TIMELINE
1813 – BIRTH OF CATHARINE AMES
17 FEB 1813 – Catharine Ames was born in Bavaria

1831 – CATHARINE AMES IMMIGRANTED TO AMERICA

1836 – MARRIAGE
1836 – Catharine Ames married Henry Ries in New Lisbon [now Lisbon], Ohio.

1840 – 1854, RIES CHILDREN WERE BORN
Henry and Catharine Ames Ries were the parents of six (6) children; one daughter and five sons.

30 MAY 1840 – Henry Ries, Jr. was born in Virginia; more likely than not, a part of Virginia that is now, West Virginia. Henry's day of birth was calculated by using the German Church's Death List.
 
1843 thru 1854 – The other children were born in Chippewa [Doylestown], Wayne County, Ohio. Andrew (1843), Catharine aka Kate (1845), Martin (1847), Christian aka Christ (1850) and Philip (1854).

1850 & 1860 – RESIDENCE, US Federal Census
Chippewa [Doylestown], Wayne County, Ohio.

NOTE: In both the 1850 & 1860 Census there is a Martin Ries (census taker spelled it Reese) listed in Chippewa as a Collier (Coal Miner) and he is from Germany. More likely than not – he is related to our Ries family; after all, a couple of the Ries grandchildren were given the middle name, Martin; while Martin ‘Reese' of Chippewa had a son named, Henry.

After the Census of 1860 the family moved to Crystal Springs
Leaving Chippewa [Doylestown], Wayne County, Ohio behind, the family moved on to Crystal Springs [Massillon], Stark County, Ohio. There were many mining operations in the area and the area was also heavily populated with German immigrants. The Ries family probably moved to find better jobs and to become a part of the budding German community.

1861 – DEATH of Henry Ries, Jr.
15 DEC 1861 – Tragedy struck the Ries family. 21 year old Henry Ries, Jr. died and was buried in Massillon Cemetery.

1862 – DEATH of Henry Ries, Sr.
21 JAN 1862 – Within five (5) weeks, tragedy strikes again as Henry Ries, Sr. died 38 days after his son. He was also buried in Massillon Cemetery, right next to Henry, Jr.
 
There are two official records concerning the deaths of the father and the son. The German Church's records and the archives at the Massillon Cemetery. The causes of death are not recorded; nor do I ever remembering hearing a family story concerning their deaths.

1870, 1880 & 1900 – RESIDENCE, US Federal Census
Jackson [Crystal Springs / now Massillon], Stark County, Ohio

After the deaths of her eldest son, and husband, the widow Catharine Ames Ries lived in Crystal Springs, for the remainder of her life. She raised her daughter and four remaining sons on her own.

All of her sons worked in the coal mines around Jackson Township, Ohio. Martin and Christian made careers out of coal mining, while Andrew and Phillip eventually tried their hand at other occupations.

Her sons all married girls of German descent: Andrew married, Dorothy Klein; Martin married, Sophia Pitz; Christian married, Mary Pitz & Philip married, Agnes Piper.

Kate married, Prussian immigrant William Fashbaugh, the civil war soldier & coal miner. William aka Billy Fashbaugh became like a brother to the Ries boys. The Fashbaugh family, including Billy's older brother John Fashbaugh, had a close relationship to the entire Ries family.

Eventually, Catharine Ames Ries became the proud Grandmother of 23 grandchildren.

The Ries grandchildren were: Christian Conrad; William Henry; Frederick Philip; Charles Martin; Catharine M.; Eliza F.; Dorothy; Henry William; Flora; Dora; the twins - Christian Philip & Mary Sophia; Louis Albert; Charles; William; Laura; Emma & George Ries.


The Fashbaugh grandchildren were: Dorothea Elizabeth; Henry Christian; Charles William (died: 1879); Catharine Christine (died: 1879); & Edward Martin Fashbaugh.


It was noted in Catharine's obituary that she was also the Great-Grandmother of 28 great-grandchildren.

1904 – DEATH of Catharine Ames Ries
16 FEB 1904, Crystal Springs, Stark County, Ohio. Catharine Ames Ries died just one day before she would have turned 91 years old.

She had been one of the oldest residents of the area. Her funeral was held in the home and at St. John's German Reformed Church in, Massillon, Ohio.

The pall bearers were six of her grandsons, Charles, Fred and Lewis Ries of Crystal Springs and Charles and Harvey Ries, and Edward Fashbaugh all of, Massillon.

Catharine Ames Ries' grave is located at Massillon Cemetery, Section 7, Row 4. She is buried between her daughter Catharine ‘Kate' Fashbaugh and her granddaughter-in-law, Susan Idella Fashbaugh – [Susan was the first wife of her grandson, Edward Martin Fashbaugh.]

Bio by - Gwen Fashbaugh Johnson