History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 170

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 170

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

After attending the public school in Cran- berry township, John Seifert took a business course in the Spencerian College, at Cleveland. In 1889 he embarked in the grain and seed business at New Washington as a member of the firm of George Siefert & Bro., which as- sociation continued for 18 years, during the last three years eliminating the grain line and dealing only in implements. After the old firm was dissolved, John Siefert started into the implement business for himself and has prospered. He does about all his soliciting himself, occasionally having some help from a salesman, and has steady patronage from the most progressive and substantial agriculturists and he carries the very best grades of machin- ery. He has erected a new and substantial two-story building of modern pattern, on Mansfield Street. He is a practical mechan- ician, can repair all the machinery he sells, and as a side line puts up lightning rods. An- other line in which he has prospered is the handling of poultry.

Mr. Siefert was married to Miss Ada M. Sheetz, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Sheetz, of New Washington. They have four children : Christine E., Ernst G., Carl F. and Esther M. Since his marriage, Mr. Siefert lias been a resident of New Washington. He is a member of the Lutheran church and for 27 years was a teacher in the Sunday-school. In his political views he is a Republican.

JESSE J. PATTERSON, manager of the Galion branch of the Weaver Bros. Co., a cor- poration of which he is a director, is an en- terprising and representative business man of this city. in which he was born July 22, 1872,

son of Capt. William G. and Sarah ( Hershey) Patterson.

Capt. William G. Patterson was born in Massachusetts and came to Ohio when 16 years of age. When civil war was declared between the North and the South in 1861, he enlisted in the 64th O. Vol. Inf., and his ser- vice covered four years, three months and three days. He was with the great army that marched with Sherman to the sea and for meritorious conduct was again and again pro- moted until he was commissioned captain of his company and afterward led his comrades on many a field of battle. When he received his honorable discharge he returned to peace- ful pursuits, a scar across the bridge of his nose being the only permanent mark of an enemy's musket. Crestline had been his earlier home and there he returned and re- sumed work with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and became an engineer and followed railroading some years longer and then be- came proprietor of a hotel at Crestline. Some years later he sold this property and retired to a farm in Richland county, where he was en- gaged in farming for 18 years. Captain Pat- terson came then to Galion and became inter- ested in buying, selling and shipping horses, continuing in this line eight years, when he retired and his death occurred at Ontario, Richland county, Jan. 13, 1912, when in his 8Ist year. In politics he was affiliated with the Republican party and at times had served in local offices in Richland county. For a number of years he was commander of G. A. R. Post No. 156 at Galion and later became a member of Mclaughlin Post at Mansfield.

Captain Patterson was married at Crestline to Sarah Hershey, who was born in Spring- field township, Richland county, in 1836, and died in March, 1904, at Ontario, O. She and husband were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They had three children: Minnie, who is the wife of Charles Mounder, and has one son, Dale; Harriet, who is the wife of Robert Jessom, residing at Washing- ton Court House, O., and has three children- Walter, Harriet and Gladys; and Jesse J., the subiect of this article.

Jesse J. Patterson was reared on a farm in Springfield township, Richland county, O., from the age of two years and engaged there

1124

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

in farming after his school days until he came to Galion and became connected with the Weaver Bros. Co. He still owns 109 acres of well improved land in Springfield township. Since January, 1910, Mr. Patterson has had the management of the Galion branch of a business which is also carried on Mt. Vernon and Crestline, its activities covering the han- dling of hay, grain, horses, cattle and poultry, Mr. Patterson has seven men in his employ at this place, the volume of business being heavy at this point.

Mr. Patterson was married in Springfield township, Richland county, Feb. 16, 1893, to Miss Altha B. Cotter, who was born in Ash- land county, O., Feb, 16, 1870, and was young when her parents, James and Elizabeth (Brindle) Cotter, came to Springfield town- ship, where they still live, aged about 65 years. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have one son, George C., who was born in Richland county, O., June 16, 1896, and is now a student in the Galion High School. Mr. Patterson and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics a Republican, he has always looked ahead of party ties in his citizenship and for a number of years was a faithful member and honest worker on the school board. He is a charter member of Highland Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, No. 1410, of which he was overseer for three years and a director for five years.

REV. FRANCIS J. KEYES, pastor of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic church, at Galion, O., is one of the scholarly and zealous members of the Catholic clergy, who, notwithstanding comparative youth, has been entrusted with great responsibilities and has proved his abil- ity to bear them. Father Keyes was born at Columbus, O., and is a son of Edward and Helen Keyes.

The parents of Rev. Francis J. Keyes were born in Ireland and both accompanied their parents in youth to the United States. They were reared and educated in Canada and were married in the city of London, Canada. Both died at Tiffin, O., the father in 1897 and the mother in 1907. They had eight children, seven of whom survive: Francis J., Edward, Mrs. Frank Shaff, Minnie, Lula, Albert and Sister Mary Grace, who is a teacher in an

academy at Pittsburg, Pa. The brothers of Father Keyes are engaged in the wholesale tobacco business and are residents of Cleveland, O. The father, Edward Keyes, was a success- ful and substantial business man, for many years being connected with the Indianapolis Hedge Fence Company, Indianapolis, Ind., and was president of the Belgium Glass Com- pany, at Tiffin, O., and its largest stockholder.

In his boyhood, Father Keyes, attended St. Mary's parochial school of Tiffin, O., and was graduated in 1896 in the classics, from St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, Wis., and in the class of 1903, from St. Mary's Theological Seminary, at Cleveland, O. For four years prior to coming to St. Patrick's, Father Keyes was assistant priest of St. Patrick's church at Toledo, O., which is one of the largest churches in the Northern Ohio diocese. He came from that charge to Galion, succeeding Rev. L. A. Brady as pastor of St. Patrick's, Oct. 26, 1906 and since then has labored effectively for the advancement of his people both spiritually and materially. The handsome brick edifice was erected in 1873 and its capacity is taxed from the fact, that he has a parish that includes an average membership of one thousand souls. The parochial school connected with it is in a most encouraging condition, there being 100 students. Father Keyes has won the warm affection of his parishoners and at the same time has gained the respect, confidence and esteem of the people of Galion, irrespective of religious faith.

ISAIAH S. MONNETTE, a well known man in both Marion and Crawford counties, O., now living retired on his valuable farm of 100 acres, situated in Dallas township, Craw- ford county, was born in Marion county, O., Oct. 16, 1845, and is a son of Jeremiah and Mary Jane ( Shank) Monnette.

Jeremiah Monnette was a son of Jeremiah Monnette, and was born in Pickaway county, O., later lived on his farm in Marion county for many years and died in middle life, his burial being at Monnette Chapel, in Crawford county. He married Mary Jane Shank, who was born in Northampton county, Pa., and died in Marion county, O., and her burial was at Kirkpatrick, in that county. They had but two children, one of whom died in infancy.

ISAIAH S. MONNETTE

1127

AND. REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Jeremiah Monnette's second mar- riage was to Sarah Saylor, who became the mother of two children and subsequently died in Iowa. The daughter, Mary, lived to the age of 39 years. She was the wife of the late Bernard Brockshus.

Isaiah S. Monnette went to live with his grandfather when he was about eight years old and attended the district schools and re- mained on the old homestead until he was 21 years of age. After spending a year in Iowa, he went on to Missouri and looked over busi- ness prospects there for six months but de- cided to return to his native state to find a permanent home and in 1871 bought his pres- ent farm, from Abraham Monnette and has resided here ever since. For many succeeding years he devoted himself closely to agricultural pursuits but now lives somewhat retired.

On Oct. 13, 1870, Mr. Monnette was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth Miller, who was born in Marion county, a daughter of Jacob and Maria (Dawson) Miller. Mrs. Monnette died Jan. 10, 1904, and her burial was at Monnette Chapel. She was one of the following family born to her parents: Anna, wife of William Conrad; Eliza, wife of Jonathan Famuler; Sarah, wife of Willis Van Meter; Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Monnette; Bartlett; Malinda, wife of Samuel Campbell; Nancy, wife of Mellison Shank; Charlotta, wife of George Conrad; and Amanda, wife of Henry Gibbs.

To Mr. and Mrs. Monnette the following children were born, all of whom except the eldest, survive their beloved mother: Addie, who was the wife of Lewis Hill; Princess, who married Charles Wattering; Lottie, who mar- ried Christian Smith ; Ella, who married Chris- topher Kerr; and Eva, who married Alfred Scott. Mr. Monnette and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Like his father, Mr. Monnette has always been identi- fied with the Republican party but has never taken part in public matters as a politician. He has lent his influence in the direction of all law and order movements and has helped, as able, the cause of education and of religion, but has never entered into any struggle for office. In the evening of life he is surrounded by many comforts and has a wide circle of well wishing friends.

