HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                      231

and as years sped on field after field was added to his original farm, the
log cabin has been replaced by a substantial frame house, good outbuild-
ings have been erected, and he has now two hundred and twenty-four
acres of fertile land in one body. He has made valuable improvements
on the place, setting out a large variety of fruit trees of all kinds,and is
known far and wide as a successful and prosperous farmer.
    On February 17, 1878, Mr. Hoffman married Annie Barbara Holde-
fer, who was born March 23, 1855, in Hancock county, Indiana, a
daughter of John Holdefer, a native of Bavaria. John Holdefer and his
brother George were the only members of his family to come to the
United States. George settled in Butler county, Ohio, making that his
permanent home. John Holdefer was a young man when he bade good-
bye to home and friends and came to America to establish a home. After
living for awhile in Butler county, Ohio, he married, and with his young
wife came to Hancock county, Indiana. A few months later he settled
in Clay county, buying a tract of land in Posey township. Assuming pos-
session of the log cabin standing on the place, he at once began the work
of reclaiming a farm from the forest, and was there employed in tilling
the land the remainder of his life, passing away at the age of seventy
seven years. The maiden name of his wife was Eve Teifel, She was
born in Bavaria, a daughter of George Teifel, who emigrated from his
native land to America and lived for a short time in Ohio. From there
he came to Posey township, Indiana, where he improved land and lived
for a number of years. After his children had grown up and married
Mr. Teifel went to Charleston, Illinois, where his death occurred the
following year. Mrs. Eve (Teifel) Holdefer died at the early age of
thirty-two years, leaving a family of children, of whom four grew to
years of maturity, as follows: Elizabeth; Annie Barbara, wife of Mr.
Hoffman; John; and George. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman have two children,
namely: Sophia and Jacob H. The son is associated with his father in
farming. Sophia married Albert Taggart, and has four children, Carl,
Fred, Annie and Alvah Agnes. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are
members of the German Lutheran church.

    SAMUEL G. RALSTON, secretary and treasurer of the Indiana Mer-
cantile Company and who is also the manager of the same company,
is well known as a representative business man whose alert, enterprising
spirit and keen discernment enable him to carry forward to successful
completion whatever he undertakes. He was born in Waverly, Morgan
county, Indiana, September 22, 1856, his parents being James G. and
Mary Jane Ralston. The father was born in county Donegal, Ireland,
of Scotch parentage on the 29th of August, 1825, and died at Amo,
Indiana, March 17, 1889. His wife, who was a native of Hendricks
county, Indiana, born May 10, 1835, passed away April 17, 1891. Mr.
Ralston had come to America in 1847, being forty-two days on the ocean,
as passenger on a sailing vessel which at length dropped anchor in the
harbor of New York. Subsequently he located near Columbus, Ohio,
where he remained for a short time and then removed to Indianapolis,
Indiana, where he was married. Later he removed to Amo, Indiana,
where he engaged in general merchandising and was also agent there for
the Vandalia Railroad Company from 1858 until 1874. He continued to
carry on general merchandising for many years, or until within a short
time prior to his death, and was well known as a reliable, enterprising