This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Stech, Helbig, Klein, Scarff, David
Classification: Biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Ii.2ADI/835
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:
Other surnames mentioned in the biography of JOHN P. STECH are, Stech, Helbig, Klein,
Scarff, David,
JOHN P. STECH, of Rushville, has lived in that community many years. His experience has
covered a diversified field of effort. For many years he was in the newspaper business and
at Rushville he has filled several important offices, being now a justice of the peace.
Judge Stech was born at Billingsville, Union County, Indiana, September 8, 1862, son of
Jacob and Catherine (Helbig) Stech. His father was born in Straussburg, Germany, and his
mother in the City of Munich. Jacob Stech came to America and in 1854 was working on a
farm that is now included in the City of Cincinnati. In 1855 he began learning the trade
of carriage maker at Louisville, work for a Mr. Klein for three years. His employer died
and later Jacob Stech married his widow and moved to Billingsville, Indiana, where he
opened a shop. He disposed of this business in 1888 and became an employee of the
Studebaker Wagon Works at South Bend. In 1904 he went to visit a daughter in California
and died there in Februa!
ry, 1905. His wife passed away in 1878. John P. Stech was educated in common schools. As
a boy he began an apprentice ship in a newspaper office at Liberty, Indiana, a worked at
the printing trade there two year spent one year with the Weekly, Star at Crawfordsville,
another year with the Daily News at Troy, Ohio, and then went on the road as a traveling
salesman for the Harter Medicine Company of Saint Louis. His territory was in Indian
Territory and Texas. In November, 1888, Mr. Stech married Miss Laura Scarff, who was born
in Miami County, Ohio, daughter of Bernard B. and Harriett Scarff, her father a native of
Virginia and her mother of Indiana. After his marriage Mr. Stech became manager of the
North Carlisle, Ohio, Sun and was with that paper until the fall of 1893. For three years
he was advertising agent for the Dayton Evening Press, and in August, 1896, became manager
of a newspaper at Milroy, Ohio. He has been a resident of Rushville since March, 1898. For
a time !
he was a reporter for the Twice-a-Week Graphic, and in 1900 entered th
e postal service as a city mail carrier. He was in this service until 1911, when, on
account of an injury to a knee, he resigned, and in the fall of 19.13 was elected city
treasurer. He served in that office from January, 1914, until January, 1918. Mr. Stech has
had some experience in fire insurance work. In the fall of 1918 he was made justice of the
peace and has held that office continuously by reelection. He has been clerk of the Modem
Woodmen of America since 1904 and has filled all the chairs. Judge Stech is a Republican
and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He resides at 829 North Jackson Street.
His wife died July 3, 1912, leaving four children: Howard, chemist for an oil refining
company at Denver, Colorado; Harriett, the wife of Dora David, of Rush County, Indiana;
Miss Hazel, at home; and Bernard, storekeeper for a knitting factory at Piqua, Ohio.