USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part Two > Part 25
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In 1891 Mr. Miller was married to Eliza- beth Wiermann, and a family of three children have blessed their union, namely; Rosa, Eugene and Harry. They are attend- ants of the German Reformed Church. Mr. Miller is a Republican, but has never been ac- tive in politics, devoting his time and attention to his business interests instead. Fraternally he is a member of the Eagles, National Union and the Knights of Pythias.
R EV. CHRISTIAN BADERTSCHER, a retired minister of the German Reformed Church, who for more than 30 years was a successful worker in the Master's vineyard, has been a resident of Allen County since 1856, and counts among his friends all those who know him. Born in Signau, Canton Bern, Switzerland, on April 22, 1842, he lived there until his 14th year when his parents, Peter and Annie ( Ashlaman) Badertscher, came with their family to America. Landing in New York, they at once came to Ohio, and settled in Allen County where, in less than a year, the mother died. The father survived her several years. He was engaged in the manufacture of spinning wheels-a necessity in almost every family in that time. He was the father of the following children, viz : Barbara (Buch- er), of Richland township; John U., a retired farmer of Bluffton; Mathias, deceased; Eliza-
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beth (Amstutz), of Richland township; Peter, now a retired citizen of Lima, after working 40 years for the P., Ft. W. & C. Railway Company ; Christian, Frederick, a machinist of Pickaway County, Ohio; Annie ( Bastinger), a widow, of Lima, and Magdalena (Stager), of Bluffton.
After the death of his mother. Christian Badertscher lived in the family of the Rev. John Moser until his 21st year. From that time until his marriage, in 1865, he hired out by the month as a farm hand. Following this, he rented a farm one year and then purchased his present farm of 80 acres in section 23, Rich- land township. He cleared the greater portion of this land and improved it with suitable build- ings. Mr. Badertscher has been very success- ful as a stock raiser, handling horses, cattle and hogs. In 1871 he gave up farming and entered the Wisconsin Mission Home, where he fitted himself for the ministry of the German Re- formed Church. He was regularly ordained to the service in 1875, and was given charge of the field at Clayton, Iowa. Two years was spent in the work there, when he was returned to Ohio and stationed at Findlay where he re- mained 10 years. His next church was at St. Marys, Auglaize County, and he remained with that congregation about 14 years, his la- bor in the various fields being attended with most satisfactory and beneficial results.
Returning to his farm at the expiration of that time, he at once began the cultivation of his land, being assisted by his youngest son, Samuel. Being located in the oil belt, he leased the oil rights to Michael Simmerman & Com- pany, who drilled wells and began pumping but later sold out their interest to our subject. Associated with Teter Sebert and David Rose- bach, Jr., of St. Marys, the firm of Badertscher & Company was formed for the production of oil, three new wells being drilled. Later these partners sold their part of the business to Hen- ry Schoneberger, of Chicago, a son-in-law of our subject, and the work was continued under the same name, Mr. Badertscher being mana- ger. Two more oil wells were sunk, making seven wells now in operation, which are a source of considerable revenue to their owners.
In June, 1842, Mary Ann Gratz was born in Putnam County, Ohio, to Frederick and Annie (Lugibihl) Gratz, both of whom were natives of Germany. Growing to womanhood she was married to Christian Badertscher and became the mother of the following children : Sarah, wife of John Finke, of St. Marys, Ohio ; Noah, a farmer living near St. Marys, Ohio, who married Matilda Roerbach; Annie, wife of Henry Schoneberger, who owns and con- ducts a large bakery in Chicago; John, who married Louisa Cock and is a chair-maker re- siding at St. Marys; Daniel, unmarried, a chair maker living at Marion, Indiana; Silas, who works in the chair factory at St. Marys and is a musician and vocalist of ability, and Samuel, who resides with his parents and con- conducts the farm. Rev. Christian Badert- cher is frequently called upon to assist the local preacher and is always found ready to give his aid. His sermons are full of the force and energy which made his ministerial work ef- fective and are listened to with pleasure and satisfaction. He is a Democrat in politics.
M. BELL, a wholesale merchant of Lima, was born in 1859 at Spring Hill, Champaign County, Ohio, and is the son of the late William Bell, of Lima.
