My Genealogy Hound

JOSEPH UPLINGER, of Republican township, Harlan county, Nebr., was born near Covington, Fountain county, Ind., July 3, 1836, was reared on a farm and received a common-school education. From the age of thirteen until nearly of age he hired out, but in 1857, being then possessed of forty acres, he was married in his native county, and there continued to reside until October, 1861, when he enlisted in Company K, Forty-third Indiana infantry, and served in the Western department three years. Although he took part in many battles he escaped being wounded or captured, and was mustered out and paid at Indianapolis, when he returned home and resumed farming, which he there continued until 1874, when he moved to Kansas and bought out a squatter in Phillips county, afterwards homesteading the land and remaining on it four years. In 1878 he came to Harlan county, Nebr., and bought one-half of section 11, in townships 2 and 3, where he still resides. Having lost his wife in 1877 while in Kansas, he married in July, 1878, after reaching Nebraska, a widow who owned a quarter section adjoining his own purchase, thus making a joint farm of three-quarters of a section. When he left Indiana, Mr. Uplinger was worth about $3,000, but now, after having passed through all the grievances and hardships of pioneer life, finds himself to be a quite wealthy man.

The first marriage of Mr. Uplinger, in 1857, was to Mrs. Elizabeth Rickett, a widow, and a daughter of Isaac Sloan. To this union were born seven children, viz. — Charles (deceased), Arnold, Eliza E. (deceased), Ernest W., Joseph M., an infant that died unnamed, and Lola A. The second marriage of our subject was to Mrs. Amanda Craig, a daughter of John White, who was a native of Illinois, was a mechanic and farmer, and married to Margaret Kemp. Mrs. Uplinger was first married in Minnesota, and came from that state to Nebraska in 1871, being among the first to settle in Republican township. By her marriage to Mr. Craig she became the mother of five children, named as follows — George W., Lee A., Eugene O., Violette and Alva; to Mr. Uplinger she has borne six children, viz. — Sammy C., Margaret, John C., Amanda, Eveline and Charles G., of whom the last named died in August, 1888, at the age of sixteen months.

The father of our subject, Jacob Uplinger, was a native of Germany, but when five years of age was brought to America by his parents, who settled in Lancaster county, Pa., where he was reared a farmer and distiller; he was married in Virginia to Miss Anna M., daughter of Jacob and Barbara Risler, natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. About 1830 he moved to Indiana, bought a farm in Fountain county, reared a family of five children and died about 1836, a short time before the subject of this sketch was born. The widow of Jacob Uplinger, at the age of ninety years, is now living with her son, our subject, who is filially caring for her in her old age.

Mr. Uplinger is in politics a democrat, and has filled the position of moderator of schools many terms, and he is universally esteemed by all classes of the community.