USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume II > Part 46
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Mr. Hartel has been a singing teacher since he was seventeen years of age and he has won a wide reputation in this line. He has been supervisor of music in the Doylestown public schools for the past nine years, holding a state certificate for music teaching.
In 1888 Mr. Hartel entered the piano business and he has been very suc- cessful in the same ever since, still following that line at this writing, having built up an extensive patronage throughout this part of the county. He is a director in the Doylestown Banking Company.
Mr. Hartel was married in 1880 to Amelia Frase, a woman of many praiseworthy traits, and to this union one daughter was born, Pearl, now the wife of George Flood, and they are the parents of the following children : Rosetta, Amelia, George Leslie and Ellwood.
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Mr. Hartel was confirmed in the Lutheran church when sixteen years of age. He belongs to the Knights and Ladies of Security, and in politics he is a Democrat. He has very ably served his fellow citizens as constable and has been a member of the school board at Doylestown. He is always inter- ested in the progress of his community and does what he can to aid in any worthy movement. He is regarded as a public-spirited, honest and straight- forward business man.
OSCAR ARMSTRONG HILLS, D. D.
The mission of a great soul in this world is one that is calculated to inspire a multitude of others to better and greater things, and its subsequent influence cannot be measured in metes and bounds, for it effects the lives of those with whom it comes into contact, broadening and enriching them for all time to come. He who spends his life interpreting the Divine Word has one of the greatest missions to perform vouchsafed to man. Oscar Arm- strong Hills, one of the best known and influential ministers of Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, is one of that number and worthily wears the honor in proper meekness and reserve. He was born in Brownsville, Indiana, De- cember 13, 1837, and he is the son of Darwin Todd and Sarah (Anderson) Hills, who later removed to Greene county, Ohio. Both his father and mother were representatives of fine old pioneer families and were people highly re- spected and honored by all who knew them for their lives of high endeavor, kindness and hospitality. They were the parents of ten children.
Dr. Oscar A. Hills grew to maturity in his native community and spent his boyhood in a manner not unlike others of his day and generation. He received his preparatory education in the schools of Crawfordsville, Indiana, later attending Wabash College, where he made an excellent record for scholarship and from which he was graduated in 1859. Thus well equipped, he gratified an ambition of long standing by entering the ministry, having been licensed May 1, 1861, by the presbytery of Crawfordsville, and he was ordained November 25, 1862, by the presbytery of Huntington. His first charge was at Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, where he remained from 1862 to 1865, making an excellent start in his pastoral work and building up the charge there in a manner that forecast an unusually successful future in the ministry. He was next pastor of the Central church in Cincinnati from 1865 to 1878 and during his long service there he became known as one of the leading ministers of that city, building up an influential church and win-
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ning a place in the affections of his congregation that can never be eradicated. Doctor Hills was in charge of the North church of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, from 1878 to 1881. Desiring a change to a more salubrious climate, the Doctor, in the summer of 1881, went to Santa Barbara, California, where he was special supply in the church there for one year, after which he went to San Francisco and was pastor from 1882 to 1884, and there he did an ex- cellent work in the First Presbyterian church. He came to Wooster, Ohio, in 1885 and for a period of thirteen years he was pastor of the First church, doing a very commendable work here during that time. He was elected a trustee of Wooster University and has served for a period of twenty-five years. He has done much toward the general success and prestige of the University. In 1898 he took charge of the Westminster church at the uni- versity here and is now pastor emeritus of the same.
The Doctor was married August 21, 1862, to Miriam Wright, a lady of culture and refinement, a native of Rensselaer, Indiana. She died without issue on September 11, 1866, and Doctor Hills married Louise Esther Freer, daughter of an excellent Chicago family, their wedding taking place on October 26, 1869. This union resulted in the birth of four children, namely : Miriam, Edward R., Oscar Freer and Thomas McDougal. The mother of these children passed away August 23, 1884. Doctor Hills married a third time, his last wedding taking place on August 12. 1886, his last wife, Ida M. Foust, being a native of Wayne county, and a woman whose gracious personality has endeared her to a large circle of friends. No children have been born to this union. The Hills home on College avenue is a cozy, hospi- table and cheer ful one where the many friends of the family delight to gather.
