Andrew Jackson Tobias
The late Andrew Jackson Tobias, who died at his farm home in Beavercreek township on April 10, 1910, and whose widow is still living there, the farm being managed by her son, Samuel E. Tobias, was born in that township in 1833, a son of Jacob Tobias and wife, who had come to this county from Pennsylvania and who were the parents of eight children, Andrew having had four brothers, Peter, Jonathan, Samuel and John Tobias, and three sisters, Margaret, Catherine and Susanna. Later the family moved to Auglaize county, this state, and thence to Illinois, where Andrew J. Tobias completed his schooling. As a young man he returned to Greene county, took up carpentering here and here spent the remainder of his life, in 1882 taking up farming and becoming the proprietor of a farm of two hundred and five acres in Beavercreek township, which his widow now owns. She was born in Beavercreek township, Sarah E. Harshman, daughter of John C. and Maria (Miller) Harshman, further mention of whom is made elsewhere, and in 1863 was united in marriage to Andrew J. Tobias. To that union two children were born, Samuel E. and Emily Leonora, the latter of whom married L. E. Coy, a grocer at Dayton, and has two children, Ethel, born in 1889, and Herbert, born in 1897.
Samuel E. Tobias was born on March 12, 1864, and was educated in the schools of Beavercreek township. He early became interested in blacksmithing and continued engaged in that vocation for twenty years, at the end of which time he began to give his particular attention to gunsmithing and has since made a specialty along that line, having become recognized as one of the expert gunsmiths in the United States. Since the death of his father he also has given his general oversight to the operations of the home farm. Mr. Tobias is a Democrat and for fifteen years served as a member of the local board of education. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and he and his family are members of the Mt. Zion Reformed church.
In January, 1883, Samuel E. Tobias was united in marriage to Jennie Belle Bates, who also was born in Beavercreek township, and to this union seven children have been born, namely: Blanche Lenora, who married Hiram Zimmer, now living in Logan county, and has two children, Leon and Elza Juanita; Elmer Fay, a farmer, living on his grandmother Tobias' farm in Beavercreek township and operating the same, who married Anna Zimmer and has four children, Elsie, Elwood, Gladys and Alberta; Thomas C, who is at home; Esta, who died in infancy, and Elsie May, Winifred and Edythe.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918