Captain John Joseph Lattimer Freitus

John Joseph Lattimer Freitus was born on May 27, 1873, in Buffalo, New York. He was the third-oldest child. John followed in his father's footsteps by becoming the captain of several tugboats. He was a colorful figure in the maritime world. It wasn't easy work, as Capt. John experienced broken ribs when helping a tug break ice in Buffalo. He suffered a bruised spine and even survived being thrown into the lake by a tugboat explosion. In 1911, Capt. John and his team raised Commodore Perry's flagship, the Niagara, from the bottom of Misery Bay near Erie, Pennsylvania. This flagship sank during the War of 1812. He continued his salvage business as the President of the American Towing Company, which included raising both sections of the steamer Francis Widlar, which went aground on Pancake Shoals in Lake Superior, tearing away 72 feet of its bottom and finally breaking into two. John was the captain and owner of the tugboat Alva B, which saved the lives of several crew members. The Alva B was wrecked near Avon Lake, Ohio, where the bell of the tug is displayed today at a local park. John insisted that the family's surname was spelled Freitus and could be heard arguing this with his older brother, Capt. George, who insisted it was spelled Freitas. John divorced his first wife, Eva Orr Freitas, in 1917, after which she sued him for non-payment of alimony. An arrest warrant was issued, and a local judge would mediate between the two parties. In 1931, he became the director and vice president of Midland Steamship. John died on May 12, 1947, in Lakewood, Ohio, at the age of 73, and is buried in Sandusky, Ohio.

Isabelle (Freitas) Roller

Isabelle 'Belle' Freitas was born in September 1869 in Buffalo, New York. Her father, John, was 24, and her mother, Mary, was 15. She was the oldest child. Isabelle married John George Henry Roller on November 28, 1889, in her hometown. George was a grocer by trade. They had 10 children (6 boys and 4 girls). Family memories were shared of the children coming home from school and getting to choose anything they wanted for their lunch. Grace picked tomato soup, and George Jr. would pick a can of beans. On Sunday afternoons, the family would take a buggy ride through the country, where they would pass by a gypsy campsite. George would always stop to barter, pretending he would sell them his horses. When economic times were tough, Isabelle (known affectionately as ‘Ma Belle’) would accept the few pennies that were left on the counter by her customers in exchange for the supplies they needed. Isabelle's family (including her mother, Mary Ann) lived at 193 Hamburg Street (original house on the Seawall strip). She died on February 18, 1937, in Buffalo, New York, at the age of 67, and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Edith Marie (McCollum) Selby

(Back L-R): Wilton E. Christopher, Al Orfalea
(Front L-R): Eileen Selby-Orfalea,
Edith McCollum, Yvonne Selby-Christopher

Edith Marie McCollum was born on 31 Aug 1902 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio. She is the middle child of six children born to Harry and Margaret (nee Jones) McCollum. On 26 Oct 1918, at the age of 16 years old, she married Bartley Selby in Covington, Kenton, Kentucky. They settled in Cambridge, Ohio and on 3 Apr 1919, their first daughter, Marjorie Eileen Selby was born. Two years later, their second child, Shirley Yvonne Selby was born on 20 Aug 1921. Bartley worked as a gatherer for the Cambridge Glass Company. Bartley and Edith divorced in 1925.

A year later, on 15 Feb 1926, Edith married Alonzo Deloss 'Don' Snow. They divorced and Edith next married Bernard Malloy Brush on 8 July 1929. Edith again divorced and remarried her first husband on 6 Jun 1931 in St. Mary's, Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

At some point in the mid-1930s, Edith moved back to Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. During the 1930s, when men dominated the business industry, she became an entrepreneur of her own restaurant in Cleveland. Not only did Edith own her own diner, but she did so as a single mother of two teenage girls.

By the 1950s, Edith had moved to Columbus, Franklin, Ohio to live closer to her daughter, Yvonne, and her family.  She met and married Robert Julius Duford on 24 July 1950. During the 1950s, Edith started another restaurant called "Bob and Dick's Sandwich Shop" named after her two grandson's by her daughter, Yvonne. The Sandwich shop was located on 2109 Neil Avenue in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.

