500 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. sum, where she taught until her marriage. After seven years in Michigan, she came with her husband and little daughter back to Catawba Island, thence, after the fire that destroyed their home, they removed to Sandusky, as already related. Here for fifteen years she assisted her husband in retrieving his fallen fortunes, by teaching music and playing pipe organ in two of the city churches. After her two children were graduated from the high school, the son gone to college, and the daughter married, she with her husband rented her Sandusky home, and went to live on their fruit farm, " Sunnyside Orchard," at Catawba Island, in 1892, where they now, (1895) reside. Mrs. Hadden is a progressive woman, being interested in all affairs pertaining to the Island, and entertains largely at their pleasant hospitable home. She is the founder of " The Ladies Afternoon Club," which was organized at her home on June 15, 1892, and has been its president since. It is devoted to literature and current events. She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since early childhood. To Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Hadden were born four children, a brief record of whom is as follows: (r) Ira Amos, born February 28, 1864, died September 8, 1865. (2) Stella Belle, born March 29, 1865, was married to Arthur B. Alexander, of Decatur, Ill., where they now reside; she made music a specialty,. spent a year and a half abroad in travel and study, and is a thorough, brilliant musician and an accomplished lady. (3) James Bertrand, born August 24, 1867, died August 28, 1868. (4) Clarence Bernard, born May 23, 1872, a graduate of Sandusky High School, also of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. (1893), after which he spent a year in post-graduate work in political economy and social science, under Dr. Richard T. Ely, University of Wisconsin, at Madison, Wis. He has assisted his father in the management of the Catawba Island Fruit Co. every season for seven years, and is now (1895) financial secretary of the Associated Charities of Cincinnati. He is also in active work at the Social Settlement, having charge of the " Idlewild Athletic and Musical Club," and other classes. Ira S. Dutcher, father of Mrs. Nathaniel A. Hadden, was born March 13, 1814, at Dover, Dutchess Co., N. Y., of Holland and English ancestry. When five years old he went with his parents, Ruleff (or Ralph) and Almira (Waring) Dutcher, to Auburn, Cayuga Co., N. Y., where he received his education. His father being a millwright, Ira inherited from him his love for machinery and mechanics, and when quite a young man went to Rochester, N. Y., where he learned the millwright's trade, which he worked at more or less until the last few years of his life. He was married July 4, 1838, to Miss Mary Ann Veeder, who was of Scotch, English and Dutch extraction, her grandmother on her father's side being a Scotch lady, and on her mother's side a " Yaukee woman " or English lady. Mr. and Mrs. Dutcher went to housekeeping in East Oswego, N. Y., in 1838, and for thirteen years Mr. Dutcher built elevators and mills on the Oswego river. In 1852, being sent for to come to Sandusky, Ohio, to build an elevator and put machinery in mills, he removed his family there, remaining three years, and in 1855 came to Ottawa county, where he resided until his death thirty years later. He began his career by building the " Cement Works " at the north point of Catawba Island, then called Ottawa City, as it was thought a little city would surely grow out of thiS, enterprise, and a plat for a city was made and named as above. The land was owned by J. B. James, a wealthy gentleman of New York, who was sanguine in the belief that good cement could be procured from the limestone which abounded in such large quantities. So Mr. Dutcher was employed as builder and superintend- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 501 ent, and in 1855 moved his family to the superintendent's house, which to-day is the "Catawba Island House," owned by J. P. Cangney. For various reasons the cement business did not prove as remunerative as Mr. James had expected, and in 1859, after a four-years' trial he abandoned the enterprise and removed the machinery to an Eastern plant. Mr. Dutcher had opened a general store, while manager of the works. When he found his occupation gone, he moved his store and family to Port Clinton, where he formed a partnership with John Jenney, under the firm name of Dutcher & Jenney, and for four years did a general mercantile business, occasionally going out for a job in his favorite machine work. In the fall of 1863 he sold out and moved to a ten-acre farm on the extreme northeast point of Catawba Island, known as " Scott's Point," which he had purchased some time previous. Here, in the old-fashioned log house with its numerous additions, "neath the old Linden tree " (an immense tree over a hundred years old), he moved his family, and lived many happy years. Here his grandson, Clarence B. Hadden was born in 1872. Mr. Dutcher devoted the most of his time to the cultivation of fruit, and was one of the earliest growers of the peach for profit on the Island. His place was called " Linden Place," and his large new house, which he built in 1874– ;5, " The Linden." Here he lived until his death, in 1886. The old house later was accidentally burned, the great linden tree was struck by lightning two or three times, and was taken out root and branch, so to-day no trace of either exists. The new house is now owned and occupied by the second daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Davey, who provide a home for the aged widow, who, on October 2, 1895, was eighty years old. Mr. and Mrs. Dutcher had eight children, only two of whom are living—the two eldest daughters, Mrs. N. A. Hadden and Mrs. J. A. Davey —both of whom live on Catawba Island. Two sons and a daughter who died in infancy are buried in Oswego, and two sons and a daughter are buried with their father and grandmother Veeder in the Catawba Island Cemetery. Mr. Dutcher in politics was a Whig in early life, and later an active Republican; he cast his first vote for Gen. William Henry Harrison in 1836. He was always a temperance man and worker. He was township treasurer, township clerk and school director for many years, was a Good Templar, Odd Fellow and a Royal Arch Mason, holding the office of worshipful master in both Port Clinton and Oak Harbor Lodges. In 1868 he joined the Methodist Church at Catawba Island; his wife has been a Methodist since girlhood. Mr. Dutcher had a sudden death from heart failure. Arising on the morning of January 25, 1886, in his usual health and spirits, about ten o'clock, sitting in his arm chair by the stove opposite his beloved wife, he suddenly placed his hand on his breast, saying. " I don't know what is the matter," leaned back, and ceased to breathe. He was buried from his home, January 27, under the auspices of the Port Clinton Masonic Lodge, the members of which came in a body to do honor to their deceased Brother. CHARLES BLECKNER, a popular druggist of Oak Harbor, and one of the leading influential men of that prosperous little town in Ottawa county, was born in Troy, N. Y., March 19, 1852, a son of Adam and Christina (Lenhardt) Bleckner, both natives of Germany, who emigrated to the United States in March, 1852, landing in America on the day our subject was born. On their arrival in this country the parents located first in Troy, N. Y., remaining there only a few months; then removed to Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio, thence to Rice township, same. 502 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. county, where Mr. Bleckner engaged in agricultural pursuits for upwards of two years. But from the year 1855 up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1857, he was employed at his trade, that of stone mason. The family consisted of two sons and one daughter: Charles, the subject proper of this sketch; William, the efficient postmaster at Oak Harbor; and Lucinda, now the wife of William McKenzie, of Bellevue, Ohio. The mother was again united in marriage, her second husband being Charles Rernley, and is now a resident of Fremont, Ohio. Charles Bleckner, the subject proper of these lines, received his preliminary education in the public schools of Sandusky county, and later in life, being a young man. of very studious habits, he added considerably to his fund of knowledge. The family being deprived, in the death of the father, of the only means of support, our subject was compelled to start out when very young to earn his own livelihood. When eleven years of age he hired out with a neighboring farmer, for whom he worked eight years, receiving in compensation for his services his board and clothes, and at the age of twenty-one succeeded in purchasing some land and engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own responsibility; but in 1877 he severed his connection with the farm and accepted a position as clerk in his brother William's drug store, and in 1879 purchased his drug business at Rocky Ridge, Ohio, remaining there for two years. In 1881 our subject returned to Oak Harbor and purchased a half interest in his brother's store, in 1892 becoming sole proprietor, and he has since carried on the business in his own interests, his store being one of the handsomest in the county. Mr. Bleckner is a " self-made man " in the broadest sense of the term. Thrown upon his own resources when but a young lad, he has displayed wonderful tact in the way in which he has prospered. His reputation as a chemist----second to none in the county--his success as a business man, and his popularity as a citizen, have been acquired by a life of hard, honest labor. On December 22, 1872, Mr. Bleckner was united in marriage, at Perrysburg, Wood Co., Ohio, with Miss Annie A. Hufford, a daughter of Jacob and Catherine Hufford, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania, the latter a native of Holland, honored and respected residents of Wood county for many years, both now deceased. To this union have come six children, as follows: Noah H., born September 24, 1873, now a clerk in his father's store; Emma C., born Jan- uary 13, 1875, now a teacher in Ottawa county; Charles C., born May 19, 1877, will graduate from Oak Harbor public schools in June, 1896; Cora M., born June 27, 1880, died September 24, 1880; Vernah V., born April 28, 1884; and Chester H., born October 3, 1885. Mr. Bleckner is an active member of the Oak Harbor school board, a stockholder in the Oak Harbor Natural Gas Co., a member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M., and Fremont Chapter No. 64, Royal Arch Masons, and a charter member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 735,. I. 0. 