HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                          77

bourne C., of this notice, and Ewing W. Lanning, The father spent his
active life in Clay county, Indiana, on his farm. which contained one
hundred and thirty-four acres. Eighty acres of this farm he had to clear
up from out the dense forest, He was a very energetic and thorough-
going man in whom all could put the utmost confidence. Politically he
was a life-long and active Democrat, but never cared to hold office. He
was an active member of Lodge No. 29, A. F. and A. M., and belonged
to the Baptist church.
    Melbourne C. Lanning, son of pioneer Ewing Lanning, whose history
has just been narrated, remained at home with his parents until twenty
years of age and the following year commenced teaching school and con-
tinued ten years in Clay county, Indiana, teaching winters and farming
during the farming months. In November, 1906, he was elected county
treasurer of Clay county, taking the office on January 1, 1908. He is a
member of the Knights of Pythias order, Lewis Lodge, No. 511, at Lewis,
Vigo county; also belongs to Shabbona Tribe of Red Men, ,No. 370, at
Lewis; Brazil Lodge. No. 762, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
He is a firm supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and does
his full share toward - maintaining a good form of local and national
government.
    He was united in marriage, April 12, 1893, to Constance McCullough,
born in Brazil, Indiana, October 16, 1871, the daughter of Dr. Francis B.
and Mary (Johnston) McCullough, The father was born in Kentucky,
October 3, 1832, and died January 18, 1903. His wife was born in Put-
nam county, Indiana, January 13, 1838, and died April 13, 1902. They
were married in Indiana and were parents to the following children: There
were five—four sons and one daughter—all deceased but Charles J. and
Mrs. Lanning. The father came to Indiana when about one year of age,
the family located in Clay county, where he was a pioneer doctor and
continued the practice of his profession up to within about ten years of
his death, Mr. and Mrs. Lanning are the parents of one son, Laurance
Melbourne Lanning.

    REV. ALFRED SHIDLER.—A man of exceptionally fine principles,
honest, industrious and persevering, Rev. Alfred Shidler bravely served
his country during the Civil war as a soldier in the Union army, was after-
wards an active and tireless worker for many years in his Master’s vine-
yard, and is now successfully employed in tilling the soil, owning and
occupying a fine farm in Lewis township. A son of Daniel Shidler, he
was born June 30, 1847, in Berlin, or near that city, in Holmes county,
Ohio. His grandfather, Isaac Shidler, whose parents were -Germans, was
a native; it is thought, of Pennsylvania. From there he migrated to
Holmes county, Ohio, at an early period of its settlement, improved a
farm lying about three miles northwest of Berlin, and there resided until
his death, at a ripe old age.
    A young man when his parents removed to Ohio, Daniel Shidler there
learned the blacksmith’s trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years
with John Korns, He subsequently opened a smithy at Berlin, and three
years later established himself at a point three miles east of that place.
Coming from there to Indiana in 1858, he spent a year in Jennings county,
and then located in Clay county. Buying land about one and a half miles
east of Middlebury, in Harrison township, he there followed his trade
and superintended the management of his farm until 1880, when he went