John Gettys

    John Gettys, a native of Blackford County, Indiana, was born in Licking Township, December 8, 1847, a son of James and Sarah Gettys. He remained on the homestead which his parents had made in the woods of Blackford County, remaining with this until parents until one year after his marriage when he received a piece of the homestead as his own. To this he has since added until he has 136 acres of choice land, eighty-five acres being cleared and very productive, which has been accomplished by persevering industry and years of toil by the subject of this sketch. He still continu4ed to hew into the timber, so that each year another piece is added to the productive portion of his land.

    His faithful and excellent help-mate, who has materially aided him in his labors, was formerly Miss Laura A. Waters, to whom he was married December 15, 1872. She is a native of Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana, and is a daughter of Lawrence and Eve Waters, her parents being now residents of Blackford County. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gettys, whose names are as follows -Walter L., Mary Addie and Joseph.

    Politically Mr. Gettys is a Republican. He is a worthy representative of an old pioneer family, and has grown up with the county. While a young man game was yet plentiful, and he has shot numbers of wild turkey over the same ground where he now follows the plow.

    The Gettys family is one of the old families of the Keystone State, and from one of its members the town of Gettysburgh takes its name. James Gettys, the father of our subject, was born and reared in Greene County, Pennsylvania. He was married in the same county to Mrs. Sarah (Moore) Penn. To this union five children were born and reared in Greene County, and was the widow of Thomas Penn. To this union five children were born, of whom John was the third child. They lived in their native State until about 1845, when they removed by team to Blackford County, Indiana, where Mr. Gettys had previously entered 120 acres of timber land in Licking Township. No improvements of any king has been made on the land, and on coming to the county the family lived with Joseph Gettys, a brother of James, while the latter cleared a space and erected a log cabin, which was occupied as soon as completed. Although game of all kinds was found in abundance Mr. Gettys was no hunter, preferring to devote his time to clearing his land and attending to his farm. He lived at the old homestead until his death, which occurred September 28, 1869, aged sixty years, ten months and fifteen days.

    In politics he was an adherent of the principles of the Republican party, and was an active man in the early history of the county. His widow lived to see the many changes which have taken place in the county, transforming it from a wilderness into its present prosperous condition of well cultivated farms, and thriving towns and villages. She died April 28, 1883, aged sixty-six years, six months and twenty-four days, and is buried beside her husband in the Hartford City Cemetery. She was a member of the Baptist Church.

Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.