USA > Ohio > Erie County > A standard history of Erie County, Ohio: an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, civic, and social development. A chronicle of the people, with family lineage and memoirs > Part 45
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ADOLPH NICKEL. Among the men who have lent dignity of char- aeter, excellence of labor and general co-operation in affairs of Erie County, Ohio, one who is widely and favorably known in agricultural and business eireles is Adolph Nickel, who owns and operates a hand- some farm on the township line road in Huron Township. It has been the fortune of this progressive and energetie farmer to have lived all his life close to nature and to have partaken generously of the rewards offered those who respond with enthusiasm and elear judgment to the opportunities for advancement in tilling the soil.
Mr. Nickel has been a resident of his present community through- out his career, having been born on the farm adjoining the one he now owns, in Huron Township, August 28, 1875, a son of Charles and Mary (Platt) Niekel. The father, born in Germany in 1846 or 1847, was a small child when he came to the United States with his parents on a sail- ing vessel, during the early '50s, the family landing at New York City and immediately making their way to Erie County, Ohio. Here they settled on the farm which lies to the north of the one now owned by Adolph Nickel, and at that time almost in its primitive state. The grand- parents, whose names are now forgotten, passed their entire lives here. the grandfather reaching advanced years, while the grandmother passed away some time before. They were consistent members of the Evangel- ical Church, devoted their entire lives to farming, and were known as honest, industrious and God-fearing people. Mrs. Nickel's parents had come to the United States before she was born, and lived and died on the farm on which they settled in Perkins Township. Erie County. they also being consistent members of the Evangelical Church and highly respected members of their community.
Charles Nickel was reared and educated in Huron Township, and when he attained man's estate engaged in farming on his own account.
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After his marriage, he resided for a few years at Milan, but subsequently settled on a farm in IIuron Township, where he passed the remaining years of his active life. Both he and Mrs. Nickel still survive and reside in Ohio, although in different parts of the state. They are members of the Evangelical Church, and in political matters Mr. Nickel is a demo- crat. They were the parents of three children: Jennie, who is the widow of Fred Lee, of Milan Township, and foster-mother of one son, Ralph Bickley; Adolph, of this notice; and Mary, who is the wife of. Philip Lorteher, and resides on a farmi adjoining that of her brother, and has one son, Myron B.
Adolph Nickel was given a public school education, and passed his boyhood and youth in the pursuits of the farm, receiving both a good mental and physical training. IIe remained on the home farm until twenty-five years of age, at which time he purchased his present farm, a tract of seventy-two acres, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation. IIe has since erected a large barn. 32 by 68 feet, painted red, a garage, buggy shed and corn eribs, and other ontbuildings, while his residence is handsome and commodious, painted drab, with green trimmings, and containing seven rooms, handsomely and tastefully fur- nished, with all modern conveniences and comforts. Mr. Nickel grows large erops of all kinds of cereals, and in addition breeds horses, cattle and hogs. In every department of agriculture he has been successful, being possessed of a thorough knowledge of the details of his chosen voeation. He has a high reputation in business circles, and as a citizen has shown his publie spirit on more than one occasion.
Mr. Niekel was married at Sandusky, Ohio, to Miss Catherine Lieb, who was born in that city April 18, 1880, and there reared and well edu- cated. Her parents were Ambrose and Margaret (Herr) Lieb, natives of Germany, who came to America as young people and located at Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, but later moved to Sandusky, Ohio, where the mother died in 1887, in middle life. Mr. Lieb, who has long been well and favorably known as a hand marble worker and monument maker. still lives at Sandusky, where he is the proprietor of an establishment of his own. By his first marriage he had three daughters and three sons, namely: George, Anna, Elizabeth, Henry, Catherine and Martin. He was married a second time, and has two sons and one daughter by this union, named Louis, Herman and Celia. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Nickel, aged as follows: Russell, born October 23, 1905 : Mary, born June 13, 1909; Alberta, born May 8, 1911: Doris, born Feb- ruary 10, 1913; and Charles, born April 4, 1915. Mrs. Nickel is a mem- ber of the Roman Catholic Church. Her husband is a democrat in poli- ties, but his interest in public affairs is limited to the casting of his vote in support of good men and beneficial measures.
WILLIAM C. HEIMBURGER. Farming, which in former years was largely an occupation in which the surplus sons of the old-time families engaged as their natural and only means of livelihood, has been brought to the front as one of the higher callings, a labor of mind as well as of muscle, of head as well as of hand. Scientific agriculture is no longer a high-sounding phrase, but a vocation which demands careful preparation and yields sure and generous returns. Each year witnesses remarkable progress along this line, and to understand this aroused and continued interest, the work of such progressive farmers as William (. Heimburger, of IIuron Township, must be considered.
Mr. Heimburger has passed his entire life in the community in which he now resides, having been born on his father's farm in IInron Town- ship. Erie County, Ohio. April 24, 1879, a son of William Heimburger, a sketch of whose career will be found on another page of this work. Edu-
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cated in the graded and high schools of Huron. Mr. Heimburger was reared to agricultural pursuits, and remained on the homestead until his marriage, at the age of twenty-six years, when he started renting a prop- erty from his father. Three years later he was ready to enter upon a career of his own and purchased from his father his present valuable tract, a property of sixty-five acres, lying on the Bogart road. Here he has a handsome, modern residence of eight rooms, built in 1908, a new . barn 36 by 40 feet, and feed shed, 24 by 132 feet, which latter is to be extended all around the yard, when it will be 360 feet in length. 1Ie has also a machine and tool house, and two corn cribs, one of 1,600 Ishels and the other of 1,200 bushels capacity. Mr. Heimburger feeds 3,000 bushels of corn, all grown on this property, and in addition grows large crops of wheat, oats, alfalfa, potatoes and meadow grass. He also rents eighty acres of the William Hahn farm, lying adjacent to his own property.
As a raiser of livestock. Mr. Heimburger has made his cattle gain as high as 300 pounds in 120 days, an excellent average, and he also breeds fine hogs of the Berkshire breed, shipping about fifty each year. He makes a close and careful study of his work, and works out his own ideas along practical lines, noting intelligently the best manner of attaining results. He leaves nothing to chance, but makes each of his moves in a careful, well-directed manner, far different from the haphazard way in which farmers usually carried on their operations in former years.
In 1905 Mr. Heimburger was married to Miss May Hecker, of Hays Avenue, Sandusky, Ohio. a graduate of Sandusky High School and a daughter of William and Minnie ( Holtzworth ) Hecker. Mr. Hecker was born in Germany and was eighteen years of age when he emigrated to the United States, locating at Sandusky, Ohio, where he followed his trade of butcher for twelve years. Ile is now living a retired life at Sandusky, as is also Mrs. Hecker, who is a native of that city. They were the parents of two sons and two daughters, Mrs. Heimburger being the elder of the latter, the younger sister being unmarried. Four chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Heimburger: Arthur, ten years of age and in the fourth grade of the public schools: Walter, who is eight years old ; Raymond. aged five years ; and Marion, four years old.
Mr. and Mrs. Heimburger are members of the Huron Lutheran Church, and are well and favorably known in social circles. Ile is a democrat in politics, but has not taken a very active part in party affairs, his entire time and attention being occupied by his farming activities. As a citizen he has shown his interest in matters pertaining to the wel- fare of his community, and has displayed a willingness to co-operate with others in movements calculated to bring about civic and agricultural betterment. Ilis wide circle of friends testify to his general popularity.
DIEDRICK E. BRUNS. Those counties that can claim their respective quotas of farmers of German birth or extraction are certain to maintain high standards in the domain of agriculture and stockgrowing. for this element of citizenship is renowned for thrift and prosperity as well as for the deepest loyalty and full appreciation of the advantages afforded in the United States, though those who can refer to the German fatherland as the place of their nativity naturally and justly honor the same and treasure its best traditions. Such a worthy and valued citizen is he whose name introduces this paragraph and who is one of the representative farmers of Erie County, where his excellent farm of ninety-two acres is specially notable for its fine improvements and the unmistakable evi- dences of the energy and good judgment brought to bear in its various operations. This attractive rural estate is situated in the southeastern part of ITuron Township and on the Berlin Heights road, with rural mail
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service on Route No. 2 from the Village of IIuron. The farm was the old homestead of the parents of Mrs. Bruns, who was here born and reared and who has here maintained her home during virtually the entire period of her life thus far. The Bruns farm is supplied with an excellent system of drainage and the requisite water is derived from several wells, which give adequate supply for the live stock and for other purposes. Virtually the entire farm is under a high state of cultivation, scientific methods being brought to bear in perpetuating the fertility of its excel- lent soil, and the place is notable for its uniformly large yields of wheat. oats and corn, the while Mr. Bruns gives special attention to the propaga- tion of the best types of potatoes, which give an average annual product of 150 bushels to the acre and a gross annual production of about 2,500 bushels. This homestead is equipped with excellent buildings with the most approved and modern facilities, including an attractive residence of nine rooms, a fine barn 36 by 70 feet, with slate roof, this building having been erected by Mr. Bruns in 1910, there being an additional barn of large dimensions for the care of farm produce and the live stock, and a grainary 24 by 30 feet in dimensions.
