Johann Wendel Schuetz who moved to Thalfroeschen is the third son of Johann Friedrich
who with his brother Ludwig were blacksmiths in Voderweidenthal. Their lineages have been
extensively researched by the Ohio River Valley Families website and two others. Many of
their descendants immigrated to Pennsylvania and Ohio at an earlier period than our lineage.
Freidrich and Ludwig were sons of Joh. Henrich Schuetz of Lagensoultzbach, Bas-Rhin, Alsace
(France at that time, but before 1648 and during the late 19th century under German administration
and German-speaking). Heinrich's older brother, Joh. Jacob, settled in Froeschwiller, just three miles
from Langensoultzbach, and practically on the German border near Voderweidenthal.
The two brothers had large families and some of their descendants at a very early period immigrated to the US,
also in PA and OH mostly.
Heinrich and Jacob were also blacksmiths and son of a blacksmith Hans Schuetz who married in
Duntzenheim, Alsace, some 25 miles or so southwest of Langensoultzbach.
Both Heinrich and Jacob were born there. Hans seems to have apprenticed as a blacksmith with the local burgher,
blacksmith and schoolteacher, Hans Jacob Schmidt, and Hans married Jacob's daughter Maria Barbara Schmidt.
They seem to have come from Wurttemberg just across the Rhine to the east.
Hans father is said to have been Hans Schuetz, shoemaker, of Bantigen, Bern, Switzerland.
Bantigen is a lovely but tiny hamlet on the slopes of the famed The Bantiger mountain just northeast
of the city of Bern in the parish of Bollinger. Research is continuing to confirm and expand this information.
[Son of Noel Schuetz of St. Louis, who was son of Christian Michael Schuetz of Washington Country,
who was son of Christian Schuetz who immigrated to the US with his father Peter and mother Louis and
his brothers Jacob, Daniel, Peter, Conrad and his sister Louise.]