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

The Children of Herman Heinrich Spoering and Katherina Floke

The Children of Henry and Katherina

1 Anna Catherina Maria (Mary)

2 Anna Maria Sophia (Sophia)

3 Anna (Anna)

4 Heinrich Friedrich (Henry)

5 Katharina Anna (Kate)

6 Friedrick (Fred) 

7 Ida Anna Katharine (Ida)

8 Frieda Marie Dorothea (Frieda)

9 Lydia Mina (Lydia)

10 Ida Anna Emilia (Amelia)

11 George Friedrich (George)

The first three children of Henry and Catherine were born in Germany after their parents' marriage in 1875.  Mary, Sophia and Anna were all born in Hollehrden (now Lehrden), Rotenberg (Wumme), Lower Saxony.  The remaining eight children were born in Henry County, Ohio.  Since the middle names of the children were traditionally the names of godparents/ sponsors, some knowledge of these was missing.  Their called names were probably decided by parents.

MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

Herman Hinrich/Heinrich Spoering
Called Henry

Born 16 Jan 1845 Stedebergen, Verden, Germany

Married 1875 in Germany
Emigrated to America 6 March 1882

Died 27 March 1917 Bartlow Township, Henry County, Ohio, age 72

Buried St. Paul Lutheran Church cemetery, Napoleon Township, Henry County, Ohio

Katherina/Catherine Maria Floke

Born 26 October 1855 in Nindorf, Prussia, Germany

Death 3 April 1925 at her home in Bartlow Township, Henry County, Ohio, age 69 of a stroke at her home.

Buried St. Paul Lutheran Church cemetery, Napoleon Township, Henry County, Ohio

Her youngest child was born when she

was about 21 and her last at 44.

Here rests Hermann Heinrich, born 16 Jan. 1845, died 27 March 1917.
Hebrews 13:14 - "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."
On the back of the stone - I am but a guest on this earth; my goal is that I reach my homeland.  There God is good.  I will receive God's grace and all will be well."

Here rests Katharina Maria, born 28 Oct. 1855 and died 3 April 1925.
Psalm 90:12 - "Teach us to number our days aright, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
On back of stone - "Consider your death and what will happen when you died.  You may be happy today, but often death comes as if it were your last day on Earth."  (No Biblical reference given for certainty of translation.)

More on Hermann Heinrich Spoering from Lehrden

(Thanks to my wonderful, fellow researcher, Lydia, who helped so much with continuing the line of Spoerings back to Germany from the U.S.  We share Johann Spoering (1759-1811), my 3x great grandfather, as our common ancestor.  Her knowledge of the German language and her persistence made this such a successful endeavor.  Thank you, Lydia!)

A baptismal record found in the Elbe- Weser Triangle, Germany records (on Ancestry) confirmed that Hermann Heinrich Spoering was born on 16 January 1845, in Hollehrden (now Lehrde), Rottenburg (Wumme), Lower Saxony, Germany.

His parents, Jacob Friedrich Spoering and Catharina
Margaretha Norden Spoering (my great-great grandparents), had the infant baptized 
on 2 Feb 1845, at the only Lutheran church in nearby
Visselhovede - the Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche
St. Johannis, about six miles away from his
birthplace.

This church was built first in 1358 and renovated and expanded in the 18th century.  The bell tower shown with the clock was built in 1799.  The Reformation was well established in this area by the 1630s.

 Henry was the second son of his parents, and as a second son, he most likely would not inherit the family farm which had been in the family for generations at Stedebergen.  So, one of his options would be to marry a woman who did inherit a farm or some wealth, just as our immigrant Elling did when he moved from Tietlingen to Stellichte where his wife owned a farm.  Or perhaps the lure of cheap land in America called to him as then he could have his own farm.

Although Hollehrden was named as the birthplace of all the siblings, that name was changed to Lehrden along the way.  Lehrden can be found at the bottom center of the map, and interestingly, Stellichte, where our immigrant Ellings lived before immigration, is only about 2 miles to the east, and Bendingbostel, home of the Tietjes, about 4 miles to the west.

At the age of 30, Herman (called Henry) married Katharina Maria Flocke who was about ten years younger.  By 1882, they were ready to leave Germany with their three young daughters - Mary, Sophia and little Anna, only 9 months old. Their destination was listed as Defiance, Ohio, on the ship's manifest, landing first in New York City.

More information may be found on these previous posts:

Spoering immigration by Jason Snow:  
 http://attheriverbend.blogspot.com/2019/08/our-spoering-family.html

 Spoering Reunion

Momento Mori

I'm sure you are wondering why I have posted such photos.

Well...they are part of our family history...and I actually just came upon them several years ago through a distant cousin who lives in Colorado. Later, Aunt Eleonore told me that she remembered those photos hanging on the wall in the top photo in her parents' (Albert and Ida Spoering Elling) bedroom.

 Do I have your attention?

These photos show my great-grandparents, Katharina Floke Spoering and Hermann Heinrich (Henry) Spoering at their death. Katharina died in April 1925 and Henry in March 1917.

It once was the custom ... and still is in some areas of our world ... to take photos of the dead. This postmortem photography was called Memento Mori - " Remember thy Mortality." This custom was most widespread in the 19th century, but hung on in some areas until about 1940, depending on local customs. It was a way to remember the deceased and in the earliest days, before photography was affordable and common, sometimes it was the only photo taken of an individual.

Katharine's photo, we can assume, was taken in her own home. The photos on the wall are of her and her husband. I have located a copy of her portrait photo, but not his. We can see that an undertaker was involved by the setting of the floral arrangements and the fact that the casket sits on an undertaker's carriage.

