750 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Preble county, Ohio, in March, 1912, and served until December 1st of the same year. He was nominated for this office again, but was defeated with the rest of his ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Wair are pleasant people to meet. They .have reared an interesting family and are honored citizens of Dixon township, where they now reside. WILLIAM S. PINKERTON. Agriculture has been an honored vocation from the earliest ages and as a usual thing men of honorable and humane impulses, as well as those of energy and thrift, have been patrons of husbandry. The free out-of-door life of the farm has a decided tendency to foster and develop that independence of mind amd self-reliance which characterize true manhood, and no. truer blessing can befall a man than to prove himself a successful farmer. It has always been the fruitful soil from which have sprung the moral bone and sinew of the country, and the majority of the nation's great warriors, renowned statesmen and distinguished men of letters have been either farm ers or the sons of farmers. It is not a matter to provoke wonder, therefore, when we find a man who has proved himself a successful teacher of the classics and the dead languages and who has so closely applied himself to his pedagogical duties that his health has suffered, turning to the farm with the intention of gaining his livelihood from the soil, as did his father before him and as did, as well, many of the famous figures of ancient history whom he had met in his books. William S. Pinkerton was born in Dixon township, Preble county, Ohio, November 30, 1866, a son of John R. and Narcissa (Henry) Pinkerton. His father, John R. Pinkerton, was born in Preble county in 1830, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Pinkerton, both of whom were natives of South Carolina. They migrated to Preble county at an early date in company with great-grandfather John Pinkerton. The latter was a native of Ireland and emigrated to South Carolina in 1791. He was never able, however, to reconcile himself to the institution of slavery and, after having lived in South Carolina *for a number of years; he .freed his slaves and moved to Preble county, Ohio, settling near Fairhaven, where he spent the remainder of his life. He is buried in Hopewell .cemetery, Preble county. Grandfather Thomas Pinkerton passed away in 1873. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 751 John R. Pinkerton, father of the subject of this sketch, followed the. calling .of a farmer in :Dixon township, where he owned a farm of sixty-three acres he died on August 12, 1872. Mrs. Pinkerton is still living and makes her .home in California with her son, Rev. J. C. Pinkerton. To Mr. and Mrs.John R. Pinkerton were born seven children, as follow : Thomas C., who lives in Johnson county, Kansas; Charles L., who -died at the age of thirty-three, at Muncie,. Indiana; Margaret, who died in Preble. county, at the age of six; Emma H., who is assistant superintendent of the Santa. Fe Railroad. Hospital; at Los. Angeles, California; William S., the subject,: and his twin brother, Samuel H., Who died in Bloomington; Indiana, in 1907; and .Was. buried: in the Fairhaven cemetery at Fairhaven, Ohio; and Rev. John Clarence Pinkerton, D. D., who is pastor of the First United Presbyterian church at ,Los Angeles, California. William S. Pnkerton received his early .education. in the public schools of Preble county, Ohio; and later, when his parents moved to Rush county, Indiana, he attended the public schools in that county. In 1887 he entered Indiana. State University, at Bloomington, Indiana. After he had been graduated from the university, he went to Pekin, Illinois, Where for two years he was an instructor in the Episcopal denominational institution of that place. He then returned to Indiana University, where he taught Greek and Latin until 1895, at the same time working out his degree Of Master Of Arts. From Indiana University he went to Huntington, Indiana, where he taught Greek and Latin for eight years. At the end of that time his health failed and he abandoned his profession of teaching, taking up the work of truck farming in the vicinity of .Bloomington, Indiana, an occupation which he followed for about six years. In 1910 he came to Fairhaven, Preble county, Ohio, and engaged in farming. He has since remained in Fairhaven and has been prominent in the affairs of the town. On August 22, 1906, Mr: Pinkerton married Mrs. Lillian (Pierson) &fifth, the widow of Charles E. Smith; who died April 14, 1896. She was a daughter of Stephen and Esther (Elliott) Pierson,. the father a native of New Jersey and the mother born in Dixon township, Preble county. Mr. Pierson was a wagonmaker in Fairhaven. He died in May, 1892, and Mrs. Pierson died in December, 1881. Mrs. Pinkerton owns ninety-three acres of land adjoining Fairhaven. Mr. and Mrs. William S. Pinkerton are members of the United Presbyterian church of: Fairhaven and are loyal supporters and active workers in that church.. In politics, Mr. Pinkerton is affiliated with the Republican 752 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. party and has been active in the political affairs of his community. He is a present ably serving his fellow citizens in the office of township clerk, an is conducting the duties of his office with entire success. Mr. Pinkerton is a man of high ideals and upright citizenship. He has played an important part in the development of the country, first as an educator and later as a farmer and community leader. He has been in every way a worthy descendant of his pioneer ancestors and possesses the love and respect, not only of his neighbors, but also of the many students whom he wisely instructed arid advised during the pliant periods of their lives. FRED C. ROBERTS. Perseverance and sterling worth are almost always sure to win con-spicuous recognition in all localities. Fred C. Roberts, at present a farmer living on Rural Route No. 5, out of Eaton, Ohio, affords a splendid example of a successful, self-made man, who is not only eminently deserving of the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens, but who, possesses the energy and integrity which have fitted him to discharge the duties of all the re-sponsibilities with which he has been entrusted. Mr. Roberts is a man of vigorous mentality, strong moral fiber, and to these qualities are due largely the signal success which he has achieved in the battle of life. Fred C. Roberts was born in Gratis township, Preble county, Ohio, April 1, 1873, a son of James W. and Lucretia M. (Davis) Roberts. James W. Roberts was born in 1849 on the same farm as his son, Fred C., and now lives at West Elkton, Ohio. Lucretia M. Davis was born near Liberty, in Union county, Indiana. James W. Roberts is the son of Samuel Roberts, who was born near Seven Mile, in Butler county, Ohio. Samuel Roberts, a son of Jonathan Roberts, came to Preble county and located in Gratis township, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a prominent farmer and one of the wealthiest men in that township, owning three hundred acres of land. He was a member of the Friends church, and was a stanch Re-publican. He was the father, besides James W., of Jonathan, Elihu, Zeno and Delilah. James W. Roberts was reared in Gratis township and married in Union county, Indiana, and after his marriage he located on a part of the old farm, where he lived until he purchased land near West Elkton, Ohio. He lived PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 733 on this farm until 1904, when he moved to West Elkton, Ohio, and retired from active life. He is a Member of the Friends church, and a stanch Republican in politics. He was a successful farmer and owned one hundred and seventy-five acres of land. Three children were born to James W. Roberts and wife : Willis, who died at the age of eight years. Curtis, a granduate of the common schools and the West Elkton high school, also was a graduate of Earlham College, at Richmond, Indiana, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was superintendent of Israel