Biographies
(Source: See Biographical Index for sources)

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SAMUEL GANGWER was born in Virginia in 1807, and came to Ohio in 1837.  In 1841 he married Elizabeth Lines, born in 1808.  Three children were born to them, two of whom, John and Amanda (Lock), still survive, and are living in this township.  John Gangwer was born in 1844, and in 1868 married Matilda Ott, born in 1851.  He has had six children born to him, only two of whom survive.  He owns a farm of one hundred and eighty-seven acres, located about three miles west of Lewisburgh.  It is part of the same farm where his father has lived for twenty-three years. Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams & Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page 211

JOHN GARD was born in Hamilton county, in December, 1806, and was married in 1832, to Nancy Sprout, who died in 1842.  They had three children - L:evi R. lives in Dixon; Elizabeth, wife of Ira Duvall, lives in Union county, Indiana; and Harvey L. lives in Israel township.  In 1860 Mr. Gard was again married to Dorcas (Jones) Ammerman, widow of Martin Ammerman.  She was born in 1820.      Mr. Gard owns the quarter section upon which his father settled.  Mr. Gard moved to Rush county, Indiana, in 1833, and remained there six years, when he returned to Dixon township. Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams & Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page 163

ANUEL GIFFORD married first Sarah Korres, by whom he had six children.  After her deceased he married Ellie Owens, and has had one child by this union.  Mr. Gifford has been school director for four years, and for several years a member of the board of education.  He is part proprietor of a saw-mill. Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams & Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page 188

WILLIAM GIFFORD moved to Ohio from North Carolina about 1805, and settled in Gratis township.  He was born in 1773, and died in 1813.  His son, Jesse Gifford, was born in Gratis Township in the year 1812.  His wife, Bethena Rix, was born in 1813.  They had six children:  Anuel, Susanna, Eliza, Henry, Hannah and Linley.  Mr. Gifford owns seventy-five acres in Preble county. Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams & Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page 188

SAMUEL GORDON came into Dixon in 1810, and made his location in section twenty.  He was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1795, and died in Dixon in 1860.  He was in the six months' service in the War of 1812.  He was married to Sarah Gard, who was born in 1803, and to them were born ten children, only three of whom survive, viz.:  Levi, who resides in Henry county, Indiana; Phebe, wife of Taylor W. Nicum, in Jackson township, this county, and John, who occupies the home farm in Dixon.  He was married to Esther Ann Stiffler, in 1865, and has a family of five children living, and one dead.  He was in the war of the Rebellion as a member of the Forty-seventh regiment Ohio volunteer infantry. Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams & Bro, Publishers - 1881 ~Page 163

ABRAHAM GRAFT, son of David and Anna (Grove) Graft, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1813. He came with his parents to Preble County, Ohio, where he was married March 3, 1839, to Anna, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Swisher) Morningstar. She was born in Preble County, Ohio, May 15, 1818. Her father was born in Virginia, October 23, 1779, and her mother in Maryland in August, 1782. They were married in Maryland, April 16, 1805, and shortly afterward moved to Preble County, Ohio, where they afterward resided until death, which occurred as follows: The mother, October 16, 1851, and the father, May 16, 1861. They were the parents of nine children, viz: Elizabeth, Mary, Susanna, Catherine, Solomon, Jones, Anna, Julia A. and Lydia. In 1841 Mr. Graft, our subject, moved to Randolph County, Indiana, where he purchased land and resided until the spring of 1850, at which time he moved to Preble County, Ohio, and in the following fall he moved to Miami County, Indiana, where he has since resided. In May, 1882, he settled on the farm on which he now resides, in Jefferson Township. He has had born to him seven children, viz: George, born November 24, 1839, and died October 13, 1882; David, born April 7, 1841; John, born May 14, 1843; Elizabeth, born February 5, 1848, Lydia, born November 22, 1852; Mary C., born October 20, 1856, and one son who died in infancy not named. Transcribed from: History of Miami County, Indiana. Source 3: History of Miami County, Indiana - Publ. Chicago -  Brant & Fuller - 1887 - Page 691 Contributed by Nancy Hannah

