History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 138

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 138

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a full lifetime on the homestead. His wife died in 1885, being then about eighty years of age. Thirteen children had been born to this couple, all of of whom are deceased with the exception of the subject of this review.

Joseph J. Schumaker received his early education in the schools of Pleasant township, and remained under the parental roof until 1865, during which year he was married on November 15, 1865, to Mary Caroline Well- man, who was born on December 24, 1843, and is a daughter of Conrad and Anna Mary (Beckman) Wellman. Soon after the marriage, they purchased a forty-acre farm in Pleasant township, which they cleared and on which they made their home for twenty years. About this time his wife was taken ill and died on October 4, 1885. By this marriage there were twelve children born : Henry Anthony, October 19, 1866, died on September 14, 1868; Mary Anna, March 30, 1869, who is now the wife of Theodore Haselman, a farmer in Liberty township, and whose life history appears elsewhere in this work; Mary Gertrude, September 8, 1870, now Mrs. Mary Bellman, Put- nam county ; Mary Catherine, March 10, 1872, now Mrs. Henry Bellman, Putnam county ; Andrew, October 31, 1873, who married Amelia Maag, and who is a native of Putnam county; John Ferdinand, January 8, 1877, died November 15, 1880; Catherine Amelia, June 21, 1878, now Mrs. George Webken, of Putnam county; Andrew Francis, March 17, 1880, who married Mary Meyer, of Putnam county; Bernard Henry, August 29, 1881, who married Mary Niese, of Putnam county ; John Henry, March 6, 1883, who married Anna Maas, of Putnam county ; Elziabeth, September 20, 1885, died on September 21, 1885. Three years after the death of his wife, Mr. Schumaker was married to Mary Ann Rechtine ( November 8, 1888), who was the daughter of Anthony and Elizabeth (Honamann) Rechtine, and was born in Putnam county. To this second union were born three children, Anthony, on October 14, 1889, died on June 3, 1904; Mary Elizabeth, May 12, 1892, and now the wife of Matthew Gerdeman, of Kalida, this county ; Katherine Elnora, March 23, 1894, who lives under the parental roof and is single.

Soon after his second marriage, Joseph J. Schumaker sold the original farm on which he had lived and purchased another tract in the same town- ship, containing eighty acres, and, subsequently to which was added forty acres, giving a total of one hundred and twenty acres. This is now occupied as the home place and for general farming purposes and the raising of cat- tle and hogs, it has no superior. Considerable improvement was necessary to make this farm highly productive, but the installation of a system of drainage and other up-to-date methods, brought the place up to the highest

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point of efficiency for the purposes intended. Many new buildings have been erected, at considerable cost, and, in 1899, a barn forty by seventy feet was built. Earnest application to the work in hand, the study of modern methods and careful management, made this farm quite a little above the ordinary undertaking that comes under the observation of the historian.

.Personally, Mr. Schumaker, having spent the greater portion of his life in this neighborhood, and attending strictly to his own interests, is looked upon by those who know him as a man of exemplary habits, abso- lutely fair in his dealings, and one whom it is a pleasure and a privilege to know intimately. He has always been a Democrat, though he does not take an aggressive interest in party affairs, and for the past thirty years has served well his community as a member of the local school board. Much might be said of the two wives who were always of such great assistance and encour- agement to him, and, at all times proved most valuable in all of his under- takings. The second Mrs. Schumaker lived until August 20, 1907, when she passed away. The family are members of Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic church, of Ottawa, to which they lend support according to their means.

WILLIAM KOHLS.

Following is a brief sketch of the career of William Kohls, well-known citizen of Putnam county, Ohio, and a descendant of some of the earliest settlers of this county. The family name has been prominent in the affairs of the county for many years and has always stood for that which is honor- able and upright in every phase of life. Both those of past generations and the present day have contributed their quota to the esteem in which the name is regarded and each has done his part toward promoting the welfare of the community in which his life was cast.