William Bell was one of the most enter- prising citizens that ever resided in Lima, and his prosperity was of such a nature that the entire community was benefitted by it. He was a stockholder in The Ohio National Bank, and owned much fine residence property, and erected the Bell Block on Main street, adjoin- ing the Opera House Block. This structure is three stories high and 200 feet deep, with a 75 foot frontage-one of the best business blocks in the city. Mr. Bell's death in 1902, was an irreparable loss to the community.
The parents of our subject came to Lima in 1864, and it was here he reached man's estate. Having finished the primary schools. he entered Notre Dame University in 1880. grad- uating from that institution four years later.
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He at once entered into partnership with F. E. Harman, for five years conducting a house furnishing establishment under the firm name of Harman & Bell. Mr. Bell then became in- terested in the production of oil, and was thus engaged for about five years, when the Spanish American War enlisted his sympathies. He was Captain of Company C, Second Ohio In- fantry, U. S. Volunteers, and was in active service for about one year, being stationed at Columbus, Ohio; Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Macon, Georgia. He took part in the grand review at Chickamauga and was mustered out in February, 1899. Returning to Lima, Mr. Bell embarked in his present business, and is well equipped to meet almost any call for photographers', jewelers' and dental supplies. He transacts a large volume of business, both retail and wholesale, drawing his trade from an extensive territory about Lima.
In 1898 Mr. Bell was married to Lelia Kelly, daughter of Rev. John Kelly, a retired Presbyterian minister, of Chandlersville, Mus- kingum County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Bell have two children-Eleanor and Harold. They are members of the Market Street Presbyterian Church at Lima. Mr. Bell is a prominent mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias. He served as chief of police during the mayoralty of Dr. Samuel A. Baxter, who first organized and systematized the force.
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AMES W. GENSEL, assistant secre- G tary of the South Side Building & Loan Association, of Lima, was reared and educated in Lafayette, Allen County. He was born in Jackson township in 1863, and is a son of John F. Gen- sel, who enlisted in Company I, 46th Reg. Ohio Vol. Inf., and died in a hospital in Chat- tanooga, Tennessee, in 1864.
James W. Gensel taught school in this county about three years prior to coming to Lima to accept the position of bookkeeper, in the Golley & Finley Iron Works. He remained with the company 10 years and left them only to take the office of county treasurer, to which
he had been elected in the fall of 1899. Two years later he was re-elected to the office and, at the expiration of his second term accepted his present position with the South Side Build- ing & Loan Association.
In 1888 Mr. Gensel was married to Mary Custer, who has borne him five children, viz .: Ferne Y., Harold F., Ralph C., Mildred L. and Richard W. Mrs. Gensel is a daughter of Jacob Custer, who formerly operated the stone quarries in Bath township, but is now living in retirement in Lima. He is one of the oldest residents of the county, having been born and reared here. Mr. Gensel is an active Democrat and was formerly a member of the Democratic County Central Committee. He is a member of Lima Lodge, No. 581, I. O. O. F., and served as secretary for two terms.
ACOB DIENSTBERGER, one of the pioneers of the county, was born in Baden, Germany, July 4, 1831, and died in Allen County, August 15, 1904, in his 72d year.
The life of Jacob Dienstberger was one of long and continued usefulness. It be- gan in a humble home in Germany, in which he was trained to habits of thrift and industry, and closed in a comfortable home of his own making, surrounded by those who loved him best and honored him most. He was 18 years old when he left Germany for the United States and in Norwich, Connecticut, he completed his apprenticeship as a blacksmith, which trade he had commenced to learn in his native land. In September, 1851, he came to Delphos, Ohio, worked for a short time in an iron foundry and then embarked in the blacksmith business, associating himself with Israel Thornell. He was thus engaged from 1860 until he became a soldier of the Civil War, serving honorably throughout the entire period of hostilities. He returned to Delphos after the war and resumed a business life in which he continued to be ac- tive until 1890. For many years he was iden- tified with the coal and iron trade of Delphos and vicinity. The last years of his life were
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spent in retirement in the comfortable home ad- joining his place of business on East Second street, which he erected before the Civil War.
In his earlier years Mr. Dienstberger was a man of robust health and unusual strength. He continued to retain this robustness until May, 1897, when he suffered a stroke of par- alysis which caused him to be a partial invalid during the remainder of his life. While this was a calamity he was more fortunate than many a sufferer, because of the faithful and lov- ing care shown him by a most patient and de- voted wife, during the seven years of his in- validismi. On Saturday, August 6, 1904, he suffered from a second stroke of paralysis. The amputation of several of his toes, previous to this, had much lowered his vital powers and "nine days after the second paralytic stroke he passed away. Four weeks prior to his death, his only sister had died at Columbian Green, Connecticut, and his decease left, as only sur- vivor of his parents' family, a brother, Nicho- las, of Norwich, Connecticut, who also passed away December 12, 1905.
