SQUIRE WOODRUFF. A retired farmer living in a pleasant home on Jefferson Street, left his farm in Sullivan Township some three years ago and for fourteen months made his home in Decatur before coming to Sullivan, Moultrie County. He purchased land in Sullivan Township when he first came to this county in 1854 and was remarkably successful in general farming and stock-raising, so that he now owns four hundred and sixty-seven acres of as fine land as there is in the county, three hundred and thirty-seven acres of which is under the plow and subdrained with tiling. One hundred and sixty acres of this land was obtained by his father, Moses, from the Government in 1837 and has never been deeded outside of the family. Mr. Woodruff has had unusual success in breeding the best grades of sheep, swine, cattle and horses. He was born near the county seat of Fountain County, Ind., July 29, 1827, his father being a native of New Jersey and a son of Samuel A. Woodruff of the same State, but descended from old New England stock.

The grandfather of our subject learned the trade of a tailor in New Jersey, and married Miss Joan Potter and after the birth of their children they emigrated with their family to Ohio, settling at Shakers' village and joining that peculiar sect, and lived there until her death. Somewhat later her husband came to Indiana and died in the home of his son Aaron Woodruff in Fountain County, being then past seventy-four years of age. He adhered to the Shaker faith till his death, although his sons Moses and Aaron, when young men broke away from this faith and came to Indiana, there beginning life as farmers. This was just after the marriage of Moses Woodruff with Miss Margaret Petro, a native of Pennsylvania who came to Ohio when ten years of age. They were married in Monroe County, Ohio, after which they came to Indiana and made a settlement in the woods in Fountain County. They were without means and did genuine pioneer work in that new region, and there Moses and his wife lived and died. Moses passed away in 1838 when less than forty-two years old, and his faithful wife survived him more than twenty years and died November 11, 1860, at the age of about sixty-eight years. Moses Woodruff was an Universalist in his religious belief and his wife died in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Squire Woodruff is the first born of his parents and he and his brother Martin, a farmer near Sullivan, are now all that remain of the family, as their sister Mary A. died in infancy. The first marriage of our subject took place in Fountain County, Ind., he being then united with Miss Asenath Marvin of that county, who died in Moultrie County, Ill., January 5, 1857, at the early age of twenty-six years. The second wife of Mr. Woodruff to whom he was united in this county bore the maiden name of Mary Heffelfinger. She was born in Pennsylvania and came when quite young first to Indiana and later to Illinois, and when thirty-one years old passed away from this life March 6, 1869. The third marriage of Mr. Woodruff united him with Mary A. Yakeley. His fourth wife was formerly Miss Elizabeth Kepler. She died September 12, 1882. Our subject was again married to Hannah Horn who was born in Washington County, Pa., and came to Illinois after her first marriage. Mr. Woodruff had children by four of his wives and nine of them are living, namely: Ethan A., Mary E., Elias P., Martin A., Asenath, Cora B., Helen, Margaret A. and Edith D. The last three are unmarried and make their home with their father.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, 1891 - p. 319/320

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