William G. Lewis
William G. Lewis came to Fairmount Township with his parents, David and Nancy (George) Lewis. He was born in Franklin County, Indiana, May 13, 1825. He was nine years old when he came to this Township. William G. Lewis taught eighteen terms of school, served as Justice of the Peace and was for thirty-five years a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, later becoming connected with the Methodist Protestant Church, serving for fifteen years as local minister in this denomination. During his work in the ministry Mr. Lewis performed the marriage ceremony for more than a thousand couples. In early life he was a Whig, joining the Republican party when that organization was first formed. He was the original local advocate and agitator from a public platform of the abolition of the liquor traffic. As a young man of twenty-five, in the old Sugar Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, which stood on the land now owned by Daniel Johnson, Mr. Lewis made his first address attacking the liquor business.
He was kind and hospitable, generous to fault, aggressive in the right as he saw it, dealing justly by his fellowman, living a modest life, full of usefulness and good deeds, leaving the world better for his having lived in it.
He died January 13, 1907. Funeral services were conducted in the Congregational Church, Fairmount, the Masonic order being in charge. His remains were interred in Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Emeline Lewis
Wife of William G. Lewis, and a daughter of Henry Osborn, who entered land southeast of Fairmount, near the Lewis home, August 27, 1833. Mrs. Lewis was born January 12, 1835, in Fairmount Township. She was the first of a family of six children, others being Louisa, Jonathan, William P., Zimri C. and Rachel Ann. Although in poor health, enfeebled by the infirmities of old age, this noble woman in the latter months of her life, was mentaly bright and alert, enjoyed company when strength permitted and eagerly related interesting stories and incidents about first settlers and described the trial and joys of frontier life in the wilderness.