A man of excellent business sense, the de- ceased gained a goodly share of worldly goods, while his strict honesty in business dealings, neighborly kindness and anxiety for the wel- fare of his family, brought him esteem and re- spect from all with whom his life intermingled. His funeral which was largely attended took place on August 18, 1904. The G. A. R. at- tended in a body and many relatives and friends from out of the city, paid their final re- spects to the departed. The burial was in the West Side Cemetery, Delphos. His resting place is now marked by one of the finest granite monuments on the grounds. The parents of Mrs. Deinstberger and a brother also rest in this cemetery.
The widow of the late Jacob Dienstberger was born in Saxony, Germany, January 15, 1835, and is a daughter of Christopher and Magdaline (Grundmiller) Gessner. The parents emigrated to America in 1841, when the daughter was about five years old, and Mrs. Dienstberger is the only survivor of three children, viz. : Charles, who died aged 77 years, leaving two sons and two daughters living
at De Graff, Ohio; Caroline (Mrs. Dienstberg- er), and Adam, who died March 17, 1885, aged 45 years, leaving a widow, two sons and two daughters.
Like many other German emigrants Mr. Gessner came to the United States with the idea of securing a comfortable home for his wife and children, but he had little capital ex- cept a kit of tools, which he brought from his old home and in the use of which he was very skillful. The little family was made welcome in the log cabin of a neighbor, who had settled previously in Ohio, and Mr. Gessner soon erected a house on a tract between Sugar and Hawk Creeks. There the family lived until he secured a more desirable farm of 80 acres in Washington township, Van Wert County, which he subsequently cleared. He was well- known throughout the country, his faculty for mending clocks, watches and anything broken, bringing many visitors to his place.
Mrs. Dienstberger remembers when the family meals were eaten off a German chest, but later the father fashioned an excellent table, made creditable chairs by hand, and even guns, using for the latter iron parts which he had brought from Germany. His other tools, suclı as pitchforks, he made from crooked forks of trees found in the forest, and while the neigh- boring farmers were threshing their grain by ciriving their horses over it, he was using a flail thresher, with a long wooden handle and a piece of leather, fashioned by his own hands. Mrs. Dienstberger's mother was an adept at spinning flax and wool, coloring them and con- verting then into the plain, sensible garments of that day, while the father made the family shoes. Their evening lamp was a candle, with the exception of an old grease lamp brought from Germany. Cooking was all done at the open fire place, and there are those still living who declare that no present day food has the appetizing flavor of that cooked in the old Dutch oven. The educational opportunities of the time and place were restricted to the most elementary branches. Religious instruction. however, was not neglected. Rev. Donier, a Lutheran pastor, having charge of a number of scattered congregations, including that at
CHARLES E. STADLER, M. D.
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Elida, where Mrs. Dienstberger learned her catachism and attended church.
On September 26, 1853, Caroline Gessner and Jacob Dienstberger were united in mar .- riage, and in 1903, their "Golden Wedding" was celebrated most enjoyably. All the child- ren, the grandchildren and two great-grand- children were present. No one present on that occasion will ever forget the touching remarks made by Mr. Dienstberger, in which he re- ferred to his boyhood days in Germany and to the family events of his long and happy mar- ried life of half a century.
The children of Jacob and Caroline Dienst- berger were: Charles, Amelia, Mary and Christopher.
Charles Dienstberger was born in 1854 and educated at Delphos. At the age of 16 years he learned the wagon and carriage making trade with his father, and now conducts an extensive business in his fine two-story brick shop, 24 by 66 feet in dimentions, which is fitted with mod- ern machinery for the repair and manufacture of everything in his line, being furnished also with a large stock of horseshoes, bolts and other blacksmith supplies. He also conducts a large coal yard, in 1875 being admitted to partnership in this industry by his father, who had established it. In 1878 he entered into a copartnership with Henry Kalt and thus con- tinued until 1901, when he purchased his part- ner's interest. He is one of the substantial and representative business men of Delphos. From 1885 until 1889 he was treasurer of the town. For six years he has been a member of the Board of Public Affairs, and carefully and capably managed his own business interests, as well as those of his widowed mother. He married Rosana Weideman and they have four children, viz. : Cedelia, who graduated from the Delphos High School, May 19, 1900, and is now a student at Lima College, in bookkeeping, stenography and typewriting, being also an ac- complished musician; William, Arnold and Carl.
Amelia Dienstberger, who married Tobias Foster of Spencerville, Ohio, has three child- ren, viz. : Laura, who married ( first ) Edward Dye and ( second) Charles Iseman; Flora.
who married Hugo Hummel and has one daughter, Fern; and Wilbert Foster-all of Spencerville.
Mary Dienstberger married Henry Jet- tinghoff, the leading clothing merchant at Del- phos.
Christopher Dienstberger married Katie Flaspoehler and has seven children, viz. : Jacob, Nora, who lives with her grandmother, and Nicholas, Amelia, Myra, Effie and Har- mon.
Mrs. Dienstberger has lived to see the changes of 65 years in Allen county. She is a consistent and valued member of the Lutheran Church at Delphos and is much beloved for her many Christian virtues, her neighborly kind- ness and the love and service she has so cheer- fully given to her family, whether in health of sickness.
HARLES E. STADLER, M. D., a prominent and popular physician of West Cairo, whose portrait is shown on the opposite page, was born in Champaign County, Ohio, October 19, 1863. His parents are Louis and Dana (Klickon) Stadler, both of whom are natives of Hanover, Germany. Coming to this country about 50 years ago, they here met and married, settling on the farm in Champaign County which is still their home. Their, five children are: Emma, who lives at home; George W., who travels for the J. I. Case Company and has visited almost every country in their behalf; Charles E .; William, who lives at home and manages the farm for his parents; and Lewis A., a farmer residing in 'the vicinity of the homestead.
Charles E. Stadler was reared on the home farm and was accorded the advantage of a good business education, having been a student in Nelson's Business College, at Springfield. Later, when he was about 23 years of age, he entered the Ohio Normal University at Ada, where he remained two years and then entered the Eclectic Medical Institute, Cincinnati. graduating from the latter in the class of 1896. For a short time he was stationed at Harrison,
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but after a few months located in West Cairo, Allen County, and purchased the business and good will of Dr. Ewing. Here he has since been engaged in active practice. He is a careful, conscientious practitioner and is meeting with deserved success.
On May 20, 1896, Dr. Stadler was mar- ried to Oma Abbott, a native of Champaign County, Ohio, and a daughter of William J. and Emma (Compton) Abbott. Her father was a native of Shelby County, Ohio, and her mother, of Virginia. To the Doctor and his amiable wife, three children have been born, namely : William L .; Ralph; and Lois Mar,- cella. Dr. Stadler is a Democrat, but takes little interest in politics. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and keeps in close touch with the Eclectic Medical associations, both State and national. He was made a Mason at Columbus Grove, joined the Knights of the Golden Eagle at West Cairo, and is a member of the lodge and encampment of the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, at Lima.
EONARD WALTHER, leading mer- chant tailor, and a prominent and in- fluential citizen of Lima, was born in Pennsylvania in 1866. About one year later his parents removed to Lima where he has since resided, with the ex- ception of a short period spent in Kansas. After completing his schooling, Mr. Walther learned the tailor's trade, and, before establishing him- self in business, went to Kansas, where he was employed as a cutter in a tailor's shop of Osage City, remaining there two years.
In 1888 Mr. Walther returned to Lima and opened a shop himself. He has conducted this business so successfully that he now enjoys the distinction of being the leading merchant tailor of the city, and has a large and well-pay- ing patronage. Mr. Walther was married in 1886 to Elizabeth Nicholas, whose father, the late James Nicholas, was for many years a prominent business man of Lima, being en- gaged in the sale of agricultural implements. Mr. and Mrs. Walther have two children, both
sons. The elder, George B., is taking a com- mercial course in the Lima Business College, while the younger, James Leonard, is a student in the Lima High School. Mr. Walther is a member of the German Reformed Church of Lima and is also prominent in fraternal circles, being identified with the Elks and Odd Fel- lows. He is deputy grant master of Ohio and grand master-elect of Ohio I. O. O. F. He is also a popular member of the German Musical Society of Lima.
B YRON S. FOGLE, one of Lima's lead- ing business men-a wholesale and retail dealer in pianos and organs, with commodious quarters at No. 227 North West street-has been a resident of this city since 1899. He was born in 1867 in Allen County, Ohio, and is a son of John S. Fogle.
