The Ancestry of Michael Ronald Spieth


This family tree and photo album is dedicated to my parents, Walter Ronald Spieth and Harriet Marie Williams.

It began as an attempt to put labels on many of those old photos in the basement, organize them into proper timelines, and fill in some of the gaps between them. It grew into something much larger.

Click this button to explore the family tree


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There was a running joke: every year or so I would proclaim this project finished, usually followed by some unforseen breakthroughs, and my dad laughing his ass off. But when my great-aunt Irene Stratton died in September of 2012 at the age of 103, the end of the road seemed closer.

After all of my preaching about interviewing old folks in your family before it's too late, I turned my attention to my own family, only to find myself too late. My father passed away in October of 2013, and my mother joined him in June of 2014.They had given me a wealth of knowledge, but there is so much more that I will never, ever know.

In the spring of 2013 I started preparing documents for printing, at the same time updating these website counterparts. It was a gift for my family, but that family seems much smaller now. Dad never got to see the "final" project. Mom did, but chemotherapy was taking a toll on her memory. She could vividly remember events from decades ago as if they were yesterday, but the events of yesterday itself often eluded her. Hopefully I've been able to set some of her memories, and those of others, on firmer and more permanent ground.

Feel free to take any pictures and memories here for yourself. It's all free. Hell, I stole a lot of it anyway.

New for 2023:

The Cessna Page has gotten a facelift, with a few dozen more photos and updates all around.

And for all on both the Spieth and Williams sides of my family, all of the PDF documents have been updated to the latest and greatest versions.

The Big Document:

The Appendices:

Download Custom Printable Documents Here!

The up to date stuff for saving and printing.

Anything RED in this website is a link, and clicking on most of the photos leads to a larger version.

Many, Many Thanks to......

Mom and Dad, for enduring many hours (years!) of questions, and for preserving many of these photos over the decades.

Pat Baribeau, for her genealogical research. Without her photos, my gallery of the Roger Williams/Leah Laviolette family would have a lot of holes in it. Pat's original printed family tree was a major inspiration along the way.

Irene Ernestina Fragale-Stratton, for remembering people in those photos which left the rest of us scratching our heads, and for providing many of the family facts which made "The Fragale Family in Escanaba" possible. Rest in peace, aunt Irene.

Patricia Stratton-Polazzo, Mike and Emma Fragale's granddaughter, for those Stratton photos, and the Fragale/Leisner information and very much more.

Terri Ruleau, fifth cousin (?), for all of her Williams research, and especially for the DNA work connecting Paul Ance to the family, and connecting Jeremiah to his father Lewis.

Melania "Lonie" Ruggieri-Eapen, granddaughter of Mike Fragale's sister Mary, for details and more details, and for her account of her grandfather Serafino Leo's life, and much more.

Helen "Dolly" Fragale-Citino, daughter of Angelo Fragale and niece of my great grandfather Mike Fragale, for filling in more details of life in Kennett Square, and helping with the Upper Peninsula connections.

Helen Citino, daughter of Josephine Fragale-Citino, for her warm recollections of life on the farm.

Martha (Marti) Mascaro, whose research into her Italian heritage happily intersects my Fragale project, for the data on Maria Concetta Mascaro-Fragale and the Fragales of Accaria.

Courtney Sellani, third cousin and great-granddaughter of Giuseppe Fragale, for the photos, of course, and for filling in Joe's story a bit.

Tracy Helmsmeier-Pinnix and Marilee Bowen-Fairbanks, for their info on the Bowen-Spieth branch of the family, and especially to Tracy for all of the photos!

Lillian Coombs Cessna-Alford, first cousin twice removed, for her help in sorting out the Cessnas of Kentucky and Michigan, and especially for the photos. Anyone with photos of my great-great-great-grandparents is my hero!

Jim Poteet, fourth cousin, for the dozens of new Cessna related images, and some mysteries too. And thanks to Donna Shelton, one of Jim's sources.

Peggy Gazeley-Clements, Joseph Cessna's granddaughter, for the photos and facts.

Cheri Pomerantz, another fourth cousin, for the trove of Cessna and Walters realted documents and photos.

Jamey McLoughlin, for confirming those Kentucky connections, and adding a few new ones.

Harlan LaRue Van Camp, second cousin once removed, for showing me the connection to the LaRues of Kentucky.

