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Bolender & Shinkle

Families

K. Merrill Bolender

Chapter One

Emancipation From Bondage

Chapter Two

Westward Ho!

Chapter Six

The Present Generation

The Past is Forever Speaking

Though my name appears on this book's cover, no room would be left for the title if it included the names of all those who contributed to its development.

· To my wife, Donna, whose love, encouragement and patience helped see me through this project. Without her support, this book would not have been possible. There were days the 'honey do' list had to wait. Some nights she went to bed alone while I sat at the word processor. She helped proofread my manuscript and made helpful suggestions. She supplied me with pens, note pads and reams of copier paper.

· To Harold Miller, a distant cousin, who has been a leading researcher on Bolender and Shinkle genealogy. He generously supplied me with whatever resources he had on hand. His research booklet, BEGINNINGS OF THE FAMILY OF PETER AND (MARIA) BARBARA BOLENDER, has been a great help.

· To my brother, Leon Bolender of Mt. Vernon, OH, who is greatly gifted in research and accurately deciphering records of our ancestors. His assistance has helped me correct many errors through several revisions.

· To my cousin, Elsie Bolender of Lexington, KY, whose writings of records and stories handed down through the family has been a treasure trove of information.

· To the Indianapolis Christian Scribes, led by Hank and Bernice 'Bunnie' Mercier. This group gave me much encouragement in the beginning days of my writing offering many helpful suggestions.

· To my friends, Rob Green and Bob Taylor, both computer experts who always came to our rescue when computer glitches occurred.

· To my friend and 'webmaster,' Jon Green, whose expertise in WebPages design and construction helped develop the website, Shaking the Branches, which will eventually contain this manuscript.

· To the many cousins I have met on the Internet whose exchanges of information have added pieces of the puzzle to help complete the picture.

· To my sister, Eleanor Dedek of South Bend, IN, who shared her time proofreading, editing and suggesting improvements for the entire manuscript. Eleanor encouraged me to be myself and tell my stories my own way. I DID!

As we study past history, we find it was common practice in ancient civilizations to hand down stories of ancestors and forefathers to descendants for many generations. Ancient tribal peoples told and retold tales of their ancestor's courage, determination, and stamina when faced with difficulty and challenges. The Old Testament is full of such stories which even today enable the Jewish people to feel like they know their forefathers even after milleniums of time. It was considered a duty to share the stories, thus leaving a legacy for their children and children's children.

Today, how many grandchildren even know their grandparents, or their aunts and uncles? Many of us live in historical vacuums unable to name more than a generation or two of our ancestors. At times I have felt disappointed in my lack of knowledge concerning the genealogy of my family. It's hard to feel like I know ancestors who left no diaries, letters, or journals. With only names and dates and not much else, how can we know the stock from which we descended? I strongly wish they would have left a record of their lives for our generation to read and enjoy. This could provide families and friends with a link to history which can be cherished for generations to come.

In today's world we stay in touch with our loved ones by telephone and E-mail. Few write letters and rarely does anyone keep a diary. We preserve no written record of all the ups and downs of our lives and the times in which we live. How will our grandchildren and their children ever know from whom and from where they came, or the condition of the world in our time unless we record our memories in a form they can keep?

A growing curiosity has motivated me to try to discover more about the Bolender* and Shinkle* family roots. The connection of the two families will be explained in the first chapter of this book. A genealogy of the Bolender and Shinkles has evolved over the years with extensive research by Harold Miller, a distant relative, from Milford, OH. My brother, Leon Bolender of Mt. Vernon, OH, with careful accuracy, has refined, corrected, and further recorded more complete information.

In October 1997, my wife Donna and I enjoyed a vacation trip to Pennsylvania which included three days in the Lancaster County area. This is the area to which Peter Bolender, my fourth great grandfather, immigrated in 1750 from Germany. While there, we visited the Old Lancaster Court House archives and were able to locate some old records dating back to 1772. One record was the original document giving Peter Bolender's wife, Barbara, administratrix authority concerning his estate. This old paper was no doubt filled out with a goose quill pen by authorities representing the British Crown. It was exciting to see the original which predated the Revolutionary War by a few short years.

At the Court House, we also found several court records, copied from the originals, of an Orphans Court distributing the balance of Peter Bolender's monies (measured in pound sterling, shillings and pence) to his widow, Barbara, and to the four children. Other records pertained to the granting guardianship of the three younger daughters. Their son, Stephen Bolender, my third great grandfather, was 16 years old at the time, so he didn't require a guardian.

While in Lancaster, I visited the Lancaster Co. Historical Society's archives and Berk's Co. Historical Society looking at records and ship passenger list of emigrants from Germany in the eighteenth century. I searched church records at the archives of the Reformed Theological Seminary. This proved to be a treasure trove of information.

In the following book, I will attempt to describe the historical setting concerning why our ancestors left Europe for the New World, what conditions they faced on their journey in coming here, what life was like for them in the Colonies, their involvement in the Revolutionary War, and their migration westward to Ohio and beyond.

It has been an exciting adventure researching and exploring history which directly affected the Bolenders' and Shinkles' sojourn and saga. During our trip to Pennsylvania, I had the feeling I was visiting our forefathers at their home and getting to know them.

Since our trip, I have corresponded with a number of distant cousins, by E-mail, who are also researching the Bolender and Shinkle genealogy. They have shared with me further bits and pieces which help toward completing the puzzle.

Several public and historical libraries have been helpful in my studies of history that directly affected our forefathers. At the end of this genealogical-historical coverage will be a bibliography of the resource material used.

This book is not intended to replace the present genealogy records which others have prepared over the years. It is intended to be a helpful tool alongside other records to aid the reader in understanding the historical setting. It will add flesh and blood to what otherwise would be only names and dates.

For the sake of time and space, I have limited most of this book to my direct line ancestry.

Have you ever wondered how our European ancestors lived? What were the political, economic, social, and spiritual conditions that shaped their lives? Why did they leave their homeland in Germany and with great difficulty make their way to the 'New World'? Were they wealthy, famous, royalty or none of the above? In this genealogical history I will attempt to answer these questions.

First, let's look at some history of the area now called Germany. Celtic peoples inhabited it until a series of military campaigns brought it within the Roman Empire in the first century BC. The Teutons (German speaking peoples) subdued the Roman Empire by 500 a.d. and they culturally absorbed the Celtic peoples.

The first Bolender found so far dates back to about 1100, at the large Bolanden Estates, near a small village called Bolanden. Ferdinand Bolender, who owns the Great Guesthaus Hotel and Restaurant in Linsengericht, Germany, says this is the origination of the Bolender name. His aunt, supposedly, has the family history dating clear back to this era. I trust, in the near future, this will be made public so we can share this valuable history of the Bolender family.

Records trace my fourth great grandfather, Peter Bolender* and Phillip Carl Schenkel (Shinkle),** back to an area in Europe now called Germany. Phillip Carl Schenkel and several relatives lived in a small village called Edenkoben. His youngest daughter Margreta would, in the future, marry Peter Bolender's son Stephen (my third great grandfather). This would be the beginning of many marriages between the two families for at least one hundred fifty years.

Records show that the Bolender and Schenkel families were 'Palatine.' A 'Palatine' is someone who came from the region of Germany called 'The Palatinate.' Germany as a country did not exist in the 18th century. Prior to 1871, the area that is now Germany consisted of separate states, such as Wurttemberg, Prussia, Bavaria, etc., whose boundaries changed frequently as a result of war and other causes. The 'Palatinate' was one of those states and was located along the Rhine River, roughly where the modern German state of Rhineland-Pfalz is located.***

The Palatinate was land owned by a 'feudal lord' who was a secular prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Along the Rhine valley, he lived in a castle on a hilltop overlooking his large estate with the river in view. The feudal lord owned the inhabitants farming the land and tending the estate. They were called 'serfs' or 'peasants' who, owning little, lived in poverty.

A description of our ancestor, Phillip Carl Schenckel's homeland is given by Dr. Alfred Hans Kuby, presently a resident and village historian of Edenkoben, Rhineland Pfalz, Germany. A retired pastor, scholar, and educator, he first came to the United States as a WWII prisoner in the mid nineteen-forties. He loves America and is a frequent lecturer for the Pennsylvania Chapter of "The Palatines to America." In his book, Life In a Palatine Town Between 1648 and 1798, he describes:

"...the old towns and villages in the Alsace, Palatinate, Hessen, and Wurtemberg have narrow roads, each house close beside each other. High arched gateways permitted the wagons hauling the grain harvest and hay to pass through. Beside each house is a neatly tended garden. Around the town are harvest fields, meadows, vineyards, and somewhere within sight is a forest. They grew farm animals to produce milk and meat. They grew vegetables, millet, oats, apples, pears, sweet grapes, plums, nuts and chestnuts. Potatoes became an important food in the 18th century."

The emigrants brought this style of living to the 'New Land,' but with one highly important difference. They now had much more space, making it possible to expand their buildings, gardens, harvest fields and meadows.

In Germany, most villages had a church. In 1648, Edenkoben had only one church, which was a medieval building used by the Reformed congregation. Edenkoben lay in an area whose people were Reformed, but whose Prince Elector was Catholic. In terms of political jurisdiction, Edenkoben belonged to the Electorate of Kurpfalz (Pfalz), whose capitol city was Heidelberg.

In another lecture to the Pennsylvania Chapter, given in April 24-25, 1998, Dr. Kuby states:

"The inhabitants of Edenkoben paid several types of taxes, one being the obligatory per capita assessment to pay the costs for the Prince Elector to build the enormous Castle at Mannheim, which today houses the very large Mannheim University. After WWII, the US Military used this castle, temporarily, for a prison."

In 1981, Dr. Kuby wrote about these emigrants under the title, The People of the Snow Ketty:

"During the years 1749 to 1752 almost 70 residents of Edenkoben immigrated to North America. Their diet was lots of bread made from rye and other grains such as spelt and oats. They also had pulp of millet and soup of barley. They added lentils, peas, beans, carrots, onions, cabbage and red and white wines. Everybody drank wine and most drank milk. Most meals were without meat. Occasionally, they had chicken. In November, a goose might be had. Eggs were eaten frequently.

"If they wanted something extra and quite special, they could eat chestnuts, almonds, apples, and pears. A very special food item was the 'Latwerg', a kind of jam made from Damson Plums and spices. After they immigrated to Pennsylvania, they didn't have the right kind of plums so they used apples. They began producing 'apple butter'."

To gain insight into conditions, leading to the exodus from their homeland to the New World, let's review some 17th and 18th century history. The principalities of the Palatinate, Baden, and Wurttemberg had suffered greatly from the terrible Thirty Years War (1618-1648). During the war the Palatine population had been reduced from 1,000,000 to 50,000. Before recovering from the ravages, the Palatinate was subjected to the plundering of the troops of the French monarch Louis XIV during the War of the Grand Alliance (1689-1697). These periodic invasions by the French devastated the land, and a large proportion of the population was reduced to poverty. Next came the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713) which caused much devastation of Wurttemberg. In 1708-1709, a severely cold winter froze the wildlife in the forests and killed fruit trees and vineyards. All Europe suffered from the cold, but the Germans in Wurttemberg and the Palatinate suffered more so, due to their impoverished condition. To make matters worse, their selfish and incompetent rulers, living in rich luxury, shamelessly exploited the people. Religious conditions were also bad. In the Palatinate, the Catholic rulers persecuted many of the Protestants groups, hampering the peasants in the exercise of their religious beliefs.

To the dissatisfied populace in Germany, America appeared as the land of promise, offering both freedom and economic opportunity. William Penn, head of the colony of Pennsylvania, promoted colonization by distributing printed advertisements in England. These soon spread to Germany. At the same time fellow countrymen, who had already immigrated to America, sent back glowing reports of their life in America.

During the period, 1710 to 1776, an estimated 225,000 persons from the Rhine district and nearby regions, especially the Palatinate and Wurttemberg, immigrated to the colonies in America. So many came from the Rhinesh Palatinate that in England and America all German immigrants were known as Palatines.

In 1952, some genealogist, tracing family roots of their Palatine ancestors, visited Edenkoben, Germany and found information regarding 18th century serfs having been emancipated from serfdom and thence having immigrated to the New World. Because our ancestor Phillip Carl Schenkel, and other Schenkels, are mentioned in their findings, I will give a quote, translated from German, from the book, Ship Passenger Lists. Pennsylvania and Delaware (1641-1825). A chapter titled, "18th Century Emigrants from Edenkoben in the Palatinate", pp. 187-189:

the Palatine serfs (peasants) of the 18th Century when it came to emigration. For their release from bondage as subjects and their manumission (emancipation) from serfdom a special duty had to be paid, besides the so-called "Tenth Penny," a sum to the extent of 10% of the emigrant's property. Yet emigrants with no means were "manumitted" anyway. But for secret emigration (leaving without permission), the penalty was mostly the confiscation of the property.

"From Edenkoben, then under the rule of the Electoral Palatinate, there emigrated in the 18th Century, according to the Protocols of the Bailiwick of Neustadt, a comparatively large number of persons. Actually the number may have been still higher, due to the secret emigration. Many of these emigrants' names can be located in the Pennsylvania Ship Lists.

"For instance, in 1750 Jacob Komer of Edenkoben, who is going to Pennsylvania with his wife, was released from serfdom, likewise in 1751 George Krass, with wife and two children. In 1752 Nicolas Leonhard, who had secretly emigrated around 1749, requested manumission so that his inheritance could be handed over to him. His request was granted, yet he had to pay 35 florins (guldens) for his manumission, for the "Tenth Penny" 31 florins, and for the Military Treasury, in the lieu of military service unrendered 7 florins. His brother Wilhelm Leonhard, who later also wanted to emigrate, was described as an "ill-behaved and dissolute petitioner" (ohnartiger and liederlicher Supplican), so that his request for emigration could be granted with no difficulties at all.

"In 1752 Martin Grun, Heinrich Schenkel, and Christian Muller went to 'Pennsylvanien.' They had to pay all the aforementioned duties, except Martin Grun who, because of his having no property, was manumitted without charge. But the request for emigration met with great difficulties in the case of the three stepdaughters of Martin Grun--Anna Barbara, Marie Elisabetha, and Maria Catharina Frank--who were such good workers, at the best age for working, and so plainly valued by the Electoral Government that they received manumission reluctantly and only after long struggles.

"For the same year, 1752, a great emigration year, Philip Carl Schenkel and Jacob Welde of Edenkoben also went as emigrants to North America, all manumitted gratis (without charge) on account of their poverty. Likewise in 1752 came the departure from Edenkoben of Jacob Schuster and Johann Phillip Schenkel with his wife, both serfs of the Zweibrucken Government. The departure of other persons, Abraham Sonntag and Jacob Schenkel, occasioned serious apprehensions on the part of the Electoral Government, on account of the competition with Pfalz-Zweibrucken, which also possessed serfs in Edenkoben.

"But when the Mayor of Edenkoben reported that the Electoral Palatinate possessed 315 men and 377 women as serfs in Edenkoben, while Zweibrucken could muster only 36 men and 40 women, the right of departure was granted the petitioners for the payment of a small duty, or even gratis, because they have so little property and cannot make a good living in Edenkoben."

According to other records, in 1752 Phillip Carl Schenkel, along with Johann, Phillip, Jacob and Heinrich (doubtless his brothers or cousins), emigrated to America, taking passage at Rotterdam in the ship 'Snow Ketty' commanded by Theophilus Barnes, touching at Portsmouth, England and landing at Philadelphia on October 16, 1752.

*Take note of the spelling of Bolender in different records. Variations may include Poland, Polander, Pollender, Bolend, Bollender, Bollinder, Bohlander, Bohlender, Boland, Bolander, and Bollander.

**Take note of the spelling of Schenkel in different accounts and records. Variations may include Schenkel, Schenckel, Shankle, and Shinkle.

**Phillip Carl Schenkel was born June 8, 1717, in Edenkoben, Germany. His father was Nicholas Schenkel and his grandfather was Bartholomew Schenkel. As of March, 1998, exciting new information concerning Phillip Carl's ancestors is being gleaned from old church records dating back to the 1550's in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

***Geographically, the Palatinate was divided between two small territorial clusters: the Rhinish, or the Lower Palatinate, and the Upper Palatinate. The Rhinish Palatinate included the lands on both sides of the Middle Rhine River between its Main and Neckar tributaries. Its capitol until the 18th century was Heidelberg. The Upper Palatinate was located in northern Bavaria, on both sides of the Naab River as it flows south toward the Danube, and extended eastward to the Bohemian Forest. The boundaries of the Palatinate varied with the political and dynastic fortunes of the feudal lords.

The difficult journey from the Palatine region in Germany to Philadelphia in the New World could take up to six months. The trip was divided into three parts. The first part, fraught with difficulty, led down the Rhine River to the seaport Rotterdam, Holland.

Feudal lords owned the land and ruled the principalities through which the Rhine River flows. Peasant farmers made up the major part of the citizenry living in these regions. The rulers lived in castles built on the hilltops overlooking the Rhine valley. They took advantage of travelers going down the river by charging tolls for passage through the lord's principalities. Historians have termed them 'The Robber Barons of the Rhine.'

Gottlieb Mittelberger in his book, Journey to Pennsylvania in the year 1750, writes:

The second part of the journey led from Rotterdam to one of the English ports. Most of the ships stopped at Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. In England a delay of one to two weeks might be necessary while the ships waited to be passed through the custom house with another possible long wait for favorable winds.

The third part of the journey, the transatlantic voyage, brought much suffering and hardship. When the ships finally weighed anchor at Cowes, writes Mittelberger:

* "Collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French, and other Immigrants in Pennsylvania, 1727 to 1776." Rupp.

**In March 1998, I received a possible clue to the origin of Peter Bolender, from Mrs. Julie A Benston. She also is a descendent of Peter Bolender and his son Stephen. She writes, "At one time, I did go to the German church records. Nothing definitive, but there was a large incidence of baptisms of the Bolender family in the Bayern, Pfalz area of Germany, including a baptism for a Peter Bollender, son of Johannes and Eva Bollender on 10 October, 1703 in Bayern, Pfalz, Hassloch. Since this is the same area of Germany from which the Schenkel family is known to have come, and since the Bolenders do seem to be closely intertwined with the Schenkels, this might be a clue (though not confirmed) to the Bolenders' origins in Germany."

Arrival at Philadelphia must have been a relief to the Bolenders and Shinkles, even though they faced new challenges. A vivid account of the landing of passengers in the harbor of Philadelphia is given in a report by the Rev. Henry M. Muehlenberg. He writes:

"After much delay one ship after another arrives in the harbor of Philadelphia. One or more merchants receive the lists of the freights and the agreement which the emigrants have signed with their own hand in Holland, together with the bills for their travel down the Rhine and the advances of the 'newlanders' (emigrants to the New World) for provisions, which they received on the ships on account (credit). Formerly the fare for single was six to ten louis d'ors. But now it amounts to fourteen to seventeen louis d'ors. After the health officer checks for infectious diseases, the new arrivals are led in procession to the City Hall and there they must render the oath of allegiance to the King of Great Britain."

"We subscribers, natives, and late inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places adjacent, having transported ourselves and families into this providence of Pennsylvania, a colony subject to the Crown of Great Britain, in hopes and expectations of finding a retreat and peaceable settlement therein, Do solemnly promise and engage, that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His present Majesty, King George the Second, and his successors, kings of Great Britain, and will be faithful to the proprietor of this Province; and that we will demean ourselves peaceably to all His said Majesty's subjects, and strictly observe and conform to the Laws of England and of this Province to the utmost of our power and the best of our understanding."

"After this is accomplished they are brought back to the ship. Then announcements are printed in the newspapers, stating how many of the new arrivals are to be sold as 'indentured servants'. Those who have money are released. Whoever has well-to-do friends seeks a loan from them to pay the passage, but there are only a few who succeed. The ship becomes the market-place. The buyers make their choice among the arrivals and bargain with them for a certain number of years and days. They then take them to the merchant, pay their passage and their other debts and receive from the government authorities a written document, which makes the newcomers their property for a definite period."

