DIFFENDERFER-J.H. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

J. H. Diffenderfer, farmer, Covington, was born in Fountain county in 1848. His father, Gotlieb Diffenderfer, was a native of Pickway county, Ohio, and settled in Fountain county about 1845. He was a baker by trade, and for eight years after coining to Fountain county he was engaged in carrying on a bakery in Covington. His change in business was to buy the farm on which J. H. has now lived for three years, and which is the old homestead, consisting of 190 acres. When he bought it there were about twenty acres improved, and now it is a finely conducted farm of 140 acres, with all the improvements. Mr. Diffenderfer was a democrat, and during his residence in Troy township he held the office of township trustee for several terms, and was also, for six years, township assessor. He died in 1875 respected and honored by his family and many friends. J. H. has been a resident of Troy township most of his life, and in fact was twenty years old before he had ever left the township His first travels outside of his native county were in a somewhat novel costume. Being one day with some friends bathing in the Wabash river he swam to the opposite bank and landed in Warren county, but did not prolong his stay, and soon returned to his native county by the same route that he had left it. He was married in 1870 to Miss Isabella Briney. The issue of this union is three children. Mr. Diffenderfer has given his time and attention very attentively to farming, and recently he has given some attention to the growing of fine stock. In politics he is a democrat.