Orville C. Brock
It is a pleasure to investigate the career of a successful, self-made man such as Orville C. Brock, a prosperous farmer of Paint township, this county. His whole life of more than a half century has been spent within this county, and he has so conducted himself as to merit the high and generous esteem in which he is universally held. He began life practically unaided and alone and has removed one by one the obstacles from his pathway and succeeded in forging his way to the front, thereby winning for himself a competency and a position of influence among his fellow men. Knowing that this connty was destined to take a high rank among the productive counties of Ohio, he applied himself closely to his work and waited for the future to bring its reward.
Orville C. Brock, the son of Evan and Susanna (Griffith) Brock, was born February 4, 1859, in the township where he has spent his entire life. His father was a native of Madison county, this state, and was the son of Evan and Mary E. (Brown) Brock, who settled in Madison county, Ohio, in 1812. Evan and Mary E. (Brown) Brock were the parents of seven children. Richard, .Saul, George, Cooper. Elizabeth, Mrs. Strong, and Evan, the father of Orville C, with whom this narrative deals.
Evan Brock, Jr.. was reared in Madison county, Ohio, and shortly after his marriage to Susanna Griffith located in Fayette county. His farm was covered with timber and he and his young bride went to housekeeping in a new log house, which was hastily constructed, and he applied himself with indefatigable energy and perseverance to the clearing of his farm, and before his death had cleared four hundred acres of land in this county. Not all of this work was done by himself, since he had a large family of children and his sons were hard workers from their earliest boyhood days. Evan and Susanna (Griffith) Brock reared a large family of children: Mrs. Libbie Hays, Oliver, Orville C, Jeptha, Evan, Dolly, Ray, Francis, Minnie, Jemina, Florence and two who died in infancy.
Orville C. Brock was born in a log cabin on the old Brock farm and attended the rude log school house of his home neighborhood. He remained at home until he reached his majority and then began working out by the month. He saved his money and with his earnings purchased a small farm when he was married at the age of twenty-five, and he has since added to this farm until he is now the owner of one hundred and twenty-five acres of fine land on the Prairie pike in Paint township. He has placed extensive improvements upon this place and now has one of the most attractive farms in his township.
Mr. Brock was married in 1884 to Miranda Coe, who was the daughter of William and Lucy J. (Everett ) Coe. William Coe was a native of Frederick county. West Virginia, and settled in this countv in the pioneer days. He and his wife reared a family of ten children, Charles, Scott, Mrs. Miranda Brock, Jasper. Curtis, Reese, Leighton, Irvin, Mary and Mrs. .Anna Stoughton. William Coe was the son of William and Mary Coe and was one of ten children born to his parents, the others being Jane, George, Mary, Henry, Norvall, Emma, James, Susan and Anna.
Mr. Brock and wife have five children: Bertha, who married Floyd Minick and has one son. Earl B.; Goldie. the wife of Lee Vannorsdall; Octa B.. who married Frank Shippley and had one infant child, who is deceased; Lester, who married Ola Durfinger, and Nellie, who is still living with her parents and is a graduate of the Jeffersonville high school.
Politically. Mr. Brock is a Democrat, but has never had any aspirations to hold office or inclination to participate in political matters. Nevertheless, he takes an active interest in the civic life of his community and lends his hearty support to all public measures achanced for the general welfare of his community.
From History of Fayette County Ohio - Her People, Industries and Institutions by Frank M. Allen (1914, R. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.)