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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Stark County:
with an outline sketch of
Ohio
Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
1881
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Bethlehem Twp. -
ALEX GARVER, druggist, Navarre; was
born in the village of Navarre, Ohio, Feb. 24, 1839; he is a
son of John W. and Elizabeth (Weisbroad) Garver, the
former being a native of Baden, Germany, and the latter of
Berne, Switzerland. The father was a carpenter by
trade, and, when a young man, went to Switzerland to obtain
more work, and while there married our subject's mother.
He resided in this beautiful little republic until about
1834, when, seeing thousands of his countrymen flocking
Westward, he determined to cross the Atlantic with his
family, to that new El Dorado that was draining Europe of
all its freedom-loving people; he located in Navarre, Ohio,
on his arrival in the United States, and for a time found
employment on the Ohio Canal; for many years preceding his
death, he worked at his trade, and at one time, while
building a dam across the Tuscarawas River, was severely
injured by an accident. Previous to the breaking-out
of our great civil war, Mr. Garver advocated the
Democratic cause, but, when he saw Republicans adhering with
fidelity to the Union, his views changed, and he became a
Republican, and as such remained until his death. He
was an honest, upright citizen, and a man highly esteemed by
all who knew him; his death occurred Oct. 28, 1879; his
widow still survives him, and resides in Navarre.
Alex Garver is one in a family of eleven children, nine
of whom are yet living; when 12 years of age, he began
working in a hotel in his native village, but, at the end of
three years, discontinued this and entered the employ of
Dr. Leeper as clerk in his drug store; at the end of six
years, he purchased the stock of his employer, and has ever
since continued the business. Jan. 1, 1861, he was
united in marriage with Miss Chrissie Stahl, and to
their union were born three children - Laura G.,
Milton S. and Cora B.; the last named is dead.
Mrs. Garver was born in Navarre, Ohio, May 9, 1842.
In 1860, Mr. Garver was appointed Postmaster at
Navarre, a position he has since held, with the exception of
a short time during President Johnson's
administration; he has held various town and township
offices; is a stanch Republican in politics, and a
successful business man.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline
sketch of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 -
Page 985 |
Paris Twp. -
G.
J. GESZNER, farmer; P. O. Robertsville; was born Nov.
3, 1837, in Cincinnati, O.; a son of George L. and
Catharine (Weirman) Geszner, natives of Prussia; sailed
for the United States in 1818; and his father continued his
trade as baker in Philadelphia. In 1836 they removed
to Cincinnati; his parents returned to Philadelphia, and
after a short residence removed to Stark Co. in 1847, and
purchased 142 acres. George L. Geszner died in
1865, leaving the estate to the subject of this sketch and
Elizabeth wife of Valentine Mong.
The farm being willed to George, he has improved it
with a fine residence where he enjoys the felicities of
single life. In politics Mr. Geszner votes the
Democratic ticket. He is a member of the Lutheran
Church at Robertsville and a strong supporter of the same
financially.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline
sketch of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 -
Page 868 |
Bethlehem Twp.
-
JOSEPH GOEPFERT, Navarre. This
gentleman was born in Alsace, France, in 1821; he is one of
a family of four children born to John and Mary (Hartman)
Goepfert. when Joseph was a small boy, his
father died, and in 1835 the mother, with the family, came
to the United States. They stopped for about a year in
New York, and then came to Ohio and located in Stark
County. The family were in limited circumstances, and
for some years endured numerous privations and hardships.
The mother died in 1862; he was a woman of great executive
ability, a kind and loving mother and a consistent
Christian. Joseph, during his youth, received
but little education; as he grew older, he saw the need of
an education, and, by applying himself to his studies at odd
times, acquired quite a good education. When about 19
years of age, he began working on the Ohio Canal, in the
employ of the State; he remained in the employ of the State
some eighteen years, his services being highly prized; few
men have done more honest work for the State than Mr.
Goepfert, and few have the confidence of the people to a
greater extent. He was married, in 1842, to Miss
Margaret Armstrong, who was born in Tuscarawas Co.,
Ohio, June 10, 1816; five children were born to this union -
Joseph, Matilda and Melissa, living; John
and Mary, deceased. Mrs. Goepfert died
in 1880. Mr. Goepfert was married to Mrs.
