The Henry Friend Family

Henry Friend, Sr., (1821-1905) and his wife, Justine Krider (1816-1888) left Breitenback Krier Wetgler Regrursbich Coblens Prussia, Germany, with their year old son, William, came to America, and settled in Galion, Crawford County, Ohio, where they lived one and a half years. Their second son, Henry, Jr., was born there. In the spring of 1851 the family moved to Henry County where they resided in the middle of Section 23, Flatrock Township, north of Holgate. There three more sons, Adam and George, twins, and Jake and two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine were born. After the death of his wife in 1888, Henry, Sr., moved to Rice where he lived with his son, William, until his death.

William (1848-1928) was married to Maria Rettig in 1868. He moved to a farm near Rice. Eighteen children were born of this marriage. Sarah Jane (Jennie) (1868-1941) married Melvin Spencer in 1890 and they lived on a farm near Rice. Ten children were born to them. She was born near Holgate.

Christina, born near Holgate, was married to Wm. Gitts and they had one daughter. Christina died soon after Edith Victoria's birth and Edith was adopted by her grandparents.

Katherine (Katie) (1873-1926) was born near Holgate and married William Henry Hill in 1892. They lived most of their married life in Oakwood.

Barbara Matilda (Tillie) was born near Holgate. She was married to Charles Mavis. Seven children were born to them.

Rosamunda Eustina (Rosa) (18761935) was also born near Holgate. She was married to Elmer Hall in 1902 and lived on a farm near Defiance. They had one daughter, Ruth.

Adam (twin) (1878-1946) was born in Flatrock Township. He married Lillian Hill. They had two sons — Forest and Cleo. They lived in Oakwood, Ohio. Twin of Adam died at birth.

John (1881-1941) born near Holgate was married to Susan Harvell in 1903.

Two daughters were born to this marriage. Golda Mansfield and Zola Mansfield. Susan died in Pasadena, California, in 1912. John was remarried to Ada Stevick in 1912 and a son Glen and daughter Datha Mansfield were born to them. They owned and operated a farm.

Martha died at about the age of 6. Carolina Henrietta, twin (1885-1971) was born near Holgate and married Samuel Maddock in 1910 and owned and operated a farm near Ayersville. At one time they had a peach orchard. They were the parents of a son, William and a daughter, Ilene Batt.

Anna, twin of Carolina, was born near Holgate (1885-1963). She was married to G. Charles Halbgewaks in 1905. He was a farmer and is still living at the age of 96 near Rice. They had two daughters, Buelah Donaldson and Mildred Waggoner.

Andrew was born in 1890 near Rice. He owned and operated a farm and was married to Hattie Trietch in 1912. They had two sons and two daughters, triplets, one of whom died at birth, and twins who died at birth.

Henry Jr., (1852-1922) was born in Galion, Ohio. He married Mary Ordway in 1882. He was a carpenter. To this union were born four children. Bertha May (1883-1944) born in Holgate. She lived and worked in New York City where she died. Nora was born in 1886 near Holgate. She married Charles Reinhart in 1910 in Petersburg, Michigan, and lived in Palmira, Michigan. They had three children: Beatrice, Henry, and Alice.

Alfred (1891-1961) was born in Holgate. He married Lillian Chappulus in 1922. They lived in Toledo and had four children: John; Kenneth; Donna; and Norma Jean (Peggy).

Edith Cleo (1898-1902) was born in Alanson, Michigan, and died at the age of four.

Jake — little was known of him except that he was killed in the Civil War by a sniper and was buried in the National Cemetery at Washington, D.C.

Friend family. Left to right: Minnie Friend Fawley, Clarence Fawley, Florence Friend Jeffers, Sadie Fischer, sister of Clarence Fawley, Ethel Friend. Taken on the occasion of the Fawleys fortieth wedding anniversary.

When Adam and his twin brother, George, grew to manhood, they changed the family name from the German spelling Freund to the English Friend.

