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GENEALOGICAL DEF !.RTr-'.~LNT

CHURCH OF JESUS CtiRIST OF LATfER-OA Y SAINTS

MONTMORE.NCI
In Memoriam This book is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Mr. Ambrose R. Mayfield, a member of the board of directors of the Shelby Township Historical Association, Incorporated. "Brosie" was a native born son of Shelby Township and a 1926 graduate of Montmorenci High School. After studying at both Purdue and Indiana Universities he served as legal counsel to many residents and former residents of Shelby Township. It was upon his advice that this corporation was formed. In his last conversation with board chair, man Raymond Bender, he revealed his vision of this organization as a continuing body that would pursue the established goals of studying and preserving Shelby Township history. He wished for this corporation to be an enjoyable activity to be carried out in a positive manner free of strife and contention. Although "Brosie" departed this life on February Hi,I980, his keen interest in this corporation will not be forgotten. We sincerely appreciate his timely counsel to this body and express our profound grief at his passing.

AND
SHELBY TOWNSHIP
1829-1979
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Table of Contents
Early History..................................................... Religion Education Basketball People, Places, and Events Celebrations Organizations , Transportation Family Histories 10. Servicemen and contributors I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 5 2I 49 77
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157 179 187 269

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dant of the Montmorenci Methodist Church for 27 years, taught Sunday School classes for over 50 years, was a state director in the Farm Bureau 25 years, Past-master of Masonic Lodge several times, and was always ready to help out a new neighbor or someone in distress. Nellie and Ray Hambidge and Charley and Irene Dunwoody are buried in Montmorenci Cemetery. -Anne Dunwoody Sutton

The Eller Family

Thomas esley Eller, son of Benjamin Eller was bom in arren County October 24, 1859. He married Mary Doyle and had two children, james WaIter and Grace. He farmed around Otterbein and Montmorenci most of his life. Grace Eller was murdered by her ex-lover, Martin Robertson, at the Eller home north of Montmorenci, inl9JO; he later killed himself. In 1912 james Walter (Walt) married Grace ae Booher, daughter of Elwood and Della Vail Booher. Walt and Grace had three children, Robert, Martha Jane and Phyllis. Walt was a fanner in Shelby Township and later worked at the Montmorenci Elevator where he received the fa'i that killed him. He died October 4, 1941. Grace Eller worked at Montmorenci School as a cook for twenty years. She died july 17, 1970. Robert Eller married Gladys Harner, December 1, 1938. They had two sons, james Clinton, born May 30, 1940, and Robert Kenneth born September 2, 1942. Robert Eller died February 2, 1955. james married Lillian Smith and they have three children, and are living in EI Paso, Texas. Gladys and her son live in Montmorenci. Bob is a barber in Otterbein. Martha Jane married Wilbur Wright, September 28, 1936. They had three sons. Jerry Wilbur born August 16, 1938, Ronald Joe born August 26, 1941, and Terry Lynn born May 6, 1951. Wib died january 1, 1974. Martha Jane lives at Woodland Terrace Mobile Home Court at Klondike. She has ten grandchildren and one greatgrandson. Phyllis married William E. Remsburg May 2, 1953. They have four children, William Elwood born December 17, 1954, Robert Ellery born May 7, 1958, Bradley Edward born December 8, 1960, Beth Elissa born July 22,1964. They have two grandsons. Bill and Phyllis live in Lafayette. -Reva Lewis

The Foster Family

The earliest 'proven' Foster ancestor of this line

is Thomas Foster who married Sarah Cross. Oue of their children was *John Foster (I) who was horn in "1731 in Cumberland County, Maryland. He became a Methodist preacher and served in the Revolutionary War from Maryland with Captain Peter i\lantz' Co. Rev. John's second wife was Sarah, daughter of Thomas Cresav and widow of Captain Harry 11111I:, It was Sarah who raised John's considerable lamily by his first wife. Rev. John died in Marylanc] while on a business trip to check some property of his wife's-this being after his move to Ross County, Ohio. Recently Wayne Dawson (of Iiouston, Texas) brought to light two less familiar items about John Foster I. In 1796 a Deed of Manumission was recorded on May 6th, as follows: "John Foster of Allegania County, Maryland, bearing testimony against the practice of slave-keeping and emancipating and discharging forever 2 Negro V\,() III enCharlotte 011 it and Nance Pearson." He gdve more than 'lip service' to his convictions. In 17911(March 9th), "john Foster of Alleghany County, i\ 1.11 vland, sold to Peter Devickmon for 5 shillings part 01 'Resurvey on Resurvey of Butler and Cheese.' No acreage given. Recording fee: 20 pounds of tobacco." We can only speculate as to 'how' his plantation became known as 'Butter and Cheese.' but it is a nice addition to our family lore. John Foster and Elizabeth l.ewis had: L cwis Foster, born December 26,1760 and married NLlIlCY Davis. Lewis was also a Methodisf Preac her and moved first to Ohio and then to Illinois where he had a large family. Cassandra Foster born I h:c. 30, 1762, married Thomas Chenoweth. Thomas Foster born June 15, 1766 married Mary Prather, d.llIghter of James Prather. Rachel Foster, born September 27, 1767 married Elijah Chenoweth. John Foster II, born March 3, 1772 became a Methodist minister and served as a captain in the War of 1812. He married Martha Prather, daughter of James. Benjamin Foster, born June '13, 1775 married Catherine Prather, daughter of james. joseph Foster, born April 5, 1777 married Sarah Prather, a fourth daughter of James Prather. Richard Foster, born July 1, 1779 married Rachel Browning and settled in Illinois where he had a large family before his death fron I hydrophobia, June 7, 1831. II seems appropriate to insert at this time a short note about James Prather who had four daughters who married Foster brothers. The girls were the products of 2-3 marriages, at least one of the mothers not yet identified. james Prather was hunself from an old and distinguished family in M.Jrylan and Virginia, in this county in the eariylbOO\ and active in political matters, participants in dny military matter. Captain james Prather was born in

