Manz Family Genealogy

Manz
   The Manz surname of Bavaria and Austria is from a short form of the personal name Mannhart, composed of the Germanic elements man (‘man’, ‘human’) + hard (‘hardy’, ‘brave’, and ‘strong’).
   The family Coat of Arms features a blue shield with a lion holding a bull's head, three fleur de lis and a label. The coat of arms was first recorded in Italy, but the Manz family lived throughout Europe. Our lineage to the Manz family is through EVA CATHERINE MANZ, who was born in 1837 in Germany.
   Her parents, JOHANN MICHAEL MANZ and MARGARETHA LISCHER, would live and die in Wurtemburg.
   On April 23, 1837, they had EVA CATHERINE, in Oberkollbach, Calw, Germany (here's her Baptism certificate). She is our direct ancestor, but they also had a son:

CHILDREN OF JOHANN MANZ AND MARGARETHA LISCHER

  • MARTIN MANZ was born in 02 Aug 1830 in (Ober) Colbach, Wurtemberg, Calw. He traveled to America and became a farmer, and married BARBARA HAAB on 19 Jul 1872 in Freedom Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan. Martin died in 1896.
  • EVA CATHERINE MANZ was born on 23 Apr 1837 in Oberkollbach, Calw, Germany. Family listed below.

    •     Johann died in Ebersbiel bei Oberkollbach, Calw. But Eva Catherine and her brother, MARTIN, didn't stay in Germany, like their parents. They traveled to the United States, to a new state called "Michigan." Here are her papers:

       But before leaving , Eva Catherine gave birth to a fatherless child -- a daughter who took the surname of Manz, named CATHERINE. Then on May 28, 1870, Ship Bavaria sailed from Hamburg and Havre to New York carrying Eva Manz 33, and Catherine, an infant (Vol 24 Jan 1870-Dec 1870 lists on page 227).

    CHILDREN OF EVA CATHERINE MANZ

  • CATHERINE MANZ (WENK), b. 19 March 1869. She married Fred Lucht (d. 30 Sep 1930), a professor at the University of Michigan. Fred and Catherine had two children: Ella Catherine (05 Feb 1904 - 05 Jun 1977) and Frederik (1891 - 1961). Catherine died in September of 1932 and is buried in Bethlehem Cemetery in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

    •    Catherine was adopted by Eva Catherine's American husband, another German transplant named IGNATZ WENK. He was fourteen years older than her, but was a good man with a stable farm. An adoptee himself, he took in Eva Catharine's daughter as his own. Then he and Eva proceeded to make the family even larger, with their descendants still living in the area of the farm today.
       Eva Catherine and Ignatz had four more children:

    CHILDREN OF EVA CATHERINE MANZ AND IGNATZ WENK

  • JOHN WENK, b. 29 May 1872 in Freedom Township, Washtenaw Co., MI. He married Lydia Guenther (29 Jun 1882 - 26 Jan 1963) on 04 Jan 1917 in Freedom Township (here's a photo of them both). He was her third husband. They raised the following children: Amanda Lambarth (1906 - 1990) and Raymond Wenk (b. 07 May 1918). John died in Freedom Township on 16 Apr 1958.
  • JOSEPH WENK, b. 09 Dec 1873 in Freedom Township, Washtenaw Co., MI. He married Olga Kaercher (02 Jan 1882 - 03 Nov 1964) of Scio Township on 21 Mar 1906 (here's their wedding photo) and they had Edgar, Wilbur, Herbert, Arthur and Marie. Joseph died on 14 May 1952. Joseph and his wife and family lived with Catherine on the family farm until she passed. They purchased a home on Waters Road later.
  • MARTIN WENK, b. 08 Feb 1876. He married MARTHA CAROLINA GRIEB (08 Dec 1880 - 27 Mar 1937) on 06 Jan 1909 in Lima Township, Washtenaw County. Martin purchased Ignanz' farm after his mother's death and expanded his father's business. He and Martha had six children, listed below, and twenty grandchildren. Martin died in 1964.
  • LOUISA WENK, b. 10 Mar 1878 in Freedom Township. She married Otto Goetz (14 Nov 1871 - 22 Nov 1967) in Freedom Township on 01 Jun 1898. Louisa and Otto had the following children: Elsa, Eva, Helen, Edna and Margaret Goetz. Louisa died on 24 Mar 1968 in Ann Arbor, MI.

    •    Eva Catherine is buried on Ellsworth road in Freeedom Emmanel Evangelical Cemetary, close to where the Methodist Church was. This building was moved to Pleasant Lake and became a store when Church closed.

    GENEALOGY

    JOHANN MICHAEL MANZ married MARGARETHA LISCHER and begat...

    EVA CATHERINE MANTZ (1837 - 1923) who married IGNANZ GASSMANN WENK (1823 - 1897) and begat...

    MARTIN WENK (1876 - 1964) who married MARTHA CAROLINA GRIEB (1880 - 1937) and begat...

    ERWIN WENK (1910 - 1982) who married DOROTHY PRITCHARD (b. 1918) and begat...

    MARTHA WENK (b. 1940) who married CARLETON MARCHANT HAUSE, JR. (b. 1939) and begat...

    JEFF (who married LORI ANN DOTSON), KATHY (who married HAL LARSEN), ERIC (who married MARY MOONSAMMY), and MICHELE HAUSE (who married JOHN SCOTT HOUSTON).