Note: This was painfully easy, the bulk of the work having been done by H.L. Spessard in 1930.
1.) Michael Spessard was born in 1750 in the town of Florsbach, Hessen, Germany.
Michael came here as an infant with his father Hans Peter Spessart and mother Katharina Kleinfelder. Hans Peter and his wife came on the ship “The Duke of Bedford” out of Hamburg, Germany together with two other children. The family settled initially in York County, Pennsylvania. Note on Michael’s parents: Hans Peter Spessart was born in 1714 and married Katherina Kleinfelder in 1742 in Lohrhaupten, Germany. Katharina was the daughter of Johannes (John) Kleinfelder (born August, 1692 and died December 8, 1754) and his wife Magdalene Dietrich. This pair married on February 25, 1754. When Hans Peter immigrated to America, he and his family made port in Philadelphia, PA and disembarked there. He died in 1755. Presently, I do not know where he is buried.
Eventually, the family moved to Chewsville, Maryland near Hagerstown, and Michael grew up a farmer. However, he became part of the Revolutionary War effort when, at the age of 28, he served as a Private in the Company of Captain John Kershner at Fort Frederick in 1778. Michael Spessard\Spessart guarded prisoners. He is a registered DAR Patriot. The number assigned to Michael Spessard\Spessart is A107182.
He married Christeanna Waltz (1755- July 1, 1831). Among others, this pair had a son, John Spessard.
Michael Spessard died in April 1825. He is buried in Chewsville, Maryland. The town of Florsbach still exists in the Spessart Region of Germany. This is one of our old European *home towns.* “Spessart” means *woodpecker forest* in German.
For the town web site of Florsbach, in German:
http://www.floersbachtal.de/Sites/gensite.asp?SID=cms110120100629596216546&Art=02
Michael’s farm, in Chewsville, was mentioned in his will. It was known as the “Old Spessarde Homestead” and was in the possession of the family for approximately 100 years. Melvin T. Spessard was the last Spessard owner and in 1910, he sold it to Walter Shilling. Troops occupied the house during the Civil War. The house stood on the road leading to Chewsville from Hagerstown.
Both Michael and his wife are buried in what is currently the Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Chewsville, MD. However, this began as a Brethren Church and cemetery. I have photographs of their graves.
Their son was
2.) John Spessard, who was born on March 27, 1791 in Washington County, Maryland.
He married Catherine Stover (Stauffer) (born August 5, 1792 in Maryland and died February 10, 1851).
John and Catherine were married on April 4, 1814 in Frederick County, Maryland.
Both are buried in the Spessard family cemetery in Chewsville, MD, which is the Bethel United Brethren Church Cemetery in Chewsville, MD.
For a picture of his grave:
For a picture of Catherine’s grave:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9791826
John Spessard died at his residence on May 13, 1878 in Chewsville, Maryland after taking a second wife by the name of Fannie Schilling. It seems that after first wife Catherine died, John needed another woman in the house. Fannie went on with her life after her elder husband died, but John and his first wife, my ancestress, were buried together.
The son of John and his first wife Catherine was
3.) The Reverend David S. Spesard, born August 4, 1817.
He married Martha A. Kline (born April 18, 1822 and died January 28, 1913). This pair had three daughters, and among them was Eliza Virginia Spessard, born May 18, 1840.
1841–he served as the pastor at St. Paul’s United Brethren Church in Hagerstown.
1842–served as the pastor at St. Paul’s United Brethren Church in Hagerstown
1852–served as the pastor at St. Paul’s United Brethren Church in Hagerstown
From 1853-1854, he and H. B. Winton served at the Stateline Methodist Church in Stateline, PA.
David Spesard died on August 26, 1894 in Hagerstown, Maryland. He is buried in the Rosehill Cemetery in Hagerstown, Maryland, together with his wife Martha.
Martha’s family was the Kline family, and they built one of the oldest existing Oliver Evans mills in the country: http://www.angelfire.com/journal/pondlilymill/kline.html
An artist has done a rendition of this mill, which is for sale on line. I have one of these hanging in my house, and I refer to it as *the old family mill.*
For a picture of the burials of the Reverend David and his wife Martha:
Their daughter was
4.) Eliza Virginia Spesard, born in Rockingham County, VA on June 18, 1840 according to her obituary, published in the BROOKLYN CHRONICLE of Brooklyn, Iowa.. She died on June 14, 1900. She was known as *Ginny.*
She married David Rowland (born in Washington Co., MD on March 18, 1839 and died July 1, 1919).
