LAST TAPS FOR CIVIL WAR VET

ANGOLA'S LAST CIVIL WAR VET PASSES AWAY

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Robert H. Snowberger Died Tuesday Morning - Only One Veteran Remains

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Angola's last surviving veteran of the Civil War, Robert H. Snowberger, passed away at an early hour Tuesday morning at his home on North Wayne Street from repeated heart attacks with which had been afflicted for the past two weeks.  His death leaves only one surviving Civil War soldier in Steuben County - Daniel Weisel, of Salem Township, aged 99.

Mr Snowberger, who was 92 years of age, was born in Ashland County, Ohio.  He served with Company D of the Seventh Indiana Calvary for two years and seven months.  His service was with the western army in Western Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, his organization being engaged in subduing guerrilla warfare and outlawry in the territory passed over by the main army.  He was engaged for six months after peace was declared, under General Custer, of later Indian warfare, in effecting order in Texas.  His life after the war was spent in Steuben County, in farming, and later as a retired citizen in Angola.  He was quite active until recent weeks and took pride in representing the remnant of "the old guard" in public occasion.

He is survived by his wife and two sons by a former marriage.  

Funeral services for Mr. Snowberger will be held at the Klink Funeral Home on Friday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, Rev. J. O. Rose officiating.  The burial will be in the Pleasant Lake cemetery with military honors by the Angola Post of the American Legion.

SNOW DRIFTS BLOCK TRAFFIC THREE DAYS

State and County Highway Gangs Fight
Valiantly in Snow and Wind to Open Roads
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RURAL SCHOOLS OUT

Steuben county was caught in the tight grip of Old Man Winter Sunday night, and throughout Monday and a greater part of Tuesday, local and through traffic was paralyzed.  Following a mild Sunday, a fifty mile an hour gale and heavy snow swept over the county during the night.  the temperature was not extremely low, dropping Tuesday morning to the lowest point reached during the storm to 11 degrees above zero.Seven inches of snow fell, according to weather reporter John B. Parsell, which produced .8 inches of water.  MOnday morning the highways througout the county were completely blocked and rural schools were closed for two days.  Two Pleasant township school busses were able to make their routes both days, and the Angola schools continued in session with depleted attendance rolls.

Mail and bus service was badly crippled.  The morning mail truck from the south reached Angola after noon on MOnday.  Rural mail service was abandoned for the day and partial service was given Tuesday.  Bus service to Fort Wayne was limited to one round trip and a singe trip on Monday.  Greyhound bus service east and west was reduced to one bus each way during Monday.

A single one of the double rear wheels on a Greyhound bus came off a west bound bus a short distance east of Angola, Monday noon, and the passengers were brought into Angola to await a special bus.  Twelve passengers were marooned here until evening, when a special bus arrived and tool the passengers on the journey west bound.

Freight traffic was brought to a complete standstill as the large trucks became stalled in the drifts or their wheels spun on the heavy layer of snow on the pavements.  These did much to block the traffic,  One truck was reported abandoned north of Angola, almost completely hidden beneath the snow which drifted over it at the roadside. The stat and county highway forces worked steadily to open the roads and did everything in their power to aid traffic through to cantral points.

The storm to be general through the central and western states.  Chicago suffered the most severely of any storm in recent years, as streets and elevated transportation was halted.

In Fort Wayne a school janitor died in the school house of heart failure after spending an hour in strenuous work of shoveling snow.

In Steuben county the blockade of traffic was the severest since the storm at Christmas time three years ago when bus traffic was paralyzed and passengers were obliged to remain three or four days at hotels and in farm houses until he highways could be opened.

Steuben Republican  February 1, 1939

 

EARLY MORNING FIRE

     Last Saturday morning about 7:00 o'clock fire broke out in Ford Willennar's Restaurant at the southwest corner of public square and in a short time the building and contents were beyond repair.
     Mr. Willennar had gone to the rear of the room to start fire in the gasoline stove, and when had lit the gasoline he turned away for just a moment, when the entire room seemed enveloped in flames.  As there was no noise, Mr Willennar is sure there was no explosion, and this adds somewhat to the mystery of the fire.

The building destroyed was the last frame on facing the public square, and had stood there for over fifty years.  It was owned by John A. Booth who carried insurance in the Ohio Farmers for $500.  The contents were also insured in the same company for $350, and Mr. Willennar claims his loss to have been about $700. No doubt Mr. Booth will at once erect a brick building on the site of the one destroyed, and Mr. Willennar will look for another location in which to conduct a restaurant.
     Eugene Coleman, stat agent of the Ohio Farmer's Insurance Company was here yesterday and settled the loss on the building, stock and fixtures.  The company was obliged to pay a total loss on the building and contents due to the lack of water and pressure.  The fire department never made better time or got to a fire in better shape, and it is said by a number of members of the fire department that had they have had proper pressure they could have put out the fire in a very few moments and the loss would have been but slight.\

Steuben Republican August 10, 1910

STEUBEN COUNTY WOMAN APPROACHES 100TH BIRTHDAY

The oldest person living in the confines of Steuben County is Mrs. Sarah Anspaugh, who will be one hundred years old on Oct 11, 1930.  Although confined to her bed and to a wheel chair as the result of injuries received in a fall several years ago, she is in splendid health and there is no reason why she should not live to round out a full century and enjoy the birthday celebration which is being planned at her home with her son, Jacob Anspaugh, one mile east and one-half mile south of Alvarado in Richland Township.  She takes a keen interest in things going on about the home and in the community and is proud of the distinction of having lived nearly one hundred years.

At times Mrs. Anspaugh is able to recall and talk interestingly of the things that transpired long before two-thirds of the present generation was born.  Her life history runs back through the development of this nation from struggling states to the greatest civil power in the world.  

Mrs. Anspaugh was the daughter of Samuel Cain and was born in Pennsylvania.  Her parents came to Williams county, Ohio when she was six years of age.  When she was seventeen years of age she was married to Jacob Anspaugh, and they lived in Williams County until 1865, when they moved to Richland Township in Steuben County, on the old Anspaugh place on-half mile east and one-half mile south of Metz, which was her home until two years ago, when her son Samuel who later owned the farm moved to Angola, and she went to live with her son Jacob. Their post office address is now Edon.

Seven children were born to Mr and Mrs. John Anspaugh for whom six are still living, one son dying nearly seventy years ago.  The survivors are all in good health and will all probably live to enjoy the coming centennial celebration of their mother's birth.  The are: Jacob Ansbaugh, age 80; Samuel Anspaugh, 78; Mrs Hester Kirk, 72; JOhn, 70; Amanda Flegal,67; and Grant 65.  Frank died at age 6.

There are nine grandchildren, Mrs. Clara Tingler and Mrs. Lura Metz, daughters of Jacob Anspaugh; George, son of Samuel; Mrs Clela Pervines, daughter of Amanda Flegal; Mrs. H. Barnhart, H.G., C.H., and Ralph, children of Grant Anspaugh, and Glen, son of John Ansbaugh.  There are eleven great grandchildren in her progeny.

Without doubt the community will join, at least by postcard acknowledgement, in the celebration of Mrs. Anspaugh's centennial celebration in October next.

Steuben Republican 1930

NOTE:   Mrs Sarah Anspaugh lived until the age of 102.