Henry's photo has been cut around, taking out the background area including the casket lid and the room. We can assume that it was probably taken in his home, however. His casket appears to sit directly on the floor. Near his waist lies a photo. I've tried to enlarge that area, and I think I can make out two small children, but I'm not sure. Affectionately, "Father" was penned onto the photo, probably by Lydia Spoering Loudon whose descendant provided me with these photos.

Photos like this were popular in their time and proudly displayed in homes. Some photographers advertised that they would take this type of photo as a special service, usually charging significantly for it since the photographer had to go to the subject within a limited time frame after the body was prepared for viewing. They also knew that, in some cases, this might be the only photo of a family member that would exist.  It was a different era where mortality rates were higher and grief was dealt with in different ways. These photos were treasures to the families...and still are.

(This post originally appeared on the Elling Family News blog on July 21, 2009.)

The Spoering Immigration, 1882

Guest Author - The Spoering Immigration

Henry and Mary Sporing Arrive to the U.S. in 1882

written in January 2012 by Jason Snow, a great-great grandson of Henry and Mary Sporing

Henry and Mary Sporing, along with their daughters Mary (age 4) and Sophia (age 3), arrived in New York aboard the Main on 6 March 1882. Their place of origin was recorded as Prussia, and their destination was Defiance, Ohio. Henry's and Mary's ages, 36 and 26, are consistent with other records we have for these ancestors. What isn't consistent is the year of their immigration.

Henry declared his intent to become a citizen in 1884 and applied in 1886. In those records, he indicated his arrival in the U.S. as 8 March 1881, not 6 March 1882. Assuming the naturalization process at that time required 5 years of citizenship, the discrepancy would have enabled Henry to accelerate the process.

Their entry to the United States would have been processed at Castle Garden, the predecessor to Ellis Island before it opened in 1892. Castle Garden is now Castle Clinton National Monument, which is where the ferry to Ellis Island departs from lower Manhattan.

The Main was operated by the North German Lloyd shipping line. It was built by Caird & Co., Greenock, Scotland, measuring 365' x 40' and weighing 2,893 tons. The single-screw and compound engines were capable of 14 knots. There is no photo available, but the ship had two masts and one funnel. The Main first sailed in 1868, and its final voyage under the North German Lloyd company was in 1890. The same company ran a new ship also under the name of Main.

Source for the clipping is: New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Year: 1882; Arrival: New York, United States; Microfilm serial: M237; Microfilm roll: M237_447; Line: 44; List number: 253. Image and transcription obtained via Ancestry.com. Imaged cropped to show only Sporing family.

**Jason's great-grandmother was Lydia Spoering Loudon and his grandmother, Ruth Loudon.  Lydia's photo may be seen at this previous post.  Lydia may also be seen with baby Ruth on her lap in this reunion photo from about 1928.

Thank you, Jason!

Posted by Dianne at 10:55 PM No comments:

Henry and Fred Spoering

(This post originally appeared on my previous blog, A Face to the Sun, on July 23, 2013.)

 
Once again, I've been diving into some old newspapers and this time, I came up with a few obituaries for siblings of my grandmother, Ida Spoering Elling.  Both of these brothers died when I was very young, so I have no memory of them.

 First, Fred Spoering's obituary was found in the Findlay Republican Courier, December 27, 1954:

"FRED SPOERING  RITES HELD SUNDAY
Henry Co. Native Succumbed Friday

Deshler, Dec. 26 - Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday for Fred Spoering, 67, a retired farmer who resided northwest of Deshler.

The Rev. Otto Ehlen officiated at services at St. John's Lutheran Church.  Burial was in the church cemetery.  The Pelter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Spoering died at 1:10 a.m. Friday at his residence after an illness of two years.  He had lived his entire life in Henry County.
He was born Nov. 6, 1887 in Marion Twp., Henry Co. to Henry and Marie Spoering.  He married Anna Imbrook, Dec. 11, 1919 and she survives.
Also surviving are a son, Richard, Altoona, Pa.; daughter, Mrs. Martha Sunderman, Deshler; step-daughter, Mrs. Helen Drewes, Deshler; brother, George, Napoleon; sisters, Mrs. Mary Baden, Malinta; Mrs. Sophia Marksch, Deshler; Mrs. Anna Helmke, Mrs. Lydia Louden and Mrs. Frieda Lang, all of Napoleon; Mrs. Kate Tietje, Hamler; Mrs. Amelia Schlagel, Traverse City, Mich., six grandchildren and one great-grandchild."



Henry Spoering's obituary was also in the Findlay Republican Courier, February 9, 1952, page 2:

 "FIND WORKMAN DEAD IN SHOP
Holgate Man, 66, Succumbs Friday

Holgate, Feb. 8 - Henry Spoering, 66, was found dead about 6 p.m. today in his workshop near his home here by two neighbors.
Albert Riebesehl, who visited Mr. Spoering each day, found his friend on the floor of his workshop and called Ray Kline, a neighbor.
A physician was called and he said Mr. Spoering died of a heart attack at approximately 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
Mr. Spoering was born November 10, 1883.  He is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Emil Hahn, Hamler; Mrs. Paul Sandman, Bowling Green; and Mrs. Roy Baer, Deshler; two brothers, Fred, Bartlow Twp, and George, Erie, Mich.; and seven sisters, Mrs. Mary Baden, Malinta; Mrs. Sophia Marks, Deshler; Mrs. Anna Helmke, Mrs. Frita Lange and Mrs. Lydia Loudon, all of Napoleon; Mrs. Katie Tietje, Hamler; and Mrs. Amelia Slagel, Traverse City, Mich.  There are three grandchildren.  
The body was taken to the Wesche Funeral Home in Napoleon.  Funeral arrangements are incomplete."