450 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. William S. Marshall followed the life of an active and progressive agriculturalist all his life. He was a man of excellent executive capacity and it is undoubted that he exerted a wide and useful influence in his community during his active career. He was a Republican and took a prominent part in the deliberations of his party in local affairs and served for one term as treasurer of Israel township. He and his family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the affairs of which they ever took an active part. For a few years after his death in 1908 his widow remained on the farm, but in the spring of 1911 she moved into Fair Haven, where she has a very comfortable home. Joseph Marshall, the second son and sixth child of John and Lydia (Stephenson) Marshall, who now occupies the old Marshall farm, though having retired from the active management of the same some fifteen years ago, received a common-school education, and, remaining on the home farm, proved to be his father's mainstay in the conduct of his extensive farming operations. He never married and still lives in the old homestead, in the house in which he was born, where he is very comfortably situated and where he is in a position to take life easily, a privilege of which he is availing himself fully. He has an excellent automobile and finds much pleasure in going about the neighborhood keeping in close touch with the good folk with whom his whole life has been spent. Mr. Marshall is one of the most influential members of the United Presbyterian church at Fair Haven, in the social and religious work of which he takes an active and an interested part. Few men in this county possess more of intrinsic worth than does Mr. Marshall and he fully merits the very high esteem in which he is regarded by the whole community. GRANVILLE M. KUMLER. Success in this life is almost always won by the truly deserving. It is an axiom demonstrated y human experience that a man gets out of this life what he puts into it with a reasonable interest on the investment. The individual who inherits a large estate and adds nothing to his fortune cannot be called. a successful man. He who falls heir to a large fortune and increases its value is successful in proportion to the amount he adds to his possessions. The man who starts in the world unaided and by sheer force of will controlled y correct principles, forges ahead and at length reaches PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 451 a position of honor among his fellow citizens, achieves success such as representatives of the two former classes can not understand nor appreciate. To a considerable extent, Granville M. Kumler is a creditable representative of the last class, a class which has furnished much of the bone and sinew of the country and added to the stability of our government and its institutions. Mr. Kumler is a successful newspaper man, but he has been honored y his fellow citizens and is now the mayor of Lewisburg, Ohio. Granville M. Kumler was born October 13, 1873, in Harrison township, Preble county, Ohio, the son of Julius A. and Rachel A. (Cullers) Kumler, who were married in 1872 and were the parents of four children : Granville M., who was the eldest; Harry, who lives in Dayton, Ohio; Mrs. Katherine Dunkle, of Brookville, and James A., who resides in Michigan. Julius A. Kumler was born January 14, 1849, at Lewisburg, Preble county, Ohio. Upon reaching manhood he became a farmer in Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, and was very active in the life of that community. He was a well-read man and keenly interested in literature, being a great reader of Shakespeare and other standard classics. He taught school two terms in Montgomery county, Ohio, in an early day and was successful in this profession. Julius Kumler was the son of Henry P. and Catherine (Zehring) Kumler, natives of western Ohio. Henry P. Kumler's father also was named Henry, there having been a Kumler of this name in the last four generations. The wife of Julius A. Kumler, the mother of Granville M., was born February 5, 1855, in Preble county, Ohio, a daughter of John O. and Mary (Elzter) Cullers, natives of Maryland and Ohio, respectively, both of whom are now living in Brookville, Ohio. Granville M. Kumler was reared on a farm in Clay township, Montgomery county, having been born on the same farm where his mother was born. He attended the district schools and the high school of Clay township and also the high school at Union City, Ohio, from which he was graduated. He taught school in Union City, Ohio, for two terms and later taught in Montgomery and Preble counties. At the end of this period of service he went to Dayton, Ohio, and worked for a publishing firm for five years as a shipping clerk, after which he traveled as a salesman for three years. In 1906 Mr. Kumler purchased the printing plant which publishes the Lewisburg Leader. This paper had a circulation at that time of about five hundred and fifty weekly papers. Mr. Kumler has built up the circulation until it now has a circulation of approximately eleven hundred. In 1909 he was elected mayor of Lewisburg and made an enviable record in that position of trust and responsibility. He always has been a booster for 452 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. his home county and is a wide-awake and enterprising business man, having won many. friends in consequence of his habits of fair dealing. Mr. Kumler has property in Lewisburg, comprising five acres of town lots, besides his residence. On September 6, 1899, Granville M. Kumler was married to Bessie Bunger, who was born November 9, 1874, in Harrison township, Preble county, the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Disher) Bunger, natives of Preble county, who are now living in Lewisburg, Ohio. Mrs. Kumler was reared on a farm and was married at the place where she was born. She was graduated from the Harrison township high school and is a woman of strong domestic tastes, an excellent housekeeper, a good mother and loving and devoted to her husband. To this union four children have been born, Henry, Charles .and Kathryn, all of whom are at home; and Samuel, who died at the age of five years. Politically, Mr. Kumler is a Republican. He is a member of the Lutheran church, the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, as well as of the United Commercial Travelers of America. He also is a member of the Buckeye Press Association of Ohio. Mr. Kumler has done very much, not only for the town in which he lives, but for Preble county, and no history of this county would be complete that did not carry the facts of his life's history. GEORGE W. REHFUSS. It is not unfair to judge the success of a man somewhat by the estimation in which he is held y his neighbors and acquaintances. They are familiar with his life in the family circle and his views on religious, social and public questions. They are acquainted with his moral standard and, therefore,. competent to judge of his merits and demerits. When a man has been honored repeatedly by the people who know him best, these honors cannot be regarded except as marks of distinction and credit to his personal worth. Such a man is George W. Rehfuss, the county auditor of Preble county Ohio. George W. Rehfuss was born in Eaton, Ohio, June 3, 1857, the son of John Martin and Susan J. (Goldsmith) Rehfuss, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Washington township, Preble county. They had five children : William, of Newcastle, Indiana ; George W., the subject of PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 453 this sketch; Mary Frances, who died at the age of three years; Albert, who died in 1911, and one who died in infancy. John Martin Rehfuss was reared in Germany, coming to America and locating in Eaton, this county, in 1848. He was a currier and tanner and operated a tannery at Eaton. He died in West Alexandria, Ohio, in 1881, at the age of twenty-eight. His widow died March 21, 1899, at the age of sixty-five. They were members of the Christian church, and