Is there a Swiss-German surname in your family?
For example: Althaus, Amstutz, Badertscher, Basinger, Bucher, Diller, Geiger, Habegger, Hilty, Lugibihl, Matter, Moser, Neuenschwander, Schultz, Schumacher, Sommer, Stauffer, Steiner, Sutter or Zurflugh?
If so, the Icon's new feature will interest you. Here's some background:
During his retirement years, Bluffton Swiss genealogist, the late Herb Probst, created a genealogical overview of the early Swiss settlers in the Bluffton and Pandora communities, which he shared during his lifetime with several area families, who he researched.
One of those families included the Icon editor, Fred Steiner. Probst provided copies of each of these genealogies to Steiner. With the renewed local interest in local history, the Icon will post these on a weekly basis.
Probst’s grandfather, Josef Probst, came from Germany in 1880 and married Elizabeth Suter of this community. On his mother’s side, her father was Solomon Welty and her mother was Barbara Amstutz.
The first pioneer family in this series is
Michael II and Anna (Ernst) Neuenschwander.
This was the first Swiss family to arrive in what became rural Bluffton-Pandora. The family came to Putnam County in the spring of 1833. There is a monument at 9220 Bixel Road, which gives the location of their farm. At the time the Neuenschwanders settled here their farm was part of Putnam County. Then in 1848, the southern tier of Sections of Riley Township became the north tier of Richland Township, Allen County.
Michael II Neuenschwander
Born: March 9, 1778, Cme Boron France
Died: March 10, 1854, 2 miles northwest of Bluffton
Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Father: Michael N. Neuenschwander (1753-1801)
Mother: Barbara Steiner (1753-1795)
Married: July 16, 1809
Cme Florimont Moulin de IEcrevisse France
Michael's brother: Peter Neuenschwander
Michael's wife: Anna Ernst
Born: 1779
Died: Feb. 13, 1846
Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Michael and Anna's children:
Johanne B. Neuenschwander
Born: June 13, 1810, Faverois Territoire-de-Belfort, France
Died: Jan. 22, 1899, Moniteau County, Missouri
Wife: Anna Neuenschwander
Daniel Neuenschwander
Born: Aug. 31, 1812, Blumbergerwald Ober Elsaasz, France
Died: Aug. 2, 1983, Putnam County, Ohio
Wife: Marie Amstutz
Barbara Neuenschwander
Born: Feb. 19, 1816, Favorois Canton Dattried, France
Died: Feb. 20, 1816, Favorois Canton Dattried, France
Peter Neuenschwander
Born: March 9, 1817, Faverois Territoire-de-Belfort, France
Died: Sept. 16, 1823, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Michael Neuenschwander
Born: June 11, 1823, Harbor of Havre, France
Died: July 22, 1893, Richland Township, Allen County, Ohio
Wife: Verena Fannie Geiger