0. F. Politically he is affiliated with the Democratic patty. The family are members of the M. E. Church. HENRY LAMMERS (deceased), who was one of the prominent and representative farmers and fruit growers of Ottawa county, spent his entire life in Danbury township, where his birth occurred February 2, 1850, in the old log house that then stood on the homestead farm. His parents, Frederick and Martha (Teeman) Lammers, were both natives of the Province of Hanover, Germany. He was reared in the usual manner of farmer boys, aiding in the labor of the field and attending the district schools of the neighborhood, COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 503 where he acquired a good common-school education. The occupation to which he was reared he made his life work, and was very successful in his undertakings. At Port Clinton, Ottawa county, on the 15th of November, 1877, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Henry Lammers and Miss Mary L. Graves, who was born in Danbury township, March 2, 1854, and is a daughter of John F. and Christine Graves, old and highly-respected residents of Danbury township, but who are now living in Hanover, Germany. To our subject and his worthy wife were born two sons, both still living, namely: Edwin August, born December 26, 1879; and Walter Frederick, born December 4, 1883. Mr. Lammers passed to the other shore on the 14th of June, 1891. Though yet a young man at the time of his decease, still he had done much toward the prosperity of his native township, and was held in high esteem as a friend and neighbor. His wife continues to superintend the duties pertaining to the farm, and the neat, and thrifty appearance of the place indicates taste and good judgment, as well as ability. GEORGE DEEL is the proprietor of the Enterprise Machine Works, of Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, No greater pleasure can be enjoyed by the aged than to look back on a life usefully spent for the good of others as well as themselves—a happiness that can be enjoyed in an eminent degree by the gentleman whose name opens this sketch. Mr. Deel is a native of Pennsylvania, born in New Berlin, Union county, May 7, 1831, and is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Newhart) Deel, both of whom were natives of the Keystone State. On both sides the families are of German ancestry, the paternal great-grandparents of our subject, who were natives of Hessen, - 32 - Germany, emigrating to what is now Frederick City, Md., and at the time of the Revolutionary war they were residents of that city. The parents of our subject came to Ohio in 1861, locating first in Fremont, Sandusky county, but after a short time came to Ottawa county and took up their residence in Salem township, near Oak Harbor, where their remaining days were passed, the father departing this life in 1878, the mother in 1882. They had twelve children, six of whom are yet living besides our subject, namely: Rebecca, widow of John Marks, of Benton township, Ottawa county; Mary, wife of John Orandorf, of Center county, Penn. ; John, who is living on the homestead in Union county, Penn. ; Jacob and Peter, both of Barton county, Kans. ; and Joseph, who is living in Gun Marsh, Michigan. George Deel acquired a common-school education near his home, and afterward learned the trade of a ship carpenter, which pursuit he followed in Pennsylvania until 1861. He then came to Ohio, locating in Salem township, about three miles east of Oak Harbor, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and in the purchase and sale of timber for about sixteen years. In 1877 he came to Oak Harbor, and in connection with dealing in timber he also engaged in the hotel business, conducting the first hostelry of any importance in the town. In 1878 this hotel was destroyed by fire, and the following year he erected the large and commodious brick hotel, so well and favorably known to the traveling public, called the " Portage House." It too was consumed by the flames, on August 4, 1894, and in both conflagrations Mr. Deel was a serious loser. In August, 1894, he purchased the Enterprise Machine Works, and is now conducting a good business. Mr. Deel was married, in McAlisterville, Penn., September 2, 1853, to Julia M. Koch, who was born in Richfield, Juniata Co., Penn., September 28, 1834, 504 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. a daughter of John and Catherine (Baer) Koch. Seven children came to bless this union: Mary Alice, born September 1, 1858, who is the wife of William Fry, of Oak Harbor; Clara E., born November 2, 1860, who died September 29, 1862; James E., born November 13, 1862, who died May 24, 1864; George A., born January 19, 1865, who is now a professor in Eastman College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; Martha E. ,born January 7, 1867, who died April 12, of that year; Nelson K., born January 22, 1869, and Lottie V., born April 11, 1871, the last two still under the parental roof. In March, i865, Mr. Deel manifested his loyalty to the government by enlisting in Company C, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth O. V. I., and served until the close of the war, acting as hospital steward part of the time. His brothers, Jacob, Joseph and Peter, were also Union soldiers. Mr. Deel has served for three years as supervisor of the township; was school director for fifteen years; was township assessor three years; has been councilman nine years; was infirmary director six years; was township trustee six years, and county treasurer for one term, of two years. The very fact of his being called to these various positions indicates the confidence and trust reposed in him by his fellow townsmen, and his honorable official record shows that this confidence has never been betrayed. In connection with his other interests, he is a charter member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M., the second oldest Mason in the place, and a member of George Field Post No. 168, G. A. R. In politics he is a Democrat. In addition to his other business interests he is a director of the Oak Harbor State Bank. But few men have come more directly in contact with the interests of Ottawa county, and none have commanded more completely the respect and confidence of the community at large. His circle of friends and acquaintances is indeed extensive, and in the history of Ottawa county he well deserves representation. The Deel family attend the Lutheran Church. WILLIAM NOBLE, a retired farmer of Salem township, Ottawa county, and a highly-respected resident of Oak Harbor, was born June 19, 1830, in Germany, on the line between the Provinces of Hanover and Prussia, and is a son of Frederick and Lena Noble, both of whom passed away in their native land. Our subject received his primary education in his native land, and there apprenticed himself to the trade of carpentering. In 1850 he emigrated to America, and for two years was employed as salesman in a provision store in New York City. In 1852 he removed to the State of Ohio, locating in Danbury township, Ottawa county, working at his trade during the winter and sailing on Lake Erie during the summer months. In 1858 he purchased land in Salem township, and engaged in agricultural pursuits; and although for the past four years he has been living a retired life, enjoying the rest he has so well earned, he still retains his farm, which is in charge of his sons. Mr. Noble was married in Danbury township September 22, 1858, to Miss Mary Ott, a daughter of Frederick and Fredericka (Grouman) Ott, both natives of Germany, who located in Danbury township in 1855, and moved to Salem township with their daughter and son-in-law in 1858, passing away there in 1867 and 1875 respectively. Mrs. Noble was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, January 18, 1837. To this union were born nine children, viz. : Doris, wife of Sinese Bahnsen, residing in Salem township; William, born April 14, 1861, a prominent farmer of Salem township; Frederick, born November 22, 1863, a merchant of Azalia, Mich. ; Matilda, born March 24, 1866, wife of Niss Paulsen, residing in Bay COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 505 township, Ottawa county; Charles, born October 1, 1868, residing on the homestead; Rudolf, born September 28, 187o, now of Toledo, Ohio; Mary, born July 15, 1873, died March 4, 1876; August, born December 3o, 1878; and one child who died in infancy. Mr. Noble is a Democrat in his political views, has filled a number of township offices, and by the entire community in which he lives is looked up to and admired and respected as a man of sterling qualities. The family are members of the Lutheran Church. HENRY F. HARRISON. Among the leading, influential and representative citizens of Oak Harbor, Salem township, Ottawa county, there is probably no one who enjoys, to a greater degree, the confidence, respect and esteem of his fellow citizens, than does Henry F. Harrison, who was born in Yorkshire, England, July 13, 1833, being a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Jackson) Harrison. The parents emigrated to America in 1844, in the days when nearly all the transportation across the Atlantic had to be done in sailing vessels. After a rough, tempestuous voyage, extending over nine weeks, they landed at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and upon the reopening of navigation in the spring of 1845 proceeded to Boston; thence they journeyed to Ohio, eventually settling in Erie township, Ottawa county, where Mr. Harrison engaged in agricultural pursuits for nearly a year, then moving to Henry county, where he found employment at his trade, that of a miller, remaining there until his death, which occurred in 1848, he being one of the unfortunates carried off by the epidemic of cholera, which passed over that section of the country in that year. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Harrison was again married, this time to Phineas Nearing, and, with part of her family, moved to Port Clinton.  She finally passed away at the home of her daughter, Mary Ann, in Erie township. The family consisted of eight children, two of whom still survive, viz. : Mary Ann, wife of Frederick Rymers, a resident of Erie township, and Henry F. Henry F. Harrison, the subject of this biography, received his primary education in the district schools of Henry county, Ohio, and in the public schools of Port Clinton, his early life being devoted to agricultural pursuits. In 1853 he purchased a rough, uncultivated tract of land in Salem township, then but a wilderness, and, setting to work with that energy and determination characteristic of the early pioneer, he soon became the owner of a valuable farm, and in the face of disappointments and difficulties established himself among the well-to-do agriculturists of that township. In 1882 he sold this farm and purchased the land in Oak Harbor upon which he still resides, where, in connection with agricultural pursuits, he is also engaged in fruit growing and floriculture. In his long life and early pioneer experiences, Mr. Harrison has an interesting history of days gone by, full of hardships and dangers unknown to the present generation. Our subject has been united in marriage three times, the first time to Miss Susanna E. Kirk, daughter of John and Belinda (Knight) Kirk, who was born in Erie township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, April 25, 1837; her parents were both natives of Cecil county, Md., the father, born January 17, 1806, the mother on February 1, 1809. To this union were born two children: John W., born March 29, 1857, died June 9, 1857, and Mary E., born August 19, 1858, the wife of William Snyder, of Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. Harrison's death occurred February 1o, 1862, and on October I, 1864, Mr. Harrison was again married, this time to Mrs. Sarah M. Vincent, widow of Freeman Vincent, of Lorain county, Ohio. To this second 506 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. union were born five children, two of whom now survive: Susan E., principal of the Oak Harbor High School, and Ralph M., in the fruit business with his father. After the death of his second wife Mr. Harrison was married to her sister, Lydia A. Merion; no children were born to this marriage. Mr. Harrison's second and third wives were daughters of David and Mary (Shaller) Merion, the former of whom was born in 1839, passing away in 1876; the latter was born in 1835; their parents were born near Boston, Mass., the father in 1796, the mother in 18o1; these died in 1886 and 1860, respectively. They were married in 1819, and became the parents of eleven children—nine who grew to