Pleasant F. Parish was born in Sugar Creek township, Hancock county on August 22, 1860, a son of Thomas and Ellen (Means) Parish.

Thomas Parish was born in 1819, in Greensboro, Rockingham county, North Carolina. He spent his childhood days there and at the age of ten, after his father's death, he moved with his mother and her family to near Brookfield, then called Doubletown, Shelby county, Indiana. It was there that he spent his youth and it was there that he was married at the age of twenty, in 1839, to Ellen Means, who was born near Madison, Indiana, in 1822, and who was the daughter of Fountain and Elizabeth Means, both of North Carolina. Fountain Means lived near Madison, Indiana, for one year and then came to Shelby county, where Ellen spent her childhood and early life. After his marriage, Thomas Parish farmed near Acton, in Marion county, for awhile. He finally bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres one-half mile south of New Palestine, where he spent the remaining years of his active life. In January of 1881 he moved to another farm which he owned a mile north of New Palestine, where he lived for about eight years or until his retirement from active life. He then moved to Greenfield, where he lived for five years, or until his death, which occurred in November, 1893, when he was seventy-four years old. His wife survived him eleven years, and died on February 29, 1904. At one time Thomas Parish owned three hundred and eighty acres of Hancock county land and was accounted one of the most advanced farmers in the county. He was a Democrat in politics and both he and his wife were members of the Christian church. They were the parents of the following children: Lucindia, who is deceased; Neamor, who died at the age of two years; Jane, who is deceased: Eliza, Armanda, who is deceased; John, Robert, who is deceased: Pleasant, who is the subject of this sketch; Albert and William H.

Pleasant F. Parish was born on the old homestead of his father, south of New Palestine. He spent his childhood there and his youth and attended the common schools at New Palestine. After finishing his school career he helped his father on the farm until he was twenty-seven years old. When he was twenty-two years old he moved, with his family, to the farm north of New Palestine, where he was married at the age of twenty-seven to Elva J. Fritts, on October 5, 1887. She was born on August 14, 1863, in Moral township, Shelby county. She was the daughter of John and Eliza (Andrews) Fritts, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Shelby county, Indiana. Their parents were from Maryland. John and Eliza Fritts were the parents of the following children: Elva, who is the wife of the subject of this sketch; Leonard, Nora Joseph and Mollie.

After his marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Parish took up their residence on the old home place south of New Palestine, where they have resided ever since. For the first eleven years Mr. Parish rented this old home place, or until his mother's death I 1904, at which time he bought out the other heirs. In addition to this one hundred and twenty acres of the old home place, Mr. Parish has purchased a tract of forty acres adjoining this on the southwest. He now owns a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He has on this a splendid modern six-room residence and other modern improvements.

Mr. Parish usually has in cultivation about seventy acres of corn and about the same acreage in smaller grain. He attributes his success mostly to his corn and hog raising. He feeds and markets over a hundred head of hogs every year. He usually has on hand about a dozen head of cattle and at least that many horses. All of his stock is well bred.

Mr. and Mrs. Parish are the parents of the following children; Lyman E., who married Maude Branson and who resides in New Palestine; Goldie, who married Frederick Schildmeier, a farmer of Marion county; Claude, Ruby and Dale Woodrow, who are at home.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Parish are members of the Christian church. Mr. Parish is a member of the following lodges: Free and Accepted Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife are members of the auxiliary orders of the Masons and of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Parish is a Democrat in politics and he has been a member of the township advisory board for ten years.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Page 966-968.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 15, 2001.

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