History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 81

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 81

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Anthony Smith, son of L. Jacob and Florentine (Verhoff) Smith, was born on a farm near the town of Kalida, Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, on April 17, 1885, and grew to manhood on the parental farm, re- ceiving his education in the excellent schools of that township. He remained on his father's home place until his marriage, in 1911, after which he bought fifty acres of his father's farm and established a home for himself. He erected the buildings now standing upon this place and has otherwise im- proved the same, bringing the farm to a high state of cultivation. He has but recently built a substantial addition to his house and now has one of the most comfortable and delightful homes in that part of the county. He is a young farmer of the progressive type to which Putnam county is beginning to owe so much and in his methods follows up-to-date principles of farming, assuring for himself a degree of success which is most gratifying to his friends.

On May 3, 1911, Anthony Smith was united in marriage to Magdalena Schroeder, daughter of William and Anna (Rieman) Schroeder, both of whom were born in Greensburg township, this county, and who were the par- ents of ten children, Katherine, Henry, Clara, May, Nora, Magdalena, Francis, Caroline, Elizabeth and Laura. Of these Katherine married W. Schierloh and lives in Greensburg township, this county; Henry married Theresa Verhoff and also lives in Greensburg township; Clara married Will- iam Verhoff and lives in Union township; Mary married Ignatius Verhoff

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and is now a widow, and Flora married Frank Verhoff and lives in Greens- burg township. Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder are still living on their farm in ·Greensburg township and enjoy the highest esteem of all who know them.

The paternal grandparents of ancestry of subject's wife, Magdalena Schroeder, wife of Anthony Smith, Henry and Catherine (Hohenbrink) Schroeder, who were natives of Germany and came to this country and located near Glandorf, Putnam county. They were the parents of the following children : John, Mary, William, Charles, Anna, Theresa, Mathias, Clara, Doratha, Ignatius, Catherine, Philomena and Frank. Her maternal grand- parents were John and Clara ( Mahinne) Rieman, who also were natives of Germany, and came to this country, where they settled near Glandorf, in Putnam county. They had the following children: Frank, Mary, John, Bernadina, Henry, Bernard, Anna, Charles and Ignatius.

To Anthony and Magdalena (Schroeder) Smith two children have been born : Gilber, on July 10, 1912, and Edward, May 16, 1914. Anthony Smith and wife are devoted members of St. Michael's Catholic church and have submitted their children to the ordinances of that historic communion. Mr. Smith is a member of the Catholic Knights of Ohio and of St. Joseph's Benevolent Society and is otherwise active in the work of the parish, being regarded as an energetic exponent of all measures which have to do with the good of the community at large, one of the leading citizens of that part of the county.

WILLIAM WASHINGTON SCHAFER.

Among the many able, intelligent, substantial and successful farmers of German birth or descent, who have added so much to the material wealth of Putnam county, none is more worthily entitled to mention in this volume of biography, than William Washington Schafer, who was born in Palmer township, Putnam county, Ohio, on December 17, 1869, the son of. William and Mary (Morris) Schafer, the former of whom was born in Hesse-Darm- stadt, Germany, the son of Philip Jacob and Elizabeth Schafer, and the latter of whom was born in Allen county, Ohio, the daughter of Henry and Mar- garet (Weaver) Morris, pioneers of that section of the state.

William Schafer, the elder, was bereft of his father when he was a child and his mother married, secondly, Jacob Huffman, in company with whom she and her two sons, William and Michael, came to America, proceeding to Putnam county, Ohio, where they settled on a farm of one hundred and

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twenty acres in Sugar Creek township, where William grew to manhood. He helped clear this land and rapidly adjusted himself to the conditions which confronted him in his adopted country. At the age of twenty-five he married and for a short time thereafter lived in Allen county, later returning to Put- nam county, where he bought a tract of eighty acres in Palmer township, to which was added an equal tract his wife had received from her father. This farm of one hundred and sixty acres, he cleared and improved by the erection of a good type of buildings and soon brought to a high state of cultivation, upon which he made many improvements, chief among which was the erection of many buildings of modern type. He later sold a portion of this land, which became the town site for the village of North Creek and later became one of the most substantial and influential residents of that part of the county. For a period of thirty-six years, continuously, William Schafer served his township in the capacity of justice of the peace, his magisterial rulings very rarely being appealed, and in that time did very much toward bringing to a proper state of social and economic development the community to which he became so devotedly attached and in which he was held in the very highest regard by all his neighbors. He had also given good service to the public in other local offices. William Schafer was a member of the German Lutheran church, while his wife was an adherent of the Primitive Baptist faith.

