Widener - Clarence
Source: Taken from: History of Montgomery County, Indiana
(Indianapolis: AW Bowen, 1913) p 738
Life is pleasant to live when you know how to make the most of
it. Some people start in life as if they had weights on their
souls or were afraid to make the necessary effort to live up to
the high standards. Others, by not making the proper study of the
conditions of existence, or by not having that blessed trainer, a
good and intelligent mother, are side tracked at the outset and
never seem thereafter to be able to get back again on the main
track. Much depends on the start, just as it does in a race. The
horse that gets the best start all other things being equal, will
almost invariably win the race. So in the race of life; if you
are properly started with suitable groom, such as good
educational and splendid home training, you will lead in the race
in after years and enjoy every minute of your existence. Such
home influences were thrown around Clarence WIDENER, one of the
leading farmers in Montgomery County in his early years. Both
father and mother are people of unusual intelligence, and both
have ever led lives of singular wholesomeness. Mr. Widener was
born Aug 8, 1871 in Fountain County, Indiana. He is a son of
George and Alice QUICK Widener. The father was born August 30,
1845 in this county and here the mother also saw the light of day
Oct. 31, 1848. Here they grew to maturity, received their
educations in the common schools and were married; they are now
living in a pleasant home in Crawfordsville. They have spent
their active lives on a farm, but having accumulated sufficient
of this world's goods to insure their declining years free from
want, they are now living retired. They moved from this county to
Fountain County in 1870, where they lived 5 or 6 years, then
returned to Montgomery County. Two children were born to them,
Clarence, of this sketch; and Guy born July 3, 1874; he married
Minnie COWAN and they live in Michigan. Clarence Widener grew to
manhood on the farm and when a boy did his full share of the
general work about the place. He received a good common school
education. On September 6, 1896, he married Mrs. Dora FLOREY, who
was born in Fountain County, Nov 8, 1878 and is a daughter of
Joseph and Mary C. MELOTT Florey, her parents being natives of
Indiana and they became very comfortably established in Fountain
County through their industry. Five children have been born to
the subject and wife: Leslie, born Oct 1, 1898 is attending high
school; Bernice, born June 7, 1900; Lester born Oct 14, 1904;
Katheryn, born June 2, 1909; and Josephine born March 26, 1910.
Mr. Widener has worked his way up from a modest beginning to the
front rank of agriculturists and stock raisers having worked hard
and managed well and at the same time dealt fairly with his
neighbors, whose respect he has ever had. Mr. Widener has always
followed farming, and each succeeding year has found him further
advanced. His attractive, well kept and desirable farm in Union
Township known as Mt. View Farm, is one of the show places of
this section of the county. It contains 240 acres, nearly all
tillable, 45 acres being in pasture and woods. It is well
improved in every respect and on it is to be seen a large, well
arranged dwelling and good outbuildings. On a large scale general
farming is carried on. Mr. Widener now making a specialty of
raising Jersey cows, and he formerly bred cattle of a high grade.
Politically, he is a Progressive and has been very much
interested in the new movement. Fraternally, he belongs to the
Knights of Pythias, Crawfordsville and in a religious way he
holds membership with the Methodist Episcopal Church. - transcribed by kbz