This is the seventh installment in this series. Click here for the previous installment.

We have identified our community as Swiss pioneers, but find many of our ancestors came to American from France and we need to go further back in our history and find the reasons.

When our Swiss pioneers lived in Switzerland, many were persecuted because of their religious belief.

Mennonites in Switzerland were not permitted to own land, thus causing a hardship to better their families. Also compulsory military training was against their belief.

The French government at that time was more lenient to these people, which caused this migration.

Christian Steiner was born on May 20, 1774, in La Charme Cme Florimont France.

His father was Hans Johanne Steiner (1746-1814) and mother Elisabeth Leeman (1750-1814). This was where many of our Swiss families (Steiner, Amstutz, Luginbuhl, Schumacher) lived. The area is close to the Swiss border, or 25 miles west of Basel, Switzerland.

Christian was one of the leaders who founded the Swiss Mennonite Church when they arrived here. Christian married Katharina Luginbuhl around 1795 in France. Katharina was born June 16, 1781, in Magny Belfort, France, which is near the Florimont area.

Christian died at age 71 and Katharina died at age 67 and both are buried in the Old Swiss Mennonite Cemetery in rural Bluffton.

Her parents are David Niclaus Luginbuhl (1732-1794) and Barbara Elizabeth Schumacher (1745-1808).

Both parents of Christian and Katharina remained in France. The Christian Steiner family came to Ohio in 1835 with six children. They all came to Putnam County except their son, Christian, who stayed in Wayne County.

Rev. Christian Steiner
Born: May 20, 1774, La Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: Jan. 5, 1846, Riley Township Putnam County
Burial: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Occupation: one of the founders of Mennonite Church in Putnam County

Father: Hans Johannas Steiner (1746-1806)
Mother: Elisabeth Leeman (1750-1814)
Married: 1795c

Spouse: Katharina Luginbuhl
Born: Jan. 16, 1781, Magny Arr. Belfort, France
Died: Feb. 15, 1848
Burial: old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton

Father: David Niclaus Luginbuhl (1732-1794)
Mother: Barbara Elizabeth Schumacher (1745-1808)

Children
Barbara Steiner
Born: Jan. 21, 1801
Died: Nov. 30, 1868
Spouse: Ulrich Steiner
Spouse: Johannes Luginbuhl

Johannes Steiner
Born: Nov. 21, 1803, La Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: May 17, 1805, La Charme Cme Florimont France

Christian Steiner “Big Christ”
Born: July 30, 1806, La Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: May 16, 1885
Spouse: Marie Steiner
Spouse: Barbara Amstutz

John F. Steiner Buchwald Hans
Born: Sept. 12, 1807, Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: April 22, 1900, Riley Township
Spouse: Barbara Habegger
Spouse: Katherine Neuenschwander

Peter Steiner
Born: Oct. 21, 1810, La Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: Aug. 21, 1870
Spouse: Barbara Schumacher

Elizabeth Steiner
Born: April 1, 1814, La Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: March 19, 1866
Spouse: Johannes A. Amstutz, wagonmaker

Rev. Ulrich Steiner
Born: April 27, 1816, La Charme Cme Florimont France
Died: April 7, 1853, Bluffton, Allen County
Spouse: Mary Ann Moser