Mr. Bruns has owned and resided upon his present homestead farm since 1899, prior to which year he had been for fifteen years engaged in farming in Lenawee County. Michigan, his property there having been sold prior to his return to Erie County, Ohio, where he had established his residence shortly after his immigration to America and where he had lived for a mimber of years before he removed with his family into Michigan.
A scion of one of the sterling and honored old families of the King- dom of Hanover, Germany, Mr. Bruns was there born on the 26th of June, 1859, a son of Frederick and Catherine (Rohrs) Bruns, who there passed their entire lives, each having been about sixty-four years of age at the time of death and both having been devout communicants of the Lutheran Church. Of the seven children the eldest is Anna, Mrs. Bussel- man, whose husband is a prosperous farmer in the Kingdom of Hanover. their children being two sons and one daughter. Frederick is now a suc- cessful business man at Stryker, Williams County, Ohio, where he con- duets a private bank. He has one son and one daughter. Henry is individually mentioned on other pages of this publication : lleinrick is in the West and is at the time of this writing supposed to be a resident of the state of California; William is the subject of a personal sketch else- where in this volume : and Herman, who lives in Huron, this county.
Diedrick E. Bruns passed the period of his childhood and early youth on the old home farm of his father and in the meanwhile availed himself of the advantages of the excellent schools of the locality. At the age of sixteen years, in 1875, he set sail at Bremen for the voyage to America. some of his brothers having preceded him to the United States and others having come later, he having been the seventh child of the family. Soon after disembarking in the port of New York City he came to Henry County, Ohio, but a year later he removed to Erie County and became identified with agricultural pursuits, in Huron Township, where six years later, in 1882, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Lena Hutten- locher, the marriage ceremony having been performed in the home of the bride's parents,-the house now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Bruns. Mrs. Bruns was born in this township, in 1861, and save for the period of her residence in Michigan, she has always lived in Huron Township. Her parents were born in the Kingdom of Wurtemburg. Germany, and were young folk at the time when they came to America and became residents of Erie County, where their marriage was solem- ized. Here the father, Andrew Huttenlocher, purchased the land eonsti- tuting the present Bruns homestead, and here he became one of the sub-
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stantial farmers and highly respected citizens of Erie County, where !! still maintains his home, his eighty-fourth birthday anniversary having been celebrated in August, 1915, and his physical and mental power being retained to a wonderful degree. He is a consistent member of the Evan- gelical Church, as was also his wife, whose death occurred about twenty years ago, when she was somewhat more than sixty-five years of age. Mr. and Mrs. IInttenlocher became the parents of two sons and four daughters, all of whom are living and all of whom are married and well established in life. Mr. and Mrs. Bruns have two children, the elder of whom is Andrew H., who was born in the year 1886 and who is a pro- gressive and successful farmer in Berlin Township, this county: Ile married Miss Helen Coal, of Norwalk, Huron County, and their only child, Esther, was born in 1912. Edith Leota Bruns is the wife of Robert French, a prosperous young farmer of Lenawee County, Michigan, and they have two daughters, Arline E., who was born June 3, 1913, and Ruth L., born May 3, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Bruns are earnest communicants and active workers in the Evangelical Church in the Village of Huron. and he is an officer in the same. He is a citizen of broad views and utmost civie loyalty, and is ever ready to lend his co-operation in the furtherance of measures and material enterprises tending to advance the general welfare of the community. Though never animated by aught of ambition for political office he is found staunchly arrayed in the ranks of the repub- lican party and takes a lively interest in its cause. The attractive family home is known for its generous and unostentatious hospitality and is a favorite rendezvous for the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Bruns.
