MS-599, Arnold Family Papers Collection Number: MS-599 Title: Arnold Family Papers Dates: 1800-2017 Creator: Arnold family Summary/Abstract: The Arnold Family Papers are a multi-generational account of the Kern, Baker, Arnold, Steinemann, Meyer, Enneking, and Decker families. These families included immigrants and individuals who resided in North America from before the Revolutionary War all the way until present day. Photographs, employment records, correspondence, school and legal documents, as well as Army documents from World War I and II tell the story of the lives of these people who settled in Fairfield, Franklin, Auglaize, and Champaign counties in Ohio working in various occupations such as farmers, teachers, landlords, postal employee, and restauranteur. Quantity/Physical Description: 24 linear feet Language(s): English, German Repository: Special Collections and Archives, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435-0001, (937) 775-2092. Restrictions on Access: There are no donor-imposed restrictions on accessing material in this collection. However, due to preservation concerns, original audio and video materials cannot be played in the reading room. Patrons may have access to reference copies. Items without reference copies can be digitized at the request of a patron for the cost of creating a digital copy. Please provide us at least two weeks advance notice if you would like to request an audio or video reference copy. Call (937) 775- 2092 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Use of digitized content is subject to conditions governing use. Oversize materials in this collection are stored off-site; therefore, please notify us at least two days in advance if requesting oversize materials (marked as “OS”). Restrictions on Use: Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder. MS-599: Arnold Family Papers 1 Preferred Citation: [Description of item, Date, Box #, Folder #], MS-599, Arnold Family Papers, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Acquisition: The Arnold Family Papers were donated by Roberta Elaine Kern Arnold in August of 2018 to Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University. Accruals: Further accruals are expected. Existence and Location of Copies: Scans of the Steinemann and Decker family photographs are available at the Minster Historical Society. Separated Material: Oversize photographs have been removed to Oversize Location 208. Other Finding Aid: The finding aid is available on the Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries web site at http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collection_guides/guide_files/ms599.pdf. It is also available in the OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository at http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/ . Related Material: Related materials exist within sources at the Minster Historical Society, Champaign County Historical Society, and Champaign County Library in Ohio. Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements: The collection contains reel to reel audio tapes and a 78 rpm LP record which require transfer to digital media for access. Processed by: Finding aid written according to DACS standards by Amanda Norris, April 2018. Arrangement: This collection is arranged into 17 series: Series 1: Kern Family, 1900-2015 Subseries 1A: Frank E. Kern, 1918 Subseries 1B: Josephine Spires Kern, 1906-1938 Subseries 1C: Harry Leo Kern, 1910-1975 Subseries 1D: Mary Schwendeman Kern, 1910-1981 Subseries 1E: Robert Francis Kern, 1922-2014 Subseries 1F: Marjorie Elaine Baker Kern, 1921-2009 Subseries 1G: Gregory Allen Kern, 1951-2007 Subseries 1H: Theodore Robert Kern, 1958-1994 Subseries 1I: Brendan Kern, 1984-1999 Subseries 1J: Jennifer Kern, 1995-2015 Subseries 1K: Kern Houses, 1937-1966 MS-599: Arnold Family Papers 2 Series 2: Baker Family, 1881-2015 Subseries 2A: Peter Baker Jr., 1881 Subseries 2B: Martha Ann Johnson Baker, Undated Subseries 2C: Wilson Marion Baker, 1873-1923 Subseries 2D: Lottie Marian Pence Baker, 1815-1929 Subseries 2E: Wendell Homer Baker, 1895-1953 Subseries 2F: Mary (Marie) Decker Baker, 1896-2000 Subseries 2G: Allen Homer Baker, 1925-1950 Subseries 2H: Eileen Scott Baker Kennedy, 1966-2015 Subseries 2I: Allen Douglas Baker, 1946-1980 Subseries 2J: Baker Houses and Monuments, c. 1920 Subseries 2K: Baker Egg Case Company, 1881-1913 Subseries 2L: Baker and Son Farm, 1939-1964 Series 3: Steinemann Family, 1864-1983 Subseries 3A: John Henry Steinemann, 1864-1876 Subseries 3B: Charles Steinemann, 1884-1927 Subseries 3C: Caroline Wendeln Steinemann, 1925 Subseries 3D: Frank Joseph Steinemann, 1884 Subseries 3E: Henry Steinemann, 1884 Subseries 3F: Theodore