I. J. Ransbottom, M. D.

I. J. RANSBOTTOM, M. D. (regular), a prominent and successful physician of Wabash, Mercer county, Ohio, was born in Washington township, that county, September 10, 1869. He is a son of John and Jane (McQueen) Ransbottom, The former is a native of Ohio, born in Logan county, March 10, 1845; the latter of Scotland, born in Ayrshire, July 29, 1840, a daughter of J. McQueen. She came to the United States when quite a child, Her father bought land in Mercer county, Ohio, and began the occupation of a farmer, but lived only a short time. His wife, Marion (Anderson) McQueen, survived him many years, and died October 3, 1889. She was a daughter of John Anderson and was born February 21, 1798.


The original Ransbottom family came from Germany to the United States, settling in Virginia, John Ransbottom, Sr., the grandfather, was born in Rockingham county, Va., February 15, 1822; he married Mary Swaim, who was born March 13, 1824. She was a daughter of Joshua Swaim, who was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and who died at the extreme age of 110 years, Thomas Ransbottom, the great-grandfather of subject, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and lived to be over 100 years old.


John Ransbottom, jr., the father of the subject, after marriage, settled on a farm in Mercer county, and began the work of clearing up a farm from the dense woods, and upon this farm he lives. He was a sturdy pioneer, and shrank not from any work necessary to be done, in order to clear his farm of the heavy timber with which it was covered, or to improve the land and to put it in a proper state for easy cultivation. He is a member of the Christian church, while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. They are the parents of one child, I. J. Ransbottom, the subject of this sketch. The father of our subject was a soldier in the late Civil war and served in two regiments, the last one being the One Hundred and Ninety-third Ohio volunteer infantry, and received an honorable discharge from the hospital, on account of disability, at the close of his service.


I. J. Ransbottom, M. D., was reared on the home farm, and inured to all kinds of hard labor when young. His early education was obtained in the country schools; but, not satisfied with what he had there learned, he attended the normal school at Cold Water, Ohio, and afterward the National Normal university at Lebanon, Ohio, where he graduated. Previous to graduating from this university, having formed the intention to practice medicine, he had begun to read for that purpose, and after graduating he attended a medical college in Cincinnati. Returning home, he continued the study of medicine with Dr. G. J. C. Wintermute, of Celina, and in the spring of 1892 graduated with high honors from the medical department of the university of Cincinnati, after having taken three courses of lectures. Soon afterward, in the same year, he located at Montezuma, and there began the practice of his profession, and remained in practice there with gratifying success until January, 1894, when he removed to Wabash, where he has ever since remained. By strict attention to his profession and by his skillful treatment of disease, he has won the confidence of the people to such an extent that he may be considered a permanent practitioner of Wabash, and he has now a very extensive practice throughout the village as well as the surrounding country,


In April, 1892, the doctor married Miss Matilda C. Rabe, born in Mercer county, December 19, 1870. She is a daughter of Charles and Margaret (Leininger) Rabe, the former of whom is a native of Germany, born November 17, 1838, and the latter of Mercer county, Ohio, born December 25, 1848, but of French and German ancestry. Mr. Rabe is a prominent farmer of Mercer county.


The great-grandfather of Mrs. Ransbottom (Jacob Mowery) was a soldier under Napoleon, and was with him through nearly all of his campaigns. Her grandfather was born August 24, 1824, came from France when about three years of age, and lived in Stark county, Ohio, and at Rose Garden for a time, and later entered land from the government in Washington township, Mercer county, Ohio. His wife, who was born April 4, 1823, in France, died February 4, 1896. He is still living at this writing, and now makes his home at Monroeville, Ind. He was always a great hunter, and has killed over a thousand deer, beside larger and smaller game.


To the marriage of Dr. and Mrs. Ransbottom there has been born two sons, Roland Eugene and Earl Angelo, the former born June 20, 1893: the latter April 10, 1896. Dr. Ransbottom maintains a high standing with the medical fraternity, as well as being popular with the people. He is engaged in the general practice of medicine and surgery. He is examining physician for several life insurance companies, holds other important positions, and is in every way reliable both as a physician and as a man.


Pages 465-466

Source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties Ohio, Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Company, 1896

Welcome to The American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP), an unincorporated not-for-profit network of independent sites devoted to History & Genealogy, and covering North American Countries and Territories. For more information about our group, including how you can join us, please see our About page. This page was last updated Tuesday, 21-Feb-2017 16:55:19 EST. Webspace for this site is generously provided by     and This page is a free service to all Family Historians who are currently doing research in the Mercer County, Ohio area. It is not intended for commercial use. This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent of the contributor. All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited! Copyright © 2017~2024 by the Ohio State Team & Mercer County AHGP