Charles Mundhenk

As printed in 1882

CHARLES MUNDHENK, farmer, P. O. Pyrmont, a native of Montgomery County, born October 7, 1832, is a son of Daniel and Anna Maria (Hagerman) Mundhenk; natives of Germany. Daniel was born at Pyrmont. Germany, December 28, 1777. He lived with his father till he grew to manhood, and at about twenty years of age, being of an enterprising spirit, he gained the idea that there might be better country for a poor man than that in which he was raised, and he went to Hamburg, and from there, after a residence of over a year, he shipped on board a whaling vessel, and on his voyage reached Greenland; returned to Hamburg, and finally arrived home to his parents in September, 1800. Was married, in 1803, to Sophia Louisa Sprengel, a native of Holzhausen, by whom he had five children, all now deceased. In 1807, Mr. Mundhenk, with his family and brother Henry, his sister Dorothy, and his uncle, Christian Heydon, after a journey of twenty-eight days, through Prussia and Holland, arrived at Texel, and shipped on board the vessel “ William P. Johnson,” under Capt. Moses Wells, bound for America, and set sail August 22, 1807. After an extremely stormy voyage, during which more than once they gave themselves up as lost and resigned themselves to the care of a merciful God, they arrived safely upon the American coast, and on the 2d of December of the above year landed at Philadelphia Here he lived till September 9, 1808, when he went with his family to New York,; thence to Hartford, Conn., where he entered upon farming, remaining only one or two years; returned to Philadelphia, and here, on November 11, 1811, was called to mourn the death of his beloved wife. On July 30, 1812, he married Anna Maria Hagerman, by whom he had eight children; four now survive — Henry, Frederick, John and Charles. From Philadelphia, about 1815, he removed to Lancaster County, Penn., and early in 1817 came to Ohio, and shortly after located in Montgomery County. Here he: became a pioneer in Perry Township, entering one-fourth section of land, entered upon the arduous task of clearing up the land from its primeval growth of forest timber to make a farm and a home. He toiled on from year to year, and in a short time became owner of more land, and finally became possessor of 600 acres, embracing the very ground upon which the village of Pyrmont now stands. He laid out the town, gave it its name after the name of his native place in Germany, and in honor and memory of which stands engraved upon his tombstone his name as proprietor of Pyrmont. On July 4, 1835, he was called to mourn the death of his second wife. On August 3, 1841, he married Mrs. Margaret Hubler, by whom he had one child, Caroline. He died in March, 1859, honored and beloved by a large circle of friends, and by all who knew him — a man of undaunted integrity — one who had seen the rough side and endured the many trials and hardships of pioneer life, having seen this country in its wildest state; but through his and others’ sturdy strokes lived to see the forests disappear, and having fields of grain to take their place; the rude and primitive log-cabin and schoolhouses supplanted by fine frame and brick houses, and the comforts and conveniences which labor and wealth are sure to bring to prevail. His life was one of success and usefulness; having the unbounded confidence of the people, he was elected to and served in nearly all the offices of his township. A man of great heart, kind, and given to ail just and benevolent purposes, truly public spirited, always first and foremost in all public enterprises; and in his death his family lost a kind father and husband, and the public a great benefactor. Our subject, the youngest son of his father, remained with him till after his majority, was married, November 23, 1854, to Rachel, daughter of George and Rachel Ivens, natives of New Jersey, but who became early settlers of this county, probably locating here about 1825. Rachel was born November 19, 1835, in this county and township. By this union they have had five children; four now survive — Elizabeth F., Carrie, Mary and Berdie. Mattie, the second child, died April 11, 1874, nearly sixteen years of age, just budding into womanhood. Mr. Mundhenk has always remained upon the old home place; has a beautiful home, with good buildings and improvements, and all the conveniences, constituting a pleasant home and residence, and which are doubly endeared to him by the fond recollections of his childhood, and the many works in sight the handiwork of his noble father. Mr. Mundhenk, though holding no offices of public trust, is such from choice, having refused repeatedly to accept them, which have often been pressed upon him by a confiding people, as he is a man of good literary attainments, great moral worth and undoubted integrity. This brief sketch is of a family whose life’s labors form such a part of the history of this township, and are held in such high esteem by all who know them, that we feel we have been incompetent in the space we have to devote to this subject to do them the justice they deserve; but trust we have so far portrayed the general character of their useful lives as to carry their memory down to future generations, who shall cherish and honor them long after their forms shall lay ruddering in the dust.

As printed in The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.