Locke-Touby Family History

Patricia A. Reynolds

2011-12-31T14:44:00.001-06:00

In memory of our dear

Patricia A. Reynolds

September 10, 1940 - December 31, 2011

If you have other photos to share, please send them to janeellefson@comcast.net

Obituary

Patricia Ann (Coan) Reynolds

Patricia Ann (Coan) Reynolds, 71, of Gilbert, Arizona passed away early December 31, 2011 at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after a sudden cardiac arrest. She was born September 10, 1940 in Peru, Indiana, the daughter of Charles W. and Louise (Touby) Coan.

"Patty" attended Howard County elementary school and graduated from Northwestern High School in Kokomo in 1958. She was active in band, choir and enjoyed playing piano.

Patty married David Shenk Mann in 1958 and raised three daughters - Michelle, Marcia and Melissa. They lived primarily in Dayton, Ohio until a job assignment took them to Tehran, Iran. They were married for 18 years.

Patricia had a long career in retail sales and was even worked a full shift the day of her attack. She lived in Nevada, California, Florida and Arizona, moving in order to be close to daughters and grandchildren.

She is survived by her beloved daughters and their husbands, Michelle Mann and Eric Schmidt, Marcia and Jim Brinton, Melissa and Jim Dixon; and their children Connor, James and Matthew Schmidt, Michelle and James Brinton, and Kayla and Shelby Dixon; Aunts Virginia Coan and Dorothy Kearney; along with many cousins and close friends.

A memorial services is planned for 2:00 p.m., January 28, 2012 at Northview Christian Church, 2059 North 100 East Morgan Street, Kokomo, Indiana.

Biography

Patricia Ann (Coan) Reynolds, 71, passed away December 31, 2011 at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after a sudden cardiac arrest. She was born in Peru, Indiana, the daughter of Charles and Louise (Touby) Coan.

Patricia is loving mother to Michelle Mann, Marcia (Mann) Brinton, and Melissa (Mann) Dixon and beloved "Nana" to Michelle Brinton, James Brinton, Matthew Schmidt and Kayla and Shelby Dixon.

Patricia grew up on a farm in Kokomo Indiana. During her childhood, her family called her "Patty". She was active in 4-H and church activities as a youth. She played piano beautifully and started taking lessons from her Aunt Virginia when she was 6 years old. She attended Howard Elementary and graduated from Northwestern High School in 1958. She sang in the high school choir and played 1st chair flute in band.

Her mother, Louise, wrote about Patty as a child driving the tractor and trying to get a sun tan, carrying the milk strainer to the barn for her father, watching the wrestling matches at Grandma Coan's house, and throwing tomatoes at the pickers. At big Touby family gatherings, everyone chipped in a $.25 to pay her to wash the dishes! Patricia was a dedicated and hard worker, her strong work ethic influenced by her early years on the family farm.

Patty met David Shenk Mann at a high school basketball game in Kokomo, Indiana and they were married in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Rev. Richard Lauer on September 26, 1958. Paul Sapp and Doris Lauer were their attendants. Pat and David were married for 18 years and raised 3 daughters in Dayton, Ohio. During their years together, the Manns also lived in Iran and traveled to many exciting destinations.

After returning to the United States, Pat settled in Las Vegas and began a career in hotel management. A few years later, hotel work took her to California and she and Melissa relocated to Foster City, CA. In addition, Tricia's career included owning and operating two franchise stores called Wicks & Sticks and working for Macy's. Most recently, Tricia worked at the local CVS drugstrore and, in true Tricia-fashion, she was still working the day of her attack.

Her love of music continued throughout her life; Tricia especially loved jazz. She often attended the Monterey and Russian River Jazz Festivals while living in California. Tricia enjoyed the state's natural beauty, the ocean, skiing in Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco's cultural activities. Her mother, Louise, often traveled to California to visit. Tricia and Michelle always planned a special outing - weekends in the Gold Country and trips to Monterey Bay and the farmlands and vineyards of Northern California.

Family was most important to Tricia so she moved to Florida to be closer to Marcia's family. She felt far too young to be called grandma, so "Nana" was the what the grandchildren called her. She felt such pride and joy in watching Shelly and Jimmy's sport events and activities. She loved going to the beach and having cookouts with the kids.

On her last Christmas Day in Florida (2005), the entire family was together. Marcia's family lived there, Melissa's young family came from Arizona and Michelle's family came from California. With college, school schedules, long distances, and busy lives, it was rare that all the family could be together.

When Melissa and Jim started a family, Tricia decided to move to Arizona to be closer to the little ones. Kayla and Shelby were the lights of her life. She enjoyed doing crafts with them, playing games, going to their school functions and watching them grow. She was a huge part of their lives and will be dearly missed.

Thankfully Arizona was closer to California, so Michelle and her son Matthew were able to see Nana several times a year and always around her birthday. They celebrated her 70th birthday in San Diego with the adult children and her 71st with a Polynesian theme at Trader Vic's in Palo Alto. Her children made every family celebration an occasion to remind her how special she was.

Tricia's flair for creating beautiful settings reflected her terrific sense of style and creativity. Her homes were always beautifully decorated, perfectly appointed and wonderfully scented. Christmas was her favorite time of year. Nana always had the tree up early - before Thanksgiving sometimes! Angels, santas, poinsettas, lights and candles filled her home. Baking cookies and decorating them with her grandchildren was the most pleasurable part of the holidays. And eating the cookies wasn't bad either! The days before her death were full of joy and happiness.

Tricia was a strong willed and independent woman, sometimes even stubborn. She enjoyed living alone and never wanted to be a bother. As the family talked about the future, she seemed open to the idea of eventually letting go and living with her daughters, sons-in law and their children.

Tricia encouraged and supported her children unconditionally. They loved her deeply and will miss her terribly. Her spirit lives on in Michelle, Marcia and Melissa - they are indeed her greatest legacy.

A note from Aunt Virginia
January 2, 2012

I awoke early this morning, remembering so many things about our dear Patricia, and wanted to share with you.

Patricia was born September 10, 1940. She was the adopted daughter of Charles and Louise Coan of rural Kokomo. She was known as Patty as a little girl; pretty, talented, and oh so busy. She was very musical, enjoyed singing and playing the piano. Her first piano lessons with me were a delight. She participated in 4-H and many school activities, graduating from Northwestern High School in 1958. In the fall of that year, she married David Mann. They became the parents of three daughters; Michelle Annette, Marcia Arlene and Melissa Rene.

Patricia was always friendly and out-going. She was very supportive in helping her husband as he completed his degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, and later with his employment in Dayton, Ohio. They made friends easily in each location. An assignment with Goodyear took them to Iran where the young family enjoyed the experience of the cultural differences. She encouraged her daughters in their schooling in the American school in Iran, and in Switzerland. Michelle later graduated from high school in Mexico.

Patricia was always willing to work hard to achieve the goals set before her. She held many responsible positions in retail sales, and at one time owned her own business. She enjoyed the pleasure of creating attractive displays, and trying new marketing techniques. She continued her employment well past her retirement age.

Most of all, Patricia enjoyed and dearly loved her family. Her daughters and her grandchildren were her first priority. After living in Florida for several years near Marcia and Jim and their family, she moved to Gilbert, Arizona to be near her youngest daughter Melissa and James and their two dear daughters. Michelle, Eric and her grandson Matthew were not far away in California. She was always able to adapt to new situations. Her home was open and inviting.

In her note to me just a few days before Christmas, she wrote, "I hope the holiday season finds you well and enjoying the best gift of all -- family." She closed with, "I wish that I might see you sometime again soon. So sit down and play a Christmas song and we'll all join our voices in harmony. Thank you so much. Patricia"

Our dear Patricia has now joined the heavenly choir.

Saving steps

2011-05-24T22:15:00.004-05:00

Grandma said that I could save her lots of steps if I would go to the cellar and get some canned peaches. Happily, I counted as I descended. My eyes adjusted to the dim light. There were shelves of canned fruits and vegetables. I found the peaches, but something else caught my eye. Dark amber canning jars. Dusty, empty ones. "LIGHTNING" was printed in raised letters on the sides. I couldn't take my eyes off them. My heart raced. I wanted one.

