Christian Badertscher

   FamilySearch ID: LHXN-TYC.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He immigrated in 1856 to New York, New York, NY. ¹

2. Book: History of Allen County, Ohio, 1906. ¹
REV. CHRISTIAN BADERTSCHER, a retired minister of the German Reformed Church, who for more than 30 years was a successful worker in the Master's vineyard, has been a resident of Allen County since 1856, and counts among his friends all those who know him. Born in Signau, Canton Bern, Switzerland, on April 22, 1842, he lived there until his 14th year when his parents, Peter and Annie (Ashlaman) Badertscher, came with their family to America. Landing in New York, they at once came to Ohio, and settled in Allen County where, in less than a year, the mother died. The father survived her several years. He was engaged in the manufacture of spinning wheels a necessity in almost every family in that time. He was the father of the following children, viz: Barbara (Bucher), of Richland township; John U., a retired farmer of Bluffton; Mathias, deceased; Elizabeth (Amstutz), of Richland township; Peter, now a retired citizen of Lima, after working 40 years for the P., Ft. W. & C. Railway Company; Christian, Frederick, a machinist of Pickaway County, Ohio; Annie (Bastinger), a widow, of Lima, and Magdalena (Stager), of Bluffton.

After the death of his mother Christian Badertscher lived in the family of the Rev. John Moser until his 21st year. From that time until his marriage, in 1865, he hired out by the month as a farm hand. Following this, he rented a farm one year and then purchased his present farm of 80 acres in section 23, Richland Township. He cleared the greater portion of this land and improved it with suitable buildings. Mr. Badertscher has been very successful as a stock raiser, handling horses, cattle and hogs. In 1871 he gave up farming and entered the Wisconsin Mission Home, where he fitted himself for the ministry of the German Reformed Church. He was regularly ordained to the service in 1875, and was given charge of the field at Clayton, Iowa. Two years was spent in the work there, when he was returned to Ohio and stationed at Findlay where he remained 10 years. His next church was at St. Marys, Auglaize County, and he remained with that congregation about 14 years, his labor in the various fields being attended with most satisfactory and beneficial results.

Returning to his farm at the expiration of that time, he at once began the cultivation of his land, being assisted by his youngest son, Samuel. Being located in the oil belt, he leased the oil rights to Michael Simmerman & Company, who drilled wells and began pumping but later sold out their interest to our subject. Associated with Teter Sebert and David Rosebach, Jr., of St. Marys, the firm of Badertscher & Company was formed for the production of oil, three new wells being drilled. Later these partners sold their part of the business to Henry Schoneberger, of Chicago, a son-in-law of our subject, and the work was continued under the same name, Mr. Badertscher being manager. Two more oil wells were sunk, making seven wells now in operation, which are a source of considerable revenue to their owners.

In June, 1842, Mary Ann Gratz was born in Putnam County, Ohio, to Frederick and Annie (Lugibihl) Gratz, both of whom were natives of Germany. Growing to womanhood she was married to Christian Badertscher and became the mother of the following children: Sarah, wife of John Finke, of St. Marys, Ohio; Noah, a farmer living near St. Marys, Ohio, who married Matilda Roerbach; Annie, wife of Henry Schonberger, who owns and conducts a large bakery in Chicago; John, who married Louisa Cock and is a chair-maker residing at St. Marys; Daniel, unmarried, a chair maker living at Marion, Indiana; Silas, who works in the chair factory at St. Marys and is a musician and vocalist of ability, and Samuel, who resides with his parents and conducts the farm. Rev. Christian Badertscher is frequently called upon to assist the local aid. His sermons are full of the force and energy which made his ministerial work effective and are listened to with pleasure and satisfaction. He is a Democrat in politics.