History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 127

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744

USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 127

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ANDREW GERDEMAN.

Among the many German families in Putnam county there are few which have a wider connection or acquaintance or whose members have ex- erted a more active influence upon the best life of the respective communities in which they reside, than the family of Gerdeman, which has been honor- ably represented in this county since the year 1837, in which year John D. Gerdeman came to America and located in Putnam county. He was the father of eight children, of whom five were sons, and the name, consequently, has become one of the best known in that portion of the county in which its influence has been most largely exerted. This family has done well its part in maintaining in this section the best traditions of the Fatherland, which John D. Gerdeman and others of his kind so firmly inculcated in the minds of those who followed them in natural descent hereabout; industry, thrift and perseverance being traits which have operated largely in the establish- ment of the numerous prosperous Germanic families in this county. Among these families, few are better known than that of Andrew Gerdeman, of Ottawa township, and the reader's attention is invited to the following brief biography, which has to do with one of the sons of John D. Gerdeman above referred to.

Andrew Gerdeman was born on the farm, three miles southeast of Ottawa, in Ottawa township, Putnam county, Ohio, on August 11, 1864, the son of

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John D. and Mary Ann (Redecker) Gerdeman, both natives of Hanover, Germany. John D. Gerdeman was born in 1817, and came to America in the year 1837, proceeding to the town of Delphos, Ohio, where he spent about a year working in a saw-mill, at the end of which time he came to Putnam county and bought a farm south of that village, joining the large German colony that had settled in the Glandorf neighborhood, on which farm the immediate subject of this sketch now makes his home. On this farm, which he wrested from the wilderness and brought to a high state of cultivation, John D. Gerdeman spent the rest of his life and made for himself a dis- tinctive place in the community, long being regarded as one of the most in- fluential men in that community.

John D. Gerdeman married Mary Ann Redecker, who was born in Han- over, Germany, in 1829, and who, at the tender age of four years, came to America with her parents and grew to womanhood on a farm about one mile south of the town of Ottawa. To this union were born eight children, of whom six are still living: Anna died at the age of four years; Frank died in 19II, leaving a widow and six children; Joseph, an Ottawa township farmer, married Mary Schleuter, to which union there was issue of seven children; Mary Ann married Herman Gosling, and Elizabeth married Henry Hermiller. The other sons, besides Andrew, the subject of this sketch, are Henry and Theodore. The father of these children died on January 5, 1890, in his seventy-third year, his widow surviving him until March 31, 1909.

Andrew Gerdeman was reared on the paternal farm and received his education in the local schools of his neighborhood, his training being that of a farmer. On May 24, 1887, Mr. Gerdeman was united in marriage to Kate- Nierman, who was born at Glandorf, this county, the daughter of August and Mary (Krieger ) Nierman, the former of whom was a native of Germany and the latter of whom was born in Glandorf, in Putnam county. August and Mary (Krieger) Nierman were married in Glandorf, Putnam county, and settled on a farm in Ottawa township, and lived there for many years. He died on this farm on February 22, 1881, after which she removed to. Glandorf, where she still lives. Their children were Annie, Katherine, Mary, John, August and Magdalene, all of whom are still living.

Following his marriage, Andrew Gerdeman remained on the home farm, where he since has continued to reside. He has a well equipped establishment for successful farming on his place of one hundred and twenty acres, and is- known as one of the most progressive agriculturists in his neighborhood, as well as a wide-awake and public-spirited citizen, who is alert to all move-

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ments designed to promote the best interests of the community in which all his life thus far has been spent.

To Andrew and Kate (Nierman) Gerdeman have been born seven chil- dren, as follow : Albert, who married Veronica Meyer, by whom he has one son, Leonard, lives at Toledo, Ohio, where he is in the employ of the Gen- dron Wheel Works; Hubert, who married Rosa Ruhe, lives in Ottawa town- ship; Hugo, Alexander, Edmund, Otto and Felix, all of whom are at home. The members of this family are all devoted adherents to the Catholic church at Glandorf and are deeply interested in the affairs of the parish, in the vari- ous activities of which they take a prominent part.

FRANK RECKER.

