Family Tree Maker - Nathan, Amy, Madison and Ethan Berga

Held Family History
John August Held
John August Held was born to Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Held and Sophia Louise Dickman on October 30, 1864 in
Freelandville, Indiana. John was the sixth of eight children born on the Held's farm. John would marry his neighbor, Mary
Lelie Litchte on October 19, 1892. His older brother, Fred, had married Mary's older sister, Caroline six years earlier.
Mary was the daughter of Karl Lichte and Anna Marie Hagemeier; born in Indiana, March 13, 1865, following the end of
the Civil War. Karl and Anna Lichte had immigrated from Prussia, and had settled in Freelandville where Mary was
born.
John and Mary would have eight children, six would survive infancy. Their first son, Louis was born 1891, and would
die three years later. another infant would die before Lydia Sophia would be born in 1893, followed by, Fred, Hulda,
Carl, and twins, Albert and Alma.
June 9, 1900 John owned his own farm in Freelandville, married nine years and three young children. Lydia, 6, Fred,
4, and little Charley (Carl Henry) was nine months. Through each decade, little changed for the Held family. More
children were born, but John continued to farm his land in Freelandville. During the eve of the Great Depression, with
only their 26 year old daughter, Alma, still at home, John rented a home and worked in the sawmill, at age 67. On
January 3, 1950 Mary died. Three years later, John August died on December 14, 1953.
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