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Queen Anne's Parish, Prince Georges County, "Iaryland on January 27, 1737. He settled with his parents in what is now Washington County, Maryland and served in the French and Indian War; he was captured by the Indians and held for several years as a hostage, until found and ransomed by his lather. He is said to have served in the Maryland Iq~islature and as a lieutenant in the Revolution. He <ottled in Allegeny County, Maryland, owning subsrantial lands there and in Hampshire County, Virgillia; he also owned several slaves. He died in 1818. The Fosters often displayed the pioneer spirit. John Foster II and his brother, Thomas, and their families were the first white settlers of Franklin lownship, Ross County, Ohio in 1798. Two other brothers joined them later. Nine granddaughters of john Foster I were among the first settlers in Warren County, Indiana and account for many of the family connections between families in that area yet today. Rev. and Captain John Foster II and Martha Prather had Sarah Foster who married Joseph Mather ;1I1d were the parents of James and John Mather. Kittie Foster, born April. 29, 1795, married Edward Moore and were the parents of Thomas C. Moore who married Mary Westfall, Seth Moore, Hester Moore who married William C. Mikels and Elizabeth Moore who married William Moore (of an unrelated Moore line, descendant of William Moore and Keziah Baldwin). John Fosler III. Hames Fosler who married and had James Lackey Foster. Elizabeth Foster born August 14,1799, who married Lackey Foster (not a related Foster line) and had John Lackey Foster. Mary (Polly) Foster, born Februarv }, 1004, married Stephen Sappington, born 1796 (See Dougherty and Sappington stories for their descendants). Martha (Pattie) Foster, born November 1810 on the 20th day, married Newton Morgan and had, among others, John Morgan. Rachel Foster who married Joseph Morgan. Cassandra roster, who never married. There was Rebecca Foster who was born July 12, 1813 and married first Daniel Dollahan and second John Dougherty, brother of Thomas Dougherty who married Mary Sappington. Thomas C. Foster, born July 22,1813 who married Jane E. Davis and had James c. Foster. Nancy Foster who married William Morgan and had eight children, one of whom was James Foster Morgan born in Ohio in 1836, settled in Otterbein, Indiana where he was a farmer and teacher. One of his daughters, Flora Emma Morgan, born in 1898, married Jacob Mann and had Leonard Mann who married Frances Louise Hand and had Jane Louise ""ann and Leo Swingley Mann, both of whom graduated from Purdue University. Jane louise Mann

also received a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin after her marriage to Walter l. Myers. lea is a farmer in Warren County and married to Marilyn Ruth Smith. Joseph Foster (son of Rev. John Foster I and Elizabeth Lewis) was born in 1777 and married to Sarah Prather. Their children were: Rebecca Foster, born in 1807, married to Samuel Shigley and had Sarah Shigley who married Harvey Westfall; Elizabeth Shigley who married John Westfall; Martha Shigley who married Henry A. Miller (whose 2nd wife was Mira Dougherty, daughter of Thomas Dougherty and Mary Sappington); George Shigley who married Maggie Sheetz. Elizabeth Foster, born March 18, 1803 married Thomas Bowyer and had Charles W. Bowyer, Elizabeth Wagner Bowyer, and Eliza Bowyer who married James A. Mather. Cassandra Foster, born in 1817 married William Ritenour and had Mary Ritenour who married a Fulks. Sarah F. Foster, born in 1820 married Dr. Arthur Rigger and had a family, who moved west. Much of the Foster information and tradition was preserved and interest stimulated by a chart of "The Foster Family in Indiana" by Wallace Marshall who was the husband of Alice E. Sappington (daughter of Thomas Sappington and Isabelle Westfall) in 1921, printed and presented the various family members with the admonition to "Paste this in your Bible with Your Family Records so that your Children a hundred years hence, will not have to spend month and months of time in a vain effort to know who their-ancestors were." This was a very thoughtful and generous gift to future generations. -Frances O. Martin