William Kohls was born in Glandorf, Ohio, on November 1, 1838, a son of Henry and Mary Ann (Kottebrock) Kohls, both of whom were born in Lutten, Oldenburg, Germany, the former on October 15, 1794, and the latter in 1800. Henry Kohls came to America in 1831, accompanied by his family, his mother and the father of his wife. At that time, there were but two children in the family, Catherine and Elizabeth, two having previously died in the Fatherland. One of these was a little son named Arnold and the other a child who died in earliest infancy. Upon reaching the shores of America, the family for a time lived in Baltimore, Maryland, and from

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there went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they remained but one year .. The next move was to Cincinnati, where they stayed for three years and where the father-in-law died and was buried. After leaving Cincinnati, the family settled in Putnam county, and this has since been their home. They reached that locality about the year 1835, and, not very long after coming here, Henry Kohls' mother passed away and was laid to rest in Glandorf cemetery. There were several children born to the family, after reaching this county, the first being John, who first saw the light of day while the family was living in Pittsburgh. After reaching this county, Henry, William, Anthony and Herman came into existence.

Of William Kohls' brothers and sisters, Catherine became the wife of Joseph Kuhlman, who served in an Ohio regiment during the Civil War, and who died while in the army, leaving her with three children, Hierony- mus, Catherine and Theresa. Hieronymus became a priest, Catherine mar- ried John Kaple and is now living in Ottawa, this county, and Theresa married Joseph Bauhans and lives in Henry county, this state. Elizabeth, an elder sister, married Henry Closterman and resides in Cincinnati. She is the mother of nine children: Joseph; Henry; Charles, deceased; Josephine; Clare; Julia, deceased; Elizabeth; Edward, and Pearl. John, the first child born in this country, married Margaret Hessling, who bore him five children, namely : Catherine; Henry; John; William, deceased, and Bernard, whose death occurred on September 1, 1911, his wife having died previously. Four children mourned their departure. Henry, the first child born in this county, lives at Nashville, Tennessee, and is the father of five children : Charles, Amanda, Johanna, William and Maude. The next child in order of birth is William, the immediate subject of this sketch, and after him comes Anthony, who married Theresa Klinkhammer. Anthony was born on March 2, 1839, and died on August 5, 1878. He was the father of five children : Henry, Anthony, August, Ferdinand and one child who died when quite small. Herman, the younger of the brothers, married Ann von Lehinder, who bore him nine children, namely: Elizabeth, deceased; Louis; Sylvester; Emma; Flora; Cora; Arthur; Ella, deceased, and Philip, also deceased. Herman passed from this life on March 4, 1902. William Kohls received his education in the common schools of Glandorf, and in early life assisted the father in the work about the home farm. In 1865, on May 10, he was united in marriage to Mary Rothman, born near Glandorf, and a daughter of Francis H. and Margaret (Fasken) Rothman. Francis H. Rothman was a native of the Fatherland, having been born on October IO, 1806, in Steinfeld, Oldenburg, Germany, and through the death of his

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father, when he was but eight years of age, he was early thrown on his own resources. In early youth, he was a ship carpenter and while on a cruise, was ship-wrecked about twenty miles off the coast of Maryland. He reached Baltimore on November 22, 1833, and from there he went to Memphis and later to Cincinnati, where he secured work on steamboats. He later came to Dayton, and finally, permanently located in Glandorf. In the meantime, Professor Horstman had secured a tract of land for him, containing forty acres, and upon this he settled and set about clearing it and putting it in a good state of cultivation. He was succeeding well in his undertaking when, in 1836, he sent to the Fatherland for his relatives and his mother, Mary Elizabeth, who, accompanied by her daughter and her brother, Herman Anton Rohe, soon joined him. His mother did not live long after coming to this country, passing away on April 27, 1840, and was buried at Ft. Jen- nings, this state. His uncle, Mr. Rohe, died on May 17, 1855, and was buried in Glandorf cemetery.

About 1830, Margaret Fasken, who afterward married Francis Roth- man, came to America from her native land of Germany, and while living in Cincinnati, met her future husband. Shortly before his relatives came to. this country, she came to Glandorf to meet him and they were united in mar- riage on April 20, 1836, by Professor Horstman. The living to be obtained at that time was very meager, but Mr. Rothman was possessed of ambition and industry and soon had a good start in life. Into their little home the children soon came, Frank, born on November 21, 1837, died on April 20, 1893; Anna Mary, wife of our immediate subject, born on December 21, 1840, and Wilhelmina, December 18, 1842, died on July 29, 1912. During his lifetime, Mr. Rothman was active in public affairs and served as county auditor from 1861 to 1865. His death occurred on April 30, 1896, while his wife died on October 22, 1874, at the age of seventy years. Of their children, Frank married Caroline Drerup and upon her death he chose as his second wife, Anna von Lehinder, who died on September 3, 1909. The second union was blessed with nine children, namely: Mary, Frank, Bernard, Emma, Jennie, Colletta, Julius, Arnold, deceased, and Florence, deceased. Frank was a man largely active in the public affairs of the county, serving as sheriff from 1882 to 1886. His death occurred on April 20, 1893. Anna Mary, the subject's wife, is the second child of the family in order of birth, and Wilhelmina, the youngest, married William Feltman and became the mother of the following children: Henry; Frank, deceased; Bernard, de- ceased; Mary ; William; Anna; Catherine; Theresa ; Ignatius, and Louis.

