Ashby - Robert L
ROBERT LOCKRIDGE ASHBY
Source: Bowen, A.W. History of Montgomery County, Indiana. Indianapolis: Bowen, 1913, p 1017
Human life is made up of two elements, power and form, and the proportion must be invariably kept if we would have it sweet and sound. Each of these elements in excess makes a mischief as hurtful as would be its deficency. Everything turns to excess; every good quality is noxious if unmixed, and to carry the danger to the edge of ruin nature causes each man's peculiarity to superabound. One speaking from the standpoint of a farmer would adduce the learned professions as examples of the treachery. They are nature's victims of expression. You study the artist, the orator or the man of inventive genius and find their lives no more excellent than that of merchants farmers or manufacturers. Many men get but glimpses of the delights found in nature in its various elements and moods, but there is awlays ample opportunities to enjoy life in its varied phases, whatever the profession. It depends upon the individual. Robert L. ASHBY, for many years one of the most representatives and best known business men of Ladoga, Montgomery County, is one who takes a delight in existence. It is because he is in touch with the springs of life. He does not permit material things to supplant his better nature. His life has been filled with good deeds and kindly thoughts, and all who knew him entertain for him the highest regard, by reason of his industrious upright and honorable career. Mr. A. was born in Scott Twp, near Parkersburg, this county Nov 18, 1847. He is a s/o Thompson V. and Dulcenia (LOCKRIDGE) Ashby, a complete history of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Robert L. Ashby grew to manhood on his father's farm where he assisted with the work during the crop seasons, attending the neighborhood schools during the winter months. In 1875 he marr. Alice FORDICE, a d/o Asa and Mary (CHAMBERS) Fordice. Her father was born in Morgan Co, Ohio and when a young man he traveled in several states, selling fanning machines, manufacdtured by Fordice and DeVOE, who operated factories at Ladoga and several other places. Mary Chambers, mentioned above, was born in Sullivan Co, IN and was a d/o George and Ann (ALLISON) Chambers, natives of Ky. After his marr Asa Fordice and his brothers, Joseph, Goerge, Nelson and Jesse bought farms So. of Russellville and made their homes there, and it was there that Asa Fordice spent the rest of his life and there reared his family, and it was on his farm that Mrs. Ashby lived until her marriage. After his marriage, Robert Ashby began farming 3 miles SW of Ladoga and there he continued to reside, successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising, until about 1902. He started out with 160 acres. It was only partly cleared, but he was industrious and the years brought him prosperity. He added to his original holdings until he is now the owner of 400 acrs of valuable and well improved land. In Aug 1893, he purchased the grain elevator at Ladoga and went into the grain business on a large scale. Two or three years later he added the lumber yard to his business, and subsequently added cement and other building supplies, also a coal business. Aobut 1903 he built a handsome and commodious residence on E. Main St. in Ladoga, which is his present home. To M/M Ashby have been born 3 sons and two daughters, all living namesly: Thompson V who married Eva GRIMES, lives in Indianapolis and they have two sons, George and William; Fred F, who with his brother, Thompson V, is a member of the Wabash Veneer Co, of Indianpaolis and he lives in that city; Wallace W, who live sin Ladoga has largely superceded his father in the active management of both the farm and elevator; Dulcenia is teaching in the HS at Lapel, In; Bertha is attending the NW Univ. at Evanston, a suburb of Chicago. Robert Ashby and wife are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally, he is a Mason, in which he has attained the rank of Knights Templar. His 3 sons are all Scottish Rite Masons, and members of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the mystic Shrine. Recently Mr. Ashby built a winter home at Dunedin, a Scottish settlement on the W. Coast of Fla, and he and Mrs. Ashby now spent their winters at that pleasant troplical resort. Both the Ashbys and Fordices are of Scotch ancestry. -- typed by kbz