Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 743 - 744

JOHN WESTFALL, one of the wealthy and prominent agriculturists of Valley Center Township, has an extensive farm upon section 16. Darke County, Ohio, was the place of his birth, which took place upon the 22d of November, 1828. Joel and Esther (Terry) Westfall, his parents, were natives of the States of Virginia and Ohio respectively, and had a family of five children, two girls and three boys, viz: Jane, who died in 1841; John, the subject of our sketch; Job, who married and settled in Miami County, Ohio, where he is carrying on a farm, and is the father of seven children; Elizabeth, Mrs. Martin Hasty, residing on a farm in this State, and Absalom, who went to British America about 1881, and has not been heard from since.

             Joel Westfall, the father of him of whom we write, removed to Ohio at an early day, and was a resident of Darke County, in that State, until his death, which occurred about the year 1842. He was a strong Democrat politically, and took an active part in the local councils of that portion of the Buckeye State. In all public enterprises, in all matters educational, social or religious, accruing to the benefit of the community, he was always an efficient worker. His wife died the same year as her husband. She was a sincere and active member of the Christian Church, and was greatly beloved by all with whom she came in contact.

             John Westfall, our subject, remained beneath the home rooftree until the death of his parents. Being then but thirteen years of age, he was thrown upon his own resources and set out to battle with the world. For four or five years he was employed at farm labor in different places in his native county, working by the month at extremely small wages, as was common in those days. Finally obtaining a piece of land in the same sub-division of the Buckeye State, he carried on agriculture on his own account for a time, and then engaged in selling pumps for a firm whose manufactory was located at Seneca, N. Y. About 1854, following the star of empire, he moved westward and settled in Logan County, Ill., where he purchased a farm of 120 acres, and there made his residence for eighteen years, following the plow and other peaceful pursuits of a farmer's life. In 1884, desiring a new field of operation, he followed the tide of emigration then setting toward Kansas. On his arrival in this State he made settlement in Valley Center Township, on the place where he now lives.

             Mr. Westfall has been twice married. His first wife, Miss Sarah Carnahan, a native of Ohio, and with whom he was united in September, 1852, died in Logan County, Ill., in August, 1863, leaving two children. Adra, the elder, was born Aug. 4, 1855, and married W. T. Matlock, who is a native of Illinois, and is now living in Logan County, that State, on a farm. Sarah B., the younger, was born Feb. 1, 1863, and married L. C. Waller, who was born July 7, 1848, in Wayne County, Ind.; he resided upon a farm in that State until 1872, and during that year came to Illinois and was married in 1877. In 1883 he moved from Illinois to this county, locating in Valley Center, and engaged in the hardware business. Eighteen months later he disposed of his establishment and erected the hotel which he ran for two years. He is now employed in the stock business, in which he has met with merited success.

             A second time Mr. Westfall entered into a marriage alliance, Dec. 25, 1865, with Miss Sarah Skidmore, the daughter of Nathaniel and Martha (Cole) Skidmore. She was a native of Darke County, Ohio, born Jan. 3, 1825, and was one of a family of ten children born to her parents, namely: Anna and Phoebe, deceased; Samuel, Julia and Timothy, deceased; Sarah, Mrs. Westfall; Peter, Mary; Benjamin F., deceased, and Emeline. Nathaniel Skidmore, the father of Mrs. Westfall, was a farmer, and followed that occupation until called from his earthly labors in 1855. He was a strong Republican politically, took great interest in public affairs, and was a representative man of the district in which he lived. His wife, who was a most estimable woman, survived him until 1861, when she, too, passed away.

             Mrs. Westfall, a short time since, Feb. 27, 1888, joined her parents in the silent land, leaving her husband and many friends to mourn the loss of a most estimable Christian lady, whose vacant place in the home and the community it will be most difficult to fill. Mrs. Westfall was an active member of the Christian Church, to which our subject has belonged since eighteen years of age. While a resident of Logan County, Ill., he was Elder in the church for about twelve years, and since coming to Sedgwick County has filled the same office two years. Both he and his estimable wife spared no means for the advancement of the cause of Christ, endeavoring to live up to the precepts of the Holy Scriptures. In his political affiliations Mr. Westfall is a Republican of the truest type, but has no aspirations for public preferment. He has been ambitious to succeed in his calling, and since coming to this county has given considerable attention to the breeding and raising of fine horses, including Clydesdale, English, Norman Percheron and Morgan stock. He has on his farm three very fine horses, one of which is of especially high pedigree, and is claimed to be as fine an animal as any of the kind in the county. His property embraces some 240 acres of highly productive land. His residence is beautiful and commodious, his barns are neat and tasty, and all the other improvements upon the place betoken the thrift and energy of the progressive farmer. As a man, Mr. Westfall is looked upon by the community as one whom they can trust, who "breaks no promise, serves no private end, who gains no office, but who has lost no friend."

             The view of the Westfall homestead given on another page, speaks more forcibly than words in relation to the industry and the cultivated tastes of one of the most praiseworthy citizens of Valley Center Township.

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