James Skinkle, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of James Skinkle
JAMES SKINKLE FAMILY
The James Skinkle family of Porter Township and many of their ancestors and descendants have been Porter County residents. James Skinkle's parents, Albert and Nancy Alice Miller Skinkle, although neither born in Indiana, both came to the Hebron vicinity as young children -- as early as 1862. They were married January 1, 1877, at the home of her parents. In 1884 they purchased a farm 4 1/2 miles north of Hebron, living there until 1918. Then they retired and moved to Hebron. James Albert Skinkle was born on that farm March 30, 1890. He attended the nearby Beach School and farmed with his father as a youth. It is interesting and unusual to note that the Albert Skinkles celebrated 63 years of marriage before Mrs. Skinkle died in 1940. Albert Skinkle lived to be 92 years old, passing away in 1943. The original farm is still owned by the Skinkle family. Today it is farmed by Howard Skinkle and his son Paul.
Mrs. James Sklnkle's parents, Frank Ludington and Phebe Dick Ludington, were also childhood residents of Porter Township. Miss Phebe Dick, at the age of 19, received a teaching license from the state. She taught in several local one-room schools, including one In McCool and one near the settlement of Hulburt, between 1885 and 1889. On May 15, 1889, she married Frank Ludington, a local farmer. They owned a large farm 4 miles northwest of Boone Grove. Frances Rebecca Ludington was born there June 9, 1892. She is a 1908 graduate of Boone Grove High School The farm home remained in the family and was occupied by the Ludington's youngest daughter until it was sold in 1971. The surrounding land, however, is still owned by members of the family.
On February 22, 1912, James Skinkle and Frances Ludington were married at the Valparaiso Methodist parsonage. For all but one of their 63 married years, they have lived on the same farm in Porter Township west of Boone Grove on the Lake Eliza Road. It is the land that belonged to James Skinkle's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Miller. However, the original barn was destroyed by fire in 1916 and rebuilt one year later on the other side of the road, and the old Miller farm house was razed and replaced on the same spot in 1947. Mr. Skinkle retired from farming in 1962. The couple are members of the Salem United Methodist Church. He is a member of the Hebron Masonic Lodge, and both are 50 year members of the Hebron Eastern Star. Mrs. Skinkle also belongs to the Margaret Bryant Blackstone Chapter of the DAR.
Mr. and Mrs. Skinkle are the parents of 3 children: Harold Ludington Skinkle, born November 27, 1912; Velma Mae Skinkle, born January 12, 1917; and Max James Skinkle, born December 1, 1918.
Harold Skinkle and his wife Ardis live in Waynesville, Ohio. They have two daughters: Jeanette, married to Raymond Himes of Dayton, and mother of Spencer Raymond and Phoebe Jeanette; and Sandra, now Mrs. Joseph Laubenthal and the mother of Eric Michael.
Velma Skinkle is married to Boyd Ostroot and has lived in Portage for 25 years. She has 4 married daughters and 8 grandchildren. Karen Frances Ostroot is now Mrs. Barry Fritz and resides in Valparaiso with her husband and children James Erwin, Julie Mae and Leslee Jean. Nancy Jean Ostroot lives in Fort Wayne with her husband, Dr. Roy Coolman, and children, Boyd Robert, Bradley Roy, and Ann Rebecca. Ruthann Ostroot is married to Robert Chaddock and the mother of Annessa Frances-Rebecca and Nathaniel Franklyn. They are Valparaiso residents. Anita Mae Ostroot and husband, Jay Stevens, live in Lafayette, Indiana, where both are Purdue students.
Max Skinkle and his wife Agnes Weisjahn Skinkle also live in Valparaiso. They have two children: Linda Sue, who is a teacher in the Portage schools; and Gene Max, a student at Indiana University.
Source: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County. 1976. A Biographical History of Porter County, Indiana. Valparaiso, Indiana: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County, Inc. 180 p.
Page(s) in Source: 162-163
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook