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Biographies
Source:
A Biographical History
of
Preble County, Ohio.
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Compendium of National Biography
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Illustrated
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Chicago
The Lewis Publishing Company
1900
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CLEM COOPER.
Actively connected with the farming interests of Washington
township, Mr. Cooper has spent his entire life in Preble
county and now operates the old homestead property of eighty-two
acres. He was born Aug. 19, 1868, and is of Irish lineage.
For many generations the family resided in county Louth,
Ireland, and some of the representatives of the name became very
prominent in public affairs. The great-grandfather of our
subject was Michael Cooper, a native of county
Louth, where also occurred the birth of the grandfather,
Henry Cooper. The father, Michael Cooper,
Jr., was born in that county, Dec. 25, 1829, and spent his
minority on the Emerald Isle and in early manhood determined to
seek a home across the Atlantic, believing that he. might better
his financial condition by emigrating to the new world.
Accordingly he sailed, landing at Philadelphia on the 1st of
April, 1851, after a voyage of twenty-eight days, made in a
sailing vessel. He did not tarry long at Philadelphia, but
went to Wilmington, Delaware, and in the vicinity of that city
was employed upon a farm for sixty years. On the 1st of
March, 1857, he removed to Ohio and began work for Guy
Bloom in Jefferson township.
In the fall of 1862, however, he returned to
Philadelphia in order to enlist in the ranks at President
Lincoln’s call for loyal men to aid in crushing out the
rebellion. He had some friends in Philadelphia who were
intending to join the army, and in order to" be with them at the
front he joined Company C, of the One Hundred and Ninteeenth
Pennsylvania Infantry, with which command he saw much hard
service. He participated in the second battle of Bull Run,
in the engagements at Antietam and South Mountain and in many
smaller battles. At length, becoming ill, he was sent to
the hospital, but accommodations were there so poor that he had
both feet frozen. In February, 1864, on account of his
disability, he received an honorable discharge and returned to
Ohio.
Here he began work by the day, but in 1866 rented a
farm near the place on which our subject resides. In 1882
he purchased the property on which his son, Clem, is now
living, and since that time he has added to his landed
possessions. The comfortable competence which he has
acquired now enables him to live retired. His has been a
well spent, active and useful life, and by untiring energy he
has worked his way steadily upward to a position of affluence.
On the 8th of March, 1868, he was married to Miss Elizabeth
Pine, a daughter of Peter Pine, of Preble county.
Clem Cooper, their only child, was reared under
the parental roof, pursued his education in the local schools
and began work on the farm as soon as he was old enough to
handle the plow. Through the summer months he assisted in
the cultivation of the fields, and when the golden grain was
ready for the harvest he aided in gathering it into the barns.
Upon his father's retirement to private life, in 1892, he took
charge of the farm in Washington township, of eighty-two acres,
and, in addition to the cultivation of grain best adapted to
this climate, he successfully engaged in raising fine hogs,
cattle and poultry. He owns some very fine short horn
cattle with excellent pedigrees, and sells his cattle and
poultry over a wide territory, farmers coming from long
distances to make purchases. He has a very enviable
reputation as a leading stockraiser and has done much to improve
the grade of farm animals raised in this part of Ohio. His
farming operations are carried on along progressive lines and
the latest improved machinery and substantial buildings indicate
that he is an active and enterprising agriculturist.
On the 30th of August, 1890, occurred the marriage of
Mr. Cooper and Miss Minnie Schwartzel. Their union
has been blessed with two children, Claud and Fern.
Mr. Cooper is a member of the Preble county
vigilance committee, a progressive citizen who gives his aid and
co-operation to every movement and measure which he believes
will prove of public good. He is widely known as a farmer
and stock raiser, and certainly deserves great credit for what
he has done in behalf of the improvement of farm animals.
He has studied quite closely their needs, understands the best
methods of feeding and caring for his stock and at no time are
his horses and cattle allowed to suffer any neglect. This
intelligent supervision has given him a very desirable
reputation and he is now accounted one of the leading business
men of this township.
Source: A Biographical History of Preble
County, Ohio - Illustrated - Published 1900 - Page 563 |
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