Grandmother Ida Spoering Elling's oldest brother, Henry -
On November 10, 1883, Heinrich Friedrich was born to Hermann Heinrich and Katharina (Floke) Spoering. Called Henry, this was the first son in the family. In 1900, he was 16 and at home with his parents, helping his father farm.
He married Marie/ Mary Bischoff on December 27, 1908. He was 25 and she was just 17, requiring her father's consent for the marriage. Her father, William Bischoff, did so consent, as seen below.
Henry rented a farm in Richfield Township, and that's where the census enumerator found the little family in 1910. Mary, 19, had one child, Augusta, born March 19, 1910.
By 1920, the family had grown to four children. Henry, a carpenter, was still renting a farm and Mary, 28, was doing laundry for wages. Augusta was 10; Martin 8; Esther, 6; and little Gertrude was 2 years and four months. One could only imagine that times were lean.
In the 1930 census, Henry's wife, Mary Bischoff Spoering disappeared. No death record could be found for her, and Henry had a new wife listed on the census. After much research, a marriage record was found for Mary Spoering, daughter of William and Christina (Spangler)Bischoff. On December 6, 1926, she remarried to Minor Oscar Thomas, also a resident of Richfield Township. Minor was 40 and Mary, 35, at the time and both had previously been wed. So, the conclusion must be that Henry and Mary were divorced between 1920 and 1926, and the children were left with their father, a rare occurrence in those days.
Henry was in Washington Township, Lucas County, for the 1930 census. At 46, he rented a house and worked as a carpenter with a construction company. His rent was $40 a month. Nettie, 51, his second wife, who was born in Kentucky, was there along with three of the children - Esther, 17; Martin, 18, who worked at a paint manufacturing plant; and Gertrude, 12. Augusta had married in 1928.
Henry married Nettie (nee Caldwell, Ester) on June 11, 1928, in Monroe, Michigan.
On August 9, 1932, Henry lost his only son, Martin Friedrich Ernest Spoering. Martin, born on March 13, 1912, died in Toledo of internal injuries caused by an auto accident at Sylvania Alexis and Whiteford Roads. He died the same day and was buried there in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Henry had to register for the draft for both WW I and WW II. On September 12, 1918, he registered himself as a carpenter, tall and slender with blue eyes and brown hair. He was not called to serve. He made the "Old Man's Draft" on April 25, 1942, at the age of 58. At that time, he gave his daughter, Esther Baer, Lynn Street, Deshler as his contact person. He was still working as a self-employed carpenter, describing himself as 5'10", 150 pounds, with black/grey hair, a light complexion and blue eyes, with some teeth missing.
By the 1940 census, Nettie was not with Henry. Henry lived at 403 South Pine Street in Deshler with his youngest daughter, Esther, and her husband, Roy Baer. The enumerator labeled him as divorced. Yes, he and Nettie were also divorced.
By now, his children had married and moved on. The oldest, Augusta Maria Freda, born March 19, 1910, married Emil F. Hahn on September 14, 1928, in Hamler, Ohio.
Esther Sophia Caroline Dorothea Spoering, born November 27, 1914, married Roy Baer, and the youngest, Gertrude Anna Alma, born October 9, 1917, married Paul Sandman.
On February 8, 1952, Henry Spoering passed away at the age of 68. His obituary:
"HENRY SPOERING
Holgate, Feb. 9 - Henry Spoering, 68, Holgate cabinet maker, was found dead in his shop by Albert Reibesehl, who discovered the body, said he had died of a heart attack two hours earlier.
Mr. Spoering lived in Holgate many years. He is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Emil Hahn, Hamler; Mrs. Paul Sandman, Bowling Green; and Mrs. Roy Baer Deshler; and three grandchildren.
In addition, seven sisters and two brothers survive: Mrs. Mary Baden, Malinta; Mrs. Sophia Marks, Deshler; Mrs. Anna Helmke, Mrs. Frieda Lange and Mrs. Lydia Loudon, all of Napoleon; Mrs. Katie Tietje, Hamler; and Mrs. Amelia Slagle, Traverse City, Mich.; and Fred Spoering, Deshler; and George Spoering, Erie, Mich.
The body was taken to the Wesche funeral home in Napoleon. Service arrangements are pending."
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| Forest Hill Cemetery, Napoleon, Ohio |
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