The Spiess Family

The name Spiess is a respected and honorable name with its people concentrated mostly in northwestern Ohio. The name is of Swiss-German origin. The members of this family are a proud industrious group who have contributed much to the history of Ohio. The impact of their efforts has been felt in nearly all walks of life. They are or have been farmers, merchants, lawmen, ministers, school teachers, mechanics, servicemen, etc. In fact, there are very few professions in which someone carrying the name Spiess has not participated.

The American origin of the name Spiess dates back to 1839 when John Ulysses Spiess immigrated to this country from Zurich, Switzerland, at the age of eighteen. He married Rosina Emch and they had five sons and three daughters, Lewis, John H., Edward, William, Walter, Bertha, Seth, and Libby.

John Ulysses Spiess served in the Civil War with Company G, 189th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry from February 19, 1865, until September 28, 1865. He died at the age of 80 in 1901.

Lewis, son of John U. and Rosina, immigrated to Kansas at an early age and no local records are available on him.

John H. Spiess, son of John U. and Rosina, was born July 28, 1851, and married Seville Sergen in 1873. They were the parents of one daughter, Mary and eight boys, Lewis, William, Alfred, Charles, Orrin, Reuben, Arthur and Lawrence.

Mary, daughter of John H. and Seville, married Morton Peeney and they were the parents of two girls, Beulah and Florence.

Lewis, son of John H. and Seville, married Blanche Miller in 1897 and they were the parents of ten boys and six girls.

Dewey J. married Ruth Kessler and they were the parents of a son, Marvin. After Ruth's death he married Eva Richards Lutz and they were the parents of Treva, Gerald, Arvis, Ula, and Arlo.

Clarence W. died in infancy in 1900.

Dale married Bertha Saul and they were the parents of Chalmer, Blaine, Grace, and Merrill.

George C. died in 1903 at the age of one and one-half years.

Homer G. married Myrtle Braucher and they were the parents of Betty, Burdette, Earleen, Royce, and Earl.

John C. married Lola Davis and they were the parents of Louise, Milton, and Terry.

Lucy E. married Lee Willis who is now deceased.

Wilbur M. married Francis Daso. To this union was born a daughter, Joan. After Francis' death, he married Opal Heckman and they had a son, Larry.

Marie S. died in infancy in 1910.

Doris A. married Clarence Northcutt. After his death she married Albert Bargman.

Mary B. married Homer Young. They were the parents of two sons, Robert and Gary. After Homer's death, she married Earl Ernsberger and they had two children, Ronald and Randy Sue.

Lloyd L. married Renetta Moehrmann and they were the parents of three girls and two boys: Lorraine, Lorrinda, Calvin, LeAnn, and Timothy.

Olive I. died as a child in 1920.

Louelia T. married Ronald Palmer who is now deceased. They were the parents of Darrell, Allen, and Robin.

Lewis W. Jr. is unmarried.

Carl L. died in infancy in 1923.

William Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Lottie Whitmer in 1903 and they were the parents of two daughters, Geraldine and Euloise.

Geraldine married Clarence Stephenson and they are the parents of a son, William. They now reside near Brighton, Michigan.

Euloise never married.

Alfred Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Jennie Williams in 1903 and they were the parents of four daughters and one son.

Thelma, born in 1907, never married and lives in Wauseon, Ohio.

Lois was born in 1909 and died in 1965. She was married to Clayton Havens in 1932 and they had two daughters, Kathryn and Mary Louise.

Clarence was born in 1913 and married Ruth Stiriz in 1940. They had two daughters and one son, Carol, John, and Ann.

Alice was born in 1914, never married and lives in Wauseon.

Lillian was born in 1924, married Fredrick Duffy in 1947, and they had four children, Paul who died in 1970, Martha, Brian, and Roseanne.

Charles Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Ellen Cummins in 1915 and they were the parents of a son, John and a daughter Bernadine. John is now deceased and Bernadine married Earl Lovejoy and resides in Connecticut.

Orrin Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Blanche Shreeves in 1908 and they were the parents of two sons, George and Howard.

George married Marjorie Sager and they are the parents of two sons, James and Thomas. George and Marjorie live near Wauseon, Ohio.

Howard married Louise Johnson and they are the parents of two sons, and two daughters. Howard and Louise live at Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Reuben Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Hazel Williams and they were the parents of a son, Neil who was killed in a traffic accident in

1928.

Arthur Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Vivian Hahn and they were the parents of three sons, Ralph, Myron, and Edson and two daughters, Madalin and Shirley.

Ralph married Pauline Norris in 1946 and they are the parents of a son, Joe and a daughter, Jane. Ralph and Pauline reside in Bowling Green, Ohio, where he is in the refrigeration business.

Myron married Doris Hummel in 1946 and they are the parents of two daughters, Arlene and Brenda and a son, Arthur. Myron and Doris live in Liberty Center, Ohio, where he is a rural mail carrier.

Madalin married Herman Schultz in 1936 and they are the parents of a daughter, Nola Mae, and a son, Duane. Herman and Madalin live near Liberty Center, Ohio, where he is a farmer and works for Myers Crop Service.

Edson married Nola Whitmire and they were the parents of a son, Allen. Nola is now deceased and Edson is now married to the former Beth Packard Stiles. To this union was horn a son, Kenneth and a daughter, Allison. Kenneth passed away in 1968 at the age of three. Edson and Beth now live at Prudenville, Michigan, where he is employed by the Wolverine Trucking Company.

Shirley married Ralph Landmeier in 1951. They are the parents of two daughters, Sherilee and Bonnie. Ralph and Shirley live at Medina, Ohio. He is a principal in the Copley School System.

Lawrence Spiess, son of John H. and Seville, married Esther Gottachalk in 1911 and they were the parents of a daughter, Pauline and a son, LaWrence Lyle.

Pauline married John Manchester. They are the parents of two sons, Jason and Timothy.

Lawrence Lyle married Hilda Saul in 1940 and they are the parents of two daughters, Connie and Beth Ann. Lawrence Lyle and Hilda live in Liberty Center, Ohio. He is the Fulton County Extension Agent.

The Edward Spiess Family

Edward Spiess was the third son from a family of five sons and three daughters born to John Ulysses Spiess and Rosina (Emch) Spiess.

John Spiess born in 1821 immigrated to the United States from Zurich, Switzerland, as a youth in about the year 1838. By trade he was a blacksmith and wagonmaker in Wood County, Ohio.

Edward was born in .1861. He married Maggie Swartzlander, the daughter of Mathias and Mary (Bull) Swartzlander in 1891. He was always a farmer and with the exception of two years spent in Paulding County, Ohio, they lived on their farm 2i/.7 miles northwest of Liberty Center. Their family of eight children were as follows from the oldest to the youngest:

Florence, who died at the age of two and is buried next to the grandfather John Spiess in Paulding County.

Elmer, Liberty Center who married Mary Mohler had two children, Duane, Liberty Center and Eileen Bowerman, Delta. After his young wife's death, Elmer married Rachel Smith. Their son Gene was killed in a farm accident at the age of four. Sandra Dietrich, Napoleon, is their adopted daughter. Elmer died in 1973.

Fern, Wauseon, Ohio, who married Ezra Andrews has four children: Auburn, Napoleon; Farrell, Gary, Indiana; Arnold, Wauseon; and Alta Zurcher of Pandora, Ohio.

Forrest of Delta, Ohio, married Irene Mohler. Their children are Vainard, Harold, and Arlene Calloway all of Delta.

Gladys of Toledo, Ohio, married to Fermer Beachler and her son is Arland also of Toledo.

Evan, Liberty Center married Helen Stark and they have one son, Ronald, Liberty Center and one daughter, Janice Hanson, Wauseon, Ohio.

Orlo was a child of six when he died from typhoid fever.

Ford, Liberty Center, married Helen Brooks, and they have four daughters, Carol Schrnucher, Lakeland, Florida; Jane Hoover, Napoleon, Ohio; "Connie New, Fayette, Ohio; and Mary Kay Osborn, Liberty Center, Ohio.

The descendants of Edward and Maggie Spiess as of June 1975 number 76.

The Walter Spiess Family

Walter married Pearl Brown and they were the parents of six sons and a daughter: Norris, Leland, Glen, Vern, Howard, Draper, and daughter (name unknown). Further information on this branch of the family is unavailable.

The William Spiess Family

William married Cora Hales and they were the parents of a son and two daughters: Frank,, Wanda, and Bernice.

Frank is married (wife's name not available) and lives in North Carolina.

Wanda married Howard Watkins and they live near Jackson Michigan. NV record of their family is available.

Bernice married Horner Proudfoot. He is deceased and Bernice lives at Manitou Beach, Michigan. No record of their family is available.

The three daughters of the John U. Spiess family

Due to„a lack of time records are very sketchy on these three daughters.

Libby married Charley Metzger and they were the parents of a daughter, Pearl. She married Hari Dunbar. After Charley Metzger's death, Libby married Ed Andrews. To this union two sons and two daughters were born.

Ila married Clyde Barnes and they had two sons and one daughter, Darrell, who is deceased, Duane and Mary.

Clayton and Lowell Andrews are deceased.

Hazel married Kenneth Demalineand they now reside in Liberty Center, Ohio. They are the parents of eight children: Betty Jean, Ronnie, and Charles are deceased. Alice Jane, Robert, Don, Diana, and Karen are all married.

Bertha married Sam Lehman and they were the parents of two sons and three daughters: Wilbur, Lawrence, Laura, Clara, and Frances.

The branches of the Spiess family tree which would include the latest generation would include so many people that it would be too difficult to document.

Apologies are very much in order to some branches of this family for the very sketchy documentation. This is a very large family and they are so geographically scattered that time was not available to give all branches equal treatment.

Submitted by Descendants