VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP - 873

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.

AMOS B. JENNER, physician and merchant, Jenera, was born near Sulphur Springs, Crawford Co., Ohio, April 5, 1848, son of William and Catherine (Ebel) Jenner, natives of Holland, who came to America in 1830, and, the same year, were united in marriage in Portage County, Ohio, settling in Crawford County, Ohio, where the Doctor's father is still living, a farmer and weaver by occupation. William Jenner, although an exacting man, is conscientious and is highly esteemed by his neighbors. He is the father of thirteen children: George; Augustus; Christena, wife of Joseph Bell; John, deceased; Andrew, who died in the service of his country; William, killed at the battle of Pittsburg Landing; Daniel; Jacob; Amos B. ; Rebecca, wife of Jacob Beaver; Mary; Henry and Benjamin, deceased at the age of seventeen years. The subject of this sketch remained at home until he was seventeen years of age, when he purchased his liberty by agreeing to pay his father a stipulated sum of money annually until his maturity; he worked at daily labor, attended Oberlin College and taught school, thereby laying the foundation for his prosperity in after life. In 1873 he purchased a drug and provision store in Sycamore, Wyandot Co., Ohio, and there began the study of medicine with Dr. Bland, of Bucyrus, Crawford Co., Ohio, as his preceptor. In 1875 he attended a course of lectures at Columbus Medical College, and in June, 1877, graduated from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, and began the practice of his profession at Cannonsburgh, this county, and there continued until the fall of 1883, when he located at Jenera, this county, which village is named in honor of our subject, who has been very active in all the enterprises for its advancement and ,improvement. The Doctor has been very successful in his profession, and is also doing a large business in the drug and dry goods line. In the fall of 1883, at a special election, he was elected justice of the peace. He was strongly urged to accept the nomination for the Legislature, but declined. Dr. Jenner is a man of great popularity, natural ability and energy. He is a member of the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association; an elder in the United Presbyterian Church. He was united in marriage, December 9, 1873, with Lettie Andrews, who was born May 10, 1849, in Crawford County, Ohio, daughter of Robert and Sarah (Foster) Andrews, the former of whom, a native of Cumberland County, Penn. , died in 1883, aged seventy-five years. His widow, a native of Crawford County, Ohio, is still living, in her sixty-third year. Of her eight children five died young; the survivors are Lettie (wife of the subject of this sketch), Robert and Ida. To Dr. Jenner and wife have been born three children: Lacua G. (deceased), Trola D. and Lavesta V.

874 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

LOUIS LUNEACK, farmer and lumberman, P. O. Jenera, was born in Marion County , Ohio, October 12, 1836, son of John and Margaret (Karck) Luneack, natives of Germany, born near Darmstadt, and who immigrated to America in 1831, soon after locating in Marion County, Ohio, and about 1840 removing to Section 9, Van Buren Township, this county, where they purchased a small tract of land. John Luneack died in 1851, aged fifty three years. His widow, who is still living, was born May 3, 1799, and is the mother of nine children, five of whom are now living: Barbara, wife of Providence Harriman; Christine, wife of Adam Reddick; Philip; Louis (the subject of this sketch); Catherine, wife of Gotleib Crates; Margaret (deceased wife of Philip Heldman. (She left a family in Van Buren Township, this county). The other three children died without issue. Louis Luneack received only a limited education, his early life being spent in the woods. At the age of sixteen years he started out in life without a dollar, but perseverance and energy have placed him among the foremost men of the county. Having natural ability and genius, Mr. Luneack became a tradesman, and carried on blacksmithing and gunsmithing for twelve years. He purchased land, and, in company with P. Heldman, built a planing and saw-mill in Van Buren Township, this county. Our subject became the sole proprietor in 1881, and is doing an extensive business in the manufacture of shingles, lath, etc., besides managing a highly improved farm of 100 acres of land. Louis Luneack served fourteen consecutive years as township trustee, resigning in 1878 to accept the office of county commissioner, to which he was elected by an overwhelming majority, and served faithfully during his term of office, but refused a renomination. He was subsequently returned to the office of trustee, which he still holds. Mr. Luneack was united in marriage, May 27, 1859, with Elizabeth Heldman, who was born in Van Buren Township, this county, October 25, 1839, daughter of Peter and Catherine (Kirshbaum) Heldman. Our subject and wife are the parents of six children: Eva, wife of George von Stein, of Jenera; Margaret, wife of Adam Pifer, of Jenera; Adam; Andy; Philip and Lindy. They are members of the Lutheran Church, of which Mr. Luneack is one of the pillars.

