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Hoy Family

 Missouria Frances (Ritter) Wolfe

Frances Wolfe

Born - March 10, 1844

On her Father's Farm

Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Married - July 25, 1866

Henry County Ohio

Died - February 19, 1929

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Buried - Forest Rose Cemetery,

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Photographs Courtesy of the Karen (McLean) (Wolfe) Caswell  Web-Site

Fun Facts About Frances Ritter Wolfe

Frances Ritter started to school when she was three years old in the little school house that was built on land given by her father, Joseph Ritter, and which adjoined the Ritter farm. Until she was about seven or eight years old she spoke nothing but German, which language was then as prevalent in Fairfield County as was English. About the year 1851 she moved with her family to Henry County,

and settled near Napoleon, Ohio.

There her father took possession of a section and a half of virgin forest land situated along the banks of the Maumee River. He built a log cabin and the family entered into a pioneer life.

Frances Ritter was a remarkable woman. She was of an unusually kindly and friendly disposition, but of strong character. Her convictions were strong and with these she never temporized but was very positive. And when the occasion required she was uncompromisingly immovable and stern.

 But her mind was open and she was well informed.

She also took great pleasure in her grandchildren and was genuinely and deeply interested in them. On their visits with her she saw to it that they enjoyed themselves. While the children no doubt thought they had the run of the place, she had an unobtrusive way of knowing where they were and what they were doing. Many times during the day she made her appearance, and in her kindly manner, inquired as to their fun. She was not unmindful of childish appetites either, and so from time to time between meals there were handouts of cookies and delicious cherry pie made dry so it would not drip and soil their clothing. Whenever any of them were ill she most always came to sit by the bedside to ease the burden of illness with songs and stories.

 Her songs were usually of a Civil War vintage.
 

A great source of pleasure to her was her garden. She loved nothing better than to work in it all day long, and this she continued to do until she was almost 85 years old. She seldom missed going to church every Sunday, and until the last several years of her life, she always attended the Methodist Camp Meetings near Lancaster, for two or three weeks each summer.
 

In a very interesting and informative way she told many stories of things that happened a long time ago - of her childhood, of the Civil War, of Lincoln, of pioneer days. It is from her that the writer first became interested in these things. Many items of information we have about the Ritter's, the Hoys, the Wolfe's came from her or resulted from things she said. Her information has been found to be very accurate. Her mind was always strong and keen and remained so up to the very last. It is to be regretted that with her passing many things of great interest pertaining to the old families from which she sprang were lost.

 Frances Ritter was of the Evangelical Association and adamantly refused to become a Presbyterian when she came to Lancaster with her husband. Thus is was that they became members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Lancaster.

Exert Taken From

Husband - Ezra W. Wolfe

Born - October 20, 1837

On His Father's Farm

Madison Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Civil War Veteran

Died - March 20, 1902

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Buried - Forest Rose Cemetery,

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Ezra's Father - Salem Wolfe - 1807-1875

Ezra's Mother - Delilah Jane (Young) Wolfe -1807-1882

To This Union 5 Children Were Born

Fun Facts About Ezra W. Wolfe

During most of his life, Ezra W. Wolfe was an accomplished teacher of instrumental music, with band his specialty. At the age of sixteen he had his first band at Tarlton, Ohio. When the Civil War broke out he was teaching music at Indianapolis, and enlisted for three months period under General Lew Wallace, as it was thought at that time that the rebellion would be crushed within that length of time. General Lew Wallace commissioned him a captain and charged him with organizing a band. In a letter to President Lincoln, General Wallace said that if the government could not afford to pay the band he would do so himself. The band served with the 61st O. V. I. as the Regimental Band. In May 1862, by order of the War Department, it was mustered in General  Hugh Ewing's Brigade as Brigade Band. During the operations about Vicksburg, Mississippi, the band became disabled by death and sickness, and it was again discharged by special order from the War Department in May 1863.

 After that the band was reorganized as Post Band at Camp Chase, where it

His brother, John Wolfe, also served in his bands

Among other campaigns, he was with Sherman on his March to the Sea. For three nights he lay out in the snow in the Battle of the Wilderness. Twice he was invalidated with burst ear drums from cannon fire; but in later years it was his practice to go out on the porch during heavy thunder storms and listen to the thunder as it reminded him of cannon fire. His band was in the guard of honor when Lincoln's body was taken to the rotunda of the State House in Columbus where it lay in state for a day. As an officer, his side arm was a sword; but in later years he had the sword made into a corn cutter for he feared that his sons might injure themselves with it.

