William Hesterman

William Hesterman was born in Verden, Germany, on August 22, 1872, one of eight sons of Johann Frederick and Catherine Margareta (Cordes) Hesterman.

Three sons, Frederick, William, and George, came to America in 1887, with their parents. They settled in Napoleon Township, Henry County, and received their American citizenship in Oct., 1892. Heinrich, then in German military service, came to America later. George died in his youth and Heinrich died at a relatively early age. Frederick and his family lived on a farm near Napoleon until his retirement when he moved to Napoleon.

William worked as a farm hired hand until he married Ida Helberg, who was born and lived in Napoleon Township. They rented the Scheele farm on Road 15-E in Freedom Township. Sons Alfred and Herman were born here. They then rented the Bockelman farm on Road U and 18, where Emma and Carl were born. Later, they purchased the Kretz farm, also in Freedom Township on Road 17-B, presently owned by Victor Damman. Here sons Ernest and Ferdinand were born. In 1909, the Kretz farm was sold andthe Hestermans purchased the Mike Harms farm at Road U and X, which is still owned by a son Ernest. Hilda, the youngest daughter, was born here.

Of interest might be the fact that the barn still on this farm was originally a schoolhouse moved there from Ridgeville Corners.

Ida Hesterman died Jan. 13, 1929, at the age of 56. William lived to the age of 94 and died on Feb. 27, 1967. William was active in the affairs of Zion Lutheran Church and served several terms as Ridgeville Township Trustee. It was during his term as trustee that the sidewalks in the village of Ridgeville Corners were built, most of which are still in use. His hope to return to his homeland for a visit was never fulfilled. Many remember him for his gardening, with a noticeable absence of weeds in his garden.

Alfred, the eldest son, married Mathilda Schwiebert of the Hamler area and it was in this area that he farmed most of his life. As a youth, itwas his ambition to become a Lutheran minister; but as was typical of that day, he had to stay at home and help with the farm work, much of which was hand-worked by the efforts of slow but certain "horse power."

His ambitions, however, were fulfilled when both of his sons, Donald and Lowell became ministers in the American Lutheran Church. Alfred was drafted into the Army in World War I and served for about three months until the end of the war. He died Sept. 30, 1949.

Both Donald and Lowell received their ministerial training at the Capital University Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and Donald continued his studies at Princeton. Donald presently is the Senior Pastor of a large congregation in Parma Heights, Ohio, while Lowell, after doing missionary service in Africa, is presently in the Minneapolis Office of the American Lutheran Church, still serving in the mission field, making supervisory visits to many of the church's mission fields throughout the world. Luciel, the eldest of the Alfred Hesterman children married Arnold Ripke and they reside on the Ripke farm near Ridgeville. The Ripkes have three sons, one daughter, a student at Concordia, Ann Arbor, and three grandchildren.

Donald Hestermans have two sons and two daughters and Lowell has two sons and one daughter.

Herman, the second son of William and Ida Hesterman, after working as a farm hand locally, tried the harvest fields of Kansas and Oklahoma for several years. He married Helen Hainke, a school teacher, of Kensington, Kansas, and they for many years served as the manual operators of the old Ridgeville Telephone switchboard.

To them were born four sons and two daughters: Leland, Dale, Lawrence (who died in his youth), Norma Jean, Victor, and Marjorie. Leland and Norma Jean, wife of Carl Brandt, still live in this area. Dale is a mechanic with the American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Victor received his AB at Valparaiso University and his MA at Ames, Iowa, and presently is the senior physicist with the Superconducting Technology Institute of Palo Alto, California. Marjorie, a nurse, is the wife of a turnpike patrolman in Indiana, Gene Reese.

Leland married Dorothy Berry of Burlington, Ohio, and they have two sons Steve and Michael (now in Germany serving in the Army). Dale married Norma Jean Randall of Miami, Oklahoma, and they have one son Mark. Dale's wife, after a long illness, died. The Brandts have a son Allen and a daughter Lisa. Victor married Norma Jean Jeske, an Ames, Iowa graduate, and they have two sons, Hewett and Andrew and two daughters Anne Rene and Sarah Jean. Marjorie has twin daughters, Lyn Renee and Julie Kay, and one son Stuart.

Emma, the third child, after completing elementary school, took a course in sewing at Stryker, Ohio. She became an accomplished seamstress and enjoyed sewing until her later years when age began to deny her this pleasure. She married Adolph Schroeder, which union was blessed with four sons. However, Arthur died at age 8, and William died three months later at age 4. Edward and Harold were born after the death of their brothers.

The home of William and Ida Hesterman. Left to right: Alfred, Emma, Ida, Hilda, William, Ferd, Herman, Ernest, Carl.

Edward married Violet Barth of Holgate and their one son, Lynn is presently serving in the U.S. Army. Harold, after two years of service in the army, married Joan Rettig of Holgate, who still serves as a surgical nurse in Heller Memorial Hospital, while Harold is a construction worker. Their two sons are Randal and Gary.

Adolph Schroeder died in 1948. Emma later married Arthur Buchhop who died in 1966. Emma died May 30, 1975, at the age of 74.

Carl, the fourth child, married Anna Gerken of Freedom Township, who died shortly after giving birth to a son Vernon. Carl later married Mathilda Gerken of Freedom Township and to them one son Eldon was born. Carl worked for Neuhauser Hatcheries for several years, but then went to farming. Suffering from a heart condition, he died at age 34.

Son Vernon, motherless at the age of two weeks, was cared for by his grandmother Hesterman until her death. He continued his education at Bowling Green after high school, served as teacher and coach in Ridgeville High School, and is presently a guidance director at the 4-County Vocational School. Vernon's wife Phyllis (Cordes) after bringing five children into this world, completed her AB at Bowling Green and is presently teaching art in the local school. Their three daughters, Vickie, Linda, and Sue Ann, all attended Adrian College, Vickie and Linda having graduated; and the two sons Robert and Thomas are still in the local school.

Eldon, after spending four years in the Air Force, married Marcia Ranzau of Ridgeville; and they have two sons, Bruce and Keith and one daughter Lynette, all still in the northeastern schools of Defiance County.

Ernest, the fifth child, married Marie Meyer of Gerald, Ohio. They have lived all of their married life on the Hesterman farm and father Hesterman made his home with them. Their union was blessed with three sons: Norman, Melvin (died at age 2), and Larry, and two daughters, Alice and Frances. Norman married Mary Ruffer of Ridgeville and their children are: Mark, Kent, Karen, and Eric. Norman serves in personnel in a factory and Mary as a nurse in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Mark is furthering his education at Ball State, Muncie, Indiana.

Alice married Donald Kleck of Archbold and they live in Ridgeville with their three sons: David, a student at Ashland College; Daniel, and Timothy, and two daughters Sandra and Susan. In northwestern Ohio they are noted for their "Kleck Cookies."

Frances, a nurse, married John Harris of Ft. Wayne and they live in Ft. Wayne with their three children: Scott, Kurt, and Rebecca.

Larry married Helen Vaculik of the Assumption, Fulton County area, and they have a son Jon Joseph and a daughter Jennifer. They built their home on the old Hesterman farm at Roads U and X. Larry is a Ford salesman with the Archbold Sales and Service.

Ferdinand, the sixth child, married Esther Meyer of Ayersville, Ohio, and they have two daughters, Suzanne and Barbara. Ferdinand (or Ferd) or later, F. F., received his AB degree from Valparaiso University and his MA from Bowling Green. After graduation he returned to Ridgeville to teach in his home school, and here he spent his whole teaching career. First he served as a teacher and coach, then as principal and from 1938 to 1969 as superintendent. His superintendency was interrupted during World War II when he served for two years as a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve, serving in New Guinea and the Philippines as a communications officer with the Seventh Fleet. During his absence, wife Esther cared for the two daughters who had become of school age.

Suzanne, after attending Valparaiso University, married Craig Frost of Holgate, a Miami graduate, who presently is in the Frost Insurance Agency in Holgate. They have three children: Jill born in Van Wert, Ohio; Philip in Butler, Pennsylvania; and Jacquelyn, born in Defiance, Ohio.

Barbara, after attending Valparaiso University, married Kent Bluhm, a Valparaiso graduate, of Clayton, Illinois. They reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Kent is a sales engineer for Delco Remy, a branch of General Motors. Their children are: Bradly, Scott, and Heidi.

Hilda, the youngest of the Hester-man children was the only one born in the present Hesterman family home. After serving for a period of time as the "hello girl" in the old Ridgeville telephone office, she then helped care for infant Vernon Hesterman who had lost his mother and grandmother. She married Albert Daman of Freedom Township. After working in Napoleon for a number of years, they moved to "White City" near Lyons, Ohio, and operated the restaurant and gas station by that name. Here Hilda gained fame for her home-baked pies and home-type meals. They now live in retirement in Wauseon.

Their three children, Marvin, Maurice, and Janice, were born in Napoleon, Ohio. Marvin married Barbara Tracy of Muncie, Indiana, and their two children are Marena and Mark. Maurice married Betty Clark of Lyons, Ohio. They have six children: Joseph (an Ohio State graduate); Susan (a Concordia of Seward, Nebraska graduate); Jeffrey (a Penta-County student); Nancy; Tina; and Dana. Maurice is a carpenter doing finishing work.

Janice, a Concordia, River Forest graduate, and a parochial school teacher, married Daniel Schuh, also a parochial teacher. They live in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Their three children are: Philip, Paul, and Michael.

Submitted by F. F. Hesterman