JACOB FREISS

Philipp Jacob Freiss was born 20 Feb 1810 in the small 
town of Krastel in the Hunsrück region of the Rhineland. 
His parents were Franz Adam Freiss and Anna Margaretha 
Printz. Jacob was the youngest of nine children, six of 
whom died in infancy. His parents both had died by the 
time Jacob was four years old. Also surviving was a 
sister, Catharina Margaretha, age 14, and a brother, 
Philipp Nicolaus, age 7.  It’s not known who raised the 
children.1

In Kastellaun on 30 Dec 1837 Jacob married2 Maria 
Margaretha Schneider (born 08 Mar 18083 in Hasselbach 
to Johann Nicolaus Schneider and Maria Catharina Leonhard 
[Lenhardt]). They resided in Hasselbach, where he farmed 
and learned to weave, and where Anna Catharina was born 
24 Jan 18394 and Maria Margaretha was born 04 Mar 18405.

The family relocated to Silesia about 1841, where son 
Friedrich was born 12 Nov 18426. They emigrated in 18537, 
arriving in New York in May, apparently going directly to 
Manitowoc County and settling in Centerville.  

Shortly before emigrating they posed for a family portrait 
in Staucha8, Silesia. 

     


             Philipp Jacob Freiss family (ca. 1852)
    l.to r. standing – Friedrich, Anna Catharina, Maria Margaretha
        seated – Maria Margaretha (nee Schneider), Philipp Jacob

They farmed in Centerville. Wife Maria Margaretha died in 
the spring of 1870 and was probably buried in a Centerville 
cemetery, though there is no known formal record of her 
death in the county records nor a pertinent entry or marker 
from any of the cemeteries. That same year Jacob and his 
son Friedrich moved to Gibson and bought farms. He wove the 
rug for the altar of St. John Lutheran Church in Gibson in 
1882. On 22 Oct 1883 he was in the field cutting red clover 
for seed when he had a stroke, went home to bed, and half 
hour later was found dead9. 
He is buried in St. Johns Cemetery, Gibson10.

     

             Jacob & Maria Margaret Freiss, ca. 1869

Daughter Catherine married in Two Rivers in 185611 to 
Joseph Edward Schwab, who had emigrated from Polnischwette, 
Silesia, in May, 185412, and they lived in Two Rivers 
where Joseph operated a retail store. They had one child, 
Mary13. They also raised their nephew, Joseph E. 
(Staeffler) Schwab (see below). 
The elder Joseph died in Two Rivers, 27 Nov. 188614; 
Catherine died 08 Oct. 191215 while visiting relatives 
in St. Paul, Minn. Both are buried in Pioneer Rest Cem., 
Two Rivers16.

Daughter Maria Margaretha married in Two Rivers on 18 Oct 
185617 to Friedrich Staeffler18, (the son of Johann 
Christian Staeffler and Maria Catharina Christ) who in 1851 
had emigrated from Kastellaun in the Hunsrück19. The 
couple had five children before Maria Margaretha perished 
in a fire in March 186620. Her youngest child, 4-month 
old Joseph Edward, was given to her sister Catherine to 
raise, he assuming the Schwab surname. Maria is buried in 
Schwartzwald Church Cemetery in Sheboygan Co. Friedrich 
Staeffler remarried in Sheboygan Co., 17 July 186621, to 
Louisa Prueter (daughter of Carl Heinrich Daniel Prueter) 
who had emigrated from Neu Bucko, Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 
They had ten children, eight of whom reached maturity and 
married. Fred Staeffler died 13 August 1914 in Herman Twp., 
Sheboygan Co., and is buried in Rockville Cem., Kiel, 
Manitowoc Co. Louisa died 04 Apr. 1932 in Kiel and is buried 
alongside her husband22.

