Karl (Charles) M. Ried's German Origins

Karl M. Ried  (1827-1862) from Germany to the States

We already know that Karl Ried is the father of Matthias Ried of Conshohocken, Pa., but what we haven't learned yet are his origins.

Karl M. Ried was born in Langen, Steinbach am Durlach, Baden, Germany August 7, 1827.  He was the son of Matheus Ried born June 25, 1797 and Magdalena Denninger born November 6, 1798 both of Langensteinbach, Baden, Germany.  Today this is Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

A Church in Langensteinbach, Baden

Matheus Ried, born June 25, 1797, was the son of Friederich Ried and Elisabetha Raulch (birth dates unknown at this time.)  Magdalena Denninger born November 6, 1798 was the daughter of Adam Friedrich Denninger and Maria Catharina Knab (birth dates unknown at this time.)  You'll notice that many of the family names such as Matthias, Charles Matthias, Wilhelmina, Magdalena, and Friedrich repeat throughout the Ried family generations.

Karl M. Ried's Siblings

Parents, Matheus Ried (b.1797) and Magdalena Denninger (b.1798) had several children all born and christened in Langensteinbach, Baden, Germany.

Their known children are:

Magdalena b. 1817

Elisabetha b. 1819

Katharina b. 1821

Margaretha b. 1824

Karl  M. b. 1827 (more below)

Anna Maria b. 1830

Juliana b. 1833

Jakob b. 1838

Karl (Charles) M. Ried's Children (The Lumberton, NJ Family)

Karl M. Ried and Wilhelmina Bischoff had five children.  After the civil war battle death of Karl, Wilhelmina raised them on her own.  While alive, Karl was a shoemaker.  Some of his sons continued the family business owning their own shoe manufacturing company in Lumberton, NJ.  Following Karl's death, Wilhelmina received a widow's pension from the government.  She seems to have always lived in her own home with the exception of her last years.

Children of Karl (Charles) M. Ried and Wilhelmina Bischoff are:

1. Edmund Friedrich Ried   b. 1851

2. Henry William Ried         b. 1853

3. Matthias Ried                 b. 1855

4. Wilhelmina Ried              b. 1857

5. Charles M.                     b. 1860

More on the siblings

1. Edmund Friedrich Ried (1851-1898), first child of Karl M. and Wilhelmina Ried, married Anna Maria Karge and the couple had 8 children.  This family lived in the Lumberton/Mt. Holly, NJ area.

From The Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey (Volume 6) by Francis Bazley Lee at www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/francis-bazley-lee.shtml

"Edward F., eldest son and child of Charles and Wilhelmina (Bischoff) Ried, was born in Lumberton, New Jersey, May 17, 1851. and died there in 1898. After leaving school he learned the trade of shoemaking and became a practical workman of the days when shoes were made by hand instead of with machines and other modern mechanical appliances. In 1879 he became partner in the firm of F. E. Shinn & Co., manufacturers of shoes, and so continued for two years, when the Lumberton Shoe Company was incorporated and succeeded to the business formerly carried on by the firm of which he was a member. Mr. Ried was a director of the company and actively connected with the operation of its factory for one year, and at the end of that time he established himself in the same line of business under the style of E. F. Ried & Co., continuing the manufacture of shoes until the time of his death. Mr. Ried was an energetic, capable and straightforward business man and his efforts in life were rewarded with gratifying success. A firm Democrat, he served in various capacities, such as township clerk, school trustee, postmaster under President Cleveland's administration, and other offices. He was a member and trustee of the Lutheran church, member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics and also of Mt. Holly Lodge, No. 14, Free and Accepted Masons. In 1872 he married Anna M. Karge, who was born in 1852 and by whom he had eight children:

1. George Frederick, born November 17, 1874.
2. Edward, born October 23, 1876, engaged in business with his elder brother; married Irene Elder, of Lumberton, and has one daughter, Irene Elder Ried.
3. Philip, born March, 1878, merchant of Lumberton: married Sarah A. Amish, of Lumberton, and has one son, Kenneth F. Ried.
4. Anna AL, born 1881, married William J. Oatman, and has two children, Gladys R. and Edward E.      Oatman.
5. Caleb R., born 1884, died 1905; married Anna M. Cobb.
6. Johnson H., born December 26, 1886, lives in Lumberton.
7. Lillian, born May, 1889.
8. Francis W., born 1892."

