The Metternichs

The Andreas Metternichs
So far my research has been limited in the Metternich line. The furthest I can go back is to Andreas Metternich. As far as I can tell, Andreas came to America around 1871 with his wife Louisa Spier and their son Andrew who was born the year before. They settled in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. Soon after they came to America, or perhaps on the journey, Louisa died.

Andreas later remarried to Elizabeth or Elise Speier. Because the first and last names of the two wives are so similar they may have been the exact same woman or maybe even sisters. Andreas and his second wife had two children: Anna was born in 1874 and Christian (my great grandfather) was born in 1876. Both Anna and Christian were baptized at St. Peter's German Catholic Church in Newark.

Aside from her baptismal record, the only other mention of Anna Metternich is on her half-brother Andrew's marriage certificate She and an August Spier (possible relation of Andrew's mother Louisa Spier?) are listed as witnesses to the ceremony.

The Andrew Metternichs
Andrew married Louise Henrietta Reiss (daughter of John Conrad Reiss and Amelia Dorothea Rubsam) on May 20, 1894 by Reverend Gustavus W. Mayer, the Priest-in-Charge of St. Matthew's German Episcopal Church in Newark.

Andrew and Louisa Metternich had at least two children together: Andrew Metternich, Jr born in 1895 and Henrietta Metternich born in 1897. The 1900 Newark Census shows a three-year-old Henrietta Metternich living with her grandmother Amelia Reiss (the census shows Amelia is a widow so her husband John must have died before 1900) and an aunt named Christine Reiss. There is no mention of Andrew or Louisa Metternich from there on.

Another interesting fact about the Andrew Metternich family is that the daughter Henrietta who was born in 1897 did not have her birth certificate filed with the Bureau of Vital Statistics until 1942. A Bertha Geiger who claims to be an aunt (although she was only a few years older than Henrietta was) witnessed it. There is also handwriting in the upper right hand corner noting that Henrietta's father's death certificate and her parents' marriage certificate are registered with St. Matthew's German Episcopal Church.

The Christian Metternichs
Christian Metternich married Lina Doehner (daughter of Frank Doehner and Adelaid St�tzlen) October 5, 1898 by Pastor William Reib of St. John's Lutheran Church in Newark. Together they had at least one child, May Metternich born in 1899. All three show up on the 1900 Newark Census.

There are no other records of Lina and May after 1900. Whether Christian and Lina divorced or she and the child died is unknown and was never spoken of. Whatever happened, it happened by 1908 when Emma Evelyn Metternich was born to Christian and his second wife Elizabeth Underhill "Lizzie" Coleman. They had one more child in 1910, my grandfather Henry Coleman Metternich. According to family lore, however, there may have been two more children born to Christian and Lizzie. Both died in infancy.

Lizzie came from a wealthy family and it was against her family's wishes that she married Christian Metternich. They did not have a happy marriage. By most family accounts Christian left after my grandfather was born, or more likely Lizzie threw him out. It is said that Lizzie once told her daughter Emma that whenever her father came around it was only for one thing, and in turn she always ended up pregnant. Christian never had a steady job, roaming from one trade to the next. The 1900 Newark Census states he was a plumber, then in 1910 he was a mechanic. For a time he owned his own taxi cab company, but it eventually went out of business. Christian was also quite a lady's man, and legend has it he died in the early 1920's of syphilis.

A few photographs:
Lizzie Coleman Metternich, circa 1930
Lizzie & Christian Metternich, circa 1912

The "Aunt" Emma Evelyn Metternichs
Emma Evelyn Metternich (named after both her maternal grandmother Emma Jillson Coleman and aunt Evelyn Disbrow Coleman) was a successful businesswoman. She owned and operated her own beauty salon. She was a great help to her brother and his five daughters after his wife Ruth died in 1946. Although badly scarred from a fire in her childhood, she eventually married Fred Lidle (son of William and Frida Lidle). Emma never had a child of her own, but she and Fred raised several foster children together. Emma, or "Aunt Emma" as she is always referred to, died in 1979.

A few photographs:
Aunt Emma at the beach
Henry, Aunt Emma, & Fred
Jeanie, Betty, Nancy, Aunt Emma, Emma, Patty (circa 1975)
Fred & Aunt Emma

The Henry Coleman Metternichs
Henry Coleman Metternich was named after his maternal grandfather, Henry Coleman. He married Ruth Taber on March 26, 1931. The two had actually been childhood sweethearts (Henry's mother Lizzie looked after the Taber and Elliott children at times). Together they had five daughters: Ruth Jean born in 1931, Emma Evelyn born in 1933, Elizabeth Ann born in 1935, Nancy Leah born in 1937, and Patricia Ellen born in 1938.

Ruth died in 1946 leaving Henry alone to raise his five young daughters. Lack of money was always a major concern, so at times Henry was forced to let his sister Emma take in a few of his girls at a time. He later married Helen Terchek and had two more children: Henry Coleman Metternich, Jr born in 1947 and Cindy Metternich born a few years later.

From all accounts Henry, or "Hennie" as his wife Ruth called him, was a wonderful man. He was a strict yet loving father. I wish with all my heart that I could have met him. He died on May 31, 1960 and is buried with Ruth in Fairmount Cemetery in Newark.

A few photos:
Henry & Ruth Metternich (circa 1936)
Henry & Ruth Metternich (circa 1936) *coming soon*
Henry with Cobby the Cat
Henry's Social Security Number Application
The Five Metternich Children
The Five Metternich Ladies

The Ruth Jean "Jeanie" Metternichs
Jeanie is the first daughter born to Henry & Ruth Metternich in 1931. She married Edward Rudyk and together they had two sons, Daniel and Steven, and one daughter, Donna.

The Emma Evelyn "Emmie" Metternichs
Emmie is the second daughter born to Henry & Ruth Metternich in 1933. Emmie actually goes by "Emma" now, but to keep confusion between the two Emma Evelyns at bay I've chosen to call her "Emmie" throughout my work (sorry Aunt Em!). She married Charles Smith and they had two children, David and Laura.

The Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Metternichs
Betty is the third daughter born to Henry & Ruth Metternich in 1935. She married Louis Melka and they had three sons, Louis Jr, Scott and Todd, and a daughter, Denise.

The Nancy Leah Metternichs
Nancy is the fourth daughter born to Henry & Ruth Metternich in 1937. She married Edward Alston and they had two children together, Karen and Thomas.

The Patricia Ellen "Patty" Metternichs
Patty is the last daughter born to Henry & Ruth Metternich in 1938. She married Anthony John "Tony" Tomaio (son of John Tomaio and Margaret Klaus). Together they adopted a son, Anthony John "Tony" Tomaio, Jr. Tony Sr died in 1974, and a few years later Patty married to John Norman Van Horn (son of John Preston Van Horn and Elizabeth M Trimmer). Together they had a daughter, Julie (me!).


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