Michael Rettig Family

It is believed that Michael and Cathryn (later called Gertrude) nee Pfeifer Rettig came to America about 1844 from Germany. Michael came from Darmstadt, Germany. We do not know anything about Cathryn's family.

They had eleven children: Margaret, George B., Cathryn, Adam, Elizabeth, Nicholas, Leonard, Mary and Jacob, and two more girls believed to have married Mathias men. Four of the Rettig children went to Arkansas to live.

Margaret married Peter Fenter.

George B. Rettig was born April 17, 1834 at Meddechten, Granddukendom, Hessie, Germany and died May 5, 1910. He married Katherine Sternenberger on December 22, 1858. She came from Alsace Vangartall, Germany and. was born July 5, 1838 and died March 20, 1909. George and Katherine Rettig children were: Adam, Albert, Nicklous, Charles, Louis, August, Mrs. Rosina E. Schaub, Mrs. Tobias Knipp, Mrs. Elizabeth Schaub, Mrs. Emma Edwards and Mrs. Amanda Townsend.

Catheryn Rettig married a Wilson, then Edwin Moore. She had one son by each husband. Me11 Moore married Cora Leifer and had one daughter, Mae. Mae married Mr. Keys and had Stanley and Carolyn.

Adam Rettig was born May 6, 1839, in Germany, and he died March 22, 1907. He married Elizabeth Bortz. Elizabeth was born June 5, 1840 and died June 11, 1919. They had George, Mary Ann, Catharine, William F., Lydia E., Minnie, Christian, Edwin Milford, and three children who died in infancy: David, Phillip and Emma.

Elizabeth Rettig was born September 8, 1843 and married on April 12, 1860 to J.P. Stauber, Jr., in Ohio. She died March 1, 1922 of a stroke. J.P. was born June 23, 1838 and died October 18, 1923. Both are buried in Carlisle Cemetery in Carlisle, Arkansas. It is thought that she was nine months old, and he was five years old, when they were brought from Germany to America. They had ten children: George, Mary Ann, John Adam, Mary Amanda, Ida Gertrude, Edwin Milford, Albert Harrison, Cora Nettie, Mathilda Ellen and Nora Etta. See the Stauber family history for more information.

Nicholas H. Rettig was born March 8, 1846 and died July 7, 1917. He married Mary Schmidt on April 22, 1867. She was born on January 14, 1848 and died July 6, 1932. Their children were: John, Jacob, William, Daniel, Harry, Noah (Harry and Noah were twins), Julius, Elizabeth, Emma, Lydia and Kathryn.

Leonard Rettig was born on May 1, 1848 and died November 30, 1922. He married Catheryn Yaichner on February 10, 1870. Catheryn had a twin sister, Mary, who married Conrad Bauer in Ohio. Leonard and Catheryn were married in the St. John's Reformed Church. They lived in Ohio until 1888. (the author of this history had the privilege of coming through the area in July, 1977 and located the farm, saw Michael's old homestead, as well as George B., Nickolas, Adam, and Jacobs places).

Leonard moved to Arkansas with six children to raise, ranging from four months to thirteen years in age. His wife had died at the age of thirty-six years. She had been toiling in the garden, got hot, and went in to cool off, sat down, and died suddenly. Leonard did a fine job raising the children by himself. He went to Arkansas in 1888, two years after his wife's death, and bought 80 acres of land. He was noted for his smile and friendliness. He surely must have had a very deep faith in God after his trying times. Everyone said he was good natured, a good hunter, good musician as were all the boys in the family down to the present day. Leonard died at the home of a daughter and was buried in Carlisle Cemetery, Carlisle, Arkansas. His children were Martin, Amelia, Julia, Josa, William, Sophia, Della.

Submitted by: Mrs. Rex Northcutt, Carlisle, Arkansas