Biography of Isaac E. Barker, pages 874/875/876/877. History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914. Isaac E. Barker It is with pleasure that we present to our readers the life record of Isaac E. Barker, for he is a prominent and influential citizen of DeKalb county and one who for various reasons, is entitled to distinctive representation in this volume. The Barker family, of which the subject of this sketch is a worthy representative, is one of the old honored ones of DeKalb county. The first representative of the family who came to America was Edward Barker, who was born in Nottinghamshire, England, in June, 1806, and in 1834 came with his wife and two daughters to the United States. He first lived two years at Detroit, Michigan, and the moved to Branch county, Michigan, where he lived until 1850, coming to Hamilton, Steuben county, Indiana, where he lived two years. About 1852 he bought a farm in the northeast quarter of Smithfield township, DeKalb county, just east of Summit. Edward Barker was by trade a miller, having served an apprenticeship in England and worked at this trade in connection with farming prior to this settlement in DeKalb county. He was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church and a zealous worker in that society. He was the prime mover in the organization of a Sunday school in the early days, which was the forerunner of the Barker Methodist Episcopal church, that church having been organized at his house in the fall of 1852, and of which he was the first class leader. He was an earnest Christian, broad and liberal with all classes, Protestant and Catholic and unbelievers, and was respected by all as a good, reliable citizen and a true friend, his advice being frequently sought and carrying a great weight. At the time Mr. Barker came to DeKalb county the country seemed wild and very lonely, but little improvement having been made, the only features of note on his farm of one hundred and sixty acres being a log house and rude barn with only apart of the land cleared. He was progressive and public spirited in his attitude toward local affairs and gave the land on which was built the Methodist church which bears his name. His death occurred in September, 1872. He was married in England to Susannah Pitts, who died in September, 1840, leaving four children. Subsequently he married Rebecca Ohram, of Ohio, who died in 1876. Of his children, Milton T. Barker was born at Detroit, Michigan, on June 11, 1840. He was reared on his father’s farm in DeKalb county, on which he resided until 1898, when he moved to Ashley, where he now resides. When about thirty years of age he received from his father forty acres of land in section 11, on which he had already built a house, and subsequently he bought forty acres more; in all he acquired the ownership of one hundred and forty acres, but in March, 1900, he sold off eighty acres of this farm, and two years after his removal to Ashley he bought a small farm at the east edge of that town, where he now lives. Mr. Barker was for many years prominent in the local life of the community, served as justice of the peace one term and was elected for a second term but declined to qualify. He also served as trustee of Smithfield township two terms and in other ways took a leading part in the advancement of the local welfare. Though he did not receive and extensive education in his boyhood, he was an extensive reader and close observer, and was considered a well informed man. Milton P. Barker was twice married, first to Margaret Dirrim, the daughter of James Dirrim, of Franklin township, this county, to which union were born five children, Clara, the wife of Preston Miller, of Jackson county, Michigan, is the mother of four children, Mrs. Lela Gee, Charles, Hattie and Harry; Hannah D. is the wife of William Updegraph, of Oklahoma; she has two children, Waldo and Mrs. Nina Smith; Isaac E. is the immediate subject of this sketch; Charles M., who lives in Jackson county, Michigan, married Juliette Seavy, and they have one daughter, Mabel; James C., who lives in Jackson county, Michigan married Bertha Betz, and they have a son, Clyde. Mrs. Margaret Barker died on April 9, 1893, and in 1896 Mr. Barker married Mrs. Harriett (Smurr) Packer, the daughter of Nelson and Rebecca Smurr. She was born in Wilmington township, this county, of which her parents were early settlers; was reared there and eventually married Oscar Packer, their home being at Butler, this county, until his death, in May 1888. They were the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters: Jay Packer, of Detroit; Jennie, who is deceased, was the wife of John Lowe; Annie is the wife of Lew Groff, of Edgerton, and William , who is worker in powder mills at various places. Isaac E. Barker was born on July 7, 1869, on the home farm east of Summit, this county, and was there reared. He secured a good practical education in the common schools and then was a student at the Tri-State Normal School at Angola, and also took special studies at Auburn. In 1889 Mr. Barker began teaching school, in which vocation he was busily engaged during the following sixteen years, the first year in Jackson township, the second in Fairfield township, and the remainder of the time in Smithfield township, having taught thirteen years in two schools in the latter township. He attained a widespread reputation as a successful educator and his services were in great demand. However, in 1895, Mr. Barker relinquished his pedagogical work and has since given his undivided attention to his farming operations, in which he has met with a large and well deserved success. Mr. Barker is the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land, having bought eighty acres from his father and forty acres of it comprising the old Barker homestead. With the exception of about five acres all of his land is in a fine state of cultivation. In 1892 Mr. Barker married Georgia Chapman, the daughter of Lewis Chapman and a sister of L. N. Chapman, in whose sketch elsewhere in this work appears the record of the Chapman family. Mr. Barker was born and reared in Smithfield township, this county, and is a woman of many fine personal qualities of character which have endeared her to all who know her. To Mr. and Mrs. Barker have been born four children, Paul, Claudo, Milton, and Rossaline. The first two named are attending the high school at Ashley. Politically, Mr. Barker is a earnest advocate of Democratic principles and as a nominee of his party he was elected in 1900 as trustee of Smithfield township, holding that office for four years and discharging his official duties to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, while, religiously, he and his wife and three sons are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are earnest and faithful workers and to which they give a liberal support. Personally Mr. Barker enjoys a wide popularity, for he has taken an intelligent interest in the welfare of the community, which is honored by his citizenship, and has at all times given his earnest support to everything tending to advance the welfare of his fellows. Courteous and kind to all, broad- minded in his views of men and affairs, and firm in his convictions, it is a compliment worthily bestowed to speak of him as one of the worthy citizens of his locality, and he is eminently entitled to representation in work of the character of the one in hand. Submitted by: Arlene Goodwin Auburn, Indiana Agoodwin@ctlnet.com