Benecke, Funkhouser, Spengler Families

Six generations of my family have called this farm "HOME." It's a spot near Ridgeville Corners, Henry County, Ohio. The stories of people and families whose lives have contributed to the development of this homestead, can be traced back to several countries and some staunch pioneers. From Bible entries, old newspaper clippings, word of mouth, etc., I have pieced together this account.

It all began in 1853 when Henry and Elizabeth Benecke, together with three small children, Henry Jr., Elizabeth, and Anna, emigrated from northern Germany for a life in a new country. Relatives accompanying them were Henry's father, Frederick Benecke, and Henry's sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Theodore Kessler.

The trip was marred by the death of little Anna. They stopped to bury her in Monroe, Michigan. The Kesslers had wished to go to Iowa, but because of circumstances, both families agreed to settle in Ohio instead.

The Benecke homestead over 100 years old is now occupied by Bertha Benecke Funkhouser and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Spengler and family.

Traveling by canal boat, they landed at Wilhelm St. dock in Defiance, Ohio, on July 3, 1853. Employment was found in construction work on Hotel Russell.

Our earliest deed as of 1855 shows the subsequent purchase of 160 acres of land in Ridgeville Twp. Henry Co., at the cost of $800.00.

The family did the original clearing of the land and moved into the existing log cabin. The Kesslers settled nearby.

Two sons were born to the Beneckes after their arrival in this country: Theodore in 1854 and Ferdinand in 1858.

Henry's father, Frederick, died shortly after arriving here, and was buried in an unmarked grave near Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adams Twp. Defiance County.

Henry was trained as a tailor in Germany so he found much employment working this trade for his neighbors. Elizabeth spun and wove flax grown on this farm.

Church records of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Adams Twp. Defiance Co.) show that the family was active in the organization and affairs of this congregation which was very near to their Henry County home. The children also received some schooling in the log school located near what is now the Congregational Church, Ridgeville Corners.

When Henry Jr., the oldest son, became of age, he went to work in Defiance. Later, Henry and his wife Mary, moved to Logansport, Indiana. Nine children were born to this family (Catherine, Louis, Clara, Dorothy, Wesley, Henrietta, Lettie, Charles, and Esther). Three of these children died of diptheria within a period of two weeks in the year 1885. After the death of their mother, the eldest daughter, Kate, raised the family and often spent summer vacations at this farm with her charges.

The only daughter of Henry and Elizabeth left this farm to be married to Ferd Schumaker. They settled not far away on a farm in Ridgeville Twp. near St. John's Lutheran Church. Eight children (Fred, Ernest, Hulda, Magdalena, Ferd, Martha, Henry, and Laura) were born into the Schumaker family who subsequently married into families with names still associated with this vicinity, namely, Wesche, Schnitkey, Bouvier, Tilse, Arps, and May.

Then, in approximately 1876, a new 14 room house was built on this homestead, which served as a two-family dwelling, containing an apartment where Henry and Elizabeth spent their retirement years as their son (my grandfather) Theodore, took over the farming.

At this time, we have the American born Benecke brothers, marrying sisters. While visiting his brother Henry, in Defiance, my grandfather, Theodore, met Mary Moehring and married her in 1877. Later, Ferdinand married Mary's sister, Anna.

It is interesting to read from old German newspaper clippings about the background of the Moehring (later spelled "Mehring") sisters, one of which was my grandmother and lived here.

Their parents had also come from Germany, near Magdeburg. Father Gottfried (or Fred) was from a farm family, and had served four years in the army and was active in the conflict at Saarbrauten. He sailed from Bremen in 1850 on a ship named Hermann, and landed in Cleveland. From there he journeyed to Defiance where he landed in 1850. Early employment was found on the Erie-Miami Canal. Dora Schlagmann, a young lady who also arrived in 1850, married Fred in 1853.

The younger brother, Ferdinand and his wife Anna Moehring Benecke, settled on a farm nearby on the Henry-Defiance County line. (Descendants, Don Benecke and family still live on that homestead.)

Two sons grew to adulthood: WILLIAM BENECKE (married Dora Schweinhagen) operated a hardware store in Ridgeville Corners. Their descendants: One daughter - Novella (Mrs. John Reed) and her children Dennis, Carmen and Dean. One son - Delmar (married Marie Michaelis). Their descendants Dexter, Neil, and Beverly. After Marie's death, Delmar married Vera Franz Sonnenberg.

DELBERT BENECKE (married Frieda Arps). Their descendants: Charles Benecke (married Vaneda Wittenberg). Their descendants: Linda, Roger, Ronald, Phyllis, Lynette and Philip. Donald Benecke (married Evelyn Lange). Their descendants: Larry, Tom, Mary Ann, David and Michael.

After Anna's death, Ferdinand married Catherine Walters of Napoleon, 0. and spent his retirement years in Napoleon.

Two of the three brothers of Mary and Anna Moehring Benecke spent some years living on this homestead as they pursued their early careers as builders.

