Eli Zaring
Eli Zaring, the present efficient and well-known clerk of common pleas of Wayne County, and one who by his own unaided efforts and unabating pluck has gradually but surely risen in the ranks of men, was born in Plain Town- ship, Wayne Co., Ohio, January 16, 1836. In 1832 his parents, Peter and Matilda Zaring, came to Wayne County (being then unmarried), and have here since made their home and reared their family. Eli, whose name heads this sketch, first saw the light of day upon a farm. His early life was not the idle, careless one enjoyed by most of the youths of this day, but, being the son of a poor shoemaker, who had a large family to support, he was early put to the treadmill of toil to earn his own sustenance, and soon had mastered the intricacies of his father's trade, at which he labored for years. He made, however, a diligent use of his educational opportunities, and at eighteen he was enabled to teach school, in which employment he spent four winters, thus accumulating sufficient money to enable him to attend for a time the academy at Hayesville, Ohio. August 20, 1857, Mr Zaring was united in marriage with Miss Mary Stevic, a native of Pennsylvania, but who was brought when a child to Wayne County. To this union six children have been born, as follows: Ida F. (deceased); James (principal of the Smithville public schools); Charles, Cora, Dora (a recent graduate of Wooster High School) and Daniel, at home.
Mr. Zaring has represented the Democratic party in various offices, having been for two terms township clerk in a Republican township; was at one time assessor, and assisted in appraising the land in Chester Township, Wayne County. In the fall of 1886 he was elected clerk of the courts of Wayne County, which position he is now satisfactorily filling. Previous to his coming into the county clerkship, Mr. Zaring for two and a half years acted as clerk and book- keeper in the office of the Wayne County Democrat. His life has been an earnest one, and an unremitting fight against bitter and adverse circumstances, but his progress has been gradually upward, and he is today a man of whom all speak highly.
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1889