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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
A Portrait and Biographical Record of Allen & Van Wert
Counties, Ohio
Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.
1896
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MARSHALL J. SANFORD
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 455 |
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EDWARD SARBER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 458 |
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ISAAC SAWMILLER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 459 |
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ADOLPHUS
E. SCHOSKER is one among the representative men of
Spencerville, Ohio. He first saw the light of day in
Lorraine, France, October 24, 1852, and is the son of Michael
and Tillie (Smith) Schosker. Both parents are now
deceased, the mother dying in 1872 at the age of fifty-six years
and the father June 22, 1886, at the advanced age of eighty-one
years. The mother died in New Haven, Ind., near Fort Wayne,
and the father at Spencerville, Ohio.
When the subject of this sketch was ten months old, the
family came to America, landing in New York, where they remained
four years, at the expiration of which time they moved to
Syracuse, N. Y., where the following eight years were spent, when
the family again moved, this time locating in New Haven, Allen
county, Ind. In religion the father was a devout democrat.
Five children were born to Michael and his wife, namely:
Lisa, wife of Mr. John Rupple, of Fort Wayne;
Christian, of Tipton, Ind., who is an employee in the
factories at that place; Adolphus E., who forms the subject
of this biography, Michael, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, a drayman
of that city; and Franklin, an oil pumper of Spencerville.
Adolphus E. Schosker, with whom this sketch will
now deal, spent his early boyhood in town and received his
education in the public schools. At the age of twelve he
began to support himself by working in a stave factory, where he
was employed until his marriage, which occurred January 2, 1879,
after which he became clerk in a general merchandise establishment
in Spencerville, where he occupied the position of head clerk for
seven years, when he accepted the position of foreman in the
Spencerville stave factory, which place he occupied for two years,
when he engaged in grocery business, on his own account, December
16, 1887. He continued in the grocery trade until January
22, 1895, when he sold out, and on May 22, purchased a
half-interest in the Spencerville flouring mills, to which, since
then, he has given his undivided attention. Mr. Schosker
is as popular as he is successful. January 2, 1879, he was
united in marriage to Miss Mary A. J. Halter, daughter of
Edward and Barbara Halter. Miss Halter was born in
Annapolis, Auglaize county, Ohio, March 18, 1859, and died January
9, 1895, a devout Catholic.
Mr. Schosker is a thoroughly live business man,
and from the humblest beginnings man, and from the humblest
beginnings has, by ability and perseverance, amassed a competence.
At the present time he owns a half-interest in the Spencerville
mills. He has held the office of town clerk and clerk of the
corporation one term, and was a member of the council two terms,
and at the present writing is treasurer of the Spencerville school
board. In politics he is a democrat, true and consistent.
He is a man of genuine worth and an acquisition to the community
in which he lives - in business, straightforward and upright and
in social life a kind neighbor, a warm friend and always a
gentleman.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 460 |
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CONSTANTINE SCHERGER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 461 |
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JOHN SCHERGER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 477 |
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WILLIAM SCOTT
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 462 |
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DANIEL SELLERS
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 482 |
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JAMES W. SELLERS
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 463 |
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GEORGE B. SHAFFER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 463 |
[portrait U. M. Shappell] |
U. M. SHAPPELL
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 464 |
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GEORGE SHEETER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 470 |
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ALEXANDER SHENK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 472 |
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REV. ANDREW SHENK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 476 |
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CHARLES E. SHENK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 471 |
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REV. JOHN M. SHENK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 475 |
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SYLVESTER
F. SHENK, one of the representative citizens and leading
business men of Delphos, Ohio, is a native of Wurtemburg,
Germany, and was born December 31, 1847, a son of Martin and
Christine (Kern) Shenk. Martin Shenk was one of the
early settlers of Delphos, he having located in this place in
the latter part of 1853. (Further mention of him may be
found elsewhere in this work.) Sylvester F. Shenk
received a common-school education, and at the age of thirteen
years began work as a clerk in a store in Delphos, which
occupation he continued until 1876, when he began business for
himself as senior member of the firm of Shenk & Zimerle.
This firm continued until 1880, when Mr. Zimerle retired,
since which time Mr. Shenk has been in trade alone.
His place of business is on the corner of Main and Second
streets, where he occupies three floors, carrying a complete
line of dry goods, clothing, carpets, etc., his establishment
being the leading one in his line in Delphos, and one of the
largest in this part of the state.
Mr. Shenk was married June 29, 1872, to Miss
Rosilla, daughter of Francis J. Lye, one of the
pioneer settles of Delphos, then section No. Ten. Mr.
and Mrs. Shenk have eight children, as follows:
Frank, Mary, Martin, Amedeus, Alexander, Sylvester, Richard
and Robert, and the family are members of the Saint
John's Roman Catholic church of Delphos. Mr. Shenk
has given his time and attention almost exclusively to his
business, and as a natural result has met with flattering
success. While he has never held or sought political
office or honors, he has always taken an active interest in the
affairs of his city, county and state, and has never failed to
perform willingly the duties incumbent upon all good citizens.
