Tombstone Tuesday–Abraham & Amanda M. (Brush) Bollenbacher

Abraham & Amanda M (Brush) Bollenbacher, Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2017 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Abraham and Amanda M. (Brush) Bollenbacher, located in row 8 of Kessler Cemetery, Liberty Township Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

BOLLENBACHER
Amanda M
1889-1954
Abraham
1884-1940

Abraham Bollenbacher was born 8 December 1884 in Jefferson Township, Adams County, Indiana, the son of Jacob and Margaret (Huffman) Bollenbacher. [1]

In 1900 Abraham lived with his parents and his 4 siblings in Adams County, Indiana. In their household: Jacob, 51; Margaret, 44; August William, 21; Dora C, 18; Jesse Charles, 16; Abraham, 16; and Rosa C, 13. Three of Abraham’s siblings were deceased by this time. Abraham’s father Jacob was a farmer who immigrated in 1871. [2]

Abraham Bollenbacher married Amanda May Brush in Mercer County, Ohio, on 22 June 1907. Abraham was 23 and Amanda had just turned 18 the week before. Abraham lived in Adams County, Indiana, and Amanda lived in Blackcreek Township, Mercer County. Abraham was a farmer and neither had been married before. They were married by J.E. Pifer, Justice of the Peace. [3]  

Amanda Brush was born 15 June 1889 in Shelby County, Ohio, the daughter of Samuel and Clarabelle (Mercer) Brush. [4]

In 1900 the Brush family lived in Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The family in 1900: Samuel, 42; Clara B, 39; Joseph E, 18; Amanda M, 11; and Ivan, 7. Amanda’s parents had been married 21 years and all four of their children were living. All of the family members were born in Ohio and Samuel farmed. [5]

In 1910 Abraham and Amanda had been married 3 years and lived in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, Ohio. Their household in 1910: Abraham, 26; Amanda, 21; and Mildred, 1 year and 11 months. Mildred was the couple’s only child at this time. This enumeration indicates that Abraham and Mildred were born in Indiana and Amanda was born in Ohio. Abraham farmed and they rented their home. [6]

Their daughter Mildred died in 1914. [7]

In 1920 the Bollenbacher family lived in a rented home in Hopewell Township, Mercer County: Abraham, 35; Amanda M, 30; and Isabell, 4 months. Isabell was born in Ohio. [8]

Abraham, Amanda, and their daughter Isabell moved to Blackcreek Township sometime before 1935. Their household in 1940: Abraham, 55; Amanda, 50; Isabell, 20. Abraham farmed and Amanda was a housewife. Abraham and Amanda both had both completed the 8th grade and their daughter Isabell had completed 4 years of high school. [9]

Abraham Bollenbacher died 8 September 1940 at the Adams County Memorial Hospital in Decatur, Indiana, 3 days after a farm accident that was caused by a runaway horse. The accident resulted in a broken leg and an open wound which lead to gangrene. He was 55 years old. Abraham was buried on the 11th with Ketcham Brothers, Rockford, in charge of the arrangements. His wife Amanda, of RR Rockford, was the informant for the information on his death certificate. [1]

Abraham’s obituary:
INJURIES ARE FATAL TO MAN
Abe Bollenbacher Of Near Rockford Dies Sunday Night
Abe Bollenbacher, 55, farmer of near Rockford, Ohio, died at 11 o’clock Sunday night at the Adams County Memorial Hospital, as the result of injuries sustained last Thursday afternoon. Bollenbacher suffered a fractured right leg in attempting to halt a runaway horse. He was brought to the local hospital. Death was caused by gangrene. The Ohio farmer is survived by the widow and one daughter, Mrs. Isabelle Lautzenheiser, at home. Bollenbacher attempted to halt the horse as it bolted while being ridden by the victim’s 10-year-old cousin, Norbert Bollenbacher. When he grabbed the horse, it threw him to the ground, causing his injuries. Funeral arrangements had not been completed at a late hour this afternoon. [10]

