Charles A Asper.

This is part of an ad that ran in the citizen - full ad. - - One of the Men who has helped to make our whole community, and Culver in particular, a better place in which to live, is Charles Asper, whom we present this week in sketch cartoon. Mr. Asper, who is now forty-nine years of age, was born and raised in Marshall county, and has been in his present business here for the past twenty-six years. He is married and has two boys one eighteen and one thirtee years of age. Mr. Asper himself attended the local schools and having been here all his life is probably as well known as any resident in the county. His hobbies are fishing through the ice and hunting rabbits. We are advised that when he points hi sgun towards a rabbit it might as well give up and come to him, thereby saving him the trouble of walking after it. Mr. Asper is a member of the K of P lodge and an earnest worker. Mrs Asper has spent several years in public service having served on the town board for eight years and also as Mayor of our city from 1924 to 1928. His thoughts have always been for the betterment of civic affairs in Culver and he has helped to get many things across that have helped all of us in the community. His twenty-six years in the business at which he has spent his time certainly have built up a great number of boosters for him. When it comes to building fireplaces, sea walls, silos, laying brick or cobblestones, building ciserns, sidewalks, curbing or plaster work, he just cannot be beaten. He does everything in the mortar line except stucco work and we would bet he could do as well as the best ar that too. Let him figure on you next job you are arrured of the very best of work at the fairest prices.

We have here with us today... Charles A Asper. As You can guess from the picture, Mrs. Asper is a cement contractor, asnd was caught in the act of building a stone retining wall at the Reformed church parsonage. Although born at Rutland, 19 years of his younger days were spent on the Dennis farm, as it is known now. Then he moved to Culver where he has lived ever since. After attending the old Sickman school. Mr. Asper worked for two years in Plymouth before returining to Culver to engage in the cement business. After being associated for one year with Eli Spencer her engaged in the trade for himself, which was in 1904. Mr. Asper served his community a n umber of terms as town trustees, during which time the town took over the water works, added several additions to the town plat, constructed considerable pavement, built the old water pump house near the hardware store, and erected the water tower. Mr. Asper has held several offices in the Knights og Pythiaas, including that of Chancellor Commander.

Charlie Asper stands in the doorway of his garage.

Charles Asper.... Memories of days Gone by
1975, David Arndt

He rememebrs when Culver was called Marmont. He remembers almost drowning. He remembers building most of the stone walls and fireplaces in Culver.

He's Charlie Asper, who at 95 ranks as one of Culver's oldest citizens.

According to Asper, many years ago Culver was known as Marmont. The the town ha dbuilt a new school and needed a heating system. "Old man Culver told the school people that if the changed the name of the town from Marmont to Culver he would supply the heating plant to the school free." Asper said

This Culver came into existence.

Asper said he worked on his father's farm until he was 18, then started woroking on odd jobs in Culver.

On his 20th birthday his father gave him a horse and buggy. He then went to Plymouth and found a job driving a team of horses hauling gravel used to pave streets, Asper, said

While working in Plymouth, Asper near lost his life.

"we took a notion to go down to the river and take a swin", he sain. "I almos drowned. My mother told mer yoyu can only go down three times, but i grabbed my nose and went down a fourth time. I started tumbling end-over-end down the river before my friends pulled me out.

"Ever since them. water kinda takes my breath away", Asper said. Asper was very active in Culvr politics. He served on the town board from 1920-1927 and served as its president from 1922 to 1926. Many ordinances that helped form Culver were passed during his administration.

ASper said he wanders from job to job, plastering walls, working in the local ice house, thrashing wheat in the Dakotas and worked as a carpenter.

He feventually settled down as a stone mason. Asper said he built about 300 fireplaces in Culver, in addition to sea walls around the lake, cisterns, stone fences, curbs and gutters in the town. Many of his projects may still be seen in various parts of the town.

Asper retired 10 years ago, but is kept busy maintaining his home at 303 Slate St., mending his clothes and gardening. "It's kinda hard for me to get along any more", he said, explaining his reduced acivity.

The last two monhs have been lonley for Asper. His wife, Iva, is hospitalized. "I don't know is she's out now or not. The hospital is about 100 miles away and I don't have a car to visit her', he said.

Cecil, his only living son, is a doctor in Detriot, Asper said.

He said there are few people he can talk with these days, claiming people his age are a little scarce.

Charles Asper BIRTH 5 Aug 1880 Rutland, Marshall county Indiana DEATH 11 Apr 1980 Plymouth, Marshall county, Indiana BURIAL Culver Masonic Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana Son of Aaron Asper and Evannah Burket

married 1st: Lenora E. (Elnora) Zechiel BIRTH 3 Oct 1879 Marshall County, Indiana DEATH 21 MAR 1957 Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana BURIAL Culver Masonic Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana daughter of Jacob Henry Zechiel and Regina Barbara Stahl

Mrs. Charles Asper Succumbs Afer Long Illlness

Funeral services for Mrs. Elnora E. Aper, agt 77, wife of Charles Asper were held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Grace Evangelical and Reformed Chruch. Sr. Dr. Meredith SPrunger, pastor of the church officiated and burial was t the Culver Cemetery.

Mrs. Asper passed away Thursday evening at the Sherman Nursing Home in Plymouth following illness fo several years.

She was born in Marshall county one and one half miles southwest of Culver and had spent her entire life here.

Surviving with her husband re tow sons Cecil of Detriot, Mich. and Dearald of Fort Wayne; one sister, Mrs Louise ROmig of Culver and one brother, Rev. E E. Zechiel of Culver. - Citizen 27 Mar 1957, Wed Page 2

They had: Derald Dean Asper BIRTH 24 Jan 1917 Culver, Marshall County, Indiana DEATH 4 Apr 1965 Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana BURIAL Culver Masonic Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana

Cecil Bernard Asper, Dr. BIRTH 11 FEB 1911 Culver, Marshall County, Indiana DEATH 17 JAN 2001 Hubbard Lake, Alpena Co. Michigan married Marjorie Jeannetta Tallman BIRTH 8 OCT 1914 Culver, Marshall County, Indiana DEATH 6 NOV 2004 Hubbard Lake, Alpena Co. Michigan daughter of Homer Hinton Tallman and Ethel Florence Schaal

married 2nd Iva Belle Toomire Birth 11 Feb 1891 Indiana Death Date: 4 Jun 1983 Death Knox, Starke, Indiana, BURIAL Calumet Park Cemetery Merrillville, Lake County, Indiana maried 1st abt 9 Feb 1910 Medaryville, Indiana, Gus Samuel Bradberry (birth Date: 6 Jul 1882 LaFayette In Death rown Point, Lake, Indiana son of John Bradbury and Rhoda - divorced; married 2nd 30 Aug 1940 Indiana, Roy Lowman; Iva & Roy resided 1941 - 561 Tyler , 1945- 529 Pierce 1948 - 329 Roosevelt all in Gary Lake county Indiana daughter of Henry Toomire and Mother: Arkansas Green