John and Louise Rosebrock Arps

This is the family history of John and Louise Rosebrock Arps. The history of Louise Arps can be traced back to Christe Hagen (her married name). Christe was born in Melenburg, Germany, and died in Okolona, Ohio. Her husband died in North Tonawanda, New York. The only child to this union that is known is Christene Hagen. She married Henry Rosebrock.

Henry Rosebrock led a very exciting life and we are very proud of him. He fought at Gettysburg during the Civil War. His gun and his Purple Heart Badge and also a large picture with this caption below it, "July 1, 2, and 3, 1863 — Union (General Meade, Commander), loss 32,190 . . . Confederate (General Lee, Commander), loss 36,000," are among the family treasures. Henry Rosebrock shot a cannon during the Civil War.

To the marriage were born Louise (Arps), Anna (Bremer), Sarah (Baden), and Emma (Cordes). Louise, the wife of John Arps, was born in North Tonawanda, New York. John Arps and Louise Rosebrock were married on November 7, 1889, by K. Strause, a Lutheran minister. John Arps's father,

Henry Arps, Sr., came over from Germany in 1850. Henry Arps, Sr. died the same year. They came by boat, (sailing vessel), which required eight weeks from Bremen, Germany to New York, on the Hudson River, the Erie Canal, and on to Toledo, Ohio. They traveled on foot through the woods, and finally came upon a cousin's home, Harmon Arps, near Okolona, Napoleon Township. Harmon Arps had come to the United States two years previously. They bought forty acres of land at seventy-five cents an acre in Section 19, Napoleon Township. Henry Arps, Jr. married Melissa Gerken. She died at the age of thirty-two years during childbirth. He then married Mary Badenhop. She died in 1905. These were John Arps parents.

When John and Louise married, they bought a farm in Henry County. John had one-half acre of cleared land. The rest was woods. Here he built a one room house. This seemed to be what the majority of the people had in this area. There was just one room containing a stove and a cot. The farmers helped each other clear trees for farm ground. Then when more settlers came, they started building churches and one-room school houses.

John Arps was a carpenter by trade. He helped organize and build the Hope Lutheran Church which is presently standing and in use. Since there were no roads, the carpenters and their assistants would carry their tool boxes and stay overnight where they worked. They had hard living to make it more handy for us.

John and Louise's children were: Ferdinand, Amerilia (Maassel), Luella (Mahlman), Otto, Hilda (Wilford), Reimund, Arthur and Julia (Norden).

John Arps was a bank director of the Hamler State Bank and also the Napoleon Bank. He was also on the school board and on the elevator board.

Christe Hagen (married name) was born in 1816 in Melenburg, Germany, and died in 1913 at Okolona, Ohio. Her husband died in North Tonawanda, New York. They had one child, Christene who married Henry Rosebrock. They had four children.

Anna Rosebrock Bremer had Carl, Albert, and Adala Bremer Michales. Sarah Rosebrock Baden had Luella Baden Travis, Luetta, and Reimond. Emma Rosebrock Cordes had Edwin, Alma Cordes Johnson, Christene, and

Paulina. Louise Rosebrock Arps had Ferdinand, Amelia Arps Maassel, Luella Arps Mahlman, Otto, Hilda Arps Wilford, Reimond, Arthur and Julia Arps Norden. Ferdinand Arps' children were Eldor Arps and Irene Arps Huner. Amelia Arps Maassel had Edna Maassel Panning, Elda Maassel Dehnbostle, Raymond, Helen Maassel Imbrock, and Lewis Maassel. Luella Arps Mahlman children were Lorna Mahlman Arps, Elnora Mahlman Seedorf, and Lula Mahlman Storch. Otto Arps' children were Christene Arps Rohrs, Harriet Arps Rosebrock, and Judy Arps Sonnenberg. Hilda Arps Wilford children were Herbert Wilford, Marvin Wilford and Elson Wilford. Arthur Arps family was Ruth Arps Bahler, Betty Arps Helberg, Irlene Arps Hurst, Mary Ann Arps Dickman, and Ronald Arps. Julia Arps Norden children were John Norden, Jr., Leroy Norden who drowned in 1965, and Norbert Norden.

Submitted by: Arps family