The beginning of this history was when Henry F. Aelker, at the age of 17, with a brother Barney and a sister Mary, came to the United States from Westfaulen, Germany. The sister Mary, settled in the state of Oregon, the brother Barney went to Michigan near Owasso, and Henry seitled near Glandorf, Ohio, in Putnam County. He married Anna Morman of Glandorf and they were blessed with 9 children — Mary, John, Joseph, Charles, Benjamin, William, Lawrence and Julius. A son died in infancy. Mary married William Thome, she survives; John died at the age of 20; Joseph married Gertrude Schmiedebusch and she survives; Charles married Frances Thomas and she survives; Benjamin died from a fire at the age of 2; William married Lucille Schroeder and she survives; Lawrence married Ethel Seimet and both are living near New Bavaria; Julius married Agnes Schmiedebusch and they live in Ottawa. Henry Aelker, the father, died in 1943 and Anna Aelker, at the age of 54, in 1918.

Nicholas Seimet came to America from Luxomburg, Germany, at the age of 18. Elizabeth Moreo came to America from Hohenstein, Germany, at the age of 4. They were married in 1860 near Delphos, then came to New Reigel and New Bavaria. Eight children were born to this union — John, Andrew, Mary Catherine, Helena, Lawrence, Joseph S., George Mathias, and William C. John married Mary Ellerbrock; Andrew married Mary Voght; Mary Catherine married-John Heinel; Lawrence married Christina Diemer; Helena married Joseph Martin; Joseph S. died at the age of 13; George Mathias died at a young age of 3; and William C. married Mary M. Zenz.

Frank Zenz came to New Bavaria from Germany and married Catherine Dooes of Mercer County, near St. Henry, Ohio. They had one child, a daughter, Mary Magdeline and she married William C. Seimet on June 5, 1906, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, New Bavaria, by Father Lawrence Heiland. William Seimet sold Rawleigh products and The Ohio Farmer for many years. He was president of The Catholic Knights of Ohio, Branch 37, New Bavaria for 10 years. The Seimets, William and Mary, had 4 children, Thelma A.; Ethel I-I.; Claudius L. and Eugene B. Thelma, born on May 9, 1907, attended Holgate High School, first year in 1922. Then on October 26, 1922, she with four other teenagers, was killed in a train-car accident. They were Virgil Brown, age 17, son of Christ and Lena Brown; Larry Schwab, 17, son of John and Me- lie Schwab; Frank Royal, 17, and his sister, Cecelia Royal, 14, children of Sebastian and Bridget Royal and Thelma Seimet, 15, daughter of William and Mary Seimet, their first child.

Ethel (Seimet), the second child born on December 14, 1908, in Putnam County and graduated from Holgate High School in 1927. She was active in 4-H for 6 years, chosen as demonstrator at the Fair; was Friendly Visitor Chairman for 15 years; held office in the Rosary Altar Society of Sacred Heart; President of the Catholic Ladies of Columbia for 9 years, also other officer in C. L. of C.; was a past president of the Community Senior Citizens in Holgate. She married Lawrence Aelker on June 24, 1933, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church by Rev. P. A. Peiffer. They have 2 children, Larry and Thelma Jean. Larry served with the National Guard for seven years and is presently a foreman at Sylvania Electric in Ottawa, where he worked the past 25 years, since his graduation from Holgate High School in 1953. Larry married Janet Lee Wortkoetter of Glandorf on May 21, 1960. Janet was employed at the City Loan in Ottawa. They have 6 children, Jeffrey Alan, Kevin Charles, Christine Marie, Steven Lawrence Gerard, Philip John and Debra Kay. The children attend Holgate School and are active in school activities and sports. Larry and Janet and their family live in a home built in 1955, next to Lawrence and Ethel on County Road Y in Pleasant Township, Henry County.

Thelma Jean was married to Robert Lee Williams of Lima on April 3, 1961. She graduated from Holgate High School in 1957 and from St. Rita's School of Nursing in 1960. She works in Surgery at St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima. They live in Lima in a home once owned by Bob's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Williams. Bob and Thelma have 4 children, Denise Marie, Cheryl Marie,.Tina Marie and Roberta Jean. Bob taught and coached in Lima Schools for 18 years and is now co-owner of a large market called Brothers 4 Country Store in Lima.

Claudius Seimet, third child, was born July 17, 1912. He was the first president of the F.F.A. of Holgate High and did milk testing; and was active in the 4-H Club. He graduated from International College in Fort Wayne with honors and took a position as a C.P.A. with the Magnavox Co. in Ft. Wayne for seventeen years. He then became comptroller, C.P.A., director and finally vice-president of the Over Head Door Corporation, with the main office in Dallas, Texas. He married Georgian Lamont of Ft. Wayne on May 21, 1938 and they have 3 daughters. On the 25th wedding anniversary of Claud and Georgian, their daughters, who all became teachers, graduated from different levels of school, Patty from college, Susan from high school and Mary from the eighth grade. Georgian was killed in a car accident and Claud then married Emma Knutt of Hartford City, Indiana. They moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1964 and Claud retired in 1977.

Eugene Seimet, the fourth child, was born on April 30, 1914, and graduated from Holgate High School in 1932. He won a 4-H membership in the Holstein-Friesian Association of America in the 4-H Club and was active in sports. He attended Burroughs School in Detroit, Michigan. He married Adelia Schumaker of Columbus Grove in 1938. They then moved to suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he worked for Burroughs Adding Machine and Calculator Company for nearly 40 years. They have three children, Carol, who lives in Erie, Pennsylvania; Sandra, a beautician and William, a mechanic who live near their parents. Eugene retired in 1975.

Henry and Anna Aelker are buried in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Leipsic. The grandparents, Nicholas and Elizabeth Seimet are buried in St. Nicholas Catholic Cemetery in Miller City. Frank and Catherine Zenz are buried in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, New Bavaria.

My grandfather, Frank Zenz, helped clear acres of land here in Pleasant Township, for the Thomes, lived in the house on County Road Y now occupied by Jerry Wenzinger. My father, William Seimet, also worked many years for the Thomes and also my husband, Lawrence Aelker, worked for the Thomes for 36 years. While farming at the Thomes we raised an unusual 3 legged Hereford calf. Pictures of the calf are shown. Statistics prove this occurs once in every 10,000. It was minus its right front leg. This was in 1957.

Submitted by: Ethel (Seimet) Aelker and Edna (Blue) Grant