The Christian Roth Family

Christian D. Roth I was born in Kestenholtz, Alsace, France, on January 1, 1813. He married Magdalena Burkholder in 1834. Their son, Christian D. Roth, II was born April 4, 1857, in German Township, Fulton County, Ohio, and married Mathilda Miller, the daughter of Ambrose and Teresa Snyder Miller. Mathilda was born on a ship on the Atlantic Ocean on July 1, 1858. She was a sister of Ida Ona Miller who married John Eicher.

Both Christian D. Roth I and II were ministers of the New Reformed Mennonite Church and among the organizers of the New Reformed Church of Ridgeville Township. They are buried in Lauber Hill Cemetery, Fulton County, Ohio.

Henry L. Roth was the son of Christian D. II and Mathilda Miller Roth. He was born August 16, 1879, in Ridgeville Township. On December 14, 1899, he married Bertha Reinke, the daughter of William Reinke and Henrietta Weidenheft. Bertha had been born on December 18, 1879. Their children were Mabel who married William Eicher; Henrietta who married Paul Lankenau of Napoleon; Dorothy who married Jacob Spengler of Archbold, and Arthur who lives in Michigan.

For many years Henry L. or Lump as he was known to most area people, was a stock buyer for Lugbills in Archbold. In 1920 he started a sideline of selling second hand automobiles. Bertha died in 1943 and Henry Roth died in 1951. Their granddaughter, Irene Fortier and her husband now live on the Roth homestead in Ridgeville Township.

Shortly after the turn of the century Lump and his partner Frank Conway had a butcher shop in Ridgeville. Mr. Roth also had his own stock yard in Ridgeville. For many years he was a stock buyer for Lugbill Brothers of Archbold.

Submitted by Wayne Eicher