In 1998, I wrote a book entitled "Unbehaun Families Of America". My great-grandfather, Heinrich Theodore Unbehaun (1827-1904) came to America in 1848. He settled in Lake County, Illinois, north of Chicago.

His father, Johann Nicol Unbehaun (1801-1865), along with his mother, and two brothers and two sisters came to this country in 1852 and settled in Lake County. My great-grandfather later moved to Richland County, Wisconsin about 1857 with his wife Catharina Wacker. They raised seven sons and two daughters.

My grandfather, Henry, was one of those sons. According to our information, they came from the area south and west of Saalfeld, south of Rudolstadt. The town is listed as Unterhain. There is a lot of interest on the part of some of us in America to learn as much as we can about our ancestors in Germany. There are a lot of records at a church in Oberweissbach.

We would love to hear anything you could tell us about the early Unbehaun family in Germany. The Unbehaun family is having its yearly reunion at the Ash Creek United Methodist Church near Richland Center.

Heinrich and Catherina were members of this church as it was a German Evangelical Church where German was spoken. Hope to hear from you soon

Allen Unbehaun

29081 Co Hwy TB, Richland Center, WI 53581 Tel: 001-608-647-3225

unbehaun(at)mwt.net

The Unbehauns have been farming in Richland County for about 150 years. Allen Unbehaun’s great-grandfather, Heinrich, came from Germany in 1848 and settled in Lake County, Illinois where he purchased 80 acres in what is now the city of Lake Forest. He sold his 80-acre farm to his younger brother, Charles and moved with his family to this southwest Wisconsin county near the village of Boaz in the 1850’s.

Allen’s grandfather, Henry, along with his brother, bought the farm now known as Unbehaun Acres in 1898. His son, Clarence purchased the farm in 1930. Clarence and his wife, Hilda, with their son, Allen continued to farm together until Clarence’s death in an airplane crash in 1949. Allen was entering high school at the time. Allen and his mother operated the farm until 1954 when Allen married Avis Fruit. They rented and eventually bought the farm while raising four children, Susanne, James, Lori and David. Their daughters are teachers in the Decorah, Iowa area. James works as a registered nurse. Allen and Avis have 11 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

Over the past 50 years much has changed. They were a 200- acre farm with 40 cows, 10 brood sows farrowing twice a year and a couple of hundred chickens. Now they own and rent over 600 acres of tillable land and 220 cows, plus replacements and no hogs or chickens. Unbehaun Acres is a farm corporation consisting of Allen, Avis and David. They became a “Century Farm” in 1998.

Allen & Avis and David with his family, wife Cathy, Lucas, Megan and Heidi, are members of the Ash Creek United Methodist Church, where Allen, Avis and David teach Sunday School. Allen has been Orion Town Chairman for the past 18 years and Richland Rural Fireboard Chairman for the past 12 years. David is President of the Board of Consumers Coop of Richland Center.