William F. SCHENK, M.D., one of Jay county's well known physicians, who has been engaged in the practice of his profession at New Corydon for nearly a quarter of a century, is a native son of Jay county and has resided here the greater part of his life. Doctor SCHENK was born on a farm in Noble township on January 26, 1866, and is a son of Gottlieb F. and Christina ( RUCKWEID ) SCHENK, both of whom were of European birth, natives of the kingdom of Wurtenburg, and the latter of whom was fourteen years of age when she came to this country with her parents, the family locating at Cincinnati. Gottlieb F. SCHENK was twenty years of age when he came to America and after sojourning awhile in New Jersey he went to Cincinnati, where presently he married Christina RUCKWEID. For some time after his marriage he continued to make his home at Cincinnati and then went across the river to take charge of the farm of the attorney general of the state of Kentucky, in the vicinity of Covington. There he made his home until in the early '60s, when he came up into Indiana and bought a farm of eighty acres in Noble township, this county. On this place he made his home until about 1878, when he disposed of that farm and bought a quarter section in Madison township and moved to the same, making a good farm of it. Gottlieb F. SCHENK lived to a good old age, his death occurring in 1912. His wife had long preceded him to the grave. They were the parents of eight children, all of whom are living save three, Mrs. Caroline PFIEFER, Mrs. Mary HUTCHENS and John SCHENK, the others besides Doctor SCHENK being Christian, Charles, George and William SCHENK. Reared on the home farm, he having been about twelve years of age when his parents moved from Noble to Madison township. Doctor SCHENK completed his elementary schooling in the schools of Madison township and early turned his attention to the study of medicine. He went to the Pacific coast and in the medical college at Portland, Ore., spent a year, at the end of which time he returned to Indiana and entered the Eclectic School of Medicine at Indianapolis, where he was in attendance for two years. He then went South and entered the College of Eclectic Medicine and Surgery at Atlanta, Ga. and in due time was graduated from that institution. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor SCHENK located at Chattanooga, Ohio, where he opened an office for the practice of his profession and where he remained a year, at the end of which time he returned to Indiana and opened an office at Berne. A year later he came back to Jay county and established himself in practice at New Corydon, where he ever since has been located. It was in 1898 that Doctor SCHENK located at New Corydon. Three years later he married and established his home there and he and his family are very pleasantly situated. The Doctor is a Democrat and is a member of the Masonic lodge at Geneva and of the local lodge of the Woodmen at New Corydon. It was on June 2, 1901, that Dr. William F. SCHENK was united in marriage to Preska DAVIDSON, a school teacher of this county, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Vera, born on October 22, 1903, who is a member of the class of 1922, Portland high school. Mrs. SCHENK was born in Wabash township, this county, and is a daughter of William and Elizabeth ( ASHCRAFT ) DAVIDSON, the former of whom was formerly and for years engaged in the mercantile business at Ample and was also postmaster there. Mrs. SCHENK's schooling was completed in the old Normal School at Portland and for six years prior to her marriage she was a teacher in the schools of this county. She is a member of the Jay City United Brethren church.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.278-279. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Jacob SCHOLER, a well known and progressive young farmer of this county, proprietor of: a well kept farm in Madison township, where he is living, rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland, was born on that farm and has' lived there all his life, representing the third generation of SCHOLER's who have owned the place. Mr. SCHOLER was born on July 10, 1883, and is a son of Henry and Anna ( WEUTHRICK ) SCHOLER, both of whom were born in Switzerland. Henry SCHOLER came to America with his parents, John SCHOLER and wife, in 1855. The family settled in Fairfield county, Ohio, but remained there only one year, at the end of which time, in 1856, they came to Indiana and located in Jay county. Upon his arrival here John SCHOLER bought a quarter section of land in Madison township and there established his home. Henry SCHOLER, his son, helped to develop that place and in 1868 went back to Switzerland and was there married. With his bride he returned to the home place in Madison township and ever afterward made his home there, in time becoming the owner of 127 acres of the farm, that portion of the original quarter section now owned and operated by his son Jacob. Henry SCHOLER and his wife were the parents of thirteen children, all of whom are living save Samuel and Noah W, the others (besides the subject of this sketch) being Henry, Elizabeth, John, Mary, Albert, Charles, Edward, Frederick, Ida A. and Walter. Reared on the old home farm, where he was born, Jacob SCHOLER received his schooling in the Lockout school and from the days of his boyhood was a helpful factor in the labors of developing the farm. He married in his thirty-first year and after his marriage continued to make his home on the farm. In 1917, his parents meanwhile having died, he bought from the other heirs their respective interests in the place and has since been owner of the farm, a well improved and profitably cultivated farm of 127 acres, all of which is tillable save a tract of thirty-four acres which he maintains in woodland. Mr. SCHOLER is a Democrat. He is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Salamonia and he and his wife are members of the Reformed church at Salamonia. It was on May 1, 1915, that Jacob SCHOLER was united in marriage to Iris E. CASTER, who also was born in this county, and to this union two children have been -born, daughters both, Elsie Elizabeth and Martha Ethel. Mrs. SCHOLER was born on a farm in Wayne township, a daughter of James and Maria ( WHIPPLE ) CASTER. She was graduated from the Portland high school and then took a course in Mrs. Blaker's School at Indianapolis and later a course in the Eastern Indiana Normal School at Muncie, after which she began teaching and had been thus engaged in the schools of this county for three years when she was married. Mr. and Mrs. SCHOLER have a pleasant home and have ever taken an interested and helpful 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.155-156. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

John SCHOLER, a member of the Noble township advisory board, one of Jay county's wide- awake and progressive farmers and stockmen and proprietor of a well kept farm on rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland in Noble township, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here the greater part of his life, the exception being some years in the days of his young manhood when he was engaged in farming in Illinois and where he was married. Mr. SCHOLER was born on a farm in Madison township, this county, March 24, 1873, and is a son of Henry and Anna SCHOLER, who come to this country from their native Switzerland and had located in Ohio, presently moving from that state over into Indiana and settling in Madison township, this county, where they established their home and spent the remainder of their lives. Henry SCHOLER was a good farmer and was the owner of 127 acres, on which he had a good home. He and his wife were the parents of thirteen children, those besides the subject of this sketch (the fourth in order of birth) being Henry, Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary, Albert, Charles, Edward, Fred, Jacob, Noah, Ida and Walter. Reared on the home farm in Madison township, John SCHOLER received his schooling in the Lockout school and remained at home until he had attained his majority when he went to Illinois and became engaged in farm work, remaining there for seven years. He then married and returned to Jay county and rented a quarter section of land in Jackson township, on which he settled down. For three years he operated that place and then bought a tract of eighty acres in Noble township, the place on which he is now living, and has since resided there, carrying on his operations in accordance with modern methods. Since taking possession of that place Mr. SCHOLER has made extensive improvements, including a new and modern house and barn, and has an electric light plant on the place. Eleven years after taking possession there he bought an additional tract of forty acres lying across the road from his eighty and thus now has a fine farm of 120 acres. In addition to his general farming he has for years been engaged in raising registered Shorthorn cattle for breeding purposes and has an excellent herd. He also feeds out fifty or sixty head of hogs a year and is doing well. Mr. SCHOLER is a Democrat and has ever given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs, now serving as a member of the township advisory board. He is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Salamonia and is a member of the Reformed church at Salamonia. He is active in business affairs and is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers State Bank of Portland and a director of the Portland Equity Exchange. On December 26, 1900, while he was living in Illinois, John SCHOLER was united in marriage to Mary E. THURMAN, who was born in Knox county, that state, and to this union have been born eight children, all of whom are living save Howard, who died at the age of three years, the others being Merle L., Millard R., Edward D., Florence E., Helen A., Dorothy 1. and Ida D., the five younger of whom are still in school, attending the Morehouse school. Merle L. SCHOLER is a member of the celebrated Howitzer Company of the 151st regiment. United States National Guard of Indiana, at Portland, and Millard R. SCHOLER is a member of the Howitzer Company of the 152d regiment. The SCHOLER's have a very pleasant home and take an interested and active part in the community's general social activities. As noted above, Mrs. SCHOLER was born in Knox county, Illinois. She is a daughter of Howard and Martha ( HOXWORTH ) THURMAN, the latter of whom was born in the vicinity of Harrisburg, Ohio, and was but a child when her parents moved to Illinois and settled in Knox county. The HOXWORTH' s are an old Colonial family and are related to the Massachusetts Bay Hancock's, from which family came John Hancock of Revolutionary fame. One of Mrs. SCHOLER's cousins, S. A. HOXWORTH, served in Congress. Howard THURMAN, Mrs. SCHOLER's father, was born in Knox county, Illinois, his parents having been the first couple married in that county. He was a cousin of Alien G. THURMAN, former Governor of Ohio, former United States senator from that state and Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1888. Howard THURMAN and wife were the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living, Mrs. SCHOLER having two sisters, Florence and Elsie, and two brothers, Otis and Ulysses THURMAN. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.276-277. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

CHARLES E. SCHWARTZ, senior member of the law firm of SCHWARTZ & BECHDOLT and a practicing attorney at the bar of the Jay Circuit Court for more than twenty years, vice-president of the First National Bank of Portland, a member of the board of directors of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Bryant and in other ways identified with the commercial, industrial and civic interests of this county, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life, from the days of his youth actively interested in the best development of this region, Mr. SCHWARTZ was born on a farm in Pike township on April 1, 1867, and is a son of Charles B. and Fredericka ( ROWLS ) SCHWARTZ, the former a veteran of the Civil war, who had settled there a few years prior to this date, coming over here from Hamilton county, as is set out elsewhere in this volume. Charles B. SCHWARTZ and wife were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living save Jacob, the others besides the subject of this review being John H. SCHWARTZ, the Portland photographer; Dr. William D. SCHWARTZ, also of Portland; George S. and Oliver F. SCHWARTZ and Caroline, wife of John HUDSON. Reared on the home farm, Charles E. SCHWARTZ received his early schooling in the neighborhood schools and early qualified himself to teach school, a profession he followed during the winters for nine years, meanwhile supplementing his schooling by attendance at the old Eastern Indiana Normal School at Portland, the Tri-State Normal School at Angola, the Normal School at Marion and a course at Valparaiso University. During this period he was giving his attention to preparatory studies in law, and thus prepared entered the Indiana Law School at Indianapolis, from which he was graduated in 1900. Upon receiving his diploma Mr. SCHWARTZ opened an office for the practice of his profession at Portland, and has ever since been engaged in practice in that city. In 1917 he formed a partnership with Frederick BECHDOLT, the practice since then being carried on under the firm name of SCHWARTZ & BECHDOLT. Mr. SCHWARTZ is a Democrat, and in 1910 served as county attorney. He is a member of the board of directors and vice-president of the First National Bank of Portland, a director of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Bryant, for fourteen years a member of the board of directors of the W. H. Hood Company, wholesale grocers at Portland; is a director of the Peoples Loan and Trust Company, of Decatur, Ind.; a director of the Portland Forge and Foundry Company, and is a life member of the board of trustees for a tract of 385 acres of land in Randolph county, granted in perpetual trust to Purdue University, 200 acres of this land to be operated for experimental purposes in behalf of the university's school of agriculture, the remainder to be maintained as a perpetual forest and game preserve. Mr. SCHWARTZ also is treasurer of the company operating the Portland automobile body works, one of the chief industries in this part of the state, and is in other ways interested in the general business life of the community. He is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1902 Charles E. SCHWARTZ was united in marriage to Inez L. JOHNSON, daughter of Harvey and Sarah J. JOHNSON, and to this union one child has been born, a son, Robert.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.128-129. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

John H. SCHWARTZ, the well-known photographer at Portland and proprietor of one of the finest photographic studios in eastern Indiana, is a native Hoosier and has been a resident of Jay county since he was two years of age, his parents having come over here from Hamilton county shortly after the close of the Civil war, in which war his father served as a soldier of the Union, and settled on a farm in the Butternut valley on the line between Jefferson and Pike townships, southwest of Portland. Mr. SCHWARTZ was born at the historic village of Strawtown (in Hamilton county), which came so near being selected as the site of the state capital when the commissioners appointed by the legislature in 1819 started out to find a capital site some place near the center of the state, the date of his birth having been April 8) 1864, and he is a son of Charles B. and Anna Fredericka (ROWL) SCHWARTZ, both of whom were born in Germany, the latter having come to America with her parents when she was eight years of age. Charles B. SCHWARTZ was twenty-two years of age when he came to the United States and proceeded on out into Indiana, locating at Strawtown, the old crossing of the Indian trails in Hamilton county, which at that time was a quite important local trading point. He was a tailor by trade and upon coming to Indiana followed this trade, but after his marriage in 1855 established his home on a farm at the edge of Strawtown and was living there when the Civil war broke out. He enlisted his services In behalf of the cause of the Union and went to the front as a soldier in one of the Indiana regiments. Upon the completion of his military service he returned to his home at Strawtown, but not long thereafter disposed of his interests there, and in 1866 came with his family to Jay county and settled on a farm of forty acres on the line between Jay and Randolph counties, which he later traded for forty acres in Jefferson township, a tract to which he added until he became the owner of 146 acres and was regarded as one of the substantial citizens of that community. He spent the remainder of his life there. His widow moved to Portland after hrs death and her last days were spent in that city. They were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living save Jacob, the first born, the others besides the subject of this sketch being Caroline, wife of John Hutchins; Charles .E. SCHWARTZ, a Portland lawyer; Dr. William D. SCHWARTZ, also of Portland, and George S. and Oliver F. SCHWARTZ. As stated above, John H. SCHWARTZ was but two years of age when he was brought by his parents to this county. He was reared on the home farm and his early schooling was received in the district schools of Jefferson township. He supplemented this schooling by attendance at Ridgeville College and the old Eastern Indiana Normal School at Portland and for two terms taught school in Jefferson township. He then with $140 as his capital, became engaged in the photograph business at Portland in association with Mahlon, the photographer, and there discovered his life's work, an artistic vocation in which he has ever taken delight and in which he has scored a pronounced success. It was in 1884 that Mr. SCHWARTZ became thus engaged. Six years later he bought his partner's interest in the business, which meanwhile had grown to very gratifying proportions, and has ever since been engaged in business alone, for years having been recognized as one of the leading photographers in this section of Indiana. Mr. SCHWARTZ is a good judge of land values and has made investments along that line until he is the owner of more than 500 acres of land in this county, in the development of which he takes much interest. He is a Republican and a member of the local lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose, and Mrs. SCHWARTZ is a member of the Methodist church. On July 13, 1889, John H. SCHWARTZ was united in marriage to Carrie BERGMAN, daughter of Peter N. and Margaret BERGMAN, and to this union two children have been born, a son and a daughter, Dr. R. P. SCHWARTZ, of Boston, and Marciel SCHWARTZ, who, after her graduation from the Portland high school took a course in the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music, and for the past five years has been engaged in Lyceum and Chatauqua work. Dr. R. P. SCHWARTZ took the scientific course at Valparaiso University and then entered the medical college of Indiana University at Indianapolis. Following his graduation from that institution he for two years served as an interne in the Indianapolis City Hospital and then entered the Children's Hospital of Harvard University, and after six months' service there as an interne was attached to the staff of the hospital, with which he is now connected, under the celebrated Doctor Lovitt.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.348-349. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

