SCHERMERHORN-Jacob - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Jacob J. SCHERMERHORN, farmer and stock raiser, Newtown son of James B and Catharine Schemerhorn Schermerhorn was born in Schenectady Co NY in 1830. His forefathers were Dutch colonists who emigrated and settled in Schenectady in 1620. Many of his ancestors were living in the place when it was burned by the French & Indians in 1690 and they have been numerous who have borne arns in the early wars. Mr. Schermerhorn is the 9th generation from the Holland emigrants. He was an orphan at 11 and from that time until he was 17 attended different academies and secured a good education. In 1847 he came west and stopping in Tippecanoe Co north of Shawnee Mound taught school wintesr and worked at farming summers for 4 years; there, in December 1851 he married Martha Odell, by whom he had two children: Allen Campbell and one younger which died in infancy. This wife die din June 1854 and he married again March 24, 1856 to Achsah A. INSLEY who was born in Richland Twp in Jan 1834. She was the 2nd daughter of Ellis and Rebecca Stafford Insley who emigrated to this township from Highland Co OH in 1831. John Insley, the earliest one of this name of whom there is any account in the family was from Maine. The Staffords were from NC. Ellis Insley first settled 3 miles east of Newtown where his first child, Miriam E was born in 1832. Next year he removed to the place where Robert PARNELL lives, and resided on it till 1865 when he sold it to the present occupant. From this time he made his home on a farm near Indianapolis. He died at Mr. Schermerhorn's in 1868 while there on a visit and was buried in his own lot in Crown Hill Cem, Indianapolis. His daughter Miriam is the wife of Rev. L. NEBEKER at present residing at Battle Ground. he had one son, William Q who became a physician. he married Celia WHITMORE of Ft. Wayne and lived in Terre Haute from 1864 till his death June 20, 1880. He was buried in Crown Hill Cem beside his father. His widow has 5 children. Mr. Insley gave his children a liberal education. His daughters were educated at Ft. Wayne College and son at Greenastle and Ann Arbor, finishing his medical course at Cincinnati. His 4th child, Sarah E borni n may 1840 became the wife of Capt. KIRKPATRICK, who was killed at Kenesaw Mtn. She died at her sisters (Mrs. Schermerhorn) in August 1869 and buried by side of father and brother in Crown Hill. Mr. Insley's first wife was the daughter of Shadrach Stafford, and was borni n Highland Co Ohio where she also was married. She was a sweet-spirited, christian woman. She died inmarch 1846 and was buried at Newtown. His second wife, whom he married about 1849 and whose maiden name was Anna SMITH was from Cherry Valley, NY and is living with her aged father near Pleasant Hill. mr. Schermerhorn had two sisters and two brothers: the eldest Angelica B; himself was the 2nd; 3rd was Anna who died when about two; the fourth was Bartholomew J, who is livinga single life in NY and last was James B who came here a young man in 1864 married Miss Anna HAAS of Newtown and now resides in Warren Co opposite Attica. Mr. and Mrs. Schermerhorn have had 4 children: Alice Catherine born March 16, 1857; died Jan 13, 1872; Martha Luella, July 20, 1860 died March 20, 1872; Charles Ellis March 6, 1862 and WIlliam Bradt August 21, 1865. Mrs. Schermerhorn has been a member of the Methodist Church since she was 14 and Mr. Schermerhorn since 1856. The latter has been class leader most of the time subsequently; also held the offices of steward, Sabbath-school superintendent, trustee and local preacher since 1859. He has been a Royal Arch Mason since 1851. His fine farm of 317 acres is situated in a beautiful section of country 3 miles north of Newtown. Mr. Schermerhorn is a republican.