Augustus Motter Family

Augustus Aurelius Motter was born in Mason, Michigan. The family was poor and his mother raised many types of flowers in her garden. Augustus took wagon loads of cut flowers, pulled them around town, and sold them to housewives for parties, dinner tables, and house decorations. As the oldest child, he felt responsible to help with the income for the family, and so had a regular flower route on Saturdays. In the winter, he sold kindling on the same route. The family left Mason when Augustus was ten, so he was a young businessman.

Although he lived the rest of his life in Ohio, Gust was quick to remind others that he was a "Michigander" and a Detroit Tiger fan to the day he died. As he said, "Anything from Michigan has to be good."

The family bible gives his birthdate as November 15, 1869, but the legal records at Mason, Michigan, give his birthdate as November 8, 1870.

Augustus's first marriage was to Adaline (Addie) Amelia Davis on October 3, 1892 and they were married by Rev. George Struble, a Evangelical United Brethren minister. The Motter family had been Lutherans for generations.

Addie was born on February 7, 1874 and was a daughter of George and Amelia Moden Davis. Amelia Moden Davis was a daughter of John and Sophia Moden. John was born in England in 1813 and Sophia was born in England in 1845. See the Moden and Davis history in this book. Addie died on March 1, 1917, at the Motter home, and is buried at Locust Grove Cemetery next to Gust.

Augustus and Addie Motter had three sons and one daughter.

George Gilbert Motter was born on August 24, 1893 in Freedom Township. He died at Napoleon, Ohio, on March 2, 1963. On August 25, 1917, Gilbert married Bessie Florence Root, daughter of John and Mary Elizabeth Clark Root. Gib served in the army during World War I. Bessie died on February 23, 1972 at Bowling Green Hospital, Wood County, Ohio. Her birthdate was February 12, 1900. Gib and Bess are buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, Napoleon, Ohio. They were the parents of three sons.

Robett Lynn Motter was born in 1922 and died on February 7, 1971, at Sandusky, Ohio. He married Jane, who lives at Sandusky, in 1949 at Sandusky. They had no children.

John Richard Motter was born on March 1, 1924 and died on April 21, 1945. He enlisted in the Parachute Infantry on February 6, 1943 and was assigned to Company E, 511th Airborne Division. He spent fourteen months in the Pacific area and saw action ou New Guinea, Leyte, Manila and Luzon. He was a sergeant at the time of his death. He gave his life for his country on April 22, 1945, on Luzon, and is buried in the Armed Forces Cemetery No. 1, Batangas, Luzon. His memorial stone is in Forest Hills Cemetery, Napoleon, Ohio, next to his parents.

Jerry Motter was born in 1941. He entered service in the Air Force in 1960 and is a career service man. He was married in February, 1965 to Beverly Weirauch McKay who had two children from her first marriage. Jerry and Beverly had a child born in 1967. They are divorced. Jerry is in service and lives at Fort Myers, Virginia. Beverly lives in Maryland although her relatives live in Napoleon.

The second child born to Augustus and Addie Davis Motter was Ola Clara Motter. Ola was born on December 13, 1897 in Freedom Township and died on April 24, 1938 in Smith County, Kansas, and is buried in the cemetery at Gaylord, Kansas.

She married Rudolf Bargman on November 29, 1917. Rudy was a son of Harmon and Louise Dannenberg Barg- man and was born on July 27, 1887. Rudy died in Smith County, Kansas, On November 15, 1961. They had three sons and one daughter.

Helen Bargman was born Sept. 24, 1919 in Henry County, Ohio. She married Lawrence Hillman and had five daughters. She and Lawrence are divorced and Helen lives with her daughter, Victoria, in Osborne, Kansas.

Janice Hillman married Bill Weise.

