Little Wentz Family Site, Updates August, 2008

08/05/08 Updated the Little Wentz Obituary Page and the Little Wentz Family Page with the residence details as noted in the 1963 Obituary of Robert Augusta Brown, the son of Charlotte Louise Wentz, provided by Cousin Campbell who follows the line of Robert A. Brown.

Charlotte Louise Wentz gave birth to her first son, Robert Augusta Wentz, born February 9, 1888, Kingston, Shawnee County, Kansas, as noted in the 1963 Obituary, Robert A. Brown, Bow, Skagit County, Washington.

Robert Wentz's birthplace of Wakarusa, KS, formerly known as Kingston, Shawnee County, KS, was located in the township of Williamsport and the Wakarusa River, a depot along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe R. R. Kingston, established in 1858, was located a few miles south of Topeka, KS, and served as a farm shipping point for the area.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates July, 2008

07/12/08 Updated the Little Wentz Obituary Page and Little Wentz Family Photo Album with the obituary and photo of Charles. A. Stumme 1929 - 2005, the grandson of Caroline "Carrie" Wentz, the son of her son August Stumme Jr.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates June, 2008

06/11/08 My friend at the Glen Elder Historical Society sent me an email that a F3 tornado hit around the Glen Elder Dam area on May 29, 2008. Headlines from wibw.com "EF 3 Tornado in Jewell and Mitchell. A damage survey crews have investigated the tornadic storm damage across Jewell and Mitchell Counties and have rated the tornado an EF3 at its strongest point. The tornado set down near Glen Elder Dam the night of May 29, 2008 and tracked to the northeast. The tornado had a path length of nearly 18 miles and a width up to one half mile."

There are (3)videos posted of the tornado that may be viewed from the news channel's website at wibw.com. There is a short ad from Certified Transmission that plays before the video loads, don't give up. It is exciting footage and will also give you an idea of what Glen Elder looks like. Video 1)Unedited Storm Chase, Video 2)Tornado Touchdown with slow motion in lighting strikes, Video 3)Storm Chaser Darin Brunin's Video: Wall Cloud and Power Flashes.

From City-data.com "Glen Elder area historical tornado activity is near Kansas state average. It is 122% greater than the overall U.S. average. On 6/15/1992, a category 4 (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 8.2 miles away from the Glen Elder city center caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages. On 6/4/1955, a category 4 tornado 15.4 miles away from the city center." Tornadoes of the Past, Worst Tornado Outbreak April 25, 189 "A half-mile-wide, violent tornado cut a swath across Cloud, Clay and Washington Counties in Kansas. At least nine people, possibly eleven, died, all in Clay County as 27 farm homes were destroyed. Newspapers reported that "everything was leveled as if a roller had passed over it," and the body of a dead child was reportedly carried for a half mile."

06/11/08 Welcome to cousin S. Nichelson who follows the line of Charlotte Louise Wentz. Cousin Nichelson has given us a photo of two of "Lottie" Charlotte Louise Wentz's children, Laura and Mabel, and husband, Lorenzo Brown. I posted this photo to our Little Wentz Family Album. Cousin Nichelson has also provided a confirmation record for Charlotte Louise Wentz, written in German, that was performed May 16, 1886 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Germantown, Smith County, KS. This record also indicated Charlotte Louise Wentz date of birth as March 13, 1867, which had been previously unknown to us. I will post Charlotte Louise Wentz confirmation record to the ancestry boards, in hope that someone may be able to transcrible the remainder of the German writing which might reveal sponsors. Cousin Nichelson is looking through her family photos for a picture of Charlotte Louise Wentz Bretthauer Brown's third child, Robert Brown.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates April, 2008

04/24/08 Added notation to Ethel Nora Anderson, as the wife of Kelly O. Gimmaka to the Wentz Family Page, daughter of Joseph E. Anderson and his first wife Francis Rhoades, from Cousin Troy.

04/22/08 "Final arrangements for George Washington Wentz. Please let everyone know that we appreciate all of the thoughts from all of our "cousins." You are all in our thoughts and prayers each day. Your kindness is awesome! George Washington Wentz was cremated with a small memorial service for immediate family on the 21 April 2008. Interment of his ashes will be at a later date. He will be buried next to his wife at the Chapel Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, Wyandotte Co., Kansas. I will let everyone know of the when and where when the arrangements have been made. George was a great man, a wonderful father, grand-father, and great-grandfather, and he was as devoted to his friends as he was his family. We miss him dearly and think of him daily. Once again thank you for all of your wonderful words at this time in our life." The Wentz Family. Added burial information to Wentz Family Page and Little Wentz Family Obituary Page.

04/16/08 "Hello, It is with saddness of heart that I must write to inform you that George Washington Wentz passed away 16 April 2008. He was with family at the time of his passing. There was no suffering, and although we will miss him very much, we know that he is in a better place and that he is once again with his wife Henrietta Mae; his son Gary George; and his daughter Donna Jean. ...Laurie...". Condolences may be emailed to the Little Wentz Family Site, williamverllittle@yahoo.com, and will be forwarded to the Wentz Family.

04/09/08, added 1997 Obituary for Mary A. (Arbutis) Wentz Lair of Makaha, Hawaii, daughter of John Conrad Wentz and three alternative obituaries pulled from death notices, 1990 Ralph E. Wentz, 2006 Margaret Pearl Wentz Thummel, and 2006 Dora Louise Wentz Buchanan, all of Atchison, KS, the son and daughters of John Conrad Wentz to the Little Wentz Family Obituary page and updated the death dates of the children of John Conrad Wentz to the Wentz Family page.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates March, 2008

03/26/08, added photos of the children of Anna Mary Mortar Messersmith to the Wentz Family Page.

03/25/08, Morter and Messersmith Family Tree

03/25/08, added Pedigree at WorldConnect Anna Mary Mortar Messersmith, husband Jacob P. Messersmith and Children, Scharlotte (Mader)Morter's cousin, the eldest daughter of her Uncle George Conrad Morter. Anna Mary (Mortar)Morter, age 20, born April 3, 1828, Bayern, Germany, married November 14, 1848, to Jacob P. Messersmith, age 25, born July 4, 1823, Bavaria, Germany.

Added updated genealogy information to the children of Anna Mary Mortar Messersmith to the Wentz Family Page.

03/18/08, added quick links to Little Wentz Family Obit Page.

03/07/08, added two new photos to the Little Wentz Family Photos Page, the son of Hannah Wentz Ailers Roeder, George William Ailers' children, a family photo of all five children about 1972, Robert R. Ailers, Elmeda Ailers, John W. Ailers, Sylvia Ailers, and Goldie M. Ailers, and a second photo of daughter Goldie Mae Ailers Pill 1951 wedding to John Robert Matthews. Updated census, birth and death records for all of George William Ailers family on the Wentz Family Page. Added two obituaries, George William Ailers' wife, Millie Myrtle Ailers 1938, and Robert John Matthews 2000, husband of George William Ailers' daughter Goldie Mae Ailers Pill Matthews; added two death certificates, one for Millie Myrtle Ailers, wife of George William Ailers, and one for Robert John Matthews 2000, husband of George William Ailers' daughter Goldie Mae Ailers Pill Matthews, to the Little Wentz Obituary Page, from Cousin Daugherty.

03/06/08, added two new photos to the Little Wentz Family Photos Page, the son of Hannah Wentz Ailers Roeder, George William Ailers, his wife Millie Myrtle St Clair Ailers, and their children Robert R. Ailers, Elmeda Ailers, John W. Ailers, Sylvia Ailers, and Goldie M. Ailers from Cousin Daugherty.

03/05/08, added death certificates for John Conrad Wentz 1961 and Rebecca Amanda Wentz Rivera 1963 to the Little Wentz Family Obituary Page from Cousin Daugherty.

03/04/08, updated Little Wentz Family Photos, and Little Family Page for Rebecca Wentz Little Rivera Family, photo of her daughter Minnie Florence Little Dye, husband Herbert Austin Dye, and Herbert Austin Dye's sister "Minnie" Miriam Frances Dye from cousin M. Hinton, who follows the line of John Sidney Dye and Mary Ann Warnock Dye of Ballena and Ramona, San Diego County, CA, their son John Drew Earl Dye and wife Georgia Blanche Row Dye, to their daughter Barbara.

03/01/08, updated Family Memories Page, for Scharlotte Mader/Morter Family, Brother Valentine Morter the Farmer, Raised a Family of Coal Miners, Bernice, Sullivan Couty, PA.

I have added a wonderful story written by Ernest Hatton Jr., a descendant following the line of Valentine Morter's seventh child, daughter (Maria)Mariah Margaret Morter Beaver, born Dec 1868, PA, died 1940, buried as b 1867, d 1940, Shepherd Hills Trinity Lutheran Chapel Cemetery, Mildred, Sullivan Co., PA, husband Theodore Beaver, resident of Bernice precinct, township of Cherry, Sullivan Co., PA where many of Valentine's family members worked for the Northern Anthracite Coal Company, noted as the Murray Mines, PA.

I asked Ernest if he would tell us what life was like, first hand, for his family in Bernice, Sullivan County, PA. Ernest Arthur Hatton Jr. has given The Little Wentz Family Site express permission to reprint his story for The Little Wentz Family Site.

Additional articles of interest: 1906 photo of Bernice, PA and history excerpt from Sullivan County Genealogy Project, Settlers IX: The Descendants of Andrew McDonald. The Andrew McDonald family is not part of our Morter line, but this story recounts historical information about Bernice and provides a photo of the town as it existed at the time Valentine Morter's family lived in the area.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates February, 2008

02/27/08, From Cousin Rogers, updated civil war service and burial location of Thomas E. Little's son, David Little, born 1835 England, buried as David J. Little, Co F, 1st Reg, RI Inf, Hope Cemetery, Worcester, MA., to the Little Family Page.

02/27/08, From Cousin Rogers, updated additional obituaries for Morter family members from Sullivan County Genealogy Project and posted them to a Morter Family section created on the Little Wentz Family Obituaries page.

02/27/08, From Cousin Rogers and Cousin Dye, added to Family Photos a photo of Gordon Drew Dye, the grandson of Rebecca Wentz Little Rivera, by daughter Minnie Florence Little Dye. Added to Family Obituaries, obituary of Gordon Drew Dye, 1925 to 2008.

02/25/08, From Cousin L. Biswell Wentz, added to Family Photos a photo from the line of John Conrad Wentz, his son, grandson, and two great grandsons.

02/05/08, From Cousin Daugherty, added to Obit page, links to death certificates of Caroline "Carrie" Wentz Hohner Stumme Cornelius, Jacob A. Wentz, and Catherine M. Wentz Buffington. Note Catherine M. Buffington, is buried as Catharine Buffington, and death certificate records her name as Catherine Buffington.

02/05/08, From Cousin L. Biswell Wentz, updated Wentz page, birth, death, and residence locations for the children of John Conrad Wentz.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates January, 2008

01/28/08, From Cousin Daugherty, added to Wentz Family page, corrected birth date and place of birth for Caroline "Carrie" Wentz Hohner Stumme Cornelius from February 9, 1859, Sullivan Co., PA to January 20, 1859, Harrisburg, PA, and added additional spelling of the surname of Maters to the Morter/Mader family surname variations, as noted on the January 30, 1938, state of Nebraska death certificate, for Carrie Cornelius, father Conrad Wentz, born Germany, and mother was Charlotte Maters, born Germany. Cousin Daugherty, also obtained the official death certificates for Jacob A. Wentz, single, no birthdate, born PA, died March 9, 1922, Hastings, Adams Co., NE, parents noted as Conrad and Lotta, with no surname indicated, both born Germany and also the official death certificate for Catherine M. Buffington, born June 5, 1862, PA, died February 4, 1959, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE. Links to photo images of the death certificates will be uploaded in the future.

01/28/08, Added to Family Photos, six new photos of the Mary Wentz Family from Cousin F. Luedtke, a photo of Mary Wentz with her daughter Leona C. Repke Luedtke Krueger, and Mary's son and wife, Louie John Bauer, a photo of Mary Wentz's grand children Ella and August Luedtke and Leona Lena Krueger, by daughter Leona C. Repke Luedtke Krueger.

01/16/08, Added to Family Obit Page, the Line of Conrad Morter and Mary Morter, brother of Michael and Margaret (Mader)Morter, the children of their daughter, Mary Morter(Mortar), wife of Jacob Messersmith. A 1946 Obituary of Mary Morter's daugher, Emma Caroline Messersmith Kisner and her husband Silas Dean Kisner, 1963 Obit, courtesy of Sullivan County Genealogy Project, Descendants of Conrad Dieffenbacher Part One, with permission to reprint.

01/10/08, 1)Added recently discovered Mader/Morter Genealogy, pulled from the Sullivan County Genealogy Project, which contained the transcribed and, translated from German to English, the marriage and baptismal records of the Peace Church and Old Zion Churches of Cherry, Sullivan County, PA. 2) Added Peace Church Cemetery, township of Cherry, Sullivan Co., PA, photo of three graves, Sharlotte Mader/Morter's mother, Margaret Mawder, alt name Margretha Mader, Sharlotte Mader/Morter's brother, Valentine Morter, and Sharlotte Mader/Morter's niece, Angeline Elizabeth Morter, daughter of Valentine Morter. 3)Added cameo photo of striking resemblance of the Morter and Wentz Cousins, taken some 29 years apart, that of Cousins Anna Mary Morter Messersmith 1849 and Hannah Elizabeth Wentz Ailers 1877, to the Wentz Family page.

01/10/08, Added Catharine M. Wentz Buffingtion 1959 obituary from Cousin Daugherty to the Obituary page.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates December, 2007

12/27/07, Added two photos of Scharlotte Mader Wentz' mother, Margretha (Margaret) Mawder - Mader, burial stone in the Peace Church Cemetery, Cherry Township, Sullivan County, PA, noted by the last name of Mawder, described as, Row, Stone, Surname, First Name, Born, Died, Also on the Stone, R4, S4, Mawder, Margaret, born unknown, died May 9, 1867, Wife of Michael Mawder, to the Wentz Family page.

12/27/07, From Cousin Daugherty, who obtained additional burial information for Catharine(Catherine) Wentz Buffington from Forest Lawn Cemetery, Omaha, NE, I have added the date of death, cause of death, next of kin, and the burial lot, section and grave no for Catharine M. Wentz Buffington to the Wentz family page.

12/22/07, Welcome, new cousin, W. Mitchell of OK, who follows the line of John Thomas Buffington, son of Hamilton J. Buffington, brother to Arthur Buffington. Cousin Mitchell has given us the interment date and burial location of Catharine Wentz Buffington, born June 1862, PA, interred Feb 9, 1959 and her husband, Arthur J. Buffington, born April 1848, IL, interred May 4, 1920. Catharine Wentz Buffingtion and Arthur Buffington are buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska, which I have added to the Wentz Family page.

The Buffington family has a very long and rich colorful history in America. Cousin Mitchell, over the next few weeks, will be preparing a Buffington family history for our site. Catharine Wentz husband, Arthur J. Buffington's family, as of the 1850 Federal Census, township of Beverly, Adams Co., IL, were noted as, father Hamilton William Buffington (Sr.), age 38, born OH, occupation farmer, mother Jane Buffington, age 37, born OH, Thomas Buffington, age 14, born IL, Jacob Buffington, age 12, born IL, Hamilton J. Buffington (Jr.), age 10, born IL, Samuel Buffington, age 8, born IL, Louis L. Buffington, age 7, born IL, Margaret Buffington, age 5, born IL, Arthur Buffington, age 4, born IL, Alfred Buffington, age 2, born IL, and Isabella, age 2/12, born IL.