Doctor Hills, by a life of right living and strenuous endeavor. has earned a warm place in the hearts of all who know him. He is a devout lover of all that is pure, true and good, and is ever ready to encourage that which is worthy and to support that which is best. All find in him a friend and helper, for he is brotherly, neighborly. candid, frank, sincere and generous, as well as kind and courteous. By the exercise of these qualities he has been greatly blessed of God in leading the unsaved to the Good Shepherd, in inspiring the discouraged and in winning the careless.
CHRIS. R. SNAVELY.
Like all enterprising men, C. R. Snavely, of Sugar Creek township. gives close personal attention to every detail of his business, exercises sound judgment in making his plans and seldom fails to carry to successful con-
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clusion anything to which he addresses his mind and energies, but farming and stock raising, with all their diversified phases, have claimed his time and thought for the most part, and it is useless to add that he has made a very comfortable living besides laying by something to insure his old age from want. He was born in Sugar Creek township, Wayne county, Ohio, November 23, 1859, the son of Samuel and Anna (Rudy) Snavely; the latter is a sister of David Rudy, a complete sketch of whom and his family will be found in another part of this work. Samuel Snavely, the father, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and he came to Wayne county, Ohio, in about 1856. He spent the remainder of his life in Sugar Creek township on a farm, becoming fairly well-to-do here. Mrs. Samuel Snavely, a woman whom everybody admires for her generosity, is still living, a member of the household of her son, C. R., of this review. To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Snavely five children were born, namely .: C. R., of this sketch; Emma, wife of N. C. McDowell, of Akron, Ohio; Ida, widow of R. T. Douglass ; Amanda is single and is living at the home of the subject of this review, and Eugene, who died in 1875.
C. R. Snavely was reared in Sugar Creek township, where he began working on the home farm very early, finding time, however, to attend the district schools until he was eighteen years of age; he also attended the Dalton high school and spent one term at the Smithville Academy.
Mr. Snavely was married in October, 1907, to Jennie McDowell, daughter of Luther McDowell, this family being one of the best known in their community.
Mr. Snavely lives on an excellent farm of ninety-five acres in section 5, Sugar Creek township, where he engages in general farming and stock raising. Politically, he is a Republican, and the United Presbyterian church holds his membership, he being one of the elders of the local congregation, and he takes a great deal of interest in church affairs.
REV. ADAM GEORGE HERMAN.
Although yet a comparatively young man, Father Herman has accom- plished much toward ameliorating the condition of his fellow men, often labor- ing with disregard for his own welfare if thereby he might attain the object sought-to make some one better and happier. Such a life as his is rare and is eminently worthy of emulation, being singularly free from all that is de-
ADAM G. HERMAN
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teriorating or paltry, for his influence is at all times uplifting, and thousands of people have been made better for having known him.
Rev. Adam G. Herman, the popular and well-known pastor of the Cath- olic church at Doylestown, Ohio, was born at Williams, Ohio, January 27, 1868, the son of George Herman, who was born in the province of Alsace- Lorraine, formerly of France, now of Germany. Coming to America when a young man, he met and married Catherine Heberle, a native of Rochester, New York. It was in 1848 that the former came from his native land, and he at once made his way to Williams county, Ohio, and there took up farm- ing, which he made a success, being a very industrious man and a good man- ager. He and his wife became the parents of three children who lived to maturity, namely : Adam George, of this review ; John and Charles. The last two named are now living on farms in Williams county, Ohio.
