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LLOYD F. VOYLES.
One of the representative men of this section is Lloyd F. Voyles, who is engaged in the real estate, insurance and loan
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business, his operations in this field being extensive and successful. He has made his own way unaided and is one of those v.aliant people who have triumphed over adverse conditions and pressed forward to the goal of a large and worthy success. He is in a most significant sense a self-made man and integrity and honor have characterized him in all the relations of life. He is now a considerable property owner and is preparing to practice law.
Mr. Voyles was born on a farm in Edwards county, March 28, 1871, the son of John Voyles. The father, a farmer by occupation, was born in Kentucky, in 1845, but located in Edwards county in 1865, and now is living practically retired in Bone Gap. He married Mary Elizabeth McDowell, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Samuel McDowell. These worthy people became the parents of five children. The eldest, Edwin, died in infancy previous to the coming of the family to Indiana; Ellen is deceased; William is located at Shawneetown; Lloyd F., is next in order of birth; and the youngest member of the family, Cordelia, is the wife of J. W. Elliot and resides in Danville.
Mr. Voyles passed the roseate days of youth upon his father's farm and assisted the older man in the farm work of which there is ever a super abundance. He remained beneath the paternal roof-tree until he attained the age of twenty years, but his ambitions did not lie in the line of agriculture and at the age mentioned he secured a position in a local store and earned money to support him while he attended the Bone Gap school. Subsequently he passed the teachers' examination and was granted a teacher 's certificate. His early advantages had been meagre indeed and the circumstances of the family had made it impossible for him to obtain even the ordinary common schooling. So greatly did he desire an education, however, that he attended school at the age of twenty-three years. He is a constant student and has acquired outside the school room a splendid fund of knowledge and is to all intents and purposes a well-educated man, For the past eight years he has been devoting his spare time to rcading law and practicing in the justice 's court. Previous to opening his real estate business in January, 1900, he clerked in local stores. He has been wonderfully successful in the real estate business and represents five of the most important insurance companies, doing a large and constantly widening business, and handling loans in addition to the rest. He has a fine farm of eighty acres very near Bone Gap and also has some valuable town property, consisting of an advantageously situated business building and a most desirable residence property.
Mr. Voyles has for a number of years been prominent in public affairs. In politics he subscribes to the articles of faith of the Democratic party and his word is of weight in party councils. He is both precinct and senatorial committeeman. He has served three terms as justice of the peace of Bone Gap township, having been first elected in 1900, and twice reelected. He has ever proved remarkably faithful to public responsibility and is public-spirited and helpful in all measures directed towards the public welfare. He is a member of the Christian church.
Mr. Voyles was married January 3, 1899, the lady to become his wife being Lura B. Melrose, of Bone Gap, daughter of Gibson Melrose. They share their pleasant home with one son, Jennings.