Biography of Jeremiah Hempstreet, pages 521/522.  History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



Jeremiah Hempstreet



Among the sturdy citizens of DeKalb county of a past generation who by 
their upright life and industrious habits impressed their personality 
upon the communities in which they lived, was he whose name appears at 
the head of this paragraph.  Mr. Hempstreet was born in Half Moon, 
Saratoga county, New York, in 1803, and was reared in Herkimer and 
Lewis counties, New York.  After attaining mature years he married 
Sabrina Merchant, by whom he have four children, his wife and three 
children dying in the Empire state.  Later Mr. Hempstreet moved to 
Huron county, Ohio, where, on January 1, 1838, he married Mariam M. 
Smith, who was born in New York state on February 19, 1814. To this 
second marriage were born seven children: Cornelius, Sabine, Albert, 
Melvina, Mary S. and Ella.  Mary S. was married in 1872 to Orlando 
Seerey, a farmer in Smithfield township, who was born in 1847 and died 
September 21, 1912. He was a Republican in politics and held membership 
in the United Brethren church.  At the time of his death he was the 
owner of eighty acres of land, which is rented.  In 1842 Mr. Hempstreet 
loaded all his household effects upon a wagon and came to DeKalb 
county, where he entered a tract of wild land in section 22, Smithfield 
township.  This land at that time was practically untouched by white 
men’s hands, and to its clearing, improvement and cultivation Mr. 
Hempstreet devoted himself indefatigable and succeeded in breaking and 
fencing over one hundred acres of land.  Despite the privations and 
hardships of pioneer life he remained actively engaged in work for many 
years and was hale and hearty until past eighty-two years of age, his 
death occurring on June 2. 1886.  In the local affairs of the community 
he took and interested part and served one term as county commissioner 
and fourteen years efficiently as justice of the peace.  He was 
Democrat in his political views and a man of conscientious habits and 
well thought of by his neighbors and acquaintances.  Mr. Hempstreet was 
survived a number of years by his widow, who died on March 24, 1897, at 
the age of eighty-three years.  She had been converted in religion in 
1841 and united with the Regular Baptist church, to which she was 
faithful until her death a period of fifty-six years.  Her husband, 
too, was a member of the same church and they were liberal contributors 
to the building and support of the church in Auburn.  Mrs. Hempstreet 
was an affectionate mother, a kind and cheerful neighbor and made 
friends wherever she became acquainted.  This worthy couple long 
occupied a respected position in the community. Because of their 
upright lives, business success and the sterling worth of character, 
which they evidenced, they are eminently entitled to representation 
among the honored citizen of DeKalb county.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com