John W. Fetter
John W. Fetter, deceased, was one of Bath township's most reliable and respected men, and one of the large farmers of Allen County, owning and operating a well-improved farm of 100 acres. Mr. Fetter was born on this farm October 21, 1855, and was a son of George and Sarah (Ward) Fetter. He died January 2, 1902.
The father of Mr. Fetter was born in Germany and the mother in Ohio. They had a family of five sons and four daughters and John W. was the eldest. George Fetter operated a farm, a sawmill and a stone quarry and his eldest son was his right-hand man for many years.
Mr. Fetter remained with his father until his marriage and then he rented the farm for a time, and subsequently bought 20 acres and his father gave him 80 acres, and here he spent the remainder of his life. He took much pride in the cultivation and improvement of his property and he erected the excellent and substantial buildings which are now in evidence. In addition to carrying on his agricultural projects successfully, raising some of the best crops produced in the neighborhood, he did considerable teaming and grading and constructed turnpike roads under contract.
Politically Mr. Fetter was a stanch supporter of the Democratic party and on numerous occasions satisfactorily filled responsible offices to which the votes of his fellow-citizens elevated him. He served two terms of two years each as township treasurer, and several terms as road supervisor.
Mr. Fetter was a man of the highest integrity and is recalled as a good neighbor, an affectionate husband and a kind father. He reared a family which was a credit to him and left the well provided for.
On March 3, 1878, Mr. Fetter was married to Ella E. Hadsell, who was born in this township, December 20, 1856, who is a daughter of Anson M. and Adeline (Thayer) Hadsell. The father of Mrs. Fetter was born in Connecticut and removed to Trumbull County, Ohio, with his parents. Later he settled in Allen County, where he owned a fine farm and being a man of education, taught school a number of terms. He was a man of local prominence, and was justice of the peace for a number of years. In the latter capacity it is remembered that he often performed the marriage ceremony without any charge, and that it was his habit to present to the newly wedded couple a Bible, intimating that with in its pages all the counsel needed for their future lives could be found. He was an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church and was notably kind and benevolent in his conduct toward others. He married, for his second wife Adeline Thayer, who was the mother of Mrs. Fetter.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Fetter are: Charles E., of Bath township, who has two children Ella E. and Frank; Mary E., wife of Brice B. Hefner of Jackson township, who has two children Elsie J. and Fred A.; and Fred A., who has three children Brice B., Claud K. and Harry L.
Prior to her marriage Mrs. Fetter taught several terms of school, as did her sisters. She is an intelligent, companionable lady who has a wide circle of friends.