SHOAF-Phillip - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Phillip Shoaf is the owner of a farm located on Sec 3, Sugar Creed Township, Parke County, the place comprising one hundred and thirteen acres. He is numbered among the progressive farmers of the township and whatever he has acquired has been made by the hardest efforts since reaching his majority. He began working at cutting rails and cordwood receiving 25 cents for 100 of the former and a like sum for each cord of four-foot wood. Often he received only 37 and 1/2 cents for a hard day's labor and during harvest worked with the old-fashioned sickle for 75 cents per day. He was born in Davidson Co NC Dec 5, 1824 and is a son of David and Mary C, (Sowers) Shoaf. The former's father, whose Christian name was Jacob, was born in Germany and came to the US before the Revolutionary War, settling in NC where he married and reared his family of five children on a farm. He was a member of the German Lutheran Church and lived to a good old age. It was in 1799 that the birth of David Shoaf occurred. This even took place in NC where he lived until after his marriage. Eight sons were the result of this union: Michael, William, Phillip, David, Jacob, Solomon, Alfred and Henry who are all living. About 1826, the father emigrated to Ky, with his family, making the journey with a wagon and four years later came to Parke County, locating on Raccoon Creek. He afterward removed to Ill, where he died at the age of 81. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and was, politically, Democrat. Our subject's mother having died when he was only 10, the father married his first wife's cousin, Mrs. Catherine Myers, nee Sowers and to them were born the following: Margaret (deceased), Samuel, Andrew, Viola, Joseph and Emmeline. When about 25, Phillip Shoaf and Dilla Sowers were united in wedlock. She was his second cousin and a daughter of David and Sarah (Long) Sowers. Nine children came to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Shoaf: Sarah, Jemima, Mary, Alonzo and David, who died within one hour of each other with typhoid fever; Martha, Rosella and Perry W. Solomon the fifth child was bitten by a mad dog and though treated by a mad stone at the end of nine weeks died from hydrophobia. During the late war, Mr. Shoaf, who was not able to leave home on account of his family, was obliged to pay $1000 for a substitute. he s a member of the Luth. Church to which his wife also belongs and to policitical faith is a Democrat.