USA > Ohio > Mercer County > History of Mercer County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 51
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Green County, Ohio, August 6, 1832, and was reared by an uncle in Mercer County. Our subject was 18 months old when his father died, leaving a widow and two children, Franklin S. and Emma, the latter now the wife of Dr. W. W. Small, of Toledo, Ohio. Some years after her husband's death, Mrs. Jacob Collins married H. F. Holbrook.
When Franklin S. Collins was about 15 years old, his mother left Shane's Crossing and removed with her children to Ashland County, where she settled on a farm. She gave her son every possible educational advantage that she could, which included one year at Baldwin University, Berea, Ohio. Upon his return home, he became a clerk in his uncle's mercantile establishment at Mendon, and after two years of commercial training he purchased the busi- ness and carried it on for some five years. After disposing of it, he farmed for some three years in the vicinity of Mendon and then returned to town and embarked in a hardware and grocery business there. In 1889 he sold out and went back to the farm, where he continued to follow agricultural pursuits until the fall of 1893 when he came to Celina. He has served as mayor of this city and for three years was deputy United States marshal under United States Marshal Updegraff.
During his residence at Mendon he was one of the leading business and public men. He was a member of the first Council of the village and served two terms as mayor, subsequently one term as trustee of Union township, and one term as assessor, these offices coming to him through the Republican party. In the meantime he had somewhat changed his political views and when he was elected justice of the peace, it was on the Populist ticket. On the same ticket he was nominated by the Populists, in 1893, as probate judge, and in his candidacy he was endorsed by the Republicans and the Independent Democrats. His personal popularity had much to do with the successful re- sult, as he had to overcome a Democratic majority of 2,200 votes, which he did by 352 votes. He served three years as probate judge and during this period proved himself an efficient public officer. His administration reflected credit upon him and his constituents. Since returning to private life, he has been engaged in a coal business at Celina, also dealing in plaster, cement, lime .
and stone. He is also extensively interested in the production of oil.
In 1873 Franklin S. Collins was married to Elvira Murlin, who was born in Auglaize County, Ohio. They have six children, as follows: Maud L., art teacher in the Celina schools; Orel, wife of Dr. E. F. Heffner, of Wapa- koneta, Ohio; James Plaine, a dentist; Adna D .; Cyrus A. and Ray. The family home is situated on East Livingston street, Celina.
Mr. Collins is a Mason and a Knight of Pythias, and belongs also to the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association, the Grange and to social organizations
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ยท of Celina. He has always been a most active citizen and all matters of moment to the village receive his attention and he can be depended upon to give sup- port to undertakings which promise to benefit the community.
MRS. SARAH ANN BEAUCHAMP
MRS. SARAH ANN BEAUCHAMP, widow of the late Martin Luther Beauchamp, who was a prominent agriculturist of Franklin township, is a lady who is well known and highly esteemed throughout Franklin township. She resides on her fine farm of 190 acres, which is situated in section 31. Mrs. Beauchamp was born in Mercer County, Ohio, February 25, 1839, and is a daughter of John J. and Elizabeth ( Peck) Johnston.
The grandparents of Mrs. Beauchamp were Stephen and Anna (Arm- strong) Johnston, who came to America from Ireland when their son John was five years of age. They settled first in New Brunswick whence they sub- sequently removed to Ohio and located in Shelby County, finally removing to Franklin township, Mercer County. They had these children: Sarah, who married John Wilson-both now deceased; Ann, deceased, who was the wife of John Alexander; Jane, deceased, who was the wife of John McGee; Chris- topher, deceased, whose wife was Mary Peck; Stephen, who married Susanna Pence and resides in Shelby County; and John J., the father of Mrs. Beauchamp.
It was in Shelby County, Ohio, that John J. Johnston married Elizabeth Peck. Afterwards they became pioneer residents of Mercer County. They . had eight children, namely : Sarah Ann, the subject of this sketch; Samuel P., a resident of Shelby County, who married Martha Campbell; Barbara, who married Finley Wilson, and lives in Shelby County; Jennie, residing in Shelby County, who is the widow of James Weymer, who died June 30, 1906; Mary, who married Joseph A. Wilson and lives in Miami County; Stephen T., who married Ella Davis and lives at Piqua, Ohio; Martha, wife of Reuben G. Sin- gles, a grocer at Piqua, Ohio; and Emma, who married Charles A. Hetzler and lives at Sidney, Ohio. Samuel P. Johnston served as a 100-day soldier in the Civil War. The father of Mrs. Beauchamp died aged 81 years and the mother, aged 84 years.