township schools for some time, and was accidentally shot at a teachers' picnic in 1900. Fred C. Roberts, the third son born to' his parents; was reared on the farm in Gratis township and was educated in the common schools of that township. He was graduated from the West Elkton high school in 1889, and from Earlham College. with the degree of Bachelor of Science. After this he entered the State University of. Michigan, where he was graduated with the degree of Civil Engineer in 1897. He was employed on government surveys in Michigan two years, and 'then taught school for five years in Preble county, Ohio. He was elected surveyor of Preble county, Ohio, in 1903, and served six years. He also served as city engineer of Eaton for a term of three years. Fred. C: Roberts was married to Verona Stubbs, of Gratis township, who was born in that township, and was graduated from the West Elkton high school. She also was a student at Earlham College. Three children have been born to this union, Lowell F., who. is a junior in the high school at Camden; Robert W., who was born October 3o, 1899, and who is a student, in the same class as his brother, Lowell F.; Joyce, who was born in 1902, is a student in the public schools of Camden, Ohio. Mr. Roberts and his father own six hundred and nine acres of land in Preble cOunty, Ohio, all of which, with the exception of forty-six acres, is situated in Gasper township. It is all in one body. Mr. Roberts is a stockholder the Farmers' Elevator Company. He makes a specialty in the breeding of cattle and hogs, and has a splendid success in raising stock for the markets. Politically, Mr. Roberts is a Republican. He and his wife are members of the Friends church and active in the work of that church. Mr. Roberts is also a member of the Ohio Civil Engineering Society. Fred C. Roberts is a quiet, unassuming man, an honorable citizen of Preble county, highly respected in the community where he resides, and, in fact, throughout the whole county, where he is so well known. (48) 754 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. MARTIN L. COOVERT. Success depends not only upon character, but upon training, disposition and optimism. In every community some men are known for their upright lives, remarkable commonsense and their congenial temperaments. They acquire political prestige by virtue of these qualities, since their neighbors and acquaintances come to respect them and to admire them. It is an honor of no small consequence to be entrusted with important political duties, and Martin L. Coovert, a farmer of Monroe township, Preble county, Ohio, has been honored by the citizens of Preble county. It is only fair to say that Mr. Coovert discharged these duties to the satisfaction of the people of Preble county, and that his reputation in a public way is builded upon the efficiency he showed in this office. Martin L. Coovert was born in Monroe township, Preble county, Ohio, February 21, 1851, the son of Samuel and Emily (Hendrickson) Coovert. Samuel Coovert was the son of John Coovert, who was one of the early settlers of Preble county, and who died in Missouri. Samuel Coovert was reared in Preble county and here married. He spent practically his whole life in this county. He was active in local politics and served as one of the commissioners of the county for nine years. He was known. far and wide for his untiring energy and for the dispatch with which he did things. He was an active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Coovert died in June, 1913, and her husband died in April, 191.4. They celebrated their sixty-sixth wedding anniversary in. 1913. They were the parents of four children, three sons and one daughter, Jane, the wife of William Slusser, who lives in Monroe township; Martin L., the subject of this sketch; Curtis, a farmer of Monroe township, and Samuel J., a retired farmer of Eldorado. Martin L. Coovert spent his boyhood days in Preble county and when old enough he worked on the farm and attended the district schools. He later engaged in the manufacture of tile in Monroe township and was in that business for eighteen years. After quitting the tile business he purchased a farm and now owns one hundred and twenty acres of land, a splendid farm in every respect. On July 18, 1875, Martin L. Coovert was married to Huldah J. McCoy, a sister of Samuel L. McCoy. Two children have been born to this union, Minnie, who is a graduate of the Eldorado high school and the wife of O. P. Murray, of New Madison, Ohio*, and Edward, a graduate of the PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 755 Ohio University at Athens, who is a teacher in the Akron (Ohio) high school. He married a Miss Leyda. Mr. Coovert served as county commissioner of Preble county two terms, having been elected upon the Republican ticket. Throughout his life he has been active in local politics and is regarded as one of the leaders in his community, and, in fact, in Preble county. Mrs. Coovert belongs to the United Brethren church at Eldorado. Martin L. Coovert is a man much like his father in the effective manner in which he performs either a private or public duty. He must in every sense be regarded as a representative citizen of Preble county and one thoroughly entitled to representation in this volume. EDMOND SOMERS. The sons of Ireland who are living in this country are at all times found to be among the most public-spirited and patriotic citizens, as they are characteristically leaders, warm hearted and enthusiastic, and gifted with a passionate love for their adopted land. The sons display the same traits as the fathers, with the exception that they are fully Americanized and fully in sympathy with American institutions, since they understand them better. A son of an Irish father is Edmond Somers, who was born in Dixon township, Putnam county, on July 4, 1858, the son of Thomas and Mary (Stack) Somers, who were the parents of twelve children, of whom five are living. They are : Edmond; Marcella, the wife of Lewis M. French, of Dixon township; Thomas, who married Zoretha Braddock, also resides in Dixon township; Arthur married Marie Jackson and lives in Dixon township; Michael L. lives in Winchester, Indiana, where he engages in the manufacture of glassware. When he was twenty-one years of age, Thomas Somers came from Ireland. to America, landing almost penniless. He went to work on a Dixon township farm, where he continued for a number of years, working by the month for a time. Eventually he owned three hundred and sixty-seven acres, all earned by his own efforts. His wife came from the same county in Ireland as did he. She came to Eaton at the age of twelve and Thomas Somers and she were married in Dixon township on March 18, 1847. The husband died January 22, 1893; the wife on April 15, 1904. Edmond Somers was reared on the home farm and was educated in the district schools. After his marriage, he rented a farm in Dixon town- 756 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. ship on which he lived until March, 1910, when he bought the farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres on which he now lives, formerly known as the old Morton place, situated six miles southwest of Eaton on the Sugar Valley road. The place is now known as the "Brookside Farm" and is devoted to general farming and stock raising, a specialty being made of Duroc-Jersey red hogs. On March 5, 1888, Mr. Somers married Lida Watt, the daughter of John J. and Matilda (Fitzsimmons) Watt. John Watt was born on July 4, 1819, in Brookville, Indiana, and his wife was born in Pennsylvania on June 4, 1826. John Watt was a miller by trade and, of ter living at various places, finally settled on a farm, in connection with which he operated a mill on Four Mile creek. Mr. Somers and wife are the parents of the following three children : Mildred is living at home; Oral is a graduate of the Eaton high school, and Marvin is a student in the home schools. Mr. Somers is a quiet mannered man, who believes that he can best serve the community by a good example. In politics he is Republican, and his wife is a member of the Sugar Valley Methodist church. A