From: "Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana," 1903, pp. 236-8.

C. S. BRINEMAN.

He who devotes his life to the education of others has a work that is generally thankless and always poorly paid. This is one of the many reasons why so few enter the profession of educators with a view of making it their life work. It will do for the time being, it will tide over a period in life for the student or graduate, fresh from school, who knows nothing of any other calling. But the man or woman who takes it up, cognizant of all that must be encountered in it, and determined to stay by it in every emergency, has in him or her a good deal of the material out of which philanthropists are made. One of this very class is Clement S. Brineman, the subject of this sketch. He is a teacher of acknowledged ability, one of the very few who has not broken the birch or cast the ferule aside with a view of bidding farewell to the calling forever.

Clement S. Brineman is the son of Malachi and Sarah (Malotte) Brineman and was born in Chester township, Wells county, Indiana, July 12, 1866. His grandfather was John Brineman, a native of Germany, who, when a young man, to better his condition in life emigrated to America, settled in Pennsylvania and began life in this country as a common laborer. Here he met his future wife, married her and within a short time changed his habitation to Ohio, which was then supposed to possess many advantages over the older and more densely populated parts of the country. Not finding his home in the Buckeye state wholly to his liking, after residing there a number of years, he effected a second removal, this time settling in Liberty township, Wells county, Indiana. This was in 1852. In those days the purchase price of land, per acre, was not nearly so great as it is today. The poor German emigrant was financially able to invest in an eighty-acre tract of land and although little schooled in the art of chopping trees, sawing logs or making rails, he set about clearing his land with an earnestness of purpose and an unflagging industry that was soon productive of results. Here he lived, maintained, reared and educated his children, and here he finally died, commended and extolled for the many good qualities he was known to possess. He was the father of a large family, his son Malachi, father of the subject hereof, being the second child.

Malachi Brineman was born and educated in Ohio. When he arrived at man's estate he was married and became the father of a number of children. While he was still a comparatively young man his wife died and about the time his father moved to Indiana he determined to try his fortune in the same locality. But before moving to Indiana he formed the acquaintance and later secured the friendship of Miss Sarah Malotte. This developed into a stronger passion, so that before many months elapsed, in 1852, Malachi Brineman and Sarah Malotte were husband and wife. Mrs. Malotte (sic) was the daughter of A. J. and Elizabeth (Baldwin) Malotte. Her father, who was of French descent, was born October 14, 1816; and died February 26, 1862; his wife, of German descent, was born in 1818, and died January 31, 1850. They were married in 1835, and their daughter Sarah was born March 23, 1857, her death occurring during the winter of 1873. With the slender means in his possession, Malachi Brineman purchased eighty acres of land, upon which he erected an (sic) humble home and proceeded to improve it. Mr. Brineman was a hard worker, a man of fair education, shrewd and sagacious, and took quite an active part in local politics even at that early date. He was a member of the Christian church and prominently identified himself with the work of that denomination. He died in 1877, loved, admired and respected by all his friends and acquaintances. They were the parents of nine children, of whom five are dead and four are still living. The dead are Caroline, Fielden, Dora, Mary and Elizabeth. The living are Clement S., the subject of this sketch; Commodore, who is a resident of Chester township; Uriah, whose home is in Jackson township; Rosa, wife of Carl Smith, a resident of Mount Zion.

Clement S. Brineman was the sixth child of the family and at his father's death he was a boy of only eleven years. The family was poor, each member being left dependent upon his own resources and at this tender age the lad was obliged to look in the face of the world and solve for himself the problem of life. He went to work by the month for such neighbors as would give him employment, and at whatever work he was capable of performing. For five months he worked for one man and received the munificent sum of seven dollars per month. In this way, not always, however, for such meager wages, he continued to work, embracing every opportunity to obtain an education. No days were too cold or inclement to keep him out of the school-room when school was in session. He applied himself with a zest and earnestness to his books, which zeal threatened to undermine his constitution. His eager thirst for knowledge won the sympathy of his teachers and they were only too ready to impart to him every morsel of instruction his youthful mind could grasp. When he was seventeen years of age, with much timidity and some misgivings, he applied for a license to teach. He took the examination and in fear and trembling awaited the result. It was favorable and a license of six months was granted him. He secured a school and taught it most successfully. The bow of promise was now far up in the heavens. He felt that learning was indeed the key. From that time up to the present he has labored steadily in the school-room and is regarded as one of the best educators in this part of the state. When we consider the obstacles he had to surmount, the efforts he had to put forth to reach te goal, we need not be surprised that he decided to make teaching his life work. For two years he has been principal of the schools at Vera Cruz. His first certificate was for a period of six months, but the one he now holds is in duration six times that.

On July 18, 1888, Mr. Brineman was united in marriage to Miss Zeffa Hower, who was born in Coldwater, Michigan, August 8, 1866, the daughter of John Y. and Ethelinda (Chalfant) Hower. She received her education in Bluffton, graduating from the high school of that city in the class of 1884, and was a teacher, previous to her marriage, for three years. One son has been born to this marriage, John H., the date of whose birth is November 7, 1889. He also has a thirst for learning, which is without doubt inherited. Although only in his thirteenth year, he is in the second year of high school. Mr. and Mrs. Brineman are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Lodge No. 114 of Bluffton, and is a past grand. Politically he is a Democrat, and at the last Democratic county convention held in Wells county he was a candidate for the office of auditor. He was regularly selected by the voice of his party as its nominee and at the regular election held November 4, 1902, was elected to hold the office for the term of four years beginning January 1, 1904. He is honest, capable and most deserving. Although he was before the people many months as a candidate, not a blot nor blemist has been found to tarnish his fair name.