William Bockelman

William, the "I" of this portion of the Bockelman's part in history, moved to Defiance, Ohio in 1935. I married Norma, daughter of Frank and Helen (Behnfeldt) von Seggern of rural route Wauseon, Ohio and the two of us will be the "We" in this account. We have three daughters, Joyce, Carol and Betty who will be mentioned in more detail later. We are members of St. John Lutheran Church and both of us are members and have been officers of various boards, committees, and societies.

Although we have moved several times, we have owned our own home since 1939. Norma is a very good cook and proficient seamstress, making most of her own clothes and also the girls' clothes when they were still at home. To break the monotony of homemaking, she works part time in a local fabric shop.

I have set November the first of this year as my retirement date. By that time I will have completed 40 years in the meat industry as a meatcutter, salesman, foreman, and office worker.

Joyce, an RN graduate of Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, married William, son of Otto and Nora (Travis) Meyer of Jewell, O. They live in Defiance and are also members of St. John Lutheran Church. Their children are Alan age 14 and Linda age 12. They attend St. John Lutheran Parochial School. Willie works at Central Foundry at Defiance and Joyce works part time at Defiance Hospital.

Carol married Richard, son of Harold and Margaret (Fisher) Greulach of Convoy, Ohio. They live on a small farm about 10 miles north west of VanWert, Ohio, and are members of Redeemer Lutheran Church of Convoy. Their children are Matthew age 9 and Debra age 7. They attend elementary school in the Convoy-Crestview School District. Dick works at International Harvester at Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Betty married Richard, son of Carl and Elma (Connin) Schwarzbek of Montpelier, Ohio. They live at Williams Center and are members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bryan. Their children, Barton age 11, Kent age 8 and Mickey age 7, attend elementary school in the Fairview School District.

Richard works at Elder's Pharmaceutical Co. in Bryan, Ohio.

All three girls are graduates of St. John Lutheran Parochial and Defiance High School. They are very good cooks and seamstresses and do a lot of sewing for their families and also some outside of their home. We have been very fortunate in that neither myself nor any of the sons-in-law have ever been unemployed. As for the grandchildren, they all do very well in their school work and are engaged in the usual activities that children their age participate in. The girls are active baton twirlers and Linda brought great honor to herself and the family last year when she won first place in her age group in a National Twirling contest in Atlantic City, N.J. Debbie, who just started twirling this winter, also shows great potential. The boys are all avid sports fans, both as spectators and also participants, preferably the latter. Instead of months, they divide their year by whatever sport is in season.

Submitted by William Bockelman