Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana, 1903. pp. 494-495.

MARTIN HECKLEY.

The present solid prosperity enjoyed in this country may be attributed largely to her pioneers. In the days of her maidenhood, when the only welcome tendered a stranger was a wilderness, those who settled here had little to encourage them and much to discourage them in their enormous undertaking. But the sturdy settlers came not only with the determination to succeed, but to succeed honestly, and worked persistently until, late in life, they became prosperous and honorable citizens of their locality.

Martin Heckley, who is one of Jefferson township's prominent and prosperous farmers, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, September 15, 1836. He was the son of Martin and Mary (Beck) Heckley, poor but respected German citizens. As a boy he attended the schools of Germany and, while his education was not polished, yet it was sufficient to enable him to make his way in the world without much diffficulty. When he was seventeen years old he was apprenticed as a ropemaker, at which trade he worked until he came to America, in 1855, at the age of nineteen.

He came directly to Jefferson township and for some time made his home with his uncle, Mathias Beck. At the time of his arrival in Wells County he was indebted to his uncle to the amount of seventy dollars, which had been sent him for the purpose of defraying the expense of his passage to America, and being of an energetic disposition he immediately went to work to repay this money. He worked fourteen months for his uncle in order to discharge his indebtedness and when freed from this load hired himself out to a farmer for a period of five years, receiving one hundred and twenty-five dollars per year as a remuneration. During that time he managed to save five hundred and twenty-five dollars and, after sending twenty-five dollars to his people in Germany, he bought eighty acres of woodland, his present homestead, which he proceeded at once to clear and improve.

In 1861 Mr. Heckley was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Moyer and took her immediately to the new home in the woods. This house was later remodeled and is the present home of the family. He is now the possessor of three hundred and sixty-five acres of as fine land as the county affords, it being divided into six farms estimated to be worth about twenty thousand dollars. In March, 1889, his first wife died and he was again married, September 16, 1891, to Mrs. Eugenia McDowell, who was born in Bluffton, Indiana, in April, 1858. His first wife bore him seven children; Malinda, wife of Dan Miller; Mary, wife of Jacob Shoe; John married Clara Kleineigh; Sam, the husband of Zoe Judd; Rosa, wife of Charles Isnogle; Martin, Jr., married to Agnes Hunt; and Frank, whose wife was Catherine Judd.

Mr. and Mrs. Heckley are both highly respected church members, he being a member of the Presbyterian faith, while the wife is enrolled with the United Brethren. They are active and enthusiastic church workers and are depended upon by their fellow workers in all church affairs. Mrs. Heckley is also a member of the Order of Eastern Star, in which institution she is quite prominent. Mr. Heckley has all his life voted the Democratic ticket. The Heckleys are well respected citizens of Wells County, where they have a host of acquaintances, and their influence, which has been felt by friends and strangers alike, can be said to be uplifting.

Mr. Heckley's home is pleasantly situated four and one-half miles east of Ossian and its doors are ever open in genial hospitality to rich and poor alike, Mr. Heckley never forgetting the days of his own struggles and privations when the kind words and welcome of others were highly appreciated.