USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume II > Part 8
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has been erected commemorating that fact. Mr. Karch is progressive and practical in his methods and keeps his farm buildings, fences and machinery in splendid condition. He carries on general farming and stock raising and is meeting with a measure of success commensurate with the labor be- stowed.
On March 4, 1869, Mr. Karch was united in marriage with Mary E. Pounds, who was born in Paint township, Holmes county, Ohio, August 27, 1845. She was reared and received her education in Millersburg. Holmes county, Ohio. They are the parents of ten children, nine of whom are liv- ing. namely : (1) Clara V., born November 22, 1869, is the wife of Dr. Robert Sunkle. (2) Henry P., born May 17, 1871, married Mary J. Stifler ; he is an attorney at Cincinnati, Ohio. (3) Charles M., born January 13. 1873, married Nina Close; he is a graduate of St. Lawrence University, of Canton, New York, and the Georgetown Law School, at Washington. D. C., and is now a practicing attorney at Cleveland, Ohio. (4) Alice L., born March 3. 1875, died August 1, 1883. (5) Abbie R., born July 2, 1877, is the wife of R. H. Hanna. (6) Maggie, born January 9, 1879, is single and is a teacher of music at Cleveland, Ohio. (7) Electa, born February 13, 1881, is single. She is a graduate of the Millersburg high school and will graduate at Wooster University in art. (8) Otto H., born September 26, 1883, is unmarried and is a traveling salesman for the Wayne Machine Com- pany of Wooster. (9) Ula M., born January 26, 1886, unmarried, and ( 10) Grover C., September 10, 1887, married Frances Spencer of Holmes county.
The parents of Mrs. Karch both bore the family name of Pounds, though they were not of kin. Her father, Henry F. Pounds, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania. He was a carpenter in early life, but later followed farming. He died on March 26, 1903, having been preceded to the silent land a number of years by his wife, whose death occurred in 1875. The sub- ject's paternal grandparents, who were slaveholders in Virginia, moved from that state to Pennsylvania, and thence to Ohio.
Politically the subject of this sketch is an ardent Democrat and takes an active interest in the trend of public affairs. His religious membership, with that of his family, is with the Christian church at Orrville, to which they render a liberal and earnest support. Mr. Karch is a sensible and well- balanced citizen, a good business man and one who keeps thoroughly abreast of the times. He is highly respected in the township and is justly considered one of the representative men.
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WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
AMMON S. HALTEMAN.
Among the prominent and successful citizens of Greene township. Wayne county, Ohio, must be mentioned Ammon S. Halteman, who is a prosperous farmer and respected and useful member of society. His valuable estate attracts attention and favorable comment, not only on account of the evi- dences of agricultural superiority but also by reason of its attractiveness and its air of generous comfort. The present condition of the place is due almost entirely to the efforts of its owner, who is a thoroughly practical man, who not only takes a deep and intelligent interest in his vocation, but also has a commendable pride in his surroundings
Ammon S. Halteman was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania. on the 26th of February, 1853. and is the son of Abraham and Catharine (Stauffer) Halteman. The father was born in 1814 and died in 1882, and the mother. who was born in 1817, died in 1880. They were the parents of seven chil- dren, Leah, Mary, Jacob, Harriett, Henry, Ammon S. and Sarah. Of these, the two last named are the only survivors, Sarah being the wife of John Bergey, of Mifflintown, Juniata county, Pennsylvania.
The subject of this sketch was reared under the parental roof and was early inducted into the mysteries of successful agriculture, with which voca- tion he has been identified all the years of his life. He attended the common schools near his home and received a fair education. When he had attained his majority he worked as a farm hand for various employers, until 1877, when he caught the western fever and came to Ohio, locating in Wayne county. Here for a time he was employed as a farm hand, but, at the end of a year, marrying, he rented his mother-in-law's farm for a few months. In June, 1879, he bought the farm which he now owns and cultivates and has confined his attention continuously to it since. The place comprises ninety- three and a third acres and is considered one of the fine farms of the town- ship. Mr. Halteman has erected a fine modern dwelling and made many other improvements of a substantial nature. He is energetic in his efforts and pro- gressive in his ideas and has met with a gratifying degree of success as 'an agriculturalist.
