Enos Durst 1843-1930

Enos Durst (1843-1930); the son of Michael Darst (1814-1885); the son of John Darst (1785-1844); the son of Peter Darst (1759-1843); the son of Johann Paul Derst (1713-1775), our Pfeddersheim immigrant ... was reunited with daughter Sophia ... a child from the first of ten wives. Enos, disabled from Cival War injuries spent most of his post war years in and out of soldiers' homes in Indiana and California.

Happily Reunited

Through an item which appeared in this paper about a week ago, a father and a daughter who have been separated for thirty-two years, were again brought to a knowledge of each other's whereabouts. They are Mr. Enos Durst, of North Plymouth, and Mrs. Jos. Abair, of near Lapaz.

The daughter, whom he last saw as a little girl of three years, Mr. Durst now beholds as a mature woman with seven children, the oldest of whom is herself nearly grown. The father whom Mrs. Abair last saw as a young man in his prime, is now old, gray-headed and descending the hill of life. The meeting was one which brought forth tears and words of explanation and endearment from both sides.

Mr. Durst entered the army when a young man and served until the close of the cival war in the 12th Indiana cavalry. Shortly after the war he was married and lived happily with his wife and little girl until the child was three years old. His wife and he then separated, she taking the child.

After about a year Mr. Durst lost all trace of both wife and child, and although he has lived at South Bend ever since, until a year ago, and his daughter had married and lived within a radius of fifty miles of him all this time, no communication ever passed between them. Neither had the slightest suspicion that the other lived or knew of the other's whereabouts.

About a year ago Mr. Durst moved here with his second wife, whom he married at South Bend. Just the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, Mrs. Durst returned to South Bend to visit her sister, who lives there. The fact was mentioned in the local columns of this paper. Mrs. Abair, who now lives on the farm of J. N. Wilson near Lapaz, saw the item and wrote to Mrs. Durst, inquiring if she had a relative by the name of Enos Durst. Mr. Durst himself answered the letter on Wednesday and his daughter arrived Friday to visit him. Both were overjoyed at the happy reunion after so many years' doubt. Mr. Durst said that if he had met his daughter on the street he probably would not have known her, yet her resemblance to her dead mother leaves no doubt in his mind that she is his daughter.

Mr. and Mrs. Abair were married either at North Liberty or Walkerton and they lived on J. N. Wilson's farm near Lake Maxiukuckee until a few years ago, when they took charge of his larger farm near Lapaz, where they now reside.

Mr. Durst and his daughter had good cause to celebrate Thanksgiving with greatful hearts.

Thursday 4 DEC 1902 - Plymouth Democrat, Plymouth, Indiana