The Schlueter Family

When President Gerald Ford spoke of immigrants recently, it reminded me that America really does stand for opportunity. Our folks came directly from their homeland in Hanover County, Germany. Our mother Mary Cordes came with her family in 1881. Our father August Schlueter emigrated in 1889. Germany was a country that demanded every male at age 18 to serve in the military. Dad's father told them there was war and always would be war. With this situation existing and their father having remarried after the death of their mother and starting another family, the brothers and sisters gradually emigrated.

Before 1900, Dad had gone to California, worked for his brother Fred, raising sugar beets on a large farm in Oxnard. He then himself took a homestead for 2 years. Because of irrigation difficulties, he decided to return to Ohio where his other brothers and sisters had settled. He took his horse and trunk to the railroad depot and sold his horse to buy his ticket for the return trip. Our dad played accordian in a band for the German dances. When at one of these dances, held in a school house, he met our mother and subsequently they were married, March 17, 1905.

After our folks were married, they bought a farm in Richfield Township. It was on this farm where their first child, Martin, was born in 1906. Then came Anton in 1908, a daughter Dorothy, 1910, and Helen, born in 1912.

In the year 1914, this farm was sold and 72 acres was purchased in Flatrock Twp. Here Esther was born in 1916. Dad raised grain and beets as his main crops. In the early '30s Dad purchased another 120 acres. Martin having married Helen Dirr in 1934, lived in the house on the second farm and Martin shared in the farming. Dad died in 1935. Mother lived at the home place with Martin and Helen who had moved there at Dad's death.

Martin and Helen have 3 sons: Richard married Dee Eicher and they have 3 sons and one daughter. Dick and Dee have become well known in their successful photography business in Pettisville; Robert married Jean Lanzer and they have 3 sons. Robert has been in the National Guard since 1957. Their youngest, Donald, married Norma Jean Oberhaus and they have one son and their house is also open to foster children; Don, by education, is a teacher.

Martin and Helen purchased the home place of 114 acres when Mother died in 1947. Martin was active farming his acreage and also rented land. They recently have retired. They spend their winters in Winter Haven, Florida.

Anton was educated in business accounting. He married Helen Emans. They have 4 sons: Jon, Dan, Phillip, and Kevin. His work in later years was a state bank examiner. Tony died in 1969.

Dorothy's choice in higher education was to become a legal secretary. She married Verlin Jackman in 1933 and they had 2 daughters, Ann and Karen. Verlin died in 1960. In 1973, Dort married Clyde Rheese.

Helen, after graduation from Florida High School, enrolled in Ford School of Nursing, Detroit. In 1935 she and Kent Bechtol were married. They have 2 sons and a daughter, Gary, Lew, and Susan.

Esther, the youngest, entered the School of Cosmetology and operated her own shop in Defiance for a number of years. Like her father, Esther then moved to California to satisfy the urge to try a new career. However, the ties of family were stronger in Ohio than they were there. Esther, in 1960, married J. Julian Clark. They have a son, Joey.

Submitted by the Family