History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 34

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 34

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).

363

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

HENRY MOENING.

Every nation on the earth has contributed its quota to the population of the United States, but no nation has furnished better citizens for our country than has Germany. Thousands of its best citizens have come to this country and become valuable members of the various communities in which they have settled. Putnam county, Ohio, has attracted many of these citizens and hundreds of their descendants are now living within its borders.

Henry Moening, the son of John Henry and Mary (Recker) Moening, was born on January 1, 1838, on a farm about one and one-half miles south of Glandorf, Putnam county, Ohio, on section 33. His parents were both born in Germany, his father being born in Ausnabruk, and his mother in the same locality.

John Henry Moening was reared in Germany and came to America in the early thirties and located at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he worked for a year on the Wabash and Erie Canal. His wife, Mary Recker, and her two brothers came across the ocean at the same time, when she cooked for the workmen on the canal. One of her brothers, Louis, lived near Glan- dorf, Putnam county, Ohio, and at her brother's home, she and Mr. Moening were married. After their marriage, they moved to the farm where Henry Moening was born, and there John H. Moening and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They started with a little farm of forty acres, principally covered with forest trees, and by hard work and good manage- ment, they have accumulated a farm of three hundred acres.

Henry Moening had a brother, Herman, and a sister, Mary, both of whom are deceased. He was reared on the farm where he was born and lived on this farm continuously for seventy-six years. Being the only child, he inherited his father's farm and made it his home until the fall of 1914, when he retired and moved into Glandorf, where he is now living. He has sold his farm in order that he might not have the burden of caring for it and having it on his hands during his declining years.

Henry Moening was married, in 1859, to Elizabeth Ellerbrock. She was born at Glandorf, in Hanover, Germany, and when six months of age, came with her parents, Theodore and Katherine (Kracht) Ellerbrock, to this county, the family arriving here in 1836. The Ellerbrock family are re- sponsible for the name of the village, Glandorf, in this county, that being their native town in Germany.

Mr. and Mrs. Moening have reared a family of seven children, John,

364

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

who married Elizabeth Uphaus and has nine children; Herman, of Putnam county, who married Elizabeth Brockman and has four children living and. one deceased; Barney, of Ottawa, who married Theresa Hueve and has five children; Henry, who died at the age of twenty-two; Theodore, who mar- ried Matilda Brockman and left five children at his death, April 6, 1914 ;. William, who died at the age of eighteen; Mary, who lives in Glandorf with her father. The mother of these children died on September 16, 1907, at the age of seventy-two.

Five of Mr. Moening's children are married and have families of their own. Here are presented the grandchildren of Mr. Moening: The children of John: Elizabeth, Caroline, Clara, Lucy, Gertrude, John, Frances, Law- rence and Agnes. The children of Herman: Herman, Romanus, Sylvester, Laura and Catherine, deceased. The children of Barney: Veronica, Harry, Joseph, Alfred, Leo and Philomina, who died in infancy. The children of Theodore : Lavina, Adeline, Amanda, Clarence and Hilarius.

Mr. Moening and his family are loyal members of the Catholic church and deeply interested in its welfare and generous contributors to its main- tenance. He is a Democrat and, while interested in everything which pertains. to good government, has never taken an active part in political affairs. Mr. Moening is one of the grand old pioneers of the county and has always lived a clean and wholesome life, and richly merits the high esteem in which he is held by everyone who knows him.

ORREN EUGENE TOWNSEND.

The character of a community is determined, in a large measure, by the lives of a comparatively few of its members. If its moral and intellectual status is good; if, in a social way, it is a pleasant place to reside; if its repu- tation, as to the integrity of its citizens, has extended to another locality, it will be found that the standards set by the leading business men have been high, and their influence tends to mold the character and shape the lives of those with whom they mingle. In placing the late Orren Eugene Townsend in the front ranks of such men, justice is rendered to a man, universally recognized throughout the locality, long honored by his citizenship as one who stood for all good things. Although a quiet and unassuming man, with no ambition for public position or leadership, he contributed much to the civic and moral advancement of his community. The admirable qualities of head and heart and the straightforward, upright course of his daily life, won

365

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

for him the esteem and confidence of the circle in which he moved. Al- though he is now sleeping the sleep of the just, his influence still lives and his memory is revered, not alone by his widow and children, but by the circle of men and women who knew him and who loved him for his true worth.