Amanda (Brush) Bollenbacher died 27 November 1954 in the Adams County Memorial Hospital Decatur, Indiana, at the age of 65 years. Her death certificate indicates that she was a widow, born 15 June 1889 in Ohio. The cause of death was a small bowel obstruction from metastatic rectal cancer. Amanda was a housewife and lived a mile north and a mile east of Chatt. Her name was recorded as Amanda A. Bollenbacher and her parents were reportedly Samuel and Clarabelle (Mercer) Brush. She was buried on the 29th with Zwick Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements. Mrs. Gerald Lautzenheiser was the informant for the information on Amanda’s death certificate. [4] 

Amanda’s obituary:
Mrs. Amanda M. Bollenbacher, 65, of near Chattanooga, died at 3:30 a.m. Saturday in Adams Co., Ind., Memorial Hospital. She had been ill eight weeks. Mrs. Bollenbacher was born in Shelby Co. on June 15, 1889, a daughter of Samuel and Clarabelle Mercer Brush. She was a member of Bethel Brethren Church. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Gerald Lautzenheiser of Rockford; two grandchildren, Duane D. and Glen Ellis Lautzenheiser; a brother, Ivan Brush of New Port Ritchey, Fla., and a sister, Mrs. Adam Kaylor of St. Marys. Her husband, Abraham, died in 1940. One daughter and one brother are deceased. Services were conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at Bethel Brethren Church. Rev. Ord Gehman officiated. Burial in Kessler Cemetery near Chattanooga. [11] 

 

Abraham and Amanda (Brush) Bollenbacher had the following children:
Mildred B (1908-1914)
Isabel B (1919-2000), married Gerald L Lautzenheiser

 

[1] Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011, Year 1940, roll 11, Abraham Bollenbacher, 8 Sep 1940; digital image, Ancestry.com; Indiana Death Certificates, 1900-2011, Indiana State Board of Health, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis.

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Jefferson, Adams, Indiana, ED 4, p.6A, dwelling 104, household 104, Jacob Bullenbacher; Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 1240357, NARA microfilm T623, roll 357.

[3] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch.org, Abe Bollenbacher & Manda Brush, 22 Jun 1907; Mercer Marriages, Vol. 9, p.341; FHL microfilm 914958.

[4] Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011, Year 1954, roll 11, Amanda A Bollenbacher, 27 Nov 1954; digital image, Ancestry.com; Indiana Death Certificates, 1900-2011, Indiana State Board of Health, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis.

[5] 1900 U.S. Census, Black Creek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 74, p.9B, dwelling & family 189, Samuel Brush; Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 1241303, NARA microfilm T623, roll 1303.

[6] 1910 U.S. Census, Hopewell, Mercer, Ohio, ED 115, p.8A, dwelling & family 156, Abrams Bollenbacher; Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 1375227, NARA microfilm T624, roll 1214.

[7] FindaGrave.com, Mildred B Bollenbacher, Memorial #22547365.

[8] 1920 U.S. Census, Hopewell, Mercer, Ohio, ED 135, p.10B, dwelling 198, family 208, Abe Bollenbacher; Ancestry.com, NARA microfilm T625, roll 1418.

[9] 1940 U.S. Census, Black Creek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 54-1, p.10A, household visited 196, Ab Bollenbacher; Ancestry.com; NARA microfilm T627, roll 3114.

[10] FindaGrave.com, Abraham Bollenbacher, Memorial #22547558.

[11] FindaGrave.com, Amanda May Brush Bollenbacher, Memorial #22547469.

 

2 comments

    • Virginia Britten on October 4, 2017 at 10:27 pm
    • Reply

    Hi, Been a reader for quite sometime, never thought you would be highlighting a 2C1R of mine named of Amanda May Brush. Thank you very much for all your information.
    Virginia

    1. You are welcome! Once I start writing about a family I try to stay in that family, if they have local roots and a local burial. Thanks for following!

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