A. F. MIKESELL, one of Newberry Township's well known citizens, who is now living in his handsome brick residence situated on a small farm of twelve and one-half acres on the Shelby County Turnpike, one mile north of Covington, was born on a farm one mile north of Pleasant Hill, Miami County, Ohio, July 3, 1842, is a son of John and Susan (Friedly) Mikesell, of Covington.

A. F. Mikesell, who is better known as Fridly Mikesell, remained on the farm on which he was born until six years of age, when his parents moved to Clayton, Newberry Township, shortly thereafter, however, removing to Covington, where Mr. Mikesell obtained his education. When a young man he secured a tract of 133 acres of land situated two and one-half miles west of Covington, on Greenville Creek, and while living there he was married. For about five years after this event Mr. Mikesell continued on this farm, and then sold out to purchase a property of 100 acres, located across the road from that which he now occupies, and he was here engaged in agricultural pursuits for a period covering thirty-five years. He became one of the best known farmers in Newberry Township, and after a long and active agricultural life retired to his present property, on which, in 1907, he erected a beautiful brick residence. He is also the owner of considerable property in New Mexico and Oklahoma.

In 1867 Mr. Mikesell was united in marriage with Jane Beery, who was born in Bremen, Fairfield County, Ohio, a daughter of Levi and Margaret (Short) Beery, who removed to Iowa when Mrs. Mikesell was about three and one-half years old. There Levi Beery was engaged in farming and milling. To Mr. and Mrs. Mikesell there were born eight children, as follows: Arthur L., who graduated from Covington High School, studied medicine at the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College, spent eighteen months in the County Hospital, Chicago, and is now engaged in the practice of his profession at Fort Wayne, Indiana, married Harriet Isabelle Kimball, and they have one child, Helen B. Alma, who married Charles L. Trump, died October 7, 1905, leaving one child, Florence Janice; Nora, the wife of Ira J. Gump, has four children, Lucile, Luther, Joseph and Rosella, and lives in Covington; Vinnie, the wife of J. S. Flory, lives at Bridgewater, Virginia, Mr. Flory being a teacher in the Bridewater College; Maurice, general manager of the Miami Ranch, in New Mexico, married Elizabeth Rosenberger, and has two children, Margaret and Andrew Frank; John Levi, is a farmer and real estate dealer of Oklahoma; Margaret, the wife of Dr. Bernard J. Kendell, of Tippecanoe City, has two children, Sarah Jane and John Jacob; Wilbur B., is attending the Ohio State University, at Columbus.

Mr. Mikesell was a school director in Newberry Township for many years, and was president of the School Board of Covington at the time the new school building was erected. He is a member and a deacon of the Brethren Church.