A. C. BADDERS, M. D., president of the Portland Rotary Club, a well-known young physician at Portland and sometime captain in the medical corps of the United States army, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here nearly all his life. He was born in Greene township on July 10,1890, and is a son of William H. and Zora ( McCURDY ) BADDERS, the latter of whom isliving, now a resident of Portland. The late William H. BADDERS was born in Ohio, but had been a resident of Jay county since he was a boy, his parents having moved here from Ohio when he was a mere lad. For twenty-five years he taught school in this county and was also for years engaged as a civil engineer, serving as county surveyor for eight years. He died in 1916. He and his wife were the parents of three children, the Doctor, L. Fred and Mae. Doctor BADDERS received his early schooling in the schools of Dunkirk and Portland and was graduated from the high school in the latter city in 1908. He meantime had been giving his attention to the study of medicine, and after some further preparatory study along that line entered the School of Medicine of Indiana University and was graduated from that institution in 1913. Upon receiving his diploma, Doctor BADDERS was appointed an intern in the Deaconess Hospital at Indianapolis and served there until February, 1914, when he located in the village of Onward, in Cass county, this state, where he was practicing when this country entered the World war. The Doctor offeredhis services, and in July, 1917, was commissioned a first lieutenant and assigned to Ambulance Company No. 3, stationed at Indianapolis, a unit of the Indiana State Guard. In August of that same year this company was mustered into the Federal service as Ambulance Company 149 and was assigned to the 113th Sanitary Train, 38th Division, at Camp Selby, where it remained for a year. On September 3, 1918, Doctor BADDERS was promoted to the rank of captain, and on September 30 sailed with his command for overseas service. In the following November thiscommand was detached from the 38th Division and was assigned to the camp hospital at Angers.Two months later Doctor BADDERS was appointed assistant to the district sanitary inspecting officer and continued to serve in that capacity until May, 1919, when he was returned to the states and assigned to Camp Taylor as assistant chief surgeon, in which capacity he renderedfurther service until mustered out on February 2, 1920. Upon receiving his discharge. Doctor BADDERS returned to his home county and opened an office for the pratice of his profession at Portland, where he has since been located. The Doctor is president of the Portland Rotary Club, elected in July, 1921, is a Democrat, a Scottish Rite Mason and a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He also is affiliated with the college fraternities, Phi Gamma Delta, Nu Sigma Nu and Phi Delta Kappa. On July 23, 1913, Dr. A. C. BADDERS was united in marriage to Hilda N. EBERLING, who died on March 7, 1919, while the Doctor was in France, and to this union one child was born, a son, William C. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.168-169. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

JAMES W. BADDERS, sheriff of Jay county and formerly and for many years occupied in running a dray line in Portland, one of the best known men in that city,, as well as throughout the county, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Sheriff BADDERS was born in Jefferson township on May 1, 1858, and is a son of William H. and Sarah Ann ( BURNS ) BADDERS, the latter of whom was born in Virginia and had come to Indiana with her parrents in the days of her girlhood. William H. BADDERS was born in Kentucky and was but a child when he came up into Indiana with his parents, the family settling in Delaware county and presently moving to Jay county, where he grew to manhood and was married, reared his family and spent the remainder of his life. He was a weaver and followed that vocation all his active life.  He and his wife were the parents of four children, all of whom are living save one, Sheriff BADDERS having two sisters, Margaret and Sarah Jane. James W. BADDERS was but three years of age when his father died and was twelve when he was further bereaved by the death of his mother. He was taken care of in the home of John DETAMORE and his schooling was received in the schools of that neighborhood. He worked for Mr. DETAMORE until he moved to Portland and became engaged there in operating a dray line, a business in which, he became quite successful. For years Mr. BADDERS has taken an interested part in local civic affairs and in 1900 received the Republican nomination for sheriff of Jay county. He was elected in the following election and is now serving in that important office, one of the best known and most popular men about the court house, having taken office on January 1, 1921. He is affiliated with the local camp of the Modern Woodmen of America, and takes a proper interest in the affairs of that organization. Sheriff BADDERS annied Mary E. FITZPATRICK daughter of James T.FITZPATRICK, and to this union have been born three children, Charles W., Cloyce and Harry Raymond.SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.52-53. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Melvin E. BADER, a well known grocer at Redkey and one of the leading business men of that city, was born in Redkey and has lived there most of his life. Mr. BADER was born on September I, 1873, and is a son of Thomas and Mary L. ( BOOTS ) BADER, the former of whom, a native of Germany, was for years engaged in the grocery business at Redkey, at which place he had located not long after the town was laid out following the coming of the railroad through that section of the county. Thomas BADER and his wife were the parents of four children, all of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, James W. and Thomas E. BADER, and a sister, Harriet. Reared at Redkey, Melvin E. BADER received his schooling in the excellent schools of that city and as a lad began working in the glass jar factory which was established there following the opening of the natural gas field in that locality. For three years he continued in that employment and then took up work at the Redkey window glass factory, where he remained for two years, at the end of which time he entered the grocery store of Jacob Smith. After a year of employment there he returned to the window glass factory, where he remained for a year. In the meantime he had married a Delaware county girl and he then moved over into Delaware county and established his home on a rented farm, where he remained for four years, at the end of which time he bought a grocery store at Trenton, up in Blackford county, and moved to that place. For four years Mr. BADER continued in the grocery business at Trenton and then he disposed of his interests there and moved to a farm over in Darke county, Ohio, but after ten months of further farming experience he decided that the grocery business was more in his line and he came back to Redkey and established the grocery which he ever since has been conducting and in which he has been quite successful. It was on Christmas Day in 1900 that Melvin E. BADER was united in marriage to Carrie St CLAIR, who was born in Delaware county, this state, daughter of James W. and Anna ( MORQUELL ) St CLAIR, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Elsie M., who is still in school. Mr. and Mrs. BADER have a pleasant home at Redkey and take a proper part in the community's general social activities. They are Republicans. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.156-157. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Elijah C. BAILEY, a former member of the township advisory board for Noble township and one of the best known and most substantial farmers and land owners of that part of the county, is a native son of Jay county, a member of one of the pioneer families here, and has lived in this county the greater part of his life) the exception being some years spent in farming in the state of Illinois. Mr. BAILEY was born on a farm in Madison township, this county, December 30, 1869, and is a son of John and Eliza ( SMITH ) BAILEY, both of whom were reared in Jay county, members of pioneer families here, and who were married and spent their last days here. John BAILEY was a landowner in Madison township, the owner of a farm of seventy-two acres,  he and his wife were the parents of twelve children, of whom ten are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Elizabeth, Daniel, Dean, Marion J., Calvin, Emmanuel, Otis, Stephen and Viola. Reared on the borne farm in Madison township, Elijah C. BAILEY received his schooling in the Eley school and remained at home until he had attained his majority when he went to Illinois and began working there as a farm hand, and was thus engaged until his marriage eight years later. After his marriage he rented a farm and established his home in Illinois, where he remained for ten years, at the end of which time he returned to Jay county and established his home on an eighty acre farm he had bought two years before in Noble township and has since resided there, in the meantime having increased his holdings to 131 acres. Mr. BAILEY has made  numerous substantial improvements on this place and has a well equipped farm plant. He is also farming additional land, which he rents, and is doing well in his operations. Mr, BAILEY is a Democrat and has served two terms as a member of the advisory board for Noble township. He is a member of the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America at Boonville, Ill. On December 22, 1897, Elijah C. BAILEY was united in marriage to Stella STAILEY, of this county, and to this union have been born seven children, Wilda, Agnes, Ora, Treva, Clyde, Ray and Eugene. The BAILEY's have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 3 out of Portland and take a proper interest in the community's general social activities. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.314-315. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Edward M. BAIR, one of Jay county's best known farmers and stockmen and proprietor of a well kept farm at the edge of the pleasant village of New Mt. Pleasant, in Jefferson township, rural mail route No. 5 out of Portland, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. Mr. BAIR was born at New Mt. Pleasant November 25, 1860, and is a son and the last born of the thirteen children born to Samuel T. and Catherine (BLOOM) BAIR, both members of pioneer  families in this county. Of these thirteen children, six are still living, the subject of this sketch having three brothers, Samuel, George Albert and Charles BAIR. and two sisters, Louisa and Sarah. Those deceased were John F., Susanna, Eliza J., William H., Louisa, Sarah K., Joe and David E. Samuel T. BAIR, the father, was born near Hanover, [York Co.] Pa., and grew to manhood there. After his marriage he moved to Eaton, [Preble Co.] Ohio, and in 1853 came to Jay county, the family settling at New Mt. Pleasant, where he established his home and for years was a merchant there, proprietor of a general store and also the proprietor of the village hotel, one of the best known citizens in this part of the state during this period of his business activity, for in the days before the railroads came in and passed New Mt. Pleasant by on the other side, that village was one of the busiest places in the county. In addition to his commercial activities Samuel T. BAIR also was the owner of a good farm in Jefferson township and with the aid of his sons carried on farming on a pretty extensive scale. Edward M. BAIR grew up on that farm and from the days of his boyhood was an active assistant in the labors of the same. He received his schooling in the New Mt. Pleasant schools and remained on the home place until his marriage at the age of twenty-five years, after which he bought a tract of seventy acres in Jefferson township and there made his home. About five years later, in 1890, he moved to a farm west of that place and there continued farming until 1901, in which year he moved to the place on which he is now living, at the edge of the village of New Mt. Pleasant, where he and his family are very comfortably situated. Mr. BAIR is the owner of 164 acres and in addition to his general farming gives considerable attention to the raising of mules, cattle and hogs and is also widely known hereabout as a trader in live stock. He is a Democrat and a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Ridgeville. and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Edward M. BAIR has been twice married. In 1885 he was united in marriage to Elizabeth McCARTNEY, who also was born in this county, and who died leaving one child, a son, Clyde R. BAIR, who married Vera REESER and has one child, a son, John Edward.  On March 22, 1890, Mr. BAIR married Leuttie ELLWOOD, who also was born in Jay county, at New Mt. Pleasant, daughter and only child of Jacob W. and Isabel (IRONS) ELLWOOD, and to this union one child was born, Ethel, born on December 27, 1890. Ethel BAIR completed her schooling at Earlham College and at a school of music in Marion, lnd. and on February 13, 1914, married Guy L. BLACKBURN, of Buckland, [Auglaize Co.] Ohio. She was drowned while picnicking on June 12, of that same year. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.433-434. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Milton G. BAIRD, a former member of the Jay county council and one of the best known  and most substantial farmers and landowners of Knox township, now living practically retired at his pleasant home in that township, was born on the farm on which he is living and has lived there all his life. Mr. BAIRD was born on September 25, 1844, and is a son of Britton and Matilda ( GALLAHER ) BAIRD, both of whom spent their last days in this county. Britton BAIRD was born in the Catskill country in New York state on March 19, 1811, a son of Joseph BAIRD, and was four years of age when his parents moved from New York to Ohio and settled in Warren county in the latter state. He was trained in his boyhood to the trades of blacksmith and cooper and remained in Ohio until 1838 when he became attracted to the new lands which then were being opened up over here in Indiana and came to this state on a prospecting tour. He located a desirable quarter section in Knox township, this county, and then proceeded on to the land office at Ft. Wayne, where he made formal entry to the land, making his payment with 800 silver dollars which he had brought over with him in his saddle bags, the date of this entry having been August 20, 1838. The year prior to this date Mr. BAIRD had married in Ohio and he established his home on the pioneer farm he had taken in Knox township, building there a log cabin and proceeding to clear the place. His wife, who was Jane GIBSON, died within a little more than a year after coming here and her babe died a few weeks later. These were the first to be buried in what came to be known as the Center cemetery. Mr. BAIRD later returned to Ohio and there married Matilda GALLAHER, who came back with him to his forest home in this county, where in 1851 Mr. BAIRD erected the first brick house built in Knox township, burning on his place the bricks which entered into the construction of the house. It was not long after settling there until he had a blacksmith shop going on the place and he later erected a sawmill, the first in the community, and both shop and mill proved of great benefit to his pioneer neighbors.  As his affairs prospered he added to his land holdings until he became the owner of 520 acres of land and was accounted one of the most substantial and influential members of the community.  Britton BAIRD was an ardent abolitionist and was an active agent in the operations of the "underground railroad" that during the troublous days before the war aided in the flight of many a fugitive slave through this section of Indiana. He was one of the charter members of the Portland lodge of Freemasons and took an active part in the affairs of that lodge. He died at his home in Knox township on February 12, 1879. Britton BAIRD was thrice married. By his union with Matilda GALLAHER, mother of the subject of this sketch, he had three children, those besides Milton G. BAIRD being Sarah, who married Madison MOODY, of Delaware county, and Anna, who married Justus AUSTIN and died at the age of fifty-five years. The mother of these children died on March 12, 1864, and in the year following Mr. BAIRD married Mrs. Julia A. ( BUNCH ) TURNER, who was born in North Carolina, and who long survived him. To that union one child was born, a son, William H. BAIRD, who made his home in Nebraska many years ago, but who is now living at Mason City, Iowa, where he is the superintendent of an extensive beet sugar factory in which he is interested. He was one of the early promoters of the beet sugar industry in this country. Mrs. Julia A. BAIRD was but eight years of age when she came to Indiana with her parents and she grew to womanhood in Wayne and Randolph counties. At Winchester she married John TURNER, who died leaving her with six children, all of whom grew to maturity and were married with the exception of one, Ellen, who died from the effects of a burn, in her eleventh year. Another of the daughters, Mary Elizabeth, who grew to womanhood in the BAIRD home and had for some time been teaching school, married her stepbrother, Milton G. BAIRD, the subject of this sketch. It was on November 17, 1869, that Milton G. BAIRD married Mary Elizabeth TURNER, the ceremony being- performed at their joint home, and they continued to make their home there. Mr. BAIRD had been a helpful factor in the development of the home place from the days of his boyhood and after his father's death he inherited 172 acres of the BAIRD estate, this including the original quarter section his father had entered from the Government. Since then he has done much in the way of further improvement on the place and has for years had one of the best farm plants in that section. Mr. BAIRD is a Republican, as was his father, and has ever taken an active and interested part in local civic affairs. In 1900 he was elected a member of the county council from his district and in other ways he has contributed to the public service. He is a Freemason, a member of the Masonic lodge at Redkey, and is a member of the Oak Grove Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. BAIRD's wife died on October 19,  1920. To Milton G. and Mary Elizabeth ( TURNER ) BAIRD were born two children, sons both, Charles H. and Walter E., the latter of whom died in the days of his young manhood. Charles H. BAIRD, who is now looking after the operation of the home farm, completed his schooling in the Indiana State Normal School and at DePauw University and was for five years engaged as a teacher in the schools of Knox township, this county. He has given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs and for four years (1902-06) served as trustee of Knox township.  On January 1, 1900, Charles H. BAIRD was united in marriage to Lulu M. PARKHURST, of Bourbon, Ind. (Marshall Co.) who also had been a student at DePauw University, and to this union three children have been born, Mary and Helen (twins), born on June 25, 1901, and Dorothy, born on August 30, 1904, who on April 14, 1920, was united in marriage to Frederick BIMEL, of Portland. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.267-268. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Jesse H. BAKER, one of the substantial retired farmers of the Dunkirk neighborhood and former owner of a well kept farm in Richland township, now living at Marion, Ind., [Grant Co.] is a native of the old "Buckeye" state, but has been a resident of Indiana and, until recently, of Jay county since he was fourteen years of age, a period of nearly half a century, and thus may be accounted one of the few remaining pioneers of that part of the county, for he cleared the land on which he has lived all these years. Mr. BAKER was born at Burlington, Ohio, September II, 1851, and is the son and only child of Jesse and Mary (OGLESBY) BAKER, the latter of whom became a resident of Jay county in 1865 and here spent the remainder of his life. The elder Jesse BAKER died before his son Jesse was born and the latter remained in Ohio until he was fourteen years of age, when. in 1865, he came lo Indiana with his mother, to whom her father had given a tract of eighty acres in Richland township, this county, and here the mother and son established their home. this farm lying one and one-fourth miles east of the present site of the new high school building at Dunkirk. Jesse H. BAKER was a strong and willing lad and his mother was a woman of courageous spirit, and presently they had a clearing on their place and a log cabin erected for their first home in what then was a practical wilderness of a farm, for there had been no initial clearing done on the place and it was covered by "the forest primeval." Jesse H. BAKER grew to manhood on that place and after his marriage when twenty-six years of age continued to make his home there. As the years passed he developed an excellent piece of property and has for years been known as one of the substantial farmers of that section and an influential member of the community. It was on November 4, 1877, that Jesse H. BAKER was united in marriage to Emeline HARTMAN, who was born in Knox township, this county, March 5, 1859, and who died on June 9, 1921. Mrs. BAKER was the fifth in order of birth of the children born to Levi and Jemima (SHRACK) HARTMAN, who were among the pioneers of Knox township. To Jesse H. and Emeline (HARTMAN) BAKER were born two sons, Walter M., born on July 20, 1878, and L. Raymond, April 17, 1883, the latter of whom completed his schooling at the Marion Normal School and the Muncie Business College and is now employed in the office of the steel mills at Muskegum, Mich. He married Clara BICKING. Walter M. BAKER was reared on the home farm in Richland township and after completing the course in the Dunkirk high school entered the Normal School at Marion, where he was in attendance for two years and a half. He supplemented this by a three-years course in DePauw University and then entered upon his career as a teacher.  For two years Mr. BAKER served as principal of the high school at Dunkirk and for two terms as principal at Redkey and then was made superintendent of the schools at Upland, Ind., a position he occupied for two years, at the end of which time he was made superintendent of the Amboy schools. He remained there two years and then spent a year in the West, during which time he took a supplemental course in the University of Wyoming. Upon his return to Indiana, Mr. BAKER accepted a position as teacher of mathematics in the high school at Marion and has since been a resident of that city. For two years he continued teaching mathematics and then turned his attention to the organization of a junior high school at Marion and has since been serving as principal of the same. In 1905 Walter M. BAKER was united in marriage to Grizella SAVAGE, who was born in Miami county, this state, daughter of Charles and Minnie (McKIM) SAVAGE,and to this union have been born two children, Charles and Jean. Since the death of his wife, Emeline, Jesse H. BAKER has been at home with his son, Walter M. BAKER, at 210 South E street, Marion, Ind. The farm which he owned was sold on December 27, 1921, to Monroe ORR, who is now residing on the farm. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.409-410. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Joseph S. BASH, one of the best known members of Jay county's excellent teaching staff, former secretary of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Jay county, former assessor of Noble township and the proprietor of a well kept farm in that township, where he makes his home, has been a resident of this county since he was ten years of age and has been a teacher in the public schools for the past thirty years. Mr. BASH was born on a farm in Crawford county, Ohio, August 15, 1872, and is a son of Jacob and Caroline ( WINTERHALDER ) BASH, the latter of whom was born in Wyandot county, that same state. Jacob BASH was born in Crawford county, Ohio, and after his marriage continued to make his home there, engaged in farming, until 1882, when he came with his family over into Indiana and settled on a farm of 120 acres which he purchased in Noble township, this county, where he developed an excellent piece of property. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, all of whom are living save Caroline, who died at the age of twelve years, the others (besides the subject of this sketch) being Charles H., James F., Susan, Violet, Mary, Rebecca and Blanche. Joseph S. BASH was about ten years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents from Ohio in 1882 and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Noble township. He continued his elementary studies in the Mt. Zion school and supplemented this by attendance during two terms at the old Portland Normal School, after which he began teaching in the schools of his home township. For thirty years Mr. BASH has continued to occupy his position on the teaching staff of the county's public schools, all of this period spent in the schools of his own township, ten years of this time spent as a teacher in the Mt. Zion school, the school he entered upon coming to this county in the days of his boyhood. During this time he also has been engaged in farming and is the proprietor of an excellent farm. of fifty acres in Noble township, where he makes his home, he and his family being very pleasantly situated there. For two years after his marriage Mr. BASH continued to reside on the home farm and then he bought the tract on which he is now living. This was an uncleared tract and all the improvements on the place thus have been made by him, everything being shipshape and up to date. Mr. BASH Democrat and has served one term as assessor of Noble township. He has ever taken a close personal interest in the general welfare movements of his home community and of the county at large and for four years served as secretary of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Jay county. On his twenty-fourth birthday, August 15. 1896. Joseph S. BASH was united in marriage to Minnie M. MONEY, of Noble township, and to this union have been born four children, Lena E., Veda, William and Helen, the latter of whom is unmarried and at home with her parents. William BASH also is unmarried. He was graduated from the Portland high school and the eastern division of the Indiana State Normal School at Muncie and is now  teaching in South Dakota. Lena E. BASH married Daniel MULLEN and has two children, Emogene and Wayne MULLEN. Veda BASH married Dayton SIMONS, an express man at Portland. Mrs. BASH was born in Wabash township, this county, but was reared in Noble township, her parents, Jacob and Angeline ( DASHER ) MONEY, having moved to the latter township when she was a child. Jacob MONEY was born in this county, a member of one of the county's real pioneer families, and became a substantial farmer and landowner in Noble township.  His wife was born in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of four children, Mrs. BASH having a sister, Maria, and two brothers, William and Samuel MONEY. Mrs. BASH is a member of the Christian church. The family have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 9 out of Portland and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the general social activities of the community. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.244-245. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Henry J. BATSCH, production manager at the extensive plant of the Indiana Glass Company at Dunkirk and one of the original stockholders of that company, "grew up" to the glass manufacturing industry and it long ago was said of him that he had filled every position in a glass factory that a skilled workman could fill, hence his unusual qualification for the important position he long has held in connection with this chief industry at Dunkirk, where he has been located for the past twenty years. Mr. BATSCH was born at Wheeling, W. Va., April II, 1863, and is a son of Theodore and Caroline C. (BRANDENBURGH) BATSCH, both of whom were born in Germany but had come to the United States with their respective parents in the days of their youth and were married in Pittsburgh, Pa., moving shortly afterward to Wheeling, where they established their home and reared their family. Theodore BATSCH and wife were the parents of five children, of whom two are now living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Benjamin T. BATSCH. Reared at Wheeling, Henry J. BATSCH received his schooling in the schools of that city and was early attracted to the glass industry. When about ten years of age he became employed in a glass factory at Wheeling and was there employed for years, growing on up in the industry until he had' become thoroughly qualified to fill any position requiring skilled experience in the plant. At the age of twenty-six he was given the position of night foreman in the big plant of the Dalzell, Gilmore & Lighton Glass Company at Findlay, Ohio. For eight years he occupied that position and then he accepted the position of manager of a bottle factory at Reading, Ohio, where he remained a year, at the end of which time he moved to Lancaster, Ohio, where for the next eighteen months he was engaged as manager of the glass factory at that place. While he was at Lancaster, Mr. BATSCH received a proposition from the National Glass Company at Dunkirk to become the production manager of that company's plant and he accepted the same, moving to Dunkirk on December 29, 1901, and at once entering upon the duties of this new position. When the National organization was reorganized as the Indiana Glass Company, Mr. BATSCH was one of the active promoters of that movement, one of the original stockholders of the new company, and still retains his interest in the company, continuing- his position as production manager, a position he has occupied for more than twenty years, one of the best known figures in the glass industry in the country. Mr. BATSCH and his wife are members of the Congregations. church at Dunkirk and are Republicans. Mr. BATSCH is a member of Justus H. Rathbone lodge, No. 400, Knights of Pythias, at Findlay, Ohio. On January 24, 1883, at Bellaire, Ohio, Henry J. BATSCH was united in marriage to Mary J. FISH, who was born in Belmont county, Ohio, daughter of William and Elizabeth (McINTYRE) FISH, but was reared and educated at Bellaire, and to this union four children have been horn, namely: Cora Leona, who died at the age of three years and seven months; Frank A., assistant production manager of the plant of the Indiana Glass Company, who married Lena EVERHART and has two children. Clistia and Charles; Flossie A., who married Freeman MILLER, a skilled workman in the plant of the Indiana Glass Company, and has one child, a son, Theodore, and Benjamin T., who married Ada MERRY and is now engaged in the practice of law at Toledo, Ohio. Benjamin T. BATSCH was graduated from the law school of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and was admitted to the bar of the Jay Circuit Court in 1914. When this country entered the World war he enlisted his services and received at the Officers Training Camp at Ft. Benjamin Harrison a commission as second lieutenant. He then was sent to Camp Custer and thence to Houghton, Mich., where he became adjutant of the post at that camp, later being sent in command of a troop of engineers to the camp at Columbia, S. C. From this latter camp he was called to Washington, D. C., and there was commissioned commander of the Butler College S. A. T. C. at Indianapolis. Benjamin T. BATSCH was in service for twoyears and was mustered out as a first lieutenant. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.336-337. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