The usual prize for step-saving was a Hershey bar. We knew exactly where they were kept and always looked forward to mid-afternoon when Grandma needed her chocolate. (They were in a drawer, neatly stacked in a box. The Tums could be found in that same drawer.) Grandma shared her chocolate. But that day, my heart was set on another prize.

I tried to remember the step count as I got to the top of the stairs and started counting out loud. There was much praise as I handed her the peaches with the sum of steps saved. I described the old jars I had seen and asked many questions. She must have detected my interest and... said that I could have one! I saved Grandma some steps. And I saved my Lightning jar. Still have it. Still love it.

Baltimore orioles

2011-05-10T20:34:00.000-05:00

The first time I ever saw a Baltimore Oriole was at Grandma and Grandpa Touby's house. I saw it in the honeysuckle bush just outside the kitchen window. Grandma told me that they had built a nest in the big tree in front of the house and took me to see it.

The orioles came to our house yesterday and brought back a flood of memories.

Grape hyacinths

2011-04-17T18:09:00.004-05:00

I waited for weeks, checking the flower bed daily, looking for the first buds of grape hyacinths. They bloomed last week, the day after our first warm day. These are the old variety...the REALLY old variety. The first ones came from Bavaria with the Graf family and were planted where our family first settled in Indiana, near Waupecong. My Great-grandmother Settie wrote a careful account of the family's emigration and first years of getting settled here in America. She lists the fruits that were planted in the orchard, but she also mentioned the flower bulbs that had been tucked in the freight trunk and planted in their adopted homeland. They were transferred to the farm when Settie and George were married, and have since been divided and planted in the different locations we have settled. Elizabeth was especially fond of them; they were in her garden in Kirkland, MO, then in Overland Park, KS. They now usher in spring and the promise of new life in her memory garden in the grove.

They have taken on a much deeper significance...they are more than historic anecdote, more than a thing of beauty. They are a legacy, unique among all the things that have been passed down through the generations, for they are a living legacy. They were considered important enough to bring as a treasured belonging on their voyage to a new life in this country. We don't really know if it was foresight to provide reminders of the "fatherland" for future generations. But we do know that as we look to them to understand who we are, we are reminded that we also are a living legacy. And our family history is still being written.

Here is an excerpt from Settie's history of the Graf family:

Philip and his parents sold their beloved home and personal effects and prepared to follow the boys. Their nearest route was through France and from the dock at Havre they took ship. Their household effects, clothing, cooking utensils, pewter table service and food, all stored in cedar chests for the long passage. Steamboats had not been invented nor airplanes, so they set sail and selecting the route favored by the trade winds. Unfortunately a storm drove them out of their course and they were six weeks on the ocean, arriving at New York harbor 1853 to be welcomed by friends who had braved the voyage earlier. Then by wagon and canal boat, drawn by mules on the tow path, the party came overland to Waupecong where they found refuge among relatives and joined John, Christian and Valentine who had all found employment.

Now to establish a home and care for the father who was ailing was the next concern. Having paid for their passage, they were able to purchase a farm of forty acres, improved with a hewed log house and a log barn and a well. A formal garden was soon laid out with flower beds planted to tulips and hyacinths which had been stored in the cedar chests.

Next an orchard was planted, as there was no other fruit in Indiana but wild grapes, wild plums and berries. Every foot of soil was planted and tended by hand.

Lester Touby Kurtz

2011-03-29T18:45:00.003-05:00

(1914-2011)

Lester was a favorite cousin of the Touby girls. His mother, Alice Leora Touby, "Aunt Allie," married John Harley Kurtz. They had three children, Dorothy Jennette, Lester Touby and Geneva Agnes. Jennette was a school teacher and was Virginia's teacher one year. (I can't imagine having a cousin as a teacher!) My mother remembers how much fun it was when she and her sisters got together with their cousins.

Lester, Jennette and Agnes

Lester graduated from Howard Township High School and then from Purdue University. He married Frances Sinnamon in 1940 and made their home in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where he had begun as a graduate assistant in the Department of Agronomy in 1938. He completed his PhD in 1943 and was made full professor in 1951. Lester was known by his middle name "Touby" among colleagues and friends. Most of his career was in research on soil-plant fertilizer interactions. Among his contemporary soil scientists, he was best known as co-originator with Roger Bray of the "P-1" test. This test became the accepted rapid chemical procedure in soil testing laboratories of the North Central Region of the US and is still widely used in many areas.

He was a Guggenheim Fellow with the USDA, a Senior Fullbright Fellow in Australia and a Lady Davis Fellow at the Israeli Institute of Technology, and in addition worked with the Tenessee Valley Authority, USAID in Sierra Leone, and advised and taught in the People's Republic of China. He retired from U of I in 1982 after a long and distinguished career.

Lester and Frances

Peace and Plenty

2011-03-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

1847 "Peace and Plenty" Coverlet

written by Virginia Touby Coan

The early woven Jacquard coverlet belonged to the Locke Family. My great-grandfather, Elias Locke (1821-1891) came with his wife Sarah Ann Brown Locke (1824-1907) and two small children in 1849 from Preble County, Ohio, to settle on a claim in Howard County, Indiana, near the small village of Kokomo. Here they established their home and raised their family of nine children. My grandfather, George Luther Locke (1856-1938) was the sixth of seven sons and two daughters. It is uncertain if the coverlet came with them from Ohio, or if it was acquired later from an itinerate professional weaver. My mother, Elsie Locke Touby, recalled that each of her father George's siblings owned a woven coverlet of similar pattern. Although this is not documented, it has been verified through conversations with family members. In 1983, two of the Locke coverlets were shown, along with two early cane bottom chairs which had belonged to my great-grandparents, Elias and Sarah, in an exhibit of "Early Quilts, Coverlets and Rugs," held in the Kokomo Public Library. My second cousin, Madeleine Holt, granddaughter of Abraham Locke (grandfather George's brother), and I were the exhibitors of the coverlets.

Jacquard looms were introduced in America in the 1820s. Professional weavers had come from Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and France. Many had settled in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Most of the weavers were men. The looms were large and it took great strength to operate them. Women often brought their home-dyed wool to the professional weaver to be made into coverlets. There were patterns and samples in the shop to choose from, and the weaver would select a border and often add a signature corner block. D. Arnold may have been the weaver of the Locke coverlets. He often used the "Peace and Plenty" corner block.

Growing up on Liberty Grove Farm

2011-03-02T21:46:00.004-06:00


Dave, Jane, Arthur, Virginia, Nancy and Elizabeth.

We (David, Jane, Nancy and Elizabeth) were the fourth generation of our family to live on Liberty Grove Farm. We have written records, deeds, documents, and family photographs that bear witness to our history there. Before our family settled in that spot, the Miami Indians occupied the land. Only artifacts remain and we wish we knew the stories behind each one. There were baskets of arrowheads and other carved stones that had been gathered by our great grandparents. I remember when they were divided among all the cousins. These are the ones that came to me...probably by drawing straws so that it would be fair. Fairness was a revered virtue in our family. They intrigue me. They could not all have come from our land; some of the stones are not native to the area. Were they traded? Were they bounty? We don't know. But the abundance of stones found on the land does speak to the desirability of settling there. It is fertile ground. Each spring when Dad would go out to plow, more would surface. He said they glinted in the sun. He had a sharp eye and could spot anything...fox tracks in the snow, or the slightest movement of a bobber on the water, for example.

Peter Hersleb was an early settler in Howard County. Miami Indian territory eventually ceded to settlement by way of treaty. This is a document from our family's archives. I had always thought that the Hersleb deed was the original Land Grant document to our property: Howard County: Liberty Township (Twp. 24): NW quarter of section 20. The Hersleb deed describes the SW quadrant of section 30 of Liberty Township.

We have several deeds and quit claims to properties, all in succession, and it makes me wonder if it was customary to transfer documents from one owner to the next. If that is the case, did we at one time own the property in the SW quarter of section 30? That will take more research.

--- years later, in ----- our great grandparents, George and Settie Locke purchased the land - eventually 160 acres - and built a fine two-story home.

