Andrew J. THRASH, one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of Jefferson township, was born in that township, a member of one of the pioneer families of Jay county, and has lived there all his life. Mr. THRASH was born on February 13, 1867, and is a son of Isaac and Elizabeth (RARICK) THRASH, both of whom were members of pioneer families in this county. Isaac THRASH was born in Sullivan county, Pennsylvania, and was but three years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents, Jonathan THRASH and wife, in 1840, the family settling on a tract of eighty acres in Jefferson township, which Jonathan THRASH had entered from the Government prior to his removal here. On that tract, Jonathan THRASH established his home and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, helpful pioneers of that community. It was there that Isaac THRASH grew to manhood. Upon beginning operations on his own account, he started in on a farm of eighty acres in Pike township, but not long afterward, in 1862, disposed, of his interests in this county and went to Canada with a view to becoming a settler there. A year later, however, finding that things in Canada were not what they had promised to be, he returned to Jay county and bought an eighty acre farm in Jefferson township. Here he established his home and spent the remainder of his life, becoming one of the substantial farmers of that neighborhood and the owner of a well improved farm of 289 acres. He and his wife were the parents of four children, all of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, Susan and Maria, and a brother, Jonathan THRASH. Reared on the home farm in Jefferson township, Andrew J. THRASH received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and continued farming in association with his father until he was fifty-two years of age. Upon his father's death he inherited 109 acres of the home place, to which he since has added by purchase an adjoining tract of thirty acres and thus now has a farm of 139 acres, which he has improved in admirable fashion, having one of the best equipped farm plants in that community. Mr. THRASH is a Democrat and is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Ridgeville. On June 7, 1890, Andrew J. THRASH was united in marriage to Esther CLINE, who also was born in this county, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter. Hazel, who married Alva EVANS, who makes his home on the THRASH farm, an assistant to Mr. THRASH in the operations of the same, and has two children, Ralph and Chester. The THRASH's have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Redkey and have ever taken their part in promoting the general social and cultural activities of the community in which they live.