WILLIAM DANIEL SCHWARTZ, M. D., former secretary of the board of health for Jay county and a practicing physician at Portland for nearly a quarter of a century, one of the best known physicians and surgeons in this section of Indiana, is one of Jay county's native sons who has ever taken an interest and pride in the advancement of the general cultural activities of the county and of his home town, and has thus for years been accounted one of the leaders in such activities hereabout. Doctor SCHWARTZ was born on a farm in Pike township on February 21, 1870, and is a son of Charles B. and Fredericka Anna ( ROWLS ) SCHWARTZ, the former a veteran of the Civil war, who had come over here from Hamilton county in 1866 and settled in the beautiful valley of the Butternut, where they reared their family and became useful and influential factors in the development of that section of the county. Charles B. SCHWARTZ was the owner of a good farm of 120 acres and he and his wife were the parents of seven children, all of whom became teachers in the schools of this county and all of whom are living save Jacob, the first born, the others besides Doctor SCHWARTZ, being John H. SCHWARTZ, the Portland photographer; Charles F. SCHWARTZ, a Portland lawyer, George S. and Oliver F. SCHWARTZ and Caroline, wife of John HUDSON. Reared on the home farm, William D. SCHWARTZ received his early schooling in the schools of Jefferson township and at the age of nineteen began teaching school, a profession he followed for five years, his last service in that connection having been as principal of the Bryant schools, and an older chronicle narrates that it is stated upon good authority that he held the best marked certificate in Jay county and that he was one of the most thorough students and systematic up-to-date teachers in the state. During this period of service as a teacher he had been continuing his studies and attended successively the old Eastern Indiana Normal School at Portland, the normal school at Covington, Ind., and the Marion (Ind.) Normal School, from which latter he was graduated in 1892. In the meantime he had been pursuing preparatory studies in medicine under the able preceptorship of Dr. J. T. DICKES and in 1893 entered the medical college of Indiana University at Indianapolis, from which he was graduated in 1896, second in honors in a class of fifty-three. Following a spirited competitive examination Doctor SCHWARTZ received an appointment as an interne in the Indianapolis City Hospital and after fifteen months of intensive practical experience there spent six months at the Post-Graduate Hospital in New York city, where he specialized on nose and throat surgery and diseases of women and children. Thus thoroughly equipped for the practice of the profession to which he had devoted his life. Doctor SCHWARTZ returned home and opened an office at Portland, where he ever since has been engaged in practice. In 1901 he made a trip to Europe for further post-graduate work and in the great hospitals of London, Paris and Berlin acquired further and practical knowledge of the advanced methods of European surgery. The Doctor is a member of the Jay County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society, the Eighth District Medical Society, of which he is a past president, and the American Medical Association, in the affairs and deliberations of which organizations he takes a keen interest, and it is his practice annually to take additional post-graduate work with a view to keeping fully abreast of modern advancement in surgical and medical science. For some time he served as secretary of the county board of health and has done much to advance the public health service in this county.. The Doctor is a Democrat. He is a Freemason and a member of the local lodges of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, the Doctor being a member of the board of trustees of the church. During the time of America's participation in the World war Doctor SCHWARTZ rendered local service as the examining surgeon for the Jay county conscription board, examining all registrants under the operation of the selective draft law between the ages of 18 and 45 years. The Doctor passed the examination for army surgeon at Ft. Benjamin Harrison and was accepted for service with the rank of captain, the commission to become effective as soon as his work on the conscription board should have been completed. The armistice was signed about the time the board completed its work, however, and he never was called. Doctor SCHWARTZ is interested in several of the more important commercial and industrial enterprises of the city and has done much to help promote the general business interests of the community. He is a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Portland and chairman of the loaning board of that institution. He also is a member of the board of directors and vice president of the Home Telephone Company of Portland and the vice president and a member of the board of directors of the Bimel Spoke and Auto Wheel Company, as well as having other interests. On October 14, 1897, the year following his graduation from medical college, Dr. William D. SCHWARTZ was united in marriage to Belle V. MOON, daughter of Sidney R. MOON, former reporter of the Indiana Supreme court, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Geraldine. Mrs. SCHWARTZ was born at Rochester, Ind. and her schooling was completed in the Indianapolis high school. Miss Geraldine SCHWARTZ, who is now (1921) a student in Miss Maderia's private school for girls at Washington, D. C. was graduated from the Portland high school and then entered Butler College at Indianapolis, during the same period taking a course of instruction at the John Herron Art Institute in that city. Miss SCHWARTZ has made a specialty of dramatic expression and has been an important contributing factor m the presentation of plays by the local Dramatic Club at Portland. She was a member of the dramatic society of Butler College during the time of her attendance at that college and in 1920 enacted the leading female role in "Stop Thief," the college play of that year.SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.88-90. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

BENJAMIN E. SEARS, proprietor of the SEARS Insurance Agency at Portland and one of the best known young business men in that city has been a resident of Portland since 1912 and has established himself firmly in the business life of that city. Mr. SEARS is a native Hoosier and has resided in this state all his life. He was born on a farm in Daviess county on June 13, 1887, and is a son of John R. and Eveline ( CUMMINGS ) SEARS, both of whom were born in that same county, the former a farmer and carpenter and the owner of a farm in that county, and who were the parents of six children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Homer, Elza, Cora, Walter and Sarah. Benjamin E. SEARS was reared on the home farm in Daviess county and received his schooling in the schools of that comity. He was married when twenty years of age and continued mulling his home on the farm until he was twenty-five years of age, when, in 1912, he moved to Portland and was for about eighteen months thereafter engaged in traveling out of that city for the S. F. Baker company of Keokuk, Iowa. He then became engaged as an agent for the Prudential Life Insurance Company and continued thus engaged for eighteen months, at the end of which time he entered upon business for himself, opening at Portland the SEARS Insurance Agency, which he has since been operating quite successfully. It was on July 10, 1907, in Daviess county, Indiana, that Benjamin E. SEARS was united in marriage to Lora E. MYERS, who also was born in that county, daughter of Frank P. and Nancy MYERS, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Florice Fontella. Mr. and Mrs. SEARS are members of the Christian church and are Republicans. Mr. SEARS, is a member of the local lodges of the Modern Woodmen and of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.83-84. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Eugene E. SHAFER, cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Redkey and for many years one of the best known business men of that city, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. SHAFER was born on a farm in Penn township on November 7, 1875) and a son of Daniel G. and Mary A. ( UNDERWOOD ) SHAFER, who more than twenty-five years ago became residents of Redkey. Daniel G. SHAFER was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, and was but a lad when he came with his mother and stepfather to Indiana, the family settling on a farm in Penn township, this county, in 1846, among the pioneers of that section of the county. He grew up on that pioneer farm and after his marriage continued fanning until 1878, in which year he moved to Pennville where he remained until 1894, the year of his removal to Redkey, where he became engaged as a teamster and where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on October 3, 1917. Eugene E. SHAFER was but three years of age when his parents moved from the farm to Pennville and m the excellent schools of this pleasant village he received his schooling. When the family moved to Redkey he became employed in a restaurant there and presently became engaged in the restaurant business on his own account, a business he followed for about twenty years or until he was asked to take the position of assistant cashier in the Farmers State Bank of Redkey. It was on April 9, 1917, that Mr. SHAFER entered upon his service in the bank and on February 1, 1921, he was elected cashier of the bank, the position he now occupies, one of the best known bankers in this part of the state. The Farmers State Bank of Redkey was organized on March 18, 1914, with Lee DEARMOND as president, Morton DULL as vice-president and Mark A. WILSON as cashier. Mr. SHAFER is a 32d degree (Scottish Rite) Mason and a Knight of Pythias. He and his wife are members of the Christian (Disciples) Church and are Republicans. On May 14, 1919, Eugene SHAFER was united in marriage to Ethel BLACKBURN, who was born in the neighboring county of Delaware, daughter of George and Nettie BLACKBURN, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Thelma Pearl. Mr. and Mrs. SHAFER have a pleasant home at Redkey and take an interested 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, p.320. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

HENRY S.SHARDELMAN, a well known bachelor farmer and retired timberman of Jay county and proprietor of a well kept farm in Bearcreek township, making his home on that place on rural mail route No.1 out of Bryant, is a native of the old Buckeye state but has been a resident of Jay county since the days of his boyhood. Mr. SHARDELMAN was born in Darke county, Ohio, December 31, 1850, and is the posthumous son and only survivor of the three children born to Bernard H. and Catherine (SPRECHER) SHARDELMAN, the other children of this family having been John H. and Francis M. SHARDELMAN. The mother of these children was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and after the death of her first husband married Evan ROSER, who in 1860 moved over here from Ohio and became a resident of Jay county. Bernard H. SHARDELMAN was born in Germany and when about thirteen years of age came with his parents to this country. He became a musician of considerable skill but his trade was a shoemaker, following this trade in Darke county, Ohio, where he died in July, 1850, about five months before his son, the subject of this sketch, was born. Henry S. SHARDELMAN was nine years of age when he came to Jay county with his mother and stepfather, Evan ROSER, in 1860, the family settling in Noble township. He completed his schooling in the schools of that township and remained at home, helpful in the labors of the farm, until he was seventeen years of age, when he began working "on his own" as a farm hand in the neighborhood. Two years later he started in as a contractor, taking jobs of ditching, tiling and clearing, and did much work along this line, continuing thus engaged until 1885, in which year he went into the timber business, buying the standing timber and disposing of the same to the mills and factories at Portland and continued in this business until pretty much all the big timber in this immediate region was got out of the way. In 1887, Mr. SHARDELMAN bought from one of his brothers a tract of twenty acres in Bearcreek township and cleared the same. Three years later he sold the tract back to his brother and in 1890 bought seventy-nine and one-half acres. In 1896 he bought a tract of twenty acres lying across the highway from his old place, where be built his home in 1901, and thus now has ninety-nine and one-half acres. Mr. SHARDELMAN has a well improved farm on which he lives retired, his land having been cared for by a renter for some years past. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.374-375. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Harry E. SHELLER, president and general manager of the SHELLER Wood Rim Manufacturing Company of Portland and long regarded as one of the active and progressive factors in the commercial and industrial life of that city, is a native of the Buckeye state, horn in Seneca county, Ohio, March 30, 1877, son and only child of Amos and Emma J. (WADE) SHELLER, now residents of Fostoria, Ohio. Amos SHELLER, a retired contractor, was for years engaged in the clothing and furniture business at Fostoria. Harry E. SHELLER was reared at Fostoria and completed his schooling in the Fostoria Academy. Upon leaving school he became engaged as a cleric In his uncle's clothing store and was thus engaged for two years, at the end of which time he entered the field of oil development and for eighteen years was eng-aged as a contracting driller, operating two rigs and working mostly in the Lima region and on leases of his own in the neighborhood of Beaver Dam, and became widely known as a successful producer. In July, 1911, Mr. SHELLER abandoned the oil field and located at Portland, where he established on West Water street a factory for the manufacture of baseball bats, carrying on the business under the name of the H. E. SHELLER Manufacturing Company. In 1916 this factory building was destroyed by fire and instead of reconstructing the plant Mr. SHELLER reorganized his enterprise as the SHELLER Wood Rim Manufacturing- Company, capitiilized at $25,000. and in October of that year started out along new lines. The stock in this company was subscribed by substantial business men of Portland, and in the organization of the company Mr. SHELLER was elected president and general manager, a position be since has occupied, his executive capacity long ago having demonstrated his fitness for the position. The new company bought the abandoned plant of the Journey Manufacturing Company on South Bridge street, at a cost of $9,500, and refitted the building for the manufacture of the SHELLER products, the chief of which are steering wheels and wood rims. The initial success of the enterprise was assured when Mr. SHELLER secured from the Ford Motor Corporation a contract to supply that concern whh automobile steering wheels, and since then the demand for the SHELLER products has necessitated the enlargement of the plant on several occasions. On February 12, 1918, the capital stock of the company was increased to $50,000, and on }une 30, 1919, another increase was made to $300,000. The concern is now manufacturing a composition steering wheel, suitable òfor all makes of cars, the Ford concern continuing to be one of the large users of the product. On July 3, 1900, Harry E. SHELLER was united in marriage to Ida O. KUHN, who was born at Bascom, Ohio, daughter of Daniel and Katherine KUHN, and to this union one child has been born, a son, William Edward SHELLER. Mr. and Mrs. SHELLER are members of St. Marys Catholic church at Portland and are Republicans. They are members of the Country Club, and Mr. is a member of the local lodges of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He has long been regarded as one of the "live wires" in the commercial life of the city and is a member of the board of directors of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.342-343. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut

Austin J. SHERMAN, a well known and substantial farmer and landowner of Jay county and proprietor of an excellent farm in Noble township, where he makes his home, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. SHERMAN was born on a farm in Wayne township, June 9, 1868, and is a son of Warren S. and Margaret I. ( SPADE ) SHERMAN, the latter of whom was born in that same township, a member of one of the old families of this county. The late Warren S. SHERMAN, an honored veteran of the Civil war, was a native of Ohio, born in Licking county, that state, April 21, 1842, and was a son of Lorenzo and Sophia P. ( MOULTON ) SHERMAN, who were married in Licking county and who were the parents of nine children. Lorenzo SHERMAN was born in the state of Vermont in 1810 and was a son of Shubael and Phebe SHERMAN, who in 1839 moved to Ohio and located in Licking county. In 1865, Lorenzo SHERMAN came with his family to Indiana and settled on a 100 acre farm in Wayne township, where he spent the remainder of his life. Warren S. SHERMAN was nineteen years of age when the Civil war broke out. In that same year, October 9, 1861, he enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and went to the front as a member of Company B, 76th regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The first battle in which he participated was at Ft. Donelson. He also took part in the battle of Shiloh and from that historic field was sent to a hospital, where he was confined for two months, at the end of which time he was furloughed at Camp Denison and returned home. When his leave of absence expired he repaired to Camp Chase and after examination there was discharged on account of physical disability, July 27, 1862. He gradually recovered his health and in the spring of 1863 entered the Ohio National Guard. Early in 1864 he was sent with the company to which he was attacked to Martinsburg, Va., for guard duty, Mr. SHERMAN then having the rank of sergeant. At the battle of North Mountain, not far from Martinsburg, this command was compelled to surrender to a superior force of the enemy and was taken to Lynchburg, thence to Danville and thence to the notorious prison pen at Andersonville. Here Mr. SHERMAN was confined until the approach of General SHERMAN's army, when the prisoners were pushed on ahead to Savannah and after SHERMAN had passed they were sent back to Andersonville. At the close of the war Mr. SHERMAN, with other prisoners, was transferred to Jacksonville, Fla., and thence by steamer to Annapolis and from there to Columbus, Ohio, where he received his discharge on June 2, 1865. He was a prisoner for ten months, lacking four days, and for seven months of this time was confined at Andersonville. He at one time made his escape with others from Andersonville hospital, but was captured by hounds when about five miles from the place. His brother, Reuben SHERMAN, was with him in the 135th Ohio National Guard and was taken prisoner at the same time. He died in Andersonville prison on October 9, 1864. Upon the completion of his military service Warren S. SHERMAN returned home and in that same year (1865) came with his parents to Indiana, the family locating in Wayne township, this county. Here Warren S. SHERMAN married Margaret I. SPADE, daughter of William SPADE, one of the pioneers of Jay county, and established his home on a farm in that township. He was a good farmer and became the owner of 126 acres in Wayne township. To Warren S. and Margaret I. ( SPADE ) SHERMAN were born ten children, all of whom are living save Lewis, who died in infancy, the others (besides the subject of this sketch) being William B.) Janet, Winifred, Celestia, Mary S., John L., Warren E. and Edna. Reared on the home farm in Wayne township, Austin J. SHERMAN received his early schooling in the local schools, supplementing this by attendance at the old Normal School at Portland and by two summers spent in the Tri-State College at Angola, and for four years was engaged as a teacher in the schools of Jay county, meantime continuing to make his home on the home farm and assisting in the cultivation of the same. He remained on this place until his marriage at the age of thirty-nine years, meanwhile becoming" the owner of a sixty-acre tract of his own, and after his marriage established his home on the place on which he is now living in Noble township and has since resided there. Since taking possession of that place Mr. SHERMAN has enlarged his holding- until now he is the and gives considerable attention to his live stock interests, raising about fifty hogs and seventy-five sheep a year. It was on March 4, 1908, that Austin J. SHERMAN was united in marriage to Minnie A. SHEWARD, who also was born in Wayne township, and to this union three children have been born, Elizabeth M., Warren S. and John F., who are now attending the Metzner school (district No. 3) in Noble township. Mr. and Mrs. SHERMAN are Republicans and are members of the Pleasant Hill Evangelical church. They have a very pleasant home on rural mail route No. 9 out of Portland and take an interested part in the community's general social activities. Mrs. SHERMAN is a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth ( CLAAR ) SHEWARD, both of whom were born in Jackson county, Ohio. where they were married, later coming to Indiana and locating in Wayne township, this county. Daniel SHEWARD was the owner of a farm of 120 acres in Wayne township and he and his wife were the parents of nine children, all of whom save two Maria and Samuel are living, the others besides Mrs. SHERMAN being Josephine, Asa, Mary, Ada, Jessie and Ella SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.302-304. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

