Ferdinand Spengler of Port Clinton, Ohio, a son of our city, died suddenly on Sunday morning in the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rocky Ridge, just a few miles from his home. The St. John's congregation was celebrating their 25 year jubilee and wanted at the same time to inaugurate their new pipe-organ. Ferdinand Spengler, who was an accomplished musician, was to play this and in the evening give an organ concert. He had gone in company with his wife to Rocky Ridge and was just going up the steps to the (choir) loft when he sank to the floor, stricken by a heart attack. A couple of minutes later he breathed his last. He had suffered for a long time from a heart defect, for which a specialist in Toledo had been treating him. The young man had made his last visit to his parents' house two weeks before his death.
Ferdinand Spengler was born here on the 3rd of November 1882 as the youngest child of the couple Ludwig and Henrietta Spengler. After several years of music training in Defiance College and in the college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Iowa Synod in Clinton, Iowa, he settled in Port Clinton as a music teacher, which occupation he practiced with success until his life's end. In the year 1903 he was wed in Paines Point, Ill. by his brother-in-law Pastor J. T. Hossfeld with Miss Lilly Meyer of Port Clinton. From this marriage resulted four sons, of whom the youngest, Ferdinand, preceded his father into eternity. With the wife, mourning at the grave of this man so abruptly torn from this life are the three sons, Donald, Karl and Paul, his aged parents the sisters Mrs. Maria B. Deindorfer from Defiance, Mrs. Anna Hossfeld from Melvin, Ill., Mrs. Flora Thomas from St. Mary's, O., Miss Line Spengler and Mrs. Minnie Kahlo of Defiance, as well as the brothers Karl, Julius and Alwin, who all reside in Defiance.
The Christian burial of the mortal remains will take place on Wednesday afternoon of this week under the direction of Pastor Siegfried Strauss from the Lutheran Church in Port Clinton to a cemetery there.
Johann Valentin, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Johann Kiessner and his wife Elisabeth, died on Saturday about noon in the parental residence No. 621 Nicholas Street. The baby boy was born on the 24th of August, so was only 20 days old. Christian burial took place Monday morning from the St. John's Catholic Church to the Riverside cemetery.
[died: ?13 Sep 1913]
Mrs. Eva Wellman
Mrs. Eva Wellman, widow of the late Jerry Wellman, died last Saturday afternoon at about half past two in Highland Township in the residence of her daughter, Mrs. George Dunlap, at the age of 88 years, 7 months and 1 day. She leaves behind a number of grown children and a large circle of various relatives. Her remains were taken Monday afternoon from the former residence to a grave in the private cemetery of the Wellman family in Highland Township.
Stephen Shirley died last Wednesday evening about 7 o'clock in his residence No. 1015 south Clinton street. He was born on the 3rd of October 1844 on a farm in Defiance County and practiced agriculture for many years. The past few years he has resided in Defiance. The deceased leaves behind the following children: Mrs. W. P. Fox in Defiance; Mrs. E. Dils in Colwell, Idaho; Lester J. Shirley in Sherwood, and Lawrene N. Shirley in Portland, Oregon. His remains were taken Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the former residence under the direction of Pastor L. H. Ziemer to the Cromley cemetery in Defiance Township. Comrades from the Bishop Post of the Grand Army, to which the deceased belonged as a war veteran, accompanied his coffin to the grave.
Jakob Bernhardt, on last Tuesday morning about half past six in his residence on Kintner Street found release from his lengthy siege of illness through death. He was born on the 25th of February 1850 in Hemishofen, Canton Schaffhausen, Switzerland and came to this country about 32 years ago and settled then in Defiance where he has resided ever since. He was twice married. His first wife died before his move to America. From this marriage resulted only the son, Karl, who survives his father. On the 13th of November 1884 Jakob Bernhardt married Miss Anna Stamm from Archbold, Ohio, who preceded him in death quite a few years ago. From this marriage the daughter Lydia survives; two boys died in early childhood. Additionally Jakob Bernhardt is survived by the sister, Mrs. Elisabeth Mettler residing here as the last of five siblings. His remains will be buried Thursday morning at 10 o'clock from the Reformed Church in Archbold under the direction of Pastor J. Vogt to the cemetery there, to be laid next to his wife and children. Before that [a funeral service] will be held on Wednesday afternoon at half past three here in the former residence by Pastor N.E. Bitz .... (column truncated)