My Genealogy Hound

HENRY C. SHIDAKER, farmer; P. O. Troy; born in Miami Co., on the farm where he now resides, Feb. 20, 1825; is a son of Valentine and Emily (Harter) Shidaker; he was born in Maryland and she in Kentucky. The grandfather, Michael, was also a native of Maryland, the ancestry originally coming from Germany. The grandfather, Michael, removed from Maryland to Miami Co., in 1805, and located in Elizabeth Township, entering Sec. 14, in the dense forest, with no neighbors nearer than two to three miles, being as it were, an opening wedge in the pioneer work in this section. He died after performing many years of hard labor, and was succeeded by his son Valentine, who continued the work of clearing up and making improvements until he died, in 1846. He and wife Emily had eight children, of whom seven are now living, viz., Mitchell, Catharine, Henry C., Andrew, Jonathan, Sarah and Robert. Our subject always lived with his father till his death, since which he has succeeded him in possession of the old home farm. He was united in marriage, Oct. 8, 1847, with Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Edmunds, who came from Virginia. They had three children, viz., Lucy Matilda, Laura E. and Clara F. He has a fine farm of 127 acres, of which 100 acres are in cultivation, with very fine buildings attached. This farm has now been the residence of the Shidaker family for seventy-five years.