German Township (part 3 of 3)

SAMUEL STIVER, farmer, P. O. Germantown. Among the most worthy ai prominent farmers of German Township Samuel Stiver holds a leading place. In 3 SGj his parents, John and Margaret (Wrolf) Stiver, natives respectively of Lancaster ai Tofiin Counties, Penn., left their native State and came to Montgomery County, Ohi settling in German Township, in the southwest part of the county. John was ot He land Dutch descent, his ancestors having come to the colonies before the Revolutions® war. He and wife lived and died in this county. The subject of this sketch was bo,® in Montgomery County, Ohio, February 21, 1816, here grew to maturity, inured ,® the trials that fell to the lot of every pioneer family, and March 4, 1841, was marriM to Catherine Emerick, daughter of .George and Mary (Good) Emerick, the former of whom was a native of Maryland and the latter of Virginia. Mrs. Stiver was born in this county October *7, 1819, and has had six children, as follows : Benjamin M., William C., Samuel, Mary E., John A. and Sarah C., all of whom are married and have i families, excepting John A., who resides at home with his parents. Mr. Stiver owns over five hundred acres of land, three hundred and forty-six in German and one hundred and sixty-four in Jackson Township; has always been recognized as a good, isuccessful farmer, who looks carefully after his business and seldom makes mistakes in his investments. He is conservative and close in his views, a good neighbor, kind yet economical in his family, and can be safely classed as one of the representative farmers of the township.

J. M. SWARTZEL, farmer, P. 0. Carlisle Station, was born in German Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, September 19, 1822. On the 2d of May, 1853, he was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Replogle, born May 10, 1835. This union was 'blessed with the following children: John, Emma, Charles, Mary, William, Frank, (Edward, Oliver, Andrew, Peter and one who died in infancy. Mr. Swartzel is a son of John C. and Elizabeth (Crist) Swartzel, natives of the State of Maryland, whence they emigrated in 1804. The father died in 1850, and the mother in 1870. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Matthias Swartzel, and that of his wife was Henry Crist. Louisa Replogle is the daughter of Daniel P. and Mary (Lewis) Replogle, now residents of Defiance County, Ohio. Mr. Swartzel resides on his farm of one hundred and .wo acres of land located about two miles northwest of Carlisle Station, Warren County.

FREDERICK THOMAS, farmer, Germantown P. O., is a native of Maryland, >orn in Washington County October 21, 1802, and sou of Gabriel and Christina (Wolf) Thomas, of that State, the former born in 1769 and dying in 1857. The family came to Ohio in 1804, and here our subject grew up and received his schooling. In 1846, he uarried Dinah Hetzler, born May 18, 1807, and in 1850 moved upon his present farm, if 102 acres, two and a half miles south of Germantown. He has been a member of the Jnited Brethren Church since a young man.

MICHAEL TROUT, physician, Germantown, is the only survivor of a family of 'leven children, and is the son of George and Margaret (Zigler) Trout, both natives of 'ennsylvania. George, in his minor days, learned the potter trade, and afterward jcated in business on the Monongahela River, where he remained until about 1812, hen he removed to Perry County, Ohio, and continued his occupation (potter) in the (iwn of Somerset. At the close of the Indian war of 1812, he organized a militia ompany, and served as its Captain until age plainly told on his wrinkled brow and fosted hair, disabling him for parade. He was a practical and useful man in his county, ad was chosen as Associate Judge. During life he accumulated some property, and enerally was a constant and generous contributor to all worthy enterprises. He and ife trod the path of a united life -until old age bent both their frames, when they were tiled hence. Michael, whose name heads this biography, was born June 21, 1809,

. Williamsport, Washington Co., Penn., and was brought to Perry County, Ohio, by (is parents, in childhood. They being located in the town of Somerset, liis educa- ;onal privileges were not so much limited as many others of that early age. In 1827, I came to Germantown, Montgomery Co., Ohio, where he taught one term of school, id has since continuously resided, except five years in Wayne County, Ind., subsetently obtained a situation as a dry goods clerk, and during spare moments applied mself to the reading of medicine; finally, acquired a fair knowledge of the science, p this end he entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati and improved his vaca- >n, under the directions of Dr. Espich, who was a reliable practitioner and safe junselor. After the completion of Dr. Trout's collegiate or lecture courses, he betae associated as partner with his (former) preceptor. After one year's existence of [is firm, by mutual consent, it dissolved, and Dr. Trout continued by himself. He one among the oldest practicing physicians of Montgomery County, has withstood the j'rms of over half a century's practice. He has been for many years a member of and ustee in the Lutheran Church, also a valuable member of the Order of I. O. O. F., having taken nearly all the degrees. Ilis marriage was solemnized February 21, 1832, with Amelia Schwartz, who was born March 4, 1813, in Baltimore, Md., and an exemplary member of the Lutheran Church. Of their eleven children three survive - Isadora L., Henry S. and Theodore.

WILLIAM WETZ, retired tanner, P. 0. Germantown, was born in Germany February 15, 1824, and is a son of Henry and Christina (Druck) Wetz, natives of that country, and parents of six children, five of whom are living. In 1838, William began to learn the tanner's trade, which he completed, and in 1848 emigrated to Ohio, locating at Miamisburg, where he worked at his trade four years, thence removed to Germantown, where he followed his trade until six years ago. His father died :n Germany and his mother in Ohio. Mr. Wetz was married, December 11, 1856, to Eva Muller, born December 16, 1822, and daughter of Frank and Margaret Muller, who were the parents of nine children, five of whom are living. Mr. Wetz is the father of two children, William H. and Margaret, the latter of whom died in infancy. He is now retired from active business in the enjoyment of what his early industry and economical habits husbanded through the passing years from youth to aged manhood. He and his wife belong to the Evangelical Association.

