Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 252 - 253 

CORNELIUS OLDFATHER, Treasurer of Park Township, and quite an extensive dealer in grain at Maize, came to this county in the spring of 1876, and pre-empted a quarter-section of land in Erie Township, in the southwestern corner of the county, and then, in company with J. J. Jones, purchased 1,000 acres, comprising portions of sections 8, 9 and 10, township 26, range 1 west, all in Park Township. Here he commenced extensive operations, raising large quantities of grain and stock, principally swine. In 1884 the partnership was dissolved, the land sold, and with a portion of the proceeds our subject purchased land on section 19, of which he still retains possession, and which is operated mostly by employees.

      A native of Preble County, Ohio, our subject was born April 8, 1847, and is the son of Peter and Julia Ann (Pence) Oldfather, natives of Pennsylvania. Thence they removed, after their marriage, to Preble County, Ohio, where the father operated a flouring-mill, and later turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He was successful in his labors, building up a good homestead and securing a competency, and during the last fifteen years of his life made his home in Lewisburg, Ohio, retired from active labor. He departed this life in the spring of 1878, at the ripe age of seventy-five years. The mother, who was born in 1808, is still living, and makes her home in Preble County, Ohio.

      To Peter and Julia Ann Oldfather, the parents of our subject, there were born nine children, of whom the record is as follows: The eldest son, John, during the late war enlisted in the 12th Ohio Infantry, and yielded up his life in the service of his country at Gettysburg; Hiram is farming near Colwich, this county; Sarah became the wife of Curtis Whalen, and died about 1870, leaving a family of children; Amanda is the wife of Henry Wautz, of Miamisburg, Ohio; Samuel is a resident of Preble County, that State, where he has been Auditor two terms; Jeremiah is engaged in missionary work in Persia, where he has been for the last fifteen years, having visited his native land but once during this time; Matilda is the wife of Dr. Peter Drayer, a practicing physician in Indiana; Cornelius, subject of our sketch, was the eighth in order of birth; Frank is farming in Pratt County, this State.

      Mr. Oldfather passed his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, attending the district school in the winter, and assisting in the labors on the homestead in the summer. In 1869 he left the Buckeye State, and making his way to Douglas County, Ill., purchased 200 acres of land, which is now the site of the flourishing town of Murdock. This he sold to good advantage five years later, and crossing the Mississippi, made his way to the Pacific Coast, where he spent six months, engaged mostly in traveling about and trying to decide whether he would become a resident of that section or not. He finally resolved that the location was not exactly what he wished, and upon visiting Southern Kansas, soon made up his mind to locate here. His subsequent operations we have already indicated.

      Our subject, in no haste to marry, was thirty-five years of age before he took to himself a wife and helpmeet, this event finally being celebrated in August, 1882. The lady of his choice, Miss Mary A. Boyd, a native of Iowa, was born in 1849, and is the daughter of Dr. B. A. Boyd, now a resident of LaFayette, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. O. are the parents of two bright little boys: Glenn, born in 1884, and Harry, born in 1885.

      Mr. Oldfather commenced operations for himself on a capital of $1,200, and like the wise man in the Scriptures, has continuously increased his talent. He has very little to do with public affairs, but at the general elections votes the Republican ticket, and is uniformly the encourager of the enterprises calculated to advance the interests of his township. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of the A. F. & A. M. at Newman, Ill.

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