GEORGE BURGER, who is one of the prosperous and contended farmers of Auburn township, Crawford county, O., where his valuable farm of 165 acres lies in section 6, was born in this township, one mile east and one-half mile south of North Auburn, and is a son of John and Mary (Scharry) Burger.

John Burger and wife were born in Ger- many and when they came to Crawford county, O., he bought and improved 40 acres of land in Cranberry township, which he later sold to Peter Young and bought 80 acres south of North Auburn and on that place both he and wife died, his death occurring at the age of 65 years and she surviving to be 78 years old. Their burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery, they being members of St. Mary's Catholic church. They had the following children: Horace, Margaret, George, Mathias, John and Peter.

George Burger attended the district schools in Auburn township and ever since has been en- gaged in farming, after marriage settling two and one-half miles east of North Auburn, moving later to his present place. He found it necessary to drain this land and spent con- siderable money putting down tile and now has it in fine condition, has remodeled the dwelling and erected substantial barns. In politics Mr. Burger is a Democrat and for six years has served on the board of Education. He is a wide awake citizen and excellent farmer, hav- ing progressive ideas and is a member of the Auburn Township Grange.

Mr. Burger married Miss Emma Ruff, of Norwalk, O., and on the first farm four chil- dren were born to them: Isabel, Frank, Peter and Catherine, and on the second farm, the present one, six more have been added to the family: Julius, Rose, Benedict, Paul, Loretta and George. Mr. Burger and family belong to St. Mary's Catholic church.

LOUIS K. REISINGER, whose death on April 6, 1911 deprived Galion of one of its foremost citizens, was born in Galion, O., Jan. 4, 1852, a son of Dr. John and Sarah (Ditzler) Reisinger. His parents were na- tives of Pennsylvania, in which state also they were married. Previous to this latter event the elder Reisinger had followed the trade of hatter, but immediately after their marriage he and his wife removed to Mansfield, O., where

1128

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

John Reisinger studied medicine and was ad- mitted to practice. He then settled in Galion, where he subsequently practice his profession until his death, building up a large and suc- cessful practice. His end was almost tragic, being directly due to his parental love for a soldier son, Samuel, who, near the close of the war, had been attacked by cholera and was in a hospital in Cincinnati, where that disease was then epidemic. The father went to Cincin- nati to care for his son and took the disease, both dying within a short time of each other, the son at the age of 21 years. The wife · and mother then went to reside with a daugh- ter, Mrs. Sarah Leibert, she being at the time 65 years old. This daughter is now a resident of Pasadena, Calif., being a widow with two daughters; she is the only surviving member of her parents' family. Dr. Reisinger and wife were members of the German Reformed church of Galion. Their family was large, numbering eleven children, of whom several died when young ; five grew to maturity, were married and had families of their own.

Louis K. Reisinger acquired a good educa- tion and became a chemist and pharmacist, which avocation he followed all his life. He was a man of enterprise and organized the Reisinger Chemical and Extract Company, which is now conducted by his son-in-law, Arthur G. Shumaker. It has developed into a large and prosperous business. Mr. Reisinger was not only a successful man but was a highly respected citizen. A Democrat politically, he served on the Board of City Appraisers for one term and was a member of the Board of Education for 13 years. He was a 32d degree Mason, belonging to the Commandery at Mans- field, O., and to the Temple, M. S. at Cleve- land, O. He also belonged to the Knights of Pythias.

Mr. Reisinger was married in Fremont, O., to Miss Emma B. White, who was born in Tiffin, O., Dec. 23, 1853, a daughter of Wil- liam and Sarah (Brahm) White. Her par- ents were natives of Loudon, Pa., where they were married, coming soon after to Ohio. Later they went to Illinois, their daughter Emma (Mrs. Reisinger) being then a small child. They next resided at Mt. Carroll, Ill., for two years, after which they returned to Pennsylvania, at the beginning of the Civil

War settling in Fremont, O. Mr. White was drafted as a soldier and served in the war, ac- companying Sherman on the march through Georgia and to the sea. Honorably discharged on the close of the war, he returned to Fre- mont, where he died in 1867, his end being due to the hardships he had suffered during his military service. He was 41 years of age. His widow is now residing with her daughter, Mrs. May Freese at Bloomington, and is 78 years old, and somewhat feeble. She and her husband were members of the English Re- formed church. Mrs. Freese and Mrs. Rei- singer are the only children of the family now living.