Frank Recker was born on January 26, 1862, on the farm where he still lives, about one mile south of Glandorf, Putnam county, the son of Herman Henry and Mary (Kottenbrock) Becker, both of whom were representaitve pioneers of their neighborhood.

Herman Henry Recker was born in Hanover, Germany, on June 24, 1816, the son of John H. and Anna M. (Linckemeyer) Recker. His wife, Mary, also was born in Germany, at Oldenburg, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Huntman) Kottenbrock, who came to this country in the year 1836, when Mary was eleven years of age, settling in the Glandorf neigh- borhood as a part of Professor Horstman's famous colony, at which place Herman Henry Recker had located a few years before, and it was here, at Glandorf, January 7, 1840, that Herman Henry Recker and Mary Kotten- brock were married and where they spent the rest of their lives, being re- garded by their pioneer neighbors as among the most useful and influential residents of that section of the county, and. were especially notable for their manifold good works, the memory of which survives in that community long after them.

It was about the year 1832 that Herman Henry Recker, the father of Frank Recker, then having reached the adventurous age of sixteen, decided to put in his lot with that of so many of his countrymen, who, about that time, were leaving for the farther shores of the Atlantic. He landed at New Orleans and for about a year remained in the South, looking around him and acquiring something of the manners and customs of the people of his adopted country. Gradually working his way up from New Orleans, he

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presently found himself in the newly settled town of Glandorf, and it did not take him long to decide permanently to become a member of Father Horstman's colony. On the way over from Lima, following the trail which was the only highway at that time, he was met by two Indians, who were leisurely proceeding along the trail on their ponies. These aboriginals ac- costed him, but as he could not understand their language or gather from their gestures their meaning, he decided to give them a wide berth. When they offered him something to drink, which was contained in a big tin vessel, he declined their proffer, not knowing what their designs upon his life might be, and they presently rode away without having offered him molestation. Upon narrating the incident upon his arrival among friends at Glandorf, the young adventurer found himself laughed at, the explanation being made by his more experienced compatriots that the Indians simply had desired to declare their friendly intentions by offering him a drink of whisky.

At Glandorf Herman Henry Becker grew to manhood, learning all the ways of the pioneer farmer and becoming deeply versed in woodcraft and the most approved methods for dealing with virgin forest soil, clearing it and preparing it for cultivation. He entered from the government a tract of forty acres of land, about a mile south of Glandorf, to which he later added a neighboring tract of forty acres that he had acquired by purchase, and here he spent the rest of his life. On his original forty, which now is in the pos- session of his son, Frank, there was not so much as the mark of an ax when he entered it and the task of clearing this kept him busy for the first few years of his residence in this county. After his marriage he had an earnest and able helpmeet and he and his good wife early became recognized as among the leaders in that interesting pioneer community, and held all their lives the most devoted regard of all their neighbors. Henry Herman Recker was a man of noble character, a man to whom his neighbors willingly came for ad- vice and counsel and as willingly were content to abide by that advice and counsel, realizing that it was based upon the soundest judgment and the most earnest desire for the advancement of the best interests of all. He was es- sentially a peacemaker, and during his long life had the pleasure of adjusting many a neighborhood difference, all recognizing the goodness of his word. It was but natural that the community should elevate Mr. Recker to positions of public honor and trust, and for twenty-one years he presided in his town- ship as justice of the peace, in which office he ever strove to settle local dif- ferences without lawsuits, many cases being settled in this fashion, by kind- ly counsel and compromise, although, by such methods, the justice of the peace was deprived of the fees which would have come to him under the

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ordinary processes of the law. Though Mr. Recker had secured no schooling in the English language, he was a man of fine powers of observation and quickly acquired the use of the language of his adopted country, which he not only spoke fluently, but wrote readily, being an excellent penman and an accurate speller of the English, these accomplishments having been picked up wholly by himself. From 1868 to 1874 Mr. Recker served Putnam county as a commissioner, his service in this connection being valuable to the pub- lic. Soon after this he was appointed to the position of superintendent of the county infirmary, which trying position he filled in such a manner as to commend his methods to all. In 1880 he served his second term as land appraiser, in all his public acts keeping the welfare of the public ever in his mind. He was popular, large-hearted and generous, and his friends were limited only to the number of those who knew him, and at his death there was wide and sincere mourning throughout the county.