JOSEPH ROTHTROCK, farmer, P. O. Dunkirk, Hardin County, is a native of Lehigh County, Penn., born August 30, 1824, son of Samuel and Margaret (Eshbaugh) Rothtrock, natives of Pennsylvania. The father of our subject was a saddler by trade, but his later years were passed in farming and saw-milling. He was a son of Samuel Rothtrock, of Pennsylvania, whose parents came from Germany. The parents of our subject had fifteen children, only three of whom are now living, Joseph, Amos and Levi. The two latter served in the war of the Rebellion. Joseph Rothtrock came to this county in 1860, after having resided for several years in the eastern part of Ohio, and has since resided here, engaged principally in farming and butchering. ,He has a farm of 160 acres. Mr. Rothtrock has been twice married, first to Mary Stonehill, a daughter of David Stonehill, of Stark County, Ohio, and there were nine children born of this union: Isaac, Eliza, William, Henry, John (deceased), David, Hattie, George and Annie. Mr. Rothtrock's present wife was Mrs. Mary (Bosserman) Bowers, widow of Franklin Bowers, by whom she had four children: William, Alonzo, Samuel and Ellie. By his present wife Mr. Rothtrock has four children: Isabell, Lydia, Amos and Clarence. Our subject and wife are members of the German Baptist Church.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. - 875

CHRISTIAN SCHALLER, farmer, P. O. Jenera, was born in Lauden, Hessen-Darmstadt, April 9, 1812, son of Christian and Christine (Heldman) Schaller, both of whom died in Germany, the former in 1818, aged fifty-two years, and the latter in 1840, aged sixty-six years. They were the parents of eight children: Margaret, deceased wife of Philip Dillman; Maria, deceased wife of Peter Borger-she left a family in Germany; Barbara, married to Peter Horn, came to America and here died; Catherine, wife of Philip Traucht, in Madison Township, this county; George, a mill owner in Houston County, Minn. ; Eliza B., deceased wife of Nicholas Borger, who is in Germany; Elizabeth, wife of Michael Wilch, of Van Buren Township, this county, and Christian. The subject of this sketch came to America in 1833, and located near Hagerstown, Md. Two years later he went to Steubenville, Ohio, and in 1838 he came to this county and located 124 acres of land in Van Buren Township, where he now resides. Our subject began life in America with but $3. He has lived a quiet, industrious life, enduring the trials and hardships incident to a settler in a new country, and by frugal and industrious habits has become one of the most substantial and prominent men in his township. He has served three years as justice of the peace. In 1838 Mr. Schaller was united in marriage, in Van Buren Township, this county, with Mina Bowers, daughter of William Bowel, of German descent; she died March 15, 1868, aged forty-four years. Of her nine children four are now living: Philip; Mariah, now the widow of Philip Heldman; Peter and William. The deceased are Elizabeth (she was the wife of Philip Schaller) and four others who died young.

GEORGE STEINMAN, farmer and lumberman, P. O. Jenera, was born in Germany, March 22, 1825, and came to America with an elder brother, Michael (now deceased) and his younger sister, who is now the widow of Jacob Steinman, and resides in Van Buren Township, this county. Maria, a widowed sister of our subject, came to America with her family in 1872, and died in Van Buren Township, this county. George Steinman learned the carpenter trade in Columbus, Ohio. On the breaking out of the Mexican war he enlisted in Columbus, Ohio, in Company B, Fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served under Gens. Taylor and Scott, in the Rio Grande country, for a year and a half, participating in the battles of Matamoras and Pueblo. After the war Mr. Steinman came to this county, and followed his trade for many years. He took up 160 acres of land in Putnam County, Ohio, on his land warrant. Our subject now has a farm of 100 acres of land, with a large, improved cider-mill and scale. He, in company with his nephew, owns a large lumber and shingle-mill, which was built on his farm in 1881, and is doing an extensive business. Our subject is also engaged in farming and steam threshing. He was united in marriage, November 1, 1855, with Catherine Hull, who was born in Medina County, Ohio, February 26, 1834, daughter of Henry and Cath erine (Demnewall) Hull, early settlers in this county. To our subject and wife have been born eleven children: a son, deceased in infancy; Mary E., wife of Jacob Cramer; Jacob H. ; Alice, wife of James Brooks; Caroline, wife of Daniel Thomas; John, married to Zenobia Pugh; William F. ; Charles; Joseph; Sarah and Alpha. Mr. and Mrs. Steinman are members of the German Baptist Church, and are consistent Christians, much esteemed by their neighbors and friends.