Adam G. Herman was educated in the common schools of Williams county, later studied at Notre Dame University at South Bend, Indiana, where he made a splendid record for scholarship. He also took a course at Canisius College, Buffalo, New York. Then he went abroad to study, and after four years of diligent application at Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria, he was there or- dained a priest in July, 1901. After taking a short vacation in September of that year, he returned to America and became pastor of the Catholic church at Doylestown, Wayne county, Ohio, where he has since remained. He has done a great work here, building up the parish and raising the spiritual stand- ing of the congregation, which is now in a good condition, both temporal and spiritual, and his service here has met with the united approval of his people ; but whatever of good the reverend priest may have accomplished he would far rather have it engraved on the hearts of the people than to be put into print, and the approval of his own conscience and of his Divine Master are the rewards he wishes for his labors in behalf of the church.
SIMON B. EYMAN.
A highly honored citizen of East Union township is S. B. Eyman, who was born on the farm where he now lives, June 21, 1841, the son of David and Elizabeth ( Bott) Eyman, the former having come to this county from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in May, 1836, and he settled on the farm. consisting of ninety acres, where S. B. Eyman now lives. It was then in
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an undeveloped state and he set about improving it; the place has remained in the family ever since and has been so skillfully managed that it has not lost any of its original fertility. The farm was added to until it consisted of one hundred and seven acres, and the first Eyman known in this county thus be- came a prosperous farmer. He was a good business man, but quiet in dis- position, and a faithful member of the Reformed church. He and his wife were the parents of six children, two of whom are living at this writing, namely : Martha, the wife of John Kirts, of North Dakota, and S. B., of this review. The latter was reared on the farm where he now lives, remaining under the paternal rooftree until he was twenty-one years old, working dur- ing the crop season and attending the neighboring schools some during the winter time. He later attended school at Fredericksburg in Salt Creek town- ship, and received a good common school education. When about twenty-two years of age he left home and went to Ashland, where he and his brother-in- law entered the grain business, remaining there four yars, but this, not being as successful as he had anticipated, was given up and young Eyman entered the hotel business at West Salem, this county. Later buying the old home farm, he moved thereto and has remained on it ever since. He has been very successful in his farming operations and is now the owner of one hundred and forty-five acres in one place and ninety-seven in another, in all two hundred and forty-two acres, all under a high state of development and well improved. It has yielded bounteous harvests and Mr. Eyman is now one of the substantial citizens of the county. He handles some good stock, and his home is beautifully situated, surrounded by excellent outbuildings, everything about the place showing thrifty and good management.
Simon Eyman was married in 1866 to Isabelle Tinkey, of Ashland, Ohio, the daughter of an old and highly honored family, and to this union five children were born, one of whom is deceased; they are, Charles, a farmer in East Union township; Edward, of Orrville, this county; Anna, wife of Alonzo Hoffacre, of Salt Creek township; Mamie M., wife of Charles Mar- lin, of Apple Creek, this county.
Mr. Eyman is a member of the Reformed church at Apple Creek, this township, being an elder and deacon in the same, and taking considerable in- terest in church affairs. In politics he is a Republican, having long been in- terested in the progress of his home community, he is ready to assist in any worthy movement looking to its development, and by reason of his public spirit, his honesty and friendliness he is held in high esteem by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances throughout the county.
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EDWIN LANCE.
There was little to encourage a man lacking grit and stability to under- take to hew a farm from the seemingly interminable wilderness in Wayne county upwards of a century ago when the ancestors of Edwin Lance first made their advent here. It was his grandparents, Henry and Betzie Lance, who first established themselves here. The former was a native of Penn- sylvania and it is supposed that his wife was also a native of the old Keystone state. They made the laborious journey across the mountains in a covered wagon, bringing what few household effects they had with them. When they reached Chestnut Ridge in the northeastern part of Milton township, Wayne county, they were delighted with the prospect, and here they purchased one hundred and sixty acres, clearing a small place for a log cabin, which later gave way to a more modern and commodious dwelling. In a few years the place was cleared and yielding bounteous crops and here the old pioneer couple spent the remainder of their days. Henry Lance was a man of much influence in his township, prominent in politics, and he was a member of the Presbyterian church. The maternal grandparents of Edwin Lance were Daniel and Julia Johnson. They also came to this county from New York state in a very early day and bought eighty acres of timber land, without any improvements what- ever. It was also swampy, but this hardy woodsman cleared and drained the land, making a good home, and lived there until his death. The town of Sterling is now on a part of this land.
