USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 66
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wilderness and the far-stretching plains populous with contented people and beautiful with green fields.
Mathias Gerdeman was born on March 12, 1887. He is the son of Henry and Bernadina ( Eickholt) Gerdeman, both natives of Putnam county, the former of whom was born on February 19, 1842, and who was the son of Caspar and Anna Gerdeman, natives of Germany. Bernadina Eickholt was born on May 15, 1846, and was the daughter of Barney and Elizabeth (Nieman) Eickholt. Henry Gerdeman was married to Berna- dina Eickholt on May 5, 1868. Throughout his life he was a farmer, but during his latter years he has lived retired with his son, Henry, Jr. His wife died on March 27, 1915. They had twelve children, as follow : Charles, Andrew, Katherine, Barney, John, William, Elizabeth, Amelia, Josephine, Bernadina, Henry and Mathias.
Mathias Gerdeman attended the Barney Fortman school in Union township and worked on his father's farm until his marriage. Mr. Gerde- man was married on May 1, 1912, to Elizabeth Schumacher, the daughter of Joseph J. and Mary Elizabeth ( Rechtine) Schumacher, of Pleasant township. He still lives on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in that township. In fact, he has lived there for many years.
Joseph J. Schumacher, father of subject's wife, was married twice. His first wife was Mary Wellman, and by this marriage there were twelve children, four of whom are deceased, as follows: Anna, Mary, Katherine, Amelia, Andrew, Frank, Benjamin, John; Elizabeth, Amelia, Anthony and John, deceased. Mr. Schumacher's second wife was Mary Elizabeth Rech- tine (mother of subject's wife), and by this marriage there were three children, as follow : Elizabeth, subject's wife, Eleanor and Anthony, deceased. Mr. Schumacher's second marriage took place several years after the death of his first wife.
Of these children, Anna married Theodore Hasselman and lives in Leipsic, Ohio; Mary married John Bellman, who is now deceased; Kath- erine married Henry Bellman, and they live at Leipsic; Amelia married George Wuebken, who is deceased; Andrew married Amelia Maag and lives in Jackson township; Frank married Mary Meyer and lives in Toledo; Benjamin married Mary Niese and lives in Leipsic; John married Anna Maas and lives in Pleasant township on the farm with his father. The mother of these children died on August 20, 1907.
After his marriage, Mathias Gerdeman moved to a farm of eighty- three acres in Union township. He bought this farm on March 1, 1912.
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He has erected an addition to the house and made many other improve- ments. To Mı. and Mrs. Mathias Gerdeman one child, Mary Louise, has been born. She was born March 26, 1914.
Mathias Gerdeman has a splendid house and an attractive and well- kept farm. He is an able young farmer, popular with his neighbors on ac- count of his genial good humor. Moreover, he is well informed on all of the topics of the day and possessed of exceptional intelligence. He makes a specialty of raising thoroughbred Duroc Jersey hogs.
Mathias Gerdeman and his family belong to the St. Michael's Catholic church at Kalida. Fraternally, he is a member of St. Joseph's Benevolent Society.
ANDREW J. RIEMAN.
To a great extent, the prosperity of the agricultural sections of our country is due to the honest industry, the sturdy persistence, the unswerv- ing perseverance and the wise economy which so prominently characterize the farming element of the Buckeye state. Among this class may be men- tioned the subject of this life record, who though still a young man, has apparently mapped out a course in life for himself which not only will bring him well-merited prosperity, but which also will win for hin the high esteem and unlimited respect of all with whom he may be associated in any way.
Andrew J. Rieman, member of the one of the oldest and most highly respected families of the county, was born on his father's farm in Greens- burg township, Putnam county, Ohio, on November 14, 1872, being a son of Frank, Sr., and Mary (Karhoff) Rieman. Subject's father was a son of John and Mary (Mehring) Rieman, both natives of Oldenburg in Ger- inany. They emigrated to this country early in their married life, lived for a time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and later came to Putnam county, where they settled on a farm and passed their remaining years. Andrew Rie- man's father was born in Ottawa township, this county. For further par- ticulars of the Rieman family, consult the sketch of Frank Rieman, Sr., -found elsewhere within the pages of this history.
