USA > New York > Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume II > Part 92
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VON BEHREN The Von Behren family of Glenville, Schenec- tady county, New York. descends from Christian Von Behren, who
lived and died in the kingdom of Westphalia, Germany, where his family had' been seated' for many generations. Christian Von Beh- ren was a farmer in Westphalia, served his. term in the German army, and died at the age of sixty-five years. He married Mary Pepper, a daughter of one of the old families of the kingdom. She died in her native land at the age of eighty-five years. Christian and' his wife were both members of the Lutheran church. Children: 1. Christian, born and died in Westphalia; served in the German army, in the cavalry, and during his term of service. was stricken with almost complete blindness from which he never recovered; he married' Elizabeth Fink and had sons, some of whom came to the United States and settled there. 2. Mary, lived and died in her native land; married Christian Vesa, who also died in Westphalia, leaving a family. 3. Frederick, died in Westphalia ; married Mary Fabre and left issue. 4. Henry, lived on the old home- stead which he cultivated; married Mary Venderer and left issue. 5. Louis, came to· the United States when young; returned to. his native land to obtain title to property be- queathed him ; this was not alone refused him but the German government compelled him to enter the army, as he had not served his re- quired years before coming to the United' States ; while in the service he contracted a fever from which he died at the age of twen- ty-three years. 6. Corte, see forward.
(II) Corte, youngest child of Christian and Mary (Pepper) Von Behren, was born in a small village in Westphalia, Germany, April 9, 1829. He was educated in the church and state schools, and at the age of eighteen years came to the United States. He sailed from Bremen on the ship "Rhine," and landed in New York thirty-eight days later. He joined others of his countrymen in Schenectady county, New York, where he learned the trade of broom making. After a few years spent in this way at Schenectady, having always received good wages and been careful of his earnings, he was possessed of sufficient capi- tal to make the trip to California. He was bent on both business and pleasure. He jour- neyed by way of Panama, and finding a suit- able opening in California remained there seven years in successful business. He then returned to New York state and purchased a farm in the town of Glenville, Schenectady county. In 1862 he returned to Germany, where he married Mary Meyer, whom he had known in his youth. She was born in the same village, daughter of Christian Meyer, a well-to-do resident. He returned at once to. the United States after his marriage, settled!
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on the Glenville farm, where they have since resided. Mr. Von Behren is an energetic, ·capable man, of business ability, and has prospered. He and his wife are members of the German Methodist church, and he is .a Republican on party principle. Children : I. Henry, a farmer of Glenville ; married Ag- nes Cregiel and has a daughter, Muriel. 2. Emma, married Henry Yarling ; children : El- sie, Albert, Sarah and Francis. 3. Louis, a farmer of Glenville; married Nellie Stocker. 4. Harriet, unmarried. 5. Frederick, unmar- ried; resides at home and is his father's as- sistant in farming. 6. Mary, a trained nurse. 7. Louise, died. married, aged twenty-eight years. 8. Elizabeth, died, aged six years.
KLAPP The Germans of Albany and Al- bany county have contributed in no small degree to the develop- ment and prosperity of city and county in whatever section they have settled. They form an important element of this particular section and have risen from small beginnings to conditions of comfort and ease. The Klapp family of Albany was founded by Matthias Klapp, born at Rhinefalz, Byron, Germany, February 21, 1828. He sprang from a race of strong, hard, athletic people, agricultural in vocation, many of them serving with cred- it in the German army. Matthias Klapp was a skilled gardener and tiller of the soil. In 1854 he married and with his bride sailed from Hamburg for the United States. Their vessel, the "Sarasetta," was an old and unsea- worthy craft, then on her last voyage. The weather was of the most stormy and tempes- tuous variety, but though hard beset the old craft safely weathered the trip, reaching New York City in safety after a voyage of forty days. On her return trip, however, the stor- my Atlantic claimed her and she sank in mid-ocean. Matthias Klapp and his wife ar- rived in Albany, April 21, 1854, and began a life of successful endeavor. They obtained employment with a farmer in Rensselaer Isl- and, near Albany, where they remained thir- teen years. They were careful and economical and purchased a farm in the town of Bethle- hem, on Whitehall road. Matthias was a phe- nomenally successful farmer, and at the age of sixty-two was able to retire from active labor with a competence. He had morover started his sons in life with a farm of their own. His lifework was now completed, and with his faithful wife and partner he pur- chased a home in Albany, where their latter years were quietly and comfortably passed in ease. Matthias Klapp died September 26, 1895, aged sixty-six years and eight