George Locke, cigar in hand

Generation 1:
Settie (Graf) and George Locke

George and Settie had two children, Ross and Elsie.

Generation 2:
Philip Roscoe "Ross" and Elsie Locke

Elsie married Emmett Touby and they had five daughters. Virginia, the fourth daughter, married Arthur Coan and they returned to the farm where they raised their four children

Generation 3:
Virginia (Touby) and Arthur Coan with David (Spring 1948)

Generation 4:
David, Jane, Nancy and Elizabeth - Christmas 1958

Arthur and Virginia's 50th wedding anniversary, June 1996

So, what was it like growing up on the farm? We could each tell our stories, but one poignant memoir was penned by Elizabeth just following our parents' move from the farm to Greentown.

Dear Daddy,

I can't tell you how many times I have looked through the pictures that I had taken at the farm during the early morning hours when I visited in May. That day became so busy with packing and moving that I felt I never really had the opportunity to just sit and reflect upon what a truly wonderful home you had provided for each of us children.

I couldn't begin to capture on camera all of the places and things around the farm that brought to mind special memories that I have. As I walked around that morning I would find myself standing in a place where a rush of emotions would come over me. Even the sounds of the birds and the breeze through the trees triggered a memory...

...climbing in the hayloft and making tunnels in the bales of hay;

discovering a new litter of kittens tucked in amongst the bales;

picking strawberries and enjoying fresh strawberry pie for dinner;

riding with you on the tractor as you made your way up and down the field rows;

delivering ice cold lemonade to you at the fence;

helping Mother prepare meals for all of the farm helpers;

listening to the sounds of the cicadas on a warm summer evening;

raking the leaves into piles to be burned on a cool fall day;

watching the snow from the window seat in my bedroom;

running downstairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa had magically delivered...

I want you to know how much it means to me to have grown up in such a special place. You and Mother took such pride in the farm home and the land and I am very proud to have called it my childhood home.

You are in my thoughts and prayers as you continue to adjust to your new setting in town. You and Mother are creating a lovely new home that will provide many happy memories for you and for each of us as well. The girls and I had such a good visit with you in July and we look forward to many more visits to come. "No matter what, no matter where, it's always home if love is there."

I love you,
Elizabeth

These are the photos Elizabeth took on the day before our parents moved from the farm into town.

It was a tradition to wave good-bye at the dining room picture window.

Grandma Touby's Apple Crisp

2011-02-26T10:54:00.004-06:00

Going to Grandma and Grandpa Touby's house was always a treat, but especially when we gathered as a whole family...aunts, uncles, cousins...to have a meal. One well-worn card in my kitchen archives is Grandma Touby's apple crisp recipe.

If Grandma was in the kitchen, you can be sure she was wearing an apron.

Grandma Touby's apple crisp recipe

From Virginia's recipe box

Grandma's kitchen

Grandma and Grandpa (and Bobby) at the table.

Grandma's praline recipe written in her hand

(If anyone has kitchen or dining room photos at Grandma and Grandpa's I'd love to post more.)

Virginia and Joan Touby

2011-02-16T21:29:00.009-06:00

When my dear Aunt Joan passed away, my mother, Virginia, wrote these memories for Aunt Joan's family. They capture moments in time as the two of them grew from childhood playmates to college roommates to young marrieds with growing families.

Joan and I were playmates from the earliest years...

We were the little girls in the family and spent those wonderful, blissful pre-school days in a pretend world. The dolls, the cats and dog were our family. Often I was the father (by virtue of age, I suppose), and Joan was the mother. She was just right in that role. Of course, that was only when we two played together. Otherwise Louise and Dorothy had positions of greater authority!

Virginia - unhappily persuaded to be the father dressed in her father's boyhood clothes

Joan, as the mother, dressed our black cat in one of the dolls' pink striped nightgown and made it lie on its back in the doll buggy as she pushed it around the yard. When the cat could take it no longer, it would leap out of the carriage and streak across the yard in its nightgown.

Virginia, Joan and cat

Joan, Virginia and more cats

Virginia and a patient cat

Virginia and Joan

Then there was the time mother called us to the window to see Joan and our dog Shep seated in the old Chevy truck which daddy had left in the driveway. Shep was the driver with his paws placed on the steering wheel and Joan sat beside him! I'm sure Joan could have been an animal trainer.

Shep

Another little girl memory was of the summer our father cleaned out the grain barn and had it rearranged with additional partitions for the various grains to be stored. This created a wonderful playhouse with rooms. Daddy agreed to let us play in it until time for the grain harvest. Joan and I made trip after trip carrying our play furniture out to set up housekeeping. It was perfect for tea parties with graham crackers and marshmallows and lemonade. The fun lasted until the wheat and oats had been threshed and we had to clear out and move back into the house.

Things look so big when we are small

You've probably heard this story, but I have to tell it again. Our huckster driver was a comical little man whose name was Mr. Beebout. (It's true. That was his name!) The huckster wagon - actually a truck - was a veritable little general store on wheels, with sugar, flour, extracts, eggs -- even a crate for cackling chickens hanging on the back of the truck. Little drawers held thread, pins, and other small household items. Country women often depended on the huckster who came our way once a week. He was a friendly, chatty fellow who also told what the neighbors were doing that day. Often when he turned the corner on our bumpy country roads, the little drawers in the wagon would slide out and he would have to take time to rearrange things at the next stop. One summer mother and we girls were sitting in the yard shelling peas. It was too warm in the kitchen with the cookstove going.

Shelling peas in the yard

Mr. Beebout had stopped at our neighbor's house just down the road and seemed to stay an unusually long time. Mother wondered why he could be at Mrs. Householder's so long. Joan, just five or six years old, piped up with, "Maybe Mr. Beebout dropped his drawers again!"

Joan and I enjoyed so many things together in High School. She was in singing groups and I played piano accompaniments. She often sang with the Busby twins and with Carolyn Kratzer. She and Aunt Louise sang duets occasionally.

Virginia and Joan in concert

Joan and I attended Christian Endeavor meetings for the young people at Rich Valley Church. We were baptized at the same time and became members there.

We were enrolled at Ball State College during the World War II years and were roommates during two of those years. Some of our friends thought it was amazing that sisters could get along well enough with each other to be roommates...we had always been roommates at home.

Joan

Virginia at Ball State

Joan on the steps of the Fine Arts building, Ball State

Virginia, Joan and Dorothy

We traveled on the train to College Camp, Wisconsin one summer to work as waitresses in the camp diningroom. We played croquet on our lawn with the Coburn boys. We double-dated occasionally.

A post card from Virginia to her mother

George Williams College Camp, Lake Geneva, WI

Virginia and Arthur playing croquet

After the war, when Arthur and I were married in 1946, Joan was my only bridesmaid.

Joan was Virginia's bridesmaid

Soon, Joan and Edver were dating, and two years later were married. I played the piano and Marianna Riddick sang.

Joan and Edver were married at the Touby home

Marianna Riddick and Virginia

In the spring of 1950 Ed and Joan dropped in for a visit, and as they started to share a bit of news with us, I somehow knew what they were going to say. I interrupted with excitement, "Are you planning what we're planning?" Yes, it was true! We were expecting a baby in November and Ed and Joan in December.

Jane and Charlotte were born just a month apart. In 1952 Marcia and Nancy were born just six months apart. And Phil came along in March of the following year. As the years passed and our families grew, the celebrations at Grandma and Grandpa Touby's house were always so much fun with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all in a wonderful mix.

Joan, Edver, Charlotte and Marcia on Arthur and Virginia's porch

Arthur, Jane, David, Virginia and Nancy

Jane and Charlotte

A birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house: Joan, Phil and Charlotte

Cousins

Grandma and Grandpa

Grandpa with Marcia on his lap, and Charlotte at his side

Charlotte brings Grandma a present

Occasionally there were overnight visits at each others' houses. Joan helped Nancy decide on two little flower vases to buy with her spending money when Jane and Nancy had a "vacation" with Charlotte and Marcia one summer. Phillip and Les enjoyed a ride on the pony here on our farm when they were just little guys.

