The Green Families of Randolph County, Indiana

LEVI GREENE (deceased). The subject of this sketch was born in Ohio in October, 1813, and was a son of Jesse and Sarah Green, who came to this county in 1817. He was reared on a farm and educated in a log house. He labored hard and long to assist in preparing the way for the prosperity of future generations. He was married, October 8, 1835, to Miss Elizabeth Bowers, daughter of Jacob Bowers, who came to this county in 1833. They bad eleven children, of whom eight are living, viz., Hetty A., Sarah E., Mary M., William R., Henety T., John E., Levi W. and (Jhristian L. Mr. Greene died August 11, 1809. He was a worthy member of the M. E. Church, and was a very benevolent man, always lending his aid to build up churches and schools and all benevolent institutions.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LEVI W. GREEN.

The true measure of individual success is determined by what one has accomplished, and, as taken in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country, there is particular interest attached to the career of Levi W. Green, since he is a native son of Randolph county, where his entire life has been passed; and he has so directed his efforts and ability as to gain recognition as one of the representative citizens of the locality, being one of our leading agriculturists, stock men and bankers, and a worthy schon of a sterling pioneer family.

Mr. Green was born February 6, 1861, on a farm six miles west of Winchester in White River township, Randolph county. He is a son of Levi and Elizabeth (Bowers) Green, both now deceased and sleeping the sleep of the just in Maxville cemetery.

Levi W. Green was reared on the home farm in his native community and there assisted with the general work during the crop seasons when he became of proper age, and he received his early education in the district schools there. He began life for himself as a teacher, which vocation he followed several years in the common schools of his native county during which time his services were in great demand. Between terms he worked on the home farm, remaining under his parental roof tree until his marriage, December 7, 1897 to Ida Main, a daughter of Henry and Mag'galena (Collinsworth) Main, a highly esteemed family of Henry county. The father is deceased, having spent his life successfully engaged in general farming. His widow survives.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Green, namely: Ruth, Mary and Joseph R.

Levi W. Green has remained a resident on the old homestead where he has continue farming. He and his brother, John E. Green, are now owners of over, five hundred acres of valuable, well-improved and productive land, and they carry on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, raising large numbers of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle for breeding purposes, for which there is a great demand at fancy prices, these superior cattle being purchased in all parts of the country. They have been frequently exhibited at county and state fairs, and have always taken premiums. The herd at this writing consists of seventy-eight head. Mr. Green is the largest breeder of shorthorn cattle in the county. He has been very successful in a financial way and is one of the substantial men of the county. He is president of the First National Bank of Farmland, which position he has filled since the death of F. L. Shaw in 1905. He was one of the organizers of this sound and popular institution and its pronounced success has been due for the most part to his able and conscientious management. He is also a stockholder and one of the promoters of the Parker Banking Company. He is a stockholder in the Goodrich Grain & Elevator Company. He was one of the promoters of the Farmland Telephone Company and is a heavy stockholder in the same.

Politically, Mr. Green is a Republican and while he has always been deeply interested in public matters he has never sought to become a' politician, never asking or holding office, having no ambition whatever in this direction, preferring to devote his attention exclusively to his large personal interests.

Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Farmland. He was reared in the Methodist faith, and the elegant new church edifice now under course of construction at Maxville was made possible by the handsome donations of himself and brother. He is a member of the building committee, and is treasurer of the same. The church will probably cost when completed seven thousand dollars. Mr. Green is a member of the National Shorthorn Breeders Association, in which he is a stockholder. He is active and prominent in the affairs of the same and attends its meetings. He has been a member for the past twelve years. He is a man of large affairs, keen foresight, sound judgment, never failing honesty and courtesy, and is foremost in advocating all that pertains to the general good of the community honored by his residence.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

AEVA C. GREEN.

It is proper that the descendants of the old settlers, those who cleared the land of its primitive woods, should see that the doings of the earlier years are fittingly remembered and recorded. It was said by one of the greatest historians that those who take no interest in the deeds of their ancestors are not likely to do anything worthy to be remembered by their descendants. Alva C. Green, successful farmer of Randolph county, is a schon of two of the earliest families of this locality, many of whose worthy characteristics he seems to have inherited, for he believes in keeping busy and in doing what he can in furthering the interests of his community, at the same time so guarding his conduct as to merit the confidence and respect of his neighbors and friend. He was formerly a famous livestock breeder and raiser.

