Katherine Lang

Katherine (Catherine) Lang was born November 18, 1841 in Wissenthal, Baden, Germany to Peter Lang. We are unsure of the spelling of the town of her birth. There is a Wessenthal and a Wiesental today. Her mother's name is also unknown at this time. Katherine was raised in Germany and married Andreas "Andrew" Bollheimer there sometime before 1869.

It has been stated that she was about 30 years old when she came to the United States with her husband, which would place their trip about 1871. However, it is likely that the trip occurred earlier. One of the passenger lists shows her husband emigrating from Baden, Germany in 1868 with two other people. In addition, her son Joseph is known to have been born in Ohio in 1869.

After coming to the United States, they immediately settled in Fort Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio. They took up residence on a farm just East of the village of Fort Loramie. This is where they spent the majority of their lives. They had seven sons: Joseph born in 1869, John Anton in 1871, Frank Peter in 1873, Ferdine Louis in 1876, Rhinehart "Rhine" in 1882, William in 1885, and Henry in 1889. They also had one daughter Lucy (Louisa) born in 1878. To our knowledge, all were born in Cynthian Township, Fort Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio. There is also mention of three other children Corneleous, Katherina, and Rosa that may have been born to Andrew and Katherine, before 1869. We have no other information to confirm this at this time.

Andrew Bollheimer died September 23, 1910. After Andrew's death, Katherine lived with her son Rhine and his wife in Fort Loramie and also with other family members in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. About 6 years before her death (about 1916), Katherine lost her eyesight. It had been said that she still retained a disposition of lightheartedness and accepted her fate as just one of the incidentals of life.

Katherine Lang Bollheimer was 80 years old when she died on June 10, 1922. She was survived by six sons, one daughter, 22 grandchildren, and one great grandchild. She was buried at St. Michael's Church in Fort Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio.