John Schonauer was born on April 19th, 1828; 10 miles from the
 city of Berne, Switzerland.  His parents were John Schonauer I 
and Magdaline Saltsman.  He was a student at Canton Berne and 
graduated in music at the State Seminary of Switzerland.  He 
received a life certificate as primary teacher for the State 
School also.  Teacher's salaries there were very low, so he was
 very happy when he got a salary of $66.00 in American money to 
teach 40 weeks a year.  He taught for a few years there and then
 gave it up and came to America.



John married Anna Schupbach August 1, 1851 in Switzerland and 
then in 1852 emigrated with his wife and brother Frederick.



The price for boarding and fare from Berne to N.Y. with 200 pounds 
of baggage was $37.00.  The double deck boat Hungaria with 584 
passengers aboard took them to America taking 58 days to get from
 Berne, Switzerland to Albany, N.Y., then to Rochester by railroad,
 to Buffalo by canal boat, to Cleveland by steam boat and then to
 Winesburg by wagon with $10.00 left in his pocket.



In his account of "Early Emigration" in the Holmes County Farmer-Hub 
(Newspaper) dated April 3, 1902, he states that on their journey they
 had stopped at Rotterdam at a hotel. When the hotel-keeper cut the 
cooked meat and found the knife dull, he lifted up his leg and whetted
 it on the sole of his boot, and when all was ready he took the plate
 and gave each person a piece with his hand.



On the boat coming over, each family had to cook for themselves and
 this had to be done in a kitchen not more than 10x14 feet with only
 a limted amount of coal on hand; and with 584 passengers aboard, fights
 often occurred.  All kinds of discomfort had to be endured in this travel,
 he stated, but the worst was the attacks on the pocketbooks on the
 passengers in N.Y.  Every family was more or less swindled of $30 or
 $40 dollars by hotel keepers, ticket agents and all sorts of long fingers.



Frederick moved to Indiana.  John and Anna first located in Salt Creek 
Township, Holmes County, near Middletown.  Here he found work as a day
 laborer and from Mt. Hope they moved to their present farm in 1855 in
 Wolfcreek in southern Killbuck Township, Holmes County, Ohio.
They purchased 40 acres and by hard labor, industry, and good management
 accumulated 240 acres of land; well improved, and stocked.
The "Holmes County Hub" Newspaper called him Holmes County's most
 progressive farmer.
John and Anna had 11 children, 4 of whom died young: 
Marie, John Adolph, Sarah Anne, George Henry, Lena, Robert Edward,
 Joseph Franklin, Albert William, Emma, Anne Elizabeth, and Ida.
Marie married Christian Bellor. John Adolph married Elizabeth Zurcher 
and moved to Indiana. Sarah Anne died at 6 yrs old. George Henry married
 Rachel Croskey and lived in Coshocton, Oh, then Fredericktown. Lena 
married David McKelvey.  Robert Edward married Elnora Brink, Joseph Franklin
 died at 2 yrs old.  Albert William married Pearl Durler.  Emma married
 Ellsworth Matheny.  Anne Elizabeth died at 11 yrs old. Ida died at 3 yrs old.
Albert Schonauer and Pearl Durler were married November 20, 1890.  They stayed
 on the family farm and had 8 children: Walter, Lloyd, Selma, John, Charles,
 Wayne, Ralph, and Paul.
It was at this time (in the 30's and 40's) that the farm was called a 
showplace of Holmes County, Ohio.  A 5' panoramic picture of the farm 
was displayed at the SWCD office in Millersburg, Ohio for some time 
showing contour strips, well-built fences, well-stocked orchard and 
lush fields and woods.  Many visitors came to see the farm and learn 
all aspects of farming. William Schonauer, as accounted by his wife 
Garnet, says he ate his share of the peaches from the orchards.
Walter married Geneiveve Creque, Lloyd married Clara Tremelin, Selma
 married Dallas Miller, John married Donna Smail,  Charles married
 Lula Donaldson, Ralph married Mittie Randles, Wayne married Margaret (?),
 and Paul married Anna Reiss.
Walter, Lloyd, and Wayne all moved to Akron, Ohio. Selma moved to 
Centerburg, Oh. and all the rest stayed around Holmes County, Oh.
Walter had 2 children: Robert and Betty. Lloyd had 3 children: 
Miriam, Mabel and Jean.  Selma had 3 chldren: Carl, Ruth and Flazel.
John had 7 children: Atlee, Dean, David, Erma, Susie, Frank, and Dwight. 
Charles had 9 children: Leroy, Helen, Lucille, Charles, Oris, George,
 Denver, Glen, and Garret. Ralph had 3 children: Audrey, Bernard, and Jack. 
 Paul had 4 children: James, William, Carole, and Paul Michael. 
(Info submitted by Mrs. William (Garnet) Schonauer
 to the Holmes County Genealogical Society Of Ohio)