To Herman Henry and Mary (Kottenbrock) Recker nine children were born, all of whom grew to maturity, and all of whom are living save Anna, who was the wife of Charles Schroeder, the others being, in the order of their birth: Henry; John; Mary, the wife of William Schmitschulte; Kate, the widow of John Klaforn; Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph Leopold; Herman; Frank, the immediate subject of this review, and Minnie, widow of the late William Hermiller. The father of the above family died on January 16, 1884, his widow surviving until April 6, 1907.

Frank Recker grew up on the home farm under the careful direction of his thoughtful parents and was given all the advantages offered by the local schools. At the end of his schooling period he determined to follow the life of a farmer. On June 22, 1886, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Feltman, who was born in Glandorf, the daughter of Bernard and Katherine Elizabeth (Niese) Feltman, the former of whom was the son of pioneer par- ents, who came to this country from Glandorf, Germany, and settled at Glandorf, this county, soon after Father Horstman and his party established their colony here.

In addition to his farming operations, Frank Recker for three years was engaged in the hardware business with August Fisher, at Glandorf. He sold this interest in 1908 and went to Texas, where he engaged in the hardware business for a year, at the end of which time he sold out and returned to the old home place in Ottawa township, Putnam county, where he has since con- tinued to reside. Besides farming, he runs a portable power-ditching ma- chine and also deals quite a little in live stock. Before dividing his farm with his sons, he owned two hundred and sixty acres of land, one of the

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choicest farms in the county. In addition to the close attention he has been compelled to give to his personal affairs, Mr. Recker has found time to de- vote proper attention to public affairs and has served well and acceptably in the position of township trustee, besides having held other local offices and is regarded distinctively as one of the leading men of affairs in his com- munity.

To Frank and Mary (Feltman) Recker six children have been born, as follow: Ben, who lives one and one-half miles west of the old home in sec- tion 30, and who married Emma Verhoff; Louis, who married Anna Schroe- der and lives in Pleasant township, about one mile southwest of the old home, and Joseph, Emma, Edwin and Dora.

The Reckers are devoted members of the Catholic church at Glandorf and are earnestly interested in the various beneficences of the parish, being very properly regarded as among the leaders in the good works of the com- munity, and are admired and respected by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance.

J. FRED GERDEMAN.

J. Fred Gerdeman is a well-known and popular citizen of Ottawa town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, and a successful dairyman of this township. Mr. Gerdeman is a man who is much admired by his neighbors and patrons and is known for his keen perceptive faculties, unusual soundness of judg- ment and upright dealings with all his patrons. Today his name stands high on the roll of the honored citizens of Putnam county. He is a member of one of the old pioneer families of this county and there is particular interest in his career in the fact that, like his many worthy forbears, he has forged his way to the front and won a rather unusual measure of success.

J. Fred Gerdeman was born on July 4, 1879, just north of Ottawa. He is the son of Mathias and Elizabeth ( Ellerbrock) Gerdeman. Mathias Gerde- man was born in Osnabruck, Hanover, Germany, on November 13, 1833, who was the son of Caspar and Mary (Kruse) Gerdeman. Caspar and Mary (Kruse) Gerdeman came to America when Mathias was five or six years old, and settled west of Glandorf, four or five miles in pioneer times. Caspar and Mary (Kruse) Gerdeman were married in Germany. In 1836 they settled in Putnam county, Greensburg township, on a farm of eighty acres of govern- ment land. This farm was cleared and drained and the home established in the wilderness. The children of Caspar and Mary (Krise) Gerdeman are

J. FRED GERDEMAN.

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as follow : Mathias, deceased; Bernadina, deceased; Theodore, deceased ; Mary; Henry; Joseph; Caspar: Elizabeth, and Anna, deceased. Of these, Theodore served in Company I, Thirty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War. He was captured during the war, but re- leased on account of illness and was confined in the marine hospital at St. Louis; Mathias was educated in Greensburg township and married Elizabeth Ellerbrock, daughter of William Ellerbrock and wife who was a Dickman, the latter of whose parents came from Glandorf, Germany, and settled in Ottawa township where they were farmers. The children of Mathias Gerde- man and wife were Fred; Joseph ; Frank ; Mary ; Anna, deceased, and Theresa. Caspar Gerdeman died on June 14, 1891, and his wife died on April 24, 1889.