George B. SHIMP, formerly and for years a teacher in the public schools of this county and a well known farmer and landowner of Noble township, where he makes his home, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life, save for brief periods in the days of his young manhood when he was teaching- in the neighboring counties of Adams and Wells. Mr. SHIMP was born on a farm in Noble township on March 26, 1863, and is a son of Jesse and Emily ( HEISTAND ) SHIMP, both of whom were born in the state of Ohio, where they were married. Immediately following their marriage Jesse SHIMP and his wife came over into Indiana and settled on a farm in Noble township, this county. They made their home in that township for about twenty years, at the end of which time Jesse SHIMP bought a "forty" in Bearcreek township and moved to that place, a tract which his son George bought in 1893. Jesse SHIMP and his wife were the parents of ten children, namely: Mrs. Laura KIMBLE, of Noble township: Mrs. Clara FLAUDING, of Portland; Mrs. Belle GILPIN, of Hanford, Cal.; Miss Grace SHIMP, of Indianapolis; Mrs. Margaret BOWEN, who died at the age of thirty-five years; George B., the immediate subject of this biographical review: Charles E. SHIMP, of Washington, Pa.; Thomas W. SHIMP, of Portland; Valentine T. SHIMP, of Van Wert, Ohio, and Alonzo SHIMP, who died at the age of thirty-eight years. George B. SHIMP completed his schooling by attendance for three terms at the old Portland Normal School and four terms at the Normal School at Marion, Ind. meantime teaching school, and for twenty years u-as engaged as a school teacher, two years spent in the schools of Wells county, two years in Adams county and sixteen years in Jay county. During this period he also was carrying on farming operations, and in 1904 bought the farm of eighty acres on which he is now living in Noble township and on which he has made his home since 1906, this place being on rural mail route No. 3 out of Portland. In addition to this farm Mr. SHIMP is the owner of a farm of fifty acres in Adams county. He is a Democrat and he and his wife are members of the Methodist church. On October 1. 1890. George B. SHIMP was united in marriage to Lida BURK and to this union three children have been born, sons all, Sumner B., born on June 3, 1895; Earl H., October 7, 1897, and Lowell P., November 18, 1903. Sumner E. SHIMP, who is now a draftsman in the offices of the Indiana Bridge Company at Muncie, Ind., married Irene SHIRLEY and has one child, Dorothy J., born on February 5, 1921. Earl H. SHIMP is a student in the mechanical engineering department of Purdue University, class oi 1924. Lowell P. SHIMP is a. member of the class of 1922, Ft. Recovery high school. Mrs. SHIMP was born in Wabash township in the neighboring county of Adams and lived there until she was ten years of age when she came with her parents, William and Matilda ( HALL ) BURK, down into Jay county, the family locating in Wabash township here, where she completed her schooling in the New Corydon schools, grew to womanhood and was married. William BURK was born in Pennsylvania and was but a lad when he moved with his parents to Ohio, where he grew to manhood and was married, shortly afterward coming to Indiana and buying a forty-acre farm in Wabash township, this county. On that place his first wife, Phoebe GORDON, died, leaving three children. Mr. BURK presently married Matilda HALL, who was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families of Noble township. and not long afterward sold his place in this county and township and bought a farm of 144 acres in Adams county, where he established home. In 1898 he sold that farm and moved to Geneva, Ind., here he and his wife spent their last days. They were the parents six children, all of whom are living, save Harper, who died at the age of twenty-one years, and Alpha, who died at the age of thirteen years, the others besides Mrs. SHIMP being, Martin BURK, who is now clerk of his home county in Colorado; Miss Grace E. BURK, a teacher n the Mason City high school, and Ralph BURK, of Colorado. As noted above, by his first wife (Phoebe GORDON) William BURK had three children, all of whom are living, namely: James G. BURK, of Montana; Hiram BURK, of Missouri; and Elizabeth ASBY, of Geneva, Ind. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.292-293. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

T. W. SHIMP, president of the Jay County Savings and Trust Company and one of the leading realty and insurance dealers in Portland, is a native son of Jay county and has long been recognized as one of the dominant factors in the commercial life of this community. Mr. SHIMP was born on a farm in Wabash township on January 12, 1867, a son of Jesse and Emily ( HIESTAND ) SHIMP, both of whom were born in Ohio, where they were reared and where they were married. In 1861, not long after their marriage, Jesse SHIMP and his wife came over into Indiana and located on a farm in Wabash township, this county. Some time later they moved to a farm in Bearcreek township and on this latter place spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of ten children, two of whom, Alonzo SHIMP and Mrs. Margaret BONE, are now deceased, the remaining being George, Mrs. Laura KIMBLE, Mrs. Clara FLAUDING, and T. W. SHIMP, of this county; Grace, of Indianapolis; Mrs. Belle GILPIN, of California; Charles E. of Washington, Pa. and Valentine, of Van Wert, Ohio. Reared on the home farm in Bearcreek township, T. W. SHIMP received his elementary schooling in the local district school and then attended the old normal school at Portland for three terms. He then began teaching in the schools of this county, his first school being school No. 5 in Bearcreek township, which he conducted for several terms, going then to the Salamonia school, which he taught for three years, meanwhile taking the scientific course in the Normal College at Lebanon. Ohio, and was graduated from that institution in 1891. Upon securing his diploma Mr.SHIMP was made principal of the public schools at Sciotaville, Ohio, and a year later was made superintendent of the schools at Ft. Recovery, Ohio, a position he occupied for six years, at the end of which time he transferred his services to the schools of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, where he acted as superintendent of schools and as county school examiner for five years, going thence to Delphos, Ohio, where he was in charge of the schools for six years. Wearying then of school service, Mr. SHIMP returned to Portland and in 1911 assisted in the organization of the Jay County Savings and Trust Company and was made cashier of the same, a position he occupied for about six years, at the end of which time he was elected president of the institution and has since served in that capacity, at the same time being actively engaged in the real estate and insurance business. During the time of America's participation in the World war Mr. SHIMP was an active and influential factor in the promotion of all local defense measures and in 1919 was made president of the County Council of Defense. He is a Democrat and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. SHIMP has been an elder in the Presbyterian church for the past twenty years and is now clerk of the session of the local church, and for five years was superintendent of the Sunday school. He has long been a member of the public library board and has served as president of that body. On December 26, 1893, T. W. SHIMP was united in marriage to Ella E. SHEWARD, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth ( CLAIR ) SHEWARD, and to this union three children have been born, namely: Paul Brown SHIMP, now living at Wilmington, Del., who volunteered for service upon the entrance of this country into the World war, was attached to the Fifth Engineer Corps and was mustered out as a sergeant of the first class after a period of service of about two years, ten months of which was spent overseas; Eva, who is a teacher of music in the Portland public schools, and Helen, who is a student in the high school. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.50-51. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Charles H. SHOCKNEY, one of the veteran members of the bar of the Jay Circuit Court, a practicing attorney in this county for more than thirty years, with offices at Redkey for the past twenty years or more, is a native Hoosier, a fact of which he never has ceased to be proud, and has lived in this state all his life. Mr. SHOCKNEY was born in Tipton county on October 8, 1854, and is a son of Dr. William P. and Jane C. ( FRAZIER ) SHOCKNEY, the latter of whom was born in North Carolina but had come to Indiana with her parents in the days of her girlhood, her family locating in Howard county. Dr. William P. SHOCKNEY was born in Maryland, but had also come to Indiana with his parents in the days of his youth and had here grown to manhood, his family having settled in Randolph county. For several years he taught school, in the meantime giving his attention to the study of medicine and presently became a physician, for many years having practiced his profession at Windfall in Tipton county, Indiana. Doctor SHOCKNEY and his wife were the parents of eight children, four of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having three brothers, John A., Theodore and James N. SHOCKNEY. Reared in Randolph county, his parents having moved there from Tipton county when he was eight years old, Charles H. SHOCKNEY completed his schooling in the Eastern Indiana Normal School at Muncie, which he attended for three years, and was for nine years thereafter engaged in teaching school in Randolph county. He then for several years was engaged in railway service, meantime giving his attention to the study of law, which studies he completed under the preceptorship of his brother, Theodore SHOCKNEY, in the latter's law office at Union City, and in 1884 was admitted to the Ohio state bar. In 1885 he was admitted to the Indiana bar and for five years thereafter was associated with his brother in the practice of his profession. In 1890 Mr. SHOCKNEY opened an office of his own and in 1892 located at Dunkirk, where he remained until 1900, when he moved to Redkey and has since been engaged in practice in the latter city. Mr. SHOCKNEY is a Democrat and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, long having been recognized as one of the strong men of his party in Jay county. On January 28, 1880, Charles H. SHOCKNEY was united in marriage to Alice WHEELER, who was born in Randolph county, and to this union three children have been born, two of whom are living, Theodore and Adaline, both of whom are married. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.167-168. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

HARRY H. SHUCK, proprietor of a gasoline filling station, automobile accessory store and vulcanizing plant in North Meridian street at Portland has only been a resident of this county for the past five or six years, but there are few men in the county who have a wider acquaintance than he. Mr. SHUCK was born in Ripley county, Indiana, March 18, 1883. and is a son of James H. and Anna ( ROCHAT ) SHUCK, who are now living at North Vernon, this state. James H. SHUCK was born in Switzerland county, Indiana. When he was a child he moved with his parents to, Ripley county, where he grew to manhood, learning there the blacksmith trade. In time he set up a shop of his own and was thus engaged at Marble Corner and at New Marion, later moving to North Vernon, where he is now living retired. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom the subject of this sketch is now the only survivor. Harry H. SHUCK was but a child when his parents moved from Ripley county to Jennings county. When he was eight years of age he went to Johnson county, where he made his home with his uncle, and in the schools of this latter county he received his schooling. He early turned to commercial pursuits and presently became engaged as a salesman in a hardware store at Franklin, Ind., where he remained until 1916, in which year he came to Jay county and became engaged as a clerk in the hardware store at Pennville. Two years later he went to Portland, where he became engaged as a clerk in a hardware store. A year later he bought the Crown filling station in North Meridian street and has since been engaged in business at that point. In addition to his filling station Mr. SHUCK carries a full line of automobile accessories and has also added to his establishment a well equipped vulcanizing plant. On July 27, 1904, Harry H. SHUCK was united in marriage to Bonnie PATTERSON, who was born in Johnson county) Indiana, a daughter of Benjamin and Mollie PATTERSON,, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Mary Evelyn, who is now attending the Portland schools. Mr. and Mrs. SHUCK are members of the Christian church and are Republicans. Mr. SHUCK is a Freemason, affiliated with the local lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons (No. 107) at Franklin. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.84-85. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

James B. SIMMONS. a well known and substantial farmer of Jackson township and proprietor of a well kept farm there, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all his life. Mr. SIMMONS was born on a farm in the neighboring county of Randolph on February 19, 1859, and is a son of Joseph and Sarah ( WALL ) SIMMONS, whose last days were spent in that county. Joseph SIMMONS was born in Jackson township, Randolph county, and his life was devoted to farming- and saw milling. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, of whom four are living, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Isabel, and two brothers, Moses and Irvin SIMMONS. Reared on a farm in Randolph county, James B. SIMMONS received his schooling in the schools in the neighborhood of his home and was married at the age of twenty-two, after which he began farming on his own account, renting a farm. When the oil field hereabout was opened he came up into Jay county and for ten years- was engaged in oil development work. He then returned to farming, renting a small farm, and presently moved up into Adams county, where he bought a farm of thirty-two acres. He farmed that place for three years, at the end of which time he disposed of his interests in Adams county and returned to Jay county, buying the farm of eighty acres in Jackson township on which he since has made his home. It was on March 3, 1881. that James B. SIMMONS was united in marriage to Lucinda FIELDS, who also was born in Randolph county, daughter of David and Nancy ( GREGG ) FIELDS, and to this union twelve children have been born, of whom eleven are living, namely: Samuel, James Irvin, Emma, Michael, Frank, Elmer, Jacob. Caleb, John J., Moses and Mary. James Irvin SIMMONS married Inez Jones, of this county and has three children, Carl, Earl and Floyd. Frank SIMMONS married Carrie SAXSON, also of this county, and has three children, Minnie, Mildred and Kenneth. Mr. SIMMONS and his sons are Republicans. Four of these sons are veterans of the World war and another rendered service in the army after the war was over. Michael SIMMONS was in Wyoming when his call came. May 27, 1918, and he spent more than a year overseas, a member of Company I, 18th Infantry Regiment of the First Division, and with this command participated in numerous important engagements, including the second St. Mihiel offensive, the Meuse-Argonne offensive and the Sedan drive, and was discharged at Ft. D.A. Russell in Wyoming, on October 29, 1919. Elmer and Jacob SIMMONS entered the service in Idaho and the latter was stationed at Camp Kearney, Colorado. Elmer SIMMONS rendered service in the Marine Corps and most of his time in service was spent in the Virgin Islands. The youngest son, Moses SIMMONS, enlisted for service in the United States army in January, 1921, and served until in the following June, when he was discharged when the detachment to which he was attached was disbanded. John J. SIMMONS. served overseas with Battery B of the Eighth Field Artillery. He enlisted his services on May 3, 1917, less than a month after the United States entered into the World war and was sent to Ft. Thomas, thence to Ft. Monroe, thence to Camp Robinson, Wis., where he remained about three months. He then was sent to Camp Wheeler, Ga., where he remained until June, 1918, when he was sent to Camp McClellan and thence to Camp Merritt, from which point he was dispatched with his command overseas, the outfit first being brigaded at Brest. He was on foreign service for ten months and upon his return to the United States was sent to Camp Mills and thence to Camp Sherman, where he was mustered out. Upon his discharge he re-enlisted for a year and was finally discharged on August 15, 1921. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.273-274. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Emmett SIMPSON, one of Jay county's best known stockmen and the proprietor of a well kept farm in Noble township, where he makes his home, rural mail route No. 3 out of Portland, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. Mr. SIMPSON was born on a farm in Greene township on September 7, 1877, and is a son of George W. and Adaline ( LaFOLLETTE ) SIMPSON, the latter of whom also was born in this county, a daughter of Joseph and Charlotte ( STRATTON ) LaFOLLETTE, a substantial pioneer family of Jay county. Mrs. Adaline SIMPSON was born on July 16, 1852, and died on October 17, 1887. She was the mother of nine children, of whom three are living, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Ruth, of New Mt. Pleasant, this county, and a brother, Nial D. SIMPSON, now living in Kansas. The late George W. SIMPSON, who died at his home in Noble township on November 15, 1919, as is set out elsewhere in this volume, together with further details regarding the SIMPSON family in this county, was twice married and his widow, Mrs. Martha J. ( BADDERS ) SIMPSON, is now living on the old home place. She has three children, Edna, James W. and Albert J. George W. SIMPSON was born in Meigs county, Ohio, in 1849, and was a son of Daniel and Hannah ( JONES ) SIMPSON, the former a native of New York state and the latter of Ohio. In 1866 Daniel SIMPSON came to Indiana with his family and settled in Jay county, where he spent the remainder of his life. George W. SIMPSON was seventeen years-of age when he came to this county and the rest of his life was spent here. He started his farming operations in Greene township, but about twenty years ago moved to Noble township. He was a good farmer and stockman and at the time of his death was the owner of 270 acres of excellent land in this county. Emmett SIMPSON was trained to the life of the farm from the days of his boyhood and has followed that vocation with considerable success. He received his schooling in the Coulson, Hill school house and remained at home, a valued assistant to his father in the labors of developing the home farm, until his marriage at the age of twenty-five years, when he bought a "forty" in Greene township and started in "on his own." A year later he sold that farm and moved to Portland, where for three years he was engaged in the confectionery business. Then realizing that a commercial life was not to his liking he disposed of that business and resumed farming, making his home on the place on which he is now living in Noble township and where he and his wife are very comfortably situated. It was about fifteen years ago that Mr. SIMPSON took possession of this farm of eighty acres and since then he has made numerous substantial improvements on the place, now having an admirably equipped farm plant. For some time past he has been renting his fields and has been devoting his attention chiefly to the live stock phase of his agricultural operations and in this connection has gained something more than a local reputation as a breeder of pure bred cattle and hogs, with particular reference to his Shorthorns and his big type Poland Chinas, feeding out about 100 head of hogs a year. He and his wife also make a specialty of White Leghorn chickens and raise about 1,500 of this popular variety of fowls a year. Mr. SIMPSON is a Republican, as is his wife, and he is a member of the local aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles at Portland. On April 1, 1903, Emmett SIMPSON was united in marriage to Bertha A. TROUT, who was born in Pike township, this county, and who is a daughter of Ezra and Margaret ( WARE ) TROUT. Mr. and Mrs. SIMPSON have a pleasant home and have ever taken an interested part in the general social activities of the community in which they reside. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.270-271. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