progressive agriculturist, a wise and devoted husband and father and a true gentleman, Mr. Somers is well worthy of a place among the representative citizens of his county. OTTO FERST. "Honor and shame from no condition rise ; act well your part, there all the honor lies." How aptly the poet thus expresses the basic condition of right living. There is no one who has not at some time had this statement impressed upon his consciousness by a review of the life of some one of his acquaintance or of some one within the range of his knowledge, who, from humble conditions, has risen to a place of honor and distinction. These honors and distinctions may be nation-wide in scope or they may be confined to the locally-restricted area of a quiet neighborhood, but they are none the less honors and distinctions for their being of mere local application. There are many in this county who will at once discern the aptness of the epigram as just quoted, applied to the useful life of the well-known Gratis township farmer with whose career this particular sketch will treat. Left an orphan when a child, being bereft of both parents when little more than an infant, Otto Ferst has become one of the most prosperous and progress- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 757 ive farmers in Preble county and it is but proper that a brief account of his life and of his works be here presented. Otto Ferst was born on December 1, 1859, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ferst, both of whom died when he was a small child. He was born in St. Louis, but, while still an infant, was taken by his parents to Cincinnati, Ohio, to which city they moved from St. Louis, and there, shortly, afterward, both his parents died. Being thus doubly bereft, though, happily too young to realize the full import of his irreparable loss, the child Otto fell into good hands and in the later days of his prosperous manhood never neglected grateful acknowledgment of the debt he owed to his devoted foster-parents. Otto Ferst was taken into the home of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Roberts, prosperous farmers of Gratis township, Preble county, and, under their tender care, was reared to vigorous and" useful manhood. He remained with Mr. and Mrs. Roberts until he reached his majority, completing the course in the excellent schools of the township, and then started out "on his own hook." Early acquiring .a small farm, he pushed the cultivation of this with such well-directed energy that he presently began enlarging his holdings and now owns a fine farm of two hundred and thirty acres, which is as well improved and under as high a state of cultivation as any farm in the county. Mr. Ferst has been twice married. His first marriage took place on August 11, 1885, when he was united with Sarah Elizabeth Stubbs, who was bor,n in Preble county, June 13, 1865, the daughter of Joseph and Esther (Cooper) Stubbs, well known and highly respected farming people of this county. To this union four children were born, three sons and one daughter, as follows : Howard J., born January 11, 1888, was graduated from the West. Elkton high school, which course of instruction he supplemented with a course in the Jacobs Business College at Dayton, Ohio, from which institution also he was graduated with honor ; he married Merle Keister, by whom he has one daughter, Vera, born July 23, 1909, and is successfully engaged in the real estate business at Germantown, Ohio ; Arthur B., born February 23, 1893; married Lucille Reece and lives on the home farm, known throughout this region as "Clover-Leaf Farm:" Russell S., born December 23, 1897, was graduated from the West Elkton high school with the class of 1915, and Esther Marie, born January 5, 1900, is still in school. The mother of these children was a birthright member of the Friends church, of West Elkton, but later united with the United Brethren church. She died June 14, 1911, and on June 19, 1912, Mr. Ferst married Mrs. Margaret Bare, widow of Ora E. Bare, who was born February 26, 758 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO: 1867. Margaret Boner and Ora E. Bare were married February 23, 1888, and to them three children were born : Anna C. Bare, born June 14, 1889, the wife of Joseph Schell, who lives in Dayton, Ohio ; Franklin Bare, born September 20, 1892, lives at .Middletown, Ohio, and Earl Bare, born January 5, 1895, married Anna Curl and lives in Dayton. Ora E. Bare was a successful contractor in brick-masonry, whose death occurred December 11, 1910. His wife, now Mrs. Ferst, is the daughter of Thomas D. and Ann M. (Strader) Boner, the former of whom was born in Germantown, Ohio, and died January 15, 1888, and the latter of whom died December 17, 1904. Otto Ferst is recognized as one of the best farmers in Preble county. His well-appointed place, "Clover-Leaf Farm," is kept in the highest state of cultivation to which modern methods of farming can bring it and, in addition to general farming, Mr. Ferst gives much attention to the raising of thoroughbred hogs, finding much profit in his carefully maintained drove of Duroc-Jerseys. "Clover-Leaf Farm" is situated three-fourths of a mile south of West Elkton and is a model upon which many farmers of this county might profitably pattern their farms. In connection with his farm duties, Mr. Ferst finds time to give the attention to public service which all good citizens should give and has been honored by his neighbors, who early recognized his executive ability and sound business judgment. He has given much attention to school affairs, being deeply interested in the educational system of the township, and is president of the West Elkton school board. Previous to this term of service, he had been for six years a member of the township board. He is a Republican and has always taken an intelligent interest in the political affairs of the county, his counsel often having proved of value to the party managers in local campaigns. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ferst are members of the United Brethren church at West Elkton, Mr. Ferst having been one of the trustees of the church for about twenty-five years.. Previous to her marriage with Mr. Ferst, Mrs. Ferst had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at West Alexandria, but, following her marriage, she became affiliated with the congregation to which her husband had been so long and so devotedly attached. Mrs. Ferst also is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Pythian Sisters and the Daughters of Rebekah, all at West Alexandria. Both she and Mr. Ferst are active in doing good and are always found well to the front in the ranks of those who are interested in the advancement of the truest culture of their neighborhood, in consequence of which they are held in the highest regard by all of their large circle of acquaintances, all of whom pay to them the high tribute of their fullest confidence. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 759 PHILIP FORSBERG, D. V. S. The sympathy which mankind extends to the dumb brutes of creation, "the little brothers" who are unable to voice their feelings in a manner capable of close interpretation to that higher order of the animal creation which the great God has endowed with articulate speech, is one of the most convincing evidences that man indeed was created but little lower than the angels. The pleading of the eloquent eyes of one of the domestic animals, gazing at one of the acknowledged "lords of creation" with mute appeal to bring relief to the sufferings which it cannot voice, is one of the most pathetic sights in all nature and no one can behold such a sight without experiencing a new respect for the self-sacrificing doctors of veterinary surgery who are ever ready to respond to the call to bring relief to the sufferings of stricken animals and without acknowledging anew that these devoted surgeons are indeed far in the front ranks of public benefactors. Among the several surgeons in Preble county whose lives have been devoted to the relief of the sufferings of the brute creation, none is better known or held in higher esteem than the doctor whose name heads this review and the biograper finds it a pleasant task to here present for the information of the readers of this valuable volume a brief epitome of his life's history. Dr. Philip Forsberg was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 9, 1887, the son of August and Marie (Bihle) Forsberg, who were the parents of nine children, six of whom are still living, as follow : Augusta, Emma, Selma, Grace, Ebba and Philip, all of whom, save Dr. Philip Forsberg, are living at home with their parents. August Forsberg, father of the subject of this review, was engaged in the real-estate business in Chicago from about the year 1879 until the year 1894, when he entered the employ of a. steel mill as a mechanic and followed that line of industrial activity until the year 1904, when he, with others, organized a company for the manufacture of surgical instruments. He was engaged with this company until the fall of 1907, when, the "hard times" of that period coming on, the industry was abandoned and Mr. Forsberg, with his family, moved to DeKalb, Illinois, where he now resides and where he is engaged as a skilled mechanic in the employ of the Haish Manufacturing Company. Philip Forsberg received his education in the public schools of Chicago, which excellent course of schooling he supplemented with a seven-months course in a business college in the same city. Upon completing this course, 760 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. he enlisted in the United States regular army and was attached to Troop E, Fourth Cavalry, receiving his honorable discharge in June, 1911. While serving in the cavalry, Doctor Forsberg conceived such a liking for horses that he determined to devote his life to the amelioration of the ills and dis-tresses of these most useful of man's servitors. Upon returning to Chicago he immediately entered upon the conscientious study of the veterinary science, and in the spring of 1914 was graduated from the Veterinary College of Chicago, with the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Surgery, thus qualifying himself for the practice of his noble profession. Doctor Forsberg at once came to Preble county and located at Camden, where he entered upon a practice which has, even in the comparatively short time he has been there, grown to large proportions, speaking well for the professional skill and ability of the young veterinary, surgeon, whose reputation is rapidly extending to all parts of the county and adjacent communities. Doctor Forsberg is agreeable in his personality, skilled in his profession and frank and direct in his dealings with his fellow citizens and the biographer does not hesitate to predict that he is destined to a work of large usefulness in the neighborhood which he has selected as a place for residence and practice. CHARLES SHADE. The debt that this nation. owes to the people of Teutonic origin, who form a part of the wonderful polyglot population of the country, cannot today properly be estimated and the present historian will not attempt to place an appraisement upon the value of the services to the civilization of the western continent rendered by those of Germanic birth who were prompted by the restrictions of their own country to flee militarism and its kindred evils and seek the free land oversea as a place in which to erect a new home. Those traits of honesty, perseverance, industry and family devotion, those high intrinsic qualities that have endeared the German immigrant to his American neighbors, have made their impress in every part of the country and the full value of this influence may be determined only by the future historian. There are many residents of Preble county who either were born in Germany or who have Germanic parentage and a work of this character would not be complete without an honest expression of, acknowledgment of the debt, the community owes to these sterling people. Among these citizens of German origin in this county, few are better known or more deservedly popular than PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 761 the prosperous and progressive Gratis township farmer whose name is noted above, and the biographer takes pleasure in here preserving for posterity this modest account of his useful though uneventful life. Charles Shade was born in Boulder county, Colorado; near Longmont, June 18, 1874, the son of Adam and Sarah (Simpson) Shade, the former of whom was born in Baden, Germany, and the latter of whom was born in Preble county, Ohio. Adam Shade, a native of Germany, who was born April 1, 1843, was a small boy of ten years of age when his parents determined to make for themselves a new home across the sea, having been attracted to the alluring stories which had come back to the Fatherland regarding the wonderful possibilities held out to persons of their habits of industry and thrift in America. They made a safe passage and, accompanied by their small son, landed on the western shore of the Atlantic, buoyed up by high hopes of the fortune that awaited them over here. Alas, those high hopes were doomed to tragic defeat. About the time they landed a scourge of cholera had broken out and many immigrants .of that period fell victims to the dread malady. Among these victims were the parents of Adam Shade. Thus bereft of both of his natural protectors, the child was placed in a children's home and upon reaching sturdy youth was "bound out." Upon finishing the term of this enforced apprenticeship, however, he determined to try his fortune farther west and, with this object in view, came to Preble county, Ohio, Where he remained for some years with the family of Jacob Stover, for whom he did good service and with whom he found a good home: Here he grew to manhood's estate and felt himself, though an adopted citizen, as much a part of the American state as anyone of native birth and second to none in his ardent love for his adopted country. When the dark hour of this nation's peril came, that solemn and forbidding hour when every man was to be put to the full test of his patriotism, Adam Shade was not found wanting. He was among the first in this county to respond to his country's call to arms and enlisted in the ranks of the Thirteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for service in the great Civil War. In this service he performed the full duty of a soldier; giving four years and six months of his ardent young manhood in assisting in the preservation of the Union which he loved so well and- to the cause of freedom, to which he was so warmly devoted. At the close of this trying service, Adam Shade returned to Preble county and here married Sarah Simpson, one of the belles of the county, who was born in this county August 1, 1847. To the union of Adam and Sarah ( Simpson) Shade four children were born, all. of whom are still living, as 762 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. follow : Wilson H., who was born in Preble county, Ohio, June 18, 1872, and who is living with his parents in this county ; Charles, the immediate subject of this narrative, who was born in Boulder county, Colorado, June 18, 1874; Royal. F., who was born in Boulder county, Colorado, May 21, 1877, and who now is a prosperous farmer living near Gratis, this county;. Florence E., who was born in Boulder county, Colorado, November 30, 1881, is the wife of Charles H. Moses and lives at Middletown, Ohio. Following his marriage, Adam Shade followed farming in Gratis township until the fall of 1872, when, with his wife and their baby son, he went to the then far West, locating in Boulder county, Colorado, where he engaged in farming and where his three other children were born. The Shade family remained in Colorado until the year 1883, when'they returned to Ohio, again locating in Preble county, buying a good farm in Gratis township, where Mr. and Mrs. Shade are still living and where they enjoy all the comforts of a very pleasant home as well as the confidence and esteem of a very large circle of admiring friends. Mr. Shade long since gave over the active management of the farm and is living a life of quiet retirement properly becoming an old soldier of his adopted country's wars. Charles Shade received a common-school education and was brought up by his parents to habits of thrift and industry and to make the most of the advantages which the soil offers to those who will properly cultivate it. On September 11, 1898, he married Lillie Shellman, daughter of William and Mary (Smith) Shellman, the former of whom was born in Preble county, Ohio, December 25, 1849, and the latter of whom was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, February 8, 1854. William Shellman and Mary Smith were married in Montgomery county, in April, 1875, and are the parents of three children, all of whom are living, namely : Willie E. and Lillie E., twins, born January 3o, 1876, the former of whom lives in Camden, Ohio, and the latter of whom is the wife of Mr. Shade, and Anna E., born May 26, 1886, who also lives in Camden. Mr. and Mrs. Shellman live on a fine farm east of the town of Gratis, in this county, and are very properly regarded as among the most useful and popular persons in that neighborhood. Following his marriage, Charles Shade rented a farm in Gratis township, on which he remained for about eight years, at the end of which time, in 1907, he bought his present excellent home farm of ninety-two acres in sections 19 and 20, about one mile west of Elkton. Here he carries on general farming and has been quite successful, as is commensurate with the painstaking efforts he has put forth to bring his place up to a state of cultivation second to that of none of his neighbors. To Mr. and Mrs. Shade there has PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 763 been born one child, a daughter, Clara, born February 21, 1902, who is now in school. Charles Shade is a Republican and always has taken the proper interest of a good citizen in political affairs. In the local councils of his party his voice always has had its proper weight and he enjoys the entire confidence and respect of the party managers in Preble county. His executive ability and sound business judgment have been recognized by the voters of Gratis township who elected him to the important office of township trustee, in the administration of which office he gave such universal satisfaction that his re-election was a foregone conclusion and he now is serving very acceptably his second term in this office. Mrs. Shade is an earnest member of the United Brethren church and is counted among the most active workers in the congte-gation of that denomination in her neighborhood. She and Mr. Shade are ever to be found among those engaged in good works and rightly enjoy the full respect of the whole township. GEORGE P. SWOPE. In making up the annals of a county, the historian who turns his attention to the biographical section of such a work as is contemplated in the compilation of the biographies here presented, must be impressed with the truth of the statement that the history of a county depends wholly upon the achieve-ments of the individuals comprising the social units of the organization which comprises a county or a neighborhood. Each, in his place, furnishes his part in the general scheme of things and the omission of any one of these many parts might easily throw the whole wisely-ordered plan out of adjustment. The gentleman whose name introduces this biographical sketch needs but little introduction to the present generation of readers in Preble county, but, out of consideration as to the accuracy of history and that posterity may know something of his life and of his work, the biographer here presents this brief review of the life work of one of Gratis township's best known and most deservedly popular citizens. George P. Swope was born in Ross township, Butler county, Ohio. January 10, 1861, about the time this nation was awakening to the realization that a terrible war was about to be fastened upon the people. He is the son of George Jacob and Margaret (Curby) Swope, the former of whom was a native of Germany who came with his parents to this country when a lad of 764 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. fourteen years and settled on a farm in Butler county, Ohio, where George Jacob grew to manhood and where he was married. To this union there were born eight children, as follow : Mary ; John, deceased ; Susan, deceased ; Jane, the wife of J. S. Inman, who lives near Somerville, in Butler county, Ohio; David, who lives in Darke county, Ohio ; Martha, who married Martin Weaver and lives in Butler county ; Jacob, who lives in Butler county, and George P., whose name heads this review. George Jacob. Swope was a farmer and followed that important vocation all his life, his death occurring in 1886; his wife long preceded him to the grave, her death having occurred in 1864. George P. Swope received a good education in the schools of his home neighborhood and followed his father's footsteps as a farmer until the year 1898, when he bought a meat market in West Elkton, which he conducted quite successfully for a period of thirteen years. At the end of that time he went into the grocery business, which line of commerce he followed for about three years, at the end of which time he was appointed to the important position of head of the county department of sealing for Preble county. This necessitated his removal to the county seat and he lived at Eaton for one year, at the end of which time he moved back to West Elkton, which ever since he has made his home and where he very properly is regarded as among the most influential citizens of the pretty On January 10, 1883, George P. Swope was united in marriage with Ella Wood, to which union there was born but one child, a son, John F., born November 16, 1895. John F. Swope is a builder of cement silos and lives in West Elkton. His mother died April 3o, 1910. She was a daughter of George and Caroline Wood, the former of whom was a native of Scotland and the latter of whom was born in Pennsylvania. George Wood was a cooper, though during the latter part of his life he followed the vocation of farming. He died in 1905, his wife predeceasing him in October, 1896. George P. Swope married, secondly, on July 26, 1911, Blanche Leslie, daughter of John and Rachel (Bratton) Leslie, both of whom are natives of Preble county. John Leslie was born in Gratis township, November 28, 1851, a son of David and Elizabeth (Kerns) Leslie, the former of whom was born in Gratis township in 1812, the son of John Leslie, who was born in Virginia and who was the first white man to settle in Preble county, away back in the year 1803. John Leslie married Rachael Bratton, January 11, 1878, and to them four children were born, all of whom are living, as follow : Frank, a well known farmer of Gratis township ; Blanche, wife of Mr. Swope; Carl, who lives with his parents in Gratis township, and Omar, who also re- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 765 mains at home. Mr. Leslie owns a well-improved farm of seventy-five acres north of West Elkton, and he and his family are held in the highest regard in the neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Swope are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Eaton and are active in all the good works of the community. Mr. Swope is a Democrat and always has proved himself an active participator in the. local campaigns of his party, his counsel and advice being considered of value by the leaders of the party in Preble county. He is a member of the Camden Lodge No. 259, Knights of Pythias, and is among the foremost workers of that popular fraternal organization. In all movements having as their object the development of the best interests of his community Mr. Swope is relied upon to lend his support in all proper ways and he is looked upon as one of the leading men of the community. ROBERT J. BROWN. Beyond question, no people take a greater interest in the welfare of a community, or are more anxious to uphold its traditions and maintain its high standards than are the descendants of those men and women who so ably molded the life and future of the nation during its earliest days. The pioneers who laid, during