William W. Schafer married Mary Morris, daughter of Henry and Margaret (Weaver) Morris, early settlers in Allen county, this state, Henry Morris having been one of the first judges of the circuit comprised in the counties of Allen and Putnam, the court in this county at that time being held in the town of Kalida. Judge Morris was a Democrat and was a man of large influence in the counsels of his party in this section of the state. As a judge, he attained a reputation for fairness and justice which is not forgotten to this day and in all things was a high, honorable and upright gentleman who did well his part in the upbuilding of the community in which his good influence was so widely exerted. Not only was he widely known for his judicial quali- ties, but he was equally well known throughout this section as a minister of the gospel, holding to the Baptist faith and for many years occupied the pulpit of the Baptist church at Vaughnsville, his sermons being noted for their great earnestness and power. The home of the Morrises was in Allen county. To Henry and Margaret (Weaver) Morris were born nine children, George, Elizabeth, Joseph, Henry, John, Sarah, Lavina, Mary Ellen and Katherine.

To William and Mary (Morris) Schafer were born twelve children, all of whom are living save the 'last born, Surilda May, the others being Henry Philip, John Sylvester, Mary Catherine, William Washington, George Lewis,

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Charles Clifford, Sarah Elizabeth, Mary Emmaline, Ida Lavina, Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Jefferson. The parents of these children are both dead, the death of the mother having occurred in October, 1902, and that of the father on January 1, 1904. Michael Schafer, brother of William, served his adopted country faithfully and well during the Civil War, as a member of an Ohio regiment and at the close of the war he engaged in farming in Putnam county and later located at Delphos, this state, where he spent the rest of his life.

William Washington Schafer was reared on his father's farm in Palmer township and received his early education in the North Creek school. During his young manhood he worked on his father's farm, but following his mar- riage, at the age of twenty-five years, he moved to Defiance county, Ohio, where he bought a farm of forty acres in Highland township and later twenty-eight more acres adjoining in Putnam county, and there he lived for thirteen years, at the end of which time he returned to Putnam county and bought the farm on which he is now living in Greensburg township. This place originally consisted of eighty acres, which now gives him one of the most compact and highly developed farms in his part of the county. On this farm he has erected splendid buildings, a beautiful dwelling house and a large and admirably-appointed barn, with outbuildings of all kinds to match, making his farm one of the best appearing places in the county. His house is one of the best equipped, in point of domestic convenience, in the neighborhood and his barn is supplied with all the modern devices for the efficient management of a successful farm.

On October 4, 1894, Mr. Schafer was united in marriage to Luta Ger- trude Pilcher, the daughter of William and Mary (Wingate) Pilcher, well known residents of Monroe township, this county. William Pilcher and wife were both natives of England, who came to America, proceeding to Ohio, in which state they were married. After their marriage they lived for a time at Findlay and at Belmore, Ohio, and then came to Putnam county, locating in Monroe township, where they are still living. They are the parents of nine children, Reuben ; Milton; Clara ; Stephen ; Nellie ; Frank, deceased; Edward; Luta and Etta.

To William Washington and Luta Gertrude (Pilcher) Schafer have been born seven children, all of whom are at home, as follow: Clarence Fred- erick, on August 21, 1895: Nellie Viola, June 14, 1897; Gladys Caroline, January 17, 1899; Lavina May, April 24, 1901 ; William Glenn, February 5. 1904; Blanche Gertrude, May 19, 1906, and Mary Frances, September 24, 1909; an interesting family who contribute very largely to the social activities

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of their neighborhood, in which all are very popular and held in the highest esteem by their large circle of acquaintances. William W. Schafer and wife hold to the Baptist church, but are not active members. They are deeply interested in all movements designed to elevate the standards of citizenship in their community and are very properly regarded as among the leaders in the good works of that part of the county, a most estimable couple who have done and are doing well their part in the development of the neighborhood's best interests.

HUBERT SMITH.

Elsewhere in this valuable work of biographical reference, mention is made of the value of the services to this commonwealth of the Smith family, descendants of one of the best-known German emigrants of the early days of Putnam county. That reference is contained in the interesting biograph- ical sketch of Frank J. Smith, elder brother of the subject of this sketch, and it is a pleasure for the biographer here to present some additional facts re- lating to this family in connection with this sketch of the life of Hubert Smith, one of the best-known and most progressive farmers of Greensburg township.

Hubert Smith was born in Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, January 26, 1875, the son of L. Jacob and Florentine (Verhoff) Smith, the genealogy of the former of whom will be found by the reader in the sketch of Frank J. Smith, above referred to, and the genealogy of the latter of whom will be found contained in the sketch presented elsewhere under the head of Theodore Verhoff, of Greensburg township, a brother of Mr. Smith's mother.

Hubert Smith was reared on the paternal farm in Union township and received his education in the township schools. He remained on his father's farm until his marriage, after which he moved upon his present farm of two hundred and eighty acres, in Greensburg township. which he purchased, and where he has ever since made his home, being today reckoned as among the leading farmers of that section of the county. Since buying this farm. Mr. Smith has greatly enlarged upon its improvements, erecting all the build- ings now standing upon it, and which are of a very high class, his home in particular, being one of the models of that neighborhood. In all its appoint- ments, his farm is kept up to the highest standard of modern agriculture, the surroundings are neat and orderly and the general air of the place speaks loudly of the systematie methods and precision of the owner.

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On November 7, 1900, Hubert Smith was united in marriage to Amelia Kahle, the daughter of Frank and Bernadina Kahle, one of the old families of Putnam county, whose genealogy is set out in the biographical sketch of Frank Kahle, of Greensburg township, presented elsewhere in this volume.

To Hubert and Amelia (Kahle) Sınith have been born eight children, as follow : Wilfred, on December 26, 1901 ; Bertha, September 15, 1903; Joseph, August 29, 1905; Leo, November 5, 1907; Alfred, May 21, 1909; Ignatius, February 5, 1911, and Peter and Paul. twins, April 19, 1914.

Hubert Smith and wife are members of St. Michael's Catholic church at Kalida, in the affairs of which parish they are warmly interested and to which they are deeply devoted, and they are rearing their children in the same faith. Mr. Smith is a member of St. Joseph's Benevolent Society and takes an active part in the affairs of that beneficent organization. He is a Democrat and gives a good citizen's attention to political affairs, being much interested in all matters relating to good government. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are very popular in the wide social set in which they move in the Kalida neighbor- hood, and are very properly regarded as among the leaders in the life of that community. He is a man of advanced ideas in the science of agriculture and is known as an intelligent, business-like farmer, who is making a fine success of his life's work. In addition to general farming in which he engages, he has given considerable attention to the raising of blooded stock, his choice Hereford cattle and thoroughbred Belgian horses have something more than a local reputation.

THEODORE HENRY RUHE.

Theodore H. Ruhe is a well-known and popular young farmer of Palmer township, Putnam county, Ohio. Here his labors have been performed and here he is well known as a man of keen perceptive faculties, unusually sound. judgment and upright dealings with all of his neighbors and fellow citizens, and his name today stands high on the roll of the meritorious young men and farmers of Putnam county.

Theodore Henry Ruhe was born on March 8, 1886, in Pleasant township, Putnam county, Ohio. He is a son of Anthony and Sophia (Henken) Ruhe. Anthony Ruhe was born in Ottawa township, Putnam county, Ohio, February 28, 1857, and is a son of Joseph and Mary Anna (Wittkamp) Ruhe, both of whom were natives of Germany and were born

