Friedrich G. Spoering

Born on November 6, 1887, Friedrich G. Spoering was the second son of Herman Heinrich and Katherine (Floke) Spoering.  Fred stayed home and helped his father farm until he was thirty-two years old, when he married Anna Imbrock Hoops, a widow with two young daughters.

Anna, born October 15, 1887, was the daughter of Heinrich Friedrich Conrad Imbrock and Sophia Louise Henrietta Hoffmeister.  She married Wilhelm F. Hoops in Henry County when she was 22 on the day after Christmas, 1909.

The cause of Wilhelm's death is not known, but on August 18, 1916, Anna became a widow.  When he died, Anna was pregnant with a third child, born December 27, 1916.  Named, Wilhelmine Louise after her two grandmothers, this child died at 5 months old, of bronchitis, on May 30, 1917.

Fred Spoering married the widowed Anna Hoops on December 11, 1919 after he returned from his service in World War I.  Fred filled out his draft form when he was 29 where he noted that he had poor eyesight.  He enlisted on July 23, 1918 into Truck Company, 5th Corp Artillery Park, Pvt. 1st class. He embarked with his unit on September 23, 1918 from Hoboken, NY on the ship Ascenius, destination not recorded.  He served in the American Expeditionary Forces until he was honorably discharged on April 26, 1919.

 Fred and Anna rented a home in Bartlow Township where Fred worked as a Laborer, according to the 1920 census.   Alma, 8, and Helen, 7, were with them at that time.
 Alma Marie Hoops, born on February 14, 1910, had epilepsy and was placed in the Luther Home of Mercy in Williston, Ohio in 1923, after Anna's marriage to Fred Spoering.  Alma died in 1945 at the age of 35 years, 10 months.  Helen/ Helene was born in 1912 and lived on until 2011.


By 1930, the couple had added two more children to the family - Richard F., 8, and Martha, 6, as well as Alma Hoops, 19 (perhaps home at that time) and Helen Hoops, 17.  Fred owned a home and farmed.

By 1940, only Martha, 16, was left at home with Fred and Anna, both 52.  In 1941, Martha married Raymond Sunderman and Helen had already married Lawrence Drewes. Richard Frederick Spoering, (couldn't be found in 1940 census) enlisted in the Army on August 22, 1942.  On his draft registration, he listed his residence as Albion, Noble County, Indiana where he worked as at the Albion Production Credit Association. Richard did not marry until April 15, 1981, to Iva Lola (Bremer) Baumberger when he was sixty.

Fred Spoering died on December 14, 1954.  His obituary appeared in The Republican-Courier, Findlay, Ohio on December 27, 1954.

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

Deshler - Dec. 26 - Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday for Fred Spoering, 62, retired farmer who resided northwest of Deshler.  The Reverend Otto Ehlen officiated at services at St. John's Lutheran Church.  Burial was in the church cemetery.  The Felter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Spoering died at 1:30 a.m. at his residence after an illness of two years.  He had lived his entire life in Henry County.  He was born November 6, 1887, in Marion Township, Henry County, to Henry and Marie Spoering.  He married Anna Imbrock Dec. 11, 1919, and she survives.

Also surviving are a son, Richard, Altoona, Pa.; a daughter, *Mrs. Martha Sunderman, Deshler; a step-daughter, Mrs. Martha Drewes; brother, George, Napoleon; sisters - Mrs. Mary Baden, Malinta; Mrs. Sophia Marksch, Deshler; Mrs. Anna Helmke, Mrs. Lydia Loudon and Mrs. Frieda Lang, all of Napoleon; Mrs. Kate Tietje, Hamler, and Mrs. Ida Schlagel, Traverse City, Mich., six grandchildren and one great-grandchild."

 *error - Mrs. Helen Drewes, step-daughter

Anna Imbrock Hoops Spoering

 From Obituaries from The Deshler Flag newspaper, Deshler, Ohio, Vol. IV -

"ANNA SPOERING

Anna Spoering, 96, of rural Deshler, died at Oak Grove Manor Nursing Home, Deshler.
Born October 15 1887, she was the daughter of Conrad and Louise (Hoffmeister) Imbrock.  She married William Hoops on December 26, 1909, and he preceded her in death in 1916.  
She married Fred Spoering on December 11, 1919.  He died in 1954.

A homemaker, Mrs. Spoering was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Deshler, and the Dorcas Circle of American Lutheran Church Women.