J. V. BAYLES, D.V.M., a well known veterinarian at Pennville, who has developed a wide practice throughout this section of the state, is a native Hoosier and has resided in this state all his life, a resident of Pennville since his graduation from veterinary college in, 1914. Doctor BAYLES was born on a farm in the vicinity of Youngstown, in Vigo county, Indiana, March 5, 1882, and is a son of William and Mary ( KUNTZ ) BAYLES, the latter of whom was born in Ohio. William BAYLES was born in Vigo county and there grew to manhood on a farm. After his marriage he established his home on a farm in that county and is still living there. He and his wife are the parents of six children, of whom Doctor BAYLES is the only one residing in Jay county. Reared on the home farm in Vigo county. Doctor BAYLES completed his schooling in the high school at Youngstown and from the days of his boyhood was a valued aid in the labors of developing the farm. He continued farming, meanwhile taking particular interest in veterinary research and investigation, and presently entered the veterinary college at Terre Haute, from which he was graduated in 1914. Upon receiving his diploma, Doctor BAYLES opened an office for the practice of his profession at Pennville and has since been located there, the only veterinarian in Pennville. The Doctor's practice covers a wide territory hereabout, including not only Jay county, but the adjacent counties of Blackford, Wells and Adams, and he thus has acquired a wide acquaintance throughout this section. The Doctor is a Democrat, is a Freemason and a member of the local lodge of the Red Men and he and his wife are members of the Christian Church. Dr. J. V. BAYLES married Mayme MILLER, daughter of Henry C. MILLER, and to this union one child has been born, a son, Garrel BAYLES. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.218. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Lewis BEARD, who died at his farm home in Greene township, this county, in the spring of 1917, had been a resident of Jay county for many years and at his passing left a good memory. Mr. BEARD was a "Buckeye" by birth, as were so many of the older residents of this county, and was born on October 26, 1850, a son of John and Mary ( BIRD ) BEARD, both of whom also were born in Ohio. John BEARD spent his last days in Jay county in the home of his son Lewis, having moved here upon his retirement. Lewis BEARD was reared in Ohio and early became a skilled drainage expert. As a young man he came over into Indiana and located at Portland, finding in this section of the state ample opportunity for the exercise of his talents. He established himself as a ditch and drainage contractor at Portland and was thus engaged until 1894, when he bought a small farm of fifty-six and one-half acres in Greene township and took up farming. On that farm he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on April 18, 1917, he then being in his sixty-seventh year. On July 4, 1872, Lewis BEARD was united in marriage to  Martha POHLM, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of John and Susan ( BEAR )POHLM; and to this union four children were born, two of whom Laura A. and Charles W., are deceased, two daughters, Mary and Florence, surviving. Lewis BEARD and his wife were members of the Christian church and their children were reared in that faith. Mr. BEARD was a member of the local lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose at Portland. Mary BEARD married Arland MORRICAL, of this county, and has two children, Sheldon L. and Willard R. MORRICAL; Florence BEARD married Sherman STEED, now living at Redkey, and has one child, a son, Warren O. STEED. The STEED's are an old family in Jay county, having been represented here since pioneer days and further reference to them is made elsewhere in this volume. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, p.210. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Clyde D. BECHDOLT, secretary of the Jay County Savings and Trust Company of Portland and an active factor in the commercial life of that city and of the county at large, was born at Portland on July II, 1889, and is a son of S. E. and Lydia BECHDOLT, who are still living at Portland. S. E. BECHDOLT, who has for years been one of the leading contractors at Portland, was born in Ohio, but has been a resident of Portland since the days of his childhood, his parents having moved here from Ohio when he was but a lad. Reared at Portland, Clyde D. BECHDOLT was graduated from the high school there in 1907. For one year thereafter he worked with Weiler Bros., and then took employment with Reinhart & Nichols, continuing with that concern until 1912, when he transferred his services to the Jay County Savings and Trust Company and was made assistant secretary of that institution, serving thus when the United States entered into the World war. In March, 1918., he enlisted in the finance division of the United States army and was for some time stationed at Washington, or until he was transferred to Montgomery, Ala. and was there connected with the finance division of the aviation section of the army until his discharge on March 27, 1919. Upon his return to Portland Mr. BECHDOLT resumed his position with the Jay County Savings and Trust Company and not long afterward was elected secretary of that institution, the position he now occupies. In that same year he married May MARTY, of Montgomery, Ala. and he and his wife have a pleasant home in Portland. Mr. BECHDOLT is a Scottish Rite Mason and a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with the consistory and the temple at Fort Wayne. He also is a member of the Portland lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In political affiliation he is a Republican.            SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, p.160. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Fred R. BECHDOLT, member of the law firm of Schwartz & Bechdolt, at Portland, and one of the best known young lawyers of Jay county, a member of the bar of the Jay Circuit Court since 1915 and former deputy prosecuting attorney for this county, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. BECHDOLT was born at Portland on July 17, 1893, and is a son of Samuel E. and Lydia ( LaFOLLETTE ) BECHDOLT, both of whom also were born in this county. The BECHDOLT's came here from Pennsylvania and the LaFOLLETTE's from Virginia. Samuel E. BECHDOLT is a well-known building contractor, who for years has been engaged in that line at Portland. Fred R. BECHDOLT was reared at Portland and was graduated from the high school at that place in 1911. He then entered Indiana University, taking there the Liberal Arts course, and upon leaving the university entered upon the study of law under the  preceptorship of R. D. Wheat at Portland, and on March 4, 1915, was admitted to the bar of the Jay Circuit Court, shortly afterward receiving the appointment as deputy prosecuting attorney for  this county, a service which he rendered for two years, at the end of which time he became associated with his uncle, Judge John F. LaFOLLETTE, in the practice of law at Portland. This mutually agreeable association continued until the death of Judge LaFOLLETTE in July, 1917, after which Mr. BECHDOLT formed a partnership with C. E. Schwartz, which association continues. On January 8, 1918, Fred R. BECHDOLT enlisted his services in behalf of America's participation in the World war, enlisting in the air service, and thus rendered service until honorably discharged, the war then being over. In June, 1919, he returned to Portland and resumed his law practice. Mr. BECHDOLT is a member of the Presbyterian church, a member of the college fraternity Phi Delta Kappa, and is affiliated with the local post of the American Legion and the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He also is a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Country Club at Portland, and in the affairs of these several organizations takes a proper interest. For years Mr. BECHDOLT has taken an active interest in local civic affairs and has long been regarded as one of the younger leaders of the Democratic party in this county. In May, 1920, he was elected chairman of the Jay county Democratic central committee and is now serving his party in that important capacity. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, p.184. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Arthur E. BELL, secretary and manager of the Pennville Lumber Company at Pennville and recognized as one of the most active and energetic young business men of that town, is a native of England but has been a resident of this country since he was eighteen years of age and of Jay county since 1908. Mr. BELL was born in the city of London on December 26, 1889, and is a son of William Martin and Nellie ( GAY ) BELL, both of whom also were born in England and who now are living at Indianapolis, Ind. William Martin BELL is an expert harness maker, who was for years associated with his father in that business in London, the BELL's having been harness makers to Queen Victoria. In 1900 he came to America and became engaged in the harness making business at Troy, N. Y., but later came to Indiana and has since made his home at Indianapolis. He and his wife have three children, the subject of this sketch having a brother, William Henry BELL, and a sister, Florence May. Arthur E. BELL did not come to America when his father came in 1900, but remained in London to complete his schooling, giving his special attention to chemistry, and it was not until he was eighteen years of ape that he came over and rejoined his parents in Indianapolis. That was in 1907. A year later he became employed in the lumber yard of the Ayers Lumber Company at Redkey and has ever since been a resident of Jay county. He remained at Redkey until 1918, when he accepted the position of manager of the local plant of the Pennville Lumber Company at Pennville and moved to the latter place, where he has since resided. He presently acquired an interest in this company and in 1921 was elected secretary of the same, since which time he has acted both as secretary and manager and has done much to advance the growing interests of the company. Mr. BELL is a skilled musician and during the time of his residence at Redkey not only taught music there but was employed as the organist at the Methodist church. He now is organist at the Methodist church at Pennville, of which church he and his wife are members. Mr. BELL is a 32nd degree (Scottish Rite) Mason, is past chancellor commander of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1915 Arthur E. BELL was united in marriage to Mary Ellen WINSHIP and to this union four children have been born, Martha Percetta (deceased), Catherine Ann, James Henry and Adelma Arthur. Mr. and Mrs. BELL have a very pleasant home at Pennville and take an interested part in the community's general social activities. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls.1922, Vol. II, pp.198-199. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

