Christian (Christ) Armbruster

Christian (Christ) Armbruster was born April 12th, 1881, the youngest of thirteen children born to John and Mary (Moerder) Armbruster who migrated to Henry County, from Crawford County, in 1861.

Anna Leifer was born March 11th, 1884, the daughter of John C. Leifer and Elizabeth (Knipp) Leifer. The Armbruster homestead is the first farm west of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Flatrock Twp. The Knipp homestead is the first farm south of the Church and the Leifer homestead is the first farm east of the Church. The Armbruster, Knipp, and Leifer farms are still in their respective families.

Anna was the church organist until she and Christ were united in marriage by Pastor Fischer, on Aug. 23, 1902, and set up housekeeping on a large farm in Harrison Twp. The farm and a new set of buildings was a wedding present, given to them by the bride's parents. To this union was born seven children. Freda Huddle the eldest, and her husband Clarence, now own the old homestead and are the parents of three sons, Dwight, Herbert, and Jason, and one daughter, Marilyn (Lawrence) Leaders. Arthur departed this life at age 17, while a senior in Napoleon High School. Mabel (Otto) Leininger, organist for Emmaus Lutheran Church, Wauseon, departed this life leaving two teenage daughters, now Carolyn (Paul) Sanford, Rose Marie (Edward) Osborn and a teenage son Morris, now married. Byron, retired foreman from Campbell Soup Company and having one son, Timothy, still lives in Napoleon. Frances Mary (Lauren) Austermiller has one son, Larry and lives in Findlay. Marcille (Bert) Hardin, Toledo, Ohio, departed this life leaving two very small daughters, Linda (Peder) Johnson and Mary, still unmarried. Kenneth is unmarried and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Anna and Christ were members of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Flatrock Twp. until they settled in Harrison Twp. and then had their membership transferred to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Napoleon, where they remained active members until their deaths. All seven children were baptized, instructed, and confirmed by the sainted Dr. Lankenau.

Christ was a farmer-politician, having served as a school board member, 4H Club Leader, Harrison Twp. Trustee, and served the Church in several capacities. He served four terms (19301938) as state representative in the Ohio House and when he departed this life in 1954 at age 73, he was a Supervisor of Roadside Parks for the State Highway Department.

Anna left the homestead after fifty-three years and moved to Napoleon. Although losing two married daughters and her husband with cancer and a son from appendicitis, her Christian faith was a guiding light to the surviving forty-eight members of her close knit family, until she departed this life on Dec. 27, 1973, at the age of 89.

Christian Armbruster and wife

The Christ Armbruster family shall long be remembered, as the Armbruster State Park, with a bronze marker in place, a few miles South of Napoleon, on a hill overlooking the beautiful Maumee River, shall be a permanent memorial to this prominent family.