JOHN L. SHAFER was born in Wayne County, Ind., March 31, 1834, and is the eldest of the eleven children-three vet living-born to Daniel and Nancy (Lantz) Shafer, natives of Pennsylvania. Daniel Shafer came to Wayne County on foot when a young mail, and there worked in a distillery until 1845. He was married in 1880, and in 1845 moved to Carroll County, locating, two miles south of Idaville, White County, where he lived until 1862 when he moved to Idaville, and then, a few years later, moved just north of town, where he died in 1880. John L. Shafer worked on the home farm until eighteen, and then learned carpentering. He was married, in October, 1858, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Michael B. Shaver, and born in Indiana in February, 1835. This lady became the mother of one daughter, Nancy E., now the wife of John Kirkpatrick, of Carroll County, Ind. Many of the churches, schoolhouses, dwellings and barns in the township have been erected under the plans and supervision of Mr. Shafer, he having become a contractor in 1856. He is a Democrat, a Freemason and a member of the Church of God, and of the latter his wife is also a member.

Back to the White County Biographies Main Page