D. Ward Bell, Simeon K. Bell & John Bell D. Ward BELL, one of Jay county's best known and most substantial farmers and landowners, proprietor of an excellent farm in Jefferson township, where he makes his home, rural mail route No. 2, Redkey, is a native son of this county, a member of one of the real pioneer families of the county, and has lived here all his life. Mr. BELL was born on a farm in the immediate vicinity of New Mt. Pleasant, in Jefferson township, December 1, 1870, and is a son and only survivor of the three children born to Simeon K. and Sophia ( WILLIAMSON ) BELL, both of whom were members of pioneer families in Jay county, the latter the daughter of Hugh and Mary WILLIAMSON. The late Simeon K. BELL, formerly and for many years a member of the board of county commissioners and also for years county school examiner and who succeeded himself in this latter office when he was elected first county superintendent of schools, was born in New Mt. Pleasant neighborhood on January 9, 1843, and was a son of John and Lovina ( KIDDER ) BELL, the latter of whom was born in Warren county, Ohio, April 10, 1821, a daughter of John and Sarah ( BURNS ) KIDDER, who had come to Jay county in 1837 and settled in Pike township. John BELL, the pioneer, was born in Harrison county, Virginia, September 6, 1816, a son of Dr. Simeon and Mary ( WEST ) BELL, the latter of whom died in Virginia, her bereaved husband later moving to Ohio with his family and locating in Warren county, John BELL then being sixteen years of age. Dr. Simeon BELL died at Cincinnati in 1832, while ministering to patients stricken with cholera during the epidemic of that year. . . . John BELL, in 1837, came over into Indiana and entered a quarter section of land in Pike township, this county, and proceeded to clear and develop the same. . . In December 1839 he married and established a home at New Mt. Pleasant . . . in 1860 he moved to his farm in section 22 of Jefferson township and there spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on January 21, 1880. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, of whom Simeon K. was the second in order of birth. On January 25, 1870, Simeon K. BELL was united in marriage to Sophia WILLIAMSON and to that union three children were born, the subject of this sketch (first born), John BELL, now deceased, and Bertha, also deceased. D. Ward BELL was five years of age when his parents moved from New Mt. Pleasant to Portland and he received his schooling in the schools of that city. . . On March 4, 1900, D. Ward BELL was united in marriage to Clara CROFT, who was born in Ohio, daughter of Abraham and Ida CROFT, and to this union have been born two children, Thelma and Simeon K., the latter of whom is at home. Thelma BELL married William HAMPTON, and has one child, Regina. The Bells have a very pleasant home and have taken an interested part in the general social activities of the neighborhood in which they live and where the family in now represented in the fifth generation of Bells in Jay county. BELL, BURNS, CROFT, HAMPTON, KIDDER, WILLIAMSON, SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indianapolis. Vol. II, pp.427-429.

Daniel W. BENDER, the well known miller and grain dealer at Pennville and one of the leading factors in the general commercial and civic life of that pleasant and picturesque old town, is a Pennsylvanian by birth, but has been a resident of Indiana for about thirty-five years and of Pennville since 1912. Mr. BENDER was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1864, and is a son of George and Adaline ( MOCK ) BENDER, both of whom were born in that same state. George BENDER was an iron worker, a vocation he followed all his active life, his death occurring when the subject of this sketch was about seven years of age. He and his wife were the parents of five children, of whom two are living, Daniel W. BENDER having a brother, Jacob BENDER. Early bereaved of his father, as noted above, Daniel W. BENDER's youthful opportunities for advanced schooling were limited by the circumstances surrounding his upbringing and he was early placed in an apprenticeship in Lewis's mills in the neighborhood of his home, where he became thoroughly acquainted with the details of burr milling. After serving his apprenticeship he went to Michigan and at Three Rivers was engaged as assistant miller in a mill of 300-barrel capacity. He remained there for three years, at the end of which time he moved to Dowagiac, where he became employed as the miller in a mill at that place, later going to Jackson (Mich.), where he remained in charge of the mill of the Eldred Milling Company until 1887, when he came to Indiana and for about a year was employed at Ft. Wayne, going thence to Bluffton, where he operated a mill for about twelve years, at the end of which time he bought a mill and was further engaged in the milling business at that place until 1912, when his mill was destroyed by fire. Not long afterward he was called to Pennville to take charge of the Arnold & Engler mill at that place and a year later he bought a half interest in the mill. When Pennville lost its railroad in 1918 the company operating this mill was reorganized as the Pennville Milling Company and Mr. BENDER has a one-fourth interest in the concern. This mill, which was erected about 1885, is equipped in up-to-date fashion and has a capacity of about fifty barrels of flour daily. The elevator has a capacity of 30,000 bushels of wheat, and in addition to this there is storage room for an additional 3,000 bushels at the mill. Mr. BENDER does both custom and market milling and has made the Pennville mill one of the thriving concerns of the county. He is a Democrat and one of the active promoters of the town's best interests along all lines. He is a Freemason and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1890, Daniel W. BENDER was united in marriage to Mary Viola ARNOLD, daughter of William ARNOLD, and to this union two daughters have been born, Mabel, who married Marcus WEIBEL and has two children, Mary Helen and Catherine Elizabeth, and Lena, who married Martin FETTERS. . ARNOLD, BENDER, FETTERS, MOCK, WEIBEL SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.225-226. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Peter BERGER, the well known sawmill man and lumber manufacturer at Salamonia, a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Bank of that village, president of the Salamonia Light and Power Company, a substantial landowner of this county and long recognized as one of the leading figures in the industrial and commercial development of the Salamonia neighborhood, is a Pennsylvanian by birth, but has been a resident of Jay county since the days of his infancy, he having been under two years of age when his parents came here in 1867 and established their home in Pike township. Mr. BERGER was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, October 26, 1865, and is a son of Peter and Catherine ( GROH ) BERGER, both of whom were born in that same state. The elder Peter BERGER was a stonemason by trade. In 1867 he came to Indiana with his family and bought an eighty-acre farm in Pike township, this county. There he established his home and created an excellent piece of property, as his affairs prospered adding to his holdings until he became the owner of a quarter section of land. In addition to his farming he also for some years continued somewhat to follow his trade as a stonemason and thus helped in much of the building that went on in that part of the county during the late '60s and during the '70s. He and his wife were the parents of three children, all of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Henry BERGER, and & sister, Mrs. Mary SMITH. Reared on the home farm in Pike township, the junior Peter BERGER received his schooling in the Green Hill school (district No. 1) and continued to make his home with his parents, helpful in the labors of the farm, until his marriage at the age of twenty-one years, after which he became employed as a timber buyer for Fred Bimel's wood-working mill at Portland. For twelve years Mr. BERGER continued thus engaged and then he entered business for himself, establishing his present mill at Salamonia. He started in on a modest scale, but the business has developed until now he is employing four times the force originally required to carry on the operations of the mill. In addition to the general manufacture of lumber Mr. BERGER turns out singletrees, handles and other products of the sort and keeps one motor truck and five teams of horses busy. The mill has a capacity of about 6,000 feet of lumber a day besides the side products. In 1915 Mr. BERGER bought an interest in a similar mill at Ridgeville, in the neighboring county of Randolph, this mill being now operated along the same lines as that at Salamonia, under the firm name of Hollowell & Berger. Mr. BERGER buys his timber on the ground and carries the process of manufacture through to the finished product. In addition to his extensive milling interests Mr. BERGER is the owner of 104 acres of land in Jay county, a part of this lying in Pike township and the remainder in Madison township, is the owner of six tenant houses in Salamonia, is the owner of one of the most up-to- date public garages in this section of the state, the same now being operated by Walter MATCHETT at Salamonia, and has other property interests. Mr. BERGER was one of the promoters of the Salamonia Light and Power Company of Salamonia, and is now president of that concern, whose plant not only provides lighting for Salamonia and the farm houses in that vicinity but carries current to Ft. Recovery and other points along the county line. He also is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Bank of Salamonia and in other ways has contributed of his enterprise and public spirit to the promotion of the community's general interests. He is a Republican, is a member of the local camp of the Modern Woodmen at Salamonia and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. On November 25, 1886, Peter BERGER was united in marriage to Harriet PFEIFER , also of this county, and to this union one child has been born, a son Harry, born on October 3, 1887. Harry BERGER received his schooling in the Green Hill school and in 1908 was united in marriage to Vera Miller. To this union three children have been born, Glenn, Evalyn and Ralph. Harry BERGER and his family live on his father's farm, which he is operating. Mrs. Harriet BERGER was born in the village of Salamonia but was reared on a farm in Madison township, her parents having moved from the village to a farm when she was a child, and her schooling was received in the Lockout school. She is a daughter of Peter and Rickey ( CUPP ) PFEIFER, the former of whom was a shoemaker at Salamonia but later became a farmer and the owner of a forty-acre farm in Madison township. Peter PFEIFER and his wife were the parents of six children, three of whom are living, Mrs. BERGER having two brothers, Lewis P. and Charles PFEIFER. BERGER, CUPP, GROH, MATCHETT, PFEIFER. SMITH SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.180-181. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Henry BIBLER, one of Noble townships well known and substantial farmers and landowners, now living retired on his well kept place on rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland, has been a resident of Jay county since the days of his early childhood and has by his own efforts built up an excellent piece of property in the community in which he lives. Mr. BIBLER was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, June 14, 1851, and is a son of Jacob and Anna ( FRICK ) BIBLER, both of whom were born in that same county but who later became residents of Jay county where their last days were spent. Jacob BIBLER was born on January 1, 1818, and grew to manhood in Fairfield county where he was married and where he resided until 1853 when he came over into Indiana with his family, driving through in a covered wagon, and settled on an eighty-acre farm he had bought three-fourths of a mile south of Salamonia in Madison township, this county. He improved that farm and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, his death occurring on January 25, 1890. She survived him a little more than a year, her death occurring on April 12, 1891. They were the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having three sisters, Susanna, Mrs. Matilda STONER and Mrs. Mary K. CROWE. and a brother, Jacob BIBLER. As noted above, Henry BIBLER was about eighteen months old when he came to this county with his parents in 1853 and he grew to manhood here, receiving his schooling largely in the subscription schools of the period and in the Adkinson school. From the days of his boyhood he was an aid to his father in the labors of developing the farm and continued those labors until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he bought a tract of forty acres in Noble township, the place on which he is now living, paying $1,200 for the "forty," and proceeded to develop the same. It was in the spring of 1878 that Mr. BIBLER bought this place. He was married in the following fall and then established his home on the farm, to which he has added by purchase until now he is the owner of 117 acres and has an admirably equipped farm plant, including two sets of buildings, all these improvements having been made by himself. It was on October 10, 1878, that Henry BIBLER was united in marriage to Olive STONE, who was born in Noble township, this county, and who died on May 28, 1917. Mrs. BIBLER was a daughter of William I. and Margaret ( WARNOCK ) STONE, who were among the early settlers of Noble township. William I. STONE was the owner of an eighty-acre farm now owned by his grandson, Lewis STONE. To Henry and Olive (STONE) BIBLER were born twelve children, of whom nine are living, William J., John W., Cora A., Charles E., Alva C., Pearle G., Clarence V., Henry E. and Lulu O., the latter of whom is unmarried and is at home with her father. Two of Mr. BIBLER's children died in infancy and the third deceased, Anna M., married Thomas SOMMERS and died on July 20, 1920, leaving five children, Ansel H.,Leatha C., Laton G., Eva G. and Paul E. William J. BIBLER, eldest son of this family, now farming in Wayne township, married Ada CASTER and has had five children, three of whom, Arthur, Byron and Neolin, are living. John W. BIBLER, who is now farming in the vicinity of Greenville, (Darke County) Ohio, married Pearl JETTER and has two children, Olive and Lavon. Cora A. BIBLER married Orla JOURNEY, a farmer of Wayne township, and has four children, Garth, Doris, Olive and William JOURNEY. Charles E. BIBLER, who is farming in Pike township, married Ethel EHRHART and has four children, Charles, Robert, Louis and Jane. Alva C. BIBLER, who is farming in Noble township, married Ruth ARMSTRONG and has two children, Marie and Carl. Pearle G. BIBLER married Otto EHRHART, a mail carrier at Portland, and. has two children, Lois and Roger EHRHART. Clarence V. BIBLER, who is a bookkeeper in the office of the drain tile works at Portland, married Grace GLASGOW and has one child, a daughter, Dorothy H., and Henry E. BIBLER, the youngest son, who is now attending- the medical college at Indianapolis, (Marion Co, Indiana) married Marie McFARLAND. ARMSTRONG, BIBLER, CASTER, CROWE, EHRHART, FRICK, GLASGOW, JETTER, JOURNEY, McFARLAND, SOMMERS, STONE, STONER, WARNOCK IN, Jay Co., Marion Co OH, Darke Co, Fairfield Co. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.281-282. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

George W. BICKEL, one of Madison township's well known and substantial farmers and landowners proprietor of an excellent farm on rural mail route No. 3 out of Ft. Recovery, Ohio, is a native son of Jay county, a member of one of the real pioneer families of this county, and has lived here all his life. Mr. BICKEL was born on a farm in Pike township on August 29, 1858, and is a son of Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth ( THARP ) BICKEL, the latter of whom was born in Perry county, Ohio, a daughter of Asa and Margaret ( IMEL ) THARP, and who came to Jay county with her widowed mother in 1855. Andrew Jackson BICKEL was born in what later came to be organized as Pike township, this county, November 8, 1833, and was a son of George and Nancy ( GLASSFORD ) BICKEL, who were married in Preble county, Ohio, and who in the spring of 1833, with the two children born to them in their Ohio home, came over here into Indiana and settled in the woods in what in time came to be Pike township, Jay county, but which then was a part of Randolph county. On that pioneer farm George BICKEL established his home and reared his family. Eight children were born to him and his wife after they came to Indiana, thus giving them a family of ten children and as most of these married and had families of their own the BICKEL connection of this line in the present generation is a considerable one. The mother of these children died in 1858. George BICKEL survived until 1877. He created a good farm there in the woods and was regarded as one of the influential factors in the development of that community. Andrew Jackson BICKEL grew to manhood on that farm and when twenty-four years of age, in November, 1857, married Elizabeth THARP. For a time after that event he continued to make his home on the old home place and then bought a tract of land adjoining, where he lived until 1881, when he moved to a farm in section 25 of Wayne township, lived there a few years and then returned to Pike township and on this latter place spent the remainder of his life, one of the leading men of that community. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having four sisters, Margaret, Rebecca, Christina and Alice, and two brothers, William J. and Simeon BICKEL. Reared on the farm, George W. BICKEL received his schooling in the old Green Hill school (district No. 1) in Pike township and from the days of his boyhood was well trained in the ways of farming. For three or four years before his marriage he looked after the affairs of his Grandmother THARP's farm and then began farming- for himself as a renter in Pike township. After his marriage he rented a farm in Noble township, but in the following year moved to the place on which he is now living in Madison township, his father-in-law having provided a place of ninety-two acres there for him and his wife, and he ever since has resided there, he and his family having a very pleasant and comfortable home. Since taking possession of that place Mr. BICKEL has added to his land holdings until now he is the owner of 252 acres, to the operation of which he continues to give his personal attention, although for some years his sons have been in active charge of the place, the father very properly being content to relax a bit from the strenuous labors which have marked his life from the days of his boyhood. Mr. BICKEL is a Democrat, as was his father, and he and his wife are members of the Church of the Disciples at Salamonia/ He is an active member of the Madison Township Farmers Federation and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that progressive and enterprising body. It was on August 6, 1882, that George W. BICKEL was united in marriage to Diana A. SHEFFER, of this county, and to this union nine children have been born, all of whom are living saving Flossie, who died at the age of seventeen months, the others being Blanche, Earl, Harry, Clarence, Artreese, Cecil, Arlie and Lester, the two latter of whom and Artreese are unmarried and still living at home. Blanche BICKEL married Garfield BEARD, a farmer of Wayne township, and has two children, Walter and Merrill BEARD. Earl BICKEL, who is farming in Randolph county, married Pearl WHITACRE and has one child, Sterling. Harry BICKEL, who is farming in Noble township, married Elmira ARMSTRONG and has one child, Erma. Clarence BICKEL, who is farming in Noble township, married Dora KOBER and has one child, Mabel. Cecil BICKEL, who is farming in Madison township, married Edith ROCKWELL. Mrs. Diana A. BICKEL was born in Preble county, Ohio, but has been a resident of Jay county since the days of her childhood, when her parents, Ira and Diana ( HAPNER ) SHEFFER, moved over here and located on a farm in Madison township. Ira SHEFFER, who became quite an extensive landowner in this county, was a native of Virginia, having been born in that section of the Old Dominion which split off and became West Virginia during the time of the Civil war, and his wife was born in Preble county, Ohio, a member of one of the pioneer families there. They were the parents of seven children, four of whom are still living, Mrs. BICKEL having a sister, Lucinda, and two brothers, Henry and James SHEFFER.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.253-254. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

