|
Two of my great, great grandfathers were founders of the St. Stephen Church; Johann Philip FALTER, and Martin STEINMETZ. They helped erect the original log church in 1843 in Bloom Township (on Martin's land). The decision to build a newer, larger church in Venice Township in the 1870s created a major controversy among the parishioners. Some parishoners wanted the new church to be built where the old church was located, and others wanted it to be 400 yards away in Venice Township. My great grandfather, John B. FALTER, son of Johann Philip, was so upset by the decision to locate it in Venice Township that he and his family left St. Stephen parish and attended church at St. Bernard Catholic Church in New Washington, Crawford County, Ohio for several years. John B. apparently got tired of the 6 mile-long Sunday buggy rides to New Washington and returned to the new church at St. Stephen.
|
