Compendium of Biography Of Henry County, Indiana B.F. Bowen Surnames in this biography are: ELABARGER, Funk, Warfel, Herr, Huddlestone, Scudder, Wimmer, Leonard, Cox, JOHN W. ELABARGER The subject of this notice is fairly entitled to consideration, not only as one of the enterprising farmers of Henry county, but also as one of the oldest and most honored citizens of Dudley township where he has been living for a period of sixty-three years. Many years ago there came to this country from Germany three brothers by the name of Elabarger, one of whom settled in the eastern part of the United States and was never heard of thereafter, one went to western Pennsylvania and the third located in Lancaster county, that state. The one who made his home in Lancaster county was Ulerich Elabarger. He was married there to Magdalene Funk, a native of Pennsylvania, and became the father of four sons and one daughter, Rudolph, Henry, Daniel, Jacob and Catherine. Daniel Elabarger was reared to maturity in Lancaster County and when a young man married Catherine Warfel, whose father was a native of Pennsylvania and served in the war of 1812, and whose mother was born in the state of Vermont. By occupation Daniel Elabarger was a shoemaker, which trade he followed the greater part of his life, the latter part in connection with agricultural pursuits. In 1833 he moved to Wayne County, Indiana, and bought a small tract of land near the present site of Cambridge City. Two and a half years later he sold the place at a gain of six hundred dollars and purchased another home near by which he occupied less than two years, disposing of this land in 1836 and entering a half section in the county of Delaware. After living in the latter county about three years he again sold out and changed his location, this time moving to Dudley township, Henry County, where he purchased a farm in section 18. On this place he spent the remainder of his earthly sojourn, his wife also dying on the same farm. Daniel and Catherine Elabarger were the parents of five children, two of whom died in infancy; three who grew to maturity were John W. Isaiah and Elizabeth. John W. Elabarger, to a review of whose life the remainder of these lines are devoted, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1829, and at the age often years was brought by his parents to this township and county, in which he has since lived. He came to this part of Indiana when the country was comparatively new, grew up amid the wholesome influences of rural life and early became acquainted with the rugged, toilsome duties of the farm. Owing to limited facilities his early educational training was exceedingly limited, But in such indifferent subscription schools as then obtained he acquired a fair knowledge of the elementary branches, sufficient to enable him to transact very successfully the business which came to him in subsequent life. He was reared a farmer and on entering the world as an independent agent chose agriculture for his vocation and to the present time has prosecuted the same with the results that usually attend honest toil and faithful, pains-taking effort. On the 22d day of November, Mr. Elabarger and Miss Mary Herr were united in the bonds of wedlock. Mrs. Elabarger was born April 8, 1834, In the same county and state of which her husband is a native and is the daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Herr, the father and mother both being natives of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. These parents became residents of Henry county Indiana in the year 1839, settling in the township of Dudley where Mrs. Elabarger grew to womanhood. She attended the same school in which her husband received his instruction and the two were playmates and companions from childhood. Mr. Elabarger commenced his wedded life on the paternal homestead and subsequently after the death of his parents, purchased the place and has ever since lived there and cultivated the same. By judiciously managing his affairs he has been able to increase its area, the place now containing two hundred and forty-three acres, the greater part under a successful state of cultivation and in all that constitutes a first-class farm comparing favorably with the best country homes in the township of Dudley. Mr. Elabarger has prospered well in all of his undertakings and has long been classed with the representative agriculturists of the county. He is universally regarded as one of the most useful citizens of his community, attending faithfully to his own affairs, but in a quiet and unobtrusive way devoting much of his time and influence to the general welfare. He is a Democrat in politics, cast his first presidential ballot for Franklin Pierce and has been unwavering in his allegiance to the party ever since, though not a very active political worker. Religiously both himself and wife belong to what is known as the River Brethren church, a body of believers entertaining views similar to those held by the German Baptists though differing from the latter in several important doctrinal points. Mr. and Mrs. Elabarger are noted for their zeal in religious and charitable works, but they try to conceal rather than parade their piety and its results before the world. In this they faithfully carry out the Master's injunction and are not like the Pharisees of old who published their religious views upon the street corners and were noted for their much speaking. No couple stand higher in popular esteem than do this revered father and mother in Israel; their lives have been fraught with great good to humanity and all who know them unite in praising the earnestness and simplicity of their faith and in commending their example to others. Seven children have blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Elabarger, the oldest of whom was John B., whose birth occurred January 29, 1859; he married Anna Huddlestone, followed farming as a vocation and departed this life on the 17th day of November, 1887; Emma E., born January 9, 1861, is the wife of Sylvester Wimmer, of Anderson, Indiana; Daniel R. was born December 12, 1863, married Luella Scudder and lives at Richmond, this state; Christian H., a farmer of Dudley township, was born July 18, 1866; he is a married man, his wife being formerly Miss Malissa Leonard; Alford L, born December 24, 1867, married Rachel Cox and resides in the city of Muncie; Horace D., who was born on the 23d of April, 1873, chose for a wife Miss Myrtle Huddlestone and makes his home in Mt. Auburn, Indiana; Isaiah E., the youngest of the family and a single man, was born July 22, 1875, and has never left the parental roof.