350 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY They reside in a comfortable and attractive home at 3144 Scottwood avenue. Mr. Young has been successful in business because he has adhered to the highest code of commercial ethics, and he has always taken a justifiable pride in the satisfactory quality of work which he has turned out and which has been his best advertisement. ARTHUR L. HOSSLER Arthur L. Hossler, classed with the foremost contractors of Ohio, maintains his headquarters in Tiffin, which accounts him one of its most valuable citizens. He was born in Bloomville, Ohio, March 17, 1882, a son of Isaac and Susan (Revert) Hossler. The great-grandfather, John George Hossler, was a native of Germany and settled in Pennsylvania during the latter part of the eighteenth century. His son, Jacob Hossler, migrated to Seneca county, Ohio, in 1833, acquired land in Bloom township, where he built a log cabin, and afterward served as postmaster of Bloomville and became one of its prominent merchants. His son, Isaac Hossler, who was born on the homestead in Bloom township, devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. His family numbered eight children, five sons and three daughters. Arthur L. Hossler was reared on his father's farm and received a public school education. For four years he made a livelihood by drilling wells and then became identified with building operations in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1910 he engaged in general contracting in Tiffin in partnership with Ray M. Hossler, with whom he has since been associated under the style of Hossler Brothers. At the present time they have contracts amounting to nearly one million dollars and their business ranks with the largest of the kind in Ohio. Their operations cover the state and among the outstanding examples of their skill in construction work are the administration building of the Ohio Brass Company in Toledo; the Farmers Bank, a twelve-story edifice, which is one of the chief architectural ornaments of Mansfield ; a million dollar high school in that city; the Bellevue high school; the Daughters of America Home for the aged in Tiffin, and one hun- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 351 dred and thirty-two fine residences in this city. The members of the firm have always adhered to the spirit as well as the letter of an agreement, never allowing the smallest detail of a contract to be slighted, and their work is the highest expression of efficiency in the builders' art. On Christmas day of 1914, Arthur L. Hossler was united in marriage to Miss Hattie C. Zeigler and they now have four children : Evan Marie, Harold, Arthur Lee Jr. and Marion. Mr. Hossler is identified with the York and Scottish Rite bodies of Masons and the Mystic Shrine. His fraternal connections also extend to the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He is a director of the Tiffin Chamber of Commerce and a charter member of the Mohawk Country Club. In politics he is a republican and his religious belief is indicated by his affiliation with Trinity Reformed church. Gaining that superior ability which results from concentrated effort and broad experience, Mr. Hossler has left the deep impress of his individuality upon his work, which has constituted a most important factor in the upbuilding and improvement of Tiffin and other cities of Ohio, and his influence is one of broadening activity and strength in the field in which he is operating. He has always dealt honorably with his fellowmen and enjoys the esteem and confidence of those with whom he has been associated in the varied relations of life. EDGAR M. ICKES, M. D. For twenty-five years Dr. Edgar M. Ickes has been engaged in the practice of medicine in Fremont, where he was born in 1874, a son of Franklin Q. and Elizabeth (McMillen) Ickes. Edgar M. Ickes received his early education in the public and high schools of Fremont, after which he attended a preparatory school at Hudson, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1893. Later he entered Adelbert College, at Cleveland, and was graduated in 1897, after which he matriculated in the medical school of Western Reserve University, at Cleveland, from which he received the degree of Doctor 22-VOL. 3 352 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY of Medicine in 1901. He served two years as interne in the Lakeside Hospital, Cleveland, and in 1903 returned to Fremont and entered upon the general practice of his profession. During the late war he served as medical officer of the board of examiners and is now a member of the medical staff of Memorial Hospital. He is a member of the Lucas County Medical Society, the Sandusky County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, and also of the Masonic order. CHESTER ALLEN MECK Chester Allen Meek, senior member of the law firm of Meck & Meck, has practiced in Toledo since 1923 and is rapidly attaining a position among the able members of the Toledo bar. He represents a family distinguished by legal ability of a high order. A native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, he was born July 27, 1889, and is one of the five children of Benjamin and Mary (McLaughlin) Meek. Benjamin Meek had a long and honorable career as a lawyer in north central Ohio and ably upheld the prestige of the Crawford county bar, of which he was a prominent member for many years. He was born in that county, March 1, 1860, a son of John Frederick and Christina (Schiefer) Meek, who were natives of Wurtemberg, Germany. John Frederick Meck was born September 1, 1816, a son of John F. Meek, Sr., who spent the latter part of his life in the United States and died in Crawford county, Ohio. Christina (Schiefer) Meek was born May 11, 1830, a daughter of Conrad Schiefer, and was married in Crawford county, where John F. Meck, Jr., settled about 1832, when that region was largely a wilderness. Through industry, thrift and good management he transformed his land into a productive farm and also engaged in stock raising. He adhered to the Pietist faith and gave his political support to the democratic party. To Mr. and Mrs. Meek were born eleven children, five of whom survive : Mrs. Pauline Adler, of Toledo; Mrs. Sarah Hesche, a resident of the same city; David C., who is prominent in educational work as dean of John Marshall College, and judge of the municipal court in Cleveland; Charles Wes- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 355 ley, a well known attorney of Toledo; and Noah Webster, a mail carrier who resides in Chatfield, Ohio. Benjamin Meek attended the public schools of that locality and afterward matriculated in the Ohio Normal University, from which he was graduated in 1883. In Upper Sandusky he studied law under Judge Allen Smalley and was admitted to the bar in 1889. For two decades he followed his profession in Upper Sandusky, establishing a lucrative clientele, and while a resident of that city he was elected prosecuting attorney for Wyandot county, an office which he filled with distinction for six years. In 1907 he removed to Bucyrus and there practiced successfully until his death in 1925. Benjamin Meek was married December 30, 1883, to Miss Mary McLaughlin, a native of Wyandot county, Ohio, who died in 1927. They became the parents of five children: Henry Lehr, who is engaged in the practice of medicine at Dundee, Michigan; Abraham K., a prominent attorney of Dayton, Ohio; Chester Allen ; Mrs. Nina Augusta Wirth; and Calvin Benjamin, of the firm of Meek & Meek of Toledo. Benjamin Meek was a stanch democrat and did considerable campaign work for the party. He was a Mason and a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and was also identified with the Knights of Pythias. He was a member of the Crawford county, Ohio State and American Bar Associations and conformed his practice to the highest ethical standards of the profession. Chester Allen Meek received his early education in Upper Sandusky and in 1908 was graduated from the Bucyrus high school. Later he took a literary course in Ohio State University and then enrolled as a student in the Ohio Northern University, from which he received the degree of LL. B. in 1913. Locating in Bucyrus, he joined his father in the practice of law and was thus engaged for ten years. In 1918 he was elected prosecuting attorney for Crawford county and served for two terms of two years each. During his tenure of office he prosecuted some of the most important cases brought before the courts in that county and won a large percentage of convictions. After a noted bank robbery at Galion, Ohio, Mr. Meck was recalled to Crawford county to 356 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY assist in the prosecution of the Hand and Zillick cases and aided in securing the victory for the state. In other cases of note he was equally successful and established an enviable reputation as a prosecuting attorney. He gained wide recognition as counsel for defense in the Debny murder case in Lucas county. In January, 1923, he removed to Toledo and since 1927 has engaged in general practice in partnership with his younger brother, Calvin B. Meek, also a graduate of Ohio State University. The offices of Meek & Meek are located on the third floor of the Ohio building, and a growing clientele is proof of the confidence reposed in their legal acumen. Chester A. Meck was married April 13, 1913, in Kenton, Ohio, to Miss Lillis O. Beasley, a native of Attica, Indiana, and a daughter of James N. and Charlotte (O'Dell) Beasley. Her father was a native of Ripley, Brown county, Ohio, and her mother was born in Fountain county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Meek reside at No. 208 Islington street and have a family of three children : Kermit Benjamin, Chester James and Janet Maxine. Mr. Meek is affiliated with Grace Reformed church and casts his ballot for the candidates of the democratic party. In Bucyrus he joined the Loyal Order of Moose and belongs to the Toledo Lodge of Elks. He is a member of the local, state and national bar associations and exemplifies in his conduct the lofty ideals of his profession, thus gaining the respect of his professional colleagues and those with whom he has been associated in other relations of life. PAUL WILLIAM ALEXANDER Prominent among the able and successful members of the Toledo bar stands Paul William Alexander, whose professional record has gained for him not only a large and important practice but also the uniform respect of those who are at all familiar with his career. He was born in the city now honored by his citizenship on the 8th of December, 1888, and is a son of William H. and Mary F. (Lane) Alexander. The family was founded in this country long prior to the war of the Revolution and members of the family participated in TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 357 that struggle. The paternal grandfather, Andrew Alexander, was a native of Pennsylvania and a farmer by vocation, was a man of mixed national strains, English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and German blood flowing in his veins. William IL Alexander was born