USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume II > Part 9
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On June 12, 1853, Daniel Steiner was united in marriage with Magda- line Basinger, who was born in the state of Virginia February 2, 1828. Her family moved first to Mahoning county, Ohio, but eventually located in Pandora, Putnam county, Ohio, where Mr. Steiner met his future wife. To this union were born ten children, namely : Fannie, the wife of David Am- stutz; Peter R., who is mentioned in a following paragraph; David, who is married since Thanksgiving day, 1909, and lives at home; John S., of Baugh- man township, this county ; Daniel, a jeweler and optician, married Lavina Welty and lives at Orrville, this county; Noah married Sarah Giser; Mary B. married to Philip Hilty; and Sarah, to John Zimmerly, both farmers: Barbara died in 1897. Mr. Steiner was a faithful and consistent member of the Mennonite church and enjoyed the highest esteem of all who knew him. His long life in this community was characterized by rugged honesty and sterling integrity and the unbounded confidence of the entire community was his at all times.
Peter R. Steiner was born January 9, 1856, and was reared on the pa- ternal homestead, where he has spent all his days. He received a fair com- mon school education, supplementing this by attendance at the normal school conducted by Prof. J. B. Eberly at Smithville. Thus equipped, he began teaching school, in which vocation he achieved a distinctive success, contin- uing this work during the following eleven winters, his vacations being de- voted to work on the farm. He has been a hard and energetic worker in whatever line of effort he has engaged, and has been prospered to a gratify- ing degree. He is now the owner of forty-seven and a half acres of splendid land in Greene township and engages in the conduct of general agriculture, combined with which he is interested in the buying and selling of horses. in which also he has met with much success. He is a splendid judge of horse- flesh and has handled many fine animals. His property is well improved in every respect and he is considered one of the enterprising and progressive farmers of Greene township. David and Noah C. Steiner are giving much attention to the raising of fine blooded horses and Shorthorn cattle. They also buy and sell horses of the very best quality.
On May 1, 1884, Mr. Steiner married Caroline Welty, a native of Put- nam county, Ohio, where she was reared. They became the parents of six children, Clarence, Earl, Dillia, Edna, Sylvia and one that died in infancy. Mrs. Caroline Steiner died on February 11, 1893, and subsequently Mr. Steiner wedded Anna V. Burkholder, to which union were born three chil- dren. Velma, Isie and Eva. Of the subject's children, it may be stated that Clarence graduated from the Marshallville high school, taught several terms
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of school and then entered Wooster University, graduating in the depart- ment of mechanical engineering. Earl, who graduated at the Marshallville high school, was a teacher and studied for the ministry at Collinwood. Dillia graduated from the Orrville high school and is now a successful teach- er. Sylvia was a graduate of the Orrville high school, class of 1910.
Mr. Steiner is in politics an adherent of the Democratic party and takes an active interest in the success of that ticket, though not an aspirant for office himself. His religious membership is in the Mennonite church. He is public spirited in his attitude towards every movement calculated to benefit the com- munity in any way and he enjoys to a high degree the respect and confidence of his fellow men.
WILSON STEELE.
This progressive and substantial citizen of the northern part of Wayne county is the scion of sterling pioneer ancestors and his active and useful life has contributed much to the development of the community where he now re- sides. Wilson Steele was born in Milton township, east of Sterling, December 12, 1872. His family history goes back to his great-great-grandfather, An- drew Steele, who came to Wayne county, Ohio, from Pennsylvania in 1817 with his six children, Jacob. Andrew, Michael, John, William and Mary. Lit- tle is known of this family except the second son, Andrew, the great-grand- father of Wilson Steele, who was born in Pennsylvania, August 26, 1792, and died May 23, 1854. He married his cousin, Mary Steele, who was born March 6. 1800, and who died November 23, 1882. To this union six children were born, namely : William, born November 9, 1819, died March 15, 1845; An- drew, born December 20, 1821, died September 23, Igoo; Eli, born June 24, 1824, died December 7, 1898: Enoch, born January 7, 1826; Mary, born about 1830, died when but two years old ; Phoebe, born May 22, 1833. This family came to Milton township when the country was wild and settled in the forests, when Andrew, uncle of Wilson Steele, was but three years old. He ( An- drew. Jr.) married Mary E. Stiles, of Guilford township, Medina county, Ohio, on November 13, 1847. She was born December 25. 1830. Nine children were born to this union, namely: Annis L., born February 8, 1853; Sarah J., born April 26, 1855 ; Albert D., born June 4, 1858 .; Emma F., born September 20, 1861 ; Ella D., born February 6, 1865; Willard E. and Willis M. (twins), born May 18, 1869. Andrew Steele, Jr., was an extensive farmer. Johnnie Steele, the oldest member of the family, married Ida War-
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MR. AND MRS. WILSON STEELE
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ren, April 5, 1876, and moved to Kansas; they had two children, a boy and a girl; Johnnie Steele died September 7, 1880; Mary Steele married Perry Nye in October, 1868; Elva, Mabel, Bertha, Delpha and Harry were born to her, and her death occurred March 27, 1882 ; this family lived near Sterling, but is now scattered; Annis, born February 8, 1853, married Sherman Johnson, March 17, 1873, settled in Litchfield, Medina county, on a large farm and reared a good, industrious family. Sarah married Justin Wideman, December 4, 1878, and lived in Creston; their only son, Claud, died when about four ' years old and the mother died May 20, 1890; Albert married Jennie Bricker in November, 1882, and lives in Seville, and has these children : La Vonne, Earl, Roy, Hoyt, Harold and Ralph (twins). LaVonne married Mr. Goves and moved to California. Emma married Medwin Nye, December 4, 1878. and lives in Creston, this county ; three daughters were born to them, one dying when small; Ella married William Priest, November 4, 1885, and lives in Galion, Ohio; Willis died at home, February 27, 1893; Willard married May Daniels, March 28, 1895, and lives on a farm near LeRoy, Medina county, Mariam being their only child. Uncle Eli Steele married Jane Carnahan and lived in Medina county, near Friendsville, reared a large family and was an ex- tensive farmer. Aunt Jane died on November 7, 1900.
Enoch Steele, grandfather of Wilson Steele, of this review, was the youngest of the sons in his father's family. He was educated in the home schools and has followed farming. At one time he owned two hundred acres of land and carried on general farming in a very successful manner, but he is now living retired. However, he remains on his farm, which he oversees in a general way. Enoch Steele first married Eliza Sauers in 1850 and her death occurred March 12, 1865. To this union were born : Calvin, March 17, 1851, who married Mary Kaufman, December 27. 1874; they live north of Creston on a farm and have two sons, Warren and Clarence ; Edgar L., whose record is found in a following paragraph ; Addie, born October 12, 1855, mar- ried John Hunter, April 20, 1882, and she lives in Seville; Mr. Hunter died May 30, 1904; Alfred Steele, who was born March 17. 1858, married Ella Shreffler, October 20, 1881, lives in Ashland and they have three children living, Bert, Ada and Retta, all married, one of their family being deceased. Enoch Steele was again married in 1868, his second wife being Phoebe John- son, and the following children were born to them: Loda, born January 20. 1871, married William Glessner, June 17, 1891, lives in Creston and they have three children, Madge, Earl and Nelson ; Delieu, born April 5. 1873. married Eva Critz, May 2, 1899, and they live in Sterling, Mr. Steele driving a mail route ; they have no children ; Lilly, who was born September 3, 1882, is still
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living at home and is a great help to the old folks; Phoebe Steele married John Kindig and lived on a large farm in Guilford township, Medina county, Ohio; they have reared a large family, most of them living on farms in that county. Uncle John Kindig died October 12, 1898.
Edgar L., the second child of Enoch Steele, was born February 3, 1853, and was educated in the home schools. He took up farming and at one time he owned in Wayne and Medina counties three hundred and fifty-five acres of excellent farming land. In 1903 he left the home farm, located just west of Sterling and he has since resided in Seville, where he deals in livestock and farms a small place, which he owns there. He was married in 1872 to Eliza- beth J. Lance, daughter of Abraham and Sarah Lance, and they became the parents of the following children: Wilson of this review, Arthur, Mary, William and Floyd. These children received a good educational training in the common schools at Sterling. In 1905, Wilson and his brother, Arthur, purchased the one hundred and sixty acres where they now live. It is the old Smith place, formerly owned by their father. They followed farming in partnership until 1909, when they divided the place, each now owning one- half. Wilson's eighty acres lie on the west side of the road and Arthur's on the east, just opposite. They have brought the old place up to a high standard of excellence, improved it in every way possible and it yields abundant har- vests from year to year.
Wilson Steele was married January 20, 1900, to Lynnie Coolman, daugh- ter of George Coolman, of Guilford township, Medina county, and to them the following children have been born : Mida, born December 18, 1900; La Vonne, born November 30, 1902; and Merlyn, born August 25, 1904.
Wilson Steele is a Democrat in his political relations and he takes con- siderable interest in local politics. He very ably and creditably served for a period of three years as assessor of Milton township. Fraternally he is a member of the Royal Arcanum.
Arthur Steele was born July 30, 1875, and he has always followed farm- ing. now owning the eighty acres adjoining that of his brother Wilson, men- tioned above. He married in February, 1904, Laura Coolman, daughter of George Coolman, mentioned in a preceding paragraph. To Arthur Steele and wife the following children have been born: Ira, Fern and Alfreda. Arthur Steele is a Democrat and he, too, has been active in local affairs, having served as township assessor for two years.
Mary Steele was born November 8. 1877. She married Albert Shook and they make their home in Medina county, this state, and are the parents of three children. namely : Zuilla, Harold and Tressa.
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William Steele, born October 31, 1879, was educated at the Sterling high school and he remained on the farm until his father went to Seville. He and his brother, Floyd, soon entered the butcher business in Seville, which they followed three years. In 1907 they returned to the home place and have since followed general farming there. William Steele was married to Edna Loehr on March 10, 1909, and he and his wife have one son, Ernest Dwight.
Floyd Steele was born November 4, 1885, and was educated in the Sterling high school. He married, April 1, 1908, Ada Blackburn, and they are the parents of one child, Viola.
The Steele family have long been connected with the United Brethren and Baptist churches, and they have been, most of them, Democrats for many generations. No family is better known in Wayne county or held in higher favor, for they all delight in keeping untarnished the good reputations estab- lished by the first Steeles who came to this locality.
AMOS BURKHOLDER.
We now come to a consideration of the more salient points in the life history of one of the representative agriculturists of Wayne county, one who stands forward as a native son of the county and a member of a sterling pioneer family. His name has ever been synonymous with upright manhood and good citizenship; he has given his influence and means to the betterment of society, to schools and church, to the support of good government and to the industries which have had an important bearing on the advancement of the prosperity and material upbuilding of the county.
Amos Burkholder was born on the old Burkholder homestead in sec- tion 20, Greene township, Wayne county, Ohio, January 3, 1865, and is a son of Jonathan S. and Elizabeth (Smucker) Burkholder. The paternal grandparents were John and Barbara (Schrock) Burkholder, the former of whom was born in Switzerland in 1801. He came to the United States with an uncle in 1817 and located first in Pennsylvania, where he was employed on farms by the month for six years. In 1823 he came to Wayne county, Ohio. and located on what is now known as the old Burkholder farm. He was first employed by his uncle, Benjamin Schrock, whose daughter Barbara he married. They became the parents of four children, Jonathan, Jonas, Nancy and Sarah. Jonathan Burkholder was reared to manhood on the paternal homestead and on attaining mature years he married Elizabeth Smucker, to
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which union were born nine children, Sarah, Anna, Caroline, Menno, Noah S., Simeon D., Amos J., Joseph and an infant that died unnamed.
Amos Burkholder was reared by h's parents and as soon as old enough he took up his share of the manifold duties of the farm. During the winter seasons he attended the district schools and secured a fair education. At the age of twenty-one years he took up the operation of the home farm on the shares, and eventually he was enabled to buy a portion of the place, being now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of splendid and fertile land in Greene township. He is a wide-awake and up-to-date farmer and keeps in close touch with the latest ideas relating to the successful prosecution of the science of agriculture. Progressive in his tendency, he does not hesitate to adopt those methods which have been demonstrated to be better than former methods. Mr. Burkholder gives his personal attention to every detail of the farm work and has met with a gratifying degree of success. The property is well improved and is considered one of the good farms of the township.