New settlers continued to come in spite of all the hardships. Historians have said that those who survived the hardships pushed ahead without complaining. After serving their few years for repayment of their voyage debts, they became successful farmers. Pennsylvania flourished, evidence of the perseverance of these early pioneers. About one half of the Palatine immigrants to the colonies settled in Pennsylvania. In the early wave of immigration, the first settlement of German immigrants was Germantown, just north of Philadelphia. By the 1750's most were locating in Lancaster and Berks Counties. The majority of them came as 'indentured servants' and it was said of them, "When these people served out their time, they were just as poor as when they arrived." The period of service required to pay off the transportation debts took about five years. As conditions in Pennsylvania improved for them, they began to prosper, due in part, to the influence of William Penn.

Shunning an easy life, William Penn, son of a wealthy British admiral, became a Quaker missionary. From his father, Penn had inherited a claim to L16,000 ($80,000) that his father had lent to King Charles II. The King, reluctant to part with that much money, paid off the debt in 1681 by giving Penn a large portion of land which he named Pennsylvania (Penn's Woods) in honor of his father.

William Penn considered his colony (one of the thirteen) a 'Holy Experiment.' He treated the Indians fairly, trying to protect them in their dealing with settlers and traders. He wrote a series of descriptions promoting his colony, Pennsylvania. These circulated throughout England and the European continent, attracting many settlers, including Germans.

William Penn, a gentlemen, believed in brotherly love but didn't believe in war. He was given a 'Charter of Proprietorship,' which gave him freedom to draft the first laws of a moral plan which provided freedom of conscience for all. He thus maintained an environment inviting to Europeans fleeing from tyrannical monarchies, wars and religious persecution. This experiment in idealism worked well until after Penn's death, when leadership passed to his sons who failed to hold the same philosophies. Conditions gradually began to change.

Other benefits in Pennsylvania attracted German settlers. New immigrants who homesteaded there received 50 acres of land. The fertile soil provided the type of farming to which the German peasant farmers were already accustomed. Clearing the land provided the logs to build new homes.

In the book, The Story of the Conestoga, 1750--1850, p 78, one early traveling visitor described the homes he observed being built:

"These dwellings are made with the trunks of trees, from twenty to thirty feet in length, about five inches in diameter, placed one upon another, and kept up by notches cut at their extremities. The roof is formed with pieces of similar length to those that compose the body of the house, but not quite so thick, and gradually sloped on one side. Two doors, which often supply the place of windows, are made by sawing away a part of the trunks that form the body of the house. The chimney, always placed at one of the extremities, is likewise made with the trunks of trees of a suitable length; the back of the chimney is made of clay, about six inches thick, which separates the fire from the wooden walls. The space between these trunks is filled up with clay which isn't always airtight. The homes are rather cold in spite of the large amount of wood which is consumed during the winter. The doors move upon wooden hinges, and the greater part of them have no locks. In the night time they push them to, or fasten them with a wooden peg. Four or five days are sufficient for two men to finish one of these houses, in which not a nail is used."

A house-raising was an enjoyable time of hard work when the neighbors pitched in and helped build a new home. The women helped to prepare the hearty meals to keep the men satisfied. German farmers often attached a stable and cow barn to the house. In the cooler weather the heat from the animals help heat the house. Farm animals were valuable and well cared for. Basements, dug in the earth, provided cool storage for food including vegetables, milk and butter. Where limestone was available, more permanent homes replaced the log cabins. As the 18th century progressed, more and more homes were built of brick.

The Germans brought their Old World skills and traditions in preparing foods such as sausage, scrapple and smoked or pickled meats. Their pigs ran loose in the woods, eating acorns and roots, and in nine months they were big enough for slaughter. The first cold period in December, the German neighbors gathered together to butcher the pigs. They sharpened their knives to kill, clean and butcher the hogs for the winter months ahead. Hams, shoulders and bacon were soaked in brine before being hung in the smokehouse over a wood fire. Vension, bear and pork were preferred over beef.

One colonial writer in Colonial Records, iv p 315, described the Germans as follows:

"The Germans were principally farmers. They depended more upon themselves than upon others. They wielded the mattock, the axe and the maul, and by the power of brawny arms rooted up the grubs, removed saplings, felled the majestic oaks, laid low the towering hickory; prostrated, where they grew, the walnut, poplar, chestnut--cleaved such as suited the purpose, into rails for fences--persevered untiringly until the forest was changed into arable [tillable] land. They were those of whom Gov. Thomas said, 1738: "This province has been for some years the asylum of distressed Protestants of the Palatinate, and other parts of Germany; and I believe it may be truthfully said, that the present flourishing condition of it is in a great measure owing to the industry of those people; it is not altogether the fertility of the soil, but the number and industry of the people, that makes a country flourish."

The Germans retained their language and customs at least through the first and sometimes the second generation. Many of the descendants remaining in Pennsylvania are still known today as Pennsylvania Dutch (Dutch being a corruption of Deutsh--German). The immigrants in the eighteenth century belonged to various Christian groups. The Protestant included Lutheran, German Reformed and Moravian. Some immigrants were Catholic, and quite a number were Anabaptists such as Mennonites, Amish and Brethren (Dunkards).

Germans were prominent in the development of such colonial industries as blacksmithing, harness and saddle making, shoe making and in the manufacture of woolens and paper. The chief industry, farming, was successful because both men and women were hard workers. The women helped in the fields in the summer months. The women not only cooked and kept house, but also spun wool and flax. They wove a mixture of wool and flax into cloth, known as 'linsey-woolsey,' which was popular for clothing because of its warmth. Spinning wheels were as necessary in a farmhouse as tables, chairs and beds. During the long winter months farm families, in their log homes lighted by candles and warmed by the fireplace, manufactured all kinds of objects from bone buttons to leather breeches and hemp string bags.

Wheat and corn were also widely grown in Pennsylvania. Corn was a principle crop, easily cultivated and giving good yield under the rough frontier conditions. Nutritious and tasty when prepared in a variety of ways, it also provided excellent fodder for the livestock. In the form of corn liquor it was easy to store and transport.

Peter Bolender had many skills as a farmer, saddlemaker, blacksmith and a distiller. In 1750, when Peter Bolender arrived, 95% lived in the country and only 5% lived in the villages. About 90% of the farmers made their own clothing. Buckskin was commonly used in the 1700's but as deer populations diminished, flax and wool came into more common usage. Out of necessity, almost every home had a large garden, making the family self-sufficient. Beyond their own needs, the farmers sold produce from their gardens and the excess from their field crops.

The Bolenders' and Shinkles' German Reformed Pastor, Rev. Waldsmidt, died in 1786. The Berks County estate papers give some insight into what could be found in a typical Pennsylvania Dutch home. The inventory taken Oct. 25, 1786, showed that this country pastor had what was probably typical possessions for a farmer of the time.

Fish and game were plentiful and could be hunted without fear of the Indians, who were friendly from the beginning. Having a variety for a healthy diet enabled the settlers in Pennsylvania to avoid a period of famine or sickness such as other colonies experienced.

As new villages were formed in the colony, they each had their own schools and churches. Schools among the Germans were run by the churches. The colony gave land for these. Michael Schlatter provided curriculum for the German Reform Church Schools. In the colonies, the school curriculum was nicknamed the '3-R's': 'reading,' 'ritin' 'n 'rithmetic' (reading, writing and arithmetic).

All did not run smoothly for the German immigrants however. Some problems were encountered. In the book,

"As much as the Germans contributed to the frontier's growth, however, other settlers resented them. As early as 1729, William Penn's sons wrote to Secretary James Logan in Pennsylvania, recommending that the Pennsylvania Assembly pass a law prohibiting further immigration by the Palatines. They promised to have King George II uphold it.

"Why should the Palatine farmers be allowed to swarm into our settlement, and by herding together, establish their language and manners, to the exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us, instead of our Anglicifying them, and they will never accept our language or customs?"

But the German people had become too enmeshed in the growing fabric of colonial life to be halted. Today, in a 1990 census, one out of four Americans claim to have German ancestry.

The Bolender and Shinkle families lived near the edge of two adjoining counties, Heidelberg Township in Berks County and Cocolico Township in Lancaster County. According to church records, the Bolenders and Shinkles attended the Allegheny German Reformed Church. One record stated it to be Hain's Reformed, but other records indicate that the children were baptized at the Allegheny Church. The pastor was Rev. John Waldschmidt, 1724-1786, who came from Dillenburg, Germany and pastored several churches in the area. The services were in the German language. His records state that a 20 mile journey between churches may have taken as long as seven hours. This must have been under the worst of conditions at times with severe winters or muddy dirt roads.

Rev. Waldschmidt kept records of baptismal and marriages. Included in this book are photocopies of his original handwritten records in German. His handwriting is nearly illegible to me. Of course, I am unfamiliar with the German language. Almost all the children of the Bolenders and Shinkles were baptized by him. Peter Bolender and his wife, Maria Barbara (maiden name uncertain), had four children, three daughters and a son. Maria Juliane, born June 22, 1755, Stephen, born October 9, 1756, Catherine, born June 2, 1765 and (Anna) Elizabeth, born 1768 or 1769. Stephen is my third great grandfather.

Things would not always remain the same for the colonies. Changes were coming which would directly affect the future of the Bolender and Schenkel families.

During the last half of the eighteenth century, events were happening, which would have a profound effect upon the future of the colonies in general and on the Bolender and Shinkle families in particular. Four conditions were major: First: wilderness territory west of Pennsylvania became available. Second: breakthroughs in transportation over land, crossing rivers and navigating the waterways made it possible for settlers to move westward. Third: death in the family ultimately effected changes. Fourth: revolution against the British Crown resulted in a major war for independence and a new government.

First: In 1749 a group of Virginians and Englishmen formed the Ohio Company, chartered by King George II with a grant of 500,000 acres on the upper Ohio River. France maintained colonial control of the territory immediately west of Pennsylvania, calling it New France. The still unbroken wilderness was home to many Native American tribes who were called 'Indians.' A war broke out between the colonies and France. They fought for the control of the Ohio Valley and territory north and south of it. One of the military leaders from the colonies was a young man named George Washington. By 1756 the war had spread to Europe between Britain and France. This was the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War, because of its length of duration.

France drew up a truce with King George II of Britain, ending the war and agreeing to reserve this area, including what is now the state of Ohio, for the Indians. Because of the peaceful policies of William Penn, the colonists of Pennsylvania were not involved in the French and Indian war. After Penn's death, the governing of the colony passed to his sons. By the time of the revolution, they had changed much of Penn's original policies.

Second: Transportation improved. In 1750, Jacob Yoder invented a new design flatboat for traveling down inland waters. In the late 1790's ferryboats began to appear on major waterways, thus making westward travel possible. This resulted in massive migration for many years following. In Lancaster County, the German settlers developed the covered wagon. They began covering their wagons with linen to protect their goods from damage by the sun and rain. The name, 'Conestoga wagon,' derives from their first having been used in the Conestoga Valley of Lancaster County. These wagons played a major part in transportation of supplies during the Revolutionary War. They continued being used in the westward migration well into the 1800's.

Third: Another change of consequence is revealed in a document on record at the Old Lancaster County Courthouse, dated January 7, 1772, giving Barbara Bolender administratix authority concerning her late husband's estate. This indicates that Peter Bolender died late 1771 or early 1772.

I found Orphan's Court records at the courthouse also dated January 7, 1772, stating the decision of the Justices to appoint Henry Achey guardian over the estate of the children. At this time Stephen Bolender, my third great grandfather, was 15 years of age. In court records, dated August 11, 1772, the Justices of the same court, after deducting 12 shillings for court cost, distributed the remainder of the estate of the late Peter Bolender (amounting to 106 pound, 12 shilling, and 3 pence) among the mother Barbara, and the four children.

In another court record dated March 13, 1775, the Justices of the Orphan's Court appointed Charles Schenkel, new guardian over the children's estate and ordered the former guardian, Henry Achey to turn over the monies belonging to the children to the new guardian. This may be a clue* to the possibility that Barbara (Peter's widow) was a sister of Henry Achey. It is also possible she married Charles Schenkel making him the stepfather and thus the logical person to be the new guardian.

Fourth: Tensions built up between the Colonies and Britain, eventually resulting in the Revolutionary War.

Military records show that in 1779, Stephen served in the army as Private 2nd Class, Lancaster Company Military Muster Roll of Captain Geahr's Company 9 Battalion, commanded by Col. John Huber, 1779. Stephen Bolender is listed in the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index, Washington D. C. This indicates Stephen had become a 'Patriot,' disregarding the vow his parents had originally made to the British Crown and transferring his allegiance to the state of Pennsylvania.

Military records also show the three sons of Philip Carl Schenkel, Philip Jacob, Han Philip, and Christian took the oath of allegiance to Pennsylvania and served in the Revolutionary War. They were brothers-in-law and brothers to Stephen and Margreta (Shinkle) Bolender.

Following are some facts about the role of German settlers in the Revolutionary War. Since most had come to America to escape economic and physical oppression by unscrupulous German princes, they were against monarchy and sided with the American Revolution. At the beginning of the war, Germans formed the second largest single nationality in America, after the British. At the beginning of war, several German regiments formed in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Thousands formed into their own regiments, where German was the spoken language. Along with the Irish, Germans were among the toughest troops.

A very interesting situation occurred during the Revolutionary War. The British hired 30,000 mercenary Hession soldiers from Germany to help fight against the Colonies. After the war, around 12,000 of these chose to remain in the Colonies. I found a record of a George Bolender, in 1782 in New York, listed in the Muster Rolls and Prisoner-of-War Lists in American Archival Collections Pertaining to the German Mercenary Troops Who Served with the British Forces during the American Revolution. These muster rolls and prisoner-of-war lists often indicate where deserter-immigrants and prisoners were held during the Revolution and thus where they may have settled after hostilities ended. This means, most likely, that George Bolender fought with the British Loyalists while Stephen Bolender fought with the Colonial Patriots. No doubt, the same thing happened during WWI and WWII when Germany and the United States fought on opposing sides.

On August 29, 1779, Stephen Bolender (aged 22) married Margreta Schenkel (aged 19), daughter of Phillip Carl and Elizabeth Schenkel. Circumstances must have been challenging for Stephen at this stage in his life. He married and served in the military during the same year. He owned 60 acres in Cocolico Township, near the border between Berks and Lancaster Counties. Various accounts of his life state that Stephen was a farmer, a shoemaker, a blacksmith and a Dunkard minister. From a study of the records, one may reasonably conclude that the change from the German Reformed Church to the Dunkards came later. This was a radical change from the Calvinist theology of the German Reformed Church to the Anabaptist beliefs of the German Brethren (Dunkards). The term 'Dunkard' (more properly called 'Dunker'), derives their practice of baptism by immersion ('dunking' the person completely under the water). They share the same theological stream as Mennonites and Amish. Dunkards wore plain clothes, refused to take oaths, did not go to war** nor engage in lawsuits.

A historical account records that Stephen and Margreta, with at least four children, left Lancaster County and moved to Northumberland County (presently called Centre County). John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania, states that Stephen Bolender came to Brush Valley about 1791. Phillip Jacob Schenkel and Christian Waldsmith, (brothers-in-law to Stephen) both owned land at present-day Rebersburg. In 1785 Christian Waldsmith (the German Reformed minister's son who married Stephen's sister Cathrine) bought 334 acres from Samuel Miles of Philadelphia. On December 1, 1791, this land was deeded to Stephen Bolender. Philip Schenkel held a patent (deed) for land south of Rebersburg, dated May 15, 1786, and signed by Benjamin Franklin, president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania.

The wilderness territory west of Pennsylvania was opened to settlement as a result of the Revolutionary War. George Rogers Clark led an expedition into the territory west of Pennsylvania to make a strike against the British outposts that were causing trouble there. Despite Clark's victory in the Northwest during 1778 and 1779, most of the territory remained under British control throughout the Revolutionary War. On September 3, 1783, Britain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War. Under the terms of this treaty, the Mississippi River marked the western boundary of the United States territory.

Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, providing for the survey of the northwestern territories. Next, Congress decided how the territories would be governed. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a self-governing territory to be developed and for states to be created. Five states thus emerged from the Northwest Territory: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

According to Laverne J. Rippley's book, The German Americans, Twayne Pub. Boston, 1976,

"...the settlement in the early part of the nineteenth century involved three classes of people. First came the trapper or trader. This man was not typically a German. Next came the restless opportunist --the hunter, cattle grazer, or road builder. Nor was this man of German descent. Finally there were those who were attracted to farming as a way of life on the frontier. Several authors find that the Germans with their large families were strongly represented in this settler class."

On the Internet I found some Ohio history compiled by Ohio State University. This tells about a large section of land, in what is now Ohio, that was reserved as Virginia Military District, which included present day Clermont and Brown Counties. This Virginia Military District was divided into land warrants for the purpose of rewarding officers who had served in the Revolutionary War.

General George Washington was granted 23,333 acres of Virginia Military Land Warrants for his service in the war. He never exercised his rights to these lands. Instead, he later purchased two warrants totaling 3,100 acres and he completed three surveys in 1787, two in Clermont County and one in Hamilton County. He later died believing he owned these surveys but because he had never filed proper papers for an U.S. Patent (Deed), these lands had been reissued. Thus George Washington's heirs lost a valuable part of the estate and never received compensation.

Frontiersmen, such as Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone and other adventurous settlers, began blazing trails into the new territories. This resulted in more intrusions on Indian lands and increased Indian hostilities against settlers. Principal Ohio Indian tribes were the Miami, the Shawnee, the Delaware, the Wyandot, the Ottawa, and the Mingo of the Iroquois. The Indians were finally defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.

The Battle of Fallen Timbers took place August 20, 1794, just west of what is now Maumee, Ohio, in the Maumee River Valley. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne's troops fought the Native American troops under the leadership of Miami Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) and Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket (Wayapiersenwah). The battle of Fallen Timbers was so named because it was fought in woodland where the trees had been downed by a storm.

In his book, That Dark and Bloody River, p. 613, Allen W. Eckert mentions a Captain John Arnold fighting in that battle. Captain Arnold led a contingent, from Limestone, Kentucky, where he lived at the time, to the battle. He is believed, by my sister Eleanor Dedek, to be the great great grandfather of Sylvia Elnora Hill Bolender, my grandmother.***

After the battle, the Indians were forced to sign the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, at Fort Greenville, (present day Greenville, Ohio). In the treaty, the Northwest tribes agreed to cede about three fourths of what is now Ohio and a part of Indiana to the United States. The power of the Northwest Indians was finally crushed.

Despite later attempts by Native Americans, under the Shawnee Tecumseh, to halt white settler's encroachment, the loss at Fallen Timbers with the ensuing Treaty of Greenville had opened the lands of the Northwest to white settlement and had effectively closed them to the Native Americans.

An account of this history may be read in a book by Allen W. Eckert, titled, The Frontiersmen, Bantam Books. It is a true saga of brave men and courageous women who won our land. I found it to be fascinating reading and I highly recommend it.

With his parents deceased and new territories opening up, the stage was set for Stephen and Margreta Bolender to join the migration westward.

*According to Ms. Elaine Ache Takahaski of Haworth, New Jersey, Henry Ache was a contemporary of Barbara Bolender (not her father) as he was married in 1760 and had 12 children. Probably Henry Ache was Barbara's brother, and the reason he was replaced as guardian of the children was that Barbara, widow of Peter Bolender, might have married Charles Schenkel. The father of Henry Ache appears to be Johannes Ache, 1702-1763. If Barbara Bolender were a sister of Henry Ache, that would make Johannes Ache her father.

**The fact that Stephen Bolender served in the Revolutionary War leads me to conclude that his change from the German Reformed Church to the German Brethren (Dunkards) came later.

John Arnold Hill b. Feb 17, 1806, OH, m. Abi Leach Nov 27, 1832 Warren Brown Hill b. Sep 30, 1847, OH, m. Annie Allen Dec 26, 1866

Sylvia Elnora Hill b. Aug 6, 1868, OH, m. John Jacob Bolender Dec 21, 1887

Chapter Five

Just before the turn of the century, a large influx of pioneers migrated into the Northwest Territory. The people floating down the Ohio River by flatboat settled first along the riverbanks. Among them, in 1796, came Han Philip Shinkle (Stephen and Margreta Bolender's brother in law and brother). He and his family moved to Ohio, taking a flatboat from Pittsburgh down the Ohio River,* landing at the mouth of Bullskin Creek, in what is now Clermont County, Ohio. Han Philip is listed as a farmer and shoemaker. According to A History of Clermont County, Ohio: "For several years they lived on the flatboat ready to cut loose, at any Indian trouble." I wonder if he made shoes for a living while remaining on the boat. In June 1805, he bought 300 acres of land near Feesburg, Ohio.

The Northwest Territory incepted the land that is presently Clermont County as a county in 1800. Ohio became a state in 1803.

This opened the way for a migration of Bolenders and Shinkles to Ohio, and eventually beyond. A settlement began on a hilltop overlooking the river, (known as Shinkle's Ridge), located in Lewis Township, Brown County, Ohio. Among the German families were Shinkles, Bolenders, Fees, Kellams, and many others.

Several stories have been handed down indicating that Stephen and Margreta came to Ohio by flatboat in 1800 with ten children. There are two discrepancies with this date, however. First, in 1800, they had only nine children. Second, there are records that contradict these stories:

· The Church Record of Evangelical Lutheran Pastorate in Aaronsburg, Haines Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania states, Stephen's wife Margreta Bolender received communion on June 5, 1802.

· John Blair Linn's book (mentioned in previous chapter) reads, Stephen Bolender was Constable for Miles Township at the January, 1801, Centre County, Pennsylvania court sessions.

· Records show that on June 28, 1801, Stephen Bolender of Clermont County, Northwest Territory, bought 334 ½ acres on the Ohio River from James and Elizabeth Tatman for $1474.25. (Clermont County Deed Book A1, p 98)

· Stephen and Margreta's last child was born in Pennsylvania on April 13, 1802. Allowing nine months from time of conception, Stephen would have been home in Pennsylvania around the middle of July 1801.

· On February 20, 1802, Stephen bought 1,000 acres (military survey #1657 in the name of Major Francis Taylor) from Col. Richard Taylor (father of Zachary Taylor who would become the 12^th president of the United States), Jefferson County, Kentucky. He paid the sum of 450 pounds. (Clermont County Deed Book A1, p 174.

Considering the above records, it appears that Stephen made a trip or two to Ohio ahead of his family to make the land purchases. He then returned to Pennsylvania for his family sometime around June 5, 1802.

One may reasonably conclude that they made the trip as a family in the summer of 1802. The approximate ages of the children would have been as follows: Marie Barbara 21, Peter 20, Catherine 16, Henry 14, John 11, Jacob (my 2^nd great grandfather) 9, Elizabeth 7, Christian 4, Stephen 2, and Joseph a few months old.

Let's just imagine what may have taken place as our grandparents, Stephen and Margreta (Peggy), and their family began their adventure westward. They must have sold their farm and most of their livestock, loaded up their necessary provisions, said goodbye to their friends, then traveled by covered wagons pulled by horses over dirt roads, through forests and across streams to the edge of the Allegheny Mountains.

Probably their biggest challenge came while crossing the Allegheny Mountains. The children must have been thrilled at the sight of the mountains. Their dad, Stephen, probably had told them stories handed down from Peter, their grandfather, about the mountains of Europe and the trip down the Rhine. Around the campfires at night, while supper was cooking, he may have told stories of his father's voyage across the ocean with storms, seasickness and arrival in the New World.

The journey across the Alleghenies would have taken them up and down steep hills. Stephen's older sons would have helped place rocks under the wheels when the horses stopped for rest, while the older girls helped their mother with the younger children.

Rain would make the trail slick and treacherous. During dry spells the dust would choke. The linen cover over the wagon afforded protection from the hot sun and the rain.

From the other side of the mountains to Pittsburgh they traveled about forty miles, possibly stopping at villages along the way. At Pittsburgh, located on the banks of the Ohio River, Stephen probably purchased a flatboat to carry his family and possessions down the river.

Making ready to head into the wilderness frontier where supplies were few, let's imagine what they may have loaded onto that boat. Maybe a team of horses, their wagon (disassembled into smaller pieces), cattle, seed for planting crops, tools for building and farming, maybe some basic furniture for setting up housekeeping, and last, but not least, a supply of food for family and livestock.

Try to picture them carefully loading their possessions onto a flatboat, adjusting the load so as to keep the boat level. After each member of the family had found a comfortable spot to sit or lay down, they would begin the trip down the river, floating slowly, through the wilderness heading west.

In the evening, they must have maneuvered the boat to shore, tied it to a tree, gathered firewood, cooked a meal, and bedded down for the night. I can picture the mother with the daughters and small children sleeping in the covered wagon while dad and the older boys slept on the riverbank under the starry sky. The hooting of an owl, croaking of frogs, chirping of crickets and other night sounds along the river may have frightened the smaller children, although mom assured them they were safe from 'wild' animals.

As the sun arose in the sky the following morning, the children would enjoy bathing in the water close to shore. They may have skipped flat stones across the water, chased butterflies and plucked juicy blackberries from the bushes along the riverbank.

After a tasty breakfast around the campfire, maybe dad read a passage of scripture from the family Bible. After the family had sung a German hymn, it would be time to load up the boat. Pushing off from shore, they would start another day’s voyage down the lazy river carried along by the current. I can picture the crowded boat slowly gliding along, dad and the boys using rudder and long poles to steer the boat safely between the banks of the river. They may have seen deer or bear coming to drink at the waters edge.

The children may have gotten restless as the crowded boat offered little space to play. Mom and dad would have needed patience to make this move with all the hardships along the way. I'm sure Stephen kept a wary watch along the banks for Indians, hoping only for friendly ones.

Can't you hear the children incessantly asking dad, "How much longer 'til we get there?" After many days of navigating the river heading westward, Stephen would begin watching for familiar landmarks pointing the way to their tract of land along the river's edge.

Excited cheers and clapping must have filled the air, when dad finally called out, "We're about there. Boys, turn it towards the shore. Tie this rope to that oak tree over there." As the family disembarked, stepping onto the shore and looking around at their new homestead, the children would immediately want to go hiking in the woods to see what they could discover. Soon though, dad would call through the trees, "Come back here right now! We've got to start getting this boat unloaded. You'll have plenty of time to look around later."

Flatboats were built for one trip down the river. They could float down the river, being carried along by the current, but were incapable of making the return trip back up the river. After the settler had unloaded and dismantled the boat, he used its lumber and timbers for building the house and barn.

My Uncle Harry Bolender has handed down a story about Stephen, "Stephen cleared some land and built a cabin. When he rode on horseback to go after the cattle, bears would rear up on their hind legs along the way. Stephen’s three dogs would nip the bear’s legs driving them away."

"Stephen was the first Bolender in Ohio. He was one of those honest, thrifty pioneers who opened up Clermont County to civilization." Actually, where they first landed was Lewis Township, Brown County, Ohio. Much of the property that Stephen purchased over the following years covered both Clermont and Brown Counties.

From a book titled American Ferryboats, Author John Perry, and Pub. Wilfred Funk, Inc., N. Y:

"In Feb. 18,1792, Robert Benham obtained the first license to operate a ferry from Cincinnati across the Ohio River. It was obtained from Winthrop Sargent, Sec. of the Northwest Territory. By 1796, there were around ten licenses granted and in May 1797 William Fee of Hamilton County received a license to cross to a point above Bull Skin Creek."

Various history books state that Stephen Bolender operated a ferry business around 1800. Not all of the stories that end up in the County History books are accurate. Some accounts state that John Boude, born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was operating a ferry from Bracken County, Kentucky, to the Ohio side as early as 1800. This could possibly be the ferry that William Fee first obtained license to operate. It is on record that Stephen and Elizabeth (Betsy) Bolender sold their 334 1/2 acres on the Ohio River to John Boude for $1,750, February 20, 1816. (Clermont Co. Deed Book N-12, p 500). Mention is made of other names of men who were involved in the ferry business. But no legal documents or records have been found to confirm that Stephen ever ran his own ferry business.

Stephen, with his large family, must have been both thrifty and industrious, to accumulate enough money to purchase so much land. His inheritance from his father's estate was only 28 pound sterling. My brother, Leon, has recorded that through 1817, Stephen had purchased parcels of land totaling 1,536 acres.

Several accounts of Stephen mention his having been a Dunkard minister in the German Brethren Church. As a child, I remember my Dad telling that Stephen was a Dunkard minister. I misunderstood him believing Stephen was a 'drunkard' minister. It was a relief when this was clarified.

"He [Stephen] was a local minister of the Dunkard faith and labored zealously for his church. He possessed a strong will, mind and constitution, and had a special admiration for a truthful man."

Another article from the Fulton County [Illinois] Heritage, by the Fulton County Historical and Genealogical Society, written about Henry Bolender, son of Stephen, who moved on to Fulton County, Illinois in 1839, states:

"Henry and his father Stephen were ministers in the German Baptist Brethren Church. The denomination was nicknamed Dunkards because in their belief in baptism..." (by immersion dunking them under the water).

More information about the Dunkards has come to light from Merle Rummel, presently a Brethren Pastor in southern Ohio. He states:

"A group of Brethren (German brethren called Dunkards) settled on farmable land on Bullskin Creek. This was near the border of Clermont and Brown Counties. These were the Millers, Moyers, Housers, Hoovers, Rohrers, Metzaars, Shinkles, and Stephen Bolender. Many of the families were from Centre County, Pennsylvania. Abraham Houser was the resident Elder, with several of the Shinkles and Stephen Bolender as ministers. The church was called Olive Branch, located between Felicity and Cedron in Clermont County."

Around 1811-12, the horrendous New Madrid earthquake took place. Also a frontier spiritual awakening was taking place, known as the 'Great Revival.' The Great Revival began at Cane Ridge, Bourbon County, Kentucky, spreading like wildfire in all directions, including Ohio's Protestant churches. Many of the frontier Brethren (Dunkards) became an integral part of it. In 1826, this resulted in the expulsion of their church from the Annual Meeting Brethren of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, because the association did not go along with the Revival. After being expelled from this Association, they eventually became a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Stephen Bolender died before this split and change took place.