maturity and two who died in infancy. They came to Ohio the year of their marriage, first locating near Columbus, where they lived a few years, and thence removing to Ottawa county, where they made a permanent home and passed the remainder of their days. In politics our subject votes with the Republican party; socially he is a member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M. He also fills the position of vice-president and secretary of the Oak Harbor State Bank, and director of the Oak Harbor Natural Gas Co. The family are devout adherents of the Methodist Episcopal Church. JOHN BLOOM. Prominent among the retired successful agriculturists of Ottawa county, and typical representative German - Americans of the industrious and thrifty class, may be found the gentleman whose name here appears. He was born in Prussia, Germany, October 3, 1829, a son of John and Margaret (Demon) Bloom, natives of the same province, the former born in 1802, the latter in 1801. In the year 1832 they emigrated to the United States, settling in Schuylkill county, Penn., where the father purchased land, engaging in agricultural pursuits, and where he and his wife passed the rest of their days, honored and respected by all who knew them. The father died in 1835, the result of a railroad accident, caused by the locomotive, on which he was riding, leaving the track; the mother passed away in 1861, and was laid besides the remains of her husband in a cemetery near their old Pennsylvania home. Their family numbered six children, as follows: Catherine, now Mrs. John Engerhart, living in Pennsylvania; Mary, wife of Henry Boch, also in Pennsylvania; John, the subject of these lines; Christian, a blacksmith in the Keystone State; and two who died in infancy. As will be seen, John Bloom was between two and three years of age when he accompanied his parents to this country, and at the common schools of the neighborhood of his first New World home he received his education, at the same time assisting on the farm. Under his father's preceptorship he became well experienced in the various details of agriculture, and deciding to make it his life work, he, on reaching maturity, purchased a farm for himself in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. In 1851 Mr. Bloom was united in marriage with Miss Polly Leiser, of whom further mention will presently be made. In 1861 the family migrated to Rice township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, whence at the end of a year they removed to Salem township, Ottawa county, the father having purchased 160 acres of timber land, being the N. E. quarter of Section 19. Here, assisted by his family, he set to work to hew out a home, clearing away the forest trees, converting the wild land into fruitful fields, and placing good buildings thereon. Later he bought another eighty-acre tract in the same section, which he afterward disposed of to one of his sons. In 1888, having by that time accumulated a comfortable competence, he and his faithful wife, who had COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 507 well done her share toward securing their prosperity, retired from the arduous duties of farm life, and took up their abode in the village of Oak Harbor, where in a comfortable home they are enjoying the fruits of their labor. In addition to his farm our subject also owns a sawmill in Washington township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, which was successfully conducted by him some twenty-five years in connection with his other interests, and is now being operated by his son Levi. To Mr. and Mrs. John Bloom have been born six children, a brief record of whom is as follows: (1) John M., born June 29, 1854, married Sarah Ann Boyer (by whom he had two children), and died in 1881; his wife passed away in the month of March, same year. (2) Levi, born January 6, 1858, married Catherine Boyer, by whom he has five children. (3) Louisa, born June 4, 1862, married Israel Druckenmiller, a farmer of Washington township, Sandusky county, Ohio, and has four children. (4) Susanna, born December 12, 1864, married Perry Boyer, tile manufacturer, also of Washington township, by whom she has three children. (5) Franklin, born March 1, 1867, married Ida Auxter, and has two children; he rents his father's farm. (6) Charles H., born October 23, 1870, married Alvesta Siegenthaler, and has one child; he also operates his father's farm. The mother of this family was born October 21, 1832, in Pennsylvania, where she grew to womanhood, receiving her education at the schools of that State. She is a daughter of Jacob and Susan (Schumaker) Leiser, both also natives of the Keystone State, her father born in 1812, and died in 188o, the mother born in 1809, and died in 1887. They were the parents of eight children, to wit: John (deceased), Nathan, Polly (Mrs. Bloom), Sarah, David, Joseph, Rebecca (deceased) and Samuel; those yet living are all residents of Ohio. The maternal ancestry of Mrs. Bloom dates to days long prior to Revolutionary times. Her maternal grandfather, John Schumaker, was born in 1776, and died in 1856; his wife, Susanna Kunze, died the same year and at about the same age as her husband. Mrs. Bloom's great-grandmother Susanna Kunze was born in 1756, and lived to a ripe old age. Mr. Bloom is a stockholder in the Oak Harbor State Bank, and also in the Basket Factory of Oak Harbor. Politically, he supports the principles of the Democratic party; socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F.. Lodge No. 735, Oak Harbor, while Mrs. Bloom is affiliated with Lodge No. 735, Daughters of Rebekah, Oak Harbor. GEORGE L. SEELEY, one of the leading, influential and representative men of Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, and cashier of the Oak Harbor State Bank, is a native of Ohio, born May 2, 1853, in Lorain county. Morton C. Seeley, father of our subject, was of New England birth, coming at an early day to Lorain county, Ohio, where for many years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits and real-estate business until in his declining years he retired into private life. He was a progressive and honored citizen, and filled many county offices, with honor to himself and satisfaction to the community which he represented. He married Sophia Onstein, also a native of New England, and they had one son, George L., the only child born to them. The subject proper of this sketch received his elementary education at the public schools of his native county, which was supplemented with a course of study at Oberlin College, and, after graduating therefrom, he was employed in drug business for about three years, then in a banking business at Amherst and Chicago until 1887. In October of that year he 508 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. removed to Oak Harbor, and assisted in the organization of the Oak Harbor State Bank, since which time he has continuously filled the position of cashier, with recognized ability and judgment. In 1884 he was married, in Medina county, Ohio, to Miss Luetta M. Spitzer, daughter of Garret and Mary Spitzer, the former of whom died January 3, 1891, aged seventy-three years; the latter at the present time an honored and respected resident of Medina. To this union were born on July 10, 1885, twin sons named respectively Morton C. and Clifton M. Mrs. Seeley in her native town attended the Congregational Church, but in Oak Harbor she worships in the Methodist Church. In his political views Mr. Seeley is a stanch Republican. Garret and Mary Spitzer, parents of George L. Seeley, had born to them a family of eight children, all of whom are yet living, a brief record of them being as follows: Alice is the wife of Aaron Loomis, a prorninest merchant of Wyoming, Iowa; Amherst T. is president of the Medina Savings and Deposit Bank, with residence at Medina, Ohio; Eva is the wife of W. C. Lyon, editor of the Newark (Ohio) American, and ex-lieutenant governor of the State of Ohio, his home being in Newark; Aaron E. is a prominent clothing merchant of Vinton, Iowa; Francelia is the wife of Dr. David N. Loose, a well-known physician of Maquoketa, Iowa; Adelbert L. is a banker and prominent citizen of Toledo, Ohio; Luetta M., is the wife of George L. Seeley, the subject proper of this sketch; Bessie is the wife of Dr. Hodson D. Bishop, a popular and leading physician of Cleveland, Ohio. GEORGE W. KEIGHTLEY, a talented lawyer and progressive citizen of Elmore, Ottawa Co., Ohio, was born in Chatham, Province of Ontario, Canada, June 30, 1836, and is a son of Peter L. and Elizabeth Keightley, who were both natives of England, born in Boston, Lincolnshire, in 1814, the former the son of John and Margaret Keightley, the latter the daughter of George and Sarah Winter, who, as well as their parents, were also born in Boston, England. In 1837 Mr. Keightley's parents left Canada, removing to the township of Van Buren, near Shipshewana, Lagrange Co., Ind., where they are still living, and are worthy and respected members of the community. Our subject is the eldest in their family of four children; Jennie is the wife of J. C. Cook, residing in Lagrange county, Ind.; Edwin NV., is a prominent member of the legal profession, and makes his home at Chicago, Ill., and Anna is dead. George W. Keightley was only one year old when his parents located in Indiana, and he recalls, many times, of having when a child seen the Indians, who had not been removed from that locality. His boyhood days were there spent on the farm. His primary education, which he commenced at the age of ten years, was received in the district schools of the county, and at the age of seventeen he entered the Academy at Ontario, Ind. On completing his literary course, he engaged in the profession of teaching, and during the years 1856 and 1857 he taught in Ottawa county, Ohio. The following year, having been elected to the office of surveyor of Lagrange county, Ind., he returned to that State, and efficiently filled the position for four years; during the latter part of his service he was also engaged in the survey of that part of the line of the Cincinnati & Chicago Air Line railway that lies between Logansport and Valparaiso, Indiana. In 1862 Mr. Keightley commenced the study of law in the office of Robert Parrot, at Lagrange, Ind., with whom he read for nearly two years. He went to Philadelphia, however, in the spring of 1864, and entered the Military School of COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 509 that city, which he attended some six weeks, at the expiration of that time going to Washington, D. C. He passed the required examination of the United States Military Board, of which Maj.Gen. Casey, was president, and soon after, having received a commission as first lieutenant, was assigned to the Forty-first United States Colored Troops, and he remained in the Union service during the war of the Rebellion from that date to the close of the war. He participated in the capture of Fort Harrison, near Richmond, Va., and spent the winter of 1864-65 in the trenches at Dutch Gap Canal, and was with his regiment on the marches and in the engagements from Petersburg to Appomattox in the spring campaign of 1865. He was mustered out in November, that year.   After receiving his discharge from the army Mr. Keightley went to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, from which institution he was a graduate in 1866, and soon after commenced the practice of his profession at White Pigeon, St. Joseph Co., Mich. In September of the same year, however, he came to Elmore, where he has since been constantly engaged in the practice, and today ranks among the leading professional men of Ottawa county. He has always taken an active part in public matters, giving his time and assistance to all enterprises having for their object the advancement and welfare of the town and county, and is a citizen whom Elmore may be proud to claim.   