90                  HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY


    Mr. Schultz married, April 21, 1887, Ella Harrison. She was born
in Owen county. Indiana, where her parents, John and Amanda (Coch-
ran) Harrison spent their lives. Politically Mr. Schultz is an influential
member of the Democratic party. Religiously he is a valued member of
the German Reformed church. Fraternally he belongs to Poland Lodge,
No.364.K. of P.,in which he has filled all the chairs, and he is one of its
punctual members.

    MARK WASHINGTON PARKINS.—Although a native son of the south-
land, born in Virginia, August 14, 1840, Mark W. Parkins has been a
resident of Indiana since the Civil war period, coming to this state in the
early part of the year of 1864 and for twelve years was a resident of
Brazil, where he worked at the carpenter’s trade. At the close of that
period, in 1877, he moved to his present homestead in Posey township,
Clay county, at first purchasing a tract of one hundred and forty acres, of
which he cleared about twenty-five. His estate now embraces four hun-
dred acres of rich and valuable land in Jackson, Posey and Brazil town-
ships, and the many improvements which are now located thereon are
the result of his splendid business ability and perseverance. He was for-
merly the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Harrison
township, near the Eel River station, and after improving the tract he
sold it for eight thousand dollars.

    Mr. Parkins is a son of Benniah Parkins, whose home was in Virginia
from birth until death. His wife, Amanda Bruffee, was also a native of
that commonwealth, and they were of English and Irish descent and the
parents of thirteen children, five sons and eight daughters, all of whom
also claimed Virginia as the state of their nativity, and Mark Washington
was the third born. Mr. Parkins, the father, was both a Whig and a
Republican in his political affiliations, and he was a worthy member of the
Methodist Episcopal church.
    Before leaving his native southland Mark W. Parkins enlisted for
service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company B, Twenty-
sixth Virginia Infantry, a member of the division known as Edgar’s
Battalion of the Confederate army. His services continued until the 5th
of September, 1863, and in the meantime, at Clay Court House, he was
taken prisoner and was paroled from Charleston in 1863. Shortly after
returning from the war, as above stated, he came to Indiana and has since
been identified with its business and agricultural interests, his homestead
farm being one of the best in Posey township.
    In 1867 Mr. Parkins was married to Lizzie Kidd, the widow of
Joseph Kidd, and she died in 1874, after becoming the mother of two
daughters, Mary and Nellie, by her second marriage. In 1875 Mr. Par-
kins wedded Melissa Brown, who was born in Clay county, a daughter of
Michael Houk and the widow of George Brown. Michael Houk was one
of the pioneer farmers of Dick Johnson township. The six children of
this union, two sons and four daughters, were born on the present home-
stead farm. They are Lizzie, Nora, Loring, Chauncey. Delpha, and one
that died in infancy. Mr. Parkins is an active and efficient member of
the United Brethren church, in which he is serving as one of the trustees.

    JOHN FREDERICK AHLEMEYER, late of Cass township, Clay county,
was for many years known throughout this vicinity as an industrious and
enterprising farmer, a faithful citizen, a kind neighbor and a loving bus—