the early years of the seventeenth century and even previous to that, the foundations of what were destined to become the mighty chain of Atlantic coast states accomplished results far greater than their wildest dreams had ever pictured. Not only that, but they also left behind them descendants of their own sturdy and conscientious type who were fully qualified in every way to carry on the work which their fathers had begun. Gradually those worthy descendants of the pioneers worked their way into the interior of the country, becoming pioneers themselves, and themselves laying the foundations of what were destined to become states as mighty as those founded by their ancestors. Every section of the country has been fortunate in receiving its quota of the pioneers who descended from pioneers, and Preble county can boast of having had as one of its founders during the early years of the nineteenth century a representative of one of the most solid and substantial pioneer families of both the nation's early and later years. This man was Nathan Brown, a descendant of South Carolina pioneers, who settled in Preble county in 1813, and whose grandson, Robert ,J. Brown, the subject of this sketch, is now living close to the spot where his grandfather first settled in this county. 766 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Robert J. Brown was born in Israel township, Preble county, Ohio, February 18, 1842, the son of James and Elizabeth (Scott) Brown. He was the descendant of a long line of Browns who had for many years more than a century been prominent in shaping the destinies of the country previous to his birth. His great-grandfather was Nathan Brown, who was born in South Carolina in 1731, and who died in that state on June 28, 1779. His wife, the subject's great-grandmother, was Grizzella (Richey) Brown, who was also born in South Carolina, the date of her birth having been 1742, and that of her death, May 30, 1810. Nathan Brown was a farmer who played an important part in the development of South Carolina during its early days. Nathan Brown, the second, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in South Carolina in 1774, and died on October 5, 1849, in Preble county, Ohio. His wife was born in 1777, and died on April 9, 1813. Nathan Brown moved to Preble county in 1813, and settled on a farm in Israel township, where he lived during the remainder of his life, having been survived by his son, James. James Brown was born in South Carolina on November 21, 1802, and came to Preble county with his father in 1813. He assisted his father during the earlier years of his life in building the farm which was the foundation of the Brown homestead, and which is still occupied by his son, the subject of this sketch. On January 16, 1828, James Brown married Elizabeth Scott, who was born on March 20, 18o6. They spent their lives on the farm, which James Brown improved to his utmost ability. He died on May 18, 1888, and his wife died on July 7, 1885, To Mr. and Mrs. James Brown nine children were born, three of whom served in the Union army during the Civil War. The children were William S., who was born on March 11, 1829, and who died in South America; James S., born on November 25, 1830, who died on March 9, 1912. He enlisted in Company A., One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War and served four months, the period of his enlistment. Mary Rebecca was born on. November 7, 1832, and died on February 7, 1889. A child died in infancy. Nathan R., was born on October 7, 1835. He enlisted in Company B, Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at the time when the three months' men were called, and served through the period of his enlistment. He then enlisted for three years in Company D, Forty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died at Memphis, Tennessee, October 3, 1863. Nancy Maria, deceased, was born on July 1, 1838. Robert J. is the subject of this sketch. Eliza- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 767 beth C. was born on November 1, 1845, and died on August 17, 1850. Clara J. was born on October 7, 1851, and is now living in Morning Sun, Ohio. Robert J. Brown was born in Israel township, on the farm where he now lives, February 18, 1842. He received his early education in the schools of Israel township and in 1862 was graduated from Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio. Shortly afterward he answered the call for volunteers for the Union.army and .enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for four months, and served the period of his enlistment. On October 20, 1875, he married Vinolia J.k. Shaw, a daughter of Robert and Marietta (Robertson) Shaw. Robert Shaw, her father, was born near Washington, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Washington county, Iowa. Mrs. Shaw was born in Preble county, near Fairhaven, Ohio. Later her parents moved to Spring Hill, Indiana, and from there to Washington county, Iowa, where Mr. and Mrs. Shaw were married. To them were born three children, Vinolia, the wife of the subject of this sketch; David R., whose place of residence is now unknown, and Lloyd S., who died when a child and was buried at Brighton, Iowa. At the time of the Civil War Mr. Shaw enlisted in the Union army and died at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was buried in the national cemetery at Vicksburg. Mrs. Shaw died in 1900, and Was buried in HopeWell cemetery, Israel township, this county. After his marriage Robert J. Brown settled on his farm, which is situ-ated about a quarter of a mile east of Morning Sun. To him and Mrs. Brown two children were born, Ethel E., the wife of Roy B. Wright, of Israel township, this county, and Helen S., who died in infancy. Robert J. Brown owns one hundred and sixty-three acres of fine farm land in section 23 of Israel township, this county. The land has been kept highly improved and now forms one of the best farms in the vicinity. Mr. Brown early improved the house where his father began house-keeping in 1828 and it is now occupied by the tenant who is operating the Brown farm. This same farm has been in the possession of the Brown family since Na-than Brown first moved to Preble county from South Carolina, more than one hundred years ago. Mr. Brown retired from the active operation of his farm about nine years ago and, since that time he and Mrs. Brown have been living quietly and enjoying the fruits of their long years of effort. They are both members of the United Presbyterian church and are active in all matters per- 768 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. taining to the church's welfare. Mr. Brown is a supporter of the Republican party, but has never cared to hold public office, nor has he ever actively participated in any political campaign. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are both held in the highest esteem by their neighbors, being recognized as among the most valued citizens. of Preble county. From the days of its earliest history the Brown family has played an important part in the development of the nation, and Robert J. Brown has ably accomplished his part in upholding the traditions of his family. He served the nation as a soldier in time of war and, during the later years of peace, he has served it as faithfully and efficiently as a citizen of the highest type and a living example of what Americans, in the full sense of the word, really are. JOSEPH POOS. It is a rare pleasure for the biographer to record the important incidents in the lives of prosperous men who have honored their community and who are loved by their fellow men. The lives of such men inspire the coming generation as they have inspired the present one, and these men eminently deserve the honorable mention 'made in such a work as this. One of the most influential citizens of Eaton, Preble county, Ohio, is Joseph Poos, who has operated a grain elevator in connection with a coal, cement, lime and sewer-tile yard at that place for many years, and also operates a grocery store. Joseph Poos was born in Eaton, Ohio, on January 12, 186o, the son of Nicholas and Anna Mary (Becht) Poos, natives of Germany, the former born in Luxemburg, and the latter in Gemersheim. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom lived to maturity; John, of Dayton, Kentucky; George, of l aton ; Joseph, of Eaton ; Henry, a farmer living in Gasper township; William, of Eaton, and Frank, who died at the age of eighteen. Nicholas Poos was reared and educated in Germany, and at the age of twenty-eight came to America, locating first in Dayton, Kentucky, coming, in 1852, to Preble county, Ohio, where he settled in Eaton and worked at his trade of wagon making. In 1871 he bought a farm in Gasper township, and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1898, at the age of seventy-four. His widow survived him until 1902, when her death occurred at the age of seventy-two. Both were devout members of the Catholic church. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 769 Joseph Poos was reared in Eaton until eleven years of age, and then removed with the family to the farm, where he attended the district schools of Gasper township, acquiring there the ownership of thirty acres of land. He lived at home until forty-three years of age, at which time he moved to Eaton and engaged in the grocery and feed business, in which he continued until the spring of 1902, when his mother died and he sold out his business in Eaton in order to look after his agricultural interests, having purchased eighty acres more of land in the meantime. He also purchased the home place of one hundred and twenty acres. He traded his first farm when he acquired his present grain and coal business in Eaton. In this latter business he has prospered most gratifyingly, having built up a large and profitable patronage. Mr. Poos owns the old home place in Gasper township. He started the grain elevator April 8, 1912, and since then has added groceries, coal, lime, tile, etc. On June 30, 1903, Mr. Poos was married to Johanna Maloney, the daughter of Patrick and Bridget (Finn) Maloney, and to this union three children have been born, Joseph, Jr., Helena and Charles. Mrs. Poos was born on April 28, 1875. Mrs. Poos was born on a farm in Washington township and removed to Eaton with her parents at the age of four years. She was graduated from the Eaton High School in 1892, and began teaching the Eaton schools the following year, which occupation she followed for ten successive years. Her parents were both natives of Ireland and devout members of the Catholic church. Her father is now deceased, while her mother is still living. They were the parents of two children, Mrs. Poos and a sister, who died at the age of four years. Mr. Poos is an adherent of the Democratic party and has served the public in several official positions, having been a member of the city council of Eaton for one term, discharging his duties in that connection in a manner satisfactory to the people of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Poos are active and devout members of the Catholic church, and contribute in liberal measure to the support of this great faith. In everything that he has undertaken Mr. Poos has been pre-eminently successful, and while the measure of his personal success has been great, it has not been attained without strict attention to the highest and best principles of business. He is devoted to all enterprises of a public nature, which have to do with the improvement of the moral, religious and civic tone of the community. (49) 770 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. LAWRENCE RINER. In past years the history of our country was comprised largely of the records and achievements of the pioneers as they made their homes on land wrested from the wilderness, and later fought to gain their independence and to preserve the country intact. Today our history is chiefly made up of the commercial activity of our citizens and comprises a record of those whose names are foremost as leaders in business circles. The conquests now made are those of mind over matter, and the victor is he who can most successfully establish, control and operate commercial interests. Lawrence Riner is one of the men who are playing important parts in the essential history of Preble county, Ohio, today. In his work he has the advantage of having had the guidance and advice of his father, George W. Riner, who has long played, and is still playing a prominent role in Preble county's history. Tireless energy, keen perception, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and executing the right thing in the right place and at the right time are the chief characteristics of both these men, and a history of Preble county would be incomplete were they not included among those whose records appear in its pages. George W. Riner was born on March 22, 1856, in Berkeley county, West Virginia (then Virginia), a son of Jacob and Mary (Everhart) Riner, both of whom were natives of Virginia. His father, Jacob Riner, was a farmer, and came to Preble county, Ohio, in 1864, settling in Gratis township. To Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Riner were born six children, as follows : Peter, who lives in Tuscola, Douglas county, Ohio ; John, who lived in Wayne township, Butler county, where he died in 1876; Jeane, who was the wife of George Kerns, and who died in Wayne township, Butler county, about 1882 ; Ellen, who died in Gratis township, Preble county, at the age of twenty-two; Belle, who was the wife of George Taylor, and who died in West Elkton, Gratis township, Preble county, in 1911, and George W. Jacob Riner died in 1867, and his widow died in 1894. George W. Riner received a common school education and afterward took up his father's calling of farming. On August 1, 1878, he married Susan Taylor, a daughter of Israel and Lydia (Stanley) Taylor. Her parents, both deceased, were born in Preble county, Ohio, and her grandfather, James Taylor, came to this county at an early date. To Mr. and Mrs. George W. Riner were born five children, all of whom are living : Dora Marie, the wife of Henry Kenworthy, who lives in Gratis township, Preble county ; Charles, who lives at home; Lee, who lives in PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 771 Gratis township; Lawrence, who lives in West Elkton, Preble county, and Elmer, who lives at home. Elmer married Myrtle Kuch, and to them one son has been born, the date of his birth having been September 16, 1912. George W. Riner has followed the calling of .a fanner all his life, and now owns sixty-five acres of fine farm land in section 20, one mile north of West Elkton, where he makes his home. He has been a prominent member of the Preble County Agricultural Society for the past ten years. In politics Mr. Riner is a strong supporter of the Republican party and has been active in the political affairs of his community. For ten years he served his township as a trustee, and conducted the business of the office to the complete satisfaction of the citizens. Fraternally, Mr. Riner is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 259, of Camden, Ohio. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mrs. Riner is a member of the Friends church. Both are active workers in the affairs of their respective churches. Lawrence Riner was born in Gratis township, Preble county,. Ohio, January 20, 1888, the son of George and Susan (Taylor) Riner. He received his early education in the public schools of West Elkton, Preble county, Ohio, and was graduated from the West Elkton high school with the class of 1908. He then efitered Ohio Wesleyan University, where he took the commercial course. After being graduated from the university he returned to West Elkton and worked for two years on his father's farm. Farming was not congenial work to Mr. Riner, however, and he later bought a general store in West Elkton, a business which he still conducts. He developed the store and applied to his business the principles of modern commerce which he had studied in the university. He now has one of the most prosperous and fully-equipped stores in his vicinity and enjoys the patronage of a large circle of friends. On April 14, 1910, Lawrence Riner married Alma Slough, a daughter of Charles and Emma (Mount) Slough, of Butler county, Ohio. Mrs. Riner's parents are natives of Montgomery county, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Riner have been born two children, George, born on November 3, 1911, and Alberta; born on April 7, 1914. In politics Lawrence Riner is a strong supporter of the Republican party; with which his father has long been affiliated. He has been active in the political affairs of his community and is at the present time city treasurer and school treasurer of West Elkton, filling both offices to the complete satisfaction of the citizens of that city. The careers of both Lawrence and George W. Riner have been note- 772 - PREELE COUNTY, OHIO. worthy in every way. They are men of large influence in their community and have been identified with various kinds of enterprise in their township. They are to be found on the right side of all public questions and are regarded with the deepest respect by all their neighbors. ALBERT R. KIRK. One of the first indications of the attainment of prosperity by any community comes with the establishment of the local printing shop. The newer and more remote a community is, the less need it has for the services of a printer, but as it gradually grows and becomes prosperous its need of a printer is daily more apparent. In every section of the country the disciples of the art preservative of all arts have played important roles in the establishment and maintenance of the community welfare. Many of them, since the days of Benjamin Franklin, have attained not only local, but national, fame and their names have become household words. Among the citizens of West Elkton, Preble county, who are meeting, in a very satisfactory way, a definite demand in his community is Albert R. Kirk. Because of his industry, expertness in his calling and his splendid personal character, he is numbered among the leading men of his locality. Albert R. Kirk was born in Gratis township, Preble county, Ohio, February 19, 1882, the son of David and Sarah (Coombs) Kirk. David Kirk was born in Butler county, Ohio, and his wife, Sarah Coombs, who died October 2, 1902, was born in Washington, Indiana. They were married in Butler county, Ohio, where Mr. Kirk was following his calling as a farmer, an occupation in which he is still engaged on the old homestead in Wayne township, Butler county. Three children were born to them, as follows : Albert, the subject of this sketch ; Ada, born December 6, 1884, who died at the age of two years ; Mary, born December 4, 189o, who now lives near Oxford, Preble county, Ohio. Albert R. Kirk received his early education in the public schools of Gratis township, Preble county, Ohio, and, after having completed his studies, took up his father's calling as a farmer. Farming did not strongly appeal to him, however, and, after having followed it for several years, he established a photo and printing business in West Elkton, Ohio, where he did job printing. He was successful in his new business, and developed it until it became one of the most important commercial enterprises in West Elkton. 773 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. On February 19, 1903, Mr. Kirk married Lillian Heffron, a daughter of John and Rose (Snyder) Heffron. Both of Mrs. Kirk's parents were residents of Cincinnati, Ohio, in which city they both died. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kirk, Donald, born January 14, 1911, and James, born February 13, 1914. In politics, Mr. Kirk is a loyal supporter of the Democratic party and has been active in the political affairs of Preble county. His support of the party was rewarded in January, 1915, when he was appointed by President Wilson to the postmastership of West Elkton. Mr. Kirk is a member and strong supporter of the Presbyterian church of Collinsville, Ohio, in the affairs of which he plays an active part. Mrs. Kirk also attends the Presbyterian church. Mr. Kirk has for a long time been a prominent leader in the affairs of his community and holds the trust and respect of all its citizens. He and Mrs. Kirk are quiet and unassuming people, who are held in the highest esteem by their neighbors and who are counted among the most prominent and substantial residents of West Elkton. WILSON KENNEDY. The early pioneers of Preble county, Ohio, were drawn hither from many sources, some coming from the countries of Europe, and others from various of the thirteen original states of the Union. Both types were excellent factors in the founding and upbuilding of a new country, but of the two, the latter possessed essential characteristics which rendered them somewhat the better class for the accomplishment of the work in hand. Born of pioneer parents who had themselves assisted in the founding of new sections of the country, these latter settlers were the better qualified through birth and training to wrestle with the problems which invariably confront the pioneer, wherever he may be. One of those pioneer families which had descended from pioneers was the Kennedy family, the first representative of which came to Ohio in 1796, and which was long represented in Preble county by Wilson Kennedy, deceased, who formerly lived in Somers township, Preble county, Ohio. Wilson Kennedy, the subject of this sketch, was born in Pleasant Ridge, Ohio, August 1o, 1840, the son of Benjamin P. and Anna (Baxter) Kennedy. His grandfather was David Kennedy, who was born in New 774 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Jersey in 1774 and who came to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1796. Grandfather Kennedy was typical of the pioneer class who pave the way in all undertakings. He owned the first ferry which crossed the Ohio river at Cincinnati and operated it for many years. He was drowned in 1855 when an accident befell his ferry. Grandmother Kennedy was Martha Harden, who was born in 1786, and who died in Hamilton county, Ohio, in 1865. Benjamin Kennedy, the father of Wilson Kennedy, was the only surviving child of David Kennedy. He was twice married, his first wife having been Anna Baxter, the mother of Wilson, and his second wife was Sarah Frazee. He was the father of six children. Wilson Kennedy came with his parents to Preble county when he was twelve years of age. He attended the district schools of the county and on November 17, 1864, married Anna Frazee, a daughter of Squire and Mary Ann (Irwin) Frazee. Mrs. Kennedy's father was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, and her mother was born in Butler county, Ohio. They were married in the latter county and four children were born to them, Sarah, deceased; Anna, the wife of Wilson Kennedy, who died in 1915; Robert, who lives in Somerville, Butler county, Ohio, and Lewis, who also lives in Somerville. Squire Frazee was a farmer, an occupation which he followed throughout his life. He died in 1893. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Kennedy, Harry, born on August 29, 1865, who died in 1885; Mary, born on August 5, 1868, the wife of Frank A. Stephenson, who lives on the old homestead; Edith E., born on December, 1877, who died in 1881, and Clarence, born on July o, 1879, who died in 1881. After his marriage Wilson Kennedy spent the greater portion of his life on his farm of one hundred and ten acres. At two different periods the family lived for a time in Camden, Ohio, having spent about four years altogether in that place. The remainder of their time, however, was spent on the farm, which Mr. Kennedy improved to the utmost. Mr. Kennedy was a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge of Camden, Ohio. Both he and Mrs. Kennedy were loyal supporters of the Universalist church, of which they were regular attendants. Mr. Kennedy was affiliated with the Democratic party, although he was never an active partisan in any of the political campaigns. Wilson Kennedy died April 13, 1907, Mrs. Kennedy survived him until March 20, 1915, residing with her daughter, Mrs. Frank A. Stephenson, who lives on the old homestead in Somers township. Mr. Kennedy is remembered with the greatest respect and esteem by