Surviving are a son Richard, of Deshler; two daughters, Mrs. Lawrence (Helen) Drewes and Mrs. Raymond (Martha) Sunderman, both of Deshler; a brother, Henry, of Liberty Center; six grandchildren, one step-grandchild 15 great-grandchildren, two step-great grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Services were held at the church.  The Reverend Andrew Ballas officiated and interment was in the church cemetery.  The family suggests memorials be made to Williston Home of Mercy or the St. John Lutheran Church Building Fund."

 

St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery, Deshler

Katharina Anna Spoering

Katharina Anna Spoering was born near Hamler, Ohio, on December 17, 1885, the fourth daughter of Herman Heinrich and Katharine (Floke) Spoering.  She was the second child born after their immigration to the United States in 1882.  Kate was baptized at Hope Lutheran Church on January 10, 1886, and confirmed there in March, 1899.  Her connection with this church would last a lifetime to her funeral and burial.

In 1911, she married William Tietje, known locally as "Dutch Bill."  Bill came to America to avoid the draft in Germany, it was said in the family, arriving here in 1909.  In the 1910 census, he was boarding with the Frank Nickols family of Richfield Township in Henry County.  He was 26 years old and employed at farming.  The young couple married at Hope Lutheran Church near Hamler and for twenty-five years engaged in farming near Holgate.

Bill and Kate had no biological children, but by the 1920 census, they had taken in a seven year old boy named William (Wilhelm) Meyer.  He was listed as a boarder in the census, naturalized in 1913, which is probably when his parents immigrated.  There were several Meyer families living near the Tietjes, but the reason for his staying with them is lost to history.  They raised "Willie" as their own son and by the 1930 census in Pleasant Township, the boy was listed with them as William J. Tietje, adopted son, 17 years old.  As the family story goes, Willie enrolled at the International Business College in Fort Wayne and there suffered an attack of appendicitis.  He returned home to convalesce and, apparently, there were tensions in the family over something.  When he recovered, Willie left the home and never contacted Bill or Kate again.

Dutch Bill died on January 16, 1954 at the age of 70 and was buried in the cemetery at Hope Lutheran Church. On June 18, 1955, Kate married her brother-in-law, Albert Elling, also a widower since August, 1951, when his first wife and Kate's sister, Ida, passed away.  At the time of their marriage, Kate was 70 years old and Albert was 67.  They lived in Hamler for several years and then moved to a house on Park Street in Napoleon.  For the last few years of her life, Kate was virtually housebound and she died in December, 1968, at the age of 82.

Aunt Kate and Albert Elling

As a child, I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated by Aunt Kate.  She seemed stern to me as her thick German accent was sometimes difficult to understand.  But she was generous with the grandchildren and, I'm sure, a good companion to my grandfather.  I remember that she thought "chillens" should be quiet when visiting!  And I'll never forget the time she served me a juice glass of cold beer with my lunch when I was young and visiting with my dad.  I gave him a side look to get his approval and he nodded! 




Her funeral sermon (thankfully saved by Aunt Alma) noted that "the departed sister...(was) especially pleasant, devoted and dedicated worker for her Lord at Hope Church, at home and in the Ladies' organization at the church."  At the time of her death, she had 32 step-grandchildren (of which I was one) and 5 step-great-grandchildren.

The last photo with Albert Elling was taken on their wedding day, I believe, at their home in Hamler.  I vaguely remember being there on that day.  I wonder if that is a photo of Willie hanging on the wall behind them?

 

The only place that I have seen the Katherene spelling

"KATHERINE ELLING

NAPOLEON - Mrs. Katherine Tietje Elling, 82, 713 Park St., died at 10 p.m. Wednesday in Northcrest Nursing Home, following a long illness.

She was born Dec. 17, 1885, in Henry County, a daughter of Henry and Mary (Floke) Spoering, and married William Tietje in 1911.  They farmed near Holgate for 25 years, then retired and moved to Hamler.  Tietje died Jan. 16, 1954, and June 18, 1955, she married Albert Elling.  They lived in Hamler two years, moving to Napoleon in 1957. 

*Surviving are her husband, Albert; two stepsons, Aldred (Alfred) and Rudolph Elling, Liberty Center; four stepdaughters, Mrs. Allyn (Alma) Hicksted and Mrs. Norman (Louise) Hausch, Wauseon; Mrs. Rolland (Eleonore) Glanz, Toledo; 32 step-grandchildren and five step-great-grandchildren, and a sister, Mrs. Emelia Slagle, Traverse City, Michigan.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Hope Lutheran Church, near Hamler, the Rev. A.J. Boomgarden officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.  Friends may call in Wesche Funeral Home, Napoleon, from 7-9 tonight, 2-4 and 7-9 Friday." 

