|
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
Vol. II
by Wm. Rusler - Publ.
1921
|
|
GEORGE HENRY ALLEMEIER,
owner of a sixty-acres farm in American Township, is one of the
prosperous agriculturalists of Allen county, and a man who
stands well in public esteem. He was born in Jackson
township, Putnam county, Ohio, Apr. 30, 1871, a son of
Frederick and Elizabeth (Seiglar) Alemeier and grandson of
Henry Allemeier, both of whom were born in Germany, from
whence they came to the United States and settled in Jackson
township of Putnam county, Ohio, on land which was unbroken.
They cleared a valuable farm, and worked on the Cincinnati and
Toledo canal, in this way making some money. Both
grandparents died in Putnam county. Frederick Allemeier
also died on the old Putnam county farm, but his wife died in
Allen county. They had seven children, of whom George
Henry was the second in order of birth.
Up to the time he was thirteen years old George
Henry Allemeier attended the country schools a few months
during the winter, but after that had to put in all of his time
on the farm. He remained at home until he was twenty-three
years old, and then, in 1894 he was married to Mary Blunk,
a daughter of Frederic and Katherine (Ulrich) Blunk, of
Putnam county, and they became the parents of five children,
namely: Norman F., Arnold John; Pearl Catherine,
now Mrs. Carl Klingler, of Allen county, and has a
daughter, Catherine; and Lucinda Henrietta and Lola
Marie, both of whom are at home.
After his marriage Mr. Allemeier rented the home
farm of 120 acres for three years, when he bought sixty acres of
woodland in Washington township, cleared it and lived on it for
nine years. He then sold his farm and moved to Putnam
county where he bought seventy-nine and one-half acres and
farmed it for seven years. Once more he sold, and then,
coming to Allen county, bought his present farm in American
township, where he has since been engaged in general farming.
On account of ill health he has turned the responsibility of
management over to others, but keeps himself occupied. He
is a stockholder of the Equity Exchange Elevator of Elida, Ohio,
and also of the Co-operative East Town Threshing Company.
Mr. Allemeier is independent in his political views.
The Zion Lutheran Church of Lima holds his membership and
receives his contributions. All his life he has been a
hard worker, and has known how to make his efforts count for
much, so that today he is a man of ample means. At the
same time he has gained the respect of his associates, and
stands exceedingly well in his neighborhood.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 168 |
|
|
PHILIP JACOB ALTSTAETTER.
One of the leading agriculturists of Monroe Township, owning and
operating a well-developed property four miles south and two
miles west of Columbus Grove, Philip Jacob Alstaetter
also has a distinction of being the head of a family of
remarkable musicians whose talents have brought their services
within the scope of a constant demand in the various towns and
villages of Allen and adjoining counties.
Mr. Altstaetter was born on the farm which he
now occupies in 1861, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine
(Bucher) Altstaetter. His father, who was born
in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, Feb. 21, 1811, was twenty-one years
of age when he immigrated to the United States, and first spent
a year in Maryland, where he followed his trade of carpenter.
Coming to Dayton, Ohio, in 1833, he spent two years at that
place, and in 1835 settled on a farm in Monroe Township, Allen
County, where the rest of his long and honorable life was
passed, his death occurring Nov. 10, 1898, when he had reached
the advanced age of nearly eighty- eight years. At the
time of his arrival this ambitious and enterprising man entered
forty acres of land from the United States Government, and from
that time forward continued to add to his holdings until he
owned 700 acres of good land. Mr. Altstaetter
was one of the founders of the church in his locality, of which
he and his wife were faithful members throughout their lives.
In 1835 he married Catherine Bucher, who was born near
Salem, Montgomery County, Ohio, Oct. 26, 1816, a Great
grand-daughter of immigrants from Switzerland. Το Mr.
and Mrs. Altstaetter there were born thirteen children,
namely: Elizabeth, deceased; Frederick, deceased;
John, deceased; Susannah; Sarah, deceased;
George L., deceased; Michael; Mary;
Louisa, deceased; Catherine, deceased; Bertha,
deceased; Philip Jacob and Abigail.
Philip Jacob Altstaetter was
educated, in the district schools and reared on the home farm,
on which he made his home until the time of his twenty-third
year, when he engaged in operations on his own account. On
Jan. 1, 1889, he was united in marriage with Miss Emma L.
Miller, who was born Jan. 1, 1868, a daughter of Henry
and Mary (Souer) Miller. Mr. Miller was
born in Hesse-Darmstadt Apr. 24, 1841, and died Mar. 7, 1912,
and Mrs. Miller was born in Prussia, Jan. 21, 1846, and
became the mother of fourteen children, all living in 1920:
Margaret M., John F., Emma L., Hannah C.,
Alice M., Sarah M., Catherine R., Bertha
A., William H., Herman M., Lewis P.,
Clara I., Grace N. and Arthur M.
