Dr. David E. Spahr
Dr. David E. Spahr, of Xenia, editor in charge of the health department of Farm and Fireside, a journal published in the neighboring city of Springfield, is one of Greene county's native sons, born on what is known as the Stewart farm on the Stringtown road in New Jasper township, April 16, 1862, son of the Rev. Gideon and Elizabeth (Kyle) Spahr, both members of pioneer families in Greene county and the latter of whom also was born here, a member of the Kyle family that came up here from Kentucky m the early days of the settlement of Greene county.
The Rev. Gideon Spahr, affectionately remembered hereabout as "Uncle Gid" Spahr, was a native of the Old Dominion, born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1812, a son of Edward and Elizabeth (Bishop) Spahr, and was five years of age when he came with his parents and the other members of their family from Virginia to Ohio, the family settling in the woods wilderness east of Xenia in 1817. Edward Spahr there bought a farm of about one hundred acres and established his home. He and his wife were members of the Methodist church and their children were reared in that faith. There were twelve of these children and the Spahr connection thus became a numerous one hereabout in succeeding generations. Gideon Spahr grew to manhood on that pioneer farm and married Elizabeth Kyle, who was born in this county, daughter of John Kyle and wife, both of whom died in middle age. John Kyle was the father of four children, those besides Mrs. Spahr having been Seth and John, who went to Missouri, and Mrs. Pollock. Gideon Spahr became a "local" preacher for the Methodists and during his many years of service in that capacity probably preached more funeral sermons than any other minister that ever served in this part of the state. "Uncle Gid" was a plain, blunt man and a friend of the whole countryside. For years he resided in this county, living on various rented farms in New Jasper township and in the eastern part of the county, and then bouglit a home at Lumberton, in the neighboring county of Clinton, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there in 1896. His widow survived him for nine years, her death occurring in 1905. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom Doctor Spahr was the tenth in order of birth, the others being John, who died in infancy; Madison, who went to the front as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, a member of the Nineteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and who died at Bowling Greene, Kentucky, while thus engaged in service; the late Rev. Albert N. Spahr. who was a presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal church and had filled many important charges throughout Ohio; Cornelia, who married Silas Smith and who lived for many years at VanWert, but whose last days were spent at Hicksville, this state; Robert, a veteran of the Civil War, having served as a member of the Fortieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and who is now living at Xenia; Sally, unmarried, who is also living at Xenia; the Rev. Samuel K. Sparh, a minister of the Methodist Protestant church, who now has a charge in the city of Pittsburgh; Julia, now deceased, who was the wife of I. T. Cummins, of Xenia; twins, who died in infancy; and James Clinton, now living at Skidmore, Missouri, where he is engaged in the coal and grain business.
David E. Spahr was reared to the life of the farm and his early schooling was received in the district schools of New Jasper township. When eighteen years of age he went to Van Wert, where he entered the high school and then for two years worked at the printing trade there. He married in that city in December, 1873, and for two years thereafter was engaged working in a factory there, afterward taking up farming, in which he was engaged for a year. In the meantime he had been giving attention to the study of medicine and after a course of reading under the preceptorship of Doctor Stewart, of Cedarville, matriculated at Dr. C. M. Seaman's Medical College at Ft. Wayne, and was graduated from that institution in 1879. Thus qualified for the practice of his profession, Doctor Spahr opened an office at Gilbert Mills, in Paulding county, this state, and remained there until 1881, in which year he returned to his old home neighborhood in this county and opened an office at New Jasper, where he was engaged in practice for eight years, at the end of which time he moved to Clifton, where he continued in practice for twenty-one years, or until his removal in 1910 to Xenia, where he has since been located. Doctor Spahr is a member of the Greene County Medical Society, of the Ohio State Medical Society and of the American Medical Association. For some time he has been health officer for Xenia township. In 1893 he took a post-graduate course in New York City and in 1910, a similar course in Chicago. During the many years of his practice Doctor Spahr has been a contributor to medical journals and in 1915 there came to him wholly unsolicitedly a proffer from the editors of Farm and Fireside, at Springfield, this state, to take editorial charge of the health department of that journal and he since has devoted much of his time to the duties of that position, his department being conducted with a view to securing the widest possible variety of inquiry along medical and public-health lines. The Doctor also has contributed stories and sketches of a miscellaneous character to other magazines and newspapers. He for some years has been spending his winters in Florida. Politically, the Doctor is a Republican. He has from the days of his boyhood taken a warm interest in local geological and archaeological research and it is believed that there is no one now living in Greene countv who is better informed along those lines than he. During his long residence at Clifton the Doctor unearthed many valuable specimens both of a geological and archeological character, particularly of the latter, and thus collected a wide variety of relics of the Indian and Mound Builder occupancy of this region. Most of these specimens he has in recent years distributed to museums and libraries, the state museum at Columbus and the public library at Xenia being special beneficiaries of his thoughtfulness, though he still has at his office in Xenia some very valuable specimens. The Doctor is affiliated with the Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He and his family are members of Trinity Methodist Episcopal church at Xenia, the Doctor being a member of the board of stewards of the congregation with which he is connected and for years a teacher in the Sunday school.
In December, 1873, at Van Wert, Ohio, Dr. David E. Spahr was united in marriage to Emma Highwood, daughter of William and Caroline Highwood, both now deceased, the former of whom was for some years a merchant at New Jasper, this county, but whose last days were spent at Anderson, Indiana, and to this union were born five children, namely: Lillian, who married Edward Bush, a machinist, now living at Springfield, this state; James H., a farmer and miner, now living at Star, Oregon; Gertrude C, deceased; Jessie, who died at the age of seven years, and Elmer G., who is now the teacher of manual training in the high school at Paulding, this state. Prof. Elmer G. Spahr attended Cedarville College and Dayton Business College after his graduation from the Clifton high school and later received two degrees from the Ohio State University. He received a life license as a high-school teacher and was for some time superintendent of schools at Ansonia, this state, before entering upon the duties of his present position at Paulding. He married Mabel Hadley, of Springboro, and has one child, a son, Hadley Gideon.
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Clark and Greene Counties, Chapman Bros., Chicago, published 1890