George W. SIMPSON, who died at his home in Noble township in the fall of 1919 and is buried in beautiful Green Park cemetery at Portland, was for years recognized as one of the leading agriculturists and stockmen of Jay county, a substantial citizen who left a good memory at his passing, a memory to which this brief review of his useful and active life may be considered a modest, yet just, tribute. Mr. SIMPSON was not a native son of Jay county, but had lived here since the days of his boyhood, and his interests were firmly united to those of this county. He was born in Meigs county, Ohio, October 1, 1849, and was a son of Daniel and Hannah (JONES) SIMPSON, the latter of whom was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1831, and died in Smith county, Kansas, December 7, 1887. Daniel SIMPSON was born in Sullivan county, New York, October 12, 1824, and was married in Ohio, where he made his home until 1866, when he came to Indiana with his family and located on a farm in Jay county. He survived his wife for some years, his death occurring in January, 1905. George W. SIMPSON was seventeen years of age when he came with his parents to Jay county in 1866, and he grew to manhood on the home farm here, remaining with his father until he had attained his majority, when he began farming on his own account, and alter his marriage two or three years later rented a farm in Greene township on which he made his home until 1878, when he bought an "eighty" in Wayne township and moved to the same. To this he added as his affairs prospered until he had an excellent farm of 200 acres. About twenty years ago he sold this place and moved to Portland, but a few weeks later bought a farm of 160 acres in Noble township, which is now being operated by his son Emmet. After a residence of two years in Portland Mr. SIMPSON returned to farming and bought a tract of 130 acres in Noble township and moved to the same, the place on which his widow is now living, and there he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on November 15, 1919. Mr. SIMPSON was a .good farmer and at the time of his death was the owner of 270 acres in this county, having sold thirty acres of his 130-acre tract in Noble township. For years he had given much attention to the raising of heavy draft horses, Shorthorn cattle and pure bred Duroc Jersey hogs and had done much to improve the strain of live stock in this county. He was a Republican and had ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but had not been a seeker after public office. George W. SIMPSON was twice married. On February 1, 1873, he was united in marriage to Adeline LaFOLLETTE, who was born in this county on July 16, 1852, daughter of Joseph and Charlotte (STRATTON) LaFOLLETTE, and who died on October 17, 1887. To that union were born nine children, of whom three are living, namely: Nial D., born on November 16, 1873, who is now living in Kansas; Emmet, born on September 7, 1877, who is now farming in Noble township, and Ruth, November 23, 1882, who is living at New Mt. Pleasant. On June 12, 1906, Mr. SIMPSON married Martha J. BADDERS, who also was born in this county, and to this union were born three children, Edna and James W. and Albert B. (twins). Edna SIMPSON is a member of the class of 1925, Portland high school, and the twin boys are attending the Price school m Wayne township and are also members of the United Brethren Sunday school at Bellefontaine. Since the death of her husband, Mrs. SIMPSON has continued to make her home on the farm in Noble township, where she is very comfortably situated, having a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland. She was born in Wayne township and is a daughter of Jesse and Sarah (BURNS) BADDERS, both of whom also were born in Jay county, members of pioneer families here, and who were the parents of four children, Mrs. SIMPSON having had two brothers, Robert (deceased) and James, and a sister, Margaret. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.368-369. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Malcolm V. SKINNER, a member of the bar of the Jay Circuit Court, former prosecuting attorney for this county, former attorney for the city of Portland, former chairman of the Democratic committee for the Eighth congressional district and one of the best known young lawyers in this district, was born in Portland and has lived there all his life, a practicing attorney since he was twenty-one years of age. Mr. SKINNER was born on June 14, 1887, and is a son of Philip M. and Mary (STUMP) SKINNER, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families here, and who are still living at Portland. Philip M. SKINNER is a son of Lulathiel and Ameretta SKINNER, who came to this county from Ohio and settled on a farm in Pike township, where they reared their family. Reared on the farm in Pike township, Philip M. SKINNER received his schooling in the local schools of that neighborhood and spent his voting manhood on the farm, later becoming engaged in the cut stone and monument business at Portland, where he is still living. He and his wife have three children, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Hugh SKINNER, and a sister, Freda. Reared at Portland, Malcolm V. SKINNER received his schooling in the schools of that city and upon leaving high school entered seriously upon the study of law, to which from boyhood he had given his thoughtful attention. He was admitted to the bar when twenty-one years of age and was immediately appointed a deputy to the prosecuting attorney for this county. In the following year he was elected prosecutor and by reelection served in that important capacity for two terms. Upon the completion of this term of service Mr. SKINNER was elected city attorney and for four years served in that capacity. From the days of his boyhood he has given his thoughtful attention to local political affairs, has long been connected with the work of the Democratic committees both in the county and district and has served as chairman of the district committee, as well as chairman of the city committee at Portland, one of the acknowledged leaders of his party in Indiana. Mr. SKINNER is an active member of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Country Club and is affiliated with the local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. In 1910 Malcolm V. SKINNER was united in marriage to Sarah A. ROSE, who was born at Harrisburg,, Pa., and to this union two children have been born, Frank R. and Jaqueline Rose. Mr. and Mrs. SKINNER have a pleasant home at Portland and have ever taken an interested part in the city's genera! social activities. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.358-359. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Austin B. SMITH, local agent for the Dollings Investment Company at Dunkirk and one of the active factors in the commercial life of that city and of Jay county, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all his life. He was born in Hancock county on August 6, 1878, son and only child of Isaac and Ruth E. (PRICE) SMITH, the former of whom was born in that same county, a member of one of the pioneer families there. For some years in the days of his young manhood Isaac SMITH was engaged as a school teacher in his home county and then took up carpentering, a vocation which he long followed. Austin B. SMITH received his schooling in Hancock county and upon completing the course in the high school became a grocery clerk, presently buying a grocery store at Anderson, Ind. [Madison Co.] A year later he sold this store and became engaged in the restaurant business at Anderson, continuing thus engaged for two years, at the end of which time he disposed of that business and went to Hartford City, [Blackford Co.] where he again became engaged in the grocery business. About a year later he accepted an offer to take service in the Citizens State Bank at Hartford City and was for eight years connected with that institution. In 1911 Mr. SMITH was transferred from the bank at Hartford City to the Citizens Bank of Dunkirk, as cashier of the latter institution, and remained there until he accepted his present position as the local agent for the Dollings Investment Company at Dunkirk. Mr. SMITH is a Democrat, a Mason and an Odd Fellow and he and his wife are members of the Methodist church. In 1901 Austin B. SMITH was united in marriage to Edna D. SEAMAN, who. was born in Blackford county, this state, daughter of John and Margaret SEAMAN, and to this union two children have been born, Jeannette and Margaret, the former of whom, on September 22, 1920, was married to Wilbur TRADER, of Dunkirk, and has one child, a daughter, Jean Alberta.SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.376-377. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Dillwyn P. SMITH, one of Jay county's sturdy octogenarian farmers and landowners, now living practically retired at his pleasant farm home on rural mail route No. 4 out of Bryant, section 16 of Penn township, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. Mr. SMITH was born on February 14, 1840, and is a son of Edmund and Eliza ( BUTTON ) SMITH, the latter of whom was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, from which county so many of the early settlers of Penn township came. Edmund SMITH was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania. His father died when he was a child and the family later became residents of Columbiana county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and was married. He grew up as a carpenter and cabinet maker and was married in Columbiana county, not long afterward (in 1838) coming over into Indiana with a one-horse wagon and settling in Penn township, this county, where he had leased a quarter of a section of land for a period of five years and proceeded to clear fifteen acres, dig a well and put up a cabin and barn. for the rental of the place for five years. In the early '40s he bought the "eighty" on which his son Dillwyn is now living in section 14 and established his home there, erecting in 1850 the house which still is used as a residence on the place. Edmund SMITH was a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker and the shop which he set up on his place was largely patronized by his pioneer neighbors, much of the furniture used in the neighborhood being made by him, as well as the coffins of that time and place, and as the log houses came to be replaced by frame houses his services were much in demand as a builder. The price of coffins in those days ranged from $5 for the coffin of a grown person to $1.25 for that of a child, this price including conveyance to the cemetery in a farm wagon in the case of an adult or on horse back in the case of a child. Edmund SMITH later added an adjoining tract of ten acres to his place and thus was the owner of ninety acres, on which he was living at the time of his death in 1853, he then being but thirty-eight years of age. His widow survived until February 27, 1891. They had eight children, Maria, Maurice, Dillwyn, Charles E., Joseph D., Mary Johanna, Caroline arid Edmund, Jr., of whom but three are now living, the subject of this sketch and his brothers, Charles E. SMITH, of West Branch, Iowa, and Joseph D. SMITH, of Twin Falls, Idaho. Dillwyn P. SMITH was reared on the home place in Penn township and was educated in the West Grove school and in the Paxson school, completing his public schooling when twenty years of age. He was but thirteen years of age when his father died and his youth was given up to the development of the home farm, which he bought after his marriage and established his home there, having thus been proprietor of this place since 1862. Of late years Mr. SMITH has been living retired from the active labors of the farm, the management of which is in the hands of his son, Louis A. SMITH, further mention of whom is made elsewhere. Mr. SMITH for many years has been an ardent Prohibitionist and for more than fifty years has been a member of the United. Brethren church. It was on December 8, 1861, that Dillwyn P. SMITH was united in marriage to Sarah DUGDALE, a daughter of William and Anna ( HILLIS ) DUGDALE, and to this union were born five children, Eva, Mary Eliza, Charles W., Louis A. and Anna L., all of whom are living. The mother of these children died on September 20, 1904. Eva SMITH married Sylvester HUNT, who died leaving four children, Emily A., Mabel, Leslie D. and Harland. Emily A. HUNT married Henry M. GRAVES and has six children, Edward, Paul, Justine, Ralph, Wilbur and Lois GRAVES. Leslie D. HUNT married Gladys CRAMPTON and has two children, Donald F. and Minnie Evelyn. Mrs. Eva SMITH HUNT married (secondly) William D. SLAY. Mary Eliza SMITH married P. MONTGOMERY and has two children, Ada and Mark MONTGOMERY. Charles W. SMITH married Carrie LEWIS and has one child, Helen Dean. Louis A. SMITH, as is set out elsewhere, married Harriet MENDENHALL and has four children, Vera, who married Harvey ENGLE and has one child, Robert Louis ENGLE, Elva (deceased), Dwight and Lloyd. Anna L. SMITH married Forest A. BROWN, who died leaving one child, a daughter, Mildred BROWN. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.317-318. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

JOHN M. SMITH, dean of the bar of the Jay Circuit Court, former judge of that court, former state senator from this district, former member of the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly and for many years one of the most active factors in the public life of this part of Indiana, is a native son of Jay county and has ever taken a just pride in the amazing development that has marked this region in his generation. Judge SMITH is a member of one of the real pioneer families of Jay county, his grandfather, George M. SMITH, a soldier of the War of 1812, having been among that considerable number of settlers who came over here from Greene county, Ohio, in 1836, the year in which Jay county became formally organized as a separate civic unit, and located on lands entered from the Government in Richland township. George M. SMITH also owned land in the neighboring county of Delaware and died there in 1849. One of his sons, James A. SMITH, father of Judge SMITH, was ten years of age when he came to Indiana with his parents in 1836, the family settling in Jay county and later moving over into Delaware county. After the death of his father in this latter county, James A. SMITH returned to Jay county and became a substantial farmer and landowner in Richland township, where he had established his home after his marriage and where he was living when the Civil war broke out. In February, 1864, he enlisted for service as a soldier of the Union and went to the front as a member of Company H of the 130th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for twenty-one months, or until long after the close of the war, and during which service he participated in the battles of Nashville and of Missionary Ridge and in the Atlanta campaign. Not long after the completion of his military service James A. SMITH moved from Richland township to Knox township and on his farm in this latter township spent the remainder of his days, his death occurring there on January 1, 1895. James A. SMITH was twice married. His first wife, Eliza J. HOPPES, was born in Fayette county, Ohio, and was but a child when she came with her parents to Indiana, the family settling in Richland township, this county, among the early and influential pioneers of that region. To that union were born four children, two of whom are still living, Judge SMITH and his brother, Henry Clay SMITH, also of Portland. The mother of these children died in 1865 and James A. SMITH later married Mary FLESHER, who also was a member of one of the pioneer families of this county. As will be noted by a comparison of the above dates, John M. SMITH, who was born on the home farm in Richland township on September 29, 1853, was about twelve years of age when his mother died. Following this bereavement he made his home with the family of his maternal grandfather, Jacob Hoppes, and grew to manhood on the Hoppes farm. He completed his schooling in the old Liber College and began teaching school, at the same time giving his attention to preparatory studies in law. He secured advancement in these studies under the preceptorship of Jacob WELLS and William A. BONHAM at Hartford City, lnd. and in 1875 was admitted to the bar, but continued teaching until 1880, when he opened an office for the practice of law at Portland, where he ever since has residedùa period of more than forty yearsùand is thus the oldest continuing practitioner at the bar of the Jay Circuit Court; a practice which is not confined, however, to the local court but extends into the courts of the neighboring counties and into the state courts, besides which he has for many years served as the local attorney for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. In 1882, two years after entering upon the practice of. law at Portland, Judge SMITH was elected to represent this district in the Indiana state Senate and thus served during the memorable sessions of 1883 and 1885, the youngest member of that body. In 1898 he was elected judge of the Jay Circuit Court and for six years occupied the local bench. In 1908 he was elected to represent this district in the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly and served during the session of the legislature in 1909. Judge SMITH also has rendered public service as county attorney for Jay county and as attorney for the city of Portland. He is a Democrat and has for many years been recognized as among the leaders in that party not only in the Eighth district but throughout the state. The Judge is a Royal Arch Mason and is a charter member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Portland. Upon the opening of the natural gas boom hereabout back in the '80s. Judge SMITH took an active interest in that develop ment and it was he who drew up the articles of association of the company at Portland which was the first to develop natural gas for commercial uses in the state of Indiana, as is set out elsewhere in this work. When the new court house was dedicated in January, 1919, Judge SMITH was asked by the bar association to prepare a review of the local bar to be read on that occasion and his compliance with this request preserved for future generations a most illuminating chronicle, valued highly by the local historical society and a synopsis of which, through the Judge's courtesy, is presented elsewhere in this centennial history of the county. In 1881 John M. SMITH was united in marriage to Etta LEONARD, who was born in Wayne township, this county, daughter of John and Catherine LEONARD, natives of the Emerald Isle, and to this union have been born five children, Glenna, Rufus C., Kathryn, Anna and Robert L., all of whom are living. Kathryn SMITH married William J. KIRKE, of Fortland and has one child, a daughter, Mary Margaret. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.56-57. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Lewis M. SMITH, a substantial retired farmer of Richland township who for the past ten years has made his home at Dunkirk, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. SMITH was born in Richland township and is a member of one of the real pioneer families of the county, as is his wife, the latter of whom is a daughter of Isaiah SUTTON, the man who laid out the town of Dunkirk. Mr. SMITH was born on July 15, 1854, and is a son of Matthew and Elizabeth ( HAGLER ) SMITH, the latter of whom was born in Ohio. Matthew SMITH was a Virginian by birth and when about ten years of age accompanied his parents to Ohio, the family locating in Greene county. His father came over into Indiana on a prospecting tour about the time the lands in Jay county were opened for settlement and "entered" an "eighty" in Richland township. Matthew SMITH grew up in Greene county (Ohio) and when he married his father gave him the "eighty" in Richland township, this county, and here he established his home. He was a good farmer and as he cleared his land added to his holding until he became the owner of an excellent tract of 640 acres and was accounted one of the substantial men of the community, as well as one of the leaders in the public life of the county, he having served as a representative from this district to the Indiana General Assembly, this district then comprising the counties of Jay and Blackford, and he also served for some time as a member of the board of county commissioners .of Jay county. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom two are still living, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Mrs. Laura GREEN, of Redkey. Reared on the home farm in Richland township, Lewis M. SMITH received his early schooling in the old Booth school, of which interesting mention is made elsewhere in this work, and supplemented this by a course in the old academy at Ridgeville. He remained at home, helpful in the; labors of the farm, until his marriage at the age of twenty-four. His father then gave him a tract of 100 acres and on this place he established his home. He later added an adjacent tract of sixty-five acres, this giving him an excellent farm of 165 acres, which he improved and developed in admirable fashion and on which he continued to make his home until his retirement in 1912, and removal to Dunkirk, where he has since resided, he and his wife being very comfortably situated m the home on East Commerce street which they bought upon leaving the farm. For some years after leaving the farm Mr. SMITH continued to give general supervisory direction to the operation of the same, but in 1917, sold the place and has since been living practically retired. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Dunkirk and are Republicans. It was on October 16, 1878,. that Lewis M. SMITH was united in marriage to Emily SUTTON , who was born at Dunkirk (then called Quincy), daughter of Isaiah and Rebecca ( STEWART ) SHROYER - SUTTON, the former of whom was the founder of the town, as is set out at length elsewhere, and who is thus referred to in affectionate memory as "the father of Dunkirk." Isaiah SUTTON was the father of twelve children, of whom three are still living, Mrs. SMITH having a brother, Philip R. SUTTON, and a sister, Martha E. To Mr. and Mrs. SMITH five children have been born. Of these four are living, namely: Mabel, who married Earl REMALY, who is connected with the steel mills at Gary; Ethel, who married Rollie COOK, a grocer, of Dunkirk; Nellie, who married A. B. GREEN, a commercial traveler, now living at Marion, Ind., and has one child, a son, Robert S., and Merrill, who married Carrie WOLF and is now living at Flint, Mich. Merrill SMITH served as a soldier during the time of America's participation in the World war, in the Motor Mechanics Corps, serving from March 29, 1918, to July 14, 1920, and during this time was in overseas service for eleven months. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.142-143. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Louis A. SMITH, one of Penn township's well known and progressive farmers and the proprietor of a well kept and profitably cultivated farm on rural mail route No. 4 out of Bryant, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in the immediate neighborhood of the place on which he is now living, August 30, 1876, and is a son of Dillwyn P. and Sarah ( DUGDALE ) SMITH, the former of whom was born in this county and the latter in dark county, Ohio. Dillwyn P. SMITH, who is now living retired on his farm in Penn township, and of whom further mention is made elsewhere, grew up on a pioneer farm in this county and has been engaged in farming all his life. He owns a well improved place of eighty acres, which is now under the cultivation of his son Louis, and has done well in his operations. To him and his wife were born five .children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Eva, Marie, Charles and Anna. Reared on the home farm in Penn township, Louis A. SMITH received his schooling in the local schools and from the days of his boyhood has been engaged in farming. After his marriage he rented the "eighty" where he is now living and there established his home. In due time he was able to buy the place and since coming into possession has made numerous substantial and up-to-date improvements, now having an excellent farm plant. Mr. SMITH also farms his father's "eighty" nearby and thus has 160 acres under his direction. In addition to his general farming operations he has for years given considerable attention to the raising of hogs and annually feeds out about sixty head. He is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Pennville. Louis A. SMITH married Harriet MENDENHALL, daughter of William and Alice ( VOTAW ) MENDENHALL, and to this union have been born four children, Vera, Elva (deceased), Dwight and Lloyd. The SMITH's have a pleasant home and have ever taken 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.218-219. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

William P. SMITH, D. C., a well known young doctor of chiropractic at Portland, was born in that city and has lived there all his life. Doctor SMITH was born on July 20, 1899, and is a son of W. Leo and Bessie J. ( HODDUPP ) SMITH, both of whom also were born in Jay county, members of old families here. W. Leo SMITH, who has for years been salesmanager in the big establishment of the Hood wholesale grocery at Portland, was born at Redkey, but has been a resident of Portland since his youth. He and his wife have two children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Mary. Upon completing the course in the Portland high school, William P. SMITH was for about nine months engaged in the shipping department of the Hood wholesale house and then entered the eastern Indiana branch of the State Normal School at Muncie, where from September to December, 1918, he served in the Student Army Training Camp for service in the army during the time of this country's participation in the World war. In the meantime he had been giving his thoughtful attention to the study of chiropractic and upon leaving the normal school entered the Ross College of Chiropractic at Fort Wayne and on April 27, 1921, was graduated from that institution. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor SMITH returned to Portland and opened there an office for the practice of his profession and has since been thus engaged. On May 27, 1920, Dr. William P. SMITH was united in marriage to Geraldine OHMART, daughter of James E. and Emma ( GOEHLER ) OHMART, the former of whom is a well known real estate dealer at Portland. Mrs. SMITH was born at Laketon, Ind., but her schooling was completed in the high school at Portland, to which place her parents moved when she was a child. Doctor and Mrs. SMITH are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are Democrats. The Doctor is a member of Delta Chapter of the Phi Delta Kappa fraternity at Portland. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.82-83. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Charles C. SOMMER, a well known farmer and landowner of Jay county and proprietor of a well kept farm in Madison township, where he makes his home, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. Mr. SOMMER was born on February 26, 1879, and is a son of David and Nancy ( OEHLER ) SOMMER, the latter of whom was born in Ohio. David SOMMER was born in Germany and was but a child when he came with his parents to America, the family locating at Marion, Ohio, whence, not long afterward, they came over into Indiana and settled on an eighty-acre farm in Madison township, this county. On that farm David SOMMER grew to manhood and after his marriage became a farmer on his own account, continuing to make his home in Madison township. He and his wife were the parents of three children, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Thomas E. and Obe A. SOMMER. Reared in Madison township, Charles A. SOMMER received his schooling in Lockout school (district No. 3). From the age of nine years he practically had to "look out for himself" and thus early began to work in the neighborhood as a farm hand. He married before he was twenty-one and not long thereafter began to farm for himself, renting a farm. A year or two later he bought a farm of thirty-three acres in Madison township, but about eighteen months later sold that place and again began renting. A year later, however, he bought another tract of forty acres in Madison township and on that place made his home for nine years, or until 1915, in which year he sold it and then bought the place on which he is now living in the vicinity of Salamonia. Mr. SOMMER has a well kept farm of ninety-eight acres, on which he has made numerous modern improvements since taking possession, now having an excellent farm plant. He is a Republican, is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Salamonia and he and his wife are members of the Reformed church in that village. On December 28, 1899, Charles A. SOMMER was united in marriage to Ella E. THEURER, who also was born in this county, and to this union have been born six children, namely: Howard A., who is attending the Harrison Law School at Indianapolis; Earl E., who is assisting his father in the operation of the home farm; Clarence A., a student in the Portland high school, and Alva A., Ivan A. and Arlie V., who are attending the Salamonia schools. Mrs. SOMMER was born in Noble township and her schooling was received in the Sycamore Fork; school (district No. 8). She is a daughter of Jacob P. and Christena ( GRILE ) THEURER, the latter of whom was born at Marion, Ohio, but was reared in Jay county, her parents having moved here when she was a child. Jacob P. THEURER was born in Noble township, this county, a member of one of the pioneer families there, and he became a substantial farmer and landowner in that township. He and his wife were the parents of six children, all of whom are living save Frederick and Emanuel, Mrs. SOMMER having three sisters, Mary, Harriet and Augusta. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.153-154. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

JACOB M. SPADE, a veteran grocer at Portland and the proprietor of the oldest continuous grocery store in Jay county, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life, well known in business circles in Portland since the days of his young manhood. Mr. SPADE was born on a farm in Wayne township, this county, and was reared there, a son of Daniel and Mary SPADE, both of whom were born in the state of Maryland, the former a son of John SPADE, who became one of the pioneer settlers in Wayne township. Daniel SPADE and wife were the parents of six children, three of whom are still living, Jacob M. SPADE having two brothers, Alexander and Horace M. SPADE. Jacob M. SPADE supplemented the schooling received in the public schools of this county by a course in the Indiana State Normal School and then became engaged in telephone work at Portland, helping to install the first telephone system in that city. He then became engaged in the lumber business there, associated with the firm of Wilt & SPADE, and was the bookkeeper and buyer for that firm for nine years, at; the end of which time, in 1892, he became engaged at Portland in the grocery business and has ever since been thus engaged. Mr. SPADE's first store was in the room now (1921) occupied by the Iholt wall paper store, but he long since moved into the room now occupied by him as a grocery in North Meridian street, and there has a well established business. On December 27, 1882, Tacob M. SPADE was united in marriage to Olive BOWEN, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, and to this union were born six children, Maud, Ethel, Frank, Keith, Emily and Dorothy, all of whom are married save the last named, who is attending school at Roanoke, Va. Frank SPADE, who was born on September 23, 1889, is engaged with his father in the grocery business. Keith SPADE is the secretary-manager of the local commercial association, or chamber of commerce at Portland, with offices in the court house. Jacob M. SPADE is a Republican. He is the treasurer of the Rotary Club and is affiliated with the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias and 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, p.83. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

EMERY N. SPAHR, of the firm of McConochy & Spahr, proprietors of a popular garage and automobile accessory shop in North Meridian street, Portland, is a native son of Jay county, a member of one of the county's pioneer families, and has lived here all his life. Mr. SPAHR was born on a farm in Greene township on February 12, 1893, and is a son of Morris H. and Anna B. ( MILLER ) SPAHR, both of whom also were born in this county, the latter a daughter of David T. and Jane ( PRATT ) MILLER, early residents of this county, as is set out elsewhere in this volume. Morris H. SPAHR, proprietor of a half section of land in Greene township, is a representative of one of the real pioneer families of Jay county, a son of John O. and Experience ( HILDRETH ) SPAHR, who came over here from Greene county, Ohio, in pioneer days and became influential factors in the development of Greene township, which was given its name in honor of the numerous Greene county people who settled there in the days when lands in that section were being taken up, as is noted elsewhere. To Morris H. SPAHR and wife were born five children, of whom three are living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Oliver SPAHR, and a sister, Alta. Reared on the home farm in Greene township, Emery N. SPAHR received his schooling in the old Union school (district No. 8) and from the days of his boyhood was a valued assistant in the labors of the farm. He married at the age of twenty-two and for five years thereafter continued to reside on the home place, renting a portion of the same from his father and farming it. He then moved to the village of Blaine, where he was engaged in business for a year or more, at the end of which time, in April, 1921, he formed his present partnership with H. J. McConochy in the garage business at Portland and has since resided in that city. This garage, located at 414-416 North Meridian street, has a capacity for about sixty cars and has become one of the best known, service stations in eastern Indiana. The proprietors of the same also have a well equipped general accessory store and are likewise agents for the sale of the Studebaker, the Oldsmobile and the Chevrolet automobiles. On April 4, 1915, Emery N. SPAHR was united in marriage to Helen HUDSON, who also was born in Greene township. Mr. and Mrs. SPAHR are Republicans and Mr. SPAHR is a member of the Masonic lodge at Portland. Mrs. SPAHR also is a member of one of Jay county's pioneer families, she being a representative of the fifth generation of HUDSON's who have resided in this county, the family here dating back to 1839 when Benjamin and Ruth ( DODD ) HUDSON came over here with their family from Ohio and settled in the woods in section 19 of Pike township. Mrs. SPAHR is a daughter of Selby E. and Jessie (SHOUP ) HUDSON of Greene township. Selby E. Hudson, proprietor of a farm of 240 acres in that township, is a son of William and Ocy Ann ( COLLINS ) HUDSON, the former of whom was a son of Aaron D. and Mary ( MATTS ) HUDSON, the latter of whom was a daughter of William G. and Hannah MATTS, who came here from New Jersey with their family in 1836, the year in which Jay county was organized, and settled in Wayne township. Aaron D. HUDSON, who was a son .of the pioneer Benjamin HUDSON mentioned above, became a substantial landowner in Pike township and served for one term as sheriff of Jay county. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.100-101. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

William R. SPRINKLE, a well-known public service contractor at Portland, particularly concerned in road, street and sewer construction, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a farm in Lancaster township, Huntington. county, July 24, 1862, son of Absalom and Elizabeth J. ( HEFNER ) SPRINKLE, the latter of whom was born in Jefferson township, that same county, a member of one of the pioneer families of that section of the state. Absalom SPRINKLE was born in Polk county, Ohio, and was eighteen years of age when he came to Indiana and began working in Huntington county, where he presently married and established his home. He was the owner of an eighty-acre farm in Lancaster township and was also extensively engaged in gravel road contracting, his first work in that line having been the construction of the Huntington and Lancaster gravel road, the first such road constructed in that county. He and his wife were the parents of six children, those besides the subject of this sketch being John J., Milton O., David F., Chester L. and Estella, wife of Oscar SWANK. Reared on the home farm in Huntington county, William R. SPRINKLE received his schooling in what then were known as the Stringtown school and the Center school, and worked with his father until he was twenty years of age. Although but twelve years of age at the time. he aided in the construction of the Huntington and Lancaster gravel road, above mentioned, and has ever since been engaged in similar public work. When he was twenty years of age he secured his first contract this being for the construction of a 20-inch sewer system in the town of Warren, Ind., at a contract price of $2,500. His success in that first venture decided his course of life, and since then he has carried out public contracts over a wide territory in Indiana, his headquarters having long ago been established at Portland, where he helped lay the first cement sidewalk laid in that city. Several of the streets in Portland have been paved by Mr. SPRINKLE, including the paving of Arch, Walnut and East High streets. Mr. SPRINKLE is a Republican and has ever given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs. He is a member of the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias and of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Mr. SPRINKLE has been twice married. On October 20, 1891, he was united in marriage to Sarah MINTON, who also was born in Lancaster township, Huntington county, a daughter of Nathan arid Abigail ( ROGERS ) MINTON, and to that union were born two children, Ralph C. and Mamie, both of whom died in infancy. The mother of these children died, and in January, 1900, Mr. SPRINKLE married Minnie A. WILKINSON, who was born in Pike township, Jay county, October 23, 1869, daughter of John H. and Maria ( HILTON ) WILKINSON, and who died on July 14, 1920. On February 25, 1916, Mr. and Mrs. SPRINKLE welcomed into their home Melva M. GIBSON, who was born in Portland on August 20, 1908. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.192-193. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