Mr. Green was born March 3, 1857, on a farm in White River township, four miles southwest of Winchester. He is a son of William S. and Christina (Bowers) Green. The father was born in Ohio and he came with his parents, Jesse Green and wife, in 1818 to Randolph county, Indiana, locating in the woods which were still the haunts of Indians and wild beasts and here the family erected a log cabin, began clearing and developing a farm, experiencing the hardships and privations incident to a life on the frontier. The Bowers family came in 18 19 and settled in the same vicinity, having made the long overland journey in wagons from their former home in Pennsylvania, and here William S. Green and Christina Bowers grew up and were married.

The mother of our subject was one of the first school teachers in this locality. The father became a large land owner and was one of the leading farmers of the community. These early settlers were all Quakers or Friends and they founded the old Dunkirk church. The New Dunkirk church stands on a corner of Mr. Green's farm on land donated by him for that purpose. Our subject's paternal grandparents, Jesse Green and wife, reared a family of eleven children, all. of whom grew to maturity. These parents reached very advanced ages, Jesse Green dying a few years prior to his wife, who reached the age of one hundred and two years. A remarkable fact is that although they reared a large family they never had a doctor to enter their home. They were an exceptionally robust family. William S. Green, father of our subject, became a successful farmer in his community and was a man of industry, honesty and influence. His death occurred May 1, 1887, at the age of eighty-five years, his wife having preceded him to the grave February 1, 1871. They were buried in Macksville cemetery. They, too, had a large family: fourteen children, only four of whom, three sons and a daughter, are living at this writing, namely: Sarah Jane, now Mrs. W. Y. Puckett, of Winchester; Alva C, subject of this sketch; Benjamin F., of Winchester, and George W., of White River township.

Alva C. Green was reared on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the country district schools. He remained with his father until his marriage on January 13, 1876, to Louticia Wright, daughter of William and Catherine (Davidson) Wright, of Randolph county. The father was a soldier in the Civil 'ar and he died Soon. after the war, his wife dying in 1867, leaving five small orphan children, all of whom are now deceased except Mrs. Green and Mrs. Dora E. Pursley of Farmland.

To Alva C. Green and wife have been born three sons and one daughter, namely: William T. is married and lives in Winchester; Dora E. is the wife of Carl Hufifman, of White River township; Clyde E. lives in Winchester, and Ollie B., who lives at home, is attending high school.

Since his marriage Mr. Green has lived on,.his present farm, which adjoins the old home farm four miles southwest of Winchester. He has a well-improved and productive place of one hundred and twenty acres, where he carries on general farming and stock raising. For a number of years he was a breeder of fine stock, Dutch belted registered cattle, owning the first herd in Randolph county; also bred the Essex and Suffolk hogs. He exhibited at all state fairs and at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1893, where he took twelve premiums. He exhibited at state fairs from Kansas to New York and was always a premium take. He has two quilts and a flag made from premium ribbons taken at various fairs. He raised these animals for breeding purposes, and shipped to all the states in the Union and to Cuba and several South American countries. He won world-wide renown through his exceptionally fine livestock which were greatly admired by all who saw them, and which he sold at fancy prices, no small portion of his substantial fortune having been made in this manner. He is one of the best judges of all kinds of live stock that could be found in the state of Indiana today. He was for many years a member of the American Dutch Breeders' Association, the American Essex Breeders' Association and was president of the latter for a period of four years, discharging the important duties of the same in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned, doing much to increase the prestige and good work of the association during that period. He is also a poultry fancier and a raiser of White Wyandotte chickens and Buff turkeys, and is an extensive shipper of eggs for hatching purposes to all parts of the country, including every state and Canada. He is still a large producer in the poultry business, but has not been actively engaged in the livestock business for several years.

Mr. Green has been a Republican in politics all his mature years, but has never been active in public matters. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Encampment, a charter member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and also a charter member of the Tribe of Ben-Hur. He and his family belong to the Friends church, in which he and his wife are active workers and overseers. They stand high in the best circles in the community and are pleasant, neighborly and obliging and number their friends by the scores.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

BENJAMIN F. GREEN.

In all that constitutes true manhood and good citizenship, Benjamin F. Green, farmer of Randolph county, is one of our conspicuous examples and none stands higher than he in the confidence of the community. His career has been characterized by duty faithfully done and by industry, and wisely directed efforts he is receiving his just share of this world's goods, besides earning a reputation, like the rest of the Green family, that has never been clouded by the commission of a single unworthy act as far as his neighbors and those who have been closely associated with him have discovered. He is {77) known to be a man of good judgment and pronounced views and while keeping himself informed upon current events and taking a lively interest in all public affairs of his township and county, he has never expressed so much as the faintest desire to exchange the quiet and contented life of the farm for the distractions and cares which usually come to the man 'ho fills official positions and aspires to some exalted station among his fellow men. He is to be commended in this attitude, for such as he constitute our best citizens.