David, Charlotte, Jane, Marcia and Nancy: our porch step, c. Summer 1955

Phil and Les on Prancer at Virginia and Arthur's farm

And Elizabeth remembers so well the good times with Les making roads and villages in Grandma Touby's sandbox. Les also gained a friend forever when he fed Laddie several pieces of ham from the plate prepared for supper. He looked at me so sweetly and said, "Your doggy sure do like ham!" By the time Jon was born we weren't able to get together as often. But when we did, Jon always tried to keep up with the big kids.

Fast forward a few years and Charlotte and Jane are both enrolled at Ball State where their mothers had attended 25 or so years earlier. Our paths were taking our families in different directions then. Grandpa and Grandma had hosted the gatherings as long as they were able. We would soon be saying good bye to them. But the Touby sisters still felt a strong bond and made a date to have Christmas together each year. There were other gatherings as we could arrange them. One memorable time was our "Touby Women" slumber party at Charlotte's house in Athens, Ohio. Good food, great conversation, but very little slumbering. On Sunday morning we all attended church together. We were so proud of Charlotte as she led the children's group in recognizing Christian symbols pointed out throughout the sanctuary. Sarah sang in the choir. After lunch back at the house, Joan led us in forming a circle of love and we sang together "May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever." What a very dear memory to carry home with us.

The Touby Women's weekend at Charlotte's

Louise's 80th birthday: Louise, Dorothy, Joan, Virginia

Louise, Joan, Dorothy, Virginia, 1998

Dorothy's wedding, 1942: Virginia, Dorothy, Louise, Joan

This past Christmas, 2001, was the first we Touby sisters had missed getting together. Joan's and Louise's frail health, plus the distance and uncertain weather, made planning difficult. But we were in touch with each other by phone. What a warm memory we have of Christmas morning when Joan called to wish us a Merry Christmas as Elizabeth answered the phone and we heard her say, "Why, Aunt Joan, how nice to hear your voice." They talked briefly and then Joan and I had a good conversation. We were so pleased to have her call.

[In closing her letter to Edver and children, my mother writes...]

I just want to add how very proud Joan was of all of you and your accomplishments. Her love and spirit of encouragement will be with you always. Blessings to each one of you.
Lovingly,
Aunt Virginia

In loving memory of Joan Touby Coburn (1925-2002)

Stewards of the story

2011-02-13T19:13:00.003-06:00

It's difficult to know when to end a story. One just leads to another. Today my friend, Jan Rowe (whose 59th birthday is tomorrow) asked me, "so how do you know when you're done?" I have to go back to the remark my cousin Caroline Kearney Tudor made when we got together at Mark (her brother) and Pauline Kearney's home. She talked about a phrase that struck her deeply...that we need to be good "stewards of the story." So, I just keep telling the story. Things I have posted are done so without much editing, just to get the story down. I go back and add, delete, revise...all part of getting the story right. If you are reading this, I hope these people come alive for you. I remarked today that I wish I had known Louisa Locke. I have no idea why. She is beautiful...looks strong, intelligent. I would love to ask her a million questions. Maybe I'll come across something about her that should be told. When will I know I'm done? As long as there are stories to be told, I guess I will just keep telling them.

Jane Duncan Colville & John Peter Touby

2011-02-12T21:26:00.011-06:00

This is the story of Peter and Jane Touby...
a story that began with two brothers, James and Colin Duncan, who left Scotland to come to America and the John Martin Touby family, who left France for Germany because of religious persecution, then set off for America to avoid military inscription.

Colin's great granddaughter, Jane Duncan Colville,

married Martin's son, John Peter Touby.

James and Colin Duncan were brothers born and reared to manhood in Scotland. James and his family came to America and settled in Virginia. After living there several years he acquired title to about 500 acres of land in Scott County, Kentucky, where he and his family then moved. James wrote to his brother Colin, still in Scotland, offering him title to 150 of those acres.

In 1792, Colin and Keturah Duncan and their five children Jane (age 8), Margaret, John, James and William set sail for America. After a month at sea they arrived and eventually migrated to Kentucky. The two brothers were neighbors on adjoining farms where they remained until their deaths.

Jane Duncan (1784-1869) married John Dinwiddie (1784-1828) on May 9, 1805 in Shelby County, Kentucky. They had nine children: Keturah Duncan, Elizabeth Jane, Harvey Duncan, Susannah Ann, Mary Elizabeth, Margaret, Martha Asenith, Nancy Ware and Lomira. Lomira, the youngest, died at just one and a half, and less than a year later, John Dinwiddie died leaving Keturah a widow with seven daughters and one son, ranging in ages from 22 to 5 years. Keturah, the oldest, had been married four years (Samuel Colville) and had had two of her three children before her father died. After her husband's untimely death in 1828, Jane Duncan Dinwiddie remained in Kentucky with her aged parents until after their deaths in 1832 and 1833.

Jane Duncan Dinwiddie, having lost her baby daughter in 1827, her husband in 1828, her father in 1832, and her mother in 1833, took her remaining family of five girls, and along with her one son, Harvey (age 25) and his bride, moved to Rush County, Indiana in 1834. Jane Dinwiddie settled near the present town of Lewisville, Indiana in Rush County, and lived there for 40 years.
Excerpts: R. DeVerter, Our Pioneer Ancestors, Vol. IV, The Duncan and Dinwiddie Families with Allied Lines, Baytown, TX, 1969

John and Jane Duncan Dinwiddie's eldest daughter, Keturah Duncan Dinwiddie (1806-1834) married Samuel Colville. They had two sons and four daughters. Their daughter Jane Duncan Colville (1826-1904) married John Peter Touby (son of John Martin Touby (1795-1872) and Anna Marie Slout (1802-1877).

The Touby name has been traced back as far back as 1682 when the Toubys, Remys, and Straters left France because of religious persecution by French Catholics. They all settled in the Dukedom of Nassau, Germany, in an area just across the Rhine River and about ten miles inland from the border of France and Germany.

John Martin Touby and Anna Marie Slout

Hearing of opportunities for religious and political freedom in America, John Martin Touby and his wife Anna decided to travel there with their nine children, whose ages ranged from two to early twenties. They left their home in Germany on April 20, 1844 and began a seventy day journey. The family spent forty-four days on board a ship and landed in New York City on June 30, 1844. From there they traveled to Ohio where there was a German settlement in Richland County near Mansfield. They settled on a forty acre tract of land in Washington Township. They became active members of Saint Peter's Evangelical Church that had been established by German settlers in 1830. John Martin and Anna remained in Richland County for the rest of their lives.

John Peter Touby (1824-1888) was born in Nassau, Germany, and emigrated to America with his father (John Martin Touby) in 1844, locating in Richland County, Ohio, where his father subsequently died.

John Martin Touby and Anna Marie Slout

John Peter Touby and Jane Duncan Colville

John Peter came to Fayette County in 1850 and continued his wagon making trade in Bentonville. It was there that he married Jane Colville, a tailoress and native of Kentucky.

John Peter Touby and Jane Duncan Colville Touby with daughter Mary

Albert, born in Fayette County, and Leora, born in Howard County, IN

John Peter and Jane Touby's home in Bentonville, Fayette County, IN

In 1853 Jane, Peter and little Albert came to Howard County purchased land, then sold it to purchase another tract upon which was a small log house. Peter eventually made improvements, built substantial buildings, quit his trade of wagon making and devoted his attention to agriculture.

Can you identify these relatives?

2011-02-05T21:22:00.021-06:00

Below are some verified photos of Elias and Sarah (Brown) Locke. This first photo may be the same couple.

Could this be Elias and Sarah (Brown) Locke?

They were married in 1845 and would have been 24 then. This original is printed on heavy paper which is consistent with calotypes, invented in 1841. Calotypes were not as clear as daguerreotypes (1837), but multiple copies could be printed on paper. The back is marked "E. H. Keney, Photographer, 406 E. Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio."
Follow-up internet research:

Erastus H. Keney was born in New York about 1838 and was active in Dayton from 1870 to 1900.

Answer: No, this is not Elias and Sarah, but could be a photo of one of their children.

Sarah (Brown) Locke (b. 12/29/1824; d. 8/25/1907)

Elias Locke

Sarah (Brown) Locke

Elias Locke

Sarah (Brown) Locke

These photos are identified as Abraham and Rebecca (Ott) Lock, parents of Elias (above). Could someone verify this?