JOHN M. STARR, a well known and substantial retired farmer of Greene township, this county, now living at Portland, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. STARR was born on a pioneer farm in Greene township, the site now occupied by the village of Blaine, October 20, 1849, and is a son of Jacob and Angelina C. ( WRIGHT ) STARR, who were among the pioneers of that section of the county, and the latter of whom was born in Greene county, Ohio, April 1, 1824, daughter of Merrick and Nancy ( OWENS ) WRIGHT, Virginians, the former of whom was a soldier of the War of 1812. Jacob STARR was born in Berkeley county, Virginia (now West Virginia), March 13, 1813, and was reared in the home of an uncle in Greene county, Ohio. He married in this latter county and continued to make his home there- until 1846, when he came over into Indiana and settled on a quarter section of land he had entered from the Government in Greene township, this county, locating there on August 26 of that year, one of the considerable number of Greene county (Ohio) people who settled in that part of Jay county about that time, Greene township being given its name in honor of these settlers who had brought pleasant memories of their old home county with them. On this quarter section Jacob STARR established his home, made a good farm and spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there in November, 1899. He had prospered in his operations and became the owner of 540 acres, a part of which tract now is occupied by the village of Blaine. To Jacob and Angelina ( WRIGHT ) STARR were born six children, three of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Charles P. STARR, of Portland, and a sister, Sarah, wife of Joel KINSEY. Reared on the home farm in Greene township, John M. STARR received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and from the days of his boyhood his life has been devoted to farming. He married when twenty-two years of age and for a few years thereafter continued to farm the home acres, or until in November, 1876, when he bought a tract of seventy acres in Greene township and launched out on his own. As his affairs prospered there Mr. STARR bought an adjacent tract of eighty acres, this addition to his holdings giving him 150 acres of excellent land, on which he made his home until his retirement from the farm in 1907 and removal to Portland, where he bought his present residence at 616 West Main street, and has since resided there, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. STARR and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Portland and are Republicans. John M. STARR has been twice married. On August 15, 1872, he was united in marriage to Sarah L. SPAHR, who was born in this county, daughter of Jacob L. and Elizabeth ( BOOTS ) SPAHR, also Greene county (Ohio) folks, and to this union three children were born, Cora, William J. and Leslie I. Cora STARR married James E. STURGEON, now living at Muncie, Ind., and has three children: Lawrence, who married Wilma HAWKINS and has one child, Betty Marie; Lee, who married Helen MOORE, and Leah. William J. STARR, who now lives in Michigan, married Grace SMITH and has eight children. Darrell, Freda, Kenneth, Clifford, Helen, Elizabeth, John and Joseph. Leslie I. STARR, who now lives at Los Angeles, Cal., married Mazie WILSON and has one child, Claudia. The mother of these children died on December 14, 1884, and on December 31, 1885, Mr. STARR married Catherine E. ROSENBERRY, who also was born in this county, daughter of David ROSENBERRY and wife, and to this union have been born four children, Forrest C., Iris, Edith M. and Herbert L., all of whom are married save the latter. Forrest C. STARR married Edith BIRD, of this county, and has three children, Thelma, Merritt Warren and Jay; Iris STARR married Charles BIRD and has two children, Mildred and John; and Edith M. STARR married Clyde WEST and has three children, Catherine Jane, Ruth M. and Clyde WEST. Herbert L. STARR served in the navy for thirteen months during the time of America's participation in the World war, attached to the battleship Virginia, and made three round trips to France. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.64-65. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

James F. STEED, a member of one of the pioneer families of Jay county and proprietor of a well kept farm in Pike township, where he and his family are living, rural mail route No. 12 out of Portland, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life, with the exception of a period from April, 1917, to November, 1919, which he spent in Michigan. Mr. STEED was born on a farm in the township in which he is now living, November 10, 1862, and is a son of Robert and Leah (KUNTZ) STEED, the former of whom, a Virginian by birth, came to Jay county with his parents, John STEED and wife, from Ohio in 1836, the year in which Jay county was organized, the STEED's establishing their home on a tract of Government land in Jefferson township, where John STEED, the pioneer, became one of the influential and useful pioneers of that section, as it set out elsewhere in this work. Robert STEED was about sixteen years of age when he came to this county with his parents and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Jefferson township. He married at the age of twenty-one and then started farming on his own account on a forty-acre farm in Pike township, which as his affairs prospered he increased until he had more than 300 acres and was accounted one of the substantial men of that neighborhood. There he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom five are still living, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, Rebecca and Emma, and two brothers, William W. and Elmer STEED. Reared on the farm on which he was born, James F. STEED received his schooling in the district schools of Pike township and from the days of his boyhood has given his attention to farming. He married at the age of twenty-seven and for four years thereafter carried on his farming operations on a rented farm in Pike township, after which he returned to the home farm and was engaged in farming there in his father's behalf for one year. After his father's death he inherited a tract of forty-seven acres of the home place, and has continued to make his home there. To this tract he has added until now he has eighty-seven acres and has also a well equipped farm plant and an excellent home, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. STEED is a Republican, as are the other members of his family, and he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church. It was on September 14, 1890, that James F. STEED was united in marriage to Linna FINCH, who also was born in this county, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (ALLEN) FINCH, both members of pioneer families here, and to this union have been born five children, Ralph W., Leah N., Noel A., Oliver K. and Ruth E., the first named of whom, Ralph W., the first born, married Bernice BOWER, of Michigan, and has one child, a son, Ivan. Ralph W. STEED is a veteran of the World war. Upon responding to the call to service he was sent to Camp Custer (Mich.) and thence to Camp MacArthur, Texas, from which latter camp he was sent to France with the outfit to which he was attached, the vessel landing at Brest. He was attached to the 107th Engineers, a unit of the 32d Division, and with this command he rendered service in Alsace and later with the Army of Occupation, continuing in service for eighteen months, and was mustered out as a corporal. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.386-397. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

William W. STEED, one of the oldest and best known farmers and landowners of Pike township and a member of one of the pioneer families of Jay county, was born in Pike township, October 10, 1845, and is a son of Robert and Leah (KUNTZ) STEED, who had come to this county with their respective parents in pioneer days. Robert STEED was born in Shenandoah county. Virginia, May 7, 1820, and was ten years of age when his parents, John STEED and wife, moved with their family from Virginia to Ohio, the family locating in Warren county, where they remained for seven years, or until 1836, the year in which Jay county was organized, when they came over into Indiana and settled on a tract of eighty acres which John STEED had entered from the Government in Jefferson township, this county. Robert STEED was sixteen years of age when he came to Jay county and after his marriage he made his home on a forty-acre tract which he had bought in Pike township. As his affairs prospered he added to this until he mas the owner of 337 acres and was accounted one of the well-to-do farmers of that section of the county. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, five of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, Rebecca and Emma, and two brothers, James F. and Elmer STEED. Reared on the farm on which he was born, William W. STEED received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and from the days of his boyhood has given his attention to farming. He married at the age of twenty-one and established his home on the farm of something more than ninety-seven acres on which he is now living in Pike township and has ever since resided there, he and his family now being very comfortably situated. Mr. STEED has done well in his farming operations and has a well equipped farm plant. It was on October 28, 1866, that William W. STEED was united in marriage to Mary C. MILLER, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth MILLER, and to this union eight children have been born, all of whom are living save two, Cyrus E. and Ernest A., the others being Leah, Mary, Lucy, Joseph D., William R. and James N. The STEED's have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 12 out of Portland and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the general social activities of that community, a community in which the family has been represented ever since this county became organized as a separate civic unit. Leah STEED married Charles ASHLEY, of Pike township, and has seven children, Neva, Paul, Grace, William, Ellsworth, Leland and Loren ASHLEY. Mary STEED married George BUSH, now deceased, and has seven children, Russell, Mabel, Rollo, Mary, Marion, Alta and Alfred BUSH. Lucy STEED married David GARRINGER and has three children, Fay, Carl and Mary GARRINGER. William R. STEED married Pearl WARREN and has four children, Chalmer, Agnes, Harold and Anna L. James N. STEED married Bertha BYE and has two children, Herbert and Stanley. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.359-360. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

R. Douglas STEPHENSON, who died at his home in this county in the fall of 1914 and who was for years one of the best known farmers and stockmen of Wayne township, father of Robert R. and Thomas H. STEPHENSON, live stock dealers at Portland under the firm name of STEPHENSON Bros., was a native of the old Buckeye state, but had been a resident of Jay county since the days of his childhood and thus felt himself as much a part of this county and its affairs as though one of its native sons. Mr. STEPHENSON was born in Jackson county, Ohio, October 14, 1845, son of Richard and Anna ( DEMPSEY ) STEPHENSON, and was but a lad when his parents came over into Indiana with their family and located in this county. He completed his schooling here in the old Liber College and for a few years thereafter taught school during the winters, meanwhile continuing farm work during the summers, and after his marriage in 1878 began farming on a forty-acre tract he had bought on the line between Bearcreek and Wayne townships. For about twenty years he made his home on that place and then he sold it and bought a "forty" in Wayne township, where he established his home and spent the remainder of his life, the latter years of which were given over largely to the cattle business in which his sons have continued quite successfully. Mr. STEPHENSON also was the owner of another farm, a quarter section in Wayne township, and was accounted one of the substantial and influential men of his community. He died on March 16, 1914, and at his passing left a good memory. Mr. STEPHENSON was a Republican and was a member of the Portland lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On September 19, 1876, R. Douglas STEPHENSON was united in marriage to Sarah E. HUEY, who was born in Wayne township, this county, daughter of Robert and Mary A. ( KINNEAR) HUEY, and to this union were born three children, Robert R., Thomas H. and Mary A., all of whom are living. Robert R. STEPHENSON, senior member of the firm of STEPHENSON Bros., stock buyers and shippers at Portland, was born on the home farm in Wayne township on October 25, 1877, and received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood. From the days of his boyhood he was a valued assistant to his father in the labors of the farm, always particularly interested in the live stock end of the farm's operations, and in time he and his younger brother began to devote their energies especially to that branch of the farm, presently becoming associated under the firm name of STEPHENSON Bros. in the carrying on of the business which they have since profitably developed, long having been recognized as among- the leading shippers of live stock hereabout. Mr. STEPHENSON is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Protestant Methodist church. In 1919 Robert R. STEPHENSON was united in marriage to Maude ILIFF, who was born in the neighboring county of Adams, daughter of Mortimer and Sylvia ( MYERS ) ILIFF. both of whom were born in Jay county and who were the parents of three children. Mrs. Maude STEPHENSON completed her schooling in the schools of Greenfield, Ind., a graduate of the high school at that place. Robert R. and Maude ( ILIFF ) STEPHENSON have one child, a daughter, Martha, born on April 24, 1921. Thomas H. STEPHENSON, junior member of the firm of STEPHENSON Bros. and second son of R. Douglas and Sarah E. ( HUEY ) STEPHENSON, was born on the home farm in Wayne township, June 29, 1879, and the course of his life has been practically parallel to that of his brother, above set out, the brothers having kept closely associated both socially and in business all their lives. On June 29, 1918, Thomas H. STEPHENSON was united in marriage to Dessie HARTZELL, who was born in Noble township, this county, daughter of Emanuel T. and Elizabeth ( CODER ) HARTZELL, and whose schooling was completed in the Portland high school. Thomas H. STEPHENSON is a Republican and is a member of the local lodges of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Portland. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.249-250. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

THOMAS C. STEPHENSON, a substantial landowner of Wayne township and formerly and for years a progressive farmer of that township, now living retired at Portland, where he and his family are very pleasantly situated, is a native of Ohio but has been a resident of Jay county since he was ten years of age. Mr. STEPHENSON was born in Jackson county, Ohio, December 22, 1852, and is a son of Richard M. and Anna ( DEMPSEY ) STEPHENSON, who came to Jay county in 1862 and here spent the remainder of their lives. Richard M. STEPHENSON was a Virginian, born in Cabell county, that state, in 1812, and was but a lad when his parents, James 1. and Margaret V. ( McCOLLISTER ) STEPHENSON, moved from Virginia to Ohio and settled in Jackson county in the latter State. James I. STEPHENSON was a son of a substantial landowner of Virginia, living in that section of the Old Dominion now comprised within the borders of West Virginia, who had early shown his aversion to the institution of human slavery by freeing his slaves and providing for their support on land which he gave them. His hatred for slavery caused him to leave Virginia and move into Ohio, where he established himself in a substantial manner. His son, James I. STEPHENSON became one of the prominent citizens of Jackson comity and for some time served as an associate judge of the court there. Richard M. STEPHENSON, son of Judge STEPHENSON and father of Thomas C. STEPHENSON, received his schooling in Jackson county, Ohio, and upon reaching manhood's estate was started going by his father, who gave him an eighty-acre farm, on which he established his home after his marriage and where he resided until 1862, when he disposed of his interests in Ohio and came over into Indiana, buying a tract of 320 acres of land in Wayne township, this county, where he and his wife spent their last days. They were the parents of eight children, of whom but three survive, the subject of this sketch having a brother, John STEPHENSON, of Wayne township, and a sister, Mrs. Hulda SNYDER, widow of Perry SNYDER, of this county. The deceased members of this family were James, William J., Ira, Douglas and Jeremiah. As noted above, Thomas C. STEPHENSON was but ten years of age when he came to Jay comity with his parents in 1862 and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Wayne township. He completed his schooling in Ridgeville College and for about eight years thereafter taught school in this county, farming during the summers. His father gave him a tract of eighty acres in the Westchester neighborhood and he began his farming operations there in 1876. Two years later he disposed of that place and bought a tract of 200 acres in Wayne township on which he established his home after his marriage in 1881 and there he continued to make his home until 1912 when he retired from the active operation of the farm and moved to Portland, where he has since resided. In addition to his general farming operations Mr. STEPHENSON was for years quite extensively engaged in raising live stock arid did well in his operations, increasing his land holdings until he was the owner of 400 acres. Since his retirement from the farm he has rented his land. Mr. STEPHENSON is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. As above noted, it was in 1881 that Thomas C. STEPHENSON was united in marriage to Amanda C. GIFFE, who was born this county, daughter of William and Deborah GIFFE, members of pioneer families here, and to this union have been born three children, Chester E., Giffe and Anna May. Dr. Chester E. STEPHENSON, now a resident of Indianapolis, married Blanche MILLER, of Adams County, this state, and has one child, a daughter, Helen. Giffe STEPHENSON married Nellie WEIST, who also was born in this county, a daughter of Noah WEIST, and is now living in Wayne township. Anna May STEPHENSON married Carl B. ANDERSON. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.91-92. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

