As you may know, 25 years ago I did everything I could to record our Reitz history, and I could only get back as far as Adam and Margaret Reitz who came to America in 1838. I had mistakenly thought they were from Dortmund, Germany, but really didn’t know for certain where exactly they came from or anything about their ancestors. Now, thanks to a 3rd cousin—Dennis Tangney in San Diego—I’ve discovered much about the lives of Adam and Margaret BEFORE they got on that ship in Bremen, Germany, in 1838, and headed for the New World.
(Dennis is related to the Adam and Margaret Reitz family through the marriage of their daughter--Frances (1848 to 1892--died in Fort Recovery at 44) to Adam Laux (1844-1915--died at 71). Dennis has a genealogist contact in Germany who's been researching his family tree and he’s shared his information with us.)
 Hesse, Germany, where we are from |
Our village of Wirtheim is7 miles northeast of Frankfurt
The villages of Wirtheim and Kassel where generations of Reitzes lived 200+ years ago
 |
| Bavaria, where we are NOT from |
I’ll begin with the earliest date that they've discovered so far. Our roots are in a village called Wirtheim in Hesse which is 7 miles northeast of Frankfurt.
On April 6, 1788, Johann Adam Reitz
married Margaret Kleinfelder.
Unfortunately she died at age 30 in
childbirth having been given the last sacraments. The child was not given a
name.
On February 28, 1791, as an "honorable widower," Johann Adam Reitz (above) married
Elizabeth Korn, "a modest girl, legitimate child of Johann George Korn, a “soldier of the emperor”
Their son, Adam--our ancestor-- was born in Kassel on February 7, 1806.
The parents of Adam's wife--Margaret-- were Henry Hanselman and Barbara Nick They were married on February 4, 1799.Their first child was Anna Marie born Dec.
19, 1799
Their second child, Adam, was born October 26,
1801.
Another daughter Valentine was born April 1,
1804
Our great-great grandmother, Margaret, who was to marry Adam Reitz, was was born in Kassel on February 22, 1810. (She died on April 8, 1877, at the age of 67 and is buried in Trinity cemetery.)
Adam and Margaret married May 24, 1830
Their first child--James--was baptized January
10, 1833.
Their second child Paul was baptized August 2,
1835, but died in 1836.
They named their third child Paul and he was
baptized June 27, 1837In the spring of 1838 Adam and Margaret Reitz and their small family migrated on the ship "Minerva" to America, arriving in Baltimore on June 22, 1838.
The Minerva was a sailing vessel and could carry 125 passengers. The voyage lasted around 4 weeks.They had two children who were born in Germany and died on the route to the United States .
Jacob REITZ * 1833 in Kassel, + 1838
Paul REITZ * 1835 in Kassel, + 1836
Paul REITZ * 1837 in Kassel, + 1838
Jacob REITZ * 1833 in Kassel, + 1838Paul REITZ * 1835 in Kassel, + 1836Paul REITZ * 1837 in Kassel, + 1838They had 3 additional children who were born in the United States: Joseph J. Reitz
Veronica REITZ * 1839 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, + 1912 in Jay County, IndianaJoseph J. REITZ * 1844, + 1893Mary Frances REITZ * 1847 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, + 1892 in Fort Recovery Mercer County, Ohio
(my great grandfather) was born on November 1st, 1844 (and was to die November 20, 1893, at the age of 49. He's buried in Holy Trinity Cemetery in the first row of gravestones, furthest from the church.) and Frances born 1847.In 1853, at the age of 4, our future great grandmother Ann Obringer left from Le Havre, France, with her parents (Peter and Elizabeth) on the ship Amelia, and arrived in New York on June 16, 1853. The ship's manifest lists 300 passengers and she remembered that the voyage lasted 4 weeks.
Joseph J. Reitz married her in the log cabin Holy Trinity Church on October 22, 1869. They were to have 14 children, many of them born in this cabin:
Where that cabin stood along the Limberlost River there is now only a pile of boulders and one recognizable artifact--a hand pump which should be revered as a sacred relic.
