The Ehlen Family

"Many Lives - Many Ties"

Musicality and craftsmanship are themes that run through the Ehlen family in their relationship with the Bethel and Aurora Colony’s.
John Diedrich Ehlen was born in Hanover Germany on October 4, 1799. He died on February 9, 1882. About 1825 he married Maria Charlotta Boning and the couple had four children between 1826 and 1835. We do not know if Maria was alive when the family immigrated to America but all of the children were born in Hanover. Evidence strongly suggests that the Ehlen’s first settled in Ohio before J.D. brought their four children, ranging from nine to nineteen, to Bethel in 1845.

Musicality Runs Through the Family

Music was part of the education for most every member of the Ehlen family.
Both of John Diedrich’s sons played in the Aurora Colony band and several of their children are recognized as leaders of singing groups and small orchestras.

The Craft of Basketmaking

John Diedrich Ehlen’s conducement of $95.62 in money and supplies to the Bethel Colony start-up account was quite small in comparison to other contributions.  However, John Diedrich brought the skill of basketmaking, and these baskets were utilized for the colony’s most basic needs such as laundry, gathering fruit and eggs, and carrying wool and other materials.
Every family received a variety of Ehlen’s baskets and their durability is shown by how many examples of his craft survive in the museum and in private collections to this day.

Other Colony Crafts

The number of people working with leather and other raw materials illustrates the importance of the crafts to the Colony.  The fact, however, that they also entered their products in a competition, shows that the Colonists were willing to exhibit their work in a public forum.  Ornamentation was part of their craft, and it was not considered too worldly.