Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana, 1903. pp. 363-364.

DANIEL SILLS.

Daniel Sills was born on the farm where he now lives, April 20, 1843. He is a son of Daniel Sills, a native of Pennsylvania, born November 12, 1804, who died September 4, 1873, and the latter was a son of Joseph Sills, a native of Germany. The mother of Daniel Sills, Jr., was Mary (Blackford) Sills, born November 9, 1806, a daughter of John Blackford. Blackford county, Indiana, received its name from its original settlers, the ancestors of Mary (Blackford) Sills. Daniel, Sr., was married to Mary Blackford June 22, 1826, and settled in Ohio, later coming to Indiana, and on March 1, 1842, moved onto the farm now occupied by Daniel Sills, Jr. The senior Sills devoted the greater portion of his life to farming and hunting he and his sons clearing the farm where the subject resides. Daniel, Sr., was the father of ten children, five of whom are living: Elizabeth, born May 1, 1827; Katherine, born November 9, 1828, deceased; Sarah, born April 18, 1831; Margaret, born November 21, 1827, deceased; Joseph, born February 24, 1833, deceased; Michael, born July 15, 1838; Daniel, born April 20, 1843; James, born February 20, 1845; John, born June 5, 1847, deceased, and an infant, deceased. Daniel, Jr., attended school at the Helm Corner school house in Chester township until he attained the age of twenty years. The longest term of school in those times was three months, and he did not get to go more than half of that time at any one term. He remained with his father, who claimed his wages until he was twenty-one years of age. In 1865 he went to Iowa and remained there that year. Excepting this one year spent in the west, he remained working in the home neighborhood, making his home with his parents until he was about twenty-five years old. He was married February 13, 1868, to Mary C. Dick, who was born September 8, 1845, and died September 13, 1898. She was the daughter of Uriah Dick, a resident of Blackford county, Indiana, and a native of Virginia. After his marriage, Daniel Sills and wife settled two and one-half miles south of Montpelier, Indiana, where they lived for a period of eighteen months, then moving onto the farm where he is now living. He has remained on this farm continually since that time, it having virtually been his home ever since he was born, excepting the first eighteen months of his married life. He has been all his life what may be termed a general stock farmer. He has also owned and run a threshing machine in season for thirty-five years and has done some saw-milling. He is the owner of three hundred and fifty acres of land, eighty-eight of which are in the home place and the remainder in Blackford county, Indiana. He received six hundred dollars from his father as a start in life. He is the father of fourteen children, all of whom are living, as follows: Alvina, born January 29, 1869; Letta F., March 7, 1870; Rosa L. B., December 29, 1871; Uriah D., January 27, 1873; Jennie M., April 27, 1874; Wesley H., November 16, 1875; Addie D., September 6, 1878; Charles C., March 18, 1880; Elijah B., November 15, 1881; Bertha M., June 30, 1883; Sue O., June 26, 1885; Eva A., August 13, 1887; Mary C., March 18, 1890, and Daniel N., March 18, 1893.

In his political views the subject has always subscribed to the doctrines of the Democratic party; he believes, however, in a man voting his sentiments regardless of party dictation. Mary C. (Dick) Sills, his wife, after having been a true and faithful helpmate to her husband for thirty-one years, passed to her reward September 13, 1898, mourned by her husband and children. Daniel Sills is one in whom the love of family, friends and country is largely developed. He has never had a desire to roam the wide world o'er, but has found contentment in the bosom of his family and his friends in the locality of his nativity. He is an industrious and exemplary citizen, who has found his highest happiness in the performance of his civic duties to the community in which he has lived, in providing for his family and securing a competency to meet the contingencies of the inevitable "rainy day."