William J. BICKEL, one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of Pike township, proprietor of an excellent farm on rural mail route No. 4 out of Portland, where he makes his home, is a native son of Jay county, a member of one of the real pioneer families here, and has been a resident of this county all his life. Mr. BICKEL was born on a farm in Madison township on August 19, 1860, and is a son of Andrew J. and Elizabeth ( THARP ) BICKEL, the latter of whom was born in Perry county, Ohio, a daughter of Asa and Margaret ( IMEL ) THARP, and who had come to Jay county with her widowed mother in 1855) the family settling in Pike township. Andrew J. BICKEL was born in Pike township, this county, November 8, 1833, that having been before the time of the formal organization of Jay county, and was a son of George and Nancy ( GLASSFORD ) BICKEL, who had come over here from Preble county, Ohio, and were among the earliest of the settlers in that part of the county which presently came to be organized as Pike township. George BICKEL was born in Centre county, Pennsylvania, a son of Thomas BICKEL, who later moved with his family to Ohio and became one of the pioneers of Preble county, from which county he moved over into Indiana and entered a tract of land in what afterward came to be Pike township. Jay county, but which at that time was comprised within the borders of Randolph county, the BICKEL's thus having become numbered among the real pioneers of Jay county, where the family has ever since been honorably and prominently represented. George BICKEL was married in Preble county and some years later came with his wife and the two daughters that then had been born to them and settled in this county, and in Pike township he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. She died in August, 1859, and he survived until in April, 1877. They were the parents of ten children, nine daughters and the one son, Andrew J., the latter of whom was the first of the family born in Indiana. Andrew J. BICKEL grew up on the homestead farm in Pike township and from the days of his youth was a helpful factor in the labors of clearing and developing the same. In November, 1857, when twenty-four years of age, he married Elizabeth THARP, who had come over here from Ohio two years prior to that time, and after his marriage established his home on a "forty" of the old home place, presently increasing this holding to an "eighty," where he lived until 1881, when he bought a tract of about sixty acres in section 25 of Wayne township and moved to the same. There he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on January 19, 1909. His wife died in November of that same year. They were the parents of seven children, all of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having four sisters, Sarah, Rebecca, Christina and Alice, and two brothers, George and Simeon BICKEL. Reared on the old home farm in Pike township, William J. BICKEL received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and was about twenty-one years of age when his father moved to the farm in Wayne township. He later took up farming on his own account on a "forty" which he had bought in Pike township and after his marriage established his home there and has continued to reside on that place, where he and his family are very comfortably situated. Meanwhile Mr. BICKEL has increased his acreage until he now is the owner of a fine farm of 177 acres and has one of the best improved farm plants in that neighborhood. Mr. BICKEL is a Democrat and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs. It was on January 14, 1888, that William J. BICKEL was united in marriage to Eunice Marcella WHIPPLE, also a member of one of the old families in Jay county, and to this union ten children have been born, all of whom are living save four, Ruth, Ora, Lola and an unnamed infant, the former of whom married Dewey SMITH and died leaving one child, a daughter, Leotta. The other children of this family are Eugene, Virgil, Russell, Raymond, Chela P. and Paul, the two latter of whom are still at home. Eugene BICKEL married Edith BERGER and has two children, Marvin and Darwin. Virgil BICKEL married Lulu McCOY and has one child, a son, Lendon. Mrs. BICKEL was born in Pike township, in the neighborhood in which she is now living, October 5, 1868, and is a daughter of David O. and Elizabeth ( HILTON ) WHIPPLE, natives of Rhode Island, who had settled in Jay county some years prior to that date and had become substantial residents of Pike township. The BICKEL's have a pleasant home and their "latch string is always out." SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.373-374. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

CARL BIMEL, president of the BIMEL Spoke and Auto Wheel Company, of Portland, successor to the old manufacturing firm of L. BIMEL & Son, and long regarded as one of the most active and progressive factors in the commercial and industrial life of this section of Indiana, was born at Portland and has lived there practically all his life, from the days of his boyhood interested in the extensive manufacturing plant of which he now is the head. Mr. BIMEL was born on March, 13, 1889, and is a son of Fred and Margaret G. ( KELSEY ) BIMEL, both of whom were born at St. Marys, Ohio, and the latter of whom is still living at Portland, where she has a very pleasant home on West Arch street. The late Fred BIMEL, who was for years one of the leading factors in the industrial development of Portland, was born on January 8, 1859, and was a son of Lawrence and Elizabeth BIMEL, the former of whom was a pioneer manufacturer of wagons and buggies at St. Marys, Ohio. Lawrence BIMEL was born in Germany in 1827 and was three years of age when he came to this country with his parents, the family coming on West and locating at Wapakoneta, Ohio, where the Birnel home was established. Reared at Wapakoneta, Lawrence BIMEL early learned the trade of carriage maker and in time became a manufacturer at St. Marys, where he established his home andi built up an extensive plant, the wagons and carriages turned out in this plant having been widely distributed thereabout. In 1879 he established a branch plant at Portland for the manufacture of spokes, hubs, felloe strips and similar accessories of the carriage manufacturing line and his son Fred, just about then coming into his majority, was placed in charge of the same, the plant being conducted under the firm name of L. BIMEL & Son, the predecessor of the present extensive plant of the BIMEL Company, which is operated under the general management of Carl BIMEL, the third in direct line in the gradual development of this business. The plant which the late Fred BIMEL started in Portland more than forty years ago, taking then advantage of the wealth of timber which still was accessible hereabout, gradually developed the industry until it became one of the most important industrial enterprises in the county. In 1910 he enlarged and modernized the plant and added to his output the manufacture of automobile wheels. This latter phase of the business was rapidly developed and soon came to be the chief object of the factory and has so continued, the BIMEL wheels having gained a wide and justly deserved reputation in the automobile industry throughout the country. Fred BIMEL continued active in the operation of this plant until his death and was in other ways active in the development of the general business interests of the city of his adoption the handsome BIMEL block, erected in 1896-98, at the corner of Main and Meridian streets being, in addition to the wheel works, one of the standing local monuments to his public spirit. He established the first waterworks plant and the first electric light plant at Portland and was one of the chief promoters of the C. B. & C. railroad which reached Portland about twenty years ago. Fred BIMEL died on October 2, 1912, and at his passing left a good memory. As noted above, his widow survives and is still making her home at Portland, where she is very comfortably situated. It was on September 14, 1880, not long after taking up his residence in Portland, that Fred BIMEL was united in marriage to Margaret G. KELSEY, who also was born at St. Marys, Ohio, and to that union were born seven children, five of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having three sisters, Lelia, Hazel and Bernice, and a brother Frederick BIMEL. Reared at Portland, Carl BIMEL was graduated from the high school in that city and then took a course in mechanical engineering at Purdue University, following this by a business course in the university at Valparaiso, Ind. From the days of his youth he had been interested in the operation of his father's industrial plant at Portland and after leaving college and in order further to familiarize himself with the technical details of factory operation spent a year in a large spoke factory in the South. He then returned home and in 1910 became actively engaged with his father in the operation of the BIMEL wheel works at Portland. When his father died in 1912 Mr. BIMEL took over the general management of the plant and upon the reorganization of the operating company was elected president of the company and has since served in that executive capacity, during this time doing much to extend the operations of the plant until now the BIMEL products are regarded as standards in their line. Mr. BIMEL is a Scottish Rite Mason and is a member of the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which latter organization his father also was a member. On June 4, 1913, Carl BIMEL was united in marriage to Louine MILLER and to this union one child has been born, a son, Carl, Jr.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.54-55. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Charles F. BIRCH, Sr., proprietor of the Dunkirk Mold Works, of Dunkirk, and one of the best known manufacturers of that city, whose molds for glass factories find a market not only in this country but in England and France, has been a resident of Dunkirk for the past twenty-five years or more and has thus long been thoroughly identified with the industrial life of that city. He was born at Wheeling, W. Va., November 2, 1847, son of George and Jane ( JACKSON ) BIRCH, the latter of whom was born on Long Island, New York. George BIRCH was a native of England, who was early trained to the craft of glass cutting and who for some time owned his own establishment in this line, for many years following this vocation at Wheeling. He and his wife were the parents of five children, all now deceased save the subject of this sketch, the third in order of birth, the others having been John, George, Mary and Robert. Charles F. BIRCH was reared at Wheeling, in the schools of which city he received his schooling and also took a course in bookkeeping. When fifteen years of age he began working in the shops of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company at Wheeling, where he learned the machinist's trade and where he remained for five years, at the end of which time, in the winter of 1867, he then being twenty years of age, he entered the establishment of Hobbs, Brockunier & Co. at Wheeling and took up' the trade of mold maker, in which he soon became very proficient. Mr. BIRCH remained with this firm for twenty years, or until 1887, when he transferred his connection to the Nickleplate Glass Company at Fostoria, Ohio. This firm was merged with the United States Glass Company in 1889 and he continued with the new combination until 1895, in which year he came to Indiana and located at Dunkirk, which ever since has been his home. The Ohio Flint Glass Company had engaged Mr. BIRCH as foreman of the mold department of its plant at Dunkirk and he continued thus engaged until the plant was destroyed by fire in 1900, after which he was given charge of the mold department of the Marring-Hart Glass Company at Dunkirk, a connection he retained until 1916, in which year he established himself in business as proprietor of the Dunkirk Mold Works, a concern which has been a success from the start. As noted above, Mr. BIRCH manufactures molds for glass works not only in the United States but in France and England and has created one of Dunkirk's thriving and substantial industrial plants, the demand for the products of his skill keeping a considerable force constantly employed. Mr. BIRCH has been thrice married. On December 5, 1867, he was united in marriage to Mary A. TURNBULL, who was born at Steubenville, Ohio, and of the children born to that union four are living, namely: Ida M., who married Edward WILLIAMS, a farmer of Ohio, and has two children, Clara and Jane WILLIAMS; Edna T., who married Otis HARROUN, also an Ohio farmer, and has two children; Charles F., Jr., who is now engaged in the mold business at Lancaster, Ohio, and who married Sadie CHRISTIE and has two children, Earl and Eloise; and Isaac T., unmarried, who is living at Huntington, W. Va., where he also is engaged in the mold business. Mrs. Mary A. BIRCH died on July 3, 1894, and on February 29, 1896, Mr. BIRCH married Eva FRAZIER, who died in 1897. On December 23, 1897, Mr. BIRCH married Emma A. ALLEN, who was born in Ohio, daughter of Ephraim and Sarah ( TAYLOR ) ALLEN, but who was reared and educated in Jay county. Mr. BIRCH is a Republican. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Dunkirk and of the Hartford City lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.172-173. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Mary A. BIRD Mary Ann BIRD, daughter of Daniel and Sarah E. ( CURRENT ) BIRD, was born December 27, 1853, in Henry county Indiana, where she lived with her parents until they moved to a farm in Jay county in 1861, where little Mary went to school in a log house, one mile north of her father`s home, always walking except when the road was to bad, then her father would take her on a horse behind him, to the school house. When she was ten years old, her parents moved to Redkey ( Mt. Vernon) where they had their home for three years. Here Mary went to school in a little frame school house on the ground now occupied by the large high school building. She went to Methodist meetings and Sunday school in the same school house. In one of the meetings she joined the M. E. church when about eleven years old. It was the first time the Lord ever impressed on her heart that she was a sinner and that she needed the cleansing power of Jesus to save her soul, and she then began to pray for a clean heart. It was about three years afterwards that the Lord answered her prayers and spoke peace to her soul, at a meeting held in the new school house that had been built one mile north of her father's farm, for they had again removed to the farm. It was through the influence of praying parents that she was brought to Christ early in life. On January 4, 1872, Mary A. BIRD was united in marriage to Harvey BOWEN, son of William and Rebecca ( EVANS ) BOWEN, of near Dunkirk, Indiana. They lived very happy together in the house with his parents, having bought a part of the old homestead, land entered by Harvey`s father many years before. They lived in the house with his parents as long as the latter lived and the relationship of the two families was always congenial, never having any harsh or unkind words. On October 10, 1899, Harvey, too was taken away and Mary had to give up her husband, the first time that death entered her family circle;. Harvey BOWEN was converted in a camp meeting at Albany, Indiana, in the fall of 1871, and lived a very devoted Christian life. He was a class leader in Kingsley M. E. church, when he died. To them were born four sons and one daughter. The father lived to see three eldest sons converted to Christ and when the daughter and youngest son were old enough they gave their hearts to Jesus. In November 1895, Earl the second son, was rabbit hunting and laid his gun against a log to stoop down and look for the rabbit, when he raised up he drew the gun towards him to start in a hurry, the gun went off, shooting his left arm so badly injuring it that it had to be amputated six inches below the shoulder. He entered the high school at Dunkirk in 1896, and graduated in 1900. In 1902, having sold her land in Blackford county, near Dunkirk, Mary BOWEN bought a farm in Jay county near where two brothers had previously purchased homes for themselves, and they are all comfortably situated close together on the Salamonia river. Though five miles from Pennville and six miles from Portland, the county seat, they have daily communication with the world by the free rural mail delivery and the telephone system. The children are all married now except Ray, the youngest son who is seventeen years old and living with his mother on the farm. The married children have all settled on farms in CURRENT style around the parental home. Children of Harvey and Mary A. Bowen: Glenn Clifton, born October 21, 1876, died July 29, 1961; Arthur Earl, born March 30, 1880, died September 22, 1955; William Russell, born December 12, 1883, died January 8, 1956; Orilla May, born October 23, 1885, died August 19, 1980; Floyd Raymond, born August 9, 1888, died April 4, 1958