2. William Henry Ried (1853-1920), second born son of Karl (Charles) M. and Wilhelmina Ried was a doctor or earned a doctorate degree.  His tombstone reads Dr. Henry William Ried (see below)

On one of the census he's listed as Wm H. Ried.

He married Pauline Moser and the couple had four children:

J. Percival, Edward F., Charles, and William Heinrich

I'm still in search of information regarding his doctorate.

3. Matthias Ried (1855-1906) married Mary Ann Little, daughter of Charles W. and Sarah Ann Little.  The couple had 10 children, two are unknown at this time, the others are:

Lillian May, Charles M., Wilhelmina, Mattie, Effie Mabel, Robert Raymond, Florence V., and Almira W.

It is unknown why he was the only sibling to move so far from his family.  I suspect that he met his wife who was born in Philadelphia and then the couple settled in an area where he could start his own barber shop.  Of interest to me is that my King family lived in West Conshohocken and very close to the Rieds in the same time period.  It is most likely that the Kings would have visited the Ried's barber shop.

4. Wilhelmina Ried (1857-1909) married Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr.  Johnson Oatman was a Reverend, and a singer composer.  Wilhelmina Ried and Johnson Oatman had four children, Charles Percival, Miriam E., Rachel M., and Bertha Cline. 

Online I found this information regarding Johnson Oatman, Jr.

From http://www.hymnary.org/person/Oatman_J

"Johnson Oatman, Jr., son of Johnson and Each el Ann Oatman(sic Rachel), was born near Medford, N. J., April 21, 1856. His father was an excellent singer, and it always delighted the son to sit by his side and hear him sing the songs of the church.

Outside of the usual time spent in the public schools, Mr. Oatman received his education at Herbert's Academy, Princetown, N. J., and the New Jersey Collegiate Institute, Bordentown, N. J. At the age of nineteen he joined the M.E. Church, and a few years later he was granted a license to preach the Gospel, and still later he was regularly ordained by Bishop Merrill. However, Mr. Oatman only serves as a local preacher. "

From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=132328

"This song "Count your Blessings" has long been a well-loved thanksgiving song. Edwin Excell composed the tune for the poem/lyrics written by Johnson Oatman, Jr.

American Hymn-writer Johnson Oatman, Jr.

Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr. (born in 1856 near Medford, NJ, was an important and prolific Gospel songwriter of the late 19th C. and early 20th C. His father, Johnson Oatman Sr,, was a talented singer and familiarized his son with many church hymns. The younger Oatman joined the Methodist Church at age 19 and years later was ordained to preach in local Methodist congregations. Though primary career was in marketing and business administration, he wrote the lyrics to over 5,000 hymns."

Rev. Johnson Oatman Jr.

On the Internet I found this information regarding their daughter Miriam E.

From www.carpenterpitkin.com/familyrecords/d80.htm

"Dr. Miriam Eulalie Oatman died. Daughter of Johnson Oatman and Wilhelmina Ried. Author and research worker in Political Science and comprehensive government and administration. Member of the National Woman's Party, League for Individual Political Action, co-director, New Mexico "Little Hoover Community" 1951-1952 (Jim and Daphne Holden notes) She was married to Frederick Frank Blachly on 29 Nov 1914 in Lumberton children Frederick Johnson Oatman Blachly, Charles Howard Blachly, and Rachel Ann (Daphne) Blachly."

From http://www.hymnary.org/person/Oatman_ME1

"Miriam Oatman was the daughter of Joseph Oatman, Jr. and married Frederick F. Blachly. She was a political scientist and served on the Brookings Institution from 1925 to 1933 and taught political science and economics at the American University Graduate School in the 1930’s, and 1940’s. She also wrote over three hundred hymns and composed the music to several of her father's hymns. "How the Fire Fell" is perhaps the most widely known."


Published "The government and administration of Germany." By Frederick F. Blachly and Miriam E. Oatman. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. 1928. Pp. xiv, 770
"The Government of Oklahoma." By Frederick F. Blachly and Miriam E. Oatman. Oklahoma City: Harlow Publishing Company, 1924. 678 pp.

5. Charles M. Ried (1860-pre 1895) married Anna B. Sommerville.  The couple had 3 children. 
Charles Matthias, Eugene W., and Andreas.  Anna remarried Anthony Hurschler and spent most of her life linging in Trenton, NJ.  Anna and Anthony had a child Jacob Gettler Hurschler.

That concludes this blog.  Soon to come - Information regarding Wilhelmina Bischoff Ried's nativity and Lumberton relatives.