History of Northeast Indiana
LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties
Editorial Supervisors: Ira Ford [LaGrange], Orville Stevens
[Steuben],
William H. McEwen [Noble] & William H. McIntosh [DeKalb]
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago and New York City
1920

Francis F. Wolf. With the problem of feeding the destitute
of Europe in addition to supplying the needs of our own country
before us, we have come to appreciate more thoroughly the work
accomplished by our farmers, and to accord them the credit they
have long deserved but not oftentimes received. The farmer has
always been a very important factor in the life of his country,
because if he did not labor people would not eat. All have not
appreciated him until through the pressure of circumstances
brought about by the late war the demand for foodstuffs
increased in so remarkable a manner as to make the production
of food of paramount importance, and will result in the future
of bringing back to the soil many who have left it, thinking to
gain much by gathering in the more congested regions. There
are a number of intelligent men, however, who did not need any
such rousing, having long ago adopted farming as their life
work, and kept at it until they have accumulated a fair
proportion of this world's goods. One of these representative
men of northeastern Indiana is Francis F. Wolf of Steuben
Township, Steuben County, who is now operating the homestead of
his family.
Francis f. wolf was born in Ashland county, Ohio, December
26, 1856, a son of William and Catherine [Fetterhoof] Wolf, and
the grandson of Adam wolf. Adam Wolf was a pioneer of DeKalb
county, Indiana, he having located near Hamilton when the
county was undeveloped, although he was then of advanced age.
William Wolf was born in Louden County, Virginia, August 6,
1805, and his wife was born in Pennsylvania, December 31, 1812,
she being the daughter of Jacob Fetterhoof. Until 1864 William
Wolf was engaged in farming in Ashland County, Ohio, but in
that year he came to Steuben County, Indiana, locating on the
farm now owned by his son, Francis F., in Steuben township.
This farm contains 160 acres, and at the time he bought it
there were but few improvements upon it, and he had to work
hard to put it in prime condition. Here he lived and was
engaged in farming until his death in 1889, his widow surviving
him many years, dying in 1902, when about ninety years old.
They had the following children: John, Susanna, Andrew, Jacob,
Adam, Joseph, Mary Ann, Catherine, Magdalena, Sarah Ann,
William, Amos, Lydia, Francis F., Phoebe and two who died in
infancy.
Francis F. Wolf grew up on his father's homestead amid ideal
family relationships, and assisted him while attending the
district school and after hi had completed his schooling. In
1880 he went to Leadville, Colorado, where he spent six months
in a mining camp, and then went to Kansas. Preferring Indiana
to these western states, in 1882 he drove a team back to his
old home. The year following he was married, March 10,
1883 to Eliza J. Shoemaker, a daughter of John and Amanda
Shoemaker, and they had two children, Bert C. and Earl F. Mrs.
Wolf died November 21, 1894. After her demise Mr. Wolf was
married to Emma Hughes, a daughter of John and Martha Hughes,
and they became the parents of the following children: Hazel,
Waldo, Wayne, Estol and Leo. Of these children Hazel is a
member of Company D, 132d Machine Gun Battalion of the Thirty-
Sixth Division, American Expeditionary Forces, and went to
France in September, 1918. He is one of the brave boys of
Steuben County who have helped to make the name of the "Yanks"
a synonym for bravery and clean living.
Six months after his first marriage Francis f. Wolf moved to
the family farm, and here he has since resided, carrying on
general farming and stock raising, in which he is pre-eminently
successful. His farm is a model one, and his buildings, fences
and machinery show that he is a man who knows how to take are
of things and is proud of his place. Mr. Wolf is a Mason, and
lives up to the ideals of his order. His interest in his
community is of such a character as to inspire wholehearted
endeavor on the part of others in the direction of securing
improvements for the township and county.

Submitted by: Joey Pedigo