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in about the same locality, where they grew to maturity and were married. They emigrated to the United States in an early day and first settled on forty acres of land situated about three miles south of Glandorf, Putnam county. Joseph Ruhe accumulated about one hundred and sixty acres of land in the county, and was a substantial citizen of his community. He assisted in building the Miami and Erie canal, and in this way helped to pay for his land. His death occurred on December 28, 1879, at the age of sixty-seven years, after having a useful and industrious life. His death occurred sud- denly, while he was attending divine service in the Catholic church at Glan- dorf, where he was a member. His widow survived him some years, and died on the homestead farm during September, 1896. They were the parents of the following children: Barney, of Liberty township; Mrs. Thresia Hinken, of Covington, Kentucky; Mrs. Josephine Knueve, deceased; Henry, who lives on the homestead farm; Mrs. Catherine Werketter, of Williams county, Ohio; Anthony, Joseph and Theodore. Anthony Ruhe was married at the age of twenty-three, on November 24, 1881, to Sophia Henken, the daughter of Christopher and Mary Angeline (Obke) Henken,. both of whom were natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Ruhe were the parents of the following children : Frank, who married Elizabeth Kleman, of Liberty township; George, who married Frances Hovest, and lives in Pleasant township; Theodore, who is the immediate subject of this sketch; Otto Frederick and Philomina, living with their parents. A complete his- tory of the Ruhe family is found elsewhere in this volume in the sketch of Anthony Ruhe.

Theodore Henry Ruhe was educated in the township schools of Pleasant township, Putnam county, Ohio, and he was also a student in the Ottawa township school. He grew up on his father's farm and was reared to the life of a farmer. He remained at home until his marriage, January 19, 1910, to Lucy Meyer, the daughter of Henry and Catherine (Ellerbrock) Meyer. Mrs. Ruhe's parental history appears elsewhere in this volume in the sketch of Charles Ellerbrock. Theodore H. and Lucy ( Meyer) Ruhe are the par- ents of three children, Urban, born on November 6, 1910; Alvin, September 28, 1912, and Norma, October 3, 1914.

Theodore H. Ruhe removed to his present farm in section 24, of Palmer township, north of Miller City, after his marriage in 1910. The land was. cleared and improved when he moved here, and the residence and barn had already been built. Mr. Ruhe has added several other outbuildings and made additional improvements, so that his farm is now well-equipped for general farming and stock raising. He farms eighty acres of a hundred-

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acre tract which was deeded to him by his father. The remaining twenty acres is operated by his brother, Frank, of Liberty township, this county.

Theodore Henry Ruhe is a Democrat in politics, but so far has not taken any active part in political affairs. Ruhe and wife are devout members of St. Nicholas's Catholic church, of Miller City, where Mrs. Ruhe belongs to the Mother's Aid Society of her church. Mr. Ruhe is a congenial young farmer, a hard worker and concentrates himself upon his farm duties. He bears a high reputation in this community, and is devoted to his home, his wife and his family, and they are all very happy. He has every reason to look forward to a bright and promising future.

JOHN FREDERICK KIMMERLE.

The business men of any community are those upon whom the com- munity is largely dependent for its prosperity and progress. If these men happen to be progressive, alert and wide-awake, then the community is very likely to prosper. The late John Frederick Kimmerle, during his lifetime, had, perhaps, as much to do with the prosperity and progress of this section of Putnam county as any other man in the township. For many years he was actively identified with its business life in several capacities. Mr. Kim- merle first made a success of the hotel business, and after that was engaged successfully for many years in the mercantile business. In the meantime he had acquired considerable farm property, and was a wealthy man at the time of his death. The late John Frederick Kimmerle, throughout his entire business career, was a man who never sacrificed principles for dollars. He believed in public improvement, and gave what aid he could toward the civic advancement of his native township. He was a man whose loss was keenly felt by the people of Union township, with whom he was so vitally connected -for so many years.

John Frederick Kimmerle was born on January 18, 1856, in New Cali- fornia, Union county, Ohio. He was a son of John F. and Anna B. (Dittus) Kimmerle, both of whom were born in Germany.

John F. Kimmerle was married first in Germany. His wife died there, leaving one child, Catherine. After her death John F. Kimmerle embarked for America, and while en route met Anna Dittus, a passenger. She volun- teered to assist in caring for the child. From this acquaintance sprang up a mutual attachment, which resulted in their marriage when they landed in

JOHN FREDERICK KIMMERLE.

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this country. They came to Union county, Ohio, where they settled in New California. He became a farmer. John F. and Anna (Dittus) Kimmerle had several children, as follow : Louise, Mary, Amalia, Urica, Marion, Gott- lieb and J. Frederick, deceased. Subsequently the parents of these children moved to Jackson township, Putnam county, Ohio, and settled on a farm. There they lived until their death. They were members of the German Lutheran church.

