Hello fellow listers!
The following biography on Charles O. Rupel is from Timothy Edward Howard's, History
of St. Joseph County, Lewis Publishing Co., 1907, pp. 1033-1034. It includes the
following names: Rupel, Chief Rum, Rockhill, Walz, Stichler, Gebhart, and Greene. All of
these people lived in St. Joseph Co., Indiana. If anyone has information on any of these
people, please contact me.
Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Rick
South Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN
CHARLES O. RUPEL, one of the leading agriculturists and business men of Greene
township, is a representative of one of the oldest and most honored pioneer families of
St. Joseph county. His birth occurred within its borders on the 8th of January, 1865, a
son of Franklin Rupel and a grandson of Peter Rupel. The last named was born in Somerset
county, Pennsylvania, and was of Pennsylvania German descent, a people noted for their
many noble characteristics. It was in March of 1831 that the Rupel family took up their
abode in St. Joseph county, this being at a time when the Pottawatomie Indians were yet
numerous in this section. Here Peter Rupel lived and labored during the remainder of his
life, and he now lies buried on the old home farm, while beside him lies his wife,
Christena, and a brother. About the time of the arrival of the family in St. Joseph
county, Rum, a famous chief of the Pottatwatomies, died, and as was then the custom of the
Indians he was buried in !
a sitting position in a pen built of sticks five by three feet and about six feet high.
Franklin, the youngest son of Peter Rupel, was born in Centre township, St. Joseph county,
on the farm on which he now resides, and in this state he was married to Martha Jane
Rockhill, who was born near Springfield, Ohio, a daughter of Israel J. Rockhill, also of
that commonwealth. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rupel were born four children: Charles O., whose
name introduces this review; Ernest, who is engaged in the wholesale notion business in
South Bend; Mrs. Nelly Walz, of the same city; and Edith, the youngest of the family. All
received excellent educational advantages, and the second son, Ernest, was for ten years a
successful teacher, while Edith is now a prominent member of that profession. Mr. Rupel
was an excellent farmer, a successful business man and was honored and respected wherever
known. He gave his political support to the Democracy, and was liberal in his religious
views. M!
rs. Rupel was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Their eldest son, Charles O. Rupel, received his elementary education in the county
schools, while later he became a pupil in the South Bend high school, and he remained at
home after attaining to years of maturity, assisting his father in the work of the farm.
At the age of thirty-three years he was united in marriage to Clara Stichler. who was
born, reared and educated in Greene township, where her father, Martin Stichler, was a
well-known agriculturist. He was born in the fatherland of Germany, serving for six years
in the German army, and was also a soldier in the French war. During his young manhood he
came to the United States, and in 1845 settled in St. Joseph county, Indiana. He was here
married to Magdalena Gebhart, who also claimed Germany as the land of her nativity. She
became a resident of St. Joseph county in 1859, and she is yet living and resides in South
Bend, a worthy member of the Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs. Stichler were the parents of
seven !
children, Catherine, Frederick, Thoedore, Carl, Clara and Magdalena. One son, Martin,
died at the age of nine months, and the husband and father passed away in death at the age
of seventy-seven years. He was a member of the Catholic church, and was a Democrat in his
political affiliations. Two sons have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Rupel: Martin
Franklin, who was born November 30, 1898. and Albert Hale, whose birth occurred on the
5th of June 1902. Mr. Rupel is numbered among the leading agriculturists of Greene
township. The farm which he now owns and resides upon was formerly known as the John
Greene place, he having settled upon it as early as 1831, and being the first settler the
township was named after him. Since May. 1902, it has been the home of the Rupel family.
It is a valuable homestead, with its excellent buildings, rich and well cultivated fields,
and in addition to general agricultural pursuits its owner is also engaged in stock
raising.