On the 12th of February, 1898, Mr. Burkholder married Emma, the daughter of Rev. D. Z. Yoder, her birth having occurred in Wayne county, Ohio, December 1, 1872. The union has been a most congenial one and has been blessed in the birth of six children, namely: David F., born July 24, 1902 ; Glenn E., born August 18, 1903 : Ora J., born June 26, 1905, died on the 29th of the same month; an infant, born October 8, 1906, and died on the 9th; Mary E., born March 30, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Burkholder and their children are all members of the Amish Mennonite church, to which they give an earnest and generous support. In matters political Mr. Burkholder assumes an independent attitude, though he is generally inclined to support the Democratic ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Burkholder are intelligent and pro- gressive people and have traveled extensively, having spent some time in Virginia, Iowa, Missouri, Texas and Indiana. They are a genial and gracious couple in their relations with their friends and their home is the center of a large social circle, where the most gracious hospitality is ever in evidence.
JACOB C. SNURE.
One of the fine farm properties of Franklin township, Wayne county. Ohio, is that owned by Mr. Snure, who has been a resident of this county for seventy years, or continuously since his birth, and who is known as one of the progressive and successful business men of this section of the county. and as a
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citizen whose life has been dominated by high principles and a determination to achieve a success worthy of the name, so that he has not been denied the fullest measure of confidence and esteem. Such are the men who are partic- ularly worthy of consideration in a publication of this nature, for they have been of the world's workers and have played well their assigned part in the making of history.
Jacob C. Snure was born in Franklin township, Wayne county, Ohio, on the Ist day of April, 1839, and is a son of Levi and Hannah (Snyder ) Snure. Levi Snure was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, in 1814. In very early youth death deprived him of his father and in 1835 he came to Wayne county, Ohio, with the maternal grandfather, Jacob Snyder, and family. The trip was made by wagon and they located on the road about one and a half miles north of the village of Moorland. This was in 1835 and Levi had mar- ried prior to the removal. He first located in East Union township, but a short time afterwards he went to Franklin township and began farming. Subsequently he moved to Holmes county, but eventually he returned to Wayne county and bought a farm, on which he resided until his death, which occurred in 1900. His wife had died in 1898, and their remains were interred in the cemetery at Wooster. They were members of the old Lutheran church, to which they gave an earnest and effectual support. In politics Levi Snure was a Republican and was active in local political matters, having served several terms as township assessor. They were the parents of the following children : Mary Ann, deceased ; Julia is the widow of W. V. Knox and resides in East Union township; Jacob C. is the subject of this sketch; Henry, who married Mary Firestone, and lives at Fredericksburg, was a soldier in the Civil war as a member of the One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volun- teer Infantry ; Elizabeth, who lives in Indiana, is married to James Vangilder ; Susan is the wife of Michael Kauffman; George, who lives in Indiana, mar- ried a Miss Iseley : William lives on the Frederick road in Franklin township; Eliza Jane is the wife of Levi Geitgey, of Franklin township: John, deceased ; two that died in infancy.
Jacob C. Snure was reared under the parental rooftree and received his education in the district schools of the township. He was reared to the life of a farmer and has followed that occupation all his active years. He first took up operations on his own account on the old McClelland farm, but eventually he bought the fine farm in section 2 which he now owns. He is now prac- tically retired from active work, though he still maintains a live interest in every detail of his business. He has always been progressive in his methods and made many permanent and substantial improvements on his property, which is numbered among the fine farms of the community.
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Mr. Snure took unto himself a helpmeet in the person of Jane Ryno, who was born in Millbrook, Clinton township, Wayne county, Ohio, and to them have been born the following children : Charles, who lives at Rochester, Penn- sylvania, married Catherine Copeland, and they have two children, John and Charles; Henry Vernon, of Franklin township, married Mary Metzler, and they have three children, Forest, Virgil and Viola, the two last named being twins; Rosella is the wife of William Newstetter, of Franklin township; Levi married Cora Rouch and they have two children, Helen and Walter; Wilbur, of Franklin township, married Millie James and to them has been born one child, Eveline, deceased.
