William F. Mohler
William F. Mohler, a prominent farmer residing in section 24, Shawnee township, was born in Pennsylvania, November 12, 1841. His father, Henry Mohler, came to Ohio from Pennsylvania and later moved to Indiana, where he died. William F. Mohler has been engaged in farming for many years with very successful results.
Mr. Mohler married Mrs. Mary (Spyker) Sharp and is the father of two sons, Clarence and John Roscoe. Clarence married Clara Bradford and had five children, all of whom are deceased. He is employed in the oil field and resides at Wapakoneta. John Roscoe married Goldie Swyart and lives at home.
Mrs. Mohler was born in 1840 on the Spyker homestead in section 25, Shawnee township, and is a daughter of Samuel and a sister of Joel Spyker, sketches of whom appear in this volume. Mary Spyker grew to womanhood was married to Charles D. Meffley, a native of Allen County, where his father, Peter Meffley, had located after leaving Pennsylvania. The young couple made their home at Elida for a time, later moving to Cridersville where Mr. Meffey conducted a dry goods and hardware store. He was thus engaged when he died, about 1865, leaving his young widow, before she had reached her 25th year, with two small children. The elder child, Shelby Ellsworth Meffley, was born in Cridersville, Auglaize County, Ohio, January 12, 1862, and is today the leading merchant of that place, where he carries a large stock of staple and fancy groceries and has an extensive patronage among the best citizens of the community. He was married February 21, 1893, to Etta Tidd Spyker, a most estimable lady, who was left an orphan in early childhood and adopted by John Spyker. To this union five children were born, namely: Charles Theodore, Edgar Allen; Mary Elizabeth; Shelby E., Jr.; and Catherine Gertrude. The younger son, George W. Meffley, was an infant of seven weeks when his father died. He now resides at Ottawa, where he conducts a dry goods store. He married Mary Ann DeFord of Ottawa and they have six children living: Samuel Fletcher DeFord, Gadys, George W., Robert, Harold and De Graces.
Mrs. Meffley was married to Dr. Hiram Miller, a native of New York, who was practicing medicine at Cridersville, They had three children, William W., deceased; Margaret M., deceased; and Charles, who married Nellie Bitsler, and lives on a farm adjoining that of his mother. After the death of Dr. Miller, his widow married Daniel Sharp, a native of Columbus, Ohio, and a man of considerable property. They had two children Frederick Henry, who married Dula Reichelderfer and resides at Cridersville; and Eva Gertrude, who married Charles Berry. Mrs. Mohler is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whose faith has strengthened her in her hours of adversity.