Joseph J and Mary (Obringer) Reitz had 14 children--ten girls and 4 boys. Out of that brood, only two of the boys survived to adulthood, one of them being Joseph F, and the other being "Uncle Will."
Joseph F. married Veronica Kleman in Glandorf, Ohio,
They lived in Elyria, for a while, then on a farm in Putnam County, Ohio, Thye spent 4 years in Texas, but finally settled in Jay County, Indiana, near Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church 19 miles from Bryant.
Joseph F. married Veronica Kleman in Glandorf, Ohio,
They lived in Elyria, for a while, then on a farm in Putnam County, Ohio, Thye spent 4 years in Texas, but finally settled in Jay County, Indiana, near Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church 19 miles from Bryant.
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This is what the "home place" looked like in the 20s.
This is what it looks like today
The current owner
Departure from Bremen on the ship ( Barque ) Minerva . On June 23, 1838, the couple reached Baltimore . They had two children who were born in Germany and died on the route to the US
In the US 4 more children were born , all were later family with hundreds of children ( 2015) The family lived in Tiffin , Ohio , and in Trinity , Indiana . The granddaughter Eleonora Reitz (1886 - 1981) listed the data of family history
ADam Reitz
Groomsmen Adamus Hanselmann et Joannes Weigelt Incola in Kassel
Departure from Bremen on the ship ( Barque ) Minerva . On June 23, 1838, the couple reached Baltimore . They had two children who were born in Germany and died on the route to the US
In the US 4 more children were born , all were later family with hundreds of children ( 2015) The family lived in Tiffin , Ohio , and in Trinity , Indiana . The granddaughter Eleonora Reitz (1886 - 1981) listed the data of family history
ADam Reitz
Groomsmen Adamus Hanselmann et Joannes Weigelt Incola in Kassel
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| Bemerkungen:(notes) auch genannt: Adamus Reitz getauft: 02.07.1806 in Wirtheim Paten : Adamus filius legitimus (Sohn des) Henrici Auer, .... et Ludimagister (Lehrer) in Kassel Konfession: röm kath Kassel (Biebergemünd) Trauzeugen Adamus Hanselmann et Joannes Weigelt incola in Kassel Ausreise ab Bremen auf dem Schiff ( Barque) Minerva. Am 23. Juni 1838 erreichte das Ehepaar Baltimore. Sie hatten zwei Kinder, die in Deutschland geboren wurden und auf der Route in die USA starben. In den USA wurden 4 weitere Kinder geboren, alle hatten später große Familien mit hunderten von Nachkommen (2015) Die Familie lebte in Tiffin, Ohio und in Trinity, Indiana. Die Enkelin Eleonora Reitz (1886 - 1981) notierte die Daten der Familengeschichte Weitere Quellen: - findagrave.com (Dennis Tangney) - Dennis Tangney Wohnort: Kassel | ||
| Familien (families) | Kinder (children) | |
| 1.Ehegatte: (1st spouse) | Margaretha HANSELMANN * 22.02.1810 in Kassel + 27.05.1881 in Trinity, Indiana, USA oo 24.05.1830 in Wirtheim | Jacob REITZ * 1833 in Kassel, + 1838Paul REITZ * 1835 in Kassel, + 1836Paul REITZ * 1837 in Kassel, + 1838Veronica REITZ * 1839 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, + 1912 in Jay County, IndianaJoseph J. REITZ * 1844, + 1893Mary Frances REITZ * 1847 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, + 1892 in Fort Recovery Mercer County, Ohio |
| Bemerkungen:(notes) | ||
| Eltern (parents) | Geschwister (siblings) | |
| Vater: (father) | Johannes REITZ * 19.12.1761 in Kassel + vor 1826 | Anna Maria REITZ * 1791 in KasselMartin REITZ * 1796 in KasselAnna Maria REITZ * 1799 in KasselJohannes REITZ * 1801 in Kassel |
| Mutter: (mother) | Elisabetha KORN * um 1766 | |
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