Series 1: Kern Family, 1900-2015

The Arnold Family Papers consist of the papers of many generations of interrelated families, dating from 1800 to 2017. The main families represented are Kern, Baker, Arnold, Steinemann, Meyer, Enneking, and Decker. The documents include (among others) photographs, employment records, correspondence, school and legal documents, and materials from World War I and World War II. The collection is divided into series according to family with subseries for each individual. Women’s documents are filed under the series for their married name (if any). Latter series concern unidentified individuals and genealogy.

Series 1: Kern Family spans from 1900-2015. Five generation of the Kern family had a hand in creating these documents including Frank E. Kern, Josephine Spires Kern, Harry Leo Kern, Mary Schwendeman Kern, Robert Francis Kern, Marjorie Elaine Baker Kern, Greg Kern, Ted Kern, Brendan Kern, and Jennifer Kern. These materials include photographs, slides, reel to reel tapes, and correspondence from World War I and World War II. Also included are school documents, army documents, and personal papers. These materials were created while the Kern family lived in Lancaster, Ohio, which is located in Fairfield County, as well as Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County, and Urbana, Ohio, in Champaign County.

Series 2: Baker Family spans from 1881-2015. This includes Peter Baker Jr., Martha Ann Johnson Baker, Wilson Marion Baker, Lottie Marian Pence Baker, Wendell Homer Baker, Marie Decker Baker, Allen Homer Baker, Eileen Scott Baker Kennedy, and Allen Douglas Baker. These materials include legal documents, patent documents from the Baker Egg Case Company, correspondence, books, school documents, a 78 rpm record, personal papers, financial documents, photographs, as well as newspaper and magazine articles featuring the Baker and Son farm. The Baker family lived primarily in Champaign County, Ohio, in the towns of Saint Paris and Urbana.

Series 3: Steinemann Family spans from 1864-1983. These family members include John Henry Steinemann, Charles Steinemann, Caroline Wendeln Steinemann, Frank Joseph Steinemann, Henry Steinemann, Theodore Bernard Steinemann, Luetta Steinemann, Cecil Steinemann, Clara Steinemann, and several others including husbands of some of the Steinemann women. The materials in this series include books, financial documents, photographs, legal documents and newspaper articles some of which are written in German. The Steinemann family came from Germany to America and founded the village of Minster, Ohio, in Auglaize County.

Series 4: Meyer Family spans from 1800-1936. These materials were created by Bernard Meyer, John Heinrich Fredrick Meyer, Anna Maria Enneking Meyer, Rosa Meyer, and the Reverend (William) Carl Meyer. These materials consist of books, photographs, correspondence, financial documents, and legal documents including passes for the family’s departure from Germany to America. Some of these documents are written in German. The family travelled through Cincinnati, Ohio, on their way to settle in Minster, Ohio, in Auglaize County.

Series 5: Decker Family spans from 1830-1942. This includes Elizabeth Trimpee Decker, Joseph Decker, Mary Catherine Steinemann Decker, and Mary Gertrude Meyer Decker. There materials include photographs, books, financial documents, army documents including Joseph Decker’s draft notice for the American Civil War, as well as school documents and newspaper articles some of which are written in German. The Decker family lived in Minster, Ohio, in Auglaize County.

Series 6: Arnold Family spans from 1960-2005. It include materials from Robert Andrew Arnold, Roberta Elaine Kern Arnold, Emily Elizabeth Arnold, and Katherine Celeste Arnold. These materials include photographs, correspondence, and newspaper articles concerning their restaurant Robert’s On Miami. The Arnold family lived on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts and Columbus, Ohio in Franklin County, as well as Urbana, Ohio in Champaign County.

Series 7: Norris Family spans from 1985-1998 and consists of photographs of Amanda Marie Arnold Norris. The Norris family has lived on Nantucket, Massachusetts, in Columbus, Ohio, and also in Urbana, Ohio, and Rushsylvania, Ohio.

Series 8: Pence Family spans from 1883-1915 and includes Allen Pence, Sarah Riker Pence, Winfield Scott Pence, Frank Pence, Otie Pence Hance, Price Kite, Elanora Pence Kite, Swain Allen Smith, Amanda Pence Smith, Carroll Lear Smith, James Webb Martin, and Elizabeth Pence Martin. These materials include photographs, personal papers, employment records, and newspaper articles. The Pence family lived outside of Saint Paris, Ohio, in Champaign County. The Martin family lived in Dayton, Ohio.

Series 9: Schendeman Family spans from 1915-1971. These family members include Frank Schwendeman, and Hugo P. Schwendeman and include personal papers, as well as photographs. The Schwendeman family resided in Fairfield County, Ohio.

Series 10: Wiant Family spans from 1914-1929 and includes materials from Mary Wiant, Edjel Wiant, and Ernest Wiant. These materials include correspondence and photographs. The Wiant family was originally from the state of Virginia, but part of the family moved to what would become Champaign County, Ohio, shortly after the Revolutionary War.

Series 11: Enneking Family spans from 1829-1876. These family members include Johann Herman Heinrich Enneking and Johann Bernard Enneking. The materials in this series include books, financial documents, and personal papers some of which may be written in German. The Enneking family were German immigrants who came to America and settled in Minster, Ohio.

Series 12: Craige Family dates from about 1840-1900 and includes materials such as photographs. The Craige family lived in Champaign County, Ohio.

Series 13: Harbour Family dates from about 1840-1990 and includes photographs. The Harbour family resided in Champaign County, Ohio.

Series 14: Spires Family dates from 1915 and consists of Joseph Spires’ last will and testament. The Spires family came from Germany and settled in Fairfield County, Ohio.

Series 15: Other Families spans from 1900-1971. This series includes people who may or may not be related to the other families, but have photographs that are marked with names. These family names include Pottmeyer, Engle, Stringfellow, Berting, Stechschulte, and Frankhouser.

Series 16: Unidentified spans from 1807-1912 and contains any documents, photographs, or newspaper articles of unidentified individual or origin.

Series 17: Genealogy spans from 1823-2017 and contains genealogical information and research on several branches of the Arnold family. These branches include Kern, Baker, Steinemann, Meyer, Decker, Pence, Schwendeman, Wiant, Enneking, Spires, Riker, Johnson, Busse, Tornes, Stickley, and Barger. The materials include information on specific member of the families, handwritten notes, family trees, correspondence, cemetery records, and pamphlets.