From the 1920 History of Northeast
Indiana page 177 & 178:
Marion A. Oberst is a proprietor of a
valuable and productive farm in Clear Lake Township of Steuben
County. He has spent practically all his life in that county and
represents several family names that have had much to do with the
development of the county from pioneer times.
He was born in York Township, January
17, 1865. His father Christopher Oberst, who was born in Ottawa
County, Ohio, August 26, 1841, died July 10, 1919. His parents
John and Barbara Oberst were natives of Germany and came to America
about 1830, living for three years at Rochester, New York, and then
moving to Ottawa County, Ohio, where Barbara Oberst died in 1856 and
her husband in 1877. Christopher Oberst was the youngest of eight
children, and he grew up and received his education in Ottawa
County. He was honored among other things for his record as a
soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted in 1861 in Company A of the
Forty-fourth Indiana Infantry, and was in the Battles of Fort Donelson,
Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River, and Chickamauga. He was wounded at
Chickamauga in September, 1863, lay on the battlefield 10 days and fell
into the hands of the enemy. After his parole he was sent to a
hospital and did not rejoin his command until May, 1864. After
being mustered out of the army in November, 1864, he came to Steuben
County and bought a farm in Clear Lake Township and was identified with
the community for over half a century. On September 3, 1861,
Christopher Oberst married Mary M. Lord. Her parents, Henry A.
and Catherine (Flora) Lord, came to Steuben County in 1849 and were
early settlers in Clear Lake Township. Mrs. Mary Oberst died in
April, 1901. On March 30, 1903, Mr. Oberst married Mrs. Elvira
Fletcher, widow of Milton Fletcher. She still makes her home on
the farm in Clear Lake Township. Christopher Oberst by his first
marriage had two sons, Marion A. and George A. George A. Oberst,
who died September 16, 1914, married Linnie McElhenie.
Marion A. Oberst acquired his
education in the district schools and worked on the farm with his
father for a number of years. In 1886 he married Miss Addie
Laughlin, daughter of Robert and Kate Laughlin. Since his
marriage he has given his time to farming, and for over thirty years
has lived in sections 31 and 32 of Clear Lake Township, where he has
102 acres, the buildings and other improvements representing his
personal labor and investment.
Mr. and Mrs. Oberst had two children:
Zana and Walter Keith, the latter still at home. Zana is the wife
of Charles Griffin, and three children were born to their marriage,
Marvin, Thelma and Velma, the last two, twins. Marvin and Thelma
are now deceased.
Robert Laughlin, father of Mrs.
Oberst, was for many years a farmer in Camden Township of Hillsdale
County, Michigan. He died September 25, 1905, and is survived by
his widow. They had four children: Addie, Mabel, who died at the
age of five years, Earl and Pearl, twins, the latter the wife of O.V.
McFadden.