* Mistakes in this listing of stepdaughters - Mrs. Norman (Louise) Miller of Napoleon and Mrs. Edward (Lorna) Hausch of Wauseon

Originally posted in December, 2008 and revised on March 23, 2020

Added September 4, 2024 - The obituary of William H. Tietje, published on Monday, January 18, 1954.

"WILLIAM H. TIETJE

Hamler - William H. Tietje, 70, of Hamler, retired farmer, died at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Defiance City Hospital.

The body was removed to the Wesche funeral home, Napoleon, where it will remain until 10 a.m. Tuesday, when it will be taken to the Hope Lutheran Church, near Hamler, for services at 2:30 p.m., Rev. A. J. Boomgarden officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Surviving are his wife, Katherine; a sister, Mrs. Marie Freytag, and three half-sisters, all in Germany."

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

Anna Spoering - The Third Daughter

Anna Spoering Helmke

Another of Grandmother Ida Spoering Elling's older sisters -

The full baptized name is not yet known for Anna Spoering, but Anna was the third of the children to immigrate to the United States with her parents, Henry and Katherine Spoering.  Born on January 3, 1881, in Lehdren, she was just over a year old when she boarded the ship in March, 1882.

In the 1900 census, she lived with her parents, Henry, 55, and Katherine, 44, her two older sisters, and eight younger siblings in Monroe Township, Henry County, Ohio.  The children's ages ranged from 24 to 10 months. Anna was the first child in the family who was listed as speaking English, as her older two sisters could not at this time.



The future groom for Anna was George Jacob Helmke - the son of Henry D. and Anna Luderman Helmke.  Anna and George married on November 1, 1903.
Born in Okolona, George J. was a lifelong self-employed carpenter.

The couple settled into a house on Elm Street in Deshler, Henry County, and began a family there.  In the 1910 census, Anna reported that she had given birth to three children, but only one was living. Arnold Wilhelm Heinrich Helmke was born on November 7, 1905, and was 4 at the time of the census.  An unnamed son was born on March 3, 1904, and died the next day, and Paul Ernest Ludwig Friedrich Helmke was born on September 9, 1907, and died October 13, 1907.

St. John Lutheran Cemetery, Deshler

The family continued to reside in the Elm Street residence in Deshler Village into 1910.  More children were added to the family: Emil Adolph, Pauline Maria Wilhelmina, Harold Harmon, and Edmund Heinrich.  

By the 1930 enumeration, Anna and George had moved to 403 East Washington Street in Napoleon, where their home was valued at $3000.  He was a carpenter "by the day."  Only three children remained at home - Emil, 19, a laborer; Harold, 13, and Edmund, 10.

By the 1940 census, Emil had moved out and roomed at the Hummer's Hotel, run by Bertha Hummer, on Perry Street in Defiance.  He was a machinist working at the Machine Works in the city.  In the week of the census, he had worked 55 hours, and he was still a single man at that time.

That census also revealed that George and Anna both had a sixth grade education.  Two young sons remained at home with them  - Harold, 22, a fireman at the dog food company, and Edmund, 20, a machine operator at the same place.

 Anna Spoering Helmke died on November 2, 1956, and George J. followed on March 19, 1960.

Some Obituaries of the Children of Sophia Spoering Marksch

Sophia Spoering and Carl Marksch had seven children, one of whom died in childhood - Friedrich Wilhelm.  Sophia raised these children alone after Carl died in 1920.

The first son was Ernest David Heinrich Marksch, a WW II veteran.

From the Defiance Crescent-News, January 24, 1970:

"ERNEST MARKSCH.  Deshler.
Services are slated for 2 p.m. Monday for Ernest D. Marksch, 64, Deshler, who died Thursday following a brief illness in Blanchard Valley Hospital, Findlay.

A lifelong resident of Deshler, he was a member of the American Legion, St. John's Lutheran Church and was employed at the Imco Poultry Co.

Survivors include his wife, Gayetta; four sisters, Mrs. Arthur Ohlrich, Deshler; Mrs. Glenn May, Wauseon; Mrs. Ernest Plassman, Napoleon, and Mrs. Herman Miller, Delta.
Burial will be in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery following services at the church.  Friends may call at the Dubbs-Rodenberger Funeral Home, Deshler."
 

