Biographies
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)

Source:
 A Portrait and Biographical Record of
Mercer and Van Wert Counties, Ohio
Containing Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent and Representative Citizens,
together with Biographies and Portraits of all the
Presidents of the United States
and Biographies of the Governors of Ohio
CHICAGO: A. W. BOWEN & CO.
1896

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	WILLIAM KIMMELL, the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania in January, 1820, and was a son of John Kimmell who was also a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1792.  JOHN KIMMELL was of German descent and was reared by his parents on a farm.  Upon arriving at the proper age he was married to Miss Rachel Gregory, also a native of Pennsylvania, and in 1845 removed to Holmes county, Ohio, remaining there until 1850, when, with his family, he removed to Mercer county, where he resided until his death.  He was a very liberal man, always ready to aid progressive enterprises and gave freely of his means to charitable purposes; but, notwithstanding all this, at the time of his death he left his family in comfortable circumstances.  During the greater part of his life he was a consistent member of the Lutheran church, and politically he was a member of the democratic party.  He and his wife were the parents of five children, viz: William, Elizabeth, Sarah, John and Rachel, the last named being the only one now living, and who is a widow, living in Paulding county, Ohio.      William Kimmell, like his father before him, was reared upon a farm and received as good an education as was then afforded by the district schools.  For several years before attaining his majority he taught in different country schools, making more full and accurate the knowledge obtained therein as a student, and at the age of twenty-one he removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio, in which state he followed the profession of teaching with gratifying success, being especially adapted to the work because of his bright and active intellectual character.  Mr. Kimmell was married May 30, 1847, in Holmes county, to Miss Eliza Fry, a native of that county.  During the same-year he removed upon a farm in Mercer county, and, being an industrious man, met with unusual success in agriculture, as he had ’done in teaching school.  Removing to Massillon in 1853, he there engaged in business as a dry-goods merchant, in which he was likewise very successful.  After six years thus spent, on account of failing health he was compelled to retire from business and removed to Michigan, where he remained for eighteen months, when he removed to Van Wert, Ohio, and was there engaged in business as a dry goods merchant for seven years, at the end of which period he engaged in the sale of machinery for the sake of the exercise in the open air.  Not long afterward he was elected superintendent of the Van Wert county infirmary by a large majority.  Filling this position with extraordinary credit to himself and satisfaction to the people of the county for one term of four years, they insisted upon his re-election to the place, notwithstanding his desire to retire, and he was again elected by a handsome majority, but afterward retired on account of ill-health. It has ever since been generally conceded that Mr. Kimmell was one of the best, if not the best, infirmary superintendents Van Wert county ever had.  In business he was always straightforward and honorable, and as a natural result of fair dealing was uniformly successful, and at his death, which occurred July 23, 1893, his family were left in comfortable circumstances.  Politically he was an uncompromising democrat.  Besides being a most enterprising man, he was unusually liberal and free to aid all charitable works.  He and his wife were the parents of three children, viz: E. G., M. J. and J. F. E. G. was married in 1862 to Ellen Heath, and now lives with his widowed mother; Jennie was married to Mr. J. F. McGather and died in 1878 in Van Wert county, and Frank married Catherine Heath in 1877 and is a prosperous young farmer of Van Wert county.      Mrs. Eliza Fry, the widow of William Kimmell, was born Oct. 24, 1829.  Her father, Frederick Fry, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1811.  A shoemaker by trade, he conducted a shoe store and met with great success.  In 1821 he married Miss Catherine Holderbauin in Holmes county, and by her had the following named children: Eliza, Amanda, Maria, Josiah, John, Jacob, Michael, Julia, Joseph, Rachel, William and Lucinda, five of whom are deceased.  Mrs. Kimmell is a highly respected lady, is a consistent member of and a faithful worker in the Presbyterian church, and has numerous friends.  She now resides in her beautiful home in Van Wert, where she is passing the evening of her days in the consciousness of a life well spent in devotion to the welfare of her fellow-beings. Source:  A Portrait and Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co. - 1896 - Page 397
