Wilbur and Charles, all of whom have been given school and other advantages. The family attends the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Zedeker is a democrat and for some four years he served as a member of the Shelby county fair board.
CHRISTOPHER ENDERS, for many years was a well known and respected citizen of Shelby county, where he became a man of large estate, at the time of his death, June 24, 1901, owning 214 acres of fine land in Franklin township, the result of his own industry and frugality. He was born in Elsass, Germany, in April, 1837, a son of Christopher Enders, who. with his wife, died in Germany.
When sixteen years of age, young Christopher Enders came to the United States and made his way to Shelby county, O. Here he worked for a time at weaving and wagonmaking and still later, when able to buy land, became a farmer and afterward, until death, followed an agri- cultural life. Quiet, self respecting and industrious, he was well known to his neighbors and he set an example of thrift and good citizenship. He was twice married, first to Miss Margaret Dormeyer, and four chil- dren were born to them: Jacob, George, Charles and Emma, the last named being a trained nurse. His second marriage was to Miss Bar- bara King, who was born in Butler county, O., and still resides on the
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homestead, in which she has a life interest. Her parents, John and Magdalena (Sallsman) King, are now deceased. They were old residents of Butler county, who moved from there to Iowa, but at the time of death were buried in Graceland Cemetery at Sidney, O. Mrs. Enders is the youngest of her parents' family, the others being: Elizabeth, wife of John Houndrick ; Mary, wife of Jacob Meyers; Catherine, wife of John Gram; and Joseph. To Mr. and Mrs. Enders four children were born, all surviving: Sadie E., who is the wife of Charles Richards, and they have two children-Jennette and Frances ; Mary, who is a trained nurse; Herman, who operates the farm for his mother; and Catherine. Mr. Enders was a member of the Lutheran church and Mrs. Enders and all of the children belong to this religious body. He was never active in politics and never willing to serve in public office but voted with the democratic party and his sons follow his example.
MARTIN F. DENMAN, whose own farm of ninety-five and one-half acres is located in Green township, Shelby county, O., eight miles southeast of Sidney, O., also operates his wife's farm of fifty-seven acres in the same vicinity. He was born on his present farm, September 9, 1863, and is a son of Moses and Barbara (Hauser) Denman.
Moses Denman was born in Miami county, O., near Piqua, and was twenty- one years old when he came to Shelby county and settled on the farm in Green township on which his entire subsequent life was spent, liis death occurring here, when he was aged eighty-two years. He married Barbara Hauser and she became the mother of five children, passing away in her sixty-sixth year. Two of these survive: Martin F. and Mrs. Harvey . Mill- house.
Martin F. Denman obtained a public school of training and is one of the well-informed and substantial citizens of this section where he has engaged in farming and stock raising ever since reaching man's estate. He has kept up repairs but has had no buildings to erect as his father had made all improve- ments. Mr. Denman married Miss Abigail W. Grosvenor, and they have three children : Araminta, Della and Harry. Mr. Denman and family are members and supporters of the Christian church. In politics he is a democrat.
GEORGE H. WAGNER, one of the leading citizens of Loramie town- ship, Shelby county, O., who resides on his excellent farm of forty-three acres. situated one-quarter mile north of Houston, O., lying on the north side of the Piqua and St. Mary's turnpike road, in section 5, was born January 9, 1854, in Clark county, O. He was one year old when he was brought to Shelby county by his parents, Jacob and Celina Wagner, who settled south of Houston.
George H. Wagner obtained a district school education and then assisted his father until his own marriage, after which he still worked on the home- stead for one more year and then moved to a place one mile west of Houston. After four years there he moved on the Flynn farm and operated that for four and one-half years. Later, after a period in which he was engaged in a gen- eral mercantile business at Houston, he moved to the Block farm, on the
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township line, where he remained for eight years. He then came to his present place. in 1907, where he has made many improvements. He has all his land under cultivation with the exception of four acres of pasture. For many years he has been a leading factor in democratic politics and has given most efficient service in such offices as turnpike superintendent, township trus- tee and school director, and for the past three years has been road superin- tendent.
