Frederic Kabel

As printed in 1914

FREDERIC KABEL.

Our attention has frequently been called of late to the alarming decrease of farm products in the United States while its population is steadily increasing. We are told that our most priceless treasure, the fertility of our soil, has been so dissipated by slipshod methods in tilling it that we are now face to face with the necessity of increasing its' power to produce or else go hungry in the near future. We who would eat must get in fitch with the things of earth once more as consumers if not as producers. One of the energetic farmers who seems to clearly understand present day conditions is Frederic Kabel, of West River township, Randolph county, a man who has devoted his life to a study of general farming in all its phases and who is therefore an authority on the same.

Mr. Kabel was born in White River township, this county, July 15, 1853. He is a son of Philip and Mary (Getz) Kabel, and was one of ten children, namely: Peter and Philip are both deceased; Mary Adam and John are all living; Lizzie and Barbara are both deceased; Frederic, of this review; Nicholas is living; Charley died in youth. The parents of these children were both born in Germany, but they came to the United States when young and were married in Cincinnati, Ohio. The father was a wool carter by profession. He moved with his family to Richmond, Indiana, then to Hagerstown, finally to White River township, Randolph comity, where his death occurred in March, 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-four years; his wife died on the homestead on February 10, 1902.

Frederic Kabel was reared on the home farm and educated in the district schools. He was married December 21, 1879, to Florence Mercer, a daughter of John Mercer, a cooper by trade, who lived in West River township, and whose family consisted of ten children, eight daughters and two sons.

Seven children have been born to our subject and wife, namely: Herbert, who lives in Winchester, taught school for a period of fourteen years, married Alma Gwin and they have two children; Florence, who is living near Fountain City, has been twice married, first to Bruce Keever, by whom she had one child, Dallas K.; her second marriage was to Clyde Miller, and to this union one child was born, Olive. Iva married Percy Stump,- a farmer of White River township, and they have two sons, Corwin and Virgil; Ray died at the age of sixteen years; Clara is the widow of Henry Johnson, who was a farmer near Lynn; Ella, who was for four years primary teacher at Huntsville, was born February 17, 1892; Elfie, the youngest, was born February 12, 1899. These children were given excellent educational advantages. Ella was educated at the State University, at Bloomington, Herbert in the Normal, at Danville, and Clara in Marion.

Mr. Kabel has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising and has lived on his present finely improved and valuable farm for thirty-three years. His place consists of one hundred and forty acres and on it stand a good group of buildings, everything denoting excellent taste.

Politically, Mr. Kabel is a Democrat, and he is a member of the Lutheran church.

As printed in Past and present of Randolph County, Indiana : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (1914). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.