An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 371 HON. MOSES YODER, a prominent law practitioner of Chehalis, was born in Ohio, June 27, 1837, a son of Valentine and Mary (Schrock) Yoder, natives of Pennsylvania and of Swiss origin. Their ancestors fled from Switzerland as early as 1752, to escape religious persecution. The father of our subject, a carpenter and builder by trade, removed with his family from Elkhart county, Indiana, in 1842. The mother died in September, 1884, and the father survived until 1892, dying at the age of eighty-four years. Moses Yoder, the eldest of his parents' eleven children, passed his boyhood days on a farm, and is principally a self-educated man. At the age of twenty years he began work at the carpenter's trade with his father, which he continued until 1862. In that year he enlisted for service in the late war, entering Company E, Seventy-fourth Indiana Regiment, but was discharged in 1863, having become disabled while serving in the Army of the Cumberland, and for which injury he now draws a small pension. After partially regaining his health, but not being physically able to follow his trade, Mr. Yoder engaged in teaching, and at the same time began reading law with T.C. Wilson. He later entered a law office and studied under M.W. Strayer of Lexington, Illinois, and in 1868 was admitted to the bar at Chatsworth, that State. After practicing his profession at that place two years, Mr. Yoder removed to Neodesha, Kansas, where he remained eleven years, and during that time held the office of Police Magistrate two years, or until his departure for the Pacific coast in 1881. Mr. Yoder immediately located in this city, but one year later began the practice of law in Tacoma. During the following year, on account of ill health, he visited the mountain districts of' southern Oregon, and in March, 1884, again took up his residence in this city. During the same year he was elected to the position of County Judge, serving in that capacity until 1886. Although having been connected with many criminal cases, Judge Yoder has a decided preference for civil practice, and is perhaps one of the best land lawyers in southwestern Washington. He has indeed done much for the advancement of Lewis county, having divided a tract of 240 acres near the city into lots, and sold the same on long-time payments, to encourage fruit, garden and berry culture, to which the climate is especially adapted. Judge Yoder was married at Ashland, Oregon, in January, 1884, to Miss Minerva Arnett, a native of Nebraska. They have two children: Florence A. and Cisso L. Our subject was the father of four children by a former marriage, only one of whom is now living, Charles. In political matters, the Judge is an active Republican, and socially, affiliates with the I.O.O.F. and the A.O.U.W. He has passed all the official chairs in the latter order, and is also a prominent member of the G.A.R. at Toledo, Washington. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.