In Chardon, Geauga Co., Ohio, on September 21, 1866, Mr. Keightley was married to Miss Lois Mathewes, a daughter of John and Rachel Mathewes, and two children have come of- this union: Blanche, born February 20, 1873, and Edwin M., born April 4, 1875, both of whom are still living. Mr. Keightley has ever taken an active part in educational affairs, and for ten years held the position of school examiner. For many years he has been a member of Robert H. Caldwell Post, G. A. R., and is a past commander of the same.   He is a leading and representative man of Ottawa county, and merits and receives the warmest confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, who elected him prosecuting attorney of Ottawa county three times, which office he filled to the satisfaction of all concerned, and when he retired from office the opposition press said of him, in noticing the change: " We desire to compliment Mr. Keightley by saying that without exception he made one of the most intelligent, industrious, careful officers the county ever had. His record for the terms he has discharged the exacting duties of the office is without a blemish. He elevated the dignity of the office, and has always dared to do his duty, at all times commanding the respect of the court, the bar and the community."   HENRY KAHLER. Among the early pioneers who fought their way through the many dangers and hardships incident to a pioneer's life, none are deserving of more prominent mention than the parents of this gentleman—Otto and Rachel (Nails) Kahler, both natives of Germany, who emigrated to America and settled in Danbury township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, at an early date, there residing for many years. The father's death occurred in Carroll township May 2, 1891, the mother dying in Danbury township on September 17, 1880.   The subject of this sketch was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, December 4, 1846. His boyhood days were spent partly about the farm, partly in the public schools of his native land, and since his arrival in America he has been actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. On November 20, 1872, Mr. Kahler located in Danbury township, where he remained   510 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   some five years. In 1880 he removed to Carroll township, where he has since continued to reside, ranking to-day among the prominent and successful farmers of that county. Mr. Kahler was married in Germany in 1870 to Mary Kulow, who was born February 25, 1853, daughter of John and Dora (Daunk) Kulow, both natives of Germany, the former of whom passed away in Germany June 24, 1867; the mother is still living at the advanced age of seventy-three years, and resides with her son-in-law, Mr. Kahler. To this union were born nine children, as follows: Minnie, September 7, 1871 (died August 23, 1874); Charles A., December 24, 1874; George, March 28, 1875 (died in infancy); Edward, May 2, 1876; Habbetta M., January 29, 1878; John H., January 26, 1879; William T., July 17, 1882; Herman T., October 30, 1885; Cora J., August 21, I 894. Politically Mr. Kahler is a strong and active supporter of the Democratic party. The family are devout adherents of the Lutheran Church, and enjoy the respect and esteem of the community in which they reside.   JACOB C. CLAPPER, contractor and builder, of Madison township, Sandusky county, also a well-known agriculturist, was born in Bedford county, Penn., December 12, 1840, and is a son of Abraham and Mary (Cashman) Clapper, both of whom were natives of the Keystone State. The father acquired his education in the schools of the neighborhood, and learned the trade of a watch maker in his youth, but also followed farming in early life. He was married in Bedford county to Miss Cashman, and they became the parents of seven children, as follows: John, a soldier of the Civil war, now deceased; Susie, wife of Andrew Biddle; Henry, a lumber manufacturer; Jacob C. ; Eva, wife of David Koons, a farmer of Madison township; Mary, who died in childhood; and Elizabeth, wife of Eli Strayer, a farmer of Pennsylvania. In 1877 the parents of this family came to Ohio and bought ten acres of land of our subject, but later made their home with their daughter, Mrs. Koons, where the mother died in 1879, at the age of sixty-six, while the father passed away in 1884, at the ripe old age of eighty years.   The school privileges which our subject received were very meagre, for schools in his boyhood days were widely scattered, and the advantages in that respect were not of the best. At the age of fourteen years he began to earn his own living, and has since been dependent upon his own resources, so that he may truly be called a self-made man. He began work as a farm hand for $7 per month and board, being thus employed during the summer and autumn months, while during the winter he worked for his board and the privilege of attending school, of which privilege he gladly availed himself. He would arise early in the morning and work late at night in order that he might pursue his studies through the day. He thus managed to spend three seasons in school, and throughout his life has taken advantage of every opportunity to increase his knowlege until he is now a well informed man. For four years he continued to work as a farm hand, his wages being increased as he gained added strength and facility, and to his parents he 'gave his earnings, saving only enough to clothe himself. He was ambitious to make the best of life, and at the age of eighteen he began serving a three-years' apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade. During the first year he received $7 per month for his services, and an increase the two succeeding years. He then resolved to start out in business for himself, and in 1861 came to Ohio, locating in Fremont, were he was employed for a time. He then went down the river, and obtained employment at building a sailing vessel.   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 511   Subsequently he returned to Fremont, where he followed his trade until 1863.   In that year Mr. Clapper enlisted in the government service, to build bridges, and was thus employed at Nashville and Stevensville, Tenn., Bridgeport and several other places during the Civil war. When the war was over, and his services were no longer needed, he again went to Fremont, where he followed carpentering for a year. During that time he came to Madison township, and purchased a tract of improved land of eighty acres, for which he paid $2,250. He borrowed the money to make the first payment upon the place, giving ten per cent interest for the same. He then rented the farm while he removed to Defiance, Ohio, where he began contracting and building, being associated with two partners, who cheated him out of $550 on their first contract, and then left him. Nothing daunted, however, he resolved to engage in business alone, and met with a fair degree of success, thus continuing operations until 1875, when he removed to his farm in Madison township, Sandusky county. He at once began the improvement of his place, and to-day has one of the most highly cultivated and best equipped farms in the township, supplied with good buildings, the latest improved machinery and a fine orchard. He was the first in the township to engage in the cultivation of grapes, and in the new enterprise met with success, at first receiving seven cents per pound for his fruit. He erected a splendid frame dwelling, second to none in the township for architectural beauty, the lumber for the same being made from timber which grew on his own farm, buying only the window sashes and doors for the building, which was erected at a cost of $2,000. He has paid off all indebtedness upon the place, besides adding many good improvements to it, and the farm with its buildings is a monument to his thrift and enterprise. He now carries on general farming, and in addition still en gages in contracting and building with good success.   In September, 1871, at Defiance, Ohio, Mr. Clapper was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Block, of Defiance county, and five ohildren were born to them, all of whom are still living, namely: Rainred J., who was born July 22, 1872, was educated in the public schools of Madison township, and also in select school, and took a course in a business college of Toledo, since which time, with the exception of one year in a store at Helena, he has been engaged in the drug business in Gibsonburg, Ohio; Spencer S., born August 15, 1874, is now engaged in farming and operating in oil; Boyd, born August 11, 1876, is working on the farm and going to school; George H., born November 20, 1878, follows farming; and Daisy E., born July 12, 188o, is at school. The mother of this family died December 3, 1881, and Mr. Clapper remained single for eleven years. He was married September 22, 1892, to Sophia Ickes, widow of John Rosenburg, who was a gunsmith of Elmore, Ottawa county.   For some years Mr. Clapper has held the office of school director, and is still serving in that position. He has been clerk of the board for some time, and has done effective service in the interest of education, being devoted to all that pertains to the advancement of the cause of education. In politics he is a stanch advocate of the Republican party, and the family adhere to the United Brethren Church. He belongs to that class of representative American citizens who push aside the barriers that obstruct the path to competency, and climbing over obstacles reach the desired goal.   CHARLES F. FRESE, senior member of the firm of C. F. Frese & Co., Graytown, Ottawa county, and among the foremost business men of the county, was born at Wood-   512 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   ville, Sandusky Co., Ohio, August 10, 1853, a son of Henry and Louisa (Heilbron) Frese.   Henry Frese and his wife, Louisa (Heilbron), were both born in Germany, in 1813 and in 1815 respectively, and in 1838 came to America, settling in Woodville township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where Mr. Frese died in 1853. They had seven children, three born in Germany—Henry, Louis and Charlotte--and four in America--May, Augustus F., Charles F. (the subject of this sketch), and Louisa—all of whom are living in Ohio, excepting Henry, whose home is in Minnesota. The mother remained a widow some six years, and was then married to R. Berle-man, and six years afterward they moved to Toledo, where Mrs. Berleman died April 6, 1893, at the age of seventy-eight.   Shortly after the birth of Charles F. his parents moved to Toledo, where he lived until 1869, at which time he struck out in the world for himself. Locating first at Elmore, Ohio, he remained there two years as clerk for C. H. Damschroeder & Co. then, at the age of nineteen, took a trip to Minnesota, where he remained six years, and in 1877 returned to his native State, in perfect health from his western trip, and ready for active business. Coming at once to Graytown, Ohio, he entered the store of Ames & Frese, at that place, as clerk, and held that position until 1882. In the meantime Mr. Ames had sold his interest to A. F. Frese, his partner, the latter having been elected to the Legislature of Ohio in 1882, and Charles F. Frese purchased a half interest in the business of his brother. He is now at the head of the firm; is one of the well-known and highly-esteemed business men of the county, is practical, a man of modern ideas, and vastly popular. In addition to his mercantile interests he has invested quite extensively in landed property, which he carefully superintends and directs. Like many other good men, he became tired of traveling life's pathway alone, and consequently, on July 27, 1893, he united himself in marriage with Miss Amanda Elizabeth Steffens, of Gypsum, Ottawa Co., Ohio. Mr. Frese and his estimable wife are pleasantly located in a comfortable home at Graytown.   