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WILEY M. KEAR, an
extensive real estate dealer and money broker of Van Wert, Ohio, was born in
that village Apr. 22, 1851, and is a son of
Thomas Reed and Catherine (Frisinger) Kear.
Thomas Read Kear
was born in Maryland Apr. 26, 1806, and during his
early youthful days was a sailor on the ocean.
Some time prior to the attainment of his majority he removed to Licking
county, Ohio,
to which county his parents had preceded him, and there he lived on a farm near
Jacksontown, in the meantime learning the carpenter trade. He afterward moved to Champaign
county, Ohio.
Here, Apr. 29, 1829, he married
Catherine Frisinger, who was born in Virginia Apr. 12, 1812, and by whom he had
ten children, as follows:
Mary M., wife of
Jackson Pence, and now living in
Willshire township; John J., of Van
Wert county; Amelia C., deceased;
Lydia A., of Petersburg, Ill.;
Amanda A., of Van Wert;
Benjamin F., who died in Oklahoma;
Sarah E., who died in Buchanan
county, Iowa; Robert T., who died in
Van Wert; Wiley M., the subject of
this sketch, and Elsie A., deceased.
Removing to Van
Wert county in 1835, Mr. Kear settled
in Willshire township, where he was employed mainly as a cabinet-maker and as a
carpenter until 1843, when he removed to Van Wert, which place at that time
contained only eleven families. As a
democrat, Mr. Kear served as a deputy
under the first sheriff of Van Wert county, was afterward himself elected
sheriff, and served as public crier for many years. His death occurred May 11, 18654, his
widow dying in Van Wert Nov. 1, 1895, at the age of eighty-three years, six
months and nineteen days. She was
converted at a camp meeting in Urbana, Ohio,
in 1830, united with the Methodist Episcopal church, and was a member of the
first Methodist class in Van Wert county, which met in the house of
Richard Pring, in Willshire township,
Mr. Pring having been the organizer
and leader of the class and being an exhorter of no mean ability. She joined this class in 1836. Her sisters, of whom she had several,
lived most of their lives in Champaign Co.,
Ohio, and many of their descendants now reside in that
county. Her brothers were among the
early settlers of Van Wert and Mercer counties,
Ohio, and were named
William, Jacob, John, Peter, and
Noah Frisinger.
Peter Frisinger,
the father of Mrs. Kear, died during
the war of 1812, while fighting the battles of his country, and was buried at
Norfolk, Va. His wife was a
Miss Worley, and several of her nephews and nieces lived near Eaton, Preble Co.,
Ohio.
Thomas Reed Kerr had two brothers,
John Reed and
William Reed, the former of whom died
while a young an, in Champaign county, and the latter of whom was last heard
from as living in Syracuse, Nebr. He
also had three sisters, - Mary Ann,
who married Richard Pring, and
removed to Polk Co., Iowa; Eleanor,
who married John Pring, a brother of
Richard, and removed to Fort Wayne,
Ind., and Amelia R., who married
Frederick Baylor, and removed to
Wayne Co., Iowa.
Following are the
names of some of the descendants of these three sisters:
Harriet R. Deyve, of
Princeton,
Mo.; Mary J. Deyve, of
Ravanna, Mo.;
Margaret Eby and
Fanny Fry, of
Great Bend, Kan.;
Thomas Pring, of Allerton, Wayne Co.,
Iowa; Jerry Pring, of Adams, Adair
Co., Iowa; Amelia Whittaker, of
Oakley, Kan.; Margaret McCleary, of
Dexter, Iowa; Jane Adams, Ethel (Pring)
Stewart, and George W. Pring, all
three of Adair Co., Iowa; Emma Trummel,
of Nebraska; Mary Woodrow, of Rock
Falls, Iowa; Nellie Whittaker, of
Oakley, Kan.; James Pring, of
Cedarville, Ind., and Maggie Cornell,
of Kirksville, Missouri.
Thomas Reed Kear was a son of
John Cears, who married
Eleanor Reed, in or near
Baltimore. She had three brothers, viz:
William, John and
Thomas, all of who lived in Baltimore
or the vicinity.
John Cears was a ship-builder and a sailor, and
somewhat late in life removed to Licking county,
Ohio. Of his two sisters,
Nancy married a Mr. Pussely, and lived at
Zanesville, Ohio, and Mary married a
Mr. Basiel or
Bassil, and lived in Licking county. The
father of John Cears came from England
prior to the Revolutionary war, and established a large ship-building yard in
Maryland, which he conducted profitably
until the breaking out of that war, when all his property was confiscated.
Wiley M. Kear, after the death of his
father, worked in a stave factory for two years, and then removed to
Plymouth,
Ind., where he worked on a farm during the summer
season and attended school during the winter, working for his board. Returning to Van Wert he was for
three years engaged in a stave factory eight months in the year and attended
school four months. For some time
afterward he was engaged in various kinds of farm work, and having attained his
majority he went to Brandon,
Iowa, and there was engaged in farm labor until
1873. Returning to Van Wert he
worked for some years in a saw-mill, at general teaming and school teaching in
winters, at the same time laying out the plat of
Kear’s addition to Van Wert, selling
lots, and building a home for his mother.