William J. Lance, son of Henry Lance and wife and father of Edwin Lance, was born in Milton township, Wayne county, and he came to this county with his parents when a child and received his education in the primitive schools of this township. He began farming early in life and con- tinued the same the rest of his days. He first bought eighty acres east of his father's place; in time this was sold and by three different purchases he finally had a farm of seventy-two acres where his son, Edwin Lance, of this review, now lives. Here William J. Lance prospered and lived until within a few years of his death. He married Clara Johnson, a native of the same locality in Wayne county, from which he came.
Edwin Lance was born on the farm where he now lives, about three- fourths of a mile southwest of Sterling, in 1865. He received a fairly good education in the common schools. He naturally took to farming and has fol- lowed this vocation all his life, making a comfortable living and laying by a competency to insure his old age free from want. He carries on general farming and stock raising. He purchased his place from his father and ite
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has improved the same and so rotated his crops as to retain the original fer- tility of the soil. He has a good house and barn and his farm is well improved in every respect.
Mr. Lance was married in 1887 to Sarah Swagler, daughter of a well known family, and this union has resulted in the birth of the following children : Flossie May, Clara Anna and William Clayton.
Mr. and Mrs. Lance are members of the Baptist church, and their two daughters are United Brethren. In politics Mr. Lance votes with the Demo- crats. He is always interested in whatever promotes the general good of his community, but he does not find much time to mingle in politics. Mrs. Lance belongs to the Ladies of the Maccabees.
WILLIAM STEELE.
Holding distinctive prestige among the enterprising citizens of Milton township, Wayne county, is William Steele, whose record, here briefly out- lined, is that of a man who has been the architect of his own fortunes, who, by the exercise of his talents, has succesfully surmounted unfavorable environ- ments and, while yet a young man, has won definite success as an agricultur- ist. He is a creditable representative of one of the old and highly esteemed pioneer families of northern Ohio and possesses many of the admirable quali- ties and characteristics of his ancestors. He is a native of Milton township, Wayne county, his birth having occurred October 31, 1879. He is the son of Edgar L. and Elizabeth J. (Lance) Steele, both natives of Wayne county, Ohio. The father, who was the second son of Enoch Steele, was born Feb- ruary 3. 1853, receiving his education in the common schools of this county. He spent his youth on the farm, and devoted his subsequent life work to agri- cultural pursuits, at one time owning very valuable land in this and Medina counties, aggregating a total of three hundred and fifty-five acres. Leaving the home farm in 1903. he located just west of Sterling, and he is now resid- ing in Seville, where he has a small place and he engages in the handling of livestock. He and Elizabeth J. Lance were married in 1872. The latter was the daughter of Abraham and Rebecca Lance, and they became the parents of the following children : Wilson, Arthur, Mary, William and Floyd.
Enoch Steele, grandfather of William Steele, of this review, was born in 1826, the youngest child of Andrew and Mary (Steele) Steele, both natives of Pennsylvania. Enoch Steele received a common school education and followed farming, at one time owning two hundred acres of land, carrying on
MR. AND MRS. DANIEL HOFF
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general farming very successfully. He is now living retired. He has been twice married, first to Eliza Sours, who died in 1862, and their children were William Calvin, Edgar L., Flora A., and Alfred A. Enoch Steele's second wife was Phoebe Johnson, whom he married in 1868, and three children were born to this union, Lode, Deliew and Lilla.
Andrew Steele, the great-grandfather of William Steele, was the son of Andrew Steele, Sr., who brought his family from Pennsylvania to this county in a very early day, entering four large farms from the government. He devoted his life to farming, as did also his son Andrew, who cleared one hundred and sixty acres of land in Milton township and lived here until his death.