GROVER BISHOP, cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Portland, former clerk of the Jay Circuit Court, and long recognized as one of the most active young business men of Portland, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life, formerly and for some years a member of the excellent teaching staff of this county. Mr. BISHOP was born on a farm in Bearcreek township on Febniary 1, 1885, and is a son of Adam D. and Rosa M. ( STONE ) BISHOP, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families, the former born in Bearcreek township and the latter in Noble township. Adam D. BISHOP is the owner of an excellent farm of 160 acres in Bearcreek township, the original entry to which was made by his father during the Van Buren administration. To him and his wife were born three children, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Ward BISHOP, of Portland, and a sister, Mrs. Myrtle F. WILCOX, of Richmond, Ind. Grover BISHOP was reared on the home farm in Bearcreek township and his early schooling was received at the Antiville school house. This he supplemented by attendance at the Marion Normal School for a year and a half and then he began to teach school. Mr. BISHOP taught two years at the Antiville school, one year at Burr Oak and one year of the eighth grade at Bryant, and then he became engaged in the insurance business, to which he gave his attention for three years, at the end of which time he accepted the appointment of deputy to the clerk of the Jay Circuit Court, a position he occupied for eight years or until his election to the office of clerk of .court in 1916. Upon the completion of his four years term of service as county clerk Mr. BISHOP became associated with the local affairs of the R. L. Dollings Investment Company and was thus connected until in November, 1921, when he was elected cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Portland, the position he now occupies. On December 24, 1904, Grover BISHOP was united in marriage to Bonnie SPADE, who also was born and reared in Bearcreek township, this county, a member of one of the old families in that part of the county, daughter of George R. and Mary ( MILLER ) SPADE, and to this union three children have been born, Frances, Dick and Ralph, the former of whom is a member of the class of 1924, Portland high school. Mr. and Mrs. BISHOP are members of the Presbyterian church and are Democrats. Mr. BISHOP is a member of the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.70-71. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Vernon E. BLAKELY, tailor and dealer in men's furnishings at Redkey and a veteran of the World war, has been a resident of this community since the days of his boyhood. He was born at Celina, Ohio, March 22, 1895, and is a son of James and Ida BLAKELY, who were afterward residents of Peru, Huntington and Redkey, this state. It was thus that Vernon E. BLAKELY received his schooling at these several towns. He was graduated from the Redkey schools and for some time afterward was variously engaged until in 1913, when he became engaged at Redkey in the business which now engages his attention and in which he has been quite successful. He started in a small way, opening a shop for cleaning and pressing and taking orders for "made-to-measure" clothes for men, and in 1914 put in a general line of men's furnishings, and was thus engaged when the United States took a part in the World war. In June, 1918, Mr. BLAKELY entered the service of the United States army and closed his store. He was attached to Company A of the 337th Battalion, Tank Corps, and with this command served for six months overseas. He received his discharge on May 22, 1919, and straightway returned to Redkey, where he resumed that department of his neglected business relating to orders for made-to-measure clothes and was thus engaged until in June, 1920, when he was enabled to start in business at his present location with a general line of men's furnishing goods in connection with his tailoring establishment and is doing well. Mr. BLAKELY is an active member of Ralph Williamson Post, No. 238, of the American Legion, and is also affiliated with the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias (No. 383) at Redkey. He is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs. On September 15, 1915, Vernon E. BLAKELY was united in marriage to Clara M. WRIGHT, who was born at Pennville, this county, daughter of Mack and Pearl WRIGHT, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Helen Joyce, born on December 27, 1920. Mr. and Mrs. BLAKELY have a pleasant home at Redkey and take a proper part in the general social activities of the community. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.157-158. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

William J. BONE, who died at his pleasant farm home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Bryant on December 30, 1921, and who was one of the best known farmers and stockmen in Jay county and formerly and for years one of the leading figures in the development of the oilfields in this county, was a native son of Jay county and all his life was spent here. Mr. BONE was born on a farm in Bearcreek township on February 6, 1856, and was a son of Henry and Margaret (BURCH) BONE, both of whom were born in Ohio, the former in Greene county and the latter in Mercer county. Henry BONE became a resident of Jay county about the year 1840. He was trained as a wagon maker and for some time followed that vocation, but later gave his whole attention to farming and was the owner of a farm of 110 acres in Bearcreek township, where he long resided. He was twice married. By his first wife, Elizabeth PINGERY, daughter of John PINGERY, of Bearcreek township, he had three children, John, George and Mary, all now deceased. By his second wife, Margaret BURCH, he had five children, those besides the subject; of this memorial sketch being Sarah, Lewis D., Flora T., and Robert F. Reared on the home farm in Bearcreek township, William J. BONE received his schooling in the old Bloomfield schoolhouse and as a young man. began to "do for himself," working as a farm hand in the neighborhood. For about four years he was thus engaged and then he rented the home place and for two years operated the same. He then bought a tract of sixty acres in Bearcreek township and established his home on that place, in time becoming the owner of 200 acres of excellent land in that township. Upon the opening of the oil field in this region Mr. BONE became one of the most active figures in that amazing development and for years was recognized as one of the leading oil men hereabout, at one time having been the owner of no fewer than thirty-eight producing oil wells, ten of which he drilled himself. Some time ago Mr. BONE sold all his wells and leases and retired from active participation in the oil development. He also rented his farm arid his last days were spent in quiet retirement, his death occurring on December 30, 1921, he then being in his sixty-fifth year. Mr. BONE was a Republican and had ever taken an interested part in the general political affairs of the community, but had not been a seeker after public office. His widow is a member of the Christian church. In July, 1880, William J. BONE was united in marriage to Polly B. CARLEY, who was born in Wayne township, this county, daughter of Elijah. and Rachel (POLEN) CARLEY, and to this union six children were born, James A., Luther H., Addie B., Earl C., Olen G. and Iven, all of whom are married save the last named, who is still at home. James A. BONE, who is now the proprietor of the Hotel Wescott barber shop at Richmond, Ind. [Wayne Co.], married Reva SISK and has been a resident of Richmond for some years. Luther H. BONE, who married Ethel HAMMITT and is living in Bearcreek township, is the guager for the Indiana Oil Company. Addie B. BONE married James FIFER, who is now employed as a clerk in the offices of the G. R. & L railroad at Kendallville, Ind.[ De Kalb Co.], and has one child, a son, Leon. Earl C. BONE, a veteran of the World war, married Clara GROSS and is now engaged as manager of the "When" store at Richmond, Ind. He enlisted for service in April, 1917, and served for nearly two years, or until his discharge in March, 1919, much of this period of service having been spent overseas. Olen G. BONE married Anna McCROSKEY and is now living at Newcastle, Ind.[Henry Co.], where he is employed as a barber in the Hotel Bundy barber shop. Iven BONE is making his home with his mother on the farm in Bearcreek township.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.418-419. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Francis M. BONHAM. formerly and for years a well known timber buyer of this county and former assistant postmaster at Bryant, where his death occurred in the spring of 1900, was widely known throughout this section of Indiana and at his passing left a good memory. Mr. BONHAM was a ''Buckeye" by birth. but a Hoosier by adoption and choice, a resident of Indiana from the days of his boyhood, and had done well his part in the common life of the community. lie was born in Perry county, Ohio. and was but a lad when he came with his parents to Indiana, the family settling in Blackford county, where he was reared and where he received Ins schooling. He was reared on a farm and after his marriage began farming on his own account, renting the old home farm in Blackford county from his father's estate. For ten years he was thus engaged and then he moved to Grant county, where he operated a general store for five years, at the end of which time he moved to Upland (Grant county, Indiana) and opened a drug store. That was in 1871 and he continued in business at Upland until 1879, In which year he moved back to Blackford county and resumed farming. Two years later, in 1881, Mr. BONHAM came to Jay county and located at Bryant, where he became engaged as timber buyer for this section for Hoffman Bros., of Fort Wayne. That was in the days when the timber industry was the big thing throughout this section and Mr. BONHAM became one of the best known timber men hereabout. He continued in that line until the timber was pretty well worked out through this section and then he was variously engaged until 1897 when he was appointed assistant postmaster at Bryant. In this latter capacity Mr. BONHAM served until his death, which occurred on April 28, 1900, he then being sixty-three years of-age. His widow is still living at Bryant, being now in her eighty-fourth year. She and her husband had seven children, four of whom are still living, namely: Luther BONHAM, of Warren, Ohio; Mrs. Clara SISK, of Bryant; Charles W. M. BONHAM, of Vicksburg, Mich., and Miss Emma BONHAM, assistant cashier of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Bryant. The late Francis M. BONHAM was a member of the Masonic order during the time of his residence at Upland and was a past noble grand of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Upland. By political inclination he was an ardent Republican and had ever given a good citizen's . attention to local civic affairs. Mrs. BONHAM and Miss Emma BONHAM are members of the Lutheran church at Bryant.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.190-191. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

John BONIFAS, former auditor of Jay county, who is now manager and cashier of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Bryant, this county, one of the best known business men in the county, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. BONIFAS was born on a farm in Wabash township on November 8, 1874, and is a son of Jacob and Pauline ( REINHART ) BONIFAS, the latter of whom was born in Seneca county, Ohio. Jacob BONIFAS was a European, born in the grand duchy of Luxemburg, who had come to America when twenty-two years of age and had located in this county, establishing his home in Wabash township after his marriage and developing there a fine farm of 150 acres. He and his wife were the parents of thirteen children, all of whom are living save Henry, the others besides the subject of this sketch being Peter, Mary, Regina, Edward, Joseph, Clara, August, Philip, Ludvena, Frank and Ursula. Reared on the home farm in Wabash township, John BONIFAS received his early schooling in the district schools of that neighborhood and supplemented this by a course in the old Portland Normal College, after which he began teaching school and was thus engaged for ten years, his service in that connection mainly being rendered in the schools of his home township. While thus engaged Mr. BONIFAS continued his studies during summer courses, and attended variously the Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio, a business college at Nashville, Tenn., Valparaiso University, and finished the scientific course at the Tri-State College at Angola, Ind. In the meanwhile he had been giving a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs and after ten years of teaching was appointed deputy county auditor by W. Lee Smith, then auditor of the county, and served in that capacity for eight years, at the end of which time he was elected county auditor and in the succeeding election was re-elected, thus serving two terms as auditor. On January 1, 1920, Mr. BONIFAS entered upon his present service as manager and cashier .of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Bryant. This bank serves a wide territory in the northern part of Jay county and in the neighboring county of Adams and since its organization has proved a great convenience to the community it thus serves. The bank is capitalized at $25,000 and its surplus equals its capital. Its officers are as follows: President, H. W. HUCKREIDE; vice-president, J. F. ARNOLD; cashier, John BONIFAS; assistant cashier, Emma BONHAM, the directors, in addition to Messrs. HUCKREIDE, ARNOLD and BONIFAS being W. S. FRANK, Joseph MINCH, Charles E. SCHWARTZ and James R. FLEMING. Mr. BONIFAS is a Democrat and he and his family are members of the Catholic church at Portland. He also is a member of the Union City council of the Knights of Columbus, the New Corydon court of the Order of Foresters and the Portland aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. In May, 1898, John BONIFAS was united in marriage to Helena BRICHER, of this county, and to this union have been born seven children, namely: Urban, who is a member of the class of 1922 of the law school of Georgetown University, Washington, D. C.; Beulah, who was graduated from the Portland high school with the class of 1921; Pauline, who is a member of the class of 1923, Portland high school, and Charles, Helen, Mary and John, Jr. Mrs. BONIFAS was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, and was twelve years of age when she came to this county with her parents, Henry and Mary ( DELL ) BRICHER, the family settling in Wabash township. Henry BRICHER and wife were the parents of seven children, six of whom are living, Mrs. BONIFAS having two brothers, Charles and Nicholas BRICHER, and three sisters, Rose, Gertrude and Stella BRICHER. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.245-246. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Henry W. BORTNER, cashier of the bank of Redkey and former superintendent of the Redkey schools, is a "Buckeye" by birth but has been a resident of Indiana since the days of his childhood and of Jay county for more than twenty years, or since he was called to the schools of Redkey in 1900. Mr. BORTNER was born at West Point, Ohio, January 11, 1862, and is a son of George W. and Sarah A. ( RUHL ) BORTNER, who not long after the date here given became residents of Indiana. George W. BORTNER was born in Little York, Pa., in 1819, and was seven years of age when his parents moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio and settled in Morrow county, where they had a quarter section of land. On that pioneer farm he grew to manhood, remaining there until he was twenty-five years of age. He married in Ohio and continued to live in that state until 1865, when he came with his family to Indiana and settled on a farm in Noble county. In 1871, he moved to Randolph county and there made his home for some years, at the end of which time he moved back into Ohio and located in Darke county, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on May 13, 1888. Henry W. BORTNER was nine years of age when his parents moved to Randolph county and his early schooling was received in the schools of that county. He supplemented this by attendance for one term each at the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio; the Central Normal School at Danville, Ind., and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and in 1887, began teaching school in Randolph county. For fourteen years Mr. BORTNER continued associated with the schools of that county, his concluding work there being done in the Ridgeville schools, in which he served for one year as principal of the high school and three years as superintendent of schools. In 1900, Mr. BORTNER was called up into Jay county to accept the principalship of the high school at Redkey and for four years he served in that capacity and then was appointed superintendent of the city schools, in which capacity he served for six years, or until 1910, in which year he accepted a position as assistant cashier of the Bank of Redkey and left the schoolroom after nearly twenty-five years of faithful service. In 1915, Mr. BORTNER was elected cashier of the Bank of Redkey and has since served in that capacity, one of the best known bankers in this part of the state. Mr. BORTNER is an elder in the Presbyterian church at Portland and is a Democrat, a Freemason and an Odd Fellow. On August 6, 1891, Henry W. BORTNER was united in marriage to Mary H. CORY, who was born in Indiana, daughter of Michael and Louisa CORY, of Delaware county, and to this union were born three children, but one of whom, Ralph, survives, the other having died in infancy. Ralph BORTNER was born at Ridgeville on May 20, 1897, and was thus three years of age when his parents moved to Redkey. He supplemented the schooling received in the Redkey public schools by a course in the Indiana Business College at Muncie and is now attending LaSalle Extension University at Chicago. Mrs. Mary H. ( CORY ) BORTNER died at Asheville, N. C., on October 28, 1918, at the age of fifty-four years, and is buried in Hill Crest cemetery at Redkey.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.141. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

John H. BOTKIN, of the firm of Martin & Botkin, clothing merchants at Portland, and one of the best known figures in the commercial life of Jay county, was born in the neighboring county of Randolph on October 17, 1856, and is a son of Samuel T. and Martha A. ( BIRD ) BOTKIN, the former of whom was born in that same county, a member of one of the pioneer families there, and the latter in Henry county, this state. Samuel T. BOTKIN completed his schooling in the normal school at Muncie, walking weekly the twenty-eight miles from his home to that city and carrying with him provisions sufficient for the week, and upon leaving school became engaged in the mercantile business, a vocation he followed all his active life. He started in as a clerk in a store at Huntsville, in Randolph county, later as a clerk in a store at Farmland, and presently became engaged in business for himself at Farmland, and there spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1896. He and his wife were the parents of five children, three of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Edward and Dr. W. J. BOTKIN. Reared at Farmland, John H. BOTKIN received his schooling in the schools of that place and in 1876, he then being twenty years of age, engaged in the mercantile business at Redkey in association with J. S. Davis. He remained at Redkey until 1884 when he went to Winchester to take charge of a store in that city and there remained for two years, at the end of which time he returned to Farmland and after two years of further business experience there became employed in the store of Cartwright & Headington at Portland. For twenty-six years Mr. BOTKIN retained this connection or until 1916, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Martin, under the firm name of Martin & Botkin, and engaged in the clothing and general gents' furnishing business at Portland and is still thus occupied. Mr. BOTKIN is a Republican and is a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Country Club at Portland. He and his family have a pleasant home and take an interested part in the city's general social activities. Mr. BOTKIN married Virginia E. DOUGHERTY and to this union were born four daughters, Mabel, Ethel, Opal and Hazel, the first named of whom is the wife of L. N. DeVORE. Ethel BOTKIN married Roland C. STREETER and has two children, Virginia and Mary Frances STREETER. BIRD, BOTKIN, DeVORE, DOUGHERTY, STREETER SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.223. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

