TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 425 his educational opportunities and he afterward engaged in teaching for a time. In 1894 he came to Ohio, locating at Findlay, where he successfully engaged in the manufacture of clay products until 1909, when he came to Toledo. In association with W. K. Brownlee he organized the Buckeye Clay Pot Company, of which he is now serving as secretary and treasurer, and in the intervening period the business has developed rapidly. The firm manufactures all kinds of fire clay products, disposing of a large portion of its output to the glass manufacturers, and utilizes from one hundred and'thirty-five to one hundred and fifty men in the operation of its plant, which is thoroughly modern and is supplied with the most improved equipment. Mr. Zopfi also has business interests outside the city, being treasurer of the Farber Fire Brick Company of Farber, Missouri, which is likewise a prosperous business enterprise. At Findlay, Ohio, on the 2th of May, 1898, Mr. Zopfi was united in marriage to Miss Jane Young, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Young, of that city, and they have a son, Thomas J., who was born in Findlay in 1899 and acquired his education in the public schools of Toledo, while he later attended St. John's College. He is an energetic and capable young business man and is now assisting his father in the conduct of his industrial interests. Mr. Zopfi is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants & Manufacturers Association and does all in his power to promote the welfare and advancement of his city. He is also a member of the Rotary and Inverness Clubs and his political support is given to the republican party. Throughout his career he has closely applied himself to the work in hand and the years have marked his progress along lines which lead to success. As a business man his standing is of the highest and in all matters of citizenship his influence is on the side of progress and improvement. JAMES ALBERT McAFEE In 1909 James Albert McAfee was called to his present responsible position as manager for the Ohio State Life Insurance Company for the northwestern Ohio district and under his guidance the business of the corporation has since steadily grown and developed in this territory. He is a resourceful insurance man, thorough and systematic in all that he undertakes and his labors have been attended with gratifying results. Mr. McAfee is a native son of the Buckeye state, his birth having occurred at Fort Recovery on the 24th of February, 1859, his parents being James and Elizabeth J. McAfee. The father devoted his life to the occupation of farming but has now passed away. Having mastered the branches of learning taught in the public and high schools of his native city, J. Albert McAfee afterward attended the Wooster (Ohio) College and thus completed his education. In 1882, when a young man of twenty-three years, he embarked in the retail hardware business at St. Marys, Ohio, and successfully conducted the store there through a period of fourteen years, selling out in 1896. In the meantime he had written life insurance for a number of years, or from 1884 until 1896, and since withdrawing from mercantile circles he has devoted his entire attention to the insurance business. In 1897 he came to Toledo and in 1909 was appointed manager of the Ohio State Life Insurance Company for the northwestern district 'of Ohio, having jurisdiction over twelve counties with 426 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY forty-five agents and sub-agents. Through the intervening period the business of the company has steadily grown in this territory, owing to his wise management and safe control. He has the ability of winning the cooperation of the representatives of the company in this territory, calling forth their best efforts in behalf of the business. On the 25th of December, 1884, Mr: McAfee was married to Miss Madie Miller of St. Marys, Ohio, and they have two sons : Fay E. and Albert Lee, both of whom are engaged in the sale of automobile specialties in Toledo. Mr. McAfee's interest aside from his business centers largely in church work and he is now a member of the official board of St. John's Methodist Episcopal church and is serving as treasurer of both the church and the Sunday school. He does all in his power to promote the growth and extend the influence of the church and to further in every way the moral development and progress of the community. OSCAR B. HALLER Oscar B. Haller, agency manager at Toledo for the Equitable Life Assurance Society, is a self-made man before whom the door of opportunity has swung open because of his persistence and determination and the success which he now enjoys is well merited. He was born at Bay City, Michigan, December 23, 1882, and is a son of Rev. John George and Rosetta (Brumm) Haller, natives of New York state. For many years the father was actively connected with the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church, residing at Detroit, Michigan, during the greater part of his life, but he is now living retired at Port Huron, that state, and the mother also survives. They are the parents of three children : Hubert, .a prominent manufacturer of Detroit ; Mrs. Ruth Ottaway, whose home is at St. Clair, Michigan ; and Oscar B. The public schools of Bay City, Michigan, and the Detroit University School afforded Oscar B. Haller his educational opportunities and he began business life as a traveling salesman, acting in that capacity for ten years. He then entered the employ of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, with which he has since been connected, and for eight years was stationed at Saginaw, Michigan. His ability and enteprise soon won him advancement and in 1918 he came to Toledo as manager for the western Ohio district, comprising twenty-five counties. He has made a close study of insurance and owing to his aggressive methods and untiring efforts has been able to build up a large business for the company in the territory of which he has charge, being recognized as one of its most successful managers. At Saginaw, Michigan, on the 14th of November, 1906, Mr. Haller was married to Miss Gertrude Granville, a daughter of Robert Granville, a prominent merchant of that city, and they have two children : Oscar Robert, who was born at Saginaw in 1909 and is a pupil at the Fulton school of Toledo ; and Dorothy Ann, who