George E. Harmes ¹

  General Notes:

Biography of George E. Harmes, pages 637/638. History of DeKalb
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



George E. Harmes

Among the substantial men whose labor and influence have given impetus
to the general material improvement of DeKalb county in years gone by
and who today occupies no insignificant place in the esteem of the
community in which he resides is the worthy gentleman whose name forms
the introduction of this sketch. He has been content to spend his life
in his native locality, wisely deciding that this favored section of
the great Hoosier state was as well if not better suited for the
pursuit of agriculture than any other.

George E. Harmes was born in DeKalb county, Indiana, on April 25, 1866,
the son of Henry and Maria (Young) Harmes. Henry Harmes was born in
Hanover, Germany, December 30, 1822, the son of Frederick and Mary
Harmes, who emigrated to the United States in 1830. Henry Harmes was
married on September 19, 1850, to Maria Young, who was born in Huron
county, Ohio, and the same years they moved to DeKalb county. They
became the parents of seven children, of whom only two are now living,
Mrs. Clara J. Brumback and the subject of this sketch. The mother of
these children died on December 12, 1868, and on January 13, 1870, Mr.
Harmes married Mrs. Sarah Knapp, they removing to Noble county during
the same year. Henry died on July 3, 1906. George E. Harmes received
his education in the common schools of Noble county, and on completing
the public school course he attended a business college at Angola,
Indiana, thus receiving a good practical education in both the literary
and business branches. Reared to the pursuit of farming, he has never
see cause to forsake this vocation, in which he has achieved a
pronounced success, and is not the owner of a magnificent farm of three
hundred and thirty-five acres in Fairfield township, to the cultivation
and improvement of which he devoted his undivided time. He follows
general farming, raising all the crops common to this locality, and
also gives some attention to feeding of cattle, in which he has been
very successful. His farm is splendidly improved in every respect, the
attractive and comfortable residence, commodious and well-arranged
barns and other necessary out-buildings indicating him to be a man of
excellent taste and sound judgement. He gives his personal attention to
every detail of his farm work, and by persistent industry and the
exercise of good judgment he has attained to a high place among his
fellow agriculturists. On October 10, 1893, George E. Harmes married
Mary Bessie Stonebraker, a daughter of John M. and Harriet (Drowley)
Stonebraker, both of whom were early settlers of Fairfield township.
Mr. Stonbraker was a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted on
August 27, 1861, in Company B, Twenty-ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteer
Infantry, with which he served with valor and faithfulness until his
honorable discharge on August 27, 1864. To Mr. and Mrs. Harmes have
been born four children, Clifton E., Harriet H., Henry T. and Theodore
K. Politically, Mr. Harmes has been an ardent supporter of the
Republican party, though he has been to busy a man to aspires to public
office on his own account. Fraternally, he is a member of Corunna
Lodge No. 248, Knights of Pythias, in the workings of which he takes
and intelligent interest. By a life characterized by industry and
integrity Mr. Harmes maintains the confidence and good will of he
people of his community, and among his neighbors and acquaintances his
character and integrity have ever been above reproach.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com

George married Bessie Stonebraker, daughter of John M. Stonebraker and Harriet Drowley, on 10 Oct 1893.