JOHN AUGUST MEHRING married Minnie Dannenberg and occupied the apartment formerly used by Henry and Elizabeth Benecke in their retirement. Minnie died at the birth of their one son, Richard. August then married her sister, Mary. He later took over the business of the Napoleon Brick and Tile Works of Napoleon which he and his brother, Carl Edward had cofounded. Son Richard married Martha Gerken and continued the family business at the Napoleon Brick and Tile Works. Their children were Florence, Luther, Hilda, and Lois.

CARL EDWARD MEHRING began locally as a builder of homes. At one time he resided in Archbold, then in Napoleon as co-owner of the Brick and Tile Works, and later in Toledo where he founded the Mehring Built Homes Co. He was married to Matilda Lindau. They had one son, Dale.

Another son, WILLIAM MEHRING, married Lydia Zucker, daughter of a Lutheran pastor, Defiance, Ohio. They lived on the farm 2 miles west of Defiance, on the Ft. Wayne road, that his father Fred had purchased on arrival in this country. Children of this couple were Carl, Herold, and Helen.

Mrs. Bertha Funkhouser with her daughter, Marguerite and family, Richard Spengler, Debra, and Steven

I will now list the five children of my grandparents, Theodore and Mary Mehring Benecke, who after their marriage in 1877, took over the operation of this homestead. MATILDA BENECKE married Charles Ruffer and their children were: Valetta, Denelda, Heron and John. BERTHA BENECKE married Albert Funkhouser. They had one daughter, Marguerite. MARTIN BENECKE died at age 14 from injuries sustained when kicked by a horse. LYDIA AND LUELLA BENECKE were twins; Lydia married Harry Wells and Luella was fatally burned at age 3. Shortly after the twins were born (1890), fire destroyed the barn when children playing "Thresh Machine" ignited straw. The task of building a new barn began immediately and it is still in use at this time.

Bertha's early schooling began in the two room school across the road from the present school grounds. She recalls marching from the old building to the new site on which a two room brick structure had been erected.

As the family grew, Theodore farmed, then later opened a hardware store in Ridgeville Corners. He retired in 1915 when he and Mary moved into a new home he had built next to St. Peter Lutheran Church and which later became its parsonage for some years until a new structure was built to house the pastors. He was active in the founding of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Ridgeville and spent his retirement years serving in custodial care of the building. He took special pride in the art of ringing the bell, which he had helped to select. Bertha and her family are still active members of this congregation.

Upon the retirement of Theodore and Mary, the homestead was occupied by daughter Bertha and her husband, Albert Funkhouser, who were married in 1907.

At this point I would like to briefly trace the background of my father Albert Funkhouser.

His father was JOHN U. FUNKHOUSER, born in 1839; he was about 14 years of age when his family emigrated from Berne, Switzerland. They were on the ocean 42 days in fearful weather but they finally landed in New York. From there they came to Toledo, Ohio, where the mothers and small children were left as the young adults took off on foot. In Fulton County they found a Swiss settlement. Wagons were sent to Toledo to bring the rest of the family back. They settled down near Pettisville, Ohio.

ANNA MARGARET WEBER FUNKHOUSER was born in 1846 in Fulton Co., Ohio. Anna's mother, Margaret Leininger, her sister, Catherine, and 5 brothers who were born in Alsace-Lorraine, came to this country in 1837 and settled in the vicinity of Archbold. John and Anna (daughter of Peter and Margaret Weber) were married in 1864.

These, my grandparents, spent their retirement years in Ridgeville. Thirteen of their children (9 boys and 4 girls) grew to adulthood and were well known in this community. Their names were: John, William, Mary, Rose, Jacob, Simon, Fred, Caroline, Albert, Ida, Edward, Otto, and Harry. Paul, the son of Edward, still continues the Dodge Agency in Napoleon that his father established.

And now, back to my parents, Albert and Bertha Funkhouser. In 1915, I, Marguerite, became the fifth generation addition to this homestead. At age 18 months, polio touched our home but left me more fortunate than many others stricken in this epidemic.

A Palm Sunday fire in 1925 destroyed the fourteen room house which for 49 years served as the family dwelling. Albert and Bertha immediately began the task of building the house which still is our present home.

After graduation from Ridgeville High School, and attending business college, I enjoyed over fifteen years of public service as Recording Clerk in the Probate Division of the Common Pleas Court for Judge J. M. Rieger and Judge Ferd G. Behrens.

After the death of my father in 1952, I met and married Richard Spengler in 1955, who then took over the farming operation of this homestead.

Richard was born in Fulton County, Ohio, to Frank Spengler and Mary Gehring Spenger. Other children of this family were: Alice, Alta, Min, Georgia, and Walter. The Spengler ancesters also came from Switzerland. Frank's father, Herman, came here in 1847 and Frank's mother, Mary Meister Spengler, came with her parents to Fulton Co. in 1834.

Now, two teen-agers complete the picture. They are the children of Richard and Marguerite, namely, Steven, born in 1956, and Debra, born in 1958. This is how we arrived at a three generation home, as Bertha, aged 94, still survives. She has personally known allbut one (her great-grandfather) of the six generations who lived here.

Submitted by Marguerite Funkhouser Spengler (Mrs. Richard Spengler)