"ADELIA PANNING.  DESHLER.
Mrs. Adelia Panning, 58, of Deshler, died at 8:30 p.m. Sunday en route to Blanchard Valley Hospital, Findlay.
A daughter of Karl and Sophia (Soporing) Marksch, she was born Feb. 20, 1907, in Bartlow Township, Henry County, and was a lifetime resident of that county.

She was married to Otto Panning Feb. 27, 1927 and he died April 25, 1964.  Surviving are three children, Walter Panning, Napoleon; Henry Panning, Deshler; and Mrs. Albert (Marie) Junge of Route 2, Deshler.

Also surviving are seven grandchildren; a brother, Ernest Marksch of Deshler; and sisters, Mrs. Clara Plassman, Napoleon; Mrs. Helen Miller, Delta; Mrs. Martha Ohlrick, Deshler; and Mrs. Ester May,Wauseon.
Mrs. Panning was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church and its Ladies Aid Society.  Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in St. John's church, the Rev. Andrew Ballas officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery."

 

 Thanks to Linda Richard for sending me the obituary of her grandmother, Clara Anna Bertha Marksch Plassman.

"CLARA A. PLASSMAN

Mrs. Clara A. Plassman, age 84, of Napoleon, died at 7:55 a.m. on Friday in Northcrest Nursing Home in Napoleon.
Born in Bartlow Township, Henry County, on March 19, 1909, Clara was the daughter of Karl and Sophia (Spoering) Marksch.  She was baptized April 12, 1909 and confirmed in the faith on March 25, 1923.  She was married to Ernest Plassman on February 15, 1927, and he preceded her in death on November 23, 1951.
Mrs. Plassman was a clerk for the Charles Company in Napoleon for 32 years.  She was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Napoleon Township and was a member of its Women of the Church group.

Surviving are three sons, Harold of Archbold; Raymond and Ronald, both of Ft. Wayne, Indiana; four daughters, Mrs. Florence (Norm) Fitzenreiter of Napoleon, Mrs. Mildred (John) Mitchell of Columbus Grove, Mrs. Margaret Meyer and Mrs. Clarabell (Elden) Badenhop both of Archbold, 24 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren and one sister, Esther May of Wauseon.
Also preceding her in death were two brothers, Fred and Ernest Marksch; three sisters, Adelia Panning, Martha Ohlrich and Helen Miller; a son, Richard, great grandchild, Ryan Fitzenreiter and son-in-law, Vernon Meyer.

Pall Bearers: Jim Fitzenreiter, Steve Meyer, Brent Gerken, Phil Badenhop, Mark Plassman, Dave Fitzenreiter. 

(From the Funeral Service program, February 21, 1994.  Interment in her church cemetery) 

 Her husband's obituary was found in the Defiance Crescent-News of November 24, 1981.

"ERNEST PLASSMAN.  NAPOLEON - Ernest Plassman, 80, 858 Hobson Street, died in his home Monday morning after suffering an apparent heart attack.

Born in Napoleon Township Jan. 20, 1901, he was the son of William and Wilhellmina (Meyer) Plassman.  He married Clara Marksch on Feb. 15, 1927, and they farmed in Napoleon Township until 1942 when they moved to Napoleon.
He worked as a janitor at NAPCO Truck Stop in Napoleon for four years, retiring in 1979.  Prior to this,he had worked at various jobs in Napoleon.  From 1942 until 1952, he worked for Toledo Tank Depot and Autolite Co.
A member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Napoleon Township, he was a former deacon and member of its choir.

Surviving besides his wife are three sons, Harold, Archbold, and Raymond and Ronald, both of Ft. Wayne, Ind; four daughters, Mrs. Norman (Florence) Fitzenrider, Napoleon; Mrs. John (Mildred) Mitchell, Columbus Grove; Mrs. Vernon (Margaret) Meyer, Napoleon; and Mrs. Elden (Clarabell) Badenhop, Archbold; 24 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; two brothers, George, Wauseon, and William, Jewell; and two sisters, Mrs. Edward (Minnie) Brandt, Defiance, and Mrs. Emelia Gerken, Wauseon.
He was preceded in death by an infant son Richard, in 1939.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in St. Paul Lutheran Church, Napoleon Township, with the Rev. David Gensch officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.  Friends may call at the Wesche Funeral Home in Napoleon from 2-4 and 7-9 today.  
Preferred memorials are to St. Paul's Lutheran Church Building Fund, Filling Memorial Home of Mercy or a charity of the donor's choice." 

