Newspaper Article in The Tell City Newspaper:

This well preserved photo of the late Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ubelhor was brought in by Frank Kluesner of Tell City. It was taken many years ago by a Ferdinand photographer, Adam J. Sprauer.

The information concerning the couple was supplied by granddaughters of the couple, Mrs. Frank (Helen Ubelhor) Kluesner, Tell City, and Mrs. Rudolph (Lorena Ubelhor) Temple of the Bristow area.

Michael Ubelhor was born July 23, 1835 in Germany and Mrs. Ubelhor in Pennsylvania on October 21, 1840. They came to Perry County area in the early 1850's and their eldest daughter was born here September 7, 1859. He homesteaded a section of land near Uniontown. It was recorded as Michael Ubelhor from the United States No. 39540 for 80 acres E2NE, Section 36, T3R3 on March 24, 1857.

Mr. and Mrs. Ubelhor lived in an old log hut which had a bad roof. When their daughter was born, Ubelhor held an umbrella over the mother and child to keep them dry. According to information supplied to the News, wolves howled around the hut at night. The light for the hut was obtained by burning containers of tallow. Matches were scare and settlers in the area tried to keep fires going continuously. If the fire went out, they walked, often miles, to borrow fire from neighbors.

The Ubelhors had twelve children. He made a living for his large family working as a timberman. There were no doctors near and Mrs. Ubelhor, known by everyone as grandma, traveled through the neighborhood by horse and buggy, delivering in her time, over 100 babies that remaining members of the family know about. The majority of the children she delivered were grandchildren, some of who still belong to St. Martin's parish, Siberia. The grandchildren range in age from 50 to 69 years of age. Before St. Martin's was founded, Mr. and Mrs. Ubelhor traveled to Ferdinand to attend church by horseback. Ubelhor lead the horse, ridden by Mrs. Ubelhor, who carried a baby in her arms.

Ubelhor helped build the first church constructed after the founding of Siberia. They later built a new home near Uniontown, between St. Crois and Siberia and lived there until their deaths. Their youngest son, Joseph, cared for his parents until their deaths and the home was left to him. At Joseph's death, the home was left to his wife, Clara, who still resides in it.

Mrs. Kluesner said she recalls her father, Jacob Ubelhor, talking about trips he and her grandfather, Michael Ubelhor, made to Louisville to pick up supplies. She said they traveled by horse and wagon over trails through the woods by way of the area in which Leavenworth now stands, the trip frequently taking a week or longer.