52 Ancestors #7 Wilhelm F. Bohnke

Wilhelm Bohnke was my Great Great Grandfather on my father's side. He was born on 6 Mar 1831 in Germany to Heinrich Boehnke and Dorthea Flothmeyer.
 In May of 1854 he arrived in Baltimore with his brother Friedrich, after gaining passage on the ship Blucher from Bremen Germany. On 14 May 1857 Wilhelm married Engel Anna Kukelhan she was also from Germany, but she did not travel with Wilhelm to America. Engel was born on 2 Feb 1837 to Friedrich Kukelhan and Catherine Schuermann. After they married they made their home in Cincinnati Ohio for several years before moving and staying in Adams County, Decatur, Indiana until their deaths. They are buried in St. Peter's Lutheran Cemetery in Adams County, IN.


                                                        


Together they had 9 children:
Engel D.  b. 23 Jul d. 30 Jul 1858 Cincinnati, Ohio
William  b.16 Oct 1859 Cincinnati, Ohio d. 29 Jan 1920 Allen County, IN
married Emma Melcher
Henry b. 20 Sep 1861 Cincinnati, Ohio d. 14 Jul 1943 Adams County, IN
Louise b. 12 Aug 1865 Adams County, IN d. 16 Mar 1936 Allen County, IN
married Herman Hockemeyer
Frederick b. 28 Feb 1867 Adams County, IN d. 9 Sep 1947 Allen County, IN
married Wilhelmina Franke
Charles W (my great grandfather) b. 15 Dec 1868 Adams County, IN d. 16 Aug 1947 Adams County, IN
married Emma Franz
Sophia Bohnke b. 17 Sep 1870 Adams County, IN d. 5 Jan 1943
married Charles Luttmann
August b. 28 Nov 1872 Adams County, IN d.19 May 1947
married Christine Holle
Henriette b. 5 Jan 1875 Adams County, IN d. 19 Aug 1965 Wells County, IN
married William Gerke.
Wilhelm and his family were early members of St. Peter Lutheran Church in rural Adams County. He died on 29 May 1915 his wife Engel died 15 Jun 1910.

52 Ancestors week#5 Charles W. Bohnke

Charles W. Bohnke Family




My Great Grandfather Charles Bohnke was born 15 Dec 1868 in Adams County IN. The son of Wilhelm and Engel Kukelhan Bohnke he was the 6th of 9 children.
At the age of 31, on 10 Jun 1900 he married Emma L. Franz in Adams County IN. She was the daughter of Christian and Mary Ann Bucher Franz.
They had 7 children:


Christian W.-- b 5 Apr 1901 d 8 Nov 1986
m 25 Dec 1931 Louise M. Bleeke


Ester-- b 13 Jun 1902 d 3 Sep 1902


Herman W.-- b 24 Nov 1903 d 2 Jan 1952
m 7 Jun 1930 Louise Bienz
m 14 Dec 1939 Sophie  Krueckeberg


Lucille-- b 19 Jan 1906 d 14 Apr 1984
m 29 Oct 1930 August Macke


Ida-- b 7 May 1908 d 14 Feb 1981
m 23 Apr 1930 Rudolph  Fuelling
m 25 Aug 1974 Albert Scherer


Mildred-- b 29 Jul 1910 d 15 Mar 2005
m 12 Jul 1934 Morris Bleeke


Alvin-- 13 Aug 1913 d 28 Sep 1955
He never married
Charles worked on the family farm in Adams County his whole life. He attended St. Peter's Lutheran Church. He died at home on 16 Aug 1947.





Sunday's Obituary-Christian W. Bohnke

Christian W. (Chris ) Bohnke, 85, a resident of Decatur IN since 1970 and a retired Union Township farmer dies at 10:16 p.m. Saturday Nov. 8, 1986 in Decatur Community Care Center where he had been a patient for three days, he had been in ill health for more than a year.
Born in Root Township on April 5, 1901, he was the son of Charles and Emma Franz-Bohnke and was married to Louise Bleeke on Dec. 25, 1931. They were married for 54 years. He resided in Union Township from 1948-1969 and had been employed at Scott's foods in Decatur for 11 years, retiring in 1985. He was a graduate of the first class of the Reppert Auctioneering School in 1923 and was active in auctioneering for many years. He was an active member of Immanuel Luthern Church.
Survivors include the wife, 5 daughters and 2 sons, 1 sister, 28 grandchildren and 9 great grandchilren. He was perceded in death by 1 son, 3 sisters, and 2 brothers.
Services were held at Immanuel Luthern Church, Rev. Earl Petzold offiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

This obituary was posted in the Decatur Daily Democrat Newspaper on Nov, 10, 1986. Chris was the brother of my grandfather Herman Bohnke. Herman Bohnke died  suddenly in 1952 of a heart attack, my father was only 17 at the time and told us that Uncle Chris was a big help to him and his brother during this difficult time.

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