Mr. Rehfuss was a member of the Masonic fraternity. The paternal grandparents of George W. Rehfuss were Martin Rehfuss and wife, natives of Germany, where they both died. They were the parents of the following children : George, Martin, Catherine, Anna and a Mrs. Roller. The maternal grandparents of George W. Rehfuss were William and Mary (Null) Goldsmith, natives of Delaware, who, about the year 1801,. came to Preble county, Ohio, and settled in Gasper township, where Mr. Goldsmith was a farmer. He died here at the age of eighty-five and his wife at the age of eighty-two. They were the parents of seven children, John, Edward, George, Pliney, Mary Ann, Margaret and Susan. George W. Rehfuss was reared on his grandfather's farm in Washington township. He attended school at West Alexandria and later was a student in the Preble county district schools. He lived at home until fourteen years old and then began learning the blacksmith trade, which he followed for fifteen years. At the end of that time Mr. Rehfuss went into the grocery business in Eaton and remained in that business for eight years. In 1893 Mr. Rehfuss was appointed postmaster at Eaton and served five years in that capacity, in which he made a splendid record. He then returned to the grocery business, in which he is now engaged. In November, 1912, he was elected county auditor, which office he is now filling. He also has served as township treasurer for two terms and as corporation treasurer for two terms, being the first Democratic treasurer in thirty years. He was constable of Jackson township at one time. Repeated honors in public positions are the strongest testimonials which could be presented in behalf of Mr. Rehfuss's efficiency, integrity and courage. On November 21, 1878, George W. Rehfuss was married to Anna B. Flora, the daughter of Christian and Sarah (Potter) Flora, to which union two children have been born, Ernest C. and Pearl S. Ernest C. is employed in his father's grocery. Pearl S. married William E. Wyatt, and they live in Elkhart, Indiana. They have one daughter, Anna Belle C., and a son, Richard George. 454 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Mrs. Rehfuss was born in Jackson township, Preble county, Ohio. Her father was born near Roanoke, Virginia, and her mother in Preble county. Her father died in 1907, but her mother is still living. They had four children, Edwin, Perry C., Lavina and Anna. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Rehfuss were natives of Virginia and early settlers in Preble county. To them were born Jonathan, Christian and Peter. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Rehfuss were David Potter and wife, who were the parents of six children, Lou, David, Sarah, Lida, Anna and Susan. Mr. and Mrs. Rehfuss are loyal members of the Christian church. Mr. Rehfuss belongs to Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 143 ; the Improved Order of Red Men No. 73 ; and Hamilton Lodge No. 93, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is an ardent Democrat and has been active in the councils of his party in Preble county. The Rehfuss family are socially popular in Preble county and influential factors in civic and religious enterprises of every kind. FLOYD O. PANSING. There is nothing which stimulates a man to deeds of worth and a life of uprightness and rectitude more than the recollection of the strength of character and example of right living shown by one's father. In this respect, Floyd 0. Pansing, a banker at Verona, Ohio, is fortunate beyond the majority of men. His father was a man of strength and influence in his community and Mr. Pansing always has had before him the splendid example of an honorable and God-fearing father. In the business affairs of Harrison county, Floyd 0. Pansing occupies a position of considerable prominence and is to be ranked among the most influential factors in promoting and maintaining the agricultural prosperity of this section of Preble county. Floyd O. Pansing was born March 21, 1886, in Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, a son of Frederick and Susan (Spitler) Pansing, who were the parents of thirteen children. Eight of these thirteen children are still living : Mrs. Matilda Snorf, of Montgomery county ; William, a farmer of Montgomery county ; Mrs. Nora Thomas, of Miami county; Mrs. Callie Beachler, of New Jersey ; Mrs. Effie Beck, of Montgomery county ; Dr. Holley, a physician of Phillipsburg, Ohio, who was graduated from the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati ; Mrs. Bessie Gaskell, of Dayton, Ohio; PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 455 and Floyd O., whose history is here presented. The deceased children are Mrs. Emma Snorf, Mrs. Ella Longnecker, Charles, Harley and Russell. Frederick B. Pansing was born October 25, 1839, in Germany and left there with his parents when six years of age, settling in Montgomery county, this state. He engaged in farming in Montgomery county and remained there until his retirement in 1900, in which year he moved to Verona, this county. Frederick Pansing is an extensive land owner in Montgomery county. He was a county infirmary director for two years and was also township trustee in Clay township. He is now a director of the bank at Verona. His wife was born in April, 1847, in Miami county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick B. Pansing celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on Christmas Day, 1913, and both are still hale and hearty. Floyd O. Pansing was reared on a farm in Montgomery county, Ohio, and attended the district and high school of Arcanum. After he finished his education he began teaching and taught for two terms in the district schools of Darke county. In July, 1906, he moved to Verona, and was employed as assistant cashier of the Farmers Bank of Verona. In 1912 Mr. Pansing went to Dayton and was employed by the Dayton Savings and Trust Company, where he remained until the Farmers Bank of Verona was organized, in 1914, and then became cashier of this bank. The Farmers Bank of Verona is one of the strongest banks for the amount of its deposits in this part of the country. It is owned y a partnership, under state inspection, and the combined assets of the partners, totalling a half million dollars, is a guaranty to depositors far in excess of the usual security back of a bank. Early in 1915 the bank moved into its beautiful new building, owned by and occupied exclusively by the bank. Mr. Pansing is a heavy stockholder in the bank and owns his home and other property in Verona. In 1911 Floyd O. Pansing was married to Lucile Coppock, who was born December I, 1891, at Laura, Miami county, Ohio, the daughter of Charles 0. and Emma (Henderson) Coppock, natives of Miami county, Ohio, who are now living at West Milton. Mrs. Pansing was graduated from the West Milton high school and attended Otterbein University at Westerville, Ohio, where she took a course in vocal music. She is a talented musician and is possessed of a voice of rare charm. One son has been born to this union, Floyd O., Jr. Politically, Mr. Pansing is an ardent Republican and is one of the town councilmen of Verona. Religiously, he and his family are members of the United Brethren church. Mr. Pansing is a member of the Masonic frater- 456 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. nity at Lewisburg and of the chapter at Eaton and the Scottish Rite and. Shrine at Dayton, Ohio. He was one of the youngest members of his class. in the Scottish Rite. Floyd 0. Pansing is entitled to much credit for the persistence with which he has applied himself to his chosen vocation. He possessed those qualities, however, at the outset which are certain to bring success and is highly respected and admired by the residents of Harrison. township. He is interested in the prosperity and progress of his home township and the surrounding country and deserves to rank as one of the foremost citizens of the county. ELLSWORTH J. HENRY. Among those men of sterling strength of character who have impressed their vigorous personalities upon the communities of