More on Henry Spoering's Family

The obituary for Henry's second wife has been elusive, perhaps because she remarried again.  A question.

But the obituary for his first wife, Mary Bischoff Spoering Thomas appeared in the Findlay Republican-Courier on March 18, 1953.

"FINDLAY WOMAN TAKEN BY DEATH

Rites Tomorrow For Mrs. Mary Thomas

Mrs. Mary Thomas, 62, of Clinton court, died at 4:15

o'clock yesterday afternoon in Blanchard Valley Hospital.

She had been failing for two years and seriously ill two weeks.

She was born March 16, 1891 in Henry county, a daughter of William and Christina (Spangler) Bischoff.  She was divorced.

There are three daughters, Mrs. Augusta Hahn, of Hamler; Mrs. Esther Baer of Deshler, and Mrs. Gertrude Sandman, Bowling Green. One son is decease.
Also surviving are three grandchildren and the following brothers and sisters: Ernest Bischoff and Fred Bischoff, of Hamler; Otto Bischoff of Findlay and Mrs. Freda Smith, of Toledo.  A brother and sister preceded her in death.

Services will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon in the Coldran funeral home, Dr. Bradley officiating.  Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Deshler. The body will remain in the funeral home."

Augusta's obituary has not been found yet; she died in 2005.  A photo of Emil and Augusta Spoering Hahn for the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary was discovered in the Defiance Crescent-News of September 28, 1978.

Defiance Crescent-News March 25, 1986

In the Defiance Crescent-News of December 29, 1982, Esther's obit was found. 

"ESTHER BAER
DESHLER -Esther C Baer, 72, 307 Stearns Ave., died Saturday evening in Blanchard Valley Hospital, Findlay. She had been seriously ill for the past six weeks.

She was born November 27, 1914, in Henry County, the daughter of Henry and Mary (Bischoff Spoering.  In 1933, she married Roy Baer, who died in 1976.  She was a member of St.Paul United Methodist Church, Deshler.

Surviving are a son, Larry Baer, of Deshler; two grandchildren; and a sister, Augusta Hahn, Hamler.

Services will be at 1 p..m. Wednesday in Dubbs-Rodenberger Funeral Home, Deshler, with Rev. Delmar Young officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be after 7 p.m. today, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 a.m. until services Wednesday.  Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice." 

From the Findlay Republican Courier, August 12, 1971 -

"GERTRUDE SANDMAN
Milton Center - Services for Mrs. Gertrude Sandman, 53 of Milton Center, a housewife, who died Tuesday in Wood County Hospital will be 1:30 p.m. Friday in Loomis Funeral Home, Weston, the Rev. Ralph Clink officiating.

Burial will be in Milton Township Cemetery.  Visitation is this afternoon and evening

Mrs. Sandman was born Oct. 7, 1917, in Westhope to Henry and Mary (Bischoff) Spoering.  She married Paul Sandman on Feb. 5, 1943, and he survives.
Also surviving are sisters, Mrs. Augusta Hahn, Hamler, and Mrs. Esther Baer, Deshler." 

Heinrich Friedrich Spoering - The Oldest Brother

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." 

Forest Hill Cemetery, Napoleon, Ohio