He has always been found ready and willing to assist in the
building up of Delphos, having at heart the best interests of
the city's enterprises and institutions.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 474 |
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HENRY J. SHERRICK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 477 |
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HENRY M. SHERRICK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 479 |
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EMANUEL SHINDLER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896
- Page 571 |
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SAMUEL SHINDLER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896
- Page 571 |
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JACOB W. SHOBE
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 486 |
[portrait Charles M. Shoemaker] |
CHARLES M. SHOEMAKER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 482 |
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ELIAS H. SHOOK - It is always a
pleasant task to write of an intelligent and progressive man,
especially of one devoted to the development of modern methods
in agriculture. Such a man is Elias H. Shook, the
subject of this biographical sketch, who in this respect is one
of the leading citizens of the county. Mr. Shook
was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, near Port Clinton, the county
seat, Sept. 301, 835. He is a son of Isaac and Susan
(East) Shook, the former of whom, like his son, was a
practical farmer.
Elias H. Shook was reared in Allen county from
the time he was a small boy, about four or five years of age,
his parents at that time locating in German township, on section
No. 21, where Mr. Shook himself now lives. He there
assisted in clearing up the farm, which contained eighty acres,
and in securing his education, at the public schools and in a
subscription school, so that he was more than ordinarily well
educated for the ties in which he spent his youth. His
father died about 1845, and he then went to live with his uncle,
John East, where he remained until he was eighteen years
old. At this time he returned to his home and began to
learn the trade of carpenter, which trade occupied the most of
his time for twenty years. Many of the best residences in
Allen county have been erected by Mr. Shook. At the
same time, however, that he was engaged in the carpenter trade
and in erecting houses for other people, he was also engaged in
farming to a considerable extent, and about 1876 he erected a
manufactory, for the purpose of making draining tile, at which
he was employed in connection with his farming and building
until 1892, when he sold out the tile manufacturing business.
Mr. Shook has purchased the old homestead, which
now contains eighty-two acres of land, and upon it has erected a
fine frame residence, the old one having been destroyed by fire.
He also has excellent barns for stock and grain, all of which he
himself erected. He is engaged for the most part in
general farming and in the cultivation of small fruits,
raspberries, strawberries, etc., and is also engaged in raising
the best grades of stock, such as the Poland-China hog and
Jersey cattle. Most of his farm is under a high state of
cultivation, and he is generally looked upon as one of the most
progressive men in Allen county. Not only this, but he has
public spirit, which is something hard to find, most men
thinking that if they successfully carry on their own private
business they are doing all that is required of them.
Mr. Shook always is ready to assist any enterprise which
bids reasonably fair to promote the public good. He is a
man of broad and liberal views, and is one of the wheel-horses
of the democratic party of Allen county, always ready to work
for his party in or out of office. His party has honored
him by giving him the office of township trustee, which office
he has held for many years. He has also been sent by his
party as delegate to several conventions, and is now a member of
the county central committee, and one of the advisory board.
Mr. Shook was married Sept. 18, 1858, to Miss
Mary Blausser, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in
1832. She is a daughter of Joseph and Magalena (Stolter)
Blausser. Mr. and Mrs. Shook are the parents of seven
children, viz: David, a farmer of German township;
Alonzo, also a farmer of German township; Frank, a
fireman on the D. & M. railroad, living at Lima; Sherman,
in the employ of the L. E. & W. railroad company, at Lima;
Charles, another farmer of German township; Princess
Almeda, the wife of Clarence Miller, of Lima.
Mr. Miller being a fireman on the P., Ft. W. & C.
railroad, and Samson, living at home. Mr. Shook
is in every way, and in the best sense, as will be seen by what
has been written of him in this sketch, a self-made man.
What he has accumulated has been by his own labor and energy,
and what he has made of himself personally has been no less by
the exercise of his own will and talents. Too many such
men can not be found in any community.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 487 |
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JACOB L.
SHOOK, a successful manufacturer of a high grade of tiling
at Westminster, Auglaize township, Allen county, Ohio, was born in
Franklin county, May 21, 1843, and is of German descent, The
paternal grandfather of our subject, John Shook, settled in
Ohio about the year 1815; his maternal grandfather, John C.
East, was born in Hesserland July 25, 1754, was a soldier in
the British army, and was sent to America during the Revolutionary
war. On arriving in this country he deserted the British and
joined his fortunes with the patriot army. Subsequently he
located in Pennsylvania, but about 1815 or 1816 came to Ohio.
ISAAC SHOOK, father of our subject was born in
Allegheny county, Pa., September 10, 1803, came to Ohio about
1815, settled in Pickaway county and died November 1, 1843, a
member of the United Brethren church, and in politics a democrat.
He married Susanna East, September 9, 1824. This lady
was born in Pennsylvania November 14, 1805, came to Fairfield
county, Ohio, in 1815, and died in Allen county in August, 1882.
The union was blessed with seven sons and one daughter.
