Gantz-Weis History

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A's Maternal Family:

Nona Jones's Gantz research information begins around the year 1770 with Michael Gantz.

Great grandfather Mathias Gantz was born in Durrenentzen, Alsace Lorraine, France. The eventual father of 12, Mathias graduated from college in Bern, Switzerland; had 20 acres of vineyard; made wine and vinegar; had a job with the city government; and had served 18 months in Napoleon III's army during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, described in Emile Zola's The Debacle.

Great grandfather was born in Durrenentzen, Alsace Lorraine, France, served 18 months in Napoleon III's army during the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. He came to the United States in 1883 to have a better life for his family. The Jones data base contains all of the information found on this side of the family. Nona asks that any family members searching this data base please inform her of any corrections or updates needed.

A's mother, Ruth, was the daughter of Frederick William Gantz, the twelfth child of Mathias and Marguerite Gantz, born May 10, 1883, ten days after arriving in America from Germany. On May 7, 1924, Will married Ella Wolf of Shattuck, a recent immigrant to the United States from Germany. In this union, he not only secured a wife and mother for his children, but he acquired another daughter, Marianna, Ella's five year old daughter. And later, born to this union were three daughters, Ruth, Esther, and Genevieve making a family of eight children.

WILL GANTZ FAMILY'S REMEMBRANCES, first published in Durham's Roots, a book by Karen Manhart Harmon

Gantz Family Genealogy Surname List including dates of birth, death, and marriage
Mathias Gantz (b 19 April 1837, Durrenentzen, Alsace Lorraine, France) and Margaurette Burger Gantz (b 25 May 1881, Bramouth, Germany), photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Three of four daughters born in Sundhausen, Alsace Lorraine to Mathias Gantz and his second wife, Catherine Gutzler. Marie (b 20 November 1869), Sophia (b 27 March 1872) & Emma (b 18 July 1874) Gantz. Photo and partial identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Emma Gantz Schafer, Will Gantz's half-sister. Visit Nona Jones's gallery to see unretouched image. Emma's mother was Catherine Gutzler, but she was raised by Margaurette. Photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones.
Earl & Margeurite Schafer, children of Emma Gantz Schafer, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones.
S.S. France, the transportation to America for the Mathias Gantz Family , photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Will, George, Fred Gottleib, Mathias, and Margaurette Burger Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Headstones in Baldwin, Kansas for Gottlieb Gantz and Mathias Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Headstone Marguerite Gantz, Fairview Cemetery, Roger Mills Co., Durham, OK. Name on headstone is incorrect as "Margaret". Photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones. Note the backward "N"s!
Some of Mathias Gantz's sons: Daniel (b 10 October 1876, Sundhausen, to Catherine Gutzler-Gantz), George (b 6 August 1879, Sundhausen, to Margaurette Burger-Gantz), Will (b 10 May 1883, Willow Springs, Kansas, to Margaurette Burger-Gantz), and Johann Gottfried [Fred] (b 25 May 1881, Sundhausen, to Margaurette Burger-Gantz) Gantz. Photo and partial identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Will Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Will Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Wedding photo of Will & Ethel Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Ella Wolf Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Front of postcard courtesy of Herman Chastain.Ella Wolf and daughter, Marianna Wolf-Chastain, came to America in 1921 to the port of Houston on the ship S.S. Zeelandia which sank on its return voyage.
Back of postcard courtesy of Herman Chastain.Ella Wolf and daughter, Marianna Wolf-Chastain, came to America in 1921 to the port of Houston on the ship S.S. Zeelandia which sank on its return voyage.
Marianna, Durward, Will, Alma, Ella holding Ruth, Ula and George Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
George, Esther, Marianna, Ruth & Will Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Esther & Marianna Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Ray, Jake, Esther & Genevieve Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Walter, Erma, Marianna and Ima Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones.
Ella Wolf Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Genevieve & Georgene Gantz, & Anna Potlin, photo, identification, and patience courtesy of Nona Jones.
"I loved the story about Grandma Gantz trying to cook the popcorn. I can just see her screaming and jumping around. She was always very excitable under ordinary circumstances.
Don't you wish you could just open her refrigorator and get a drink of water from that flat ceramic pitcher she had, or eat a piece of bread with that THICK cream on it with a little salt? Oh, I can almost smell her Kooha(spelling). My favorite was the cheese or the peach topping.
Don't we all miss both Grandparents?
Georgene Gantz-Norris."
Ruth Gantz Weis, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Esther Pauline Gantz and Fredrick William (Will) Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Ruth Weis, Esther King, Genevieve & Robert Ehrlich, Ella & Will Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Will & Ella Gantz 25th anniversary, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Will & Ella Gantz 40th anniversary, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Genevieve & Will Gantz. Last wheat crop, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Will Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Nona & Patricia Hensley, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Nona & Quinlin Hensley, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Quinlin, Dale, Addie, Vondell & Ronald Hensley, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Alma & Willie Kerbs, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Esther, Jimmie, Patricia, and Paul King, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Harold, Marianna & Herman Chastain, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Ima, Marguerite & Erma Gantz, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Headstone Ethel Higgins Gantz, Fairview Cemetery, Roger Mills Co., Durham, OK photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones. Note the backward "N"s!

A's Paternal Family:

Meier family from Ukraine. "The man is George Meier, Grandma Bender's father. Grandma Bender (Emelia) is in the upper right. Her brother, [Karl] is in the upper left. The woman is Grandma Bender's stepmother. The two children at the bottom are Grandma Bender and her brother's half-siblings. [Ed held; Mollie leaning.] I will send this picture to Daddy and Mamma and they will identify all those who are in the picture." -- Vialo Weis, Jr.
Ruth & Vialo Weis's Wedding, photo and identification courtesy of Nona Jones
Back row left to right: Viddian, Harry, Vialo, and Vernon Weis. Front row left to right: Deniese Bender-Werner (step-sister), Viola Weis-Stevens, Virginia Weis-Renner. Family reunion in Oklahoma City, OK, 1993.

A's Siblings and Their Families:

Alan, Chrissie (Cummings-), Kilory, Harry, Ruth (Gantz-), Vialo, Nikki, Ella (Johnston-), & Vialo (Jr) Weis & Carl Johnston
Vialo, Ruth Gantz-, Susen, Vialo Jr, & David Weis, Blue Mountain Academy, Hamburg, PA, June 1, 1997. Susen graduated with honors; won the Caring Heart Service award for donating her time every Sunday as an EMT for Hamburg EMS; and earned her private pilot's license.
Armen Weis, Laguna Niguel, California, 1997.
"We purchased the 1955 2 door Chevy in Nov of 96. In that year, they made a 150, a 210 and a Belair. The 150 is the rarest of the three models. Dad bought it for himself too as 1955 was the year I was born and I happen to think the 1955 car is the nicest of the 55,56 and 57 year models. It has been an expensive project car that has no real end in sight as for as some more restoration goes. It is quite nice and is currently in the garage awaiting a new 350 high performance motor to be shipped in from Ohio next week as the previous 406 prematurely wore out. As it turns out it is primarily Armen's transportation and Dad won't make this decision twice as this is very, very expensive to try to duplicate for 4 kids."
Christina, Emma, Eric, Armen, Alina, Harry & Vialo Weis, Laguna Niguel, California, 1997

Noakes-Morrison-Cummings history

Weis-Cummings history-in-the-making

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