Mr. Wagner married Miss Alice Stoker, who was born and reared in Loramie township, a daughter of W. F. and Libby Stoker, both of whom died in this township. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wagner : Verna, who died at the age of two years: Charles; Mollie: Bertha ; Edith, who died in infancy; and Ruth. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are members of the Christian church. They are well-known people all through this section and have a wide circle of friends.
GEORGE FAULDER, who has recently retired after many years of active life on his farm of eighty acres, situated in Salem township, Shelby county, O., now occupies his comfortable residence on South Main street, Sidney, O. He was born February 16, 1833, in Frederick county, Md., and was two years old when his parents, James and Louisa ( Applebee ) Faulder, brought him to Shelby county.
James Faulder was a cooper by trade and in his day the making of barrels. casks and hogsheads by hand was a very remunerative business. He followed his trade until within twenty years of the close of his life, when he turned his attention to farming. He was one of the useful and reliable men of his neigh- borhood and, while never consenting to hold office, gave his support to all public spirited movements when they seemed to him to be of a character to benefit the community. He was the father of the following children: Wil- liam H .; George; James; Joseph; Wilbur: Sarah, wife of John Morter : Louisa, wife of Amos Stiger : Mary, wife of Leander Halter ; and Susan, wife of William Sims.
George Faulder attended the district schools in boyhood although he never had the advantages which children of the present day have thrust upon them. When he started out to take care of himself, he engaged at farm work by the month for about six months and then went into a saw mill, and for twelve years worked there by the day. After that he settled down to farm- ing and also did considerable business in building turnpike roads under con- tract. Mr. Faulder, with his many interests, has been a very busy man and seemingly is entitled to a period of rest. In politics he is a republican and at times served as school director in Salem township and for two years was assessor.
In 1865 Mr. Faulder was married to Miss Caroline E. Fergus, who was born in Shelby county, a daughter of Joseph and Barbara (Allery) Fergus, both of whom are deceased, their burial being in Graceland cemetery. Mrs. Faulder has the following brothers and sisters : R. H .: Sarah C., wife of Wil- liam Valentine: John S .: W. Alonzo: Mary M., wife of Thomas Mitchell ;
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J. L .; Scott ; Charles E .; Wealthie E., wife of Peter Stockstill ; and Laura A., wife of Samuel Knoop. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Faulder are: Harry B., who married Ella Shaw; Charles V., who married Mellie Gauze, and they have one son, Forest Faulder ; Edward L., who married Ella Wil- liams, and they have one child, Audrey; Taylor A., who married Katie Bur- ton ; Clemie C., who is the wife of Elmer Shroyer; Nellie B., who is the wife of Earl Fristoe: Mary H., who is the wife of Terry Wones and they have one child, Mildred; Donnie F., who is at home; and George B., who is a student at Ann Arbor, Mich. Mr. Faulder and family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. George Faulder was a soldier in the Civil war, having been a member of 134 Regiment. O. V. I.
EARL D. FRISTOE, whose farm of 138 acres of valuable land lies in Perry township, Shelby county, O., belongs to an old Shelby county family and was born in this township, January 21, 1879. His parents were Milton and Mahala ( Fahnestock) Fristoe.
Milton Fristoe was a highly respected citizen, and a successful farmer. His death occurred in September, 1901, and his burial was at Port Jefferson. To his first marriage witih Lyda Mericle four children were born : John, Anna, Libbie and Phebe. His second marriage was to Mrs. Mahala ( Falinestock) Spangy, widow of Philip Spangy, who had two children, Frank and Clara. To the second marriage but one child was born, Earl D. and his mother resides at Sidney.