	HENRY KRAMER, junior member of the firm of Henry Kramer & Bro., the senior member being John M. Kramer, the firm dealing in grain, seeds and country produce, as well as salt, lime, stone, lumber, hardware and groceries, was born Jan. 16, 1861, in Marion township, Mercer county, Ohio.  He was reared on his father's farm and remained upon it until 1881.  He then took charge of a mail route between Maria Stein and Saint John's station, on the T., D. & B. railroad, at the same time having an express office in Maria Stein, he also running the express wagon until December, 1885, when he retired from the route.  In September, 1884, he had taken charge of the ticket and freight office of the Toledo, Delphos & Burlington railroad, charge of which he retained until Apr. 1, 1893.  As mail carrier he endured many hardships and much exposure, as there was no depot erected until December, 1881, and he had in the meantime to wait for the trains, which were very frequently late, finding no shelter except such as the standing timber afforded.  In September, 1887, he purchased the property of J. Rumping, consisting of a house, two lots and a stable, giving therefor $1,300, and he removed to this property in the following December, his aunt, Gertrude Kramer, keeping house for him.  In 1886 he began to buy grain on commission for an outside firm, storing the same in sacks until he had accumulated a car load.  In 1891 he formed a partnership with his brother, John M. Kramer, whose biographical sketch also appears in this volume, the firm conducting a machine shop.  Then this firm erected a warehouse, and also started a small lumber business.  The subject of this sketch was the first man that started business of any kind at Maria Stein, his trade gradually increasing, and in 1895, he alone bought more than 55,000 bushels of grain; beside this he carried on his lumber and hardware business.  Mr. Kramer deals fairly and honestly with all men, as also does his brother.  They believe in giving each man his due, the junior member having always had charge of the scales, which run up to 100 car loads per year.  Hardware and groceries do not at present receive as much attention as formerly from this firm, grain and lumber being the principal products handled at the present time.      Henry Kramer was married May 8, 1889, to Miss Senora Walck, and to this marriage have been born three children, viz:  Joseph, born Mar. 18, 1890; Beda, born July 8, 1892, and Mary, born Feb. 24, 1895.  Joseph and Mary are both dead, leaving only Beda to comfort the parents.  Mr. Kramer is a strong democrat in politics and a faithful member of Saint John's Roman Catholic church.  Senora Walck, wife of the subject, was born June 11, 1868.  She is a daughter of Andrew Walck who was born Sept. 22, 1837, in Stark county, Ohio.  When yet young Andrew Walck went to Iowa, where he was engaged as a general laborer, but returned to Ohio, locating at Middlepoint.  In 1864 he enlisted in the army and was discharged in 1865, being in the service just ten months, and now receives a pension of $12 per month.  Politically he is a strong democrat and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  He was married to Louisa Staples, and to their marriage there have been born the following children:  Katie, Francis, Senora, wife of the subject, and William.  Katie is the only one that has died.  The mother of these children was a member of the Catholic church, and died April 18, 1872.  Senora Walck, wife of the subject, lived with her parents until she was married, and is a most excellent woman in every respect. Source: A Portrait & Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co. - 1896 - Page 388
	JOHN M. KRAMER, senior member of the firm of John M. Kramer & Bro., HENRY KRAMER being the junior member, was born Feb. 2, 1859, and is the son of Henry Kramer, who was born in Hanover, formerly the capital, but now only the chief town, of the province of Hanover, Germany, Oct. 4, 1826.  He was reared on a farm, and in 1835 was brought to the United States by his parents.  They landed in Baltimore, and upon landing were in reality worth nothing at all.  They went direct to Cincinnati, remaining there six months, and then moved to Marion township, Mercer county, Ohio, where they settled down, on a farm of eighty acres of timber land.  This farm the father purchased in 1836, paying therefor one dollar per acre.  Later he added forty acres, making 120 acres in all.  On this farm he lied until his death, which occurred Sept. 14, 1862.      Henry Kramer, father of John M. Kramer, married, June 17, 1838, Miss Margaret Reichert, a native of the United States.  He was in business a successful man, and at his death left his family in comfortable circumstances.  In politics he was a democrat, and he was a member of the Catholic church.  In all ways he was a liberal man, always ready to help those in need, and to aid public enterprises to the extent of his ability.  His wife died, July 3, 1885.  She was also a member of the Catholic church, and bore her husband three children, viz: John M., the subject of this sketch; Mary, and Henry, of whom a sketch of the latter appears elsewhere in this volume.      John M. Kramer was born in Marion township on his father's farm, on which he remained until he reached the age of thirty-one.  In 1890 he went into business, with his brother for a partner.  This firm, beside selling boilers, engines, gasoline engines, steam and hand pumps, sawing machines, etc., also to manufacture the Champion manure spreader, the Gen wind-mill regulator, the Ideal feed cooker and the Eureka iron cutter, and beside are especially well prepared to do all kinds of repair work.  In addition to all this, they operate a lumber yard, an elevator, and a hardware store, in all of which they have met with gratifying success.  John M. Kramer was married, May 28, 1884, to Miss Catherine Hausfeld, and to this marriage there have been born two children: Henrietta and Eleanora.  The mother of these two children died Sept. 19, 1895.  Mr. Kramer is in politics a democrat, and is a member of Saint John's Catholic congregation.  In all he is liberal and charitable, and is highly esteemed as a good citizen.      BERNARD HAUSFELD, the father of the deceased Mrs. Kramer, was born in Germany, Sept. 8, 1831.  Until coming to the United States, which was at an early age, he was reared on a farm.  Landing while yet single in New York, he came direct to Ohio, located in Auglaize county, and some time in the 'fifties he removed to Marion township, Mercer county.  On Apr. 22, 1856, he was married to Elizabeth Swinefus, a native of the United States, and to this marriage there were born the following children: Anthony, Agnes, Mary, Catherine and Elizabeth.  His wife is still living at Saint John's, and both are highly esteemed members of the Catholic church, and stand well in the community at large. Source: A Portrait & Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co. - 1896 - Page 387
