Cordes Family

On the afternoon of May 6, 1812, at 4 p.m. Anna Margaretta (Stopping) Cordes, wife of Farmer Johann Cordes gave birth to a son, whom they named Johann Heinrich Christopher Cordes.

This event took place in Ahausen, near the town of Rotenburg, in what was at that time the Koehnichsriech of Hanover, Germany. At that time Germany was really a loose confederationof states, or smaller kingdoms and principalities; some ruled by kings and others by princes. There was much political unrest and civil war. America seemed to offer a better way of life and many people immigrated to America during the 1840's and 1850's. Johann Cordes, unmarried, arrived in North America in August of 1847 and settled in New Hanover, (Henry County) Ohio, at the age of 35. On December 9, 1852, he married Katherina Maria Precht, who had arrived in this country in August of that same year (1852) being 25 years old. She was born February 10, 1827, to Heinrich Dietrich Precht (occupation unknown) and Maria Margareta (Hibbe) Precht, in Ebbingen, near the town of Walsrode, in the Koehnichsreich of Hanover, Germany.

Not too many details are known of their early life in the country, except that it was a hard life to get the Black Swamp cleared and drained for farming. Money was almost nonexistent. It was said that they would pile up a huge pile of logs, burn them, and make black salt from the ashes, which could be sold for cash.

To drain the land, a spade was used to dig a trench one spade deep, then lay clapboards (which were a little wider than the spade width) at an angle in the bottom of this trench, creating a hollow space at one side of the trench under the clapboard. It has been mentioned that Johann Cordes had the stamina to do 40 rods of this backbreaking work in a single day. (I bet he slept good that night!)

Johann Heinrich Christopher Cordes —1812-1880

Katherine Maria (Precht) Cordes — 1827-1914

Johann Cordes bought his first piece of land from the State of Ohio, which is a part of what was called the Wabash & Erie Canal lands. He bought this on December 12, 1848, about 16 months after arriving in Henry County. He bought 80 acres for which he paid $80.40. It was on this property that the building site was selected and at present is occupied by Ronald O. Cordes, great-grandson of Johann.

In 1852 (the year he was married) he obtained a homestead deed to 40 acres from the Federal Government. This deed is signed by President Millard Fillmore. No price is mentioned, so it is presumed that no money was involved.

On December 30, 1861, he bought 40 acres from William and Engel (his wife) Drewes for $300. Mr. Drewes had bought this land years previous from the State of Ohio (Wabash & Erie Canal land) for the sum of $40.20.

On May 15, 1865, he bought 40 acres from John A. F. and Fredericke (his wife) Knape for $700. At this point he owned 200 acres of land in Napoleon Twp. which had cost him $1,080.40 in cash. All of this was woods and through the years it was cleared for farming. The work and sweat involved to bring this land under cultivation and to build a home is very hard to imagine. The one 40-acre tract was not touched until around 1930, when it was started to be cleared for farming. At present all the land is under cultivation except about 18 acres of woods.

Johann Cordes became a citizen of the United States of America on May 10, 1854. He died June 19, 1880. His wife, Maria died March 19, 1914.
Johann and wife Maria (Precht) Cordes had eight children, three sons and five daughters: Friederich born 26 January, 1854 died 1932; Sophie born 21 September, 1855 died 1864; Heinrich born 12 February, 1858 died 1864; Doris born 26 November, 1860 died 1939; Maria born 22 February, 1863 died 1863; Mina born 24 December, 1864 died 1950; Johann born 03 June, 1867 died 1928; Anna born 15 June, 1870 died 1872.

The Friederich Cordes Family around 1910. Back row: Helen, Mary, Carl, Minnie, Fred, Doris; center row: Henry, John, Sophia; front row: Friederich, Arthur, William, Sophia.

It has been said the reason three children died within one year was due to an outbreak of diphtheria.

Friederich Cordes married Dora Wittenberg. They had one daughter, Dora. After the death of his first wife, he married Sophia Boesling. They had ten children, 6 sons and 4 daughters:

Dora married Henry Warncke. They had 7 sons and one daughter: George married Emma Dishop; Fred married Minnie Gerken; Henry married Florise Heilman; Ferd married Alma Weirauch; Amelia married Bernard Fenter; Alvin married Emma Michalis; Raymond married Charlotte Heilman; Zigfried married Olive Ashenfelter.

Carl married Dena Huner. They had 2 sons and 2 daughters: Dorothy married Harry Teeple; Orville married Regina Miller; Elmer married Irene Kessler; Luetta married Harvey Schultz.

Minnie married Carl Rabe. They had 5 daughters: Emma married Alvin Meyer; Ida married Lawrency Clady; Alta married Edwin Meyer; Luella married Victor Rettig; Alma married Gilbert Wilhelm.

Helen never married.

Fred married Amelia Hurst. They had 4 sons and 3 daughters: Laura married Eldor Meyer; Minnie married Henry Meineke; Mathilda married George Hoffman; Alfred (deceased) never married; Edwin married Anita Behnfeldt; Harold married Irene Botjer; Eldor married Fern Moll.

Mary married Alvin Gerken. They had 3 sons and one daughter: Eldor married Winifred Racker. After her death he married Lois Stickles; Delbert married Velma Baden; Lawrence married Ruby Tilse; Lavina married Louis Junge.

Carl Norden Family around 1905. Back row: Henry, Carl, Jr., Alma (twin to Henry); front row: Carl, Sr., Ferdinand, Doris.

John married Marie Plassman. They had 3 sons and 2 daughters: Edmond married June Journeycake; Wilfred married Marion Gilland; Maryneta married Lawrence Baden; Harvey married Ruth Mohring; Margie married Paul Lange.

Sophia married Arthur Brandt. They had 2 daughters: Nettie married Harlo Johnson; Luetta married Richard Herrow.

Henry married Gladys Amons. They had 2 daughters: Rozella married Fred Bischoff. The marriage was dissolved and she married Darrel Wynn; Violet married J. Bischoff.

Arthur married Emma Daman. They had one son and 2 daughters: Weldon married Hildegard Aschemeier; Lois married Harold Rosebrock; Joan married Elmer Badenhop.

William Cordes never married.

Doris married Karl Norden. They had 5 children, 4 sons and one daughter:

John married Helen Wachtman. They had 6 sons and 3 daughters: Alma never married; John married Violet Kosrow; Martha died in infancy; Eldor married Rufina Heiberg; Edgar married Anna Koehnke; Raymond married Luella Meyer; William married Wilma Plassman; Leona married Eldor Helmke; Carl married Bernice Wendt.

Carl married Emma Hauschild. They had one daughter, Regina. Both mother and daughter died at childbirth. Carl then married Anna Gruenhagen. They had two sons: Melvin married Laura Schroeder; Rudolph married Amelia Biederstedt.

In 1891 the stork gave Karl and Doris quite a suprise — he delivered 2 instead of one: A boy and a girl —Henry and Alma.

August Borstelman Family around 1910. Back row: Minnie, Mary, Henry; front row: August, Martha, Mina.

Alma married Ernest Aschemeier. They had 2 sons and one daughter: Lorena married Lawrence Herge; Eldor married Rosana Meyer; Raymond married Delora Bischoff.

Henry married Helen Imbrock. They had one son and 3 daughters: Velma married Edwin Freytag; Delora married Edmund Helmke; Doris married Alfred Knape; Victor married Irene Stockman.

Ferdinand married Mathilda Baden-hop. They had 3 sons and 4 daughters: Florence married Earl Behnfeldt; Mary Ann married Nelson (Dave) Riff; Margaret married Melvin Lanzer; Leonard married Joan Mundy; Gladys married James Dachenhaus; Norman married Wanda Wiemken; Daniel married Jan Rohrs.

Mina married August Borstelman. They had one son and 3 daughters:

Mary married William Aschemeier. They adopted one daughter: Ola married Edwin Moehring.

Anna married Henry Rauch. They had one son and 4 daughters: Regina married Alvin Panning; Edmund married Dorothy Winkelman; Martha married Harold Willeman; Florence married Bob Swick; Margaret married Robert Coopenhofer.

Henry married Laura Stockman. They had 3 sons and 2 daughters: Esther married Eldor Von Deylon; Elmer (twin to Esther) died at age 4; Ruth married Arnold Hogrefe; Raymond married Margaret Haase; Victor married Elizabeth Koester.

Martha married Ernest Homan. They had 2 daughters: Lois married Rubert Knape; Marilyn married Harold Knepley.

Johann (John) married Minie Frey-tag. They had one son and 6 daughters:

John Cordes Family around 1912. Back row: Emma, Otto, Anna; center row: John, Clara, Helen, Minnie; front row: Mathilda, Laura.

Emma married Fred Meyer. They had one daughter: Amelia married Fred Norden. They have 2 sons and one daughter: Marvin married Louise Miller. Their children are Roger and Nancy; Dale married Lucille Baer. They have one son, Bryan; Emma married Don Krieger. Their children are Kevin, Kathy, Keith and Kenneth.