Peggy, Stephen’s wife, learned the art of blacksmithing. They did blacksmith work for people along the river. Family heirlooms handed down through the family include an iron ax head and an iron chain made by Peggy. I don't know the location of these today.

An interesting note: Stephen (Jr) and Joseph Bolender, the two youngest sons of Stephen and Margreta, married sisters Rebecca and Elizabeth Hancock. Stories handed down through the family say they were descendents**** of John Hancock who signed the Declaration of Independence. He was the one who signed his name in large bold writing, saying, "I want the King to be able to read my signature without his glasses."

Margreta (Peggy) Bolender died January 10, 1804 at the age of 44, and was buried somewhere on their farm (exact location unknown). Life on the frontier without a doubt was very hard not only for Peggy but also for Stephen and the children after her death.

In 1807, Stephen's brother in law, Philip Jacob Shinkle, died. He had been married to Stephen's sister, Julianna. In THE REPORT, Volume 35, Issue 1, spring 95, Published Quarterly by the Ohio Genealogical Society, there is a copy of the Estate Documents. Stephen Bolender was named among six of the Executors. A list of Shinkle's debts includes three debts owed to Stephen Bolender, one for $4.50, another for $66.15, and a third one for $141.70. A public auction was held December 4, 1807, listing that Stephen bought: two bags (probably hemp or burlap) for $1.63 and 1/2 cents, a walnut plank for $8.82 and a rope for $0.81.

After having been a widower for seven years, Stephen was remarried to a (Mrs.) Elizabeth Kellum Fitterman (no doubt a widow). Betsy, (short for Elizabeth) was 26 years of age, and Stephen 55, when they married August 19, 1811. From this union came five children making a total of 15 for Stephen.

Records show that as Stephen was getting on in years, before his death, he divided up the properties among his children. A quote from the Cincinnati newspaper article, dated August (?), 1912, states:

"It is said that Mr. Bolender divided his farm equally amongst his heirs, by allotting it off into as many tracts, and then writing the number of each tract upon a slip of paper, putting them all into his hat and shaking them up, then letting each heir walk up and pick out a slip."

“It is not unusual to see a family of ten or twelve children. In their rapid increase in numbers, the Bolenders and Schenkels spread throughout southwestern Ohio, and into Indiana and Illinois, some even going to other sections of the United States." In another place, it states: "These families have coursing through their veins the sturdy Teutonic blood of Northern Europe, which has contributed so largely to the best citizenship of America. Coming from the valley of the Rhine, in Germany, the first families of the name sought refuge in America from the religious persecutions and ravages of monarchy so common in the eighteenth century."

I want to give my opinion that the German heritage is neither greater nor less than any other national heritage claimed by the citizens of the United States of America. Each ethnic group of citizens has made its contribution.

The names of Stephen's and Betsy's five children were William H. born 1812, Julia Ann born 1813, Daniel born 1817, Margaret born 1818, and Mary A. born September 12, 1819.

Five months after Stephen and Betsy's last child, Mary, was born, Stephen Bolender, aged 63, died on February 25, 1820. He is buried in the Benton Christian Chapel Cemetery, located in Franklin Township on Richey Road, off State Route 756, near Felicity, Ohio.*** By the mid 1900s, the original grave marker had deteriorated to the point where the legend was no longer legible. Sometime in the 1960's, my brother, Ralph Bolender (now deceased) of Felicity, Ohio, replaced it with a small monument. Someone else has since replaced this one with a larger monument.

Stephen's second wife Elizabeth (Betsy) Bolender died March 2, 1861 at the age of 76. She lived for 41 more years after Stephen's death. It was good that the children had a mother until they reached adulthood.

In the Aug. (?) 1912 issue of the Cincinnati newspaper, a brief history is written of the annual Bolender-Shinkle Reunion which was held at 'Bolender Acres.' This location may have been one of the Bolender farms in either Clermont or Brown County. The first reunion had been held in 1881, in Benton Church near Felicity, Ohio with only a few people attending. Later, the reunion was held at Bolender Acres.

Over the years the Bolender-Shinkle Reunion grew in popularity until by the early 1900's attendance had reached thousands, including not only Bolenders and Shinkles, but many friends who came from far and near. My cousin, Warren Bolender, from Lexington, Kentucky, said that his father (my Uncle Harry) related a story about the reunion. "It was said that John Philip Sousa, the famous band director and composer of many of America's best loved marches, happened to be in the area with his band and was invited to the reunion." How exciting that must have been for the families to meet this famous person and be entertained with 'world class' music.

In anticipation of the 1912 Reunion, the writer of the newspaper article states:

"As we write this article, doubtless many a good" haus frau" is in the kitchen preparing many dainty devices of culinary art to tempt the palate of those who will be present."

Some interesting information was included in a brochure sent to me by my niece, Debbie (Bolender) Ricamora. This booklet was distributed at The Gourd Festival at Felicity, Ohio (September 5, 6, 7, 1975), celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States. Neither the author of the article nor the source of the information is cited in this booklet. But in summary, it states that William Fee (no doubt, the same Wm. Fee that received a ferry license to cross the Ohio River above Bullskin Creek) and Peter Hastings purchased the land that was later to become the village of Felicity. Laid out on April 19, 1817, the proposed town included 72 lots, embracing 22 acres, with streets paralleling the points of the compass.

Since Mr. Fee and his family continued to live in and to manage the village, it was commonly known as 'Feestown'. When Stephen Bolender died in 1820, the village was still called Feestown. It was William Fee's daughter, Margaret, who named the town 'Felicity' when it was incorporated in 1836.

Note: Other historical happenings around the time period of Stephen's death:

· Ulysses S. Grant (18^th President of the US and Civil War General), born 1822, at Pt. Pleasant, Ohio, just a few miles down the Ohio River from Bullskin Creek.

*The Ohio River Valley has a reputation for allergies and sinus problems. When I lived there, I had frequent sinus problems that disappeared when I moved to Indiana. The Indians who lived there had a name for the Ohio River Valley. They called it 'Spay-lay-wi-theepi,' and the interpretation is 'Valley-of-the-Dripping Nose.'

**In 1974, archaeologists from the University of Cincinnati made some 'digs' near the mouth of Bullskin Creek at Smith's Landing. They discovered the remains of an ancient civilization, which had existed approximately 3,000 years ago. These remains were left, no doubt, by the mound builders, who built burial mounds throughout southeastern Ohio. They were residents of present day Clermont and Brown Counties millennia before the Shawnee Indians wore trails from the Ohio River, up Bullskin Valley and out into Clermont County. These 18^th century Indians coming centuries after the mound builders, had no knowledge of those previous mound building Indians or their culture.

Just west of Bullskin Creek is an old Indian road, called Bullskin Trace, running from the Ohio River north to Michigan. Our first knowledge of the Bullskin Trace came when Simon Kenton, a well known frontiersman, was captured by the Shawnees, taken to Old Chillicothe and made to run the gauntlet. He kept on running until he reached the Ohio River and escaped. This old Indian Road ends at Bullskin Landing (the sunken mouth of Bullskin Creek) at the Ohio River.

***Monument Inscriptions prior to 1900 from Cemeteries in Clermont County, Ohio, Vol. III

****I have not found any records to prove that the Hancock sisters are descendants of John Hancock, but further research may find this to be true.

Probate Court

Brown County Ohio

Will of Elizabeth Bolender dec'd

No 7

to fore to will on the 16^th day of March A. D. 1861, was pronounced in Ohio Court, a certain paper writing purporting to be the last Will & Testament

Ohio, & thereupon came into Court, A. W. Morris & Henry McKibben

tion of the same, & that said writing was the same, Signed by said testa-trix in their presence, & by them signed in her presence, as & for her

Will!

children: - I do hereby revoke all former Wills by me made: - In testimony hereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Seal, this 31^st day of

A. D. 1861, depose & say, that we, were present, at the execution of the Last

Jacob Bolender (my great great grandfather) was born to Stephen and Margreta Bolender, January 9, 1793, in Pennsylvania. He came to Ohio on the flatboat with his parents as a young boy. Jacob married Anna Hoss December 16, 1812. They had six children, one being Joel Bolender (my great grandfather). Anna died September 15, 1826 at the age of 33. She was buried at Zion Methodist Church Cemetery near Felicity, Ohio. Jacob married again on April 5, 1827, to (Mrs.) Sarah Jeffers Joslin. Jacob and Sarah had four children. Jacob died February 15, 1860. Sarah died October 29, 1879.

My great grandfather, Joel Bolender, son of Jacob and Anna Bolender, was born January 15, 1823. Joel married 16 year old Melissa Trisler on March 13, 1845. Rev. John Vincent performed the ceremony. Joel and Melissa had ten children. Joel was a farmer except for two years in the mercantile business. They attended Zion Methodist Church about two miles from their home.

One Sunday at the Methodist Church, about 1868 or so, during the sermon, the pastor stated, "There is no room for Democrats in this church." After the service several of the members who were Democrats, including Joel Bolender, gathered by a stone wall near the cemetery. Someone suggested they build their own church. One man offered an acre of land nearby, another donated three trees, another offered the use of his sawmill, while another offered to bake the bricks for the chimney. In a short time Benton church was built. Col. Hatfield was the first pastor. The church was affiliated with the Christian Union denomination.

Joel and Melissa's seventh son, Peter Cartwright, never married having died prematurely while still in his twenties. My grandfather, John Jacob, their fifth son, and 'Wrighty' were very close. I have heard my grandfather mention Wrighty many times. My brother, Leon, gave me a copy of a handwritten poem which we believe was written by Melissa, their mother about their deceased son, Wright.

No merry whistles heard

When he comes from work at night

And rest with him at home

Joel’s wife Melissa, died September 12, 1903, and was buried at Zion Cemetery. Joel died Aug. 20, 1907 and was buried along side his wife.

