Motter Family

The Motter family came from Switzerland in the late 1700's, settling first in Maryland and near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They came from Basel, Switzerland area, and three brothers, including Rudolph Motter, came to America to live with relatives who had made the trip to America. Family tradition states that at least two of the brothers fought during the Revolutionary War on the American side.

Branch lines of the Motter family came to Henry, Defiance, and Williams Counties, Ohio, from the east. A Motter reunion was held each year for the families in these counties. It was an all day affair held either at Wayne Park Pavilion, Alsbaugh's Beach and Resort, or at a farm home of one of the sponsoring families. Relatives from all parts of the Midwest appeared to stay overnight with relatives so that they could attend the whole day's activities. One of the largest reunions was held at Walbridge Park in Toledo in the 1930's. Home made ice cream was often the afternoon treat.

A few of the family live in Henry County. More descendants live in Williams and Defiance Counties.

The LaBar family line were of French Hugenot descent and appear to have come to America with the first families of Motter and several marriages between the two families took place in the late 1700's and early 1800's.

Other families, related to the Motter family, in this book are the Davis, Weirauch, Tubbs, Markley, Ditto and Eckhart families. The Henry County line of the Motter family came to Ohio from Maryland.

The family, as it applies to Henry County, starts with Joseph George Motter who was born on October 11, 1798 at Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and died on January 7, 1872 in Napoleon Township, Henry County, Ohio. Joseph is buried in Union Cemetery, Napoleon Township.

His wife was Susan, or Susannah, and her last name was thought to have been Gehrett. Joseph and Susan were in Pickaway County, Ohio, in 1820. Susan was born on March 27, 1803, in Pennsylvania, and died on January 30, 1872, and is buried next to her husband.

The exact number of children born to Joseph and Susan is not known but among their children were George Washington, Emanuel, Joseph George, Jr., Sarah, and it is thought Frank, Sophia and Catharine.

Catharine was born in 1839, in Germany, and is thought to have been the oldest child of her parents, but it is not definite that she belongs to this Joseph.

George Washington Motter was born on September 10, 1844 at Sylvania, Ashland County, Ohio, and died in Freedom Township, Henry County, Ohio, on March 11, 1890, and is buried in Union Cemetery. He married Mary Catharine Eckhart on September 1, 1867, in Mason, Ingham County, Michigan. Mary was a daughter of Lewis and Mary Catharine LaBar Eckhart. Mary died in Ridgeville Township, at the home of her son, Augustus Motter, On August 19, 1923, and is buried next to her husband.

John Lewis Motter was the oldest child of George and Mary Eckhart Motter. He was born at Mason on August 28, 1868 and died on December 15, 1869.

Augustus Aurelius Motter was born in Mason, Michigan, on November 15, 1870.

William Walter Motter was born in October, 1873, in Mason, and died in 1911.

Birtrie L. Motter was born on December 25, 1879 and died on September 30, 1880.

Elizabeth May Motter was born on June 8, 1882.

William Walter, or Uncle Walt, was born on October 2, 1873. He was accidently killed while working on the family farm on January 18, 1911, when a building wall collapsed and fell on Walt. Walter never married.

Elizabeth Motter was born on June 8, 1882, and married on April 2, 1902. She married Arthur Gibson, son of Wilson and Minnie Caldwell Gibson. Their children were Sylvia who married Carl Koester: Zelma Katschke, Floyd and Evelyn Gibson had two daughters; Dale L. Gibson; Alvie Gibson; Walter A. Gibson; Stanley W. Gibson; and Doyle Gibson. A daughter, Ada Violet, was born on March 28, 1910 and died on April 12, 1910, and is buried at Locust Grove Cemetery, Ridgeville Corners, Ohio. Arthur and Elizabeth Gibson are buried in the Springfield Township Cemetery, Lucas County, Ohio. Elizabeth died in 1941 and Wilson Arthur Gibson died on October 23, 1972 at the age of ninety-one years. Arthur married after the death of Elizabeth but had no issue from that marriage. Floyd Gibson died in 1968 and his wife, Evelyn, born in 1908, died in 1953. Alvie died on December 21, 1965. The family live near Toledo, Ohio, and none live in Henry County at the present time.

Arthur stated, not long before his death: "I have had a successful life. I wanted three things and I have accomplished all of them in my lifetime. I wanted a brand new car, a house all paid for, and my children all raised and on their own."