George F. Curdes Family

Top row: Reinhard, Sarah, Louis, Mamie, Elias, Emilie; middle row: George and Henry; bottom row: Karl, George F. Curdes, Ruth, Mrs. George F. Curdes, Paul.

My father, George F. Curdes was born in Wettesinger, Germany, May 11, 1856. His father was an innkeeper there. His sister Emilie with her husband Reinhard Brown had founded a bakery in Baltimore, Maryland. Business was good and they sent for my father to come to help them in their bakery. In 1870 at the age of fourteen he, (George F. Curdes), came alone to America and learned the trade working at Brown's Bakery. He came with them to Defiance, Ohio, in 1873 when the bakery, now famous for "Bunny Bread," was established.

In 1880 the George F. Curdes Bakery in Napoleon, Ohio, had its beginning. Mary Stetter, my father's first wife, died the first year of their marriage. That year George saw the jail and courthouse completed.

Mrs. George F. Curdes, nee Lydia Roser (my mother), was born at Hemishofen, Canton Schafhausen, Switzerland, September 13, 1858. Her family came to the United States on the ship Franklin in 1873. They left Switzerland on June 10 and landed at New York, June 27. They settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where her father, Reverend John Jacob Roser, pastored the Vine Street German Methodist Church. Later they moved to Defiance, Ohio. As a circuit rider he pastored the West Unity and Defiance, Ohio German Methodist churches.

My father fell in love with the minister's daughter and they were married on July 6, 1882, by her father, who is buried at West Unity in the Floral Grove Cemetery.

George and Lydia Curdes reared eleven children — seven sons and four daughters. All helped in the business located at 126 East Washington Street in Napoleon, Ohio, across the street from the Henry County Jail.

I remember dad telling of the fire that burned the hotel just east of the jail. He said sparks caught or set the bakery awning on fire.

In connection with the bakery was an ice cream parlor and lunch room. Dad made the best ice cream with pure cream from the John Huddle farm. I rode in the buggy with my brother Louis to get the cream. Bill Yeager was a steady customer and bought many a quart at 25 cents.

Of the Curdes' children, Sarah was the eldest. Mother fell on a board walk and Sarah was born prematurely March 4, 1883. Although she weighed only 3 1/2 pounds, she lived almost 82 years dying on January 25, 1965.

Marie (Mamie) was born May 14, 1884, and died November 3, 1972. Both Sarah and Mamie attended Defiance College and taught in country schools in Freedom Township; Mamie also taught at Grelton School. Both clerked at Curdes' Bakery.

Left to right: Louis, Elias, Reinhard, George, Henry, Karl, Paul.

Louis, the eldest son, was born December 28, 1885. In 1900 Louis worked at Brown's Bakery, Defiance, Ohio, and later at Curdes' Bakery, Napoleon, Ohio. He married Nellie Ware of Coyville, Kansas. She died February 21, 1960. Louis died June 28, 1966.

Elias G. Curdes was born December 25, 1887. On June 15, 1905, Elias started as a rural mail carrier. In 1907 he became a railway mail clerk on the Wabash Railroad between Toledo and Saint Louis, Missouri. He knew every town along the line. Louis then took over the rural route and was a carrier until 1923. Both Elias and Louis used horse and buggy to deliver mail to the rural patrons. In cold weather their feet were kept warm with a charcoal heated foot-warmer. Louis stopped at the Mauk farm to eat his packed lunch.

Elias has enjoyed excellent health. He retired from the railway mail service and then worked at the Toledo Post Office. At the age of 87 years he is still working as bailiff at the Lucas County Court House, Toledo, Ohio. A stuffed elephant at the Courthouse was named "Eli" for Elias. They appreciate his services and presence very much. Elias married Lulu Bell of McClure, Ohio. At first they lived at 715 Monroe Street, Napoleon, Ohio. Born to them were two daughters, Lorena and Betty, (Mrs. Wayne Cahoon, Rocky River, Ohio, deceased) and a son E. George, Jr. All reside in Toledo, Ohio.

Emilie Curdes was born October 25, 1889, and died May 15, 1966. She was a faithful housekeeper and helper in the bakery.

Reinhard H. Curdes was born October 3, 1891. He was Henry County Surveyor in the twenties. He attended Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio. Reinhard was a good Republican and served his patty well. The present Post Office Building was built while he was postmaster. He was Postmaster for two years. He died at the age of 52 on October 1, 1944.

George D. was born June 4, 1893. He attended Northwestern College at Naperville, Illinois, where he became the popular baseball pitcher called "Nap." While in college he was drafted and served in a bakery company in World War I. He was in New York ready to sail when the Armistice was signed.

Ruth L. Curdes (Mrs. Maurice A. Hegle) and Paul F. Curdes.

George married Dessie Yackels of Defiance, Ohio, and was blessed with two children, Virginia (Mrs. Richard Harrington, Oak Park, Mich.) and James Paul who resides at Redondo Beach, California. Dessie died June 13, 1965, and George passed away six months later on Dec. 30, 1965. George was the head baker of Curdes Bakery after our father died February 16, 1922, and mother assumed ownership.

J. Henry Curdes was born February 19, 1895. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. Henry was with the first group from Henry County to serve in World War I. He held the honor of molding the best loaf of bread in his bakery company. He was in France 18 months. He married Irene Parvin of Waupon, Wisconsin. They had two daughters, Catherine (Mrs. Richard Brake, Hixon, Tennessee) and Carol (Mrs. Larry Wellman, Ft. Wayne, Indiana).

Henry was a realtor and later Recorder for the Shriners in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. There he died July 30, 1971. His wife passed away February 20,1975.

Karl was born April 24, 1897. He was a faithful baker. He set the doughs at midnight so customers had fresh bread and rolls every morning. He died December 18, 1971.

Paul F. Curdes was born October 30, 1899. He married Freda Richardson of Kenton, Ohio. Paul delivered baked goods house to house via horse and bakery-wagon and later via truck. He made the famous Curdes Bakery Donuts. Paul, too, had a rural route. He carried mail for 48 years.

Ruth was the last born at the old Curdes homestead on Feb. 16, 1902. She married Maurice A. Hegle of Lost Springs, Kansas. They met at North Western (North Central) College at Naperville, Ind. Ruth taught at Holgate High School. A son Edward, Salem, Oregon, and a daughter, Miriam (Mrs. Harold E. Rose) Holly, Michigan, are their children. Ruth and Maurice have a farm near Archbold, Ohio.

All eleven children of the Curdes family were born at the old homestead. The bakery was a family business. The men folk did all the baking and they produced some of the best baked goods found in this part of the country.

The Curdes Family. Left to right: Louis, Elias, Reinhard, George, Henry, Karl, Paul.

Mother Curdes managed the business until her death on October 3, 1944. Thereafter the children continued the business until sickness and old age prevented them from carrying on. The business became a thing of the past in 1964 and the landmark was torn down in 1969. Replacing Curdes' Bakery is the Henry County Bank and the Sunoco Service Station.
Many an adult remembers the penny candy counter. Especially goodcustomers were children from St. Augustine's School. Central School pupils rushed in at noon to get those delicious frosted straits, three for 10c. It was fun clerking and I still seem to miss those fine customers.
The Curdes Family were members of the Evangelical Church located where the Home Savings Bldg. now stands. Mr. and Mrs. George F. Curdes were charter members and had an important part in building the church. They first met in a frame building located at the site of the present Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
The entire family attended church faithfully. I am thankful for a Christian heritage. My father was such a kind man and we couldn't have had a better mother.

Submitted by: Mrs. Ruth Hegle