USA > Ohio > Union County > History of Union County, Ohio; its people, industries and institutions > Part 65
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Harry died at the age of eleven months, and Mary, the only daughter, keeps house for her father.
Mrs. Williams, the mother of these children, was born in Dover town- ship. Union county, Ohio, October 27. 1846, and died at her home in Marys- ville, Ohio. June 19, 1911. She was a devout member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, a model wife, a kind and loving mother and a woman whose sole interest was in the welfare of her family. Her father was a native of Virginia, while her mother came from Maryland. After their marriage her parents came to Union county and lived the remainder of their days here. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Filler, John, Francis. Lewis, Nancy Jane. Margaret A. and Virginia.
Mr. Williams belongs to the Knights of Pythias and was a charter mem- ber of the New Dover lodge. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Repub- lic at Marysville. He is a Republican in politics and takes an intelligent interest in the current issues of the day.
ANDREW S MOWRY.
A highly respected citizen of the past generation. who made his home in Union county, Ohio, for nearly half a century, was Andrew S. Mowry, who lived in Union county from 1864 till his death in 1911. His life's work was that of civil engineering and the abstracting of land titles. As an ab- stractor he was recognized as one of the ablest men in the whole state of Ohio. He did a large amount of work in Union as well as adjoining counties in the state and many of the records which he collected and prepared are in- dispensable in perfecting titles in many counties of the state. He was county surveyor for many years and a man who always took a great deal of interest in the civic welfare of his community.
Andrew S. Mowry, the son of Enos and Julia (Vose) Mowry, was born in Smithfield. Rhode Island, September 4, 1832, and died at his home in Marysville, Ohio, December 28, 1911. He was one of three children born to his parents, the other two being Edward Livingston and Miranda Melissa, who became the wife of Lyman Eager.
Enos Mowry was born in Rhode Island, March 31, 1805, and was a son of Enos Mowry, who was born in the same state February 27, 1765. Enos Mowry, Sr., was married to Abigail Lapham, of Burrillville, Rhode Island, his wife being born in Rhode Island, September 10, 1763. Abigail
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(Lapham) Mowry died November 5, 1828, and her husband died June 17, 1815. The children of Enos Mowry, Sr., and wife were Marmaduke, Asa, Nalium, Ruth, Levi, Amos. George and Enos.
The mother of Andrew S. Mowry, Julia (Vose) Mowry, died at the age of thirty-five and her husband married again, his second wife being Sarah Jane Harris. Mr. Mowry married his second wife in West Virginia and lived there until his death, after which his widow moved to California, where she died. To this second union four children were born, Edward Livingston, William Mason, Lucy Mabel and Mary Eleanor.
Andrew S. Mowry was educated at the Providence Conference Semin- ary at Greenwich, Rhode Island. and made a special study of civil engineer- ing while in the seminary. He followed his profession for many years in the office of Henry F. Walling, remaining with him for eight years. In 1857 he went west and located at Waukesha, Wisconsin, and made the first map ever produced in that county. Subsequently, he came to Ohio and mapped Ross, Madison and several other counties in the interest of Walling and in Febru- ary, 1864, came to Union county under a contract with the county to make maps for the land appraisers. After a short time in Union county, he de- cided to make it his permanent home and here he lived and worked until his death. He enlisted in the Civil War and went to Camp Chase, but was re- jected because the examining physician thought he had a weak heart, but despite those ominous words he lived to an old age.
Mr. Mowry was elected county surveyor in 1866 and filled this im- portant position for nine years, during which time he straightened out many land titles in the county. He did the engineering on the first gravel road in Union county and it is safe to say that this county has never had a more efficient and painstaking civil engineer than Mr. Mowry. In the last twenty years of his life he devoted his entire attention to the abstracting of land titles in which he was especially proficient.
Mr. Mowry was married December 2, 1862, to Joanna Doolittle, a native of Oneida county, New York. She was the daughter of Wolcott and Miriam (Cronkhite) Doolittle. To this union was born one daughter. Adele Vose Mowry, who married Sterling S. Cheney. Mr. Cheney and his wife have one daughter, Helen Jeanine Cheney.
