Ferdinand & Catharine (Bollenbacher) Kable, Kessler/Liberty Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio (2023 photo by Karen)
This is the tombstone of Ferdinand and Catharine (Bollenbacher) Kable, located in row 6 of Kessler/Liberty Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
FATHER MOTHER
CATHARINE
Oct. 17, 1832
June 25, 1922
FERDINAND
Aug. 29, 1827
Jan. 14, 1912
CHRIST IS OUR HOPE
KABLE
Ferdinand Kable was born in the Saarbrucken area of Germany on 29 August 1827, very likely the son of Jean “Christian” Kable (c1782-?) and Catharina Elisabeth [Muller?] (c1791-1864). Ferdinand likely immigrated with his parents and brothers in 1849. Census reports consistently reported that Ferdinand immigrated in 1849 and this family on the ship Henrietta’s passenger list, arriving in New York on 8 May 1849, is most likely the Christian Kable family, traveling with some Kesslers. I have inserted approximate birth years for clarification:
Christian Kable, 68 [b. 1781]
Catharine Kable, 57 [b.1792]
Frederick Kable, 30 [b.1819]
Daniel Kable, 27 [b.1822]
Ferdinand Kable, 23 [b.1826]
Christian Kesler, 32 [b.1817]
Christian/Christine [?] Holdenbach, 28 [b.1821]
Margaretha Kable, 32 [b.1817]
Louisa Holdenbach, 28 [b.1821]
Margaretha Kesler, 4 [b.1845]
Christian Kesler, 3 [b.1846]
Louisa? 3 [b.1846] [1]
In 1850, about a year after immigrating, Ferdinand Kable, 25, lived with his brother Fredrick Kable, 30, and Margaret Kable, 50, in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. [2]
Brothers Ferdinand, Frederick, and Christian Kable are in the very early records of St. Paul Lutheran, Liberty Township and some family members are in Zion Chatt’s records.
Ferdinand Kable married Catharine Bollenbacher 10 March 1853 in Mercer County, married by Rev. JD Gackenheimer. [3]
Catharine Bollenbacher was born in Bedesbach, Bavaria, 17 October 1832, the daughter of Johann George (1800-1889) and Maria Elisabeth Henrietta (Alt) (1805-1900) Bollenbacher. [4] Census reports consistently show that Catharine (Bollenbacher) immigrated in 1852 and this appears to be the George Bollenbacher family, including Catharine, arriving in New York on the ship Bavaria on 7 May 1852:
George Bollenbacher, 48
Henrietta Bollenbacher, 47
Catharine Bollenbacher, 19
Jacob Bollenbacher, 14
Adam Bollenbacher, 9
Caroline Bollenbacher, 7
Carl Bollenbacher, 5 [5]
By 1860 Ferdinand and Catharine Kable had two sons, John George and Jacob, and the family lived in Liberty Township, Mercer County, with a Skeels Crossroads Post Office address: Ferd Kable, 28; Catharine Kable, 25; George Kable, 5; Jacob Kable, 3. [6]
In late 1864 Ferdinand was away from his Mercer County home, fighting in the Civil War. He served as a Private in Company A of the 29th Regiment OVI from 22 September 1864 through 5 June 1865. [7]
Ferdinand Kable returned home soon after his honorable discharge and a couple months later two of his young sons died. Son Jacob died 11 September 1865 and son John George died 21 September 1865. Both are buried in Kessler Cemetery.
The Ferdinand Kable family in 1870: Ferdinand, 43; Catharine, 37; Adam, 9; Caroline, 7; Louisa, 3; Catharine, 1. [8] The family in 1880: Ferdinand, 54; Catharine, 45; Adam, 17; Caroline, 16; Louisa, 13; Catherine, 12; and Nettie, 8. This enumeration indicated that Ferdinand was born in Rhine Pfalz and that his wife Catharine was born in Rhine Bayern. Ferdinand was a farmer. [9]
The 1900 census gives us more information about the family. The Ferdinand Kable household in 1900: Ferdinand, 72, head; Catharine, 67, wife; Louisa, 33, daughter, single; Kattie [Katharine] Dittinger [sic] [Dellinger], 32, daughter, widow; Emmil Kable, 11, grandson; Henrietta Bollenbacher, 95, mother-in-law, widow. Ferdinand and Catharine had been married 47 years and wife Catharine had given birth to 8 children, 5 of them living. Daughter Kittie/Katharine, shown as a widow, had no children. Mother-in-law Henrietta Bollenbacher had 8 children, 6 of them living. This census shows that Ferdinand immigrated in 1849 and Catharine in 1852. [10]
By 1910 Ferdinand and Catharine Kable had been married 57 years, which was probably quite a milestone at that time. Their family in 1910: Ferdinand, 82; Catharine, 77, wife; Louisa, 43, daughter, single; Catharine D, 42, daughter, single; Henry Leininger, 23, nephew, single. It also indicates that Ferdinand was a Union Army veteran, that wife Catharine had 5 of 8 children living, and that Ferdinand immigrated in 1849 and Catharine in 1852. [11]
Ferdinand Kable died of edema of the lungs and asthma at his home in Liberty Township on 14 January 1912, at the age of 84 years, 4 months, and 15 days. He was buried on the 17th. [12]
Ferdinand Kable’s obituary:
Ferdinand Kable, Aged 84
Ferdinand Kable, aged 84, one of the Liberty townships oldest and best known residents, died at his home near Chattanooga last Sunday evening as the result of asthma, from which he had been a sufferer for many years.
