From "History of Shelby County and Representative Citizens:" J. J. Apple, a retired farmer and highly respected citizen of Loramie township, Shelby county, O., who owns two farms in the Beech Grove Special School District, one of seventy-seven acres and the other of 100 acres, was born in this township August 29, 1846, and is a son of Henry S. Apple and a grandson of John Apple and a great-grandson of Henry Apple.
Henry Apple was born in Pennsylvania and was a son of John Apple, who was born in Germany. The second John Apple, grandfather of J. J. Apple, was born after his father had settled in Montgomery county, O., and was one of a family of thirteen children. John Apple (2) married Diana Saylor, who was born in Montgomery county and they passed their lives there, where he had 160 acres of land. His death occurred on that farm and that of his wife soon afterward, both being aged sixty-six years, they being separated but two weeks. This farm lies one mile north of Farmersville, Montgomery county, O., and probably yet belongs to the family. Mr. Apple was a man of local prominence and at one time or another filled about all the local offices. To him and his wife six children wre born, namely: Henry S.; William, who died at Versailles, O., was a farmer in Darke county and married Clovina Miller; Katie, who married Jacob Gephart and they lived in Loramie township for twenty-five years and then settled on the grandfather's farm in Montgomery county; Jacob S., who died in Loramie township; Ullery, who lived first in Shelby county and then moved to Bunker Hill, Ind., and from there to Oregon, where he subsequently died and was buried there, in early manhood having married Martha Davis, of Montgomery county, O.; and Sarah, who is the wife of Jonathan Esler and they live at Peru, Ind.
Hery S. Apple, father of J. J. Apple, was born in Jackson township, Montgomery county, O., where he was reared and attended the early schools. He was married there to Katie Gephart, whose father owned a farm three miles from the Apple farm, George Gephart being one of the pioneers of the township. After their marriage Henry S. Apple and his wife came to Loramie township and settled on eighty acres of land, the same farm on which their son, J. J. Apple, now lives. He had already put up a hewed log house on the place and thus had made suitable provision for family comfort. To Henry S. and Katie Apple the following children were born: Peggy, who married William Routson, and both died in Miami county; J. J. and G. H., twins, the latter of whom is deceased; Henry A., who is a retired farmer in Loramie township; Louisa, who is the wife of David Kaiser, of Loramie township; Lavina, who is deceased, was the wife of David Fessler, of Miami county; and Elias, who died when three years old. Henry S. Apple cut down the first tree ever felled on the 160 acres which lie south of the present home farm, on the county line, and on that place he died at the age of sixty-six years, six months and sixteen days, and his burial was on the fortieth anniversary of his coming to Loramie township. His widow survived him and died in her seventy-second year, and both now rest in the Covington cemetery. They were members and liberal supporters of the Lutheran church. Henry S. Apple was, for his day, an extensive raiser of horses and cattle together with sheep and hogs, being exceedingly successful in his management of stock.
J. J. Apple was reared in Loramie township and obtained his education in the Beech Grove School District and from boyhood had his tasks assigned him on the farm and as he grew older assisted in doing some of the clearing. During many years of active agricultural life he pursued farming and stock raising and success in thse lines rewarded his industry. He has lived on his present place ever since his marriage, on October 1, 1868, to Miss Lavina Apple. She was born in Wayne township, Darke county, O., October 11, 1851, and is a daughter of George and Katie (Rocher) Apple, natives of Montgomery county, who moved to Darke county after marriage and there their nine children were born, six of whom survive.
The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Apple: George Henry, who lives at West Alexander, O., married Amanda Loxley and they have one son, John; Isaiah, who lives at Sidney, married Ida Routson and they have the following children: Agnes, Eden, Ivan, Chalmer, Delmer, Lavina, Reuben and Lulu; Mary Catherine, who is the wife of Louis Brown, residing in Darke county and they have three children: Silva, and Inez and Ivan, twins; a twin sister of Mary, who is deceased; and Perry, who lives on and operates his father's 100-acre farm, married Christina Reed and they have two children--Bertha and Treva. Mr. Apple and wife are members of the Lutheran church. Politically he is a democrat and on numerous occasions has been elected to township offices, serving six years as township trustee and several years as school director and as road supervisor.
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