CLETUS B. RULE. One of the youngest of Adams township's independent agriculturists is Cletus B. Rule, who owns and operates a farm of seventy-six acres in Adams township. Although still very young ill years he has had a previous career of four years as a school teacher, and is the possessor of an exceptionally good education. He was born February 2, 1889, and is the son of Sydney and Ninnie (McHenry) Rule, who like him were natives of Adams township. The father was born March 22, 1861, on the old family homestead, and is the son of Jefferson and Eliza (Patterson) Rule, natives of New York and Ohio, respectively. The birth of both of these good people occurred in the year 1820, that of the father being upon March 26. The grandparents of the subject located upon land they had secured in this township in the year 1844 and here they resided until their demise, that of the grandfather being in 1902, and that of the grandmother a good many years previously, in 1879.

Mr. Rule's mother, Ninnie McHenry, was born March 19, 1864, her parents being John and Annie McHenry, natives of the state, who ultimately located in Adams township. The father enlisted at the time of the call for troops in 1861 and was killed in service, near the close of the conflict, Mrs. Rule being a small babe at the time. She lived with her widowed mother until her marriage in October, 1883. Mr. Rule is one of five children. The eldest, Wade H., born May 2, 1886, married Dorothy King, in June, 1906, and resides in Greenspring. He is a prosperous and highly respected young business man and he and his wife have one child, a daughter, Florence. The three younger children are, Floyd W., born May 8, 1895; John M., born March 18, 1898; and Helen, born November 18, 1905, and of course still reside beneath the home roof.

Mr. Rule resided with his parents until his marriage. After taking advantage of the Adams township's public schools, which he finished in 1902, passing the Boxwell examination at the age of twelve years, he entered the Tiffin High School. Following that he attended school at Greenspring for a time and then returned to Tiffin, where he matriculated at Heidelberg College. After this he attended the Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio, where he completed a mental discipline of an unusually thorough character. He is a natural student and has made the most of his advantages. He began teaching at the age of eighteen years and taught for four years in the schools of Adams township. Although naturally fitted for an instructor, he did not adopt this as a life work, but, having no small knowledge of a scientific character of the great basic industry of agriculture, in July, 1910, he and his bride moved onto a farm of seventy-six acres which he had previously purchased.

Mr. Rule laid the foundation of a household of his own by his marriage on June 16, 1910, to Miss Meda E. Parker, daughter of Elmer and Clara (Meyer) Parker, natives of Ohio, whose ancestors came originally from New York and Germany, respectively. Mrs. Rule was born March 1, 1889, and attended public school at Old Fort and Greenspring and Heidelberg College at Tiffin. She left that institution in her Sophomore year and took up school teaching at the age of seventeen years, having had a career of three and a half years in this vocation at the time of her marriage. She is talented in music and elocution, having prepared at the Conservatory of Heidelberg, and she also taught these branches. She is a member of the Evangelical church and her social affiliations extend to the Hesperian Literary Society. Mrs. Rule's grandfather Parker came from England with his parents when he was only a few weeks old, they being the first settlers at Fort Seneca. The uncle was killed by Indians.

Mr. Rule is one of the stanch young adherents of the Democratic party. He attends the Evangelical Sunday school and will shortly unite with the church.


Page 589
History of Seneca County, Ohio
By A. J. Baughman