Mrs. Mowry was born in Camden. New York, February 2, 1842, and is still living in Marysville. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Mowry were Elisaph Doolittle and wife, natives of Connecticut and early settlers of Oneida county, New York. Mrs. Mowry was one of five children, the others being Ermina, Mahala. Zachary T. and Alta.
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Mr. Mowry and his wife were loyal members of the Presbyterian church. He was connected with the Masonic order for many years and was always interested in the welfare of that fraternity. He was a man highly respected throughout the county and one whose ability in his chosen field was never questioned. He lived such a life that he left behind him a name which will long be remembered and honored by those who knew him. The lives of such men do not go out, they go on.
AARON FAY ROBINSON.
One of the substantial business firms of Milford Center, Ohio, is the Robinson & Richter Company, dealers in hardware, implements, etc. Aaron Fay Robinson, the senior member of the firm, started in business here in 1900, and for the past fifteen years has been building up a trade which has increased year by year until it now extends over a large extent of territory. Mr. Robinson is a man of excellent education, has taught in the high school of his county and has all of those characteristics which go to make a suc- cessful business man. Of irreproachable character and with a high standard of integrity, he has won the esteem and confidence of the people of this com- munity and justly merits inclusion among the representative men of his county.
Aaron Fay Robinson, the son of John W. and Sarah (Coe) Robinson. was born in Marysville, on the Waldo road, December 30, 1863. His father was born in Ohio and his mother in Pennsylvania, and to them were born seven children : Heber, of Marysville: Mary, the wife of A. E. Platt, of Marysville; Aaron Fay. of Milford Center; Jennie, the wife of Albert Burnham, of Union township; James E., an attorney in Marysville; Carrie. the widow of Jolin Longbrake, of Marysville; and Clyde, of Allen township.
John W. Robinson was reared in Darby township. Union county, Ohio, where he was born and has been a life-long farmer. He owns a farm of two hundred and twenty acres in Paris township, where he lived until five years old, when he moved to Marysville to spend his declining years. His wife died in 1899. at the age of about sixty. Both were members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Robinson is a deacon in the Marysville church at the present time. He has been a prominent man in his community and has held various township offices during his active career.
The paternal grandparents of Aaron W. Robinson were John W. and
AARON F. ROBINSON.
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Mary ( Mitchell) Robinson, pioneer settlers of Union county, Ohio. They came here when the Indians were roaming the forest and here they built their home in the dense woods and commenced life under pioneer condi- tions. He lived to be about fifty-six years of age and his widow survived him many years, being about eighty-five at the time of her death. The grandparents of Aaron F. Robinson reared a large family of children, Mit- chell, James W., Aaron B., John W., Robert, Emma, Martha and some who died in childhood.
The maternal grandparents of Aaron F. Robinson were Daniel and Mary (Gladden) Coe, natives of Pennsylvania and early settlers in Union county. Mary Gladden came to this county with her parents when she was a little girl. In 1849, during the gold field excitement, Daniel Coe made the long overland trip to California and died out west. His widow remained in Ohio and died on the old home place where she had started housekeeping in Union county and was buried in the Milford Center cemetery. A large family of children were born to Daniel Coe and wife, Philip, Joseph, Moses. Mary, Sarah, Mattie, Olive, Jennie and some who died in childhood.
Aaron F. Robinson was reared on his father's farm in Paris township, attended the country schools of the neighborhood and later graduated from the Marysville high school in 1883. He then taught school for five years, spending three terms in the district schools of Union township, one term in Paris township and one term in the high school at New California. He then married and went to farming in White county, Indiana, and farmed for five years near Reynolds. He went to Monticello, Indiana. in 1892 and engaged in fire and life insurance for two years, after which he went to Chalmers, Indiana, and embarked in the hardware business. \ few years later he moved back to Union county, Ohio, and went on the road as a travel- ing salesman for the Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company at Springfield, Ohio. He also traveled for a time for the Detroit Heating and Lighting Company. He spent about four years on the road and in 1900 came to Milford Center, Union county, Ohio, and bought the store with which he has since been connected. He purchased the store of Thompson & Connor and later took Mr. Connor into the business with him. Mr. Connor was his partner for two years and then F. C. Richter bought Mr. Connor's interest, and it has since been known as the Robinson & Richter Company. They have a large and well assorted stock of general hardware and have built up a big business in Milford Center and the surrounding community.