Andrew J. Rieman attended the district schools near his home, when a boy, and remained on the family homestead until he started out in life for himself. When thirty years of age, in 1902, he was joined in wedlock to Sophronia, daughter of John and Clara (Gattman) Merschman. There were eleven children in the Merschman family, as follow: Frank, Mary,
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Amelia, William, deceased; Sophronia, subject's wife; Lucy, Emma, Lena, John, Petronella and Harry, deceased.
For two years after their marriage Andrew Rieman and his wife remained in the home of his parents and then took up their residence on the present family homestead, where they have since lived. This farm contains eighty acres and formerly belonged to his father. Since obtain -. ing possesion of it, he has erected a splendid barn and other buildings, and is making it, in every way, an up-to-date farm home. He carries on gen- eral farming, and is uniformly successful with his crops.
Andrew Rieman and family are members of St. John's Catholic church at Glandorf, and in politics he is a Democrat, being quite active within the ranks of that party. He is an honorable and ambitious young man, who is bound to make a useful place for himself in the world. Mrs. Rieman is a pleasant and agreeable young woman, and, both coming from the oldest and best families of the county, they have from earliest childhood had held before them the highest standard of conduct, which they in their turn are passing on to the little one in their home. There is just one child, Hen- rietta, born on August 30, 1908. For history of Andrew J. Rieman's wife, see sketch of John Merschman, her father, of Greensburg township, on another page of this history.
LANCE M. WYNKOOP.
Among the young farmers of Putnam county who are bringing to the management of their farms the latest scientific methods in agriculture, and who are definitely pointing the way to a better system of farming than ever prevailed in the past, there are few who are better known in the section in which they live than is the gentleman whose name is noted above, an intel- ligent young farmer, who not only is making a success of his undertakings in that line, but who for years has been a very successful and popular school teacher in the neighborhood of his home in Greensburg township. An earnest exemplar of the latest methods of farming and a conscientious in- structor of the youth in his vicinity, Lance M. Wynkoop is doing a good work in the world, and no history of Putnam county would be complete without adequate mention of the important details of his life and genealogy. The biographer, therefore, takes pleasure in calling the attention of the reader at this point to the subject of this interesting sketch.
MR. AND MRS. LANCE M. WYNKOOP.
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Lance M. Wynkoop was born in Greensburg township, Putnam county, Ohio, October 27, 1882, the son of Milton and Sarah (Crow) Wynkoop, the former of whom was born in the town of Gilboa, this county, and the latter of whom was born on the farm on which her son, Lance M., now lives, in Greensburg township. Milton Wynkoop was the son of Isaac Wyn- koop, one of the pioneers of this county, who in his day and generation was one of the best known and most influential residents of the section in which he so long lived and labored. He not only cleared a considerable tract of land, making clear the ways for his descendants to find a comfortable home in what was a wilderness when he came to this county, but he found time in connection with his extensive personal affairs to give much attention to the affairs of public concern, and was ever found actively participating in all movements which had as their object the betterment of local conditions.
Milton Wynkoop was reared at Gilboa, this county, and evinced in his early youth an unusual aptitude for study, proving so efficient in his studies that as a young man he began teaching school in the neighborhood. He followed this important calling for several years, even after his mar- riage, and then opened a general store at Miller City, this county, this ven- ture proving so profitable that he started a similar store at Kiefersville. Later he opened a store for the sale of agricultural implements at Conti- nental, and continued in business in that place for sixteen years, or until his death, being one of the most successful and popular merchants of that town. His death occurred in May, 1905, while his widow is still living, in Continental. Milton Wynkoop was an ardent Republican and took a promi- nent part in the political affairs of the county. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias, and was one of the most active workers in the local lodge of that order.
Milton Wynkoop was united in marriage to Sarah Crow, daughter of Miles and Lena (Schmidt) Crow, pioneers of Putnam county, the former of whom was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, August 21, 1825, the ninth child of Abraham Crow, a native of Pennsylvania, who moved to Colum- biana county with his parents at an early day in the settlement of that part of the state. The Crow family were brilliant lights in the old Covenanter church, in Pennsylvania, in the earlier days, and many of the same family are still prominent people in Washington and Butler counties in that state. In his early life Miles Crow was the proprietor of an ashery, but during the rest of his life was engaged in farming. He was for many years one of the most active workers in the Christian church in the neighborhood in which he lived, and his example was ever a good one in the community. He married
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prison. Casper and Anna Gerdeman were prominent and influential mem- bers of the community in which they lived. They are buried in Grandview cemetery.