	JOHN G. KUHN, one of the prominent farmers of Butler township, Mercer county, Ohio, and a justice of the peace, was born in Oberlandbach, Bavaria, May 27, 1843.  He is a son of GEORGE and Julia (Schnider) KUHN, both of Bavaria, where they were married and where they lived until 1847, he in his own country having followed farming.  At that time he emigrated to the United States, crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel, and being eleven weeks on the voyage, which was very rough and stormy.  Landing at New York he came direct to Ohio, and to Auglaize county, most of the way by canal.  In Auglaize county he purchased a tract of land, which had a small improvement upon it, but was for the most part covered with heavy timber.  Upon this farm he remained the rest of his life, dying May 8, 1866.  In politics he was a democrat, but never sought nor aspired to office.  He was content to live in the land of the free, and to pursue the even tenor of his way unmolested and devoted to his own private interests and the care of his family.      To his first marriage there were born three children, viz.:  Barbara, wife of Peter Wolf, he being her third husband; George J., a farmer of Mercer county; and Catharine, the wife of H. Everman.  The mother of these three children died in Bavaria, and the father married there the second time, the mother of the subject, Miss Julia Schneider, to whom there were born three children, viz: Theresa, who married P. Bustetter, and later died; Barbara, single, and an inmate of a nunnery; and John G., the subject of this sketch.  The mother of these three children died July 12, 1894, at the age of eighty-five years and two months.  Both parents were members of the Roman Catholic church.      John G. Kuhn, upon coming to America with his parents, was but four years of age.  His education was in both German and English.  For some years he worked on a farm, and when eighteen years old he began to learn the wagon-maker's trade, at which he worked until 1861, when he enlisted in the three-months' service, served about four months, and received an honorable discharge.  Returning home, he there remained until August, 1862, when he again enlisted, this time in the One Hundred and Sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, for three years or during the war.  His regiment was consigned to the army of the Cumberland, and he served until the close of the war.  He saw much hard service, was in eleven engagements, and received two wounds in the left leg, but was never taken prisoner, though he was constantly at the front.  During the entire term of his service he had but fifteen days' furlough.  When the war was over, he was mustered out at Nashville, and received an honorable discharge at Camp Dennison, July 12, 1865.      Returning to his home he soon afterward established himself at his trade at Saint Mary's where he worked for some time.  In 1867, moving to Mercer county, he located at Chattanooga, where he bought an acre of land, upon which he built a house.   Afterward he traded that house and an acre of land for a small farm in Black Creek township.  To this farm he moved in 1869 and lived upon it until 1875, when he sold out and bought a farm near Decatur, Ind., where he remained about eight years.  At the end of this time he sold his Indiana farm and returned to Ohio, settling in Butler township, Mercer county, buying eighty acres of land, fifty acres of which were cleared, and there was a house already on it.  At the present time he has sixty-six acres cleared, ditched and under-drained, and in a high state of cultivation.  His buildings, some of which he has himself erected, are reasonably good, and, taking it all in all, he has a very comfortable home, which is located about one mile east of Cold Water.  Mr. Kuhn has always been an industrious man, and a good manager, by which means he has accumulated a handsome property.      Mr. Kuhn is a democrat in politics and has always taken an active interest in public affairs.  He has been several times honored by his fellow-citizens with their confidence, having been elected justice of the peace, township trustee, school director, and to all the other township offices.  He has been a justice of the peace since 1886, and the term for which he was last elected began in November, 1895.  In 1888 he was appointed township clerk, and has served in that office ever since; was re-elected Apr. 6, 1896, to serve until Sept. 1, 1898.      Mr. Kuhn was married first to Miss Barbara Nuse, the daughter of Daniel and Francisca (Steine) Nuse, the former of whom was a farmer of Bavaria.  To this first marriage there were born three children, viz.:  William H., who resides in Indiana; Emma L., wife of B. Walters and residing at Cold Water, and Edward, a barber by trade.  The mother of three children died Nov. 27, 1871, a devoted member of the Roman Catholic church.      Mr. Kuhn, for his second wife, married Miss Anna M. Straubinger, who was born in Bavaria, and was a daughter of Anthony Straubinger, a farmer.  To this second marriage there have been born seven children, viz.:  One that died in infancy; Frederick A., now employed in the oil fields of Indiana; Frank T., Anthony A., Michael, Julia, and Mary T., all five at home.  The family are all members of the Roman Catholic church.  Mr. Kuhn has always been somewhat of a hunter, and it may be well to record the fact here that in 1886 he killed the last wild turkey that has been killed in his township, as far as known. Source: A Portrait & Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co. - 1896 - Page 401

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