GEORGE W. PENCE, who with his son, Harry Pence, owns a fine farm of eighty-eight acres in Brown Township, Miami County, on which he resides, owns also the old homestead farm of 109 acres, in Lost Creek Township, on which he was born in September, 1852. His parents were John N. and Susannah (Shidler) Pence.

Paul Pence, the grandfather of George W., was a very early settler in Lost Creek Township, coming to this section immediately following his marriage and passing the whole of his subsequent life here, dying at the age of seventy-five years. He was also a native of Miami County.

John N. Pence was born on the home farm in Lost Creek Township, a son of Paul and Mary (Newport) Pence. After his marriage he purchased the farm of 109 acres now owned by his son, George W., and died there in 1864, a victim of typhoid fever, when but thirty- three years of age. He married Susannah Shidler and they had three children: George W., the only survivor; William, who was accidentally killed by a falling tree; and Elmira Jane, who died when aged three years.

George W. Pence obtained his education in the schools of Lost Creek Township, after which he went to live with his uncle, on his grandfather's farm, and remained there until his marriage, when he took up his residence on the home place in Lost Creek Township and lived there until a fire destroyed the house on January 1, 1896. For the next seven years, Mr. Pence and family lived on the Morton farm. In the spring of 1904 he came to his present place in Brown Township and after settling here commenced quite a large amount of improving. The brick residence then standing had been built in 1838 and was still in a good state of preservation, but Mr. Pence had it thoroughly renovated and built a frame addition which has added to its comfort quite considerably. He devotes all his land to general farming and is numbered with the township is prosperous agriculturists.

Mr. Pence married Miss Josephine Shanks, who was born and reared on the present home farm. Her father was Daniel Shanks and her grandfather was Peter Shanks, the latter of whom entered this land from the Government. For years he was a prominent pioneer of this part of Miami County and he lived until 1887, dying when aged ninety-three years. Mr. and Mrs. Pence have three children, namely: Harry, who resides at home; Myrtle, who is the wife of Walter Reed, a farmer of Miami County, has three children; and Ivy, who married William Mitchell, of Champaign County, has one son, Harry. Mr. Pence and family belong to the Christian Church. In politics he is a Democrat. The only office he has ever accepted has been that of school director, in which he has served for twenty-one years. He is identified with the fraternal order of Odd Fellows.