Clay Township (part 2 of 2)

Sxriiuel Bupe was born in Xorth Carolina, in the year 1808; his parents, Jacob and Susanna Rupe, came to Indiana about tiieyear 1812, and settled at Pleasant Plain, in Elkhart county, in 1826. Mr. Rupe came to this tp. about 1832. Like inost of tiie early settlers he came here poor, but by diligence and perseverance he has made, for his old age, a pleasant home. His farm consists of 158 acres of choice farming land, on sec. 8. He was married at the age of 21 to Rachel Whitmer, of Wayne county, Ind., and they had 5 children: Lovina, John B., Elizabeth, Franklin and Mar^'. Mrs. Rupe died about 1840, and Mr. Rupe married Sally Ann Owen, widow of the late Rev. T. Owen, and they have G children: Susan, Martha Jane, Allie, Lucinda, William H. and Albert. Mr. Rupe has been a member of the M. E. Church for 5-1 years; was licensed to exhort about 47 years ago, and to preach about 25 years ago. He has been one of the pioneer Methodists of this country. P. O., South Bend.

John. J. Rupel was born in Virginia, Sept. 16, 1818, the son of John and Elizabeth Rupel, who came to Elkhart county in 1832. Dec. 27, 1849, he married Lydia Chord, daughter of Jacob and Susanna Chord, both of whom were natives of Montgomery county, Ohio. They settled in this county in 1831. Mrs. R. was born Jan. 11, 1827. They have 3 children, namelj-: Mary A., born March 3, 1851, married Jacob Wolverton and lives in South Bend; Nora M., born Nov. 18, 1853, married Arthur Invy, of South Bend; and Chord S., born Feb. 18, 1858, is married and living at home. Mr. Rupel worked at carpentering when young, but has been a farmer for the last 30 years. He left Elkhart county in 1839, and settled on his present farm in 1851. He owns 335 acres in this tp. He also has a line residence in South Bend. When Mr. Rupel came to this farm there was but little improvement on the place, but by hard work and careful management he has made it one of the finest farms in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Rupel are members of the Advent Church. "P. O., South Bend.

married Kichard B. Moffitt, of tliis count3\ Mr. Schang, when young, learnt the blacksmith trade and that has been his business through life. He carried on a shop in South Bend for nine or ten years, when he removed tolas farm in this tp., where he has been working on his farm and at his trade since. In the spring of 1878 George went to Texas, but soon grew tired of the " laud which flows with milk and honey," and concluded that St. Joseph county was not so bad a place after all; so procuring a pony and saddle he left the " Lone Star '' State, came through Arkansas and Missouri, and made the trip home in about two months. During the gold .fever in California Mr. Schang went thither, by way of the Gulf and crossing Central America, and thence on the Pacific to the land of gold. He returned in about IS months by way of thtj Isthmus and New York, to South Bend. Mr. Schang was educated in France, and belongs to the Catholic Church. P. O., South Bend; residence, sec. 8.

J. M. Sioaim was born in Kandolph county, N. C, Jan. 26, 1822, where he worked on liis father's farm until he reached his 23d year, when he removed with his family to Indiana in the autumn of 184-i. The first four years of his life in Indiana were spent in teaching school and the study of medicine. In the spring of 1847 he was married to a daughter of Dr. Way, of Kichmond. The next spring, with a number of his wife's relatives, he removed to the northern part of Illinois, then a comparatively new country, remaining, however, only one year, when he returned to Indiana, to the vicinity of South Bend, wliere he has since resided. Ancestry: Anthony Swaim came from Holland in 1700, and settled on Staten Island. Anthony had 3 sons: Michael, Mathias and William. The latter with his 3 sons, John, Moses and Michael, went southward and settled in North Carolina, then a British colony. John married Elizabeth Vickroy, by whom he had 8 sons and 3 daughters. The sons were Ashley, Christopher, William, Joshua, John, Marmaduke, Moses and Michael. Moses married Adda Swindell, by whom he had 7 sons and 4 daughters. Four of the sons are still living, one, the subject of this sketch, in Indiana, one in Illinois, one in Missouri, and one in North Carolina. Two of the daughters are still living in Indiana. The family is numerous and widely scattered over the United States. In some localities the name has degenerated into Swain, sometimes spelt Swayne; but they are all of the same family, and trace their ancestry back to Anthony, the Dutchman.

