MRS. Elizabeth SCHMALTZ BOTTERON.-The daughter of a pio—
neer of Indiana and the widow of the late Emile Botteron, a much re-
spected citizen of Harrison township, Mrs. Elizabeth S. Botteron is
eminently deserving of mention in a work of this character. She was
born November 7, 1845, in Wurtemberg, Germany, which was also the
birthplace of her father, Gottlieb Schmaltz, and the life-long home of both
of his parents.
    Gottlieb Schmaltz served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith’s trade
when young, and followed it in his native country for a number of years.
In 1846, with his wife and three children, he came across the ocean in a
sailing vessel, and after voyage of three months landed at New York
City. Two of his brothers and four of his sisters also came to this coun-
try, their names being Frederick, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Christina and
Catherine. Mary, Christina and Frederick subsequently lived and died in
Ohio, but John, Elizabeth and Catherine came to Indiana to live. Gottlieb
Schmaltz proceeded at once from New York to New Bedford, Ohio,
where his brother Frederick was living, and at once found employment
with the Zoar Colony, receiving for wages six dollars per month, one
half of which was to be taken in trade at the Colony store. At the end of
two years he returned to New Bedford, where he continued at his trade
until 1853. Coming then to Indiana, Mr. Schmaltz bought forty acres of
land situated about one mile north of Marion township, and the log cabin
standing on the place was the first home of the family in Owen county.
He established himself as a blacksmith, and hired men to work and clear
the land, he, himself, and his children, also assisting in his spare minutes.
He was industrious, ambitious and thrifty, and met with great success in
his undertakings, and added to his home estate until it contained one
hundred and twenty acres of rich land. After acquiring a competency,
Mr. Schmaltz gave up his trade, and for awhile gave his entire attention to
his farm. Subsequently, in partnership with a son-in-law, he bought a
flour mill, which he operated five years. Returning then to his homestead,
he resided there, free from business cares, until his death, in the eighty-
fourth year of his age.
    Mr. Schmaltz married Barbara Elizabeth Bonnet, who was born in
Wurternberg, Germany, where her parents, Martin and Eva Bonnet, spent
their entire lives. She died in the eightieth year of her age. Mr. and
Mrs. Schmaltz were the parents of seven children that grew to maturity;
namely: Mary; Eva Ann; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Botteron; Christina;
Paulina; Sophia; and George. Mary, who married Stephen Maegerle in,
of Patricksburg, Owen county, died, in January, 1902, aged sixty-three
years, and left ten children, George, John, Lizzie, Alice, Lottie, Bertha,
Mollie, Arthur, Ernest and Florence. Eva Ann, wife of Henry Sinders,
of Marion township, has thirteen children, Elizabeth, John, Ellen, George,
William, David, Charles, Irvin, Ray, Mollie, Priscilla, Frederick and
Annie. Christina married first David Klinger, also of Marion township,
who at his death left her with four children, Elizabeth, Kate, Emma and
Rheinhold. She married second John Reymond, of Brazil, and they have
two children, Ethel and Mary. Paulina, wife of Henry Haas, has eleven
children, Charles, Clara, Elizabeth, George, Lula, Alice, Ernest, Fred-
erick, Guy, Ruth and Venton. Sophia, wife of Fred Fatch, has six chil-
dren, Cora, George, Gertrude, Clara, Carl and Bonney. George married
Clara Shaley, and they have five children, Carl, Herman, Ernest, Edward
and Arthur.
    Elizabeth Schmaltz was but an infant when her parents brought her
to America. She attended school one term in Ohio, afterwards continuing
her studies in the schools of Owen county. In common with her sisters
and brother, she began when quite young to assist her parents, working
both indoors and out, being well trained to habits of industry and use-
fulness. At the age of twenty-one years she married Emile Botteron,
who was born in Canton Berne, Switzerland, May 13, 1837. His father,
Abraham Botteron a native of the same canton, was there reared, edu-
cated and married. Coming with his family to the United States in 1837,
he settled at Becks Mills, Holmes county, Ohio, where he purchased the
land on which he resided until 1852. Selling that property, he then came
to Clay county, Indiana, and having bought a tract of wild land in section
22, Harrison township, at once began its improvement, his first step
in that direction being to cut down trees to make room for a log cabin.
Having his family installed in the cabin, he cleared the land, put a large
part of it in a good state of cultivation, and subsequently erected a fine
set of frame buildings in place of the first ones made of logs. There he
carried on general farming most successfully until his death, in 1874, at
the age of seventy-nine years. Although not a graduate physician, he
had acquired considerable knowledge of medicine and surgery, and was
often called upon in emergency cases. He was four times married, and
reared four children, namely: Julia, Sophia, Emile and Mary.
    Emile Botteron was brought across the ocean by his parents while
in infancy, and was brought up and educated in Ohio, remaining at home
until his parents removed to Bowling Green, when, for four years, he had
charge of the home farm. He then purchased the farm on which Mrs.
Botteron now resides. There were at that time about forty acres of it
cleared, and on it was a frame building which had been erected for a
meeting house, and into this he and his wife moved, occupying it. as a
dwelling until 1877, when he built a commodious frame house. An in-
telligent, progressive and practical agriculturist, always ready to inves-
tigate newer methods of carrying on his work, Mr. Botteron brought his
farm to a high state of cultivation, and added to its improvements by
building a frame barn and two tenant houses. In 1892 Mr. and Mrs.
Botteron moved to Terre Haute and there built a beautiful, home, but it
was while he and his wife were visiting in Patricksburg, Indiana, that he
died, January 19, 1897. Mrs. Botteron has since that time occupied the
house, but rents the land. She was reared and confirmed in the German
Lutheran faith, but, with Mr. Botteron, subsequently united with the
Reformed Church, of which she is a valued member.