Surname Saturday - December 5, 2009

Dreher

Henry Sr. and Josephine [Benzel] Dreher

The elusive Dreher family!

Alas, I can take this family back only to my great-great-grandfather, Gottleib Dreher. I have been unable to go farther, being unable to locate Gottleib's immigration to this country, or his marriage to Sarah, his wife.

And while in Germany, I was overwhelmed with the many Dreher's in existence there! And since, not knowing where Gottlieb came from, it could have been any one of the many I was aware of, or all of them, or even none of them! [Much like trying to locate the correct "Smith" or "Jones" family here in the U.S.!]

But here is what I do know on the Dreher's:

My mother was born: Lois Velleda Dreher [b. 1938 - Indiana]. She is the daughter of Henry C. Dreher, Jr. [1902-1977]. He was was the sone of Henry C. Dreher, Sr. [see photo above; 1863-1925]. And he was the son of Gottlieb [b. 1827, Baden - d. 1893].

We know that Gottlieb immigrated to this country sometime before 1854, when his eldest child, Susan, was born in Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY. [Wife Sarah states on the 1900 Census that she immigrated in 1832 at age 3.]

We know that according to the 1860 Census [the only one on which we have Gottlieb thusfar], that his occupation was that of a blacksmith.

Part of the problem in locating information on this family is the variations in the spelling of the surname: Dreher. I have found it spelled Dreer, Drier, Dryer, Treyor, Treeor, Treer, Trier, Traiuer, etc. The children of Gottlieb and Sarah all had their surname listed as Dreher on the various official documents listing their names. And on Gottlieb's death certificate his surname is spelled Dreher.

Alas, I continue to search for this family's past, reaching only as far back as the birthdate of the eldest daughter, Susan in 1854.