Biography/Notes

John B. Falter was a farmer and breeder of fine stock. John was reared on the farm and obtained his education, learning English, in the log schoolhouse at St. Stephen. He was a good English scholar and could read, although he couldn't write the German language.

John Falter was very successful. When he started for himself, his father gave him $160.00 and eventually, he owned 142 acres of land. When his father Philip died, he willed the farm to John's older brother Philip. Philip was instructed to pay John the $160.00 for his share of the farm inheritance. John bought a farm with that money. He was also school director for eleven years. In politics he was a Democrat.

John married Margaret Steinmetz in 1853. Margaret was born in 1832 in Schirrheim, Alsace, France. She was the daughter of ethnic German parents--Martin and Elizabeth (Lang) Steinmetz. Martin was the grandson of General Sebastien Steinmetz who was beheaded after the French Revolution. Margaret's parents came to America in 1833 and settled on a farm in Seneca County, Ohio. John later purchased the farms of his wife's father and grandfather, and bought a farm across Township Road 44 (also known as Falter Road) from the farm homesteaded by his father.

John farmed and was one of the largest horse breeders in the county. In August, 1873, John became a cofounder of Carrothers, Seneca County, Ohio. John, Henry Einsel, and others laid out the village. The Falter family were all members of the Catholic church.

Article taken from: Seneca County Ohio Biographical History, 1902, pgs. 646-648.

Seneca County is characterized by a full share of the honored pioneer elements who have done so much for the development of the county and the state and the establishment of the institutions of higher civilization in this fertile and well favored section of the old Buckeye commonwealth. The biographical sketches in this work are to a large extent in recognition of those who are pioneers or members of pioneer families, and it is signally fitting that there should be perpetuated records which will defy the ravages of time and betoken to the coming generations the earnest lives and devoted labors of those who have been such noble contributors to the state's prosperity and pride. The subject of this sketch is one of the venerable and honored citizens of the county, where he was for many years successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits and where he has maintained his home from the days of his early boyhood--representing a period of seventy years of consecutive residence in the county. He has now retired from active labors and is enjoying the aftermath of his years of earnest endeavor, having his home in the pleasant little village of St. Stephen, but still retaining his landed estate in the country.

Mr. Falter was born in Darmstadt, the beautiful old capital of the grand duchy of Hesse, Germany, on the 26th of December, 1826, and is one of the two surviving children of Philip and Christina (Koerner) Falter, his sister Margaret being the widow of Peter Cassanova and now maintaining her home in Paulding County, this state. The three other children of the family are deceased. The parents of our subject were likewise natives of Darmstadt, and the father had been previously married, the four children born of the first union being all deceased. Philip Falter was a shoemaker by trade and followed this vocation in the fatherland until the fall of 1831, when he emigrated with his family to America, making the voyage on a sailing vessel and being forty-two days on the ocean. They passed the first winter in Buffalo, New York, and in the spring of 1832 set forth for their new home in the virgin forests of Seneca County, making the trip by the Great Lakes to Huron and thence coming through by wagon to Seneca County. Here Philip Falter entered claim to eighty acres of government land, one half mile north of the present village of Carrothers--the farm now owned by J.C. Wurm. He made a little clearing in the heavily timbered tract and there built one of the log cabins of the primitive frontier type, installed his family in the unpretentious domicile and prepared to literally hew out a farm in the midst of the forest. He vigorously continued his efforts and had made excellent developments prior to his death, which occurred in 1848, his wife surviving until 1862. Both were folk of the most sterling character and were among the most honored pioneers of this section. They were communicants of the Catholic church and their lives were in harmony with their religious faith and trust. In politics Mr. Falter was a stalwart supporter of the Democratic party.

In the early pioneer epoch the subject of this sketch might have been found, as a lad, contributing his share to the arduous work of clearing the farm and adapting it to cultivation, while in the little log schoolhouse, with its puncheon floors, slab benches, yawning fireplace, and oiled-paper windows, he gained his initial scholastic lore. After the death of his father he assumed charge of the home farm, and prior to his marriage, in 1853, he had acquired a half interest in this property. He there continued to devote his attention to cultivating and improving his farm until 1856, when he disposed of the property and purchased a tract of eighty acres in Reed Township, where he made his home for seven years, at the expiration of which he disposed of the property and purchased the old Steinmetz homestead of one hundred acres, in Venice Township, this having been the property of his wife's father. Later he sold this and purchased the old Marshall homestead, of one hundred and forty-two acres, in Venice Township, and there maintained his home for the long period of thirty years, making the best of improvements. He is a prosperous farmer and fine stock breeder of this locality. He still owns this farm, which is in charge of his son Cornelius.

In politics Mr. Falter has always given his support to the Democratic party, but he has never desired any official preferment. He and his wife are zealous members of the Catholic church.

In 1853 Mr. Falter was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Steinmetz, who has been his companion and helpmeet for nearly a half century, their golden wedding anniversary occurring on the 15th of November, 1903. Mrs. Falter was born in Alsace, France (now a German province), being the daughter of Balthasar and Elizabeth (Long) Steinmetz, who emigrated to the United States in the spring of 1833, settling in Stark County, Ohio, whence a few years later they came to Seneca County, where they passed the residue of their lives. Of the twelve children born to Mr. and Mrs. Falter only five survive, namely: Joseph J., a resident of Allen County, Ohio; W. Edward, a commercial salesman for the Plano Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, Illinois; Cornelius H., who has charge of the old home farm; Martha C., the wife of Matthias Wurm, of this township; and Anna E., who remains at the parental home.

The children of John and Margaret (Steinmetz) Falter:

1. Philomena (b. 30 Sep 1854 d. 11 Mar 1888), married 4 May 1875 to John C. Wurm
2. Francis A. (b. 6 Mar 1859 d. 1 Sep 1860)
3. Martha Christine (b. 22 Feb 1861 d. 13 May 1950), married Matthias Wurm
4. Joseph John (b. 5 Mar 1864 d. 10 Jul 1943), married 16 Jun 1889 to Theresia Kill
5. Mary Magdalena (b. 22 Jul 1865 d. 20 Jul 1889)
6. Mary Ida (b. 1869 d. 2 Jun 1896)
7. Edward William (b. 19 Mar 1871 d. 9 May 1929), married Mary I. Reinhart
8. Anna Elizabeth (b. 20 Apr 1871 d. 21 Apr 1937)
9. Aloysius (b. 1874)
10. Cornelius Henry (b. 4 Jul 1876 d. 6 Jul 1963), married Susanna Gengler, (photo of Cornelius and Susanna going to Mass)
11. Helena M. (b. 30 Nov 1877 d. 23 Dec 1881)
12. Josephina M. (b. 29 Apr 1879 d. 23 Dec 1881)

D

Grave of John B. Falter,
St. Stephen Cemetery