Lucas Loeffler

Lucas Loeffler was born on 17 Oct 1841, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the son of Johann and Ludgard (nee Matt) Loeffler. 

On 3 Sep 1869, Lucas and his younger brother, Leopold, traveled together on the SS Rhein leaving from Bremen, Germany and arriving in New York City, New York. Many Germans left during this era to avoid the wars and military life. Both brothers settled in Sandusky, Erie, Ohio.

Lucas married Catherine Schwehr in 1870 and they had seven children together (5 girls, 2 boys). Lucas' father-in-law, Johannes, owned the local blacksmith shop and at the time of Johannes' retirement (due to rheumatism) gave the company over to Lucas. The family business was eventually passed on to Lucas' son, John, making it third generation blacksmith and wagon manufacturing shop.

Interesting family fact: Lucas' younger brother, Leopold, married Mary who was the younger sister of Catherine. The Loeffler brothers had married the Schwehr sisters.

A year after his wife, Catherine, died at the age of 51 years-old, Lucas married Katharina Zahn on 24 Apr 1905, in Sandusky, Ohio. Upon her death in 1923, Lucas moved in with his oldest daughter, Mary Magdelan "Lena."  Lena's daughter, Mary Magdelan "Madeline,"  often shared the story of how her grandfather, Lucas, "lived with their family until one day Lucas pee'd out the second story window and that was the day he moved in with Aunt Katie."  Catherine "Katie" (nee Loeffler) Moosbrugger.

On 19 Aug 1926, in Sandusky, Erie, Ohio, the Loeffler's were setting up a family reunion at the Loeffler cottage called "The Willows Beach."  Lucas wasn't feeling well and stayed home. He died of a stroke at the age of 84 years-old and buried next to his wife, Catherine, at St. Mary's cemetery.

At the time of his death, Lucas was blessed with 30 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Freitas - Werling Family Tree

Here is a genealogical 'cheat sheet' in order to assist in understanding which surnames belong to which branch of the tree.

Maria (Schwemberger) Ritzenthaler

Maria [Gutman] Schwemberger Ritzenthaler was born on 8 August 1839, in Hartheim am Rhein, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.  Her father, Conrad Gutman, was 24, and her mother, Maria Pfrengle, was 25. By the year 1845, Maria's mother had divorced Maria's father and married Ferdinand Schwemberger.

The New York passenger manifest shows the Schwemberger family (Ferdinand, Maria, Maria, Martina and Erastus) arrived in America on 16 September 1854 on the ship named Southampton. The manifest also shows that each family member carried one box with all their belongings with them to make a new home in America. Maria took her step-father's surname on the immigration log and did so the remainder of her life.

At the age of seventeen years old, Maria married Franz Joseph Ritzenthaler on 26 May 1857, in Sandusky, Erie, Ohio. They had eight children (seven boys, one girl). Franz died two months before his youngest son, Albert, was born.

Granddaughter, Madeline (Ritzenthaler) Freitas spoke fondly of her grandmother, remembering a time when she stayed with her while her sister, Esther, had diphtheria. Madeline described her as a great cook and "a dear one, a Saint!"

Maria was seventy-one years old when she died of a stroke on 16 October 1910, in Sandusky, Erie, Ohio, and was buried at St. Mary's cemetery.

Bridget (Brennan) Knight

Bridget Brennan was born in 1848 in Ireland. With the Great Irish Potato Famine, she emigrated from her homeland and traveled to America in 1862 and made her home in Buffalo, New York.

According to her Granddaughter-in-law, Madeline (Ritzenthaler) Freitas, Bridget came from a very wealthy family (originally from the Northern Ireland country). As she converted to the Catholic faith, her mother disinherited her and declared her dead.

In 1864 at the age of 17 years old, Bridget  married Englishman John Knight who was a stone mason. They had seven children. Their youngest son, Edward, was in the US Navy and fought in the Spanish-American war.  He died due to injuries obtained from the war and buried at the US National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia.

At the age of 70 years old, Bridget's son, John, moved her to the Erie County Almshouse (poorhouse) in Buffalo, Erie, New York where she spent the remainder of her days.