MARK E. WININGS, The proprietor of the undertaking parlors at 1610 Main Street in Elwood, Mr. Winings is a young business man whose conscientious work in his profession has been much appreciated in Elwood, where he has been a resident for the past ten years, and has enjoyed a progressive success in his business, He was born, reared and spent most of his life in Indiana, and Mr. Winings has enjoyed probably a larger share of world travel than any of his contemporaries in business at Elwood, and his career has had many diversified and interesting experiences.
He was born in Millville, Henry County, Indiana, April 22, 1878, a son of Samuel and Mary A. Winings, The grandparents on his father’s side were Joseph and Jane (Mullin) Winings, the former a native of Ohio and of Scotch stock, and the latter a native of Ireland, They became early settlers in Henry County, Indiana, where the grandfather was a farmer and where he lived to the age of sixty-five, while his wife was seventy-two years of age at the time of her death. Their six children were Samuel, William, Wilson, Thomas, Lemuel, Alonzo, and Pearl. On the mother’s side the grandfather was Micajah Forkner, who married an Allen. He was born in North Carolina, while his wife was a native of Wayne County, Indiana, Micajah Forkner was a long established merchant at Millville, and for many years in partnership with his son-in-law, Samuel Winings, His death occurred at Millville in 1880, when he was well advanced in life, The children in this branch of the Forkner family were Granville, William, Mary A., Mark E., Benton and John L.
Samuel Winings, the father, was born in Ohio, while his wife was a native of Henry County, this state. The former was brought to Henry County at an early age, was reared on a farm five miles east of Newcastle, attended school at Dublin, and had taken up the study of medicine when the war came on, and he then enlisted in Company C. of the Thirty- Sixth Indiana Infantry, under General Wm, Gross, That regiment was a purely Henry County organization. He was in service for three years and at the close of the war engaged in the mercantile business at Millville, where he continued for a number of years, He was also for a time in the grain business at Ashland, and was still active in that line of trade at the time of his death, He died December 11, 1886, at the age of forty-nine years, During several years he had been in the Federal service as an internal revenue collector. The widow still survives and now makes her home at New Castle, Both were active members of the Christian church and for a number of years were members of the old Flat Rock congregation of this church, The children in the family were six in number and named as follows: Arletha, wife of John A. Geisler, of Hagerstown, Indiana; Josie, wife of Harry Kos of Columbus, Ohio; Horace Greeley of Indianapolis,; Walter A., of Newcastle; Arthur M., of Montpelier, Indiana, and Mark E., of Elwood.
Mr. Mark E. Winings spent his early boyhood at Ashland and New. castle, Indiana, attaining most of his education in the grammar and high schools of Newcastle, His first practical experience in business life was in the employ of Mr. W. A. Fox in the undertaking business, This period of preparation was interrupted by the outbreak of the Spanish- American war in 1898, at which time he enlisted in Company G of the One Hundred and Sixty-First Indiana Volunteers, and during his ten months service spent three months in Cuba, He was a private throughout his service, After the war he returned to Newcastle, and again resumed his work with Mr. Fox, On June 1, 1900, he was appointed government embalmer of the United States Transport McClellan, The McClellan was the boat which carried the senatorial investigating party to the Philippine Islands, towards the close of President McKinley’s administration, The trip was begun at New York and after seventy-two days en route, the McClellan arrived in the Philippines having voyaged twelve thousand and eighty miles, It was on the arrival at Manila that the first news was given them of the assassination of President McKinley, their information coming from Governor-General Taft, who was then at the head of the Philippine government, The party spent some three or four months in the Philippine islands, visiting and inspecting all the islands and the principal centers, The McClellan then returned to New York where it arrived on December 23, 1901, and remained until February 22, 1902, Mr. Winings continued with the service when this boat again started for the Philippines, this time carrying a passenger list chiefly made up of two hundred and fifty school teachers bound for the Philippine service, The McClellan reached Manila after a voyage of sixty- five days, and was for some time engaged in transportation between the Islands, It was finally sent to Hong-Kong, China, where the ship was dry-docked and overhauled, and during that time Mr. Winings visited all the important cities of China by rail, With his ship he returned to Manila and thence to New York with a number of soldiers, arriving there in December, 1902.
Returning to New Castle in the spring of 1903, he remained there a few months, and on October 11, 1903, located att Elwood, Here he was in the employ of Mr. F. E. Kramer in the undertaking business, and the following year bought a half interest in the establishment. Then in 1905 he became sole proprietor, and has conducted the business on substantial and successful lines ever since, He owns the building in which his business is conducted and makes that his residence.
On October 18, 1905, he married Miss Ortha C. Bolt, a daughter of Lincoln and Anna (Young) Bolt, Mrs. Winings was born in Clinton County, Indiana, where her parents were also natives, and where they still reside, She has one brother, Carl. The tw0 children of Mr. and Mrs. Winings are Carl and Miles, Fraternally he is affiliated with Quincy Lodge No, 230 A. F. & A. M. Elwood Chapter, R. A. M.; Tipton Commandery K. T.; and also has membership relations with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Order of Elks, the Improved Order of Red Men, the Knights of Pythias, and the Sons of Veterans. In politics he is Republican.