at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1832, and received his education in the public schools of his native state. He came to Ohio prior to the Civil war and first settled in Canton, Stark county, where he engaged in the practice of law. Subsequently he moved to Mount Vernon, Ohio, and still later to Cincinnati. In 1870 he brought his family to Toledo and soon afterward abandoned the law and turned his attention to the insurance business, in which he was successfully engaged up to the time of his death, which occurred on April 12, 1892, on the sixtieth anniversary of his birth. He was a stanch supporter of the republican party; was active and influential in civic affairs, and was particularly interested in religious work, having been the organizer of the Riverside Baptist church and the old Adams Street mission. He was a member of the Home Guard during the Civil war. Mary F. Lane was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, September 1, 1846, and was a daughter of Dr. Cornelius Lane, who joined the gold rush to California in 1849 and was never heard from afterward. In 1872 she became the wife of William H. Alexander and to them were born two, children, Paul W., of this review, and Eunice, who is the widow of J. Fred Gleish and now resides in Delaware, Ohio. The mother of these children is still living in Toledo and is eighty-three years of age. Paul W. Alexander attended the public schools of Toledo, graduating from the Central high school in 1905, after which he entered Denison University, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1909. After a year in newspaper work he entered the law school of Harvard University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1913, and on his return to Toledo entered upon the practice of his profession, which he has followed to the present time. He has been elected a member of the executive committee of the Toledo Bar Association, which office he now holds. On July 13, 1918, in Brookline, Massachusetts, Mr. Alex- 358 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY ander was united in marriage to Miss Lorraine Marshall Eaton, a native of Massachusetts and a daughter of Frank and Harriett (Saunders) Eaton, both of whom were of English descent and members of old New England families. Mrs. Alexander, a woman of fine education and mental attainments, is regarded as Toledo's leading book reviewer, and is also a contributor to leading periodicals. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander are the parents of two children, namely : Constance H., born January 16, 1920, and Marshall Ben, born June 24, 1922. Though Mr. Alexander takes a lively interest in public affairs, he is independent in his political attitude, voting according to the dictates of his judgment. He served as assistant prosecuting attorney of Lucas county in 1919-20, and has also served as city solicitor of Maumee since 1921. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Lucas County Library. He belongs to Sanford Collins Lodge, No. 396, F. & A. M.; the Men's Club, the Maumee Exchange Club and the Chamber of Commerce, of which he is a director. His religious connection is with the Protestant Episcopal church. He is president of the Toledo Lawyers Club and is a member of the Toledo Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association. Mr. Alexander, during his college experience, earned his tuition one year by editing the college paper. For many years Mr. Alexander's principal avocation has. been Y. M. C. A. work, and to the pursuit of this he has devoted an unusual amount of time and energy, often sacrificing business and pleasure therefor. He was a charter member and organizer of the first Y's Men's Club, and while serv- ing as its president organized six other such clubs in Ohio, and in 1922 succeeded in effecting the affiliation of these: clubs in the Ohio Association of Y's Men's Clubs, of which he was the first president. He organized other clubs outside Ohio and in Canada, and late in 1922 he brought these together in the International Association of Y's Men's Clubs. He was the first international president of this organization, serving two terms, and following his retirement from the presidency he served five years upon the international board of directors. During his tenure of office he continued to expand the movement, traveling and organizing new clubs from TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 359 New England to Los Angeles, and from Vancouver to Nova Scotia. As the results of his initial efforts, the organization has continued to grow until it numbers nearly two hundred clubs situated in all parts of the United States and Canada, and in one or more countries in every continent on the globe. Of late years his primary interest has been world affairs and as chairman of the World Outlook committee he has carried on an immense volume of correspondence with Asiatics, Australians, Europeans and Latin Americans. In recognition of his services his fellow Y's Men have formally conferred upon him the title of president emeritus of the International Association of Y's Men's Clubs. ARTHUR S. LANGENDERFER Prominent among Toledo's successful business men stands Arthur S. Langenderfer, who has won a high reputation as a capable and reliable paving contractor, in which line he has operated over a wide range of territory in the central states. He was born on the 29th of November, 1892, in Galesburg, Knox county, Illinois, a son of John and Matilda (Mayer) Langenderfer. The family is of German origin, the paternal great-grandfather having emigrated from the fatherland to America in an early day. He located at Rabb, Lucas county, Ohio, where he engaged in the "ashery" business, producing lye, which he shipped by water to Buffalo, New York, whence it was reshipped to New York city, where it was used in the manufacture of soap. This was an important industry in those days and he developed a large trade in that line. He was also interested in farming. His son, Jacob Langenderfer, was also born in Germany and was about five years of age when the family came to this country. John Langenderfer was born at Rabb, Lucas county, where he was reared and educated. In early life he was associated with his father in business, but later engaged in street and road building, which line of work he has followed continuously to the present time. He has done much important work in Ohio and Illinois and was a temporary resident of Galesburg, in the latter state, during 1892-3, while 360 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY engaged in road building in that locality. He is independent in his political views and is a member of the Roman Catholic church. His wife was born at Rabb, Lucas county, and is a daughter of the late Otto and Elizabeth (Dill) Mayer, who were pioneer settlers of Lucas county. Mr. Mayer was a native of Germany and was about five years old when he was brought by his parents to the United States. He was reared to the life of a farmer, which vocation he followed during the active years of his life. He bought eighty acres of land, for which he paid one dollar and a quarter an acre, and this property remained in the possession of the family until the early part of 1927. Mr. Mayer lived to the age of ninety-one years, and his wife to the age of eighty-five years. Arthur S. Langenderfer received his educational training in the public and parochial schools and the Central high school of Toledo and during vacation periods he worked for his father, starting in as a water boy. On attaining his majority he engaged in business on his own account as a paving contractor and during the subsequent years has done a vast amount of work in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, constructing many miles of city streets and public highways. He owns a complete and extensive equipment, no job being too large for him to handle, and he is conscientious in the performance of every contract into which he enters, so that he has well earned the confidence of all with whom he has been connected in a business way. On September 19, 1918, at Rabb, Ohio, Mr. Langenderfer was united in marriage to Miss Florence Biggs, who was born in Toledo and is a daughter of Franklin and Marie (Collins) Biggs, both of whom are members of well known families of Sandusky, Ohio, of which locality their respective ancestors, who were of English descent, were pioneer settlers. Mrs. Langenderfer is a member of the Toledo Women's Club and is actively interested in the civic and social affairs of the city. Mr. Langenderfer is a republican in his political alignment and has shown a proper interest in everything affecting the welfare of his city and county. He is a member of the Toledo Club, the Inverness Golf and Country Club, the Catawba Cliffs Golf Club, the Pelee Island Fishing Club, of TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 361 which he was one of the organizers, the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, the Toledo Paving Contractors Association, of which he is president, the Ohio Contractors Association and the American Road Builders Association. He is a Roman Catholic in religious faith, holding membership in the Cathedral chapel. Fond of outdoor life, he greatly enjoys hunting, fishing and golf, and among his associates he is extremely popular. He has shown himself a keen and capable business man, a loyal and public-spirited citizen and a constant and dependable friend, so that he is worthy of the high place which he holds in the esteem of all who know him. CHARLES B. DILLON Charles B. Dillon is secretary and treasurer of the IrvinFangboner Company, of Bellevue, one of the leading hay, grain and feed concerns of this county. Mr. Dillon was born in Fremont, Ohio, in 1884, a son of Charles M. Dillon, who located in Fremont about 1840. He received his educational training in the public and high schools of his native city, after which he attended the Case School of Applied Science, at Cleveland, taking the mechanical engineering course. On leaving school he became a stockholder and director of the Irvin-Fangboner Company of Bellevue and was made secretary and treasurer of the concern soon after its incorporation, which positions he has held to the present time. This company has been more than ordinarily successful in its operations and now owns a number of elevators, its business showing a steady and substantial growth. Mr. Dillon has devoted his efforts closely to the business and has gained recognition as an able and reliable business man. In 1912 Mr. Dillon was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Fleet, of Tiffin, Ohio, and they are the parents of a son, Kent Fleet, who was born in 1913 and is now attending high school. Mr. Dillon gives his support to the republican party and has shown an active interest in local public affairs. He is a Consistory Mason and member of Zenobia Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S., at Toledo. He was formerly a member of the Kiwanis Club, is a director of the Young Men's Christian 362 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Association and a member of the local hospital board. He and his wife are earnest members