CLINTON II. YOUNG, horse dealer, Germantown, was born near Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, November 12, 1856. Ilis parents were Henry and Elizabeth (Tell) Young, the former amative of Preble County, and by occupation a farmer; the father served the people of his township as Trustee and Clerk. The parents are members of the German Baptist Church. Our subject is one of ten children, viz. : Sarah A., Mary J., Maria, Levina, Martha, Jemima, Ella, Clinton H., Lurten E. and Edward. At the age of eighteen years, after having had the benefit of a common school education, he rented a portion of his father's farm, and was united in marriage with Laura E., daughter of Paul Marker, July 21, 1878. Miss Marker was born in Montgomery County March 16, 1858. Mr. Marker was a member of the Lutheran Church, and died March 11, 1880. This young couple left the farm August 6, 1880, moving to Germantown, where Mr. Young engaged in the livery stable business, on Market street, but he is now engaged in trading and buying horses. They are the parents of j; one child, Lawrence 0., born August 27, 1879.

LEVI ZEARING, farmer, P. 0. Germantown. The parents of this gentleman were Peter Zearing and Elizabeth Boombrake, who were married in 1816. The former was born in Lebanon County, Penn., in 1790, and in 1818 came to Ohio, and in two years later settled in Section 6, German Township of this county, where he died August 8, 1858, in his sixty-fifth year, the mother having lived until April 29, 1862, when she died at the age of seventy-three years. Our subject was born on the homestead June 15, 1819, where he has since resided and been occupied as a farmer. He was united in marriage with Ann Maria, daughter of Barnet and Elizabeth Zearing, February 5, 1846. She was born in Warren County, November 13, 1824. To this couple was born one son, Amos, who married Mary Hildreth, and is the father of four children by name, Oscar, Eva May, Willie A. and Levi E. Our subject possesses two well-improved farms; the homestead contains 162 acres, valued at $125 per acre. Everything thereon is kept in perfect order ; the barn is large and commodious, and on the land is an extensive sugar camp of about 800 or 1,000 trees ; the other farm con- I tains 155 acres, situated about three miles south of Germantown. The homestead is reasonably well stocked, and supplied with all modern farming implements.'

JOHN ZEHRING, merchant, Germantown. In the year 1725, Ludwig Zehring and family emigrated from Baden, Germany, to the American colonies, and prior to 1732 located in what afterward became Lebanon County, Penn., purchasing 130 acres from the Indians, for which he paid £20, 10s lid, and with a few others of his faitn, erected near his farm the Swataa Reformed Church, located two miles east of Jonestown, which building has long since been replaced by a more modern and commodious house of worship. Here in this county was born William Zehring, in October, 1792,! grew up under the parental roof, and in 1818 married Miss Elizabeth Garst, who was born in the same county in 1794, of which union were born five children, viz. : John,

William, Christian, Lydia, now Mrs. Binkerd of Dayton, and Barbara, now Mrs. Miltenbarger, of Warren County, Ohio. The farm upon which Ludwig Zehring settled is yet owned by his descendants, and from this point, in the spring of 1819, William and wife started for Ohio, locating in Butler County, near Blue Ball, where he purchased fifty acres of land, upon which he lived nine years, when he sold it at a sacrifice of $300 and bought a quarter section on Louis Bun in Jackson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. Here he passed many years, raised his family, and embraced the faith of tne German Baptist Church, of which he ever tried to be a worthy member until his death in 1810, his latter days having been spent at his son William's residence, in Miami County, Ind. His widow still survives him ; is in her eighty-eighth year ; makes her home with her daughter} in Warren County, and has also been a life-long member of the German Baptist Church. The subject of this sketch was born in Butler County, Ohio, January 25, 1820, receiving his education in the well-known log schoolhouse of the pioneer days, and so perseveringly did he prosecute his studies, that upon leaving school, he was competent of teaching, which he followed in the winter months, the summer being devoted to farming. Mr. Zehring was married, November 25, 1841, to Miss Nancy Snavely, a native of Lebanon County, Penn., who came to Ohio with her parents, John and Bebecca Snavely, in 1831. Of this union have been born eleven children, ten of whom are now living, and two of the sons were soldiers in the Union army, viz. : S. Perry, who enlisted in Company H, Thirty-fifth Begiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at the age of sixteen, participating in all the battles of his regiment, Perryville, Ky., Chickamauga, Mission Bidge and Sherman's march to Atlanta, Ga., being the most important. He served three years, and during this time, was never absent or lost a day's service, and was mustered out at Atlanta, Ga., but soon after reaching home, he again concluded to enter the service of his country, and raised Company H, One Hundred and Ninety-seventh Begiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of which he was chosen Captain, but the war ending six months subsequently, with the surrender of Lee, the regiment was mustered out of service. D. Washington Zehring enlisted in 1864, in the Signal Service, and at the close of the war, was honorably discharged. Our subject continued to teach school and farm until 1847, when, having saved a small amount of money he, in partnership with his brother William, opened a store at Farmersville, where they did a successful business until 1853, when the partnership was dissolved, and John removed to Germantown and bought the dry goods house of Stump & Gunckel, where he yet continues to do business. During his mercantile career in Germantown, he has had as partners, H. Elliott, the present Common Pleas Judge of this district, and J. S. Binkerd, of Dayton, and is, at presem, associate