Abraham Benson Davis - G.A.R., Bishop Post

Abraham was born in New York in either 1843 or 1844, as different sources reported.  During his life, he also went by the name of Abram or by his initials, A. B. 

 At some point between 1855 and 1860, Abram went from his home in New York to Indiana where he was enumerated in Roanoke, Huntington, Indiana.  He lived in the local hotel run by Lewis Allen, and at only 15, was working as an ostler.  In other words, he was employed by the hotel to care for the horses of its guests.

On November 26, 1861, he enrolled in the 47th Indiana Infantry, Company E.  His three year enlistment took him mainly from Missouri to Mississippi and New Orleans. In January, 1864, his muster rank was Corporal as he moved to a veterans

unit.  He was discharged on October 23, 1865.

Abraham could not be found in the 1870 census after his discharge, but he did marry on September 9, 1875 to Katie Tremain in Wabash, Indiana.  The couple settled in Indiana and that was where their first child, Minnie Adele Davis was born in 1877.  In the Federal Census of 1880, the three person family was living on Sinclair Street in Wabash.  Abraham worked as a druggist clerk, while Catherine (Katie) cared for three year old, Minnie.

Their family quickly grew, adding Bruce in 1883 and Bert in 1888. In fact, Bert was born in Ohio after their move to Defiance in between those years.  In 1900, the family lived at 618 Washington Street.  Abraham, at 55, had a new occupation as a grocer.  His wife, Katie, was 46, and the children were Minnie, 25; Bruce, 14; and Bert, 12.

Minnie married Earl E. Enos in 1898, and Bruce graduated from Defiance High School in 1900 and then became a graduate of the 'commercial school' at Defiance College.  Soon after graduation, he took off for California. He took a job in Long Beach, California working in the offices of the Barber Asphalt Company. In 1906, the family received word of his mysterious death there.  The family here could not understand the cause of his death, as he was known to be in fine health.

Finally, the Defiance Democrat reported secondhand from the Toledo Times on June 22, 1906:

"Mystery seems to surround the death of Bruce Davis at Long Beach, California.  A special dispatch from San Diego, Ca. to the Toledo Times this morning has the following about the case, although the parents have received no word from that point:

'Bruce A. Davis, a young man whose home is in Defiance, Ohio, died of cocaine poisoning in his room at Yale Hotel, Long Beach, Ca.  He came here for his health last December and was accustomed to the use of cocaine to relieve his suffering.

Saturday night he retired early and did not appear as usual Sunday morning.  After dinner Sunday, his landlady went to his room to call him and found him dying.  Davis was only 22 years old.  He body will be sent to Defiance where his parents live.' "

"SAD FUNERAL OF BRUCE DAVIS

Very sad were the last rites over the remains of the late Brue E. Davis, at the home of the bereaved parents Sunday noon.  The funeral was largely attended.  The Rev. Murphy preached a touching sermon.  The remains which arrived from California Saturday afternoon, were interred in Riverside Cemetery, the following acting as pall bearers: Thos. Gorman, Albert Sites, Virgil Weisenburger, Claud R. Winn, Ed Hubbard, and Don Wilhelm."

Younger brother, Bert, married at the age of 31 to Amy Helena Whitaker on September 30, 1919.  So by the Federal Census of 1920, only Abraham, 76, a state food inspector, and Catherine,  64, remained at their home now at 212 Hopkins Street.  Abraham would see one more census go by when he was 85 years old.  In 1930, he owned his home on Fifth Street.  He had married Catharine when she was only 17 and he was 32, and Catharine outlived him by fifteen years.

Albert joined the G.A.R. upon coming to Defiance, and they took a part in his funeral when he passed away on May 5, 1930.  He had lived in Defiance over 50 years and had made many friends.

"A. B. DAVIS

Rev. W. A. Rex conducted funeral services for A. B. Davis at the home, 212 Fifth Street, Wednesday at 4 p.m.  Interment was in Riverside Cemetery.

L. P. Rife, A. J. Kiser, Christ Frye, John Killion, John Myers, and Jacob Adams, all members of the G.A.R., were honorary pallbearers.

Henry F. Gerke, Ben Elliott, George Elliiott, Roy Beardsley, F. C. Layman and C. J. Daoust were active pallbearers. 

Mr. Davis was a member of the Defiance Elks Omega Masonic Lodge, Order of Eastern Star and Grand Army of the Republic."

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)

Elser Margarethe Elser - Open to German Research

 "Elser Margarethe Elser

Elser Margarethe Elser, nee Breininger, was born March 5, 1837 at Greilshausen, Wuertemberg, Germany.  She was baptised and confirmed in the German Lutheran faith and came to this country some 24 years of ago.  

She was united in marriage to Christ Elser, May 1, 1861 at Williams Center and settled on a farm in Washington township.  Later, she, with her family moved to another farm nearby in the same township where she resided until God called her home.

God blessed this union with ten children, six sons and four daughters, seven of whom are living.  Mrs. Elser suffered a stroke of paralysis, Saturday, March 5, it being her 73 birthday from which she passed away Monday, March 7th, at the age of 73 years and 2 days.

She leaves to mourn her loss, a husband, seven children, twenty-four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, one brother, Fred Breininger Sr. of Mark Center; one sister, Mrs. Burkhart of Edgerton, who has passed her 97th birthday. 

The deceased was ever a kind and affectionate wife and mother and it could be said those who knew her best, loved her most and our loss is her eternal gain.  She has been a member of the Lutheran church since she came to Defiance County at which place her services were held Thursday, March 10, 1910 by her pastor, Rev. Henkleman, where a large concourse of relatives and friends gathered to pay their last tribute of respect and the remains were laid to rest in the cemetery near the church."

Although an obituary is not a primary source for a person's vital information, it can provide many clues for further research.  In genealogy, it would be considered a 'gold mine' to find out an ancestral home, for example.  In Margarethe Elser's obituary, her birthplace is mentioned as Greilshausen, Wuertemberg, Germany.  A little research found that that village is now known as Krailshausen, a "subcity" of Schrozberg.  Stuttgart is about 55 miles away and to the west is Rothenberg.

In that village is a Lutheran church whose parish has been there since the 1200s.  In 1813, the church started recorded baptisms, so possibly this is where the Breiningers went to church and records of Margarethe Breininger and the family are there.  A little more research might find an archive where the records are housed, as usually the oldest records are moved out of the church itself...but not always.  And so the hunt to trace this family back in time can begin. Something to consider in researching would be the multiple spellings of Breininger used - Brauninger, Braeuninger, Braneneger, for example.  Spelling didn't matter at all in those days.

We are given information that Margarethe came to America when she was 24, which would be 1861.  She also married in May of that year.  Did the families come over together - Elser and Breininger.  A search of immigration records online might give an answer.  One record found an Anna Margaretha Breininger, age 23, and a brother, Frederick as passengers on the ship, Oldenberg, with their father, heading for Ohio. No Elsers, unless it was spelled differently and just not found on the first look-through.

A perfect obituary might have all the children listed, but this one does not.  So the researcher will have to go to the first census available, 1870, to find the beginnings of that information.  With this obituary, a researcher would have plenty to begin a search for ancestors.

Sherwood-Delaware Students - Tenth Grade - 1948

 

The Marckel Scrapbook - Theresa (Moenikes) and Anton Pessefall

From the scrapbook of Doris E. Marckel Bates of Defiance, Ohio.

Date on the cover - March the 11th, 1906

A collection of newspaper articles about the folks of Defiance County, Ohio, all undated and with no source named.

"DEATH OF MRS. ANTON PESSEFALL 

Obedient to the summons of the Divine Master, Mrs. Anton Pessefall, of Adams township, has past (i.e. passed) to her eternal reward.  Her maiden name was Theresa Moenikes.  She was born October 4 1835 at Bergheim, district of Steinhelm, county of Huexster, kingdom of Prussia, Germany, being one of a family of nine children, of whom but two still survive, a brother and a sister.

She was joined in matrimony to Anton Pessefall, May 9, 1857, in the parish church of Pembsen by their pastor, Rev. Father Neukirgen.  Thereafter, they resided at Mulsheim (Mulheim) until September 7, 1872, when she and her husband and eight children emigrated to America.  Passage was taken from Bremen in the steamship 'Rhine' (Rhein), at that time the best vessel of the North German line.  After an uneventful voyage of eight days, landing was made at Castle Garden, New York City.