Mr. Green was born July 29, 1863, on a farm about three miles southwest of Winchester, in White River township. He is a son of William S. and Christina (Bowers) Green. Grandfather Jesse Green came with his family overland in wagons from North Carolina as early as 1818, and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in the woods of Randolph county, Indiana, having for neighbors Indians and many kindred of the wild. He located not far from where our subject now lives, there erected a log cabin and began clearing the dense woods that surrounded it and in a few years he had a good farm immer cultivation and became one of the influential citizens in the early days of the county. The elder Green and family was one of seven families that came to this vicinity about the same time. The white children played with the children of the red men, and Mr. Green often traded corn to the Indians for denison. He lived to an advanced age, and his good wife died when nearly one hundred and two years old. This sterling old couple sleeps the peaceful sleep of the just in the quiet Dunkirk cemetery.

William S. Green, father of our subject, grew to manhood on the homestead, where he worked hard when a boy, sharing the hardships incident to such an environment. He never had any school advantages and never learned to read or write or count money, but nevertheless this somewhat remarkable man became very successful and left a large estate, comprising some four hundred acres of valuable land, besides other properties. He learned much about woodcraft, hunting and the habits of the denizens of earth, water and air from his Indian playmates when a child. He was a man of rugged physique and unswerving honesty, and he did what he could toward the early development of his community. His death occurred May 12, 1887, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife, a woman of kind heart and helpful impulses, preceded him to the grave in 187 1. They were buried in Maxville cemetery. To them fourteen children were born. The father married a second time, his last wife being Sylvania Hiatt, by whom two children were born. Of the first family only four are now living, namely: Sarah, who married William Y. Puckett, resides in Winchester; Alva C, farmer of

White River townshiiD, this county, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this work; Benjamin F., of this review; and George, who Hves in White River township.

Benjamin F. Green grew to manhood on the home farm and worked there when growing up, and he obtained his education in the district schools of his neighborhood. He remained under his parental roof-tree until 1884.

Mr. Green has been three times married, first, on July 12, 1884, to Mattie Williams, a daughter of Joshua and Sarah Williams, and to this union three children were born, all of whom died in early childhood, and the wife and mother died September 21, 1894, at the early age of twenty-eight years. The children were named Archie, born in May, 1885, died May 11, 1892; Julia, born September, 1888, died September 21, 1890; and an infant died unnamed, December 26, 1893. Mr. Green's second marriage was on October 22, 1896, to Lillie Kajser, a daughter of Henry and Rachel Kayser, of Randolph county. This union was without issue. The second wife died December 23, 1902. Mr. Green's last marriage took place June 20, 1903, when he espoused Ida Morrical, a daughter of Floyd and Nancy Ellen (Brown) Morrical, of Winchester, both parents being now deceased. Two children have been born to this last union, namely: Everett C, born March 14, 1906; and Mary F., born January 17, 1911.

Mr. Green has lived on the farm where he now resides since he left home, forty acres of land and two thousand dollars being his marriage portion from his father. He has a well-improved place, and carries on general farming and stock raising. He has a pleasant home. He does not farm on as extensive a scale as some of his neighbors but does his work well and makes a good living.

Politically, Mr. Green is a Republican. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was reared in the Quaker faith, from which he has never departed. He is giving his children proper educational advantages.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS GREEN, farmer, P. 0. Ridgevil'.c, was born in Casey County, Ky., in 1829. His parents wire both natives of that county. Mr. Green has passed the greater portion of his life in the township in which he now resides, having located here about forty-seven years ago. He was married in 18.5.3, to Minerva McCracken, a native of Licking County, Ohio, born in 18:13. They are the parents of eight children, of whom four are now living, viz.: William H., Frances W., Emily V. B. and Mary R. Mr. Green is engaged at the pursuit of farming. He has V.H acres of fine land in Green Township, Section 18. He is a member of the M. P. Church, as is also his wife. In politics, he is a Democmt. He had four brothers in the Union Army; Jonathan was a tember of the Eighty-fourth Indiana Regiment; Granville was in the Thirtysixth Indiana Regiment, but was discharged on account of disability.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.