Joan Kay and Jean Annett Hillman are twins and were born on December 15, 1942, in Napa, California. Joan married Frank Grieve at Osborne, Kansas and has three children: Kenneth, Richard and Larry Grieve. The family lives in Osborne, Kansas. Jean Annett married Dale Snyder and lives in Granger, Utah. The Snyder children are Christopher, Malinda and Raymond. Carolyn Hillman married Victoria Hillman married twice and had a daughter from her first marriage that died as a young child. Victoria is divorced and lives at Osborne, Kansas. She has no children.

Frederick Bargman, the second child of Rudy and Ola Bargman, was born on November 24, 1921, in Freedom Township, Henry County, Ohio, and married Phyliss Rudolph on January 8, 1949, in Smith County, Kansas. Phyliss was born on January 7, 1931, in Houston Township, Smith County, Kansas. They have three children. Nancy Bargman was born on January 8, 1950, in Smith County. She married Harold Tangye on June 7, 1970. Harold was born on June 20, 1943, in Salina, Saline County, Kansas. The Tangye children are Edward, born on March 14, 1974, and Christopher, born on April 26, 1977, both born at Salina. Rick Bargman was born on August 27, 1956 in Smith Center, Kansas. He and his wife, Jaylene, were married on November 14, 1975 at Osborne, Kansas.

Mary Bargman is the youngest child of Frederick and Phyliss. She was born on July 30, 1969, at Smith Center. Frederick and Phyliss are farmers living in Smith County, Kansas.

Vernon Bargman, son of Rudy and Ola Bargman, married Florence Watkins. He died while living in Smith County, Kansas.

Paul Bargman was born on May 30, 1933, at Harlan, Kansas. He married Carolyn Hill on October 5, 1958 at the Brethren Church in Harlan. Carolyn was born on March 11, 1939 at Harlan. Their children are Terri Marie, born September 5, 1959; Paula Sue and Paul Robert, Jr., twins, born on September 16, 1960; Larry Dane Bargman, born on August 14, 1962; Darla Jean Barg- man, born on October 11, 1963; Darcy Jo Bargman, born on January 11, 1966; and Teana Lea Bargman, born on September 11, 1967.

Rudy and Ola Motter Bargman spent most of their married life in Kansas since they went there after the birth of their two oldest children.

The third child born to Augustus and Addie Davis Motter was Carl Eugene Motter who was born on August 31, 1899, in Freedom Township, Henry County. Carl left Henry County, Ohio, and arrived in Gaylord, Kansas on March 5, 1922, and has lived there since. On April 22, 1925, Carl married Gertrude Helena Windscheffel at

Christ Lutheran Church, Gaylord, Kansas. Gertrude was born on September 25, 1904, in Banner Township, Smith County, Kansas, a daughter of George and Emma Windscheffel. Gertrude taught school before her marriage. Carl was a garage mechanic and a farmer.

George Eilert Windscheffel was born at Johnson, Nebraska, on November 18, 1876 and died in Smith County, Kansas in 1947. His wife, Emma Suchsland, was born on July 24, 1871, in Germany, 'and came to the United States when a young girl. She died in 1962. George died on January 27, 1947. They had three daughters and one son.

Gertrude Windscheffel Motter was their first child.

Esther Windscheffel was born on February 16, 1908, at Athol, Kansas. She is a registered nurse and served during World War II. She married Doctor Leslie Rowles who died on December 11, 1969. They had no children. Esther lives in Topeka, Kansas.

Arno Gerhart Windscheffel was born August 2, 1909, at Athol, Kansas. He married twice. His first wife, Thelma Bowman Windscheffel, was born on December 23, 1908 and died on July- 14, 1960, leaving two children, Joan and Jan. Joan was born on April 22, 1940, is married to Carl Stevens and has two children, Cindy and Sharrel. Jan was born on July 14, 1948 and married ,r)epperschmidt on September 3, 1970. Arno, after Thelma's death, married June Stapelton Hill, a widow with one child. June was born on June 22, 1927 at Hiawatha, Kansas. Arno is an attorney and practiced for many years at Smith Center, Kansas, until his appointment to the Kansas State Supreme Court at Topeka, Kansas.