To Mr. and Mrs. Altstaetter there have come the
following children, all accomplished musicians: Emil H.,
born Mar. 22, 1890, a solo cornetist and first violinist;
Gilbert W., born Nov. 11, 1892, a baritone and first
violinist; Clifford J., born Nov. 27, 1894, who plays the
slide trombone; Marie C., born Feb. 20, 1896, who plays
the mellowphone piano; Waldo E., born July 19, 1898, a
performer on the bass and small drums and traps; Albert A.,
born Aug. 28, 1900, a solo cornetist; Clara H., born Oct.
10, 1902, performer on the mellowphone violin; Lena A.,
born Oct. 5, 1904, who plays the first B-flat cornet and piano;
Lewis C., born Oct. 14, 1906, who plays the clarinet;
Clarence F., born Jan. 9, 1908, who plays the second B flat
cornet; Alice M., born Apr. 20, 1911, who plays the
piano; and Harold C., the baby, born May 3, 1913, a
cornetist. Under the leadership of their father, a
musician of finished and versatile talents, the members of this
remarkable family have appeared at Columbus, Dayton, Napoleon
and various other cities and towns in this region, and their
services are in demand at picnics, celebrations, fairs, etc., as
well as for commercial interests.
Mr. Altstaetter is one of the substantial
farmers of Monroe Township, where he owns 160 acres of highly
cultivated land in the southeast quarter of section 18. He
is a citizen of public spirit and has contributed liberally to
all movements making for advancement in his locality. In
politics he is a democrat. As a fraternalist he belongs to
the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
in the last- named of which he is a past noble grand. Mrs.
Altstaetter and her two daughters belong to the Rebekahs,
and five of the sons are members of the Odd Fellows, and all
members of the Rebekahs. Gilbert W. Altstaetter
also is a past noble grand. He is a veteran of the World
war and saw six months of service in France as a musician.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 302 |
|
|
PETER B. AMSTUTZ.
The retired colony of the community of Bluffton has no more
highly esteemed a resident than Peter B. Amstutz, who
after many years passed in agricultural pursuits is now living
in comfortable retirement at his pleasant home located on his
farm one and one-half miles southwest of Bluffton in Richland
Township. Mr. Amstutz was born in Wayne County,
Ohio, June 6, 1846, a son of John B. and Fannie (Lehman)
Amstutz.
John B. Amstutz was born in the canton of Berne,
Switzerland, in 1799, and was nineteen years of age when he
immigrated to the United States, settling first at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, where he secured employment as a hired hand.
Later he walked to Wayne County, Ohio, where he was also
employed as a farm hand until his marriage to Fannie Lehman
also a native of Switzerland, and at that time earned ten acres
of land by splitting logs and building one mile of fence,
carrying and putting up every rail. Mr. Amstutz
continued his industrious work until he was the owner of eighty
acres of land, which he sold in 1850 and moved to Putnam County,
Ohio, where he bought 240 acres of land, and later added to this
by the purchase of 200 acres for the sum of $600.
Eventually Mr. Amstutz moved to Allen County,
where he passed the rest of his life on a farm of eighty acres.
By his first wife he had eleven children, of whom Peter B.,
the youngest son, is the only survivor. By his second
marriage, to Catherine Herr, he had one child, Anna E.,
the wife of Theo Amstutz. John B. Amstutz
died in 1865 and his second wife died in 1854.
Peter B. Amstutz was reared on the Putnam County
farm and educated in the district schools, in addition to which
he attended college one winter. He married Elizabeth
Lugibill, who died in 1873, leaving two children, of whom
one is living, Dinah, the wife of Christian
Hofstetler, of Richland Township, with six children.
Mr. Amstutz was again married, in 1879, to Miss
Leah Gerber, and they had eight children, of whom four are
living: Amos, Olive, Lydia and
Edwin, all single and living at home. The family
belongs to the Mennonite Church, in which Mr. Amstutz is
a deacon. He is a democrat in politics.
During his active years Mr. Amstutz devoted his
chief attention to farming, but also had other interests to
share his activities. He built a factory on his farm for
the manufacture of wooden forks and hand hay rakes. This
factory was destroyed by fire in 1912, but was rebuilt in 1913
and is now utilized for sawing lumber and turning broom and mop
handles, which are shipped to various large points for
distribution to the trade. He is likewise the owner of
another farm, and is a stockholder in the Bluffton Milling
Company and the Milk Condensing Plant at Bluffton. While
he is retired from active labors, he takes part in the
supervision of his various enterprises, in connection with which
he has always been known as a man of sound business integrity
and ripe judgment, while as a citizen he has public spiritedly
supported all worthy movements.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 305 |
|
|
HERBERT L. ARMSTRONG,
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Lima, was a lieutenant in the
Officers Reserve Corps during the World war, and has a wide
experience in the Government service and in private practice of
his profession.
