HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                          79

Willie Alfred, Jesse R., Otis Melvin and Harry C.—and has lost two,
Charles P. having died when five years old, and Kinley dying in infancy.
William W. married Novelle Stwalley, and they nave had four children,
one of whom, Oral Kenneth, died in infancy, and three are now living:
Belden Given, Bertha Lucille, and Mabel Elizabeth. Otto C. married
Hattie Dalgarn and of their four children, three are living—Vinie L.,
Theodore C. and Raymond C.—while one child, Tiney L., died in infancy.
Alfred C. married Gertrude N. All, by whom he has three children—
Eliza Glenn, Olive Fern and Arthur F. Harley wedded Miss Esta Keller.
Nora E. is the wife of Arthur Jackson and has one child, Esta E.

    WILLIAM F. KATTMAN.—An intelligent, capable and progressive
business man, William F. Kattman, of Poland, has one of the largest
general stores in Clay county, in its many departments carrying a good
assortment of everything demanded by his numerous patrons. A native
of this county, he was born, July 26, 1863, in Washington township,
being the youngest of the six children born to Christopher and Clara
Margaret (Menke) Kattman. He comes of substantial German stock,
and a more extended history of his parents and grandparents may be
found on another page of this work, in connection with the sketch of his
brother, John G. Kattman.

    Completing his early education at the Northern Indiana Normal
School in Valparaiso, William F. Kattman subsequently taught school
for two years in his home district, after which he was for an equal length
of time principal of the public school at Poland. Accepting, then, a posi-
tion as clerk in the general store of Tressel & Kattman, at Poland, he
remained with that firm a few years, in the meantime obtaining an insight
into business methods. Buying out, then, the interest of his brother, C. H.
Kattman, he was in partnership with Mr. Tressel for five years, when he
bought him out, becoming sole owner of the store, This he has since
conducted alone with the exception of five years when his nephew, O. B.
Kattman, was associated with him, they having at that time two stores,
the one in Poland and one at Hymera, During that time, in October,
1903, the Poland store was burned out, causing a loss of many thousand
dollars, and the partnership was then dissolved, the nephew taking the
Hymera store and Mr. Katttnan retaining the Poland property. He has
rebuilt the store, having now a fine building, forty by ninety feet, every
bit of space being in use. In conducting his immense business, Mr. Katt-
man keeps seven permanent employees busy. He has a very large stock,
including among other things dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, gro-
ceries, agricultural implements, hardware, wagons, buggies and harnesses,
and in the millinery department keeps a first-class milliner.
    Mr. Kattman married, May 27, 1886, Emma Shults, who was born
in Poland, Indiana, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (McKeeman)
Shults, Her father was born in Hanover, Germany, and her mother was
born in Lexington, Virginia, very near the Natural Bridge. Politically
Mr. Kattman is a stanch Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to Poland
Lodge, No. 364, K. of P. He is a member of the German Reformed
church and for twenty-five years has been superintendent of and actively
engaged in the Union Sunday-school of Poland.


    WILLIAM W. HUBER.—A well-known and enterprising businessman
of Cass township, William W. Huber, holds a noteworthy position among

Vol. 11—6