John Wesley Woner

    John Wesley Woner is known to the citizens of Turman Township, Sullivan County, as a thrifty farmer for the acreage which he attempts to till, and also as being connected with the grain threshing and saw mill industry, which he follows during the season for such activities. Mr. Woner was born in Madison County, Indiana, August 27, 1840, a son of David and Malinda W. (Hayden) Woner. The father was born in Kentucky, as was his wife, who was a native of Mercer County, that state. They were married in Kentucky about 1830, and between then and 1840 they moved to Madison County, Indiana, but later went to Wabash County, and while there he had a contract for the construction of the Wabash and Indianapolis railroad. During his sojourn there and while thus actively engaged, he disappeared and was never again seen by his friends and family. The mother, with her family, then removed to Mercer County, Kentucky, and lived there until her son, he of whom this biography is written, was fifteen years of age, and then moved to Orange County, Indiana, where the family resided.

    Mr. Woner has one brother, Jacob, who resides in Orange County, Indiana. For her second husband the subject's mother married Jesse Burton of Sullivan County.

    On July 4, 1861, the first year of the Civil War - John W. Woner enlisted in the Twenty-fourth Indiana Infantry, being a member of Company G, under Captain Spicely, of Orleans, Indiana. He served until November 30, 1865, when he was mustered out of the Untied States service at Galveston, Texas, and finally discharged at Indianapolis. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Jackson (Mississippi), Mobile (Alabama) and lesser engagements. After the close of his military life, he returned to Sullivan, where he joined his mother and brother, who had moved to this county during his absence in the army, and had located east of Merom. He soon began farming and also did blacksmithing for about fifteen years, attending to his farming in the meantime. His shop was at Graysville, and there his strength was expended at the forge and anvil, which was quite a source of revenue to him. His faithful wife owns ninety acres of choice farming land, which he has worked in connection with considerable stock raising. Beginning as early as 1874 Mr. Woner has operated a threshing machine and saw mill in their respective seasons.

    Politically he is a stanch supporter of the general principles of the Republican party. He naturally found a place among the comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic, being a member of Richard Burton  Post. He was happily married April 1, 1868, to Mrs. Cynthia A. (Dodd) Brewer, born in Curry Township, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Asbourn) Dodd. The father formerly conducted a hotel at Sullivan. She first married Samuel Brewer, who died within a few years. To that union three children were born, one of whom now survives -John E. Brewer, living near New Lebanon. Mr. and Mrs. Woner have two living children and one deceased. They are: William E., deceased; Hattie G., now the wife of William Strain, and they reside in Turman Township; James I. married Esther U. Moore and they reside with the subject.

Source: A History of Sullivan County, Indiana. Closing of the first century’s history of the county and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth. Thomas J. Wolfe, Editor. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909, page 239-240.