was born in that city in 1911 and is also attending the Fulton school. Mr. Haller is a member of the Epworth Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which he takes an active and helpful interest, and is serving on its official board. His political tenets are those of the republican party and his deep interest in the welfare and advancement of his city is indicated by his connection with the Chamber of Commerce. He is a Knights Templar Mason and in the Consistory he has taken the thirty-second degree. He is also a member of the Toledo Yacht Club. Mr TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 429 Haller has led an active and useful life, employing every opportunity to advance, and his present success is entirely attributable to his own labors. He is energetic, straightforward and progressive and measures up to the highest standards of personal honor and present-day business ethics. FORDYCE BELFORD Fordyce Belford, referee in bankruptcy and member of the legal profession in Toledo, was born in Caldwell, Ohio, April 25, 1868, his parents being Irvin and Anna (Caldwell) Belford, both of whom were natives of Ohio and representatives of old pioneer families of the state, the town of Caldwell having been named in honor of the maternal grandfather. Irvin Belford removed to Toledo and engaged in the practice of law here for many years, or until the time of his death, ranking high as a capable representative of the profession. His wife has also passed away and in their going the community mourned the loss of two of its highly esteemed and representative residents. Fordyce Belford attended the public schools of Caldwell until the removal of the family to Toledo, after which he pursued his high school course here. He next entered the University of Michigan and was graduated with the class of 1891, completing the law course and thus qualifying for his life work. Returning to Toledo he began practice independently and in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit and ability he has worked his way steadily upward, advancing step by step until he is today one of the best known and most successful attorneys of the city. In 1898 he was appointed referee in bankruptcy and has filled the position continuously since, covering a period of almost a quarter of a century. On the 28th of June, 1894, Mr. Belford was married to Miss Cecile Schneider of Toledo, daughter of John C. Schneider. His name is on the membership rolls of the Inverness Club and the Exchange Club and he is also an exemplary representative of the Masonic lodge. Along the strict path of his profession he has membership relations with the Lucas County, Ohio State and American Bar associations and he enjoys and merits the confidence and goodwill of his associate lawyers, by reason of his close conformity to the highest standards and ethics of the profession. JAMES RUSSELL EMERY James Russell Emery, consulting engineer, practicing as a partner of the firm of Froehlich & Emery, with offices in Toledo and Detroit, was born in Hancock, Michigan, September 8, 1888, and is a son of George Warren and Ada Mary (Sleeth) Emery. The father, who was a real estate dealer through many years, has passed away. In the acquirement of his education James R. Emery attended the public schools of Houghton and of Saginaw, Michigan, mastering the work of the grades and of the high schools. With his entrance into business life he obtained employment in electrical railroad shops and power houses, learning the electrical business by experience and private study. For a time he was connected with the Railway 430 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY Light & Power companies at various places and through each new experience gained knowledge of great value to him, leading to his steady advancement. Eventually he became associated with Frederick Herman Froehlich, under the firm style of Froehlich & Emery, consulting engineers, with offices in both Toledo and Detroit and doing business largely over Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The company was incorporated in 1916 with Mr. Emery as the vice president and secretary. A large part of their work is municipal and the firm has very high standing in professional circles. On the 13th of June, 1917, Mr. Emery was married to Miss Charlotte Maul of Port Clinton, Ohio. He belongs to the Toledo Yacht Club and is a Mason, having taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter and council. He is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which indicates his high efficiency in his chosen profession. His knowledge has been self-acquired and the constant development of his skill through experience and study has placed him in a commanding position in engineering circles in the middle west. J. FRANK DELAPLANE For twenty-five years J. Frank Delaplane has been a resident of Toledo, which has greatly benefited by his citizenship, and as secretary-treasurer of the Conde Cloak Company he is an important factor in the management and control of one of the large manufacturing concerns of the city. He was born near Tiffin, Ohio, August 24, 1882, and his parents were John Franklin and Elizabeth (Nichols) Delaplane, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Virginia. At an early period in their lives they came to Ohio and the father subsequently became connected with the live stock and meat industry at Sycamore, devoting many years to that business. He was an honored veteran of the Civil war and his demise occurred on the 1st of December, 1908. The mother passed away in April, 1915. They had a family of six children : Harry M. and Fred N., residents of Sycamore ; Ralph N. of Toledo ; and Benjamin H., also residing in Sycamore ; Grace Virginia, deceased ; and J. Frank. J. Frank Delaplane acquired his public school education at Sycamore, Ohio, and later attended a college at Ada, this state, after which he took up educational work, teaching in the schools of Wyandot county for three years. In 1897 he came to Toledo, entering the employ of the Alexander Black Cloak Company, with which he was connected for fifteen years, and during that period he gained a comprehensive knowledge of the business. In 1913, in association with others, he organized the Conde Cloak Company, of which he is now serving as secretary and treasurer and sales manager, while M. R. Cohn is filling the office of president and J. A. Applebaum is the vice president. They manufacture ladies' cloaks and suits and have developed an extensive business, utilizing from two hundred to two hundred and fifty employes in their factory, while they are represented in the western and middle western states by a large force of traveling salesmen. Mr. Delaplane has formulated many of the plans for the upbuilding of the undertaking and the expansion of its trade and his energy and business acumen have been controlling forces in the attainment of the success which is now attending the activities of the firm. Mr. Delaplane has been married twice. On the 10th of August, 1907, at Tiffin, Ohio, he wedded Miss Ida May Grummel, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Grum- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 433 mel of Upper Sandusky. She passed away August 2, 192, leaving two sons : Robert D., who was born in Toledo in 1908 ; and J. Frank, Jr., who was born June 18, 192. For his second wife Mr. Delaplane married Miss Lucille Russell, the wedding taking place at Dayton, Ohio, on the 15th of August, 1916. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Russell, members of a prominent family of Logan county. Mr. Delaplane is a member of the Second Church of Christ, Scientist, and his political support is given to the platform and candidates of the republican party. In Masonry he has attained the thirty-second degree and he is also a member of the Inverness Country Club, Exchange Club and the Toledo Automobile Club. He has attained success by strict integrity, the conscientious discharge of all obligations and unremitting attention to an industry in which he takes a great interest and which he thoroughly understands. He is recognized as a substantial business man and progressive citizen and has made many stanch friends during the period of his residence in Toledo. SAMUEL D. DEMPSEY Since 1905 Samuel D. Dempsey has been identified with commercial interests of Toledo and he is now numbered among the successful business men of the city, being president and treasurer of the Dempsey-McMann Optical Company, with office, show room and laboratory in the Produce Exchange building. He was born at Howell, Michigan, July 29, 1874, and his parents, Milton and Mary (McWilliams) Dempsey, were natives of New York state. In early life they removed to Michigan, establishing their home at Howell, where the father entered business circles as a carpenter contractor, and many of the prominent buildings in that place stand as monuments to his skill and ability. He continued a resident of Howell until his demise. The mother has also passed away. The grammar and high schools of his native town afforded Samuel D. Dempsey his educational opportunities and his initial business experience was obtained in the employ of a prominent jeweler of Howell. He continued to follow the trade there and also in other localities until 1905, when he came to Toledo and organized the Dempsey-McMann Optical Company, which has since enjoyed a prosperous existence. They are manufacturers of optical goods, conducting a wholesale trade, and theirs has become one of the leading houses of the kind in the city. Mr. Dempsey is serving as president and treasurer of the company and his executive ability, thorough understanding of the business and progressive methods have enabled him to develop an undertaking of large proportions. At Leipsic, Ohio, on the 10th of November, 1903, Mr. Dempsey was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Barton, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Barton, and they have two sons : Philip, who was born at Marion, Indiana, in 1905, and is attending the Scott high school of Toledo ; and Barton, who was born in this city in 1907 and is also a pupil in that school. Mr. Dempsey is independent in his political views, placing the qualifications of a candidate above all other considerations, and through his membership with the Chamber of Commerce he does all in his power to promote the industrial development of the city. He is a prominent Mason, belonging to the commandery and Shrine, and he is also connected with the Exchange Club and the Sylvania Golf Club. He is a man of resolute purpose and marked strength of character who 434 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, for it has been won through earnest, self-denying effort. He has ever based his activity in commercial affairs upon strict integrity and unabating industry and in business circles of the city his standing is of the 'highest, while in all matters of citizenship his influence is on the side of advancement and improvement. ALBERT H. LUMM Among the alert, energetic and farsighted young business men who have selected Toledo as the field of their operations is numbered Albert H. Lumm, who is engaged in the manufacture of the Alco sheet metal products, and in his life he typifies the spirit of progress and enterprise which has been the dominant factor in the rapid upbuildin and development of the city. He was born in Garrett, Indiana, April 17, 1890, and is a son of Conrad and Pauline (Benner) Lumm, both of whom were natives of Germany. In early life they came to the United States, first locating at Toledo and subsequently removing to Garrett, Indiana, where the father successfully engaged in merchandising. Subsequently they returned to Toledo and are still residing in this city. Eight children were born to their union : Mrs. William D. Newman, Albert H., William, Emma, John R., George W., Dorothy and Bertha, all of whom are living in Toledo. In the acquirement of an education Albert H. Lumm attended the grammar schools of Garrett and Auburn, Indiana, and Freeport, Illinois, and his high school course was completed at Garrett. In his father's shop he served four years' apprenticeship to the sheet metal trade and for a time he worked in Chicago, Illinois, but later came to Toledo, where he followed his trade for four years. He then went to Auburn, Indiana, and was associated in business with his father until March, 1914, when he returned to Toledo and organized the A. H. Lumm Company, of which he has since been the head. From a modest beginning has been developed an undertaking of large proportions and the business is now conducted in a large, modern and well equipped factory situated at No. 3559 Monroe street, which was erected by the company, but owing to the rapid increase in its trade the firm is now seeking more commodious quarters. The concern manufactures the Alco sheet metal products for the completion of heating and ventilating systems in schools, hotels, churches, theaters, banks, hospitals, factories and other buildings. Its trade has extended far beyond the boundaries of the state and its products, which include ventilating fans, dust collectors and enameling and japanning ovens, have been installed in many school buildings in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan, as well as throughout Ohio. Mr. Lumm has about fifty employes, whose labors he carefully supervises, and the work turned out of his plant has ever been characterized by a high standard of excellence, being of superior quality and design. He has been watchful of every indication pointing to success and displays determination, keen sagacity and marked executive ability in the management of the business, which he is conducting along the most modern and progressive lines, productive of gratifying results. He has never dissipated his energies over a broad field but has continued in the same line of activity which he entered as a young man, gaining that specialized knowledge which makes him an expert in his line of work. On the 25th of December, 1912, Mr. Lumm was married to Miss Myra Rose TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 435 Preece, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Preece, well known residents of this city, and they have become parents of four children : Evelyn, who was born October 13, 1913, and is attending school ; Fred, who was born in 1915 and is also a public school pupil ; Albert, born in 1920; and William Conrad, whose birth occurred on the 7th of May, 1922. Mr. Lumm is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is a member of the Toledo and Auburndale Chambers of Commerce, the Sheet Metal Contractors Association, the Builders Exchange and the Merchants & Manufacturers Association. His fraternal connections are with the Masons and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a young man of unusual energy and business acumen who has won success through industry, ability and persistency of purpose, and his labors have found expression in the development of an important manufacturing enterprise, which is not only a source of individual prosperity but also contributes to the industrial activity and upbuilding of the city with which he has allied his interests. ERNEST FREDERICK KELLER Entering business circles at an age younger than that at which most people make their initial step, Ernest Frederick Keller has always been identified with activities in the real estate and insurance field and by reason of his close application, his thoroughness and continuity of purpose, he has steadily advanced, winning a most creditable position in this line of labor. Mr. Keller is a native son of Toledo, born May 8, 1891, his parents being Henry and Marie (Zeeb) Keller. The father has long been a well known and honored .grocery merchant of the city, where he has engaged in business for the past twenty-two years. At the usual age Ernest F. Keller became a pupil in the public schools and mastering the work of successive grades he eventually became a high school student. Later he pursued a law course in the Toledo University. He at one time attended business college and at the age of fifteen he became identified with the real estate and insurance business, being now senior member of the firm of Keller and Senn. In this field he has continued. His success is attributable no doubt in large part to the fact that he has never dissipated his energies over a wide territory but has concentrated his efforts and attention upon a single line, with the result that his entire power and strength have been directed to the attainment of a single purpose. The results which he has accomplished have been most gratifying and he is well known as a representative young business man of the city, having always maintained his office in the Spitzer building. On the 14th of June, 1917, Mr. Keller was united in marriage to Gertrude Cominator of Toledo and they are parents of an interesting little daughter, Kathryn Marie, born May 29, 1920, in Toledo. The year following his marriage Mr. Keller responded to the country's call for service in the World war. He became a private on the 4th of August, 1918, but was soon made sergeant in charge of the pay roll of the Sixty-eighth Infantry and was engaged in duty until mustered out on the 20th of February, 1919. He belongs to the Toledo Association of Credit Men, Toledo Fire Underwriters Association, Royal Arcanum, and Harry Kern Post, American Legion. He also has membership in the Chamber of Commerce and is interested in the well organized plans and efforts of that body to 436 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY further the welfare and promote the business development and civic interests of the city. For ten years he has been an active worker in behalf of the Lutheran Orphanage and Old Folks' Home and for a period of six years has served as one of the directors of the institution. He resides at No. 4241 North Haven avenue. RICHARD SURGESON For a period of eight years Richard Surgeson has been connected with the business interests of Toledo, where he is now engaged in metal work, having established an enterprise of his own in 1920. He comes to the Buckeye state from New England, his birth having occurred in North Adams, Massachusetts, on the 2th of June, 1874. He is a son of William and Mary (McMullen) Surgeson and while spending his youthful days in his father's home pursued his education in the public schools of his native state. Early starting out in the business world, he learned the sheet metal trade while in Massachusetts and later he went on the road as a traveling salesman with the Ellington-Curtis Manufacturing Company. Afterward he represented the George B. Wilcox Company and became general superintendent of one of the plants of the latter corporation. He was with them for eight years. The business opportunities of Toledo drew him to this city in 1914 and here he became connected with metal working. He was employed along that line for a number of years, successfully acquainting himself with the different phases and features of the business, and in 1920 he established a plant of his own at No. 209 Cherry street. There he has since carried on business with success, having gained a liberal patronage as the months have passed by. In 1893 