 

 

The fourth child was Helene Anna Katharina Lena Marksch, called Helen, who married Herman Christ Miller in 1930 in Henry County.  Much information is missing here, including a death date for Herman.  Helen died on March 23, 1977, but no record has been found yet on death and burial or children. A work in progress.  If you can help, please comment!

Martha Marksch, Martha Dora Ida Maria, child number five, became the wife of Arthur Ohlrich and they, too, lived in Deshler.  Her obituary was found in the Defiance Crescent-News, June 27, 1973.

"MARTHA D. OHLRICH.  DESHLER -
Mrs. Martha D. Ohlrich, 59, died Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. in her residence after an illness of 15 years.  She had been seriously ill the past three years.

Born Dec. 30, 1915 in Richfield Twp., Henry County, she was a daughter of Carl and Sophia (Stoering) Marksch. She married Arthur Ohlrich on May 1 1932 and he survives.  Mrs. Ohlrich was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church.

Also surviving are two sons, Raymond, Hamler, and James, Deshler; a daughter, Mrs. Orville (Wilma) Buenger, Hamler; three sisters, Mrs. Helen Miller, Delta; Mrs. Clara Plassman, Napoleon; and Mrs. Esther May, Wauseon; eight grandchilden.
Services will be Friday at 2 p.m. in St. John's Church with Rev. S. James Petteys officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.  Friends may call after 7 p.m. today in the Dubbs- Rodenberger Funeral Home." 



  
The last daughter was Esther Maria Frieda Marksch, called Esther.  Born in 1916, she lived in Fulton County, Ohio after marriage.  She married Frederick Ervin Barnes first in 1938, and he passed away in 1951.  She married Glen May in 1955.  Her obituary appeared in the Sandusky Register on April 22, 2004.

"ESTHER M. BARNES - MAY
Jan. 11, 1916 - April 21, 2004
Wauseon, Ohio

Esther M. Barnes-May, 88, of Wauseon, Ohio, died Wednesday, April 21, 2004, in Fulton Manor in Wauseon.

She was born Jan. 11, 1916, in Deshler, Ohio, the daughter of Carl and Sophia (Sporing) Marksch.  On Feb. 5, 1938, she married Frederick Barnes and he preceded her in death in 1951.  On Aug. 16, 1955, she married Glen May, andhe preceded her in death in 1990.  She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and also was a member of the Wauseon American Legion Auxillary and Wauseon VFW Auxilary.

She is survived by two daughters, Betty (James) Powers of Huron and Joyce (Dennis) Summers of Wauseon; two sons, Ronald (Holly) May  of Fremont, Ind., and Carl (Ila) Barnes of Orange Park, Fla.; 11 grandchilden; and 19 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Marian Skinner; one son, Roger Barnes; her parents; two brothers, Ernest and Frederick Marksch; and four sisters, Clara Plassman, Adelia Panning, Martha Ohlrich and Helen Miller.

Friends may call 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Friday in Edgar-Grisier Funeral Home in Wauseon.  Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wauseon, with the Rev. Scott Silcox officiating.  The family requests memorial contributions be made to Trinity Lutheran Church."

Wauseon Union Cemetery, Wauseon, OH

The seventh child was Friederich Wilhelm Marksch who died when he was 8 years old of complications of diabetes.

 

Anna Maria Sophia Spoering Marksch - The Second Daughter

Another of Grandmother Ida Spoering Elling's older sisters--

 Called Sophia, Anna Maria Sophia Spoering was about 5 when she accompanied her parents to America in 1882.  Born on December 10, 1877, in Lehrden, Germany, she was the second child of Hermann Heinrich and Katherine (Floke) Spoering.

The family settled in Monroe Township and was enumerated there in the 1900 Federal Census.  Sophia lived with her parents at the age of 22, amid ten other siblings.  It was noted that she could not speak English.

In the meantime, another family had immigrated from Bremen, Germany, to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1883.  Gottlieb and Elisabeth Marksch brought their three single sons: Wilhelm, 16; Gottlieb, 14, and Ernest, 6, with them, along with married son, Wilhelm and wife, Minna Marksch, and their children, Carl and Pauline, both 6.   Three generations of the Marksch family traveled in steerage on the S.S. Strassburg to create a new life in the United States.