Barney Eickholt and wife, Elizabeth, who was a Niemann, emigrated from Germany to Putnam in an early day and settled near Glandorf. They were the parents of six children, Joseph, Martha, Henry, William, Charles and Bernadina, the last of whom was the mother of Henry Gerdeman. Henry Gerdeman, Sr., was married to Bernadina Eickholt, May 5, 1868. He was a farmer throughout his life, but during his latter years has retired from the active work of the farm. His wife died on March 27, 1915. They were the parents of the following children: Charles, who married Anna Bush; Andrew, who married Ida Dalinz, and is now deceased; Catherine, the wife of Henry Hamburg; Barney, who married Anna Brinkman; John, who married Mary Lang; William, who married Mary Schroeder; Eliza- beth, the wife of Henry Verhoff; Amelia, the wife of William Marmon; Bernardina, the wife of Joseph Marmon; Henry, the immediate subject of this review; Mathias, who married Emily Schumacher.
Henry Gerdeman, Jr., was educated in the schools of Union township. He lived on his father's farm until his marriage on May 5, 1910, at which time he was married to Emma Marshman, the daughter of John and Clara (Gattman) Merschman, the former of whom was born in 1855, in the north edge of Pleasant township, south of Ottawa, and was a son of Barney and Catherine (Hagenjuger) Merschman. Barney Merschman was born in Osnabruck, Germany, and was there married to Catherine Hagenjuger. He was a shepherd in the old country. John Merschman's wife, the mother of Mrs. Gerdeman, was born in Greensburg township, and was a daughter of Joseph and Gertrude (Unterbrink) Gattman. Joseph Gattman was born in Osnabruck, Germany, coming to the United States in an early day, and was a well-known farmer in this county. Gertrude Unterbrink, also a native of Germany, came to this country with her parents, who were early settlers in Greensburg township. They arrived in the United States about 1834. Gertrude Unterbrink first married a Mr. Herlager, of Greensburg township, and, after his death, became the wife of Joseph Gattman. She was the mother of six children, of whom only two are living, Mrs. John Merschman and Bernadina, the widow of George Bensman. John Merschman and wife had eleven children, Frank, Mary, Amelia, Veronica, Louise, Emma, Helena, John, Petronella, and two who died in infancy.
After his marriage, Henry Gerdeman, Jr., moved to a farm which he
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had purchased and where he lived for two years. This farm consisted of seventy-four acres. Mr. Gerdeman later moved to a farm owned by his father in Union township which consisted of one hundred and ten acres. Mr. Gerdeman and his family and parents lived together until the death of the mother on March 27, 1915. Mr. Gerdeman's father is still living with him on the farm.
Henry Gerdeman and all the members of his family are devout Catho- lics, belonging to St. Michael's church at Kalida. The family are well known in this section of Putnam county, and are highly respected for their industry, thrift, economy and neighborly good will.
JACOB S. MYERS.
The sketch which follows, dealing with the man whose name appears above, his brother Samuel and their sister Maria, is the story of plain and honest manhood and womanhood, of sturdy industry and well-directed effort along chosen lines.
