Person:George Hengsteler (1)

GEORGE W. HENGSTELER. As one of the prominent young self-made business m en of Risingsun, and a partner in the firms of Hengsteler Bros. and Bigl ey & Hengsteler Bros., the subject of this sketch is well-known in financi al circles, and he -is also an agriculturist of note in his locality, owni ng a farm of l00 acres in Montgomery township.

He was born September 22, 1859, in Westmoreland CO, Penn., the s on of Lewis and Mary (Bauders) Hengsteler. He-was a mere child when his pa rents came to OH, and his education and training was that of the average c ountry boy of his time. His somewhat limited opportunities for schooling h ave made him an active friend of educational progress, as is shown by h is constant and practical efforts for that cause on the school boards of D istrict No. 7, Montgomery Twp and later in Risingsun. As a mechan ic he possesses fine natural ability, and has done some carpentering; b ut in early manhood his attention was mainly given to agricultural pursuit s. In the winter of 1892 the Hengsteler Bros. engaged in the oil busines s, operating an eighty-acre lease in Scott Twp Sandusky CO, a nd placed thereon four wells. In the winter of 1894 -95 they associated wi th them, in their oil business, C. P. Bigley; however, the Hengsteler Bro s. still constitute an independent firm.

On April 15, 1880, our subject was married to Miss Mary A. Graber, who w as born in Risingsun November 28, 1866, a daughter of George and Elizabe th (Strouse) Graber. His first home was, upon a rented farm in Jackson tow nship, Seneca CO, and later he spent two years on the Carey farm in Mo ntgomery Twp on leaving which place he bought forty acres in Secti on 35, same Twp incurring a debt of $1,700. At that time there was n ot a building on the farm that was habitable, and the sparse improvemen ts did not even include a well. Here he resided until the fall of 1892, wh en having acquired a competence he purchased his present elegant residen ce in Risingsun, at the corner of Day and Walnut streets. He still keeps h is farm, however, and oversees it, and he owns another fine building l ot in Risingsun. On November 28, 1892, his first wife was called from eart h, and her mortal remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Prairie Dep ot. Two children survive her-Lulu M. and Jay R., both at home. For his sec ond wife Mr. Hengsteler married Miss Christina Stoudinger, who was born Ma rch 14, 1867, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Myers) Stoudinger, we llknown residents of Montgomery township.

Full of public spirit, Mr. Hengsteler is always ready to encourage any ent erprise for the benefit of his town. Although he is a Democrat in principl e, he is not bound by any party ties in local elections, and he has serv ed the community in various positions, including that of supervisor. At pr esent he is street commissioner of Risingsun. He and his wife are leadi ng members of the Church of God, in which he was superintendent of the Sun day-school for three years, and he now holds the office of deacon. Sociall y, he affiliates with the I. O. O. F.