Biography of Christian Newcomer, Jr.,  pages 480/481/482.  
History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, 
Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



The gentleman whose name forms the caption of this 
biographical review has long enjoyed distinctive precedence 
as one of DeKalb county’s most enterprising and successful 
agriculturists and business men,  and beside enjoying the 
reputation of one of the county’s representative men of 
affairs he has at the same time won a reputation for 
honesty and square dealing in all the relations of life. 
Christian Newcomer, Jr., was born on June 8, 1847, in 
Columbiana county, Ohio, and is the son of Christian, Sr., 
and Mary (Wolfe) Newcomer, the father having been a native 
of Pennsylvania. To these parents were born nine children, 
four sons and five daughters, of which the subject of 
sketch was the last born. In the spring of 1849 the family 
came to DeKalb county, Indiana, locating on a tract of land 
in Franklin township, on which not a stick had been cut, 
and where it was necessary to clear a spot on which to 
build a small cabin. Here Christian Newcomer, Sr., acquired 
eighty acres of land and on this tract the family made a 
permanent home, the parents residing there until death, 
which occurred, the father in 1870, when seventy-seven 
years old, and the mother on August 6, 1892,in her eighty-
fifth year. The subject of this sketch spent his youthful 
years under the parental roof assisting his father in the 
work of the farm, and in young manhood he and his brother 
Joseph rented a farm which they operated together about 
three years, at the end of which time the subject left home 
and for a while worked out. Eventually Mr. Newcomer bought 
a tract of forty acres of land in the southwestern part of 
the township, for which he paid thirty-one dollars and a 
quarter per acre. He was wisely economical in his earlier 
days and saved sufficient money with which to make a first 
payment on this land, going into debt for the balance. By 
energetic effort and wise judgment he was prospered in his 
operation of this land and was able to add to it from time 
to time until he is now the owner of ninety-six acres of as 
good land as can be found in the township. to the 
management of this farm he devoted his attention until 
November 6, 1908, when he moved to Waterloo and bought the 
interest of this father-in-law, Robert W. Crooks, in a 
furniture store, his partner being subject’s son, D. E. 
Newcomer. He is devoting his entire attention to the 
enterprise and is enjoying a large and profitable patronage 
throughout the community. The store is wells stocked with a 
large and complete line of furniture and is numbered among 
the substantial concerns of the kind in this section of the 
county.  In April, 1874, Christian Newcomer was married to 
Martha Crooks, the daughter of Robert W. Crooks and Mary 
Ann (Burdick) Crooks, and to this union have been born four 
children, two boys and two girls, namely: Wilbur R., born 
January 17, 1875, received a good common and high school 
education and then entered the Tri-State Normal School at 
Angola,  Indiana, afterwards attending the Indiana Dental 
College, and is now engaged in the practice of dentistry at 
Waterloo. He served eight years as town clerk of Waterloo, 
making a splendid record in that office. He married Pearl 
Brandenberry, the daughter of Cyrus and Dora (Hull) 
Brandenberry, and they have a daughter, Virginia; Delbert 
Eugene Newcomer, born in 1876, is his father’s partner in 
the furniture business. He married Annie Leger, and they 
have one daughter, Iliff; Nellie, the wife of Daniel 
Kimmel, a farmer one mile west of Waterloo, and they have a 
son, Wilbur J.; Vera, who remains at home with her parents, 
is attending the Waterloo high school. Mr. Newcomer 
possesses business ability of a high order and the 
continued growth in public favor of the business with which 
he is identified is  largely due to his keen interest and 
correct business methods.  He is careful and methodical, 
somewhat conservative in his views and not inclined to be 
carried away by visionary schemes. In addition to this 
business interests, which he makes paramount to every other 
consideration, Mr. Newcomer has always exerted his 
influence in the promotion of the material prosperity of 
his community and endeavored to discharge his duties as a 
citizen with the good of his fellow man at heart. 
Personally, he possesses to an eminent degree 

those qualities which win friendship and he enjoys a wide 
acquaintance and marked popularity in this community.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com