Mrs. Beauchamp was reared in Mercer County and was educated in the district schools. On March 4, 1858, she was united in marriage with Martin Luther Beauchamp, who was born in Delaware County, Ohio, and after a long and useful life died January 29, 1878.
Martin Luther Beauchamp was a son of Wesley and Jane (Davis) Beauchamp, and a grandson of William Beauchamp, who was one of the
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founders of Montezuma and was known as "Dr. Beauchamp." William Beauchamp was of French extraction but was born in North Carolina. Later he left Montezuma and went to live with his daughter near Columbus. Of his large family, the names preserved are as follows: Mrs. Levina Thomas; Mrs. Ann Vickers; Sarah, who married Frank Miller; Mrs. Emily Lacey; Willis; Asa; Noah; Wesley, and William. Wesley Beauchamp married Jane Davis in Delaware County and later moved to Franklin township, Mercer County. Of their children, Martin Luther was the third eldest, the others being as follows: William, Monroe, Isabel, Catherine, Cordelia and Calista. .
Martin Luther Beauchamp was a farmer all his life and was well and favorably known throughout Mercer County. A part of the farm came to Mrs. Beauchamp from her father and the remainder of it was purchased by her husband. It is a valuable property-190 acres all in one tract. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Beauchamp, as follows: Laura, who died in girlhood; John, who married Nevada Bennett and has five children-Rae, Reed, Ross, Ralph and Worth; Wesley W., a graduate of Starling Medical College, at Columbus, who married Hattie White and is a practicing physician at Rockford; Elizabeth, who married Gordon Botkin, resides at St. Marys and has one child, Lowell; Hortense, who died in 1900, aged 28 years; Her- bert K., a graduate of the Indiana Medical College at Indianapolis, who served as an interne in the Fort Wayne Hospital and is now practicing at Phoenix, Arizona-he married Maude Adams.
Mrs. Beauchamp is a member of the Disciples' Church at Montezuma. Her husband was also a member of the same church. The male members of the family are all Republicans.
Mrs. Beauchamp still resides in the beautiful old home where she has lived since her marriage. She has witnessed many changes in the neighborhood in all these years and many of her old friends have passed away, but health and vigor remain with her and she finds much enjoyment as the center of an affectionate family of children and grandchildren.
JOHN BOHMANN
JOHN BOHMANN, whose fine farm of 92 acres, situated in section 31, Marion township, attracts attention on account of its excellent improve- ments and good cultivation, has been a resident here for the past 17 years. Mr. Bohmann was born in Franklin County, Indiana, September 29, 1856, and is a son of Joseph and Bernardina ( Kessens) Bohmann.
In 1848 Gerhard Bohmann, a Prussian by birth, left his home in Olden- burg, Germany, with his two motherless children, Joseph and Henry, and
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crossed the great ocean to America. They had little means and these were exhausted by the time they reached Wheeling, (West) Virgina, but Mr. Bohmann found employment there in a glass factory, and they remained there three years. It was the father's desire, however, to establish a home in the country and secure farming land, and as soon as he was able he turned his steps in the direction of the fertile lands he had heard of in Indiana. By: steamboat the father and sons reached Cincinnati and there the boys went to school for a year. By that time the father had secured a farm in Franklin County, Indiana, near Oldenburg. This farm was in the midst of a green forest and it took hard work and the united efforts of Mr. Bohmann and his sons to clear up a farm. On this farm the father died in 1874, when 74 years of age. He had prospered and in recognition of his sons' early services he bought each of them a farm. In Indiana he married for his third wife, Mary Teesing, who still survives at the age of 94 years. One son, Frederick, was born to his second marriage, but no children were born to his third marriage.
Joseph Bohmann, the eldest son of Gerhard Bohmann, was eight years old when he accompanied his father to America. He lived in Indiana from the time they located there until his death, in July, 1901. He was married (first), in Indiana, to Bernardina Kessens, who died when Joseph was three years old. The latter is the only survivor of the three children of this mar- riage, his brothers Theodore and Herman dying when children. The father married (second) Elizabeth Hannakamp, and to this union were born five children, as follows: Mary, who married John Wanstrath and lives in De- catur County, Indiana; George, who married Elizabeth Wendeln and lives in Granville township; Catherine, who married Henry Wendeln and lives in Shelby County, Ohio; Theodore, who married Anna Hoyng and lives in De- catur County, Indiana; and Anthony, also married, who is a resident of In- dianapolis. The mother of these children died in January, 1903, and the father died in 1898.
Joseph Bohmann remained on the home farm until he was 20 years of age, when he left Indiana, thinking to better his prospects in Ohio, and lo- cated in Auglaize County, where he engaged with a farmer, Benjamin Mel- cher, for whom he worked for three years. After his marriage, in 1881, he rented the farm on which he was working and remained operating it for some eight years. In 1888, in partnership with Henry Wendeln, his brother-in- law, he purchased the sawmill then owned by Frank Stineman, and the part- ners conducted a very successful business for over seven years. During this period Mr. Bohmann did all the contracting and buying for the firm. In July, 1895, he withdrew from the business and again turned his attention to agricul- tural pursuits, having, in the meantime, purchased his present farm from Charles Stineman. It was not a very attractive appearing place when he set-
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tled on it, being covered with unsightly, old stumps which gave to it a very desolate air. Mr. Bohmann possessed foresight enough, however, to see how to turn the stumps to good account and they provided the fuel for many a roaring winter fire; the mellow soil from which they were removed proved the most fertile spots in his whole domain. It took many years to convert the place into the orderly, well-cultivated farm that now renders an ample return for all the time, labor and expense devoted to its improvement, but a very valuable body of land has resulted. Mr. Bohmann carries on farming and stock-raising. He has a comfortable, seven-room, frame dwelling, fitted with all those conveniences which make for ease and happy living, while his sub- stantial barns and other farm buildings indicate a productive harvest.
On November 21, 1881, Mr. Bohmann was married (first) to Mary Wen- deln, who died in September, 1895, and who was a daughter of Frederick Wendeln. To this union six children were born, four on the farm first oc- cupied and two on the present farm. They are as follows: Frederick, who married Mary Synck and has one child, Hedwick; Anna, who married Andrew Schwietermann and has one child, Mary; and William, Rose, George and Joseph, all of whom live at home.
In October, 1896, Mr. Bohmann was married (second) to Catherine Synck, a daughter of Henry and Catherine Synck, who live at Cranberry Prairie. Mrs. Bohmann was born in Mercer County, but her parents came from Germany. Five children have been born to this marriage, as follows: Henry, Eleanor, Edward, John and Millie. Mrs. Bohmann was born on April 24, 1878, being the elder of her parents' two children. Her sister Mary married Frederick Bohmann, the eldest son of our subject. Mr. Bohmann and family are valued members of St. John's Catholic Church. In politics he is a Democrat.
OTTO RENTZSCH, JR.
OTTO RENTZSCH, JR., one of Celina's prominent young business men and leading dry goods merchants, was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1877, and is a son of Otto Rentzsch, Sr., who for many years was one of Celina's influential business men.
Otto Rentzsch, Jr., spent his boyhood days in Ohio and Indiana, finally locating in Celina, on March 25, 1899. Here he engaged in the dry goods business with his father, under the firm name of Otto Rentzsch & Son, until April 1, 1906, when the senior partner retired from the business, having been actively engaged in business for nearly half a century. Otto Rentzsch, Sr., is now a resident of New Castle, Indiana, where he is engaged in looking after his real estate interests. Since his father's withdrawal from the busi-
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ness, our subject has been sole proprietor of the business, and is considered one of Celina's most prosperous and energetic young business men.
Mr. Rentzsch was married in 1902 to Katherine Baumgardner, a daughter of Rev. Stewart Baumgardner, who was pastor of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church in 1899-1900. Fraternally, Mr. Rentzsch is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Celina.
JOHN WILLIAM RIDENOUR, M. D.
JOHN WILLIAM RIDENOUR, M. D., who is practicing medicine at Men- don, was born March 20, 1868, in Milford township, Defiance County, Ohio, and is a son of Augustus L. and Elizabeth (Stahl) Ridenour.
The paternal grandparents of Dr. Ridenour were John and Susanna (Hilbert) Ridenour, the former of whom was born February 14, 1807, and the latter in October, 1811, in Jefferson County, Ohio. Later they moved to Wayne County, and in 1844 to Defiance County, where John Ridenour pur- chased a farm and lived upon it until his death, in 1860. His widow survived until 1898, dying in her 87th year. They had nine children, namely : Alfred, who died in 1899; Augustus L .; Rebecca, who married Jacob Lane and re- sides at Williams Center, four miles from Bryan, Ohio; Loman, who is a farmer in Defiance County; Martha, who married Aaron Sellers and resides on a farm in Defiance County; David and Daniel, both farmers in Defiance County ; and two that died in infancy.
