The John Jacob Ballmer Family

In 1845, a family of ten set out from Switzerland for New York City. The crossing in sailing vessels took forty days. From New York, they went to Fairfield County, Ohio. A year later, they came to Richfield Township, Henry County. The land was covered with brush and timber, much of it swampy and undrained.

The head of this family was John Jacob Ballmer, Sr. Two of his sons were soldiers in the Civil War. One died in combat. The other was injured and died soon after he returned home.

Another son, John Jacob, Jr., was born in Switzerland on September 11, 1827, and was eighteen when he came to America. His wife was Barbara Maier, born in Wurtenberg, Germany, in 1834. The Gottlieb Maier family came to America in 1838 and settled in Damascus Township, Henry County. John, Jr., and Barbara had eight children: Mrs. Martin (Mary Ann) Miller, Charles, Dr. Emil, Aaron, August, Jacob, Frank, and Mrs. William (Bertha) Nelson. John Jacob, Jr., died in 1900 and Barbara in 1922.

I will continue only with the Aaron Ballmer branch, as he was my grandfather.

This photo of Anthon Ballmer was taken in 1943.

Aaron Anthon Ballmer was born in Richfield Township, Henry County, on November 11, 1860. He made the best of his opportunitiesto get an education while helping his father on the farm. He married Barbara Sutter, who was born on April 21, 1863, in Putnam County, Ohio. They were members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in McClure. They had five children: Mrs. George (Maud) Fister, Anthon, Elmer, Mrs. Emerson (Ruby) Davis, and Mrs. Verne (Claribel) Rudolph. The Fisters had no children. Elmer did not marry. Ruby Davis and infant daughter died in 1918 during the flu epidemic while her husband, Emerson, was in Germany as a World War I soldier. Claribel had one daughter, Eunice, born in 1926. She did not marry. Claribel died in 1951. Anthon, my father, married Gladys Nulton, daughter of Charles and Allie Nulton, in 1910. A son, Bernard, died at birth. Gladys died in 1914 when I, Evelyn, was born. Because of poor health, my Grandmother Nulton was not able to care for me, so myfather and I lived with my Grandfather and Grandmother Ballmer. In 1920, Anthon married Louisa Lance, daughter of Albert and Emma Lance of Wood County. A daughter, Phyllis, died at the age of eight days. A son, Maurice, was born in 1932.

I have always loved the outdoors, so, as a child, I spent many happy hours with my Grandfather. I recall driving a team of horses mowing hay, as well as fitting ground. When I was older, I drove the tractor and Grandpa rode the binder as we cut grain. Elmer and Anthon did the shocking.

Anthon and Elmer did custom threshing for many years. Anthon is probably best remembered for having a saw mill. He was well known in northwest Ohio for his fine, precision work in sawing lumber.

In 1937, Robert Erven, son of Othor and Ethel (Alspaugh) Erven, and I were married. We were blessed with four children: Bernard, Carol, Janet, and Jerry. Bernard was born in 1938. While attending Ohio State University, he was selected as an International Farm Youth Exchange delegate (IFYE) to Jordan. He spent seven months teaching at an orphanage school for refugee boys near Jericho. He is married to Linda Gerken, daughter of Lawrence and Alta (Sonnenberg) Gerken, Holgate, Ohio. Linda graduated from Valparaiso University. Bernard received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Ohio State University. While working towards his Doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, he was chosen to participate in an agricultural development program through the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In 1967, hereceived the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Wisconsin. Bernard and Linda have five children: Twins, Kirk, Kendra, Andrea, born in Brazil, and twins, Heidi and Lynn. Bernard continues the family's 120-year association with Ohio agriculture as he is a professor of Agricultural Economics at Ohio State University, specializing in Farm Management, Farm Accounting and Agricultural Labor.

Carol was born in 1940. An interesting sidelight is the fact that she was born in the same house as her Great-grandfather Ballmer, 80 years before. She graduated from the Davis Business College in Toledo and is making excellent progress as a woman in positions traditionally reserved for men at Owens-Illinois in Toledo.

Janet was born in 1942. She also attended Davis Business College and is a secretary-receptionist at the Champion Spark Plug Company in Toledo. She is married to Ralph Horen, Jr. He also has a tie to Henry County as his mother, Dora (Ball) Horen, was born in Napoleon. Ralph, too, works at Champion. They have a daughter, Dawn.

Jerry was born in 1949. He is married to Joyce Kieffer, daughter of James and Fern (Richard) Kieffer of McClure, Ohio. Joyce attended Taylor University for one year, then transferred to Ohio State. They both graduated from there in 1971. Jerry also continues the family's long association with agriculture as he is manager of the Landmark Elevator at Berkey, Ohio. They have one daughter, Janell.

Robert and I were members of the Bethany Christian Union Church until it became a part of the McClure Christian Union Church where We are now active members.

Maurice Ballmer married LaVonda Reimund, daughter of Dura Reimund and Kathryn (Dielman) Phillips in 1951. They have three sons and a daughter: Ronald, Richard, Randal and Cheryl. Maurice and family live on the farm where his Grandfather Aaron settled in 1881. They are members of the McClure United Methodist Church.

2nd Class Petty Officer Ronald Ballmer was born in 1952 and is now stationed at Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii, serving as Air Traffic Controller. He married Robin Talley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Talley of Opal, South Dakota.

Richard was born in 1953. He is married to Cheryl Rettle, daughter of John and Helen Rettle, Fayette, Ohio. He is employed at the American Gage Company in Wauseon, Ohio. They have a daughter, Tina.

Seaman Randal Ballmer was born in 1956. He is in the U.S. Navy Electronics School and is at Great Lakes, Illinois. Richard and Randal were both active in the Patrick Henry F.F.A. and had the honor of going to the State and National Conventions. Cheryl was born in 1961. She is still at home and is attending Patrick Henry School.

I am thankful that nearly 130 years ago my ancestors chose to come to this great nation to live.

Evelyn Ballmer Erven