Jacob S. Myers was born on December 21, 1852, on a farm in Greens- burg township, Putnam county, Ohio, where he now makes his home. Samuel Myers first saw the light of day in 1855, and Maria three years later. They are children of Jacob and Lydia (Shank) Myers, the former being a well-grown youth when he came with his parents from their home in the state of Maryland. The journey was made overland in a wagon, considerable time being consumed en route. The parents were John and Mary (Dillon) Myers, whose children were, Abraham, John, Samuel, Jacob, Peter, Joseph, Christian and Henry. The parents were in their declining years when the children induced them to come and make a new home in a new country that was rapidly being settled in this part of Ohio. Jacob Myers, an- other son, the father of Jacob S., later came with his uncle, Peter Myers, and his cousin, Martin Myers. Others came together and joined the rest of the family. Later, two more sons, Peter and Henry, came, when Peter settled in Perry township in Putnam county, and Henry settled in Paulding county, Ohio. After the family reached Putnam county, they settled on a tract of eighty acres, which they had secured from the government, and set about the task of clearing their land of the timber and preparing it for cultivation. They, in time, developed an excellent farm and were among the most highly respected citizens of the community at the time of their death. Jacob, father of our
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subject, assisted in clearing the home farm and developing the land and, later, on his own account, he entered a tract from the government, contain- ing sixty-four acres, and this same land forms a portion of the holdings of Jacob S. Myers at the present time. After he had his grant of eighty acres in fair condition, Jacob Myers purchased from his father an addi- tional tract of sixty-four acres and also cleared that of timber. On this farm he made his home, after the time of his marriage, about the year 1846. He chose as his wife Lydia Shank, a daughter of Michael and Bar- bara (Wideman) Shank, both of whom were natives of Canada and came to this country after their marriage. They came by boat on the Great Lakes, as far as Toledo, Ohio, and thence overland to their destination in Putnam county. They entered one hundred and sixty acres of land from the gov- ernment and in the course of time developed a fine farm. The mother passed away while the family was still living on this farm and the father later lived in Elkhart, Indiana, where his life closed. The thirteen children of the family were: Eve, Susan, Tina, Fannie, Catherine, Mary, Barbara, Esther, Maria, Sarah, Michael, Elizabeth and Lydia.
As above stated, Michael and Barbara (Wideman) Shank, the parents of Jacob S. Myers, came to the farm where they are now living, which was the family home for many years. Both parents have passed into the Great Beyond, leaving behind them, to their children, a rich heritage in the knowi- edge of lives passed in industry and humility. The father died in 1875, and the mother in 1886.
Jacob S. Myers received his education in the district schools near his home and, in early manhood, assisted his father in the work about the homestead. The parents were members of the Mennonite church, and in this faith the children were reared and are today members of that body. Jacob has served as township assessor for a term of two years and also as township supervisor, discharging all the duties thus devolving upon him in a manner highly satisfactory to all. Jacob, Samuel and Maria are unmarried and operate the farm which they own. Their holdings total two hundred and sixty-eight acres, and the farm is considered one of the finest in the township. All the buildings are in a good state of repair. They have an excellent equipment and being industrious, get good returns for the labor expended. By industrious habits and frugal manner of living. they have amassed a goodly portion of this world's goods, but better still is the high esteem in which they are held by all who know them on account of their honorable and well-directed lives.
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FLORIAN STOEPFEL.
Among the successful, self-made men of the present generation in Putnam county, Ohio, whose efforts and influence have contributed to the material upbuilding of the community, Florian Stoepfel occupies a con- spicuous place. Being ambitious from the first, but surrounded with none too favorable environment, his early youth was not especially promising. Resolutely facing the future, however, he has gradually surmounted the difficulties in his way and, in due course of time, has arisen to a prominent position in the agricultural circles of his community. In addition to this, he has won the confidence and esteem of those with whom he has come in contact. For years, he has stood as one of the representative citizens of the locality, honored by his citizenship.
Florian Stoepfel was born on February 28, 1877, in Bavaria, Germany. He is the son of Gregoire and Crescentia ( Essenwanger) Stoeppel, both natives of the same place, who died in Germany. Gregoire Stoepfel was a farmer all of his life. One year after his death, his widow, with her son and daughter, came to this country, and joined Florian Stoepfel, who had crossed the sea some time previous. The mother settled on a farm in Greensburg township, where she still lives. Her children are: Florian, the subject of this sketch; Lucas, Louis, Mary and John, deceased. Lucas mar- ried Mollie Siebeneck and lives in Putnam county; Louis is unmarried and lives in Cloverdale; Mary married Frank J. Verhoff and lives in Ashtabula county, Ohio.
Florian Stoepfel attended school in the old country and, when fifteen years of age, came to America and settled near Glandorf in Putnam county. He worked on various farms, during the first few years after his arrival in this country, and finally purchased forty acres in Union township, before his marriage.
Florian Stoepfel was married on October 28, 1903, to Josephine Uphaus, the daughter of George and Margaret (Wehrie) Uphaus. George Uphaus was the son of John and Catherine Uphaus, who came from Germany after their marriage. He was a farmer and settled near Glandorf on a farm where he continued to live until his death. He and his wife were members of St. John's Catholic church at Glandorf. Margaret Wehrie was the daughter of Clement and Anna Wehrie, who were born in Germany and who, at an early day, came to this country, settling on a farm near Glandorf, Putnam county. They were well known among the early settlers and lived on this farm until their death. They were also members of St. John's Catholic
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church at Glandorf. Mrs. Stoepfel is the sister of Philomena Uphaus, the wife of Mathias Theodore Verhoff, whose sketch is found elsewhere in this volume.
