In a search for Bluffton area Badertscher families we found three going back to the 1700s.
Christian Badertscher (1782-1838) married Barbara Gerber (1784-1855).
Ulrich Badertscher (1796-1822c) married Anna Barbara Witmer (1793-1838) and later married Barbara Walti (1819-1893).
The third family, Peter Badertscher (1739-1786) married Anna Badertscher (1734-1815).
We were unable to make a family connections with these three, but the Badertscher’s each lived in the Canton Bern, Emmental area.
Peter Badertscher (1739-1786) was born in the small village of Geissbüel, Switzerland, or 3 km east of Lauperswil. Only 2 km from Geissbuel is a village of Badertschen, which no doubt was home to other Badertscher families.
This column’s focus is on Mathias and Lidia Augstburger Badertscher. Note the variation spelling of “Augstburger” in this family tree.
Mathias is the grandson of Christian and Barbara Gerber Badertscher and was born May 16, 1838, to Peter and Anna Aeschlimann Badertscher.
He was the fourth of 10 children born to this family. Each of Peter and Anna’s children were born in Bagischwand, Emmental Canton Bern, Switzerland.
The last child, John, died at age 2 in 1852.
In 1855 the family came to America and settled in Allen County, Ohio. Mathias at age 28 married Lidia Augstburger on Oct. 4, 1866. She was born June 9, 1839, to Johannes Peter and Magdalena Balmer Augstburger in Union Township, Wayne County, Ohio.
Mathias and Lidia had 14 children. Their information follows at the bottom of this column.
The couple’s second son, Adolph, was a farmer and carpenter. During the winter months he also had a butcher shop where he did custom butchering.
Adolph was the construction foreman to build the Emmanuel Reformed Church (now Emmanuel United Church of Christ) at 8375 Phillips Road, rural Bluffton. This structure was competed in 1902. The building was destroyed in the April 11, 1965, Palm Sunday tornado.
Adolph’s son, Albert, who married Sarah Amelia Hochstettler, and their sons Lyle, Maynard and Gene, continued in the construction business, building many homes in the Bluffton area.
Hence, Albert Street and Sara Lane in Bluffton, are named after Albert and Sarah Badertscher.
Mathias died in 1899 at age 61. He is buried in the old section of the Emmanuel Cemetery, southwest of Bluffton. It is also known as the Gratz Crossing Cemetery. Lidia died in 1909 at age 70 and is buried in the Ebenezer Mennonite Cemetery.
Born: Sept. 29, 1805, Bagischwand Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: June 16, 1872, Allen County, Ohio
Buried: Ebenezer Mennonite Cemetery
Occupation: cabinetmaker
Peter’s father: Christian Badertscher (1782-1838)
Peter’s mother: Barbara Gerber (1784-1855)
Married: July 18 1827, Lauperswil, Bern, Switzerland
Anna Aeschlimann
Born: Oct. 25, 1805, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Oct. 15, 1855, Allen County, Ohio
Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Anna’s father: Ulrich Aeschlimann (1774-1822)
Anna’s mother: Barbara Lüthi (1784-1847)
Peter and Anna’s children
Barbara Badertscher
Born: Sept. 28, 1828, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Nov. 29, 1906, Richland Township
Spouse: Jacob Bucher
Born: June 28, 1832, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Dec. 3, 1906, Bluffton
Spouse: Elizabeth Neuenschwander
Elizabeth Badertscher
Born: April 28, 1837, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Sept. 15, 1921, Richland Township
Spouse: John S. Amstutz
Mathias Badertscher
Born: May 16, 1838, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: April 7, 1899, Richland Township
Spouse: Lidia Augstburger
Peter Badertscher, Jr.
Born: March 7, 1840, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: March 30, 1918, Lima, Ohio
Spouse: Catherine Naas
Rev. Christian Badertscher
Born: April 26, 1842, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Jan. 29, 1924, Bluffton
Spouse: Marian Gratz
Frederick Badertscher
Born: Sept. 24, 1843, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Oct. 30, 1915, Piqua, Ohio
Spouse: Margaret Elizabeth Slonaker
Anna Badertscher
Born: Oct. 1, 1845, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: March 29, 1918, Lima
Spouse: Ulrich Bösiger
Magdalena Badertscher
Born: April 16, 1848, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: Jan. 10, 1926, Lima
Spouse: John A. Stager
John Badertscher
Born: Feb. 12, 1850, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: May 2, 1852, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Mathias and Lidia Augstburger family
Mathias Badertscher
Born: May 16, 1838, Bagischwand, Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Died: April 7, 1899, Richland Township
Married: Oct. 4, 1866
Buried: Gratz Crossing Cemetery, Richland Township
Lidia Augstburger
Born: June 9, 1839, Union Township, Wayne County
Died: Jan. 5, 1909, Richland Township
Buried: Ebenezer Mennonite Cemetery
Lidia’s father: Johannes Peter Augstburger (1801-1867)
Lidia’s mother: Magdalena Balmer (1819-1848)
Mathias and Lidia Augstburger’s children
Maria Badertscher
Born: Nov. 17, 1858, Richland Township
Died: Dec. 9, 1920
Spouse: Jacob A. Luginbuhl
The couple had 8 children
Adolph Badertscher
Born: March 25, 1867, Richland Township
Died: Oct. 16, 1941, Bluffton
Spouse: Lydia Kohler
The couple had 10 children
John M. Badertscher
Born: March 14, 1868, Richland Township
Died: Feb. 12, 1954, Allen County
Spouse: Otilla Schaublin
The couple had 13 children
Susan Badertscher
Born: March 21, 1869, Richland Township
Died: Feb. 23, 1939, Toledo Hospital
Spouse: Henry Gratz
The couple had 3 children
Gideon Badertscher
Born: March 30, 1870, Richland Township
Died: Feb. 25, 1944, Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Spouse: Susan Lora
The couple had 7 children
Spouse: Sarah Sprunger
Information children of Gideon and Sarah is not known
Daniel Badertscher
Born: March 17, 1871, Richland Township
Died: Aug. 16, 1924, Bluffton
Spouse: Leah Bucher
The couple had 10 children
Elias Badertscher
Born: April 4, 1872, Richland Township
Died: July 27, 1919, Richland Township
Sarah Badertscher
Born: May 31, 1873, Richland Township
Died: Dec. 10, 1953, Bluffton Hospital
Spouse: Peter Matter
The couple had 5 children
Dina Badertscher
Born: July 2, 1874, Richland Township
Died: Feb. 8, 1879, Richland Township
Henry Badertscher
Born: July 11, 1875, Richland Township
Died: June 10, 1933, Bluffton
Spouse: Katharina Sprunger
William Badertscher
Born: Dec. 1, 1876, Richland Township
Died: June 3, 1880, Richland Township
Dr. Jacob A. Badertscher
Born: Jan. 11, 1879, Richland Township
Died: March 1959, Bloomington, Indiana
Spouse: Mary E. Goble
The couple had 2 children
Peter P. Badertscher
Born: Aug. 4, 1880, Richland Township
Died: Feb. 9, 1972, Richland Manor, Beaverdam
Spouse: Louise Fett
The couple had 6 children
Noah Badertscher
Born: March 22, 1883, Richland Township
Died Dec. 8, 1938, Lorain, Ohio
Spouse: Bertha Crannell
The couple had 3 children
Much of this family history was provided by the late Maynard Badertscher, great-grandson of Mathias and Lidia.