Mary Halterman July 5, 1881; she was born in Tuscarawas
Co., Ohio, in 1825. Mr. Goepfert began life as
a poor boy, and is, in the fullest sense of the word, a
self-made man; he owns 109 acres of well-improved land; he
is a Democrat in politics, and has held positions of honor
and trust in Bethlehem Township. The county would be
much better off had it more such men as Mr. Goepfert.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline
sketch of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 -
Page 986 |
Osnaburg Twp. -
WILLIAM BERRY
GOODIN, deceased, whose
residence was in Osnaburg Tp., Stark Co., was born in
Fayette Co., Penn., June 26, 1814. He came to Ohio
with his parents when 2 years of age, settling in Wayne
County, near Mt. Eaton. The day following their
arrival, the neighbors, five in number, all then living in
the township, met together, cut down the trees and built a
cabin, the family moving in the second day, living and
lodging in it without a door for over a week - while the
woods around was full of wild animals. Often in the
night time was the mother awakened by the bowling of wolves,
when she would reach out to ascertain if there children were
all there. Mr. Goodin's youth was filled with
incidents common to frontier life. His educational
opportunities were extremely limited. At the age of
18, he began teaming for his father from Wooster to
Pittsburgh. At 25, his father fitted him out with a
five-horse team, to do for himself. At the age of 27
he married Joanna Springer, of New Lisbon, Ohio, and
soon after purchased and settled upon a farm in Osnaburg Tp.,
Stark Co., thought he continued teaming to and from
Pittsburgh some years after. For two seasons he ran a
canal boat from Massillon to Cleveland, and was popular with
freighters as he was reliable and trustworthy. In
1852, he abandoned freighting and retired upon his farm,
giving his entire attention to his family and farm. In
character, he was honest, humane and charitable. If he
had an enemy, it was not known. Though not a member of
the church, he was a strict observer of the Sabbath Day.
During our civil war he was a strong supporter of the Union
cause and an active agent for the Townships of Osnaburg and
Paris in procuring substitutes for the draft. After an
illness of one week, he died July 22, 1878 - aged 64 years
and 26 days. His wife survived him, with seven out of
a family of nine children. Two a son and a daughter,
died in infancy. Four of the remaining seven are
married. One son resides in Huntington Co., Ind.
The others in Stark County. He had sixteen
grand-children.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline
sketch of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 -
Page 1012 |
Bethlehem Twp.
-
WILLIAM C. GRANT, Navarre; was born in
Washington Co., Penn., Feb. 23, 1818; he is one in a family
of fourteen born to Joseph and Margaret (Crawford) Grant;
Joseph Grant, his father, was a native of New Jersey,
from which State he removed with his parents when about 2
years old; during the spring of 1833, he came to Stark Co.,
Ohio, locating in Sugar Creek Township, where he began
farming, and where he resided until his death, on the 7th of
December, 1864, aged 76 years; his widow died May 6, 1879.
Mr. Grant was a sober, hard-working man, and an
exemplary citizen; he started in life poor, but showed
sufficient business sagacity to leave 400 acres of land at
his death. Up to Van Buren's administration, he was a
Democrat, but from that time to his death he voted with the
Whigs and Republicans. He was a man of sound judgment,
with a deep sense of honor and uprightness. William
C. Grant was reared upon a farm, receiving a
common-school education. At the age of 23, he
commenced clerking in a store in Navarre, at which he
continued about a hear; he then commenced the life of a
drover, buying horses, cattle and sheep, and then driving
them across the country to Philadelphia, Harrisburg and
Lancaster, where he would dispose of his property at a
handsome profit; he continued in this for some fifteen
years, during which time he had saved sufficient amount of
his earnings to invest in real estate at different times,
until he now has 1,300 acres of land, 465 of which are in
Stark County, 380 acres in Knox Co., Ohio, and the rest near
Lansing, Mich. For the past twenty years, he has
farmed, raised stock and dealt in real estate. He was
united in marriage with Miss Ruth Johnson Apr. 16,
1850, and to them were born six children - James J.,
Edward L., Horace S., Della, William V., and Mary I.,
deceased. Mr. Grant is a Republican in politics,
but has steadily refused to take an active part, as he
wished to confine his attention to his farm. He is a
progressive and enterprising citizen, and one of the best
farmers and citizen of Bethlehem Township.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline
sketch of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 -
Page 986 |
Onasburg Twp. -
REV. JOHN M. GRETHER, Osnaburg.
Out of the numerous congregations in the village of Osnaburg
there is at present only one resident minister, the Rev.
