History Of Rush County Indiana 1888 Brant & Fuller Surnames In This Biography are: SEXTON, Cruikshank, Pugh, Cramer, DR. HORATIO GATES SEXTON was born in Wilbraham, Mass., January 21, 1796, and was the son of David Sexton, of that city. We are in possession of but few facts or incidents of his life prior to his emigration to the Western States. He had but few opportunities for education in early life, but being fond of books he gradually grew into a taste for literature and professional learning. He came west in the capacity of a teacher, without fortune, friends or home; possessed as he was of an indomitable energy and an iron will, he sought his fortune in the then new country; in connection with teaching, he pursued the study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Cruikshank, of Harrison, Ohio; for his professional, as well as his literary education, he had to rely solely upon his own efforts; consequently, what he did was done well; about the year 1820, he went to Springboro, Warren County, Ohio, and located for the practice of his profession. During his sojourn at this place, he courted and married a Quaker girl, Hannah Pugh by name, who, with her husband, removed to Rushville, Ind., in the rear 1822. Twelve children, five of whom, Marshall, Rachel, Oliver, Sarah and Anna, still live, blessed this marriage. His second marriage was to Lucretia Cramer, of New York, and to this marriage three children were born, Cramer Sexton of Indianapolis being the only survivor. Dr. Sexton was amongst the very first physicians to locate in the place, which at this early date had but two years of life; it was all in the mud and brush, no roads, no houses, but the most primitive sort of cabins, and no heritage for its settlers but hard work and a scanty living; it took brave hearts to face such a prospect of life; but Dr. Sexton had the bravery and the will to pitch his tent under these mast inauspicious circumstances; and the same energy and application to business which had impelled him to seek a home in the west won for him distinction and success in his profession and good name in his citizenship; forty-five years of professional toil and self-denial won for him a fortune and a competency second to no one in the county; his professional career was almost begun and ended in Rush County; he was a devotee to medicine, always keeping abreast of the times in the advancements made in his departments of science; he never let anything swerve him, from the path of professional duty. Political distinction was at his bidding; lucrative offices were his at the asking, but all were refused that he might be devoted to his business: consequently he never held or sought a public office; he was a man pronounced in his opinions, political, religious and otherwise, but was never a bigot; his religious views and connections were with the Presbyterian Church, and he was one of the founders and most liberal supporters of the Church of that denomination in Rushville; was often solicited to become a Ruling Elder in the body and as often refused to be ordained to the office; he was for a great many years the teacher of the Bible class in the Sunday School, and was scarcely ever absent from his post of duty; many men now of mature years can testify to his skill and devotion as a teacher of the Bible; he was also a prominent man in the Masonic Fraternity; he was one of the earliest members of the American Medical Association, also of the Indiana State Medical Society, and was for a long series of years immediately preceding his death, the President of Rush County Christian and friend; as a physician, he was patient, toiling, attentive and conscientiously devoted to the care of the sick who came under his kindly ministrations; he loved his work and was never so happy as when busy at it, even keeping it up for years, when, physically, he was really not able to perform the hardships; but he always said he wished to die with the harness on. As a Christian he was devout, quiet and unostentatious; he loved his Church and contributed freely of his means to support it, and gave freely of his counsels for its advancement; he was always in his place in the house of worship, except when kept away by the most urgent business; he made no display of his piety, but was constant in his devotion to the cause of his Master; when laid upon the bed which proved to be the last one, his religious emotions became much more pronounced, and his piety which bad been quiet, now became lively, and his religious sentiments which had been tranquil and serene, became joyous and outspoken. He died June 13, 1865, full of honor, full of years and full of hopes of the religion he professed.