of the Protestant Episcopal church. Mr. Dillon is fond of outdoor life and belongs to the Ditmars Hunting and Fishing Club of Fremont. CHARLES GEORGE BREMER The Bremer Lumber Company, of which Charles G. Bremer is president, is one of Toledo's progressive and prosperous business concerns and its volume of trade is showing a steady and substantial increase. Mr. Bremer was born in Toledo on the 13th of January, 1864, and is a son of Frederick and Frederica (Lorence) Bremer, both of whom were natives of Germany and died in Toledo. The father was for many years connected with the Mitchell & Roland Lumber Company. He supported the republican party, and he and his wife were devout members of the Lutheran church. Charles G. Bremer received his educational training in the parochial schools of Toledo and then worked for six months in the Stebens brickyard. When thirteen years of age he entered the employ of the Mitchell & Roland Lumber Company, with which concern he remained four years, and then went to Barbour & Star, lumber dealers, for whom he worked twenty-three years, being yard foreman and shipping clerk at the time he resigned. In 1905 he and E. E. Arnesman formed a partnership under the name of Arnesman & Bremer and engaged in the lumber business at Elm and Oneida streets, continuing together until March 17, 1928, when Mr. Arnesman withdrew. The business was then incorporated under the name of the Bremer Lumber Company, of which Mr. Bremer has been president up to the present time. They carry a large stock of lumber and all kinds of building material and are meeting with notable success. Mr. Bremer is also a stockholder in the Lucas County Mortgage Company of Toledo. Mr. Bremer has been married three times, first, in 1885, to Miss Emma Shroder, who died in Toledo, leaving two children, George Henry and Dorothy F. George Henry, now vice president of the Bremer Lumber Company, is a veteran TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 363 of the World war. He was in training at Columbus, Tennessee, and served fourteen months overseas, during which he was with Evacuation Hospital Fourteen. He married Miss Elizabeth Schmidt, of Toledo, and they have a son, Charles. Dorothy F. Bremer became the wife of Harry Pritchett, secretary and treasurer of the Bremer Lumber Company, and they have two daughters, Helen and Ruth. For his second wife, Mr. Bremer married Miss Minnie Beatker, a native and lifelong resident of Toledo. His third wife was Miss Mary Nehiser of Toledo, who was educated in the public schools and is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Women's Benefit Society of Toledo. In politics Mr. Bremer is a republican, and he and his wife are members of the German Reformed church. He is a member of the Masonic Order, belonging to the various bodies of both York and Scottish Rites; the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; the Toledo Exchange Club, and other local organizations. He is successful in business, is respected in social life and as a friend and neighbor has discharged his duties in a manner that has won for him the genuine respect of all who know him. His residence has been at 405 Chicago street, Toledo, since 1887. OTIS ELMER BITTINGER Otis E. Bittinger, director and general manager of the Ohio Hydrate and Supply Company, of Woodville, is a wide-awake, sagacious and successful business man and in his present position has contributed very materially to the prosperity of this well known concern. He was born in Mansfield, Ohio, in 1869, and received his educational training in the public schools of Woodville. He then became associated with his father, with whom he remained until 1919. In 1916 he had been one of the organizers and was elected a director of the Ohio Hydrate and Supply Company, and in 1919 he became the general manager of that concern, which position he retains to the present time. He is well qualified for the duties that devolve upon him and this great concern has made steady advancement in the volume of its sales, being 364 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY today the largest individual producer of lime in the United States. He is also a stockholder and director of the State Savings Bank of Woodville, and stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of this place. Mr. Bettinger has always been a democrat in his political affiliations and is active in local public affairs, having served as village clerk for thirty-one consecutive years. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and member of Zenobia Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., and also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Independent Order of Foresters and the Woodville Exchange Club. He makes his home with his sister in Woodville. He is friendly in manner, is a consistent supporter of those things which count for most in the life of his community and during all the years of his residence here he has commanded the unqualified respect and esteem of his fellowmen. EARL W. SHOEMAKER Earl W. Shoemaker, senior member of the firm of Shoemaker & Raab, attorneys of Toledo, was born in Napoleon, Ohio, April 21, 1893, a son of George C. and Annabel (Bayer) Shoemaker. The father was born in Wood county, Ohio, July 19, 1865, a son of Andrew and Mary (Scheaffner) Shoemaker, natives of Switzerland, and attended the public schools of Perrysburg. For many years he engaged in the manufacture of cigars at Napoleon and was also active in public affairs. His political support was given to the democratic party and his fraternal affiliations were with the Loyal Order of Moose, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Masons. He attained the age of sixty-one years, passing away in September, 1926. Mrs. Shoemaker was also born in Wood county and is now living in Toledo. Her parents, John and Margaret Henrietta (Boepley) Bayer, were of German lineage and migrated to Ohio from New York state. To Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker were born three children : Earl W., Mildred M. and Marjorie. Earl W. Shoemaker was reared in his native town and completed a course in the Napoleon high school in 1913. He TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 365 then was in the employ of his father for several years, a part of which time he was a traveling salesman. He covered the states of Ohio and Michigan and thus paid for his tuition in the Cincinnati Law School, from which he was graduated December 14, 1917. He had previously begun the study of law in the office of Cahill & Mulcahy at Napoleon, one of the well known law firms of northwestern Ohio, and under the tutelage of the late Hon. Thomas Mulcahy. In 1913 he had been elected justice of the peace of Henry county, Ohio, and acceptably filled the office for four years. He was next appointed index clerk of the house of representatives of Ohio for the eighty-third general assembly, completing the term of two years, and then returned to Napoleon. In 1918 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served with Headquarters Company at Washington, D. C., until the signing of the armistice. After receiving his discharge Mr. Shoemaker returned to Napoleon and in 1920 was the democratic nominee for the office of prosecuting attorney of Henry county. On the 15th of July, 1921, he began his career as a lawyer in Toledo and now enjoys a large practice. The firm of Shoemaker & Raab acts as counsel for the Ohio Finance Company, the Empire Finance Company, the United Finance Company, Willys-Overland Company, the Hofmann Brothers Company and other substantial corporations of Toledo. On the 11th of April, 1921, Mr. Shoemaker was married in Toledo to Miss Katherine L. McBride, a native of Defiance, Ohio, and a daughter of Charles L. McBride, now deceased, and Mary (Wisler) McBride, members of prominent families of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker have two children : Sara McBride, who was born February 11, 1927, in Toledo; and John Wayne, born September 19, 1928. The residence of the family is at No. 231 Melrose avenue and Mr. Shoemaker's offices are situated on the seventh floor of the Spitzer building. For diversion he turns to horseback riding and owns some fine saddle horses. He is a member of the Collingwood Presbyterian church and an influential factor in the local councils of the democratic party. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and 366 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He is a member of the American Legion, the association of Disabled War Veterans and the, local, state and national bar associations. Mr. Shoe- maker is a man of high personal standing and marked ability and has gained the respect and good will of all with whom he has been associated. ARTHUR CHARLES KELTING Arthur Charles Kelting was one of the well known and successful business men of Toledo, in which city he was born August 1, 1886, a son of John and Lena (Pfund) Kelting, who were natives of Germany. In the public schools of Toledo he pursued his studies until he had passed through the grammar grades and had attended the Central high school. He put aside his textbooks, however, to enter the wholesale fish business which had been established by his father, following whose death he took up the active management of the business in 1912 in association with his elder brother, Albert J. Kelting. The business was then incorporated under the name of the Toledo Fish Company, located at 728 Water street, and here they developed a trade of extensive and gratifying proportions, making theirs one of the profitable commercial enterprises of the city. They also conducted a branch house at Erie, Pennsylvania. Arthur C. Kelting became president of the corporation and so continued until his death, displaying an enterprising spirit and sound judgment in the administration of its affairs. On the 12th of September, 1916, Mr. Kelting was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Bolan, a native of Toledo and a daughter of Jeremiah and Anna (Bolan) Bolan, both of whom have passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Kelting became the parents of three children : Mary Louise, James Arthur and William Charles. Mr. Kelting exercised his right of franchise in support of the republican party but took no active interest in politics beyond casting his vote. He was affiliated with St. Matthew's Lutheran church, while fraternally he was identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He was a home- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 369 loving man in the truest sense of the term and cared little for outside- diversions, finding his greatest enjoyment in the company of the members of his family. Between him and his elder brother, Albert J., whose death occurred March 28, 1926, there was the deepest affection and attachment and the shock of his brother's demise no doubt hastened the death of Arthur C. Kelting, who passed away April 11, 1927. In his passing Toledo lost a substantial citizen, his associates a faithful friend, and his family a loving husband and father. His wife and children now make their home in Toledo, their residence being at 11 Proctor place. WALTER FINLEY CONNER Walter F. Conner, though one of the younger business men of Fremont, is not behind others in the possession of the qualities essential to success, and he has attained a measure of prosperity which reflects his ability and enterprise. Mr. Conner was born in Fremont in 1899, and is a son of Wilbur F. and Clara (Smith) Conner, the former having been the owner of a dyeing works and ostrich feather establishment, but is now deceased. Walter F. Conner attended the public schools of Fremont, graduating from high school in 1917, and then engaged in the dry cleaning business, including garments and rugs. He had previously had some experience in that line and in his new venture success attended him from the start. Thus encouraged, he has opened a number of branches, having establishments at Clyde, Gibsonburg, Oberlin and Lakeside, Ohio, all of which are prospering. Mr. Conner has an up-to-date plant, modern in its equipment and methods, and employs eighteen people, while four trucks are utilized for collection and delivery. Mr. Conner takes pride in the high quality of his work, which is his best advertisement, and well merits the success which is now his. In 1920 Mr. Conner was united in marriage to Miss Geraldine V. Clink, of Fremont, and they are the parents of two children, Jean and Virginia. Mr. Conner is a republican in his political preference and shows a commendable interest in 370 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY public affairs. He is a member of Brainard Lodge, F. & A. M., the American Legion and the Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife attend the Presbyterian church and give liberally to its support and to worthy benevolent causes. Mr. Conner is widely acquainted throughout this section of the county and all who know him hold him in high esteem for what he has accomplished and for the honorable methods through which he has gained his success. HENRY STAUTZENBACH Henry Stautzenbach, a lifelong resident of Toledo, has since 1906 been engaged in the real estate business and also specializes in probate work. In his chosen field he has made steady advancement and success in substantial measure is now his. Throughout all the years he has been regarded as a valued citizen here, his sterling worth being attested by all who know him. Mr. Stautzenbach was born in Toledo, July 3, 1861, a son of Jacob and Catherine (Dash) Stautzenbach. The father, a native of Germany, came to America in 1835 and first settled in Cleveland, Ohio, whence he removed to Toledo. In his family were five sons and three daughters, of whom six have passed away, the only ones now living being Mrs. J. C. Foth, of Toledo, and Henry. The public schools accorded Henry Stautzenbach his educational opportunities and after leaving school he entered the employ of Dr. C. H. Reed as a bookkeeper and collector, earning twenty dollars per month. Subsequently he was with the firm of Draper & Nugent, furniture dealers, as general credit man, continuing with that firm for twelve years. He was also associated with Judge Frank M. Sala for a period of twelve years and it was during that time that he studied law. In 1906 he established a general commercial agency, handling real estate and commercial paper. Few men can speak with equal authority concerning property values in Toledo and he is equally conversant with stocks and bonds and other commercial paper. He has gained a large clientele and his success is attributable entirely to his own efforts. In TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 371 order to qualify in an educational way for the duties that might come to him, he attended night school and met the expenses of his course through his own labors. Throughout his entire life obstacles and difficulties have seemed to serve as an impetus for renewed effort on his part and his indefatigable energy and determination have carried him steadily forward to the goal of success. On September 18, 1884, Mr. Stautzenbach married Miss Cora E. Spayd, of Toledo, and their family numbers a son and two daughters: Harry S., who married Elsa Leu, a native of Toledo, and is engaged in the commission business in this city; Nellie, the wife of Charles Ayres, of Toledo; and Mabel. The family residence is at 1634 Western avenue, where Mr. and Mrs. Stautzenbach have made their home for the past twenty-nine years. He has his office at 424 Gardner building. Fraternally Mr. Stautzenbach is connected with the Eagles, the Moose, the Rangers, the Woodmen of the World, the German Beneficial Union, the German Hausen Benevolent Society and the Loyal Order of Lions. He has figured prominently in public affairs of Toledo and has done effective work in this field. For a decade he served as one of the trustees of the Toledo Workhouse and for five years was president of the board. He is fearless in defense of any cause to which he gives his support and his aid and influence are ever on the side of right, progress, reform and improvement. Widely known throughout Toledo, he has a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance. Mr. Stautzenbach gives his political allegiance to the republican party, while his religious faith is that of the German Lutheran church. ALBERT R. C. MONTGOMERY One of the most active and successful insurance men of Toledo is Albert R. C. Montgomery, manager of the Toledo district for the Ohio National Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati. He was born in Brownsburg, Indiana, on the 18th of February, 1879, and is a son of John M. and Frances 372 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Caroline (Wright) Montgomery, the former of whom was a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and the latter of Indianapolis, Indiana. Brothers of both parents enlisted for service in Ohio regiments during the Civil war, and ancestors on both sides of the family also fought in the war of the Revolution. The progenitors of the Montgomery family in this country came from Scotland and settled first in the Carolinas. In later years, members of the family migrated to Tennessee and eventually, in 1845, traveled by prairie schooner from that state to Indiana. To John M. and Frances C. Montgomery were born six children, as follows: Dr. R. Ames is president of Lane Theological Seminary of Cincinnati, Ohio., Willis W., who was pastor of the First Presbyterian church in Fairfield, Iowa, died at the age of forty-three years. One daughter died in infancy. Grace M. became the wife of Lieutenant Ray C. Dean, an engineer in the United States army, who died on boat en route to France during the World war, and she has for the past ten years been with the firm of La Salle & Koch, of Toledo, being at the head of the personnel department. She is president of the Zonta Club, a business women's club of Toledo. Albert R. C., of this review, is the next of the family. Blanche E., of Toledo, is also connected with the La Salle & Koch department store. Albert R. C. Montgomery attended the public schools of his native town and completed his education in Miami University. In 1906 he started in the insurance business, his first work being with the Prudential Life Insurance Company, with which organization he remained for twelve years. For two years he was manager at Toledo for the Public Saving Insurance Company of Indiana, and during the past two years he has been manager in this city for the Ohio National Life Insurance Company, of Cincinnati, having charge of the branch office which is located at 316-17 Gardner building. Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage to Miss Florence L. Acker, a native of Fayette, Ohio, and a daughter of William and Ella Acker, the former of whom is deceased, while the latter is still living at Fayette, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Acker were among the first settlers in Fulton county, where her father ran a clothing store for fifty years and was also in the farm loan business for many years. Mrs. Acker TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 373 attended old Medina Academy and taught school for many years. She is now seventy-eight years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery are the parents of four children, namely: Ella Frances, who is the wife of Charles Gordon Grandy, of Toledo, and has one son, Charles Gordon Grandy, Jr; Mary Josephine, who is attending Miami University; Florence Jean and Robert Ames, who are in Scott high school. Mr. Montgomery has resided for the past twenty years in the same house, at 1004 Prospect avenue. He is a capable business man, has very successfully represented his company in this district, and has shown splendid executive ability in his management of the branch agency of which he has charge. HARRY L. YOUNKER Harry L. Younker, who conducts an up-to-date cleaning establishment in Fremont, is a native son of this locality, is well known among its people and has from boyhood merited and enjoyed their confidence and good will. He was born in Fremont in 1894 and received his education in the public and high schools. He was first regularly employed as a clerk in a store, which line he followed for some time, later turning his attention to the insurance business, at which he was working when the United States became involved in the World war. He enlisted in Company K and later was transferred to the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Supply Company, with which he was sent overseas. He served one year in France, participating in the activities on several fronts, and on his return to this country, in 1919, was honorably discharged, with the rank of sergeant. Returning to Fremont, he took a position as traveling salesman with the Kansas Flour Mills Company, of Kansas City, Missouri, and was thus employed until 1922, when he resigned and, returning to Fremont, bought the S. C. Cox dry cleaning establishment, which he has operated under the name of Younker, The Cleaner. He has a well equipped establishment, turns out work of the highest quality, has gained an extensive patronage, embracing the best families of this section of the county, and is recognized as the leader 374 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY in his line in this city. He operates a truck and emphasizes promptness and efficiency in his service. Mr. Younker is also a stockholder and director of the Liberty Banking Company, of Fremont. In 1922 Mr. Younker was united in marriage to Miss Cary Moore, of Fremont, and they are the parents of two children, Harry, Jr., aged five years, and Virginia, aged three years. Mrs. Younker takes an active interest in local civic affairs and is a member of the Ladies Auxiliary to the American Legion. Mr. Younker is a strong republican in his political views and has been prominent in local public affairs, having served two terms as councilman-at-large, during which period he was chairman of the finance committee. He belongs to Brainard Lodge, F. & A. M.; the York Rite bodies; Toledo Consistory, A. A. S. R.; and Zenobia Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S., at Toledo, has membership in the Rotary Club, the Fremont Golf Club and other local organizations, and attends