their residence, and who have borne their full share in the upbuilding and development of Preble county, Ohio, mention must not be omitted of Ellsworth J. Henry, of West Alexandria, who long has maintained his home in that thriving city, where he has exerted a strong influence for the good of the entire community. Mr. Henry is a man of upright principles and is deeply interested. in the advancement of his community along moral, educational and financial. lines. At present he is the assistant cashier of the Farmers and Citizens. Bank, of West Alexandria. Ellsworth J. Henry was born March 4, 1872, in Warren county, Ohio, a son of William and Eliza (Throckmorton) Henry, and is one of three children born to his parents, the others being Mrs. Ella Crane, now deceased, and Mrs. Viola Minderman, of Farmersville, Ohio. William Henry was born in 1840, in Twin township, Preble county,. Ohio, and died in 1911. He was a son of Isaac and Lydia Henry. Mrs. William Henry, who, before her marriage, was Eliza Throckmorton, was. born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1844, a daughter of Edmund and Eliza. (Keever) Throckmorton, natives of New Jersey, and early settlers of Warren county. Her death occurred in 1813. Ellsworth J. Henry was reared on a farm and attended the district: schools of. Twin township and the high school of West Alexandria. In. 1893 he began teaching school at Gratis township and continued in this work in that place for two terms,. after which he went to West Alexandria, where he was engaged as a clerk in a general merchandise store for four- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 457 years. Subsequently he was appointed postmaster of West Alexandria, holding that office for six years. He resigned this office to affiliate himself with the Farmers and Citizens Bank of West Alexandria, of which he is. now a stockholder and assistant cashier. Mr. Henry owns property in West Alexandria and in Montgomery county, Ohio. In the year 1896 Ellsworth J. Henry was married to Nettie. Ramsey, who was born in 1862, in Twin township, Preble county, Ohio, and who is a daughter of Benjamin and Matilda (Brower) Ramsey, natives of Preblecounty. Mr. and Mrs. Henry have no children. Ellsworth J. Henry is a Republican and is now holding the office of clerk of public affairs in West Alexandria. He was a member of the board of education for nine years and also clerk of Twin township from 1892 to. 1893. It is apparent from Mr. Henry's life story that he has been exceptionally active in public affairs, and that he has filled more positions of public responsibility than most men. He is a man of strong religious impulses, and is an active, consecrated worker in the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally, Mr. Henry is a member of the Knights of Pythias.. GEORGE W. FLORY, M. D. Preble county has many learned and able physicians and surgeons,. none of whom surpasses Dr. George W. Flory in these respects. The physician is one of the best-loved men in any community, because he commands the science which controls somewhat the closest of all ties, the home. The: physician not only stands frequently at the parting of the ways between life and death, but he likewise wards off death by the power of his art. It is no cause for wonder, therefore, that the physician is much beloved among men, nor is it strange that Dr. George W. Flory is popular in the community where he practices. Dr. George W. Flory was born in Gratis township, Preble county, Ohio, May 26, 1862, the son of David and Lean (Frantz) Flory, natives of Preble county, and of Springfield, Ohio, respectively. They were the parents of eleven children : Minerva, deceased ; Dr. George W., of Eaton; Joseph, deceased ; Mary Hannah, the wife of Rev. J. A. Cover, of Modesto, California ; Irvin; Martha, who became the wife of Dr. E. H. Brubaker, of Newcastle, Indiana; William H., of Valley City, North Dakota; Jennie, the wife of Edward J. Rinehart, of Eaton, Ohio ; Jesse D., who lives on the home 458 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. farm near Camden, Ohio ; Ada, the wife of George G. Garber, of Brookville, Ohio, and Elmer S., who lives on the home farm in Gratis township, in this county. David Flory was reared on a farm in Gratis township, and has always followed the vocation of a farmer. He also was a minister in the German Baptist church, of the old school. He owned in the original farm one hundred acres of fine land, which he cleared and improved, and where he reared his family. As he prospered he gradually added to his original holdings until he was the owner of three hundred and ninety-six acres. He sold off about two hundred acres to his sons, and still lives on the home farm, having reached his eightieth year January 13, 1915. His wife died January 19, 1912, at the age of seventy-one. The paternal grandparents of Dr. George W. Flory were Henry and Marylis (Pagan) Flory, natives of Roanoke, Virginia, and South Carolina, respectively, and early settlers in Preble county, Ohio, where they were farmers. Henry Flory died at the advanced age of ninety-three, and his wife at the age of ninety-five. They were the parents of Joseph, Elizabeth, Mrs. Nancy Brubaker, Abraham, David and Jacob. The maternal grandfather of Doctor Flory was Daniel Frantz, an early settler in Clark county, Ohio, who lived six miles from Springfield. He was a farmer and died at an advanced age. His family consisted of the following children : Mrs. Hannah Ebersole, Israel, George, Mrs. Sophie Benson, Mrs. Leah Flory, Mrs. Mary Hurt and Mrs. Tena Flory. Dr. George W. Flory was reared on his father's farm in Gratis township, attending the district schools of his home neighborhood. He lived at home until he reached his maturity, when, in 1886, he entered the Physio-Medical College at Indianapolis, Indiana, and was graduated from this institution in 1888, immediately following which he began the active practice of his profession in Eaton, and has since continued in this city. On October 14, 1888, Doctor Flory was married to Loretta C. Brubaker, the daughter of John G. and Barbara (Beckner) Brubaker, and to this union one son has been born, Carl L. Mrs. Flory died February. 26, 1912, at the age of forty-four years. She was a member of the Christian church, was born near Camden, Ohio, and her parents, who also were natives of Preble county, are now living in West Alexandria. John G. and Barbara (Beckner) Brubaker were the parents of the following children : Oscar, Dr. Elmer H., Loretta C. and Ada M. Flory. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Loretta C. Flory were Henry and PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 459 Catherine Brubaker, whose children were John G., Henry, deceased, Solomon, Christian and George. Doctor Flory married, secondly, February 11, 1914, Nelly McWhinney, the daughter of Andrew and Etta (Mings) McWhinney. Doctor Flory and wife are members of the Christian church, while, fraternally, Doctor Flory is affiliated with Waverley Lodge No. 143, Knights of Pythias, in which he is past chancellor. He is a member of the Ohio Eclectic Medical Society and the Ohio Regular Medical Society. In politics, he is a Republican. Mrs. Nelly Flory Was born in Preble county, Ohio. Her parents also were natives of the Buckeye state, and both now live in Eaton. They have three children, Walter, Mrs. Ordena Sauer and Mrs. Nellie Flory. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Flory was Stephen McWhinney, and his wife was "Patsey" McWhinney. Doctor Flory and his wife are socially popular in Eaton, and both are interested in civic and social enterprises and active in various forms of public work. HENRY P. SMITH. Among the strong and influential citizens of Preble county, Ohio, the record of whose lives have become essential parts of the history of this section, Henry P. Smith occupies a prominent place. For many years Mr. Smith has exerted a beneficent influence in the locality where he resides. Several elements have been conspicuous in Mr. Smith's career. He is known for his keenness of perception, his tireless energy, his honesty of purpose and motive and his everyday common sense, characteristics which have enabled him not only to advance his own personal interests but also largely to contribute to the moral and material advancement of Lewisburg and the surrounding country. Henry P. Smith was born, January 18, 1850, at K.empfeld, Germany, the son of Frederick and Katherine (Shale) Smith, to whom eight children were born, three of whom. are living. Frederick Smith vas born on February 5, 1808, in Germany, where he was a cooper. He came to the United States eight years before the breaking out of the Civil War and settled at Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 1o, 1852. Mr. Smith worked at his trade in Cincinnati until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Company K, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served three years and was discharged at Camp 460 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Dennison, Ohio. After quitting the army, Mr. Smith returned. to Cincinnati and .resumed work at his trade as a cooper. He followed this trade until his death, which. occurred in. 1878. Mr. Smith's wife was born in March, 1818, in Germany and died in 1883. Henry P.. Smith, the subject of this sketch, left Germany with his parents at the age of two years. When he was old enough to begin his education, he attended the public schools. of Cincinnati and when he was thirteen he began to learn the cigar-maker's trade. After having served his apprenticeship, he worked in several large western cities. Subsequently, he took a commercial course at a commercial college in Cincinnati,. and in 1873 he became a traveling salesman for a tobacco firm. He followed this line of activity until 1886, when he came to Preble county, locating at Lewisburg, where he became engaged in the tobacco business with a partner, under the firm name of Smith & Parmerlee. In 1901 Mr. Smith's partner died and since that time the firm has been known as. Smith & Company. A. T. Horn was associated with Mr. Smith after 1901, but is no longer connected with the firm. When the Bank of Lewisburg was organized Mr. Smith became president; and he is now a heavy stockholder in the Peoples Banking Company of Lewisburg. Mr. Smith also is a director and a stockholder of the Interstate Stone Company and the Electric Light Company of Lewisburg and stockholder and treasurer of the Lewisburg Telephone Company. Henry P. Smith was married in 1'874 to Anna M. Ruff, who was horn July 28, 1854, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of George and Anna (Rehfuss) Ruff, both of whom were natives of Wurtemburg, Germany. George Ruff built the tannery at Lewisburg and was in the tanning business twenty-five, or thirty years. Both Mr. and -Mrs. Ruff died at Lewisburg; One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry P. Smith, Pearl C., who was born in 1878 and married J. C. Brinkman, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Smith has been an extensive traveler throughout his life. He has traveled through most Of the states of this country and has visited almost all of the European countries. Mr. Smith is a Republican and since attaining, maturity has been interested in the local politics of his home community. He has served as a member of the Lewisburg city council and in 1900 was made mayor and also chairman and trustee of the city water works. Mr. Smith was largely instrumental in oxganizing the water works at Lewisburg. Religiously, Mr.. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 461 and Mrs. Smith are adherents of the German Lutheran church. Fraternally, Mr. Smith is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a creditable representative of the present-day American citizen and is possessed of those admirable qualities and Characteristics which have made the German people substantial citizens throughout the world. REV. GEORGE WEBER. One of the most successful ministers of Eaton, Ohio, is the Rev. George Weber, pastor of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran church. Reverend Weber was well trained for the ministry, having received a classical education before beginning his theological studies. He is a minister of great persuasive eloquence and ever since his coming to Eaton, nearly twenty years ago, has been a leader, not only in religious movements, but also in civic movements of large importance to the citizens of Eaton. His influence always has been on the side of the best and noblest things of life. He is ardent, loyal and true to the profession to which he has set apart his life. The many years which he has devoted to the ministry of the gospel have been fruitful years in the Master's vineyard and Reverend Weber has reached a time in life when the contemplation of his own usefulness and service to humanity is perhaps the sweetest of all blessings that may come during this period of life. Rev. George Weber was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1839, the son of Conrad and Anna Catherine (Weisbrodt) Weber, natives of Germany, who were the parents of ten children, John, Gotthardt, Jonathan, Catherine, Elizabeth, George, Emma, Jane, Caroline and Henry. Conrad Weber, the father of Rev. George Weber, grew to manhood in Germany and was educated and married there. Three of his children were born there. In 1833 he tame with his wife and three children to America, locating in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade of shoemaking. A short time later he moved to Somerset, Pennsylvania, and later engaged in farming near that place, remaining a farmer the rest of his life. He came to Ohio in an early day and settled first near New Lisbon. In 1864 he moved to Michigan and located near Saranac on a farm, where he died in 1870, at the age of seventy-three. His wife survived him about six years and was sixty-seven at the time of her death. They were members of the Lutheran church. Rev. George Weber was reared on his father's farm, near New Lisbon, 462 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. in Columbiana county, Ohio. He attended the district schools and later Capital University at Columbus, Ohio. He was first a student of the scientific and classical course and later studied theology in the same university, from which he was graduated in 1865. He entered at once upon the work of the ministry, his first charge being at Swan, Noble county, Indiana. From that point he went to Madisonburg, Wayne county, Ohio, and from there to Malvern, Carroll county, Ohio, thence to Petersburg, Mahoning county. He was called to Eaton from Petersburg in 1896 and has been pastor of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran church since that time. There are sixty communicants in this church, but since its establishment there have been many persons confirmed. Reverend Weber also is pastor of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran church, four miles north of Eaton, which was established over eighty years ago and now has about ninety communicants. On April 26, 1866, Rev. George Weber was married to Rebecca Witmer, of Thornville, Ohio, the daughter of Solomon and Anna (Ritter) Witmer, to which union six children were born, Anna, Oscar, Bertha, Florence, William and one who died in infancy.. Of these children, Anna is at home and is a dressmaker. Oscar is a conductor on the traction line at Dayton. He married Carrie Rickel and they have six children, Esther, Catharine, William, James, Allen and Miriam. Bertha died at the age of twenty-five.. Florence has been a teacher in the Eaton public schools for seventeen years. William died at the age of nineteen. Mrs. Weber was born in Perry county, Ohio, September 23, 1845. Her father was the first white child born in that county. Her mother was born in Pennsylvania. They both died in Perry county, her father at the age of fifty-one and her mother at the age of eighty-four. Six children were born to Solomon and Anna (Ritter) Witmer, George, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Solomon, John and Susan. The father of Mrs. Weber was twice married, his first wife, having been a Miss Lantz, of Lancaster, Ohio, to which union seven children were born, David, Sarah, Isaac, Mary Magdalena, Lydia, Samuel and Catherine. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Weber were Philip and Anna Catherine Ritter, who were the parents of Samuel, Anna, Mary, Rebecca, John, George and Peter Ritter. Reverend Weber is held in high veneration by the communicants of his church and the citizens of Eaton and Preble county. He has done a noble work since his coming to Eaton and is loved, honored and respected as are few men in Preble county. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 463 DR. CHARLES H. HARRIS. There is no class of men to whom greater gratitude is due from the world at large than the self-sacrificing, sympathetic, noble-minded men whose work is the alleviation of suffering and ministering to the afflicted. Theirs is the work of lengthening the span of human existence. There is no standard by which the influence of the good physician can be measured. Their helpfulness is limited only by the extent of their knowledge and skill. Their power goes hand in hand with the wonderful laws of nature that spring from the very source of life itself. Someone has aptly said, "He serves God best who serves humanity most." Among the physicians and surgeons of Preble county who have risen to prominence in their profession is Dr. Charles H. Harris, whose career is that of a broad-minded, conscientious worker in the sphere to which his life and energies have been devoted. Doctor Harris possesses a profound knowledge of his profession and this has won for him a leading place among the distinguished medical practitioners of his day and generation in New Paris and Preble county.. Dr. Charles H. Harris, physician and surgeon of New Paris, Ohio, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, February 26, 1867, the son of Stacy and Beulah (Bullock) Harris, both of whom were natives of Morgan county, Ohio. Five children were born to Doctor Harris's parents, three of whom are now living : George, who was graduated from Ada College and Oberlin College, and is bookkeeper for the Cleveland Gas Company ; Cora, the wife of Oliver McWick ; and Dr. Charles H., the subject of this sketch. Dr. Charles H. Harris's boyhood days were spent on a farm in Morgan county, Ohio. He was graduated from the common schools at the age of sixteen and immediately began to teach school. After teaching for two years he began the study of medicine and, in the meantime, worked in a drug store for six years. His preceptor during this period was Dr. Emmet Gatewood, of Clintonville, Ohio. Doctor Harris entered the Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, and was graduated with the class of 1890. He then entered the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia and was graduated from that institution in 1891 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Upon receiving his degree, Doctor Harris located at Lowell, Ohio, and practiced -there until June, 1909, in which year he located at New Paris, Ohio, where he purchased the drug store of Doctor Lyne and operates this store now in connection with the practice of medicine. Doctor Harris was the preceptor of Wilson M. Sprague, M. D., of Byesville, Ohio, and of S. V. 464 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Wilking, M. D., of Butte, Montana, both of whom were graduated from the Starling Medical College with the class of 1898. Dr. Charles H. Harris was married to Loella Hopp, of Lowell, Washington county, Ohio, to which union two children have been born, Emmett G., who is a student in the New Paris high school, and Helen M., who is a student in the graded school at New Paris. Doctor Harris is a prominent member of the Darke County (Ohio) Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association and the American Medical Society, and is local medical examiner for several insurance companies. Fraternally, Doctor Harris is a member of Lowell Lodge No. 438; Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a past grand of this lodge. He also is a member of Buell Lodge No. 395, Knights of Pythias, in which he is a past chancellor and is also a member of the grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias. He not only stands for the best things in life, but has made a pre-eminent success of his profession, a success which is well deserved because of his great professional ability and his painstaking regard and consideration for the higher and greater duties of the medical profession. CHARLES E. MICHAEL. Among the enterprising and progressive citizens of Washington township, Preble county, Ohio, none stands higher in the esteem of his fellow citizens than Charles E. Michael, who has for some time been actively engaged in the pursuit of agriculture and stock raising, and the years of his residence in Preble county have but served to strengthen the feeling of admiration on the part of his neighbors and acquaintances. Mr. Michael, the proprietor of "Rock Valley Farm," situated two miles north. of Eaton on the Greenville road, is an honorable. and highly-respected citizen of the community where he resides. Charles E. Michael was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, July 25, 1870, the son of George P. and Sarah (Myers) Michael. George P. Michael was born in Maryland December 9, 1834, a son of John and Charlotte (Dull) Michael. John Michael was a son of Peter Michael, who came from Maryland. in an early day and located near Sunbury, Ohio. John Michael was married in his native state of Maryland and moved to Sunbury with his parents, but later moved to a farm near Liberty, Montgomery county, Ohio, and there he spent the remainder of his life and reared his PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 465 family. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, all of whom were residents and highly-respected citizens of Montgomery county, Ohio. George P. Michael was reared on his father's farm and was educated in the common schools of Montgomery county. He was twice married, first to Sarah Myers, in February, 1856, to which union were born eight children, as follow : Ella, the wife of Martin Young; Noah, deceased; Mary A., unmarried; Lucinda, the wife of C. T. Mathias; Emma, the wife of George W. Weaver; Amanda, the wife of Perry Forest, and Perry, who married Loretta Rawheat. The mother of these children died in January, 1874, and afterwards George Michael married Mary Rauch, to which second union three children were born : Jesse P., George O. and Albert I. Mrs. Mary Michael died in 1908, and Mr. Michael is now a resident of Germantown, Ohio. He has been a life-long member of the United Brethren church and has held many important offices in that denomination. Charles E. Michael, with whom this narrative deals, is the youngest child of his father's first marriage, and was reared on his father's farm in Jackson township, Montgomery county, Ohio. He received his early education in the district schools of his home township, and in 1890-92 was a student in Otterbein University, at Westerville, Ohio, where he took the classical course. After leaving college he engaged in teaching, beginning his service in this connection in the schools of Montgomery and Preble counties, and continued in this work for seven years. Since Mr. Michael's marriage he has lived in Preble county, Ohio, five. years of this time having been spent in Eaton. Mr. Michael's farm consists of one hundred and forty-nine acres. He is an extensive breeder of high-grade stock, including much that is registered, and has met with an eminent degree of success in this line. On February 16, 1904, Charles E. Michael was married to Dora Fadler, daughter and fourth child of John and Mary. (Saur) Fadler. John F. Fadler was born in Germany and came to the United States, locating in Preble county, Ohio, where he lived until his death in 1900. His wife survived him until 1907. They were the parents of six children, three of whom are living; the other two being William H., who is unmarried and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and Charles D., who married Ida Flora and lives in