Jacob Dienstberger
Jacob Dienstberger, one of the pioneers of the county, was born in Baden, Germany, July 4, 1831, and died in Allen County, August 15, 1904, in his 72nd year.
The life of Jacob Dienstberger was one of long and continued usefulness. It began in a humble home in Germany, in which he was trained to habits of thrift and industry, and closed in a comfortable home of his own making, surrounded by those who loved him best and honored him most. He was 18 years old when he left Germany for the United States and in Norwich, Connecticut; he completed his apprenticeship as a blacksmith, which trade he had commenced to learn in his native land. In September, 1851, he came to Delphos, Ohio, worked for a short time in an iron foundry and then embarked in the blacksmith business, associating himself with Israel Thornell. He was thus engaged from 1860 until he became a soldier of the Civil War, serving honorably throughout the entire period of hostilities. He returned to Delphos after the war and resumed a business life in which he continued to be active until 1890. For many years he was identified with the coal and iron trade of Delphos and vicinity. The last years of his life were spent in retirement in the comfortable home adjoining his place of business on East Second Street, which he erected before the Civil War.
In his earlier years Mr. Dienstberger was a man of robust health and unusual strength. He continued to retain this robustness until May, 1897, when he suffered a stroke of Parlaysis which caused him to be a partial invalid during the remainder of his life. While this was a calamity he was more fortunate than many a sufferer, because of the faithful and loving care shown him by a most patient and devoted wife, during the seven years of his invalidism. On Saturday, August 6, 1904, he suffered from a second stroke of paralysis. The amputation of several of his toes, previous to this, had much lowered his vital powers and nine days after the second paralytic stroke he passed away. Four weeks prior to his death, his only sister had died at Columbian Green, Connecticut, and his decease left, as only survivor of his parents' family, a brother, Nicholas, of Norwich, Connecticut, who also passed away December 12, 1905.
A man of excellent business sense, the deceased gained a goodly share of worldly goods, while his strict honesty in business dealings, neighborly kindness and anxiety for the welfare of his family, brought him esteem and respect from all with whom his life intermingled. His funeral which was largely attended took place on August 18, 1904. The G. A. R. attended in a body and many relatives and friends from out of the city, paid their final respects to the departed. The burial was in the West Side Cemetery, Delphos. His resting place is now marked by one of the finest granite monuments on the grounds. The parents of Mrs. Deinstberger and a brother also rest in this cemetery.
The widow of the late Jacob Dienstberger was born in Saxony, Germany, January 15, 1835, and is a daughter of Christopher and Magdaline (Grundmiller) Gessner. The parents emigrated to America in 1841, when the daughter was about five years old, and Mrs. Dienstberger is the only survivor of three children, viz: Charles, who died aged 77 years, leaving two sons and two daughters living at De Graff, Ohio; Caroline (Mrs. Dienstberger), and Adam, who died March 17, 1885, aged 45 years, leaving a widow, two sons and two daughters.
Like many other German emigrants Mr. Gessner came to the United States with the idea of securing a comfortable home for his wife and children, but he had little capital except a kit of tools, which he brought from his old home and in the use of which he was very skillful. The little family was made welcome in the log cabin of a neighbor, who had settled previously in Ohio, and Mr. Gessner soon erected a house on a tract between Sugar and Hawk Creeks. There the family lived until he secured a more desirable farm of 80 acres in Washington Township, Van Wert County, which he subsequently cleared. He was well-known throughout the country, his faculty for mending clocks, watches and anything broken, bringing many visitors to his place.
Mrs. Dienstberer remembers when the family meals were eaten off a German chest, but later the father fashioned an excellent table, made creditable chairs by hand, and even guns, using for the latter iron parts which he had brought from Germany. His other tools, such as pitchforks, he made from crooked forks of trees found in the forest, and while the neighboring farmers were threshing their grain by driving their horses over it, he was using a flail thresher, with a long wooden handle and a piece of leather, fashioned by his own hands. Mrs. Dienstberger's mother was an adept at spinning flax and wool, coloring them and converting then into the plain, sensible garments of that day, while the father made the family shoes. Their evening lamp was a candle, with the exception of an old grease lamp brought from Germany. Cooking was all done at the open fire place, and there are those still living who declare that no present day food has the appetizing flavor of that cooked in the old Dutch oven. The educational opportunities of the time and place were restricted to the most elementary branches. Religious instruction, however, was not neglected, Rev. Donier, a Lutheran pastor, having charge of a number of scattered congregations, including that at Elida, where Mrs. Dienstberger learned her catechism and attended church.
On September 26, 1853, Caroline Gessner and Jacob Dienstberger were united in marriage, and in 1903, their "Golden Wedding" was celebrated most enjoyably. All the children, the grandchildren and two great-grandchildren were present. No one present on that occasion will ever forget the touching remarks made by Mr. Dienstberger, in which he referred to his boyhood days in Germany and to the family events of his long and happy married life of half a century.
The children of Jacob and Caroline Dienstberger were: Charles, Amelia, Mary and Christopher.
Charles Dienstberger was born in 1854 and educated at Delphos. At the age of 16 years he learned the wagon and carriage making trade with his father, and now conducts an extensive business in his fine two-story brick shop, 24 by 66 feet in dimensions, which is fitted with modern machinery for the repair and manufacture of everything in his line, being furnished also with a large stock of horseshoes, bolts and other blacksmith supplies. He also conducts a large coal yard,in 1875 being admitted to partnership in this industry by his father, who had established it. In 1878 he entered into a co partnership with Henry Kalt and thus continued until 1901, when he purchased his partner’s interest. He is one of the substantial and representative business men of Delphos. From 1885 until 1889 he was treasurer of the town. For six years he has been a member of the Board of Public Affairs, and carefully and capably managed his own business interests, as well as those of his widowed mother. He married Rosana Weideman and they have four children, viz: Cedelia, who graduated from the Delphos High School, May 19, 1900, and is now a student at Lima College, in bookkeeping, stenography and typewriting, being also an accomplished musician; William, Arnold and Carl.
Amelia Dienstberger, who married Tobias Foster of Spencerville, Ohio, has three children, viz: Laura, who married (first) Edward Dye and (second) Charles Iseman; Flora, who married Hugo Hummel and has one daughter, Fern; and Wilbert Foster all of Spencerville.
Mary Dienstberger married Henry Jettinghoff, the leading clothing merchant at Delphos.
Christopher Dienstberger married Katie Flaspoehler and has seven children, viz: Jacob, Nora, who lives with her grandmother, and Nicholas, Amelia, Myra, Effie and Harmon.
Mrs. Dienstberger has lived to see the changes of 65 years in Allen County. She is a consistent and valued member of the Lutheran Church at Delphos and is much beloved for her many Christian virtues, her neighborly kindness and the love and service she has so cheerfully given to her family, whether in health of sickness.