Mr. and Mrs. Reisinger were the parents of four children-Estella M., Alice B., Rowlin D. and Ethel M., of whom the following is a brief record. Estella M. was graduated from the Galion high school in the class of 1893. She married Roy Lovette and resides in Cleve- land, O. She has a son, Russell. Alice B. Reisinger was graduated from the city high school in the class of 1895 and is now the wife of Arthur G. Shumaker. Mr. Shumaker was born in Marion, O., in 1878 and was educated in Galion, being graduated from the high school in the class of 1895. He became a drug- gist but was subsequently a clerk in the office of the superintendent of the Erie Railway until 1911, when he took up the management of the business left by Mr. Reisinger. Rollin D. Reisinger was graduated from the Galion high school in the class of 1899 and is now a pharmacist at Barberton, O. He married Blanche Sponhauer. Ethel M. graduated from the high school in the class of 1902 and now resides in Los Angeles, Calif., being connected with a music store in that city. Mrs. Rei- singer and family belong to the Presbyterian church. They are highly esteemed in Galion and have a wide circle of friends.

MICHAEL AUCK, who has been a lead- ing citizen of Bucyrus, O., for the past 15 years, and a resident of Crawford county since he was six years old, is a member of an old peasant family of Germany, his ancestors having lived in the village of Moeringen, Wur- temburg, near the present noble city of Stutt- gart, as far back as 1600. The Aucks were of the class that is rightly named the backbone

1129

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

of the country to which it belongs-sturdy people in all their characteristics, quiet, in- dustrious, religious and law abiding. For gen- erations they tilled the soil but in more recent times they have entered the trades and pro- fessions and have proved their quality in every line of activity.

The Auck family of Crawford county, O., traces its direct line to George Auck, who was born in Germany, in 1775, and died in 1830. He was a small farmer and he gave generous support to the Lutheran church. His wife was named Rosina Frank, whose family ancestry and circumstances were similar to his own, and she also died in Germany. One of her broth- ers, Jacob Frank, came to America and lo- cated in Medina county, O., where his de- scendants still reside. Two sons and three daughters were born to George and Rosina Auck and with the exception of one daughter, all came to America. The first of the family to cross the Atlantic Ocean was Christopher Auck and he was followed by his brother Michael and his two sisters, Christina and Dorothea, the former of whom was then the wife of Jacob Ulmer and they died in Penn- sylvania. Dorothea Auck never married but lived into advanced age and died in Crawford county.

Christopher Auck was born Jan. 31, 1813, and died Jan. 20, 1896. He grew to the age of 18 years in his native province, before that time realizing that in the closely settled dis- trict of his birth it would be almost impossible for him to secure enough land to enable him to live as a farmer, hence he learned the tail- or's trade and made use of the first money he was able to earn thereby and save, in the pay- ment of his passage to America, the land of opportunity. He had made his way to Havre, France, undoubtedly working as a journeyman as he traveled, and at that port embarked on one of the old-time sailing ves- sels which voyaged from European harbors to the United States in the emigrant service. Al- though for 57 days he was on the ocean, suf- fering greatly from sea sickness and from the hardships that made a sea voyage at that time sometimes a terrible experience, he reached land safely in 1831, landing at the port of New York. From that city he traveled to Philadelphia in a coasting vessel and there

found employment at his trade and worked in different tailor shops for two years. He was just 21 years old when he started on foot from Philadelphia for Lycoming county, Pa. and after reaching there turned his hand to any- thing that came his way in the line of honest work, all the time cherishing the hope of being able to secure farm land.