Adam (1861-1903) born in Flatrock Township, was a logger by trade. He married Amanda Ellen Farison (1865-1946) of Flatrock Township in 1886 and moved to Kansas; shortly after their first child, Minnie was born. After living there about a year, they moved back to Ohio and lived in Flatrock Township for about three years. From there they moved to Monroe Township for two years and then to Richfield Township for six years and from there went to Shepherd, Michigan. They lived there about a year and then moved back to Flatrock Township. Eight children were born to them. Minnie May, (1887-1969) was born in Mullenville, Kansas, Kiowa County. She was a practical nurse and was married to Clarence Fawley in 1927 and they lived on a farm near McClure. Harry Wilbur (1889-1940) was born in Flatrock Township, farmed there for a while, then did factory work until he was killed in an automobile accident near Ashland, Ohio, in 1940. Lillian Beryl (1890-1950) was born in Flatrock Township. She taught school thirty years in Henry County. Florence Nettie was born in 1893 in Monroe Township. She went to Los Angeles, California, and was married in 1937 to Dallas Clair Jeffers of Los Angeles. She lived there until the death of her husband in 1959 when she came back to Flatrock Township where she now resides. Ethel Marie was born in Richfield Township in 1895. She now owns and resides on the home farm in Flatrock Township. A daughter was born to Amanda and Adam on February 20, 1898, and died the same day. Gale Carl (1901-1920) was born in Richfield Township and was working in Toledo at the time of his death. Doris Lenore (1903-1904) was born in Flatrock Township and was about nine months old when she died.

George, twin brother of Adam, (1861-1918) was born in Flatrock Township. He married Amanda Stauber and moved to Lenoke, Arkansas, after the birth of their first son. He operated a farm and had a dairy herd. They had five children. Clarence Milford born in 1887 in Ohio. He married Edith Lillard in 1911. He moved to Idaho where he was a mail carrier and after his retirement moved to Washington. They were the parents of five children.

Orla Friend (1890-1959) was born in Arkansas but moved back to Ohio where he married Emma Trietch in 1916 and lived and operated a farmnear Rice. They had two sons and a daughter who died at the age of two.

Cuma, who was born in 1903 in Lenoke, Arkansas. She married Francis Shafer, a rice farmer. They moved to Carlisle, Arkansas, then later to Hot Springs where they are now residing. They have one daughter, Marie.

Victor who was born in 1905 in Arkansas moved to Ohio and married Effie Ernsberger in 1930. They are now living on their farm near Rice. They have five children.

Cora Etta was born in 1893 in Arkansas where she lived most of her life but later moved to Florida. She was married to Clarence Evans and they had one son.

Elizabeth (Liz) (1866-1913) daughter of Henry Friend, Sr. was married to Andrew Moerder and they lived in Westhope, Ohio. They were the parents of seven children. Wilhelmina (Minnie) was born in 1866 in Holgate and married George Stauber in 1886. They moved to Arkansas and had seven children.

Clara Moerder Rothbart. Emma (1873-1936) married Anthoney Bellfy who preceded her in death. She then married Carl Hietman. They resided in Toledo and were the parents of two sons and two daughters. Rebecca (1871-1946) married John Eberle, a farmer, in 1890. They lived near Holgate. They had four children: Lulu Rhody; Clem, deceased; Ether Rettig, deceased; and Minnie Huber.

Fred (1875-1932); Rose (born in 1877) married James Randolph of McClure. After his death she married Ben Rettig who died in 1956; then she married Fred Dietrich and lived for a time in California.

Ida, (1879-1961) married Franklin Sausser. Six children were born to them: Byron; Marie; Wayne; Wilma Fay; and Frances Wilmetta, living now in Napoleon; and Truman.

Catherine (Katie) (1857-1892) was married to Phillip Fahrer. There were six children: Laura Etta (1877-1857) married Mr. Feak and they resided in Toledo and had three children: Daisy born in 1879, married Mr. Fillinger and lived in Michigan. They had three children; Goldie (1885-1936) married Charles Harrison and lived in Napoleon. Their children are Thelma Kurber, Napoleon; Margaret, deceased; Karl, deceased; Robert, Rhode Island; Melba Arps, librarian Napoleon; Richard, Napoleon and Betty, Napoleon; Emma (1881-1906) married Mr. Luthill and they had twins, Dean and Donna.

Submitted by Ethel Friend