Mrs. Amanda E. Frese was born at Gypsum, Ohio, November I, 1875, where she lived the greater part of her life until her marriage. She acquired a liberal education in the public schools of her native town, and also took up the study of instrumental music. Her father, Henry Steffens, was born in Germany January 25, 1837; came to America at the age of fourteen, and settled in Gypsum, Ohio, where he now lives. On February 22, 1866, he was united in marriage with Dorathy Dittmer, of the same nativity, born January 23, 1847, and they have had four children—two sons and two daughters. Henry Steffens' father, Herr Johans Steffens, was born July 15, 1807, and died November 26, 1837. The maternal grandmother of Mrs. Frese, Sophia (Huelse) Dittmer, was born May 5, 1805; died October 19, 1866; and the maternal grandfather was born in Germany in 1801; died in 1847. Mrs. Frese's great grandparents on her mother's side were born in Germany, the great-grandfather in 1760, and the great-grandmother in 1785. Mrs. Frese's ancestry is therefore here traced back one hundred and thirty-five years.   JAMES FERRIS. This gentleman has been a resident of Ottawa county since before its organization, and for the last forty years has been a resident of Benton township, where, as a progressive farmer and valuable citizen, he is well and favorably known.   An Ohioan by birth, he is a native of Clark county, born November 18, 1829, son of Andrew and Desire (Larnard) Ferris, both of whom were New Englanders,   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 518   the father born about 1776 in the State of Connecticut. They were the parents of ten children, all now deceased but two --James, and Lewis, who lives near Topeka, Kans. The mother died July 23, 1832, and was buried in Clark county, Ohio, and in about 1837 the father came to Ottawa county, where he passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1858; he was laid to rest in the cemetery at Elmore.   James Ferris spent his boyhood in his native county, attending the log schoolhouse of the district, where he obtained all his education. When about thirteen years of age he hired out to do farm labor at four dollars per month, afterward receiving eight and, later, ten dollars per month, and at the early age of sixteen he rented a farm, which he continued to work for seven years. Meantime, when twenty-one years old, he purchased eighty acres of land of ex-Gov. Wood, and shortly afterward traded this tract for the farm whereon he now lives, consisting of ninety-six acres, lying in Section 3o, Benton township, of which at that time only twenty acres had been cleared. A little log house, 12 X 12, was the only building on the tract, and Mr. Ferris lived therein until he had erected a more substantial dwelling, in which he lived for fifteen years. His stock of agricultural implements in those days was materially different from the outfit he now uses; he had a plow with wooden mould-board instead of the modern sulky plow, with steel mould-board, and a yoke of oxen for a team. Wagons were a luxury. Having none of the modern conveniences for handling hay, they used a forked brush with limbs bent down, onto which they would roll a bunch or two of hay and haul it to the stack; another way was to take a long grape-vine, wrap it around a bunch of hay, and draw it to the stack. In comparing the old and new methods, the great improvements in farming which have been made in recent years for economizing and saving both time and labor are really striking. In 1852, when the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad was in process of construction through Benton township, Mr. Ferris engaged in getting out ties, and later, in 1853, he assisted in the grading of this road between Elliston and Graytown. After the grading was completed, he hauled ties for the Railroad Company, as well as all the timber for the old Graytown bridge over the Tousaint creek. In connection with general farming, he has paid some attention to fruit growing, especially apples and peaches, and he has one peach tree which has borne fruit for the past forty years. Mr. Ferris has certainly done one man's share in the development of Benton township's agricultural interests, and he has also taken an interest in local public affairs, taking a loyal pride in the welfare and prosperity of his community. When Ottawa county was erected he was a resident of Harris township, and saw the officials when they were making their tour of the county to locate the county seat; for ten years he served faithfully as treasurer of Benton township, during part of which time there were only twelve or fifteen votes within its limits; now there are nearly six hundred.   In 1853 Mr. Ferris was married to Miss Elizabeth E. Brayton, of Harris township, and she was his constant adviser and helper until her death, in April, 1895, husband and wife uniting their efforts to secure a good home for themselves and family; and the fine farm, cleared and improved with good fences, buildings, etc. , shows that their labor was not in vain. To this union were born nine children, viz. : Stephen, born February 2, 1854; Ezekiel R., born October 3o, 1857; Evelyn F., born October 9., 1859; Asa I. , born August 19, 1861; Mary C., born April 24, 1864; Augustus L., born March 13, 1866; James, born February 28, 1868; Cora E., born September 26, 187o; and Christina, born   514 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   May 1, 1873. Of these, Stephen died September 15, 1870, and Evelyn F., on September 22, 1879. One daughter, Christiana (Mrs. Shoemaker) lives in Graytown. Mr. Ferris has always taken an interest and pride in the success of his children, helping them as much as possible on their start in life, for having himself commenced unaided he realizes to the full the advantages of such help to a beginner; they have, however, made the most of their abilities and opportunities, and industry and ambition are prominent characteristics of the entire family. The eldest living son, Ezekiel R., left home for Kansas with but ninety dollars, which he paid for arranging papers for his property out there; during the erection of his house he was boarding seven miles from the place, and frequently, at the close of a hard day's work, he would lie down on the ground and sleep until morning; he is still living in Kansas; he is a farmer, and has 320 acres of land. Augustus L. Ferris, the sixth child, like others of the family, is a great lover of books, and he always carries one in his pocket, improving every leisure moment. In his boyhood he worked on the farm in summer and attended district school in the winter, making the most of his time in and out of school, and by reading and study fitted himself for the profession of teaching, now holding a three-years' certificate in Ottawa county; the State of Ohio issues only one grade of certificate higher than this. At the age of twenty he commenced teaching in the county, and after three terms of teaching learned telegraphy, at which he worked for several years. In 1892 he returned to his profession, accepting his present position of principal of the Graytown schools. It may be said that this young man has made a success of everything he has undertaken, and he has a bright future before him. On September 15, 1892, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eisenman, of Gray-town, and to this union has come one child, Harold Brayton, born August 17, 1893. Four children of the Ferris family are teachers, and excellent ones, and they may be said to have taken the same part in the intellectual advancement of the county as their father has in its agricultural development. One daughter, Mary, remained at home, assisting in the household duties, until seventeen years of age, when she set out to fit herself for teaching, and she became one of the best teachers in the county. Cora was the only member of the family who enjoyed the privilege of attending high school. She began teaching when sixteen years of age and taught eight years, when she married Charles Hess, of Gypsum, Ohio.   Mrs. Elizabeth E. (Brayton) Ferris was born October 18, 1831, in Huron county, Ohio, where she spent her girlhood, and met Mr. Ferris after coming to Ottawa county. Asa Brayton, her father, was born about 1798, in Vermont, and her mother was a native of New Jersey, born in 1796; they had three children—two sons and one daughter (Mrs. Ferris)—of whom, one son died while serving in the Mexican war. Asa Brayton met his death in the service of his country, he and his brother having entered the war of the Rebellion, and he was shot at the battle of Pittsburg Landing. One of Mrs. Ferris' cousins, Mathew Brayton, was stolen by the Indians when seven years old, and grew up among them, marrying the daughter of an Indian chief, by whom he had two children. Two brothers of Mr. Ferris' grandmother were scalped by the Indians.   HENRY CROLL is recognized as one of Ottawa county's foremost agriculturists, not only as a large landowner, but also for the very able manner in which he conducts his extensive farming business.   Mr. Croll is the son of Jacob and Martha (Schu) Croll, and was born Janu-   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 515   ary 14, 1843, in Germany, where he lived until fourteen years of age, during which time he acquired a liberal education in the German language. This, together with three months' schooling in this country, was all the education he received in the schoolroom; but he has gained, in the broad school of experience, a practical business education which, coupled with patience and perseverance, has enabled him to accumulate a large property and make a handsome home. In 1857 he came to America with his parents, the family settling in Erie county, Ohio, where they remained about eighteen months, thence removing to Benton township, Ottawa county, where the father purchased fifty-two acres in Section 36. This he cleared with the help of his sons, and subsequently selling it to Valentine Fulkert, removed to Wood county, Ohio, where he and his wife both passed the remainder of their days.   In 1865 our subject returned to Benton township and married Miss Anna Fulkert, and from the time of his marriage up to 1873 rented a farm of his father-in-law. In that year he purchased of Mr. Fulkert the fifty-two acres formerly owned by his father, where he has since lived, and which is now equipped with large modern buildings and other substantial improvements, everything on the farm indicating that the. owner is a nineteenth-century agriculturist, both theoretically and practically. In 1876 he added forty-four acres to the original tract; in 1882, fifty acres; in 1885, seventy acres; in 1890, eighty acres, and later a farm of eighty acres near Oak Harbor. Mrs. Croll has forty acres of timber land from her father's estate, the whole making a grand total of 416 acres, all of which is under cultivation. In addition to these extensive farming operations, Mr. Croll is a dealer in all kinds of stock, selling to local dealers. As in farming so in politics, Mr. Croll is active, using his influence in behalf of the Republican party, of which he is a stanch adherent. In religious connection he and his wife are both members of the Evangelical Church, and their Christian character and lives are indeed worthy examples to their children.   