The Shank Families of Montgomery County, Ohio

SAMUEL SHANK, farmer, P. 0. Johnsville, born in Perry Township January 15, 1819, is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Noffsinger) Shank, he a native of Virginia and she of Pennsylvania. He was born in February, 1784, was raised and grew to manhood in his native State, and in the fall of 1808 he emigrated to Ohio and located in Montgomery County, where he married in 1810 and located on the farm where he still resides, and has made a continued residence of seventy-two years, and all since his marriage, which is probably unprecedented in the history of any other man in the county. His wife died January 10, 1862, since which he has remained a widower and has resided with his son. They had twelve children; seven now survive — Daniel, Samuel, Susanna, Henry, Eliza, Catharine and Elizabeth. This is a sketch of one of the true pioneers of the county, opening out right in the woods, living the real log cabin life. The neighbors were few and far between, when they had to go several miles to assist each other in raising their cabins, and Mr. Shank was always sent for, from far and near, to act as a “cornerman,” he being one of the most experienced and muscular men of that day. He is now past ninety-eight years of age; has lived to see vast changes take place in this county; has seen the vast forests disappear and fine fields of having grain grow in their stead; the rude and primitive log cabins supplanted by large and commodious brick and frame houses; the old wooden mold-board plows and other clumsy and imperfect implements to pass from use, and fine steel and sulky plows and machinery of the most improved kinds brought into use to do the work of the farmers with ease and comfort; in fact, has seen nearly all of his cotemporaries pass away from the stage of action to that world “from whose bourne no traveler e’er returns,” and still he is here, and, should the “ Reaper Death ” spare his life two or three years longer, will have seen one hundred summers come and go; but whether he be summoned away sooner or later, the records of his long, upright and useful life can never be effaced from the pages of history or the kind remembrance of his posterity. Our subject was married, September 14, 1843, to Miss Anna Heck, by whom he had three children — David, Samuel N. and John A. His wife died November 6, 1862. Ou May 31, 1863, he was married to Mary C. Young, by whom he had three children, two now living — William T. and Susan Flora. His second wife died February 8, 1872. On March 30, 1873, he was married to Sarah C., daughter of Abraham and Mary F. Brandenburg, natives of Maryland; issue, three children — Althea B., Mary Elizabeth and Jacob A. Mr. Shank spent the first five years of his married life at home with his father; thence, in the fall of 1848, bought and located where he now lives and has since resided — a period of thirty-two years. This farm he purchased of David Leslie. It now consists of seventy-six acres, upon which he has erected all the buildings; has good improvements, a good farm and a pleasant home. Mr. Shank and wife are members of the United Brethren Church.

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

HENRY SHANK, of Perry township, Montgomery county, Ohio, is one of the most prosperous and substantial farmers of the county. Jacob Shank, his father, was born in 1782 or 1784 and lived for some years in Fauquier county, Ya. When twenty-four years of age he emigrated to Montgomery county, Ohio, together with his father, Henry, and his father’s family. Here he married Elizabeth Noffsinger, who was a native of Pennsylvania and of Dutch ancestry. Jacob and Elizabeth Shank were the parents of the following children: Daniel, Mary, John, Samuel, Susannah, George, Jacob, Henry, Julia A., who died at the age of four years, Eliza, Catherine and Elizabeth. Mr. Shank settled on the farm now owned by his son, Henry, then containing eighty-four acres. This farm he cleared of its timber and added thereto by purchase eighty acres more in Perry township. By his industry and good management he became one of the most substantial farmers of his day. Both he and his wife were members of the United Brethren church, the first edifice for which body they assisted to build. Politically, he was a republican. He died in 1882.

Henry Shank was born January 15, 1827, in Perry township, on his father’s farm. Reared a farmer’s boy he received the education of the times in which he lived, attending school in the primitive log school-house. At the age of thirty-five, in the year 1862, he married Susan Mundhenk, a daughter of Augustus and Susan (Knipe) Mundhenk, and a native of Perry township. Her father was the son of the old pioneer Mundhenk, of Perry township, whom every one well remembers. The children of Augustus Mendhenk, beside Mrs. Susan Shank, were as follows: Daniel,

August, Henry, William, Sarah and Mary. Augustus Mundhenk lived to be seventy-six years of age, and was a miller by trade and occupation, as well as a farmer.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Shank settled on the old homestead, which they have since greatly improved, and which now contains 108 acres of land. Mr. Shank is one of the best farmers of his county, an excellent citizen, a member of the United Brethren church, and a republican. He is a trustee of his church and has served as trustee of his township. He and his wife are the parents of the following-named children: Ardella, Lizzie and Charles.

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

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

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

OSEPH W. SHANK, president of the First National bank, of Germantown, Montgomery county, Ohio, is a native of Maryland and he first saw the light October 8, 1816.

