My Genealogy Hound

JOHN M. HENNINGER, retired farmer; P. O. Gordon. The subject of this memoir was born in Wittemburg, Germany, Nov. 19, 1804, and is a son of Christian and Mary Henninger, natives of Germany, who lived and died in the place of their nativity at advanced ages; his father was a school teacher by profession, and was one of the leading educators in Germany. Our subject lived with his father till he was 16 years of age, when he learned the baker’s trade, which he followed for five years, and then turned his attention to farming, which he followed for ten years; he emigrated from his native home in August, 1847, to America, and landed in New York in September of the same year—his voyage occupying twenty-eight days; he came directly to Ohio and settled in Darke County; he purchased 120 acres of land in this township, mostly in the woods; went to work at it with a will and energy that is characteristic of our German citizens, and, after years of toil and privations, succeeded in getting his land in a good state of cultivation, and had good average improvements thereon; this he sold at the expiration of seven years and purchased 160 acres, where he now resides; this was all in the woods, but by his accustomed skill and industry he soon cleared it of its heavy growth of timber, and his land is now in a high state of cultivation, and has fair improvements erected thereon; he began life in America with only a capital of $700, and, by industry and good management, he has a pretty home in which to end his declining years; he informs us that his good wife has bravely assisted him in all the arduous duties of life and has borne her full share of the trials in the struggle since their pathways were united. He was united in marriage with Barbara, daughter of Michael and Barbara (Schiller) Creeb, Nov. 22, 1829. and by this union have had twelve children, viz.: Barbara, born June 1, 1830, now Mrs. Daller, and resides in Dayton; John, born Sept. 23, 1832, and died Nov. 15, 1856; John F., born Aug. 22, 1834, died January 16, 1857; John H., born Feb. 29, 1836, died Nov. 20, 1857; Margaret, born April 21, 1837, now Mrs. Scheiding; Sophia C., born Aug. 31, 1838, died Nov. 23, 1858; Rosanna C., born April 2, 1831, died Sept. 20, 1856; Catharine, born Nov. 22, 1839, died Sept. 22, 1858; Charles, bora June 6, 1841; Frederick W., born March 7, 1843, died March 24, 1843; John, born Sept. 23, 1848; Frederick, born April 17, 1851, died in August, 1858; Mrs. Henninger was born Aug. 29, 1808. Mr. and Mrs. Henninger, with their children, are members of the Lutheran Church, and are earnest Christian people.