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BIOGRAPHIES Source:
History of Madison County, Ohio
Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co.
1883
1159 pgs.
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Pike Twp. -
CORNELIUS VANNESS, farmer, P. O. Mechanicsburg.
The subject of this sketch was born May 15, 1806, in Butler County,
Ohio. He was a son of George Vanness, a Revolutionary
soldier, and Elleanor Vanness, who emigrated from New Jersey to
Butler County at quite an early day. To his parents were born
eleven children, four of whom are now living, viz.: Daniel,
George, Judith and our subject. When eight years of age - with
his parents - he came to Madison County. On their journey his
mother died, which was an irreparable loss to the family. Having
arrived here, they settled in Pike Township, near where our subject now
resides, and where his father died in March, 1832. In February,
1830, he married Rebecca Bower, born Apr. 8, 1805, and daughter
of Jacob and Polly Bower. To them have been born seven
children, six of whom are now living - Mary E., born Apr. 30,
1832; Lucy J., born Feb. 21, 1834; George B., born Sept.
6, 1836; Jacob C., born Dec. 2, 1838; Sarah E., born Sept.
14, 1840, and died Jan. 4, 1863; Rebecca A., born Aug. 11, 1843;
and John L., born Nov. 23, 1848. Mr. Vanness has,
since the date of his arrival here, been a citizen of this county.
He has served as Constable and School Director. He is a member of
the Christian Church in which he has for several years officiated as
Deacon. He is the owner of 155 acres of land, and resides in the
northwestern portion of Pike Township.
Source: History of Madison County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co.,
1883 - Page 1062 |
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Deercreek Twp. -
CHRISTIAN VOLKA, merchant, P. O. La Fayette, was
born in St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 25, 1837; he is a son of John and
Catharine Volka, natives of France, who emigrated to America while
young; they grew to maturity and were married in Columbus, Ohio.
He was a shoe-maker by trade, which business he followed in Columbus,
Cincinnati and St. Louis. He died of small-pox in Cincinnati.
They had three children, two now surviving - Catharine (wife of
David M. Bradley), and Christian, the subject of this
sketch, who was principally raised in Madison County, brought up to farm
labor and was married, Jan. 8, 1863, to Lucetta Bell, a native of
this county, where she was born May 12, 1844, and a daughter of
Daniel Bell, a native of Virginia, and his wife Rebecca (Wagoner)
Bell, a native of Ohio. Dr. Bell was a practicing
physician for many years, commencing his profession in Coshocton County,
Ohio; thence coming to Madison County and practicing in Somerford
Township. He was an earnest worker in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and gave freely of his means for the erection of the church
edifice, and also for the schoolhouse that was built near it, in honor
of which the place was called Belleville. He purchased a farm in
that township, upon which he resided a short time; then he removed to
Champaign County, and there brought a farm, where he resided about
twenty years; then he removed to London, this county, and entered upon
the mercantile trade, but after a few months he removed to La Fayette,
where he died Dec. 8, 1869, aged sixty-nine years. His wife died
Nov. 29, 1858, aged thirty-nine years, dying on her thirty-ninth
birthday. They had thirteen children, five now surviving -
Lucy, Rachel, Lucetta, Laura, Ellen and Charles. Mr. Volka
and wife have had five children, two now survive - Nettie, born
Oct. 3, 1865, and John C., born Aug. 14, 1878. Mr. Volka
first located in La Fayette, and has spent most of his life in London
and La Fayette, and the greater portion of it has been devoted to the
mercantile trade. He was employed as a clerk in London for several
years; then he entered as an assistant with Dr. Bell to the time
of his death, when he took possession of the store and as since
continued the business, conducting a general grocery and drug trade, and
has a good established business.
Source: History of Madison County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co.,
1883 - Page 1029 |
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