St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal church. He is a man of great energy, keen business judgment and an attractive personality, and all who know him hold him in genuine respect because of his honorable record and his consistent life, while among his associates he is deservedly popular. ALFRED A. HAHN The mental growth of every race is measured by the character of its dwellings—by what it builds. The architect is therefore a most important factor in influencing and shaping the material advancement of a community, for his decisions, knowledge and judgment are largely relied upon by those who have need of his services. It is to this line of endeavor which Alfred A. Hahn has directed his attention, and his talents, natural and acquired, have placed him with Toledo's foremost architects. Mr. Hahn was born in this city on the 25th of June, 1890, and is a son of Charles F. C. and Louisa (Schultz) Hahn. The father was born in Prussia, Germany, and when but a year old was brought to America by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Hahn, who settled in Toledo in 1863. Dur- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 375 ing the sixty-six years of his residence in the city Charles F. C. Hahn has witnessed remarkable changes in its aspect and rejoices in what has been accomplished. He is a member of the Lutheran church and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party. His wife was born in Toledo and her parents, Charles and Bertha Schultz, were also of German lineage. Mr. and Mrs. Hahn had four children, and the three sons are living but the daughter died in infancy. Alfred A. Hahn, the youngest member of the family, re ceived a public school education and studied architecture. In 1906 he entered the employ of Harry W. Wachter, with whom he spent six and a half years, receiving a thorough course of training. On the expiration of that period he became connected with the E. H. Close Realty Company and had charge of the building activities of the firm for six and a half years. In 1919 he began his independent career as an architect and has been intrusted with many important commissions in the intervening period of ten years. He designed practically all of the houses in Ottawa Hills, one of Toledo's finest subdivisions, and drew the plans for the Hillcrest apartments, erected in 1929, on Madison avenue between Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets. This structure, which has two hundred and forty-five apartments, covers half of an entire square and constitutes Toledo's largest, finest and most modern apartment building. Mr. Hahn has been the designer of many other imposing edifices which feature in the city's architectural adornment but specializes in high class homes, a field in which he excels. During the World war he was connected with the local building board in an advisory capacity and at that time it was known as the conservation board. In 1929 Mr. Hahn was chosen as consulting architect to Harry Hake of Cincinnati in the construction of the six-million-dollar state office building to be erected in Columbus to house offices now scattered about the city. On the 21st of May, 1912, Mr. Hahn was married in Toledo to Miss Alice B. Thobe, a native of Piqua, Ohio, and a daughter of John J. and Catherine (Bourgeois) Thobe. Mr. and Mrs. Hahn have three children : Virginia Louise, who was born July 26, 1919; Alfred A., Jr., born February 12, 376 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY 1924; and Mary Rose, born April 24, 1925. The residence of the family is at No. 3327 Pelham road, in the suburb of Ottawa Hills, and Mr. Hahn's office is located on the fourth floor of the Close building. He casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party but is not active in politics. A thirty-second degree Mason, he is identified with Rubicon Lodge, No. 237, F. & A. M.; Toledo Chapter, No. 161, R. A. M. ; Toledo Council, No. 33, R. & S. M.; and Zenobia Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is also afflliated with the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Toledo and East Side Chambers of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club. Mr. Hahn occupies an enviable position in his profession and has rendered service of direct value to his city, which is proud to claim him as a native son. LOU D. WEBER Lou D. Weber, president and general manager of the Fremont Rubber Products Company, possesses a progressive and enterprising spirit that has enabled him to accomplish much in his business life, and the concern of which he is the head has in the last four years been developed into a substantial and steadily growing institution. Mr. Weber was born near Bloomington, Illinois, in 1871, and is a son of John J. and Elizabeth Weber. In 1875 the family came to Ohio, locating near Cincinnati, where the father established a blacksmith shop, and there the parents spent their remaining years. Lou D. Weber attended the district schools near Cincinnati and the public schools of that city, after which he taught school for three years. In 1897 he located at Burford, Ohio, and, in partnership with Samuel Moon, engaged in a mercantile business, to which he devoted his attention until 1901, when he sold out and moved to Columbus, this state. There he became a traveling salesman, being employed successively by the Scioto Buggy Company, the Columbus Merchandise Company, and the Landis Machinery Company, of St. Louis, Missouri. Later he went to Toledo and acquired an interest TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 377 in the National Quartz and Chemical Company, with which he was identified until 1919, when he sold his interest and removed to Fremont, becoming one of the organizers of the Liberty Banking Company. A year later he sold his stock in that institution and in 1924 organized the Fremont Rubber Products Company, Inc., of which he has since been president and general manager. This concern is engaged in making all kinds of rubber mats, which are sold mainly through jobbers, while the three traveling salesmen of the company cover the territory from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Maine. The plant is equipped with the latest type of machinery and about fifteen persons are employed in the factory. In 1896 Mr. Weber was united in marriage to Miss Stella Moon, of Cincinnati, Ohio, daughter of Samuel and Rhoda (Lewis) Moon. Mr. and Mrs. Weber are the parents of two children, Carina, who is a graduate of the Toledo high school and is associated with her father, and Bernice, who is a graduate of the Columbus high school and is the wife of Anthony J. Fischer. Mr. Weber gives his political support to the republican party and has proven a progressive and public-spirited citizen, cooperating in all measures for the promotion of the commercial, civic and moral interests of the community. Cordial and unassuming in manner, he has made many warm friends since coming to Fremont' and is held in high regard by all who know him. MARSHALL H. BIXLER Marshall H. Bixler, one of the organizers, a director and general manager of the Fremont Metal Body Company, has been identified with manufacturing interests continuously since completing his education and is regarded as a man of sound technical knowledge and marked executive ability. He was born in Fremont, Ohio, in 1892, and is a son of Franklin T. and Mary (Nagel) Bixler, the former being the first member of the family to settle in this locality. For a number of years he engaged in a manufacturing business, but is now retired from active affairs. Marshall H. Bixler attended the public schools, graduat- 378 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY ing from high school in 1911, after which he took up engineering and draftsmanship, in which he became expert. He served for some time as assistant chief engineer of the Allen Motor Car Company, remaining with that concern until 1920, when he returned to Fremont and organized the Fremont Metal Body Company, which was incorporated in 1922, with Frank Nagel as president and Mr. Bixler as general manager. The company is engaged in the manufacture of commercial bus and passenger touring bus bodies, and also has a department devoted to the making of sectional cottages. which are sold through distributors. The company has a large and commodious factory, equipped with improved machinery, and its output is showing a steady increase in volume, due to the high quality of the work turned out and the sound and progressive business methods of the company. Mr. Bixler gives his political support to the democratic party and is keenly interested in matters affecting the general welfare of his city or county. In the Masonic order, he has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, and he is also a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Automobile Engineers Society. His religious connection is with Grace Lutheran church. Of agreeable manner and straightforward in all of his relations with his fellowmen, he commands the sincere regard of all who have in any way been associated with him. MICHIEL JOHN ULINE Prominent among the progressive and enterprising business men of Toledo stands Michiel J. Uline, president and general manager of the Citizens Ice & Fuel Company, one of the leading concerns in its line in Toledo. He was born in the Netherlands on the 29th of November, 1878, a son of John and Johanna (van Kessel) Uline, both of whom were also natives of the Netherlands. He attended the common schools of that country and in 1893 came to the United States. He located in Cleveland, Ohio, where, at the age of eighteen years, he first became identified with the ice business and organized the Colonial Ice Company. He was connected with TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 379 that concern for many years as president and general manager. On the consolidation of the Colonial Ice Company with the City Ice & Fuel Company, he was made vice president. Mr. Uline was in Cleveland for twenty-four years but in 1919 came to Toledo and took charge of the Maumee Ice & Storage Corporation as vice president and general manager. This concern was later consolidated with the Citizens Ice & Fuel Company, of which he is president and general manager, and which, under his able supervision, is enjoying excellent success. On June 18, 1898, in Cleveland, Mr. Uline was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Eiermann, who was born in that city, March 31, 1879, a daughter of Mathias and Caroline (Von Hindenburg) Eiermann. Mr. and Mrs. Uline are the parents of two daughters, namely : Myrtle Uline, who is the wife of William B. Hill, of Toledo, and has a daughter, Patricia Uline Hill, and Hazel, who is the wife of Edward T. Capron, also of Toledo, and has a son, Robert Uline Foster, by a previous marriage. Mr. Uline and his family are members of the Roman Catholic church. He is a keen and judicious business man, thoroughly dependable in everything which he undertakes, and he has realized a fine measure of success because he has worked hard for it and along honorable lines. ALOIS F. GOOD Alois F. Good, president and general manager of the Schaaff-Good