Martin & Zelda Capehart Genealogy Webiste

My great, great grandfather, Henry Bersch/Bash was born Heinrich Bersch about 1823 in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. He arrived in the United States May 1, 1844. He filed Declaration of Intent papers and was granted Certificate of Nautralization in Whitley County, Indiana, where he married and raised his family.

Darmstadt lies within the federal state of Hessen, one of the 16 states in the Federal Republic of Germany, and right in the heart of central Europe. It covers the southern part of the Rhine Main Metropolitan Area. It is situated nearby the rivers Rhine, Main and Neckar. Darmstadt has been part of Hesse since 1479. The grand duchy of Hesse, received a constitution with Darmstadt as its capital on December 12, 1820. The state of Hesse was formed in 1945 through the consolidation of most of Hesse-Darmstadt, a former grand duchy and Hesse-Nassau, a former Prussian province. Wiesbaden is now the capital.

The approximate location of Darmstadt is indicated with an .

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page; http://www.infoplease.com/; http://www.darmstadt.de/

On 27 February 1848, Henry married Mary M. Hager in Whitley County, Indiana. They were the parents of 9 children:

William Franklin "Frank" Bersch born 8 March 1849 in Jackson Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana

Henry Orlando "Land" Bersch born 1851 (tombstone says 1849) in Indiana. 1860 US federal Census gives

his age was 9 years which would make his birth date about 1851.

Barbara Ellen Bash born about 1854 in Indiana

and

Mary Jane Bash born 3 June 1856

John Wilson Bash born 30 June 1859

Susannah C. bash born about 1862

Samuel Bash born Jan. 1865

Charles "Charlie" Bash born Feb. 1868

Rollo Theodore Bash born 12 Aug. 1871

Sometime between 1854-1860 the spelling of their last name changed from Bersch to Bash.

Henry was a wagon maker. On 8 February 1865, at the age of 43 years, he enlisted with the Union Army, Company I, 152nd Regiment of Indiana Infantry Volunteers at Springfield (later known as South Whitley). He was a wheel wright (made and repaired wheels and wheeled carriages) and did guard duty. He mustered in on 16 Feb. 1865 at Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana and mustered out, Honorably Discharged, 30 Aug. 1865 at Charleston, West Virginia, at the end of the war. He had contracted Camp Diarrhoea in July 1865. He was very sick with the Camp Diarrhoea and was never able to resume his trade as a wagon maker. He attempted to farm but his ability to work was very limited due to the resulting dropsy and eventually liver and heart problems. Beginning in 1876 he began his struggle to get a full military pension and finally after almost 11 years he was awarded the full pension on 26 Jan. 1887. On 22 May 1888 he died at the age of 65 years, 7 months 4 days and is buried beside his wife of 32 years in Union/Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana, Row #10, Space 15.

Henry's wife preceded him in death on 22 June 1881. She died at their home in Liberty Mills, Wabash County, Indiana. "Mrs. Mary Bash, died at her home in Liberty Mills, yesterday; the funeral will take place today, Thursday, in that place at 2 p.m.; services conducted by Rev. J. B. Carns of this city." -- North Manchester Journal, Liberty Mills, Wabash County, Indiana, June 23, 1881.

William Franklin Frank Bersch, son of Henry & Mary Bersch/Bash was born 8 March 1849 in Jackson Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He married Elizabeth Rebecca Edmonds on 11 Apr. 1869 at Wabash Co., IN. She was born 26 Oct. 1853 at Cervia, IN. They were the parents of 8 children: Willie H., Charley W., Harvey E., Clara Alice, Laura M., Editha Dalton, Earl Wayne & Ross. Three of their sons died quite young -- Willie H, age 2 yrs., 5 mo., 21 days, died just 5 days after his brother, Charley W. who died at 1 yr. 8 mo. and 15 days of age. They are evidently buried in the same grave since both of their names appear on the same side of the tombstone. Another son, Ross, 6 years of age, died from injuries sustained when he fell under the wheels of a freight train. William and Elizabeth were both affiliated with the Lutheran chruch. William was a dealer in agricultural implements. He enlisted in the 152 Regiment Indiana Volunteers during the late rebellion and served until the close of the Civil War. He died 22 Aug. 1885 at N. Manchester, Wabash Co., IN. Elizabeth Rebecca evidently traveled with family members to Iowa where she married William Mendenhall Allen (a widower) on 31 May 1893 in Madison Co., IA. They were the parents of 3 daughter, 2 of which were twins. Elizabeth Rebecca died 4 Jun. 1921 in Sedgewick Co., Wichita, KS. William died 23 Dec. 1934 at Minot, SD.

Frank & Elizabeth Bash's daughter, Editha Dalton, was born 27 Aug. 1881 at Liberty Mills, IN. She married Kephart P. Morgan on 4 Oct. 1905 in Madison Co., Earlham, IA. Kephart was born 8 Nov. 1882 in Filmore Co., Strang, NE. They were the parents of 4 children: Gladys Eilene, Paul Wilburn, Maude Amy & Editha May. Maude Amy & Editha May were twin daughters -- Maude Amy died at birth and Editha May at age 1 mo., 13 days. Editha died shortly after the twins birth on 19 May 1918 at Seeley Twp., Guthrie Center, IA and is buried in Earlham Cemetery at Earlham, IA.

Gladys Eilene, the daughter of Kephart & Editha Morgan, was born 21 Sep. 1906 near Earlham, IA. She was a school teacher until her marriage to Ray Ellis Capehart, a farmer, on 18 Aug. 1930. Ray was born 2 Feb. 1908 at Wiley, CO. They were the parents of 5 children. In 1951 they moved to a farm near Harrison, AR. Gladys died 4 Jan. 1957 near Harrison, AR.

Gladys and Ray Capehart were my parents.

Sources: Ancestry.com One World Tree; US Federal Census Records; Ancestry World Tree Project: Jennifer LeMar Family Tree; Civil War Records; Pension Records; Doris Ann (Neal) Bash