In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1902) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1816, Baltimore county
From Alvord's history of Noble County, Indiana ... : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of local biography - memoirs of representative men and women of the county, whose works of merit have ma (1902), Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical (1882)
CHRISTIAN BARHAN was born in Baltimore County, Md., August 5, 1816. When but three months old, his father, John Barhan, died, and when nine months old his mother and the family moved to Richland County, Ohio, where they resided a number of years. Christian Barhan received but a limited education. In the fall of 1837, he came to Noble County, locating in Jefferson Township, there only being three or four families in the township at that time. The first two years succeeding his arrival, he worked for Jehu Foster, and with his accumulated earnings, he purchased 240 acres — his present farm, investing all his means as part payment. Mr. Barhan commenced clearing and improving his farm, and erected a cabin thereon for a home. He married Miss Mary Curry April 2, 1850, and soon after moved on the place which has since been their home. Mr. and Mrs. Barhan are hard-working and industrious, and now have one of the finest farms in Jefferson Township. They have had five children, as follows: Frances, wife of L. McFarland; Eleanor, wife of Frank Pepple; Jane, wife of John Koons; William and Alvin, the last two being single. Mrs. Barhan is a member of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Barhan is a Democrat, and a quiet, unassuming citizen.
As printed in Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Christian Barhan was born in Baltimore county, Md., August 5, 1816. Shortly after our subject's birth his father died. When he was yet a babe in arms, barely nine months old, his mother left the land of sunny climes and with her little one moved to the Buckeye state, where she settled in Richland county. There our subject spent his boyhood days and knew no other home till he attained his majority. In 1837 he left Richland county and moved to Kosciusko county, Ind., but not being satisfied with the outlook he remained there for only a few months, moving from there to Noble county, Ind., where he purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in the eastern part of Jefferson township. This he improved and cleared, and on it erected several good buildings. There he spent the remaining sixty-one years of his life, dying April 14. 1898, at the ripe old age of eighty-two.
Mr. Barhan was married, in Noble county, Ind., April 2, 1850, to Miss Mary C. Curry. This estimable woman was born in Franklin county, Penn.. December 22, [829. Her father was Andrew Curry, and her mother was Frances Long, who died in
Shelby county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Curry were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Curry roamed over the central states very extensively before settling in Noble county. After leaving Pennsylvania he lived for a time in Champaign county, Ohio, and later in Shelby county, the same state; thence he moved to Noble county, Ind., in 1842, and lived for many years in Elkhart township. Then he tried Logan county, Ill., but after several years' residence there he retired to Indiana, and again took up his above in Noble county, where he spent the rest of his days at the home of his grandson, Lambert McFarland, dying at the very advanced age of ninety-eight.
Mrs. Barhan was the third in a family of five. Mr. and Mrs. Barhan were the parents of live children: Frances W., wife of Lambert McFarland; Eleanor M., the wife of Frank Pepple; jane A., the wife of Theron Holcombe; Willis A., and Alvin A.
Though not a member of any church Mr. Barhan was always a liberal supporter of churches, and Mrs. Barhan is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church.
As printed in Alvord's history of Noble County, Indiana ... : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of local biography - memoirs of representative men and women of the county, whose works of merit have ma (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Jehu Foster (b. 1798)
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.