HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                          165

siege and fall of Atlanta, receiving his final discharge in June of 1865,
and he was mustered out at Washington, D. C. After returning from
the war Mr. Kester bought a forty acre farm in the western part of Clay
county, which he sold a few years afterward, and in 1872 bought the
old family homestead from John West, who had previously purchased it
from Mr. Kester’s mother, and the land was only partially improved
when it came into the possession of the latter. He has since, however,
converted it into one of the finest and best improved places in Perry
township.
    Mr. Kester was married on the 22d of February, 1866, to Mary
Knight, who was born in section 21, Perry township, a daughter of Sam-
uel and Matilda (Donham) Knight, he born in Vigo county, Indiana, and
she in Clermont county, Ohio, and the grandparents were Joseph Knight
and John and Susan (Reece) Donham, the latter born respectively in
Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 1833 the Donhams came to what has since
been apportioned as section 21 in Perry township, but this section of
country was then in its primitive state, and Mrs. Knight has lived in this
section since that formative period with the exception of three months
spent in Vigo county, and can recall to mind the time when the wild ani-
mals roamed at will in this vicinity, She was born on the 5th of April,
1826, and since 1900 has resided in the home of Mr. Kester. She is
active in both mind and body, and possessing a retentive memory can
recall many pleasant reminiscences of the early days of Clay county.
She has been a second time married, wedding in September, 1848, Milton
H. Pearcy, who was born in Kentucky, and died on the 5th of June, 1900.
They had the following children: Elmira, deceased; Silas E.; Oliver
Newton; Sarah A., the wife of John Jeffers; James H., of Brazil; and
George and .Wilson W., also of that city. The children of Mr. and Mrs.
Kester are: John J., who died in infancy; Laura A., the wife of Miller
Ray, of Vigo county, Indiana; Clarence Almon, of Perry township; and
Leo Carl, at home with his parents.. Mr. Kester is a Republican politi-
cally, and he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Cory Post
No. 477. He and his wife are members, of the Methodist Episcopal
church.

    JOHN A. KRIDER, well known to the business public of Brazil as
proprietor of the Globe Grocery, was born in Christian county, Illinois,
April 28, 1860. He comes of German ancestry and in his life manifests
many of the sterling traits of the German race. His parents were Con-
rad and Malinda (Ables) Krider, the former a native of Hanover, born
in September, 1818. Coming to this country as passenger on a sailing
vessel, he landed in New York city in 1848 after a voyage of eleven
weeks. Eventually he drifted westward to Cincinnati, Ohio, and worked
on a farm in that part of the country. Later he continued on his west-
ward way to Franklin county, Indiana, and it was there that he met and
married Miss Malinda Ables, who was born in that county in 1825. They
began their domestic life upon a farm in Franklin county, where they
lived for some time and then removed to Christian county, Illinois;
where Mr. Krider carried on general agricultural pursuits until the fall
of 1860. He then returned to Indiana, settling in Williamstown, Clay
county. It was not his intention of locating there when he again came
to this state, but he went to visit over night with his friend, Isham Yocum,
who induced him to buy land in that locality and locate there. This he