Carl Marksch and Sophia Spoering married on July 14, 1904. They lived in Richfield Township where Carl farmed and Sophia kept house.  In the 1910 census, Carl, 30, and Sophie, 32, had three children: Ernest, 5; Adelia, 3; and Clara, 1.  The enumerator noted that Carl could speak English, but Sophia spoke only German.  In 1916, the Farmers' Directory explained that Carl had 80 acres with 3 horses and 4 cows.

The 1920 Federal Census was taken in January and the Marksch family was enumerated on their farm in Richfield Township.  Carl's birthplace in Germany was written as Pollger, but no village has been found with that name. ( Perhaps it could be Behlingen?  Still to be determined.)  Sophia now could speak English and her birthplace was reported as Jeddingen, unlike Lehrden as on a previous source.  Their children were Ernest, 14; Adelia, 12; Clara, 10; Helen, 8; Martha, 6, Esther, 4 and Fred, 9 months.

Tragedy struck the family later that year when Carl became ill and passed away just before Christmas on December 11, 1920.  Death records noted typhoid fever as cause for his demise at age 41. Now Sophia was left with seven children to raise and support, the youngest just a year old and the oldest 14.

Carl's obituary appeared in the Deshler Flag on December 16, 1920.

"PROMINENT FARMER PASSES AWAY
Carl Marksch, a well known and prosperous farmer, residing six miles northwest of Deshler, died at his home Saturday morning, after an illness of two weeks with typhoid fever.
Mr. Marksch, at the time of his death had reached his fortieth year and leaves a wife and seven children.
A son of fourteen years and a daughter of twelve have contracted the disease and are seriously ill at their home.
Funeral services were held Tuesday morning from the Marksch home, Rev. Peters officiating.
Interment was made in the church's cemetery."

On June 2, 1927, Sophia and children suffered another loss - the death of the youngest son, Frederick Wilhelm.  Just shy of a year old when his father died, young Fred was only 8 when he died of diabetes. (Insulin was discovered to help diabetes in 1922, and it was still being tested in the 1940s.  Before that, only diet was used to control diabetes and it was often a fatal disease.) Little Frederick was buried, as was his father, in the St. John Lutheran church cemetery near Deshler, Ohio.

By April 11, 1930, when the enumerator for the census came around, he or she found Sophia and her children in Bartlow Township, Henry County.  They rented a house there.  The young widow was 52 with no occupation, but her oldest son living there, Ernest, 24, had a job road building.  Also in the home was Esther, 14.

In 1940, Sophia was back in Richfield Township on the South Township Line.  This census, taken on April 29th, revealed that Sophia had attended school only to 3rd grade.  Now she owned her own home and lived alone. 

Sophia died of apoplexy (a stroke) on May 10, 1955, at the age of 77.  Her obituary appeared in the Deshler Flag on June 16.

"LAST RITES MONDAY FOR MRS. MARKSCH

Mrs. Sophia Marksch, 77, a resident of Deshler, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ernest Plassman, 858 Hobson street, Napoleon, with whom she had been making her home the past two years.

Funeral services, conducted by the Rev. Otto Ehlen, were held on Monday at 1:30 at the Wesche Funeral Home, and 2:30 at St. John's Lutheran church in Bartlow Township.  Interment was made in the church cemetery. 

She leaves one son, Ernest D., of Deshler; five daughters, Mrs. Otto Panning, of Bartlow Township; Mrs. Ernest Plassman of Napoleon; Mrs. Herman Miller of Flatrock Township; Mrs. Arthur Ohlrich of Richfield Township, and Mrs. Esther Barnes of Wauseon; 23 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one brother, George Spoering;and five sisters, Mrs Anna Helmke, Mrs Frieda Lange, and Mrs. Lydia Loudon, all of Napoleon; Mrs. Kate Tietje, Hamler, and Mrs. Emilie Schlagel of Traverse City, Michigan."










The children of Sophia and Carl were:
Ernest David Heinrich Marksch (1905-1970)
Adelia Maria Wilhelmine Marksch Panning (1907-1965)
Clara Anna Bertha Marksch Plassman (1909-1994)
Helene Anna Katharina Lena Marksch Miller (1912-1977)
Martha Dora Ida Maria Marksch Ohlrich (1913-1973)
Esther Maria Frieda Marksch Barnes May (1916-2004)
Friedrich Wilhelm Marksch (1919-1927)


 

St. John Lutheran Cemetery near Deshler, Ohio