John Wissinger
(From The History of
Cass County, Indiana by Dr. Jehu Powell, 1913)
Contributed by Gregory J. Donat.
John Wissinger, whose connection with a combination of business enterprises has made him one of the leading and substantial men of Onward, Indiana, owes his success in life to hard work intelligently directed, to inherent ability of a versatile nature, and to a perseverance that has kept him steadily at whatever task he has found himself until it has been ended in successful accomplishment. He has been a farmer, sawmill operator, lumberman, cider manufacturer and threshing machine owner in turn, bringing to each venture an enthusiasm and progressive spirit that would admit of no defeat, and in the midst of these multitudinous activities has always found time to give to the promotion of his community's welfare. Mr. Wissinger is a Hoosier by birth, having been born May 7, 1858, in Washington township, Miami county, and is a son of Isaac and Mary (Straup) Wissinger. His father, a native of Ohio, grew up near the city of Dayton, from whence he came to Indiana in young manhood, settling in Miami county, where he continued to spend the remainder of his life on a farm which he had purchased in Washington township. He and his wife became the parents of four children, as follows: William; John; Elizabeth, who married Mr. Cripe; and Sarah, who married Mr. Metzgar.
John Wissinger grew to manhood on the old home place in Miami county, and there attended the county schools of Washington township, in the meantime being reared to agricultural pursuits and to habits of industry, sobriety and honesty. He continued to assist his father until he reached man's estate, at which time he began renting land, thus being able to accumulate enough means to purchase his first property, which he still owns. On this land he earned the capital with which he bought his present valuable town property, and after some years spent in farming he entered the sawmill business, which he has built up to large proportions, his trade extending throughout the surrounding country. Later, Mr. Wissinger became the proprietor of a cider business, and at this time he is distributing the famous Wissinger cider to the wholesale trade throughout Indiana. In addition to these enterprises, he has operated a threshing outfit for the past twenty-two years, traveling all over Cass county. from the foregoing it may be seen that Mr. Wissinger is a man of progressive spirit, commendable industry and unflagging energy. In his various and varied enterprises he has ever been known as a man of the highest integrity, and his transactions have always been of a strictly legitimate nature. He has cared little for politics, and has never sought public preferment on his own account, although he has been a staunch supporter of good government and takes a pride in furthering the interests of his adopted locality.
Mr. Wissinger was united in marriage with Miss Sophia Tillett, daughter of Michael and Susanna (smith) Tillett, and to this union there have been born seven children, as follows: Susanna, who is married and has three children - Paul, Bernie and Margaret; Charles, who married Laura Rose, and has five children - Donald, Bady, Nancy, Lawrence and Lester; Millie, deceased, who was the wife of Harley Linderman; Pliny, the wife of L. Kesling, who has one child - Walter; Bessie, who married a Mr. Bird, and has one child - Marie; and Lloyd and Sylvia, who are attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Wissinger are members of the Baptist church, in the work of which they have been commendably active.