Mr. Robinson was married February 24, 1887, to Harriett Burnham. the daughter of Nicholas and Emeline (Hopkins) Burnham. To this union
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three children have been born, Ernest, Lucille and Carrie. Lucille, who has taught five years, graduated in the 1915 class of Wooster College. Carrie has taught for three years in the Milford Center high school.
Mrs. Robinson was born in Union township, Union county, Ohio, and her parents, both now deceased, were also natives of this county. There were four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Burnham, Albert, Simeon, Eliza- beth and Harriett. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Robinson were Jacob and Eliza ( Meacham) Burnham. They had three children, Nicholas, Hiran and Eliza. Jacob Burnham died April 23, 1866, and his wife died August 30, 1886. Jacob Burnham was a son of Eliphaz, who, in turn, was the son of Ebenezer Burnham. Ebenezer Burnham was born in Windsor. Vermont. November 23. 1761. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Robinson were Benjamin and Elizabeth ( Williams) Hopkins. They were one of the pioneer families of Union county, Ohio, where they lived to old age. Six children were born to Benjamin Hopkins and wife. Emeline, John, George, William, Mary Ann and Harriett.
Mr. Robinson and his family are consistent members of the Presbyterian church, to which they give their earnest support. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, Royal Arch Masons. Raper Commandery of Urbana and Aladdin Temple, Nobles of the Mystie Shrine. He also holds his membership with the Milford Center Knights of Pythias. In politics, he has been a life long Republican and has been one of the leaders of his party in local affairs. He has served as trustee of his township, as a member of the school board for several terms and has also been a member of the city council. In addition to his interests in the hardware business he is a director in the Maddock Textile Company, of Milford Center.
FRED J. ASMAN.
Prominent in the banking circles of Marysville, Ohio, Fred J. Asman has been interested in the banking business in Marysville for nearly twenty years and has been connected with the Union Bank in various capacities since March, 1896. He is a man of striet integrity and recognized ability of a high order and has a thorough knowledge of all phases of banking. He is a man who takes a deep interest in the welfare of Marysville and is a public spirited citizen who is universally esteemed for his many good qualities.
Fred J. Asman, the cashier of the Union Banking Company of Marys-
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ville, was born in this city. May 26, 1877. His parents, John C. and Barbara (Emmert) Asman, were natives of Bavaria, Germany, and Union county, Ohio, respectively, and reared a family of eight children, William, Charles, Fred, Thomas, Charlotte, Elizabeth and Margaret. Charlotte is the wife of E. F. W. Stellhorn and the other two daughters are still single.
John C. Asman was reared to manhood in Germany and came to America when a young man and settled in Columbus, Ohio, where he was engaged in the retail meat market business .. He later came to Marysville, where he has lived for the past forty years and conducted a retail meat market during all of that time.
The paternal grandparents of Fred J. Asman were Samuel and Marga- retta (Beldener) Asman, both of whom lived all of their days in Germany. Samuel Asman and wife were the parents of three children. Leonard, Char- lotte and John C., the father of Fred J. Asman. The maternal grandparents of Fred J. Asman were Michael Emmert and wife, early settlers in Union county. Ohio.
Fred J. Asman was reared in Marysville and graduated from the local high school in 1895. In March of the following year he became a book- keeper in the Union Banking Company and has been in the continuous employ of the bank since that year. At the present time he is cashier of the bank, a position to which he was elected in June. 1914. He is a stockholder in the Marysville Cabinet Company and a stockholder and director in the Union Banking Company.
Mr. Asman was married June 19, 1902, to Matilda M. Trapp, the daughter of George and Anna ( Nicol) Trapp. To this union three children have been born, Harold, Luther and Norman.
Mrs. Asman was born in Union county, Ohio, and her parents, both of whom were natives of Ohio, are now living in Paris township. Four chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Trapp, Matilda M., Carrie Mader. Edith Neutzel and Fred. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Asman were John George Nicol and wife, who reared a large family of children.
Mr. Asman and his wife are members of the Trinity Lutheran church at Marysville and Mr. Asman belongs to the Trinity Lutheran Benevolent Society. In politics he has long held to the principles of the Democratic party but his connection with the bank has kept him from taking an active part in political affairs. However, he is a deep student of the current issues of the day and is an intelligent man who can always be depended upon to support measures of public welfare.