Bernard Steinemann, Undated Subseries 3G: Luetta Steinemann, Undated Subseries 3H: Cecil (Cecilia) Steinemann, Undated Subseries 3I: Clara Steinemann, 1931 Subseries 3J: Fred B. Steinemann, 1966 Subseries 3K: Florence Steinemann, 1944 Subseries 3L: Kathryn Steinemann, 1983 Subseries 3M: Steinemann Family Reunion, 1936-1949 Subseries 3N: Josephine Steinemann Nagel, 1920 Subseries 3O: Marie Steinemann Walsh, Undated Subseries 3P: Frank Schmuecker, 1932 Subseries 3Q: Louise Steinemann Schmuecker, Undated Subseries 3R: Edward Wendeln Starkie, Undated Subseries 3S: Emily Steinemann Starkie, Undated Subseries 3T: Carrie Steinemann Mooney Bettelini, 1962 Subseries 3U: Eleanora Steinemann Lange, 1945 Subseries 3V: Jerome Lange, 1963-1965 Series 4: Meyer Family, 1800-1936 Subseries 4A: Bernard Meyer, 1800-1833 Subseries 4B: John Heinreich Freidrick Meyer, 1808-1874 Subseries 4C: Anna Maria Enneking Meyer, 1821-1844 Subseries 4D: Rosa Meyer, Undated Subseries 4E: Reverend (William) Carl Meyer, 1878-1936 Series 5: Decker Family, 1830-1942 Subseries 5A: Elizabeth Trimpee Decker, c. 1850 Subseries 5B: Joseph Decker, 1830-1889 Subseries 5C: Mary Catherine Steinemann Decker, 1850-1884 MS-599: Arnold Family Papers 3 Subseries 5D: Mary Gertrude Meyer Decker, 1861-1941 Subseries 5E: Decker House, 1941-1942 Series 6: Arnold Family, 1960-2005 Subseries 6A: Robert Andrew Arnold, 1985-2004 Subseries 6B: Roberta Elaine Kern Arnold, 1960-2005 Subseries 6C: Emily Elizabeth Arnold, 1988-2005 Subseries 6D: Katherine Celeste Arnold, 1993-2000 Subseries 6E: Robert’s On Miami, 2004 Subseries 6F: Arnold Homes, 1986 Series 7: Norris Family, 1985-1998 Subseries 7A: Amanda Marie Arnold Norris, 1985-1998 Series 8: Pence Family, 1883-1915 Subseries 8A: Pence Family, 1883-1915 Subseries 8B: Sarah Riker Pence, Undated Subseries 8C: Sarah Riker Pence, Undated Subseries 8D: Frank Pence, 1915 Subseries 8E: Otie Pence Hance, Undated Subseries 8F: Price Kite, Undated Subseries 8G: Elanora Pence Kite, Undated Subseries 8H: Swain Allen Smith, 1906 Subseries 8I: Amanda Pence Smith, Undated Subseries 8J: Carroll Lear Smith, Undated Subseries 8K: James Webb Martin, 1883 Subseries 8L: Elizabeth Pence Martin, Undated Series 9: Schwendeman Family, 1915-1971 Subseries 9A: Frank Schwendeman, 1915-1969 Subseries 9B: Hugo P. Schwendeman, 1971 Series 10: Wiant Family, 1914-1929 Subseries 10A: Mary Wiant, 1914 Subseries 10B: Edjel Wiant, 1929 Subseries 10C: Ernest Wiant, Undated Subseries 10D: Wiant Virginia Home, Undated Series 11: Enneking Family, 1829-1876 Subseries 11A: Johann Herman Heinrich Enneking, 1829-1861 Subseries 11B: Johann Bernard Enneking, 1853-1876 Series 12: Craige Family, Undated Subseries 12A: Harrison Craige, Undated Subseries 12B: Mary Baker Craige, Undated Series 13: Harbour Family, Undated Series 14: Spires Family, 1915 Series 15: Other Families, 1900-1971 Series 16: Unidentified, 1807-1912 Series 17: Genealogy, 1823-2017 Subseries 17A: Kern, 1972-2017 Subseries 17B: Baker, 1935-1985 Subseries 17C: Steinemann, 1972-2005 MS-599: Arnold Family Papers 4 Subseries 17D: Meyer, 1986 Subseries 17E: Decker, Undated Subseries 17F: Pence, Undated Subseries 17G: Schwendeman, 1971-1973 Subseries 17H: Wiant, 1915-1970 Subseries 17I: Enneking, 1905-1084 Subseries 17J: Spires, 1968-1969 Subseries 17K: Riker, 1972-1983 Subseries 17L: Johnson, 1823-1978 Subseries 17M: Busse, Undated Subseries 17N: Tornes, Undated Subseries 17O: Stickley, Undated Subseries 17P: Barger, Undated Biographical/Historical Note: Harry Leo Kern was born to Frank E. Kern (1854-1931) and Josephine Spires Kern (1859- 1946) in 1894. He attended school at Lancaster schools in Lancaster, Ohio, before enlisting in the American Army during the First World War as the company Bugler. After returning from Europe, Harry Kern married Mary Schwendeman the daughter of Frank Schwendeman and Margaret Tornes Schwendeman (born 1895) on July 20, 1920. They moved to Columbus, Ohio, where Harry found work with the United States Postal Service while Mary Schwendeman Kern worked at The Ohio State University in the Home Economics Department. On June 2, 1923, the couple welcomed the birth of their son, and only child, Robert Francis Kern. After their retirement the couple moved out of their home near The Ohio State University, where they often rented rooms to students, and built a new home. Harry Kern died in 1975, and Mary Schwendeman Kern, who was suffering from dementia, was moved to a nursing home in Urbana, Ohio, where she died in 1978. Robert Francis Kern was born to Harry Leo Kern and Mary Schwendeman Kern on June 2, 1923. During the summer he visited his grandparent’s farm where he was able to visit his many cousins. He attended high school through