On November 17, 1878, Mr. Halteman was married to Salome Troyer, the daughter of Joseph and Lydia (Hostetler) Troyer. She was born in Greene township on September 20, 1860, and received a fair education in the common schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Halteman have been born eight chil- dren, whose names and the dates of birth are as follows: Ira, December 18,
JOHN CRILEY
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WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
1881 ; Jacob V., September 12. 1883 ; Icie M., February 18. 1886; Ada. May 14, 1892; Roy, April 4, 1894; Ruth, January II. 1898; Wayne, February 14, 1900; Ward, July 1, 1904.
In politics Mr. Halteman is a Republican, having cast his first vote for Rutherford B. Hayes for President. He takes a commendable interest in pub- lic affairs, though not in any sense a seeker after public office. Religiously he is a member of the Dunkard church and is serving as a member of the board of deacons.
The subject gives a thoughtful attention to every phase of his farm work and keeps in close touch with the latest advances and theories relating to the science of agriculture. Besides cultivating the soil, he is also interested in the breeding and raising of horses, giving particular attention to the Norman- Percheron breed. He is a man of many fine personal qualities and is liked by all who know him.
Joseph Troyer, father of Mrs. Halteman, was the son of Jacob Troyer. The latter was born in Holmes county, Ohio, and located in Greene township, Wayne county, in about 1814, and here he continued to reside until his death. Joseph Troyer was reared on a farm in Greene township and secured such ed- ucation as was possible to secure in the schools of that day, which, as compared with the schools of the present day, were rather primitive in methods and equipment. He was a prosperous farmer and was also engaged in the saw- milling business for a number of years. He commenced his married life a poor man, but by dint of tireless energy and rigid economy, he was enabled to secure for himself a good farm and at the time of his death he was in fairly easy circumstances. He was a man of religious habits and was a member of the denomination known as the Brethren in Christ. He was the father of five children, Christian. Mattie, Joseph H., Salome and Lydia. He was born March 29, 1825. and died in 1874.
JOHN M. CRILEY.
The subject of this sketch. who fills a large place in the public view and by his connection with one of the leading financial institutions in northern Ohio, has attained an honorable position in business circles, is a native of Indiana and a son of Rev. W. W. Criley, a learned and popular minister of the Lutheran church now residing at Indianapolis. Indiana. John M. Criley was born in Indianapolis, March 9, 1869, while his father was stationed in that city, and received his preliminary education at the various places to
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which the elder Criley was called during his ministerial labors. In this way young Criley was provided with the best educational facilities obtainable and his progress was such that while still quite young he was enabled to enter insti- tutions of a higher grade, where in due time he was prepared for college. His collegiate training consisted of a course in Bucknell University at Lewis- burg, Pennsylvania, the training thus received being afterwards supplemented by attendance at Wittenberg College and Wooster University, Ohio, in both of which he completed the prescribed courses of study.
On leaving the latter institution Mr. Criley was made professor of math- ematics in Carthage College, Carthage, Illinois, where he labored with marked success for a period of three years, when he resigned to become cashier of the Wayne County National Bank, to which responsible position he was ap- pointed in the year 1895. Mr. Criley's experience as a teacher, though of comparatively brief duration, was eminently honorable and had he seen fit to devote his life to that field of work he doubtless would have attained an enviable standing among the distinguished educators of his time. Since turn- ing his attention to another and entirely different line of effort, however, he has forged rapidly to the front as an able, well-balanced and judicious busi- ness man, familiar with every phase of banking, thoroughly informed on mon- etary questions, and among his contemporaries he is regarded as one of the most capable and accomplished financiers in the northern part of the state.
Mr. Criley has ever manifested a commendable interest in educational matters and for some years has been one of the trustees of Wooster Uni- versity, an institution in which he takes especial pride and to the success of which he has contributed liberally of his time and influence. He also keeps in close touch with other enterprises which make for the progress of Wooster and the welfare of the people, and is an earnest advocate and liberal patron of all measures and movements for the social, intellectual and moral advance- ment of the community in which he resides.
Mr. Criley is a married man and the father of four children, to whose interests and welfare he is greatly devoted. His wife, formerly Cora Frick, is a daughter of Jacob Frick, of Wayne county, and the ceremony by which her name was changed to the one she now so worthily bears was solemnized in the year 1892.
JOHN HEINRICH VILLARD.