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NATHAN P. WESTHEIMER.
For more than half a century Nathan P. Westheimer has been connected with the business interests of Richwood, Union county, Ohio. He has always been an enterprising and public-spirited citizen and has taken an active inter- est in the welfare and upbuilding of his town. He is well known throughout the county and is held in high esteem, as was his wife, who was always a true and faithful helpmate to him. While in good health she did much to encour- age him in his business and helped to make him the successful business man that he was. He always felt that he owed much to her for her many kind deeds, wise counsels and constant and loving assistance. As a business man he has been one of the leaders of Richwood for more than half a century, and has always conducted his affairs in such a way as to keep the high regard of his fellow citizens.
Nathan P. Westheimer, a retired merchant and business man, was born at Baden, Germany, September 24, 1836. His father and mother both died when he was only three years of age and he knows nothing of his ancestral history. He was reared to manhood in Germany and when about nineteen years of age came to America with an uncle and settled in New York city for a short time, and there learned the cigar-maker's trade. He then went west with a cousin and located in Ohio, remaining for a short time in Rushsyl- vania, Logan county. His first business venture was as a peddler and he started out from Rushsylvania with a pack on his back and peddled his goods from farm house to farm house throughout that section of the state. A year or so later he found a friend and they started from Bellefontaine, Ohio, with a wagon and peddled notions over five counties. He continued in this way for four years and in 1858 came to Richwood and here he has since resided.
He started into business by buying leaf tobacco of the farmers and mak- ing it into cigars in a little log cabin on the corner of Franklin and Blagrove streets where the Richwood Banking Company is now located. He remained on this corner for several years and in this log cabin began housekeeping on the day of his marriage in 1860. As his business increased he moved into another log house which he also owned in the same block, the site now occul- pied by Wilkins' dry goods, boot and shoe store. He later embarked in the grocery business, although he still kept up his cigar making. He would make cigars until he had accumulated four or five thousand and then take them
NATHAN P. WESTHEIMER AND FAMILY
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to Delaware and exchange them for groceries with the firm of V. D. Hills & Company.
About 1868 Mr. Westheimer built a brick store room twenty by sixty feet and two stories high, which was burned down April 9, 1875. This was the first brick store building in Richwood, and he rebuilt on the same spot the same year. He and George Court went into partnership and erected a building one hundred and thirty-two feet deep, and Mr. Westheimer still owns his part of the building, which is now occupied by Mr. Wilkins with a boot and shoe store. Here Mr. Westheimer remained for a number of years and then leased it and retired from active participation in business affairs.
Mr. Westheimer was married June 21, 1860, to Sarah Elizabeth Irwin, a daughter of Richard and Eliza ( Duckworth) Irwin. They started to housekeeping in the little log cabin which has been mentioned and lived there for several years. When his fortunes improved, Mr. Westheimer erected a beautiful brick residence on North Franklin street, the first brick dwelling house in the town, and here he has lived ever since. He owned several busi- ness blocks, which he sold and all of them are now occupied by substantial business houses.
. Mrs. Westheimer was ill for several years, and in October, 1912, Mr. Westheimer took her to Florida for her health. While in that state she be- came worse and on January 28, 1913, she passed away. She had been afflicted several years with dropsy, rheumatism and kindred complaints, but through all of her sufferings she never complained. She was a good wife, an ex- cellent mother and a woman who was beloved by all who knew her. Mr. Westheimer and wife had one child, Ida Mabel, the wife of J. E. Thompson, a native of Richwood. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson now live in Daytona. Florida. They have one daughter, Ida M., who married Ribba Sadler. MIr. and Mrs. Sadler make their home in Brooklyn, New York.