Jacob L. Shook, our subject, worked at the
carpenter and joiner's trade until seventeen years of age, when he
was appointed, by Gov. Bishop, a guard at the Ohio state
penitentiary, a position he held for two years, four months and
eleven days, and located at Lima, Ohio, where he bought, with his
savings, four town lots, from the sale of which he netted $2,500,
and thus profit he invested, some six years ago, in his present
business, which has been a source of profit to him up to the
present time. In 1894 he bought a farm of ninety acres in
Adams county, Ind., to which he expects to remove in 1896, and
follow agriculture for the remainder of his life. He married
in Allen county, October 12, 1878, Miss Mary J. Baker,
a native of the county, born September 21, 1858, and a
daughter of Jacob L. and Mary (Grubb) Baker, and to
this union have been born the following children: Howard
C. and Ada, deceased, Edith G., Jacob L. G., and
Nettie M. The father of Mrs. Shook was born in
Washington county, Pa., and the mother in Morgan county, Ohio, and
since their marriage have always been identified with Allen
county. Mr. Grubb was an eloquent and successful
minister in the German Baptist church, in which the major portion
of his life was passed, and in the ministry of which he died
December 14, 1893. In politics he was a democrat. To
his marriage were born children as follows: Addison (deceased),
Andrew M., James I., Jacob M. (deceased), Mary J. and
Minnie (deceased).
Mr. Shook is a self-made man, all he owns being a
result of his well directed toil and good management. In
politics he is a democrat, and with his wife is a member of the
German Baptist church, the teachings of which have been the
guiding rules of his life. Fraternally he is a member of
lodge No. 581, I. O. O. F., and socially he and wife are held in
high esteem by the community in which they live.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 488 |
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HON. JAMES V. SMILEY
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 490 |
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JACOB C. SNIDER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 491 |
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PETER SNYDER
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 489 |
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GEORGE SOLOMON
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 492 |
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SIMON
SPELLACY - One of the most active, useful and prominent
citizens of the town of Lima, Allen county, Ohio, is Mr.
Simon Spellacy, a native of Glen Falls, N. Y., and a son of
John and Ellen (Byrne) Spellacy, the former of whom was
born in county Clare, and the latter in county Wexford, Ireland.
John Spellacy came to the United States in 1832 with his
parents, who settled in Glen Falls, N. Y. The father
of John Spellacy was also named John and he spent
the remainder of his life, after coming to this country, at
Glens Falls. There John, the father of the subject
of this narrative, was reared and educated, his education
consisting of such instruction as could then be obtained in the
old log schoolhouse of that early day. Completing his
education, he was apprenticed to a cooper and learned that trade
in Williamsburg, now the eastern division of Brooklyn, Long
Island, with a Mr. Polhemus, for whom he subsequently
became foreman. In 1852 Mr. Polhemus
purchased a tract of timber land in Crawford County, Pa.
and upon it erected a saw-mill, placing the entire plant in
charge of Mr. Spellacy, which position he filled four
years. At the end of this period, in connection with his
brother Simon, he purchased the property and the
business, and they operated it together until about the close of
the late war, when John Spellacy purchased his brother's
interest, and alone conducted the business until 1873, when,
owning to the depression of the times, he was compelled to make
an assignment. Since then he has not been engaged in
active business, but has lived retired. In 1894 Mr.
Spellacy moved to Saint Mary's, Ohio, where he now resides.
Politically he was a democrat until 1873, when, in common with a
large number of citizens of this country, he became convinced
that an increase in the circulating medium would be beneficial
to the entire country, and became identified with the greenback
party, taking an active interest in its work. In his
religious belief he is a Catholic, but accords to all the
privilege of choosing for themselves, or not choosing at all,
the church to which they shall belong. His family consists
of the following children: Martin, now residing in
Indiana; Simon, the subject of this sketch; Timothy,
of Saint Mary's Ohio; Catherine, in Chicago; Michael,
in Indiana; Peter, of Lima, and Mary, wife
of Judge Mooney, of Saint Mary's.
Simon Spellacy, our immediate subject, was born
in Glenn Falls, N. Y., in 1853. He was reared in
Conneautsville,* Pa., and educated in the common schools of that
vicinity. Remaining with his father until 1876, he then
went to the oil fields of Bradford and Butler counties, Pa.,
where he was actively engaged in the production of oil until
1881, during which year he went to Smith's Basin, N. Y., as
manager of the company's store for the Keenan Lime company,
retaining this position until 1887. Removing then to Lima,
Ohio, he established himself in the grocery business, which
business he ahs since conducted. Politically Mr.
Spellacy is a democrat, and ahs been an active and
influential member of his party in Lima, which in 1893 honored
him by electing him to the city council from the Fourth ward, a
position which he filled with credit to himself and general
satisfaction to his party friends. In his religious
convictions he is a Catholic, and is a member of Saint Rose
Roman Catholic church. Mr. Spellacy was married in
1884 to Miss Eleanor, daughter of Adam and Mary Kline,
of Batavia, Ohio, by whom he has the following children:
Kline, Cecilia, Louisa, Eleanor, and Grace. Mr.