12/08/07 Added new family stories, Rebecca Wentz Family, about her daughter, Ada Leon Little Moro Family, and silent film star Art Acord to the memories page.

12/04/07 Congratulations to Cousin Biswell, what an exceptional find to our Wentz family history! Added new information discovered about Scharlotte Mader's parents, records of her marriage and baptismal of son Adam Heinrich Wentz from Cousin L.(Biswell)Wentz, recently married, now husband P. and L. Wentz, follwing the line of John Conrad Wentz's son, George Washington Wentz, to the Wentz Family Page. The Mader family of Bayern, Bavaria, Germany came to America in 1836, also settling in Pennsylvania. The transcription of Old Lutheran Church Records translated from German, Peace Church and Old Zion Church, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, 1838 - 1878, records the marriage of Conrath (Conrad) Wentz with Scharlotte Mader on January 1, 1850. Further baptismal records indicates Charlotte Mader, was the daughter of Margretha (Margaret) Mader, wife of Michael Mader. A baptismal record of a son of Conrath [Conrad] Wenz and his wife Scharlotte, received the name of Adam Heinrich Wentz, born Sept 22, 1852, baptised Oct 23, 1852. The baptismal sponsors were Michael Mader and his wife Margretha (Margaret) Mader, the grandparents of the child Adam Heinrich (Henry) Wentz.

Scharlotte Mader Wentz' mother, Margretha (Margaret) Mader, appears to be buried in the Peace Cemetery, Cherry Township, PA , noted by the last name of Mawder, described as, Row, Stone, Surname, First Name, Born, Died, Also on the Stone, R4, S4, Mawder, Margaret, born unknown, died May 9, 1867, Wife of Michael Mawder. There is a peaceful photo of the Peace Cemetery and stones located at this link.

Newlyweds, married January 1, 1850, Conrad Wentz, age 30, farmer, and Charlotte Wentz, age 17, are noted with census surname of (Martin), residing within the Martin households of Michael Martin, Valentine Martin, and Conrod Martin family units, whose occupations was farming, 1850 Federal census, township of Cherry, Sullivan Co., PA, further denoted as the postal town of Dushore.

12/03/07 Added Charlotte Louise Wentz marriage and divorce information regarding first husband Henry Bretthauer and second husband Leonard(Lorenzo) Brown, added birth information regarding Lottie's children, her son Robert Wentz, her daughter Laura Wentz and a third child, a daughter Mabel Brown, that would be born from the marriage with second husband, Leonard(Lorenzo) Brown.

Son Robert Wentz, would appear in census records by his mother's maiden name and by his step-father's surname of Brown. Noted the movements of the family of son Robert Wentz Brown and wife Bernice Evelyn Ringer. The Ringer family of James J. Ringer and wife Emma Ringer, of Fairfield, Clay County, NE, were employed as general work teamsters, as well as, Robert Wentz Brown's step-father, Leonard(Lorenzo) Brown.

Noted the movements of daughter Laura A. C. Wentz and her husband Ernest R. Watts.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates November, 2007

11/23/07 Added obituary of Mary Wentz Rupeka Bauer Thurs Anderson, granddaughter, Ella Luedtke Fehlhaber, 95, Wausau, WI, died June 27, 1998. Added photo of Ella Luedtke and her brother August Luedtke to family photo page, and updated death and burial information of Ella Luedtke Fehlhaber to Wentz family page.

11/19/07 Added to family photos, photo of Caroline Wentz Hohner Stumme Cornelius's son, Dick Conrad Cornelius and added his obiturary to the obit page.

