June 1910 - Grand Haven Tribune

Ottawa Oldest Married Couple - Mr. and Mrs. Johan Behm

The oldest married couple in Ottawa county. Live on the Lake Shore road in Grand Haven township, and are no other than those well known citizens, Mr. and Mrs. Johan Behm. They have been married over 68 years. Mr. and Mrs. Behm now 86 and 84 years of age respectively and for their years there is no livelier couple in the country. They were made husband and wife in June, 1842, and the marriage occurred in a little town in the province of Brandenburg in Russia.

At about that time all Prussia was stirred by a movement and agitation which was being made against all people of Lutheran persuasion by the Prussian king and government and there was a large emigration from the country. The Behms were Lutherans and finally tiring of the persecution to which they were subjected, decided to come to America, the "land of promise’ to which thousands were fleeing because of the indignities heaped upon them in their own dear Father land.

Mr. and Mrs. Behm landed in New York in 1843 and proceeded to Birgholz, Niagara county, N.Y., where they settled upon land sold them by the Holland Land Co. Here they resided for twenty five years. In 1868 they decided to come to Michigan and it was in that year that they settled upon their present farm in Grand Haven township.

Mr. F.A. Kammnerer of Robinson visited the old couple the other day and found them hale and hearty and then the facts as here stated.

The children of this old couple are: Fred Behm of the Lake Shore road., John of Milwaukee, Johannes of the township, Mrs. Henry Steffens of Agnew and Mrs. A VanHoef of Grand Haven.

Transcriber: Barb Jones
Created: 24 August 2010
URL: http://ottawa.migenweb.net/marriages/annv/behmJohan.html