Bernard Mestermaker

BERNARD MESTERMAKER, a prominent and successful farmer of Marion township, Mercer county, Ohio, was born September 18, 1856. He is a son of Joseph and Denigh (Schulte) Mestermaker, the former of whom was born January 20, 1835, at Oldenburg, Prussia, was reared on his father’s farm, and at the age of twenty two emigrated to the United States, landing in Baltimore. Going thence to Cincinnati he remained there a short time and then went to Tippecanoe, where he engaged in work on the canal, earning and saving money enough to purchase a tract of eighty acres of wood land in Marion township, Mercer county, which, by hard work and plenty of it, he succeeded in clearing and converting into a good farm. To him and his wife there were born the follow ing children: Mary, who died in infancy, Mary, 2d, deceased wife of H. Klostermann; Bernard, the subject of this sketch; Frank, deceased; Elizabeth, wife of Gerhard Niekamp, and Annie, wife of a Mr. Stammann. The living children are members of the Catholic church,as are also their parents, who still live on the home place.


Bernard Mestermaker was reared on his father's farm and received his education in the common schools. He continued to work this farm until his marriage, to Miss Theresa Rentz, by whom he became the father of four children, as follows: Annie, born June 5, 1882; Joseph, born March 22, 1885; Frank, born December 3, 1887, and Anton, born June 22, 1891, all of whom are living. Mr. Mestermaker is a strong democrat and has held the office of supervisor of Marion township. He is a true and faithful member of the Saint Sebastian Catholic church, his family being also members of this church. In 1881 he purchased twenty acres of land, adjoining his father's farm; and later another twenty, and still later twenty acres more, making in all, when added to what his father owned, 220 acres. This is of the finest land in Mercer county, and makes one of' the best of farms. Theresa Rentz was born June 21, 1861. Xavier Rentz, her father, was born in Baden, Germany, December 1, 1829, and in 1830 was brought to the United States by his parents, they landing in Baltimore and going to Greenville, Ohio, later locating in Chickasaw. Xavier Rentz worked with his father until he was able to buy 120 acres of land, to which he afterward added thirty acres more, and at the death of his father he received eighty acres, making his farm contain in all 230 acres of excellent land. He now resides at Philothea, Ohio. In 1755, he was married to Barbara Fecher, of Germany, by whom he had the following children: Joseph, deceased; John; Mary, deceased; Theresa, wife of the subject; Anton; Joseph, deceased; August, deceased; Frank, deceased; Annie; August and Henry. Mr. Mestermaker and his wife are members of the Catholic church, and Mr. Mestermaker is a stanch democrat. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mestermaker are well known to a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and are as widely respected as known.


Page 434

Source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties Ohio, Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Company, 1896

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