Augustus L. Ridenour, father of the Doctor, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, and was three years old when his parents removed to Defiance County. His birth took place on July 3, 1841, in Canaan township, near Canaan Cen- ter, some eight miles from Wooster, but his life has been spent in Defiance County. On November 29, 1864, he married Elizabeth Stahl, who was born July 3, 1840, near Jewett, Harrison County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Will- iam Stahl. The other members of her father's family were: Sarah, deceased; Maria, wife of James Shambaugh, of Harrison County ; and James, formerly of Harrison County, but now a resident of Hicksville, Defiance County. Augustus L. Ridenour and wife had four children, namely: Loma, wife of Walter Battershell, of Defiance County; John William; Anna, at home; and Charles, who married Stella McCullough and is the home farmer.
Until he was 16 years of age, John W. Ridenour attended the district schools, then spent one term in the township schools, after which he entered the normal school at Fayette, Ohio. He spent the succeeding two years teaching district schools and during this time completed a business course at Fayette, and in the fall of 1888 he taught a private school at Greensburg,
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Pennsylvania. In 1889 he returned to Middlepoint, where he attended school and at the same time taught some of the classes and thus prepared himself for Thiel College, where he was graduated in the class of 1894. In the fall of 1896 he entered the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati and was grad- uated in the class of 1899. Dr. Ridenour settled first at Edgerton, removing one year later to Hicksville, where he continued in active practice until the spring of 1906, when he came to Mendon. In 1901 he received the degree of A. M. from Thiel College.
On June 20, 1894, Dr. Ridenour was married to Sarah Almeda Avery, a daughter of John and Salome (Foster) Avery. Mrs. Ridenour was born and reared at Middlepoint, Van Wert County. They have one daughter, Florence Gulia.
Dr. Ridenour is associated with a number of medical organizations. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, and was a charter member of the lodge at Middlepoint, and of the National Protective Legion at Hicksville.
J. H. WINDKER
J. H. WINDKER, one of the representative men and prominent farmers of Butler township, who resides on his finely-improved farm of 21I 40-100 acres, which is situated in section 31, was born September 2, 1838, in Ger- many. His parents were John Henry and Elizabeth Windker.
The parents of Mr. Windker were born, reared and married in Germany and emigrated to the United States when he was about 10 years of age. They left their country in September, 1848, and landed from the sailing vessel, at New Orleans, in the middle of December. They came north to Cincinnati, which they reached just after Christmas, where the father found work as a laborer, although he had been sick on the voyage and continued in poor health for some time. Three of his children, Herman, Bernard and Catherine, died in December, and in January, 1849, his wife died. In 1849 Cincinnati passed through the great cholera epidemic and both John Henry Windker and his son, J. H., contracted the disease, but both survived. Mr. Windker remem- bers that he was not able to walk down stairs until the 4th of the following July. During the four years that his father remained in Cincinnati, J. H. spent nine months of the time with an uncle in Tennessee, but the death of this relative caused his return to his father at Cincinnati. In 1853 John Henry Windker came to Mercer County and bought 40 acres of land two miles east of the present home, in Butler township, and in the '70's he came to this farm in section 31. Here the father of J. H. Windker died, February 22,
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1893. IIe was an honest, industrious and worthy man, who was respected by all who knew him.
On April 18, 1861, Mr. Windker was married to Gertrude Lennartz, who is a daughter of John Henry and Catherine Lennartz. Mrs. Windker was born in Germany and came to America in 1848, landing at New York. Her parents lived for a time at Cincinnati and came to Mercer County in 1849. M1. and Mrs. Windker have had eight children, namely: Elizabeth, who is the wife of Barney Dues, a prominent farmer; Catherine, who is the wife of John Vagedes; Henry; Mary, residing at Celina; Anna, who is the wife of Frank Strietholdt; Gertrude, who died aged 34 years; Pauline, who married William Dues and died at the age of 23 years, leaving one child, William; and Herman, who died aged three years.