Abraham Locke (b. 6/20/1794; d. 9/15/1872)

Rebecca Ott Locke (b. 9/28/1794; d. 11/6/1869)

Parents of Abraham Lock? Don't think so.

This photo is identified as the parents of Abraham Lock ( John Lock b. 7/4/1755; d. 10/4/1818); Salome b. 1755; d. 12/24/1840), which is impossible since the daguerreotype wasn't invented until 1837, calotypes in 1841, and tintypes were not common until about 1860. This looks more like a Touby face to me.

Is it possible that this is Peter Touby and his mother, Anna Marie Slout Touby?

John Peter Touby
( b. 1/20/1824; d. 10/27/1888)

The children of Elias and Sarah Lock. Does anyone have the originals?

cousin

Is this George Luther Locke?

Dr. John Edgar Locke

William Locke

Laura Locke Tresslar

Are these Locke brothers? Compare to the brothers above.

A couple of them could be husbands of Locke women.

I think this is Antrim "Bud" Locke

These images were in the same album and could be Locke sisters or wives of Locke men.

Information on the back of this photo:

J. Nicholson, photographer. Over Darnall and Scotton's Drug Store, Main Street, Kokomo, Ind.

Pictures copied enlarged and colored in every style.

Research: Nicholson was born in Franklin, Indiana (2/12/1866) and was engaged in painting in connection with cultivating fruit and later learned the art of daguerreotyping. In 1872 he moved to Kokomo, Indiana and from there, in 1879, to Crawfordsville, where he opened an art gallery.

This tells us that the photograph was taken (or copied from the original, as the ad states) between 1872 and 1879.

Are these Locke children?

Elsie and Ross: on to University

2011-02-04T22:34:00.005-06:00

Philip Roscoe Locke and Elsie Locke

Elsie and Ross went downstate Indiana for their university studies: Elsie to Indiana State Normal School and Ross to Indiana University.

Indiana State Normal School

Elsie, on left

Friends at Indiana State

Ross was encouraged by his uncle Dr. Edgar Locke to pursue medicine. Ross actually started with that in mind, but his love for writing lead to studies and a career in journalism instead.

Philip Roscoe Locke

Letter to Ross from his uncle, Dr. J. Edgar Locke, written 1911 (100 years ago!)
when Ross was a high school senior

Dr. John Edgar Locke

Sis Hopkins

This ticket was found in Roscoe Locke's small Shakespeare tome Merchant of Venice. He might have taken some time from his studies to see a local vaudeville act.

Melville, Rose (1873–1946), actress. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, she made her debut in 1889 then scored a major success in a touring play called Zeb, in which she appeared as the hayseed Sis Hopkins. Melville played the part so well that it was elaborated for her, then she developed a vaudeville sketch around the same yokel. In her Broadway appearances, in such musicals as Little Christopher Columbus (1894) and By the Sad Sea Waves (1899), Melville invariably portrayed Sis. She played little else until she retired sometime in the 1920s.

The Huckster Wagon

2011-02-03T20:17:00.006-06:00

Mr. Beebout's huckster wagon was a variety store on wheels. The wagon wound its way along bumpy country roads, the contents invariably shifting and in need of frequent reorganizing. Its drawers were filled with thread and needles, candies, paper goods, pantry supplies, and more. It was always a treat when Mr. Beabout came by. He had a regular route...after stopping at Mrs. Householder's, he would drive on down to the Touby farm. One day as the girls watched for him, he stayed longer than usual at Mrs. Householder's place. Joan, the youngest, innocently remarked that, "Mr. Beebout must have dropped his drawers!"

As far as I know, we don't have any photos of Mr. Beebout and his huckster wagon. I'd love to find one. But I imagine that it might have looked something like this...

It was not uncommon for the huckster man to trade a chicken or eggs for goods from the wagon, but I don't know if Elsie ever did trades. I'll have to ask Aunt Dorothy or my mother about that some day.

Aunt Francie's Diary

2011-02-02T20:13:00.006-06:00

Our Aunt Frances was the middle sister, born in 1919. During my grandmother's pregnancy she contracted influenza...fatal to many during the "Spanish flu" pandemic at the end of WWI. Frances had difficulties from birth. My mother remembers knowing that Frances was different, but she was their sister. All the girls had chores and Frances was in charge of clearing the table and washing dishes. I remember helping Aunt Francie even when I was little. She was in charge and I was her helper. I never thought of her as being small, because I was small then. But now, looking at pictures, I realize that she was. Mother tells me that she didn't grow physically beyond the size of a pre-teen. My grandparents hired a tutor to help Frances, but she never learned to read or write.

One of the most poignant moments of my recent stay with my mother was what we found when my cousin Mark came over with four boxes filled with family memories. There were precious photos, yes, but when we opened a little red booklet we found a diary...not written by Frances, but obviously dictated by her. Her entries were filled with swinging, sitting and playing on the porch, and many mentions of who visited on any given day. What a wonderful thing my grandmother did for Francie to give her a voice, to validate her days and give them importance. As her sisters were going off to school, Francie had her own teacher come to her house. As her sisters did their homework, Francie dictated entries for her diary.

Graf History

2011-01-24T20:41:00.021-06:00

Settie Graf Locke (1868-1955) wrote this account in 1954.

The effects of the Napoleonic wars were still felt keenly in Germany, which at that time was but a loose confederation of States ruled or presided over by Kings, Bishops Landgraves or others potentates, unorganized as a sovereign nation. Not until Bismark in 1871, in the war with France, subdued their enemies did Wilhelm I become emperor. Before that, foreign soldiers were quartered in every home until children learned another language. Soon after this, Philip of Roggenhausen (July 7, 1824) was born in Bavaria, the eldest son. The boy, of husky stature, grew to maturity and helped his parents till the small farm, and in winter he became a weaver of linens. His brothers were allowed to learn more remunerative trades such as cabinetmakers. Philip looked after their parents and provided the means for the brothers to emigrate to America, to avoid the draft. Service in the army took seven years of the best years of every man selected. Before their majority they sent the boys to relatives in Indiana, which was then being hewed out of the wilderness.

China tea jar and pitcher

All of Valentine and Barbara Graf's belongings were packed in a trunk to make the voyage from Germany to America. It is quite remarkable that these china pieces survived. This pewter charger is stamped with the insignia of the maker.

Pewter charger with maker's insignia

When this had been done, Philip and his parents sold their beloved home and personal effects and prepared to follow the boys. Their nearest route was through France and from the dock at Havre they took ship. Their household effects, clothing, cooking utensils, pewter table service and food, all stored in cedar chests for the long passage. Steamboats had not been invented nor airplanes, so they set sail and selecting the route favored by the trade winds. Unfortunately a storm drove them out of their course and they were six weeks on the ocean, arriving at New York harbor 1853 to be welcomed by friends who had braved the voyage earlier. Then by wagon and canal boat, drawn by mules on the tow path, the party came overland to Waupecong where they found refuge among relatives and joined John, Christian and Valentine who had all found employment.

Next an orchard was planted, as there was no other fruit in Indiana but wild grapes, wild plums and berries. Every foot of soil was planted and tended by hand. Grass for hay was cut with a scythe or a sickle. Grain was thrashed with a flail.

Clay mud mixed with straw was tramped by horses or cattle to chink the cracks between logs. The broad ax and adz were used to dress the floor of puncheon, since saw mills had not yet arrived. Neighbors were friendly and using the sign language soon showed the Germans how to make maple sugar, which lasted a year.

Cattle were allowed to roam at will, only the crops being fenced in. The leader wore the cow bell which helped in the hunt. Philip refused to eat butter when the cows ate ramps, since he disliked onions. Cottage cheese and ball cheese were always to be seen on the family table.

The spinning wheel spun tow and wool for the linsey-woolsey which was the cloth from which every day clothing was made. The broadcloth and embroidered silk vers of the fatherland were out of place in the crude life of Howard County in those days, but were used for his burial.

Settie Graf Locke, demonstrating spinning

This is the Graf Family spinning wheel referred to in Settie's account. Here, Settie is participating in a Pioneer Days reenactment.