Spellacy is one of Lima's most progressive and enterprising
citizens, and is always ready with his means and influence to
promote all the local interests of the city of Lima and county
of Allen.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 49
*(Sharon Wick's Note: Conneautsville
is actually spelled Conneautville) |
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FRANCIS H. STALLKAMP
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 495 |
[portrait F. Steinle] |
FELIX STEINLE
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 500 |
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CHRISTIAN STEMEN -
see - Samuel P. Stemen |
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ISAAC W. STEMEN - See
Peter Stemen below here. |
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J. B. STEMEN - see
Samuel A. Stemen |
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JOHN M. STEMEN, deceased, was an old pioneer of
Washington township, Van Wert county, and was born in Fairfield
county, Ohio, Aug. 13, 125, a son of Christian and Margaret
(Moyer) Stemen, of Pennsylvania - Dutch descent. At the
age of about nine years he was taken to Allen county by his
father, and was there educated in the district schools, as well
as instructed in the mysteries of farming. At about thirty
years of age, Nov. 15, 1855, he married, in Allen county, Miss
Lydia E. Myers, who was born in Fairfield county, September 14,
1839, a daughter of Levi and Rachael (Spitler) Myers, the former
of whom was a son of Daniel Myers, the former of whom was a son
of Daniel Myers, who was also of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, a
substantial farmer of Fairfield county, Ohio, and the father of
fifteen children, of whom fourteen lived to adult age and one to
adolescence, and were named as follows: Nancy, Fanny, Inda,
Mary, Rebecca, Lee, Caroline, Elizabeth (died at fourteen),
Reuben, Etta, Samuel, Levi, Daniel, Noah and Joseph.
The father of this family died in Fairfield county at an
advanced age, a member of the German church.
Levi Myers, the father of Mrs. Lydia E.
Stemen, married in Fairfield county, and had born to this
union with Rachael Spitler seven children, viz:
Aaron, Caroline, Lydia E., Alvina, Louis H., Noah and
David Y., all born in Fairfield county, where the father
owned a fertile farm of eighty acres. In 1852 he moved to
Allen County, Ohio, and settled on a farm of eighty acres in
Sugar Creek township, which had been partly cleared, and which
he afterward made into a good farm and cultivated until his
death, at the comparatively early age of forty-one years, a
member of the German Reform church. Of his sons, Aaron
served during the Civil war, about one year, in an Ohio
regiment; Louis served three years in the Ninety-ninth
Ohio infantry, and Noah, when a lad of eighteen, served
about six months.
John M. Stemen, after marriage, settled,
September 11, 1856, on the farm now occupied by his widow.
The tract comprised ninety-five acres of dense woodland, on
which he built a log cabin, which is still standing. But
he was an industrious, hard-working man and changed his
primitively rude condition of things to one of comfort and
beauty. To himself and wife were born eight children, viz:
David B., Mary A., Martha A. (who died at the age of
twenty-two years), William E., Louis H. (who died when
twenty-five years old), Benjamin F., and two that died in
infancy. The death of Mr. Stemen took place at the
age of fifty years on his farm, October 9, 1875, in the faith of
the Lutheran church, and in politics a democrat. He was a
kind and affectionate husband and father, a good farmer and
obliging neighbor, and a patriotic and useful citizen, whose
death was deeply deplored by his sorrowing family and a large
circle of friends.
After the death of her husband Mrs. Stemen
managed the farm with care and prudence and reared her children
to become respected members of society, giving them all good
educations and thoroughly preparing them for the duties of life.
Mary A., now twenty-one years old, is an accomplished
school-teacher; David B. is united in marriage with
Mary E. Bressler, lives on the home farm, and is the father
of six children; Mary A. is married to James Wallace,
of Ridge township, Van Wert county, and is the mother of two
children; William E. married Leah Stemen, is a
farmer of Ridge township and is the father of one child.
Mrs. Stemen is a devout member of the Methodist church,
and enjoys the esteem of a large circle of friends, who truly
honor her for her many motherly, neighborly and christian
virtues.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 742 |
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PETER STEMEN
was born September 15, 1802, and died in October 1881, at the
age of seventy-nine years. He was born in Rockingham
county, Va., and in 1807, his parents, Peter and Margaret,
came to Fairfield county, Ohio, where they lived until 1838.
He was brought up on a farm, and November 25, 1824, was married
to Miss Mary Blosser, who was born in Fayette county,
Pa., May 12, 1807, and was the daughter of Isaac and
Elizabeth Blosser. Peter and his wife, Mary,
had a family of eight children: Andrew, Benjamin, John
(deceased), Mary M., Peter (deceased), Isaac W.,
Elizabeth and Christian. When the parents of these
children came to Allen county, Ohio, they located on a tract of
160 acres of unimproved land, excepting a few acres, and here
the father spent the remainder of his life, following farming as
an occupation. He was a Mennonite in religious faith, a
republican in politics, and held the office of township trustee
for a number of years. Tow of his sons served in the
rebellion - John and Christian. The latter served
about nine months, toward the close of the war, in the One
Hundred and Seventy-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, and was
corporal of the guard.
ISAAC W.
STEMEN, with whom this sketch will now deal, was born in
Fairfield county, Ohio, February 6, 1837. His parents came
to Allen county in 1838 and located on a farm in Marion
township. When Isaac grew up he followed
farming, obtaining a fair education in the public schools.
In later years he was in the employ of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne
& Chicago Railroad company, a part of the time, and for the past
ten years he has followed the trade of carpentering. He
was married, March 7, 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Cochren,
daughter of James and Isabella Cochren, daughter of
James and Isabella (Sunderland) Cochren, both deceased, the
mother dying in October, 1880, at the age of sixty-four years
and the father in June, 1893, at the very advanced age of
eighty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac W. Stemen
are the parents of five children: Mary E., wife of
A. L. Brower, of Iowa; Sidney G., a teacher in
Shenandoah, Page county, Iowa; Orlando, at home; Ada
B., a home, a school-teacher; Frank F., a
school-teacher by profession but now a student of the Lima
college, further preparing himself for his chosen calling.
