History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

860

HIST'rRY VOF SAGINAW COUNTY.

and cages of wild animals. On the lhiglest point on these paradisiacal grounds he erected a beautiftul church. lHe continued to
take a prominent p)art in literature and science, being a member of
learned societies, and lie owned a large cabinet of minerals and
shells, considered the best private collection in Germtany at that
time.
Two of Mr. Koch's children met with serious accidents, injuring
the reason of one, and ultimately destroying the life of the other;
and the Revolution of 1848 came on, but Mr. Kbch camie through
unscathed. Then he emigrated to America with his daughter
Caroline, who was betrothed to Rev. F. Sievers, a Lutheran minister in the Saginaw Valley; he went to the Lake Superior region
to examine the resources and conditions of mineral interest there,
with a view of bringing over his old employes and friends from
Germany; and although he found the resources surprisingly abundant, the art of mining was so crude, and American institutions so
republican, that he decided not to bring on the immigrants
immediately; he then visited the lead mines of Wisconsin and
Illinois; still his decision was that it would not do to bring miners
over from the old country to work in America under European
control. Mr. Koch died March 12, 1862, greatly respected by all
the community. The tp. of Kochville was named after him.
BMrs. Koch died April 5, 1875. She was a very estimable lady,
full of Christian faith and good works.
Joh/n A. Leifnberyer, farmer, sec. 1, was born in Germany, July
19, 1830, and is a son of Frederick and Catherine (Schenter) Leinberger. John received a common-school education in his native
land, and in 1847 emigrated to the United States. In 1848 he located land on sec. 1, Kochville tp., where he now possesses 180
acres. He is Republican in politics, and served as Tp. Treasurer 14
years, Clerk 7 years, School Director 14 years, and Assessor. He is
an enterprising citizen, and was prominently identified in the
movement attaching half of Kochville tp. to Bay county. He
was married in 1849 to Mary Katherine Drulein. Eight children
have been given them, all living. Mrs. Leinberger died March 3,
1880. She was a member of the Lutheran Church, as is also her
hiusband.
Rev. J. F. Miller, Pastor of the German Reformed Cllhurch at
Kochville, was born in Washtenaw Co., Mich., May 11, 1844, a
son of Charles and Rosena (Stueter) Miller, natives of Germany,
wlho emigrated to this country in 1830, settling in that county.
The subject of this sketch received his education partly at Fort
Wayne, Ind., and at St. Louis, Mo. He entered the ministry in
1862, at Terre Haute, Ind., and since 1868 has occupied his present
position. He was married in Lenawee Co., Mich., in 1864, to
Anna M., daughter of George and Dorothy Miller, who was born
in Bavaria, Germany, in 1844. They have 9 children, 8 of whom
are living: Charles A., August If., Caroline, Carl, George,
Adolph, Edward and Emil F. The deceased is Emma. Rev.
Miller is at present Superintendent of Schools of Kochville tp.