Orren Eugene Townsend was born on January 8, 1859, at Bluffton, Ohio. He was the son of Ira M. and Catherine M. (Thompson) Townsend.

Orren Eugene Townsend grew up at Bluffton, attending the public schools of that place and the Ohio Northern University, at Ada, where he obtained a splendid education. After leaving college, Mr. Townsend en- gaged in the lumber business in Bluffton, and, with his brother and father, conducted a saw-mill until 1887. He then moved to Leipsic, Putnam county, in 1887, and operated a planing-mill at that place until two years before his death, first, with his father, and later, in partnership with John Zahrend and a Mr. Kober. These men did business under the firm name of Leipsic Lumber Company. Mr. Townsend moved to Irvine, Kentucky, in the spring of 1899, where his company had opened a saw-mill along the Kentucky river. Here they were able to get their lumber from the source of supply and to eliminate the middle man. Mr. Townsend died there on May 10, 1901.

Mr. Townsend was a public-spirited citizen and, throughout his life was one of the foremost citizens in the improvement of Leipsic. He was progressive in his work and built one of the handsomest homes in Leipsic. Through his efforts were due the erection of many excellent business build- ings, among them the Townsend block, one of the best in the city. He was a faithful husband, a kind father, an obliging neighbor, and a zealous Chris- tian, in the practical sense of the word. Mr. Townsend was a devout mem- ber of the Methodist church and, throughout his life, was active in the church and Sunday school.

At his death he was survived by a widow and three children, Leila, Harry and Grace, all of whom live at home with Mrs. Townsend. Harry has a large garage and is in the automobile business.

Mrs. Townsend, before her marriage, was Jennie E. Hall. She married Mr. Townsend, December 16, 1879. She was born at Gilboa, in this county and is the daughter of John F. and Nancy J. (Hoagland) Hall.

John F. Hall was born, at Gilboa, and was the son of Samuel, who was a prominent pioneer citizen of Putnam county. He came to Blanchard town- ship in 1832, from Jackson township, Muskingum county, and was the second settler in that township. The county was then a wilderness, but here he and the Hickerson family, who came with him, lived a week in one cabin till each could raise a small cabin for their respective families. Indians

366

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

passed every day and night and sometimes came to the cabin in large crowds to trade. All had to be fed liberally when they came, and some of them would drink seven or eight cups of tea or coffee. This story is told, how- ever, in the historical section of this volume. The first sermon preached in this county was preached in Samuel Hall's cabin, two years after the Halls moved here. Samuel Hall's wife was Martha Wamsley, the daughter of John and Mary (Robinson) Wamsley. Mary Robinson was the daugh- ter of William Robinson, who, at the time of the Indian war, was taken prisoner by Chief Logan and his men and brought to Ohio, where he was kept a prisoner for four months. He moved his family in 1800, including his wife and ten children, all of whom were married and had children of their own, to a place where he had been imprisoned. The family moved at once from Clarksburg, Harrison county, Virginia, upon pack horses, entered a large tract of land on the Muskingum river. Samuel Hall was born in Morgantown, Virginia, in 1803, and at the age of three years, he and his 'parents came to Licking county, where he was married on April 14, 1824. In the fall of 1831 he selected a farm site in the wilderness, in Blanchard township, comprising one hundred and seventy-five acres. He moved here in the spring of 1832, and in nearly every direction there were no neighbors for twenty miles .. His son, John F Hall, married Nancy Hoagland on May 15, 1857. He died on November 1I, 1862, leaving three daughters, Mrs. H. L. Hunter, Mrs. O. E. Townsend and Mrs. John Zahrend. After Mr. Hall's death, his widow married H. J. Call and spent her last years in Bluffton. She was a faithful and conscientious member of the Methodist church and active in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Reverting to Orren E. Townsend's history, it may be said that his father, Ira M. Townsend, was born on November 19, 1833, in Franklin county, New York and died at Bluffton, Ohio, in January II, 19II, at the age of seventy-seven. Ira M. Townsend came from an old colonial family of English Puritan stock. His father, Appleton Townsend, was the son of a Revolutionary soldier, who married Roxie Fields, of Franklin county, New York.

