Johann Heinrich Bartels, who went by "Henry", was born 10 Mar 1859 at # 9 Meerbeck, in the Schaumburg district of Lower Saxony ("Niedersachsen"), Germany. At three days of age, he was baptized as John Henry Bartels in Stadthagen, Schaumburg district. In 1869 the decision was made to immigrate to America. Thus, the family farm was sold and good-byes were said; at Bremen the family boarded the S.S. "Hermann" on 30 Mar 1869 with tickets both for steerage and for one deck room (a relative luxury). On May 3, 1869 they arrived at the Port of New York and went by train to Illinois, settling in the German colony of Beecher in Will county, where they were close to relatives and friends. It was there, on 6 Apr 1873, that Henry was confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Zion Lutheran Church. His family then went west in 1878 by train to Friendville (now Friend) and then by wagon to their homestead in Saline county, Nebraska, where Henry grew to manhood. On 1 Mar 1888, Henry married Marie Haake of the adjoining county of Jefferson (near Daykin) at the Zion Lutheran Church next to old Zion Cemetery, the church which his father had co-founded.

To this union were born 13 children, all of whom except the last, twins Walter and Wilhelm, lived to adulthood. All but one married and the majority stayed in the Tobias area, where many of their descendants still live.

The children were:
Herman F, Ernst Ludwig Wilhelm, Friedrich George (Fred), Johann Gottlieb Ernst (John), Heinrich Wilhelm (Henry), Paul Heinrich August, Emil August Johann Fritz, Theodore Heinrich Wilhelm Fritz, Hulda, Hedwig (Hattie), Edwin Friedrich Wilhelm, and twins Walter and Wilhelm. The twins are buried also in Old Zion cemetery. All are buried in the New Zion cemetery next to the current Zion Lutheran church with the exception of John and Hulda. John, who followed a career of teaching and school administration in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod parochial schools, is buried in the Lutheran section of Memorial Park in Topeka, Kansas. Hulda, who married Fritz Obermueller, is buried in the St. John Lutheran Cemetery south of Lincoln, Kansas.

Henry's obituary was published 10 Apr 1931 in "The Tobias Times", page one:
Henry Bartels Passes Away Sunday Evening
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Mr. Henry Bartels age 72 passed away at his farm home a mile southeast of Tobias at 9:30 Sunday evening. Hi passing was sudden and a great shock to this community.
Mr. Bartels has been confined to his home for the last two weeks, but with no ailment that was serious, and when a blood clot proved fatal Sunday night, it was a great blow to his relatives and Ills large number of friends.
Mr. Bartels, a pioneer of Tobias, was born in Germany and came to this country with his parents when he was ten years of age. His parents settled in Will County, Ill., where they resided until nine years later when they came to Nebraska and settled south of Tobias.
The funeral services conducted by Rev. Nau were held at the home at 1 o'clock, and at the Zion Lutheran church at 1:30 Thursday afternoon. Burial was made in Zion Lutheran cemetery.
Those that are left to mourn his passing are his wife, eight sons, Herman, Fred G., Ernest, John, Emil, Theodore, Paul, Edwin; two daughters, Mrs. Fred Obermueler [sic]-Obermueller] of Lincoln, Kas., Hattie; three brothers, Gottlieb and John of Tobias, Fred G. of Grand Island, Neb.; two sisters, Mrs. Anna Sewaer [sic-Schweer] of Rishwell [sic-Ritzville], Wash., Mrs. Sophie Heideman [Heidemann] of Daykin.