Shibler Family

Jacob Shibler was born in 1824 and died in 1895. He was born in German Township, Fulton County, Ohio, and was one of the early settlers near the area of Pettisville.

He married Delilah Harnet who was born in 1825 and died in 1886. They had eight living children.

Barbara was born in 1848 and married Michael Leininger. Joseph was born in 1851. Lovina was born in 1853 and married Andrew Siegel. Isaac, or Ben, was born in 1885. Samuel was born in 1857. Jacob, whose birth is unrecorded, Sophonia was born in 1861 and married Christian Krauss. Amos was born in 1863.

The fifth child, Samuel Shibler, was born in 1857 and died in 1921. He married Elizabeth Leininger. Elizabeth was born in 1856 and died in 1937. Her father, Fredrich Leininger was born in 1821 and died in 1906. He married Anna Leonhardt.

Fredrich Leininger came to Ohio with his parents, Jacob (1787-1861) and Margaretta (1785-1853), in 1837 from Alsace-Lorraine, from an area called Leininger Valley that lays between Germany and France. Jacob Leininger, his five sons and two daughters and their spouses were the family that began the Leininger Church, now called St. James Lutheran Church, at Burlington, Ohio. Most of the forefathers were Lutherans and farmers.

Samuel and Elizabeth were members of St. John's Lutheran Church, on the corner of Route 6 and 66, in Ridgeville Township, and they lived about two miles north of Archbold, Ohio, on Route 66, and were farmers. They had nine living children. Ida born in 1881 married William Brodbeck of Ottawa Lake, Michigan. William was born in 1884. Katherine was born in 1886 and married Charles Winzeler of Archbold, Ohio. Delilah was born in 1886 and married Charles Keller of Delta, Ohio. Harry was born in 1890 and lived at Adrian, Michigan. A. Elmer was born in 1894. Frederick was born in 1898, and Joseph was born in 1899 and lived at Lima, Ohio. Two of the Shibler children, Elmer and Frederick, settled in Henry County near Ridgeville Corners, Ohio.

Elmer Shibler married Sophia Anna Schroeder, a daughter of William and Freida Bostelman Schroeder, of Henry County, in April, 1918. They lived near the Henry-Fulton county line until Elmer was drafted into the army and served for a year during World War I. Then they made their home in Ridgeville Township, for twenty-six years, farming the farm owned by Dr. Lem Clair. In 1944, Elmer and Sophia purchased the William Huner farm east of Ridgeville Corners and lived there until their retirement and then moved to a new home in Ridgeville Corners. Sophia died on September 27, 1960, and Elmer died on May 1, 1965. Elmer served as a Ridgeville Township Trustee for twenty-four years, and was a member of the Ridgeville Township Fire Department, and the American Legion. Elmer and Sophia had two children, Thelma and Herbert.

Thelma Clara Shibler was born in 1921 and married Winfred J. Lauber, a farmer. Their home is northeast of Archbold, Ohio, in Franklin Township. They had five children: Roger, Rollin, Rosemary married Merrill Short, Samuel, and Bonnie Jean who married Loyal Briskey.

Herbert Shibler was born on January 7, 1926, in Ridgeville Township, and graduated from Ridgeville High School and served for twenty months in the army during World War II. He married Ruth Helmke, the daughter of Dietrick and Sophia Wickman Helmke of Jewell, Ohio, in 1947. They made their home on the Grace Stotzer farm, west of Ridgeville Corners, for thirteen years. Following the retirement of Elmer and Sophia Shibler, Ruth and Herb moved to the Shibler farm, later purchasing it, and is now their present home.

Herbert was appointed to finish his father's term of office as township trustee, and was then elected and served for twelve more years. He is presently serving as a trustee of the Henry County Emergency Service and is a member of the Ridgeville Township Fire Department and their Rescue Squad.

Herbert and Ruth are the parents of two living children. Linda Marie was born on February 15, 1948 and is a graduate of Ridgeville High School and is employed as a bookkeeper at the Jewell Grain Company, Jewell, Ohio. Brenda Kay was born on March 14, 1949, and is a graduate of the same school, and also graduated from Bowling Green University where she majored in Physical Education and Health. She is a physical education teacher, and a supervisor at Sauder Museum, Archbold, Ohio. The other Shibler child was Mark Alan who died at birth in September, 1959. The family are members of St. Martin Lutheran Church, Archbold, Ohio, and are active in church affairs.