John Anton Bollheimer

John Anton Bollheimer was born May 5, 1871 in Fort Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio to Andreas "Andrew" Bollheimer and Katherine (Catherine) Lang.

John married Anna Luckman in 1896 and had four children: Hulda Mae, Laura Catherine, Norman Ralph, and Verlett Rhinehart. Laura died when she was only three years old. John and Anna were married for almost 50 years before his death. John was a member of the Catholic church all his life and a member of the Minster aerie of Eagles.

John was a business man in Minster, Auglaize County for many years. His plumbing and heating business was well known throughout the community. For a long time, the business was located in the East room of the Hoying-Westerheide hardware store. In later years, he operated his business out of his residence. His granddaugher has many fond memories of taking old pipes and learning to put threads on them.

John was a grandfather that a granddaughter enjoyed. He would mystify with magic coin tricks. When company came, it meant that serving cold beer was the thing to do. He would take a gallon jug across the street to "Pete's Place" to get beer to take home. Frequently, he would also get chocolate-covered peanuts which he knew he and his grandchildren liked. Sometimes, he would go way to the back of the property to get some rhubarb. He would peel it and share it. Rhubarb reminds one of Grandpa. On Sunday after dinner, he would sit on a stone bench in front of the Legion Hall next door and smoke a cigar.

One day, he was sitting at the dining room table drinking lemonade and trying to teach his fox terrier, Pal, a new trick. He had dog biscuits on a plate in front of him. They looked like cookies, not bone-shaped. A man came to discuss a plumbing or heating contract with him. He offered the man some lemonade which the man accepted. But then, the man decided to also eat some of the cookies on the plate. John said nothing. He didn't want to embarrass him. We all laughed later. He said that the man must have thought Anna made the hardest cookies he had ever eaten.

John was still climbing windmills to work on them when he was in his seventies. Unfortunately, on a job one day to check on leaking gas in a basement, he was overcome. It didn't kill him, but it did affect his health.

John Anton Bollheimer died May 22, 1946 at Memorial Hospital in Piqua, Ohio. He was 75 years old. He was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, three brothers, one sister, and two grandchildren. He was buried at St. Augustine Cemetery in Minster, Auglaize County, Ohio.