Howard-Wayne County IN Archives Biographies.....Cranor, Charles F. 1856 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 21, 2006, 2:36 pm Author: Jackson Morrow CHARLES F. CRANOR. Practical industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails of success. It carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual character and acts as a powerful stimulus to the efforts of others. The greatest results in life are often attained by simple means and the exercise of the ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. The everyday life with its cares, necessities and duties, affords ample opportunities for acquiring experience of the best kind and its most beaten paths provide a true worker with abundant scope for effort and improvement. This fact having been recognized early in life by the subject of this sketch he has seized the small opportunities that he encountered on the rugged hill that leads to life's lofty summit where lies the ultimate goal of success, never attained by the weak, ambitionless and inactive. Mr. Cranor is carrying on the various departments of his enterprise in Howard county, Indiana, with that discretion and energy which are sure to find their natural sequence in definite success, and in such a man there is particular satisfaction in offering in their life histories justification for the compilation of works of this character—not necessarily that the careers of men of Mr. Cranor's type have been such as to gain them wide reputation or the admiring plaudits of men, but that they have been true to the trusts reposed in them, have shown such attributes of character as entitled them to the regard of all and have been useful in their respective sphere of action, while at the same time he has won and retained the esteem of all with whom he has come in contact as a result of his industrious and upright career. Charles F. Cranor was born in Wayne county, Indiana. August 21, 1856, the son of Moses and Mary (Cate) Cranor, a well known and influential family of that locality. The great grandfather of the subject was a native of Ireland, who came to America in an early day, settling in North Carolina, where the grandfather of the subject was born. The grandfather emigrated to Wayne county. Indiana, and the father of the subject came on to Howard county in 1860, locating in Jackson township, where he purchased land in section 25, owning as much as four hundred acres at first. He was a thrifty, hard-working man and conservative in his business dealings, but was eminently successful and was of considerable influence in his community. He was an active worker in the Democratic party and was at one time assessor of Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. Moses Cranor were the parents of eight children, four sons and two daughters of whom are living in 1908. Charles F. Cranor, our subject, was four years old when he was brought to Jackson township by his parents and he has been living here continuously ever since, preferring to remain on his native heath rather than seek uncertain success in other fields of endeavor. He assisted with the farm work on the home place and attended school during the winter months. He made an excellent record in the country schools and secured education enough to enable him to successfully teach school in Howard county, teaching one term in Jackson township. He soon won popularity as a teacher, being, liked by the pupils in general, knowing well how best to manage them so as to get the best results and at the same time retain their confidence and good will. Mr. Cranor remained a member of the family circle until he reached maturity, and in 1884 turned his attention to farming. He was also in the mercantile business, which he made a success. He was also in the tile manufacturing business for awhile. He built the elevator at Sycamore and has been actively engaged in the grain business up to the present time, furnishing a good market to the farmers in this section for their products. In whatever line of business the subject has been engaged he has shown rare soundness of judgment and a thorough knowledge of business affairs, making every venture a success and winning the confidence of his patrons by his scrupulously honest methods and courteous treatment. In politics Mr. Cranor is a stanch advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, with which he has been affiliated from the time of attaining his majority, and having been animated with the laudable ambition for official preferment his party nominated him for commissioner of the third district in 1908 and the fact that he became the Democratic nominee of the same resulted in much gratification to members of both parties for his nomination was regarded as a most fortunate one. He has ever lent what aid he could in furthering the party cause, and is well fortified in his political convictions, while he is essentially public-spirited and progressive. The happy and harmonious domestic life of Mr. Cranor dates from November 4, 1877, when he was united in marriage with Mary A. Henry, a native of Rush county., Indiana, and the representative of a highly respected and influential family. Mrs. Cranor is a woman of many attractive traits and admirable attributes and she presides over the comfortable, modern, well furnished and cozy home of this cheerful family with modest grace and dignity. Three bright and interesting children have been born to the subject and wife, one boy and two girls, all still members of the family circle. Their names are Howard, Geneva and Mazey. Mr. Cranor is a quiet, unassuming man, and useless to add that he is highly respected by all who know him, not only in Jackson township, but throughout Howard and adjoining counties, among whom he has spent nearly his entire active and useful life, in all the relations of which he has been found faithful to every trust confided in him and because of his sterling worth, uncompromising integrity, courteous manners and pleasant disposition he has won and retains the warm regard of all with whom he associates, the latter including the best people of this locality. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA BY JACKSON MORROW, B. A. ILLUSTRATED VOL. II B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (circa 1909) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/howard/bios/cranor345nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb