This is the tombstone of Henry and Margaret (Deitsch) Linn, located in row 6 of St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
LINN
Margaret
1877-1964
Henry
1871-1934
Henry Linn was born in Bavaria in December 1871, the son of Jacob (1838-1919) and Katharina (Mueller) (1839-1913) Linn. Henry’s parents married in Germany about 1866 and their first three children, Jacob, Philipp, and Henry, were born in Germany. Henry Linn, at about 9 months of age, came to America with his parents, 2 brothers, and some other relatives in 1872. [1] Henry’s mother Katharina Mueller was the older sister of my paternal great-grandfather Jacob Mueller/Miller.
By 1880 the Jacob and Katharina Linn family lived in Liberty Township, Mercer County, with the addition of two sons to their family: Jacob Linn, 41, farmer; Katharina, 40; Jacob, 15; Philip, 12; Henry, 9; Christian, 6; and John, 6 months. [1] Jacob Linn’s farm was located on Oregon Road, between State Route 49 and Wabash Road.
Henry Linn married Margaret Deitsch in Mercer County, Ohio, on 19 November 1896, married by Rev. S. Egger. [2]
Margaret Dietsch was born in Mercer County, Ohio, 22 September 1877, the daughter of John Jacob Deitsch Sr and Caroline (Brehm) Deitsch. Margaret, enumerated with her family in 1880: John Deitsch, 27; Caroline Deitsch, 23; John Deitsch [Jr], 4; Margaret Deitsch, 2; and Valentine Deitsch, 9 months. [3]
Henry and Margaret (Deitsch) Linn set up housekeeping and started a family Liberty Township. The Henry Linn family in 1900: Henry, 28; Maggie, 25; Charley [Carl], 3; and Edward, 1. Henry’s occupation was farmer. [4]
By 1910, the Henry Linn family had grown considerably, into a family of eight children. The children included [Carl] John, 13; Edward, 11; Andy, 9; Valentine, 7; Herbart [Urban], 6; Paul, 6; William, 2; and [Eda] Caroline, 1 month. [5]
By 1920 Henry and Margaret Linn’s oldest child Carl had married and left home, but with the addition of daughter Hilda in 1913, there were still eight children in their household. By 1930 only four children lived at home with their parents, Valentine, Urban, William, and Hilda.
Henry Linn died in Mercer County on 4 October 1934, at the age of 63. [6]
In 1940, widow Margaret Linn, 62, head, resided with her sons Urban Linn, single, and Valentine Linn and his family, wife Elizabeth and their two children, Pauline, 8, and Lester, 3. Urban and Valentine were farmers. [7]
In 1950, widow Margaret Linn lived with her daughter Eda Caroline (Linn) Schaadt and her family in Adams County, Indiana: Herbert L Schaadt, 39, head; Eda Schaadt, 40, wife; Sharon K, 1, daughter; and Margaret, 72, mother-in-law, widow. [8]
Margaret Linn died at the Adams County Memorial Hospital, Decatur, Indiana, on 1 April 1964, age 86. She had been hospitalized for two weeks after a fall and a broken hip.
Margaret was survived by six sons, Edward H. and Urban Linn of Celina, Andrew C. and William Linn of Coldwater, Valentine of near Rockford, and Paul of Kentland, Ind; one daughter, Mrs. Herbert Schaadt of rural Berne; 13 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and two brothers, Henry and Andrew Deitsch of near Celina. She was buried on 3 April, with Rev. Larry Macy officiating. [9]
Henry and Margaret (Deitsch) Linn had the following children:
Carl John Sr (1897-1927), married Hulda Miller
Edward H Linn (1899-1972), married Margaret E Laderman
Andrew Chris “Andy” Linn (1900-1971), married Velma A Douglas
Valentine “Jim” Linn (1903-1985), married Elizabeth K Wendel
Urban P Linn (1904-1978), not married
Paul Roma Linn Sr (1906-1973), married Helen K Kindig
William P Linn (1908-1993), married Alma Irene Brown
Eda Caroline Linn (1910-1993), married Herbert Schaadt
Hilda Linn (1913-1933), married Ferdinand Christian Bollenbacher
[1] 1880 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 188, p.477B, dwelling 114, family 121, Jacob Linn; Ancestry.com.
[2] Ohio, U.S. Marriage Records, 1774-1993, Mercer Marriages 1887-1904, p.215, Henry Linn and Maggie Dittch [sic], 19 Nov 1896; Ancestry.com.
[3] 1880 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 188, p.478D, dwelling 134, family 141, John Deitsch; Ancestry.com.
[4] 1900 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 85, p.8, dwelling 153, family 158, Henry Sinn [sic]; Ancestry.com.
[5] 1910 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 119, p.9A, dwelling 156, family 157, Henry Linn; Ancestry.com.
[6] The Dayton Herold, Dayton, Ohio, Henry Linn death notice, 5 Oct 1934, p.40; Newspapers.com.
[7] 1940 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 54-22, p. household 74, Margaret Linn; Ancestry.com.
[8] 1950 U.S. Census, Indiana, Adams, Wabash, ED 1-27, p.12, line 4, Herbert L. Schaadt; Ancestry.com.
[9] Margaret “Maggie” (Deitsch) Linn obituary, 2 Apr 1964, memorial no. 27723591; FindaGrave.com.