Mathias Gerdeman was a carpenter and architect for thirty-five years. He began about 1850, and, in 1882, purchased a farm about two miles north of Ottawa and there spent the rest of his life. He died in 1908. His wife · died in 1903. They had six children, Anna became the wife of Andrew Ringleim. She died on August 1I, 1914. The five children living are Frank, of Findlay : Mrs. Mary Utrup, of Ottawa; Mrs. Theresa Herringhaus, of Lima; Joseph, who lives south of Kalida, and Fred, the subject of this review.

Fred Gerdeman grew up where he now lives. Early in life he took a course in dairying at Ohio State University. This was eleven years ago. He farmed the home place where he lives, two miles north of Ottawa, for many years and now has one hundred and sixty acres of good land. In 1912 Mr. Gerdeman engaged in dairying and has a herd of thirty-eight good cattle. He has modern equipment, including a steam turbine for cleaning the bottles. He also has all the other machinery needed for the modern dairy.

On October 12, 1904, J. Fred Gerdeman was married to Mary Krein- brink, who was born at Avilla, Indiana, and who is the daughter of Theodore and Frances (Teders) Kreinbrink.

Theodore Kreinbrink was born in Covington, Kentucky on March 17, 1854, and is the son of Frederick and Mary Elizabeth (Barringhaus) Krein- brink. Frederick Kreinbrink was born in Hagen, Hanover, Germany, and was a son of Herman Kreinbrink and wife, who, with his family, came to America during the thirties and lived first at Cincinnati. A few years later they settled at Glandorf, Putnam county, during the time Professor Horst- man and his party were opening the country around Glandorf. Herman Kreinbrink helped dig the old canal and lived near Glandorf the remainder of his life. He died in that neighborhood at the age of eighty-four years.

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Mrs. Gerdeman's maternal grandmother, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Barring- haus, came from Germany at the age of twelve years with her parents who settled at Covington, Kentucky. After she and Frederick Kreinbrink were married, they moved to Avilla, Indiana, where Theodore grew up on a farm. In October, 1879, he married Frances Teders, who was born at Cincinnati and is the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth ( Kruse) Teders, both natives of Germany who were married in Cincinnati. They moved to a farm near Avilla and there Mrs. Kreinbrink grew up. After she and Mr. Kreinbrink were married, they lived on a farm for twenty years. He had a farm of his own and lived there until 1899, when they moved to Putnam county and engaged in farming, about three miles north of Ottawa. Five years later, they moved south of Ottawa and lived there for two years, where they moved back to Ottawa, where they still reside. They have seven children, Fred; Mary, who married Fred Gerdeman; John; Julius; Frances who married Fred Drerup; Estelle, now Mrs. Oscar Dimkey, and Agnes. The family all belong to the Catholic church.

J. Fred and Mary (Kreinbrink) Gerdeman have had five children, Mildred, Maria, Genevieve, James and Wilfred. They all belong to the Catholic church at Ottawa. Fraternally, Mr. Gerdeman belongs to the Knights of Columbus and also to the Catholic Knights of Ohio.

The Gerdeman faimly is well known in this section and all are highly respected and honored citizens, having performed every duty in life and hav- ing led respectful, industrious and useful careers.

HENRY JOHN BENNING.

One of the leaders in the educational life of Putnam county, Ohio, is Henry John Benning, who has been connected with the schools of this county since 1901. His first position in this county was as superintendent of the Ottoville schools, but since 1909 he has been located at Glandorf as superin- tendent of the schools of that place, as well as district superintendent of the township schools of Ottawa, Greensburg township, and eight special school districts of the county. Mr. Benning is a musician of exceptional ability and is a fine performer on the pipe organ. He has taken an active part in the life of Glandorf since locating in that place and is justly considered one of its representative citizens.

