This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Edwards, Ford, Farthing, Snyder, Quigley, Quinn,
Classification: Biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Hi.2ADE/1184
Message Board Post:
This book has no cover, and no index, and no author. I bought it on Ebay; it just has the
insides, but it is full of Indiana biographies. I am not researching this family, just
thought I would share. I do not know anymore about these families or these surnames. NOTE:
I don’t know if there is any additional mention of this family in the book, it has no
index. I do not want to sell this book. I am typing the biographies from it.
Typed by Lora Radiches:
Surnames in this biography are: Edwards, Ford, Farthing, Snyder, Quigley, Quinn,
MERRLLL JENNINGS EDWARDS, whom all his thousands of friends know as “Jack” Edwards, is the
picturesque and youthful mayor of the City of Marion. To that office he was elected when
twenty-eight years of age, being the youngest mayor in the State of Indiana. The career of
Mayor Edwards illustrates the phenomenal energy and vitality of the man, qualities that
have carried him over a succession of hurdles in the race of life. From childhood he
fought his way, fought for education, fought for success in business, fought for community
causes and for political distinction, and even in a more literal sense was a fighter,
earning no mean measure of distinction in the prize ring for several years. He
was born in Marion March 30, 1901. His father, Volley Berthol Edwards, was born at
Dunkirk, Indiana, in 1877, and followed the trade of glass blower. He was a son of
William Edwards, who was born in Davies County, Indiana, and was a fruit grower an!
d gardener. William Edwards, died at Chicago Heights at the age of seventy-five.
He married Mary Ford, a native of Ohio, who now resides at Indianapolis. The mother of
Mayor Edwards was Mary Eliza Farthing, born in Jennings County, Indiana, daughter of
William Logan Farthing, who was born in Jennings County in 1856 and is now, at the age
of seventy-four, a resident of Marion. He was a curb setter by trade. William Logan
Farthing’s wife, Mary Susan Farthing, is seventy-two years of age and lives at Marion.
Mrs. Mary Eliza Edwards died in 1902 and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at
Marion. She was a graduate of the Marion High School. She had one other child, born
in 1902 and died in infancy. Merrill Jennings Edwards was eighteen months of age when
his mother died. He grew up in the home of his grandmother Farthing. Poverty was a close
companion all during his early childhood. As a boy he displayed an unusual amount of
ambi!
tion and energy, and began work before he had completed the course of the common schools.
At the age of fourteen he was selling Marion newspapers on the streets and putting in
other time as porter in Johnson’s Barber Shop. When he was fifteen he built himself a
two-chair shoe shining stand, calling it the “Boston Slicker,” located in an alley on the
north side of the public square. From that he took a job in H. W. Snyder’s Grocery Store
at $3.50 a week. After a time Mr. Snyder suggested that the youth of sixteen buy out the
establishment. Edwards possessed only three dollars in cash, so that the proposition
seemed completely beyond him. Mr. Snyder, however, was serious in the matter, and later
proposed that his clerk should take over the business, valued at $575, on an agreement
that the new owner should pay him ten dollars a week. In his way Jack Edwards became a
Marion merchant, and he handled the business with such energy and ability and sh!
owed such faithfulness in meeting his obligations that every week ten dollars of the
income went to pay Mr. Snyder and at the end of fifty-seven and a half weeks he was sole
owner of the business. As a grocery merchant Mr. Edwards realized the deficiencies of his
education, and he put in all the time he could spare attending school. There were other
talents that came out and were developed during this period. He played in the Boys Marine
Band and in. Love’s Orchestra. About the time he was eighteen years of age he took up
boxing as a sport and pastime. His cleverness with the gloves seemed to give promise of a
career as a prizefighter and he began serious training under the direction of Barney
Sullivan, a former sparing partner of Jim Corbett. After six months Mr. Edwards had his
first professional fight, with Louie Abel, as a bantam eight. This event was held at the
Eagle Theater in Wabash and his share of the purse was ten dollars. For two years he
continued fighti!
ng, during the course of that time meeting Bud Taylor, who later became the bantam
champion. His career in the ring was terminated as the result of a severe automobile
accident in 1922. During the next seventeen months he was unable to do any kind of
physical work. He had continued the ownership of his grocery business and in 1923 returned
to his store as active manager. In June, 1924, he sold his grocery store and for several
months was engaged in boxing promotion at Marion. Since November, 1924, Mr.
Edwards has made an outstanding record in the insurance field. He took up that line of
work as a salesman for the Quigley Insurance Agency of Marion and six months later opened
an office of his own, handling fire, life and casualty insurance for several large
companies. Mr. Edwards has all those engaging qualities that make for popularity and
leadership. For several years he has been popular in amateur theatricals, and has
frequently played female as well as male !
characters. It was almost inevitable that he should be drawn into politics. He is a
Democrat, and at the age of eighteen was made a precinct committeeman and in 1924 became
secretary of the Democratic county committee. He was first a candidate for office in 1925,
when he ran for city clerk. Later 3,400 of his friends organized the Jack Edwards for
Mayor Club, and it was this organization of loyal friends rather than on a partisan basis
that he was nominated and elected mayor of the City of Marion by a substantial majority
over the former mayor. As head of the city government he is continuing his reputation in
his fearless and energetic handling of community work and responsibilities. He is a member
of the board of directors of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and since 1928 has been
treasurer of that organization. He is a popular member of the B. P. 0. Elks, Fraternal
Order of Eagles and Loyal Order of Moose and is active in the First Christian Church,
having been vice preside!
nt and treasurer of the Church Brotherhood, for two years was treasurer of the Boxell
Booster department of the church and has also been a leader in Boy Scout work, serving two
years as assistant master of the local scouts and as a member of the executive board. Mr.
Edwards married, September 1, 1923, Miss Minnie Catherine Quinn at St. Joseph, Michigan.
She is a daughter of William Quinn, of Marion.