After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Stoepfel, they moved to the farm where they now live in Union township. Since Mr. Stoepfel's marriage, he has acquired twenty acres in addition to his original purchase of forty acres, before his marriage. He is a general farmer, but makes a specialty of rais- ing cattle. He does considerable well drilling, under contract for the farm- ers of the community in which he lives, and has been very successful in this work.
To. Florian and Josephine (Uphaus) Stoepfel, five children have been born, Clara, born on February 7, 1905; Matilda, born on December 19, 1906; Laura, born on September 22, 1908; John, born on October 30, 1910, and Joseph, born on July 28, 1913.
Florian Stoepfel and wife belong to St. Michael's Catholic church at Kalida. They are devout members of this church and contribute liberally of their means to its support. Mr. Stoepfel is an energetic and ambitious young farmer, who has adopted progressive methods in everything that per- tains to the work of the farm. He is in every respect a representative citizen of Union township, where he lives.
ALONZO RAGER.
Putnam county has been fortunate in the character of its farmers and much of its material prosperity can be attributed to the fact that its farmers have kept abreast of the times, and it can hardly be questioned that as such they are an index to the civilization of the community. Its farmers are progressive and up-to-date and it follows that the standard of the com- munity will be high. Thousands of banks have been organized within the last few years in order to supply the needs of the farmer. In fact, the crops of the farmer furnish most of the money for the smaller banks throughout the United States. The wholesome living, which is the good fortune of the farmer, is a big factor in keeping up the general tone of a county. Alonzo Rager is one of the prominent and influential farmers of Union township.
Alonzo Rager was born in Franklin county, Ohio, October 26, 1874, the son of Solomon and Helena (Coon) Rager.
The grandfather of Alonzo Rager was John Rager, who lived in
MR. AND MRS. ALONZO RAGER.
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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.
Franklin county, Ohio. He was of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, Elizabeth, Adam, George, Hiram, Solomon, Joseph, Henry, Edward, Mary and Alice. Mr. Rager's maternal grandparents were Luke and Susan (Arnett) Coon, the former of whom was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, October 8, 1826, of Scotch-Irish de- scent. He was reared on the farm of his parents, and upon reaching man- hood was married to Susan Arnett, a native of Pennsylvania, of Dutch par- entage. They had six children, John, George, Sarah, Jennie, Helena and Emelie. Luke Coon, after his marriage, continued farming in Pickaway county, where he was born, and in 1856 moved to Illinois. His wife hav- ing died in 1859, he remarried, and continued to live in Illinois until 1882, when he returned to Ohio and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Rager.
Solomon Rager was born on June 23, 1850, in Franklin county, Ohio. He was educated in this county and reared as a farmer. He was married on January 18, 1872, to Helena Coon. After his marriage he remained on the farm, in Franklin county, and on August 23, 1884, he moved to Put- nam county, where he continued to farm until his death, which occurred on January 17, 1886. His wife received a good education in Macon, Illinois, and it was in that state their their marriage took place.
To Solomon and Helena Rager were born the following children: Olive, Alonzo (the subject of this sketch), Luke, Elmer, Lewis, Chester and Verda. Olive, who died on December 31, 1893, married Benjamin Good. Luke, who lives in Sugar Creek township, married Hattie Brown and has two children. Elmer, who lives in Middletown, is married and has four children. Lewis, who lives in California, married Myrtle Dresky and has four children. Chester, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, married Naomi Summers. Verda married John Anderson, a farmer of Sugar Creek township, and has four children. Solomon Rager, the father of these children, was a Republican. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Winchester. His wife is still living and makes her home with her son Lewis on the old home place. The residence on this farm was erected in 1888.
Alonzo Rager was educated in the Union township schools and lived on his father's farm. He worked out for four years by the year on various farms. Mr. Rager was married to Ola Dicus, the daughter of Scott and Mary (Campnell) Dicus, of Union township, Putnam county.
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