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History of Elkhart County.
1179
Charles P. VanFrank, farmer, sec. 19; is the son
of next mentioned (John VanFrank), and was born in New York State June11,
1833; coming West with his parents he grew up with the State in the improvements
of the county, his father being one of the first settlers in this tp.;
was married in 1859 to Amelia Bickel, born in Ohio in 1836; they have 3
children: William Walter, Frederic Charles and May. Mr. V. owns 108 acres
of land under a good state of cultivation; he is a member of the Presbyterian
Church and a Republican.
John VanFrank, retired farmer, sec. 19; was born
in Oneida county, N.Y., May 10, 1803; was on the farm with his father until
of age, when he began life for himself, continuing his vocation in his
native State.
Since coming to Indiana, Mr.
V. has had 4 children, only 2 of whom are now living: James D. who lives
with his father on the home farm, and Hannah Maria, now Mrs. John A. Hogan,
Wyandotte county, Kan. The 3 deceased are: Edward P., who died March
1, 1838; Mary Elizabeth, who died July 24, 1851; and David Branerd, who
enlisted in Co. I, 88th Ind. Vol. Inf., in 1861, and died at Bowling Green,
Ky., Dec. 7 1862 of pneumonia. He and his wife joined the presbyterian
Church at Mottville, Mich., and when the Church at Bristol was organized,
they united with it, where is still their place of worship. In 1842
Mr. V. was elected Elder. He and his wife are now very aged, yet
they enjoy good health.
Mr. J. VanFrank united with the Congregational Church in 1821 in Clinton, N.Y., and Mrs. John VanFrank united with the Congregational Church at Hampton, same county, in 1830.  Contributed by Jan Monnin |
In
1832 he married miss Harriet Whipple, who was born in North Providence,
R.I., Jan 7, 1808, and they had 2 children: Charles P. and David B., both
born in New York. In the spring of 1835 they came via Buffalo steamer
to Detroit, and by ox-team thence to what was then Middlebury tp. This
county, a wilderness, where Mr. V. entered 40 acres of land. At that time
there were but 20 or 25 settlers in the township. In answer to a petition
of the citizens, the fractional tp. Of York was set off from Middlebury,
named after the State of New York, and they immediately elected their justice
of the peace, school trustees, supervisors, road commisioners, etc.