Mr. and Mrs. Croll have had a family of nine children, as follows: Lizzie, born November 19, 1865; Sophia, born January 20, 1868; William, born March 5, 1870; John, born April 14, 1872; George, born May 19, 1874; Valentine, born April 30, 1877; Katie, born November 28, 1879; Henry F., born April 9, 1882; and Emma, born December 25, 1887, of whom Lizzie was married May 3, 1883, to John Dorsch, by whom she has four children—three daughters and one son. Of these, Sophia is the wife of -William Almroth, an enterprising farmer of Benton township; George, died December 25, 1877; Willian, John, and Valentine and Henry are engaged with their father in his agricultural operations; John was married September 19, 1895, to Miss Elizabeth Stick. Katie and Emma superintend the hoasehold work, their mother having been an invalid for several years. In addition to their home duties they rind time to pursue the study of instrumental music, and in every way possible keep pace with the times, the spirit of progressiveness being a distinct characteristic of the entire family.   Mrs. Croll was born November 5, 1845, in Ottawa county, where she lived during her girlhood days, receiving such education as was offered the youth of that time. She has seen the development of her own beautiful home, and of the entire surrounding country as well. She has always been an active thinker, keeping abreast with the times, and leaves nothing undone for the comfort and happiness of her family, training her children to lives of usefulness. From the time of her marriage she has taken a keen interest in her husband's business success, keeping well in mind all his transactions, even to the dates of land purchases, erection of build-   516 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   ings, etc., and though she has been an invalid, confined to her easy chair, for some time, she is never idle, preferring to be occupied at something. Her parents, Valentine and Elizabeth (Haman) Fulkert, were both natives of Germany, the father born in 1812, the mother in 1816; they were married in Ohio in 1844, and reared a family of four children, two of whom are now living—Mrs. Croll and her brother John.   Mr. Croll's parents were also natives of the Fatherland, where his father, who was a blacksmith by vocation, was born in 1806, his mother in 1809. They were married in 1832, and by their union became the parents of eight children, three of whom are living—two sons and one daughter. The father died March 24, 1879, the mother on September 21, I 887.   JOHN ELKINGTON, SR. This honored pioneer, highly respected citizen and worthy farmer of Clay township, Ottawa county, was born in England, opening his eyes to the light of day on the 20th of January, 1809, in the town of Bourton, near Banbury, Oxfordshire. He is a son of Thomas and Jane (White) Elkington, who resided in that place, the father following the occupation of a shepherd in the employ of a farmer of that county. John acquired a limited education in his native town, and began earning his living as an employe in a mill, to which work he devoted his energies until forty years of age.   On April 30, 1831, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Lovell, of Northamptonshire, England, and they became the parents of two children: Eli, and one who died early in childhood. The mother died in her native land in 1842, and nine year.; afterward Mr. Elkington with his son Eli emigrated to America, coming to Ohio, and took up his residence in East Toledo, where he worked on a railroad for a year or more. He then came to Clay township, Ottawa county, purchasing forty acres of timber land, in a locality where no roads were laid out, and where the settlers were widely scattered. After building a log cabin, he at once began to clear his land, undaunted by the arduous task that lay before him. He worked early and late to accomplish his labor, and in course of time his tract was under a high state of cultivation, while a comfortable dwelling took the place of the log cabin in which he and his family were sheltered in those early days. He also built barns and other necessary outbuildings, planted an orchard and made the improvements that are found upon the model farms of to-day. He had to endure many trials and hardships; but patience, perseverance and energy at length overcame these, and he accomplished a task which would daunt the energy of many of the present generation.   Mr. Elkington was married again August 23, 1851, his second union being with Mehitable Butler, who was born in New York, April 9, 1824. Five children were the fruit of this union, namely: Jane, born December 4, 1852, and died February 1, 1854; John, born October 29, 1855; Thomas, born June 17, 1857, and drowned while bathing near his home, July 20, 1878; David, born August 1, 1859; and Lewis, born May 1, 1861. The mother died August 27, 1891, leaving a loving husband and three children to mourn the loss of a devoted wife and faithful mother. The eldest son was educated in Clay township, Ottawa county, and has always followed farming. He was married December 6, 1888, to Melissa (Risley) Wood, widow of David Wood, whose brother, Samuel Wood, is sheriff of Ottawa county.   John Elkington, Jr., and his wife have one son, John, born December 26, 1891. He was elected trustee of Clay, Ottawa county, for one term on the Democratic ticket, was constable of the town-   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 517   ship two terms, and is also school director in the special school district, and clerk of the school board. He belongs to Clay Lodge, No. 584, I. O. O. F.., of Genoa, and of the Masonic fraternity, and is a prominent and highly-respected citizen. David Elkington, the second son of our subject, was educated in Clay township, and follows the occupation of bridge building in Zanesville, Ohio; he was married October 10, 1893, to Jennie Gal-lager, and they have one child. Lewis, the third son of the family, was born and educated in Clay township and follows farming on the old homestead; he married January 2, 1894, to Alice Walker, of Oak Harbor. Eli, the eldest son, died in Toledo, Ohio, leaving a family.   Our subject, John Elkington, is one of the oldest residents of Clay township, having attained the ripe age of eighty-six years. Although somewbat feeble, his mind is active and he is an entertaining conversationalist, relating in an interesting manner incidents of pioneer life here when he was struggling to make a home, of how he aided in erecting and maintaining the schools in the district, and served as a member of the school board for several years. He also assisted in laying out the roads and digging ditches, and in promoting the work of public progress. He is a stalwart Democrat, but not an office seeker, preferring to give his attention to his business. He has lived honestly, treating all with fairness and justice, and is widely and favorably known throughout Sandusky county, esteemed by young and old, rich and poor alike. While devoted to the best interests of his adopted land, he still retains a true love for England.   WILLIAM A. COOPER, senior member of the firm of Cooper Brothers, general merchants and prominent citizens of Lakeside, was born in Portage township, Ottawa county, June 22, 1853, and is a son of Caleb and Jeanette (McDonald) Cooper. He was educated in the public schools of his native township, and, on leaving the school-room, worked upon the homestead farm until 1882, when he began contracting and building at Lakeside, putting up the addition to the Lakeside Hotel," and also erecting several other prominent buildings in the vicinity. In 1894, in connection with his brother, Ranald L., he began his present business, in which he is meeting with excellent success.   On December 18, 1877, in Portage township, Mr. Cooper was united in marriage with Eliza Howard, a daughter of William and Mary Howard, natives of England. Her mother is now deceased, but her father is still living, and makes his home in Jefferson county, Neb. To our subject and his wife were born four children, two of whom are yet living, Bessie and Mary. Mr. Cooper belongs to Peninsular Lodge, No. 607, K. of P., of Lakeside, and Lakeside Tent, No. 81, K. 0. T. M. His political views coincide with those of the Republican party, to which he gives his support, and the family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church. Though still a young man, Mr. Cooper occupies a high position among his fellow citizens. Standing on the vantage ground of his past achievements, he has certainly much to hope for and look forward to, and with his practical business knowledge and good judgment his future is sure to be a bright and prosperous one.   Caleb Cooper, the father of our subject, is a prominent and successful fruit grower of Portage township, Ottawa county. His birth occurred in Boughton, County of Kent, England, August 17, 1826, and he is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Billsby) Cooper, the former a native of Northamptonshire, the latter of Lincolnshire, England. His mother died when he was quite young, and with his father and the other members of the family he migrated to this country, locating   518 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   in Monroeville, near Bellevue, Huron Co., Ohio, about 1844. His father resided with his children until his death, which occurred about 1870, when he was at the advanced age of eighty-three years. In his early life he had been a stock buyer for a number of years, but later for eleven years superiutended the estate of the Earl of Chelsea, in Kent, England. After coming to America he made his home with his children, and did not engage in any arduous duties. He had ten children, only two of whom are now ing—the father of our subject; and Maria, widow of William Day, and a resident of North Monroeville, Huron Co., Ohio. Caleb Cooper received a very limited education in the school on the estate of the Earl of Winchelsea, after which he acted as page for a clergyman for some years. On his arrival in the United States, he began agricultural pursuits, but soon after the breaking out of the Mexican war, he enlisted in the First Mich. V. I. , under command of Col. Stocton, and did garrison duty at Cordova, Mexico, for four months. After serving for a little over seven months, he was discharged at Detroit, Mich., after which he returned to his home at Monroeville, Ohio, where he resumed farming. It was about 1848 when he purchased his preseut farm in Portage township, Ottawa county, where he has since engaged in agricultural pursuits, but of late years has devoted the greater part of his attention to fruit growing.   At Plaster Bed, Ottawa county, on November 16, 1849, was celebrated the marriage of Caleb Cooper and Jeanette McDonald, who was born in Banffshire, Scotland, January 15, 1859, and was a daughter of Alexander McDonald, a native of Scotland and early settler of Portage township, Ottawa county. Her mother is still living, but her father is deceased, having passed away at the advanced age of over eighty years. Mrs. Cooper died March 17, 1888, leaving four children: Sarah, born October 15, 185o, wife of George P. Englebeck, of Des Moines, Iowa; William A. is next in order of birth; Ranald L., born July Jo, 1857; and Margaret M., born January Jo, 1859, still living with her father.   Mr. Cooper generally supports the men and measures of the Republican party, but is not strictly partisan, believing in voting for the best man regardless of his party affiliations. With his family he attends the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a systematic agriculturist who has met with a well-deserved success, and has acquired all his possessions by his own industry, business economy and good management. He is a quiet, peaceable, kind-hearted neighbor, respected by all who know him for his many noble traits of character.   