Charity Wharton was born in Warren county, Ohio, Oct. 3, 1825, the daughter of William and Sarah Throckmorton, who were early settlers in this county. The former was a native of New Jersej-, and the latter of Pennsylvania, and came to this tp. from Warren connty, O., in. 1836. They settled on the farm now owned by W. A. Aldrich, where they both died in 1864. The subject of this sketch was married to William Wharton Feb. 6, 1844. He was born in Warren county, O., June 23, 1815, and came to this tp. in

1S42. They have 4 children living: Sarah L., born Oct. 2, 1845; David F.. Feb. 4, 1S4S; James G., Nov. it, 1858; Henrietta, born Jan. 11, 1859. Mrs. Wharton lias lived on lier present farm for 31 years. Mr. Wharton died May 11, 1877. He was a man honored and loved by all that knew him, and left a large circle of friends to mourn his departure.

Margaret Whitman was born in Seneca county, O., Aug. 14, 1844. She is the daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth Jones, of that place. She was married there May 26, 1856, to Daniel Whitman, son of Samuel and Rachel Whitman, of the same county. He was born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 5, 1821. They came to this county and settled on tiieir farm in this tp. in March, 1S61. Tliis couple liave 5 children: Samuel N., born in August, 1857; Ellen, born Sept. 9, 1861; Clara A., born Nov. 12, 1863; Frank, born Nov. 30, 1865. Margaret, died in 1876, aged 19. By a former marriage Mr. Whitman had several children, one ot whom is living: Newton J., born in August, 1851. Jesse AV. was born Oct. 10, 1844, and died Oct. 23, 1863, at Chattanooga; was a member of the 21st Ind. Battery; went out in September, 1861. Samantha J., married George Cobb, and died Jan. 6, 1876. Mr. Whitman was a farmer. He died April 2, 1874. For many long years before his death his health had been very poor, but he bore all his affliction with a Christian fortitude, waiting tor his Master to call him to that blest home where sickness never comes.

J . J. Whitman, son of Joel and Artemisia Whitman, was born in Lake county, Ohio, in September, 1834; was married in the fall of 1867, to Druzilla Bennett, daughter of Stephen Bennett, of this county, formerly of Morrow countj^, Ohio, but a native of Virginia. Their 9 children are: Lester J. (deceased), Eva May, Amelia E., Martin E., Alvia A., John M., Mary E., Carrie E. and Gertrude. Mr. Whitman is a carpenter and also attends to his farm of 65 acres in sec. 13. Lie served nine months in our late war in Co. E., 23d Ind. Inf. P. O., South Bend.

Joel Wiitm an, son of J esse and Catharine (Vanderhoot) Whitman, was born in New York Jan. 1, 1811. They left New York in 1830 and went to Erie county, Penn. There he married Artemisia Hewitt, daughter of Daniel Hewitt, of that county. She was born here in 1813. They had 10 children, 7 of whom are living: Jolin J., Marcia (now Mrs. George Philips), Adelia (iiow Mrs. W. Inman, of Liberty tp.), S^'lvia M. (now Mrs. Bownbork, of Centre tp.) James E., of Arkansas, Francis A. and Joseph A. Mrs.W. died in '52, and Mr. Whitman was again married in 1857, to Charity Cortril, daughter of John and Phebe Cortril, of this county. They have 3 children: Nettie, Ada M. and Belle. Mrs. Whitman died May 25, 1879. Mr. Whitman left Erie county. Pa., in '33 and moved to Ohio; in '36 he came to St. Joseph county. He is a farmer, and owns 20 acres in sec. 18. By trade he is a carpenter and joiner. Is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church in North Liberty. Was land Assessor

History Of St. Joseph Countt

Michael Woolht was born in Allen county, Ohio, April 7, 184:0. His parents, Michael and Catharine Woollet, were natives of Pennsylvania. He was married in May, 1863, to Mary E. Oyler, daughter of William and Elizabeth Oyler, of Green tp., but formerly of Shelby county, Ohio. They have 8 children: Lewis, Charles, Ellen, Alice, Marion, Clara, Melvin and Rosa. Mr. Woollet came to the county in 1853. He is a farmer. P. O., South Bend.