Adam Shank, his father, was also a native of Maryland, born in 1778, was a blacksmith by trade, and shortly after reaching his majority married Miss Catherine Doup, by whom he became the father of a family of children, numbering twelve, of which family the following named grew to maturity: Samuel, Joseph W., Joshua, Lydia (wife of Ezra Kemp), John, Elias and Mary (Mrs. Noah Myers). While Adam Shank was a blacksmith by trade, he drifted into farming, and for a few years followed that vocation in his native state. In 1836 he came to Ohio and settled in Madison township, Montgomery county, where he purchased a farm of 240 acres, on which he resided, prospering year by year, until he was enabled, in 1850, to retire to Germantown, where he ended his days in 1856, honored by all who knew him.

Joseph W. Shank was reared and educated in his native state until twenty years of age, when he came with his parents to Ohio. His start in life, on his individual account, was at the age of twenty years, when he began work as a carpenter, and traveled through the country, working at this trade and finding employment in various other lines of business, twice visiting California. From 1841 to 1871 he engaged in farming in German township, where he owned at one time a farm of 400 acres. But in the meantime, being a man of natural executive ability, and ripened by travel and experience, he assisted in organizing the First

National bank, of Germantown, in 1863, and is now the only survivor of the original stockholders in that financial enterprise, and has been its president since 1881.

The marriage of Joseph W. Shank took place, in 1841, with Maria Brunner, daughter of John and Catherine (Harp) Brunner, of Jackson township, Montgomery county, Ohio, to which union ten children have been born, of whom seven are still living, viz: John A., Seabury F., Mary (Mrs. George Bechtold), Ida (Mrs. Charles Cosier), Emma (Mrs. George Francis), Jabez and Maria. The family are members of the United Brethren church, of which Mr. Shank has himself, for the past forty-five years, been a communicant. In politics he is a republican, but he has never had a desire for public office. His long life has been one of probity and industry, and is well worthy of emulation.

John A. Shank, son of Joseph W. and Maria (Brunner) Shank, was born in Madison township, Montgomery county, Ohio, September 26, 1846. He was, however, reared in German township and educated in its common schools. Brought up a farmer, he now owns and occupies the old Shank homestead, and is one of the well-to-do and prosperous farmers of the neighborhood. He was married, February 2, 1871, to Miss Martha J. Eby, a daughter of Adam S. and Elizabeth (Bertels) Eby, of Madison township, and is now the happy father of three sons, viz: Orion L., Arthur M. and Herbert A. Mr. Shank and his family are members of the United Brethren church, and in politics he is a republican.

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

RIENZI RUSH SHANK, M. D.

Dr. Rienzi Rush Shank, a prominent and successful medical practitioner of Montgomery county, located at Trotwood, was born in this city on the lath day of December, 1869, his parents being Dr. A. M. and Delilah (Fry) Shank, while the paternal grandparents were Dr. Peter and Mary (Miller) Shank. The grandfather was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, and when a young man drove across the country in a wagon, settling on a section of land in Jefferson township, Montgomery county, Ohio. At the time of his demise, which occurred in Dayton, Ohio, he was about ninety years of age and was laid to rest in Jefferson township. The grandmother was called to her final rest in 1859 and her remains were likewise interred in Jefferson township.

Dr. A. M. Shank, the father of our subject, was born near Frytown, in Jefferson township, and subsequently took up his above in Stringtown and later in Trotwood, which was a swamp at the time of his arrival. In his early manhood he followed the profession of school teaching but for thirty-six years was numbered among the leading and successful physicians here, being a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio. His family numbered eight children, namely: Ambrose E., a resident of Trotwood; Ulysses S., of Lynchburg, Ohio; Rienzi Rush, of this review; Lon O., of Dayton; Iona, deceased; and three who died in infancy.

Dr. R. R. Shank supplemented his preliminary education, acquired in the schools of Trotwmod and Dayton, by a course in the old Central high school, from which he w'as graduated. Subsequently he was engaged in teaching in Madison township for a period of four years and for two years followed that profession in the Trotwood high school, imparting clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired. In 1896 he entered the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati and after graduating from that institution he came at once to Trotwood, Ohio, having since been numbered among the well known and prosperous representatives of his calling in this county. He keeps in touch with the onward march of the profession through his membership in the Montgomery County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Association and the American

Medical Association and that he is an able and skilled practitioner is indicated in the large patronage that is accorded him. He also has a creditable military record, having served as medical corps man under Colonel Hunt, of Cincinnati, in the Spanish-American war. He was honorably discharged at Huntsville and now belongs to the Spanish-American War Veterans.

On the 12th of June, 1900, Dr. Shank was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary E. Spitler, of Perry township, a daughter of Ephraim E. and Jennie (Worley) Spitler, and a member of a very prominent old family of the state. Unto Dr. and Mrs. Shank have been born four children: Catharine E., Paul T., Alberta L. and John T.

Fraternally Dr. Shank is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America at Trotwood; Iola Lodge, K. P., of Dayton; and the Odd Fellows lodge No. 754, in which he has passed through all of the chairs and is now past grand master. He is also identified with the Masonic fraternity at Brookville, and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Christian church of Trotwood. Both he and his wife are members of prominent and well known old families of the county and throughout the long period of their residence here they have gained the kindly regard and esteem of those with whom they have come in contact.

As printed in the source³. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.