Mr. Surgeson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wilson, a native of Ireland, who came to America from the Emerald isle during her childhood days. To this marriage have been born eight children : Alva, Francis, William, Russell, Donald, Morris, Howard and Ellen. The family have become well known during the eight years of their residence in Toledo and the members of the household have gained many warm friends here. Mr. Surgeson is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and several other civic organizations. EDGAR P. MULL Edgar P. Mull, secretary and treasurer of the Allen Filter Company of Toledo, and also secretary of the Merrell Realty Company, is thus well known as a representative of business interests in his adopted city. California is his native state, his birth having occurred on the 15th of April, 1861. His parents were Elijah W. and Lavisa S. Mull. He is also a great-great-nephew of Governor Lucas, who was governor of Ohio from 1834 to 1836, and who was very active in the settlement of what was known as the Toledo war. To honor him for his service in this connection Lucas county was so named. He was afterward appointed territorial governor of Iowa by President Buchanan. Edgar P. Mull attended the public schools of Marysville, California, completing a high school course there, after which he started upon his business career as a bookkeeper in the employ of E. W. Ross & Company, hardware merchants of that TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 439 city. In 1883 he came east and settled in Minneapolis, engaging in the manufacture of flour mill machinery. Later he was connected with leading manufacturing interests in Chicago. He dates his residence in Toledo from 1892. After having been an important factor in building up a large wholesale business in Toledo, Mr. Mull has become a vital part of the executive force of the Allen Filter Company, being its secretary and treasurer. Mr. Allen has been largely responsible for the unusual growth of the business and has contributed to the mechanical perfection of the Allen Filter Company's product. In Toledo, on the 5th of June, 1890, Mr. Mull was married to Miss Jennie Merrell, a daughter of Thomas S. Merrell. Mr. and Mrs. Mull hold membership in the First Congregational church, in the work of which they are actively and helpfully interested, and he is serving as superintendent of the Church school. He also is a member of the Young Men's Christian Association, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Exchange Club and the Toledo Commerce Club. He possesses the progressive spirit which has been the characteristic and dominating element in the upbuilding of the far west, from which he comes, and the ready adaptability which enables him wisely to use his time, talents and opportunities in the accomplishment of his purposes. GEORGE H. NETTLEMAN George H. Nettleman, president of the wholesale produce firm operating under the name of Jackson, Lee & Company at Toledo, belongs to that class of substantial citizens who have won the proud American title of self-made men. There were no particular advantages to aid him at the outset of his career, but steadily and persistently he has worked his way upward, neglectful of no duty or opportunity, until he now occupies an enviable place in commercial circles. He was born in Coldwater, Michigan, November 22, 1860, his parents being John B. and Susan (Rubley) Nettleman, the former a native of Germany, while the latter was born in Switzerland. Coming to America in early life, the father devoted many years to farming. He lived for a time in Steuben county, Indiana, but subsequently took up his abode in Michigan, where his remaining days were largely passed. His death occurred in Coldwater and his widow afterward became a resident of Toledo, where she departed this life when more than eighty-six years of age. In their family were four daughters and three sons. George H. Nettleman was a pupil in the public schools of Coldwater, Michigan, thus qualifying for life's practical and responsible duties, after which he went to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he was employed as a messenger by the United States Express Company. In 1881 he arrived in Toledo and, remaining with the express company, occupied the position of cashier here until 1889. In the meantime he had been studying the business situation with a desire to engage in some independent venture whereby he might enjoy the profits of his own labors. Accordingly, in 1889, he joined the wholesale produce and commission firm of Jackson, Lee & Company and upon the death of the senior partner, Mr. Jackson, the business was taken over by Harry R. Lee and Mr. Nettleman, though the firm style has never been altered. Associated with this enterprise for a third of a century, Mr. Nettleman has been a salient factor in its steady growth and 440 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY development and it is today not only the oldest but also one of the largest produce interests in Toledo. With the passing years Mr. Nettleman has acquired more and more of the stock in the business and is now sole owner. He handles produce from all parts of the country and his trade is today one of mammoth proportions. He also became associated with his brother Franklin in the ownership of the Ohio Broom & Supply Company of Toledo, which was extensively engaged in broom manufacture, the business being conducted solely on a wholesale basis until it was discontinued in 1915. Mr. Nettleman has been married twice. On the 2th of February, 1883, he wedded Miss Carrie A. Brainard of Coldwater, Michigan, who died in Toledo, March 26, 1900. On December 4, 1901, he was again married, his second union being with Miss Lenore Gosting of St. Louis, Missouri, and they have become parents of a daughter and a son : Suzanne, who was born September 8, 1904, in Toledo, and is a graduate of the Scott high school ; and John B., who was born May 30, 1908, and is attending the Scott high school. In politics Mr. Nettleman maintains an independent course, voting for men and measures rather than party and always considering the capability of the candidate in relation to the public duties which he aspires to discharge. Mr. Nettleman belongs to the Toledo Automobile Club and finds much of his recreation in motoring. He is identified with the Chamber of Commerce and in Masonry has taken the degrees of both York and Scottish