In Lycoming county, in 1841, he was mar- ried to Rachel Wagner, who was born April I, 1820, and died in Crawford county, O., Sept. 2, 1875. Her parents were John and Rosa (Stroble) Wagner and they were old neighbors of the Aucks in Wurtemburg, Ger- many, where they married and afterward emigrated to America and spent their subse- quent lives in Lycoming county, Pa. They were members of the religious |sect called Pietists, a name given to a body of reformers in the Lutheran church in Germany. The leader of this movement was Philip Jacob Spener, pastor of a Lutheran church at Frank- furt, whose teachings were adopted as rules of life by a considerable number of pious peo- ple, and whose written work, named, Three Desirable Things in Religion, was something of a text-book with the Pietists, as similar publications of belief are acceptable to many people of the present day. At one time there was a flourishing Pietist colony in Lycoming county, many of the sect having found religious freedom in America, the observance of their religious freedom in America, the observance of their religious rites not being permitted in Germany after Pastor Spener's death. To this body of good people, for self denial and close adherence to the Scriptures marked their life and conversation, the Strobles belonged. After the death of his first wife, Christopher Auck was married to Mrs. Catherine ( Pat- terson) Flick, Sept. 6, 1876.

About the time of his marriage, Mr. Auck acquired 100 acres of land in Lycoming county and he and wife continued to live there until 1848, when, with their three children- Michael, Elizabeth and Mary, the last named dying at the age of six years, they started in wagons to seek a new location in Ohio. For three weeks they journeyed before they reached Crawford county, where, shortly after- ward, Mr. Auck purchased 80 acres of land in Whetstone township and this place continued

1130

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

to be his home as long as he lived and to its development and cultivation he devoted the larger part of his subsequent life. He became a well known and highly respected man and in the course of years added to his possessions until he became one of Whetstone township's men of ample fortune. While still living in Lycoming county he had become naturalized and afterward was an interested citizen. From conviction he was a Democrat and gave con- stant and hearty support to his party but never desired political office for himself. He was an earnest member of the Lutheran church up to the time of death, which occurred Jan. 20, 1896.

Michael Auck, only son of Christopher Auck, was born July 23, 1842, in Lycoming county, Pa. From the age of six years until the present ( 1912) he has been a resident of Crawford county, for a half century living on the old homestead in Whetstone township, which property came into his possession in 1876 and of which he is still the owner. In addition to managing and operating this farm he has had additional farm lands and during his long career as an agriculturist he justified all the old traditions of the family. He has, by no means, however, confined his energies to farming, his activities in other directions proving him to be one of the progressive men of his community. In public matters he has been very active, a strong Democrat like his father, and is recognized as the possessor of those desirable qualities which determine good citizenship. In 1880 he was elected treasurer of Whetstone township and served as such until 1887, and in 1895 he was elected county treasurer, an office of great responsibility, in which he acquitted himself with credit throughout his two terms. In 1896 he moved to Bucyrus, where he is one of the elders of St. John's Reformed church, having been ac- tive in this religious organization for years.

Mr. Auck was married in Whetstone town- ship to Miss Caroline Ehmann, who was born Feb. 9, 1845, in Wurtemburg, Germany, a daughter of John and Frederica (Fritz) Ehmann. In 1853 the family came to Craw- ford county but some years later moved to Wyandot county, where the father of Mrs. Auck purchased 80 acres of land and con- tinued to live there until his death, on Oct. 12,

1870, when aged 68 years and ten days. The mother of Mrs. Auck died in Wyandot county, Jan. 28, 1884, aged 69 years, one month and 29 days. In Germany the family belonged to the Lutheran church but united with the Evangelical Association in America. Mrs, Auck is one of a family of two sons and five daughters.

To Mr. and Mrs. Auck six children were born: Mary J., who is the wife of D. S. Schieber, of Bucyrus, and has two sons, Ar- thus L. and Harold L .; John C., a farmer re- siding in Whetstone township, who married Orie E. Andrews, and has two sons, L. Paul and Ralph M .; Lucy E., who is the wife of J. E. Myers, of Bucyrus, and has two children, Miriam C. and Cyril E .; William H., a pros- perous and respected business man of Bucyrus, who married Teressa E. Syphrit, and has one son, Dale Kenneth; Priscilla S., who is the wife of H. G. Hoover, residing at Chicago, Ill .; and Samuel E., who is associated with his brother William H., in the real estate and in- surance business at Bucyrus, and who married Lulu V. Knoedler, and has two children, Carol Elizabeth and Donald K. Fraternally, Michael Auck is identified with both the Masons and the Odd Fellows.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 170

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1302

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302