William Steele, of this review, was educated in the Sterling common schools and he passed through the high school there, receiving a good educa- tion. He remained on the home farm until his father moved to Seville, when he and his brother Floyd entered the butcher business in Seville, which they continued very successfully for a period of three years, building up an ex- tensive trade with the surrounding community. But the farm has always had its allurements for him and in 1907 he returned to the old home place where he has since remained. He is a good manager and hard worker and he has been successful.
William Steele was married on March 10, 1909, to Edna M. Loehr, a native of Medina county, Ohio, the daughter of Benjamin and Caroline Loehr, and they are the parents of a son, Ernest Dwight, born February 20, 1910.
For a fuller history of William Steele's brothers, Arthur. Wilson and Floyd, and his sister Mary, the reader is directed to the sketch of Wilson Steele, appearing on another page of this work.
Members of this fine old family have always been connected with the United Brethren or the Baptist church and most of them have been Demo- crats.
William Steele and his young wife are popular among the younger social set of this township where they are well known and where their lives have been spent, each being representatives of some of the best pioneer stock of the Buckeye state.
DANIEL HOFF.
In tracing the history of Wayne county. Ohio, the historian comes across the name of Hoff away back among the early settlers and finds that the descendants of the first member of the family of this name to settle here have
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played well their parts in reclaiming the primitive soil from mother nature and transforming it into highly productive landed estates. They have also taken an interest in public affairs and fought in our armies for the mainte- nance of the Union, and today no family is more highly honored or better known in Milton and adjoining townships.
Daniel Hoff was born near where he now lives, in the south central part of Milton township, in 1835. He is the son of Philip and Julia ( Blacher) Hoff, the father a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and his wife on the old Blacher homestead in Greene township, this county. The first white man that died in Greene township, so far as known, was killed while assisting in building a barn for Julia Blacher's father. Philip Hoff, the pater- nal grandfather of Daniel Hoff, was also born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and he and his wife came to Wayne county, Ohio, in a very early day and settled east of Wooster. Philip Hoff entered five quarter sec- tions in different places throughout this part of the county, and he and his sons cleared a great deal of this land. The maternal grandparents of Daniel Hoff were Daniel and Susan Blacher, who were pioneers of Greene town- ship, coming here among the very first settlers.
Philip Hoff, father of Daniel Hoff, was reared on the home place and assisted his father in farming. He had a great deal of clearing to do and became skilled in swinging the axe and maul. In 1835 he left the paternal rooftree and bought a quarter section where his son, Daniel Hoff, now resides. Only four acres of it had been cleared and a small, rude house erected. In this Daniel was born, but, although small and rudely constructed, it was built of good material and is still standing, having been built over seventy-five years ago. Philip Hoff, Jr., with the assistance of his sons, cleared and im- proved the new farm and in the course of a few years it was in excellent con- dition, yielding bounteous crops, and he became fairly prosperous and a lead- ing citizen of his township. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, namely: David, Amos, Daniel (subject), Manda Ann, Rebecca, Josiah, Andy, Susan, Hiram, Simon, Joshua, and Rilla. They all attended the early schools and helped about the place. Daniel Hoff delights to tell of how he received his early text-book training in a log schoolhouse which con- tained only one desk and a window which extended the entire length of the building-in fact, it was only a so-called window, really being the space left by removing a log.
Daniel Hoff remained on his father's farm until he was twenty-four years of age. He then bought a farm in Iowa where he lived eighteen months; then he moved to Michigan, where he purchased a farm, on which
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he lived for a period of seven years. Desiring to return to his native com- munity, he sold out and purchased twenty acres where he now resides, having made his home here since then, following general farming. He has a nice home and a good little place, which makes him a comfortable living. He has always followed general farming, making a success of his crops and stock raising.
Daniel Hoff was one of the brave sons of the North who offered his ser- vices in behalf of his country, enlisting with his brother, Andrew, in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with a very creditable record until the close of the war, taking part in many arduous campaigns and hard-fought battles. His brothers, Amos and Josiah, were also soldiers in the Federal army, members of the Sixteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
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