Bio of Martin H. TOBIAS (b.1849), Wabasha Co., MN

USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information
on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities,
as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is
obtained from the contributor of the file.

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or
presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to
use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written
consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter,
and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.

Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Marge Galus Sandlier

History of Wabasha County, Minnesota, 1920

Martin H. Tobias, a well known and highly esteemed citizen of Kellogg, 
where he is now living retired, was born on a farm in Cumberland, 
Pennsylvania, September 8, 1849, son of Simon and Elizabeth (Handshue) 
Tobias.  The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania and were farmers 
by occupation.  The father died in 1860 at the age of about 49 years.  
His wife survived him more than half a century, dying in August, 1912, 
aged 89 years.  They had nine children, two of whom died young.  Of the 
other, John died in 1912, Ida in April 1918, and Ellen in 1916.  Those 
who are living are:  Jane, wife of John Tritt, of Carlisle, Penn.; Martin 
H., of Kellogg, Minn.; Emma, widow of George Nailor, of Battle Creek, 
Iowa; and Catherine, widow of Fred Hastings of Huntsdale, Penn.  Martin 
H. Tobias was educated in the public schools of Carlisle, Penn., and at 
a select school, where he spent one year.  He then became a teacher, 
following that occupation for three years in Pennsylvania, then teaching 
the winter term of 1870-71 in Ohio, afterwards going to St. Louis, and 
then in the fall of 1871 coming to Minnesota, and spending the following 
winter in Minneapolis.  In the spring he returned to Chicago, from there 
going to southern Illinois, but in the same year he came back to Minnesota 
and located in Plainview, for a year or two being employed in farm work 
and teaching.  In the spring of 1874 he became clerk in Robert Cochren's 
hardware store in Kellogg, and was thus employed for 16 months.  He then 
located on a farm in Cook's Valley, Highland Township, and devoted his 
energies to agriculture, an occupation in which he was sucessfully engaged 
until 1881, since which time he as lived retired in Kellogg.  Mr. Tobias 
was married in May, 1876, to Mrs. Frances Canfield Calvin, who was born 
in Pennsylvania, daughter of John and Margaret (Greer) Canfield.  Her 
parents, who were natives of Pennsylvania, of Scotch descent, in 1855 
settled at the locality now known as Canfield Springs, in Cook's Valley, 
this county, being the first settlers in the upper part of the valley.  
There they spent the rest of their lives in farming.  Their daughter 
Frances--one of ten children--was one of the early school teachers in 
Wabasha County.  She was first married to George Calvin, of Meadville, 
Penn., by whom she had one child, Margaret, who is now the wife of Joseph 
Schierts of Kellogg.  By her second husband, Martin H. Tobias, she has 
had six children; five of whom are now living, namely:  Elizabeth, wife 
of John Bricher of Kellogg, who has seven children; Alta, wife of Curtis 
Siebe of Westwood, Cal., who has one daughter; Wilma, wife of Clifford 
Cloe, of Whitefish, Mont., who has one son; Harry M. of Kellogg, and Ida 
E., wife of Forrest Cleveland of Sacramento, Cal.  Harry M. Tobias 
enlisted in February, 1917, in the 318th Engineers, and served with that 
organization in France, being honorably discharged October 17, 1919.  
Mr. Tobias served several terms as recorder on the village board and has 
been justice of the peace of the town of Greenfield for 30 years.  Mrs. 
Tobias died in 1895.
pgs. 485-486