Frederick John Bostelman

This Dodge owned by George A. Bokerman is pictured as it was about 1915. The children are left to right: Pearl, Lester, and Doras.

On the 13th of September, 1835, a son was born to Cord and Mary (Korte) Bostelman. This son, Frederick John, was to be the founder of our family in America. Cord and Mary passed their years together as farming folk near Hanover, Germany. Altogether, this union was blessed with six children: John, Henry, Heinrich, Cord, Catherine, and Frederick.

Frederick lived in his native country until he was 34, serving 21 years in the German army. At the age of 24, he married Miss Sophia Bruner. She died about one year afterward.

On 29 September, 1860, he married Catherine Ottens, who in 1869 made the long trip to America with him. She was born on 4 September, 1838. They settled in Henry County, purchasing 160 acres in Freedom Township. After about one year, this farm was sold and the family moved to Harrison Township where they rented land for two years. In 1872, they bought 120 acres of wild swamp land in Flatrock Township. On 27 June, 1874, Catherine died.

This homey log cabin was built by Charles F. Bokerman for his bride Philopena Kemm. The cabin was built in 1862 in Napoleon Twp. on County Road Q1, at that time known as the Hanover Road, about five miles northwest of Napoleon. Front row: Charles F., son Edward, and Philopena; back row: sons Charles, George, Daniel, Henry, daughter Elizabeth, and son William C.

There were five children from this marriage: Fred, Herman, Anna, Mary, and Henry. All were born in Germany except Henry who was born March 22, 1871 and moved to Kansas in 1900.

On 20 October, 1874, Frederick married Miss Maria Kolby, also a native of Germany. She died of typhoid fever at the age of 24 on September 20, 1877. There was one child, Ida, born Nov. 8, 1875.

After trying out several farms in the same general vicinity of Flatrock Township, Frederick finally settled down on an 80 acre farm. He later added an adjacent 40 acre tract to this farm. This 120 acre farm was located on the corner of County Road 15 and Township Road H.

On 6 January, 1880, Frederick married Miss Antoinette Myers. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 15 October, 1857 (?), the daughter of Charles Myers. They had four children: John, Ella, who died as an infant (3 October, 1884, to 9 January, 1887), Carl, better known as Charley, and William. Frederick died on 12 January, 1917, at the age of 81.

The entire family were members of the Lutheran Church. In state and national affairs Frederick was a Democrat, but in local affairs he was an Independent.

Since my family is descended from the marriage to Antoinette Myers, we will concern ourselves only with the descendants from it.

George A. Bokerman delivering milk in the city of Napoleon on a cold winter morning, about 1923. In those days milk was delivered from door to door. He milked the cows, bottled the milk, and delivered it from his home.

The oldest, John Heinrich Bostelman, was born on 30 September, 1880. John never married, living his entire life in the Holgate area. He became a well-known carpenter, working for a while with the Holgate Lumber Company and later for himself. One may still see many homes built by him in the Holgate area. John died on 25 April, 1960, at home where he lived with his brother William.

Carl Dietrich Bostelman (Charles) was born on 11 September, 1882. On 31 October, 1907, he married Miss Elizabeth Catherine Walter. They had six children: Elsie, 4 Aug., 1908; Martha, 14 July, 1913; Norma, 26 Jan., 1915; Herbert, 31 Oct., 1916; Lawrence, 8 Mar., 1923; and Elizabeth (Betty), 11 Aug., 1925. Charles spent his life as a farmer in the Holgate area. On 1 April, 1960, he died of cancer at his home. His wife, Elizabeth, still lives on their farm.

Antionette and Frederick Bostelman

William Heinrich Bostelman was born on 23 September, 1886. He never married, living with his brother John at their parents' home. After their father's death in 1917, they took care of their mother, Antoinette, until her death on 17 April, 1931. William became a farmer and was quite well known in the area for the produce from his truck garden. He died on 25 January, 1968, at the home of his nephew, Herbert Bostelman.

Most of Charles' children are still alive and living in the area.

Elsie Antoinette Marie Bostelman was married to Alvin John Wilhelm on 6 November, 1937. They are the parents of two sons, John and Jim, and two daughters, Nelda and Jane. Alvin passed away on 18 April, 1966. Elsie resides in the village of Holgate.

John H. Bostelman and his first car in 1922 or 1923.

