Kansas Family History

Family History of Heinrich RUTZ

  There were many settlers of early Dickinson County, Kansas that were of
Swiss or Germanic origin.  My RUTZ ancestor's were from the German speaking
region of Switzerland.  Specifically from the Canton of St.Gallen.  I have
the family traced to the mid 1700's.  I am personally not able to trace
them back further because the records appear to be in Latin, and I am
unable to read Latin.  For this submission I will start with those
ancestors who migrated to America.

  Heinrich Rutz ( my gr-gr-grandfather ) was born in Buchs, Canton
St.Gallen, Switzerland on 23 Jan 1823.  He was the second of four children
of Tobias and Anna (Dutler) Rutz.  Tobias and Anna are #260 in the Family
Register book of Buchs.  Heinrich married Elsbeth Muntener on 26 Nov 1844.
They became # 566 in the Family Register book of Buchs. They were the
parents of 14 children, of whom only 10 lived to maturity.  There children
were:

1. Elsbeth Rutz, b. 9 Nov 1845. Married to Bernhardt Rufener.
2. Anna Maria Rutz, b. 25 Jul 1847.  Married 1. Gallus Beusch, 2. Christian
Stammeier
3. Tobias Rutz, b. 19 Nov 1849. Married Margaret Flater.
4. Anna Rutz, b. 11 Oct 1851.  Married Andrew Gantenbein.
5. Barbara Rutz, b. 26 Nov 1853, d. 12 Jul 1855
6. Barbara Rutz, b. 3 Sep 1855. Married ???Wyler/Wilder/Weiler
7. Catherina Rutz, b. 28 may 1857.  Married Ulrich Rohrer.
8. Friedrich Rutz, b. 9 Dec 1858. Married Johanna Weddig.
9. Margretha Rutz, b. 24 Oct 1860, d. bef 1875
10. Ursula Rutz, b. 2 Nov 1862, d. 3 Nov 1862
11. Ursula Rutz, b. 2 Nov 1862, d. 2 Jan 1863
12. Heinrich Rutz, b. 21 Jan 1864 (my gr-grandfather). Married Emmeline Spenner.
13. John Rutz, b. 10 May 1868.  Married Susie Ricks.
14. Ulrich Rutz, b. 20 May 1870.  Married Mary Ryff.

Heinrich and Elsbeth Rutz and family immigrated to America in 1865. They
departed from Antwerp, Belgium aboard the ship Wilberforce and arrived in
New York harbor on 5 June 1865.  The family first settled in Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin
after their arrival to the states.  Daughters Elsbeth and Anna Maria were
married in Wisconsin.  Sons John and Ulrich were born in Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin. In 1872 the whole Rutz family moved to the New Basel area of
Dickinson county Kansas and became members of the New Basel church.  My
grandmother, Naomi Pitsenberger Rutz, told me that my other
gr-gr-grandfather, Charles Alois Spenner, wrote and carved the sign that
was on the original New Basel Church as part of the sign was written in
German. It is my understanding that the old New Basel Church is now in Old
Abilene town of Abilene, Kansas.  Many family members are buried in the New
Basel cemetery south of Abilene including Henirich Rutz who died 29 Oct
1907, and his wife Elsbeth who died 22 Sep 1902.

  My great grandfather is Heinrich Rutz.  He married Emmeline Spenner in
Dickinson county on 7 April 1886.  Their children are:

1. Alois Rutz, b. 21 Mar 1887, m. Vena Brown
2. Henry Rutz, b. 17 Feb 1890
3. Elsie Rutz, b. 20 Mar 1893, m. Lloyd Everhart
4. Arnold Rutz, b. 28 Jan 1895
5. George Rutz, b. 19 Nov 1897
6. Roy Rutz, b. 24 Aug 1900, m. Lucille Morris
7. Marvin Rutz, b. 5 Sep 1906, m. Lydia Meier
8. Melvin Rutz, b. 5 Sep 1906 (my grandfather), m. Lydia N. Pitsenberger

Heinrich and Emmeline Spenner Rutz eventually moved to Woods county
Oklahoma about 1895, and then later to Lipscomb county Texas.  They are
both buried in the Hart cemetery south of Booker, Lipscomb county Texas.

Melvin Rutz married Lydia Naomi Pitsenberger on 25 Nov 1933 in Woodward
county Oklahoma.  Their children are:

1. Ronald Rutz, b. 27 Jul 1934  (my father)
2. Verna Lynn Rutz, b. 28 Oct 1942


Ronald Rutz married my mother, Joyce Snow, on 11 Aug 1956 in Williamson
county Texas.  Their children are:

1. Glenn Rutz, b. 19 Jul 1958   (me)
2. Lisa Rutz, b. 15 Aug 1959
3. Lyndon Rutz, b. 9 Feb 1960
4. Kim Rutz, b. 23 Oct 1962

I, Glenn Rutz, married Lori Martin on 19 June 1983 in Tarrant county Texas.
We have two boys; Travis Rutz, born 10 March 1985; and Cody Rutz, born 5
Sept 1990.

Glenn Rutz
401 Ulster Drive
Tyler, TX  75703-5321

glennr@gower.net