52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 45

While I have some photographs of male ancestors that I have collected over the years, I do not have one that I think qualifies for the writing prompt Bearded. Instead, I’ll talk about the three brothers who all looked very similar, right down to their stylish mustaches.

My maternal second great-grandparents, Joseph Henry Metz and Barbara (Karch) Metz of Insheim, Germany had nine children, four of whom were boys. The youngest boy, who was also the baby of the family, was my great-grandfather Peter Metz.

One child, Magdalena, died in Insheim, Germany when she was just two months old, but I believe all of the other children lived and died in the Cincinnati/Covington greater area following their emigration to America.

Nicholas, Barbara, Anna and Elisabeth

For three of the four boys, I have been able to locate photographs. The oldest child was Nicholas Metz, who was born in Insheim on 8 August 1842 and died in Cincinnati on 26 February 1920. He arrived in America in 1866, traveling with his mother and five of his siblings aboard the Fulton. By the 1870 census he was living in Cincinnati with his mother and three brothers, Joseph, John, and Peter. Nicholas married Carolyn Blanner, and they had four children: Magdalena, Rosa, John, and Mary. The photo shows him with his sisters Barbara Metz Zimmer, Anna Maria Metz Radenheimer, and Elisabeth Metz.

Joseph and Rosina

Joseph Metz was born 2 October 1853 in Insheim and he died 25 September 1925 in Cincinnati. He was on the same ship as his mother and siblings, arriving in America in 1866. In 1877 he married Magdelena Germann, and they had five children: William, John, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Helen. Joseph is pictured with his sister Rosina Metz Strassel.

Peter Metz (my great-grandfather) was born in Insheim 30 May 1862 and died in Cincinnati on 4 February 1935. He was only four years old when he arrived in America with his family. On 3 November 1887 he married Bridget Maher, and they went on to have five children: Helen, Mary (my grandmother), Alice, Stella, and Walter. He and Bridget are pictured, probably in the 1920s.

Peter and Bridget

What struck me first in looking at the photos is how much the three men resemble each other. The second thing I noticed is that they all wore their mustaches the same way. I have never seen a photograph of their father Joseph Henry Metz as he died of a bee sting in Insheim at the age of 43. It would be so interesting to see if his sons looked like him. And if he, too, favored wearing a mustache.

Nicholas, Joseph and Peter

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 4

Week 4 of the challenge asked the question, "Which ancestor would I most like to invite to dinner?" My answer is Barbara Karch Metz, my maternal second great-grandmother. I’ve had a great admiration for her ever since I learned that following the death of her husband in Germany, she boarded a ship with 6 of her children and headed to America. Here is her story.

Insheim, Germany

Insheim Catholic Church

Born in Insheim, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany to Johann Joseph March and Maria Barbara Pfalzer on 29 March 1820, Barbara was the oldest of four girls. At the age of 21, she married Joseph Henry Metz on 16 February 1842 at the Catholic church in Insheim.

Barbara and Joseph had nine children, all of whom were born in Insheim: Nicholas b. 1842, Anna Maria b. 1843, Barbara b. 1846, Elizabeth b. 1849, Magdalena b. 1852 and died 1852, Joseph b. 1853, Rosina b. 1856, Johannes b. 1859, and Peter b. 1862. On 27 September 1862 Joseph Henry Metz died, reportedly from a bee sting. He was only 43, and my great-grandfather Peter was just four months old.

SS Borussia

By the next year the two oldest daughters, Anna Maria and Barbara, emigrated to the United States on the SS Borussia, a sailing vessel in the Hamburg-American Line. The ship arrived in New York on 15 July 1863. The sisters then made their way to Cincinnati, Ohio, possibly because their father’s brother, Adam Metz, was living there with his family.

SS Arago, sister ship to the SS Fulton
photo from US National Archives

In 1866, Barbara and her remaining 6 children traveled from Insheim to Le Havre to board the SS Fulton, a paddle-steamer in the New York & Havre Company line. The journey would have taken around 14 days. Barbara was 47 at that time, and her children were the following ages: Nicolas-24, Elizabeth-18, Joseph-9, Rosina-7, Johannes-5, and Peter-3. From New York, Barbara and the children made their way to Cincinnati.

Family lore has it that once Barbara and her family arrived in Cincinnati, they did not know where to go. So they all gathered around a Metz meat truck, hoping to get assistance. This Metz was not related to her deceased husband, but it was a name she recognized. I’m not sure if there is any fact to the story, but it is a fun one nonetheless.

Barbara was 73 when she died in Cincinnati on 29 April 1893.

If I had an opportunity to dine with Barbara, I would ask her about her husband Joseph’s death, and how the family survived in Insheim for nearly four years without him. I would want to know what it was like to leave the only town she had ever known, and what relatives were left behind. What was the voyage by ship like? How did they get to Cincinnati from New York - train? What did she think of her new country when she arrived in Cincinnati? Did they really sit by a Metz’s meat truck hoping someone could direct them in their new city? And finally, I would want to tell her how amazing I think she was for giving up her life in Germany to hopefully provide her children with a better life in the United States.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 18

Peter & Bridget Metz

This post will cover one last Crusham ancestor from Ireland, as well as the one branch of the tree that came from Germany. As discussed in Day 6 and Day 8, the Cincinnati wedding of Michael A. Crusham and Mary Barbara (Mayme) Metz occurred in 1911. Mayme was born in Cincinnati in 1890 to Peter Metz and Bridget Maher Metz. Peter and Bridget married in Cincinnati on 3 November 1887.

Bridget Maher (my great-grandmother) was born in June of 1856 in Wabash, Indiana. Her parents were Patrick and Mary Maher, who were both born in Ireland but I do not know what county they came from, nor do I know Mary's maiden name. Patrick was born in 1820, and Mary in 1825. Their first three children were all born in Ireland: Patrick in 1847, Julia in 1849, and Alice in 1855.  As Bridget was born in Indiana in 1856, the family obviously emigrated to the United States sometime between 1855 and 1856. Two more children were born after Bridget: Mary in 1857 and Ellen in 1859. By the 1860 census the Maher family had settled in Cincinnati.

Peter Metz (my great-grandfather), the youngest child of Joseph Metz and Barbara Karch Metz, was born on 30 May 1862 in Insheim, Germany. Other children in the family included Nikolaus, born 1842; Anna, born 1843; Barbara, born 1846; Elisabeth, born 1849; Magdalena, born 1852; Joseph, born 1853; Rosina, born 1856; and Johannes, born 1859. Peter's father, Joseph, died in September of 1862 of bee stings. In 1866, Barbara boarded the ship Fulton leaving Havre, Germany and bound for America with six of her children. The ship arrived in New York on 6 November 1866. From there the family made their way to Cincinnati, where her three older children were living. Barbara died on 29 April 1893.

Insheim, Germany

Joseph Metz (my great-great-grandfather) was born on 11 October 1818 in Insheim to Peter Metz and Maria Buckel Metz. The Metz family tree has been documented back to my 5th great-grandfather. Barbara Karch (my great-great-grandmother) was born 29 March 1820 to Johann Karch and Maria Pfalzer Karch, also of Insheim. The Karch family tree has also been documented back to my 5th great-grandfather. There are way too many names to try to cover in this blog post.

Inseam train station

In September of 2013 I traveled to Insheim, Germany to see the town where the Metz and Karch families came from. I was met by the Mayor and several other historians who were eager to show me around. It was an incredible feeling to walk the streets that my ancestors walked.

They also took me to nearby Steinweiler, where the Schwein family lived. Apollonia Schwein married Andreas Metz (Peter Metz's father) in Insheim in 1777. I was able to not only see but go inside the home that was built by my 6th great-grandfather Ulrich Schwein in 1717! The markings on the house indicate that the home was built by Ulrich Schwein in 1717, and that he was a blacksmith. As I do house research as well as genealogy, I couldn't help but think how great it would be if in the United States each old building had the year it was built and by whom etched into it.

Schwein house

This part of Germany is a beautiful area, and I wondered again how these ancestors had found the fortitude to say to good-bye to their family and their homeland, knowing that most likely they would never see them again. It must have been heart-breaking.

Note: This will end my writing challenge as I will be unable to access the internet for the duration of the month. It has been fun to attempt to portray a little bit of the history of my Crusham family members for the past three weeks.