USA > Ohio > Putnam County > A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Putnam counties, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio, pt 2 > Part 59
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Joseph Vaughn, son of Michael and Ellen (Lamb) Vaughn, was born in Dearborn county, Ind., January 24, 1858, and when about seven years of age was brought to Putnam county by his parents, and was here reared on the home farm and educated in the common schools. In April, 1886, he married Stella Gander, who was born in Sugar Creek town- ship, June 25, 1863, a daughter of George W. and Harriet (Clevenger) Gander, and to this union have been born four children, namely: Stanley G., William Allen, Michael C and Joseph A. After his marriage, Je seph Vaughn
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settled on a farm given to Mrs. Vaughn by her father, where Mr. Vaughn lived until Sep- tember, 1890, when he traded this farm for the old Vaughn homestead, on which he and family still live. In religion he is a Catholic and in politics a democrat. He is a successful farmer and horse breeder, is open hearted and generous, is public spirited, and freely aids all projects designed to promote the general welfare.
ARTIN L. VEACH, a prominent farmer and retired merchant of Jackson township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a son of William and Nancy E. (Freeman) Veach, and was born in Franklin county, Ohio, September 3, 1849. The father, William Veach, was a native of Virginia, born January 16, 1816, and was a son of a native of Scotland, also named Wil- liam, who was born about 1784, was reared a farmer, and when a youth came to America with his parents, who located in the Old Do- minion, and there William, grandfather of our subject, followed the profession of school- teaching the greater part of his life. He was a gentleman of superior attainments and was famous as a pedagogue in his day. To his marriage with Miss Elizabeth Hawn, of Penn- sylvania, were born eight children, as follows: Mrs. Mary Morris, of Van Wert county, Ohio; William, father of our subject; Mrs. Ma- thilde Williams, Mrs. Lavina Stevens, and Thomas, of Kansas, all three deceased; Beno- nia, a farmer of Douglas county, Ill. : Harrison and Mrs. Susan Ogborne, both deceased. In 1851, William Veach, Sr., brought his family to Ohio and settled in Putnam county, where lv. passed the remainder of his life, dying in '3,4, an honored citizen. In politics he was a whig and held the office of justice of the
peace a number of years, as well as several minor offices.
William Veach, Jr., was educated in Vir- ginia and Ohio, was reared on a farm, and November 3, 1847, was united in matrimony with Miss Nancy Freeman, daughter of Jona- than and Susan (Kemper) Freeman. John Freeman, father of Jonathan, was a gallant soldier in the war of 1812, and was a highly respected gentleman of Scotch descent. Jona- than was a native of Virginia, and his wife, Susan Kemper, was of German extraction; Mrs. Nancy Veach was born in Fairfax county, Va., May 6, 1825, and became the mother of one child-Martin L. Veach, the subject of this sketch.
After marriage William Veach, Jr., located in Pickaway county, Ohio, where he resided two years, and then moved to Franklin county, Ohio, where he passed two years in the mercantile business. In February, 1863, he came to Putnam county and bought 160 acres of uncleared land near Kaida, on which he carried on agriculture for eight years, then sold out and purchased the farm on the banks of the Auglaize river where his son, our subject, now lives and where he passed the remainder of his life ---- dying Ang- ust 18, 1874, in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a very prominent and active member, having heen a class leader all his life after uniting with that body; he was a church trustee, also, and for many years a superintendent of the Sunday- school. In politics he was first a whig and later a republican-serving as towship trustee and filling, at different periods, several of the minor local offices. He was emphatically a self-made made man in all that the phrase in- plies, and was a gentleman of great influence in his church, in his party and in general affairs of the communities in which his lot was at different times cast. His widow is also a
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highly respected member of the Methodist church and is now residing with her son, our subject, on the old homestead.
Martin L. Veach, the subject proper of this biographical memoir, was reared on his father's farm and educated in Putnamn county. In 1870 he went to Kansas, and October 4th of that year there married Miss May Hall, who was born in Putnam county, Ohio, January 1, 1850, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Seitz) Hall. To this union of Mr. and Mrs. Veach have been born three children, named as follows; Dula, a prominent teacher of Putnam county; William C., a farmer, and Charles, also a fariner- all three at home. Benjamin Hall, the father of Mr. Veach, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and was of English descent. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Veach lived on the home farm until their removal to Kalida in 1880, where Mr. Veach engaged in merchandising until 1892, doing a very successful trade; he then sold ont his store and retired to his farin, which he still occu- pies in the summer, and in winter makes his home residence at his town house in Kalida. Mr. Veach has, as a rule, been very successful in his undertakings, meeting with but few re- verses. He is possessed of excellent business talents, has made a competence, and is now living a retired life, honored and respected by all who know him.
