William Wallace Garver
Among the progressive agriculturists of Chester township, Wayne county, Ohio, is William W. Graver, who was born on April 12, 1853, on the farm where he now lives, the son of John and Catherine (Shoemaker) Garver, both natives of this state. The maternal grandparents of the subject were John and Catherine (Girl) Shoemaker, natives of Pennsylvania. The former died in 1855; he was a strong Dunkard. In about 1818 or 1820 he and his family came to Chester township, Wayne county, Ohio, when this section was practically a wilderness, and they entered a farm about a mile west of Lattsburg. Mr. Shoemaker cleared the place and lived here until his death. John Garver, son of David, came from Pennsylvania with his parents and located near Congress, Wayne county, and there David conducted a water and horse-power grist-mill, and also followed farming on a place which he entered from the government. He was a man of influence and a worker in the Dunkard church. He was the paternal grandfather of William W., of this review.
John Garver, father of William W., was born in Congress township and educated in the common schools. When a young man he followed farming, and after his marriage he bought one hundred and sixty acres where his son, William W., now resides. He improved the place and lived here until his death. Politically he was a Republican, and he held about all the Chester township offices; religiously the Dunkard church held his creed. His family consisted of nine sons and two daughters, namely: David W., who was a teacher when fifteen years of age and a practicing physician at nineteen, died April 6, 1907; John T., is a prominent lawyer at Sandusky; Sarah married R. Shaw, of Medina county, Ohio; Jacob died in infancy; William Wallace, of this review; Samuel C., deceased, who was a leading lawyer at Sandusky, Ohio:; A. M. has practiced medicine for the past thirty years at Lorain, Ohio; Joseph E., a real estate dealer in Tennessee; Bert is also a leading lawyer in Sandusky county, Ohio; George died in youth; Mary married A. B. Hostetler, of West Salem, Wayne county, this state.
William W. Garver was educated in the schools at Smithville, Lodi and Savannah (Ohio) Academies. He received an excellent education and taught school in the winters and farmed during the summer months for a period of nineteen years. He became widely known throughout this locality as an educator. He has always lived on the home place with the exception of four years spent in Wooster while serving as sheriff. He has followed general farming very successfully, and is one tohe leading agriculturists of the county.
Mr. Garver was married on December 25, 1873, to Rebecca J. Dych, a native of this county and the daughter of a fine old family. To this union the following children have been born: Charles V., a practicing physician at Lorain, Ohio; Arthur, a carpenter and living at home; DeForest, who died in 1903; Mary, living at home; C. B., living in Wooster; John S., who died when twenty years of age; Frank B., a teacher; Fred studied at Lorain, Ohio; True is a student at West Salem, this county; Wayne is also a student at West Salem.
William W. Garver is a loyal Republican and has long been influential in the local affairs of his party. In 1894 he was elected sheriff of Wayne county and so faithfully and well did he perform the duties of this office that he was re-elected in 1896; he has held most all of the offices in Chester township. On March 15, 1910, he was made postmaster at West Salem and took charge of the office on the 1st of May. Faternally he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons at West Salem, the Knights of Pythias at Wooster, the Improved Order of Red Men at Wooster and the Knights of the Maccabees at Lattasburg. In all this he takes a great deal of interest, and he has become well known throughout the western part of the county through his connection with these fraternal organizations and his political life.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910