The venerable father of Mr. Fogle resides with our subject at Lima. With four of his brothers, he was a loyal supporter of the gov- ernment during the Civil War, the brothers serving in the army and he in the provost mar- shal's office. In politics he was formerly an old-line Whig and is now a Republican.
Byron S. Fogle was educated at Lebanon, Ohio, and immediately upon completing his education became connected with the firm of R. C. Munger & Company, the largest whole- sale piano house of the Northwest, at St. Paul, Minnesota. He remained there until 1885 when he removed to Chicago, prior to the World's Fair, being connected with George P. Bent and the Newman Brothers, firms of Chi- cago and St. Louis. During the progress of the World's Fair he handled the "Crown" piano for George P. Bent and attended to the exhibits of this firm. Directly afterward he opened a wholesale and retail piano and organ store at St. Marys, Ohio, where he remained until 1899, when he established his business at Lima. He still has a branch store at the former place and one at Muncie, Indiana, and has 31 dealers in Ohio and Indiana to whom he sup- plies pianos and organs, thereby conducting a lucrative and extensive business In local
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local circles his instruments have met with re- markable sales, an illustration being that in the Deisel-Wemmer cigar factory alone he has patrons to the number of 124. Many of the public institutions also have secured their musi- cal instruments of Mr. Fogle, recognizing their superior quality and his honorable meth- ods of doing business.
In 1895 Mr. Fogle was married to Abbie L. Allison, who is a daughter of John D. Allison, of Titusville, Pennsylvania. For many years Mr. Allison was quartermaster at the Brook- lyn Navy Yard. 'Mr. and Mrs. Fogle have one daughter, Madeline Patrice. Mrs. Fogle is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church and Mr. Fogle is a liberal contributor to all the religious denominations of the city.
For many years he has been prominent in Masonry. . He belongs to the Chapter and Commandery at Lima, the Council at Delphos, the Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Dayton, and the Consistory at Toledo, and has taken all the degrees up to and including the 32nd. He is district lecturer of the Blue Lodge of the Fourth District of Ohio, in which he is serving his fourth year, having 39 lodges within his jurisdiction, located in Allen, Auglaize, Van Wert, Putnam and Paulding counties. He be- longs also to the Odd Fellows, both subordi- nate and encampment lodges, and is one of the best known men in fraternal circles in this part of Ohio.
RS. CATHERINE KESLER, one of the well-known and highly re- spected residents of German town- ship, resides on her highly im- proved farm of 210 acres, which is situated in section 17, one mile south of Elida, on the Elida and Allentown turnpike road. Mrs. Kesler was born March 6, 1839, in Ger- man township and is a daughter of Philip and Margaret (Meyers) Herring, who were early pioneers of Allen County.
Catherine Herring was reared and edu- cated in German township. On March 4, 1860, she was married to George Kesler, who was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, June 22, 1838, and was a son of Abraham Kesler. He was
two years old when his parents came to Allen County and settled on the farm in German: township, now owned by Samuel East. He was reared and educated in German township.
Immediately after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kesler moved up on the farm then owned by Philip Herring, father of Mrs. Kesler, which was situated directly south of the present home of Mrs. Kesler, on the other side of the road. After living here some years the family moved to the present farm in section 17, and here Mr. Kesler built the large brick residence now occu- pied by Mrs. Kesler, which is one of the most imposing homes in Allen County. Mr. Kesler always took a great deal of honest pride in this. beautiful home, but he was not permitted to en- joy its comforts into extreme old age, his death occurring on May 14, 1901, when but 63 years. old. He was laid to rest in Greenlawn Ceme- tery.
When the Civil War broke out Mr. Kesler felt that it was almost his bounden duty to fight for his country. Only the fact that he was but lately wedded and had taken heavy responsi- bilities upon himself, prevented at that time but on September 23, 1864, he became a private in Company C, 179th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and served until his honorable discharge- on June 17, 1865.
Mrs. Kesler has never had any children,. but she has two sisters and one brother, these. being : Eliza, who married Robert Patton, of Sidney, Ohio, and now resides at Indianapo- lis, Indiana ; Anna M., who married John Run- dio, of Allen County, Ohio, now of Putnam County; and W. M., pastor of the Lutheran Church at Canton, Ohio. Mrs. Kesler is a member of the Lutheran Church at Elida and. one of its liberal supporters.
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