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ERDINAND VINCKE, the genial mer- chant of Ottoville, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in the kingdom of Hanover, May 22, 1851. His father, John Henry, was born in 1812, on an estate comprising 200 acres of land that had been in the family since the time that the "memory of man ruuneth not to the contrary." He married Mary Welker, who was born in 1827, a daughter of John Welker, and this union re-
sulted in the birth of six children, named Fritz, Henry, Anne, Ferdinand, William and Frank. Mr. Vincke passed all his life on the homestead, and died May 12, 1884, a devout believer in the doctrines of the Catholic church.
Ferdinand Vincke, subject of this sketch, received an excellent education in his native country, and acquired a good knowledge of ag- riculture on the hoine farm. He served two years in the German army, and at the age of twenty-four years, August 9, 1875, sailed froin Bremerhaven for America, and landed in Balti- more, Md., August 27. After a short stay in Baltimore, Cincinnati and Delphos, Mr. Vincke arrived in Ottoville September 2, 1875. He was first employed at farm work by Gerhard Otte, for nearly three years, and was then em- ployed as clerk in the store for about two years; he then bought a half-interest in the business, in February, 1879, in company with Max Winkelman, forming a partnership which was dissolved August 15, 1895, Mr. Vincke pur- chasing Max Winkelinan's interest and becom- ing sole proprietor of one of the best known stores in the county, which carries an extremely large and well assorted stock of general merchandise.
The marriage of Mr. Vincke took place November 5, 1878, in Ottoville, with Miss Mary Schlagbaum, who was born October 4, 1857, one-quarter mile east of Ottoville, on the farm of her parents, George and Dora (Hille) Schlagbanın. The father, George Schlagbaum, was a native of Hanover, Ger- many, and an old settler of Monterey town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio. He came here in 1852, bought a tract of eighty acres, made a good farm and reared a family of five chil- dren-Bernard, Luisia, Mary, William and Anna. His death took place in 1886, at the age of about sixty-six years. He was a Cath- olic in religion, and in politics a democrat. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Vincke made
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their residence in Ottoville, and here they still live. Their seven children are named Joseph, Frank, William, Anna, Dora, George and Ferdinand. The family are all members of the Catholic church, and the parents were lib- eral contributors to the fund raised to erect the present splendid Catholic house of worship in Ottoville. In politics Mr. Vincke is a dem- ocrat. Socially he is esteemed by the commu- nity for his integrity and straightforwardness and his pleasant disposition.
ENRY VON LEHMDEN, a substan- tial farmer of Jennings township, Put- nam county, Ohio, is a native of the township, and was born July 12, 1842. His father, Bernard Von Lehmden, was born at Steinfeldt, Oldenburg, Germany, in October, the year being probably 1812, a son of Ber- nard and Agnes Von Lehmden, the former of whom was a sea-faring man, voyaging to Hol- land. Bernard and Agnes were the parents of six children, viz: Agnes, Frank, Anton, Ber- nard (all of whoin came to America), Lucette, and Joseph-the father being still a resident of Oldenburg.
Bernard Von Lehinden, father of our sub- ject, learned the trade of shoemaking in Ger- many, and was still a single man when he came to America, and bearing him company were Bernadina Hunkump and her sister Caro- line, and his own sister, Agnes King, with her husband and family. In 1839 or 1840, at Fort Jennings, Bernard Von Lehmden was married to Bernadina Hunkamp, who had passed about a year in Cincinnati. After his marriage Bernard and his wife lived for four years on the farm of his brother Anton, who had preceded him to the country by four years, and also with his brother Frank, who had set- tled one-quarter of a mile southwest of Fort Jennings. In 1843 he purchased fifty-three
acres of the farm now occupied by our subject, but which was then in the woods, though by the expenditure of the usual time and hard labor he subsequently converted it into a com- fortable home. To the marriage here alluded to were born nine children, viz: Henry (our subject), Annie, Frank, Mary, Bernardina and Bernard, still living, and three dead. The humble log cabin of these pioneer parents was on the bank of the Anglaize river, and to this rude habitation wolves would come at night, put their forefeet on the low window-sill, look into the room and howl in hideous discord. On one occasion Mrs. Von Lehmden, while on her way at nightfall to Andy (Anton) Von Lehmden's cabin, a mile away, was followed by a huge wolf, intent on a supper, and es- caped only by crossing the stream in her canoe. Mr. and Mrs. Von Lehinden were de- vout members of the Catholic church. which they always liberally supported with their means, and Mr. Von Lehmden also assisted in erecting the old log church building in Fort Jennings. He acquired a farm of ninety-three acres, of which he cleared and improved seven- ty-six acres, and here died October 24, 1884.
