The Fred Hefflinger Family

Fred Hefflinger was born on November 11, 1870, to John and Columbia. (Riggs) Hefflinger. He was one of 13 children. They were: Mary, John, Fred, Joe, William, Charles, Robert, Nell, Minerva, Sara, Kathryn, Jenny, and Mandy.

His parents were farmers and lived four miles southeast of Napoleon on what is today old Route Six, across from Franz Fruit Market. He attended the E.U.B. church, which was located on Sand Ridge Road, one mile north of their residence and he also attended Lemert School, which was a one room school nearby.

He had many farm chores as a boy. His brother John died at the age of 18, due to an accident.

Fred courted his wife to be, Lou Zook, in a horse and buggy. She was also a farm girl and lived only about two miles north of the Hefflinger family. They were married July 15, 1891, and lived in a log cabin. It had one large room downstairs and one up, At night they would have to get up and shake the snow off the covers. Due to the cold house, they moved in with Fred's parents for a short time. Then in 1$94 they rented a farm near Hamler and lived there for eight years, finally moving back to Harrison Township in 1902, at Christmas time.

The couple had 16 children. They were: Guy, born January 18, 1892 and died in 1962, (He married Grace Robinson. They had four children: Phyllis, Margery, Laverne, and Lowell.); Donna, born Sept. 16, 1893, and died March 2, 1952, (She married Guy Reed. No children.); Ola, born Feb. 1, 1895, and lives in Liberty Center today, (She married Dale Ward and they had four children; Verena, Merritt, Arlene, Doyle.); Walter, born August 16, 1897, and died Jan. 13, 1956, (Their children were: Russell, Virgil Lloyd, Vivalyn, and Ronald.); Charles, born Sept. 11, 1899, and died in 1938, (He married Grace Kimberly and had three children; Charlotte, Madeline, and Charles Jr.); Dora, born 1901 and died in 1965, (She married Paul Brink and their children were Marvelle and Byron.); Orley, born Jan. 9, 1902, lives five miles east of Napoleon now, (He married Gladys Hill and they had six children: Elizabeth, James, Joann, Bernard, Neal, and Darrell.); Gladys, born July 6, 1904, died August 1929, (She married Henry Crampton and had one child Richard.); Bernadine, born July 23, 1907, is now living in Elmira, (She married Alfred Zimmerman and they had five children: Lucille, Lois, Richard, John, and Elaine.); Marie, born March 18, 1909, lives in Grelton, and married Arthur Anderson and had three children; Norma, Marlene, and Michael; Archold, born March 8, 1911, married Dottie Mohler and had no children; Donald, born April 10, 1913, lives near Napoleon, married Virginia Tobias and had three children: Kathleen, Laura, and Peggy; Eugene, born February 28, 1916, lives at Hamler, married Augusta Wiechers, (They had four children: Janet, Joyce, Joan, and Jerry.); Fred Jr., born March, 1918, died two months later; Genevieve, born May 13, 1919, lives near Defiance, (She married Raymond Zellers and they have an adopted son.).

The farm that Fred and his wife purchased was five miles east of Napoleon, located on what is now State Route 109. The Hefflingers have lived on this farm since that time. They were always farmers. They churned butter, baked bread, milked cows, split wood, dynamited stumps, and lived a busy life. They had some fun too, with taffy pulls and sports. A stranger with no place to go was always welcome and could stay with them as long as they liked.

Walter and his wife Marie bought the home place January 3, 1941. They had three sons: Russell, who married Naida (Ellinwood); Lloyd married Lucille (Rohrbaugh); Vivalyn married Jack Bowers, who was killed, then later married Pat Mann; Ronald married Nelda (Stevens).

In 1949 Walter bought the adjoining farm owned by Guy Reed. Walter died in 1956, but Marie is living on the farm at this time. Son Lloyd and his wife farm both places. The home has seen lots of children going in and out the front doors. It is still a bustle of activity, when the family of four children, 12 grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren gather to celebrate Christmas, Mother's Day and other holidays.

Submitted by the Family