Historyof Rush County Indiana Brant& Fuller Chicago1888 Surname:Earnest, Bitner, Draper John B.Earnest, who has been a resident of Ripley Township for fifty-four years,was born in Green County, Tenn., December 25, 1817. He was the son of HenryF. and Hannah (Bitner) Earnest, who were also natives of GreenCounty, Tenn., both of German descent. His father was the son of FelixEarnest, and his mother was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hatler)Bitner, who were natives of Pennsylvania. When he was four yearsold his parents removed to Levere County, Tenn., where the father diedOctober 17, 1827. In 1833, he accompanied his widowed mother to RushCounty, and the family settled upon the farm where our subject now residesin Ripley Township. The mother died April 18, 1877. Our subject wasmarried October 27, 1842 to Miss Marzella Draper, who was born in SouthamptonCounty, VA. April 16, 1823. She was the daughter of Thomasand Mary (Turner) Draper. Her father was the son of Ephraim and ElizabethDraper, and her mother was the daughter of Joseph Turner. Ever sincetheir marriage Mr. and Mrs. Earnest have continued to reside upon the oldEarnest homestead, where the former has always pursued the avocationof a farmer. He owns a handsome farm of 290 acres, over 200 of whichare in cultivation. He and wife have had seven children, as follows: Ira D.,born January 27, 1844; John W., born December 5, 1846; Henry M.,born August 10, 1850; Joseph E., born March 17, 1852; Albert N., bornOctober 9, 1854; Roland H., born November 23, 1856, and Francis M.,born January 5, 1859. As will be seen, all their children are sons. They are allliving and married. Our subject and his wife and most of their childrenare members of the Christian Church. In politics, Mr. Earnest is a Democrat.--