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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Shelby County, Ohio
and
representative citizens
Publ.
Evansville, Ind.
1913
947 pgs.
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JULIUS W. C. KETTLER,
a well known citizen and retired farmer, residing in
Kettlersville, Van Buren township, was born in New
Bremen, Auglaize county, O., in 1852, a son of
William and Minnie (Donnerberg) Kettler. His
parents were natives of Germany who came to America in
the forties of the 19th century. Their family
consisted of three children: Sophia, Matilda, and
Julius W. C. Sophia who became the wife of
August Mauer, resides in Kettlersville, this
county; Matilda married William Tangeman
and resides in the state of Iowa.
The subject of this sketch was educated in the schools
of New Bremen, O., and after his school days were over
obtained a position as clerk in the hardware store,
subsequently working for a while in the dry goods store.
He then took a trip to Germany, and after his return was
associated with his father in the store for three
years. He then engaged in agriculture and was so
occupied for a period of 34 years - from 1875 to 1909 -
at the end of which time, having amassed a fair
competence, he retired and took up his residence in the
village of Kettlersville. He owns a good farm of
150 acres and some favorably situated town property
besides 22 lots within the corporation.
Mr. Kettler and wife Maria have been the
parents of six children, namely: Clara, Mahala,
Amelia, Laura, Emma and Herbert. Clara,
who married William Mauer, resides in
Kettlersville. She is the mother of twin sons,
Vernon and Ernest. Mahala married W.
Breidweiser, and they reside in New Bremen.
She has two children, Glenna, who is attending
high school, and Oran, at home. Amelia
is the wife of Aerny Tangeman and resides on her
father's farm. She has two children, Marie
and Helen. Laura married William Webber
and lives in Lima, O. Emma is the wife of
G. R. Brandt and lives in Dayton. She has
one child, Carl. Herbert is a student at
Ohio State University, Columbus.
Mr. Kettler is a Democrat in politics and served
as township clerk for a period of fourteen years.
He was also village clerk for four years. A member
of the Lutheran church, he has acted as a trustee,
secretary, and elder for years. He is a man highly
respected throughout this part of the township.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913
~ Page 858 |
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JOHN
CHARLES FREMONT KIGGINS, who is a retired farmer,
since 1905 has been a resident of Sidney, O., .where he
is well known and highly respected and was born in
Shelby county, O., September 3, 1855, on a farm of forty
acres, the old home place, situated in Orange township,
which he disposed of at the time of retirement from
active life. He is a son of John Robert
and Sallie Ann (McCloskey)
Kiggins. John Robert Kiggins
was born in Miami county, O., and was a son of Robert
Kiggins, who was a native of Ireland. After
marriage John Robert Kiggins came
to Orange township. and settled on the above mentioned
farm and continued to reside there until his death in
1898.
John C. F. Kiggins was reared on the home farm
and spent forty-nine years there, all his life
practically until 1905, with the exception of five years
following his marriage, when he rented land. When he
contracted to purchase the homestead he had no capital,
but afterward he developed a large amount, of business
sagacity which not only enabled him to honestly clear
off this indebtedness but also to make other wise
investments. At one time he owned a farm of seventy-two
acres, situated in Logan county, which property he sold
one year later to great advantage. Another farm of
eighty acres, located in Jackson township, near Jackson
Center, he owned for three years and then sold at a much
higher price than he had paid, the difference being
between $85 and $117 per acre. Mr. Kiggins
then went on a prospecting tour to Houston, Tex., and in
that vicinity bought 320 acres, paying $38 per acre,
which he held for an advance in price, and recently sold
one-half of the tract for $45 per acre, still retaining
the rest of the land. Still later he purchased twenty
acres, for a town site, paying $250 an acre, and this
valuable property he still holds. When he decided to
retire and move to Sidney, he bought his fine residence
on South Miami avenue and began to consider propositions
for the sale of his homestead, on which he had made
excellent improvements. When he finally disposed of the
forty acres he received what was regarded as a record
price, $150 an acre. That the land is worth that and
still more has been evidenced by a still later change of
owners, ,the last purchaser paying $175 per acre, this
giving a pretty fair idea of the general value of Shelby
county farm land when it has been properly developed.
In the fall of 1884, Mr. Kiggins was
married to Miss Laura Ella
Cozier, who was born at Piqua, O., a daughter of
Theodore Cozier. Mr. Cozier and
family lived at Piqua until Mrs. Kiggins
was sixteen years of: age, when he traded his city
property for a farm in Green township, Shelby county.
Mr. and Mrs. Kiggins are
members of the First Baptist church at Sidney, in which
he is a deacon. He has been identified with the order of
Odd Fellows-for many years.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
479 |
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WILBER E. KILBORN, one of the representative
and substantial business men of Sidney, O., treasurer
and general manager of the American Steel Scraper
Company, an important enterprise of this city, was born
near Benson, Vt., a son of Edson S. and Martha J.
(Wright) Kilborn.
The parents of Mr. Kilborn came to Shelby county
when the latter was eight years old, and later moved to
a farm west of Lincoln, Neb. The father engaged in
farming and there both parents died and three children
survive: Wilber E.; Mrs. Lydia Funk, residing at
Milford, Neb.; and Henry S., a farmer in Hamilton
county, Neb.
Wilber. E. Kilborn attended the public schools
at Sidney, and afterward, for several years, taught
school. In 1875 he became cashier of the Citizens Bank
and continued until 1881, when he left in order to
become manager of the American Steel Scraper Company, of
Sidney, and ever since has remained interested in the
same business way, a reliable, honorable, conservative
factor in the city's life.
Mr. Kilborn married
Miss Anna Hendershott, a daughter of George W.
Hendershott, an old resident of Sidney, and they
have two surviving children: Helen M., who
is the wife of Joseph Hagan, of Toledo;
O.; and Ruth, who is a student at Smith College,
Northampton, Mass. Mr. Kilborn and family
are members of the Methodist Episcopal, church. In his
political views he is a republican, and he is an active
member of the Commercial Club. In 1912 he .erected his
handsome residence on North Ohio avenue.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
425 |
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JOSEPH OSCAR
KING, one of the busy and successful general farmers of
Clinton township, Shelby county, O., who operates his
mother's farm of ninety-four acres, was born in this
township, January 4, 1875, an<i is a son of David M. and
Leah (Kauffman) King.
David M. King was born in Miffiin county, Pa.,
and came to Ohio when a young man. Here he followed
farming all his life dying September 21, 1911, and was.
a well known and highly respected man, a leading member
of the Brethren church. He married Leah
Kauffman, who was born also in Miffiin county, Pa.,
and still resides on her farm in Clinton township. To
David M. King and wife the following children were
born: Alice K., who is the widow of Nicholas
Kauffman; Rebecca, who is the wife of
George Davis: Sadie, who is the wife
of Walter Parcher; Joseph Oscar;
Ida, who is the wife of Harry Tennery:
and .Amanda, who is the wife of Charles
Miltenberger.
Joseph Oscar King obtained a common school
education and since putting aside his books has devoted
himself exclusively to farming and stock raising. The
home farm is a valuable property and under his excellent
management is very productive. He takes a good citizen's
interest in public matters, votes, the republican
ticket and at present is a school director.
In 1898 Mr. King was married to Miss
Dora Theuer, a daughter of Martin and Anna
Theurer. Mrs. Theurer was previously married
but her three children, Henry, Charles,
and Dora, were born to her second union. Mr.
and Mrs. King have two children:
Helen and Melvin. The family, including the
beloved mother, belong to the Brethren church.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 |
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CHRISTIAN KIRSCH,
postmaster at Fort Loramie, O., is a representative
citizen of this town, of which he has been a resident
for forty-two consecutive years. He was born at Troy, in
Concord township, Miami county, O., May 1, 1848, and is
a son of John and Christina Kirsch.
John Kirsch was born in Hessen, Germany,
while his wife was a native of Hanover. About 1855 they
moved from Miami county, O., where they had first
settled after coming from Germany, and afterward lived
in McLean township until their death, when aged
respectively seventy and seventy-six years. They were
faithful members of St. Michael's Catholic church and
were buried in the cemetery adjoining the same. They
were well known and highly respected people!
During boyhood Christian Kirsch attended
school when his father could spare him and then learned
the carpenter trade, beginning work in 1867 and
continuing busy at his trade for forty-two years, coming
to Fort Loramie in 1876, where he served as the first
town marshal. He has been active in democratic politics
and for sixteen years served uninterruptedly as a
trustee of McLean township and many times has served
usefully and discreetly as a member of the town council.
It is through the efforts of such men as Mr.
Kirsch that communities prosper for they take an
interest in the progress of the town and are the
agitators who bring about many useful improvements. For
twenty-nine years Mr. Kirsch has been a
member of the volunteer fire company and one of its
early organizers. As postmaster Mr. Kirsch
has served acceptably since his appointment September 6,
1907, this being a fourth class office, with one rural,
delivery route.
Mr. Kirsch was married to Miss
Rachel Meyers, who was born at Fort
Loramie, O, and is a daughter of Lucas and
Otilda Meyers, both of whom are deceased.
Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kirsch,
four of whom died in infancy. The survivors are:
Bernard, who resides at Hamilton, O.; Albert,
who resides at Dayton, O.; Adaline, who lives at
Minster, in Auglaize county, O.; Anna, who is her
father's capable assistant in the post office at Fort
Loramie; Christian, who is a resident of Troy,
O.; and Carl, who lives at Hamilton, O. Mr.
Kirsch and family are members of St. Michael's
Catholic church.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 |
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ELMER
D. KISER, who is serving Shelby County most
efficiently in the office of county treasurer, is one of
the representatives citizens of Sidney. He was
born on the home farm in Miami county, O., not far from
Fletcher, May 8, 1868, and is a son of B. L. and Mary
Ann Kiser.
For many years B. L. Kiser was a farmer in
Miami county and his death occurred just prior to his
son's removal to Sidney, his decease being induced to
some degree from the ravages of disease contracted while
he was loyally serving as a soldier during the Civil
war. He enlisted in 1861 in Company E,
Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served out
his first enlistment, then reenlisted and continued
until the close of the war, in the meanwhile taking part
in all the important battles in the western army.
His family taking part in all the important battles in
the western army. His family consisted of three
sons and one daughter: Elmer D.; F. D., who
is a practicing physician at Casstown, O.; I. C.,
for a number of years a physician at Fletcher, in
November, 1912, was elected to the Ohio State Senate;
and Minnie, who is a resident of Piqua.
Elmer D. Kiser had only common school advantages
in his youth. For some years his father was in an
invalided condition, and, as he was the eldest son, many
responsibilities early fell on his shoulders.
Later on the other two younger brothers were sent to
college and both became physicians. Elmer D.
Kiser, however, did not profit in this way.
His inclinations were directed by a very practical mind
and after coming to Sidney, in 1895, he sought a
business opening and after working in one of the
manufacturing plants for a short time, opened a butcher
shop and continued a dealer in meats until his election
to his present responsible office, in the fall of 1910,
to which, in November, 1912, he was reelected by the
largest vote received by any candidate in Shelby county.
Mr. Kiser is a prominent factor in the democratic
party in this section of the state. He has long
been recognized as an upright citizen and public
approval ha been given of his management of the county
finances. To the management of public matters he
has applied the sound business principles that he has
found secures the best results in his own affairs.
Mr. Kiser was married in 1888, to Miss Lulu
D. Bird, a daughter of S. R. and Celina J. Bird.
Mrs. Kiser was born and reared on a farm in Green
township, Shelby county, but her parents moved to Sidney
in 1894 and here her father died in the following year.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kiser:
Dale, who died at the age of sixteen years; John
B., who continues his father's meat market at
Sidney; and Hilda L., who lives at home.
Mr. Kiser is well known and valued in fraternal
circles, having membership with the Masons, the Odd
Fellows, lower branch and Encampment, the Knights of
Pythias and the Red Men.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
795 |
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JOHN
M. KLASE*, one of the well-known and busy men of
Loramie township, Shelby County, O., who not only
carries on farming but also is in the general
contracting line, was born in Darke county, O., May 23,
1864, and was reared and educated there.
John M. Klase continued to live in his native
county until he was twenty six years old, when he
married and came to Shelby county and settled on his
present finely improved farm of eighty acres and with
the exception of one year passed at Versailles, O., when
he conducted a butcher shop, he has resided here.
This land is particularly well adapted to raising stock
and Mr. Klase pays considerable attention to that
profitable industry. He is a general contractor in
brick and cement work and in this line does a very
considerable amount of business annually. He takes
only a good citizen's interest in politics, keeping
thoroughly posted but not desiring office for himself,
and always votes the democratic ticket. His farm
is easily reached on account of its favorable location,
lying three miles southwest of Houston.
Mr. Klase married Miss Lizzie A. Johnston,
who was born and reared in Loramie township, and they
have four children: James, Joseph, Leonard and
Mary. Mrs. Klase belongs to the Odd Fellow's
lodge at Greenville and to the encampment at Sidney, O.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
835 |
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WILLIAM
KLIPSTINE, a representative business man of
Sidney, O., a dealer in lumber, coal and building
materials, with office and yards on South Walnut street,
has been a resident of this city for more than ten
years, but his birth took place in Darke county, O.,
March 13, 1867, and he is a son of William and Louisa
Klipstine, both of whom were born in Germany.
The Klipstine family was founded in America by
William Klipstine, the grandfather, who came to
Ohio and purchased a farm in Darke county when his son
William was a child. The maternal grandfather,
William Haack, also came from Germany and purchased
land in Darke county, and on the above farms the parents
of William Klipstine, of Sidney, were reared,
together attended the district schools and subsequently
married. They reared a family of three sons and one
daughter and both are now deceased, the father passing
away in 1894, when aged sixty-seven years. The mother
survived until the fall of 1909, her age being
seventy-eight years. Their children were: Louis,
who is connected with the Peoples Bank at Versailles,
O.; Caroline, who is the wife of George H.