Rites, loyally adhering to the teachings and high purposes of the craft. Furthermore his course has ever been actuated by his religious faith, his membership being in the Ashland Avenue Baptist church. He has made wise use of his time and opportunities throughout his life and made equally wise use of the prosperity which has been the legitimate reward of his labor. MICHAEL HOEFLINGER Michael Hoeflinger was the only child of Michael and Elizabeth (Breitling) Hoeflinger and was born in Bavaria, Germany, July 22, 1851. The father died when the son was quite young and at the age of sixteen years he came with his widowed mother to America. What schooling he was able to acquire was gleaned while he was still a small boy, as he early faced the necessity of providing for his own support and began learning the trade of cabinetmaking, which he followed in connection with the undertaking business that claimed much of his attention in later life. On arriving in America, Michael Hoeflinger and his mother went to Oak Harbor, Ohio, where they had relatives living, and there remained for a few months. The year 1867, however, witnessed his advent in Toledo and here his knowledge of cabinetmaking stood him in good stead, as it enabled him to secure a position in the employ of Newhaus & Allen. That his work was acceptable and that he was faithful, loyal and efficient is indicated in the fact that he remained with that firm for ten years. He was, however, ambitious to engage in business on his own account and when that decade had passed he found a way to carry out his cherished plan. He opened the first undertaking establishment in East Toledo in the old Platt building at Front and Main streets and there he engaged in cabinetmaking and undertaking, stopping his cabinent work when necessary in order to make a coffin. He was often called upon for service of this kind on both sides of the river, and in 1883 when the TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 443 bridge across the river was out, he often took coffins across the stream in a rowboat to provide for the needs of the west side. As the years passed his business steadily grew, becoming a large and important one, and in time he ranked with the foremost undertakers of the city. He had a wide acquaintance throughout Toledo, by reason of his forty-five years' connection with its business interests. On the 9th of October, 1877, Mr. Hoeflinger was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Schneider, who came to Toledo to join her father, who had preceded the family here several years. Her mother died in Baden, Germany, and she made the trip to the new world with a brother and a sister in a sailing vessel. Her parents were John and Dorothy (Arnold) Schneider and the family was one of the early German families in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Hoeflinger became the parents of nine children, four of whom have passed away, while those still living are : Theodore G., who is conducting the undertaking establishment founded by the father ; Agnes M., who is Toledo's first licensed lady embalmer, associated with her brother in business ; Mrs. Charles Dunn, living in Curtice, Ohio ; Mrs. Gertrude Martin of Toledo ; and Mrs. Frederick Hasselkus of Elmore, this state. During the World war Theodore Hoeflinger served with the American forces and participated in the St. Mihiel drive and the battle of the Argonne forest, where he was badly wounded by shrapnel in October, 1918, his wounds almost causing him to bleed to death. He was taken to the hospital, where he finally recovered from his injuries, receiving his discharge at Camp Custer, Michigan, on March 29, 1919. On June 17, 1920, he was married to Miss Gertrude A. Tschan of Toledo and they have one child, Helen Grace. Michael Hoeflinger, the father, was one of the early members of the Sacred Heart parish of Toledo and devoted much time, labor and money in assisting to erect the present beautiful Sacred Heart church. Although he led a very active life he was never too busy to aid with counsel or effort and was one of the devoted Christians of whom the parish priest said : "He was indeed a pillar of the church." He belonged to the Sacred Heart choir, was also a member of the St. Lawrence Society, of the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Order of Foresters. He also held membership in the St. Louis Society and with the Knights of the Maccabees, was a member of the Bavarian Society, the German Beneficial Union and the East Side Commercial Club, the Pioneer Society of Toledo, the Knights of Security, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Helvatia Maennerchor. These connections indicated the nature and breadth of his interests and his support of many measures and projects looking to the benefit and upbuilding of the city and the advancement of its material and moral interests. He passed away March 28, 1922, and in his passing Toledo lost one of its old-time and honored business men and representative residents. JOHN DIETRICH GERKEN John Dietrich Gerken, the president and general manager of the J. D. Gerken Company, handling sheet metal work and furnaces at Toledo, was born in Germany, October 1, 1869, and is a son of John Henry Herman and Hanna G. (Wuerdemann) Gerken, who in the year 1884 removed to Toledo, where the father entered business circles as a wholesale dealer in meat. In this line he continued for a number of years but has now passed away. 444 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY John Dietrich Gerken was a youth of nineteen years when the family home was established in Toledo and here he continued his education in the manual training school. When he was a youth of sixteen he was apprenticed to the sheet metal trade, working in a shop until he had thoroughly acquainted himself with the business in principle and detail. Steadily he worked his way upward, earning his promotions through ability, and in 1898 he organized the J. D. Gerken Company, of which he is the president.and general manager. The capital needed for this step was furnished by his own industry and economy. He has since given his attention to the conduct of the business, which includes sheet metal work and the installation of furnaces in homes. The company is capitalized for twenty thousand dollars and the business is steadily increasing. On the 24th of April, 1895, Mr. Gerken was married to Miss Jane Elizabeth Madden of Toledo and they have