HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                              33

ing upon which the wealth and prosperity of our country so largely
depend, he is meeting with excellent success, and holds a good position
among the valued agriculturists of his community. A son of the late
Joseph Stoneburner, he was born on section twenty-one August 20. 1865.
    Joseph Stoneburner was born in Loudoun county, Virginia. March
4, 1829, the son of John Henry and Sarah (Fry) Stoneburner, who were
natives of the same state. Beginning life for himself as a farmer in
Noble county, Ohio, he lived there until 1860, when, accompanied by his
family, he came overland with teams to Perry township, Indiana, being
sixteen days in making the journey, and located on -an eighty-acre farm
which he had purchased several years before. After living there three
months, he bought one hundred and sixteen and one-half acres lying gin
sections twenty-one and twenty-two, all of which, with the exception of
twenty acres of prairie, was covered with timber. He subsequently cleared
almost the entire tract, and about 1872 purchased forty acres of adjoin-
ing land. About one-half of that was cleared, and the log house that
stood upon the opening is still in existence, being one of the oldest log
dwellings in the county. He was an unusually skilful farmer, and in addi-
tion to placing his land in an excellent condition was particular to keep
his buildings, machinery, etc., in good shape, residing on his homestead
until his death, April 22, 1888.
    On September 22, 1851, in Noble county, Ohio, Joseph Stoneburner
married Arletta Hartley, who was born March 24, 1830, in Warren
county, New Jersey, a daughter of David B. and Phebe (Parks) Hartley,
natives, respectively, of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She is still living,
making her home with her son James C. She bore her husband seven
children, namely: Charles, of Denver, Colorado; Hartley, of Independ-
ence, Kansas; Emma, widow of the late Philip Coble, resides in Gory,
Indiana; Joseph Edgar, of Perry township; Etta, widow of James Shaw,
late of Perry township; James C., of this sketch; and John, of Corv,
Indiana. The mother also brought tip one other child, Audrey Stoddard,
who lived with her from the age of six years until twenty years old.
    Reared on the home farm, James C. Stoneburner acquired his early
education in the old Center District School, obtaining a practical knowl-
edge of the three “r’ s.” After his marriage he bought a portion of the
parental homestead, it being the last forty-acre tract purchased by his
father, and has since carried on general farming in a most satisfactory
manner, reaping abundant harvests from his well-cultivated and highly-
improved land, his farm comparing favorably in its appointments with
any in the neighborhood.
    On June 14, 1888, Mr. Stoneburner married Lilly Cliver, who was
born April 14, 1867, in Perry township, which was the birthplace, like-
wise, of her parents, Jonathan and Sarah (Donham) Cliver. Her paternal
grandparents, Peter and Millie (Hixon) Cliver, and her maternal grand-
parents, Joseph and Lucinda (Jeffers) Donham, were all born in Ohio,
and were afterwards pioneers of Perry township. The union of Mr. and
Mrs. Stoneburner has been blessed by the birth of three children, namely:
Grace Arletta, born March 16, 1891, is the wife of Charles Cromwell. of
Perry township; Edna Irene, born September 10, 1897; and Vera Esther,
born October 4, 1902. Politically Mr. Stoneburner is a strong and earnest
advocate of the principles of the Republican party. Fraternally he is a
member of Clear Creek Lodge, No. 449, I. 0. 0. F. Religiously he is a