Traveling overland, they reached Louisville, Ky. where a month was spent with relatives.  Then, after a year's sojourn at Crown Point, Ind., Mr. Pessefall conceived a removal to Defiance county, O. Accompanied by four of his children, the trip was made by wagon in seven days, the others followed later by rail.  Within two weeks after their arrival here, a farm of 80 acres in Section 19 was purchased and the family at once began to build a pleasant home, which has ever since been their residence

The couple were blessed with nine children, all of whom have flown from the parental home.  They are: Mrs. John Schmid, H. C. Pessefall, and Mrs. Chas. F. Ashbacher of Defiance; B. F. Pessefall of Stryker; Mrs. James Carpenter of East Noble township; Mrs. Bernie Ossage of Glandorf; Mrs. Frank Krabach of Holgate; Charles Pessefall of Defiance; and Henry J. Pessefall who is yet at home.  There are also fifteen grandchildren.

Mrs. Pessefall was a true woman, a consistent Christian, a kind neighbor, an indulgent mother, and a faithful helpmate. Her death occurred Sunday evening, December 6, 1896, from congestion of the brain.  She was aged 61years, 2 months and 2 days.

The last sad rites were observed at St. Michael's Catholic church, North Ridge, Rev. J. B. Heiland officiating. Interment on the Ridge."

Theresa actually had ten children - 

a daughter, Mary, died in infancy.

The tombstones of Theresa and her husband stand in Riverside Cemetery.                                                                              Anton Pessefall married several years after Theresa's death on February 8, 1898, to Mary Herbert.  In 1902, he rented his farm to Eli Markel and then moved to Holgate.  He died there in 1905.

"PIONEER DIES AT HOLGATE                                                                                                   ANTON PESSAFALL was born in Merishiem, Westphalia, Germany, March 27, 1832.  Married Miss Theresa Monekes May 3, 1857 and came to this country with his family in 1872.                                                                                               He remained a short time in Louisville, Ky. and about a year in the town of Crown Point, Ind. and then came by wagon to Defiance County, locating in Adams township.                                                                                                                          His first wife died December 6, 1896 and February, 1898, he married Mrs. Mary Herbert of Delaware township, this county  With her, he moved to Holgate two years last October and there he departed this life Friday morning, at 2 o'clock.

He was taken ill with stomach trouble last July and since that time, has been bedfast almost constantly.  Of the ten children born to him, there are nine now living: Mrs. Minnie Schmid, A. C. Pessafall, Mrs Theresa Ashbacher of this city; Benjamin Pessafall of Stryker; Mrs. Frances Carpenter of Noble township; Mrs. Carrie Osage of Glandorf, O.,; Mrs. Lizzie Crabach of Holgate; Charles Pessafall of Adams township; and Henry Pessafall of Holgate.

His second wife survives him, also 19 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  Funeral services will be held in the Catholic church at Holgate, O. Monday morning, February 27th.  Father Tennyson will officiate and after the services, the remains will be brought to Defiance at 10 a.m. over the B & O railway and placed in the vault at Riverside cemetery."

Mock School, Delaware Township - 1916

 

"DATING WAY BACK TO 1916 is this picture of students in the old Mock School, North Delaware Township.  

At right is the teacher, Eugenia Lentz and the students are, from left:

FRONT - Ralph Parker, Ralph Kimpel, Vern Bayliss, Lawrence Kinstle, Bill Parker, and Lowell Sewell

SECOND ROW: Mendelsohn Auspaugh, Monroe Kintner, Marjorie Smith, Mamie Parker, Grace Kuhn, May Kintner, Olive Barrick, Dorothy Anspaugh and Catherine Kinstle.

THIRD ROW: Evelyn Bayliss, Hermina Kinstle, Winona Auspaugh, Geneva Moats, Beth Kintner, Earl Kuhn, Charles Kuhn, Joseph Kinstle, Luther Auspaugh and Henry Kintner."

Mock School was known as School District #2 in Section 4 of Delaware Township on the corner of The Bend and Buckskin Roads.  The photo above was reprinted in the Defiance Crescent-News on April 12, 1975.