After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Windker lived for several years on the old home place. In 1875 he moved to his present farm which he has greatly improved, where he carries on general farming and stock-raising. He served as township trustee for many years, was a member of the School Board for nine years and for several years its president, and has been district clerk. He is one of the leading members of St. Mary's Catholic Church at Philothea, in which he served for many years as church clerk and treasurer.
BERNARD BIRKMEYER
BERNARD BIRKMEYER, a representative farmer of Butler township, who owns a fine farm of 90 acres, situated in section 22, was born at St. Johns, Marion township, Mercer County, Ohio, on July 1, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Hausfield) Birkmeyer.
John Birkmeyer, the grandfather of Bernard Birkmeyer, was born in Germany and emigrated with his family to America, settling in Huron County, Ohio, where he died in 1846. After his death his widow removed with her children to Mercer County, and died in the house now occupied by her grand- son, Bernard. Joseph Birkmeyer was born at St. Alphonse, Huron County, and was 12 years of age when his father died. In 1871 he removed from Marion to Butler township, Mercer County, settling on land but partly im- proved but which he developed through his industry, into a fine farm. He married Elizabeth Hausfield and they had 10 children, the survivors being : Clemens, Bernard and Henry. The mother died here June 1I, 1902, and was survived by the father until July 10, 1904. The latter left an ample fortune, and a part of it is represented in the present excellent farm of our subject, and the substantial brick residence which was built in 1878.
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Bernard Birkmeyer was reared in Butler township and attended the country schools. When about 23 years of age he started to learn the wagon- making trade with Frank Martz at Coldwater, and after serving an appren- ticeship of three years worked for some six years at this trade, gaining the reputation of being a first-class machinist. Since then he has devoted his at- tention to general farming and stock-raising.
On November 3, 1897, Mr. Birkmeyer was married to Louisa Desch, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Desch, and a granddaughter of John Desch, who was an early German settler in Mercer County. The parents of Mrs. Birkmeyer now reside at Dayton. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Desch were: Louisa, Frances, Bertha, Matilda, Rosa, Edward, Clarence, Albert and Robert, the two last named being deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Birkmeyer have three children, namely : Eleonora, Joseph Lawrence and Clemens Edward. The family belong to Holy Trinity Cath- olic Church at Coldwater, in which Mr. Birkmeyer is one of the wardens. He belongs to the Knights of St. John.
GEORGE GARMAN
GEORGE GARMAN, a well-known citizen and prosperous farmer of Jeffer- son township, owns a 105-acre farm of valuable land, 65 of which, where the home is located, is in section 2, township 6 south, and 40 in section 32, town- ship 5 south, both in range 2 east. He was born in Hopewell township, Mercer County, Ohio, July 24, 1857, and is a son of Rolandus and Lena: (Myers) Garman.
Frederick Garman, the paternal grandfather, was born in Germany, emigrated to America, settled first in Pennsylvania, and later came to Mercer County, where he was a very early settler. He entered 240 acres from the government, which he developed into fine farming land. Grandfather Myers also came from Germany and became the owner of 140 acres of land in Hope- well township, Mercer County.' Rolandus Garman, father of George, was born in Pennsylvania, but his wife was of German birth. Of their children, two sons and one daughter survive, viz .: Stephen, who is a farmer of Hope- well township; Rebecca, who is the wife of James Monroe, of Jefferson town- ship; and George.
George Garman resided in Hopewell township until he was 18 years of age. He lost his mother when but eight years old and his stepmother was killed in a cyclone in Jefferson township, on May 14, 1886. His father, who still survives and is in his 80th year, resides in Jefferson township, where he purchased land in 1875. With the exception of two years, during which he
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conducted a grocery at Celina, Mr. Garman has been a farmer all his life and has resided on his present farm ever since his marriage. He carries on gen- eral farming and raises some very good stock.
On March 1, 1878, Mr. Garman was married to Sarah Lincoln, a daugh- ter of Alfred Lincoln, who died during the Civil War. They have four children, viz .: Alfred Leroy, a bookkeeper at Warren, Indiana, who married Vista Marsch; William E .; Stephen; and Ethel Zenobia.
Mr. Garman is an enterprising citizen of Jefferson township and takes an active interest in the public schools and in the improvement of agricultural conditions throughout this section.
ANTON STREACKER
ANTON STREACKER, one of the substantial farmers of Butler township, residing on a farm of 80 acres located in section 34, was born in Shelby County, Ohio, near Egypt, Auglaize County, May 19, 1872, and is a son of Henry and Mary (Brandvine) Streacker.
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