CHARLES E. STEWART, dealer in furniture and house furnishings at Portland and one of the best known merchants of that city, was born on a farm in Rush county, Indiana, November 17, 1882, and is a son of R. F. and Susan E. STEWART, both of whom were born in that same county, members of old families there. R. F. STEWART was reared a farmer and for a year or more after his marriage continued farming in Rush county, but then moved to Indianapolis, where he lived for years, then moved to Fort Wayne, Ind., where his last days were spent. Reared at Indianapolis, Charles E. STEWART received his schooling in the schools of that city and early became employed in a furniture factory there, continuing that employment for about twelve years, at the end of which time he enlisted for service in the United States Navy and spent four years in that service. Upon the completion of his naval service Mr. STEWART, in the spring of 1908, took up the sale of carpets by" sample and located at Portland. He was successful in this venture and a year later opened the general furniture store and house furnishing establishment which he has since been conducting, and which he gradually has enlarged until now he occupies three floors and has one of the best stocked and most admirably equipped establishments of this sort in this section of Indiana. Mr. STEWART is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs. He is a Royal Arch Mason and is a member of the Church of Christ.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D.,History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.59-60. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Edward STITZER, one of the well known and progressive young farmers of the Como neighborhood in Jefferson township, proprietor of a well kept farm on rural route No. 5 out of Portland, was born on that farm and has lived there all his life with the exception of a few years during which he was farming in Pike township. Mr. STITZER was born on February 9, 1881, and is a son of Charles and Sarah ( HENIZER ) STITZER, who in their generation were among the best know resident of the community. Charles STITZER was a native of Germany and was nineteen years of age when he came to the United States. After several years of residence in Illinois, where he was engaged in working as a farm hand, he came to Indiana and bought a tract of thirty acres in Jefferson township, this county, where he established his home. Ten years later he disposed of that place and bought the farm of seventy-one acres on which his son Edward is now living one and one-half miles east of Como, in that same township, and there spent the remainder of his life, creating there an excellent piece of property. Charles STITZER and his wife were the parents of seven children, six of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having three sisters, Caroline, Ella and Anna, and two brothers, Solomon and Ira STITZER. Reared on the home farm in Jefferson township, Edward STITZER received his schooling in the neighborhood schools, and remained at home, a helpful factor in the labors of developing the farm, until his marriage at the age of thirty, after which he established his home on a farm which he rented in Pike township. Three years later he purchased his father's old home place in Jefferson township and has since been living there, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. STITZER is a Democrat and he and his wife are members of the Union Methodist Episcopal church. It was on September 10, 1912, that Edward STITZER was united in marriage to Pearl EWING, who was born in the neighboring county of Delaware and who came with her parents, James and Cora EWING, to Jay county at the age of about eight years, and to this union two children have been born, Robert and Geraldine. The STITZER's have a pleasant home 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.262-263. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Roscoe M. ST JOHN, a well-known and substantial farmer and land owner of Richland township, proprietor of a fine farm in the Dunkirk neighborhood, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. Mr. ST JOHN was born on a farm in Richland township on February 13, 1862, and is a son of Cyrus B. and Dorothy (HICKMAN) ST JOHN, who were among the influential residents of that community. Cyrus B. ST JOHN was born in Ohio and came to Indiana in 1856, the family settling in Jay county. He bought a quarter of a section of land in Richland township and here established his home. He continued to reside there until his retirement from the farm in 1892 and removal to Albany, Ind., where his last days were spent. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Milton, Joseph, Eliza, Louis, Samantha, Cyrus, Lillie F. and J. Frank. Reared on the home farm in Richland township, Roscoe M. ST JOHN received his schooling in the local schools in the neighborhood of his home, and from the days of his boyhood has devoted himself to farming and stock raising. He started on his own account as a renter and for fourteen years was thus engaged, at times renting and operating as much as 220 acres of land. He then purchased his present farm of 100 acres in Richland township and has since resided on that place, he and his family being very pleasantly and very comfortably situated. Since taking possession of this farm Mr. ST JOHN has made numerous substantial improvements and has one of the best farm plants in the neighborhood. He makes somewhat of a specialty of sheep and hogs and keeps about fifty head of sheep and about 100 head of hops. He is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. ST JOHN has been twice married. On June 2, 1883, he was united in marriage to Ella BABB, who was born in this county, and to this union were born four children, Harry E., Lora, Cecil M. and Naomi. The mother of these children died on March 8, 1915, and on April 30, 1917, Mr. ST JOHN married Nettie Ellen KITCHEL, who was born in Cass county, Indiana, and to this union one child has been born, a son, Martin, born on December 5, 1920. Mrs. ST JOHN is a daughter of Daniel and Mary E. (BABB) KITCHEL, the latter of whom, born in Greene county, Ohio, died on July 10, 1915. Daniel KITCHEL was born in Union county, Indiana, and at the age of thirteen years was orphaned, thus early being compelled to "do for himself." When seventeen years of age he joined the Union army for service during the progress of the Civil war and served until the close of the war. Upon the completion of his military service Mr. KITCHEL located in Cass county, Indiana, and presently bought there a tract of 200 acres of land, mostly in timber, and made a profitable clearing. He has continued to make his home on that place and has increased his holdings until now he owns 600 acres of land in Cass county. To Daniel KITCHEL and wife were born ten children, all of whom are living, Mrs. ST JOHN having three sisters, Louanna D., Harriet C. and Nellie G., and six brothers, Emerson B., Jacob E., Alvin D., Everett and Edgar (twins) and Charles D. KITCHEL. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.341-342. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Francis A. STONER, a member of the township advisory board of Madison township and one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of that township, 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. STONER was born on a farm in Madison township on November 30, 1873, and is a son of Francis H. and Matilda ( BIBLER ) STONER, the latter of whom was a member of the BIBLER family which came over here from Ohio in 1851 and settled in Madison township. Francis H. STONER was born in Preble County, Ohio, November 2, 1846 and was a son of Henry and Elizabeth ( LOY ) STONER, the later of whom was born in the vicinity of Middletown, in Montgomery county, Ohio, July 8, 1811, a daughter of Peter and Catherine ( TEMPLE ) LOY, both natives of Maryland, who moved with their family from the West Alexandria neighborhood in Preble county, Ohio, over into Indiana in 1830 and settled on a tract of land in what later came to be organized as Madison township, this county, thus having been among the very earliest settlers of Jay county. Henry STONER was born in Preble county, Ohio, April 19, 1811, and was a son of Benjamin and Keziah ( MORRIS ) STONER, both of whom were born in Maryland, the former in 1766 and the latter in 1781, who were married in Maryland and in 1804, the year following the admission of Ohio to statehood, moved to Ohio and settled in Preble county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Henry STONER came to Jay county in the '40s and settled in Madison township. He came to be the owner of nearly 250 acres of land in that township and was accounted one of the substantial pioneers of that neighborhood. His son Francis H. STONER grew to manhood there and after his marriage established his home in that same township, becoming one of the well-to-do farmers of that section of the county, and his son, Francis A. STONER, the subject of this review, followed in his footsteps, becoming a well established farmer in that township. Francis A. STONER received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and continued farming with his father until his marriage in his twenty-fifth year, after which he began farming on his own account, renting a tract of eighty-five acres from his father, and was thus engaged for fifteen years. In the fall of 1913 Mr. STONER bought the farm of 110 acres on which he is now living in Madison township and in the following year (1914) established his home there. Since taking possession of this place Mr. STONER has made numerous substantial improvements on the same and now has a very well equipped farm plant. In addition to his general farming operations he gives considerable attention to the raising of cattle and hogs and is doing well. He is a Democrat and he and his wife are members of the Pleasant Hill Christian church, over in the neighboring county of Randolph. It was on November 2, 1898, that Francis A. STONER was united in marriage to Melissa SHEFFER, who was born in Mercer county, Ohio, daughter of Andrew and Sophia ( MITCHEL ) SHEFFER, the latter of whom was born in Indiana. Andrew SHEFFER was born in Preble county, Ohio, and became a well-to-do farmer in Mercer county. He and his wife had six children, all of whom are living, Mrs. STONER having one brother, Henry SHEFFER, and four sisters, Elizabeth, Emma, Ella and Arabella. To Francis A. and Melissa ( SHEFFER ) STONER three children have been born, namely: Erma R., born on August 5, 1899, who married Henry LINDLEY, a farmer of Randolph county, this state, and has one child, a son, Eldon, born on January 14, 1918; Millard E., born on June II, 1902, who is now an assistant to his father on the farm, and Harold L., born on September 7, 1907, who also is at home. The STONER's have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 1 out of Union City, lnd. and have ever taken an interested part in the community's general social activities. Mr. STONER has for years given his earnest attention to local civic affairs and is now serving the public in the important capacity of member of the Madison township advisory board. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.126-127. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Samuel STRALY, junior member of the firm of STRALY Brothers, is a native of Ohio, born in Trumball County. April 22, 1853, a son of George STRALY, one of the pioneers now deceased. Our subject was a mere infant when his parents came to Jay County, settling in the then wilderness of Wayne Township, where his boyhood was spent working on the farm and attending the common schools of the county. When seventeen years old he engaged in black smithing with his brother, in Bear Creek Township, following that avocation for seven years. From then until 1887 he operated a saw-mill and dealt in lumber and being a man of enterprise and good business ability succeeded well in his business. He was united in marriage July 4, 1874, to Miss Rose E. ANTLES, a daughter of D. A. ANTLES [p 410] a prominent pioneer of Bear Creek Township. Mrs. STRALY died October 29, 1881, leaving at her death three children: Harry T.; Blanche A. and Frank A. Mr. STRALY was united in marriage a second time July 8, 1883, to Miss Caroline M. DeHOFF of Bear Creek Township, a daughter of Jacob and Lydia ( WONDERLAND ) DeHOFF. Her parents are deceased, her father dying in 1860 and her mother in the year 1882. Mr. STRALY is classed among the leading men of his township, and is active in all enterprises for the advancement of his township or county. His residence is comfortable and convenient, and his barn is a large, substantial building, the entire surroundings of his place show the care and thrift of the owner. He sold his interest in the mill to his brother Stephen, August 20, 1887. He now owns two farms, one in Bear Creek Township of fifty-eight acres and one in Wayne Township of forty acres.Source-Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County Indiana. Reprinted Jay County Section out of the original combined 1887 History of Jay and Blackford Counties, Lewis Publishing Co, page 409