Earl D. Fristoe attended the public schools and all his life has been more or less engaged in agricultural pursuits. The first land he ever owned was forty acres situated in Orange township, which he sold and then bought sixty acres in Perry township and after selling that, bought his present farm, in 1909, at sheriff's sale, it being known as the old Henry English farm. He made all necessary improvements, including the building of a new and sub- stantial barn and is successfully interested here in raising Jersey cattle and Percheron horses.
Mr. Fristoe was married in November, 1900, to Miss Nellie B. Faulder, who was born in Shelby county, July 16, 1880, a daughter of George and Caroline (Fergus) Faulder. They are farming people in Salem township and their children are : Harry B., who is a physician at Wapakoneta : Charles, Edward, Taylor, Clementine, Nellie B., Mary, Donna, Chester and Benja- min. To Mr. and Mrs. Fristoe one son was born to whom the name of Law- rence Theodore was given, but his little span of life covered only five weeks. In politics Mr. Fristoe has been active as a republican and served three years as a county central committeeman, and is serving in his second term as vice president of the county fair board. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias at Maplewood and Knights of Khorassan of Sidney, O.
E. A. DUNN, who resides on an excellent farm of eighty acres one-half mile south of Plattsville, O., in a desirable section of Green township, was born in Orange township, Shelby county, in 1858, and is a son of John and Susan ( Razor ) Dunn.
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John Dunn was born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio when young and after living for some years in Montgomery county, came to Shelby and settled on a farm in Orange township, where he died in his sixty-fifth year. He married Susan Razor and they became parents of seven children.
E. A. Dunn obtained a district school education, often attending school under conditions that his children would deem exceedingly uncomfortable, entailing long walks in inclement weather and a schoolhouse devoid, in large measure, of any of the present-day comforts that are now considered necessi- ties. He remained on the home farm until lie was sixteen years old and then worked through the neighborhood for different farmers. He has been estab- lished on the present place for the past eleven years and here very successfully carries on general farming and stock raising.
Mr. Dunn married Miss Callie Simes and they have two daughters : Bertha and Ruth. In politics Mr. Dunn is a democrat. For a number of years he has been identified with the Odd Fellows, attending the lodge at Kirkwood.
CONRAD CRUSEY, proprietor of the Crusey Grocery Company, operat- ing a first-class grocery store on the corner of Walnut and Fair avenues, Sid- ney, O., is one of the representative business men of this city and has practi- cally spent his life here. He was born at Sidney, November 28, 1853, and is a son of Stephen and Agnes (Sousa) Crusey.
Stephen Crusey and wife were born in Germany. In the fall of 1849, Stephen Crusey with his own family and with his father, John Crusey, and two brothers, John and Michael Crusey, set sail for America and during the voyage that lasted fifty-five days, forty-two of the passengers died of cholera. Finally the survivors were landed at New Orleans and took passage on a Mississippi river steamboat for Cincinnati. The germs of the deadly cholera, however, were in the system of the aged father and he suffered a severe attack but finally recovered and subsequently lived in robust health into advanced age, his death occurring at Muncie, Ind. After reaching Cin- cinnati the travelers proceeded by canal to Piqua and from there came to Sid- ney by wagon. Stephen Crusey was a machinist by trade but the circum- stances that surrounded him on reaching the United States did not favor his securing employment at this trade and for some years he was variously employed, but always industriously. At one time he purchased a small farm in Auglaize county, O., but as it was in the woods he never worked it but kept it until he could sell to advantage and made seventy dollars by his prudence. His first job of work after coming to Sidney was on the Wapakoneta turnpike road, his wages being eight dollars a month. Afterward he started in the busi- ness of selling stoves, traversing the country in a wagon and carrying the stoves with him to the farms where he found customers and when he made one dollar a day and his expenses, he considered that he was doing a very satis- factory business and was able to save money. Later he worked for a foundry as cupola tender and afterward was employed for a short time at the old still house, where he fortunately saw the dangerous character of the work in time to leave it, three other workmen less observant being killed on the following
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