Representing one of the oldest and best known families in Wayne county, Ohio, and a man of enterprise and sterling worth, John Heinrich Villard is well entitled to notice among the representative citizens of the locality of
MRS. JOHN H. VILLARD
&#Villand
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WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
which this volume treats, where he is well known and respected by all classes as a result of his well regulated life and interest in the general welfare of his county. He was born at Mt. Eaton, Wayne county, Ohio, October I, 1865. He is the son of Frederick and Magdalena ( Rudy) Villard. natives of Switzerland, the father having been born in the canton of Bern, July 4, 1812. He learned the trade of machinist and early in life invented a machine for making wire nails. He first married, in Switzerland, Mary. Chantry. In 1842 he brought his family to the United States and settled on a farm at Mt. Eaton, Wayne county, Ohio, which he owned until his death and which is still an undivided estate. He continued his study of mechanics after coming to America, and secured patents on some useful inventions, but they brought him no profit as they were not pushed on the market. His wife died here, and of the five children born to them, these three grew to maturity: Freder- ick, Sophia and Rosa, the last named now deceased. Mr. Villard's second marriage was in 1852, when Magdalena Rudy became his wife. She was also a native of Switzerland, born June 30, 1831, and she came to America in 1851. By this marriage twelve children were born, of whom nine grew to maturity, namely : Mattie, the wife of E. F. Graber ; William A., Samuel H., Simeon E .; Lucy, the wife of L. C. Klein; John Heinrich, whose name intro- duces this article ; Charles T., Solomon E .; Ida, the wife of Elmer L. Graber. The father of this family died in 1888 and the mother is living upon the homestead.
John H. Villard, of this review, was reared on the home farm and early in life knew the meaning of hard work. He attended the district schools and received a very serviceable education. On March 24, 1892, he married Julia Mathiot, daughter of August C. and Rachael (Fisher) Mathiot. Mrs. Vil- lard was born at Mt. Eaton, Ohio, and was reared and educated there.
Mr. and Mrs. Villard reside on the old Villard homestead, where Mr. Villard has passed all the years of his life and which he has managed very successfully. He also operates a saw-mill and cider press on the place. He is a citizen whose judgment can be relied upon and his fellow citizens, recogniz- ing his qualifications, in 1905 elected him county commissioner and as he served the people to their utmost satisfaction he was re-elected in 1908. His former record as township assessor, an important office, won him the con- fidence of his constituents. Politically he is a Democrat. Like his parents. his religious membership is with the Reformed church. He is one of Paint township's best known and most progressive citizens.
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WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
CHARLES NEUROTH.
For many years Charles Neuroth has occupied a conspicuous place among the agriculturalists of Greene township, Wayne county, Ohio. His career has been that of an honorable, enterprising and progressive business man, whose well-rounded character has enabled him to take an active interest in education and social and moral affairs, and to keep well informed concerning current events and the momentous questions affecting the nation. In all life's relations he has commanded the respect and confidence of those with whom he has been thrown in contact and his friends are in number as his acquain- tances.
Mr. Neuroth is a native son of Wayne county, having been born at Mar- shallville on the 30th of November, 1862. He is a son of Christopher and Mary (Lutz) Neuroth. The father, who was a successful agriculturalist and highly-respected citizen, died in 1909, and his widow now resides at Marshall- ville.
Charles Neuroth was reared on the home farm at Marshallville until he was eight years old and received a fair education in the schools of that place. He remained with his parents until he had attained mature years and his first employment away from the home farm was as section foreman on the Cleve- land, Akron & Columbus railroad, which position he held about a year. He then decided to return to his first love, agriculture, and to this end he bought the splendid farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres in Greene township, which he now operates. Practically all of this farm is under cultivation and on it are raised all the crops common to this section of the country. Mr. Neu- roth also gives some attention to the raising of livestock, in which he has met with a gratifying degree of success. He is energetic and methodical in his farming operations and keeps his place up to the highest standard of excellence. He has excellent farm buildings and a fine line of modern farming machinery, and in everything he does he is guided by twentieth- century methods and means. He is a close reader of authorities pertaining to advanced agricultural methods and is not slow to adopt that which to him seems to be practical and reasonable, the result being that he is today con- sidered one of the progressive farmers of his township.