LOUIS W. SCHEID. One of the most progressive representatives of the agricultural interests of Erie County, Louis W. Scheid has worked his way to a position of independence and prominence solely through his own efforts. Ile started in life with only a good constitution and a resolute determination to get to the front, and his successful career as a farmer of Huron Township furnishes a strong incentive to the aspiring element of the rising generation to follow his example.
Mr. Scheid was born on the old family homestead in Oxford Township. Erie County, Ohio, August 28, 1873, and is a son of Peter and Catherine (Heuser) Scheid. His father was born July 31, 1834, in Germany. and in 1852 came to the United States with his brother William, on a sailing vessel, which made port at New York City. From the metropolis the brothers made their way to Huron County, Ohio, but shortly thereafter came to Erie County, and purchased wild land at Spears Corners, one mile west of the Bloomingville Road, where they continued to pass the remaining years of their lives, and died to a day within fifty weeks of each other, Peter Scheid passing away October 22, 1905. Before leaving Huron County they had sent for their parents and their brother Charles. and after their arrival Charles Scheid located on a farm near Pontiac. where he still lives and where his parents died in advanced years. Peter Scheid became one of Oxford Township's most industrious and energetic men, and it was not long before his influence began to be felt in the com- munity. IIe was successful as a farmer, and erected substantial buiklings and a fine home on his property, thus contributing to the upbuilding and development of his adopted locality. A consistent member of the Luth- eran faith, after coming to Oxford Township he assisted to organize the Saint John's Lutheran Church of Union Corners, of which he and Mrs. Scheid became charter members, and of which he continued as an official throughout his life. A stalwart democrat in politics. he was frequently called to office by his fellow citizens who recognized and appreciated his sterling worth of character, and for twenty years served as treasurer of the township, in addition to acting for a long period in the capacity of
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township trustee. His record as agriculturist, citizen and public official was one on which there is not the slightest stain or blemish, and when he died he left to his children the priceless heritage of an honored name. Mr. Scheid was married at Pontiac, IFuron County, Ohio, to Miss Catherine Ileuser, who was born in Germany, March 6, 1842, and was eleven years of age when she came to the United States with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Heury Heuser. They located at Pontiac. The father died in 1901, in Ox- ford Township, Erie County, Ohio, at the age of eighty-five years, he hav- ing passed his last years with his daughter, Mrs. Scheid, who was his only child. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and a democrat in polities. Mrs. IIeuser died in 1875, aged sixty years. Since her hus- band's death, in 1905, Mrs. Scheid has lived in the town of Milan, Ohio, and is still hale and hearty at the age of seventy-three years. Of the ten children of Peter and Catherine Scheid, one died in infancy, Mrs. Robert Streck died in June, 1913, leaving issue, and Miss Amanda passed away in January, 1915, while seven children survive.
Louis W. Scheid was the youngest but two of his parents' children, and grew up on the farm in Oxford Township. He attended the district schools of his native locality and spent the summer months in work on the home farm, so that he came to manhood alert in mind and strong and active in body, an equipment with which he has since worked his way to a comfortable competence. A large part of his education has been self acquired, by study, observation and experience, and this has given Mr. Scheid a broad and comprehensive outlook on life. From the outset of his career Mr. Scheid proved himself a hard and industrious worker, cap- able of making money out of his ventures and equally capable of turning his earnings to good use. In 1901 he purchased his present fine property, located on South Main Street (sometimes called Sand Road) in Huron Township, three miles south of Huron. This large estate is highly im- proved and contains a variety of soils, all productive, a part being a sandy loam, some a clay mixed and the greater part a level streteh of black and very fertile loam. Here he grows immense crops of corn, wheat. oats, barley and potatoes, of which he feeds all exeept his wheat and potatoes to his horses, mules, cattle, hogs and sheep, for Mr. Scheid has engaged largely in stockraising, a department in which he has gained excellent suceess. IIe is a practical farmer, using the old and tried meth- ods where they prove worthy, but always being ready to give a trial to the modern ways of farming. He believes in rotation of stock and in the use of modern machinery, and his opinion is frequently sought in agricultural matters, particularly in connection with cattle, of which he is an aeknowl- edged judge. After losing two residenees by fire, Mr. Scheid built his present beautiful home, ereeted after the cottage style, of concrete to the second floor and then of frame. Situated on a pleasant rise of land, it overlooks the surrounding country, and gives a particularly pleasing ap- pearanee to the farm. The other buildings inelude his large grain and feed barn, 40x90 feet, horse barn, 36x40 feet, and cow barn, 30x40 feet. all of which are equipped with the latest modern conveniences and appli- anees. A broad-minded, hearty and virile man, Mr. Scheid thinks well of life, desires others to do likewise, and, having succeeded himself, is anxious to see his fellows gain prosperity. Ile is a confirmed member of Saint John's Lutheran Church, at Union Corners, and his wife attends that ehureh. In politics he is a democrat but not a politician. Frater- nally he is an enthusiastie Mason, and is a member in good standing of Marks Blue Lodge No. 359, F. & A. M .; Milan Chapter, and Sandusky Conneil No. 26, in all of which he has numerous friends. . As a citizen he has performed his duties and responsibilities faithfully and well, and every movement for the general welfare finds in him a hearty eo-operator and supporter. He has woven compaetly and well the strands of his life,
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and has surrounded those dependent upon him with educational and general advantages.