Lanier township. Charles E. Michael and wife are the parents of two children : Dorothy E., born July 2, 1907, and Robert H., born November 16, 1910. The Michael family are members of .the First Christian church, of (30) 466 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Eaton, Ohio, and active workers in the congregation to which they are attached. Mr. Michael is a Republican, but has never taken an especially active part in political affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Michael are popular in the community in which they live, having a host of friends in Eaton and Washington township, and Mr. Michael must be considered as one of the representative citizens. Preble county. HON. OSCAR SHEPPARD. One of Preble county's best-known citizens, a man who for many years was prominent in the official life of the state of Ohio, who served with distinction as a member of the various institutional boards, who was a distinguished member of both branches of the Ohio General Assembly and who is an able lawyer, is the Hon. Oscar Sheppard, of West Alexandria. One of the distinctive functions of this volume is to recognize those citizens of Preble county, who stand pre-eminent in their professional world and in this connection the Hon. Oscar Sheppard is entitled to wide recognition. Not only has he attained an enviable standing in the legal profession, but he is likewise one of the leaders of the commercial and industrial life of Preble county. His part in the building of railroads, which has added so much to the growth and progress of his native town, justly entitles him to the high honor and unselfish esteem bestowed upon him by his neighbors and. fellow townsmen. Oscar Sheppard was born on a farm in the highlands of Muskingum, county, Ohio, July 15, 1845, the son of Lenox and Ellen (McLain). Sheppard. His father was a native of Somerset, Pennsylvania, born in 1815, and his mother was a native of Muskingum county, Ohio. The paternal ,grandparents of Oscar Sheppard were ‘Lenox and Sarah (Elderton) Sheppard, who came from Somerset, Pennsylvania, to Muskingum county, Ohio, when Lenox, Jr., was eight years old. The Sheppards came to America long before the Revolution and the McLains were of Scotch-Irish origin. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Sheppard were Alan and Elizabeth (Beckwith) McLain. On both sides of his family, Mr. Sheppard's ancestors have mostly been farmers. Lenox Sheppard, Jr.., the father of Hon. Oscar Sheppard, operated a farm ..in Muskingum county, Ohio, and. also conducted a large cooperage shop at Circleville. In 1854 his wife died and two years. later he removed with his family to Licking county, Ohio, where he purchased, a farm near. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 467 the city of Newark, where he lived until 1875, in which year he retired and spent the remainder of his life in Newark, his death occurring in 1882. Oscar Sheppard was the second of five children. Nelson W., the eldest child, enlisted in the Seventy-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer infantry and was wounded Red River campaign. He died on a steamer while being transported to the hospital and his body lies in the National cemetery at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Edith E., the third child, is the -widow of Wilson S. White and lives at Newark. William M. is a retired agricultural implement dealer, of Newark. Edgar Lenox, the youngest, was killed in the collapse of a building at Newark. Oscar Sheppard's father was an early and life-long member of the Methodist church. He was a Republican and before the foundation of the Republican party was an ardent Abolitionist. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Oscar Sheppard was attending the country schools of Licking county. With two other schoolmates, he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, July 18, 1861, being then only 'sixteen years old. He took part great many severe engagements during the war, among which were the following Lexington, Missouri, September 19, 1861; Springfield, Missouri, November 1, 1861; Blackwater, Missouri, December 18, 1861; Little Blue River, Missouri, December 21, 1861; New Madrid, Missouri, March 3 to April 7; 1862; Tiptonville, Tennessee, April 8, 1862 ; Island No. 10, April 8, 1862 ; Fort Pillow, Tennessee, April 13, 1862 ; Monterey, Tennessee, April 29, 1862; Farmington, Mississippi, May 3 to May 3o, 1862; Corinth (siege); Mississippi, May 5 to May 8, 1862; Iuka, Mississippi, September 19, 1862; Corinth, Mississippi, October 3-4, 1862; Parker's Crossing and Clifton, Tennessee, December 31, 1862 ; Tuscumbia, Alabama, April 24, 1863; Town Creek, Alabama, April 28, 1863; Nonconnah Creek, Tennessee, June 29; 1863; Decatur, Alabama, March .8, 1.864 ; Snake Creek Gap, Georgia, May 9, 1864; Resaca, Georgia, May 9 to May 16, 1863; Oostenaula River Bridge, Georgia, May 13, 1864; Dallas, Georgia, May 25 to June 4, 1863; Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, June 9 to June 30, 1863; Kenesaw Mountain (general assault), June 27, 1863; Kenesaw Mountain (capture), July 3, 1863; Nicko-jack Creek, Georgia, July 3 to July 5, 1864; Ruff's Mills, Georgia, July 4, 1864; Chattahoochee River, Georgia., July 5-10, 1864.; Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 19, 1864, and Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864. At Atlanta, Georgia, on July 22, Mr. Sheppard was severely wounded, and after some weeks in the field hospital was sent home on a thirty-days' furlough, at the expiration of which time he was sent to a large convalescent camp at Decatur, Georgia, where he .was detained for duty in the provost marshal's office. ''At this camp was organized a provisional division under 468 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher, in which Mr. Sheppard was placed in command of a company. The organization went to Nashville, Tennessee, and from there to Cincinnati, Baltimore and Annapolis. From the latter point they took a steamer to Beauford. They marched inland to join their various regiments under General Sherman, and while on the way had several engagements, the principal one at Kingston, North Carolina. Mr. Sheppard rejoined his regiment at Bentonville, and was in the battle at that place March 21, 1865. Later the regiment went to Goldsboro, Raleigh and Johnston's Station, and was present at the surrender of Johnston's army at Durham Station. After the 4th of July, 1864, Mr. Sheppard was the youngest man in his regiment. Before being mustered out he was promoted from corporal to regimental sergeant-major, the highest non-commissioned office. He went with his regiment to Washington, D. C., and participated in the Grand Review, and was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, on July II, 1865, after four years of service in the Union army. At the close of the war, Mr. Sheppard returned home and entered high school at Newark. During his last years there, he served as substitute teacher, following which he entered the National Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, taking an elective course. He attended school and taught alternately to earn the money to complete his education. In the fall of 1869 Mr. Sheppard came to Preble county to teach a district school. Two years later he located in West Alexandria and for the next six years was principal of the West Alexandria schools. During the time he was teaching, Mr. Sheppard studied law with Judge Reece, of Newark, Ohio, and with Campbell & Gilmore, of Eaton. In 1877 he was admitted to the bar. He began his practice at West Alexandria and has been continuously engaged in the practice of law since that date. In 1877 Mr. Sheppard was married to Alice Carey Gale, the daughter of John and Catherine (Halderman) Gale. Mrs. Sheppard is a sister of Oscar Gale, whose biographical sketch may be found elsewhere in this volume and in which the genealogy of the Gale family is given. To Oscar and Alice Carey (Gale) Sheppard three children have been born, all of whom were graduated from the West Alexandria high school, Bayard G., Ruth and Marie. Bayard G. took a course in civil engineering at the Lebanon State Normal and for several years was assistant county surveyor and engaged in railroad construction. Ruth took a musical course at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware and married C. D. Coffman. They reside in Wheeling, West Virginia. Marie attended the Oxford Normal and for several years has been a teacher in the West Alexandria public schools. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 469 Mr. Sheppard has been a Republican all his life. For ten years he served as a member of the board of school examiners for Preble county. In 1881 he was elected to the state Legislature and was re-elected in 1883. In the Legislature he served on the following committees : Insurance, library, military affairs, revision and schools and school lands. In 1897 he was elected a state senator for Preble and Montgomery counties and was re-elected in 1899. During his first term he served on the following committees : Benevolent institutions, finance, judiciary, municipal corporations No. 1, military affairs, penitentiary, railroads and telegraphs, rules and taxation, being chairman of the latter committee. During his second term, Mr. Sheppard served as president pro tem of the Senate, by the unanimous choice of the Republican members of that body. He also served on the following committees : Railroads and telegraph, benevolent institutions, penitentiary, soldiers' and sailors' home, fees and salaries, military affairs, taxation and rules, being chairman of the two latter committees. While chairman of the committee on rules, he codified and consolidated the rules of both Senate and House and brought them together in a single volume. From 1892 to 1898, first by appointment by Governor McKinley, he was one of the trustees of the Dayton state hospital. He resigned this position upon his election to the Senate. During 1902 and 1903, by appointment by Governor Harris, he served as a member of the board of trustees for the Ohio state school for the blind. From 1884 to. 1887 Mr. Sheppard's time was taken up lrgely with the construction and routing of the Cincinnati Northern Railroad. He was instrumental in having this road come through West Alexandria and follow the route which it does. For a number of years after this road was built, and until it became a part of the Vanderbilt system, Mr. Sheppard was a member of its board of directors. Mr. Sheppard was one of the incorporators and builders of the Dayton & Western traction line, running from Dayton to Eaton, Ohio, and is attorney for the Twin Valley Bank at West Alexandria. Mr. Sheppard is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Grand Army of the Republic. When one recounts what Oscar Sheppard has done for and in behalf of the town where he has spent most of his life and the town Which he calls his home, no further evidence is needed of his active public spirit. Throughout his long life he has stood for the best things and well merits the universal esteem with which he is blessed in these latter days. Few men in Preble county have been possessed of wider influence than Oscar Sheppard and few men have used that influence more unselfishly than he. 470 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. HENRY CHAMBERS: It is by no means an easy task to describe within the limits of this review the characteristics of a man who has led an active and eminently useful life and who, by his own exertions has reached a position of honor and trust in the community where he lives, but biography finds justification, nevertheless, in recording the essential facts of such a life history, since the Public claims a certain interest in the career of every individual and the time invariably arrives when it is proper to present the proper color of publicity. Henry Chambers is a man who has risen from the ranks of enterprising 'farmers to a position of responsibility and trust in the town of Lewisburg, and is now serving Lewisburg and the surrounding country in the position as postmaster. Henry Chambers was born January 31, 1857, in Twin township, Preble county, Ohio, a son of John and Elizabeth (Hoerner) Chambers, to whom Weight children were born, only two of whom are now living, Mrs. Mary Meier, of West Alexandria, this county, and Henry Chambers, whose life history is here presented. John Chambers was born July 21, 1807, in New Jersey. In his youth he moved to Warren county, Ohio, and was there reared On a farm. Subsequently he taught school and in 1828 he came to Preble county and engaged in farming in Twin township, where he remained until his death, in 1881. His wife, who was Elizabeth Hoerner, was born in 1811, in Pennsylvania, and died January 23, 1892. She was a daughter of John and Catherine (Wolf) Hoerner, also natives of Pennsylvania, where they lived all of their lives. Henry Chambers was reared on his father's farm and attended the district schools. He remained at home until he was eighteen years old and then began farming for himself on rented land, continuing to farm in that fashion until 1884, in which year he purchased fifty acres of land in Harrison township. This farm was unimproved, .having only an old log cabin and a small barn in the way of buildings, both of which Mr. Chambers dismantled, erecting in their stead buildings of a substantial character. He specialized as a truck farmer and was also a poultry fancier, making a specialty of Leghorn chickens, and for many years was very successful in this line of activity. In 1875 Mr. Chambers was married to Barbara Ann Ott, who was born in 1856, in Noble county, Indiana, the daughter of John and Barbara (Link) PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 471 Ott. To this union nine children have been born, as follows': John F., who was graduated from King's College of Oratory at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is now a lecturer under engagement with the Ridpath Lyceum Bureau, and lives at Tunkhannock, Wyoming county, Pennsylvania; Horace A., an electric motorman, lives in Dayton, Ohio ; Henry, a farmer in Harrison township; William A., auditor of the telegraph department of the Pennsylvania Railroad lines, with headquarters at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Vernon, deceased ; Carrie .E., assistant postmaster at Lewisburg ; Mrs. Cora Thompson, a resident of Germantown, Ohio ; Howard, a student at the Southwest University, Columbus, Ohio, where he is taking a course in pharmacy, and Cecelia, at home. In 1911 Mr. Chambers moved to Lewisburg, having been appointed postmaster of that village by President Taft. He is a stanch Republican, having cast his first vote for Robert E. Lowry, the editor of this work, when the latter was a candidate for state senator. Before his appointment as postmaster, Mr. Chambers had served three years as trustee of Harrison township and he had served on the school board for about fifteen years. The Chambers family are active and earnest members of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and Mr. Chambers is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Not only is Mr. Chambers well known in the community in which he lives, but he is a man of excellent reputation throughout the county and in every way merits the good opinion of his neighbors and friends. JESSE C. ROBERTS. Each generation necessarily builds upon the foundation laid by preceding generations. According to the firmness of the foundation the superstructure will be substantial or not. The future, of course, must be the judge of what character of foundation has been laid for the social, moral and commercial edifice being erected by the citizens of Preble county, Ohio. However, from what the present historian notes of the high character, the determination of purpose and the exalted standards of conduct maintained by the leaders of thought and action in this section of the state in their work of carrying on the labors of those who wrought so wisely and securely in the past, it hardly can be doubted that the superstructure of the coming civilization of this region will be all that the present generation may hope for