Politically Mr. Stemen is an ardent prohibitionist and he
and his family are members of the United Brethren church.
He is a man who believes in making things move, is always
prepared to give a "boost" when needed, and is withal an active,
progressive man, imbued with vim and vigor of the kind that
succeeds without unnecessary delay.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 496 |
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SAMUEL A. STEMEN
is one of the representative citizens of German township,
Allen county, Ohio, and a conspicuous figure in Elida, where he
now resides. He was born in Marion township, December 8,
1851, and is the son of JOHN B.
and Mary J. (Myers) Stemen, natives of Fairfield
and Marion counties, Ohio. The father died January 10,
1865, at the age of thirty-four years, while a soldier in the
war of the Rebellion; the mother was a teacher in early life,
she is now living in Warren county, Iowa. The family of
Stemen, or Stehmann, are supposed to be of German
extraction. JOHN B. was the
second son of Peter and Mary Stemen, who had eight
children. John B. became father of nine children,
six boys and three girls.
Samuel A. Stemen was born and
lived on the farm until thirteen years of age, when he began
clerking in a store in Lacona, Iowa, where he remained for four
years. After this he was six months on a farm in Neosho
county, Kans., and a year in driving cattle from Texas to
Kansas, and a year clerking in a store at Tioga, now Chamute,
Kans., after which experience he returned to Ohio in 1871, and
located in Elida, where he spent two years in a saw-mill -
afterward renting the plant and operating it until 1887, when,
in company with J. R. Brenneman, he purchased it, and
together operated it until March, 1895, when they sold out the
business. In 1881, Mr. Stemen associated himself in
the mercantile business with C. B. Rice, the partnership
lasting two years, when Mr. Rice withdrew and Messrs,
Brenneman & Stemen constituted the firm until October 9,
1893, when Mr. Stemen became sold proprietor, conducting
the home mill until June, 1894, when he sold out to S. R.
Stemen. However, he still owned a stock of drugs,
which he disposed of last year (1895) and sold the saw-mill, but
retained a half-interest in a ill three miles west of Elida.
A new enterprise now claims his attention. On December 1,
1894, in company with C. H. Mosier he engaged in the Wind
Engine and Auburn Engine and Demming Pump company.
Mr. Stemen was married Aug. 3, 1873, to
Miss Ollie Burdge, daughter of Newton
and Lockey Burdge. She died January
10, 1877, at the age of twenty-three years. Two children
were born to them, both dying in infancy. He next married,
September, 15, 1878; his present wife's maiden name was
Saloma J. Kirocofe, daughter of Henry and Delilah (Huffer)
Kiracofe. She was a native of Allen county, and was
born July 12, 1860; eight children have blessed this union:
Myrtie M., Mary, Lena L., Elva D., Nina A., Floyd K.
(deceased), Thomas R. and Clarence B. Mr. and
Mrs. Stemen are worthy and faithful members of the United
Brethren church, of which Mr. Stemen is a trustee and has
been superintendent of the Sunday-school for the past sixteen
years. When the division of the United Brethren church
occurred, Mr. Stemen's sympathy and support was cast
with the Radicals. He is an anti-saloon man and is
bitterly opposed to all things in the shape of intemperance.
He has also the courage of his convictions and does not hesitate
to declare himself on this important subject. In
conclusion we may say that the Stemen family are among
the substantial residents of the county and all are well known
as men of unquestioned integrity and honesty, and are good
business men and equally good neighbors and citizens.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 499 |
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SAMUEL P. STEMEN
- The Stemen family is an ancient one in the United
States. While there appears to be no positive historical
knowledge upon its origin, yet it is believed that its first
American ancestor came from Germany. The first reliable
history of the family that has as yet been discovered is in the
old family Bible which was purchased by CHRISTIAN
STEHMANN, as the name is spelled in that old Bible, in
December, 1770. In this Bible there is a family record
which states that Christian Stehmann was born in the year
of Christ, May, 28, 1757, and that he was married to Miss
Hannah Barin, April 1, 1770, her birth being given as on
April 18, 1750. To them there were born eleven children,
of whom Peter, the eldest, was born January 2, 1771, and
Maria, the youngest, was born February 6, 1796. The
intermediate children, in the order of their births, were as
follows: Christian born April 18, 1773; Henry,
May 26, 1775; Anna, October 5, 1777; John, April
17, 1780; Samuel, November 12, 1782; Francis,
January 5, 1786; Johanna, May, 1788; Elizabeth,
June 24, 1791, and Michael, January 21, 1794.
CHRISTIAN STEHMANN the father of this numerous
family, it is believed, was born near Red Stone, Rockingham
county, Va. In 1803, in company with a number of his
family, he moved to Fairfield county, Ohio, where they all began
to clear away the timber and to make homes for themselves.
Here he lived until after the death of his wife, which occurred
July 15, 1834, she being then eighty-four years, two months and
twenty-seven days old. He then removed to Allen county, to
his son, Rev. Henry Stemen's home, where he died August
28, 1844, he was ninety-seven years old, and was buried in the
graveyard near the Mennonite church. Mrs. Stemen
was buried in what is known as the Stewart graveyard in
Fairfield county. When this ancient patriarch was born the
name was recorded in the old family Bible, above mentioned, and
was spelled "Stehmann," but when the record of his death
was made it was spelled "Stemen," so that the change in
spelling of the name was made during his lifetime.