Shortly after his marriage, William Kohls took up his residence on

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the Blanchard river, where he had purchased a tract of land containing sixty- six acres. There the family lived until 1882, when he purchased a tract of ninety acres, located near his first farm, and there they lived until 1902, when he practically retired from the more active affairs of life and took up his residence in Ottawa, where he and his good wife are passing their declining days in comfortable repose. 'He still, however, owns one hundred and ninety- six acres of excellent farm land in the county.

To William and Anna Mary (Rothman) Kohls have been born the following children: William H., on December 30, 1866; Frank J., March 12, 1869; Charles E., March 1, 1871; Mary S., May 17, 1873; Jerome, January 24, 1876; Edward B., July 8, 1878, died on October 30, 1912, and Emma P., January 25, 1883. William H., married Josephine Doepker and lives at Akron. They are the parents of seven children, Stanley, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Agnes and Bernadina; Frank married Caroline Alterkruse and resides in Ottawa; Charles E. married Anna Alterkruse and also resides in Ottawa. They are the parents of eleven children, namely : Gilbert, born on January 21, 1901; Francis M., February 18, 1902; Paul W., May 28, 1903; Franklin J., August 20, 1904, and died on February 1Ith of the year following ; Cletus, November 8, 1905; Hugo, June 9, 1907, died June 6, 1915; Rosemary, May 20, 1908; Lucile, November 5, 1909; Donelda, June 2, 1911 ; Alexa, April 8, 1913, and Charles E., June 30, 1914.

Mary S., eldest daughter of William Kohls, married George Higley, and resides in this county. She is the mother of five children: William, Clarence, Howard, Mary and Agnes. Jerome, who married Elizabeth Earhart, lives in Isabelle county, Michigan. They have five children : Helen, Genevieve, Mary, Richard and Vivian; Edward married Mary Earhart and resided in this county up to the time of his death, on October 30, 1912, leaving two children: Alphonse and Gordon; Emma, the youngest of the family, married Gustave Schwartz, of Akron, Ohio. They are the parents of four children, Frank, Mary, Cornelius and Lawrence.

Of William Kohls' children, Frank and Charles have, through their pub- lic services, achieved prominence and an excellent reputation throughout this county. Frank attended the college at Ada for two terms, and Charles studied at that same institution of learning for one term. Frank taught school in this county from 1888 to 1895, and Charles from 1889 to 1897, and another brother, William H., taught school from 1888-1893. For a time, Frank and Charles were in the hotel business in Ottawa, after laying aside their duties as instructors of youth, and on September 6, 1909, Frank took office as county treasurer of Putnam county, which office he filled for two

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terms, his brother Charles serving as his chief deputy. After the expiration of Frank's last term, Charles, who had been elected to succeed him, took his office on September 13, 1913, and appointed his brother Frank as his chief deputy. Charles was re-elected in 1914, and Frank continues to serve him as chief deputy. This is surely a most unusual circumstance and throughout their terms of service, both brothers have discharged the obliga- tions of their office in a most worthy and commendable manner. Both being born and reared in this county, where they are well known and count their friends by the score. They are Democrat in politics and are among the best workers that party has in this section. The Kohls family are communicants of the Roman Catholic church, being of the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul.

FRANK W. HELMKAMP.

The nations of the world have contributed their best blood to the popu- lation of this country, but no nation has given to it better citizens or more loyal subjects than Germany. The various revolutions which occurred in that country in the nineteenth century, while they were unfortunate for the Fatherland, were, on the other hand, a blessing to America, for, during the time of these revolutions, thousands of the best German people fled to the United States and became eager citizens of this country. No more patriotic citizens fought for the North during the Civil War than did the thousands of German soldiers who enlisted under the Stars and Stripes and fought for their newly adopted country. Wherever a German settlement is found in this country, thrift and progress are sure to be seen. Among the many German families who came to this country in the early days of its history, the Helmkamp family occupies a prominent place. Frank W. Helm- kamp, although a native-born American, is descended from sterling Ger- man parents.