When Ira M. Townsend was eight years old he was brought by his parents to Ohio and learned the saddler's trade, in Knox and Hardin coun- ties. He worked at his trade in Bluffton twelve years and located there, in 1852. He was married at Jamestown, New York, October 29, 1852, to Catherine Thompson, a native of New York. He engaged in the milling business in partnership with E. N. Woodford, in 1853, but for one year, however, Mr. Townsend was not actively engaged in business. During the years 1865 and 1866 he engaged in the milling business, in Michigan, and,

367

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

after his return to Bluffton, entered the saw-mill business again. This time his mill was blown up by a boiler explosion and after it was rebuilt, fire de- stroyed it in 1887. He rebuilt it a second time, in 1896, but again it was destroyed by fire. His determination was invincible, and he rebuilt again .. He conducted the mill until 1904 and then sold out to the Bluffton Turned Goods Company and continued with this firm, as president of the company, until his death. At the time of his death, Mr. Townsend was the oldest mem- ber of his lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a member of the Methodist church from his youth and was always an upright, sin- cere, Christian man, liberal in his donations and ever willing to help his. church and other denominations as well. He was very widely known and a man of sterling character and the qualities of heart which won for him the deep respect and friendship of all with whom he came in contact.

Born of such a father, it is not to be wondered that the late Orren Eugene Townsend was a man known and respected among men. Many of his good traits he inherited from his father, but in preserving these traits. he deserves credit for being the worthy son of a good father.

WALTER S. STEVENSON.

One of the younger lawyers of Putnam county, Ohio, is Walter S. Stevenson, who has been engaged in the practice of his profession in this county at Leipsic since 1907. Graduating from the law school in 1904 he was admitted to the bar in the same year and practiced at North Baltimore until he came to Leipsic in April, 1907, to become a member of the law firm of Rower & Stevenson. This firm also deals in insurance, real estate, loans and bonds.

Walter S. Stevenson, the son of Isaiah B. and Mary (Epler) Steven- son, was born in Henry county, Ohio, May 2, 1882. His father was born in Henry county, Ohio, in 1854, and was a son of Enoch G. and Anna ( Rader) Stevenson. Enoch G. Stevenson was born in Franklin county, Ohio, south of Columbus, in 1820, and during his youth lived near Colum- bus Grove in Putnam county, but was married in Henry county. The grand- father of Enoch G. Stevenson came form England where he still remembers seeing his grandfather's uniform and sword. Family tradition says that this grandfather was a colonel in the British army, but was discharged from the service by Lord Howe, because he refused to fight the American colonists.

Isaiah B. Stevenson spent all but the last few years of his life in

368

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Henry county, Ohio on a farm. During twenty-two winters he taught school in that county and thousands of children came under his instruc- tions during that long period. His wife, Mary Epler, was born in Shelby county, Ohio, and was a daughter of Peter and Rachel (Ward) Epler. Peter Epler was native of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, and Rachel Ward was from New Jersey. Her grandfather was in the American Revolution.

Walter S. Stevenson was reared to manhood on his father's farm in Henry county. After finishing the common and high school courses of his county, he became a student in Defiance College, remaining there for one year, when he went to Ada, Ohio, where he spent four years, completing the scientific and law courses in that excellent institution. He received the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws degrees, completing his law course in the spring of 1904. In the same spring he was admitted to the practice of law, and hung out his shingle at North Baltimore, Ohio. Here he remained until 1907, when he came to Leipsic to make his permanent home.

Mr. Stevenson was married on April 4, 1905, to Hattie Jaqua, who was born and reared in Hancock county, Ohio, and is a daughter of W. Al- fred and Elizabeth (Wilkinson) Jaqua. Her parents have lived near Ham- ler, Henry county, for a number of years. Her father is a farmer, and has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Stevenson and his wife have three sons, H. Clinton, William A. and Walter K.

Mr. Stevenson is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Royal Arch Masons. He is a young man of great energy and ability, and although he has been in this city but a comparatively short time, yet he has already forged to the front at the local bar, and the success which has at- tended his efforts thus far promises a bright future for him.

GEORGE HENRY BACH.

All of the German citizens, who have made Putnam county their home, have been unusually successful in whatever line of activity they have chosen to engage. George Henry Bach, one of the many farmers of this county who was born in Germany, has accumulated a farm of one hundred and thirty-eight acres in Riley township through his own hard work and good management. While he has been accumulating a comfortable com- petence for himself and'family, he has also taken an active part in the civic

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE H. BACH.

