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HENRY SNYDER.  Like many other residents within the bounds of Williams county who started out with naught but an abundance of determination and indefatigable industry, and who have succeeded through their own diligence, energy and economy, we classify the gentleman whose name opens this sketch.  He is now actively engaged in agricultural pursuits upon his fine farm of one hundred and twenty-three acres in Brady township, pleasantly located a mile and a half north of West Unity.
     Born in Morrow county, Ohio, Nov. 18, 1843, Mr. Snyder is a son of John and Mary L. (Held) Snyder¸ the former a native of Pennsylvania where his father located on coming form Germany during Colonial days.  In his native State John Snyder grew to manhood and learned the weaver’s trade, which he followed for some time; later in life he removed to Ohio, and subsequently to Indiana, where he purchased a farm and continued its cultivation until called from this life in 1851.  In religious faith he was a member of the Mennonite Church.  His brothers and sisters were Leah, Abram, Jacob, Henry, David and Jonas.
     In the house built by our subject upon his farm, his mother is still living at the ripe old age of eighty-four years.  After the death of her first husband she married Frame Freeman, an Englishman by birth, and two children blessed this union: William and Jennie ¸both born in Indiana, where the former is still living, while the latter is a resident of Illinois.  The mother is a daughter of Henry Held,, who on coming to this country from Germany first located in Pennsylvania, later removed to Morrow county, Ohio, and in 1862 became a resident of Williams County, making his home with his daughter until his death, which occurred in 1864.  With the Mennonite Church he held membership.  In his family were nine children, namely: Lewis, Henry, Christ, Daniel, Mary L., Sally, Peggy, Harriette and Katherine.
     Henry Snyder, the subject proper of this sketch, was about seven years old at the time of his father’s death, and since then he has been dependent almost entirely upon his own resources for a livelihood,  at first doing chores and other work upon different farms.  His school privileges were therefore limited.  At the age of nineteen he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Eighty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel Butler, the regiment being assigned to the Western Department, Fourteenth Army Corps.  It was stationed most of the time Kentucky and Tennessee, doing guard duty and assisting in the construction of Fort Butler at Nashville.  For one and honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, in 1865, as the war was over.  He was never fully recovered from his army service, and now receives a small pension.
     Before entering the service Mr. Snyder had engaged in blacksmithing to some extent, and for a time after his return home he followed that occupation, but during an eighteen-months’ illness all the money that he had saved was exhausted.  In the fall of 1867 he went to the lumber camps of Michigan, where he worked for two years, saving enough in that time to purchase eighty acres of heavily-timbered land in Fulton county, Ohio, after his return to this State.  After his marriage in 1870, he located upon his grandfather Held’s place, only one-half mile from his own land, and the following fall he and his wife selected a site and erected a cabin upon their place.  While he cut and prepared the timber, she gathered the brush for burning.  Into their hewed-log house they removed, and during their ten years’ residence there sixty acres were placed under cultivation, a more modern dwelling erected and a large barn built.  On selling out at the end of that time Mr. Snyder purchased his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Brady township, Williams county, all of which was cleared with the exception of twenty acres, and to general farming and stock raising he now devotes his attention.  Upon the place is a commodious residence, good barn and substantial outbuildings which stand as monuments to his thrift and industry.  Since attaining his majority he has always cast his ballot with the Republican party, ahs creditably filled a number of township offices, and is now acting as administrator of estates.  Socially he is an honored member of Rings Post, No. 637, G. A. R., of West Unity.
     In 1870 Mr. Snyder married Miss Eliza J. Reynolds, who was born Oct. 30, 1846, in Richland county, Ohio, of which her father, Benjamin J. Reynolds, a native of Pennsylvania, was an early settler.  In 1848 he came to Williams county, where he bought land and improved a farm, making it his home until called to his final rest in 1890.  When a young man he worked his home until called to his final rest in 1890.  When a young man he worked at wagonmaking, but after coming to Williams county devoted his energies to agriculture.  His wife died in 1887.  Both were faithful members of the Church of God.  Their children were Jacob, Hezekiah, Eliza J., Henry L., Mary E. and Franklin.  Mrs. Snyder, who was a devoted wife and mother, died Mar. 13, 1893, leaving four children:  William A., a farmer of Brady township;  Benjamin J., also a farmer; Lewis M., a resident of Kansas; and Charles, at home. 
     Mr. Snyder has again married, his second union being with Mrs. Sirena J. Shultz, who was born November 20, 1847, a daughter of I. N. Sheets, a retired farmer now living in Montpelier, who in 1852 came to Williams county from Columbiana county, Ohio, and has since been prominently identified with its interests.  He is an ardent Republican in politics, and has filled a number of important offices in both township and county, including those of auditor and county commissioner.  During her girlhood Mrs. Snyder  married Charles Chancy, and after his death became the wife of Samuel J. Shultz, by whom she had one son, Earl Shultz, now living in West Unity.  There are no children by her first or last marriage.  In religious belief she is a Methodist.
(Source:  Commemorative Biographical Record of Northwestern Ohio - Chicago - J. H. Beers & Co. 1899  - pg. 490) - PORTRAIT IN BOOK