According to holy writ, it was not good for man to live alone. Philip’s mother, Barbara Wagner Graf, no longer young, welcomed the young and beautiful Caroline Schaaf who came from Ohio, to dress the garden of Graf, instead of Eden, and became the helpmate of Philip and to mother his children. Times were hard when the Civil War broke out and their first child, Emma, was born in 1861. The draft caught up with Philip, but being a farmer without help, he was deferred. Privation and illness were the lot of the young family, but gifted with a singing voice and a love for flowers and a cheerful disposition the bore the loss of their sons as best they could.

Came now the reconstruction days, illness and high taxes, muslin at 75 cents a yard, likewise calico. Grandpa Graf sold hickory ax handles at 25 cents each, made brooms, bee hives, ladders, quilting frames and gates, grafted his own fruit trees, became a self-made veterinary and a Democrat. In the home we enjoyed homemade cheese, smearkase, kraut, pickled beans, apple butter, cider, honey, liverwurst, maple syrup, pork, potatoes, bread and cakes made of yeast dough with a fruit topping. Also flannel petticoats – home spun – and stockings knitted from home spun yarn, dyed analyne red, walnut brown, black or cochineal red.

Handmade sausage mill

Rag carpets soon gave the living room a festive appearance, muslin curtains and husk door mats showed the family to be progressive and the dance, the singing school, the taffy pulling, husking bees and the apple cutting for apple butter all afforded opportunity for the social life of the community. Not to be overlooked was the spelling school and the barn raising and quilting bees for the ladies.

Happiness and contentment are a state of mind and do not depend upon worldly possessions. Things which endure are those of the spirit. To sit at the bedside of a sick neighbor, to officiate at a birth or death, to plant or harvest the grain of a bereaved widow, to sew for a motherless family, all help to cement a friendship, which nothing but adversity can make us appreciate.

We travel this road but once. “Let us live in the house by the side of the road, and be a friend to man.”

Grandmother

May 17, 1954

Philip and Caroline Graf, Settie's parents

Settie as a young girl

Settie Graf

Settie Graf Locke in 1950s, when she wrote this account

Martin School

2011-01-24T14:42:00.004-06:00

Ross and Elsie Locke went to Martin School in Liberty Township.

2nd row: Elsie is 4th from left; Ross is 7th from left

Greentown High School

2011-01-19T22:20:00.009-06:00

Ross and Elsie Locke went to Martin School in Liberty Township, then to Greentown High School. Both graduated in 1912. Even though Elsie was younger, she learned quickly sitting in a one-room school along with the older students, and skipped two grades. Ross went on to study journalism at Indiana University and Elsie studied at Indiana State Normal School.

Freshman English Examination Book 1909

Report Card: Greentown High School
September 1908 - May 1912

Hoosier Homestead

2011-01-16T14:20:00.004-06:00

Early Homes of Howard Township

2011-01-14T23:30:00.017-06:00

A few years ago my mother wrote short narratives for many historic homes in Howard Township. One summer day she and I drove to each of these homes and took photos, and by Christmas all the information was compiled and bound into a nice booklet. This format will bring her work to a wider audience. It was a fun collaboration...we were all involved. My son, Ken, was technical advisor at every turn! Nancy edited. I compiled and did layout. Mother was proud of all of us, and we of her! Great memories. Her account begins with this preface:

I have always loved old houses, and so the opportunity to learn a bit of the history of those early Howard Township homes represented here has been truly enjoyable. The sketches of course are very brief, having been compiled from information gathered from former and current owners, and from the 1877 Howard County Atlas and later Plat Books. The original owner and date of each home is designated where that information was available. The current owners are identified in the accounts that follow.

I am grateful to all who shared information. The conversations with friends and neighbors who added their memories have served to bring the past back to life. There are so many cherished memories of my own childhood home - the Touby home.

Virginia Touby Coan

December 2000

Dorothy's wedding 1942, west porch, Touby home

Early Homes of Howard Township

A measure of prosperity and the necessity for more living space for growing families created something of a building boom as landowners began to replace their original log cabins with larger, more comfortable dwellings. Brick making industries in the area made this building material available, along with the abundance of native hardwoods.

Several of these sturdy historic homes are located in Howard Township and are lovingly cared for by their present owners. Located on East Sycamore Road (100 North), as it winds its way along the Kokomo Reservoir where the Wildcat Creek once meandered along its course, are some of the finest old homes in Howard County.

Others were built along the Touby Pike, an early "corduroy road" which served as a route into Kokomo for the residents in the northern section of the township. A few early homes remain near the Cassville area where the earliest known settlers in the township had located and lived amont the Miami in their village.

There are of course other historic homes in the area. Many turn-of-the-century farm homes were built, replacing original log structures. Several of these would have historic interest, although many have been extensively remodeled and updated to make them more functional for the owners' lifestyles. All homes speak of their own time and place in the history and development of the area.

David S. Farley

1862

Built of brick made on the farm, the 1862 home of David S. Farley was the first brick house in the township. Located on Sycamore Road at 3634 East, it was at one time the residence of the Charles Hunter family and later the Clarence Obermeyer family. In 1979, Keith and Judy Lausch bought the home. Although no longer living there, the Lausches are the current owners. There have been several modifications made throughout the years.

James Miller
circa 1862

The James Miller house, thought to have been built about 1862, is located at 4758 East, 100 North. It is believed that Mr. Miller, farmer and tile factory proprietor, made the bricks for several of the large brick homes in this area. Now owned and carefully maintained by the Gordon Dell family, this lovely old home stands like a sentinel among others as much as 100 years younger. Its original shutters and the scrolled canopy above the entrance are still in place. The surrounding walkway includes many Kokomo bricks. Beautiful Victorian furnishings throughout the house, along with many family antiques, have made the Dells' home a showcase of the charm of earlier times.

George Miller
1882

Located at 1622 North 400 East is what was, for many years, known as the George Miller home. The house is believed to have been built by Mr. Miller's father, Joe Miller, who had dropped the first part of the family name, Brunnenmiller, and was known in the community as "Brunno" Miller. This once sturdy house was built in 1882, the date recorded in the design on the slate roof. On the opposite side of the roof are the initials "BM." A single "M" is on the front roof. Current owners of the house and land are Tom Maher and John E. Maher II.

David Smith

Across from the entrance to Wildcat Creek Reservoir Park, on what was once known as the "Float Section," is the original home of David Smith. It was at this location that the Vermont Covered Bridge spanned the Wildcat Creek. The 1877 Howard County Atlas records the first crop of corn in the township was grown on this farm by Jacob Good about 1842. For many years the farm and home of the Ross Smith family, the house is now owned by John Christenson. The portico and shutters have been removed from the square brick structure. Otherwise, it looks essentially as it did many years ago.

Jacob Brunk

circa 1860

The original Jacob Brunk home, later acquired by the James Miller family, and for many years known as the Miller home, is located at 5130 East, 100 North. According to the 1877 Howard County Atlas, the village of Vermont was originally laid out on this farm. The home is now owned by the Bob Mickelsons, who have restored it with true sensitivity. The date is uncertain, but it was probably built in the 1860s. The spacious L-shaped porch was added sometime after the house was built. Recent modernization includes an attached garage at the rear of the house. The grounds are beautifully landscaped.

Passers-by cannot help but notice the Mail Pouch Tobacco advertising sign authentically copied on the barn, certainly reminiscent of by-gone days.

Christopher Collins Willits

1865

The Willits-Kurtz home at 5859 East, 100 North was built in 1865 for the C. C. Willits family. The farmland, part of which was deeded to Chief Richardville of the Miami Indians, was purchased in 1853. Designated a "Hoosier Homestead" by the State of Indiana, it has been kept in the family for well over 140 years. The large, square frame dwelling, with back extension, features an interesting two-door front entrance. There is no central hall. The original hall and open stairway were eliminated when the house was remodeled in about 1920. Each door opens into separate rooms at the front of the house. Shirley Drew and Don Kurtz, children of Lester T. Kurtz, and great-grandchildren of C. C. Willits, are the current owners of the home and the farmland situated on the south side of the road. Michael Jackson, great-great-grandson of C. C. Willits, owns the farmland lying on the north side of the road. There are many fond memories of our family visits in this home with my Aunt Allie and Uncle Harley Kurtz, and our cousins Agnes, Jeanette, and Lester.

