Charles H. Roesener, a life-long resident of Sugar Creek township, born about two and one-half miles west of New Palestine, March 15, 1851, is a son of William L. and Christina (Brademeier) Roesener. William L. Roesener was born in Frilee, Germany, March 12, 1813, and died at his home in Sugar Creek township, April 2, 1888, at the age of seventy-five years. His boyhood days were spent on a farm and as his father died when he was a small boy he grew to manhood under the watchful care of a wise mother. When twenty-four yeas of age he was united in marriage with Christina Brademeier, a native of that same place, born on April 3, 1817. Immediately after their marriage, in 1837, they started for America, the voyage consuming six weeks. They landed at Baltimore, journeyed overland to the Ohio river, thence by boat to Cincinnati and from there overland to Hancock county, where others of their locality had preceded them.

After reaching Hancock county, William L. Roesener bought eighty acres of land from Louis Richman, who a short time previous had entered it from the government. This land was the west half of the northeast quarter of section 18, Sugar Creek township, and was practically all virgin timber. Two or three acres only had been cleared and a small cabin and barn erected. In this crude little home the ambitious young couple started housekeeping and during the years which followed, passed through all the hardships and privations common the lot of pioneers in a new land. William L. Roesener succeeded in clearing sixty acres of his land and erected a comfortable three-room frame house as well as good barns and other buildings and had his land partially drained. At the time of his death he owned one hundred and twenty acres in all, forty acres being the northwest quarter of section 8. He departed this life on April 2, 1888, following his wife, who passed away on February 12, 1887. Both William L. Roesener and wife were faithful members of the German Lutheran church and after becoming a citizen of this country he became an earnest advocate of the principles of the Democratic party. They were the parents of the following children: William, Christina, Louisa, Christian, Mary, Charles Henry, Anton, Frederick and Emma.

Charles Henry Roesener was born on the old farm, where he spent his youth, and attended the German school and the old McNamee district school, after which he assisted his father with the work of the home farm. On November 14, 1875, when twenty-four years of age, he was united in marriage with Mary Kuntz, who was born on April 27, 1853, a daughter of the Rev. J. G. and Helen (Aldman) Kuntz. Mary lived but six years after her marriage, passing away in August of 1881. She had born four children; William, George Emma and Henry W., the two first named passing away in infancy. Two years after her death on September 13, 1883, Mr. Roesener was married to Mary Roesener, who was born in Sugar Creek township on October 1, 1859, a daughter of Anton and Engel (Ostermeier) Roesener, both of whom were born in Germany, the former in April, 1827, and the latter, July 20, 1834. Anton Roesener died on October 13, 1859, and his widow married Anton Roesener, now deceased, while she still resides in Sugar Creek township. By her first marriage, Mrs. Roesener became the mother of two children, Anton and Mary, the latter now Mrs. C.. H. Roesener, wife of the immediate subject of this sketch. By her second marriage there were six children: Christina, who died in infancy; Charles, Louisa, Annie, Emma and Bertha, who passed away in childhood, while the others still survive.

For thirteen years after his marriage Charles H. Roesener rented the old home place and after his father's death, he purchased the interests of the other heirs. The place has been greatly improved under his management, barns and out-buildings have been erected and the house remodeled to a comfortable seven-room residence. Mr. Roesener divides his attention between general farming and the raising of live stock, being uniformly successful in those undertakings. He feeds on an average of forty hogs for the market per year, favoring the Poland China breed. He keeps from eight to ten cows, mostly Jerseys, and eight head of good grade Norman horses. By his second marriage Mr. Roesener has four children: Mamie, wife of William Roesener and the mother of three children; Arthur, Earl and Wilma, Lisetta, the second daughter , resides in California; Edward married Hilda Markworth and has one child, Frederick, while Anton died when three months of age.

Mr. Roesener and his family are members of the German Lutheran church and in politics he is a Democrat. He is one of the life-long residents of Sugar Creek township who is held in the highest esteem by friends and neighbors.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Page 1074-1076.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI November 12, 2001.

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