Martha Marguarite Alma Bostelman married Wiley Joseph Wilhelm on November 23, 1941. They are the parents of seven children: six sons, Tom, Tim, Peter, Steve, Wiley, and Dan, and one daughter, Martha (Suzie). They reside on a farm on the Ridge Road near Hamler.

Norma Elizabeth Bostelman married Clarence Charles Haase on 10 July, 1938. They are the parents of one son, Larry, and two daughters, Janette and Nancy. They reside on a farm near Hamler.

Lawrence Walter Bostelman married Rachel Davis on Oct. 2, 1948. They are the parents of three daughters: Laura, Brenda, and Ruth. Lawrence passed away on Oct. 9, 1961, and Rachel passed away July 3, 1969.

Elizabeth Catherine Bostelman married Lester Vernell Knepley Nov. 27, 1947. They are the parents of two daughters Kathy and Carol. They reside in Napoleon, Ohio.

Herbert Carl Bostelman married Bernita Emma Marie Bosch of Lincoln Center, Kansas on Dec. 31, 1945. They have three sons: Clinton, Van, and Kermit. They reside in Holgate, Ohio.

William H. Bostelman and his nephew Herbert Bostelman Feb. 10, 1964

Herbert farmed with his father and two uncles John and William until he joined the U.S. Army Apr. 11, 1942. He and many other young men from this area were sworn in in Toledo, Ohio, and he took basic training in Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. He served in the6th Armored Division under Gen. George Patton in the European Theatre as a Communications Lineman. On Feb. 10, 1945, in the Battle of the Bulge area a land mine exploded under his jeep and he permanently lost the sight in both eyes. Sgt. Bostelman received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

The Charles Bostelman Family. Sitting: Mrs. Elizabeth Bostelman, Betty (married Lester Knepley), Mr. Charles Bostelman; standing: Norma (married Clarence Haase), Elsie (married Alvin Wilhelm), Lawrence (married Rachel Davis), Martha (married Wiley Wilhelm), Herbert (married Bernita Bosch).

His wife the former Bernita Bosch of Lincoln, Kansas, graduated from high school there in 1936. She then worked as a telephone operator in Lincoln to earn money for her further schoolin in Wesley Hospital School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas, from which she graduated in March, 1944, as a registered nurse. She and Herbert were married in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas, by the Rev. L. H. Deffner on Dec. 31, 1945.

In the spring of 1946 they came to Holgate, and Bernita became actively involved in the St. Johns Lutheran Church, the American Legion Auxiliary, and other community affairs in Holgate. In Jan., 1969, she was awarded the First Henry County Woman of the Year plaque for her Volunteer efforts in 1968. She is currently working as a registered nurse in Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, Ohio.

Their first son Clinton Andrew was born in Henry Co., Ohio, March 3, 1948, and graduated from Holgate High School in 1966, and from DeVry's Technical Institute, Chicago, Illinois, in 1968. In Jan., 1969, he entered the U.S. Army and took his basic training in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was then sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia, after which he was stationed in Pusan, South Korea, for fourteen months, receiving his Honorable Discharge in Aug., 1970. Clinton then attended Findlay College in Findlay, Ohio, from Jan., 1971, to June, 1973, graduating with a B.S. in Science. He is currently teaching in the Continental School in Putnam County, Ohio.

Bernita Bostelman receiving the Henry County "Womand of the Year" award from James Kuser, Jan. 1969

Van, Kermit, and Clinton, Christmas 1969

Van Dale Bostelman was born Jan. 20, 1951, in the Defiance Hospital. He graduated from Holgate High School in 1969. The previous summer Van spent in Alaska doing volunteer carpenter work for Wycliffe Bible Translators. He attended LeTourneau College, Longview, Texas, for one year. In Dec., 1970, he joined the U.S. Marine Corp, and took his basic training in San Diego, California, at Camp Pendleton. He was then sent to Keflavik, Iceland. He completed his enlistment Oct. 31, 1972. His choice of colleges was Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in botany in Aug., 1975. He continued doing carpenter work during the summer, and is currently doing carpentry in the Holgate area.

Kermit Carlton Bostelman was born in Henry County, June 15, 1953, and graduated from Holgate High School in 1971. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps taking his training in San Diego, and Camp Pendleton, California. He was then stationed in Quantico, Virginia, until his discharge in Sept., 1974, but after 5 mo. of part time jobs Kermit re-enlisted for two years. Sgt. Bostelman is presently stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Submitted by Mrs. Bernita Bostleman