Henry Von Lehinden, the subject of this biography, was born and reared on the home farm in the wilderness mentioned above, and as the years advanced assisted in clearing away the forest from many of the acres that still existed in their primitive condition, during his later youth and earlier manhood -- receiving his education by attending school for a month or two each winter at Fort Jennings and a short time at Delphos, about which time he was at- tacked with the typhoid fever and came very near dying. November 4, 1879, he married, at Fort Jennings, Mrs. Helena Shoeunller, a widow, and a daughter of Lawrence and Helena Cramer. Lawrence Cramer was one of the pioneers of Glandorf, and the father of eight children, named as follows: Peter, Matthew,
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Frank, Helena, Annie, Elizabeth, Margaret and Mary. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Von Lehm- den has been blessed by the birth of three children, Mary, Joseph and John, and the parents and children constitute one happy family on the old farm. The family are all devout Catholics. The farm of Mr. Cramer comprised 110 acres, and on this farin he ended his days.
After his marriage Mr. Von Lehinden bought the old homestead, then consisting of ninety- three acres, and here he still lives, as stated. In politics he is a democrat. His wife, by her first marriage to Henry Shoemiller, became the mother of one child-Amelia-who is now living with our subject. Mr. Shoemiller was a pros- perous farmer and the owner of a tract of 104 acres in Jackson township, where he died one year after his marriage. Mr. Von Lehinden is a gentleman of marked characteristicts, was extremely kind and filial to his parents, and for their sake remained single until thirty-seven years of age. He has been very industrious, and they are such as he who clear up our for- ests, build our villages and found our schools and churches and produce our wealth in general.
a HARLES WANNEMACHER, one of the most prominent merchants and hardwaremen of Ottoville, Putnamn county, Ohio, is of German birth and comes from one of the earliest settled families of Monterey township. The father of our sub- ject, John Wannemacher, was born in Prussia, December 26, 1878, and died October 11, 1876. He was a locksmith by trade, and mar- ried, in his native village, Theresa Dierringer, a daughter of Anton Dierringer, and to this union were born eight children, as follows; Paulina, who died at the age of eight years; Joseph. Peter, Ferdinand deceased at six years; Timothy, Charles, Ferdinand, second, and Benedict.
The Wannemacher family sailed from Ant- werp, Belgium, March 10, 1852, in the ship Edwina, and after a voyage of forty days landed in New York, April 23, of the same year. Joseph, the oldest son, had preceded the family to Putnam county five years, in the spring of 1847, to look over the country, and the family followed, arrived also, as stated, in New York, coming to Ottoville, in 1852, via Albany and Buffalo, N. Y., by railroad, and thence by lake to Toledo, Ohio, reaching Ottoville on May the 6th. Ottoville then contained two buildings only --- one of logs and the other a frame. Jo- seph Wannemacher settled on eighty acres, one and a half miles from the village, lived for three years or more on the land, and then bought a small farin for himself in the neigh- borhood. Here he passed the remainder of his days, and, being a devout Catholic, lent ready assistance to the building of Saint Mary's church at Ottoville, and under the extreme unction of that faith died in his seventy-ninth year.
