John Robert Snyder

As printed in 1910

JOHN ROBERT SNYDER.

Eew sections of Ohio can boast of more thrifty, industrious or enterprising farmers than those of Eranklin township, Wayne county, Ohio. Handsome residences, substantial and commodious barns and sightly and well-kept fences are the rule in this part of the county. The livestock is well cared for and everything presents a prosperous and inviting appearance. The people are intelligent and studious and have given to their vocation a practical study which has guaranteed success under anything near a normal condition. One of the best and most systematic of these farmers is J. Rob. Snyder, whose fine and fertile farm is located in section 6, of Franklin township, and whose success during the years he has lived here has been commensurate with the intelligent and thoughtful labor he has bestowed.

J. Rob. Snyder is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having first seen the light of day in Holmes county on the 9th of March, 1853. He is a son of Daniel and Catherine (Miller) Snyder, both of whom were natives of Union county, Pennsylvania. They, in company with the paternal grandfather, Jacob Snyder, came to Ohio in about 1835, locating in Wa3Uie county, later going to Holmes county, but subsequently returning to Wayne county, where the remainder of their lives were passed. They were faithful and active members of the Lutheran church. After Daniel Snyder had lived in this state a few years and had definitely determined to make it his future home, he returned to Pennsylvania by horseback and there married the Sweetheart whom he had left behind when he started westward on his prospecting trip. Loading their effects in a one-horse wagon, they came to their Wayne county home, later going to Holmes county. They later returned to Wayne county in 1864. Their remains now lie buried in the cemetery at Wooster. They were the parents of the following children: Henry, who is now deceased, was a soldier in the Civil war, being a member of Company B, Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Samuel died during his service in the army, having been a member of the same company and regiment as his brother; George died in infancy; Susan is the wife of H. B. Rayl, of Lake county, Ohio; Civilla is the widow of Perry Yernall and makes her home at Wooster; Elizabeth lives at Wooster; James Q. lives in Wooster township; John Robert, the subject of this sketch.

J. Rob. Snyder was reared in his Holmes county home until he was about twelve years of age, when the family moved back to Wayne county. He secured a fair education in the common schools and was reared to the life of a farmer. He remained with his parents until the time of his marriage, in 1879, when he moved onto the splendid farm which he now occupies. The place comprises one hundred and sixty acres and is one of the most fertile and productive farms in the township. All the improvements on the place have been made by the subject and he has given at all times an intelligent direction to his operations, so that he has been enabled to realize handsome returns for the labor bestowed. The buildings on the place are all well built and present an attractive appearance, the general aspect of the property indicating the owner to be a man of right ideas. He here carries on a general line of farming and stock raising and is numbered among the progressive and successful farmers in his community. In 1895 IMr. Snyder erected the grain elevator at Kauke, this county, and has continued to operate it since that time. The elevator is well Iniilt and is capacious, a large business being done through it annually.

Mr. Snyder was married to Amanda Hoffman and they have become the parents of the following children: Leotta, deceased; Daniel Bonnell and Catherine. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Moorland, of which the subject is one of the trustees, and to this society they give an earnest and generous support. In politics Mr. Snyder renders a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and takes an active part in advancing its interests in the community, though he is not in any sense a seeker himself after the honors or emoluments of public office. He is a man of progressive ideas and practical methods and his success has been well merited. As a man of strict morality, the community can ask for no better; as a man of integrity, no district can boast of a citizen more honest, and as a man of intelligence he ranks high, enjoying the unbounded respect and esteem of those whom he associates.

.\bb()ll Lawrence is a representative of one ol the honored pioneer families of Wayne county. When the greater part of this county was in its primitive condition, when its lands were wild and untamed, when its streams

1 0/0 were unliridged, its forests uncut and when the work of progress and improvement was a thing of the future, the Lawrence family was founded here by Benjamin Lawrence, the grandfather of the subject, and since that time different members of the family have contributed in large measure to the general improvement and substantial advancement which have brought about the present wonderful prosperity which characterizes this section of the state.

