The venerable George Binau, sen., one of the oldest pioneer residents of Salem township, died at his home at 5:30 o'clock, Wednesday evening, ( August 4, 1904) death resulting from the infirmities of old age. Mr. Binau was a native of Heusen Darmstadt, Germany, having been born in the Fatherland February 2, 1819. In 1843 he was married to Catherin Pfeifer, and in 1846 he and his family came to America, locating in Salem township amid the heavy forest. This he cleared, with the result that the Binau farm is one of the finest farms in the country. In 1849 his wife died, and in 1850 he was wedded to Maria Elizabeth Frank, who shared the joys and sorrow of life with him until March 4, 1895, when her spirit was winged to its heavenly home.
Mr. Binau was the father of eleven children, two from his first wife and nine from his second marriage. The living children are Barbara, wife of John Ulrich, living in Humeston, Wayne County, Iowa; Peter, at Mansfield: Kate, wife of Georg Bachman, in Salem township: George in Allerton, Iowa; John, in Upper Sandusky: Henry, in Painesville; Louis, in Salem: Albert, in Red Oak Miles County, Iowa and Elizabeth, wife of Fred Stief, in Salem. The deceased are Mary, wife of Conrad Ulrich, in Mifflin township, who died about four years ago, and Philip, who departed this life fifteen years ago in Iowa. He had fifty-six grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren, all of whom are living.
Mr. Binau was a type of the old school of Germans, being frugal, temperate and entertaining. He was a great reader and his class of literature was always of the highest order. A devout adherent of the Lutheran faith, he was a faithful attendant at the North Salem Lutheran church, where his influence and purse were always felt. A kind neighbor and good father and husband, his death will be deeply deplored. Mr. Binau was aged 85 year, 6 months and 22 days.

John George Binau was a son of Johann Georg Bunau, Sr. born 22 Nov. 1767 and died 2 July 1819 in Germany. His mother was Anna E. Tract born 18 July 1773 and died 18 March 1849 in Germany. Both died in Gadernheim, Palentine of Bensheim, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany and buried in Evangelical Luthern Church Cemetery, Reichenbach, Hessen, Germany