369

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

life of the community and has held various official positions, with honor to himself and credit to his fellow citizens.

George Henry Bach, the son of John George and Catherine (Becker) Bach, was born on January 1, 1850, in Bavaria, Germany. His father, who was a son of John Thomas Bach and wife, was born in Bavaria on Febru- ary 7, 1821, and came to America in January, 1851.

John George Bach was married in Germany and three of his children, including George Henry, were born in the Fatherland. He first settled in New Jersey, and two years later moved with his family to Hancock county, where he located in Arcadia. There he leased a few acres of land, which he cleared for the rental. He later rented a couple of farms and, after about eight years, moved to Van Buren township, Putnam county, Ohio, where he arrived on April 10, 1861. He bought forty acres of farm land, which he cleared, and later added eighty acres more. John Thomas Bach and wife only lived in Ohio about two or three years, and then returned to New Jersey, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Catherine Bach, the wife of John George, died on July 4, 1868, she and her husband hav- ing reared a family of eight children, Jacob, Mary, George Henry, Thomas, William, Edward, Eva and Daniel H. Jacob died at the age of ten and Edward died at the age of seven. John George Bach was married the sec- ond time to Fredericka Mollenhauer, in 1872, a daughter of Philip Mollen- hauer, and to this second union was born one son, Ludwig Berhard.

George Henry Bach was only one year of age when his parents came from Germany to this country. He received his early education in Han- cock and Putnam counties, and from his earliest boyhood worked on his father's farm. He remained at his home until he was twenty years of age and then worked for two years in his home neighborhood. He next went to Cleveland and worked for three years in a dairy. He followed this with eight years' work in Iowa. In that state he worked out for four years, and then, with his brother, bought one hundred and thirty-four acres, which he farmed for four years. He then disposed of his interests in the Iowa farm and returned to Putnam county, Ohio, where he bought fifty-five acres near the old home farm. To this he later added thirty-eight acres adjoining, as well as forty-five acres near the village of Townwood. Mr. Bach has been a very successful farmer, has given particular attention to live stock rais- ing, and has a fine herd of Shorthorn and Polled-Durham cattle. This farm is well improved, and under his skillful management, is yielding sat- isfactory returns, year after year.

370

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Mr. Bach was married on October 16, 1883, to Sarah Catherine Smith, a daughter of Henry and Albertina (Tegler) Smith. She was born near Fostoria, Hancock county, Ohio, October 16, 1856. Her parents were born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and came to America, about 1854, locating imme- diately in Hancock county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Her father died there, October 4, 1897, at the age of seventy-four years, and her mother passed away, on January 15, 1896, at the age of sixty-seven years and four months. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were the parents of seven children, Sarah Catherine, William Frederick, George Henry, Sophia Lou- isa, John Wilson, Mary Cordelia, and one who died in infancy. Mr. Bach and his wife are the parents of four children, Cordelia Elvira, Tena Al- berta, Viola and Katie L. Tena Alberta, who died on January 16, 1912, left her husband, John W. Miller, with one daughter, Florence Edna. The other three children are single and still living with their parents.

Mr. Bach and his family are loyal members of the Presbyterian church. He has served as trustee of his denomination and is now an elder in the church. He has given his support to the Democratic party and has served on the school board of his township. Mr. Bach is a man of excellent char- acter and is highly esteemed throughout the community where he has made his home for so many years.

JOSEPH NIENBERG.

Since 1858, Joseph Nienberg has been a resident of Putnam county, Ohio, and has spent his whole career, in Glandorf, since locating in the county. He learned the tinner's trade when a young man and followed that vocation until he was about thirty-five years of age. Later he engaged in the hardware business, and as he prospered from year to year, added various other departments to his store, until he now has three separate stores in Glandorf. An interesting feature of the success of Mr. Nienberg is the fact that seven of his eight children are partners in the business.

Joseph Nienberg, the son of B. H. and Angela (Sprehe) Herkinhoff- Nienberg, was born in Minster, Auglaize county, Ohio, in 1843. His father was born in Hanover, Germany, and was probably about twenty years of age when he came to America, and located at Minster, in Auglaize county, Ohio.