months. His wife, Barbara (Anding ) Klapp, born in Rhinefalz, Germany, about 1839, survived him until October 29, 1901. She was a most capable wife and motli- er and was a great help to her hus- band in his undertakings. They were the par- ents of eleven children, the first three- George, Charles, and Barbara, dying young. 4. John P., born October 28, 1854; a pros- perous farmer of Bethlehem; he has the homestead farm to which he has added adjoining acres; married (first) Cather- ine Bender, who bore him Annie E., John P. and Ida C., the latter de- ceased ; he married (second) Lizetta (Mar- ket) Raffold, who bore him George, Clara A., and William. 5. Annie Elizabeth, see for- ward. 6. Nicholas, born March 1, 1861 : a prosperous farmer of Bethlehem; married Mrs. Barbara (Siegler) Noll ; children: Bar- bara, John, Anna, Emma, Carl, Henry and Laura. 7. Matthias (2), born April 22, 1865; a successful farmer of Bethlehem; married (first) Rose Seigler, who died leaving Mat- thias (3), Annie E., and Fred J .; married (second) Annie E. Klapp, a kinswoman, and has a son Louis. 8. Julia, born December 29, 1867; married Frederick Hurter and re- sides in Albany; children: Anna E., and Frederick, twins, Louise, Barbara, Henrietta S., Julia, Carl, George, Lizetta, George and Frederick, deceased. 9. Anna M., born March II, 1870; married Otto Friebel, a farmer of Hurstville, New York; children: Bertha A., Julia A., Anna B. and George Friebel. 10. Louise, born October 28, 1873; married Charles Heyer, a brewer of Albany. 11. Bar- bara, born December 26. 1875 ; married Fred- erick Baldes, of Albany; children: Barbara M., Annie E., Julia and Frederick J. Baldes. (II) Annie Elizabeth, daughter of Matthias and Barbara (Anding) Klapp, was born Au- gust 6, 1858. She remained at home until arriving at youthful womanhood. She devel- oped the large physique of her ancestors and with it energy and business ability. The patrimony left her by her father she has added to by her own efforts and has accumulated a substantial property, maintaining a home in Albany, where she resides. With her is the only daughter born of her marriage, Annie Elizabeth, born March 21, 1885 ; edu- cated in the public schools of Albany ; mar- ried Charles H. Zeilfeld, born in Frankfort, Germany, January 28, 1880, son of Henry C. and Philipine (Weil) Zeilfeld, who came to the United States in 1882, and are resi- dents of Albany. Charles H. and Annie E. Zeilfeld have a daughter, Elizabeth H., born August 6, 1897.
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RUHL Among the highly respected sons of the Fatherland who, without capital, but with stout hearts and willing hands, settled in Albany, and have won their way to retired lives of comfort and ease, is George Ruhl. He was born in the province of Hesse-Darmstadt, village of Lau- bach, Germany, February 12, 1730, member of a substantial German family. He learned the trade of a shoemaker and on completing his years of apprenticeship, at the age of seventeen, sailed alone for the United States, a poor boy in worldly goods but possessed of great wealth of energy and ambition. After a voyage of four weeks he landed in New York City and later was working at his trade in Albany. He continued until his health failed and he was obliged to seek out-of-doors employment. He had been careful of his earnings and had amassed a sufficient sum to purchase a farm. He made a specialty of dairy farming, and as old age came creeping on he was prepared for it with competency. He retired to Albany, where he is spending his latter years in comfort at his comfortable home on Clinton street, a happy, contented old gentleman, well known and respected. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and a Republican in politics. In their latter years he had his parents come from Germany to Albany where they spent their re- maining days, dying at the ages of seventy- seven and eighty years.
George Ruhl married, in Albany, Eliza- beth Damm, born in the same German town and province as her husband, daughter of Valentine Damm, who came to the United States with her parents when quite young. She died April 19, 1891, aged fifty-six years, in the communion of the Evangelical Luther- an church. He married (second) Mrs. Anna Banzhof, born in Germany. Children, all by first marriage: I. Elizabeth, born November, 1855; married John Alex, who survives her with children: Elizabeth and George Alex; an infant son John, died in infancy. 2. George see forward.
(III) George (2), son of George (1) and Elizabeth (Damm) Ruhl, was born in Albany, New York, December 23, 1865. He was edu- cated in the public schools, and on arriving at manhood learned the blacksmith's trade. For fifteen years he was employed at his trade in the shops of the New York Central Rail- road Company. With the careful forethought of the thrifty man he had accumulated capi- tal, and leaving the railroad company he pur- chased a laundry, which he operated so suc- cessfully that after twelve years he retired from business, built a home on Second ave-
nue, Albany, where he is now living. He is a man of liberal heart and enjoys doing good in a quiet way. He is a voter of the Repub- lican party, and a member of the Lutheran church. He married, in Albany, April 6, 1896, Frieda Zutaverm, born in Rehien-Baden, Germany, July 1, 1868, daughter of Karl and Margaret (Brunnert) Zutaverm, of Baden. Karl Zutaverm died in the prime of life. In 1882 his widow Margaret, with her two daughters, sailed from Antwerp for the Uni- ted States, arrived in New York City after a slow passage, continued to Albany, where she lives at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fri- eda Ruhl. Lena Zutaverm, sister of Mrs. Fri- eda Ruhl, was born May 23, 1880; also resides with Mrs. Ruhl; unmarried. Mrs. George Ruhl has in her home some relics of the past that are highly prized ; among others is a pair of stockings of purest white, knit by her grandmother in 1823, and worn at her wed- ding ; also her wedding ring. Mr. and Mrs. Ruhl have no children.