a family of three sons : George Edward, who is a practicing physician ; John Dietrich, Jr., who is the vice president of the J. D. Gerken Company ; and Theodore Russell, who is secretary and treasurer of the Marshall-Gerken Company, handling radio goods. Mr. Gerken is identified with the, Knights of Columbus and also with the Young Men's Christian Association. He belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and to the Maumee River Yacht Club.. A resident of Toledo from early manhood, he is widely and favorably known here and has many friends who esteem him highly. That his is a well-spent life is indicated in the fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from early manhood to the present time. He has membership in the Merchants & Manufacturers Association, the Builders Exchange of Toledo and the Sheet Metal Contractors Association. HENRY HIRSCH Henry Hirsch, organizer and president of the Henry Hirsch Seed Company, one of the large wholesale seed enterprises of Ohio, with the main plant and offices in Toledo and also a plant at Archbold, this state, was born in Germany, February 11, 1853, and is a son of Samuel and Yetta (Gideon) Hirsch, who spent. their lives in Germany, where the father engaged in the produce business throughout his active career. Both he and his wife have passed away. Four of their six children are living, namely : Mrs. Ricke Staadecker ; Max ; Mrs. Helen Simon; and Henry, In his youthful days Henry Hirsch attended the schools of his native land and after coming to America in 1874, about the time he attained his majority, he, attended night school and also promoted his knowledge by home study and reading in leisure hours. He thus familiarized himself with the language of the country and the customs of the people. He became a resident of Archbold, Ohio, in 1874, and there first secured a position as a day laborer but it was not long before he had established himself in the wholesale seed business by organizing a small enterprise of that kind. As the 'years have passed this has developed into the Henry Hirsch Seed Company, of which he has always been sole owner and through the intervening period the business has grown from a very modest concern to one of large proportions as the result of his careful guidance and close application. He still has a large business as a wholesale dealer in seed at Archbold, where he maintains an extensive warehouse and there he resided until 1914, when he came to Toledo, and in 1920 purchased a modern building at No. 111 South Huron TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 445 street. This has since been the home plant and office of the Henry Hirsch Seed Company, the trade relations of which cover a wide territory and represent large sales. On the 14th of August, 1881, Mr. Hirsch was married to Miss Bell Hielbron of Archbold, Ohio, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Hielbron, who were natives of Delphos, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Hirsch have become parents of three children : Seymour, who is engaged in business with his father, was born in Archbold in 1885 and was educated in the schools of Cleveland; Ohio. He married Miss Jane. Edlof of Detroit and they have two children, John, born June 9, 1915, and Betty, born February 24, 1921; Harry, the second son, born in Archbold in 1887, is also associated with his father in the wholesale seed trade. During the World war he enlisted and was at Camp Sherman when the armistice was signed ; Mrs. Lucille Wolf, the third of the family, was born in Archbold in 1894 and pursued a high school education there, after which she attended the Frances Shimer Academy at Mt. Carroll, Illinois. She resides in Toledo and has two children, Bell Joan and Frederick Henry Wolf. Mr. Hirsch is a member of the Collingwood Avenue Jewish temple. He belongs also to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and he is a member of the Masonic lodge at Archbold and of the Eastern Star. His political allegiance is given to the republican party but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him. His business has claimed his undivided time and attention and he has made for himself a creditable place in commercial circles, developing his interests until he is now one of the prominent wholesale seed men of this state. He has always made good use of his time and opportunities and the elemental strength of his character was shown in the way in which he provided for his education in his early manhood. His success is a merited reward of indefatigable labor and his course should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what may be accomplished through personal efforts. FRED NICHOLS GOOSMAN When but seventeen years of age Fred Nichols Goosman became identified with the piano trade of Toledo and for many years has been at the head of a business of his own, conducted under the name of the Goosman Piano Company. He has made this one of the leading music houses of the city and an analyzation of his career shows that his success has been based upon thoroughness, enterprise, indefatigable energy and close application. Mr. Goosman is a native of Sandusky, Ohio, born October 30, 1872. His parents were Peter and Rose (Trager) Goosman and the father engaged in the livery and transfer business. The son, entering the public schools at the usual age, mastered the work of successive grades until he had completed the high school, course in Sandusky. He then looked about him for a favorable- line in which to enter upon his business career and at the age of seventeen became identified with the piano trade. He dates his residence in Toledo from 1905, at which time he became branch manager for a piano company. He had previously gained good experience in his chosen field of labor and he has never sought to figure in any other line of business, so that he is today thoroughly familiar with every phase of the piano trade and can talk most intelligently about every make of piano on the market. He deals in the standard grade of musical 446 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY instruments and it has ever been his endeavor thoroughly to please his customers—a quality which combined with his reliable dealing has gained a most enviable reputation for his own house. Ambitious to carry on business for himself, he gave up his position as manager in 1911 and organized the Goosman Piano Company, of which he is today practically