B. H. Nienberg started in as a farm hand after locating in Auglaize

37I

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

county, and, after his marriage, engaged in the mercantile business in con- nection with which he ran a bakery. He was in business in Minster, Ohio, until his death. The wife of B. H. Nienberg was born in Ausnabruk, Germany, and was married in her native land to H. Herkinoff, and came with him to America and located at Minster, where he died, leaving her with two sons, Herman and Frank. To her second marriage, to Mr. Nienberg, were born six children, Mary, Joseph, William, Annie, Agnes and Dine.

Joseph Nienberg was reared, until he was fifteen years of age, in Min- ster, and there received a good common school education. He came to Glan- dorf, Putnam county, Ohio, in 1858 and made his home with his aunt, Mrs. Henry Wedaking. After coming to Glandorf he learned the tinner's trade, and followed it for many years. He went into the tinner business for himself about 1861, to which he added a stock of stoves. He started a dry goods store about 1870, and has operated it ever since. He and Joseph Thome, his brother-in-law, started a hardware store in 1894, which they continued in partnership until 1898, when Mr. Thome died. Mr. Nienberg then continued the business alone until 1909, when he took several of his children into partnership with him. He added a furniture store in 1910, so that the family now have three separate stores in Glandorf, a hardware store, a dry goods and general merchandise establishment, and a furniture store. These stores do a big business in Glandorf, and the surrounding community, and it is safe to say that Mr. Nienberg does more business than any other man in the village. Joseph Nienberg has been twice married. He was first married, in 1866, to Annie C. Kemper, who was born in Glan- dorf, the daughter of B. H. Kemper and wife. Mr. Kemper was a native of Germany and located in Glandorf about a year after the village was estab- lished. He first took a contract to build a part of the old Ohio canal, and after that operated a store in Glandorf and farmed. The first wife of Mr. Nienberg died about fifteen years after her marriage, leaving no children.

Mr. Nienberg married Veronica Thome in 1881. She was a native of Glandorf and is a daughter of Nicholas and Agatha (Bockhold) Thome, early settlers in Glandorf. Her father was a wagonmaker and, in the early days, made cradles for cradling wheat. Mr. and Mrs. Thome spent the re- mainder of their lives in Glandorf. To the second marriage of Mr. Nien- berg have been born seven sons and one daughter, Benjamin A., who mar- ried Julia Borman, and has four sons, Carl, Harold, Paul and John ; Harry, who first married Frances Smith. and after her death, Dalia Rampe, who is the mother of one son, Walter; Joseph F., who married Maggie Unverferth, and has one daughter, Frances; Edward, who married Clara Geier, and has

372

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

two sons, George and Raymond, and four children who are single, Oscar, Mary, Frank and William. The last two boys are twins. All of the chil- dren are now partners with their father in business, except Edward, who runs the home farm of eighty-three acres, near Glandorf.

The Nienberg family are all loyal members of the Catholic church at Glandorf, and are interested in its welfare and are generous contributors to its support.

AUGUST NARTKER.

For more than two score years, August Nartker has been identified with the history of Putnam county, Ohio, and since 1900, has been in the tile business in Glandorf. His father was a native of Germany and an early settler of Putnam county, Ohio, where he came with his parents in the early history of the county. Mr. Nartker spent his early manhood in a newspaper office, and also farmed a few years before engaging in his present business.

August Nartker, the son of Henry and Thresia (Vorderlandwehr ) Nartker, was born in Glandorf, Putnam county, Ohio, April 8, 1874. His parents reared a family of ten children, four sons and six daughters, Henry, Mrs. Bernardine Winkelman, Mrs. Mary Wishmeyer, of Michigan; Mrs. Anna Schroeder, Frank, August, William (deceased in 1912), Mrs. Minnie Horstman (deceased), Mrs. Emma Maas and Mrs. Lena Fortman.

Henry Nartker was born in Glandorf, Hanover, Germany in 1837 and came to America in his boyhood days with his parents, Theodore Nart- ker and wife, who located about one and one-half miles west of Glandorf, where he lived the remainder of his life. Thresia Vorderlandwehr, the mother of August Nartker, was born at Glandorf, Putnam county, Ohio, June 14, 1844, a daughter of Herman and Thresia Vorderlandwehr, who were born, reared and married in Germany, and were early settlers in Put- nam county, Ohio. Henry Nartker farmed just west of Glandorf, in this county, all of his life, his death occurring there on March 28, 1909. His widow is still living on the farm at Glandorf, where she has resided ever since her marriage.

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 Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 34

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