Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend - part 2

For the beginning of this story, please see the first post on Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend.

In January of 1890 Jacob and Louisa Phend sold their large farm at Hepton to their oldest son, John, and moved into the town of Nappanee, just a few miles north. At about that time there were "two dry-goods and grocery stores, two drug stores, one restaurant and lunch room, one first-class restaurant and grocery, one clothing store, one cigar and stationery store, one hotel, one jewelry store, one furniture store, one furniture manufactory, two saloons, two agricultural warerooms, one harness shop, two hardware stores, two boot and shoe shops, one butcher shop, one livery stable, two saw-mills, one planing mill and starch-box factory, one mill doing general wood work, such as making lath, shingles, etc., one pump factory, two millinery shops, two barber shops, one church, four doctors, two blacksmith, wagon and carriage shops, two insurance agents, two collection agents, two grain merchants, one elevator, one Odd Fellows' Lodge, one cornet band, one union school-building, and last but not least, one weekly newspaper, the Nappanee News."

Louisa Fisher Phend, daughter of Michael and Christenia (Houck) Fisher was born June 27, 1829 in Germany. She passed away on April 4, 1898 at her home in Nappanee, Elkhart County, Indiana.

After the death of his wife Louisa, Jacob lived either with his daughter, Sophia Ernest, or his son, Christian Phend, until his own death on October 7th 1917. The Nappanee Advance of October 9th had this to say about the life of Jacob Phend: "Mr. Phend was converted in 1853 in a camp meeting held near Hepton. He afterwards owned the farm on which this meeting was held. Since that happy year he has been a devoted Christian. He was one of the founders of the Evangelical church, near Hepton, and also the one at Nappanee. A number of times he was called to the death bed of men who had laughed at his religion. An interesting feature of his long life was that he has read the first German religious paper to be published in America, The Bodshafter, for sixty years. He has been devoted to the church and Sunday school since his conversion though the past few years he was unable to attend, except at rare intervals."

Probably taken about 1890: back row, left to right: John Ernest, Sophia (Phend) Ernest, Samuel Phend, his wife Mary (Laudeman) Phend, Jacob J Phend, his wife Louisa (Grimm) Phend.front row, left to right: John Phend, his wife Mary (Rarrick) Phend, Jacob Phend, his wife Louisa (Fisher) Phend, Christian Phend, his wife Mary (McConnell) Phend. Seated in front of his parents is Henry Phend.

It sure had to be confusing when they all got together. Two men named John, two women named Louisa, three named Mary and two men named Jacob! I wonder if they used nicknames?

This was probably taken before Sam moved to Colorado, which was in October 1907: back row, Jacob J Phend, Samuel Phend, Sophia (Phend) Ernest, and Henry Phend. front row: Christian Phend, Jacob Phend, and John Phend

Jacob and Louisa Fisher Phend had seven children:

John Phend was born July 29, 1848 in Holmes County, Ohio and died December 10, 1931 in Nappanee, Elkhart County, Indiana. John married Mary Elizabeth Rarrick (1849-1905) on January 18, 1868 and they had five children. After the death of Mary, John married second Margaret E. Reed and after her death he married Eliza Ann Shorb. There were no children from the last two marriages.

Christian Phend was born May 12, 1851 in Greene County, Indiana and died September 3, 1929. He married Mary Emily McConnell on October 24, 1875 in Marshall County, Indiana. They had twelve children.

Samuel Phend was born July 6, 1854 in Marshall County, Indiana and died June 18, 1918 in Elbert County, Colorado. Sam married Mary Ann Laudeman (1853-1922) on December 20, 1877 in Marshall County, Indiana. Samuel and all of his children moved to the Pleasant Plains community in Elbert County, Colorado in 1907. The nearest town, Limon, was 17 miles from their homestead.

William Phend was born August 6, 1856 in Marshall County, Indiana and died on April 5, 1875, aged 18 years, 7 months and 30 days. His cause of death is not known, no obituary or death notice has been found. William is buried in Hepton Union Cemetery, near his parents and other relatives.

Jacob J Phend was born August 22, 1859 in Marshall County, Indiana and died October 10, 1929 in Elkhart County. On October 30, 1884 he married Louisa Grimm (1858-1917). They had eight children. After the death of Louisa, Jacob married Elizabeth Gast Corpe and they had two children.

Sophia Phend was born November 9, 1862 in Marshall County, Indiana and died May 26, 1947 in Elkhart County. She married John William Ernest (1854-1935) on September 12, 1886 and they had two children.

Henry A. Phend was born November 7, 1865 in Kosciusko County, Indiana and died July 10, 1858 in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana. On September 4, 1892 Henry married Susie Lula Yarian (1872-1956) and they had ten children. Henry and Susie are my great grandparents. Their oldest son, Rolland Victor "Vic" Phend is my grandfather.