He was considered one the the finest buglers in the Union Army, but when his home burned in Lancaster, the fine silver bugle that his Tarlton band had given him at the beginning of the war was destroyed. Practically all the music for his bands was written by him by hand. there are on display in the Mormon Museum at Salt Lake City, two little music books that were written by him. He was personally acquainted with General Sherman and General Ewing, both of Lancaster, General  Sheridan, who lived twenty miles away at Somerset, and General Grant, all native Ohioans.

After the war, he taught band music in various towns in Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. At Napoleon, Ohio, where he had a band, he met Frances Ritter and married her in 1866.

Ezra inherited his land in south Lancaster, and there the family lived for many years.

Exert Taken From

 "A History of the Wolfe Family,"

Pages 13 & 14, by Herbert M. Turner
 

Daughter - Luella "Lulu" E. (Wolfe) Pickering

Born - October 15, 1867

Died - March 24, 1925

Buried - Forest Rose Cemetery,

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Husband - John W. Pickering

Born - September 1858

Died - May 29, 1932

Fairfield, Ohio

To This Union 1 Son Was Born

Son - Clarence Pickering - Born - 1904 - Ohio

Son - Salem Ritter Wolfe

Born - August 11, 1869

Married - August 22, 1909

Died - November 13, 1946

Buried - Forest Rose Cemetery,

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Wife - Pocahontas (Bowen) Wolfe

Born - September 21, 1877

No Children Were Born to This Union

Son - Wallace Ezra Wolfe

Born - May 18, 1873

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Married - June 7, 1900

Fairfield County, Ohio

Died - December 1945

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California

Wife - Margaret M. (Carpenter) Wolfe

Born - June 19, 1873

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Died - August 1955

Margaret's Father - Gabriel Charles Carpenter

Margaret's Mother - Rebecca Melissa (Fisher) Carpenter

To This Union 4 Children Were Born

Daughter - Frances Maud (Wolfe) Turner

Born - August 13, 1875

Hocking Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Husband - Perl D. Turner

Son - Royal D. Wolfe

Born - February 17, 1880

Hocking Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Married - 1919

Died - 1966

Buried - Forest Rose Cemetery,

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

Wife - Agnes "Lula Agues" (Uhl) Wolfe

Born - 1891 - Died - 1929

Buried - Forest Rose Cemetery,

Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio

To This Union 3 Children Were Born

Sister - Sarah Ritter

Born - 1838

Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Never Married

Died - 1932

Buried - Glenwood Cemetery,

Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio

Sister - Lydia (Ritter) Hartman

Born - February 12, 1839

Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Married - November 2, 1856

Henry County, Ohio

Died - June 10, 1924

Buried - Forest Hill Cemetery,

Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio

Husband - Nathaniel Hartman

Buried - Forest Hill Cemetery,

Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio

Sister - Katherine (Ritter) Grim

Born - July 4, 1846

Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Husband - Joseph Grim

Brother - John Ritter

Born - 1848

Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Died - 1912

Buried - Mausoleum, Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio

2nd Wife - Nan (Abbott) Ritter

Buried - Mausoleum, Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio

Sister - Samuel Ritter

Born - 1852

Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio

Married - May 24, 1877

Henry County, Ohio

Died - 1917

Buried - Forrest Hill Cemetery, Napoleon,

Henry County, Ohio

Wife - Hannah (Travis) Ritter

Buried - Forest Hill Cemetery, Napoleon,

Henry County, Ohio

To This Union 1 Son Was Born

Son - Charles R. Ritter

Wife - Lulu E. (Knipp) Ritter

Sister - Cynthia Ritter

Never Married

Buried - Lingle Cemetery, Napoleon,

Henry County, Ohio

Sister - Mary Ritter

Never Married

Died - 1902

Buried - Forest Hill Cemetery, Napoleon,

Henry County, Ohio

Sister - Augusta (Ritter) Mann 

Born - January 1856

Husband - George Frank Mann

Sister - Clara (Ritter) Lowry 

Born - 1857

Husband - John Albert Lowry

Sister - Jurya Ritter

Never Married

Died - 1878

Buried - Forest Hill Cemetery, Napoleon,

Henry County, Ohio

Father - Joseph Ritter

 Mother - Frances (Hoy) Ritter 

Maternal Grandfather - Daniel J. Hoy

Maternal Grandmother - Magdalena Eyer Hoy

Maternal Great - Grandfather - Johann Phillip (Heu) Hoy

(Phillip Hoy )

 Maternal Great - Grandmother - Barbara Hoy

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