JACOB D. DEITZER, general farmer and tobacco grower, residing on his excellent farm of eighty acres, which is situated in Concord Township, was born at Shelbyville, Indiana, May 24, 1860, and is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Posz) Deitzer.

The father of Mr. Deitzer was born in Germany and was eighteen years of age when he came to America. He lived at Shelbyville, Indiana, when he married Elizabeth Posz, who was also a native of Germany. She was brought to America by her parents. Two children were born to this marriage: Margaret, who is the wife of Joseph Midkiff, of Johnson County, Indiana; and Jacob Daniel. The father died at the age of twenty-eight years, and prior to the birth of his son, who was given his name. Later the widow married Michael Shuler, and they had one daughter, Elizabeth, who, married Augustus Steckleman, of Marion, Indiana.

When the fatherless little Jacob Deitzer was but five years old he also lost his mother, and was then taken by his maternal grandfather, with whom he lived until he was twelve years old. He then went to work for his uncle, Valentine Posz, who was a farmer in Shelby County, Indiana, and remained there until he was eighteen years of age. From his uncle's farm he started out then to work by the month, securing his first employment with Daniel Gayhimer, with whom he remained during one summer, receiving $ 15 a mouth. He then worked for two years for Daniel Callahan, also in Shelby County. He was about twenty-one years old when he came to Ohio, and during the first season he worked for John Halterman, near Dayton, Ohio, after which he came to Troy and hired out for one season to William Campbell, and later to both Benjamin and Joseph Enyart. During this time he was seeing considerable of the country, was getting well acquainted with some of the best class of people, and was learning all kinds of farming and saving some money.

When Mr. Deitzer was about twenty-five years old he was married to Miss Alice Alexander, a daughter of Henry and Eliza (Boone) Alexander. Henry Alexander was formerly a county commissioner of Miami County. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dietzer moved to what was known as the Tobey farm, south of Troy, where he remained two years. Then, for the following twenty years, he rented other farms, but at length decided to settle permanently, and with this end in view, in February, 1907, he bought the old Stahl farm, from Frank Tenney, its improvements being the buildings now standing. Mr. Deitzer devotes eight acres to tobacco and raises some stock and excellent crops of grain and hay. Mr. and Mrs. Deitzer have two children: Horace and Raymond. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Deitzer is a Republican. For some years he has been a member of the order of Modern Woodmen at Troy.