written by Patricia Tippman Ley, July 3, 1995

	Bernard Henry Bueter, my great great grandfather was the first of the Bueter line of my family to immigrate to the United States.  He was considered a pioneer settler of the Fort Wayne area.
	He was born Bernardus Heinrich Bueter in Hanover, Germany on May 2, 1821 to Joannus Bernardus Bueter and Gertrius Neimann.  
	He left Germany from the harbor of Bremen on March 28, 1849 at the age of 28 years.  He arrived in New York City on June 18, 1849.  He arrived in Fort Wayne in 1849.  He found employment on the construction of the Wabash-Erie Canal.  The Canal was known to have drawn many German immigrants to the Fort Wayne area.  He then worked at the City Mill for seven years.  The City Mill was a flouring mill located on the Canal at Clinton Street.
	On April 30, 1850 he married Mary Gasina Abeln, another German immigrant from Meppin, Hanover, Germany.  They were married in the St. Mary's Catholic.  It was one of the first marriage ceremonies performed at the newly established church.  Rev. Ed. Faler officiated and their witnesses were Joannis Bernardus Lieners and Anna Dinklake.
	June 19, 1852, he bought lot number 85 of the Hanna Addition for $365.  This was located at the Southeast corner of Washington and Clay Streets.  This is where he built his home.  He resided there until he bought 61 acres in Adams Township on New Haven Avenue adjacent to the Wabash-Erie Canal.  He paid $1350 for the ;61 acres on May 15, 1858.  He maintained possession of the properties in town but moved his family (Mary, Barney, Frank and Henry) to the farm in 1859 and took up farming until his death in 1893.  The farm was purchased from Jane Phelps who had improved 45 acres of the 61 acres.  In 1860 Henry owned 4 horses, 3 milk cows, 8 other cattle, and 9 swine.  He raised 400 bu. of corn, 35 bu. oats, 50 bu potatoes and 100 lbs of butter and 14 tons of hay.  He purchased additional property from Ed. H. Phelps in 1871 that made the total farm consisting of 85 acres.  In the 1880 Farm Census, Henry's farm was shown to be 125 acres.  It also shows that his son Barney was renting 40 acres.  I believe that Henry bought the 40 acre farm property to allow his newly married son to get started.
	In 1899 the widow Mary G. deeded over to her son J. Herman, 15 acres of the family farm.  J. Herman was listed as living on the south side of Maumee Road east of Edsall Avenue and running a dairy.  Upon the death of his mother, he inherited the family farm in accordance with the will of his father.  The farm was located where the present day Cloverleaf interchange at the junction of US 30 and US 24.

Bernard Henry Bueter was one of the 30 founders and builders of the original St. Mary's Church.  This congregation was an offshoot of St. Augustine's that was formed to service the German Catholics of Fort Wayne area.
	To the marriage of Bernard Henry and Maria Gesina Bueter, there were born seven children.  Five of these children lived to adulthood.  They were John Bernard (05 May 1851), Frank Henry (05 Feb 1854), John Henry (07 Aug 1856), Anna Maria (18 May 1859), Ludmilla Maria (11 Feb 1862), Mathilda Maria (22 Oct 1864), John Herman (23 Feb 1866).
	He died December 1, 1893 on the family farm.  He was buried from St. Mary's Catholic Church to the Catholic Cemetery lot A-19.
	His will left all of his property and possessions to his widow.  Upon her death, the family farm was left to J. Herman Bueter and payment by J. Herman of $1000 to both J. Bernard and Frank H. 4 years after her death.  He left 2 houses on E. Wayne to Ludmilla Violand and the family homestead at the corner of Washington and Clay Streets to John Henry Bueter.