My Genealogy Hound

J. J. PETERS, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 28; P. O. Ansonia. One of the old settlers; born in Germany March 31, 1836; at 3 years of age, he emigrated with his parents to America and to Ohio; his father, J. J. Peters, Sr., was born in France in 1795, and was a soldier under Napoleon several years; his youngest son now has the gun and sword carried by his father during his service; he was the father of fourteen children, and raised and brought them all to America; he purchased a farm in Ohio, upon which he lived until his death, which occurred Dec. 15, 1878, aged 83 years 8 months and 13 days; his physician’s bills during his life amounted to $250; he married, in France, Mary E. McKala; she died upon the old home farm in the spring of 1871. The subject of this memoir remained with his father until 21 years of age, when he started in life for himself and farmed upon rented land for four years in Darke Co., and in 1862 he purchased 80 acres of his present place, to which he has since added until he now has 160 acres of land, well improved, all of which he has secured by his own hard labor, energy and industry, and has, by the above means, placed himself among the large land holders and successful farmers of Brown Township; he is now serving his second term as Township Trustee, is a member of Ansonia Lodge, No. 488, A., F. & A. M., and has held an office in the lodge for two years; he is also a member of Ansonia Lodge, No. 605, I. O. O. F., and Past Grand of the same. His marriage with Eliza J. Baughman was celebrated April 1, 1861; she was born in Brown Township, and is the daughter of J. Baughman, who emigrated from Prussia; he was a brother of William and Henry Baughman, whose sketch appears among the biographies of Brown Township; her mother was Maria Riffle, a sister of David and Silas Riffle, whose biographies also appear among the sketches of Brown Township; they have three children living, having lost four by death; the living are Mary E., Florence B. and Rachel L.