Rosina Dorothea Wolf (far right) and sisters either, Elizabeth Caroline, Caroline "Louisa," or Christine Fredericke
(Photograph contributed by Rhoda Woodal and Harry Alston Spade, Jr.)
When asked whether the woman sitting in this photo could have been "our" Rosina's mother who also came to America from Germany and was also named Rosina, Harry Spade wrote, "The elder Rosina died in 1862, when the younger (Rosina Dorothea) was only 30 years old. I can pretty much guarantee none of those women are under 30, and the style of picture was definitely later than 1862, probably the 1890s. The original that I copied is in the possession of Rhoda Woodal of Warfordsburg, PA. She's a granddaughter of Nathan Spade and great granddaughter of Rosina Wolf Spade and Anton Spade."
Thank you for visiting our Web Site. The purpose of this site is to provide a place for Wolf family members to contact each other for the purpose of sharing our family history and photographs. This history of our matriarch, Rosina Dorothea Wolf Späth (a.k.a. Spade) was compiled through the research efforts of Bruce Allen Spade, Harry Alston Spade, Jr., John Albert Spade, S. Spade Kershaw, Wendelin Erslinger, Bill Wolf and the contributions of countless other Spade and Wolf family members and other historians, both German and American. We have much more historical information than we are able to display here and know there is MUCH more information we have to learn. We would love to find more photos of our Wolf ancestors and descendants to share. Please tell other Wolf family members about this web site.
ROSINA DOROTHEA WOLF was born at home on April 9, 1832 in Hausen, Murrhardt, Württemberg in what is now Germany. Her birth record indicates that she was born at “12 o’clock at night.” She was baptized the next day on April 10 in a church in Murrhardt. Her father was Jakob Friederich Wolf a citizen and farmer in Hausen, and her mother was Rosina Daiß (Daiss) from Trailhof. The witnesses to her baptism and also her Godparents were Leonhard Daisß (Daiss), citizen and farmer in Trailhof, and his unmarried daughter Dorothea. Since Rosina’s maternal grandfather’s name was also named Leonard Daiß, he may have been the same Leonhard Daiß named as her Godfather, or it may have been another relative. (Source: LDS film #195538)
Rosina's German birth record indicates:
Name of Child: Rosina Dorothea
Parents: Jakob Friederich Wolf, citizen and farmer in Hausen, Germany Wife Rosina Daiß (Daiss) from Trailhof, Germany
Time and Date of Birth: April 9, 1832 at 12 o'clock at night
Place and Day of Baptism: April 10, 1832 in Murrhardt, Wuertemberg, Germany
Witnesses and Godparents: Leonhard Daiss, citizen and farmer in Trailhof and his unmarried daughter Dorothea
Rosina's German Birth Record Document
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Rosina's Birth Place
Today Rosina’s birth place of Hausen has about one hundred forty-one inhabitants and is incorporated into the town of Murrhardt. Her mother’s birthplace of Trailhof has approximately fifty-eight inhabitants and is incorporated into the town of Auenwald, which is about five miles southwest of Murrhardt.We believe Rosina was the fourth born of seven children. Our current research indicates that she had one older brother, two older sisters, two younger brothers and one younger sister. Fifteen years after her father died in 1838, her mother--also named Rosina--and all the living children except Rosina's younger brother, Johann Gottliebin Wolf, emigrated to America.
Rosina's Immediate Family Genealogy Chart -- her parents, siblings and spouses of Rosina and her siblings
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Rosina's Direct Ancestors Chart
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All Currently Known Direct Ancestors of Rosina Chart
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Local History from Bruce Allen Spade:
"These records on Murrhardt are filmed back to 1561 so it's just a matter of looking at each one in order to take Rosina's family way back. Her siblings are on the same film as her, so we need to see if there were more siblings. With all the wars, disease, famine, and a hard life, I don't know how we made it. There was no Germany military in the 1830s and no real German unity. Since the territory of Wüerttemberg had no general military service, there was no fixed age to be called or recruited. The Napoleonic Wars went on until 1815 or 1816. So for at least a decade, young men were drafted to go to bear arms. Wüerttemberg was fighting as a vassal of Napoleon in the years prior to 1813. Later, the coalitions changed and Wüerttemberg went to the other side to the Allianz of Prussia and Russia. In Wüerttemberg, nearly all of the surviving soldiers got a medal of merit, and a list of all honored men was published in the Veteranenchronik (Veterans'Chronicle of Wuerttemberg). On a recent trip to Stuttgart to investigate the Veteranenchronik, our historian in Germany found neither the Wolf or Daiß (Daiss) names were listed, but informed us if we have traced our ancestors to the beginning of the church records of Murrhardt, there is a small book also available in the main library in Stuttgart listing the oldest names of this area out of older records than the church books. This publication, however, must be ordered since many other researchers are often borrowing it."
Emigrating to America
Rosina applied for emigration to America in July 1853. Following is a translation of her application document:
"On application for emigration in July, 1853, Rosina Dorothea Wolf declares to emigrate to America and to settle there, the village council certifies:1853 German Application for Emigration to America for Rosina Dorothea Wolf Document
- That Rosina Dorothea Wolf is the legitimate daughter of the deceased Jakob Friederich Wolf, citizen of Hausen and of his wife, Rosina *nee* (maiden name) Daiss, born 9 April 1832.
- That she professes Protestant denomination.
- That she is not married.
