Arthur H. Badenhop

Arthur H. Badenhop, a great grandson of Dietrich and Nora (Runge) Badenhop, makes his home north of Malinta in Section 3, Monroe Twp. Dietrich and Nora Badenhop were both born and reared in Hanover, Germany. They were members of Lutheran families. They were engaged in farming and had a family of four children.

Arthur H. Badenhop

In 1848 the family embarked on a sailing ship at Bremen, Germany, and came to New York City. The trip across the Atlantic took nearly twelve weeks and the weary parents were glad to set foot on land again. They continued their journey to Toledo by the primitive transportation of the times, on river, canal, and Lake Erie.

From Toledo the family came over land to Henry County and on Nov. 11, 1848, settlement was made on a twenty acre tract in Napoleon Twp. The land consisted entirely of forest and a clearing had to be made for a log cabin. Here the Badenhops lived only foreighteen days when the mother died leaving Maria, Fred, Henry, and Mary in their father's care.

In due time the widower met and married Mrs. Mary Weigard, also a native of Hanover, Germany. She was a widow and brought with her a daughter, Anna.

Mr. Badenhop cleared and drained his land so it was all under cultivation and eventually exchanged it for a forty acre tract in Section 7 of Napoleon Twp. He acquired more land and finally became the owner of 160 acres of good land and on this homestead he reared his children. He lived to the age of 94.

Fred Badenhop, the elder son of Dietrich, was nine years of age when his parents came to America. He attended school until the age of fourteen, at which time he became a mule driver on the tow path of the Miami & Erie Canal. He stayed on that job for three years. He then located in Lafayette, Indiana. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in the 16th Indiana Independent Battery of Light Artillery.

With his command he proceeded to the front, and he participated in the second Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Fredericksburg, besides various skirmishes and other minor engagements. He served one month less than three years with the Boys in Blue. In the winter of 1863-1864 while with his battery at Fort Washington, he was seriously wounded when a cannon fell on him as it was being removed from its carriage. He recovered after three months in the hospital, and served to the end of the war and was honorably discharged.

He was married to Mary Holzer and to this union were born Fred H., William, and John. Shortly thereafter Mrs. Badenhop died at the age of 28 years.

After the death of his wife he married again in 1877. His second wife was Miss Ottina Schwiebert, who also had migrated from Hanover at an early age. Four daughters and one son were born to this marriage, namely Anna, Dora, Mary, Matilda, and Carl.

William Badenhop who was born in Napoleon Twp. in 1866 took up a tract of land in Monroe Twp., Section 34. He was united in marriage to Henriette Haase, daughter of George and Julia Haase. He was engaged in farming nearly all of his life but in later years was also a hardware merchant in the village of Hamler. He also served as a county commissioner. He served many years on the church council of Hope Lutheran Church where he was a member all of his adult life.

There were born to the Wm. Badenhop family ten children, all of whom grew to adulthood and married, they were as follows:

Amelia married to Theodore Sonnenberg having 4 sons and 4 daughters; Henriette married to Herman Sonnenberg having 3 sons and 2 daughters; Fred married to Millie Henrichs having 2 sons and 2 daughters; Julia married to Arthur Helberg having 3 sons and 1 daughter; Mary married to Harmon Bruns having 3 sons and 2 daughters; George married to Caroline Dachenhaus having 1 son and 4 daughters; Emma married to Henry Dachenhaus having 2 sons and 3 daughters; Helen married to Jack Cortright having 1 son and 1 daughter; William married to Martha Winseman having 1 daughter; Arthur married to Lorena Orthwein having 2 sons.

Mr. and Mrs. Badenhop both rest in the Hope Lutheran Cemetery by the church which they always attended. He reached the age of 77 years and she lived to be 90.

Arthur Badenhop after finishing high school at the time of the great depression worked at various jobs and was always employed through his entire adult life. Among his various jobs was a 20 year span with the Okolona Grain Co. He retired in 1972 and being in good health enjoys traveling, hunting, and fishing.

He reared 2 sons; Arthur married Suzanne Bratton, and they have 1 daughter, Kimberly Ann; John married Helen Dickman and they have 2 daughters, Janice Lynn and Dawn Michelle. Arthur lives in Athens, Georgia, where he is on the faculty at the University of Georgia in food science. John is a communications technician with the U.S. Navy stationed at Northwest Virginia.

Submitted by Arthur H. Badenhop