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1907 · Howard, vol. 2, read in parts 33, 44, 58, 59
John W. Leonard (pp. 931–932): b. Wayne County, Ohio, 18 October 1821; emigrated to St. Joseph County in 1848, one year in Portage Township, and in 1849 took up his Penn Township homestead of 200 acres, arriving with less than $100; twelve children named; a member of the Osceola Methodist Episcopal church. Howard's curious ornament stands as printed: Leonard "has one of the old deeds executed by President Andrew Jackson and which bears the date of about 1832" — a deed dated sixteen years before his arrival, its grantee and chain unstated, printed without a harmonizing explanation. The directory's Wesley Leonard (Osceola P.O., section 16, Wayne County, Ohio, settled 1848) shares John W.'s county of origin and arrival year; the relationship is stated nowhere and the two are not merged.
Thomas Elder (pp. 933–934): b. Portage Township 12 September 1855; his father William Elder (b. Scotland 1827; to America 1850; to this county 1851) built the Elder homestead in section 18 to 150 acres, 90 cleared, and died at 74; Thomas left in 1878 for twenty years of western carpentering, returned in 1898, taught school two winter seasons in Warren Township, and married Sadie Fourtner in 1905 (d. 1906). Alfred Ferris (p. 933): b. in this township 16 October 1856; his father Lewis Ferris's homestead (120 acres) was taken up in 1852; his mother, Mary (Crain) Ferris (b. Chautauqua County, N.Y., 26 September 1826; came overland at ten), survived at 82 in Penn Township, "during several years… numbered among the successful educators of the county." The 1837 First Baptist charter roll carries Isaiah, Lucinda, Elizabeth and Parmelia Ferris and treasurer B. J. Ferris; their relation to Lewis's family is unstated and unassigned. John M. Wommer (p. 935): retired on section 10; came to the county in 1868 onto a farm then of 320 acres; nine children; his father Jacob was the blacksmith of that line — the son is not made the smith here. John H. Parett (pp. 936–937): b. in this township 31 August 1848, son of William Parett; married Annis Moon, Solomon Moon's daughter, in 1873, and located in 1879 on 60 acres, adding 75. James E. Jennings (p. 937): a young agriculturist of section 5, b. Clay Township 19 September 1876, grandson of Samuel R. Jennings Sr. (b. Monroe, Orange County, N.Y., 3 April 1807; d.
The Osceola physicians of the new century: J. B. Seaman, M.D. (p. 928) — b. Clyde, N.Y., 21 June 1864, son of Joseph W. Seaman, a miller who became a citizen of this county 5 May 1866; DePauw, then the Medical College of Indiana (graduated 1900); "in 1901 came to Osceola and entered upon practice"; married Margaret Morgan 17 May 1904. Louis Proudfit, M.D. (p. 928) — b. Elkhart County 10 February 1876; graduated the Medical College of Indiana in 1902 and "located at Osceola immediately"; married Grace Sawyer in 1906; his mother was Emeline (Bancroft) Proudfit "of Osceola," of "one of the pioneer families of St. Joseph county" — which Bancroft was her parent, Howard does not state, and it is not assigned. With Batchelder (1869–79) the two make the village's documented medical succession at this section's strength: 1869, 1901, 1902 — and a Dr. W. A. Pierce "of Osceola" named in the 1893 Goodspeed memoirs stands as an unverified bonus line in the register, outside the assigned works.
James Boner (pp. 929–930): b. Mahoning County, Ohio, 15 May 1833, son of Andrew Boner, a native of Ireland; came to St. Joseph County about 1858; enlisted in 1863 in Company K, Fifth Indiana Volunteer Infantry (as printed), served ten months, part of it ill in hospital; bought his present farm of 135 acres and cleared it; married Angeline Campbell, daughter of William Campbell. His father Andrew is also the father-in-law of Charles F. Shinn of the settler roll — the Boner–Shinn tie is stated in both sketches.
At the boundary of this wave: Amos Williard (pp. 800–801), born in this township 1 April 1862, whose father Emanuel spent three years in Civil War service and still resided in Penn Township in 1907 — Amos's own career (well-drilling, the Dodge works, first chief of Mishawaka's paid fire department) is Mishawaka's; the family is Penn's and is carried for the father's line. Byers (b. in this township; an educator and principal in South Bend), Joseph E. Mossey (b. Quebec 1847; brought at eleven to a Penn farm; enlisted 1864, Company F, 33rd Indiana) — each printed here at snippet strength and named in the closing register for a whole read before any republication.
Sources:
- Howard, vol. 2 — pp. 800–802 (Williard, Eberhart), 857–858 (Jones), 927–937 (Laidlaw, Seaman, Proudfit, Rogers, Fulmer, Boner, Moon, Leonard, Crofoot, Ferris, Elder, Wommer, Parett, Jennings); the Albert, Byers and Mossey entries from search snippets, flagged.