Dr. Armstrong was born on a farm near
Jeffersonville, Fayette county, Ohio, and livedin a country
district of that county to the age of fourteen. He is a
son of Albert and Alice (Underwood) Armstrong. He
acquired his early education in the Jefferson High School, and
in 1915 graduated with the degree D. V. M. from the Ohio State
University. For a year and a half he practiced at Sabina,
Ohio, and then became a veterinary inspector for the Government
in December, 1916. His duties for nine months were in the
plants of Armour & Company in Chicago, after which for a year he
was at Dayton, Ohio, in the plant of the Henry Burkhardt
Packing Company. July 16, 1819, he enlisted in the
Veterinary Corps of the United States Army at Columbus,
receiving the rank of second lieutenant in the Officers' Reserve
Corps. He was on duty at Camp Sherman for eleven months
and one day, getting his honorable discharge June 17, 1917.
He then re-entered Government service as field inspector for the
Bureau of Animal Industry at Charleston, West Virginia, holding
that post from June 23, 1919, to Apr. 1, 1920. Since then
he has been at Lima engaged in general veterinary practice and
also as field veterinarian for the Smylie Serum Company of
Omaha, the largest manufacturers in the United States of antihog
cholera serum.
Dr. Armstrong married Miss Bessie Stout,
of Piqua, Ohio. He is a Democrat in politics, is a
thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the Lodge
at Sabina, and belongs to the Indiana Consistory. He is a
member of Alpha Psi veterinary fraternity at the Ohio State
University, and a member of the Ohio State Veterinary Medical
Association. He has a five year commission as first
lieutenant in the Officers' Reserve Corps.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 93 |
|
|
RALPH F. ARMSTRONG.
Within recent years the handling of automobiles and their
accessories, together with the carrying on of a general repair
business, have assumed large proportions and are attracting the
attention and enlisting the capabilities of some of the most
alert young men of the country, especially those who have had a
practical training as machinists, and among them is the firm of
Armstrong Brothers. Ralph F. Armstrong, who was the
senior member of this firm until his death Oct. 21, 1920, was
born at Lima, Ohio, July 13, 1887, a son of W. W. and
Josephine (Makley) Armstrong. The Armstrongs
are of English stock, the originators of the family in the New
World settling in New England, from whence they later spread to
other parts of the country. The grandfather established
the family in Ohio, and at Fort Wayne, at a time when that
present flourishing city was only a railroad crossing.
During the war between the states he gave his sympathies and
services to the Union. He and his wife became toe parents
of eighteen children, and W. W. Armstrong was one of the
younger members of the family. All of his life a railroad
man, W. W. Armstrong met his death in an accident at
Ellwood, Indiana, while he was working for the Lake Erie
Railroad. At that time his son Ralph F. was only
sixteen years old. His widow survives himand is making her
home at lima. She and her husband had four children, of
whom Ralph F. Armstrong was the second in order of birth.
At the time of his father's death Ralph F. Armstrong
was attending the public schools of Lima, but his
mother then eeding his assistance, he relinquished his ambition
of securing further educational training and became a delivery
boy for a grocery store at Lima, and worked as such until the
opportunity arose for his beginning an apprenticeship to the
trade of a machinist with the C. M. & D. Railroad Shops, and he
remained in them for five years, and for the last two years he
was a journeyman machinist. For the subsequent two and
one-half years he worked for O. L. De Weese, of Lima, as
auto mechanic. It was then that he and his brother
Clyde L. Armstrong founded the Armstrong Garage
Company on North Main street, but six months later they came to
the present address 112-114 North Elizabeth street, right
downtown in the best business district. Here these young
men and the firm is recognized as being one of the leading
concerns of this kind in the country. A general repair
business in automobiles is carried on, and a full and varied
stock of supplies of all kinds is on hand.
In 1910 Ralph F. Armstrong was married to
Miss Mabel Johnson, a daughter of Shaw and Viola (Wood)
Johnson, of Lima, Ohio. There is one daughter,
Marcile Pearl. In his political convictions Mr.
Armstrong was a Republican. Both the Elks and Moose
had in him an enthusiastic member. Cavalry Reformed Church
afforded him a medium for the expression of his religious faith.
As a skilled mechanic Mr. Armstrong had few equals.
As a citizen he proved his worth to Lima, and as this city was
the city of his nativity he was naturally especially
interested in its advancement along all lines, and ready and
willing to do his share to bring all of this about.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 169 |
NOTES:
|