John Jacob Bolender (my grandfather), son of Joel and Melissa, was born January 5, 1858, in a log cabin on a dirt road near Benton Christian Union Church. John Jacob attended a one-room school near the Benton church. However, he did not go far in school due to vision problems. Instead, he helped his father on the farm.

John Jacob met Sylvia Elnora Hill while she was living with the Smith Poe family. Sylvia’s father, Warren Hill, had a twin brother, Austin. Warren Hill was a farmer. Sylvia Elnora, was Warren and Ann Eliza Hill’s only child. When Sylvia was two and one half years old her father, Warren Hill, died unexpectedly of pneumonia at only 23 years of age. In later years Sylvia (my grandmother) told my sister Eleanor that she still had memories of that time. In the casket her father's head did not seem to be quite high enough, so someone had put folded newspaper under the pillow to make it higher.

When John Jacob and Sylvia made plans to be married, John Jacob’s father, Joel, purchased a 120-acre farm near Felicity and gave it to them. When John Jacob began courting Sylvia, they rode in a horse-drawn buggy. John Jacob carried a nickel-plated 32-caliber revolver. When questioned about it years later, he defensively said, "Any self-respecting gentleman would carry protection when he took his lady out."

John Jacob wanted to provide a wedding ring for Sylvia. He remembered a story his father told about his purchasing a ring, which was supposed to be gold, but when his wife wore it, it turned her finger black. So John Jacob took a twenty-dollar gold-piece to the jeweler and watched while the gold was hammered and fashioned into a wedding ring. John and Sylvia were married December 21, 1887. They had three children: Josie Melissa Bolender, born August 2, 1889, died June 8, 1982. Herbert Joel Bolender (my father), born August 15, 1890, died November 5, 1959. Harry Hill Bolender, born September 29, 1896, died October 12, 1996 just two weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday.

About 1889, a visiting preacher came to the area and preached against using tobacco. John Jacob stopped smoking cigars prior to this time after making an agreement with his brother, Billy. Soon after that time, John Jacob and Sylvia quit raising tobacco for their living. He decided if it's wrong to use tobacco, then it's wrong to raise it. This was a step of faith because tobacco was the main moneymaking crop in those parts. In place of raising tobacco they planted orchards of apples and pears. It takes new fruit trees from six to eight years to produce fruit. During the intervening years they planted, grew and sold blackberries, raspberries and gooseberries.

John Jacob became known in the area as 'Apple Johnny' because of his orchards.

In 1911-12, when Herbert was about twenty-one, they built a new house. Sylvia designed the house herself, after studying several plans. They used some of the brick from the old house for the foundation. The milled lumber was shipped from Cincinnati by riverboat. The lumber was hauled up the mile-long river hill by triple-teamed horses. It took about 40 trips to haul all of it.

In later years Sylvia (my Grandmother) told my sister Eleanor about those times. They saved up the money for the new house ahead of time by scrimping and saving. She said, "I used to have patches on my dress when I went to town, but I held my head up high because I knew we were doing without and saving our money so we could build ourselves a nice new house." They saved $4500, but the house cost them $5000, and they did have to borrow the final $500. It probably was not long before they paid off that small loan.

During the four months of building, the family camped out. Herbert and his brother Harry slept in a bed swung from the rafters of the barn. John and Sylvia slept in a building that used to be a chicken house, but had become the ‘shop.' The woodburning cookstove was placed in the small chicken house in the back of the shop. Josie slept on a cot in that temporary kitchen at night, folding up the cot in the day time.

John Jacob helped found the ‘Southern Ohio Fruit Growers Association.' He became an officer and attended many meetings and seminars over the years. At harvest time they packed apples in barrels, loaded the barrels into the wagon, drove the horse-drawn wagon down the hills to the Ohio River and shipped the barrels to the markets in Cincinnati by riverboat.

When John Jacob was about fifty years old, he fell out of a tree breaking his back. He suffered from back trouble from then on, but it never kept him from the farm work for long. He also was thrown from a horse, which he claimed resulted in a double hernia. He had been blind in one eye for a number of years. Around 1939, the eye socket became very painful. Consequently, he was taken to a hospital in Cincinnati to have the eye removed. After that he always wore a glass one.

When, my dad's brother, Harry, married Bertha Fortner, they went to Florida for their honeymoon trip. Harry’s mother, Sylvia, went with them. While there, Sylvia collected a number of seashells. This resulted in her lifelong hobby of collecting shells. She was very creative in arranging and gluing them into many patterns and objects. She kept her large shell collection in the 'front room' of their home in Felicity. Friends sent her shells from many parts of the world. By the l940’s Sylvia's deafness had reached the point that a hearing aid could no longer help her. One had conversations with her by writing it out on a paper on a clipboard, which she would read and then speak her response. This was time-consuming, but good practice, particularly for her grandchildren just learning to read and write. She had very thin hair and wore a wig on dress up occasions. For every day, she wore caps which she made herself out of floral print cotton with contrasting ruffles, very neat, which had to be starched and ironed, just so. In the family, she never referred to this hairpiece as a 'wig' but always called it a transformation.

During the summer of 1951, John Jacob became weaker. He passed away September 10, 1951, at the age of 93. After John Jacob’s funeral, Sylvia lived alone in the Felicity house until 1957. That was when she went to Clinton, Tennessee, to live with Harry and Bertha who pastored a church there. Later Harry and Bertha were called to another church, moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sylvia died five months later, on Oct. 5, 1959. She was taken back to Felicity for the funeral, then buried beside John Jacob at Bethel, Ohio.

Note: I have a copy of a handwritten remembrances by my Aunt Josie (my dad's sister). It was written in her later years of life. It reads:

"John Jacob Bolender (Hon Jokup, German spelling) Born Jan 5, 1858, in a log house on a farm on a dirt road, near Benton Christian Union Church. There were two big hills between (about three miles apart) home and church. Grandpa was the fifth child.

Joel Bolender, his father, built his new home soon after my father was born. It had a dark cellar under the dining room floor. In back of the house was a big above ground fruit cellar, where they stored fruits and vegetables. It had no windows and was always cold and damp.

My grandmother Bolender had charge of the honeybees. She took the honey. She was a little frail woman, who sat around in a rocker in the sitting room with a black shawl over her shoulders, and wore real dark dresses, black mostly. She died when she was 72.

Their house was a modern up-to-date house with a long front porch and a brick walk to the road. My Grandpa was a hard worker and very industrious, made most of his money growing tobacco.

Grandpa had a nice big tool shed. He had a wooden "horse" that I believe he used to hold a stick of wood. Then he would take his drawing knife and whittle out ax handles, butter paddle or a potato masher. Aunt Lottie, John Jacob's sister) made some little toy potato mashers.

I remember the old log house where my father was born. It had a large fireplace called a Franklin stove. We sure loved our Grandpa. He would give us candy. We went fishing with Grandpa. He had gray hair and a white beard. I remember how he used to sit in his easy chair and snore. Too, he would trot us on his knees. He had a big candy box in a cupboard in the living room. We would sit around the great fire in the winter and eat candy.

They had nice plush furniture in the parlor. We didn't go in there very often. Just on Sundays, or when special company came. When we were children, we would run across the front porch. That was most too much noise for Grandma.

They had a big cedar tree in the front yard. A big storm came and blew it down. So Grandpa made a lot of butter paddles, rolling pins, and potato mashers. That made a lot of shavings on the floor of his big tool shed which stood just outside the gate that opened to the lane to the barn."

My father, Herbert Joel Bolender, was born August 15, 1890. Herbert, his sister Josie and their brother Harry, attended Penn Academy together. They walked one and one-third miles each way to school. When they transferred to high school in Felicity, they took the horse and buggy. Josie, upon graduating from high school, attended normal school at Miami College, before teaching at Maple Dell School. Harry was one of her students there. When she transferred to the Penn Academy. Harry transferred as well but he did not graduate from high school in Felicity. Instead he enrolled at God’s Bible School in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was still age 16. Up to that time, he was the youngest person ever to be accepted in their ministerial training course.

Around 1909 Herbert also enrolled at God’s Bible School. He caught typhoid fever during his first semester there and decided to return home to the farm in order to recuperate. After recovery he never returned to the Bible School. Instead, he took the examination and obtained his State Teacher’s License. One of the ten questions on this test was, "Name all the bones in the human body and spell them correctly." After passing the test, he taught in a one-room schoolhouse at Bee Run Creek.

Herbert married Genevieve Gertrude Love Conley on December 23, 1919. Gertrude was born May 8, 1899 at Pt. Pleasant, West Virginia, to Jesse Boston Love and Mary Mendana Dawson Love. Gertrude’s father, Jesse, was a farmer. When Gertrude was two years old, Jesse, her father drowned while swimming in the Ohio River. Her mother, Mary Love, wanted Gertrude to have a better chance in life, so she allowed Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Conley of Middletown, Ohio , to adopt Gertrude when she was eight years old. In later years, my mother told my sister Eleanor that she remembered her foster mother, Mrs Conley, had once worked as a cook in a lumber camp for a time. Mr. Conley worked in the steel mill there in Middletown. After graduating from Middletown High School my mother worked in a bicycle factory called 'Raycycle.' After marriage Herbert and Gertrude lived on the farm with his parents, John Jacob and Sylvia. Herbert helped his dad with the orchard and farm duties.

As a boy Herbert had attended the Methodist Church in Felicity. He told us about his Sunday School teacher who would stand outside on the steps of the church at intermission time between Sunday School and the worship service, chewing tobacco and telling dirty jokes. Daddy never heard the way of salvation taught or preached there.

When Herbert was about 21 years old, an evangelist came to Felicity, pitched a big tent and held revival services. The salvation message was preached and holy living emphasized. Herbert went forward to commit his life to Jesus Christ and found inner peace and joy. He was eager to share the good news with others. A few nights later a young man staggered into the meeting under the influence of alcohol. His name was Charles B. Fugett, the town drunk. When the invitation was given to come forward to make a commitment, Herbert approached 'C. B.,' as he was called, asking, “Would you like to go forward to give your life to Jesus? Jesus loves you.” C. B. didn’t respond that night but the words; “Jesus loves you” kept ringing in his ears for the next several days. He found it hard to believe that anyone could love him. Before the revival closed, C. B. came back to the tent meeting. When the invitation was given, he went forward and was transformed by the power of God. Afterward, his life was never the same.