D. Markland

1880

The Markland home, built in 1880, is located on road 200 North at 5532 East. The square, brick structure features a back extension with side door entrance. The front door opens directly into the living room. The exterior of the house is essentially unchanged from its original appearance, except for a sun room which was recently added on the east side. The home and grounds have been beautifully cared for by Joan and Ned Hullinger, who purchased the farm from the Marklands in 1970, after having lived there and farmed the ground since 1943.

James R. Caldwell

Early settlers in the northern sections of Howard Township soon recognized the need for a main route into Kokomo. Thus, they banded together in the construction of what became known as the Touby Pike, taking its name from pioneer Peter Touby, who was instrumental in its building. Its many twists and turns reflected the necessity to follow the higher ground in what was in those days a very swampy area. One of the outstanding homes along this route was that of James R. Caldwell, located at 3246 North Touby Pike. Constructed of double and triple-thick red brick walls, it certainly speaks of strength and stability. In 1912, T. W. Underwood purchased the farm and made several changes and additions to the house before his family moved there in about 1915. Other modernizations followed through the years. The home is now owned by the Underwoods' grandson, Ronald Schafer. Recent interior decorating lends a warm, Victorian charm to the home.

Jesse C. Yager

As the Touby Pike reaches 400 North, it turns more directly eastward. At 250 East, the site of the old flowing well, the Yager-Smith family home can be seen back the lane. Through family succession, the farm became the home of Bertha (Yager) and Clarence C. Smith and was commonly known as the Smith farm. Many fond memories are recalled: ice skating on the frozen creek, the summer threshing operation with Mr. Smith's big steam engine, family reunions, and picnics by the well.

The date of the house is uncertain. A colonial-style front entry with central hall leads to rooms on either side. The curving stairway to the second floor has been beautifully restored by the current owner, Barry Kratzer, descendant of early Howard Township pioneer, Lewis Kratzer. Work is continuing on the restoration and modernization of this historic home.

Lawrence M. Yager

circa 1895

Continuing on road 400 North to 2817 East is the lane leading to the home built for Jesse C. Yager's son, Lawrence M. Yager, and his wife Leora Touby Yager. The date of the house is thought to be about 1895. The style and plan are so similar to that of the Albert C. Touby house, that is believed to have been built by the same carpenter. Albert C. Touby and Leora Touby Yager were brother and sister.

There is evidence of the Eastlake influence in the craftsmanship. The interior woodwork of open grain oak features the carved wheat and bull's eye blocks used trim above the doors and windows. The porch posts and arched brackets are of a style used in both the Touby and Yager homes as well as others of the period. Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Leora and their daughter, Mary Belle, were the hosts of many family gatherings in their home.

There have been some minor changes, but essentially the house appears as it originally did more than 100 years ago. It is now the home of Gary and Kay Yager, both descendants of Jesse C. Yager.

Albert C. Touby

1898

North of the Touby Pike on Road 500 North at 2315 East stands the large frame dweling built by my grandfather, Albert C. Touby, son of Peter and Jane C. Touby. Built in 1898 of lumber from the farm, it is finished with beautiful golden oak interior woodwork. An interesting feature of the house was the acetylene gas lighting system which was piped into fittings in the lower floor rooms, quite a convenience for the time.

Upon the retirement of my grandparents, Kate and Albert Touby, my parents, Emmett and Elsie, moved into the big farm house. Here they raised their family and lovingly cared for the Touby Homestead for many years. In 1976 the farm was sold to the Stites family and is now the residence of Ronald and Mary Stites. Some modifications were made, however it still retains a quiet dignity.

The Touby Homestead

This was my home. It was here I was born and grew to young womanhood with my four sisters Louise, Dorothy, Frances, and Joan. My father often told of the building of the house and of moving from the log cabin where he was born into their new home when he was ten years old. Here he grew to manhood, working with his father on the farm. With the retirement of my grandparents, Kate and Albert Touby, my mother and father moved from the smaller tenant house, which had been built for them at the time of their marriage, into the "big house." The farm became known as the "Touby Homestead" and their loving care was evident in the attention to the land and the beautifying of the home. The words of an old song come back to me...How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood...as I think about the woods where we gathered wildflowers, the large pasture where horses and cattle grazed, our pet lambs, the hickory tree beside the creek, Mother's beautiful flowers, carrying water to my father as he worked in the fields, and singing together as we rested on the porch on summer evenings. These memories will always remain dear to my heart. The lessons of sharing and caring, for responsibility and good citizenship were learned here with my family.

When each of my sisters and I were married, we chose to have weddings in our home. And even as we were "settling in" and establishing our own families, this home continued to be the center of celebrations for as long as our parents were able to host the gatherings. Wonderful Sunday dinners with family and friends, birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were all joyful occasions. We can never go back, but we shall never forget the love that enveloped us in our home.

Joe Ross

circa 1880

At 300 East, 400 North, the Touby Pike straightens its course past the Kokomo Airport. Across the road and back the lane on the north is the home once belonging to Joe Ross. The 1877 Atlas records this tract of land as a part of the farm of G. W. Hooker. The large brick home may have been built during the time of his ownership, perhaps circa 1880. The ownership of the farm has changed several times, having for a time been held by Kokomo industrialist Max Gerber, who made some changes and additions to the house. It is now the residence of the David Schafer family. Recent restoration of the arched window panes in the second story have added beauty to the facade.

Edward J. Troyer

circa 1865

Continuing east to Road 450 and turning north onto what is often called the Strawtown Pike, the road borders farms still kept in the families of early pioneers Troyer, Grau, and Metz. The Edward J. Troyer house at 4585 North is believed to be nearly 130 years old. It was built by Aaron Sipe, who purchased the land in 1865. Edward Troyer, Jr. remembered his father telling that the house was moved from back in the field to its present location on the west side of the road after the farm was acquired from the Sipe family in 1905. A kitchen extension and porches were added at that time. A huge sycamore tree has grown from what was then a mere sprout and still stands in front of the house. Jeff and Joe Troyer, great-grandsons of Edward J. Troyer, Sr., now reside in this family home.

Henry Metz

1894

Located at 4141 East on road 500 North is the Henry Metz home. The house was built in 1894, replacing a log cabin. For many years the home of the family of Edwin Schafer, son of Henry and Katie (Metz) Schafer, it is now owned by Orval and Sharon Gingerich. (Sharon was formerly married to Harold Schafer.) Original windows have been replaced and other changes made to the century-old home.

C. C. Yoder

circa 1880

Just beyond 500 North on 450 East is the stately brick Yoder-Helmuth home. Acquired by Joseph J. Helmuth in 1906, it has been beautifully maintained through the years. The house was built in 1880 with many details revealing the finest workmanship of the period. Examples of Victorian architecture are the ornate exterior cornices above all windows and doors, the scrolled brackets at the roof line, the 9 1/2 foot ceilings with transoms in every room, and the beautiful interior woodwork.

Farmed by J. J. Helmuth's son, Dewey, for many years, it is now the home of Dewey and Mildred Helmuth's daughter, Mary Lou, and her husband, Ronald Rich.

About the Author

Virginia Touby Coan was born at the Touby home on August 28, 1923. After graduating from Howard Township High School in 1941, she went on to Ball State Teachers College, majoring in music education. She married Arthur J. Coan on June 22, 1946. In February of 1947 they settled on the Locke farm where Virginia's grandparents, George L. Locke and Settie Graf Locke, had begun their lives together many years before. The farm was named Liberty Grove because of its lush grove of maples and oaks on 160 acres in Liberty Township. Virginia taught music at Greentown High School, then for many years at Howard Township School, as well as private piano lessons. Arthur farmed both the Touby and Locke farms. In 1965, he and Virginia purchased Liberty Grove Farm, which in 1989 was designated a Hoosier Homestead Farm, having been in the family for over 100 years. Arthur and Virginia are members of Northview Christian Church. They both take great pleasure in maintaining the family home and grounds.