the sole owner. His establishment is attractive in its appointments and the line of pianos and musical instruments handled and his many satisfied patrons have proved an excellent advertisement. In 1922 he was elected president of the Ohio Piano Dealers Association. Mr. Goosman was married January 20, 1913, to Miss Bernice Laskey of Toledo, a representative of one of the old and prominent families of this city. Mr. Goosman is well known in club circles, having membership in the Toledo Exchange Club, of which he is the president, the Toledo Automobile Club, of which he is a director, and in the Retail Merchants Board, in which he is serving on the executive committee. He likewise belongs to the Toledo Club and through his fraternal connections has become a thirty-second degree Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine. He strongly endorses the principles and purposes of this fraternity and he is at all times a progressive and public-spirited citizen whose aid and cooperation can be counted upon to further definite and well devised plans for the public good. He owns his residence at No. 59 Kenilworth drive. LAUREL DELGARDO GOTSHALL Well defined plans and definite purposes have characterized the business career of Laurel Delgardo Gotshall, now president of the Gotshall Manufacturing Company, in which connection he is extensively engaged in the manufacture of hardwood lumber. Born in Richland, Ohio, on the 9th of May, 1860, he is a son of Solomon and Mariah (Whisler) Gotshall. The father devoted his life to farming and to the sale of farm implements, remaining active in business along those lines until his life's labors were ended in death. L. D. Gotshall supplemented his public school education by study in the Valparaiso University of Indiana and when his course there was completed he at once entered the sawmill business for the manufacture of hardwood lumber and cooperage stock. In this he has continued, operating now under the name of the Gotshall Manufacturing Company, which today has three large permanent mills and at times as high as ten portable mills. The Toledo plant gives employment to thirty-five people, while two hundred workmen are employed in all the mills. Thus a large and splendid organization has been built up, the work carefully systematized and progressive methods introduced as the result of the indefatigable energy and unabating industry as well as carefully formulated plans of L. D. Gotshall, who is the president of the company. He is likewise the president of the Northwestern Ohio Savings Association, of which he was one of the organizers. He has been a resident of Toledo since 1906 and throughout the intervening years has been classed with the representative business men of the city. On the 21st of September, 1881, Mr. Gotshall was married to Miss Rose U. Swisher of West Unity, Ohio, and they have two daughters : Blanche L., who is the wife of Alfred Britsch of Toledo ; and Georgia G., the wife of Robert R. Blair, also of this city. Mr. Gotshall belongs to the Independent Order of Odd TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 449 Fellows but has not extended his activities far into social circles beyond his personal friendships. He has given his time, thought and energy to his business and through close application has developed an enterprise of substantial proportions, his success being indeed well merited. Mr. Gotshall's residence is at No. 2035 Robinwood avenue. JOHN HUEBNER John Huebner, who was long actively associated with the brewing interests of Toledo and through capable management of his business affairs won a very substantial fortune, was born in Brooklyn, New York, September 17, 1854, his parents being Jacob and Fredericka (Fleurer) Huebner. The father was a brewer who owned a large plant at Logansport, Indiana, which eventually he sold and then with his family returned to Germany in 1870. He made still another trip to the United States but ,finally returned to Germany, where he took up his permanent abode. John Huebner acquired his early education in the schools, of Logansport and of Toledo before accompanying his father to Europe. He spent three years in Germany and then came to his native land in 1873, again settling in Toledo. In the meantime he had learned much concerning the brewing business in Germany and after locating in this city he was employed by the Toledo Brewing & Malting Company, of which Mr. Link was the president and principal stockholder. In 1896 Mr. Huebner, in association with James E. Pilliod, acquired the ownership of the Toledo Brewing & Malting Company, the name of which was then changed to the Huebner Brewing Company, of which John Huebner became the largest stockholder. In 1905 there was brought about a merger of most of the brewing interests of Toledo under the name of the Huebner Toledo Breweries Company and of this Mr. Huebner became secretary and treasurer. He manifested the most progressive spirit at all times in the management and control of his interests and from time to time introduced new and improved methods, resulting in the attainment of higher perfection in the output. For nearly forty years he was actively identified with the brewing business and with general commercial development in Toledo and it was only in the later years of his life that he put aside active business cares to enjoy the success that had come to him through the capable management of his interests. In Toledo, on the 5th of September, 1878, John Huebner was united in marriage to Catharine Textor and they became the parents of eight sons and three daughters. Those living are : John J., Henry E., Oscar, Arthur, Rudolph, Edwin James, George W., Mrs. Olga Torgler, and Mrs. Elsie Haas. All are residents of Toledo with the exception of Oscar, who resides in Oakland, California. During the least eighteen months of his life Mr. Huebner was in poor health and in the summer of 1909 sought relief at the springs of Baden, Germany, but remained abroad for only five months. In August, 1909, he returned to his native country but did not enjoy the anticipated gain in health and finally passed away at the age of fifty-six years. It had been close to his heart to preserve the old Maumee courthouse as a memorial, and had he lived he would have purchased it and put it in repair, thus preserving the historic old landmark. He manifested keen interest in the welfare of the city in many ways and his cooperation was many