Peter Stemen, the eldest son of the above,
mentioned Christian Stemen, was born January 2, 1771.
He married Miss Magdalena Swick, by whom he had three
sons, viz: Christian, born in Rockingham county,
Va., Apr. 23, 1779; John, born in the same county,
September 12, 1780, and Peter, born September 15, 1802.
CHRISTIAN
STEMEN, the eldest of these three sons, moved with his
parents to Fayette County, Pa., and in 1807 removed with them to
Fairfield county, Ohio, where he resided until December 13,
1821, when he was married to Miss Margaret Moyer,
removing immediately thereafter to Perry county, Ohio, and after
a short residence there returning to Fairfield county. In
1834 he purchased a tract of land - not a farm, for it was all
timbered land - in Sugar Creek township, Allen county, where he
lived the rest of his days, earnestly striving to improve his
farm and his condition in life, and enduring all the privations
and hardships incident to the life of a pioneer. But in
all his trials and struggles he was nobly aided by his faithful
wife. He was one of the best of men, universally honored
and loved; kind-hearted and tender, always having a word of
cheer for all he met. He was twice elected county
commissioner for Allen county, and filled the office with credit
to himself and with satisfaction to those interested in the
manner in which his duties were performed. He lived upon
his farm until April 16, 1865, when he died, his wife having
died a few months before, on December 1, 1864.
Samuel P. Stemen, the eldest son of Christian
Stemen, whose life has been briefly outlined above, was born
in Rush Creek township, Fairfield county, Ohio, October 24,
1822. He removed in 1834, when he was twelve years of age,
with his father, from Fairfield county to Allen county, and he
is thus one of the oldest settlers and continuous residents of
the county. He well remembers the journey, which was made
by horses and wagons, when there were no roads through the
wilderness, and their way had to be cut through for miles in
order to reach the tract of land destined for their occupation,
on Hogg Creek, in German township, where the father had
purchased 146 acres of land in the woods, with no neighbors,
except Indians, with whom to associate. Young Stemen
had but few educational advantages in the wild region, but he
succeeded in learning the cabinet-maker's trade and in becoming
a good farmer. September 7, 1847, he was united in
marriage, in German township, with Miss Isabelle Spangler,
who was born in Fairfield county in January, 1831, a daughter of
Samuel and Mary (Lutz) Spangler - Samuel Spangler
being a native of Pennsylvania and a pioneer of Allen county,
Ohio. After his marriage Mr. Stemen settled on his
present farm, which then comprised sixty acres, but of which he
has disposed of twenty acres, as forty were as many as he cared
to handle. As usual with those who settled in the woods,
he assiduously set to work and cleared up a farm, which in due
course of time rivaled that of any of his neighbors. The
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Stemen were ten in number
and were named: Catherine, Mary, Daniel, William, John,
Sallie Laura Bell, Lydia A., and two that died young.
The father, mother and elder children were all hard workers and
lent willing hands towards building up a home, and it is related
that the eldest daughter, after her father had enlisted to aid
in saving the Union, put on her father's ants and went into the
field to plow.
September 8, 1863, Mr. Stemen enlisted in
company H, Capt. Isaac Patrick, Fifty-first Ohio national
guard, in Sugar Creek township, for five years, but was
honorably discharged to be mustered in as corporal, May 2, 1864,
into the United States service, with a volunteer regiment, but
was again honorably discharged, August 27, 1864, after having
defended Washington, D. C. On his return home Mr.
Stemen again turned all his attention to the cultivation of
his farm and to the rearing of this family, and has proven
himself to be, under all circumstances, a good and true citizen.
October 2, 1885, Mrs. Stemen died in that faith of the
United Brethren Church, of which she has long been a pious
member. Mr. Stemen is also a member of this
religious organization, and in 18559 was made its first trustee,
and is still in office. He is noted for his strict
integrity and for his industry and devotion to his calling and
to his family. All he has is the result of his own labors
and that of his lamented wife, assisted by the children, and he
is now living in the enjoyment of compensative opulence,
respected by everybody in his neighborhood.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 497 |
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DANIEL STEVICK
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 503 |
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THE
STEWART FAMILY, alluded to above (Refers to Charles C.
Post family), was represented among the very earliest settlers
of Allen county, Ohio; by WILLIAM and
SAMUEL, who
came to this county in 1824. They were natives of
Pennsylvania and were of a family of ten children. Their
parents were Mathias and Elizabeth Stewart.
Samuel Stewart was born in Lycoming county, Pa.,
grew to manhood in Champaign county, Ohio, where he was married,
and two years after that event, came with his wife and one child,
to Amanda township, and entered a tract of land in section No. 9,
where his daughter, Mrs. Leonides Post now
lives. His brother William entered land at the same
time, adjoining him on the west. Here they made homes and
spent the balance of their lives. Four children were born to
Samuel, viz: Thomas, Elizabeth, Eliza J. and
Matthew; the last named died in childhood, as did Thomas.
