U.S. Federal census records include SEVEN VARIATIONS on the name "Frank Bufler," which include: Frank Anton Bufler, Frank S. Bufler, Francisco Bufler, Frank Bufler, Francisca Bufler, George Frank Bufler, and Frances Bufler.
RIGHT: This link opens a graphic that summarizes the federal census records for the FIRST THREE generations of the "Darrtown Buflers."
RIGHT: The FRANCISCO S. BUFLER Family
(circa 1910)
Francisco, the second oldest child of Frank Anton Bufler, married Ella Bepler and they had nine children (three boys and six girls).
Standing left to right: Mary, Frances, Anna Mae, Gertrude, Norma, and Stella.
Seated, left to right: Richard, Joseph, Frank S. (aka, "Grandpa Frank,") and Benjamin.
RIGHT: Six Sisters - daughters of Frank S. Bufler
(Photo taken in 1918) Left to right:
Mrs. Guy (Mary Bufler) Dynes - age 25
Miss Anna Mae Bufler - age 17 (she married Stanley Alston)
Mrs. Joseph (Gertrude Bufler) Grau - age 37
Miss Norma Bufler - age 19 (she married Arthur Clyde Wagonfield)
Mrs. William (Frances Bufler) Weiss - age 32
Mrs. Charles (Stella Bufler) Aebi - age 30
RIGHT:
Anna Mae Bufler stands in the middle of the three girls in front of Darrtown High School.
Unfortunately, the other two girls are unidentified and the date of the photo is unknown.
Anna Mae Bufler married Stanley "Doc" Alston. They had two children: Virgil and Betty Mae Alston.
This photo was contributed by Anna Mae's daughter, Betty (Alston) Martin and grandson, Rick Martin.
Surprise Birthday Party for F. S. Bufler ~ 73 Years Old
(as reported in the Hamilton Journal - article dated "1930")
Fourth Annual Bufler Reunion - Circa September 1919
(as reported in the Hamilton Journal)
"The Bufler Family held their fourth annual reunion in Frank Bufler’s grove [1] on the Four Mile Creek near Darrtown on Labor Day.
The families all came with well filled baskets and at twelve o’clock a large table was spread under the trees and a picnic dinner was enjoyed.
Ball playing and Victrola music all passed away too soon for the happy families, which included about 45 members, all present, one more member being added to the reunion, little Miss Bernice Weiss. [2]
At a late hour, ices and cakes were served to the following members: Messrs. and Mesdames S.L. Bufler and daughter Dorothy, of Liberty, Indiana; Charles Aebi and daughter Mildred; Paul Bufler and daughter Katherine of Hamilton; Guy Dynes, of Somerville; Joseph Grau and daughters Ruth, Evelyn, Gertrude, Eleanor, and Dorothy; Gus Bufler, Ben Bufler and children, Merle, Frances, and Lester; Wm. Bufler and children, Vernon and Helen; F.S. Bufler and children, Joe, Richard, Norma, and Anna Mae; Sam Herzog and son Ellis; Joe Bufler; Wm. Weiss and children, Paul and Bernice; and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bufler."
Webmaster notes:
[1] Darrtown natives, George Thome, Dale Bufler, Eugene Wagonfield, and Delores Uhl remember Frank BUFLER'S GROVE being located along the south side of the Four Mile Creek and the west side of State Route 177. (During the 1950's, the property was owned by Denny Robinette.)
[2] The reference to “little Miss Bernice Weiss,” being a new addition to the reunion leads to the assumption that this reunion occurred on Labor Day of 1919. Bernice Weiss was born June 2, 1919; hence, we calculate that this fourth annual reunion occurred on the first Labor Day following her birth.
Bufler Reunion - 1933
In 2008, the following image of the 1933 Bufler Reunion was contributed by Mrs. Betty Mae (Alston) Martin (daughter of Stanley and Anna Mae Alston) and Betty's son, Rick. A hand-written note at the bottom of the original photograph read "Taken 1933 Bufler Reunion." The identification of persons in this photograph occurred during a March 13, 2008 gathering of Darrtown descendants (at the home of Jack and Betty Daniels, in Hamilton, Ohio). Eugene Wagonfield, Charles Wagonfield, Fay [Bufler] Thome, and Dale Bufler, who are among the younger people shown in the 1933 photo, helped identify persons in the following photo.