BENJAMIN GRAFT (retired farmer and grain merchant, and one of the old and highly esteemed pioneers of Miami County, Indiana), is a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, born August 3, 1815. His parents, David and Anna (Grove) Graft, were natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively. They were married in Augusta County, Virginia, and from thence, subsequently, moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after which they removed to Augusta County, Virginia, and from there to Preble County, Ohio, where the mother died November 5th, 1851, at fifty-seven years of age. The father afterward retired and made his home with his children until death, which occurred in this county, July 29, 1854. He was the father of twelve children, viz: Abraham, Benjamin, David, Eliza, Nancy, John, Samuel, Daniel, Margaret, Henry, and two which died in infancy not named. Benjamin, our subject, was married in Preble County, Ohio, April 14, 1839, to Hannah, daughter of Henry and Hannah (Dillman) Brower. She was born in Preble County, Ohio, March 22, 1818. In 1841, Mr. Graft, our subject, moved to Miami County, Indiana, landing here in September of that year. He purchased and settled upon land in Jefferson Township, Section 19, where he resided until the spring of 1864, at which time he settled upon a farm in Section 6, Jefferson Township, which he had purchased previously. Here he resided until the spring of 1880, at which time he moved to Mexico, Indiana, where he now resides. He has had born to him eleven children, viz: Isaac H., born February 29, 1840; Nancy, born May 31, 1841, died April 23, 1868; Sarah A., born May 12,1843; John, born November 2,1844; Harriet, born August 14, 1846; David, born March 2, 1848; Isabelle, born January 24, 1850, died August 10, 1870; Margaret, born November, 9, 1851; Catharine, born April 22, 1853, and died September 1, 1854; Mariah E., born May 25, 1855; Alonzo D., born June 27, 1859. Mr. Graft is an enterprising and highly esteemed citizen. He was one of the three early Trustees of Jefferson Township, and in 1870, was elected to the office of County Commissioner, and re-elected in 1873. Transcribed from: History of Miami County, Indiana Source 3: History of Miami County, Indiana - Publ. Chicago -  Brant & Fuller - 1887 - Page 692 Contributed by Nancy Hannah

HARRISON GRIMES, one of Miami County's pioneers and one among the early settlers of Union Township, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, February 14, 1823. He was the oldest child born to Jeremiah and Barbara (Hashbarger) Grimes, natives of Maryland and Virginia respectively, the former of Irish and the latter of Dutch descent. Harrison left home at the early age of ten years and went to Preble County, Ohio, where he worked upon a farm for his board and clothes until he reached the age of sixteen, when he was given his choice of keeping his place or learning the blacksmith's trade. After due consideration he chose the latter, but owing to an inaccurate understanding with the man who was to give him the instruction, he abandoned the notion of learning the trade and concluded to remain upon the farm, which he did until he was twenty-one of age. He had been bound to his employer, who, when Harrison became of age, was to give him one hundred and fifty dollars. He took a horse worth fifty dollars and one hundred dollars in money, which represented his entire capital at that time. Upon leaving the farm he came on foot, with a thirty-seven and one-half pound budget upon his back, to this county. This was in March, 1844. Here he worked upon a farm until the following June, when he walked the entire distance back to Preble County, Ohio, but in the following August he again came to this county— this time on horseback. During the first year of his residence here he worked by the month and job at any and all kinds of work which he could find to do. In 1846 he purchased a farm of ninety-three acres in Section 16, Union Township. There he located, and immediately set about clearing up a farm. To do this without any assistance necessarily devolved upon him a great deal of hard work. He chopped, grubbed, burned brush, rolled logs, plowed, and in fact did all kinds of hard work which the development of a new country necessitates. Since then he has purchased other lands, until at one time he owned about 1,000 acres. His attention during his entire life has been given to agricultural pursuits, though he has in more recent years given some attention to the grain business, the buying and selling of hogs, and to the raising of fine stock. He was married on the 4th of May-, 1845, to Elizabeth Brower, a native of Montgomery County, Ohio, born of Dutch descent, February 8, 1826. She was the daughter of George and Sarah (Swihart) Brower, both natives of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Grimes have had nine children. Their names are: Josiah, born July 31, 1846; Hiram, born January 5, 1848, died September 12, 1880; John H., born March 1, 1849, died February 11, 1853; Sarah D., born August 22, 1851; George T., born October 24, 1854; Albert, born September 5, 1856; Martha J., born December 24, 1857; William, born June 29, 1859, and Charles, born October 13, 1868. Politically, Mr. Grimes is a Republican. He has held the office of Assessor in Union Township two terms. He has, where he resides, a fine farm of 187 acres, nearly all of which is in a high state of cultivation. His farm is fitted up with good buildings and fences, and is one of the most desirable locations in the county. Mr. Grimes is an honest, upright, square-dealing man, a pushing and enterprising farmer, and a good citizen. He began life without a dollar, but through industry, perseverance and economy, he is now in good circumstances. Transcribed from: History of Miami County, Indiana. Source 3: History of Miami County, Indiana - Publ. Chicago -  Brant & Fuller - 1887 - Page 695 Contributed by Nancy Hannah

FERDINAND GRUPE was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1814.  He came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in the year 1851.  HE settled in Somers township, and died in Harrison in 1879.  His wife was Elizabeth Spice. - Louis E. Grupe was born in 1843.  In 1864 he married Margaret Barnet, born in 1844, in Somers township.  Mr. Grupe served for two years in the war of the Rebellion.  He was a private in the Twentieth regiment Ohio national guard.  He was discharged after the battle of Stone River.  He was engaged in many hard fights.  At present he owns a flour - and saw-mill at West Baltimore. Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams & Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page 210

 

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