Otto married Ida Vorwerk. They had 3 sons and one daughter: Raymond married Paula Imbrock. Their children are William, Rebecca, and Daniel. Robert (deceased) married Lucia Gerken. They have one son and one daughter. Nancy married Brad Hoover; Richard, deceased; Phyllis married Vernon Hesterman. Their children are Vickie, Linda, Sue, Robert, and Thomas. Ronald married Judith Hockman. Their children are Richard and David.

Anna married Henry Rohrs. They had 2 sons and 2 daughters: Lawrence married Laura Tietje. Their children are Jane, Robert and Carol. Jane married David Heiberg. Raymond married Irma Meyer. Their children are Karen and David. Selma married Rudophy Haake. Their children are Roger and Michael. Mildred married Donald Sigg. Their children are Daniel, Mark and Janet.

Helen married Henry Imbrock. They had 2 sons and one daughter: Lucille married Fred Dishop. Their children are Kenneth and Kathy. Kenneth married Mary Lou Hensel. Their children are Shawn and twins Megan and Melissa. Kathy married Philip Davis. Eldon (deceased) married Hildegard Hurst. Their children are Richard and Dennis. Norman married Bernice Purdon. Their children are Matthew, Timothy, Naomi, and Joanna.

Clara married Frank Oberhaus. They had 3 sons: Wilbur, deceased; Marvin married Lois Schock. Their children are Thomas, David, and Sally. Richard lived 2 days. Clara (mother) died of childbirth complications.

The Cordes homestead around 1890. Left to right: Maria Cordes, John Norden, Carl Norden, Jr., Carl Norden, Sr., Doris Norden, John Cordes.

Mathilda married Arnold Cordes. They had 2 daughters: Norma married Raymond Behnfeldt. Their children are Dennis and Karen. Dennis married Kathy Hogrefe. Their children are Mark and Krista. Karen married John Hines. They have one daughter, Shauna. Margaret married Bill George. Their children are Jeanne and Mark. Jeanne married James O'Donnell.

Laura married Paul Meyer. They had one son, Orville. The marriage was dissolved and Laura married Carl Daman. They had one son, Gary. Carl adopted Orville, changing his name to Daman. Orville married Donna Meyer. Their children are Mary, Julie and Brad. Gary married Sheryl Barton. After the death of Carl Daman, Laura married Harold Schmidt.

Upon the death of Johann Cordes in 1880, Maria Cordes became the owner of the homestead farm. John Cordes bought the farm from his mother, Maria, on March 9, 1905. After the death of John Cordes in 1928, his wife, Minie, became the owner. Otto Cordes bought the farm from his mother, Minie, in 1930. After the death of Otto, his wife, Ida, became the owner. The homestead farm at present is owned by the great grandson of Johann Cordes, Ronald Otto Cordes, who bought the farm by land contract from his mother, Ida, on July 7, 1964.

Johann and Maria Cordes had been brought up in the Lutheran Church in Germany. They brought their Baptismal certificates with them, which are written in German script and were copied from church records in Germany. They joined the Lutheran Church in Henry County and we think it is safe to say that all names mentioned in the account have been members of the Lutheran Church and have supported its work.

The frame house at the home site was moved to the Carl Eggers farm, north of Route 6, and was replaced with a two-story, 12-room, 2-bath brick house in 1906. Richard Mehring was the contractor who built the house. This was one of the first rural houses to have indoor plumbing. Some people referred to it as the house with a built-in outhouse. Water was supplied for the indoor plumbing for a water tank in the attic, pumped up there by the windmill. On the second floor was another water tank, which was filled with rain water from the eavesspout. From that point on, gravity is all that was needed to flush the stools, fill the bathtub and furnish water for other household chores. This house had a hot water heating system, fired by a coal or wood furnace. They had gas lights for lighting until around 1922, when electricity became available and was installed.

The present home which was built in 1906. Picture date around 1908.

The barn was destroyed by fire. The fire was caused by a steam engine being moved across the barnyard on the way to the woods to buzz wood. It was replaced in 1902 and an addition was built onto the barn in 1936.

We estimate that 95% of the living relatives of Johann and Maria Cordes live in Henry, Defiance or Fulton County.

It is only within the last 20 years or so that a few have sought other occupations besides farming. Until that time they were almost all farmers.

Submitted by Raymond C Cordes, Rebecca Corder