Melvin STRATTON, one of Jefferson township's well known and substantial farmers and landowners and proprietor of a well kept farm on rural mail route No. 2 out of Dunkirk, is a native son of Tay county and has lived in this county all his life. Mr. STRATTON was born on the farm on which he is now living in Jefferson. township on August 10, 1873, and is a son of Isaac H. and Jane ( NIDY ) STRATTON, who in their generation were among the best known residents of that community. Isaac H. STRATTON was born in Ohio, where he grew to manhood trained to farming. As a young man he came over into Indiana and after his marriage settled on a farm of eighty acres in Jefferson township. For some years he continued actively engaged in farming there and then became interested in the lumber business, a vocation which claimed his attention the remainder of his life and thus became one of the best known lumbermen in this section. He and his wife were the parents of two children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Alice. Reared on the farm on which he was born, Melvin STRATTON received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and from the days of his youth has been devoted to farming. He married at the age of twenty-one and established his home on the old home place, where he is now living, and eighty acres of which he inherited, and has ever since resided there, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. STRATTON's place is well improved and he has an admirable farm plant, his operations being- carried on in accordance with modern methods. He is a Democrat and has ever taken a good citizen's interest in local civic affairs. It was in September, 1894, that Melvin STRATTON was united in marriage to Mina B. WEAVER, who was born in Greene county, Ohio, daughter of John and Hannah WEAVER, and to this union five children have been born, Nellie, Clarence, Hazel, Forrest and Mable, all of whom save the first born are at home with their parents. Nellie STRATTON married Lewis DAVIS and is now living in Cleveland, Ohio. The STRATTON's have a very pleasant home and have ever taken 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.263-264. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Timothy L. STRATTON, one of the oldest and best known residents of Jay county, a substantial land owner of Pike township, where he was engaged in farming for many years, a veteran of the Civil war and former assessor of Pike township, now living retired at Portland, which has been his home for more than ten years is a "Buckeye" by birth, but has been a resident of Jay county since his infancy, a period of more than eighty years. Mr. STRATTON was born on a pioneer farm in the immediate vicinity of Springfield, Ohio, June 14, 1838, and is a son of Henry S. and Rebecca ( HEADRICK ) STRATTON, the latter of whom was born in that same county (Clark), a member of one of the first families to settle at South Charleston. Henry S. STRATTON was a Pennsylvanian, born in 1809, and was but a child when his parents settled in the Springfield neighborhood, where he grew to manhood and became a cooper and farmer. He married in Clark county, and in 1839 came to Jay county and bought a quarter section of land in the woods in Pike township, erected a house on the same and established his home, he and his wife spending the remainder of their lives there, useful and influential pioneers of that neighborhood. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom four are still living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, John H. and Finley R. STRATTON, and a sister, Laura L., who married Silas DARBY and is now living in Pike township. As noted above, Timothy L. STRATTON was about a year old when his parents came to Jay county, and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Pike township, his schooling being received in the private school conducted by Mary ENSMINGER on the Hawkins place. At the age of twenty-one he married Mary L. MALOY, who was born in this state, the wedding taking place on November 26, 1860, and started farming on his own account. His wife died on February 12, 1862, at the age of twenty years, and he then enlisted for service in the Union army and went to the front as a member of Company E, 89th regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and was sent to Kentucky. He was left at Louisville, Ky., for awhile on account of illness, but presently rejoined his regiment, continuing then to serve through all the engagements in which the Eighty-ninth participated until the close of the war. Upon the completion of his military service Mr. STRATTON returned home and resumed his farming operations, buying an "eighty" in Pike township, not far from his old home. For a time after his return home he also was engaged during the winters in teaching school. On September 26, 1867, he married Rebecca J. COLLETT, a member of one of the pioneer families hereabout, who died a year or two later leaving a son, Charles, who died at the age of three years in September, 1871. On January 26, 1871, Mr. STRATTON married Mrs. Jaretta ( BABB ) LEWIS, who was born in the neighboring county of Delaware. As his farming affairs prospered he added to his holdings until he became the owner of a well-improved farm of 140 acres. On that place he continued farming for about forty years, or until 1910, when he retired. He and his wife spent the following winter in California, and in 1911 bought the house in Portland in which they are now living and have since lived there, very comfortably situated. Mr. STRATTON is a Republican and for some time during his residence in Pike township served as township assessor. To Timothy L. and Jaretta ( BABB ) STRATTON have been born seven children, namely: Henry E., who married Margaret STALEY and has four children, Veda, Ruth, Berle and Dale; Orra W., who married Kate KRUTZ and has two children, Harry and William K.; Isaac H., who married Alice DEGLER and has four children, Ray, Bessie, Mamie and Benevill; Lola L., who is unmarried and lives at Los Angeles, Cal.; Viola F., who married A. W. HARDY and has five children, Lecile, Herbert, Lola, Edith and George HARDY; Lucas H., who married Mae McIVEN and lives in California, and Bessie M., who died on August 21, 1881. David W. LEWIS, son of Mrs. STRATTON by her first marriage, is now living at Riverside, Cal. He married Edith BINKS and has four children, Gertrude, Robert, Clara Louise and Benjamin BINKS. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.208-209. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Frederick STRAUSBURG, who died at his home in Jackson township in 1908 and whose widow is still living there, being very comfortably situated on rural mail route No. 2 out of Portland, was for years one of Jackson township's best known and most substantial farmers, and it is but proper that there should be carried here in the definite history of the county in which he long made his residence some brief tribute to the good memory he left at his passing. Frederick STRAUSBURG was a native of Ohio, born on a farm in Clark county, that state, May 20, 1842, a son of Jacob and Susan (GRANDALL) STRAUSBURG, who later became residents of Jay county, where their last days were spent. Jacob STRAUSBURG was born in Frederick county, Maryland, April 2, 1818, and was a son of Frederick and Mary (JENTIS) STRAUSBURG. When he was seven years of age he moved with his parents to Ohio, the family settling in Clark county, where he grew to manhood and became engaged in fanning. He also became a skilled blacksmith, with special reference to carriage and wagon ironing- and was engaged in that vocation in Ohio until 1872, when he came with his family to Indiana and settled in Jackson township, this county, where he bought a farm of 116 acres and where he spent the remainder of his life. Of the nine children born to him and his wife seven grew to maturity, namely: Samuel, Frederick, George, James, Jesse, Simon and Elizabeth. Frederick STRAUSBURG grew to manhood in Clark county, Ohio, and early became a skilled carpenter, a vocation he worked at for several years. He married at the age of twenty-six and continued to make his home In Ohio until 1872, when the family came to this county. He established his home on a farm. in Jackson township and became actively engaged -in tanning, in addition to which, in 1883, he became engaged in the manufacture of tile in association with his brothers, James, Simon and Jesse, the tile factory, operated under the firm style of STRAUSBURG Bros., being carried on for ten years or more. Mr. STRAUSBURG became the owner of a well-improved farm of ninety-three acres and carried on his operations in up-to-date fashion. On that farm he spent his last days, his death occurring on May 8, 1908. He was a Democrat and an Odd Fellow and was a member of the Union United Brethren church. It was on May 17, 1868, while still living in Ohio, that Frederick STRAUSBURG was united in marriage to Tressa OVERPACK, who also was born in Clark county, Ohio, April 22, 1847, daughter of Samuel and Mary (PEYTON) OVERPACK, and to this union were born four children, one of whom, Lulu, is deceased, the others being Charles J., Clara A. and Orva S., the last named being the only one of these children born in Jay county. Charles J. STRAUSBURG was born in Clark county, Ohio, July 7, 1869, and was five years of age when he came to this county with his parents. He married Mamie HIATT, a member of one of the old families of this county, and has one child, a son, Russell STRAUSBURG, who married Lea WISE. Clara A. STRAUSBURG, who was born in Ohio, July 6, 1873, married B. R. THOMAS, a Jackson township farmer, and has two children, Gladys and Frederick, the first named of whom married Warren PIERSON, of this county, and has one child, a son, Robert. Orva S. STRAUSBURG was born in Jay county on June 9, 1881. He married Dorothy SHIRK and is now living in Portland, Ore.  SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.338-339. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Samuel STRAUSBURG, who died at his farm home in Jackson township in the summer of 1921, had been a resident of Jay county for more than fifty years, and at his passing left a good memory, for he had done well his part in the general life of the community in which he had so long resided. Mr. STRAUSBURG was an Ohioan, born in Clark county, in the old Buckeye state, in 1840, and was a son of Jacob and Susan (GRANDALL) STRAUSBURG, who in the early '70s became residents of Jay county, establishing their home in this county, as is set out elsewhere in this volume, together with further details regarding the STRAUSBURG family in this county. Samuel STRAUSBURG was reared as a farmer in Ohio and was twenty-three years of age when he came to Jay county. He bought an "eighty" in Jackson' township and there established his home. He was a good farmer and as his affairs prospered he added to his land holdings until he was the owner of an excellent farm of 152 acres.. On that place he spent his last days, his death occurring there on August 5, 1921, he then being eighty-one years of age. Not long before he came to Jay county, Samuel STRAUSBURG was united m marriage to Louisa AYRES who also was born in Ohio, and to this union there were born five children, two of whom, Florence O. and Margaret S., are deceased. The remaining members of this family are Willis O., a farmer of Jackson township, and concerning whom further mention is made elsewhere, and Miss Viretta and Ellery STRAUSBURG, who are maintaining the old home place in Jackson township, where they have a very pleasant home on rural mail route No. 11 out of Portland. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, p.362. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Alban STROBLE, former member of the board of commissioners for Jay county, former president of the board of directors of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Jay county, and a well-known retired farmer and landowner of Noble township, now living in Portland, where he has made his home since 1912, is a native of Ohio, born in Hancock county, that state, September 12, 1855, a son of James and Elizabeth ( BRIGGS ) STROBLE, and the only survivor of the four children born to that parentage. James STROBLE was born in the state of Maryland, but most of his life was spent in Hancock county, Ohio, to which place he had moved when a youth with his parents. He was married in that county to Elizabeth BRIGGS, who was born in England, and after his marriage established his home on a farm and continued farming the rest of his life, a substantial landowner of Hancock county. Reared on the home farm in Hancock county, Alban STROBLE received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and continued farming with his father until three years after his marriage, when he came to Jay county and bought a tract of thirty acres in Noble township, where he established his home. Five acres of this tract were uncleared, and besides clearing the place he had to ditch the same and erect on the place a full set of buildings. As his affairs prospered, Mr. STROBLE added to his farm until he had 100 acres, a well-improved and profitably cultivated farm, on which he continued to make his home until his retirement from the farm in 1912 and removal to Portland, where he bought the home in which he is now living and where he and his wife are very comfortably situated. Mr. STROBLE is a Republican and served as a member of the board of county commissioners from his district for one term (1903-05). For nineteen years he served as a member of the board of directors of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company and for two years was president of the board. He is a member of Omega Lodge No. 281, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Portland. On October II, 1877, Alban STROBLE was united in marriage to Cynthia F. MILLER, who also was born in Hancock county, Ohio, daughter of Nathaniel and Rhoda ( SCHAFER ) MILLER, and who lived in that county until she Was ten years of age, when she went with her parents to Nebraska, where the Millers remained for six years, at the end of which time they returned to Hancock county. To Alban and Cynthia F. ( MILLER ) STROBLE eight children have been born, all of whom are living save the first born, Bertha, who died at the age of eleven months, the others being Harley, Charles, Nellie, Lottie, Ruby, Glennie J. and Hazel. Harley STROBLE, a farmer of Wayne township, this county, married Nellie WALDRON and has five children, Earl, Ralph, Dorothy, Paul and Roger. Charles STROBLE married Nell HEADINGTON and is now living at Princeton, Ind. Nellie STROBLE married Leo MITCHELL, who died on March 4, 1911. To that union two children were born, one of whom, Pauline, is living. Lottie STROBLE married John STUBER, now living at Spencerville, Ohio, and has one child, a son, Bob. Glennie J. STROBLE married Joy WILSON and is living at Portland. During the time of America's participation in the World war he enlisted, March 30, 1918, and was stationed at Camp Taylor, where he presently was attached to the 43rd Company of the 11th Training Battalion, 139th Depot Brigade, with which he was mustered out on March 1, 1919, with the rank of sergeant. Ruby and Hazel STROBLE are unmarried. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.176-177. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Samuel STULLEN, a real estate agent, formerly and for years engaged in that line in Ohio and now living retired on the old STULLEN home farm in Greene township, this county, was born in Ohio but became a resident of Jay county in the days of his childhood and was here reared. Mr. STULLEN was born in Delaware county, Ohio, and is a son of George and Elizabeth ( PENN ) STULLEN, who have been residents of Jay county for more than forty years and who are living on their farm home in Greene township. George STULLEN was born in Delaware county, Ohio, and was reared in the home of his maternal grandfather, George FRESHWATER, his father having died when he was a small child. He received his schooling there and early became engaged in farming. When twenty-five years of age he bought a. 100 acre farm in Delaware county and there made his home until 1879, when he disposed of his interests in Ohio and came over into Indiana with his family, locating on a 100 acre farm in Greene township, this county, where he and his wife are still living, being very pleasantly situated on rural mail route No. 7 out of Portland. Of the five children born to them all are living save one daughter, Delia, the subject of this sketch having three sisters, Laura, Minnie and Pearl. As noted above, Samuel STULLEN was but a child when he came to Jay county with his parents in 1879 and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Greene township. He received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and remained at home until he was twenty-three years of age when he went to Ohio and became engaged there in the real estate business, a vocation he followed until his retirement in 1921 and return to the old home farm in Jay county, where he and his wife are now living with his aged parents. On April 23, 1920, Samuel STULLEN was united in marriage to Elizabeth NICHOLS, who was born in Zanesville, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. STULLEN are members of the United Brethren cFRESHWATER, NICHOLS, PENN, STULLEN SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.222-223. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

Chester J. SUTTON, a well known and progressive young farmer of Penn township and proprietor of an excellent place on rural mail route No. 2 out of Pennville, was born in that township, a member of one of the old families of Jay county, and has lived here all his life. Mr. SUTTON was born on July 31, 1884, and is a son of James M. and Caroline V. ( BIRDSALL ) SUTTON, who are still living in that township and further and fitting mention of whom, together with further details regarding the SUTTON and BIRDSALL families in this county, is made elsewhere in this volume. Reared on the home farm in Penn township, Chester J. SUTTON received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and from the days of his boyhood was an active assistant to his father in the labors of the farm. He continued actively engaged on the farm until he received an appointment as a rural mail carrier on one of the mail routes out of the Balbec post-office. For five years he carried the mail and then returned to farming, renting 120 acres from his father, and has since been thus engaged, doing very well in his agricultural operations. Chester J. SUTTON married Tina Esther DeWEESS, who also was born in this county, a daughter of Benjamin L. and Elizabeth ( SCOTT ) DeWEESS, old established residents of the Balbec neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. SUTTON have a very pleasant home and have ever taken an interested part in the general social activities of the community in which they have spent all their lives. They are Republicans and are members of the United Brethern church at Balbec. Mrs. SUTTON's father, Benjamin L. DeWEESS, a former merchant at Balbec and a veteran of the Civil war, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, a son of John and Sarah ( STREET ) DeWEESS. He was attending Liber College in this county when he enlisted for service in the Union army during the Civil war and upon his return from the army taught school here for several winters, meanwhile becoming also engaged in tile making. In 1871, he married Elizabeth SCOTT, who was born in Penn township, a daughter of Stanton and Esther ( EDMUNDSON ) SCOTT, the latter of whom was a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth ( MACHEL ) EDMUNDSON, and after his marriage established his home on a farm just east of Pennville, where he lived until he became engaged in 1874 in the mercantile business at Balbec. He and his wife had seven children, five of whom grew to maturity, those besides Mrs. SUTTON being Dr. Roy DeWeess, Wendell, Mark M. and Sarah. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.214-215. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

James M. SUTTON, one of the best known and most: substantial farmers and landowners of Jay county, proprietor of an excellent farm in Penn township and former member of the advisory board of that township, has been a resident of this county since he was ten. years of age. Mr. SUTTON was born on a farm in the neighboring county of Delaware on December 6, 1855, and is a son of John and Mary ( HELM ) SUTTON, both members of pioneer families in this section of Indiana. John SUTTON also was born in Delaware county, his parents having been among the early settlers of that county. He grew up on a farm and for some years as a young man varied his farming activities by teaching school during the winters. He was married in Delaware county and some years later (in the latter '50s) bought a farm up in Wells county and moved to this latter county, where he remained until 1866, when he disposed of his interests there and moved down into Jay county and bought a tract of ninety acres in Penn township, where he established his home. He later increased this holding to 140 acres and there spent the remainder of his life. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, of whom six are still living, the subject of this sketch having five sisters, Sarah, Harriet, Minnie, Matilda and Ida. As noted above, James M. SUTTON was about ten years of age when he came with his parents to Jay county. He completed his schooling in Penn township and from the days of his boyhood was a helpful factor in the labors of developing and improving the home farm, remaining with his father until his marriage at the age of twenty-seven, when he established his home on a tract of forty acres which he had bought in that same neighborhood. Not long afterward he sold this tract and bought a farm of ninety-five acres in the same township, where he lived for three years, at the end of which time he disposed of it and bought a quarter of a section lying at the edge of the town site of Balbec, and there he lived until his removal to his present place of residence in 1916, where he has a very pleasant home and is quite comfortably situated) his farm being improved in up-to-date fashion. Mr. SUTTON is the owner of 600 acres, all in Penn township, and has five producing oil wells on his land. In addition to his general farming he has long given considerable attention to the raising of high grade live stock and has done well. Mr. SUTTON is a Republican and for twelve years served on the advisory board of his home township. He is a Freemason and a member of the United Brethren church and formerly was a member of the board of directors of the church. It was on November II, 1881, that James M. SUTTON was united in marriage to Caroline Virginia BIRDSALL, a member of one of the pioneer families of this county, and to this union were born four children, namely: Chester, who married Tiny DEWEESE; Louis, who married Burdell STARBUCK; John, who married Nettie REED, and Anna, who married Morton MYERS and has two children, Sutton and Maryanna MYERS. Mrs. Caroline Virginia SUTTON, died on May 11, 1905. She was born in Penn township and was a daughter of Joel and Jane C. (BROWN) BIRDSALL, the latter of whom was born in Logan county, Ohio, daughter of Zachariah and Hannah ( MOORMAN ) BROWN, the former of whom was a cousin of Edwin M. STANTON, secretary of state during the Civil war. The late Joel BIRDSALL, who for years served as a minister in the Society of Friends here and also was for years justice of the peace in Penn township, came to Jay county from Ohio in 1854 and purchased a tract of eighty acres in Penn township. In the following spring he returned to Ohio and was there married, after which he established his home in this county and here spent the remainder of his life) one of the best known and most influential men in the upper part of the county. He was a Virginian by birth, born in Loudoun county, a son of John and Mary ( BROWN ) BIRDSALL, the latter of whom was a daughter of John and Ann ( HURST ) BROWN, also Virginian?. John BIRDSALL was a son of Whitsom and Rachel ( BRADFIELD ) BIRDSALL, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania of Quaker parentage. He died in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1830) leaving his widow and eight children. Joel BIRDSALL. one of these children, remained with his mother until he had attained his majority, and was engaged in teaching school for some time before coming to Jay county in 1854. He and his wife had three children, Mrs. SUTTON having had a brother, Alvin J. BIRDSALL, who died in childhood, and a sister, Anna A. BIRDSALL, who died at the age of nineteen years. Joel BIRDSALL and his wife began housekeeping in a log cabin upon coming to Jay county, but this soon gave way to a more substantial home when local conditions of living became somewhat easier. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.293-294. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.

W. Walter SWHIER, a well known bridge and road contractor of Portland, whose public work has been carried on in every township in Jay county and who thus has long been one of the best known contractors in his line hereabout, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Jefferson township on November 12, 1884, and is a son of Adam W. and Catherine ( RACER ) SWHIER, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families here. Adam W. SWHIER, who owns a farm in Jefferson township, was formerly engaged in the manufacture of tile there and is widely known throughout the county. He and his wife have four children, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Charles and Jesse SWHIER, and a sister, Nellie. Reared on the home farm in Jefferson township, W. Walter SWHIER received his schooling in the Bell school (district No. 5) and after leaving school continued farm work for about three years, at the end of which time he took employment with the farm implement firm of Andrew & Addington at Redkey and for a year was engaged in delivering and setting up farm machinery. He then for a year or more was employed with John Hayes & Co. in the construction of traction lines and in the following summer worked on public contracts for Luther Manor. By this time Mr. SWHIER had gained a pretty practical experience in public work and in 1903 set up for himself as a bridge and road contractor, a line he has ever since followed and in which he has been quite successful. Mr. SWHIER has erected bridges in every township in Jay county and has also constructed numerous roads, including the Wilson Frank brick road out of Portland and the Edmondson and Robinson cement road out of Pennville. In his political views Mr. SWHIER is "independent." He is affiliated with the local aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles at Portland. On December 3, 1913, W. Walter SWHIER was united in marriage to Barbara COONS, who was born in Kansas, but who was reared in Parke county, Indiana, daughter of William and Isabella COONS, and to this union two children have been horn, Evelyn and William. Mr. and Mrs. SWHIER have a pleasant home at Portland and take an interested part in the city's general social activities. SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.145-146. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.