Madison Ohio History: The Elton & Betty Behm Chapter

• Coming in mid-story? Go back to the first post… it all starts there.

This is the part of the story we had always heard about.

While Walter and Alta owned the house, it’s Elton Behm and his wife, Elizabeth “Betty,” who everyone seems to remember. And as we started digging into it, this is where everything really started to come together.

Elton Behm was born in April of 1908 right here in Madison. He went on to work as a lawyer in private practice and later served as a judge. Elizabeth, who went by Betty, was born in March of 1907 in Painesville. The two were married on July 8, 1933, in Indiana, and even honeymooned at the World’s Fair.

Early on, Elton was working as a law clerk, while Betty was at home. They went on to have two children, David in 1935 and Linda in 1938.

By the 1940 census, the family is listed as living in this house.

At that point, the home was still owned by Elton’s parents, Walter and Alta, which lines up with what we found in the previous chapter. The title officially transferred to Elton and Betty in 1941, but it’s still a little unclear exactly when they first moved in.

This is also where things got a little more personal for us.

Several years ago, we had a guest stay with us who turned out to be Elton and Betty’s grandson. His mother is Linda, who grew up in the house. He brought photo albums with him, and suddenly this wasn’t just research anymore. We were looking at real moments that happened right here.

This is where it starts to feel like more than just a house.

The family on the front porch, and Elton by his office sign. His photo shows the office door, which isn’t there in the family photo.

From what we’ve been told, Elton used one of the front rooms as his office. Today, that room is what we now call the Queen Elizabeth room.

Just caddy corner from the house.

Linda also shared a few memories of the house. Her son told us that she believes there may have been an addition to the first floor back bedroom at some point, and that the house had a tin roof.

He also shared that she remembers her grandparents living just caddy corner to the house and spending time with them there.

Elton’s time here was cut short. He passed away in May of 1942 at just 34 years old from a streptococcus infection. He is buried at Fairview Cemetery here in Madison.

Newspaper notice of Elton's passing

After his death, Betty remained in the home and went on to teach science for 24 years. This is where we’ve seen a really strong connection.

We’ve had guests stay with us who remember her as their teacher at the high school. Not just as a name, but as someone who was part of their lives. It’s one of those small town moments where everything overlaps in a way you don’t expect.

In the backyard

The family remained connected to the house until 1966, when it was sold.

She passed away on June 4, 2003, in Columbus, and is buried next to Elton at Fairview Cemetery.

Want to follow along as we piece together the story of the house? Each month brings a new chapter—and sometimes, a few surprises.