History

 


Jean Christian Iuen is my great, great, great grandfather. Christian, as he was known, was born October 26, 1785 in the Tyrolean region of Austria to Joseph and Barbe (Berthold) Iuen.

Sometime in his youth, Christian moved to Belfort, France. It is not known if he moved with his parents. When he was thirty-two he married Marguerite Natherer, the daughter of Francois and Marie Natherer of Belfort.

Christian and Marguerite Iuen had eight children, three boys and five girls, all born in their home at #5 Fauborg du Magasin in Belfort, Alsace, France. Four of the girls died before the age of two and Marguerite died at the early age of forty-four. Marie Ursele (Ursala) Iuen was their only surviving daughter.

Ursala was just ten years old when her father Christian set sail for America with his second wife Catherine and her three brothers, Francis, Joseph and Jean Baptiste. They arrived in New York on May 23, 1838 on the bark DIDO.

The Iuens traveled with another family from Belfort - Henry and Francoise Rosselot and their six children, arriving in New York on May 23, 1838 on the bark DIDO. The Iuens and Rosselots traveled to the Erie canal, via Albany and Buffalo, and down the Ohio River arriving in Cincinnati on June 15, 1838. Christian purchased a 142-acre farm in Owensville from Conrad Harsh. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in June 1844 and, with his sons Francis, Joseph and Jean Baptiste, devoted his time to farming.

Ursala's brother Francis Xavier was the oldest child of Christian and Marguerite. Francis married Ruth Bamber and in 1857 he bought a store and started a hotel. The hotel was destroyed in Morgan's Raid during the Civil War. Francis and Ruth had six children, four boys and two girls. The eldest son and daughter died in childhood. One son is said to have gone to California and lost contact with the family. The other two sons became doctors and settled in Kansas City, Missouri. Ruth died of cancer in 1872.

Ursal's brother Joseph Iuen married Theresa Rosselot whom the Iuens had traveled with from Belfort. Joseph was a farmer with real estate valued at $5,000 and personal property at $600. Joseph and Theresa had four children. Theresa died June 1, 1867 and Joseph remarried Carolyn Schneider Fruh. Carolyn had five children from her marriage to Henry Fruh who was born in Switzerland. Joseph and Carolyn moved to Terrace Park where Carolyn owned a tavern and Joseph raised the four surviving Fruh children with his own.

Ursala's brother Jean Baptiste was the youngest son of Christian and Marguerite. John B., as he was known, married Elizabeth Bamber, the niece of his brother's wife Ruth Bamber. Elizabeth died at the early age of 27 shortly after the birth of her fourth daughter and John B. remarried Elizabeth Nowland. John B. owned a mill with his older brother Joseph and founded the Valley Enterprise newspaper and the Milford National Bank. He served as president of the bank for 20 years, always refusing any salary or compensation.

In partnership with John Pattison, a friend and former Governor of Ohio, John planned a subdivision along the Little Miami River near Oxford and Miami Avenues in Terrace Park, Ohio. The lots were 50 ft. x 190 ft. with a six-room house that cost about $2,000. The interest rate was six percent. The plan was later vacated to become the Terrace Park Country Club with club house, nine-hole golf course, and tennis courts.

Ursala married John Peter Fetter who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany in 1824, the son of Christopher and Agnes Fetter. Ursala and John Fetter settled in Owensville, Ohio and had seven children. Their oldest son, John Christian, was born in August 1849. John Christian had a grocery and hardware store where he also sold farm implements. His century-old store still stands. In 1983 the store was carefully dismantled and moved to a restored 19th century village in Sharonville, Ohio.

Their second son, Joseph, was born on April 25, 1851. On May 2, 1875 he married Elmira Jane "Jennie" Ferree, daughter of Richard Feree and Nancy Snider. Jennie's mother was the daughter of David Snider and Sarah Wilson. However, little is known about Jennie's father, Richard Feree, except that he was captured by the Confederates in the Civil War during the battle of Chickamauga Creek. Richard Feree was imprisoned on September 19, 1863 at the dread Andersonville Prison in Georgia where he died, probably of starvation.

Joseph and Jennie Fetter lived in Owensville, Ohio and had eight children. Clara Edith Fetter was their 7^th child, born January 27, 1892. Edith Fetter married Geroge Jacob Brown, a decendent of Peter and Elizabeth Craver, on June 3, 1915 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Edith Fetter and George Brown are my grandparents.