Samuel Stewart was a man of rare and noble qualities - was
open-hearted and generous and ever ready to lend a helping hand
whenever needed. He was public spirited and enterprising and
was among the first in all good works and undertakings, and was
one of the first board of county commissioners of Allen county.
His first wife dying, he was married a second time, and to this
marriage two children were born, but both died in infancy.
Mrs. Post's mother's name was Thomas and her father,
Capt. Thomas, was a soldier in the war of 1812 and was
afterward killed by the Indians in Logan county, Ohio, near
Bellefontaine, about 1815.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 427 |
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CHARLES F. STOCKLER, a highly respected citizen
of Bluffton, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the Civil war, is a
native of Joseph and Elizabeth (Brokel) Stockler.
Joseph Stockler died in Germany, a member of the Catholic
church.
Charles F. Stockler was born Oct. 13, 1834, was
reared on his father's farm, and received a common-school
education in his native country coming to the united States
after both his father and mother had died, they dying when he
was about seventeen years of age. He embarked, in 1854, at
Antwerp, in a sailing vessel, the good ship Amarcand, and was
forty-two days on the sea. He landed in New York, having
come in company with two cousins, Alexis Obert, who
served three years in the army, and John Brokel, both
young men reaching the hospitable shores of the United States,
the entire party had left but $2.50. They found work at
Utica, N. Y., on the New York Central railroad, and then at
Lyons, and after six months' labor of this kind they came on
west to Cleveland, Ohio. He worked on farms in various
parts of the state of Ohio until the breaking out of the war,
when he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and engaged to work for the
government at driving and breaking mules. This he
continued to do until Feb. 10, 1865, when he enlisted in company
I, Fifty-fifth regiment of Kentucky mounted infantry. He
was promoted to fourth corporal and acted as commissary
sergeant, serving in this capacity until the close of the war.
He was in the battle of Stone River and a number of skirmishes
in Kentucky and Tennessee. Being injured by being thrown
from a horse on the turnpike between Georgetown and Mount
Sterling, he went to hospital No. 11, at Louisville, where he
remained four weeks. The previous season he had lain in
the same hospital two weeks, sick with ague. Mr.
Stockler was always an active soldier when in health, was
always on duty, and in all the battles and campaigns of the war
in which his regiment participated. He was honorably
discharged at Louisville, Ky., Sept. 19, 1865, the war having
come to an end.
Mr. Stockler was
married May 29, 1859, at Urbana, Ohio, to Clarissa C. Henkle,
who was born at Urbana, Sept. 9, 1839, and is a daughter of
FLETCHER and Emily (Sampson)
HENKLE, the former of whom was born
in Virginia, of an old colonial family of German descent.
He was a wagon-maker by trade and move to Urbana when a young
man. His wife was born in Cincinnati, and her people, the
Sampsons, were among the first settlers of Urbana.
She and husband were the parents of the following children:
John, Clarissa C., William B., Mattie, Kate, Henry and
Molly. Mrs. Henkle died in Chicago in 1891, aged about
eighty-two years, having moved to that city about 1873 and
engaged in gardening. He was an industrious man, esteemed
by all for his upright and honest course of life. Both he
and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in
which he was a class leader and exhorter for some ears. He
was a republican in politics and had two sons in the Civil war -
William B. and Henry - in Ohio regiments, the
former in the 100-day service, and the latter in the one-year
service. Mr. Henkle was a strong Union man, and a
man of sterling character.
Mr. and Mrs. Stockler settled in Urbana, Ohio,
remaining there until 1864, where they removed to Ada, Ohio.
Later they removed to a farm lying a short distance west of Fort
Wayne, and moved to their present farm in 1869. To them
there have been born ten children as follows: - Albert E.,
Ida M., Enos H., Henry (who died in infancy), Lizzie,
Mollie, Frank V., Estelle, Tima, and Ross E. Mr.
Stockler has given all his children a good education, four
of them being school-teachers - Lizzie, Mollie, Frank and
Estelle. Frank is now attending the Normal
school at Ada, Ohio, with the view of better preparing himself
for his work in the teachers' profession. Lizzie
married Prof. Noah Stull,
principal of the high school at Spencerville, Ohio. He is
a member of the county board of examiners, and she has taught in
the graded schools for ten years. Mollie married
Bert Hawk, of LaFayette, Ohio. She taught in graded
schools for five years. Estelle has been teaching
at Beaver Dam two years. Mr. Stockler is a
republican in politics, and is a member of Ada lodge, No. 343,
F. & A. M. Mr. and Mrs. Stockler are among the most
highly respected people of their township, and he has always
been an industrious, energetic and successful man.
Assisted by his faithful wife he has reared a family of
children, all of whom maintain honorable and responsible
positions in the community, and are most useful men and women.
The Henkles are descended from old Revolutionary
stock - directly from County Henkle, an officer in the
Revolutionary Army. The Sampsons were English
Puritans and of ancient New England stock, from near Boston,
Mass. Calvin Sampson, the maternal grandfather of
Mrs. Stockler, was one of the pioneers of Cincinnati,
Ohio. He went down the Ohio river on a flat-boat with his
family, and became one of the first merchants of Cincinnati,
where his father was the first wholesale merchant.
