David E. Neff

As printed in 1902

DAVID E. NEFF.

As a thorough and successful farmer, an excellent neighbor and a highly respected citizen David E. Neff enjoys the esteem of the community in which he lives, and is regarded as a representative citizen of Liberty township. His birth was in Hepburn township, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1825, a son of John Michael and Christina (Wagner) Neff, and he was one of a family of eight children, the three survivors being David E.; Christina, a maiden lady living with her brother Joseph; and Joseph, a farmer in Holmes township.

John Michael Neff, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Mahrenjen, Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1783, a son of Michael and Catherine (Graff) Neff, both of whom died in Germany, after rearing a family of six sons and one daughter. These sons were all of fine physique, all of them except John Michael being over six feet in stature. Two of them, Lorentz and Frederick, during the German war with France were chosen, on account of their fine appearance, as members of the king's body guard at the battle of Leipsic. In 1818 our subject's father, with his own family and three brothers, Lorentz, Abraham and John, emigrated to America. At that time the trip was a long and wearisome one. They took a flatboat from their home and came down the river Rhine on it to Amsterdam, and there embarked on a sailing vessel, the Susan, and added their number to the three hundred passengers already on board. Before sailing two deaths occurred, but there were none later on the voyage: on the contrary there were two births, one of these being a son born to our subject's parents, when in sight of land, and he was iously named Gottlobe, the meaning of the name being Praise God. As the voyage had consumed eighty-six days, seventy-six of these being without sight of land, the joy and thankfulness over its ending was universal, and perhaps no one rejoiced more than did John, who had been hidden in a barrel of household effects.

Idie destination of the family was Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and there they settled. The father was thrice married, his first wife and her infant died together. It was the wife of the second marriage that made the voyage with him, and she bore four children, all of whom are deceased. The mother of our subject, Christina Wagner, was the third wife. She was born in the same locality as the father, and was a daughter of John and Christina (Herdtneck) Wagner. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. NefT came to America on the same vessel with Mr. NefT, and were in very limited circumstances. Having a family of seven children, Christina and her sister Dorothy were bound out, after landing, to a family in Philadelphia, to work out their passage, and at the expiration of three years Christina was married to our subject's father and became the former's estimable mother. An uncle of Mrs. Neff occupied the position of veterinary surgeon to the king of Wurtemberg. In Germany the Wagner family at one time had been prosperous, but unfortunate times came and they also came to America to repair their fortunes and settled in Lycomingcounty.

With his brother Abraham, John Michael NefT bought one hundred and twenty acres of land in Hepburn township, each taking sixty acres, and both added to their states in later years, the father owning at one time one hundred and twelve acres. After the death of his second wife he walked to Philadelphia to bring back with him the bright girl he remembered so well, and with her as his bride returned to the farm, through ten inches of snow. By trade he was a potter, and he established a [lottery on his estate, but the country was too sparsely settled to make this pay. Here he lived, and died on April 2T. 1841.

Our subject grew up on his father's farm in Pennsylvania and received his education in the common schools, in the German language, and for six weeks received instruction in English, after lie was twenty-one years of age.

\1 the age of eighteen he apprenticed himself to the cabinet-making trade, in

Wiliiamsix.rt, Pennsylvania, and remained until he was a finished workman.

In April, 1848, he took passage on a canal boat to Philadelphia, being able to work for his passage, as the owner of the boat was a friend, and he soon found employment in Philadelphia, at his trade, following it there for fifteen months, at the expiration of which time he returned to Williamsport.

In 185 1 Mr. Neff took a trip to Crawford county, Ohio, with his brother John, who was returning to Ohio with his bride, this being a pleasant excursion of sixteen days in an old prairie schooner. He spent the winter in Crawford county, returning to Williamsport in the following June, but in rhe spring of 1858, as his health seemed impaired, he removed with his wife and two children to Crawford county, in order to be again with other members of his family. His mother, with his brothers Jonathan and Joseph, with three sisters, had moved to this locality the previous year. Our subject lived with the family eight years. They had purchased two hundred acres of land and our subject worked with them in Holmes township and assisted in paying for it. In the spring of 1866 he purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres and removed to it, where he has ever since resided, engaged in developing and operating this fine property.

The marriage of Mr. Neff was on September 7, 1854, to Miss Mary Wise, a native of Lycoming county and the daughter of Jacob Wise, also a native of Pennsylvania, who with his wife, Mary Magdalene (Ott) Wise, were of German extraction. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Neff numbered four, these being Henry E., living at Ada, Ohio; Ellen M., deceased; Charles J., the farmer on the home farm; and Louisa, deceased.

In politics Mr. Neff has been for many years a stanch supporter of the Republican party, although his first vote was cast for a Democratic candidate. His family belongs to the English Lutheran church, which he also attends and to which he gives liberal support. The social standing of the family in Liberty township is high, and Mr. Neff is well known as a liberal-minded and most estimable citizen who enjoys the respect of all with whom he has either business or other relations.

As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.