Silas Wolfe
Every nation on the earth has contributed its quota to the population of the United States, but no nation has furnished better citizens for our country than has Germany. Hundreds of thousands of the best blood of Germany have come to this country and become substantial citizens of the various localities in which they settled. Fortunate indeed is the locality which has its German descendants numbered among its citizens, for wherever they are found they are always among the most substantial citizens of the community. There are very few foreign-born citizens in Fayette county, Ohio, and according to the 191o census there were only eight who were born in Germany. One of the best remembered German citizens of the past generation is Silas Wolfe, who lived in this county for more than half a century.
The late Silas Wolfe was born in Germany in 1830, and died at his country home in Wayne township, Fayette county, Ohio, in 1904. He was ihe son of Joseph and Marie (Kowientz ) Wolfe, and one of eight children, Joseph, Anton, Marie, Silas, Caroline, Kowientz, George and Charles. All of these children are now deceased except Caroline, George and Kowientz. Silas Wolfe was educated in Germany and came to America in 1854, the voyage to this country occupying forty-eight days. Upon coming to this country he first settled at Chillicothe, Ohio, but shortly afterwards located in Fayette county, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a successful farmer and at the time of his death was the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Wayne township.
Mr. Wolfe was twice married, his first wife, to whom he was married in 1871. being Rose Gangle. and to this union one child, Amiel. was born. After the death of his first wife, he was again married, on Christmas day, 1876. to Margaret Gerber, the daughter of Joseph and Margaret (Weaver) Gerber, natives of Germany, who had been raised in their native land and married in Pennsylvania after coming to America, and Mrs. Wolfe was born in Pennsylvania. Joseph Gerber and wife settled in Pennsylvania on a farm, where they reared a family of nine children. Mary, Charles, John, Frank, Margaret, Henry, Caroline, Antonie and Joseph.
Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe were the parents of eight children, Rose, Elizabeth, Emma, Louis, Sada, Frank, Lena and Pauline. Rose is the wife of Gale Evans; Elizabeth is the wife of Mitchell Martin; Emma is the wife of Fred Beals; Louis married Lucinda Duff and has one daughter, Norma E. ; the other four children are unmarried and living with their mother.
Mr. Wolfe was a loyal and devout member of the Catholic church, and held his membership in St. Benignus church at Greenfield, Ohio. He was a man of sterling equalities of character, even-tempered, patient and scrupulously honest in all the relations of life. He was devoted to his family and was of essentially domestic tastes, preferring his fireside to that of the public forum.
From History of Fayette County Ohio - Her People, Industries and Institutions by Frank M. Allen (1914, R. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.)