316                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

land in section twenty-three, and bought one hundred and sixty acres in
section twenty-two. A few acres of his purchase had been cleared and a
log cabin had been built. Here he was actively and successfully
employed as a tiller of the soil until his death, December 26, 1860. His
wife, whose maiden name was Mary Lindsey, was born in Clermont
county, Ohio, February 27, 1807, a daughter of Hezekiah and Elizabeth
(Laycock) Lindsey. She survived him, passing away December 3, 1893.
She reared four children of her own, namely: Nancy, Mehitable, Sarah
and Nelson. She and her husband also brought up several orphan chil-
dren, one of whom, a girl, was kidnaped when two years old in Cleve-
land, Ohio, and after her marriage, found, by advertising, her mother.
    Mr. and Mrs. Barber are the parents of nine children, namely: Mary
Aletha, Aaron Gleason, Laura Ella, Hervey Briley, Cordelia Mehitable,
Willard S., Roberla Olive, Grace Victor and Edith Catherine. Mary E.,
wife of John Coble, has nine children, Maude, Harland, Edward, Her-
vey, Desta, Walter, Berlin, Lester and Ernest, Aaron G. married first
Carrie Corbin, who at her death left one child, Daisy Dove; and married
second Laura Logston. Laura M., wife of William S. Gard, has two
children, Ernest and Ethel. Cordelia, wife of Norris Swearengen, has
three thildren, Rachel, Bessie and Hope. Roberla O. married Nathan
Ely. Grace V., wife of Edgar Scherb, has one son, Von. Edith C. is
the wife of Harvey Nees. On November 19, 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Barber
celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage on the old farm on
which their union was solemnized, they having succeeded to the owner-
ship of the Gilbert homestead. It was an occasion long to be remem-
bered, the many friends and relatives there congregated having a most
enjoyable time, bringing, also, joy and comfort to the host and hostess,
and leaving with them substantial tokens of their love, regard and
esteem. Mr. Barber’s homestead is known as “Pine Ridge Farm.”

    Robert A. MACBETH, who passed away in Brazil, January 17, 1907,
at the age of sixty-five years, belonged to that public spirited, useful and
helpful type of men whose ambitions and desires are centered and directed
in those channels through which flow the greatest and most permanent
good to the greatest number. It is true that his chief life work was that
of a successful foundryman, yet the range of his activities and the scope
of his influence reached far beyond this special field. He belonged to that
class of men who wield a power which is all the more potent from the
fact that it is moral rather than political and is exercised for the public
weal rather than for personal ends.
    Mr. Macbeth was born in Wellsville, Ohio, January 3, 1842. His
parents, Alexander and Mary (Henderson) Macbeth, were both natives
of Scotland, but coming to the United States at an early day, located in
Wellsville, Ohio. The father was a stonemason by trade and thus pro-
vided for his family until his early death in Wellsville, when he was but
thirty-seven years of age. He was a devoted and faithful member of the
Presbyterian church, in which he served as an elder. To his widow was
left the care of their family of five children, two of whom were born in
Scotland. The birth of Mrs. Macbeth occurred in Stirling, Scotland, and
in early womanhood she accompanied her husband to the new world.
Few mothers have more faithfully and nobly performed their part in rear-
ing their families. She was brought up in the faith of the old Scotch
Seceders, with which sect her parents were connected, but later united