Mrs. Westheimer was reared in Licking county, Ohio, where her par- ents were among the earliest settlers. Mr. Westheimer was a member of the first council of Richwood and served while Hilas Sabin was mayor. He was a charter member of Richwood Lodge No. 443. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and furnished the first hall for the fraternity in Richwood. He also belonged to the Encampment and had held all of the chairs in both subordinate and camp lodges. He also furnished the furniture for the first Masonic hall in Richwood, which stood where the Richwood Banking Com- pany is now located. He also has the honor of furnishing the first hall for the use of the Baptist church, the hall being located in the second story of his
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brick building. Mr. Westheimer was the third merchant in Richwood, the others being L. H. Hastings, a dry goods merchant and postmaster, and a Mr. Miles, who kept a small grocery in a log cabin.
Mr. Westheimer is now seventy-eight years of age, but has the appear- ance and actions of a man much younger in years. He has always been very charitably inclined and no benevolent enterprise has ever appealed to him in vain. He was formerly a Republican, but for many years has been a stanch supporter of the Prohibition party. He is an earnest advocate of total abstinence and has never neglected an opportunity to further the cause of temperance in every way. No man in Richwood is held in higher esteem or honor than Mr. Westheimer. and his whole career has been such as to justly entitle him to inclusion among the representative men of his village and county.
JAMES FULLINGTON.
A prominent citizen of Union county, Ohio, of a past generation was the late James Fullington, who has been deceased nearly thirty years. Born in this county in the latter part of the twenties, he spent most of his life here, although he was engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock throughout the west in his earlier manhood. In fact, he started out as a cattle buyer when he was only sixteen years of age and traveled throughout the west buying cattle until his marriage in 1851. He then returned to Union county and made his home here until his death in 1886, becoming one of the largest land owners and most extensive stock raisers of the county.
James Fullington, the son of Moses and Harriett (Guy) Fullington, was born September 12, 1828, in Union county, Ohio. His mother was born in Vermont and she came with her parents to Ohio and located near Gran- ville, Ohio, later settling in Union county on a farm, where they lived the remainder of their days. Moses Fullington died on the farm in this county and his wife had previously passed away.
James Fullington attended the common school in Union county and also had a private teacher for a few winters. When he was only sixteen years of age he started out west to buy cattle and went as far as Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma. He bought cattle in various places and then col- lected them in a large herd and then drove them through to New York city, taking several months for the trip. He remained in the west until after his
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marriage in the fall of 1851 in Illinois, and then returned to Union county. Ohio, where he lived the remainder of his days.
James Fullington was married December 11, 1851, to Eliza H. Mc- Mullen, this marriage taking place in Springfield. Illinois. She was a daugh- ter of Joht and Lucy ( Matthews ) McMullen, and was born in Oswego, New York.
John McMullen was born in Belfast, Ireland, and came to the United States at the age of twenty-four and located in Worthington, Ohio. He was an architect and followed this profession after coming to America. John McMullen and Lucy Matthews were married in Worthington, Ohio, by Bishop Chase, and to this union ten children were born, two of whom are living. Sally Ann, John Emmett, Henry Matthews, Mrs. Helen Carleton, Mrs. Eliza Fullington.' Edward Hiram, Adeline Matthews, Harriett Matthews, Charles Adair, Lucy Matthews and Edward Carleton. Edward C. MeMullen is now living in Columbus. He served in the Civil War and was taken a prisoner by the Confederates and confined in the Andersonville prison for nine months. He was a traveling man for many years, traveling for a firm out of Columbus, Ohio. Edward and Eliza H., the widow of Mr. Fullington, are the only two of the ten children living who were born to Mr. and Mrs. McMullen.
James Fullington and wife were the parents of seven children, six of whom are living. Lucy Virginia, Walter Curtis, James Frank, Charles Phiellis. Edward McMullen and Frank Guy and Isabelle Brown. Lucy Virginia be- came the wife of Anson Howard, who died in September, 1913. Mr. How- ard was a farmer until about twelve years ago, when he gave up farming and engaged in the grain business at Milford Center, following that until his death. Walter Curtis is now president of the Marysville Bank and one of the substantial men of the county seat. James Frank was accidentally killed at the age of six. Charles Phellis is now living in Louisiana, where he is engaged in the real estate business. Edward McMullen, now living in Columbus, Ohio, served one term as auditor of the state of Ohio. Frank Guy is the cashier of a bank in Milford Center and one of its prosperous citizens. Isabelle Brown, the youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Fullington, is the wife of R. C. Skiles, an attorney at Shelby, Richland county, Ohio.
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