Hepzabel Leftbridge married Calvin Sampson and lived
to be ninety-two years old, and was blind the last fifteen years
of her life. The Sampsons were among the early
settlers of Urbana, and also among the first merchants of that
place.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 504 |
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ROBERT G. STOCKTON
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 505 |
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JACOB N. STOLZENBACH
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 506 |
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PROF.
NOAH H. STULL, superintendent of the public schools of
Spencerville, Ohio, ranks among the first educators of the
state. Mr. Stull has been located at this place for
the past nine years as teacher and superintendent, having begun
his work here in the autumn of 1887. He was born at
Huntsville, Logan county, Ohio, Sept. 26, 1863, and is the son
of William and Mary (Scott) Stull, natives of
Philadelphia, Pa., and Hardin county, Ohio. The mother
passed away in 1875, at the age of forty-nine years, and the
father died in 1883, at the age of sixty-nine years.
The STULL FAMILY has its origin in Hesse Cassel,
Germany, where the grandfather, Abraham Stull, was born,
where his earlier life was spent, where he married, and where a
part of his family was born. The grandfather was a
distiller by trade, and on coming to America located in
Philadelphia, where he died. He was a magnificent
financier and amassed a large fortune. His private
enterprises were many and prospered under his able and efficient
direction. His family was a large one, for whom he amply
and generously provided. His children settled in Ohio
principally, and became valued citizens of the state. The
father of Supt. N. H. Stull located on a section of land
in the west part of Hardin county, and operated his princely
domain for a few years, when he removed to Huntsville, in Logan
county, and later to Ada, Ohio, where he retired from business,
after having been engaged in railroading successfully for a
number of years. The mother of Supt. Stull
was the daughter of Jonathan Scott, of Irish extraction.
The family of Scott were open-hearted, generous and
hospitable, and their friendships were wide and valuable.
In religion Mr. Stull was a Methodist and a man who
carried his religion into his life and never wore it as a mere
Sunday garment. Nine children were born to him, to all of
whom he gave a good education. The following are their
names: Madison, of Ada, Ohio, a teamster by
occupation; Matilda J., wife of John F. Firestone,
of Welcome, Neb.; Colonel, of Ada, Ohio, one of the
enterprising men of that section; Samantha J., wife of
John F. Miller, of Huntsville, Hardin county; William B.,
a sheep raiser of Australia;
Lena and Ellen, deceased; Squire, a farmer
of Milan, Mo., deceased, and Noah H., the subject of this
biography.
Noah H. Stull was born in Huntsville, Ohio, and
received his education in the union schools of Ada, from which
he graduated in 1882, and also from the Ada Normal school in the
class of 1893. At the age of nineteen he began teaching
and has ever since followed this profession as his occupation.
His work is congenial, which may be the secret of his pronounced
success as an educator. Since his connection with the
Spencerville schools the regular and prescribed course of study
has been adopted, and he has successfully, by degrees,
introduced into his curriculum the advanced principles of
educational work. In 1892 he was made one of the county
school examiners. Politically he is a democrat and
socially a member of the Knights of Pythias of Spencerville
lodge, No. 251.
Aug. 29, 1894, he was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth E. Stockler, of Bluffton, Ohio, who had been a
teacher in the Spencerville schools, and since her marriage has
been retained. She is the daughter of Charles F. and
Clarissa (Henkle) Stockler, living near Bluffton, Ohio.
Supt. Stull and Mrs. Stull are both members of the
Methodist church and are esteemed as among the county's most
worthy and respected citizens. It is a pleasure to write
of such people - men and women who make the social and moral
life of a place better for having lived in it.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 507 |
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FRANK
STUMP, one of the well-known citizens of Delphos, Allen
county, Ohio, and a leading saloon and restaurant proprietor, is
a native of Baden, Germany, where he was born Oct. 17, 1857.
After finishing his education, he served an apprenticeship at
the saddle-maker's trade, and followed that trade in the old
country until 1873, and then came to America. He landed at
New York city, but came direct from that city to Gallion, Ohio,
where two of his uncles were living. He put in two months
and a half at his trade in Gallion, and then he concluded there
was not enough in the saddler's trade, and throwing it up he
learned the machinist's trade, in Gallion. He worked at
the machinist's trade in Gallion until 1879, and then went to
Fort Wayne, Ind., where he worked for two years, going from Fort
Wayne to Bucyrus, Ohio, where, on May 25, 1881, he was married
to Miss Kate Burmoth, of Crestline, Ohio. In
February, 1883, he came to Delphos and went to work in the
Clover Leaf Railroad shops, where he continued until 1890.
Then he spent about eight months in the Lake Erie shops at Lima,
and then engaged in the saloon business at Lima for three years;
returning to Delphos he opened his present place of business on
the west side of Main street, second door from Second streets,
which he purchased from H. W. Bechman. His business
embraces one of the first-class bars and the leading restaurant
in the city where everything can be found to suit the palate of
the most fastidious epicure.
Mr. Stump takes an active interest in the
affairs of Delphos, and formerly was an active worker in the
ranks of the democratic party, but has never held or sought
public office. He is a member of the Odd Fellows,
Machinists' union and the National union, and is, beside, a
member of the Roman Catholic church. Two daughters have
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Stump - Celia and
Naomi Ruth.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 508 |
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JOSEPH SUTHOFF
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen &
Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896 - Page 508 |
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