Company, of Fremont, has earned a reputation as a man of reliable business judgment and the concern of which he is the head has become one of Fremont's important industries. Mr. Good was born in Fremont in 1885 and is a son of Paul and Frances (Hockenedel) Good. The father, who for many years engaged in the cigar manufacturing business here, is now deceased. Mr. Good received his educational training in St. Joseph's parochial school and in 1908 he went to work in the executive department of the Hinkel Company, with which he remained for fifteen years. In 1923 he turned his attention to the 380 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY cutlery business, organizing and incorporating the SchaaffGood Company, of which he was made president and general manager. The first plant was located on East State street, but owing to the growth of the business and the imperative demand for more space, a removal was made to the present location at Napoleon and Jackson streets, where the company owns an up-to-date plant, equipped with the most improved machinery and tools, and is turning out all kinds of cutlery of a quality that has commended its products to discriminating buyers. The goods are sold through jobbers throughout this country and are exported to many foreign countries, the volume of business showing a steady and healthy increase each year. Mr. Good is giving his entire time to the business, in the management of which he has shown fine executive ability. On October 20, 1927, Mr. Good was united in marriage to Miss Alice Reinhold, of Millersville, Ohio. Mrs. Good takes an active interest in local civic and social affairs, being a member of the Mothers Club, the Ladies of Columbia and other organizations and has been effective in efforts in behalf of the public library. Both are earnest members of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic church and are highly esteemed throughout the community because of their excellent personal qualities and their support of all worthy causes. FRED WITMER One of the notable figures in connection with the development of the lime industry in Sandusky county is Fred Witmer of Woodville, the president of the Ohio Hydrate & Supply Company, a concern which has enjoyed an unprecedented growth and is now one of the important lime producers of the country. Of this business Mr. Witmer became one of the organizers in 1916, previous to which time he had had considerable business experience along lines that developed his powers and qualified him for taking up the work of secretary and general sales manager of the new organization. Mr. Witmer was born in Pillow, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, in 1885, and is a son of Jacob Franklin and Sarah TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 383 Elizabeth (Shaffer) Witmer. He acquired a thorough education but in so doing overcame various obstacles and difficulties which would have discouraged many a youth of less resolute spirit. He was reared upon a farm and in early boyhood attended the country schools, and in connection with the usual course of study he gained knowledge of elementary Latin, physical geography, algebra and psychology. These did not constitute a part of the regular curriculum, but the teacher was a good friend of Mr. Witmer and gave him instruction along those lines. He attended high school for six months, but only one hundred and twenty days during that time, yet graduated with a standing of ninety-two per cent and was historian of his class. He lived at home during his student days and also while teaching school, and in addition to his work as pupil and teacher he milked seven cows and took care of the stock on the home farm, devoting the night and morning hours to study, sometimes arising as early as 2:00 A. M. in order to master his lessons. By teaching school for six months, or one hundred and twenty days, each year for a period of three years and working for his board on the farm, he earned enough to pay his way while attending normal school and enrolled in the State Normal at Millersville, Pennsylvania, and in course of time attended successively Temple University in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in Philadelphia, where he majored in commercial law, accounting and finance. For three years, beginning in 1902, he taught school and then became connected with the Charles Warner Company of Wilmington, Delaware, manufacturers of lime. After serving as bookkeeper for six months he was made office manager and paymaster of the subsidiary organi zations of the Warner Company, including the Whiteland Lime Company, Cedar Hollow Lime Company, the McCoy Lime Company and the Keystone Lime Company, and at the same time had charge of the cost accounts and capital accounts of some of the other subsidiary companies. During the ensuing eight years all of these subsidiary companies were consolidated with the Charles Warner Company and Mr. Witmer was delegated to work with the appraisers and systematizers, at the same time continuing his regular duties 24-VOL. 3 384 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY as before. On the completion of these various consolidations and of much reconstruction work he went on the road as traveling salesman for the Warner Company, covering eastern Pennsylvania. The year 1916 witnessed the culmination of his hopes of engaging in business on his own account, for in association with E. G. Baker, F. L. Mauntler, William Price, Otis Bittenger, George Keil, George Mauntler, D. H. Bittenger, E. H. Mauntler and William Keil and others he organized the Ohio Hydrate & Supply Company at Woodville, of which he became secretary and general sales manager, serving in that dual capacity until 1926, when he was elected to the presidency. Their original plan was to build six kilns, but they increased this number to twelve, and as their success warranted a substantial increase in the plant, they added another battery of twelve kilns and still later a third battery of the same size, so that the plant has thirty-six kilns and has thus become the largest individual finishing lime plant in the United States. Mr. Witmer has devoted his attention tirelessly to the promotion of this great concern, which has proven a notably profitable enterprise, and besides being the executive head of the Ohio Hydrate & Supply Company he is also president of the Finishing Lime Association of Ohio, in which capacity he has served continuously since the inception of the organization. The companies embraced in this district now furnish half of the hydrated lime produced in the United States. In financial circles Mr. Witmer is likewise known, being vice president and a director of the State Savings Bank of Woodville and chairman of its executive committee and, furthermore, he is a director of the Multiplex Concrete Machinery Company of Elmore, Ohio. In 1908 Mr. Witmer was united in marriage to Miss Annie Laurie Daniel and they are the parents of two sons : Frederick Daniel, twenty years of age, who is taking an electrical engineering course in Ohio State University; and Franklin Irving, aged seventeen years, attending high school. Mrs. Witmer is active in local civic and social affairs and is a member of the Toledo Choral Society. Fraternally Mr. Witmer is connected with Portage Lodge, No. 351, F. & A. M. ; Toledo Consistory, A. A. S. R. ; and Zenobia Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S., of Toledo. He has mem- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 387 bership relations with the United Commercial Travelers, the Fremont Golf Club and the Catawba Cliffs Beach Club, while his religious connection is with the Dutch Reformed church. His interest in community welfare has been manifest in many tangible ways and his influence is always on the side of progress, reform and improvement. He is a man of marked individuality and upright character who has wisely used his talents and his opportunities, and with the passing years has progressed step by step until he ranks among the prominent, influential and successful residents of his adopted state, having been active in the development of a business which constitutes a potent force in the commercial advancement of Ohio. CECIL RAY AUSTIN Cecil R. Austin is treasurer and manager of one of the important milk concerns in Sandusky county, the Crogan Creamery, of Fremont, and has handled its affairs in a capable and efficient manner, so that he is highly regarded by his business associates. He was born in Freedom township, Wood county, Ohio, in 1884, and is a son of Ira B. and Levina (Fox) Austin, both deceased. The father was a farmer and later had an agricultural implement store in Bowling Green. Cecil R. Austin attended the public schools, graduating from the Bowling Green high school. He took a commercial course in the Davis Business College, in Toledo, Ohio, after which he engaged in farming, to which occupation he had been reared. He followed that line of business for eleven years and about 1920 sold his farm and moved to Woodville, Sandusky county, where he established an ice and coal business. On April 6, 1925, the Crogan Creamery was established in Fremont, and in 1926 Mr. Austin became financially interested in that enterprise, of which he was made treasurer and manager, which relation he has sustained to the present time. The Crogan Creamery handles about three hundred thousand gallons of milk a year, the greater part of which is produced in Sandusky county, the remainder coming from Ottawa county. The company operates twelve trucks 388 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY for collecting and delivering the milk, and has four large milk routes. The business of the company has grown steadily and theirs is now one of the most successful creamery concerns in northwestern Ohio, largely due to the judicious management of Mr. Austin. In 1906 Mr. Austin was united in marriage to Miss Verna L. Weaver, of Wood county, daughter of Simon T. and Hattie (Gander) Weaver. They have a daughter, Thelma Jean, now aged nine years. Mr. Austin has always been a stanch republican in his political affiliation and has been active in local public affairs, having served for several years as a member of the county central committee of his party in Wood county. He belongs to the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, is a member of Pemberville Lodge, No. 516, F. & A. M., of which he is a past master, he and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star, and attend the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Austin is a man of wide general information and broad views and holds well defined opinions on the issues of the day. Everything pertaining to the prosperity and progress of his home community enlists his earnest support and he is regarded as one of Fremont's enterprising and dependable citizens, commanding the genuine respect of all who know him. EDWARD PATRICK FARRELL Actuated by a laudable ambition and at all times finding that keen joy in business activity without which success is never attained, Edward Patrick Farrell has worked his way steadily upward and as the president of the Edward P. Farrell Furniture