Swin Family

When families immigrated to the New Lands, they came with hopes and desires for a better life. Imagine Adam Swin's desperation and frustration, after being in the U.S. just a few short years, when his wife died leaving him with 5 small children to raise.

But Adam must have been a stubborn and determined man. With the help of a sister (who later married a Mr. Reimund) he raised Mary, Adam, Peter, George and Margaret. He remained a widower the rest of his life and absolutely refused to speak the English language although he understood it perfectly well.

Adam (b. 10 Jan. 1819 — d. 5 Dec. 1890) and Margaret Mary Ludwig were both born in Germany and married there. They lived in Bucyrus, Ohio for a few years before they bought their farm in Monroe Twp. in 1854.

Mary married Albert Kaney in 1898 and he was a blacksmith in Napoleon. Young Adam was married twice and was known as an excellent wagon- maker and repairer in Napoleon. Peter married Caroline Walter (dau. of George and Caroline Lehman Walter) on 2 Nov. 1873 and took his bride back to the log cabin he shared with his father. A few years later, George married Emma Walter (Caroline's sister) and they also lived in the log cabin.

Later Peter acquired property less than a mile north of his father's farm and built a home. Peter and Caroline's children were: Mary Matilda b. 4 Oct. 1875; Mary Ann Elizabeth b. 9 Feb. 1878; George b. 6 Feb. 1880; John b. 30 Nov. 1882; and Katherine b. June 1885.

Peter died 13 Aug. 1922 and Caroline d. 21 Apr. 1928.

Mary Matilda (Tillie) married Louis Fahrer in 1895. Louis was the son of Philip and Mary, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1849. Louis Fahrer had a showplace farm in Monroe Twp. which was remembered years after his untimely death in 1931. Their children were Albert b. Aug. 1896 and Anna b. Jan. 1898.

Mary Ann Elizabeth (Lizzie) married first, 21 Dec. 1897, Joseph C. Krieger. Joe, b. 11 Mar. 1878, was the son of

Samuel and Anna Krieger, of Ridgeville Twp. Lizzie and Joe's children were: George b. 12 Aug. 1898 (m. Emma Robinson); Clarence b. 14 Dec. 1900 (m. Violet Knaval); Josephine b. 11 Jan. 1904 (m. Wm. Summersett); and Virginia b. 22 Dec. 1905 (m. Arthur Keller). Joe purchased a small farm in Fulton Co. near Pettisville where he soon began to ail and died at age 30. For 4 years Lizzie ran her farm, did the laundry for a boarding house and picked up and delivered milk, by wagon, for the Pet Co. to keep her family together. Then she met and married Hermen Reining who was born in Germany 8 July 1874. He was a molder and they moved frequently, but finally settled in Toledo where he died 24 Mar. 1947 and Lizzie died 5 July 1958. Their children are: Herman b. 18 Oct. 1911, who married Vivian Hunt, has 3 children and 9 grandchildren; Louis b. 7 Sept. 1913, married Martha Kauffman and has 4 sons and 7 grandchildren; and Dorothy b. 24 Nov. 1915 and married Frank Wm. Hunt (bro. to Vivian Hunt) and has 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

Katherine married Roland Knepper and they moved to Defiance Co. to farm. They had 3 daughters and a number of grandchildren. Katie died 1 Aug. 1968, quite some time after she was left a widow.

Submitted by Helen Hunt Read