Letters From Germany


At the end of the Second World War, John Speyrer, of Leonville wrote to the Mayor of the Village of Dörrenbach, Germany asking for information about the Speyrers of Dörrenbach. The following is excerpted from the reply of the Mayor dated December 2, 1948 as well as supplemental information in a letter from Ernst Lammering of Bad Bergzabern, Germany, dated December 13, 1989.


Ludwig Speyrer, (born July 18, 1884 died April 18, 1913) was the son of Johann Jakob Speyrer. Ludwig Speyrer married Margarathe Hörrner born Oct 2, 1857, died June 19, 1934. The marriage between them was on November 25, 1880.

Out of this marriage were born 9 children:

    1. Fritz Speyrer who was killed in action during World War I, was married to Katharina Seibel. Her second husband was Karl Reisert. There were no children born of the second marriage. There were three children born of the first marriage. They are:

      a. Wilhelmine (Mina) Speyrer. She married August Kast who became a prisoner of war on the Russian front and was never heard from again. They had three children:

        b. Ludwig Speyrer, born March 10, 1915 in Dörrenbach. He married Helene Cuntz. They had two children.

          b1. Norbert Speyrer, a police officer in Dörrenbach.

          b2. Bertram Speyrer, an auto mechanic in Dörrenbach.

        c. Willi Speyrer, born on April 29, 1916, was killed in action during World War II.

      2. Solomea Speyrer, married to Johannes Fried, former customs official, who she as a widower married. They lived in Landau, Germany. She was much older than her husband. She died in a home for the aged in Bad Bergzabern and was buried in Dörrenbach.

      3. Ludwig Speyrer, born in Dörrenbach, never married. He died during World War I in Senones, France.

      4. Kathrina Speyrer, born September 30, 1888, in Döerrenbach, died on March 30, 1962 at a home for the aged. She was married to Jakob Mittermuller. They left no children. She was buried in Dörrenbach.

      5. Rosine Speyrer, born August 11, 1890 in Dörrenbach. She was married to a farmer named Georg Scheib on April 21, 1921 in Dörrenbach. One daughter, Hedwig Scheib married Ernst Lammering. Hedwig was born February 2, 1922. Rosine Speyrer died May 24, 1971 at the Lammering's residence. She lived with them for the last few years of her life. Ernst and Hedwig have one child:

        1. Claus Jurgen, born Oct 11, 1946. Claus Lammering has one son:

          1a. Lars Patrik Lammering.

      6. Margarethe Speyrer, born March 14, 1892 in Dörrenbach. She was married to a businessman, Karl Horn and lived in Mannheim, Germany. Karl Horn died April 14, 1950. Margarethe then moved in with Ernst Lammering's family and remained there until her death on February 2, 1964. No children were born of this union. She is buried at the family grave-site in Dörrenbach.

      7. Georg Speyrer, born on April 23, 1894, was never married. He inherited the family house in Dörrenbach and later sold it. He died without children at a home for the aged on May 15, 1981.

      8. Friederike Speyrer, was born on September 13, 1895 in Dörrenbach. For years she lived with her borther, Georg in their parent's house.In 1937 she married Wilhelm Rinck, who was a blacksmith. She died shortly after her 93rd birthday on October 6, 1966 in Dierbach, Germany where she lived with her stepdaughter. She died without children and is buried in Dierbach.

      9. Anna Speyrer born June 1, 1897 in Dörrenbach. She was married to the saddlemaker, Julius Weber. She lived very near Dörrenbach in the village of Oberotterbach and was the first of her eight brothers and sisters to die. She had a son, Erich Weber, who had 5 children.


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