ABOVE: 1. William Bufler / 2. Stanley "Doc" Alston / 3. Lola Bufler / 4. Bessie Bufler / 5. Joe Bufler / 6. Gus Bufler / 7. Lizzie Bufler / 8. Paul Bufler / 9. Frank Bufler / 10. Sammy Herzog / 11. Clyde Wagonfield, Sr. / 12. Vernon Bufler / 13. Dick Bufler / 14. Stella (Bufler) Aebi / 15. Gertrude (Bufler) Grau / 16. Mary (Bufler) Dynes / 17. Anna Mae (Bufler) Alston / 18. Helen Bufler (Betz) / 19. Ben Bufler / 20. Dot Grau / 21. Hazel Bufler / 22. Guy Dynes / 23. Frances Bufler (Keiser) / 24. Norma (Bufler) Wagonfield / 25. Paul Weiss / 26. Bill Bolser / 27. Les Bufler / 28. Frank Bufler (Addie's husband) / 29. Eugene Wagonfield / 30. Katherine Dynes / 31. Maureen Bufler / 32. Bernice Weiss / 33. Addie Bufler / 34. Aunt Feeney Herzog / 34.1. Evelyn (Grau) Bolser / 34.2. LouEllen Bolser / 35. Harriet Wagonfield / 36. Charles Wagonfield, Jr. / 37. Corrine Bufler / 38. Dale Bufler / 39. Charles Wagonfield / 39.1. Doris Bolser / 39.2. Josephine Bolser / 40. Ray Bufler / 41. Faye Bufler / 42. Virgil Alston / 43. Keith Dynes / 44. Don Bufler
1940 Labor Day Marked Annual Bufler Reunion
From the Hamilton Journal News (September 2, 1940)
"Wright's camp, on Mill Road, was the scene of the twenty-fifth annual reunion of the Bufler family enjoyed on Labor Day. A basket dinner was followed by games, chatting, and a a delightful program of music and readings by young members of the group. Mrs. Ella Bufler, the oldest member of the clan present, was presented with a lovely gift.
Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Bufler and son, Donald; Bill McDoolan; Merle Bufler and sons, Billy and Ray, all of Cincinnati; Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Grau; Mr. and Mrs. F.A. Metcalfe and daughter, Faye; Mr. and Mrs. Herschel Seward and children, Donna, Jackie, Sonny, and Eddie; Mrs. Charles Aebi; and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bufler, all of Hamilton.
Also attending were Mr. and Mrs. Guy Dynes and son, Keith; Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Wagonfield and children, Eugene, Harriet, Charles, and Junior; Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Alston and son, Virgil; Mrs. Richard Bufler and daughter, Faye; Mrs. Ella Bufler; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bufler, Mr. and Mrs. William Bufler and children, Corrine and Dale; Miss Dolores Uhl, and Mr. and Mrs. S. Wright."
Bufler Reunion
- Circa 1944
The numerals listed below correspond to the numerals posted on the image of individuals shown in the photo above.Numerals that are missing in the following list are associated with people in the above photo who are not yet identified.
2. Donna Seward / 3. Eddie Seward / 4. Betty Jean Lindley / 5. Jackie Seward / 6. Freddie Lindley / 7. Dolores Bufler / 12. Aunt Feenie Herzog / 13. Gertrude "Gertie" Seward / 14. Maurine Bufler / 15. Joe Bufler / 16. Betty Mae Alston / 18. Hazel Bufler / 19. Anna Mae (Bufler) Alston / 20. Dorothy "Dot" Grau / 21. Bernice (Weiss) Lindley / 23. Norma (Bufler) Wagonfield / 27. Tommy Seward / 28. Herschel Seward / 32. Gertrude "Gert" Grau / 34. Marianna (Weaver) Bufler / 35. Vernon Bufler
Webmaster Notes:
The date of this reunion is estimated at 1944, given the appearance of the younger people in the photo, whose life spans are known in 2011.
On December 12, 2011, Andy Moore, sent an email in which he identified his mother, Dolores (Bufler) Moore (#7 in the photo) and his maternal grandparents, Vernon and Marianna (Weaver) Bufler (numbers 34 and 35 in the photo.
If you can identify any of the other unidentified persons, please contact the Darrtown.com webmaster.
BELOW: This photo was taken at the Bufler Reunion, when the family gathered at the home of Frankie and Addie Bufler, 4361 Cherry Street, Darrtown.
Above: Mr. and Mrs. G. Frank Bufler
Wife and husband, Addie (Baecker) Bufler and George Frank Bufler appear in a February 2, 1952 photograph that was contributed by Fay (Dees) O'Brien.
Above: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bufler
Wife and husband, Hazel and Dick Bufler are seen in this photo (circa early 1950's).
LEFT: This is an image of the Richard and Hazel Bufler residence (circa 1950).
This 1950's residence, located at 4311 Walnut Street in Darrtown, was the home of Dick and Hazel and their children: son, Ray and daughters, Mary Ellen and Faye.
In the 1950's, many people, from Darrtown and vicinity, saw their first-ever (black and white) telecast on a small TV that was situated on a table, in the front room of the Dick and Hazel Bufler home.