those who shall come after. It is .partly the purpose of this volume to 472 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. preserve for the future some account of the lives and the labors of those who now are doing so well their part in bearing aloft the torch of civilization in this region, and it, therefore, is fitting and proper that biographies be here presented of those who are the leaders in this noble work. As such a purpose would be but incompletely carried out without the introduction of the biography of the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this modest sketch, it is a pleasure for the biographer here to present for the consideration of the future historian a brief resume of the life's history of former Postmaster Jesse C. Roberts, of West Elkton, Ohio, a prominent merchant of that thriving little city. Jesse C. Roberts was born September 2, 1870, the son of John B. and Mary C. (Mikesell) Roberts, the former of whom was born in Wayne township, Butler county, Ohio, and the latter of whom was a native of Gratis township, Preble county. John B. Roberts was born February 15, 1842, a son of Walter and Hannah (Conarroe) Roberts, the former of whom was a native of South Carolina and the latter of whom was a native of New Jersey. Walter Roberts, when a small boy, came to Ohio with his parents, who settled on a farm in Wayne township, Butler county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Hannah Conarroe, when a girl of ten, came to Ohio with her parents, the latter settling in the same neighborhood as had been selected by the Robertses as a place for a new home. Walter and Hannah there grew up together, attending the same school and participating in the same social pleasures and there they were married. To this happy union twelve children were born, William, Rachel, Mary, Margaret, Enoch, Amy A., John B., Earl N., Walter, Elisha and Eliza (twins) and Caleb. Of this large family but four are now living, as follow : Enoch, who lives in Boston, Indiana ; John B., who lives on a farm north of West Elkton ; Earl N., who lives in Canyon City, Colorado, and Elisha, who lives in Gratis township, this county. For a time after his marriage with Hannah Conarroe, Walter Roberts lived on a farm in Gratis township, Preble county. Ohio, but presently selling this farm they moved to Butler county, where they bought another farm and on this they spent the remainder of their lives, the death of Mr. Roberts occurring at the age of sixty-two, his widow surviving for many years, she living to the ripe old age of eighty-eight. This worthy couple was regarded as among the most influential and useful residents of the neighborhood in which they lived and the memory of their good deeds lives after them. John B. Roberts, father of the immediate subject of this interesting PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 473 biographical sketch, was united in marriage November 22, 1868, with Mary Catherine Mikesell, a native of Gratis township, a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth (Swisher) Mikesell. To this union there was born one son, Jesse Clayton, present postmaster at West Elkton and a prominent merchant of that town. In addition to the rearing of this son, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts also reared Otto Ferst, whom they took from the children's home when he was ten years of age. Otto Ferst, who now is owner of one of the finest farms in Gratis township, received his education in the district schools of the township and married Elizabeth Stubbs, to which union four children were born, Howard, Arthur, Russell and Esther. The mother of these children died in 1912. John B. Roberts owns a fine farm of seventy acres about one-half mile north of West Elkton, where he and Mrs. Roberts are living in much comfort, enjoying the highest confidence and esteem of the entire neighborhood. Both are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the various activities of which they take an earnest and prominent part, and are equally active in all the good works of the community. Jesse Clayton Roberts, only son of John B. and Mary Catherine (Mikesell) Roberts, received his education in the public schools of West Elkton and was graduated from the high school of that town with the class of 1889. This excellent schooling he supplemented with a course in the Nelson Business College at Cincinnati, after which he began clerking in a store. His experience in this position determined him to enter a commercial life, and on March I, 1899, he opened a general store of his own in West Elkton, which he has continued to manage with much success. The Roberts store is one of the largest stores in West Elkton and well merits the fine patronage which it receives from the people of that town and surrounding community. Mr. Roberts' popularity as a merchant and as a citizen was demonstrated twelve years ago when he received the appointment as postmaster of West Elkton, a position which he filled in such a manner as to create general satisfaction among the people of the large section covered by the operations of the West Elkton postoffice. He retired from thiS office April 1, 1915, after nearly thirteen years of service. On March 15, 1889, Jesse Clayton Roberts was united in marriage with Ada E. Faust, (laughter of C. H. and Jennie E. (Denice) Faust, the former of whom is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Norristown, that state, and the latter of whom was born in Franklin, Ohio. Both Mr. and Mrs. Faust are still living and have a very comfortable home in West Elkton, where they enjoy the esteem and regard of all who know them. Three 474 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. children were born to them, only one of whom, Mrs. Roberts, is now living. Mrs. Roberts is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at West Elkton and takes a prominent part in the various. activities of the congregation of the same. Mr. Roberts is a Republican and for years has taken an active part in the deliberations of the managers of that party in Preble county, his counsel and advice being received with the most respectful consideration on the part of the party leaders, his fine executive ability and experience in public affairs giving weight to his judgments, which have proved valuable to his party. He is a member of Lodge No. 259, Knights of Pythias, at Camden, Ohio, and is one of the most active workers therein. In all matters affecting the public welfare he ever displays his interest and ever is found in the forefront of those who are seeking most earnestly the advancement of the community's best ends, measuring up to the full stature of the good, alert American citizen who has his country's best interests ever at heart. CHARLES ELMER COX. Progressive, wide-awake men of affairs make a real history of a community. Their influence is a potential factor in the body politic which is difficult to estimate. The example they furnish of patient purpose and . steadfast integrity illustrates what each person may accomplish. There is always a measure of satisfaction in referring to their achievements, the faithful personal performances upon which the prosperity of the community so much depends. One of, the .worthy, citizens. of. Preble county who belongs to this class is Charles Elmer Cox, the manager of the telephone company at Eaton. Mr. Cox is in every way a representative citizen in the city in which he lives, the best interests of which he has done so much to advance. Charles Elmer Cox was born in Castine, Darke county, Ohio, March 9, 1868, the son of Meredith and Elizabeth (Fudge) Cox, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio, who were the parents of eleven children. as follow : Jennie, the wife of J. M. Sawyer, of New Paris, Ohio; Mary Isabel, deceased, who was the wife of H. J. Gephart ; Susan, the wife of Irvin Kisling, of Washington township; Wilson, of Richmond, Indiana; Alice, the widow of Charles McMechan, of Washington township; Laura, who died in infancy; Charles E., of Eaton; Frank, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; M. Orlando,