BIOGRAPHIES

*Source:
Portrait and Biographical Record of
City of Toledo & Lucas and Wood Counties, Ohio
Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company -
1895
 

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DEWEE H. RUNNELS, owner and proprietor of the Bradner Advocate, and one of the successful newspaper men of northwestern Ohio, was born in Adrian, Seneca County, Ohio, September 1, 1867.  The first representative of the family in Ohio was his grandfather, Zachariah Runneals, a pioneer of Seneca County, who commenced the task of clearing a farm there, but his labors were cut short by his untimely death at the age of twenty-eight.  His farm was situated near Rehobeth, and is now known as the Warren P. Noble Place.  Retaining possession of the homestead, our subject's grandmother made it her home until her death, in April, 1879, at the age of sixty-seven.      The maternal grandparents of Mr. Runnels, Francis J. and Lucy Weber, are living at Carey, Wyandot County, Ohio, and are seventy-six and seventy-two  years old, respectively.  They are the parents of six sons and six daughters, all of whom are living, and all are married but the youngest daughter.  There are now four generations of that family living.  During the late war Grandfather Weber served in the Forty-ninth Ohio Infantry, and two of his sons were also members of that regiment.  They rendered valiant service in their country's behalf, and were fortunate in escaping uninjured.      James C. Runneals, father of our subject, was born in Rehobeth, Seneca County, Ohio, June 2, 1837, and followed the profession of a school-teacher, together with the  occupation of a bookkeeper, until his death, which occurred at Fostoria, Seneca County, May 2, 1884, at forty-seven years of age.  Politically he was a Republican, but never took an active part in public affairs.  June 22, 1865, he married Miss Cora Weber, who was born in Paris, Stark County, Ohio August 9, 1845.  Two children blessed their union, Frank C. and Dewee H., both of whom survive.      When a child of less than five years, our subject was taken by his parents to Fostoria, where he received a common-school education;  The death of his father, in 1884, forced him to enter upon an active business career earlier than he otherwise would have done.  In August of that year he began to learn the printing trade in the office of the Fostoria Democrat, where he was employed for two years.  In 1886 he went to Kansas, where for fourteen months he was assistant foreman on the Abilene Daily Gazette.  Proceeding still further West, he joined the printer's union in Denver, Colo.  After traveling around that part of the country, he finally stopped at Garden City, where he secured a position as foreman on the Daily Sentinel.  About a year later the publication of the daily was suspended, and he left town, returning East.      Establishing the Fostoria Daily Journal, Mr. Runneals continued its publication for nine months, when he sold out to the Democrat.  He then went to Colorado and engaged in compiling a historical review of the city of Trinidad, associated with A. L. Clark, his former partner.  Thence he went to Marysville, Kan., where, with Mr. Clark, he purchased the True Republican, and afterward the name of the paper was changed to the People's Advocate, making it a stanch advocate of the doctrines of the People's party.  After two years he sold the concern to a stock company.  Associated with Mr. Clark, he leased the Marshall County Democrat, which he conducted for a year.  In February, 18932, he settled in Deshler, Ohio, and, with his brother, leased the Deshler Flag, which they continued to publish for one year.      Temporarily retiring from the printing business, Mr. Runneals accepted the position of Deputy Great Commander of the Knights of the Maccabees in Ohio, which office he held for a year.  Meantime he made his home in North Baltimore.  In October, 1894, he removed to Bradner, and the following month founded the Advocate, which he still owns and controls.  As an editor, he is quick, far-seeing, intelligent and discriminating, and his editorials are spicy and forcible.  His paper has an increasing circulation, and is a welcome guest in many of the best homes of the community.      At Manhattan, Kan., February 9, 1892, Mr. Runneals married Miss Nellie I. Barksdale.  This lady is the third in the family of Madison and Mary Barksdale, who are now living upon a farm in Bigelow, Kan.  She has five brothers and six sisters, of whom all but two survive.  By their union Mr. and Mrs. Runneals have a son, James Madison who was born in Oketo, Marshall County, Kan., January 13, 1893.  In national issues Mr. Runneals is a Republican, but in local affairs he gives his support to the candidate whom he believes best qualified for the office in question.  Socially he and his wife are identified respectively with the Knights and Ladies of the Maccabees, and he also belongs to the uniformed rank of the same order. ( Source: Portrait & Biological Record of City of Toledo & Lucas & Wood Counties, Ohio - 1895 - Page 134)

JAMES RUSSELL moved to his present farm, on section 27, Webster Township, Wood County, in 1892.  He is a thrifty and well-to-do agriculturist and has improved five or six different farms in this township.  He is a veteran of the late Civil War and is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.  Politically he is a Republican, and has served acceptably in the office of Constable.  Having passed nearly his entire life in this vicinity, his history is indissolubly inter-woven with that of the community.      Joseph Russell, father of our subject, was born in 1817 in Pennsylvania, and was of Irish extraction.  In early life he came to Ohio and married Eliza Dubbs.  For some time they were residents of Mahoning County, which was then known as Trumbull, and in 1835 they moved their household effects by ox-team to this county.  The mother rode on horseback, carrying to her children, James and Jane.  The father had taken up six hundred acres of Government land the previous year, paying the regulation price of $1.25 per acre.  This farm was situated in Center Township and was unimproved with the exception of a small log cabin, which had been built by a "squatter."  Joseph Russell continued to live on this homestead until his death, Dec. 7, 1866, when his remains were interred in Oak Grove Cemetery at Bowling Green.  He was a member of the Methodist Church.  He did pioneer service in the erection of schools and planning roads, and in other ways assisted the infant community to rise to a condition of stability.      James Russell was born within seven miles of Youngstown, Ohio, June 24, 1833.  The two eldest of the parental family, Sarah and Jane, are deceased, and the others are:  John, Joseph, Susan (Mrs. John Gomer), Britton and Charles W.  All of the sons offered their services in the defense of the Union, and with the exception of Britton, all were members of the same company.      Our subject was only about eighteen months old when he was brought by his parents to Wood County, and here he was reared to manhood.  When about twenty-one years of age he began his active career by working on a farm by the month.  He had managed to obtain a fair general education in the district schools and by his own personal application to his studies, and during the winter of 1860 and 1861 taught school successfully.  In 1861 he offered his services as a private in Company K, Twenty-first Ohio Infantry, for three months, and at the end of the term re-enlisted in Company D, of the same regiment, being mustered in at Findlay, Ohio.  In the winter of 1862 he was smitten with typhoid fever and languished in the hospital for four months.  He was discharged on account of disability, Aug. 4, 1863, and returning home, remained there until the following year.  He then re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio Regiment, and was stationed on guard duty at Annapolis Junction, Md., where he served the remainder of his term of enlistment.      July 4, 1865, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Russell and Harriet M. Augustine, who was born in Seneca County, Ohio, Feb. 23, 1846.  Seven children were born of their union: Rose, who is the wife of Charlie Butrupp; Robert B.; John E.; Joel; Nellie A., a school teacher; George; and one who died in infancy unnamed.      In 1864 Mr. Russell bought forty acres of unimproved land on section 21, and there made his home for some seven years, during which time he worked at the carpenter's trade, and in the years that followed he cultivated and improved several other farms. ( Source: Portrait & Biological Record of City of Toledo & Lucas & Wood Counties, Ohio - 1895 - Page 504)