Frank Anton Bufler (born 1818) appears to have been the first Bufler to settle in Darrtown. The uncertainty is based on the fact that so many Buflers lived in, or near, the village AND SEVERAL were known as "FRANK Bufler."
We do not possess an image of the TV that Ray and George built; but, it resembled the one seen in the image at the left, with wires and tubes scattered about a table top.
However, the screen was smaller than the one seen here. Darrtown native Ron Wiley recalls it being about five-inches in diameter.
FAMILIES A-C: BUFLER ~ Frank Anton Bufler
Click the following link to see newspaper accounts of other Bufler reunions.
Gus & Elizabeth
Click the link at the right to see larger image of Ray Bufler - contributed by Tammy Thome.
Dale Bufler, during a phone call with the Darrtown webmaster in late December 2020, shared his memory of the "Wright's camp" that is mentioned in the 1940 news article. DALE SAID: Mr. Wright, the owner of the camp was called "Skeets." The property was located off Lanes Mill Road, on the south side of Four Mile Creek. To get there from Darrtown, one went south on Lanes Mill, past the old mill on the right side of the road; crossed the bridge; and turned right into Wright's campground. DALE ALSO RECALLED that the Bufler reunion was traditionally held on the day before school began and a big picnic was enjoyed by all in attendance.
Click these links for more info...
"F. S. Bufler celebrated his seventy-third birthday Thursday and in honor of the day was the victim of a well-planned surprise. The members of his immediate family gathered in the evening at the pretty camp in Bufler's grove and arranged a birthday supper. His sons came to the village and, on the pretense that a bad washout had occurred at the farm during the heavy rain, took their father to the scene of festivities. After best wishes were extended, supper was partaken of by the following: Mr. and Mrs. Ben Bufler and family; Mr. and Mrs. Merle Bufler and children; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Grau and family; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Aebi and daughter, Mildred; Mr. and Mrs. Gus Bufler; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bufler and children; Mr. and Mrs. Guy Dynes and children, Katherine and Keith; Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Alston and children, Betty and Virgil; and Mr. and Mrs. William Weiss and children, Bernice and Paul."
1944
1940
The news article (above) refers to "Bufler's grove," which frequently served as the meeting place for multiple Bufler reunions. To learn more about this gathering spot, visit Bufler's Grove
The following records and images portray only a portion of the Frank Anton Bufler descendants.
If more information is contributed and/or discovered, it will be added to this Bufler family page.
Click the following link to see a news item about the 50th wedding anniversary of Gus and Elizabeth Bufler.
This landmark event was the result of Dick's son, Ray Bufler, and his friend, George Thome, building the first television in Darrtown's history. The two young men created the TV, while they were attending an electronics school in Cincinnati, following their military service.
The following links connect to items further down this page.
Reunions: 1919 1933 1940 1944 Other years
Paul Bufler
...Artist
Darrrtown native, Paul Wilbur Bufler (1886-1977) was the son of Joseph and Ella (Bowman) Bufler.
Paul married Lola Marcum in 1912 and their marriage license lists Paul's occupation as "designer" - which proved to be a precursor to his life's work as a commercial artist.
RIGHT: This sketch, which carries the notation "P. Bufler 1911," was found among items preserved by Mrs. Bernice (Weiss) Lindley, mother of Fred Lindley, the Darrtown webmaster.
Bernice was the daugher of William Weiss and Frances (Bufler) Weiss.
Frances Bufler and Paul Bufler were first cousins and that relationship may explain how this Paul Bufler drawing became the property of Bernice Lindley.
In early December, 2023, Dale Bufler shared some memories of his uncle, Paul Bufler.
Dale recalled:
> ... viewing paintings that Paul produced; especially some pieces from "Peggy's Cove," in Nova Scotia.
> ... noticing that Paul signed his artwork as "P. Bufler."
> ...accompaning his father, William Bufler, as they visited William's brother, Paul, in his office/studio in the First National Bank building in Hamilton, Ohio.
> ... seeing Paul's artwork appear in newspaper advertisements and sales catalogs. This was before such publications used photography to promote their products. Click the link below to see an example of a hand-drawn advertisement.
Paul Bufler's WWI military draft registration card (dated April 12, 1918) listed his employer as the McDonald Printing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.
A message from webmaster, Fred Lindley:
Who, I wondered, is the woman in Paul's sketch above? Was she a figment of Paul's imagination ... or a real person?
Then, I wondered ... could it be ... since my mother kept the image among her prized possessions ... could it be, that the woman in the sketch ... is my mother's mother?
I have an image of my maternal grandmother. She, Frances (Bufler) Weiss and her husband, William Frederick Weiss are seen in a wedding photo that is available at the link below.
What do you think? Is Frances (Bufler) Weiss the woman in Paul Bufler's sketch?
I don't know for sure; but, I know what I want to believe.