Foster-Bryan-Shelby
The seventh child of John Foster I and his wife, Elizabeth Lewis, was Richard Foster, born 1779. He married Rachel Browning, and they were the parents of John Foster, bornIB04, in Pike County, Ohio. Soon after he became of age, he entered land in Tippecanoe county west of Lafayette: On lanuary 1, 1829 he married Jane Brown, daughter of William Brown, an English weaver; another daughter Ann Brown had married Joseph Moore in 1820, and they brought their family to Tippecanoe county in' 1827. One of Joseph's brothers, Edward Moore had married Kitty Foster, who was a first cousin of John Foster in 1804 and they lived over the line west of Medina township, Warren county. John and Jane Brown Foster moved from Ohio to Indiana in a covered wagon and lived for the first few years in a log cabin. In time a nicer horne was

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erected J( ross Lillie Pine Creek, and it was surrounded by a fruit orchard. Still intact to this day is a grove of fine maple trees. The Foster relatives who were not too far from this farm came every spring to lap the trees and make their year's supply of maple syrup. In 1830, John went to get salt at Ft. Dearborn, now Chicago, leaving lane alone. One morning during his absence two big Indians walked into her ouse without ceremony, Slacked their guns in the corner of the room and said "ugh." Jane had a baby in the cradle, and one child was just learning to alk. She thought her time had come. A Foster rela- e, named Sappinton, came, and he told her to ;eed the Indians. In 1833, Joseph Moore's grandfather, Edward Dawson, died and was buried on the John foster nd as was his wife, Hannah. Edward Dawson had been in the American Revolution. John Foster took some of the children, including Rachel, back to Ohio about 1845 to see his mother, Rachel Browning FOSler. His father had died in 1831 of hydrophobia. While they were there, Grandmother Rachel gave lillie Rachel a Canton sugar bowl, two cup plates, several Log Cabin dishes and snuff box. They might have been inherited by ichard from John I, as the latter's will gave all of . personal ~elongings to Richard. A pioneer school teacher, Sanford Cox, wrote Recollections of Early Tippecanoe County," in hich he mentions, "John Foster has been seen orting a silver spur." At John's death in '1851, at the early age of 47, he s buried on his farm, and later Jane was buried ere too. The farm is still owned by descendants of e Foster family. John's daughter, Rachel, married drew Jackson Bryan, who was obviously born hile Andrew Jackson was our seventh president. ater Rachel and her husband purchased the intert of the other heirs in the John Foster homestead. third house was built in 1872. Their granddaughter, Wilma Elizabeth Bryan, rried George Shelby, a descendant of a promint pioneer family. Her grandson, Charles Evan elby and wife live on this homestead land now, fifth generation down from the John foster, m in 1804. -Frances Mann

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Fuller Family and Marshall Farms

The Marshall Farms began with 480 acres of

Mr. Aaron VanNatta. After his death the 1,11111 was left to his daughter. Upon her marriage to Ikmy W. Marshall, the farms started to grow in number. There were twenty farms total. He owned .uid sold other farms in the area. Charles Fuller WJ~ overseeing the farms, which were rented by diuerent tenants. Each tenant farmed the farm indi, iduallv. The highlight of each year was during threshing time. Each farm would bind-shock the OJts and wheat then the time was right for threshing. They would start at one farm and go until all farms were finished. At the end of the run they had a meeting to settle up for the threshing. Each farmer had to pay for having his part of the grain harvested, There were ice cream, drinks and much food to highlight the event. The main farm was farmed by Charles Fuller and his sons. There were other men to help wit~ the farming before the sons were old enough to help. The farms had their own carpenter by the flame of Bill Huse. Before each crop of small grain JI\d ear corn was ready to harvest, Mr. Huse would repair the bins and cribs, He also look care of the tile in the fields as needed. Bill's son would help hi~ tather . when needed on bigger jobs. Charles Fuller, the son of Elias E. Fuller, \\'d~ born August 18, '1898 at Oronogo, Missouri. C()llling to Lafayette in '1919, he met and married Opal Rubright on October '10, '1921. They moved to Wabash township where Charles worked on the iMIl) for John Vaughn for a year. Then he worked fOl Public Service Company of Lafayette from '192:2 II) 1923. During summer vacation at Public Service, Charles worked for Mr. Henry Marshall during wheat harvest time and at that time (1923) moved to the main Marshall farm. Mr. Fuller worked for Mr. "IMshali until 1952. During that time both Mr. Mar~hdll and his sons had died. Charles then rented the farm from 1952 to 1958. After having a farm sale he moved to Mymera, Indiana on a 40 acre farm which he bought. He retired and moved into t Ivmera. Two years ago P977) he sold his house in Hymera and moved to Jasonville. He is now 80 vears old. Charles Fuller has ten living children, thirly one grandchildren and thirty-two great grandchildren. Lloyd, the oldest son, lives in Delphi, Indiana. He is a retired minister due to health. He has four children. Earl lives in Lafayette and works at All OJ. He ' has six children. Gene lives at Battle Ground, 1<., 1, 900 West. Gene is an independent truck driver. He has five daughters. Russel (Shotgun) lives ill Delphi also. He works for Pearson Bottle-Gas Company. Russell has two r-hildren. Leland lives on Heath

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