Brown-Ohio County IN Archives Biographies.....Werts, William 1834 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 27, 2007, 6:00 pm Author: B. F. Bowen (1904) WILLIAM WERTS. Holding worthy prestige among the leading farmers and successful, self-made men of Brown county, the subject of this review has long enjoyed the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens, and as an energetic and progressive man of affairs has made his influence felt in the material development of his township and the moral advancement of the people among whom he lives. William Werts was born January 13, 1834, in Preble county, Ohio, being a son of John C. and Jane E. Werts, the father a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of Virginia. By occupation John C. Werts was a miller, which trade he followed the greater part of his life. He came to Brown county, Indiana, in the year 1868 and located at Pike's Peak, where he became an influential factor in public affairs as well as matters of business, and during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison held the office of postmaster at this place. He was a man of sound, practical intelligence and discreet judgment, originally a Whig in politics and afterwards a zealous supporter of the Republican party, and few men were as well informed on the issues of the times and none exercised a more marked influence in the community of which he was for so long an honored resident. In religion he subscribed to the liberal and beautiful belief of Universalism, the idea of everlasting punishment being inconsistent and entirely out of harmony with his conception of the nature of an all-wise heavenly Father, whose dealings with humanity are as merciful as they are just. In temporal matters he was quite successful, being enterprising in business to the extent of providing comfortably for his family and accumulating a competency of sufficient magnitude to place him in independent circumstances, such being his financial conditions at the time of his death, on October 19, 1886. Mrs. Werts bore her husband twelve children, and after a long and useful life, fraught with many kindly deeds to all with whom she came into contact, was reunited to him in the realms beyond death's mystic stream, dying on the 12th day of June, 1902. William Werts, the oldest son of John C. and Jane E. Werts, was reared in Preble county, Ohio, and at intervals during his childhood and youth attended the public schools, thus acquiring a good, practical education. He remained in his native state until 1868, when he changed his residence to Brown county, Indiana, with the interests of which his life has since been very closely interwoven, and today he is justly considered one of its most enterprising and progressive citizens. In the year 1865 Mr. Werts entered the service of his country by enlisting in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Indiana Infantry, with which he shared the experiences and rough usages of war until the downfall of the great rebellion, two of his brothers having also upheld the honor of the flag and fought for the union on many southern battle fields. At the expiration of his enlistment, Mr. Werts returned to Ohio county, Indiana, where he continued to reside until 1868. Since the year 1868 he has devoted his attention very closely to the pursuit of agriculture, his farm being one of the best improved as well as one of the most productive and valuable of the township in which it is situated. In the prosecution of his labors he has been energetic, and systematic, making use of the best methods of tillage and by successful management and well directed thrift his efforts have been crowned with a large measure of success, being, as already indicated, one of the leading farmers of his community, as well as one of its most energetic men of affairs. The married life of Mr. Werts dates from the year 1874, at which time he chose a wife in the person of Miss Mary E. Matlock, who was born in east Tennessee, being the daughter of Daniel and Hannah Matlock, natives of Virginia and North Carolina respectively. Mr. Matlock came to Jackson county in 1852 and, purchasing land, developed a good farm, upon which he lived and prospered during the remainder of his earthly career. Mr. and Mrs. Werts are the parents of six children, whose names are as follows: James E., George W., Orvill C., William D., Minnie and Earnest E., the two oldest living in Colorado. Orvill returned in March, 1903, from the Philippines, where he served three years and twenty-three days in Company H, Second United States Infantry. He was sent over in 1900 and saw service mainly at the front on Luzon island, participating in about fifty skirmishes, and nearly all the time he was with his company on the firing line. He is now operating his father's farm at Pikes Peak. A man of intelligence, energy and remarkably sound judgment and discretion, Mr. Werts has pursued the even tenor of his way, exercising a strong influence for good among his fellow men and in every relation of life proving himself worthy their esteem and confidence. The story of his rise and success contains nothing of vivid or startling nature, being simply the plain, unadorned record of a common man, a man of earnest purposes and noble resolves, whose ambition to overcome the many obstacles in his way and to become of some use in the world has been fully realized, as is amply attested by the work accomplished and the high standing he now enjoys in his community. In politics the subject is a Republican and as the success of his party readily appeals to him, he has been and is still one of its most earnest and active supporters in the county of Brown. A believer in the truths of Christianity, he has strong religious convictions, being, with his good wife, a member of the Christian church and a generous donor to its support and to all lines of work connected therewith. For a number of years he has been actively identified with the Grand Army of the Republic and at this time holds the position of chaplain in Van Buren Post No. 305, in which he has also been honored at intervals with other high and important stations. Additional Comments: Extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY INDIANA INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA ILLUSTRATED 1904 B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/brown/bios/werts819gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 6.8 Kb