C. B. desired to clean up his life. He went to various people in town, from whom he had stolen things and offered to make restitution. Wishing to take responsibility for his life, C. B. opened up a barbershop in Felicity and built up a business giving shaves and haircuts. One morning as he was opening up his shop for business, he felt the Lord was impressing him to witness to his customers about the way of salvation. Not to waste any time in his religious fervor, C. B. decided he would start with the very first customer who walked through the door that day. Chilt Bolender was usually to be seen loafing around Felicity. Although he was distantly related to the Bolender’s, no one seemed to claim him. A bit slow mentally, he had stooped shoulders and was overweight. On this particular morning he walked into the barbershop, sat down in the barber chair and asked C. B. for a shave. C. B. wrapped a towel around Chilt's shoulders, lathered up Chilt’s face real good, picked up his long straight razor and began to sharpen it on the leather strap hanging on the wall. All this time C. B. was trying to think up a good opening question to get the conversation started. Holding the razor up in front of Chilt's face, he tilted Chilt's head back and asked, “Chilt, are you ready to die?" Startled, Chilt jumped out of the chair running out the front door and on down the street. With the towel still around his shoulders and lather on his face, he was shouting, “ No, I don’t want to die! No, I don’t want to die!” It is possible this story has been embellished and exaggerated a bit over the years.

C. B. later attended God’s Bible School in Cincinnati. I’m sure they taught him more effective methods for sharing the ‘good news.' C. B. Fugett became a well known evangelist, traveling around the United States for over fifty years, preaching the gospel and winning thousands to the Lord Jesus Christ.

When he was 32 years old, Herbert and Gertrude, my parents, along with a few other families, desired to see a church at Felicity where salvation through Jesus Christ was preached and holy living emphasized. He learned about an abandoned church building along the Ohio River at Smith's Landing. It survived a flood, which had washed away most of the rest of the community. He secured the donation of the building. All he had to figure out was how to relocate it. With the cooperation of other members, it was dismantled and transported it by horse and wagon up the mile-long river hill and then several more miles on to Felicity.

Load after load was hauled up that hill, the men driving the tired horses until they could go no further. Wedges were put behind the wagon wheels to allow the horses to rest. The process was repeated until the top of the hill was reached. Eventually the church was reconstructed at the corner of Light and Union Streets in Felicity and was organized in affiliation with the Church of the Nazarene (the same denomination which Gertrude had attended as a teenager in Middletown). My parents and grandfather were listed amoung the charter members.

The first person to pastor the church was a 16-year-old boy by the name of C. B. Cox. The church grew slowly over the years. There were times when the church struggled financially. As a farmer, Daddy had sometimes to go to the bank and borrow money in the springtime to tide the family over until the crops were harvested and sold in the fall, when he could pay off the loan. During some of the lean times at the church, Daddy would also borrow money to keep the church afloat financially. He would pay off the loans himself when they came due, but never asked for repayment back from the church. He cared that much. The church became the church home for all six of Herbert and Gertrude’s six living children.

1. Arnold Joseph was born October 24, 1920. He married Berl Fortner on December 28, 1949. Arnold served in the Army during WWII. He became an auctioneer, insurance salesman and worked at Chrysler Air-Temp for a number of years. He is retired and they now live north of Dayton, Ohio. Arnold and Berl had five children:

2. & 3. Twin girls, Theresa May and Thelma Faye (both were stillborn in the spring of 1923). Aunt Bertha dressed them in little white dresses and put them into a small casket she made out of a shoebox. She said a little service for them and they were buried in the old McKibben cemetery located in the old locust thicket on the family farm.

4. Wanda Leota was born March 24, 1929. She married Wilmer Roe on June 19, 1954. Wanda is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University with a B.S. degree in Home Economics and later earned her M.S. degree in Special Education. She taught high school for many years until her retirement and now is a substitute teacher. Wilmer farmed about 500 acres. They have lived all their married life near Piketon, Ohio. They had two sons:

5. Leon Ronald was born October 9, 1930. He married Dorothy Hutchens on August 1, 1952. Leon served four years in the United States Air Force. He worked for IBM for a number of years until his retirement. They now live in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Leon and Dorothy had one son:

6. Ralph Burton was born July 10, 1932. He married Patricia Lee Langsdale December 10, 1954. Ralph ran his own excavating business until he died in 1975. Pat lives in Felicity, Ohio. Ralph and Pat had three daughters:

7. Eleanor Shirley was born July 18, 1934. She married Joseph Dedek on June 14, 1958. Eleanor is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University with a B.S. degree in Music Education and a M.S. degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University, South Bend. She taught school for several years and also worked for eight years in healthcare. Joe trained as a tool and die maker, working for a number of years as an engineer for Allied Signal Bendix. Both retired and live in South Bend, Indiana. Eleanor and Joe had four children:

8. Kenneth Merrill was born September 7, 1936. He married Kathy Brooks in 1955. They had two sons:

Merrill married Donna Jean Ewing on August 22, 1964. They live in the Indianapolis area. Donna is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University. She went on to Purdue and earned a Masters degree in Mathmatics. Donna taught a number of years in public and Christian schools and is presently a substitute teacher. She served as Principal of a Christian School for a number of years. She also works at home doing accounting and tax preparation. Merrill is self-employed, installing elevator equipment for residential homes and accessibility equipment for disabled and handicapped people. He has installed equipment all over Indiana in homes, churches, schools, universities, state parks, and even installed equipment in the State Capitol Building. His hobbies are writing, cabinetmaking, stained glass, gardening, and fishing.

My father, Herbert Bolender, at age 69, died unexpectedly on November 5, 1959, of a heart attack. My mother Gertrude and my brother Ralph were with him when he passed on. At the end of day, having finished the farm chores, Daddy was alone in the barn when the first attack came on him. Evidence was found where he had lain down for a while in the barn. He was on his way from the barn to the house, when Ralph pulled back into the driveway. Ralph had been there and left, but felt the impression to return. He saw Daddy leaning on the side of one of the buildings between the barn and the house. Ralph helped him back to the house. About 20 minutes later, while sitting on the couch with Ralph, Daddy breathed his last.

On this family farm, Daddy was born, married, raised a family of six children and died. His death occurred just 30 days following his Mother's funeral. He had helped care for his parents until their death, raised a family of six children until they grew up and moved away to start their own families, and had finished up the farm chores for the day, when he passed away in his 70th year. All his bills were paid up to date and all his affairs were in order, as if someway he had 'known' to be prepared. In his lifetime, he never traveled more than three or four states' distance from home but his influence undoubtedly reaches around the world.

The funeral was held in the Nazarene Church which he had helped build. At that time it was believed to have been the largest attendance at a funeral in the history of the town. Later, Mom moved from the farm to the house in Felicity that had previously been occupied by my grandparents, John Jacob and Sylvia. It was located less than one block from the Nazarene Church. Gertrude lived there for about 18 years. In 1977, she moved to Martinsville, Indiana, to take up residency in the ministry center where Donna and I were working and living.

We had the privilege of having Mom in our home those final two years of her life. On November 27, 1979, six months after celebrating her 80^th birthday, she suffered a massive stroke. Two days later she went into coma, and on the afternoon of December 1, 1979, she passed on to her reward.

Herbert and Gertrude are buried in the Felicity Cemetery just three blocks from the Nazarene Church they both served and loved so well.

In closing this Genealogical History titled, Shaking the Branches, I wish to put things into perspective. Although it is interesting to find out where a person comes from, it is infinitely more important to answer for oneself the question, “Where will you going after this life ends?” Your place of origin, ethnic background, social status, personal achievement and even your church affiliation has no bearing on where you will be throughout eternity. The one determining factor will be your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior from your sin. That’s the only way to have your name “written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:27

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Peter Bolender Birth Date: (?) Place: Germany Married Date: (?) Death Date: Approx. 1771 Place: Lancaster Co. PA	Maria Barbara (?) Bolender Birth Date: (?) Place: (?) Married Date: (?) Death Date: (?) Place: Lancaster Co. PA
Stephen Bolender Birth Date: Oct 9, 1756 Place: Lancaster Co. PA 1^st Marriage Date: Aug 29, 1779 Death Date: Feb 25, 1820 Place: Felicity, OH	Margreta Schenkel Birth Date: Nov 5, 1759 Place: Lancaster Co. PA Marriage Date: Aug 29, 1779 Death Date: Jan 10, 1804 Place: Clermont Co., OH
Jacob Bolender Birth Date: Jan 9, 1793 Place: Centre Co., PA 1^st Marriage Date: Feb 14, 1813 Death Date: Feb 15, 1860 Place: Felicity, OH	Anna Hoss Birth Date: Approx. 1793 Place: North Carolina Married Date: Feb 14, 1813 Death Date: Sept 15, 1826 Place: Felicity, OH
Joel Bolender Birth Date: Jan 15, 1823 Place: Felicity, OH Married Date: Mar 13, 1845 Death Date: Aug 20, 1907 Place: Felicity, OH	Melissa Trisler Birth Date: Mar 10, 1829 Place: Clermont Co., OH Married Date: Mar 13, 1845 Death Date: Sept 12, 1903 Place: Felicity, OH
John Jacob Bolender Birth Date: Jan 5, 1858 Place: Felicity, OH Married Date: Dec 21, 1887 Death Date: Sept 10, 1951 Place: Felicity, OH	Sylvia Elnora Hill Birth Date: Aug 6, 1868 Place: Washington C.H., OH Married Date: Dec 21, 1887 Death Date: Oct 5, 1959 Place: Chattanooga, TN
Herbert Joel Bolender (father) Birth Date: Aug 15, 1890 Place: Felicity, OH Married Date: Dec 23, 1919 Death Date: Nov 5, 1959 Place: Felicity, OH	Genevieve Gertrude Love (mother) Birth Date: May 8, 1899 Place: Pt. Pleasant, WV Married Date: Dec 23, 1919 Death Date: Dec 1, 1979 Place: Martinsville, IN
K. Merrill Bolender

Bolender & Shinkle