The late John Frederick Kimmerle attended school in Putnam county, Ohio, and worked on a farm. Early in life, in partnership with Henry Rower, he engaged in the manufacture of tile. They established this busi- ness at Ottoville. He then sold out and engaged in the hotel business at Kalida.

Mr. Kimmerle was married on February 6, 1887, to Mary Parsell, the daughter of John and Charity (Eyer) Parsell. Charity (Eyer) Parsell, the mother of Mrs. Kimmerle, was born on February 14, 1836, in Fairfield county, Ohio. She was the daughter of John and Abigail Eyer. John and Abigail Eyer were born in Pennsylvania and were married in that state. John Eyer had previously married a Miss Mclaughlin, and by that mar- riage there were four children, Adesta, Mary, Levina and a son William, who died young. After his second marriage John Eyer and wife came to Fairfield county, Ohio, and settled there. He worked at the carpenter trade, and also did some farming. He and his family moved to Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, about 1853, and settled on a farm. The children by his second marriage were : Charity, the mother of Mrs. Kimmerle, Cyrus and Jacob. Of the children of John Eyer, Augusta married William Hamilton. of Fairfield county. Later they moved to Putnam county and lived first in Jackson and then in Union township. Both are deceased; Mary married John Piercey, who lived in Willshire, Van Wert county, until their death; Lavina was first married to Joshua Algire. Her second husband was Will- iam Dicus, deceased. She still lives in Jackson township, in Putnam county. Charity married John Parsell. They were the parents of Mrs. Kimmerle ; Cyrus married Elizabeth Jeery. They live on a farm in Union township; Jacob married Edna Beech. They are still living in Kalida. Jacob served in the Civil War in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry. He enlisted at Kalida in Company H, and was mustered out at Salisbury, North Carolina. He served, with commendable valor, for three years under General Scofield, and participated in a number of battles. John and Abigail Eyer died in Union township, Putnam county, Ohio. They

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were members of the Methodist church. Charity (Eyer) Parsell, the mother of Mrs. Kimmerle, died on March 2, 1905.

John Parsell, father of Mrs. John Frederick Kimmerle, was born in Lincoln, Ohio, December 1, 1833, and died on July 22, 1901. When twenty- five years of age he came to Putnam county. He learned the carpenter trade in Lincoln county, and also farmed in that county. He worked at the car- penter trade in Putnam county, and was married in 1860 to Charity Eyer. He was also a soldier in the Civil War, having served in Company H, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served under Colonel Mott and Captain Moore. After he returned from the war he worked as a carpenter until his death. His children were Margaret, Mary, Sarah, Vinnie and John. Of these children Margaret married J. B. Stauffer, and lives at Kalida; Sarah married George Claypool. They live in Findlay, Ohio; Vinnie married Fred Buck and lives in Toledo; John married Lillian Vinning and they live at St. Marys, Ohio; John Parsell, the father of these children, died on July 22, 1901. His wife died on March 2, 1905. They belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

After his marriage the late John Frederick Kimmerle engaged in the hotel business for three years, and then engaged in the general mercantile business at Kalida, one of the largest, in fact, in Putnam county. He and other associates founded the Peoples Bank at Kalida, now the only bank in this town. He founded the First National Bank at Kalida in 1904. A short time prior to his death he bought a general mercantile store in Cygnet, Ohio. He and his family moved there to take charge of it. Shortly after his arrival he became ill and went to Kramer, Indiana, for treatment. Real- izing that he could receive no benefit from this treatment, he started home and got as far as Fort Jennings, Ohio, where he died, surrounded by his family.

The late John Frederick Kimmerle was the first president of the Peoples Bank at Kalida and the first president of the First National Bank at Kalida. He was also a stockholder in the Kalida Elevator Company.

To Mr. and Mrs. John Frederick Kimmerle five children were born, one son, the first child, died in infancy ; Valarie, born on December 26, 1890, died in 1891 ; Frederick, born on March 19, 1893; Leonore, born on December 9, 1895, and Lula was born on July 23, 1898.

Mr. Kimmerle built and owned a business in Kalida in 1904. He also built a residence in Kalida, where the family now lives. Aside from this, Mr. Kimmerle possessed considerable other property, including three hun-

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 81

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