Biography of Jonathan Shook, pages 589 /590.  History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Jonathan Shook, farmer and stock-raiser, is a native of Ohio, born in 
Jefferson Township, Stark County, Nov. 19, 1835, a son of Jonathan and Mary 
(Strawser) Shook, natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent.  When two 
years of age he was bound to Frederick Strawser for his board and clothes 
till sixteen years old.  He then worked for farmers for wages till twenty-
one years old, when he went to Pennsylvania to visit his father, whom he had 
never seen.  His father was a blacksmith, and he went to his shop and asked 
for a night’s lodging, not thinking his father would know him.  But his 
father immediately recognized who he was, and they had a pleasant visit of 
four days.  He then returned to Ohio, and the next year began to work at the 
carpenter’s trade, which he followed fourteen years.  He was married Aug. 31, 
1854, to Rebecca Conrad, a native of Summit County, Ohio, a daughter of Jacob 
and Rebecca (Fisher) Conrad, natives of Pennsylvania.  In 1862 he rented a 
farm and followed agricultural pursuits till the fall of 1865, when he came 
to De Kalb County, Ind., and settled on his present farm in Fairfield Township.  
He owns eighty acres of choice land and his residence and farm buildings are 
large and comfortable.  To Mr. and Mrs. Shook have been born eight children---
Elan (deceased), Harriet, Nelson, David, Emery, Benjamin, Mary and Frank.  
In politics Mr. Shook is a Democrat.  He and his wife are members of the 
Reform church.

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