Frank W. Helmkamp was born in Jennings township on August 18, 1853, the son of William and Anna M. (Wrocklage) Helmkamp, the former of whom was born in Hanover, Germany, the son of Christopher Helmkamp, who was born in Hanover in 1779, and who came to the United States in 1836, settling on a farm near Glandorf, in Putnam county, Ohio. Christopher Helmkamp lived in the latter place for two years, when the family moved to Jennings township, Putnam county, and settled on a farm southwest of Ft. Jennings, in 1838, where Christopher Helmkamp died in 1851. His wife,

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who was a Miss Shimmoeller, died in 1857. Frank W. Helmkamp's mother, who was Anna M. Wrocklage, before her marriage, was born in Hanover, Germany, and came to the United States with her parents, who settled at Delphos, Ohio. Here her parents both died in the same year; the father on April 9, 1846, and the mother on October 2, 1846. William and Anna M. (Wrocklage) Helmkamp were the parents of five children: Elizabeth, born on December 3, 1848, is unmarried and lives at Cincinnati; Ferdinand J., July II, 1850, lives at Delphos; Frank W., with whom this narrative deals; Theodore J., June 9, 1862, lives at Delphos; Mary T., May 4, 1864, died on October 22, 1870.

William Helmkamp was engaged in farming until 1870, when he em- barked in the mercantile business, in Ottoville, continuing in this line until his death in 1881. The family conducted the business for four years after his death. The mother died on July 20, 1898.

Receiving a common school education, in 1877 Frank Helmkamp was married to Louisa Schlagbaum, a daughter of George and Dorothy (Hille) Schlagbaum, both natives of Germany. This marriage took place on May 8, 1877. George Schlagbaum was born in Prussia, and came to the United States when he was about twenty years of age. He lived in Cincinnati for six years, where he was married. His wife, Dorothy Hille, was also a native of Germany, who came to the United States and located in Cincinnati, when sixteen years of age. George and Dorothy (Hille) Schlagbaum were the parents of ten children: Barney, Lucy, Mary, Anna and William lived to maturity. Anna died in 1898. The parents moved to Putnam county in 1855, and settled on a farm east of Ottoville. The father died in 1886, and the mother in 1895.

To Frank W. and Louisa (Schlagbaum) Helmkamp five children have been born : Anna M., on March 6, 1878, is the wife of Joseph H. Shuerman, of Jennings township; Dora T., October 23, 1879, is living at home; Ferd G., November 22, 1881, also lives at home; Joseph T., December 9, 1883, lives at Canton, where he is a mechanic; William B., June 6, 1886, is an architect living at Akron.

Mr. Helmkamp is the owner of one hundred and fifty-three acres of land in section 6, of Jennings township. This farm is known as the Maple Ridge farm, has modern buildings and is as good a farm as can be found in the state of Ohio. Mr. Helmkamp has drained it well and main- tains it in a very high state of cultivation. He raises a high grade of cat- tle and thoroughbred Mule-foot hogs. Maple Ridge farm is located about two miles southwest of Ft. Jennings, and not very far from Delphos.

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Mr. Helmkamp is a Democrat. He has served the people of his town- ship as trustee for a period of twelve years. He and his family are all devout members of the Catholic church and belong to the church at Ft. Jennings.

Mr. Helmkamp is a successful farmer. He is surrounded with all the comforts of life and has every reason to look upon his career as a success, yet he is public-spirited in everything that he does, and is honored by the people of the community where he lives.

JOHN E. DEFFENBAUGH.

Among the honorable and influential citizens of Putnam county is John E. Deffenbaugh, who has here maintained his home for many years, winning a definite success by means of the agricultural industry to which he has de- voted his attention during the years of an active business life. His career has been without shadow of wrong and thus he has ever commanded the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow men.