John M. Grether, of the Reformed Church of the United
States, born in Niederweilder, Grand Duchy Baden-Baden,
Germany, Dec. 22, 1828, his parents being John J. and
Catharine (Eberhart) Grether. His father died in
1841 when John M. was but 12 years of age. He
received a thorough common-school education in the German
Schools. After his 14th year, he continued his course
of study in a religious direction, laboring in vacations for
a number of years with his relatives, in the bakery
business. June 21, 1847, Mr. G., with his
mother and their family of eight children, sailed from Havre
for America, arriving Aug. 2. They moved first to
Canton, Ohio. Mr. G. engaged himself in the
bakery and confectionery business at Akron, O. Tiring
of this, he began a course of medicine under Dr. John
Weimer of that city, completing his medical education in
the Cleveland Medical College. Practiced three years
at Wooster. A severe type of diphtheria breaking out
at New Philadelphia, Dr. G. was called to that
locality to treat the disease among the Germans. He
continued his practice in this place very successfully four
yeas. The last two years he served as County Physician
at the Infirmary. The many scenes of suffering and
dying incident to the medical profession, called forth the
more serious part of Mr. Grether's nature, and he
took up a course of theological reading during hi last year
of medical practice, and even before he was ordained
minister, he was called to various fields of church labor by
the ministry of the Reformed Church. In 1862 - 63 he
took a special course in theology, being ordained as
minister of the holy gospel in 1863. His appointment
by the Synod was for Medina and Ashland Counties, serving
three congregations and establishing a fourth at Ashland.
In 1867 was sent to Warren, Ohio, where he labored for six
years. During his administration he lifted the entire
debt of $1,800 from the small congregation of Youngstown.
In 1873, Mr. G. was called to Hartville, Stark Co.,
serving the three congregations of Hartville, Randolph and
Limaville. In the spring of 1877 he began his pastoral
labors in Osnaburg, serving at present three congregations,
besides the village one at Strasburg, which he organized
Mar. 16, 1879. The St. Martin's, east of Osnaburg, is
the third congregation. They have a communicant
membership of 230. Mr. G. was deprived of his
first wife Mar. 5, 1854. Dec. 17, 1854, he was
remarried. This union was blessed with ten children,
six sons and four daughters, all living - Frank, the
eldest, is in his 26th year; at present is minister
and tutor in the Mission College, Franklin, Wis.; William
is in the same school; Emma is wife of J. J.
Broumbach; Louisa, the second daughter, is teaching;
John, Amanda, Anna, Frederick, Alfred and George.
Mr. Grether stands high among his people, and is an
earnest laborer among them, in all branches of
ecclesiastical labor, constantly holding extra services
through the week.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline
sketch of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 -
Page 841 |
Washington Twp.
-
JACOB GROSSMAN, farmer and
school-teacher; P. O. Paris; born in Carroll County June 9,
1844; son of Christian and Elizabeth (Waldhart) Grossman
who were born in the Canton of Berne, in Switzerland; they
emigrated to America in 1834 and settled in Carroll County,
where Christian died in February, 1864; his wife died
in April, 1877; they were the parents of ten children; five
are dead; the balance are now residents of Stark County,
viz.: Lucinda, now Mrs. Nicholas Zintsmaster,
of Navarre; Margaret, now Mrs. Daniel Black,
near Onasburg; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Jacob Snyder,
of Onasburg; Catharine, now Mrs. Christian
Schweisberger, of Nimishillen Township; and Jacob
Grossman, subject of this sketch, who was for
twenty-eight years a resident of Carroll County; he received
a common-school education, and at the age of 17 commenced to
teach school, and he has taught every winter since that
time, or for twenty winter terms. During the civil
war, he was a member of the Ohio National Guards, and as
such was called into active service for 126 days, serving in
the 157th Regiment, under Col. McCook. In 1864,
he purchased 80 acres in Carroll County, and farmed this
until he removed to Washington Township, where he now owns a
fine farm of 77 acres. He was married, Oct. 3,
1865, to Miss Elizabeth Foltz, daughter of
Valentine Foltz; by her he is the father of five
children, viz., Flora Alice, John Edward, Martha
Elizabeth, Emma Melinda and Ida Cordelia.
Politically, he is a Republican, and has served as trustee
in Brown Twp., Carroll Co., he is now Secretary of the
Washington and Paris Township Insurance Company, and was
instrumental in securing the incorporation of this
association; he is a member of the Reformed Church, and
connected with the congregation of Paris, of which society
he is Secretary; has been a Sunday-school worker ever since
he was 15, and has occupied the position of Superintendent
of the Paris Sunday School ever since he removed to
Washington Township.
Source: History of Stark County: with an outline sketch
of Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Baskin & Battey, 1881 - Page 1001 |
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