In June, 1885, Mr. Neuroth was united in marriage to Emma Baar, who is a native of Greene township, where she was reared and secured her education. This union has been a most happy and congenial one and has been blessed in the birth of four children, namely: Clara, born December 12,
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1889; May, born May 8, 1892 ; and George and Grace, twins, born on October 12, 1896.
Politically Mr. Neuroth is an adherent of the Democratic party and takes a deep interest in public affairs, serving at the present time as a school director of his township. In November, 1909, he was elected trustee of the township for two years. Socially, he is a member of the Knights of the Mac- cabees, in which he carries insurance to the amount of one thousand dollars. Mr. and Mrs. Neuroth are members of the German Lutheran church, to which they give a cordial and liberal support. Mr. Neuroth is a man of forceful individuality and marked intellectuality, and to him has been given the most unequivocal confidence and esteem of the people of the community.
JOHN M. SEIGLEY.
In nearly every community are individuals who by innate ability and sheer force of character rise above their fellows and win for themselves con- spicuous places in public esteem. Such an one is the well-known gentleman whose name appears above, a man who has been identified with the history of Wayne county for over forty years, during which period his life has been closely interwoven with the material growth and development of the county, while his career as a progressive man of affairs has been synonymous with all that is honorable and upright in citizenship.
John M. Seigley was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on the Ist day of January, 1859. He is descended from German ancestry, his paternal grandfather, Lawrence Seigley, having been a native of the Fatherland, but came to the United States in an early day and settled on a farm in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He was a man of energy and enterprise and was suc- cessful in his vocation. He and his wife were the parents of five children. John, Benjamin, Lawrence, Barbara and Mary, and of these, John was the father of the subject of this sketch. John Seigley brought his family to the Buckeye state in 1868 and settled on a farm in the northern part of Greene township, Wayne county. Here he remained until 1878, when he moved to a farm in section 34, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occur- ring in August, 1899. He married Barbara Mellinger, who survived him about ten years, dying in February, 1909. They were the parents of three children, namely: Jacob, who married Mary Krick and is operating a farm in East Union township; John M., the immediate subject of this sketch, and Anna, the wife of Joseph Royer, of Greene township. Though poor in this
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world's goods when he started out in life for himself, Mr. Seigley was suc- cessful. in all that he undertook and at the time of his death he owned a fine farm, valued at seven thousand dollars. He was a Republican in politics and stood high in the esteem of his fellow citizens, having served for six years as township trustee, the responsible duties of which he discharged to the com- plete satisfaction of his fellow citizens. He was a faithful and active member of the United Brethren church.
John M. Seigley was a lad of nine years when his parents came from their Pennsylvania home to Wayne county, Ohio, and here he has spent all his life since. He was early put to work on the farm and during the winter sea- sons he was given the advantage of attendance at the common schools, most of his schooling being at Smithville. He continued to work at farm labor by the day until he was twenty-six years old, when he rented his father-in- law's farm and operated it for eight years. During the following six years he operated another rented place, and was then enabled to purchase the fine farm of seventy acres in Greene township, where he now lives. He is a pro- gressive and enterprising agriculturist, exercising a sound judgment and wise discrimination in all that he does, with the result that his efforts have been crowned with a gratifying measure of success. His farm buildings are all kept in the best of condition and he possesses a full line of modern and up- to-date farming machinery, so that his operations are carried on under the best possible conditions. Mrs. Seigley is also the owner of a splendid farm of one hundred and five acres in Milton township, which is considered a choice piece of land.
In matters political Mr. Seigley gives his support to the Republican party and is at present time serving efficiently as the treasurer of Greene township. About ten thousand dollars in public funds passes through his hands annually and he is required to give a heavy bond. Religiously, Mr. Seigley is a member of the United Brethren church, as is his wife, and they give to this society their earnest support.
Mr. Seigley married Amanda A. Tschantz, the daughter of Jacob Tschantz. She was born in Wayne county, Ohio, November 10, 1858, and received her education in the common schools of her home township. They are the parents of two children, Nettie E., born August 3. 1890, and Frank M., born June 22, 1896. Mr. Seigley possesses sound judgment and superior business abilities, and as a farmer he has taken high rank among his neigh- bors, who look upon him as a model agriculturist and regard him with favor us a man of broad intelligence and a leader in movements for the general pros- perity of the community. He is of a genial disposition and makes friends of all he meets.
