Randolph County, Indiana
William H. Bales
William H. Bales is one of the prominent younger members of the Indiana bar, and since qualifying for practice has been located at Muncie. He is one of the attorneys who have offices in the Wysor Building in that city. Mr. Bales was born at Winchester, Indiana, December 9, 1895, son of Judge Alonzo and Martha (Fouts) Bales. His father, for the past ten years' circuit judge of Randolph County, was born in that county, his people having come to Indiana from Virginia. He was educated in public schools and was admitted to the bar about 1893. He handled a large volume of private practice in Winchester until elected circuit judge, and has been on the bench since 1920. Judge Bales' first wife, Martha Fouts, was born and reared in Randolph County, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She died in 1901 and is buried at Winchester. Her four children were: Ralph W., of Indianapolis; William H.; Miss Mary R., of Winchester; and Ruth, Mrs. Max Fish, of Cleveland, Ohio. Judge Bales after the death of his first wife married, at Winchester, Miss Emma Engle, and by this union there is one child, John E., now a student in DePauw University. William H. Bales received his early, advantages in the schools of Winchester and in 1914 graduated from high school. He then entered DePauw University at Greencastle, received his Bachelor's degree in 1918, and on January 10th of that year answered the call to the colors. He was in training at Camp Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina, later, was transferred to Camp Hancock, Georgia, and was sent overseas with the Thirty-seventh Depot Company, holding the rank of sergeant. He was on duty at the Ordnance Headquarters at Tours, France, until after the armistice. Mr. Bales received his honorable discharge at Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio, July 26, 1919. After the war he entered the Law School of the University of Michigan and was graduated J. D. in 1923, and in the same year was admitted to the Indiana bar. He located at Muncie, and was associated with the firm of White & Raymond until December, 1926, when he formed a partnership with John J. O'Neill. Both are very able lawyers and have an extensive practice in all the courts. Mr. Bales served as county attorney of Delaware County during 1924-26. He is a member of the County and Indiana State Bar Associations. He has been active in Delaware Post No. 19 of the American Legion and is affiliated with Winchester Lodge No. 37, A. F. and A. M. and the Kiwianns Club. He is a Republican and a Methodist. Mr. Bales married, December 22, 1923, Miss Jennie Jessup, of Sheridan, Indiana. Her father was a well-to-do farmer there, and her mother is still living in that community. Mrs. Bales attended the grade and high schools of Winchester and finished her education in Earlham College at Richmond. She is a member of the Friends Church and at Muncie is identified with the Matinee Musical Club and the Athenaeum Club. Mr. and Mrs. Bales have two children, Jane Ellen a kindergarten pupil, and William H., Jr.
Unidentified book.
Typed by Lora Radiches~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Since coming to Randolph county three-quarters of a century ago the Bales family has witnessed wide-sweeping and very important changes in this locality, in many of which they have taken a conspicuous part. But change is constant and general, generations rise and pass unmarked away, and it is the duty of posterity as well as a present gratification to place upon the printed page a true record of the lives of those who have preceded us on the stage of action and left to their descendants the memory of their struggles and achievements. The history of this honored family is a part of an indissoluble chain, which links the annals of the past to those of the latter-day progress and prosperity and the history of Randolph county would be incomplete without due reference to them, the various members of the family having lived useful and successful lives, among the best known of the present generation being William H. Bales, long a leading business man of Winchester. Like his father before him, generous and big-hearted, kindly in disposition, he has never lacked for friends, and many of them will pursue his life record, as written here, with deep interest although brief and fragmentary.
.William H. Bales was born in Randolph county, September 11, 1857. He is a son of Isaac N. and Martha J. (Platt) Bales, and is one of a family of three children, the eldest, Mary E., dying in infancy; and the youngest, Magnolia M. married W.O. Bales, a farmer living south of Winchester, and they have two children, Stella M. and Burley N.
Isaac N. Bales was born also in this county and here he grew to manhood, received his education in the old-time schools and devoted his life to general farming. He lived on a farm adjoining the land which our subject's paternal grandfather took up from the government, cleared and developed. Isaac N. Bales was a soldier in the Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry for three years, seeing much hard service and proving to be a gallant soldier for the Union. He was in the last charge of the war, which took place at Mobile, Alabama. He was in the battles at Richmond, Kentucky, in the siege of Vicksburg and was with General Banks on the Red River Expedition, and other general actions. He enlisted August 5, 1862, and was honorably discharged in July 1865. He was never wounded but bullets pierced his hat and clothing.
William H. Bales grew to manhood on the home farm and there worked hard when a boy. He received a common school education. At the age of thirty-seven he moved to Winchester where he has conducted a paint and wall paper store during the past ten years, building up a large and rapidly growing business and carrying at all times a large and carefully selected stock of modern paints and wall paper. His store is one of the best of its kind in this section of the state and would do credit to a city much larger than Winchester. His prices are always right, and, dealing uniformly with his hundreds of customers in an honest and courteous manner, he has become one of our most popular and substantial business men.
.Mr. Bales was first married on February 9, 1878, to Mary A. Fisher, whose death occurred March 5. 1905. To this union three children were born, namely: Newton A., who died in early life; Charles E. C., a farmer, lived at Muncie; he married Pearl Powell and they have two children; Russell H. is bookeeper for the Western Drop Forge Company of Marion; he has remained single. William H. Bales was married again, espousing on October 29, 1908, Minnie Burnside, of Albany, Indiana, a daughter of James F. Burnside, and she is one of a family of eight children, an equal number of sons and daughters. To this second union one child has been born, Esther, the date of whose birth was October 3, 1910.
Politically Mr. Bales is a Progressive. He has been a member of the Christian church for a period of thirty-eight years, and is faithful in his support of the same. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and is a member of the Sons of Veterans.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson