VORHEES-Stephen - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Stephen VORHEES, (deceased), was born in Kentucky in 1798. At the age of eight years he emigrated to Butler county Ohio, with his parents, where he remained until 1827, when he emigrated to Fountain county Indiana, settling in Van Buren township, three miles north of where Veedersburg now stands. He was reared to farming which he followed through life. Stephen Vorhees and Rachel Elliot native of Ohio and sister of the noted Arthur Elliot, were married in Ohio in 1822, They raised a family of nine children, all of whom are living; Julia A., widow of Charles Stewart, and Eliza J. (Mrs. J.L. Curtis), are residents of Rantoul Illinois, Peter a resident farmer of Vermillion county Illinois, Daniel W. a resident of Terre Haute Indiana, and United States Senator from Indiana, a graduate of the Asbury University Greencastle Indiana and was admitted to the bar at Covington Indiana, Henry C. occupies the old homestead fram and cares for his age mother, John M. is a resident of California engaged in the business of stock raising, Mary C. wife of John E. Risby attorney, New York, Martha E. unmarried resides in New York. Mr. Vorhees when he first came to Fountain county entered eighty acres. By his great energy and industry he accumulated considerable property. He was a very active member of the Methodist Episcopal church. So is his wife. Some years before he died he united with the United Society near him, but retained his preference for the first church of his choosing and ordered that his funeral should be conducted by the Methodist Episcopal church. He was not a narrow-hearted selfish Christian, but labored for the good of religious societies in his community. He died at his home, aged eighty-two years. The last eight years of his life he resided with son, Henry C. By his death many friends were left to mourn the irreparable loss of a citizen whose highest motto and greatest desire was to “do right”. Henry C. Vorhees, the only one of the family now resident of Fountain county was born in Fountain County in 1833, was married in 1863 to Rebecca Henshaw, native of this county, daughter of Solomon and Rebecca Henshaw. They have two children; Rachel J. and Stephen C. Henry C. takes great interest in the moral upbuilding of society. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Sterling. AT present he is superintendent of the Union Sunday school; at Cool Springs Church. He belongs to the democratic party. His parents on his father’s side originally came from Germany, on his mother’s side of the family they came to Ohio from Maryland.