Son Friedrich Freiss married in Eagle River, Keweenaw Co., MI, 
on 31 Dec 1864, to Maria Ernestine Jaehnig (daughter of John 
Jaehnig and Johanna Frank) who had emigrated with her parents 
about 185623 from Saxony to Manitowoc County. Friedrich and 
Ernestine settled in Centerville, but in 1870 acquired farmland 
in Gibson. They had thirteen children, twelve of whom reached 
maturity and married. In the winter of 1881-81, while Fred was 
cutting wood, a splinter flew into one eye. Despite visiting 
doctors in Milwaukee, by March 1881 he was permanently blind 
in that eye24. The Manitowoc Pilot of 05 July 1888 announced 
that he had sold his farm and “will remove to Dakota”. He, 
Ernestine, and eight of the children went by wagon to Britton, 
Marshall County, Dakota Territory25. There he farmed very 
successfully until death claimed him 09 Sep. 1907; Ernestine 
followed him in death 31 Aug. 190826.

     

        Friedrich and Ernestine Freiss, ca. 1900

The three Jacob Freiss children produced 19 grandchildren; 
they in turn produced 77 direct great-grandchildren. Some 
descendants dropped the terminal “S” (Freis), including a 
large contingent around Kiel. Also, some public records 
inverted the “ei” to “ie”, but the traditional Hunsrück 
spelling as “Freiss” largely survives.

Some of Jacob’s “in-laws” followed him from the Hunsrück to 
Manitowoc County:
A nephew, Adam Freiss, together with wife Maria Catherine Bauer, 
came in 185827 and settled near Two Rivers; after her death 
and Adam’s remarriage, he moved to Centerville and is buried in 
the Saxon Cemetery there (Freis)28.

Adam’s sister, Maria Catherina Freiss, with her husband Franz 
Lenhardt and three children, came to Mishicot about 186829.

A grandson of Jacob’s brother, Friedrich Freiss, arrived in 
Sep. 188130  He settled in Mishicot and in 1883 married his 
cousin Catherine Maria Lenhardt, Franz’s daughter31.
   
Harold E. Bergman
Pompano Beach, FL
July 2010

==============================================================

1  All vital references in this paragraph from Bell 
   (Kr. Simmern) Evangelical Church, FHL films #049282 and 
   #0492983.
2  Stadtverwaltung, Kastellaun, Kr. Simmern
3  Bell (Kr. Simmern) Evangelical Church, FHL film #0492983.
4  Stadverwaltung Kastellaun, Kr. Simmern.
5  Ibid
6  Mueller, Theodore L. (1918-1998), Lena, WI, unpublished 
   notes, "Freiss Family".  Also - 1900 United States Census, 
   South Dakota, Marshall  County, Pleasant Valley Township, 
   ED 236, Page 2A.  
7  Citizenship Petition, 06 Oct 1856.
8  Photographer’s location on back of picture.
9  Mueller, Theodore, Op. Cit.
10 2manitowoc.com, cemetery transcriptions.
11 Bergman, Irene Schwab, notes, birthday book, address book.
12 Birth town per manifest of Brig Rio Plata arriving New 
   York City from Bremen 20 May 1854.
13 Nov. 1857; 1900 U. S. Census.
14 Obituary. 02 Dec 1886, Lake Shore Times, Manitowoc Co., WI
15 Bergman, Op. Cit.
16 2manitowoc.com, cemetery transcriptions.
17 Manitowoc County, WI, Marriages, Book 1, page 139.
18 Kastellaun, Kr. Simmern, Standesamt, 1829, Nr. 14.
19 1910 U. S. Census.
20 Tombstone, Schwartzwald Cemetery, Sheboygan Co, WI
21 Obituary, Tri-County Record, Kiel, 07 Apr 1932, p. 1. 
22 Ibid
23 Mueller, Op. Cit.
24 Manitowoc Tribune, entries 01 Feb 1877, 21 Feb 1882, and 
   07 Mar 1882.
25 Ancestry World Tree Project:Marshall County SD Data.
26 Both deaths in South Dakota Death Index, 1905-1955.
27 1900 U. S. Census
28 2manitowoc.com, cemetery transcriptions.
29 Obituary of Maria Katherine Lenhart, Two Rivers Chronicle, 
   18 Aug 1908.
30 Manifest of ship Braunschweig, arriving Baltimore 
   31 Aug 1881.
31 Nord Westen, 14 Jun 1883.