Company has contributed in substantial measure to the commercial development of Toledo. He was born in Almont, Canada, July 15, 1868, a son of William Thomas and Elizabeth (Sabraugh) Farrell, who were also natives of that country. The father was born at Kingston, Canada, in October, 1839, and was a son of William Farrell, a native of Ireland, who crossed the Atlantic to the British province in the early part of the nineteenth century. Practically his entire life was spent in the English army and during his resi- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 389 dence in Canada he was connected with the military forces of that country. His son, William T. Farrell, became a resident of Toledo in 1884 and was here successfully engaged in the furniture business until his retirement from active life, having in the interim accumulated a sufficient competence to meet all of his requirements and those of his family. His religious faith was that of the Catholic church and in his political views he was a stanch democrat. He passed away in Toledo in 1926, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-seven years. His wife, who was born in Merricksville, Canada, in November, 1837, was of French parentage. By her marriage she became the mother of nine sons and a daughter and of this number five are yet living : John Augustus, a resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts; William A., who makes his home in Youngstown, Ohio; Edward P., of this review; and Dominick Joseph and Ambrose Daniel, both of Toledo. Edward P. Farrell attended public schools in his native country and afterward continued his education in Steadman's Business College of Toledo. When he had completed his commercial course he entered the University of Toledo and thus further qualified for life's practical and responsible duties. In the meantime he had made his initial step in the business world, for when only thirteen years of age he was bound out to learn the upholsterer's trade, which he followed in Canada for two years. After he had completed his studies he entered the employ of the Gendron Wheel Company of Toledo, manufacturers of baby and children's vehicles and invalid chairs, there remaining for eighteen months. The spirit of adventure, however, dominated him. He desired to see something of the world and left Toledo with a small amount of money and a gold watch as his prized possession. On a freight train he made his way to Danville, Illinois, and in like manner he traveled to St. Louis, Missouri. There he became acquainted with the engineer of a freight train, who, forming a liking for the boy, put him in the caboose of the train and gave him free transportation to Sedalia, Missouri. In appreciation of this kindly service Mr. Farrell prevailed upon the engineer to accept his watch, which the man did reluctantly and only on condition that Mr. Farrell give him 390 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY his home address, which he did. Much to his surprise and happiness, when he returned home some time later, Mr. Farrell found the watch, which his engineer friend had sent to him. Privations and hardships were ahead of the youth, but he continued his journey and finally, after several weeks of travel, arrived in San Francisco, where he formed the acquaintance of the superintendent of the Wakefield Rattan Company, who immediately gave him employment. He was not satisfied, however, to work among the kind of men who were in the plant and after ten weeks he so informed the superintendent, who, recognizing the worth and ability of Mr. Farrell, provided him transportation and gave him a letter to the manager of the Chicago plant of the same company. Accordingly he made the return trip to the east in comfort and on reaching his destination was immediately given a job in the Chicago plant. During his residence in that city he boarded with the family of a man who was connected with the secret service department of the Chicago police. One day an atrocious murder was committed which baffled the police. This naturally was much discussed in the home of the officer, who had certain people under suspicion but could get no tangible evidence. In this he sought the aid of Mr. Farrell, instructing the young man what to do and where to go. Following the instructions, he overheard the conversation of the murderers and learned the disposition they had made of their victim. His report was followed by the arrest and conviction of the criminals. The officer was so happy over this that he secured for Mr. Farrell a position as an instructor in the state penitentiary, teaching the convicts the method of working with reeds. After a year there passed he was given a similar position at better pay in the penal institute at Huntington, Pennsylvania, but after a time he tired of this work and returned to Chicago, where he again became an employe of the Wakefield Company. The year 1890 found Mr. Farrell again in Toledo and on the 14th of June of that year he married Miss Maude A. Baxter, who was born in Springfield, Illinois, May 9, 1872, a daughter of Thomas and Marion Baxter and a representative of an old Canadian family. Her father was of English lineage and her mother of Scotch descent. Mr. and Mrs. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 391 Farrell have become parents of four children. Ethel, who became the wife of Mark T. Finch and who passed away April 5, 1921, was the mother of three children : Helen, Virginia and Mark T. Finch, Jr. Gertrude M. Farrell is the wife of Howard Wright and has one son, Howard, Jr. Earl P. Farrell married Vera Powers and has two daughters, Thelma and Erlynne. Howard Edward Farrell married Mary E. Jones and has one daughter, Joyce. All of the children and grandchildren were born in Toledo. It was in the year of his marriage that Mr. Farrell obtained a position with the Gendron Wheel Company, with which he remained until 1893, when he decided to establish business on his own account. Although his capital was small, he rented a little store at 326 White street in East Toledo, purchased the necessary fixtures and secured a small stock of merchandise. When this was done he found that his remaining capital consisted of a dollar and twenty cents, but with unfaltering courage and determined purpose he bent his energies toward the upbuilding of the trade and in course of time established a retail and manufacturing furniture business second to none in northwestern Ohio. His present store is located at 120-24 Summit street and is one of the finest in the city, for he carries a full and complete line of the products manufactured in the leading furniture houses of America. He is constantly studying the public requirements and keeps on hand a stock that meets every demand, recognizing at all times that satisfied customers are the best advertisement. Mr. Farrell is also the inventor and patentee of the Sit-O- Sleep davenport bed, having secured patents on this in England, France, Germany, Argentine, Mexico and Canada as well as in the United States. This piece of furniture sells throughout the civilized world and has brought to its inventor a very substantial financial return. He is also the patentee of the Sit-O-Sleep bed chair, a marvelously comfortable and practically indispensable piece of furniture which is manufactured by the E. R. Farrell (Sit-O-Sleep) Furniture Company, of which Mr. Farrell is president, and which is shipped to all points of the globe. Fraternally Mr. Farrell is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Loyal Order of Moose and 392 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY the Protected Home Circle. He is likewise a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and is interested in everything that has to do with community welfare and civic progress. He has always been a deep student of politics and has delivered many public addresses on political issues, particularly those pertaining to national welfare. In a word he has recognized the duties and obligations as well as the privileges of citizenship and he has done not a little to mold public thought and opinion. At the same time he has won and maintained his place among the foremost business men of Toledo, advancing step by step through his own capability and unfaltering effort until his position in commercial and manufacturing circles is one of leadership. DAVID BOYD BUSHEY The duties of the responsible office of county treasurer of Wood county are being performed by David B. Bushey in a manner that has earned for him the commendation and confidence of his fellowmen. Born in Bloom township, Wood county, Ohio, on the 10th day of November, 1880, he is a son of J. A. and Cora B. (Slaughterback) Bushey. The family was established in Ohio by his grandfather, David Bushey, who came to this state from New England. Mr. Bushey received a good education, attending the public schools, Findlay College and the Tri-State Normal School at Angola, Indiana. He taught school for twenty-four years, three years in Henry township, fifteen years in Bloom township and six years in North Baltimore, and gained a high reputation as an able, devoted and successful educator, his services being in constant demand. In 1926 he was nominated on the republican ticket for county treasurer, was elected by a good majority and is now serving in that position. He gives close attention to his official duties, in the discharge of which he has exercised sound discretion and clear headed judgment, and is taking good care of the finances of the county. He is also a director of the North Baltimore Tractor & Machine Company. For several years he has been TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 393 interested in leasing, contracting and producing oil in this vicinity. On August 19, 1902, Mr. Bushey was united in marriage to Miss Osyth L. Michener, daughter of James W. and Mary E. (Young) Michener of Bloom township. They are now the parents of three children, namely : Geneva Irene, who was graduated from Otterbein University in 1925 and is now teaching in the public schools of Findlay, Ohio; Mervin Emerson and Iva Mae. Mr. Bushey is a member of the Knights of Pythias and he and his wife are earnest members of the United Brethren church, of which he is a trustee. He is also president of the Wood County Sunday School Association. He gives his support to all worthy benevolent or charitable causes and takes a helpful interest in those things which are calculated to promote the public welfare; member of the Commercial Club of North Baltimore and Bowling Green and of the Isaak Walton League of America. He is courteous and unaffected in manner, cordial and friendly in his social relations and throughout the range of his acquaintance commands the genuine respect and esteem of his fellowmen. CHARLES A. HOCHENEDEL Charles A. Hochenedel, a competent and well known civil engineer of Fremont, who is now deputy county surveyor, was born in Fremont in 1871 and is a son of John B. and Sarah (Burkhold) Hochenedel. In the public and parochial schools of this city he received his elementary education, after which he entered Ohio Normal University at Ada, where he pursued the engineering course. He then entered the office of the county surveyor at Fremont, but later engaged in the livery business. In 1901 he was elected county surveyor, in which capacity he served until 1907. He then opened an office and has since engaged in making private surveys as well as serving as deputy surveyor in charge of engineers in the present force of the county surveyor's department, in which he is regarded as an expert and thoroughly dependable. Mr. Hochenedel was united in marriage to Miss Lena 394 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Schrickel, of Fremont, and they are the parents of a son, Harold Earl, who was born in 1903, graduated in engineering and mineralogy from the Case School of Applied Science, at Cleveland, and is now in the county surveyor's office. Mr. Hochenedel is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Chamber of Commerce. He has served for nineteen years as secretary of the Sandusky County Agricultural Society, is the city engineer of the village of Gibsonburg and is regarded as absolutely trustworthy in the discharge of any duty devolving upon him. OLIVER A. OVERMYER The Dodge line of automobiles has been very extensively sold in Huron, Sandusky and neighboring counties through the active and persistent efforts of Oliver A. Overmyer, of Bellevue, who enjoys the distinction of being one of the oldest Dodge dealers, in point of years of service, in this section of the state. He is now president of the Overmyer, Zechman. & Ball Company and is regarded as an able and progressive business man. Mr. Overmyer was born in Lindsey, Sandusky county, Ohio, in 1887, and is a son of Allen W. and Laura (Depp) Overmyer, the father having engaged in commercial affairs in that locality. He secured his education in the public schools of Lindsey and took an academic course in Northwestern College, at Naperville, Illinois. He became the manager of the local telephone company, which position he held for one and a half years, after which he went to Green Springs, Ohio, and engaged in the hardware business, which he carried on for three years. In 1912 Mr. Overmyer came to Bellevue and for about eight months worked in a department store, after which he turned his attention to the automobile business, establishing a garage and general agency. In 1914 he acquired the agency for the Dodge cars in four counties, and also handles the Graham trucks. He met with gratifying success and in 1919 the business was incorporated as the Overmyer, Zechman & Ball Company, of which he is president. They have an attractive salesroom and a well equipped repair shop and TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 395 are prepared to render the highest grade of service promptly and at reasonable rates. He has a branch agency in Sandusky and also has six associate dealers at other points. Mr. Overmyer is also a director of the First National Bank of Bellevue and of the Bellevue Manufacturing Company. In 1909 Mr. Overmyer was united in marriage to Miss Ida Bloker, daughter of Frank and Lucy (Faught) Bloker, of Lindsey, Ohio. They are the parents of three children, LaVahn, who is a student in Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Verrell E. and Richard A. Mr. Overmyer is an active republican and has shown a commendable interest in local affairs, having served two terms as a member of the city council and is now a member of the board of education. He belongs to Bellevue Lodge, No. 273, F. and A. M., Bellevue Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M., Fremont Council, No. 64, R. & S. M., Fremont Commandery, No. 56, K. T., Toledo Consistory, A. A. S. R. ; and Zenobia Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Toledo. He is also a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Plumb Brook Country Club. He manifests an enterprising spirit in all of his business affairs and is devoting his efforts closely to the automobile trade, with very gratifying results. He adheres to the highest business ideals, has proven a reliable man in every relation of life and has won and retains the unqualified respect of all who have dealt with him. GEORGE A. TRUE Endowed with more than one talent, George A. True has won success in the legal profession, as well as in the fields of business and finance, and occupies a central place on the stage of activity in Port Clinton, his native town. He was born December 31, 1865, a son of Oliver J. and Eunice J. (Sanderson) True, and represents an old and honored family of Port Clinton. The father was roadmaster of the Lake Shore Railroad and remained in its service for many years. In politics he was a democrat and earnestly cooperated in all movements destined to prove of benefit to his community. He was a thirty-second degree Mason and a charter member 396 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY of Oliver H. Perry Lodge, F. & A. M., of which he was chosen master, and his grandson, George Oliver True, is now filling that office. In 1905 Oliver J. True was called to his final rest, and his wife's death occurred in 1909. They were the parents of six children, five sons and a daughter. Three children have passed away and those now living are Dr. C. C. True, E. M. True and George A. True. The last named attended the public schools of Port Clinton and when a young man of twenty-three was made principal of the local high school. He filled the position for two years and was a member of the board of county school examiners from 1890 to 1900, contributing materially toward the educational advancement of this part of the state. His training for the legal profession was obtained in the University of Michigan, which conferred upon him the degree of LL. B., and in 1893 he was admitted to the bar. For thirty-five years he has practiced in Port Clinton, successfully handling much important litigation during that period, and is now a member of the firm of True, Crawford & True. George A. True qualified for practice in the United States circuit court in 1894, the supreme court of the United States in 1904 and the United States circuit court of appeals in 1924. He is secretary and a director of the Matthews Company and president of the American Bank and the Port Clinton Lumber & Coal Company. Methodical and systematic, he has scattered his energies without lessening their force and is an executive of unusual capacity and ability. In 1896 Mr. True married Miss Agnes M. Crawford, of Port Clinton, and they have two children, George Oliver and Alice. Both received the A. B. degree from the University of Michigan, and the daughter is the wife of O. M. Baker, of New York city. Mr. True is an ex-president of the Kiwanis Club of Port Clinton and belongs to the local Yacht Club, the Catawba. Cliffs Beach and Country Clubs, the Mallard Club, the East. Bay Sporting Club, the West Bay Hunting Club and the Ottawa County and Ohio State Bar Associations. In politics he is a democrat and as president of the board of education he has done much constructive work. His best efforts have been exerted in behalf of his community, and his life record TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 397 affords a notable example of what constitutes good citizenship. George Oliver True was born in Port Clinton in 1900 and supplemented his public school education by attendance at the University of Michigan, which conferred upon him the A. B. degree in 1921 and that of J. D. in 1923. In July, 1923, he was admitted to the bar and has since engaged in general practice in Port Clinton. He is a talented attorney, well known in legal circles of this locality as the junior member of the firm of True, Crawford & True. In 1923 he married Miss Katharine M. Andrews, of Detroit, Michigan, and they have become the parents of a daughter, Mary Joanne, born December 23, 1928. Mr. True is a York and Scottish Rite Mason, identified with the lodge, chapter and commandery, and is master of his lodge. He is also a member of the Port Clinton Yacht Club and the Ottawa County and Ohio State Bar Associations. Mrs. True is active in the work of the Episcopal church and also in the affairs of the Ladies Social Club and Thursday Study Club and other organizations of a literary and social nature. J. FRED GRAVES A man of well balanced capacities and powers, J. Fred Graves has prospered in business and financial affairs and is one of the influential citizens of Lakeside. He was born in Danbury township, Ottawa county, Ohio, in 1875, a son of Henry A. and Caroline (Bretz) Graves. The father was a native of Sandusky, Ohio, and followed agricultural pursuits, also dealing in live stock. Reared on the home farm, J. Fred Graves attended the rural schools of Danbury township and was graduated from the Sandusky Business College in 1895. He engaged in farming until July, 1919, when he removed to Lakeside, where he has since made his home. He is one of the directors and the cashier of the Bank of Marblehead and has furthered its success by efficient, conscientious work. The other officers are: Louis St. Marie, president; H. G. Gulau, vice president; and J. R. Lane, assistant cashier. Mr. Graves is 398 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY president of the Ottawa Basket Company of Oak Harbor and manifests keen sagacity in the administration of its affairs. He is an experienced, capable business man, as well as an astute financier, and during 1897 and 1898 was a hardware merchant of Sandusky, conducting a store in partnership with his uncle, Henry Foster. In 1900 Mr. Graves married Miss Mary Melchoir, of Sandusky, and they have two daughters: Norma Lane, of Lakeside; and Mrs. Ruth Draheim, who resides in Detroit, Michigan. The parents are Congregationalists in religious faith, and Mrs. Graves is active in the work of the Ladies Aid Society and in social affairs. Mr. Graves casts his ballot for the candidates of the democratic party and has served two terms as township trustee. For one term he was township treasurer, exercising his talents as readily for the public weal as for his own success. He is connected with the Marblehead lodge of the Knights of Pythias, the Port Clinton council of Masons, the Civic Club and the Catawba Cliffs Country Club. His ability, honesty and devotion to duty are well known and have met with a rich return in personal regard as well as material gain. EDWARD HENRY DEPENTHAL Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose, and Toledo mourned the loss of one of her representative and honored residents when Edward Henry Depenthal passed away September 10, 1927. He had a wide acquaintance and was held in the highest regard by all who knew him because of his personal qualities and his high business principles. His birth occurred November 6, 1868, in the city in which he spent his entire life. His father, Christopher Depenthal, passed away many years ago, while his mother, Mrs. Catherine Depenthal, is still living in Toledo and is nearing the ninetieth milestone on life's journey. Both were born in Alsace-Lorraine and the former came to America with his parents, at which time the family home was established in Toledo. In boyhood he always manifested a keen interest in horses and later he engaged in the business