William BOUSE, a well known and substantial farmer of Penn township, proprietor of a well kept farm on rural mail route No. 4 out of Bryant, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. BOUSE was born on a farm in Penn township on July 9, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Frances Jane ( GASKILL ) BOUSE, both of whom were born in Ohio, where they were married. Not long after his marriage Joseph BOUSE came over into Indiana and made his home on a farm which he rented in Penn township, Tay county. That was in 1867, and he made his home there the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1880. His widow survived him many years, her death occurring in 1917. They were the parents of thirteen children, eight of whom are living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Sarah, Martha, Lemuel, Nathan, James, Rebecca and Mary Ellen. Reared on the home farm in Penn township, William BOUSE received his schooling in the neighborhood schools. He was twelve years of age when his father died and he thus early was thrown largely on his own resources. He worked as a farm hand until his marriage when he rented a farm in Penn township and began farming on his own account, continuing thus engaged until he took up work in the oil fields, a form of activity which he followed until 1904, when he bought a tract of nineteen acres of land and again started in farming. His affairs prospered and he has enlarged his holdings until now he and his son Frederick are the owner? of a well improved place of eighty-one acres and are doing well, gradually extending their operations each year. Mr. BOUSE and his wife are members of the Friends church and he is treasurer of the congregation. In his political views he is independent. William BOUSE married Bertha SHINN, a daughter of 0. W. and Martha ( DAULEY ) SHINN, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Fred, who married Edna McCULLOUGH and has three children, William, Gerald and Ruth; Ray, who married Cora BAKER; Harold, who married Carrie HANCHAN and has one child, a daughter, Juanita, and Nellie, who is unmarried and is at home with her parents. The BOUSE's have a pleasant home and have ever taken an interested part in the community's general social activities. BAKER, BOUSE, DAULEY, GASKILL, HANCHAN, McCULLOUGH, SHINN SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.211-212. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Thomas BOWLER, one of Jackson township's well known and substantial farmers and landowners, has been a resident of this county since the days of his boyhood. He was born at Hartford City, in the neighboring county of Blackford, in June, 1870, and is the son and only child of John W. and Mary ( KARNEY ) BOWLER, the latter of whom was a member of one of the pioneer families of Jay county. John W. BOWLER was a native of Ireland and a veteran of the Civil war. He was born in 1829 and was but a boy when he came to this country, locating in Indiana, where he was living when the Civil war broke out. He at once enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and went to the front as a member of the 17th regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served until incapacitated by a bullet wound in the leg which crippled him permanently. Upon his return from the army he located at Hartford City and while living there was married. He continued to make his home there for some years and then came over into Jay county and established his home on a farm in Jackson township owned by his father-in-law and there he lived until his retirement and removal to the National Soldiers Home at Dayton, Ohio, where his last days were spent. Thomas BOWLER was but a lad when he came with his parents over into Jay county and he grew to manhood on the farm in Jackson township) receiving' his schooling in the neighborhood schools. He inherited the farm of 118 acres on which he is now living in that township and after his marriage when twenty-five years of age established his home there. In addition to his general farming Mr. BOWLER has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done well. He has a good farm plant and he and his family are very comfortably situated. He is a Democrat and is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Geneva. It was in 1895 that Thomas BOWLER was united in marriage to Mary C. TELLIS, who was born in this county, a daughter of Isaac and Jane TELLIS, and to this union eleven children have been born, Clyde, Mary C., Hazel, Grace, Dolly, Clarence, Cecil, Charles, May, Cora and Clem, the first four of whom are married. Clyde BOWLER married Ruth GLENDENNING and is now living in Illinois. He has one child, a daughter, Madeline. Mary C. BOWLER married Walter CROWELL and has two children. Wendell and Jeannette CROWELL. Hazel BOWLER married Raymond OGAN and has one child, a son, William OGAN, and Grace BOWLER married Warner HUNT. SOURCE, History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. I, pp.262. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Charles F. BRAGG, proprietor of "Clover Leaf Farm" in Pike township and one of the best known agriculturists in that part of the county, formerly and for years a teacher in the public schools, was born in the neighboring county of Randolph but has been quite content to put in his lot with that of the people of Jay county. Mr. BRAGG was born on a farm in Jackson township, Randolph county, Indiana, February 2, 1873, and is a son of Wesley and Mary E. (MILLER) BRAGG, both of whom were members of pioneer families in that part of the state. Wesley BRAGG was born in Ward township, Randolph county, a son of Ephraim BRAGG, who had come up into Indiana from Tennessee in 1820 and had entered from the Government a quarter section of land in Ward township, in Randolph county, where he established his home, made a good farm and spent the remainder of his life, one of the useful and influential pioneers of that section. On that pioneer farm Wesley BRAGG grew to manhood, being well trained in the ways of farming. When twenty-one years of age he went over into Grant county with the expectation of settling there, but after two years returned to Randolph county and for five years thereafter was engaged in working the home place. He then bought a tract of eighty acres in Jackson township, same county, and on this place established his home and spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there in 1897. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, all of whom save one, Sarah, are living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Daniel, Austin, Samantha, Ephraim, Lewis, John and Theodore. Reared on the home farm in Randolph county, Charles F. BRAGG supplemented the schooling received in the local schools by a course in the Central Normal School at Danville, Ind., and early became engaged in teaching, a vocation he followed for fifteen years, teaching during- the winters and farming during the summers. He married when twenty-five years of age and then made his home on a farm of seventy-five acres which he had bought in the neighborhood of his old home, and there he remained until 1914, when he disposed of his farm in Randolph county and moved up into Jay county, buying here the eighty-acre place, "Clover Leaf Farm" in Pike township, where he since has made his home and where lie and his family are quite comfortably situated, this place being on rural mail route No. 4 out of Ridgeville. It was on June 18, 1898, that Charles F. BRAGG was united in marriage to Ada CRAIG, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, and to this union have been born three children, Orval, Merl and Beatrice. Mr. and Mrs. BRAGG are members of the Reformed church at New Pittsburg and are Democrats. Mr. BRAGG is a member of the Saratoga camp of the Modern Woodmen. He has a well equipped farm plant and is carrying on his operations in up-to-date fashion.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.413. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

David E. BRADLEY, one of Greene township's well known farmers and landowners, was born in that township and has lived there most of his life. Mr. BRADLEY was born on March 5, 1865, and is a son of Ben R, and Mary ( REED ) BRADLEY, well known in the community in their generation. Ben R. BRADLEY was a Pennsylvanian who came to Jay county when a young man and here spent the remainder of his life. He was a trained blacksmith and harness maker, but upon coming to this county bought an eighty-acre farm in Greene township with a view to becoming a farmer, but not long afterward left the farm and moved to the village of New Mt. Pleasant to resume work at his trade. A year later he moved to Portland and there set up an establishment on Meridian street in which he carried on his business for eight years, at the end of which time he returned to Greene township and bought a farm of 131 acres on which he spent the rest of his life. He and his wife were the parents of five children, of whom two are still living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, John BRADLEY. There were two other brothers, James and George, and a sister, Ellen, now deceased. David E. BRADLEY received his schooling in the Portland schools and the schools of Greene township and grew up well trained to the ways of the farm. He married at the age of twenty-one and then began farming on his own account, renting a farm for three years, at the end of. which time he moved to a tract of thirty acres belonging to his wife. Some time later he left the farm and moved to Portland, where he remained for eight years, working at the carpenter trade and for some time engaged in the grocery business. He then returned to Greene township and was for five years engaged in farming his mother-in-law's farm. In 1905 Mr. BRADLEY bought the tract of eighty acres on which he is now living in that township and has since been farming there. Since taking possession of this place he has made numerous substantial improvements on the place and has an excellent farm plant, carrying on his operations in up-to-date fashion. It was on November 20, 1886, that David E. BRADLEY was united in marriage to Ida A. LORTON, who was born in the neighboring county of Randolph, daughter of Joseph O. and Martha J. LORTON. Mr. and Mrs. BRADLEY have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Portland and take a proper part in the community's general social activities. Mr. BRADLEY is a Democrat and is a member of the local lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose at Portland. SOURCE:History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.186-187. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Joseph T. BREWINGTON, trustee of Noble township and one of Jay county's well known and substantial farmers and landowners, proprietor of an excellent farm on rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland, is a native son of Jay county, a member of one of the pioneer families here, and has lived in this county all his life. Mr. BREWINGTON was born on a farm in Wayne township on December 13, 1859, and is a son of Elijah and Sarah ( KING ) BREWINGTON, the latter of whom was born in Pennsylvania and had become a resident of this county in the days of her girlhood. Elijah BREWINGTON was born in Maryland and was about sixteen years of age when he came to Indiana with his parents, John C. BREWINGTON and wife, in 1847, the family settling on a quarter section of land in Wayne and Noble townships, this county, where he grew to manhood and where in turn he established his home after his marriage and became one of the substantial citizens of that part of the county. He and his wife had two children, the subject of this sketch having had a sister, Elizabeth, who died at the age of twenty-five years. Reared on the home farm in Noble township, Joseph T. BREWINGTON received his schooling in the Bellefontaine schools and remained on the home farm until after his marriage when he established his home on the farm on which he is now living in that township and has since resided there. Since taking possession of this place Mr. BREWINGTON has made numerous improvements on the farm and has an excellent farm plant. He has 100 acres and in addition to his general farming has long given considerable attention to the raising of live stock. Mr. BREWINGTON is a Democrat and has ever given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs, for years having been looked upon as one of the leaders of his party in Noble township. In 1914 he was elected township trustee and so satisfactory did his administration of the affairs of that important office prove that he was re-elected in 1918 and is now serving his second four-year term in that office. Joseph T. BREWINGTON married Selma PAULDING, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, daughter of Charles and Tamsen ( LONGACRE ) PAULDING, and to this union three children have been born, namely: Charles, who died in infancy; Delee, who married Orlo GAGLE and has one child, a daughter, Geraldine GAGLE; and Gaynell, who died at the age of three years. Mr. and Mrs. BREWINGTON are members of the United Brethren church at Bellefontaine and Mr. BREWINGTON has long been an office bearer in the church, a present member of the board of trustees of the same.SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.163-164. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Wilber W. BRINCKERHOOF, a well known and progressive young farmer of Noble township and proprietor of a well kept farm on rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. Mr. BRINCKERHOOF was born on December 29, 1894, and is a son of Samuel and Harriet A. ( HEARN ) BRINCKERHOOF, the latter of whom was born in that same township, a member of one of the pioneer families of Noble township, and completed her schooling by attendance at old Liber College for three years. Samuel BRINCKERHOOF was born in Mercer county, Ohio, and was but four years of age when he came with his parents to Jay county, where he received his schooling and grew to manhood. He followed farming and carpentering and became the owner of an eighty-acre farm in Noble township, the place on which his son Wilber now lives and thirty-eight acres of which he still owns. Mr. BRINCKERHOOF also was for some years engaged as an appraiser in behalf of the Jay County Mutual Fire Insurance Company. To him and his wife were born five children, four of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Richard E. and Clarence E. BRINCKERHOOF, and a sister, Mary A. Reared on the home farm in Noble township, Wilber W. BRINCKERHOOF received his primary schooling in district No. 4 of that township and supplemented this by a four-year course in Huntington College at Huntington, Ind., and a course in the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute. Inboyhood he was well trained in the ways of the farm and after his marriage at the age of twenty-one began farming on his own account, renting the home place of eighty acres. A year later he moved from there and rented two neighboring farms, which he operated for two years, at the end of which time he moved back to the old home place, where he is now living, and bought forty-two acres of the tract, which he is now farming as well as the remainder of the eighty. In addition to his general farming Mr. BRINCKERHOOF is giving a good deal of attention to the raising of live stock for the market and is doing well. In his political allegiance he was an ardent Prohibitionist until the accomplishment of that party's objective and since then has been a supporter of the Democratic party. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church at Bellefontaine. On June 20, 1915, Wilber W. BRINCKERHOOF was united in marriage to Montez ADAMS, who was born in the neighboring county of Randolph, daughter of Rufus E. and Emma E. ADAMS, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Mary T., born on May 21, 1916, who died on May 19,1921.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.124-125. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Thomas S. BRISCOE was born in Kent County, Maryland, October 10,1828, his parents being Samuel E. and Margaret Elizabeth ( FRISBY ) BRISCOE. Both his grandfathers were ministers, his paternal grandfather an Episcopalian, and his mother's father a Methodist. His father was a farmer, and died September 9, 1871, at the age of sixty-three years, at Galena, Kent County, Maryland, and his mother died at Centerville, Queen Anne County, Maryland, in August, 1851, at the age of about forty-five or forty-six years. Mr. BRISCOE was brought up to the hard work of the farm; but in the prime of young manhood he betook himself to the study of law, and was admitted to the bar November 4, 1852, at Centerville, Maryland. The next year he emigrated West, locating in Lyons, Clinton County, Iowa, and practiced law there and at Clinton for ten years; in 1862 was mayor of Clinton. In 1863 he moved with his family to Linneus, Linn County, Missouri, and lived there until August 24, when his wife died. He next returned East, and in 1865-'66 was employed in the claim agency office of the noted S. S. COX. During the latter year he came to Indiana and settle in Fort Wayne, where he practiced law four years. Next, in the employ of J.C. BOWSER, he laid the ties on the railroad from Bluffton to Hartford City, completing the job in September, 1870. Locating in this city, he practiced law until he took editorial charge of the "Telegram" in July, 1886. He was the president of the board of trustees of Hartford City in 1873, and State Senator from 1878 to 1882. Although brought up an Episcopalian, he is not a member of any church. Was made an Odd Fellow in 1854. Mr. BRISCOE was first married April 14, 1854, to Margaret Anna MACLAY, of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth MACLAY. (It is a coincindence worth noticing that both her and her husband's parents were named respectively Samuel and Elizabeth.) Mrs. BRISCOE's grandfather,William MACLAY, was at one time a United States Senator. The children by Mr. BRISCOE's first marriage were -- E. F. J. B., born in 1855, and Fannie Mary, both of whom are teaching school at Wilmington, Delaware; and Samuel MACLAY, at present the publisher of the Hartford City "Telegram." Mrs.BRISCOE died, as already mentioned, and August 24, 1871, Mr. BRISCOE was again married, this time to Miss Rachel A. HENLEY, of this county, a daughter of John M. HENLEY, of Wheeling, Delaware County, Indiana. BOWSER, BRISCOE, COX, FRISBY, HENLEY, MACLAY SOURCE: p.305 "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana," Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1887. Reprinted by Mayhill Publications of Knightstown, Indiana, 1974. This is the reprinted Jay County section out of the original combined 1887 History of Jay and Blackford counties. Submitted to GenWeb by: Betty Creath rcreath@azstarnet.com

Reuben E. BROKAW, M. D., who died at his home in Portland in the summer of 1913 and whose widow is still living in that city, had for years been one of the best known physicians in Jay county and at his passing left a good memory. It therefore is but fitting that in a volume of biography such as this there should be carried some modest tribute to that memory. Doctor BROKAW was a native Hoosier and much of his life had been spent in this county. He was born in the neighboring county of Adams on May 18, 1868, son of William and Eliza ( YOUNG ) BROKAW, the latter of whom was born in the state of Pennsylvania. William BROKAW, who was born in Ohio, was a building contractor, who moved from Adams county to Portland during the '70's and was there engaged in building operations until 1890, when he moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio. Doctor BROKAW was the third in order of birth of the eight children born to the above parentage. He was but a lad when the family moved from Adams county to Portland and he was graduated from the Portland high school with the class of 1888. He then became a school teacher and was engaged in teaching for four years, at the end of which time he went to Cleveland, his parents having moved to that city in 1890, and entered the medical school of Western Reserve University, from which he was graduated in 1895. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor BROKAW was appointed house surgeon or interne at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital, Cleveland, his grade in the examination for this position having been the highest of the eight competitors seeking the post. In the spring of the following year the Doctor married and opened in Cleveland an office for the practice of his profession, remaining there until the fall of 1897 when he moved back to Portland, opened there an office and continued in practice in that city, with offices in the Cartright & Headington building, the rest of his life, his death occurring on July 27, 1913. Doctor BROKAW was a member of the Jay County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association and in the deliberations of these several organizations took a warm interest. He was a Scottish Rite Mason and a Knight Templar, was a Republican, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Portland, as is his widow. It was on April 1, 1896, that Dr. Reuben E. BROKAW was united in marriage to Mary Lillian STEVENSON, who was born in this county, and to this union two children were born, William B. and Mary G. William B. BROKAW was graduated from the department of electrical engineering with the class of 1921, Tri-State College, Angola, Ind. Mary G. BROKAW is living at Cleveland, Ohio, where she is connected with the dispensary of the Telling-Bell-Vernon Company. Mrs. BROKAW is a daughter of Robert and Emma ( BROWN ) STEVENSON, both of whom were born in this county, members of pioneer families here, and the former of whom formerly and for years operated a mill on the site now occupied by the J. A. Hood wholesale grocery house, at Portland. She was reared at Portland and after a course in the old normal school there took a two-years course at Earlham College, specializing there in art. Since the death of her husband Mrs. BROKAW has continued to make her home at Portland, where she is very pleasantly situated. Announcement was made in February, 1922, that she had deeded property at Portland valued at $10,000 or more to the Portland Masonic lodge as a memorial in honor of her late husband. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.193-194. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