John E. Deffenbaugh was born in Jennings township, Putnam county, on March 20, 1869, the son of Albert G. and Mary E. (Rohrer) Deffen- baugh. Albert G. Deffenbaugh was born in Sugar Creek township on Feb- ruary 2, 1840, and was the son of John and Anna ( Parshall) Deffenbaugh. John Deffenbaugh was a native of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, born on October 26, 1806, and was the son of Jacob and Eve (Everly) Deffenbaugh. He was a farmer by occupation and was twice married. First to Anna Parshall, the daughter of Elias and Nancy (Struble) Parshall. She was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, March 22, 1811, their married occur- ring on June 24, 1829. To them were born nine children; Nancy, on May 26, 1831, deceased; Jacob, August 2, 1833, deceased; William, November 19, 1835, died on January 10, 1837; Joseph, October 22, 1837; Albert G .. February 2, 1840, died on June 27, 1914; Amanda, born April 2, 1842; Lewis M., November 27, 1845, deceased ; Emily J., June 10, 1847; John H., December II, 1849. John Deffenbaugh was married, the second time, on May 27, 1879, in Van Wert county, to Mary A. Stouder, the daughter of Jacob and Jane (Fitch ) Stouder. She was born in Fairfield county, on May 27, 1818. John Deffenbaugh was for many years active in public life, having served as justice of the peace for twenty-seven years, county com- missioner for six years, county auditor for four years and filled various

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local offices at different times, always to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens.

Albert G. Deffenbaugh was born in Sugar Creek township on the old John Deffenbaugh homestead and there grew to manhood. He remained at home until the outbreak of the Civil War, when, on the first call for troops, he enlisted as a member of Company D, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he became a corporal. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and Company D was under the immediate command of Captain Taylor. Mr. Deffenbaugh en- listed first for ninety days and later for three years, serving in all four years, lacking four days. He saw much active service and participated in many important engagements, including the battle of Resaca, and retired from military service with an honorable record. After the close of the war, he returned home and, on April 19, 1865, was married to Mary E. Rohrer, who was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on December 30, 1844, the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Muma) Rohrer. Her father was born in Mary- land in 1822 and was killed on November 19, 1866, by a falling tree. Her mother was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1827. After his marriage, Albert G. Deffenbaugh worked at the carpenter trade and also operated a saw-mill with his brother, Jacob. He also operated mills in Jen- nings and Sugar Creek townships for a number of years, and, in 1873, went to Nemaha county, Kansas, where he remained for three years. Return- ing then to Putnam county, he settled on a farm three miles northeast of Rimer, where he remained for about fifteen years, and then, selling the place, rented a farm for two years, one-half mile east of Rimer. He then retired from active business and moved to Delphos, where he resided for five years, eventually locating in Rimer, where his death occurred on June 27, 1914. His wife, John E. Deffenbaugh's mother, came with her parents to Putnam county when a girl, the family settling one mile north of Rimer, in Jennings township, and there she resided until her marriage. To her parents were born eleven children, Mary E .; Sarah A .; Jacob C. and John H., twins ; Daniel W .; William J .; Franklin P .; Samuel; Susan C .; Charles and Emma Jane. To Albert G. and Mary E. (Rohrer) Deffenbaugh were born seven children, Asa E., John E .; Louis S., deceased; Ada E .; Roy C .; Lizzie M., deceased, and William B.

John E. Deffenbaugh was reared in Jennings and Sugar Creek town- ships, with the exception of three years, when the family resided in Kansas, and he received his education in the common schools. After attaining his majority, he entered into the machinery business and has operated a

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thrashing machine, a well-drilling machine and other mechanical lines in which he has met with splendid success. After his marriage, in 1892, Mr. Deffenbaugh spent two years on his grandfather's homestead and then moved to Columbus Grove, where he resided one year. Later, he returned to Rimer, where he has resided ever since. He has been successful in whatever he has undertaken and has earned the regard of all who know him.

On April 14, 1892, Mr. Deffenbaugh was united in marriage to Mollie Wood, who was born in Allen county, December 13, 1867, the daughter of Sanford B. and Susan (Trice) Wood. To this union have been born three children : Luda D., on April 4, 1894; Ada M., September 12, 1895; and a son who died at birth.

Mr. Deffenbaugh is a Democrat and has long been known as one of the influential citizens of his locality. His religious affiliations are with the Ottawa River Christian church, in which he is prominent, being the presi- dent of the ministerial committee and choir leader. Mrs. Deffenbaugh is. also an interested member of this denomination. Mr. Deffenbaugh, is in the fullest sense of the term, a progressive, self-made American, thoroughly in harmony with the spirit of the advanced age in which he lives, conducting all of his business matters carefully and systematically and in all of his acts dis- playing an aptitude for successful management. A sympathetic and broad- minded man, he has a host of warm and admiring friends and is numbered among the truly progressive men of his community.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 138

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