Deceased was born in Germany in August, 1827, and emigrated to this county with his parents when still a small boy. In March, 1853, he was united in marriage here to Miss Catherine Bollenbacher, who with several grown-up children, survive. Funeral services were held at the German Evangelical church at Chattanooga Wednesday. [13]
His occupation given on his death certificate was soldier and farmer.
In 1920 widow Catherine Kable lived in Liberty Township with her two unmarried daughters, Louisa, 53, single; and Catherine, 51, divorced. Again this enumeration indicates Catharine immigrated in 1852. [14]
Catharine (Bollenbacher) Kable died of chronic colitis about 2 years later, on 25 June 1922, at the age of 89 years, 8 months, and 8 days. She was buried on the 28th. [4]
Ferdinand and Catharine (Bollenbacher) Kable had the following children:
John George Kable (1855-1865)
Jacob Kable (1858-1865)
Adam Kable (1861-1948), married Catharine Hoffman
Caroline Fredericka Kable (1863-1934), married Theobald Leininger
Louisa Marie Kable (1866-1930), never married
Katherina C Kable (1868-1950), married TJ Dellinger [divorced]
Henrietta “Nettie” Kable (1871-1946), married Christian Merkle
Mary A Kable [per Sutton’s 1882 History of Van Wert & Mercer County]
[1] New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957, ship Henrietta, arrived 8 May 1849; database online, Ancestry.com.
[2] 1850 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, p.286a, dwelling & family 7, Ferdinand Roble [sic]; Ancestry.com.
[3] Mercer County Marriages, Vol. D, p.4, Ferdinand Kable & Katherina Bollenbaugh [sic], 10 Mar 1853.
[4] “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953,” Katherine Kable, 25 Jun 1922; database with images, FamilySearch.org.
[5] New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957, ship Bavaria, arrived 7 May 1852; database online, Ancestry.com.
[6] 1860 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, p.360 [stamped], p.143 [penned], dwelling 1020, family 1025, Fred [sic] Kable; Ancestry.com.
[7] 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census, Series No. M123, Record Group 15, Mercer County, Ohio, p.1, Ferdinand Kable; Ancestry.com.
[8] 1870 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, dwelling 100, family 92, p.148B, Ferdinand Kable; Ancestry.com.
[9] 1880 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 188, dwelling, 51, family 54, p.474C, Ferdnand [sic] Kable; Ancestry.com.
[10] 1900 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED, dwelling 162, family 167, p.9, Ferdenand [sic] Kable; Ancestry.com. [note by kmb, concerning Kattie/Katharine (Kable) Dellinger: Katharine Kable married TJ Dellinger 21 Feb 1895, married by Samuel Egger, Mercer Co Marriages 1887-1904, p.92. They apparently divorced before 1902, although the 1900 enumeration indicates that Katharine was a widow and the 1920 census indicates that she was divorced. Other censuses indicate that Katharine was single/never married. In 1900 TJ Dellinger was reportedly married, living in the August Brandt household. In 1902 TJ Dellinger (1876-1931) married Margaret Brunstetter. Their marriage license indicates that TJ was married once before.]
[11] 1910 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 119, p.17B, dwelling 391, family 342, Federinand [sic] Kable; Ancestry.com.
[12] “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953,” Ferdinand Kable, 14 Jan 1912; database with images, FamilySearch.org.
[13] The Celina Democrat, Celina, Ohio, 19 Jan 1912; Newspapers.com.
[14] 1920 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 140, p.10A, dwelling 190, family 206, Catherine Kable; Ancestry.com.
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Thank you Karen! I think I will print this out and send to our classmate, Lowell. Maybe then he will check it out and see if we are distant cousins!
Author
You are welcome! I am thinking you might be related??? Maybe by marriage, at a minimum. I was also most interested in an entry in Zion Chatt’s death/burial records: “Kath. Elisabetha Kable died 8 Jan 1864, age 73 years, 10 months, 10 days.” I am thinking this is the mother of the Kable family that immigrated in 1849. Ferdinand’s mother. This would match up with her age on the passenger list. Another entry in Zion Chatt’s Family Register, indicates Kath. Elizabeth Kable’s maiden name was Mueller/Miller. I am not sure what happened to the father. More research to be done, for sure. Thanks for writing! Karen
Pretty sure Lowell and I are distant cousins. Not sure of which Kable line he would be but I am from Jacob Bollenbacher line, younger brother to Catherine Bollenbacher Kable, wife of Ferdinand Kable. I sent him information on it years ago but I am not sure he checked it out any further.
It would be fun someday to get together with you and we could hopefully go around the Oregon Road/Chatt/Liberty Township area and see where all these families lived. I think you know more about that than I do. I just know the Carl and Jacob Bollenbacher houses. Then my Great-grandfather, William Bollenbacher lived just around the corner, southwest of the Jacob home. Might even be in Indiana or on the state line.
Thanks again, Karen!
Author
I just checked and am now pretty sure that Lowell descends from Frederick Kable’s line, Frederick who married Catharine Koch. Frederick was Ferdinand’s brother and of course Ferdinand married Catharine Bollenbacher, your line. So, it is appears you two are probably not related. That family sure has a lot of Catharine Kables! Bollenbacher, Kable… The only way I can keep this all straight is to enter the data in my Roots Magic program and refer to that. I soon should have half the people in the area entered in my program! That would be so much fun to meet up and drive around the area with my old plat maps, and visit some cemeteries while we are at it. We should do that! Thanks for writing!