Biography of Rev. James Cather, pages 784 / 785.  History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Rev. James Cather, section 6, Stafford Township, is a native of Guernsey 
County, Ohio, born Aug, 25, 1819.  His parents moved to Frederick County, 
Pa., where he was educated, and subsequently attended the Lutheran Literary 
and Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.  He began preaching in the Allegheny 
Mountains while there recruiting his health, and in 1842 came West and 
preached a year in Stark and Tuscarawas counties, Ohio.  He came to De Kalb 
County in 1844 and settled near Butler.  He was employed as a missionary by 
the English synod of Ohio, and to organize churches, and in September, 
1844, organized the Kepler church.  He also organized the Wittenberg, 
Melborune Station, Denmark, and Spencerville churches.  He was engaged in 
the work of the ministry thirty years, and in 1872 retired to agricultural 
life, although he still preaches occasionally to fill vacancies.  He 
settled in Stafford Township on a farm where he owns 120 acres of choice 
land.  He was married Jan. 1, 1847, to Lydia Norris.  They commenced 
married life with nothing but their clothes, a horse and $3 in money.  
Mrs. Cather lived at home till he could buy an acre of land in Franklin 
Township.  He then built a log house, which at that time was the best one 
in the county.  He taught one winter and preached on the Sabbath and at 
night hunted raccoons, at which he made more money than both his other 
occupations.  He has made his home in De Kalb County since 1844, with the 
exception of three years spent in Elkhart.  He has experienced all the 
trials and hardships of a pioneer preacher, but has been rewarded for this 
toil by the consciousness that his labor has not been in vain.  To him and 
his wife have been born nine children, but three of whom are living---
Isabella, now the wife of Rev. J.B. Hawkins, of Ashland, Ohio; Charles F. 
and Pitt.  Elizabeth, William, Kate, Susannah, James and Josephine are 
deceased.  Mrs. Cather’s father, Charles Norris was a pioneer of this 
county, and laid out the town of Butler.  He was a native of New England, 
a soldier in the war of 1812, and died at an advanced age.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com