Transplanted from Hesse-Cas- REISSIG sel, Germany, to Albany, New York, the Reissig family have flourished and prospered in the western world, as for centuries their ancestors did in the eastern. The family seat was Steinbach, Halenburg, Hesse-Cassel, Germany, where they were leaders in the activities of the place. They formed with their connections a large portion of the population, and it is still the home of many of the name. One of the family went to Russia, where he gained tlie favor of the Czar and became a government official of prominence. Another nephew of the Russian official and brother of Christian Reissig was an officer in the Russian army and fought in the Russo-Japanese war. Chris- tian Reissig was a son of Frederick Reissig, a manufacturer of horseshoe nails in the days prior to machine-made nails. This seems to have been one of the family industries,. others of the name having been engaged therein. Frederick had four sons and two daughters. Two of the sons preceded Christian to the United States; one settled in Pennsylvania where he died; another settled in Springfield, Ohio, where he married and founded a fam- ily; a third son was the Russian officer re- ferred to and the Russian official was Fred- erick's brother.
(II) Christian, son of Frederick Reissig, was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, October 29, 1835, died in Albany, New York. Septem- ber 1, 1897. He was a machinist and learned the family trade of horseshoe nail making, in which his father was engaged. He was
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successful in business and accumulated a suf- ficient fortune to bring him to the United States in 1884, with his wife and family, set- tling in Albany, New York, where he pur- chased a comfortable home and lived a retired life. During his thirteen years of residence in Albany he acted with the Republican party, after becoming a citizen. He was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. He married, in Germany, Eliza Susan Uspeck, born February 4, 1842, a native of the same town and principality in Germany as her hus- band, whom she survives, (1910) a resident of Albany. Her father was a gunsmith and died in Germany at the age of thirty-one years. She had an uncle who fought in the Napoleonic wars and lived to the great age of one hundred and seven years. Children, all born in Steinbach, Halenburg, Hesse-Cas- sel, Germany: I. Minnie, born December 9, 1866; married Charles Scheneck, a builder, of Syracuse, New York; daughter Minnie. 2. Ernest, born 1868; a blacksmith engaged with the Van Heusen Manufacturing Company of Albany; married Annie Worker; children : Louis, Anna, Hilda, Louis (2) and Mary. 3. Gustafus (or Gustave), born July 17, 1870; junior member of Seim & Reissig, wagon manufacturers of Albany; married Catherine Van Derzee, of an old Dutch family of Al- bany ; children: Elsie, Olna, Alice, Ernest, Jane, Walter R., deceased. 4. August, born 1872; telegraph operator with the United Press Association ; unmarried and resides in Albany. 5. Ernest Richard, see forward. 6.
Magdalena, married Henry Bruder, a mer- chant of Kenwood, New York. 7. Anna, un- married ; resides with her mother and brother August in the Albany homestead of the Reis- sigs.
(III) Ernest Richard, son of Christian and Eliza Susan (Uspeck) Reissig, was born Oc- tober 9, 1874. He was ten years of age when the family settled in Albany, where he went to school until he was fifteen. He appren- ticed himself to a baker and confectioner of Albany, with whom he remained until having mastered the business he established a similar business of his own in 1898. He located his new and modern bakery in the South End on Second avenue, where he is well established as baker and caterer. He has been success- ful in his business undertakings and is a pros- perous citizen of his adopted city. He is a member of the Lutheran church (as is his wife), and is affiliated with the Republican party. He married, April 22, 1909, in Albany, Eliza M., born in Delmar, Albany county, New York, March 25, 1885, daughter of John and Catherine (Weber) Heebe. John Heebe died in Delmar in 1905, aged fifty-seven years. He was a native of Albany county. Catherine Weber, his wife, was born in Germany, came to the United States when a young woman, married and settled at Delmar. Their chil- dren are: Eliza M., married Ernest Richard Reissig; John H., born February 2, 1887; Joseph, born September 1, 1889. Mrs. Cath- erine Heebe survives her husband; resides in Albany with her daughter, Mrs. Reissig.
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