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WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
DANIEL STEINER.
Among all branches of history, there is none more instructive or more eagerly sought after than that which truthfully delineates the rise and prog- ress of the state, county or community in which the reader lives. There is pleasure as well as profit to every intelligent mind in contemplating the strug. gles of the early settlers in every portion of the great West ; how they en- countered and successfully overcame every species of trial, hardship and dan- ger to which men in that stirring period were subjected. But these things strike us more forcibly and fill our minds with more immediate interest when confined to our own locality where we can yet occasionally meet with some of the silver-haired actors in those early scenes, men whose bravery in encounter- ing the manifold troubles and misfortunes incident to frontier times has Forne an important part towards making Ohio what it now is, and whose acts, in connection with hundreds of others in the first settling of our vast domain. have compelled the world to acknowledge us an invincible people. The early settlement of Wayne county was marked by as much heroism and daring as characterized the frontier history of any other section of the state. Her pio- ners vere men of invincible courage, undaunted by the obstacles which con- fronted them, and the results of their self-sacrificing labors are today seen in the wonderful achievements they wrought in laying the foundation upon which their successors have builded wisely and well. The great majority of these veterans of the early day long since finished their work and are now sleeping the peaceful sleep which knows no waking on this side of the mystic stream. To meet and converse with the few living representatives of the early pioneer period, those who came here as children, or as very young men and women, and are now approaching or have passed the allotted three score years and ten, stooped with age, venerable patriarchs mostly, and their white-haired companions and helpmeets, is one of the peculiar experiences and pleasing tasks which falls to the lot of the writers of these pages. To gather up the raveled and now mostly broken threads of the strange but simple stories of their lives, to catch the fleeting facts of their histories and hand them on to posterity, might well be the ambitious labor of any man's life. Among the honored old pioneers and worthy citizens of Wayen county was numbered him whose name appears at the head of this sketch, who died December 16, 1909. at the venerable age of eighty-seven years and fourteen days, after an illness of two weeks at the home of his sons, David and Noah C., in Greene town- ship.
Daniel Steiner was a native of Alsace, France, where he was born De-
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cember 2, 1822, the son of Peter and Barbara (Lughinbihl) Steiner. The father, Peter Steiner, brought his family to the United States in 1828, coming at once to Greene township, Wayne county, Ohio, where, in the following June, he bought one hundred and seventy-two acres of land. The land was densely covered with the primeval forest growth, through which wandered many varieties of wild animals, and the task of clearing this land and ren- dering it fertile for cultivation was one of herculean proportions. Never- theless, in due time the task was accomplished and here the father lived until his death, in 1844. His widow survived him a number of years, her death . occurring in 1858. They were members of the Swiss Mennonite church and were people of eminent respectability in their community. They were the parents of seven children, John, Peter, Christ, Ulrich, Jacob, Barbara and Daniel. Of these, Daniel was the last survivor, having been but five years old when the family located on the farm where he lived at his death.
Daniel Steiner was reared on the paternal homestead and received his ed- ucation in a private school and the district schools of the neighborhood. The latter, in that early day, were somewhat primitive in equipment and methods, but the scholars here learned the rudiments of an education, which many of them supplemented through their lives by practical experience and close ob- servation. Daniel Steiner was early put to work on the farm and performed his full share of the labors thereon. He remained with his father until his marriage in 1853, at which time he bought the home place, comprising one hundred and seventy-two acres, to which he subsequently added by purchase a tract of sixty-four acres and one of forty-seven acres, all of which he ac- quired by dint of his own strenuous labor, combined with sound judgment and rigid economy. During all his active years, Mr. Steiner was a hard- working man, sparing himself at no time and never asking others to do more than he himself was willing to undertake. He carried on a general line of farming, and also gave considerable attention to the raising of livestock, in both of which lines of endeavor he was prospered greatly. He spent prac- tically his entire life on the home place, with the exception of a trip that he and his wife made to Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, and Putnam and Allen counties of this state. He enjoyed remarkably good health up to with- in a short time of his death, which he attributed to the fact that most of his life was spent out of doors and to the good care he took of himself. De- spite his years, his intellect was bright and keen and he could tell many interesting reminiscences of the early days, when this section of the country gave little promise of the wonderful development which now characterizes it.
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