In 1839 John Peter Craver and Sible Elisabeth (Zumbro) Craver set sail for America from the village of Tsisch, Kingdom of Prussia. Their voyage from Havre took sixty days as they encountered many storms. It was the spring of 1840 before Peter and Elisabeth arrived in Baltimore.

Peter and Elizabeth Craver had seven children and settled in Milford, Ohio. Their oldest son, Jacob Craver, married Margaret Schmidt. Jacob and Margaret Craver had ten children. Their daughter, Rose, was born in 1869 and married Joseph Brown the son of Phillip Braun and Annamarie Seifert.

Phillip Braun died when he was only thirty-four. However, his son Joseph became a sucessful banker and changed the family name from Braun to Brown to match it's American pronunciation. Joseph Brown married Rose Craver. Their oldest son, George Brown, married Edith Fetter, daughter of Joseph and Jennie (Feree) Fetter in Owensville, Ohio.

George Brown and Edith Fetter are my beloved grandparents. They had four children, two sons, Joseph and Donald, and two daughters, Margaret and Rita. Their oldest child, George Joseph, died very young. Their youngest child, Donald Robert, survived World War II after being critically wounded during the Battle of the Bulge.

Their youngest daughter, Rita, married Robert Brandner and their oldest daughter, Margaret, born April 2, 1920, married Richard Tyrrell, the adopted son of Charles Tyrrell and Julia Mitchell. Margaret "Peggy" and Richard Tyrrell are my parents. My father survived cancer in his thirties and lived into his sixties. My beautiful mom, Peggy, departed this life Dec. 15, 1995. Rest in peace, Mom.

Margaret Ellen (Peggy) Brown was born April 2, 1920. Peggy married Richard Tyrrell, the adopted son of Charles Tyrrell and Julia Mitchell.



Richard Tyrrell and Peggy (Brown) Tyrrell are my parents. Dick and Peggy Tyrrell had three children, Charles Richard born September 17, 1940, Donna Sue born September 8, 1941 and James Mitchel born September 13, 1942. My father, Richard Tyrrell, survived cancer in his thirties and lived into his sixties. My beautiful mom, Peggy, departed this life Dec. 15, 1995. Rest in peace, Mom.

I married Arlene Ann Hart, born February 15, 1942, daughter of Arile George Hart. We were married on November 30, 1963 in Massena, New York and had two sons, Robert James and Joseph Michael. Robert was born November 10, 1964 in Plattsburgh, New York and Joseph was born February 4, 1966 in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Robert Tyrrell married Mary, born February 14, 1960. Robert and Mary have three children, Cheylynne Tyrrell, born February 11, 1966, William Tyrrell born July 1, 2000 and Robert Jr. born March 25, 2002. Joseph Tyrrell married Patricia Meshon, daughter of Louis and Patricia Meshon of Radnor, Pennsylvania on October 9, 1999. Joseph and Patricia live in Wayne, PA. They have no children.

NOTE: See my entire family history at The Christian Iuen Family History

  Ever wonder why our great, grandparents and grandparents were so smart without going to high school? It was called "education."

Try your skill and remember, this is an 8th grade test.

Hints:
Arithmetic: 1 bushel of wheat is 1 cubic foot and weighs 60 lbs. A rod is 198 inches.
Geography: The answwer to #1 and #2 are probably not CO2 and Climate Change respectively





  Moses Mendelssohn was the grandfather of the well-known German composer. Along with a rather short stature, he had a dreadful hunchback and was far from being handsome.

One day Moses visited a merchant in Hamburg who had a lovely daughter named Fromet. He fell hopelessly in love with her but Fromet was repulsed by his misshapen appearance. When it came time for him to leave, Moses gathered his courage and climbed the stairs to her room to take one last opportunity to speak with her. She was a vision of heavenly beauty, but caused him deep sadness by her refusal to look at him.

After several attempts at conversation, Moses shyly asked, "Do you believe marriages are made in heaven?" "Yes," she answered, still looking at the floor. "And do you?"

"Yes, I do," he replied. "You see, in heaven at the birth of each boy, the Lord announces which girl he will marry. When I was born, my future bride was pointed out to me and the Lord said, 'but your wife will be a hunchback.'"

"Right then and there I called out, 'Oh Lord, a hunchback woman would be a tragedy. Please Lord, give me the hump and let her be beautiful.'"

Then Fromet looked up into his eyes and was stirred by some deep memory. She reached out and gave Mendelssohn her hand and later became his devoted wife.