Worch; of Versailles; William; and Amos,
who is a farmer residing on the old homestead near
Versailles.
William Klipstine
attended the public schools in the vicinity of his
father's farm and later the Versailles high school, and
remained engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1889,
when he went to Quincy, Logan county, O., where he
engaged in the lumber business until 1901, when he came
to Sidney as manager of the lumber business of his
brother-in-law, George H. Worch, which
business he subsequently purchased. Mr.
Klipstine operates a planing mill and deals in all
kinds and grades of merchantable lumber and
builders' supplies, including hardware, paints and wire
fencing, and has a commodious and expensive plant, in
1909 erecting his mill, office and storage room.
Constant employment is afforded for from ten to twelve
men and title business may be included with the very
prosperous ones of the city.
In 1889 Mr. Klipstine was married to
Miss Mary Grove, a daughter of Hiram Grove, of Perry
county, O., and they have a happy family of six
children, evenly divided, as follows:. Roy,
Charles, Ruth, Caroline, William
and Mary. The eldest daughter possesses great
artistic talent and it is being cultivated at Roanoke
College, Roanoke, Va. Mr. Klipstine and family
belong to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, at
Sidney. Fraternally he is identified with the Elks and
the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is a democrat and
has served two terms as a member of the city council,
during which period his sound business judgment
frequently assisted in the solving of civic problems of
importance.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 |
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L.
L. KNOOP, whose well improved farm of seventy-one
acres, which he purchased and improved himself, is
situated six miles southeast of Sidney, O., has spent
the larger part of his life in this part of Shelby
county. He was born in Orange township, three-fourths of
a mile north of his own farm in Green township, in
August, 1871, and is a son of John and Margaret
(Martin) Knoop.
John Knoop is a highly respected retired
citizen of Shelby county. He was born in Miami county,
O., and at the age of seventeen years enlisted in the
Civil war, and saw much hard service during the
following two-years as a member of the 110th O. Vol.
Inf., including imprisonment in Libby prison. After his
release he continued in the service as a teamster. When
his term of enlistment was over he returned to Miami
county and there engaged in farming until his marriage
to Margaret Martin, when he came to Shelby
county and located on the old Martin farm of
forty acres. He also engaged in carpenter work and
became well known all through this section. In 1909 he
removed from the house he had occupied for so many
years, to another house on the same farm and now lives
in comfortable, retirement and is the owner of 203 1-3
acres of land, which his sons operate. Mrs.
Knoop passed away March 30, 1889, survived by five
children, namely: Samuel, who lives one mile
above Port Jefferson; L. L., who lives on his
farm six miles southeast of Sidney, O.; John W.,
who lives east of Sidney; William, who is located
on the homestead; and Mrs. Dora Leckey, who
resides north of Plattsville.
L. L. Knoop attended school in Orange township
and afterward worked on the home farm until his
marriage, when he came to his present property, where
general farming and stock raising have been carried on
ever since. He has improved the property with modern and
substantial buildings and has all his surroundings
comfortable and attractive.
Mr. Knoop was
married January 11, 1894, to Miss Viola
Hunt, daughter. of P. R. Hunt, of Green
township, near Plattsville, and they have two children:
Bertha May and Harley Thomas.
Mr. Knoop has served two terms as a
trustee of Green township, elected on the Republican
ticket, and is recognized as one of the solid and
reliable citizens of this community. He is serving as a
member of the county fair board and takes a hearty
interest in every public movement to advance the
interests of this section. Fraternally, Mr.
Knoop is a Mason, a Knight of the Golden Eagles and
an Odd Fellow, in the last named organization belonging
to both the Encampment and the subordinate branch.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 |
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JOHN C. KOENIG, whose
business interests are largely centered at Botkins, O.,
where he is in the hardware line, being the senior
member of the firm of Koenig Bros., proprietors of the
Botkins Hardware Company, was born on a farm in Auglaize
county, O., one and one-half miles north of Botkins,
Sept. 19, 1880. His parents are John H. and
Margaret Koenig, who are well-known and highly
esteemed residents of Botkins.
John C. Koenig was reared on the home farm and
attended the country schools. His first business
experience away from home was as a traveling salesman
for the international Harvester Company, of Fort Wayne,
with which corporation he continued for two years, when
he came to Botkins to make a permanent business
establishment, in which commendable undertaking he was
associated with his brother, Michael Koenig, and
they, under the firm style of Koenig Bros.,
bought the hardware business then conducted by Jacob
Paul. For the past seven years they have
operated their present store, enlarging their stock as
demand has arisen and probably have one of the
largest and best equipped stores in the general hardware
line, in this part of Shelby county. John C.
Koenig is a member of the Catholic church and is
identified with the Knights of Columbus at Sidney.
Mr. Koenig is unmarried.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
649 |
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