As secretary, treasurer and general manager
of the Clay City Lumber Company John Henry Bence occupies a note-
worthy position among the kading business men of this section of Clay
county, he is a native and to the manner born, his birth having occurred
September 30,  1863, in Harrison township, Clay county. His father,
Onesimus Oliver I Bence and his grandfather Philip I Bence were both
born and bred in Jefferson county Kentucky.
    An agriculturist, Philip Bence was engaged in his chosen occupation
n Jefferson county, Kentucky, during his earlier life, owning one hun—
dred acres of land which he managed with slave labor In 1853 he dis—
posed of all of his Kentucky property, came to Indiana, and purchased a
farm lying about five miles southwest of Greencastle, Putnam county.
where he spent the remainder of his seventy years of earthly life. He
married twice, by his first marriage having five children—Fountain R.,
Onesimus Oliver, Telitha E., Matilda and Jeptha D.—and by his second
union having four: John A., Louisa, Lydia and George W.
    Born October 28, 1825, on a farm lying about nine miles from Louis-
ville, Kentucky, Onesimus 0. Pence was brought up and educated in his
native state, and with his parents came to Indiana in 1853. He subse-
quently married and came with his bride to Clay county, locating in
Harrison township. He bought a tract of land in section eleven, town-
ship ten, range seven, Harrison township, and in the log cabin standing
upon his property, one that had been erected for a schoolhouse, he estab-
lished his household. Two years later he built a good frame house, into
which the family moved. At that time there were no railroads in this
part of the country, all of the surplus products of the farm having to be
hauled to Terre Haute or Greencastle. He improved the major part of
his farm before 1867. and, having suffered a paralytic stroke, from the
effects of which he never fully recovered, he moved to Bowling Green.
In 1884 he returned to his farm and there remained until released by
death, at the age of sixty-six years. Onesimus 0. Bence married, in
1856, Sarah M. Slade, who was born in Harrison county Kentucky, not
very far from Cynthiana. September io, 1833, a daughter of James
Slade, a native of the same county. Her grandfather, William Slade,
presumably an Ohio man by birth, was of English and Scotch ancestry.
He improved a large farm in Harrison county, Kentucky, where he spent
the greater part of his active career. At one time he owned many slaves,
but he freed them all. The maiden name of his wife was Melvina Clem—
ons. Their son, James Slade, taught school in his younger days, but was
afterwards engaged in agricultural and mercantile pursuits, spending his
life in his native county. He married Eleanor Orr, a daughter of James
and Catherine (Williams) Orr. She came to Indiana after the death of
her husband, subsequently making her home with her daughter, Mrs.
Onesimus O. Bence. Mrs. Bence now lives with her son, John Henry.
from whom she has never been separated any length of time. In 1901
she went to Benson county, North Dakota, took up a homestead, to which
she received a title on the seventieth anniversary of her birth, the (Iced
bearing the sign attire of President Roosevelt. She has but two children.
Jolin Henry and Laura K. The daughter married Joseph M. Zenor. of
Terre Haute, and they have four children, May, Mark, Bertha and
Howard
    Educated in the schools of Harrison township and Bowling Green,
and in the Central Normal School at Danville, John Henry Bence began
teaching at the age of seventeen years, and taught school nine winter
terms. He was afterwards successfully employed in farming, until 1896,
when he accepted a position as clerk in a shoe store at Clay City, a
position that he retained four years, when he embarked in the shoe busi-
ness on his own account, continuing another four years. Since that time
Mr. Bence has been actively associated with the lumber business, and
when the Clay City Lumber Company was organized in 1905 became offi-
cially connected with it in his present capacity of secretary, treasurer and
general manager.
    In 1901 Mr. Bence married Janie May Belle Robertson. She was
born April 15, 1873, in Jackson township, Clay county, Indiana, a
daughter of Ethan A. and Elizabeth (Witty) Robertson. Mr. and Mrs.
Bence have one child, Sarah Elizabeth. Politically Mr. Bence is a Repub-
lican, and is now serving as clerk and treasurer of the village of Clay
City. Fraternally he belongs to Clay City Lodge, No. 562, A. F. & A. M.,
and to Clay City Lodge. No. 131, K. of P. Religiously he assists in sup-
porting the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Bence is a valued
member.