Myrna McVicker, another Cessna descendant, for all those family tree documents.

Rose Mary Chepon, for introducing me to her brother-in-law Kevin Bourdon, my link to the Rudicks in Detroit.

Kevin Bourdon, for saving his mother Vera Rudick-Bourden's photos and more, strengthening the Spieth and Cessna galleries and making the Cecil Rudick gallery finally possible. Without Kevin, all of those century old letters would be long gone.

John Dunkin, grandson of Floyd Rudick, for first interesting me in the life of John Andrew Rudick, and for many facts, stories and, of course, photos. Also thanks to Robin Uresti, Teresa Crater, Tanna Rudick and Sandra Cain for further Rudick info and photos.

Pam Richard, for finding the Ebenezer Reddick document which at long last named his father.

Shirley Andrews, fourth cousin once removed, for wading through all of the Mizer connections and finding Theodosia Burrows-Rudick's gravesite, and Margaret Mizer's fourth son.

Sebrina Gridley, third cousin once removed, for helping to sort out the McCarty children, for the photo of them, and for bringing the name Cerepta Kathryn McCarty Pigg to my attention!

George W. Reddick, third cousin once removed, for facts which help to connect Stephen Reddick to his possible father Ebenezer Reddick, and to his semi-orphaned boys.

Lewis M. Ruddick, whose DNA analysis, during and after trips to Ireland, proved that our possible common ancester William Ruddock was born there.

Noreen Gingrass-Spieth and Amy Spieth-Kuzynowski for the information and photos relating to my uncle Phil's family, and for the photos which got the Cecil Edward Rudick and Mary Alice Cessna gallery started.

Ann Jacubiak (Another Herman Leisner great-grandchild), for clearing up his family tree, and for the photos of Herman and Gusty.

Terri Dimock, Anastasia's great-granddaughter, for the great information on Paul DuBois and his family, and for the photos.

Caroline Kmiecik, fifth cousin, and descendant of John R. Williams, for all of the Find-A-Grave work, and for helpiing me to extend the Williams line back three more generations.

Samantha Mejia, Anna H. William's great-granddaughter, for her information on that branch of the family.

Barb Stratton, for her info about Edward Mitchell Stratton and his family, and for her wonderful photo from Irene Stratton's 100th birthday party.

Phillip Sheets, whose wife is another descendant of Henry and Anna Wise, for the photos.

John Troeger, fourth cousin twice removed, who helped me cement the link between my great-great-grandfather Spieth and the Spieths of Germany. You can find John's website here.

Gary Gezann, sixth cousin, and Angela Spieth, seventh cousin, for showing me another Ohio line of Spieths, the descendants of Christian Andreas Spieth's brother.

The Delta County Genealogical Society Great Escanaba area stuff here.

Interment.net where you might be able to dig up an old relative or two.

Ancestry.com A great resource. The census documents alone might make it worth joining.

Rootsweb.com I was not a member, but got a lot of info from people who were.

A special thank you goes to Mark Angelos, not a family member, but he might as well be, for taking the time to proofread my writings, and offering encouragement when needed.

My Wish List...

...what else, more photographs!

I can't thank the people listed above enough. With their help, I now have photographic images of twelve of my sixteen great-grandparents! The other four? - the photos might still be out there:

There's Frederick (Fritz) Leisner, born in Germany, buried in Escanaba. C'mon, you descendents of Ewald Leisner or Bertha Leisner-Froelich. I haven't heard anything in all these years from you. I'm begging.....

And then there's Gabriele Fragale, who probably never came over from Italy.

The real find would be photos of the remaining two, George William Spieth (Georg Willhelm Spieth, William Spieth) and his wife Kathryn Christina Groh-Spieth. Their daughter Pearl Viola Spieth-Osterhout would be a photo bonus. To be blunt: calling any Osterhout distant cousins......please help me! You seem to be my last chance.....

The Cessna Branch page has become the biggest on the website, and instead of mysteries being solved, the Cessna Mystery Photos section only got bigger! Any descendants of Ella Bayne Cessna-Smith, Mary Mollie Cessna-Craig, Sallie Wallace Cessna-Patterson, Carrie Ermine Smith-Cox, Martha Belle Smith-Gollaher or Jennie Florence Smith Borders/Bird out there? Step up to the plate!

Have something to share? .......Please do!

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