Herman Meckstroth

HERMAN MECKSTROTH, one of the well known farmers of the New Knoxville neighborhood, living on the old Meckstroth farm on the New Bremen road about a mile southwest of New Knoxville, was born on that farm on May 26, 1879, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Fledderjohann) Meckstroth, both of whom were born in that same township (Washington), members of pioneer families there, and the latter of whom died in the summer of 1921. William Meckstroth, who is still living at his old home there, where he has resided for so many years, was born on the farm just adjacent to this, on the line between Washington township and Shelby county, in section 30, and is a son of William Meckstroth, a native of Germany, who had entered his land there from the Government in 1835, more than ten years before Auglaize county came into being, this land at that time having been included within the confines of Allen county. On this pioneer farm the junior William Meckstroth grew to manhood, becoming a practical farmer. After his marriage to Elizabeth Fledderjohann, a member of the pioneer Fledderjohann family of Washington township, he established his home on an adjoining farm and has ever since resided there, now making his home with the family of his son Herman, the subject of this sketch. He formerly was the owner of a fraction more than ninety- three acres there, but for the convenience of one of his neighbors sold off ten acres of this place, the Meckstroth farm now comprising eighty-three acres. To him and his wife were born ten children, all of whom are still living save one, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, Anna and Mary, and six brothers, William (Jr.), Benjamin, Frederick, Jacob, Daniel and Wesley. Reared on the home farm, Herman Meckstroth received his schooling in the nearby New Knoxville schools and from the days of his boyhood has been devoted to farming. After his marriage he was for three years engaged in farming the farm of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Mary Aufdcrhaar, in Washington township, and then he returned to the old home farm and has since made his home there, managing the place in his father’s behalf. The Meckstroth farm is well improved and has on it an excellent farm plant. In addition to his general farming Mr. Meckstroth gives considerable attention to the raising of livestock and is doing well in his operations. It was in 1905 that Herman Meckstroth was united in marriage to Dora Aufderhaar, who also was born in Washington township, daughter of William and Mary Aufderhaar, and to this union two children have been born, Lawrence and Olga, both of whom are in school. Mr. and Mrs. Meckstroth are members of the German Methodist Episcopal church of New Knoxville and are Republicans. Mr. Meckstroth has long given close attention to the affairs of the church and is now one of the stewards of the congregation. The Meckstroth home is pleasantly situated on rural mail route No. 4 out of St. Marys.