Leona Windscheffel was born on March 15, 1919, at Athol, Kansas. She married George Gigstad on December 28, 1948, at the Gaylord Christ Lutheran Church. George was born on July 14, 1916, at Nortonville, Kansas. The Gigstad children are Kathy, born August, 1950; Patricia, born 1952, and Dwight, born September 24, 1961, all at Nortonville, Kansas. Leona served during World War II and is a registered nurse, as are her daughters.

Carl and Gertude Motter have one son, Eugene Francis Motter. Gene was born on March 24, 1927, at Gaylord,

Kansas. He married Harriet Ruth Anderson on June 14, 1953, at the Gaylord Community Church. Harriet was born on October 28, 1934, at Cedar, Kansas, and was the only child of James Alston and Evelyn Livingston Anderson. James was born in Missouri on June 15, 1890, and Evelyn was born on December 29, 1896. James Anderson was the owner of a greyhound racing stable for many years and was a nationally known breeder and racer of the dogs and won many first place trophies. Eugene and Harriet have three children, all born at Hobbs, New Mexico.

Mary Margaret was born on December 11, 1957. Elizabeth Frances was born on October 5, 1960. James Eugene was born on December 28, 1963. Mary is in Norman, Oklahoma attending her last year of college, and has a dance studio in Duncan, Oklahoma, where she goes twice a week to teach. She has one hundred and fifty students and has hired help until she can be there full time. Elizabeth, or Liz, is in college in Alburquerque, New Mexico. Jay is a freshman in high school.

Gene and Harriet and family live at Midland, Texas, where Gene is the Engineering Manager of Cities Service Oil Company and Harriet is a music teacher with her own studio.

The youngest child of Augustus and Addie Motter, Earl Motter, was born on October 8, 1902, and he married twice. His first marriage on June 3, 1923, Was to Luella Kinder. Luella was born on August 19, 1904, and raised by an aunt, Mrs. John Wheeler. Earl and Luella were divorced in September, 1965. Two sons died as infants and are buried in the Motter plot at Locust Grove Cemetery, Ridgeville Corners, Ohio. Their other children were Kenneth, Dorothy and James.

Kenneth Mott: was born on June 18, 1927. On January 19, 1952, he married Rosemary Dickman, daughter of Herman and Mildred Wolf Dickman, who was born on August 28, 1930 in Pleasant Township. Their one child, Debra Ann Motter, was born on November 30, 1952. Debra married Edward Pedrosa on November 18, 1972. Their children are Tara Lynae, born April 7, 1973 and Eric Edinel who was born on March 29, 1974.

Dorothy Rae Motter was born on February 8, 1930 and married Gerald

Wells on September 26, 1948. Gerlad was born on June 18, 1926, son of Curtis and Blanch Wells, of Defiance, Ohio. Their son, Michael Dale Wells was born on May 5, 1950. Their daughter, Beverly Rae Wells, was born on September 20, 1952, and married Kenneth Deardorff on September 30, 1972. Beverly and Kenneth have two children, Amber Dawn born December 28, 1974 and Liberty Hope, born May 10, 1976.

James Philip Motter was born on June 7, 1942. He married Sue Ellen Bostelman, daughter of Ralph and Ruth Bostelman on June 16, 1963. James and Sue have David James who was born on March 3, 1974 and Stephanie Louise who was born on February 10, 1975. James and Sue live in Angola, Indiana.

Earl Motter and his second wife, Audrey Bixler Motter, were married on January 23, 1970 and were divorced in 1973. Audrey lives in Indiana. Earl lives in Putnam County near Pleasant Bend. Luella Kinder Motter lives in Angola with her son, James Motter.

Augustus Motter history is found in volume 1. His second marriage was to Alice Tubbs Lettick in 1918. He and Alice adopted Genevieve Foreman in 1929. Her history is found under Eicher in Volume 1.