Added new information on the Wentz family page regarding Mary Wentz Rupeka Bauer Thurs Anderson daughter, Leona C. Repke Luedtke Krueger Frank, marriage 1917 - 1920 and latter divorce, relocation to NE in 1920 and return to WI by 1930. Added information about Mary Wentz grandsons, William and August Luedtke, living in NE, 1917 - 1920.

11/12/07 Added to family photos, photo of Rebecca Wentz Little and William J. Little's daughter, wedding photo of Minnie Florence Little to Herbert Austin Dye, Dec 2, 1909, from Cousin Dye.

11/05/07 Added obituaries for John Conrad Wentz and wife Cecilia Wentz from Cousin Daugherty and Cousin Troy.

11/05/07 Added to obituary page, 56th Wedding Anniversary, dinner party guests, John Conrad Wentz and Cecilia Wentz, September 13, 1954, Atchison Daily Globe, KS from Cousin Troy

Little Wentz family page, added the names of the ten children of John Conrad Wentz and Cecilia Amelia Tylee Wentz.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates October, 2007

10/27/07 Added new census data information for Rebecca Wentz Little family, The Little Children of California, Minnie, Billy, Katie Mae, Mona and Speeger(Ada) to Little Family Site from Cousin Rogers.

10/27/07 Added new cemetery photos for William James Little and Thomas E. Little from Cousins Service and Rogers to Little Family Site.

10/27/07 Added new personal memories about Rebecca Wentz Little children from decendant of youngest Little daughter, Ada Leon Little from Cousin Service to the Little Family Site.

10/27/07 Added photograph of Julis Antonio Rivera performing on stage in full Native American dress from Cousin Service to the Little Family Site.

10/27/07 Added information about silent film actor Art Acord and a possible relationship with Rebecca Wentz Little daughter Ada Leon and added information and picture about Julius Antonio Rivera and his connection with President Calvin Coolidge and the signing of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 from Cousin Rogers to the Little Family Site.

10/27/07 Corrected incorrect printed obituaries for Mildred and Byron Anderson from Cousin Schmidt "at the time of death of Mildred Anderson and Byron Anderson, of the 6 grandchildren mentioned in the obituary, 4 granddaughters and 2 grandsons, there were also 7 surviving great grandchildren, 3 grt granddaughters and 4 grt grandsons.

10/12/07 Added obituaries for Caroline Wentz and Jacob Wentz from Cousin Daugherty.

10/06/07 Added new information to the Wentz family page. The 1850 Federal census indicated Conrad and Charlotte were living with the Michael Martin family in Cherry, Sullivan County, PA as farmers. Conrad was 30 and Charlotte was 17.

10/06/07 Added new information on the Wentz family page discussing Conrad Wentz' birthplace of Rhineland-Pfalz, the Palatine migration across Europe and those whom settled in Schuylkill County, PA. Conrad Wentz died in 1882 as a Presbyterian and his wife Charlotte died in 1902 as a Methodist. No records have been found to date to indicate either Conrad or Charlotte were Palatine Huguenots or Mennonites.

Discussion about Palatine migration and the Wentz family surname may be found here.

10/06/07 Added new information about the birthplace of first daughter Mary Wentz, noted as Schuylkill, PA and not Sullivan County, PA by the death certificate for Mary Wentz Anderson provided by cousin Daugherty. Adam Henry Wentz, first born son about 1853, may have also been born in this county as well, however, his birth and death records have yet to be found.

Little Wentz Family Site, Updates September, 2007

09/19/07 Added obituaries David Bollinger, Irene Mae Zeitz White and Wellington White, husband of Irene M. Zeitz.
Added death certificate images David Bollinger, Laura Casteel, and Irene Mae Zeitz White.

09/18/07 Added death certificate images to obituary page for Hannah Wentz Ailers Roeder, Caroline Carrie Ailers Bliss Anderson, Lena Mary Ailers Anderson, George William Ailers, Goldie Mae Ailers Matthews, Margaret Ann Ailers Zeitz St. Clair, Fred O. St. Clair.