The Herman Schuette Family

Herman Schuette was born April 30, 1888, the third in a family of nine children. His birthplace was a log house on a farm then owned by his parents on Road 16 in Freedom Township. (This farm is now owned by Henry Winkelman.) His parents were Fred and Wilhelmina Rohrs Schuette. Both parents came from Germany - Province of Hanover, near Visselhoevde - with their families who were of farm background. The Schuette children attended a one-room school located a half mile north of their home at the south-east corner of Roads 16 and T. This was known as the Wolcott School and was taught by Jake Wolcott. During the summer months they attended the parochial school of St. John Lutheran Church in Freedom Township. This school was conducted in the German language.

Herman Schuette sowing oats with a team of horses in 1942

As a young man Herman worked as a farm hand for Henry Drewes in Napoleon Township and later for Fred Bostelman in Adams Township, Defiance County. In 1914 he was married to Frieda Panning of Napoleon Township. Frieda was born November 28, 1890, the youngest of three children. Her parents were Henry and Anna Bohling Panning. Both parents were born in the Province of Hanover, Germany. Henry Panning came to America as a young man to live with an Uncle on a farm he later owned in Napoleon Township. Anna Bohling came to this country with her family when she was a young girl. As a girl Frieda attended the Freytag School during the winter months. In the spring and summer she attended the German parochial school of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Napoleon Township. Following her graduation from grade school she attended and graduated from a sewing school in Napoleon. During the following years up to the time she was married she worked as a seamstress for numerous families in the community.

After they were married Mr. and Mrs. Schuette made their home on a farm they had rented in Richland Township, Defiance County. They farmed here for one year after which they lived on and rented several farms in Napoleon Township. In 1925 Herman Schuette bought the Fred Gunn Farm in Section 28 of Napoleon Township. This farm was the home of the Schuette family for 48 years. Except for short periods of time when he operated a threshing rig and a brief period when he worked with a carpenter crew, he was a farmer all of his active life. Frieda Schuette died in 1946 at the age of 55. He continued to operate his farm up to 1973 when, at age 85, he retired and moved to Napoleon. At age 87 he now lives at 1465 Oakdale Street with his son Fred. His grandson, Marcus Schuette and his family, now live on the farm.

Mr. and Mrs. Schuette had seven children: Paul, Fred, Henry, Edwin, Edna, Lawrence, and Laura. Paul, formerly assistant postmaster, is now a rural mail carrier out of the Napoleon Post Office. He married Elvera Dickmander, and they have two sons, Marcus and Herbert. Marcus married Betty Fedderke, and they have two daughters, Brenda and Becky. Fred is employed as the clerk for the Board of Supervisors of the Henry Soil and Water Conservation District. He is single and lives with his father in Napoleon. Henry married Evelyn Rickenberg and they are the owners of Schuette's Clothing, a men's clothing store, in Holgate, Ohio. They have three sons, Dennis, David, and John. Dennis is married to Elaine Shuman and they live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Edwin died in 1921 at the age of one year. Edna married Frank Coe, Jr. of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Frank is a partner in the Barton-Coe Associates architectural firm. They have two sons, James and Michael. Lawrence married Marilyn Dietsch and they are the owners of the Augenstein and Hoeffel men's clothing store in Napoleon. They have four children: Lynda, Peggy, Sandy, and Randy. Lynda is married to Robert Von Deylen. Peggy is married to Dan Good and they have one son, Craig Daniel. Laura is married to Richard Meyer. Richard is an assistant principal at Shore Junior High School in Euclid, Ohio. Their children are: Debra, Thomas, Ronald, and Lisa. Debra is married to Mark Habat.

Submitted by Fred Schutte