LEVI MINNICH.
The Minnich family were among the earliest settlers in Franklin township and have always held a high place in public esteem. Levi Minnich was born on a farm adjoining the one he now occupies, in Section 13, March 19, 1862, and is a son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Swinger) Minnich, who came to Darke county in pioneer days. Abraham Minnich was born near Chambersburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, May 28, 1833, and died in Darke county June 16, 1914, and was buried in Newcomer Cemetery, having reached the age of eighty-one years and nineteen days. He was one of the best known and most highly regarded citizens of his part of the country, and his death was felt to be a great loss to the community. He was the seventh of the eight children of George and Nancy (Shoemaker) Minnich, who came to Ohio March 30, 1834, bringing all their earthly belongings in a wagon drawn by two horses, crossing the Ohio river at Wheeling and cooking their meals on the way at the various taverns they passed. They were able to buy chickens at five cents each and eggs at two cents per dozen, and this formed a large part of their diet. They located about twelve miles east of Dayton, April 20th, using a sheep stable for temporary quarters; then moved on a farm where the city of Dayton is now located. Jacob Hale and wife had come the year before them, the latter being a sister of Mrs. George Minnich. The Minnichs lived on this location some two years, then located about twelve miles west of Dayton, and the years spent at the latter place furnished very pleasant memories for young Abraham Minnich. During 1838 and the early part of 1839 they lived on the Grubb farm near Covington and in the spring of the latter year moved to what is still known as the Hoover farm northwest of Covington. This was the family home some ten years, when they were able to save enough money to buy for themselves. The first year they gave one-third of their grain to the landlord as rent, he taking it in shocks in the field; during the next three years they were required to thresh the landlord's share, and the last year they had to give him two-fifths of the grain they raised. In 1842 they bought a farm of 126 acres in Franklin township, for $500.00. Eighty acres of this was purchased by Abraham for $10.00 per acre when he was 21 years old and is still known as the Abraham Minnich homestead, being located on the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 13, town 9, range 3 east. The 46 acres on the opposite side of the road is known as the Spidel farm. They located on this farm in 1849. Mr. George Minnich erected a log house on the present building site of the Spidel farmhouse. 'I here were seven acres cleared of the land and the farm was paid for. There were very few roads at that time, what is now the Greenville and Milton pike road being the nearest. He and his wife had eight children, all now deceased: John, Jacob, Katherine, George, Mary, David, Abraham; one died in infancy. The parents of these children were buried in Newcomer Cemetery.
The time George Minnich was permitted to live on a home of his own was very brief, as he was called to his long home the following year. All the children were married except Abraham.
To support a widowed mother, clear the heavy timber from the land and get an education at the tender age of 17 years is unthought of by young men of the present day of modern schools and well improved farms. Neighbors were few and far between. To transform this heavily timbered land into a tillable condition was the first task and a hard one.
Centuries had been required to grow some of this timber but there was no market for it. The only disposition could be made of it was to cut it down, work it into logs, then in heaps and then the burning. To roll the logs in heaps was the hardest task. Help was absolutely necessary. The only way to secure help was to help others for back help.
As many as seventeen days were spent some years helping others roll logs and some times several miles away in order to obtain the necessary help at home. Thus by constant persistent effort the amount of tillable land was increased a few acres each year.
Corn, wheat and rye were the grains raised. The latter two were threshed by tramping with the horses as there were no threshing machines to be had. The bundles of grain were placed in a circle on the ground having first been made level and clean or on a floor then tramped by horses to remove the grain from the straw.
This was done mostly in early winter and interfered somewhat in Abraham's getting the benefit of the full term of school, which was three months each year. The year he was 21 he was broken down in health because of overwork. An ailment of the heart set in. His physician said he could not recover. After a year's rest he regained his health, which he retained until a few months before his death. He was a farmer all of his life and most industrious and successful. He took a most active interest in public affairs and was a Republican in politics, casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, also voting for that grand man in 1864. He often served as road supervisor and in similar offices. He with his wife joined the Church of the Brethren November 11, 1860, and in 1881 he was elected deacon and creditably filled that office the remaining part of his life. Mr. Minnich was never content to be idle, being happiest when he was working hard or when he was helping someone less fortunate than himself. He was the last member of his generation of the family to pass away, and besides rearing their own children he and his wife took two foster children into their hearts and home, Nancy Stauffer, deceased, who married David Kreider, and Joshua Hyer, also deeased. Mr. Minnich was very fond of his home, and in the same way loved his church, his township and county in a manner that meant he would do his entire duty for each and every one of these ties. He and his wife worked very hard in their early married life, but lived to have the satisfaction of seeing their children well settled and in their last years together enjoy every comfort, in addition to having the pleasure of seeing the help they could give to others. When Mr. Minnich died the funeral was a testimonial to the great affection and regard in which he was held by one and all, for he had sympathized with the trials and troubles, as well as the joys, of his friends and neighbors. He was an upright and useful citizen and the friend of any movement for progress.
The wife of Abraham Minnich, Elizabeth Swinger, was born on the old Swinger homestead northwest of Painter Creek, July 1, 1838, daughter of Jacob and Anna Maria (Stager) Swinger. Her father was born in Wurtenberg. Germany, March 1, 1805, one of the four children of George and Rosanna (Stout) Swinger, who came in a sailing vessel to Philadelphia in 1814, their son Jacob then being about nine years of age. While they were on board the ship they encountered a terrific storm, which carried away the sailing gear and caused great consternation among the pasesngers, but they finally won through and landed safely. In 1836 Jacob Swinger purchased some land in Ohio, where it was much cheaper than in Pennsylvania, and brought his household goods in a wagon the distance of about five hundred miles, which they traveled in six weeks.