William BROWN, one of the well known farmers and landowners of Jefferson township, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. Mr. BROWN was born on July 21, 1849, and is a son of Benjamin and Sarah ( NIXON ) BROWN, the latter of whom was a member of the pioneer Nixon family of this county, to which family further reference is made elsewhere in this work. Benjamin BROWN was born in Ohio, where he grew to manhood. As a young man he came over into Indiana and after his marriage established his home on an eighty-acre farm in Jefferson township, this county, and there spent the remainder of his life, one of the substantial farmers of that neighborhood. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, six of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, Jane and Elmeretta, and three brothers, Jacob, David and Andrew J. BROWN. Reared on the farm on which he was born, William BROWN received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and from the days of his boyhood was a helpful factor in the labors of developing the home place. He was married at the age of twenty-two and for two years thereafter, or until he was twenty-four years of age, continued to make his home there. He then bought a small farm of twenty-seven acres in Jefferson township and there made his home until his father's final invalidism, when he returned home to take charge of the home place. His father died a few months later and he then bought the old home farm, the place where he is now living, rural mail route No. 5 out of Portland, and has since resided on that place, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. BROWN has added to his holdings there and now has a well kept place of eighty-seven acres and an excellent farm plant. He is a Democrat and he and his wife are members of the Elm Grove Church of Christ. It was on December 31, 1871, that William BROWN was united in marriage to Elizabeth HOMER, of this county, and to this union three children have been born, namely: Sarah, who married William R. BECHDOLT, of this county and has five children, Marie, Leta, Royce, Lucile and Dee Lee BECHDOLT; Joseph, who is unmarried and who remains at home looking after the affairs of the farm, an aid to his father, and Howard, who married Ruth DERRY, of Illinois, and has three children, Robert, Amy and Nellie Elizabeth. Mrs. Elizabeth BROWN was born in York county, Pennsylvania, but has been a resident of this county since she was but a child, her parents, Samuel and Elizabeth HOMER, having moved to Jay county in April, 1855, and established their home in Greene township. A few years later Samuel HOMER moved with his family to Noble township and in this latter township spent the remainder of his life. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.255-256. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Burton BRUNSON, a member of the county council for Jay county and one of the best known and most substantial farmers and land owners of Jackson township, living at his pleasant home on rural mail route No. 3 out of Bryant, was born in that township, a member of one of the pioneer families of Jay county, and has lived there all his life. Mr. BRUNSON was born on July 5, 1874, and is a son of Albert and Minerva J. (ROONEY) BRUNSON, both of whom were born in Ohio, the latter in Greene county, whence came so many of the early settlers of Jay county, and of whom further mention is made elsewhere in this work. Albert BRUNSON was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and when twelve years of age came with his parents, Timothy and Sarah (JONES) BRUNSON, to Indiana, the family settling in 1857 in Jackson township, tills county, and early becoming recognized as among the useful and influential members of that community. The BRUNSON's are of English descent and of old Colonial stock, Timothy BRUNSON's father having been a soldier of the Revolution, took part in the battles of Bunker Hill and Lexington, suffered with others of the patriot army during the dreadful winter at Valley Forge and was with Washington at the battle of Brandywine. Albert BRUNSON grew to manhood on the home farm in Jackson township, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools, and was living there when the Civil war broke out. In 1864 he enlisted in response to the call for ninety-day service and was attached to Company B of the 138th regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which be served until mustered out in the following September. Upon his return from the army he resumed his place on the farm and lived there until his marriage in 1867, after which he made his home on a rented farm in that same neighborhood, the place on which his son Burton is now living, and presently bought the place, continuing to make that his place of residence the remainder of his life, his death occurring on July 6, 1920. Mr. BRUNSON was a good farmer and became the owner of a half section of land, which he had developed in admirable shape. He was an earnest: Republican, long regarded as one of the leaders of that party in Jackson township, and for twenty years served the public as justice of the peace in and for his home township, as Squire BRUNSON being widely known for the justice of such rulings as he was called upon to make m his magisterial capacity. Squire BRUNSON and his wife were the parents of five children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Josephine, Harry, of whom further mention is made elsewhere, Jennie and Essie, the last named of whom died on February 2, 1894. Burton BRUNSON was reared on the home farm in Jackson township and received his schooling in the neighborhood schools. From the days of his boyhood he was helpful in the labors of the farm, and after his marriage rented a portion of the home place from his father and established his home there, the place on which he has since resided. He now owns 160 acres in that township and has an admirably equipped farm plant, his operations being- carried on in accordance with modern methods. Mr. BRUNSON is a Republican and is the present member of the county council from his district. He is a Freemason, a member of and present senior warden of the local lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons at Bryant, and is a past master of the local grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. On September 8, 1894, Burton BRUNSON was united in marriage to Myrtle SISK daughter of J. L. and Anna (LUCAS) SISK, of this county, and to this union were born seven children, all of whom are living, save lrma, who died in 1910, the others being Wayne, Merle, Milo, James C., Anna Irene and Willard. Wayne BRUNSON married Cora RUPEL and has three children, Lillian, Clyde and Richard. Merle BRUNSON married Hazel JONES and has two children, Helen Marie and James Edmond. Milo BRUNSON married Ethel DYSOM and has one child, a daughter, Mary. Mrs. Myrtle SISK BRUNSON died on June 4, 1921. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and had ever taken an interested part in the work of the church. The BRUNSON's have a delightful home and have hospitably participated in the promotion of the community's social activities. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.350-351. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Harry BRUNSON, one of Greene township's best known and most progressive farmers, proprietor of an excellent farm on rural mail route No. 1 out of Portland, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. BRUNSON was born on a farm in Jackson township on September., 3, 1876, and is a son of Albert and Minerva ( ROONEY ) BRUNSON, both of whom were born in Ohio, the former in Montgomery county and the latter in Clinton county, and of whom further mention is made elsewhere in this volume, Albert BRUNSON having come here with his parents from Ohio in the days of his boyhood, the BRUNSON's having settled here in the days before the Civil war period. Reared on the home farm in Jackson township, Harry BRUNSON received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and from the days of his boyhood was helpful in the work of his father's farm. After his marriage he bought a tract of eighty acres and on that farm made his home for five years, at the end of which time he sold it and bought a farm of 102 acres in Greene township, the place on which he is now living, and has farmed there since 1911. Since taking possession of that place Mr. BRUNSON not only has made extensive improvements in the way of modernizing his farm plant but has increased his land holdings until now he is the owner of 162 acres, a part of which lies in Jackson township, and is well situated. In addition to his general farming he has been giving considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done well. Mr. BRUNSON is a Republican and is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Portland. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church. Harry BRUNSON married Elma WALTER, daughter of Noah and Nancy ( FELLERS ) WALTER, of Greene township, further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this work, and to this union six children have been born, Donald, Laurence, Gladys, Ethel, Raymond and Earl.. The BRUNSON's have a very pleasant home and take an interested part in the general social activities of the community in which they live. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.194-195. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

GUY BRYAN, proprietor of the "Made Well" bakery at Portland, was born in that city and has been a resident of the same for the better part of his life. He was born on May 6, 1886, son of George W. and Maria L. ( STEVENS ) BRYAN, both of whom were born in Mad River township Champaign county, Ohio, and who became residents of Portland fifty years ago. George W. BRYAN left Ohio in 1862 and came over into Indiana, locating in Adams county, where he remained until 1872, when he moved with his family to Portland and established a grocery store on the site now occupied by the Jay County Lumber Company, and was for years one of the well known merchants of Portland. He and his wife were the parents of fifteen children, eleven of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Albert S., Aaron C., Olive N., Edith, David U., George W. Jr., Artho, Pearl, William S. and Sarah. Reared at Portland, Guy BRYAN received his schooling in the schools of that city and early became attracted to the bakers trade as a vocation. He went to Valparaiso, Ind., where he served an apprenticeship in a bake shop and remained for about eight years, at the end of which time he started out as a journeyman baker and was for twelve years or more thus engaged, working in various cities throughout the country. In 1916 Mr. BRYAN retained to Portland and entered upon the study of law under the preceptorship of Frank B. JAQUA, and in November, 1918, was admitted to the bar of the Jay Circuit Court. For a year thereafter he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession and then, following the serious accidental injury of his brother, Albert S. BRYAN, took charge of the latter's bakery, and for about a year operated the same in his brother's behalf, continuing thus engaged until on November 4, 1919, when he established his now well known and successful "Made Well" bakery on North Meridian street and has since been engaged in operating the same. This bakery has ovens with a capacity of 252 loaves of bread and its products are in popular demand hereabout. On September 14, 1918, Guy BRYAN was united in marriage to Gertrude A. DOTY, who was born in this county, daughter of Jerome and Harriet E. ( FOGLESONG ) DOTY. Mr. BRYAN is a Democrat and is a member of the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Modern Woodmen.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.70. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Clifford BUBP, superintendent of the J. A. LONG farm in Greene township and recognized as one of the most progressive and up-to-date farmers in Jay county, is a native of Ohio but has been a resident of Jay county since the days of his boyhood. Mr. BUBP was born on a farm in Auglaize county, Ohio, October 30, 1882, and is a son of Isaac and Catherine ( FROIER ) BUBP, who became residents of Jay county more than thirty years ago and are now living in Portland. Isaac BUBP was born in Auglaize county (Ohio) and was reared on a farm there. After his marriage he established his home on a farm in that county and remained there until in 1891, when he came with his family over into Indiana and located on a farm of seventy-four acres which he bought in Pike township, south of Portland, in this county. There he remained until his retirement from the farm a few years ago and removal to Portland, where he is now living. He and his wife have five children, the subject of this sketch having three brothers, Edward, Henry and Fred BUBP, and a sister, Mary. Clifford BUBP was nine years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents from Ohio in 1891, and he completed his schooling in the Collett high school. From the days of his boyhood he was a helpful factor in the labors of developing the home farm and thus early was trained in the ways of modern farming. He married at the age of twenty-five and then began farming on his own account, renting the Hardy farm in Jackson township, where he made his home for eleven years, at the end of which time he moved to a farm in Pike township. A year later he was made superintendent of the J. A. LONG farm in Greene township and has since resided there, carrying on the extensive operations of this place, one of the largest and most efficiently managed farms in Jay county. The LONG farm is a tract of 400 acres on rural mail route No. 1 out of Portland and is equipped with an excellent farm plant, everything being up-to-date and designed for the best results. In addition to the general farming carried on there, much attention is paid to the raising of livestock, 150 head of hogs and 100 of cattle being cared for annually, besides much poultry. In 1907, Clifford BUBP was united in marriage to Bertha GARRINGER, who was born in Jay county, daughter of Benjamin A. and Jane GARRINGER, and to this union have been born four children, Clyde, Garnet, Marian and Catherine. Mr. BUBP is a Republican. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.217-218. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