Henry John Benning, the son of John W. and Minnie (Luckeroth) Ben-

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ning, was born in Stillwater, Minnesota, in 1878. His parents were born in Westphalia and Cologne, Germany, respectively, and were married at Still- water, Minnesota. The family moved to St. Joseph, Minnesota, when Mr. Benning was eight years of age, where his father is now living. John W. Benning was formerly a carpenter, but is now following agricultural pur- suits. His wife is deceased.

Henry John Benning was reared on the farm from the time he was eight until he was sixteen years of age. He graduated from the Minneapolis high school and then taught school two years in Morrison county, Minnesota, after which he entered the Catholic Normal College at Milwaukee, where he fin- ished the normal and also a musical course. He remained another year and took a post-graduate course in music, studying both vocal and instrumental music, but making a specialty of the pipe organ.

In 1901 Mr. Benning came to Ottoville, Putnam county, Ohio, as super- intendent of the schools and organist of the Immaculate Conception Catholic church. When he came to Ottoville he found the schools ungraded, with only three teachers in charge, but when he left there, in 1909, there were five teachers, the schools were graded and a high school course was being given. In the fall of 1909 he became superintendent of the Glandorf schools and organist of the St. John's Catholic church at that place. He started the high school at Glandorf when he came here in that year, which is second to none' in the county, and now ranks as a second-grade high school. He introduced a commercial course and the graduates of this course rank with the best stu- dents of the average business college. In addition to having direct charge of the schools at Glandorf, he has general supervision over several rural schools of the county, has been a member of the board of school examiners of Put- nam county for the past four years, and has also been a member of the execu- tive committee of the teachers' institute, holding this latter position for the past six years. At the present time he is president of the quarterly teachers' institute.

Mr. Benning was married, August 20, 1902, to Catherine Kortokrax, who was born at Ottoville, Putnam county, Ohio, on May 7, 1882, and is a daughter of Christopher and Anna M. (Schroeder) Kortokrax, both natives of Hanover, Germany. Mrs. Benning's parents were married in their native country, and after coming to this country lived at Delphos, and later moved to Ottoville, Putnam county, where her father died on February 8, 1886. Mr. Benning and his wife are the parents of five children : Jerome, Anthony, Raymond, Adelaide and Dorothy.

Mr. Benning has taken an active part in the life of his community. He

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was secretary of the Glandorf Telephone Company, and is vice-president of the St. John's Aid Society and recording secretary of the Catholic Knights of Ohio. He and his family are earnest and devout members of the Catholic church at Glandorf.

JOSEPH KLAUSING.

There are many public offices over which more of a fight is made in local campaigns and many offices which, in the common estimation, seem to carry more of honor and distinction, than that of the office of township trustee, but it cannot be gainsaid that this latter office is one of the most important in the gift of the people and the importance to the public of having the office filled by a man of high principle, sound judgment and perfect honesty of pur- pose, ought never to be underestimated in the making up of the tickets of the various parties when seeking the franchises of the people. That the people of Ottawa township, Putnam county, Ohio, realize this fully, is shown by their action in returning to the post which he had held so acceptably, for one term, the present incumbent in the office of township trustee of Ottawa township, Joseph Klausing, one of the best-known farmers of Putnam county, who is now serving his second term as trustee of his home township. In this office, Mr. Klausing has in his charge some of the most important public interests of his neighbors and that he has proved faithful to this trust, his recent re-election may be accepted as conclusive evidence.

Joseph Klausing was born on March 28, 1878, at Glandorf, this county, the son of John and Magdalene (Leopold) Klausing, a sketch of whose inter- esting family history is presented elsewhere in the biographical section of this admirable history of Putnam county.

When Joseph Klausing was three years of age, his family moved to his father's present farm, northeast of Ottawa, this county, where he grew to manhood, learning, under his father's careful instructions, the rudiments of agriculture, lessons he was in later years to turn to such excellent personal advantage. He gained, through this preparatory period, such schooling as was afforded by the local schools of that period, and acquired an interest in schools which he has carried through life and which he has turned to the advantage of the public during his continued incumbency of the office of town- ship trustee and as a member of the school board of the town of Glandorf.

On June 12, 1901, Mr. Klausing was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Kottenbrock, who was born in the same house in which she now lives, a

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 127

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1744

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744