Biography of Jonathan Wilhelm, page 132 / 133.  History of Northeast 
Indiana; LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties, Vol. II, under 
editorial supervision of Ira Ford, Orville Stevens, William H. McEwen, and 
William H. McIntosh.   The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago and New York, 1920.

   Jonathan Wilhelm.  A highly esteemed and a widely known resident of 
DeKalb County, who has made his home here for sixty-eight years and has 
witnessed and taken part in the development of this section of Indiana, is 
Jonathan Wilhelm, who lives practically retired in his comfortable home at 
Waterloo.  He was born in Columbiana County, Ohio June 18, 1843, and was 
eight years old when he accompanied his parents, David and Christina 
(Shaumbacher) Wilhelm, to DeKalb County.
   David Wilhelm was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, of German parents.  He
 was reared to farm pursuits and when he reached manhood married Christina 
Shaumbacher, who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, came from there as an 
immigrant to Ohio, and in that state supported herself until her marriage.  
Six children were born in Columbiana County and two more were added to the 
family after settlement was made in Indiana.,  Of these children but two 
survive: Jonathan and Caroline.
   Jonathan Wilhelm grew up on a farm and gave his father assistance, as 
was the duty of a good son.  He well remembers the old days when forests 
covered a large amount of the present richly cultivated farm acreage and 
when the main highways were little more than Indian trails.  In His 
boyhood a village called Uniontown stood on the site of the present busy 
City of Waterloo.  His father had to haul all family supplies from Fort 
Wayne. With the coming of such sturdy settlers as the Wilhelms, however, 
improvement began and constant development has followed.  After embarking 
in business for himself Mr. Wilhelm for many years engaged in farming and 
bought and shipped livestock, his main market being Buffalo, although 
demands from Cleveland were also attended to, and he has additionally done 
shipping to Chicago.  He still owns 326 acres in four different farms or 
tracts of land in Smithfield Township, over which he maintains oversight.
   Jonathan Wilhelm was united in marriage to Mary E. Geeting, who had 
accompanied her mother, Mrs. Sophronia Geeting, from Canton, Ohio, to 
DeKalb County.  Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm became the parents of four daughters: 
Lizzie, Sophronia, Gertrude and Mary.  Lizzie who is deceased was the wife 
of P. A. Bohler, and the mother of four children namely: Ralph, Elmer, 
Ione and Floyd. During the World war Ralph went to France in an engineer 
corps with the America Expeditionary Forces.  Elmer was also in service, 
attached to the coast Defense Corps on the coast of Florida. Both were at 
home at the time of their mother’s death.  Sophronia and Gertrude reside 
with their father at Waterloo, looking after his comfort since the death 
of their mother.  Mary, the youngest daughter, is the wife of R.C. Thompson, 
and Mr. Wilhelm’s only sister is a member of the Thompson household.  Mr. 
and Mrs. Thompson have two children, Lavon and Roger.
   Mr. Wilhelm has never been active in a political sense but has always 
been a helpful and conscientious citizen, practical in business and honest 
and upright in very relation of life.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com