Biography of Curtis Shoutz, page 186 / 187.   History of Northeast 
Indiana; LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties, Vol. II, under the 
editorial supervision of Ira Ford, Orville Steven, William H. McEwen, and 
William H. McIntosh.  The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago and New York, 
1920.

   Curtis Shoutz is one of the fortunate young men whose experience and 
mature powers were developed in time to share in the generous prosperity 
now accorded the agricultural class in America.  Mr. Shontz began his 
career as a farm hand, and today owns one of the high class farms in 
Steuben Township in the county of the same name.
   He is a native of Northeast Indiana, having been born at Sedan in 
DeKalb County, October 23, 1880, a son of Ferdinand and Rachel (Lidge) 
Shontz.  His mother was a native of Ohio, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth 
Lidge.  Adam Lidge was a pioneer in Fairfield Township of DeKalb County, 
going there when all the country was wild, clearing a farm and rearing a 
family of five children.  Ferdinand Shontz was a young man when he arrived 
in DeKalb County.  He was an expert blacksmith, conducted a shop at 
Fenselers Mills on the Ashley and Auburn road, later was a blacksmith at 
Sedan, and finally ran a shop at Steubenville and continued the work until 
his death in 1890.  His widow is still living at Ashley. Their five 
children are named Henry, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah Jane and Curtis.
  Curtis Shontz received most of his education in the California School 
House of Steuben Township.  Then followed a period when he was earning his 
own living and getting valuable experience as a farm hand at monthly wages, 
and on May 13, 1908, he married Martha M. Dahuff, a daughter of Simon 
Dahuff.  In 1909, the year following his marriage, he bought a farm of 
ninety-five acres in section 19 of Steuben Township. His industry brought 
him a comfortable living on the farm from 1909 to 1916. In March of the 
latter year he bought the farm which, he occupies today comprising 126 
acres, known as the old Mountz place. His home improvements and eighty 
acres are in section 19, while forty-six acres lie across the road in 
section 30. For a time Mr. Shontz farmed both places, but in 1918 sold his 
first farm of ninety-five acres and with his home place is doing a 
successful business in general farming and stock raising.  Mr. Shontz is 
affiliated with the Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 257 at Hudson.

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