Henry's bio can be found in the History of Cincinatti and Hamilton Co,O H:
"HENRY VAN GUNDY was born in Milford township, Butler Co., Ohio,Septem ber 25,1824, son of Christian and Catherine (Rinkenburg) VanGundy. The f ather was born in Alsas, France, in 1783, and died in1854; the mother w as born in Lorraine, France, in 1800, and died in1848. Christian Van G undy immigrated to Philadelphia in 1820, wherehe remained but a short t ime, removing thence to Butler county, Ohio.Here he engaged in farming a nd weaving until 1832, when be located inKenton county, Ky., remained e ighteen months, thence moved to MillCreek township, thence to Delhi to wnship, this county, where beremained till 1839, and then moved to Cam pbell county, Ky., and therepassed the remainder of his days. He owned a f arm of 123 acres, theacquisition of a life of energetic activity. He w as the father of tenchildren: Joseph, of Cincinnati; Phoebe, of Dayton , Ky.; Christopher,who was a soldier in the Mexican war, and died in C ovington, Ky., in1875; Henry; Magdalena, deceased; Jacob, of Montana; S usan, ofDayton; Elizabeth, deceased; Jefferson, late of Missouri, now deceased, and Mary, of Missouri.
Henry Van Gundy, the subject of this sketch, left home at the age ofei ghteen, absolutely without money, and with no clothes save those onhis p erson. He came to Anderson township, this county, and worked forAbraha m Hopper, at $8.00 per month. Here he continued to work at suchemploym ent as he could get until 1848, when he married and engaged infarming a t the locality known as Hopper's Hill. His entire capitalamounted to s ixty-five dollars, and he was obliged to purchase hisstock and farming i mplements on credit; but in two years he had paidall his debts, and ac cumulated one hundred dollars. In 1849 heremoved to Withamsville, Ohio , in 1850 built a house on ten acres ofland, inherited by his wife, an d resided there twenty years. In 1870he removed to Cherry Grove, where h e purchased a lot of six acres,and now owns the hotel property. He als o has a farm of 106 acres inthe southeastern portion of the township. M r. Van Gundy is a memberof the Masonic Fraternity, and was the first p ast master of hisLodge, of which he is the oldest member. He is a Repu blican inpolitics. On January 13, 1848, he married Serena, born Septem ber 26,1829, a daughter of Reuben and Christena (Ekelberger) Reed, and t heyare the parents of the following children: Christopher Wightman, wh omarried Anna Matthews; Mary Jane, wife of George W. Bennett, and JohnJ . Crittendon, who married Lilly Gelvin, of Clermont county. Ohio."
Descendants say Henry went by Gundy, others say some of hisdescendants g o by Von Gundy.
Residences & events:
11/6/1850 Union Twp, Clermont Co, OH. At census time Henry Gundy,25, w as a laborer but did have $600 in real estate. He lived alonewith wif e Serena, 22. They were the only Gundys in the county.
7/10/1860 Union Twp, PO Withamsville, Clermont Co, OH. The censustak er recorded Henry Gundy, 35, a farmer with property worth$3000/350, wi th wife Cerina, 30, Whiteman, 10, Mary, 6, and GustFrey, 15, brother J efferson Gundy, 20 (actually 24). The wholefamily was born in OH with t he exception of Frey who was fromHanover, Germany.
Either Henry's birth date or son Christopher's is incorrect. Henrywou ld have been only 6 when Christopher was born.