George A. BUCKLES, a substantial landowner and retired farmer of the neighboring county of Delaware, now living at Dunkirk, where he has made his home since 1914, is a native Hoosier and has lived in Indiana all his life. Mr. BUCKLES was born in Delaware county on March 10, 1858, and is a son of John and Mary ( NORTHCUT ) BUCKLES, both of whom were born in Miami county, Ohio. John BUCKLES was one of the pioneers of Delaware county, having "entered" a half section of land in Niles township, that county, in 1841. He established his home on that place after his marriage and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, developing a fine piece of property and ever regarded as among the useful and influential members of that community. They were the parents of ten children, of whom five are still living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, William N. and Jasper N. BUCKLES, and two sisters, Sarah L. and Cynthia. Reared on the home farm in Delaware county, George A. BUCKLES completed his schooling by attendance for two terms at the old Ridgeville College. He remained at home, helpful in the labors of the farm, until a year after his marriage in 1880, when he bought a forty-acre farm up in Blackford county. Two or three years later his wife died and he presently sold this place and bought an "eighty" of the home place in Delaware county. He presently married again and established his home on this latter place, forty acres of which he had to clear. Fifteen years later he bought an adjacent "forty," this giving him a farm of 120 acres, which he still owns, and there he continued to make his home until his retirement from the farm in 1914 and removal to Dunkirk, where he bought a home and is still living, renting his land to a responsible tenant. Mr. BUCKLES has been thrice married. On March 14, 1880, he was united in marriage to Emma F. BARNES, a daughter of Solomon M. and Elizabeth ( SUTTON ) BARNES, and who died on February 14, 1884, leaving two children, Harry R.. and Emma O., the latter of whom married Walter WALLACE, a machinist at the plant of the Indiana Glass Company at Dunkirk, and died in 1907, leaving three children, George W., Robert and Margaret E. Harry R. BUCKLES, who is a farmer and real estate dealer at Jackson, Mich., has been twice married. His first wife, Ella WEAVER, died and he then married Mary SMITH. He has six children, John D., Willis, Harry, Jr., Charles, Opal and Geraldine. On August 3, 1887, George A. BUCKLES married Louella BANTZ, a daughter of Henry and Sarah BANTZ, who died on May 5, 1911, leaving three children, namely: Letha L., who married Kenton BALES, of Dunkirk, and has three children, Fred, Lloyd and George H. BALES. Mary F., who married L. B. CURREY, a printer, living at Washington, D.C. and has one child, a son, Byrl CURREY; and Maud M. who married Emerald HAWTHORN, a barber, now living at Jackson, Mich. On September 24, 1912, Mr. BUCKLES married Mrs. Elizabeth ( BROTHRTON ) PAYTON, a daughter of James T. and Lucy A. BROTHRTON. Mr. and Mrs. BUCKLES are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Dunkirk. Mr. BUCKLES is a member of the board of directors of the First State Bank of Dunkirk. Politically, he is a Democrat and, fraternally, a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Dunkirk. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.188-189. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Francis S. BUNKER, better known among his friends as "Frank" BUNKER, a well-known and progressive young farmer of Penn township, living on the old BUNKER home farm on rural mail route No. 1 out of Pennville, was born on that place on April 9, 1893, and is the son and only child of Thomas S. and Lillie B. (HIATT) BUNKER, the latter of whom also was born in this county, a daughter of Jasper and Mary (SPAHR) HIATT, members of pioneer families here. Thomas S. BUNKER, who is now living retired at Pennville, was born in Wayne county, this state, July 2, 1865, and is a son of Francis and Lorena (HUNT) BUNKER, both of whom were born in that same county, members of pioneer families there. Francis BUNKER, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1842 and was living in Wayne county when the Civil war broke out. On October 18, 1861, he enlisted for service as a soldier of the Union and went to the front, continuing to serve for more than four years, or until he was mustered out on December 14, 1865. In the next year (1866) he came up into Jay county with his family and settled on a farm in Penn township, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1887. Thomas S. BUNKER was but a child when he came with his parents to Jay county. He received his schooling in the schools of Pennville, and after his marriage, September 24, 1887, to Lillie HIATT, established his home on an eighty acre farm which he had bought in Penn township and there continued to reside until his retirement and removal to Pennville in 1920. He was a good farmer and built up an excellent piece of property, having' increased his acreage to 290 acres. Reared on this farm, Francis S. BUNKER received his early schooling in the Pennville schools and was graduated from the high school there in 1912. He then entered Purdue University, and in 1916 was graduated from the agricultural school of that institution with the degree of Bachelor of Science. Upon his return he resumed his place on the farm, presently rented the place from his father and has since been managing the place, having established his home there after his marriage, and is now in charge of 145 acres of the farm. Jn addition to his general farming, Mr. BUNKER Rives considerable attention to live stock, is a breeder of pure bred Percheron horses and feeds out about 150 head of hogs annually. On December 2, 1920, Francis S. BUNKER was united in marriage to Lucy O. HARTLEY, a daughter of Walter HARTLEY and a granddaughter of William HARTLEY, who was a son of the pioneer Samuel HARTLEY, who came over here with his family from Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1848, and settled in Jackson township, the HARTLEY's thus having been prominently represented in this county for four generations. Mr. and Mrs. BUNKER have a very pleasant home and take an interested part in the community's general social activities. They are Republicans. Mr. BUNKER is a 32d degree (Scottish Rite) Mason, affiliated with the consistory at Ft. Wayne, and is also a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with the temple of that order at Ft. Wayne. He is a member of the local grange of the Patrons of Husbandry at Pennville, is a member of the Greek letter society Alpha Zeta, the honorary fraternity of students of the agricultural school at Purdue University, and is also a member of the Agathon Club at Purdue,  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.346-347. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Cyrus BURK, a well known farmer and dairyman of Wayne township, proprietor of a well kept farm on rural mail route No. 3 out of Portland, where he and his family are very comfortably situated, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life with the exception of some years during the '90s when he was engaged in farming in the neighboring county of Adams. Mr. BURK was born on a farm in Wabash township, on August 22, 1869, and is a son of Levi and Louisa (BARTLETT) BURK, the latter of whom was born in Allen county, this state. Levi BURK, a veteran of the Civil war, who is still living on the old home place in Wabash township, was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and was nine years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents, the family settling on a 100 acre farm his father had bought in Wabash township. Five years later his father died and though he then was but fourteen years of age he was the eldest of the children and he assumed with his mother the responsibility of keeping the farm going and was -living there when the Civil war broke out. When he was eighteen he enlisted for service in behalf of the Union cause and went to the front as a member of the 11th Indiana Cavalry, with which command he served for a year or until after the close of the war, after which he returned home and remained with his mother on the farm until after his marriage when he bought a forty-acre tract and began farming "on his own," he having previously bought twenty acres of the home place. Later he sold his "forty" and bought a tract of 115 acres and still later bought the remaining eighty of the home farm, giving him a farm of 215 acres which he improved in admirable fashion and on which he is still living, the place now being rented to his son, Walter BURK. To Levi BURK and wife were born eight children, all of whom are living save three, Mrs. Almeda WALTERS, Mrs. Clara LOCKER and Franklin BURK, the others, besides the subject of this sketch, being Mrs. Viola LONG and L. Wesley, Walter and Alfred BURK. Reared on the home farm in Wabash township, Cyrus BURK received his schooling in the Kelly school in that neighborhood and remained at home, helpful in the labors of the farm, until his marriage at the age of twenty-two, after which for a year he rented his grandmother's eighty and began farming for himself. He then moved up into Adams county, where he rented a farm of 120 acres and where he made his home for eight years, at the end of which time he returned to Jay county and bought the farm of eighty acres on which he is now living in Wayne township, the old Jordan home place, and has since resided there. Since taking possession of this place Mr. BURK has made numerous substantial improvements and has a well equipped farm plant and new buildings, including the dwelling house, which is equipped with electric lights, a furnace and other up-to-date conveniences. In addition to his general farming Mr. BURK has an excellent dairy herd, consisting of fifteen cows, and has long been doing well along that line. He is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Pleasant Hill Evangelical church, it was on February 25, 1892, that Cyrus BURK was united in marriage to Jennie JORDAN, who also was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families here, and to this union four children have been born, Raymond, Donald, Esther and Helen, all of whom are living save Esther, who died in infancy. Raymond BURK, who was born on April 2, 1894, and Is now a. dairyman, engaged in business at Portland, married Dessie LOGAN; and has one child, a son, Robert, born on August 17, 1914. Donald BURK, a veteran of the World war, was graduated from the Portland high school and then took a course in the Eastern Indiana Normal School at Muncie, after which he went to North Dakota and there in the winter of 1917-18 was engaged in teaching school. He then returned home and on September 4, 1918, entered the service of the United States army and was sent to Camp Taylor, where he was stationed for nine months, or until his discharge on May 26, 1919. Upon the completion of his military service he returned home and presently went to Fort Wayne, where he took a course in a business college and has since been employed in that city. Helen BURK, born on August 13, 1910, is a student in the Portland city schools. Mrs. Jennie BURK was born on the farm on which she is now living on September 27, 1868, and was reared there. She attended the Portland high school, then took a short normal course, after which she became engaged in teaching, having charge of the Antiville school, and was thus engaged at the time of her marriage to Mr. BURK. She is a daughter of James and Matilda (BUFFINGTON) JORDAN, the latter of whom was born in Noble township, this county, a member of one of the early families there. James JORDAN was born in Meigs county, Ohio, and. was fourteen years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents, the family locating in Wayne township, where his father bought a quarter section of land. and established his home. On that place James JORDAN grew to manhood and alter his marriage established his home there, the owner of the eighty acre tract now owned by Mr. BURK. James JORDAN and wife were the parents of ten children, all of whom. are living save two, Sherman and Cora, Mrs. BURK having seven sisters, Mrs. Irene GREEN, Mrs. Elizabeth MEYER, Mrs. Kate STARR, Mrs. Ruth CURRY, Mrs. Etta POTTER, Mrs. Nora GRIMES and Mrs. Minnie MARTIN. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.437-439. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Seth BURK, one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of Wabash township, is a native of the old Buckeye state, but has been a resident of Jay county since lie was three years of age. Mr. BURK was born on a farm in Tuscarawas county. Ohio, July II, 1849) and is a son of Bartley and Elizabeth ( WEST ) BURK, both of whom also were born in Ohio. Bartley BURK disposed of his interests in Ohio in 1852 and with his family came to Indiana, driving through in a covered wagon, and settled on an uncleared tract of 100 acres which he previously had bought in Wabash township, this county. On this tract when he and his family came here there was not even a clearing for a cabin and the family "put up" at the neighboring home of William SWEENEY until Mr. BURK could get a log cabin erected for the reception of his wife and children. On that place Bartley BURK was getting along well toward the creation of a good farm when on March 1, 1861, death interrupted his labors. His widow kept the family together and maintained the home. She survived him for many years and lived to a ripe old age, her death occurring on December 11, 1904. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having three brothers, Levi, Bartley and Peter F. BURK, and a sister, Mrs. Nancy M. BEELER. The deceased members of this family were Mrs. Sarah J. MYERS, George B., Josephine and Thomas W. Seth BURK was eleven years of age when his father died. He received his schooling in the old Staphon school in Wabash township and remained at home with his mother on the farm until his marriage at the age of twenty-one, when he established his home on the place on which he is now living in that township, his wife's old home place, and for ten years farmed the place as a renter. He then bought the farm, an excellent place of 115 acres, and since then has made numerous substantial improvements, now having a very well equipped farm plant, in. the operation of which he is assisted by his younger son, Dewitt H. BURK, who is married and continues to make his home on the place. Mr. BURK is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at New Corydon. It was on October 13, 1878, that Seth BURK was united in marriage to Amy AMES, who also had been a resident of this county since the days of her childhood, and to this union three children have been born, Ida Estella, Freedis W. and Dewitt H., the latter of whom, as noted above, is helping to carry on the operations of the BURK farm. He married Clara WILLIAMS and has one child, a son, Ralph R. Ida Estella BURK married John STETTLER, a machinist, now living at Indianapolis, and has a son, Claude STETTLER. Freedis W. BURK, who is now operating a cream station for the Western Ohio Creamery Company at New Corydon and is also the proprietor of the telephone exchange in that village, married Elizabeth BREWSTER and is living at New Corydon. Mrs. Amy BURK was born in the vicinity of Monmouth, in the neighboring county of Adams, and was four years of age when her parents, Solon K. and Mabel ( LEWIS ) AMES, moved with their family down into Jay county and located in Wabash township. Solon K. AMES was a substantial farmer and besides his farm of 115 acres in Wabash township, the place now owned by Mr. and Mrs. BURK, had an eighty-acre farm in Adams county. He and his wife had four children, Mrs. BURK having two sisters, Eunice and Rosa, and a brother, Harvey AMES. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.265-266. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Joseph BURNS, although of foreign birth, is a striking example of strong, virile American citizenship. He is in the true sense of the term a self-made man and his rise from very humble circumstances to his present position as a successful farmer and a progressive man of affairs forcibly illustrates what can be accomplished by a well defined purpose in life when that purpose is directed and fostered by correct principles and manly conduct. Mr. BURNS was born of Irish parentage, but first saw the light of day in England, to which country his father, Michael BURNS, moved when a young man. The subject's birth occurred in the city of Manchester on the 14th day of February, 1847, and about three-year later he was brought to the United States, the family settling in Jay county, Indiana, in 1851. Poor in this world's goods and without the aid of influential friends, Michael BURNS found no rosy pathway to fortune in the new world. Purchasing a small tract of wild land, he labored hard to improve the same, meanwhile earning a little money by ditching for other parties. He was a man of great industry, knew not the meaning of idleness and enjoyed but little leisure while preparing a home and laboring for the support of those dependent upon him. Intelligent beyond the average, he devoted his evenings to reading and study and in this way became quite well informed on many subjects, especially those questions relating to politics and national legislature. By persevering effort he eventually succeeded in rising superior to unfavorable environment and in the course of years, found himself the possessor of a comfortable competence. He developed a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he subsequently sold for five thousand five hundred dollars, and purchased in October 1866, an estate in Chester township, Wells county, where he made his home the remainder of his life. Michael BURNS became an influential man in his neighborhood and was highly esteemed by all who knew him. He was a local politician of considerable note and for many years his favor was courted by candidates of the Democratic party, as he exerted great influence among the voters of his township. A devout Catholic in religion, he expended his means liberally for the support of the church, he and James McCAFFREY building the first house of worship in the town of Montpelier. Four children were born to Mr. [Michael] BURNS, the oldest of whom, John, a sergeant in company F, One Hundred and Fortieth Infantry, in the civil war, was wounded at the battle of Stone River and died from the effect of his injuries on the 8th day of January, 1865. Mary, the second in order of birth, died while the family was enroute to the United States and was buried at sea; Emily died at Manchester, England, when an infant; Joseph, the subject of this sketch, being the youngest of the family. The early life of Joseph BURNS was spent on the farm in Jay county and it is needless to state that fortune cast into his pathway no glittering crown. He grew up with a proper appreciation of the true nobility of honest toil and from youth to manhood knew what it meant to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. . . . Like a dutiful son, he remained at home assisting with the labors of the farm until his twenty-second year when he left the parental roof to make his own way in the world. Although penniless this time, he looked forward with hope, and began laying plans for future action. Thinking that a companion on life's journey would result to his advantage, Mr. BURNS, on the 10th day of April, 1871, was united in marriage to Miss Ann McCAFFREY, of Wells county, daughter of James McCAFFREY, and shortly thereafter moved to a small tract of woodland, which he purchased with the prospect of paying for the same at some future date. . . . He was born within the pale of the Catholic church and has always been loyal to its precepts and liberal in the expenditure of his means for its support. His wife and children have also been trained according to its teachings and are now among its zealous members in the county of Wells. Mr. and Mrs. BURNS are the parents of nine children: John, the oldest, born April 10, 1872, was graduated from the Bluffton high school, began teaching at the early age of sixteen years and followed educational work for a number of years in Wells county. Later he studied law, rose rapidly in the profession and at this time is prosecuting attorney for the twenty-eighth judicial district, comprising the counties of Wells and Blackford; William the second child, died when five years old; James was born and reared in Chester township, this county, and is now a resident of Montpelier; Tilden, the next in order of birth, lives at home and manages the farm; Joseph H. is a tool-dresser in the oil fields of Indiana and has prospered in that kind of work; the other members of the family, Millie; Elizabeth; Patrick G.; Anna and Felix, are still with their parents." The married children of Joseph BURNS and their spouses were: John BURNS m. Zina HYER ( born in Fayette Co. OH, dau. Newton HYER& Ella COLLIER ) James BURNS m. Mary "Mollie" Cathrine ROOK, Minta "Millie" BURNS m. James FONCANNON, Patrick Gratton "P.G."BURNS m. Clara Blanch GREENFIELD (dau. Charles GREENFIELD and Minnie GUESS ) Elizabeth "Bessie" BURNS m. Robert DENNISON, Anna BURNS m. Lawrence MULVAHILL, Felix BURNS m. Flobell EATON.  Edited transcript from: "Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, 1903": File submitted by 1998 Mary Burns Cohen, marybcohen@aol.com

Ellis BUTCHER, well known retail dealer in meats at Pennville and proprietor of the only meat market in that town, for years one of the recognized leaders in the commercial life of the town, was born in Jay county and has lived here all his life save for a period of some years spent in the neighboring county of Adams. Mr. Butcher was born on a farm in Bearcreek township on September 27, 1874, and is a son of Jacob Perry and Martha Ann ( SHEPARD ) BUTCHER, the latter of whom was born in Adams county. Jacob Perry BUTCHER was born in Jay county and early became engaged in farming in Bearcreek township, but later moved up into Adams county and bought a farm of forty acres and continued farming there until in October, 1893, when he sold out and moved to Geneva, where he died in January, 1894. He and his wife were the parents of six children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Rilla May, Nelle, William, Carrie and Zelma. Reared on the home farm in Bearcreek township, Ellis BUTCHER received his schooling in the schools of that township and as a young man was engaged working there as a farm hand. He later went to Geneva, in Adams county, and worked there for about six years, at the end of which time he returned to Jay county and opened a meat market at New Corydon. Mr. BUTCHER continued in business at New Corydon for eight years, at the end of which time he disposed of his business there and moved to Pennville, where he opened his present place of business and has ever since resided. In addition to his meat market, Mr. BUTCHER also handles a line of groceries and is doing well. He is a Democrat and a 32nd degree (Scottish Rite) Mason, affiliated with the consistory at Ft. Wayne, and is likewise a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with the temple, at Ft. Wayne. Ellis BUTCHER married Mary Elizabeth FENTERS, daughter of William FENTERS, and to this union three children have been born, Bedford, Forest and Florence. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.224-225. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

George W. BUTCHER, Sr., is one of the successful pioneers of BearCreek Township. He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, October 27, 1822, son of Jacob and Rachel ( MCCOLLUM ) BUTCHER. The father was born in Virginia, married in Fairfield County, Ohio, and reared a family of ten children -- Amanda, George W., Rebecca, Samuel, Nancy, Julia Ann, Mary Jane, Saluda, Jacob and Delany. The BUTCHER family came to this county in 1838 or 1839, coming with a horse team, and located in the woods of Bear Creek Township. The father built a log house, 18 X 20 feet, the logs being split so that it was a round-log on the outside and hewed log on the in the inside. There was a clapboard roof and weight poles, a puncheon floor and one glass window. George W. passed his early life in assisting to clear the farm. He was married in March, 1845, to Miss Elizabeth NELSON, who was born in Licking County, Ohio, December 14, 1830, daughter of Charles and Sarah ( HILTON ) NELSON, who were the parents of sixteen children, two now living -- Mrs. BUTCHER and Mrs. Mary ARMSTRONG. The parents came to Adams County, this State, in 1840, where they remained until their decease. After his marriage our subject located on section 2, where he lived until 1865, then removed to his present farm, where he owns 200 acres of excellent land, a good residence and comfortable farm buildings. Mr. and Mrs. BUTCHER have twelve [sic] living children -- Jacob, Perry, William W., James M., George W., Jr., Samuel A. M., Isaac N., Charles H., Mary E., Rachel Ann, Julia Ann, Adam Clark and Alexander B. Mr. BUTCHER is a Democrat, and a worthy member of the United Brethren church.  SOURCE: p.695-696 "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana," Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1887. Reprinted by Mayhill Publications of Knightstown, Indiana, 1974. This is the reprinted Jay County section out of the original combined 1887 History of Jay and Blackford counties. Submitted to GenWeb by: Betty Creath rcreath@azstarnet.com

William W. BUTCHER, a son of George W. and Elizabeth ( NELSON ) BUTCHER, is a dealer in general merchandise produce, butter and eggs, etc. He established his business in 1872, and his annual sales amount to $50,000.In his store may be found dry goods, boots and shoes and staple and fancy groceries. He has a good trade and has secured the confidence of the people. He was born in this county April 6, 1851. He was reared on a farm and attended the common schools of his father's district; also attended the Bluffton High-school in Wells County. He was married October 27, 1872, to Miss Samantha MASON, of Bear Creek Township, a daughter of Jacob MASON. They have four [sic] children -- Luera, Irwin, Clara E., Laura May and Wilma. Politicaly [sic] Mr. BUTCHER is a Democrat. He owns forty acres of good land, has a story and a half residence, and other commodious buildings. Everything about the place indicates the thrift of the proprietor. BUTCHER, MASON, NELSON SOURCE: p.695 "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana," Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1887. Reprinted by Mayhill Publications of Knightstown, Indiana, 1974. This is the reprinted Jay County section out of the original combined 1887 History of Jay and Blackford counties. Submitted to GenWeb by: Betty Creath rcreath@azstarnet.com