Abbott Lawrence, who is now one of the successful and influential farmers of Franklin township, was born in this township, February 17, 1854, and is the son of David and Sarah (Force) Lawrence. The subject’s paternal grandfather, Benjamin Lawrence, was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, from whence he came to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1818, settling in Saltcreek township, where he entered land from the government. He proceeded to improve the land and made that his home during the remainder of his life. He was the father of the following children: Benjamin, John (who died young), Samuel, Jacob, David, Henry, all of whom are now deceased. The subject’s father, David Lawrence, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 1816, and was therefore but two years of age when the family moved to their new home in the Buckeye state. He was reared and educated in Saltcreek township, and continued to reside there until his marriage, when he moved to Franklin township and bought a farm, the land embracing that on which the Lutheran church now stands. His purchase included eighty acres, but at various times he added to it. The land had been but slightly improved, but he went to work energetically and by dint of much and persistent hard work and good judgment he developed it into one of the best farms in the locality. He erected a set of commodious and well-arranged buildings, erected good fences and in other ways evinced the fact that he was enterprising and progressive in spirit and methods. He took an active and important part in the early development of the community and gave material assistance in the erection of the old Lutheran church, having donated the land for the same. He and his wife were active workers and stanch supporters of this church. His political affiliation was with the Democratic party, in the councils of which he took a leading part. He served several terms as trustee and also as a member of the school board and in other capacities he exerted a healthy influence on the life of the community. To David and Sarah Lawrence were born the following children: Jane, who is the wife of William Greenwald, of Franklin township; Clinton, of Wooster, Ohio; Abbott, the immediate subject of this review; Florence, who is the wife of Josiah Morr, of Franklin township. Sarah (Force) Lawrence, the mother of these children, was born in 1821 in

Pennsylvania, and was a daughter of John Force, who also was one of the earliest settlers of Saltcreek township, this county. Her death occurred on August 21, 1893. David Lawrence, besides being a successful farmer, also worked at the carpenter trade and assisted in the erection of many of the best buildings and churches in the county. He was also engaged for thirty years in the operation of a portable sawmill. After the death of his first wife, he married Mrs. Sarah Geiselmian, who is still living. His death occurred on the 7th of November, 1903.

Abbott Lawrence was reared by his parents and secured his education in the district schools of the community. He was early initiated into the work of the farm, and after the completion of his education he became his father’s assistant on the farm, and, with the latter, was also engaged for thirty years in the operation of the portable sawmill. Prior to going into the sawmill business, he had taken possession of his present farm in Franklin township, where he has lived continuously for thirty-one years. The place, which comprises thirty-two acres, is most eligibly located and is kept in the best of condition by the subject, who thoroughly understands the secrets of successful agriculture. He has made all the improvements on the place, including the erection of the attractive house, commodious barn and other outbuildings, and the planting of many fine fruit, forest and ornamental trees, which around on every hand. He is progressive in his methods and is a good business manager, so that he has been enabled to realize a comfortable income in return for the labor bestowed. He raises all the crops common to this section of the country and also devotes some attention to the raising of livestock, in which also he has been fairly successful.

On November 2, 1876, Mr. Lawrence was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Elsie Hensel, who was lion in Franklin township, Wayne county, Ohio, a daughter of Jacob and Susan (Geiselman) Hensel, her mother being a daughter of Valentine Geiselman. Jacob Hensel was a native of Germany and in young manhood came to Wayne county, Ohio, settling at Moorland, where he engaged successfully in the vocation of wagonmaking. After his marriage he bought a farm in Wooster township, where he resided for some time, later moving to Wayne township, where his death occurred on Decemher 7, 1890. His widow survived him several years, dying on June 16, 1903. Their remains lie buried in the Wooster cemetery. They were both active and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They were the parents of the following children; Aminda jose- ])lu'ne, who is the wife of F. E. Reynolds, of Cleveland, Ohio; Flenora, now deceased, was the first wife of F. E. Reynolds; Iflsie is the wife of the subject of this sketch; Edmund resides at Akron, Ohio; Alma, deceased; Irene is the wife of Angus McDonald and resides in the state of New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Laivrence have been born three children, namely: Adelbert, who lives in Akron, Ohio, has one child, Carrey, who lives with his grandparents, the subject and wife; Laverna is the wife of Bernard AIc- Carron, of Canton, Ohio, and they have one child, L. Clayton; Pearl is the wife of Glenn Barnes and lives in Franklin township.

Politically, Mr. Lawrence is an ardent Democrat and takes the right sort of an interest in local affairs. Religiously, both Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence formerly held membership in the Lutheran church near their home, and the subject held prominent official position in the society, but they are now members of the Reformed church at Apple Creek. Mr. Lawrence has taken a prominent part in local public affairs, having served a number of years as trustee of the township and as a member of the school board. He has also served a number of times on the township central committee of his party. He is held in the highest esteem in the locality, being a man of responsibility, and he not only represents an honorable old family but also personally stands for all that is best in the life of the community. Because of his many fine personal qualities of character and the esteem in which he is generally held, and also because of the fact that the family which name he bears was one of the founders of Wayne county, he is eminently deserving of representation in this work.

As printed in History of Wayne County, Ohio (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.