Bio-Behme, Fred

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Frederick Arthur Behme
( ? -1940)

Frederick Arthur Behme was born near Tontogany, Wood County, OH, the son of Nathaniel A. and Rebecca (Minerd) Behme.

As a boy, Fred and his parents migrated west to Iowa.

In 1898, Fred married Myra Maude Stoddard ( ? - ? ), a native of Iowa.

They had seven children -- Helen L. Lange, Maude M. Elliot, Thornton A. Behme, Isabelle Klassen Hyle, Mabel E. Caughell, Gordon S. Behme and Doris L. Ayers.

Fred's parents separated (and perhaps divorced) while in Iowa. His mother Rebecca soonafter moved to Washington State, leaving with Fred, in her words, her "feather bed & pillows I got from home. They have all the house things I had when I lived in Minneapolis & what I had in Iowa too. So they have two outfits & it seems that Fred wants to run it all his way." She also gave each of her children some of her "trinkets & keep sakes .. for fear I never got back again."

The first two of Fred and Myra's children (Helen and Maude) were born in LuVerne, Kossuth County, IA circa 1899-1901. The photograph seen here shows three generations of the family, and was taken at a studio in Britt, IA. Fred is seated in front, presumably with their eldest daughter. In the back row, from left to right: sister Clara, wife Myra, father Nate and brother Sam.

In one holiday season, perhaps 1899-1900, Fred's mother traveled from Washington to visit Fred and his family in Iowa, and later wrote:

I had a pleasant visit home Christmas time. Found them very well fixed. Fred has a sweet little girl. She puts me in mind of Clara when she was little. She is so cute you would laugh to hear her talk. She swears a little & it sounds so funny. You remember Fred used to swear so when he was small.

Another of his mother's letters of that era said that Fred was feeling "poorly. He has phthyic so bad. I am afraid he will not live long. The doctor told him a change of climate would do him good & nothing else would..."

Fred's mother must have encouraged them all to move to Washington State. Fred's in-laws were native Iowans, and Myra apparently was reluctant to move. However, circa 1903, Fred and his family made the move to Washington State, settling in Custer, Whatcom County. There, the rest of their children were born.

Fred was an engineer. Little is known about how he applied this skill in his employment.

Much of what we know of Fred's life comes from letters his mother sent to relatives back home in Ohio. In one such letter, dated Nov. 18, 1907, she wrote: "Fred & wife lives at Custer. They are all well. Also his health has been so much better since he came out west..."

Myra's fate is unknown.

At some point, Fred remarried, to Theresa ( ? - 1967). She was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Portland, OR.

Circa 1940, the Behmes resided at 7817 North Brandon Street in Portland.

On March 11, 1940, Fred passed away in Portland. Funeral arrangements were handled by Peninsula Funeral Home. His burial site is not known.

Theresa outlived her husband by more than a quarter of a century, and remained in her home for most of that time. She died in early January 1967, with funeral arrangements provided by Mikeworth's Peninsula Funeral Home.