Bretz Family

Samuel J. Bretz in the last year or so of his life.

Top to bottom: Samuel J. Bretz, Franklin, and Cecil.

SAMUEL BRETZ - b. Sept., 1828 -Seneca Co., Ohio; died Dec. 22, 1909; married - ANNA SEITZ - b. Feb. 19, 1832; died, March 18, 1896. They were married on April 14, 1853 - Three sons: DOW - b. Jan. 29, 1856; died 1936 - he married LAURENE ROBIN-SON Dec. 25, 1878 - two daughters: HAZEL - b. Jan. 2, 1891 who married HOWARD COWDRICK and DELORA, who married WILLIAM ROBERTS.

GEORGE - b. Dec. 7, 1860; died 1938 - he married SUSAN JORDON on March 3, 1883.

FRANKLIN - b. Nov. 7, 1866; died 1933 - he married MINNIE BACOME - b. March 11, 1869; died 1956 - they were married on Feb. 17, 1892 - they had two children - ELMA and CECIL.

ELMA - b. Feb. 4, 1893 - now resides in Weston, Ohio.

CECIL - b. March 8, 1898 – farmer - lives in Richfield Twp., McClure, Ohio; married MARY E. KISTNER b. Sept. 11, 1901 - they were married on March 5, 1924. Cecil attended Logan School, Wood Co., and Mary graduated from Westhope High School. They had two children: MARTIN LEE and RUTH MARILYN.

MARTIN - b. January 20, 1925 at family homestead, Richfield Twp. -married HILDA ENGLER b. Aug. 8, 1924 at Florida, Ohio - They were married Nov. 5, 1944 at Napoleon, O. Martin graduated from Deshler High School and Hilda from Liberty Center High School. They now live in Richfield Twp. on County Road K. He is a regional field manager and she is a lab analyst. They have six children:

CAROLYN LOUISE - b. Oct. 7, 1945 in Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, O. She graduated from Whitmer High School and attended Toledo University. On June 19, 1965, she married NICKOLAS PATEMAN of Toledo, O. He was born in England and is a naturalized American citizen. His birthdate - Feb. 7, 1936. He is a mechanical engineer and they live with their three children in Pleasonton, California. The children are: ANNE LOUISE, b. March 26, 1968; MATTHEW ROBERT, b. April 7, 1970; JENNIFER STORM, b. July 31, 1974.

MARTIN LEE II - b. June 6, 1947, in Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, O. He graduated from Whitmer High School in Toledo and attended Ohio State University. On April 7, 1969, he married KATHRYN WEISNIEWSKI, a teacher, of Lorain, Ohio. She was born on August 27, 1946. Marty served four years in the U.S. Navy. They now live in Pemberville, Ohio, and he is an assistant distribution manager. Their children are: ANDREA LYNN b. Aug. 11, 1970 and ERIC LEE b. June 20, 1975.

MYRL FRANKLIN - b. Feb. 1, 1951 at Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, O. He graduated from Whitmer High School in Toledo and attended Ohio State University. On May 31, 1975, he married SHERRI FREEMAN, a bookkeeper, of Stony Ridge, Ohio. She waf, born March 12, 1955. They now live in Perrysburg, Ohio, and he works as a dispatcher.

RONALD DEAN - b. Jan. 18, 1952, at Heller Memorial Hospital at Napoleon, Ohio. He graduated from Whitmer High School, Toledo, Ohio. On August 19, 1972, he married NAN MOORE, a teacher, of Liberty Center, Ohio. She was born April 22, 1952. He is a member of the National Guard and works as a carpenter.

CINDA SUE - b. July 3, 1958, at Wood Co. Hospital, Bowling Green, Ohio. She attends Patrick Henry High School.

CHRISTOPHER JAMES - b. Jan. 21, 1962, at Wood Co. Hospital, Bowling Green, Ohio. He attends Deshler Junior High School.

RUTH BRETZ KIEFFER - b. March 14, 1929 at the family homestead, Richfield Twp., McClure, Ohio. She graduated from Deshler High School and Bowling Green State University. On Feb. 22, 1952, she married GLENN KIEFFER of McClure, O. They were married in Celina, Ohio. He was born on Feb. 1, 1917, in Wood Co., O. He is a World War II veteran having served in the 741st Tank Battalion, Co. A. She is a teacher and he is a farmer. They have six sons:

DAVID EDWARD - b. Feb. 18, 1953, at Flower Hospital, Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School and is a student at Ohio State University.

RODNEY CRAIG - b. May 10, 1954, at Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, Ohio. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School and is a student at Bowling Green State University.

BRAD CARLTON - b. July 5, 1958, at Wood County Hospital, Bowling Green, Ohio. He is a student at Patrick Henry High School.

JACK MARSHALL - b. May 4, 1960, at Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, Ohio. He is a student at Patrick Henry High School.

BRIAN GLENN - b. August 5, 1961, at Heller Memorial Hospital, Napoleon, Ohio. He is a student at Patrick Henry High School.

RALPH WILLIAM - (Step-Son) - b. Sept. 26, 1948, at Detwiler Hospital, Wauseon, Ohio. He is the son of Glenn and Hazel Bruner (1925 to 1950) Kieffer. He was graduated from Damascus Twp. High School, McClure, Ohio. He is a Vietnam Marine veteran. On April 11, 1970 he was married to MARY RUDER, an office worker, at McClure, Ohio. Mary was born Feb. 4, 1949. He is a construction foreman. They have two children: CHAD WILLIAM, b. June 18, 1971, and STEPHANIE ANNE, b. January 28, 1974.

The Martin Bretz Family - 1964. Front row: Hilda holding Christopher and Martin holding Cinda; back row, left to right: Myrl, Marty, Carolyn, and Ronald.

Ruth Bretz Kieffer Family - 1968. Front row: Brad, Glenn, Brian, Ruth, Jack; back row: Ralph, David, Rodney.