Charles Wannemacher, the immediate sub- ject of this biographical sketch, was born Jan- uary 7, 1837, and was about fourteen years of age when brought to America in 1852. He had received a good common-school education in his native village, and after reaching Ohio took a peculiar but natural method of learning English by spelling out the signs on stores, and the advertisements displayed on fences, etc., till he had slowly interpreted their meaning, and thus gained a key to the language. At Delphos, Ohio, he learned the trade of shoe- making, serving a year and a half. After be- coming, in this short time, comparatively competent as a workman, he passed a few years in Cincinnati as a journeyman, and then returned to Ottoville and engaged in business for himself and for sixteen years kept a general shoe store, and made money though keeping first-class goods and also through his polite-
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ness and upright treatment of his patrons. The marriage of Mr. Wannemacher took place July 9, 1860, at Ottoville, with Miss Fannie Fournier, who was born July 15, 1840, in the province of Lorraine, France, the only child of Joseph C. and Mary C. (Oberhauser) Four- nier. Joseph C. Fournier, with his wife and child, had come to America in 1848, lived for a while in Seneca county, Ohio, then came to Monterey township, Putnam county, where, in 1851, Mr. Fournier bought eighty acres of land that he worked out from a wilderness into a blooming garden of grain and fruit. He here also followed the profession of a vet- erinary surgeon, and at one time was coroner of Putnam county, holding the office for sev- eral terms. He died at the age of about sixty-six years, and to the last day of his life was a sound democrat. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Wannemacher were born eleven children, of whom seven are still living: Joseph C., John, Jacob, Stephen, Alexander, Fannie and Charles.
Mr. Wannemacher was elected to fill the office of county commissioner in 1873 and served until 1879-two terms. At about the conclusion of his public services he engaged in the hardware business in Ottoville, and has advanced it until he now owns and occupies a two-story and basement store, supplied with every essential article, big or little, to be found in the trade-including shelf, heavy and builders' hardware and agricultural implements, the firm being composed of himself and his son, Joseph C., and style being Charles Wan- nemacher & Son. In addition to the inany public-spirited acts that Mr. Wannemacher has performed for the benefit of his fellow-citizens, it may be mentioned that he laid out the southwestern addition to the city, thus afford- ing to rich and poor pleasant sites for home building, and giving conveniences to the town it would otherwise have lacked. His property
comprises seventy acres one mile south of town, and forty-six acres four miles north, as well as eighty acres in Washington township, and some real estate in Paulding county, beside several city residences in Ottoville and elsewhere. Mr. Wannemacher has served as township assessor, township clerk, and justice of the peace, and even while yet a youth he held the office of constable, being in politics a democrat. In religion he is a devout Catholic, and is a member of the council, and of the building commitee of the church at Ottoville, to the erection of which he has contributed munificently of his means. Mrs. Wannemacher, who was also a devout Catholic, died in this faith August 29, 1890, at the age of fifty years -a lady of many virtues. Charles Wanne- macher is a gentleman of fine natural al Sties, and in a business sense is entirely self made, having worked himself upward from a poor boy, with no knowledge of the English language, to be one of the wealthiest citizens of Patnam county and one who commands the respect of everybody who has his acquaintance.
Joseph Wannemacher, pioneer of Ottoville, Monterey township, Putnam county, Ohio, is one of the best known and most honored citi- zens of the town and county. He was born March 19, 1827, in Prussia, Germany, a son of John and Theresa (Dierrenger) Wanne- macher, of whom further mention is made in in the biography of Charles Wannemacher. Joseph attended the common schools of his native country until eight years of age, receiv- ing a very good education. He learned the trade of locksmith, and May 1, 1847. sailed from Antwerp in the Omaha, a sailing vessel, reaching New York, after a passage of thirty- six days. July 1, he departed for the west, reached Tuscarawas county, Ohio, worked in the iron works there for a year, then went to Newcastle, Pa., and for a year worked m a nail factory; in 1851 he came to Ou ville,
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John H. Neihaus.
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Putnam county, June I, via the canal packet line from Cleveland, and bought a tract of eighty acres of land in the woods, in section 26, one mile and a half west of Ottoville; of this he cleared fifty acres, on which he resided until 1868, when he came to Ottoville and erected his present dwelling and business house and engaged in general merchandising for twenty-two years, when he rented his business place for a drug store and retired to private
life. Being in politics a democrat, Mr. Wan- nemacher served as township clerk from 1855 to 1866, and was the first mayor elected in Ottoville. He made a trip of five months to his old home in Europe in 1887, and on his return was elected a justice of the peace, a position he still holds, thus showing the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow-citi- zens. He was the first notary public in Mon- terey township. As a squire, he has probably married more couples than any other justice in his part of the country, having always been a most popular citizen as well as official. He has also served for six years as a member of the school board. In religion he is a true Catholic and assisted liberally in building the first Catholic church in Ottoville and in the erection of the present stately pile.
