John Bechtel
The Bechtel family is one of the old and well-known ones of Wayne county, and is of German ancestry. Jacob Bechtel, grandfather of John of this review, was a native of Pennsylvania, in which state the early members of this family settled when they came to America. The father of John Bechtel also bore the name of Jacob, and he was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1802. He came to Wayne county, Ohio, about 1829, settling in Greene township. He was married in Pennsylvania to Sarah Rhoades, a native of that state, born in Somerset county; her death occurred in 1845, when about forty-two years of age. She and her husband were the parents of seven children, the register of whose births follows; Mary, born in Pennsylvania in 1827; Elizabeth, born in that state in 1828; Harriet, born in Pennsylvania in 1830; Sarah, born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1831; John, of this review; Jacob, born in Wayne county in 1836 and died in 1898; Samuel, born in 1837 and died in 1852.
In April, Jacob Bechtel, father of John of this review, suffered one of the greatest misfortunes that ever befell a citizen of Wayne county, his home having been burned and his four daughters perishing, Mr. Bechtel sustaining serious injuries in trying to rescue his children, and he died from the effects of the wounds he received the following December. John, of this review, then four years of age, and his brother Jacob were sleeping with their parents at the time of the fire.
John Bechtel was born October 12, 1833, on the home farm, where he remained until he reached the age of eight years, when he began life for himself, working out on a farm, doing such chores as he could at that tender age. In 1855 he married Harriet Mowner, who was born in East Union township, and they moved on the old farm, which he and his brother divided, and for forty-three years Mr. Bechtel remained on the place where he was born, carrying on general farming in a successful manner and becoming well situated. In the spring of 1898 he removed to Orrville, where he has a fine home, and he still looks after his farming interests, owning two good farms. One of his farms is probably the oldest in Greene township, but the soil has retained its original strength, owing to its skillful management. The first cabin built in the township was erected on this farm. The place was entered from the government by Michael Thomas, and Jacob Bechtel, father of the subject, purchased it from him John Bechtel being the third man to own the place.
To Mr. and Mrs. John Bechtel five children have been born, named as follows: Sarilla, wife of A. W. Brennerman, of Greene township; H. M., of Orrville, where he is engaged in the hardware business; Elizabeth, wife of S. P. Eshleman, of Orrville, also a hardware merchant; W. B., cashier of the bank at Massillon; J. O. is engaged in the drug business in Orrville.
Mrs. Jacob Bechtel married a second time, her last husband being Michael Hawk, of East Union township, and two children were born to this union, Lavina, wife of William Chapin, and David Hawk, both of Orrville.
John Bechtel was a member of the school board in Greene township for twelve or fifteen years, during which time he did much to promote the educational interests of the same. Both he and Mrs. Bechtel are members of the English Lutheran church at Orrville. He is one of the highly respected citizens of this community, having led a life against which nothing ill can be said in any way. He is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished, owing to the fact that he had such hard struggles in his early life, but men endowed with the grit which he has always done things, no matter what their environment may be.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910