- That she is a Wurttemberg citizen in Murrhardt.
- She does not suffer from any mental deficiency according to the law of ...;
- That she owns, according to the inventory after her father's death, 276 florins and 20 kreutzers."
Some 15 years after her father died, Rosina sailed from Le Havre France to America on the ship "JUVENTA," arriving June 9, 1854 when she was 22 years old. She came with her sister, Christine. A brother, two other sisters, and her mother came at different times. An uncle, John Wolf, had emigrated between 1836 and 1842 and lived in York Co., PA.
Rosina was known to smoke a clay pipe. John Albert Spade writes: "It was not uncommon for women to smoke pipes and cigars after tobacco was introduced to the Europeans. During the colonial days and in subsequent years, I'm sure the tobacco growers and the brokers encouraged such practice. I don't think it fell out of vogue until the Temperance League campaigned against drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and prostitution. Farming families always put in a store of cobs for fuel to supplement the Sears and Roebuck catalogue in the outhouse and kept aside the best ones to fashion into corncob pipes.”
Rosina Married Anthony Spade (a.k.a. Anton Späth) at Age 23
Transcription of Marriage Record“This certifies that the rites of Holy Matrimony were celebrated between Anthony Spade of Railroad, York County, and Rosanna D. Wolfe of New Freedom, York County, on November 13, 1855.”
In the June 1880 federal census, Rosina was 48 years old and was married to Anthony Spade, and living in the Brush Creek Township of Fulton Co., Pa. [Source: Harry Alston Spade Jr., September 30, 2003]
Anton and Rosina Dorothea Wolf Späth
Photograph taken about 1880
(Photograph contributed by Harry A. Spade, Jr.)Rosina and Anton had 12 children--all sons:
- John George Spade
- Joseph Leonard Spade
- Charles Henry Spade
- Christopher Wilhelm Spade
- Anthony Spade, Jr.
- George Albert Spade
- Jacob Fredrick Spade
- Wilhelm Franklin Spade
- James Silvester Spade
- Nathan Banks Spade
- Franklin Benjamin Spade
- William Howard Spade
(Front L-R) Anton (a.k.a. Anthony), Rosina Dorothea Wolf Spade and their sons:
(Rear L-R) Nathan Banks, John George, James Silvester, Joseph Leonard, Charles Henry,
Christian Wilhelm, Anthony Jr., Franklin Benjamin, Jacob Frederick, and William Howard Spade
(Photograph contributed by Harry A. Spade, Jr., Sidney Edward "Sid" and Barbara Spade Martin, Jr. and Others)
Note: It is our policy to not include any private birth, marriage, or death information for any living person on this web site. If you find any errors in the information listed here or if we have included information for a person you know is still living, please email us immediately at txauthor@yahoo.com, and we will take action as soon as we receive your email.
Sometime between Anton's death in 1901 and the 1910 Federal Census for Brush Creek Township, Rosina went to live with her son Christian Wilhelm Spade and his family. Harry Alston Spade, Jr. wrote, "Warren Arthur Spade and his late sister, Gladys Christabelle Spade, both related to me that they remember their grandmother living with them.” Gladys said, "The kids thought it was funny when Grandma read the Bible in German."
Rosina Dorothea Wolf Spade
Photo taken April 9, 1910 believed to be taken while she lived with her son Christian
(Photo contributed by Eileen Carpenter)
OBITUARY #1Mrs. Anthony Spade died March 18, 1920 from a disease incident to old age, at the home of her son, Christian Wilhelm Spade. Her husband preceded her to the grave several years ago. She leaves the following sons to mourn the loss of a loving mother: C. W. Spade of Emmaville, Jacob F. Spade of Illinois, Joseph Spade of Altoona, Frank of Sipes Mill, John of Hancock , Maryland, Nathan of Buck Valley, William in the west, Anthony of Emmaville and George of Kansas. Interment was made Sunday.
OBITUARY #2Mrs. Dorothy Rosa Spade, after a lingering illness due to advanced age, died in the home of her son Chris Spade near Emmaville, March 18, 1920, aged 87 years, 11 months and 9 days.Interment was made at the Cherry Lane Brethren Church, of which she had been a faithful member for several years. Funeral was conducted by Rev. William Ritchey and Rev. Van Horn of Snake Spring Valley. Her husband died 18 years ago.
Mrs. Spade is the mother of twelve sons, eleven of whom survived her, seventy-two grandchildren, and seventy-eight great-grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Spade came across from Germany in their youth and from then until their deaths made America their home.
From Harry Alston Spade, Jr.:
We have concluded that Jacob Wolf, Rosina's father, died in Germany. The Wolfs wound up in southern York County, PA where presumably Rosina and Anthony Spade met. Her mother, Rosa Dora Wolf, is buried at Sadler's Church near Shrewsbury. Two of the Spade boys, Wilhelm Franklin and James Silvester, are buried there as well. We're not sure why they moved there. There are still Wolfs living in the area, but we haven't contacted any of them yet.Rosina may not be buried on this grave site. Her name is on the opposite side of the gravestone, but no dates are engraved. We understand that the Snyder Church to which they belonged burned around 1930 and the cemetery was presumably abandoned. There aren’t many graves there and it’s barely 25% full.
The Opposite Side of Anthony Spade's Gravestone with no Final Inscription for Rosina
Anton Späth and "Spade Family in America" Home Page
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