In 1879 he accepted a position as deputy recorder of Van Wert county,
under his brother-in-law, W. P. Wolcott,
and while in this position began loaning money, thus laying the foundation of
his present extensive and profitable business, and in 1883, at the expiration of
his term as deputy recorder, he opened his present office, at the corner of Main
and Washington streets, Van Wert.
Mr. Kear was married June 17, 1879,
at Brandon, Iowa, to Miss Malinda Romig, who
was born in Wisconsin,
Oct. 14, 1853, and to this marriage there have been born seven children, as
follows:
Carleton R.; Helen L; Georgiana M.; Roy Donald; Paul Winfred; Harry Alexander; and
Thomas W., deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Kear are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Knox is an Odd Fellow, and a
republican, and bears a fine reputation as a successful and honorable business
man.
Mrs. Kear removed with her parents from Wisconsin
to Brandon,
Iowa, and resided there until her marriage. Her father, Isaac Romig, was a merchant at that place.
He was born in Lehigh county, Pa., Mar. 26, 1814, and married Mrs. Elizabeth Young, who was born in Northumberland county, Pa., Aug. 8, 1823, a daughter of
Jacob and Sarah (Richey) Williamson,
the marriage taking place Mar. 13, 1842.
To this marriage there have been born seven children, as follows:
Henry H., who died at
Memphis, Tenn., May 21, 1864,
from the effects of a musket-ball wound in the hand;
Harriet D., wife of
H. S. Van Buren, of Brandon, Iowa;
Mary Ann, wife of
Henry Fouts, of Brandon, Iowa; James M.,
who married Sarah L. Newcomb, and
lives at Independence, Iowa; Benjamin,
who died when a child; Malinda, wife
of the subject of this sketch; Clara
Marilie, wife of A. T. McDonald,
of Independence, Iowa. All seven of
the above-named children were born in the state in Wisconsin.
Source:
A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio -
Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1896 - Pg. 903
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PETER KNITTLE
Source: History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ.
1906 - Page 488 |
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WILLIAM BERRY KRUGH
Source: History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ.
1906 - Page 632 |
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DANIEL
P. KLINGER, one of the ex-soldiers of the late Civil war and
a respected farmer of Washington township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is
a son of Joseph and Eliza Klinger, of whom further mention is
made on another page, and was born in Hocking county, Ohio, Feb. 10,
1814. He was quite well educated in his native county up to
the age of thirteen years, in the meantime being inured to the
hardships of a boy's farmer life. At the age named he was
brought by his parents to Van Wert County and here reared to manhood
on the home farm and became an expert agriculturist. At
Delphos, in this county, he enlisted, Aug. 22, 1862, in company F,
One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served until
honorably discharged, at Salisbury, N.C., June 24, 1865, through
general orders, and a few weeks within the expiration of the term of
his full enlistment, which was for three years, or during the war.
He fought in the battles of Mossy Creek, Tenn., and Buzzard's Roost,
and was in all the fights of the Atlanta campaign, except Resaca, in
which his regiment participated - in this campaign being for nearly
three months under fire night and day. Later he fought at
Dallas, Pumpkinvine Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, and still later in teh
battle in front of Atlanta; was in the pursuit of Hood and finally
was with Sherman when Atlanta fell, September 2, 1864. He was
also at the battles of Columbia, Duck River, Spring Hill, Franklin,
and the two days' fight at Nashville, Tenn.; he was also at Fort
Anderson, and so held on a brave and faithful soldier until a
Victorious peace was reached.
At the conclusion of the Civil war Mr. Klinger
retired to Van Wert county, Ohio, and here married, Feb. 18,1866,
Sarah J. Carpenter, who was born April 21, 1843, in Fairfield
county, Ohio, a daughter of James William Carpenter, a
pioneer of Washington township, Van Wert County.
James W. Carpenter was of Virginia birth and of English descent;
his grandfather, John Carpenter, was a soldier of the
Revolution, and his son, William R. Carpenter, who was born
in Virginia, Feb. 3, 1792, served in the war of 1812. He
married Catherine Brewer, whose only child, James William,
was born near Richmond, Va., where he was first married and where
his first wife died. Later he moved to West Virginia and
married Betsey Barnes, who born three children, two of whom
died young. John Carpenter eventually settled near
Rushville, Fairfield county, Ohio, an honored member of the Baptist
church.
James W. Carpenter, father of Mrs. Klinger,
was born near Richmond, Va., Feb. 20, 1821, and was about five years
of age when he was taken to West Virginia by his father, and thence
brought to Ohio. He married Apr. 28, 1842, in Fairfield
county, Susannah Ream, who was born in Fairfield county,
Ohio, May 7, 1823, a daughter of Jacob and Rebecca (Clines) Ream,
the union resulting in the birth of thirteen children, viz: Sarah
J., Charles W., Mary A., Rebecca E., David S., Margaret E., Emma C.,
Clarissa P., Alvira, Wilson H. L., Minerva I., Lucetta and
Iga O. - the first six born in Fairfield count and the
remainder in Van Wert county, Ohio. Mr. Carpenter lived
in Fairfield county until 1851, and then came to Van Wert county,
where he bought and has cleared up 120 acres from the woods and
stands among the most respected residents of the township. He
has held the offices of township trustee and steward of the United
Brethren church, and in politics is a republican. His son,
C. W. Carpenter, was a gallant soldier in the Civil war, and for
seventeen months endured all the miseries of a rebel prison.
After marriage Mr. Klinger settled on his
present farm, which then consisted of forty acres only, which then
consisted of forty acres only, but which he has since cleared foom
in the woods and increased to eighty acres, improved with every
possible convenience. To his marriage have been born eight
children, viz: J. W. S., who died at the age of twenty-seven
years; David E., who died at twenty-one; Irena, Reuben,
Irella I., John G., Lola and Elva. The parents of
this family are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
of which Mr. Klinger is a trustee and Sunday-school
superintendent. In politics Mr. Klinger is a
republican, is one of the most honored citizens of Washington
township, and is rearing his children to become, like himself,
worthy and useful members of society.
A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio
-
Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896 ~ Page 408 |
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JOSEPH
KLINGER, is an experienced farmer and practical carpenter, of
Washington township, Van Wert County, Ohio, was born in Hocking
county June 12, 1815, and is of sturdy Pennsylvania Dutch stock.
JOHN HENRY KLINGER, father of the subject of
this biography, was a native of Pennsylvania and came to Ohio in
1812. He entered eighty acres of land in Hocking county, and
married in Fairfield county, and married, in Fairfield county,
Elizabeth Bresler, the union resulting in the birth of nine
children, viz: Lydia, Joseph, John, Henry, three that died in
infancy, Tinnie and Phebe: After clearing up a part of his
eighty acres, here he lived to be seventy-one years, six months and
eleven days of age, died a respected citizen, and was in politics a
democrat.
Joseph Klinger, our subject, was reared on a
farm and learned the carpenter's trade in Hocking county. When
about nineteen years of age he married, July 8, 1834, Eliza E.
Crist, who was born Oct. 19, 1812, the prolific union resulting
in teh birth of fifteen children, viz: Two, who died in infancy;
John W., who died at the age of four years; William; Jacob
and Jackson, twins; Daniel P., Isabel, Mary A., Eliza
A., Tinnie; Matilda, died at the age of age of eleven;
Joseph, Asa and Ella. After marriage Mr. and
Mrs. Klinger resided on an eighty-acre farm in the woods of
Hocking county, which he partly cleared up and then sold; he next
lived on rented land until Sept. 6, 1853, when he came to Van Wert
county and bought a farm of 120 acres in Washington township, deep
in the woods; this farm he soon denuded of its forest growth, made a
fine home, and did, beside, an immense amount of clearing for
others.
At Dephos, Ohio, in 1863, Mr. Klinger enlisted
in company A, One Hundred and Fifty-first regiment, Ohio National
guards, for 100 days, under Capt. Edward King, was on duty at
Washington, D. C., was present when the rebels made their attack on
the works, and after a service of 120 days was honorably discharged,
with the compliments of his captain for his faithful performance of
his duty. Mr. Klinger then returned to his farm, which
he has never since had occasion to leave. Mr. Klinger
also had two sons in the war - Jackson and Daniel P. -
both in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio infantry; also one
brother, Daniel, in an Ohio regiment, and also a
half-brother, Fred Smith, in an infantry regiment from the
same state, who was for a long time a prisoner in four different
prisons - among them Andersonville.
June 21, 1892, Mr. Klinger had the misfortune to
lose his devoted life companion and helpmate, at the age of
fifty-nine years. She was a true woman and mother, and died in
the faith of the Methodist church, of which she had been for many
years a pious member; of this church Mr. Klinger was for a
long time class-leader, steward and Sunday-school superintendent,
and a constant attendant until advancing years, with accompanying
infirmities, precluded his further mingling with his brethren in
their house of worship. In politics Mr. Klinger was
first a democrat, but changed his proclivities and joined the
republicans in the infancy of their organization, and voted for
their first nominee for president of the United States - John C.
Fremont. He has always held the respect of this party and
of the citizens, and has held the usual township offices. In
the days of vigor and strength that graced his youth and earlier
manhood, he was an industrious and a willing worker, and his mellow
middle age was still marked by diligence and well directed toil.
He has always been liberal in his support of enterprises designed
for the public welfare, and stands before his fellowmen an honored
citizen, father, patriot and man.
A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio
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Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896 ~ Page 407 |
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