Arthur and Virginia Coan, Liberty Grove Farm, Locke home

Liberty Grove Farm

2011-01-12T22:15:00.018-06:00

George and Settie Locke were married March 18, 1891. They settled in Liberty Township, Howard County, Indiana. The original deed to the property was to Peter Hersleb by way of treaty with the Miami Indians and was signed and sealed by President Polk's secretary. George and Settie built this house in 1902.

Ross and Elsie grew up on this farm. [More history to follow.]

Philip Roscoe and Elsie Locke

In 1947 Virginia and Arthur moved to the farm house and Arthur farmed the 160 acres. They later chose to name the property Liberty Grove Farm.

c. 1957

The farm is staying in the family! Skipping generations: Settie and George are Virginia's grandparents; Virginia and Arthur are Jason's grandparents. Jason and Shay purchased six acres including the grove and buildings. Construction on the new home began in Spring of 2010.

Virginia with Jason and Shay

A bit sad to see the old house go...

1864 Luxury Tax

2011-01-10T15:56:00.009-06:00

I had taken this photograph out of its case to scan it and discovered a mysterious stamp on the back. It didn't look like a postage stamp, so I did an online search.

Pressed metal frame insert

The mysterious stamp

Penciled initials with "July"

The photo was taken between 1864 and 1866. The subject appears to be in his mid-twenties, so I'm guessing he was born around 1840. The photographer, whose initials were "BR," collected 2% of the cost of the photograph as a luxury tax.

Revenue Stamps: 1864 Luxury Tax funds for the Union during the Civil War

By Act of Congress in August 1,1864 to August 1,1866, a tax was levied on the sale of luxury items to support the war for the Union. Sellers of "photographs, Ambrotype, daguerreotypes, carte de visite or any sun pictures" affix stamps to the backs of photographs at the time of sale, exempting photographs too small for the stamp. The denomination of the stamp was proportionate to the cost of the photograph, according to the following schedule (one cent stamps were used only when the appropriate denomination was unavailable):

Price of Photo Tax 1864-1866 Stamp Color

Less than.25 .2 Blue/Orange

.25 to .50 .3 Green

.50 to $1. .5 Red

Greater than $1. .5 Red

The seller (photographer) would cancel the stamp by initializing and dating it. It was common to simply cancel with a quick stroke of the pen. Stamps properly canceled are valuable because the image can be precisely dated and the photographer accurately attributed. Other kinds of stamps were used besides the regular Internal Revenue Stamp. Stamps specifically for photographs were never produced, it was left up to the photographer to use a stamp of the proper denomination.

http://www.photosmadeperfect.com/Photo%20Dating%20Page%20Top%20pg/AAPhotoDatingIntro%20Top%20Pg.htm

Settie Graf Locke

2011-01-09T22:34:00.008-06:00

Settie Graf Locke (1868-1955)

I often wondered how my great grandmother came to be called Settie. I came across a Graf family tree and found a Zetta Graf, born to Philip. She is the 7th generation traced from the lineage of Nikel Grav.

NICKEL GRAV was born Oct 1655 in Imsweiler, Germany, and died 14 Nov 1735 in Insweiler, Germany. He married ANNA CHRISTINA MULLERS. She was born 1666, and died 03 Apr 1736 in Imsweiler, Germany.

Settie went to DePauw University and graduated from the Normal School with a teaching certificate. She became a school teacher and later was a truant officer for the county.

DePauw began with just one professor and five students, with the first class graduating in 1840. The college began admitting women in 1867, and by the 1910s slightly over half of the students were women. Her professor, W. H. Mace, authored her history textbook, which ended with the Civil War! She inscribed the inside cover Settie Graf, April 1888, Normal School DePauw University.

Raw Deal

2011-01-09T22:10:00.005-06:00

Sarah Locke was married to Eli, George Locke's brother. She wrote this letter to the editor expressing her displeasure with the Hoover administration. She remarks, "I lost my farm."

I'd like to find the records for this and whether she was denied help in farm foreclosure.

My mother's comments:

The Sarah Locke who wrote the "Raw Deal" letter was Sarah Melissah Yager Locke, my Grandpa George's brother Eli's wife. We always called her Aunt Sally. Their children were Tom Locke, my father's best Rich Valley school friend, and Kate, my mother's best cousin. Uncle Eli died rather young, and Aunt Sally made her home with her daughter Kate and husband Albert Hostetler. We saw them often since they lived in the Touby-Smith-Yager community and we all attended the Rich Valley church.

The following is information about Hoover's administration (1929-1933) excerpted from www.whitehouse.gov:

Within months [of Hoover's election] the stock market crashed, and the Nation spiraled downward into depression.

After the crash Hoover announced that while he would keep the Federal budget balanced, he would cut taxes and expand public works spending.

In 1931 repercussions from Europe deepened the crisis, even though the President presented to Congress a program asking for creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to aid business, additional help for farmers facing mortgage foreclosures, banking reform, a loan to states for feeding the unemployed, expansion of public works, and drastic governmental economy.

WANTED!

2011-01-08T15:06:00.012-06:00

Hey family...help me out here! I need some photos of ancestors, documents, family photos that 'tell a story', etc.

Can anyone identify these people? They were in amongst other family artifacts.

Emmett and Elsie (Locke) Touby

2011-01-06T20:47:00.006-06:00

Emmett and Elsie (Locke) Touby

When Elsie Locke (1894-1975) and Emmett Peter Touby (1888-1972) were married in 1914 they settled on a farm in Howard Township, Howard County, owned by Emmett’s father, Albert C. Touby (1851-1931). The marriage brought together the descendants of two pioneer families who had come to Howard County when Kokomo was just a trading post.

Elsie’s grandparents, Elias and Sarah Brown Locke, had traveled from Ohio to Howard County to stake their claim after the Miami Reserve was opened to settlement. As their family grew, they built the large brick home, which still stands on North Locke Street in Kokomo. The sixth of ten children, George Luther Locke (1856-1938), was Elsie’s father. In 1891 George married the young schoolteacher, Settie Graf, and they began their life together in a log cabin on a farm in Liberty Township. Their children, Philip R. and Elsie attended the one-room Martin school and later graduated from Greentown High School. The families were respected citizens of the community. George became known for his equitable handling as executor of family estates.

Emmett Touby’s grandparents, Peter and Jane C. Touby came to Howard County from Fayette County, Indiana in 1853. Their children were Leora, Mary, and Albert C. Touby. The Touby Pike that winds its way northeast of Kokomo followed a route that bordered the Peter Touby homestead. Peter was instrumental in getting the road built (originally a “corduroy” road), and thus it was identified by his name. In 1883 son Albert married Kate Willits (1858-1941), establishing their home on land north of the early homestead. here they lived in a log cabin until they were able to build a large frame home where they raised their five children, Alice, Emmett P., Jennie, Mary, And Bessie. Albert And Kate’s concern for the character of the community was evidenced by the fact that in 1896 they helped to establish and build the Rich Valley Christian Church just one-half mile east of their home. Both the Locke and Touby families were influential in the early development of the county.

Upon the retirement of his parents and their move to Kokomo, Emmett and Elsie bought the home place and it was here that their five daughters, Louise, Dorothy, Frances, Virginia, and Joan were born and raised. They attended the Howard Township School and the family was very active in the Rich Valley Church and the community.

The Albert C. and Kate Touby home, later purchased by Emmett and Elsie. Emmett is second from right.

Introduction and tribute

2011-01-06T17:13:00.003-06:00

This project is dedicated to Louise, Dorothy, Frances, Virginia and Joan...the five Touby sisters. Their grandparents were George and Settie LOCKE and Albert and Kate TOUBY. My mother is Virginia, the fourth daughter born to Emmett and Elsie (Locke) Touby. My mother (86) and my Aunt Dorothy (93) are the only surviving sisters.

Gathering up and organizing a family history, and making it accessible and alive for this generation is a daunting task. Hopefully by using this format my cousins and I can manage to pass on to our children and grandchildren a bit of the magic of what it was like to grow up in this family.

From left: Virginia, Frances, Joan, Louise and Dorothy