Catharine Hoover (Simmons) was born in 1798, in Bedford County, Penn. Her father removed to Ohio in the year 1800. He had twenty-one children, all of whom grew to maturity and were married, save one who died in childhood. The entire family removed to the West, and settled at various places. Four were married in Pennsylvania and sixteen in the West. The names of the sons were Jonathan, Jonas, Joshua, Eli, Martin, David, Abraham and Moses; and the daughters were Christina, Mary, Phrany, Betsey, Susan, Catharine, Esther (who died young), Margaret and Esther (the second), and four others, whose names are not at hand.
The father settled near Dayton, Ohio, in the year 1800, and died about three years later. He was twice married, and his second wife died at Smithfield, in this county, about 1840.
Catherine Hoover married Daniel Simmons in Ohio, in 1816; moved to Prairie Creek, in Delaware County, in 1825, and to Muncie in 1831. "Aunt Katy" has lived for thirty-five years on the lot which she now occupies. Her husband was large, tall, stout and active; in a word, a true type of the pioneer. He was a miller and worked at Goldsmith's Mill. He died of erysipelas about 1845, after an illness of only four days. His wife is still hearty and sprightly, although eighty-two years old. She has done the washing for Volney Wilson's family for thirty years, and only gave up the work last fall (1880). She has never worn spectacles, and her eyesight is still clear and good. She has been a member of the German Baptist Church for more than fifty years. Although she has but a meager education, she is neverthless intelligent, and altogether, a worthy and useful member of the community. She says that Indians sometimes came to this locality after she and her husband settled on Prairie Creek. When "Aunt Sallie," the Indian squaw, died, and was buried in the old Indian graveyard near their town, her grave was watched by the old Indiana, "Uncle Jake," who kept his lone vigil for two day and nights; and when he, too, died and was buried, His son, "Indian Jim," performed the same service for him. But Jim, poor fellow, was the last of his race, and when he was laid away, there was none to mourn him or guard the place of his last repose. "Jake," the old Indian, was well known to the earlier settlers of this county, and was "quite a character." He was a fine specimen of his race, tall, straight and stout; clever and nice when sober, but vicious when drunk--in which peculiarity he was no mean imitator of his white friends! "Aunt Sally" was a very small woman, but lively and active. It was an unfortunate trait of her character, but one that must be recorded nevertheless, that she followed the example of her noble lord and got drunk too.
"Jim" was quite a respectable fellow: He became civilized and worked for his living, like the white men.
