Name: Jacob Philip Altstaetter
Jacob Philip Altstaetter |
Born: 21 February 1811 in Messbach, Hessen, Germany Died: 10 November 1898 in Allen County, OH Buried: Altstaetter Cemetery, Monroe Twp. Allen County, OH |
| Married: | 26 October 1835 in Montgomery County, OH |
Catherine (Katharina) (Bücher) |
Born: Died: Buried: |
Children:
| Elizabeth E. (Naas)(Roeder) | Born: 19 August 1836 Died: 12 March 1905 Buried: |
| George Frederick | Born: 26 January 1838 Died: 14 April 1912 Buried: |
| John Altstaetter | Born: 28 May 1840 Died: 07 September 1864 Buried: |
| Susanna (Haas) | Born: 15 September 1841 Died: 04 October 1924 Buried: |
| Sarah (Zullinger) | Born: 02 November 1843 Died: 26 January 1909 Buried: |
| George Ludwig. | Born: 05 February 1846 Died: 12 May 1912 Buried: |
| Michael | Born: 18 April 1848 Died: 16 June 1940 Buried: |
| Marie (Mary) Magdalene (Rummel) | Born: 14 May 1850, Allen County, OH Died: 13 September 1939 Allen County, OH Buried: |
| Louisa (Haas) | Born: 22 September 1852 Died: 04 February 1887 Buried: |
| Catherine | Born: 14 September 1856 Died: 11 December 1898 Buried: |
| Bertha | Born: 31 October 1858 Died: 28 January 1877 Buried: |
| Philip Jacob | Born: Aug. 10, 1861 Died: Jan. 26, 1940 Buried: Altstaetter Cemetery, Monroe Twp. Allen County, Ohio |
| Frederika Abigail | Born: 13 February 1864 Died: 04 August 1866 Buried: |
Catharine Boogher was 19 years old when she married Jacob Altstaetter. Jacob was born in Germany and came to America at the age of 23. He received his education under the compulsory school law of Germany. He also served as an apprentice cabinet maker for 6 years, with his uncle. Upon coming to America he stayed in Maryland for a couple years, working at his trade, then coming to Ohio. In Ohio he got a job on the Miami-Erie canal but worked only one day there. He boarded with John Boogher, and he, upon learning of Jacobs trade, took him into his shop. Within a years time he married Catharine. It is said that her father was not too happy to see her leave home. Jacob and Catharine soon purchased 40 acres of government land in Monroe Twp., Allen Co., Ohio, for which he paid $50.00. They built a cabin there and worked hard to clear the land. He later built up his land holdings to 6oo acres, most of which he gave to his children before he died. He never actually farmed his own land. He would work at his trade and many times get paid in work on his farm. This land was located about 4 miles north of present day Cairo, Ohio. Catharine and Jacob stayed on this farm for the rest of their lives.
Jacob Altstaetter gave one acre of land for a school and one acre of land for the church. The Altstaetter cemetery still occupies the land given for the church. Most of this family are buried there, including Jacob and Catharine.
Their youngest son, Philipp Jacob, was very much interested in music, but was not allowed to play any music in the house. He would go to the barn and play his squeeze box. Later he became the father of a whole family of musicians.
At one time Jacob sent at least $2000.00 to Germany to build a school for the deaf and dumb children. En the 1970’s a member of the Altstaetter family was in Germany and talked to someone who had been, either a pupil or a teacher of this school, but by that time the building was no longer there.
German was the common language in their home. At least some of the children never learned English until they started school.