GEORGE W. & PETER O. STIVING.  These well-known farmers of Madison township belong to one of the prominent and highly-respected families of Williams county, their parents being Philip and Leah (Dohm) Stiving.
     The father was born May 9, 1821, in Baden, Germany (where the name was formerly spelled Stibing), and in 1834 came to America with his parents, JACOB and Savilla (Weidner) Stiving, also natives of Germany, who landed in the United States in September of that year, and located near Shelby in Richland county, Ohio.  In his native land Jacob Stiving had engaged in milling, but here he turned his attention to agriculture, and developed one of the best farms in Richland county, making in his home until called to his final rest.  He was a member of the Reformed Church.  In his family were five children:  Philip; Mrs. Catherine Phingsday; Charlotte, who died at the age of fourteen years; George, who died in Madison township, Williams county; and Peter, who died in Richland county.  There mother died at the home of her children in Williams county, aged eighty-nine years.
     PHILIP STIVING (father of our subjects) remained with his parents until 1845, when he married Miss Leah Dohm, who was born in York county, Pennsylvania, in 1823.  Her father, Christian Dohm, a native of Germany, came to this country during the Colonial period, and aided in the Revolution.  Some of his brothers located in Virginia, becoming prominent residents of that State, but he settled in Pennsylvania, whence he afterward removed to Crawford county, Ohio, where he developed a farm.  His last days, however, were spent at the home of his son Jacob in Williams county.  Both he and his wife died at a ripe old age.  The children born to Philip and Leah (Dohm) Stiving are: Catherine, now the wife of P. Widener; Jacob W., a prominent farmer of Madison township, Williams county; Mrs. Mary Traxler; George W.; Mrs. Sarah A. Greek, whose husband is a noted teacher now living in Alabama; Peter O.; Mrs. Emma J. Keller; and Mrs. Savilla L. Kunkle.
     Philip Stiving had labored hard to make a home for his parents, and on starting out in life for himself was without capital, but, with the aid of a devoted and faithful companion, he met with success in his undertakings, and at his death left a large and valuable estate to his children.  In 1856 he moved to Williams county, locating on the farm where his sons are now living.  Five years previous he had made a trip on horseback to this county, and purchased eighty acres of heavily-timbered land.  Soon afterward he contracted to have forty acres of timber slashed and deadened, but on locating here he had to cut a road a mile in length in order to move his household effects by wagon to his new home.  Finding an old log shanty near his land, he fixed it up and lived there until the following season, when he built a hewed-log house upon the place.  He also began to clear and cultivate his land, and as his financial resources increased he added to his possessions until he owned four hundred and ten acres of valuable land.  Upon the old homestead, comprising two hundred and forty acres, he erected a commodious two-story brick residence, a large barn and substantial outbuildings, making it one of the most desirable farms of the locality.  He was a popular man, widely and favorably known, a stanch Democrat in politics, for a number of years served as township trustee, and also filled many minor offices of honor and trust.  Religiously he was a member of the German Reformed Church, with which he became connected at the age of twenty-two.  Deer and other wild animals were abundant where he first came to Williams county, and one day while on his way to a sale in company with others, during his first year in Madison township, he discovered a deer caught in the snow, it having broken through the crust and so disabled from proceeding faster.  Their dog caught the deer, and the men placed it in an adjacent corn-crib, then on their return from the sale they dressed it and took it home with them.

     GEORGE W. STIVING, one of our subjects, was born in Richland county, Ohio, Jan. 15, 1851, and Peter O. was born there Aug. 19, 1854.  Both were educated in School District No. 5, Madison township, Williams county, and early became familiar with all the duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist.  At one time they gave considerable attention to the buying and shipping of stock, but at present devote their entire energies to the cultivation and improvement of the old homestead, which they now own.  Here they have one hundred and twenty acres, and also own another well-improved farm of eighty acres, one-half mile distant, and sixty acres south of the homestead.  Their elegant residence commands a fine view of the surrounding country, and the farm is supplied with all modern improvements, including a good windmill, through which water is supplied to the different lots which contain their stock.
     George W. Stiving married Miss Anna Kiser, a native of Fulton county, Ohio, and a daughter of John Kiser, now a farmer of that county, who was born in Germany, and served as drummer in the German army under General Siegel. The only child born of this union died in infancy, and the mother died three years later, on Jan. 4, 1893, since which time George W. made his home with his brother.

     PETER O. STIVING was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Kunkle, was was born in Williams county, a daughter of H. S. Kunkle, and died in 1881.  In June, 1887, Mr. Stiving was again married, his second union being with Miss Mary E. Wallace,  who was born in Mill Creek township, Williams county, Jan. 22, 1868.  Her parents, Lockwood M. and Emily (Stants) Wallace, were natives of New York State and Crawford county, Ohio, respectively, but were married in Williams county.  The paternal grandfather, Samuel Wallace, came to Williams county at a very early day, but, as the country was new and seemed very unhealthy at that time, he returned to New York State after about two years.  In 1847, however, he again came to this region, and here improved a farm.  Game of all kinds was then quite plentiful, and during the first winter spent here he was enabled to kill many deer with a club, as they would break through the crust on the snow and be unable to extricate themselves.  Lockwood Wallace grew to manhood amid these primitive scenes, and for many yeas successfully followed farming, but he and his wife are now living retired in the village of Kunkle, Williams county.  They are earnest members of the United Brethren Church, and he was formerly a Republican in politics, but is now a free-silver Democrat.  During the Civil war he served for a year and a half as a Union soldier.  His children are Mary E.; Mrs. Liddia M. Erick; and Rosa E.  To Peter O. Stiving and his wife have been born three children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows:  Martha B., January 2, 1888; Grover C., July 31, 1891; and Bessie R., Apr. 17, 1894.
     Politically the Stiving brothers are both stalwart supports of the Democracy, and advocate the free coinage of silver.  Although they have never cared for official honors, they have creditably served in several township offices, including those of supervisor and school director.  For over a year and a half Peter O. also carried the email on horseback from Deer Lick to Kunkle.  Wherever known they are held in high esteem, and have a host of warm friends throughout the county.
(Source:  Commemorative Biographical Record of Northwestern Ohio - Chicago - J. H. Beers & Co. 1899  - pg. 455)