The couple moved to Poweshiek County, Iowa in 1872 and initially had a farm in Warren Township. Later, they moved to Victor, Iowa. David Rowland was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
David Rowland and Eliza Virginia Spessard were a very fruitful couple and had FIFTEEN children, some of whom did not survive infancy. Among them were Melvin Titus Rowland (buried in Idaho); Alva E. Rowland; Edna May Rowland (later, Mrs. Roscoe Lewis); Hattie Beatrice Rowland (later, Mrs. Frank McDowell); and Nellie Gertrude Rowland (later, Mrs. H. Compton and Mrs. J.L. McIlrath).
Both David and Eliza were buried in the Independent Odd Fellows Cemetery, which is now the Old Victor Cemetery in Victor, Iowa.
Their son was
5.) Alva E. Rowland, born on November 16, 1861 in Elba, VA (now the town of Gretna, VA) and died on September 24, 1919 in Corvalis, Oregon.
On the town of Gretna, please see:
http://www.townofgretna.org/aboutus.htm
He married Ella Clingman of Cedarville, Illinois on February 26, 1884 in Stephenson County, Illinois. At the time, he was listed as being a merchant residing in Clarke (Clarks?), Nebraska.
Ella Clingman was born on April 8, 1860 in Illinois and died August 15,1937 in Linn County, Oregon.
Alva Rowland and his wife Ella trekked west to Oregon, together with members of Ella’s family, and settled in Corvalis, Oregon. Ella inherited from two bachelor brothers of hers (Edgar and Sherman) and was a landed woman in her own right. At some point, Alva Rowland went with his brother Melvin T. Rowland to Alaska. (The family story is that they were mining for gold there and being unsuccessful and generally starving to death, Ella Clingman trekked up to Alaska and supported them by opening “Ma Rowland’s Boarding House.”)
Alva E. Rowland died on September 24, 1919 in Corvalis, Oregon and is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Linn County, Oregon. He is in plot no. 485. His wife Ella Clingman, who died in 1952, is buried in plot no. 485-1. Also buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Linn County, Oregon, are numerous Clingman relatives, including Ella’s father George Washington Clingman ( born December, 4 1829 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio and died September 20, 1909 in Halsey, Linn County, Oregon. (Plot no.299-1) and Ella’s mother Nancy J. Walkey (born May 5, 1834 in Gettysburg, PA and died June 24, 1889 in Halsey, Linn County, Oregon (Plot no. 299).
Alva E. Rowland and his wife Ella had three children, including their son
6. Floyd Elba Rowland. Floyd E. Rowland was born on December 28, 1885 in Hartwick, Poweshiek County, Iowa. He went on to become a highly educated man, becoming a PhD.
Dr. Floyd E. Rowland married twice. His first wife was Clauda Anderson, with whom he had two sons: Jack Rowland and Ross Rowland. Ross Rowland married Eleanor with whom he had three children: Guy, Leslie, and Eric. (These three are of the same generation as Cheryl Ann Rowland Wilson, her brothers, myself, and my sister Franca Eilers.) Eric died tragically young some years back, but both Guy and Leslie are married with children.
Dr. Floyd E. Rowland’s second wife was Autillia Vernice Liska (Audra to her peers, but Nana to many of us), who was born on November 17, 1907 in Scio, Oregon to her parents Josef Liska and his wife Verna E. Liska. Floyd and Autillia left Oregon and moved to Boston. They had four children: Alva Gene Rowland, Floy D’Onn Rowland, Franca Rowland, and Steven Rowland.
7. Floy D’Onn Rowland is my mother.
Additional Notes on The Spessard Family:
When Hans Peter immigrated to America, he and his family sailed from Rotterdam on the DUKE OF BEDFORD. They made port in Philadelphia, PA and disembarked there. He died in 1755. Presently, I do not know where he is buried. This means that our DAR Patriot Michael was only about 5 years old when his father died, and he was raised, in all probability, by his mother.
The family settled initially in York County, Pennsylvania. Eventually, the family moved to Chewsville, Maryland near Hagerstown, and Michael grew up a farmer. However, he became part of the Revolutionary War effort when, at the age of 28, he served as a Private in the Company of Captain John Kershner at Fort Frederick in 1778. Michael Spessard\Spessart guarded prisoners.
The DAR assign a number to all Patriots, and the number assigned to Michael Spessard\Spessart is A107182.
A distant cousin of ours has a web site with wonderful history and pictures on it:
http://www.makebelieve.to/DWS/spesert/spesert/index.htm
Additionally, please see the Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spessart
For the local castle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mespelbrunn_Castle
A pond:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/axel-d/456511864/
More on the castle:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77615443@N00/64171371/
Want to go there?
http://www.hochspessart.de/ziele_der_region2.php?la=en
http://www.hochspessart.de/index2.php