JOHN BOSCHEN, one of the most progressive and prosperous fruit growers of Portage township, Ottawa county, is a native of the county, having first seen the light July 4, 1839, in Danbury township.   His father, Claus H. Boschen, was a native of Hanover, Germany, and in 1832 crossed the Atlantic to New York. On landing in that city as he could find no employment at his trade, that of blacksmith, he went to Long Island, where for four months he was engaged in farm labor at $4.00 per month. Returning then to New York City, he met an old friend who was then engaged in the manufacture of candy, and worked with him for some time, finally buying his employer out and continuing in the business until his removal to Ohio, in 1835. Locating in Danbury township, where he was one of the earliest settlers, he carried on agricultural pursuits there up to the time of his death, which occurred April 13, 1883. He married Elizabeth Shook, who was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, and in 1825 settled in Portage   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 519   township, Ottawa county, with her parents, John and Susanna Shook, who in pioneer days migrated from Pennsylvania to Pickaway county, Ohio, living there until coming to Ottawa county. The father was a teamster, and during the war of 1812 carried provisions across the Alleghany mountains for the army. Mr. and Mrs. Boschen became the parents of four children, all yet living, namely: John; Susanna, wife of William Tankey, who lives near Elmore, Ottawa county; Martha, wife of Henry Schweck, who is living on the old homestead in Danbury township; and Mary E., who makes her home with her sister Martha.   Our subject was reared a farmer boy, and acquired but a limited education in the district schools of his native town; but he had ample training at farm labor, and since his boyhood days has successfully followed agricultural pursuits. He has also operated a threshing machine for nine years, and a cider-mill some twelve years, while for the past fourteen years he has been extensively engaged in the cultivation of grapes and peaches, and owns and operates one of the most productive fruit farms in the township.   On April 7, 1861, in Danbury township, Ottawa county, Mr. Boschen was united in marriage with Miss Laura J. Rouse, who was born in that township August 3, 1841, and is a daughter of George L. and Mary (Knapp) Rouse. Three children graced this union: Norma S., born August 6, 1863, who died September 2, 1883; Bennie F., born December 14, 1866, died May 12, 1889; and Mattie A., born April 1, 1868, married June 11, 1887, to Sherman Shook, and they have two children—Bennie B., born March 5, 1888, and Ethel, born June 21, 1889. Mr. Boschen has efficiently filled the office of township trustee four terms, and though frequently tendered numerous other positions of trust has always declined to serve, preferring to give his time to the duties of his farm and the enjoy-   - 33 -   ment of his home. Politically, he votes with the Democratic party, and, socially, he is connected with 0. H. Perry Lodge No. 341, F. & A. M., of Port Clinton, and he is a member of Sandusky City Chapter. He is a man of untiring energy and perseverance. Favored with but few early advantages for mental culture, he made the most of his opportunities, has became well-informed and the possessor of a handsome competence. He is an ideal self-made man, and, having earned what he possesses by hard labor and economy, thoroughly understands its true worth.   RANALD L. COOPER, a member of the firm of Cooper Brothers, general merchants, of Lakeside, Ottawa county, and the youngest son of Caleb and Jeanette (McDonald) Cooper, was born in Portage township, Ottawa county, July 1o, 1857.   He spent his boyhood days upon the homestead farm amidst the surroundings of a comfortable home, and received the advantages of a liberal education in the public schools of his native township. On completing his studies, he was engaged as a salesman in general mercantile establishments in Port Clinton and Gypsum, Ohio, and also in Victor, Iowa, until 1881. From that year until 1883 he was employed as a clerk by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, at Sandusky, Ohio, and for the next five years then served in the same capacity with the Lake Erie & Western railroad, at Lima, Ohio. In 1889 he was appointed freight agent for that company at Lima, which position he filled until the latter part of November, 1893. In the following year he formed a connection with his brother William A., and they are now conducting a successful general mercantile establishment.   In the city of Sandusky, Ohio, on November 13, 1883, was celebrated the mar-   520 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   riage which united the destinies of Mr. Cooper and Miss Flora A. Boor, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Boor, both natives of Pennsylvania, and three children have come to bless their union: Ranald L., born March 22, 1886; Hazel, born January 1, 1890, and Kenneth, born December 13, 1892.   Mr. Cooper is connected with several civic orders in Lima, Ohio, belonging to Lima Lodge, No 91, Knights of Pythias; Criterion Council, No 1162, Royal Arcanum; and Ottawa Council, No. 125, National Union. His political preferences are with the Republican party, which he always supports by his ballot, and with his family attends the Methodist Episcopal Church. He holds a high position in social as well as business circles, and gains the confidence and regard of all with whom he comes in contact.   CHARLES INGRAHAM, of the firm of F. Ingraham & Co., general merchants, of Curtice, Ottawa county, and a popular citizen of that thriving town, was born in Ontario, La Grange Co., Ind., October 28, 1847.   He is a son of Dwight and Mary (Wykel) Ingraham, the former a native of Huron county, N. Y., the latter born near Philadelphia, Penn. They were married at Middleburg, Ohio, in 1844, and became the parents of three children: Vesta, born May 7, 1846, now the wife of Christian Linderman, and living near McComb, Ohio; Charles, the subject of this sketch; Emma, born September 8, 1852, now the widow of Albert S. Burtch, and living with her mother in Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., Mich. During his life Mr. Ingraham was engaged in the coopering business, and was a prominent and highly-respected citizen of Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., Mich., where he died October 30, 1865; his widow is still living in that county.   Charles Ingraham, the subject of this sketch, was but a year old when his parents removed from Indiana to Michigan. He received a fair education in the public schools of Sturgis, Mich., and learned the trade of a cooper with his father, following that occupation some twenty-five years. In 1870 he moved to Clayton, Lenawee Co., Mich., and there worked at his trade for six years. He then went to Toledo, and became identified with the firm of H. C. Haskins & Co., wholesale dealers in fruit, in which he continued five years. He then became the secretary of the Toledo Fruit Co., in which he was a stockholder, remaining with that company for one year. In 1894 Mr. Ingraham came to Ohio, settling in Curtice, where his son Frederick had established himself in business some three years previous, and has been engaged in the mercantile business, also owning large farming interests in Lucas county. He has been twice married, the first time in Ontario, Ind., in October, 1868, to Catherine Olive Tyler, a native of New York State; of this union, one child, Frederick Dwight, was born, in Ontario, Ind., April 1o, 1869. Mrs. Ingraham died in Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., Mich., February 15, 1874. The second marriage of Mr. Ingraham took place at Bronson, Branch Co., Mich., October 31, 1876, to Miss Emma Louise Moore, a native of that State, and they became the parents of three children: Pearl, born in Centreville, Mich., July 20, 1878; Nellie, born in Sturgis, Mich., July 14, 1880; and Lulu, born in Clayton, Mich., April 25, 1886.   Mr. Ingraham has recently been elected treasurer of Allen township, and his well-known business ability and undoubted integrity give the assurance that he will fill the position with credit to himself and with fidelity to the best interests of his community. Politically, he is a stanch Republican; and socially, he is a member of the Masonic Fraternity (although he is not at present affiliated with any lodge),   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 521   and is a member of Adrian Commandery, at Adrian, Mich. His family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are highly respected by all who know them.   ERNST FRANCK, better known to the residents of Ottawa and Sandusky counties as " Squire Franck," has for the past forty-five years been an honored and respected resident of this section of the State. He was born August Jo, 1824, in the extreme northern part of Wurtemberg, Germany, son of John Christian and Augusta Wilhelmina (Smitt) Franck, also natives of Wurtemberg, where they spent their entire lives, the father passing away in 1847, the mother in 1846.   The subject of this review acquired his primary education in the district schools of his native town, and from 1839 until 1843 attended the Polytechnic School of Stuttgart. In 1843 he entered the University of Tuebingen, where he spent three and a half years, in 1847 graduating for State service in the branches of forestry and finance. He served in those departments until 185o, in March of which year he crossed the ocean to America, coming direct to Ohio. He located in Salem township about a mile and a half from the site of Oak Harbor, on the land where he still has his residence. He has lived to see Oak Harbor grow from an insignificant village of two or three log cabins to an important and flourishing town, which he himself laid out. Mr. Franck served as county engineer for thirty-eight years—during which time he platted all the towns in Ottawa county—and for thirty-three years as county surveyor, and the greater part of the roads and ditches and townships have been laid out and platted by him or under his supervision. In 1856 he was appointed justice of the peace, and for more than thirty-eight years has faithfully performed the duties of that office with a painstaking fidelity that has won for him the unlimited confidence and respect of the people he has so efficiently served. Mr. Franck is an excellent type of the sturdy old pioneers of Ottawa county, to whom too much credit can not be given for the improvement and advancement of the country. He has seen the dense forest replaced by fertile fields, and has himself been instrumental in effecting these changes. In his long life and early pioneer experiences he has an interesting history, and could relate many a tale of hardships and dangers endured by the early settlers of these counties that the present generation does not realize. He has a host of friends whose confidence he well merits, and he is one of the best known residents of Ottawa county. In manner he is modest and unassuming, but his sterling worth is recognized, and he has the esteem of young and old, rich and poor. Since becoming a citizen of the United States, he has been a supporter of the Democracy.   Mr. Franck has been twice married; first time, in Salem township, in 1851, to Miss Mary Wheeler, daughter of John and Nancy Wheeler, natives of Connecticut and early settlers of Ottawa county. Mrs. Franck died February 1o, 1854, and the three children of that marriage have also passed away; the eldest,. Rudolph E., born March 13, 1852, died August 14, 1894; the other two (twins) died in infancy. In the fall of 1854 our subject married Louisa, daughter of William G. and Regina Franck, natives of Germany, who spent their last days in Salem township, Ottawa county. The family born of the second marriage numbered ten children, to wit: Wilhelmena Augusta, born December 7, 1855, now the wife of Dr. S. D. Allen, of Oak Harbor; Caroline Feodora, born April 15, 1857, now the wife of John Eckhoff, of Oak Harbor; Herman, born January 29, 1859, died May 16, 1870; Julia Louisa, born March o, 1861, now the wife of William Camp-   522 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   bell, of Oak Harbor; Elenora, born December 9, 1862, now the wife of Dr. Gradolph, a dentist of Oak Harbor; Ernestina Louisa, born February 16, 1864, now the wife of Carl Bauch, of 'Oak Harbor; Christian William Godfrey, born November 7, 1867, married to Miss Cora Lattimore, and they reside on the .old homestead; Paul Frederick, born March 20, 1870, died August 26, 1878; Carl A. Frederick, born October 14, 1872, now a merchant in Crossville, Tenn. ; and Emil Feodor born January 23, 1876, living in Oak Harbor. The family attend the Lutheran Church, and all the members are people of prominence in the community.   HENRY E. PHILE. No better illustration is needed of what can be accomplished in the face of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, by any one who possesses a courageous heart and determined will, than that shown in the simple record of the gentleman whose name opens this sketch, and who holds a prominent place in Allen township, Ottawa county, where he has resided for nearly thirty years. That he has inherited some of his energy and perseverance, the following brief sketch of his parents will testify.   Henry Phile, the father of our subject, was born in York county, Penn., May 3o, 1804. His education was very limited, for the schools in those days were few and far between, and the facilities offered exceedingly meagre; he was, however, of an inquiring turn of mind, and eagerly seized every opportunity to add to his store of knowledge, reading everything he could procure. He learned the trade of a cabinet-maker, when a youth, and worked at it for several years, then took up farming in Northfield, Summit Co., this State, to which he came about the year 1826. He was very ingenious, and although he had never served any apprenticeship at carpentering, he readily picked up the practical part of the business and built several houses, barns and other buildings in and around Summit county, as well as two canal boats. He also worked at coopering, and could boast of making the first pail and barrel ever made in Northfield township, and also the first window sash that was ever put in a house there. In addition to this he began the manufacture of carriages, of which he built seven, and at the age of eighty-five he made a wagon, out and out, which is now in the possession of a grandson, and is highly prized by him. He lived to the good old age of ninety years, passing away in Northfield township, January 16, 1894. He was a man of strong character and great energy, and was respected by all who knew him.   The mother of our subject, Roxana (Cranmer) Phile, was born in 1811, in Northfield township, and was a daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah (Cole) Cranmer. Her father was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, during which he was wounded, and he carried both British and Indian lead in his body to his grave; he was buried in Northfield township. His family consisted of ten children, namely: Jeremiah, David, Abram (who served in the Rebellion), Esther, Hannah, Eunice, Nancy, Roxana (mother of our subject), Sallie, and Joseph, who died young (his was the first grave made in what is now the cemetery at Northfield, and for seven years was the only one; wolves and wild beasts were plentiful in those days, and the family were obliged to build heaps of logs over his grave to prevent them from despoiling it). Mrs. Phile died in 1892, two years before her husband, having lived a useful and busy life, and leaving behind her only tender recollections of a mother's care and affection.   Henry E. Phile, the subject of this sketch, was born March 14, 1837, in the township of Northfield, Summit Co., Ohio, where, at the public schools, he re-   COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 523   ceived his education.  On arriving at manhood he assisted his father upon the farm until 1862, at which time, with many of his neighbors and friends who rallied around " the flag of their country " when it was threatened by disloyal hands, he enlisted in Company B, Sixty-first Ohio Infantry, in which he served two years and three months, the regiment being stationed most of the time on the Rapidan river, Virginia, where they were doing hard service at the front. Mr. Phile was on detail duty in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. He was not mustered out with his regiment, but was discharged in Nashville, Tenn. Returning home he came to Clay (now Allen) township, and purchased eighty acres of timber land, on which he built a small log cabin and lived for some time. In February, 1865, he again enlisted in the army, this time joining the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio Infantry. His time of service was short, however, for he was seized with paralysis and was discharged June 9, of the same year, at Nashville, and returned to his father's home at Northfield, where he remained until May, 1866. At the expiration of that time he returned to Clay township and added forty acres more to his possessions, making a total of 120 acres.   A weighty problem in life now presented itself. How was he, in feeble health, obliged to go about on crutches, and physically unable to labor, to accomplish the feat of clearing off this land, supporting his family and paying a debt of five hundred and fifty dollars? There were only four log cabins in his vicinity, not a road within three miles of his shanty, the land covered with dense forests, and no comforts or conveniences of any description. It was here that the undaunted courage and steadfast purpose of this stout-hearted pioneer and his brave wife came into play. They cheerfully bore all hardships, hired what help they could procure, worked day and night, and, as a result of twenty-nine years' labor, have to-day one of the most highly improved farms in the county, on which stands a splendid brick residence, with numerous barns, outhouses and other improvements, which make the place an ornament to the township, and a credit to, the intelligent management of its owner.   Mr. Phile was married, January 7,. 1860, to Evaline N., daughter of John and Lydia (Spafford) Tryon, the former of whom was a farmer in Northfield township. Mrs. Phile proved herself the worthy wife of a worthy pioneer, and bore no small part in the prosperity of her husband and the development of the township. She died May 27, 1885, much. regretted. To this happy union but one child has come, Alsom E., whose birth took place May 9, 1862, in Northfield township. He attended the public schools in Clay township for some years, and took a three-years' course at Oberlin; he then attended a private school at Port Clinton, conducted by Miss Mothly, from which he was graduated in 1881. He now owns eighty acres of his father's old farm, on which he lives. Alsom Phile Was married November 18, 1884, t® Emma, daughter of Reuben M. and Lucy M. (Ensign) Babcock, the former an agriculturist and manufacturer of charcoal, who lives in Allen township. They have-one son, Alsom E., born December 2 1, 1891, and one daughter, Eva J., born, December 20, 1886. Our subject belongs to the G. A. R., and is a member of the American Protective Association. In politics he is a Republican, and with his family he attends the Baptist Church.   JOHN KLEINHANS, a retired farmer, and one of the earliest settlers of Erie township, Ottawa county, is now spending his declining days in the village of Lacarne amidst the surroundings of a comfortable and happy home. He is an honored citizen, and one   524 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.   well worthy of representation in this volume.   Mr. Kleinhans was born in Williams township, Northampton Co., Penn., December 1, 1816, and is a son of George Henry and Elizabeth (Richardson) Kleinhans. In 1832 they removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and spent the remainder of their lives in Erie township, Ottawa county, where they were esteemed and valued citizens for many years. When they had reached a ripe old age death ended their active and useful lives, but their memory will long be cherished by all who knew them. Their union was blessed with a family of eleven children, five of whom are still living: Maria, widow of Frederick Witmore, and now residing in Detroit, Mich., at the advanced aged of ninety-five; George, also living in Detroit; John is next in the family; David makes his home in Midland county, Mich. ; and Henry is also located in that State.   We now take up the personal history of John Kleinhans, knowing that it will prove of interest to many of our readers, for he is widely and favorably known. He was educated in the district schools of his native township, and when sixteen years of age came to Erie township with his parents. For sixty-three years he has been one of its most progressive residents, always fOund in the foremost rank of any undertaking tending to the advancement of the general welfare. He gives of both his time and means to all such worthy objects, and is indeed a progressive and valued citizen. Several lines of business have been carried on by him chiefly fishing, butchering, farming and stock raising.   On June 7, 1839, in Bay township, Ottawa county, Mr. Kleinhans was united in marriage with Miss Maria Hineline, a daughter of William and Susan Hineline, and born in Berks county, Penn. , December 25, 1819, who came with her parents to Ottawa county in 1832. Eight children came to this union: Anna, born October 9, 1841, is the widow of Richard blooding, and is living in Lacarne; Elizabeth, born July 28, 1843, is the wife of Frederick Hall, of Lacarne; William H., born August 5, 1844, is a resident of Toledo, Ohio; George, born November 9, 1845, is living in Erie township; Susan, born September 5, 1847, is the wife of Samuel Minier, a representative farmer of Erie township; Margaret, born April 22, 1849, is the widow of George 0. Bailey, a resident of Lacarne; John, born September 27, 185o, is living in Erie township; Lavina, born in Port Clinton, February 24, 1857, is the wife of Reuben Rymers, of Salem township, Ottawa county. The mother of this family died October 13, 1893, from the effects of an accident caused by a train on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad, while crossing the track in front of her home, October 9, 1893. Her death was deeply mourned, for she was an estimable lady, having the warm friendship of many.   Mr. Kleinhans has been called to several positions of public trust. For four years he faithfully served as county treasurer, for one year was deputy treasurer, and has filled various local. offices. He is ever true to his duties of citizenship, and in all the relations of life has been an honorable, upright gentleman. In his declining years he is now enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and well deserves.   JAMES B. THORP, attorney at law and agriculturist. This well-known and highly-respected citizen of Allen township, Ottawa county, who has contributed in no small degree to the development and substantial progress of the community in which he lives, is a native of the Buckeye State, his birth taking place January 22, 1830, at Warrensville, Cuyahoga county.   Mr. Thorp received his early education in the district schools of his birth-