In matters political, Mr. Snure has given his support to the Republican party and been actively interested in local public affairs, though he has not at any time been an aspirant for public office. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Snure are members of Methodist Episcopal church at Moorland, to which they give an earnest and generous support. Fraternally, he was a member of Given Post, No. 133, Grand Army of the Republic, at Wooster, this membership being particularly consonant from the fact that in 1864, when the fires of Southern rebellion were still burning fiercely, he volunteered his services and for one hundred days was a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was formerly active in the Grand Army of the Republic, but advancing years made it inconvenient for him to attend the meetings regularly and he has obtained a discharge. In every avenue of life's activities in which he has engaged, Mr. Snure has acted well his part and in no case has done anything which might forfeit the unbounded confidence of the community which he has so long enjoyed. His life has been controlled and governed by the highest principles and his support has ever been found on the right side of every movement calculated to advance the best interests of the community.
JONAS SMUCKER.
The gentleman to a review of whose career we now call the reader's at- tention is one of the representative citizens of Wayne county and one of the most substantial farmers of Greene township, having maintained his home in this locality practically all his life, nearly three score years, being a descendant of one of the early and influential families of this county. His birth occurred in the township and county mentioned above on June 1, 1840, and he is the son of David and Anna (Brant) Smucker, the former a native of Lancaster coun-
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ty, Pennsylvania. He came to Wayne county, Ohio, when a young man with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Christian Smucker, and they settled in section 16, Greene township, where they remained for some time, but later moved to Wayne township, and here the grandfather, Christian Smucker, spent the remainder of his life. David Smucker remained on the farm in Greene town- ship and there married Anna Brant, whose parents came from Switzerland. To Mr. and Mrs. David Smucker eight children were born, one dying in in- fancy; John is deceased; Elizabeth, Sarah, Gideon, David, Nancy, Jonas and Catharine.
Jonas Smucker was reared in Greene township and here he worked on the home farm and attended the district schools during the winter months, re- ceiving a fairly good common school education for those days. When he was twenty-one years of age he began life for himself, renting the old farm for a period of six years ; having prospered, he purchased the same and is still living on it. It consisted originally of one hundred and sixty-six acres, but the total number of acres at present is one hundred and fifty. Although the land was first tilled many years ago, the Smuckers have been such careful farmers that they have not allowed the soil to grow thin, but on the contrary it has been strengthened and bounteous harvests are yet reaped from year to year. On it stand a good house, barn and fences, and general farming and stock raising are successfully carried on.
Mr. Smucker was married on January 14, 1864, to Sarah Yoder, a na- tive of Greene township, having been born here on September 23, 1848, the daughter of Peter Yoder, a native of Pennsylvania, and a prosperous farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Smucker eleven children have been born, ten of whom are living, namely : Malinda, May 18, 1865; John, September 28, 1866; Adeline, October 23, 1868; Noah, April 3, 1871 : Simon, September 25, 1873 ; Peter, September 4, 1875; Sarah is deceased ; Mary, born March 21, 1880; Emanuel and Daniel (twins), born March 17, 1883; Ellen, born November 17, 1884. The mother of these children passed from earth in January, 1889, and on January 6, 1891, Mr. Smucker was married to Magdalena Yoder, who was born January 28, 1857, the daughter of Jacob Yoder. Her birth occurred in Mahoning county, Ohio, and she was reared in Michigan and went to school in that state. Five children were born to this union, namely: Fannie, March 8, 1892; Effie, October 12, 1893; Emma, born October 31, 1895; Lydia, March 31, 1898, died April 7, following : Katie, January 4, 1901.
Members of this family belong to the Amish Mennonite church. Mr. Smucker is an advocate of temperance and he votes the Prohibition ticket. He is an honorable and neighborly man, and has many friends.
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ALBERT P. WALTER.
There may be found in almost all American communities quiet, retiring men, who never seek official preferment or appear prominently in public affairs, yet nevertheless exert a widely felt and beneficent influence in the community, helping to construct or solidify the foundation upon which the social or polit- ical world rests. Such a man is the honored subject of this review, and he has ever been found faithful to duty, under whatever aspect it has presented itself, never sacrificing integrity and honor to personal expediency and so living as to command unqualified confidence and esteem among those with whom he has come in contact in the various relations of life.
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