Mr. Wannemacher was first united in mat- rimony. April 17, 1854, in Delphos, Ohio, with Miss Martha Stern, who was born March 18, 1837, a daughter of Godfrey and Catherine Stern. Godfrey Stern came from Germany in 1830, bringing, with him his wife and children, seven in number, named as follows: John, Henry, Martha, Jacob, Martin, Mary and Erheart. He settled at Fort Jennings, a pioneer in the days of Raabe and Discher, where he lived until 1848, when he moved to a farm one mile west of. Ottoville, which farm comprised eighty acres, and which he cleared up from the woods; here his death took place at the age of eighty years, a member of the
Lutheran church and an ex-soldier of the wars of Napoleon. Mr. and Mrs. Wannemacher, immediately after marriage, settled in Ottoville, where they lived happy together until the death of the latter, in 1878, at the age of forty-one years, she having been a Catholic in religion. To this marriage were born six children, viz: John, Henry, Mary, Godfried, Adam and Catherine. The second marriage of Mr. Wan- nemacher took place January 26, 1887, at Bucyrus, Ohio, to Mrs. Barbara Sufert, née Houseman, who was born August 18, 1840, in Bremen, Germany; to this union no children have been born, but Mrs. Wannemacher, by her first husband, had one daughter-Mary. Mr. Wannemacher has been a very successful man, in a business point of view, and has given to his son, John, eighty acres; to Adam, forty acres; to Henry, eighty acres, and to Godfried, forty acres, still retaining 139 acres for his own homestead. His property is the result of his own good management and industry, and he is recognized by all as being a man of sterling worth and unspotted integrity, and his life has been such as to be an example well worthy of imitation by the rising generation and the emu- lation of his less fortunate fellow-citizens, whose respect he so fully enjoys, and which he so fully deserves.
3 OHN H. UPHAUS, justice of the peace and ex-judge of the probate court of Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Old- enburg, Germany, September 26, 1832, a son of John G. and Catherine (Poeppelman) Uphaus, who came to America in 1835. bring- ing their only child, our subject. This small family located on section No. 30, Ottowa town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, on a farm of 104 acres, containing a round-log cabin. A few acres of this farm were cleared, but its im-
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provement and cultivation were continued with assiduous care by the father until his death, in January, 1884, at the age of eighty-two years, his wife having died May 19, 1881, at seventy- eight years. Mr. Uphaus was a stanch dem- ocrat in his politics, held a number of local offices, and was treasurer of Ottawa township for nine years. He was one of the organizers and incorporators of the Mutual Fire Insurance company of Putnam county, and for twenty- five years was its president. By trade a car- penter, he was, beside, a skillfnł farmer, and in every respect a useful citizen. In religion Mr. Uphaus was a Catholic, and a prominent member of the church at Glandorf, His chil- dren were six in number, as follows: John H., our subject; John B., of Pleasant town- ship; Elizabeth, wife of Charles W. Lemkuhle, of Glandorf; Bernadina, wife of William Birke- meier, of Ottowa township; Rev. Joseph, pas- tor of a Catholic church at Nashville. Tenn., and George H., farmer of Jackson township. Rev. Joseph Uphaus was ordained priest in 1872, being a graduate at Carthagena, Mercer county, Ohio. He has had charges in Califor- nia, five years, Mercer county, Ohio, and Jay county, Ind., ten years, and is now the only German speaking Catholic pastor in Nashville, Tenn.
John H. Uphaus was reared and educated in Glandorf, Putnam county, and also passed through a special course of study at Louisville, Ky. With the exception of one year spent at Louisville, attending school and working at his trade of carpenter, which he had learned from his father, Mr. Uphaus remained at home until his marriage, in 1858, following his trade, at which he worked about fifteen years in all. In 1865 he, with others, founded the Glandorf woolen mills- the first in the county-of which he had the supervision for about twenty years. The mill is at present owned by the firm of Ellerbrock, Uphans & Co., and is under the
superintendency of George H. Uphaus, son of our subject.
In politics Mr. Uphaus is a democrat. In 1864 and 1865 he was assessor of Ottawa town- ship: he was a member of the school board for several years, and also township clerk. In 1872 he was elected a justice of the peace, an office he filled for twelve years, and was then elected judge of the probate court of Putnam county, which office he filled until 1891. He then became a notary public, still holding his commission, and in 1894 was again elected justice of the peace. He was one of the or- ganizers of the Glandorf Building & Loan association, and for seven years has been its president; he is also one of the directors of the Clover creamery, of Ottawa. As an architect and carpenter he erected the Glandorf eleva- tor, and has put up many other buildings in the county. He owns a good farm of seventy- five acres divided into tracts for special pur- poses and yielding him a handsome revenue.
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