Mr. Scheid was married at Huron, Ohio, to Miss Pearl Starr, who was born, reared and educated in this township, being a graduate of Huron Iligh School and a daughter of John Starr, a sketch of whose life will be found on another page of this work. Five children have been born to this union: Cornelius, aged thirteen years, who is in eighth grade at the public school; Marion, aged eleven, in the sixth grade; Inez. aged eight years; and John P. and Peter Louis, twins, the former aged five years, and the latter of whom died when three months old.
GEORGE J. SAGE. This representative agriculturist of Erie County has satisfaction in claiming Erie County as the place of his nativity and vir- tually his entire life has been passed in Huron Township, his birth having occurred in the village of IIuron, on the 3d of March, 1859, and his early education having been acquired in the public schools of this county, which has always been his home and which is endeared to him by the gracious memories and associations of the past as well as by the opportunities he has here found for successful enterprise as a farmer and stockgrower, his present well improved farm being a large part of the tract of land that was here purchased by his father more than half a century ago. Mr. Sage is a scion of stanneh New England stock, and the family was there founded in the early colonial epoch of our national history, the late Rus- sell Sage, the great New York capitalist, having been a scion of another branch of the same family. The paternal great-grandparents of the sub- ject of this review were born and reared in Connecticut, and it is sup- posed that they passed the closing period of their lives in Virginia, though the meager family records do not give absolute assurance of this fact. The grandfather, George Sage, was but thirty-eight years of age at the time of his death, and his widow, Lney, passed her last days in the home of her son, William G. Sage, at Huron, Ohio, where she died at the vener- able age of seventy-five years, after a widowhood of many years, during which she ever paid loyal fealty to the memory of the husband of her youth. Of their children the eldest was William G., father of him whose name initiates this review ; Edwin and Edward were twins and both are deceased, and there were several other children, including Harriet, Lucy. Orrin, Charles and Louisa. all of whom married and reared children. Of this numerous family of children only two are now living, Mrs. Louisa ('ase, who resides in Indiana, in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Colby. whose husband is a clergyman, and Charles, who is a carpenter and lives with his daughter in Wood County, Ohio.
William George Sage was born in the City of Winham, Connecticut. on the 21st of October, 1822, and was a mere boy at the time of his father's death. The family was left in straitened circumstances and, as the eldest of the children, he early assumed heavy responsibilities in varing for the younger children and the widowed mother, who ever re- ceived his deepest filial love and solicitnde and who passed her declining years in his home, as previously noted in this context. From Connecticut the family finally removed to Virginia, and there William G. encountered many hardships and vicissitudes in providing for his widowed mother and the younger children. They lived in a primitive log cabin for a number of years and in the meanwhile William G. put forth every pos- sible effort to win independence and at least a fair measure of prosperity. HIe learned the trade of carpenter and through his skilled work at his trade he laid the foundation for his future success. In the early '40s he brought the family to Erie County, Ohio, where he left his mother and the other children on a small farm near Vermilion and personally went to the City of Toledo, where he eventually developed an excellent
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