About the principal researcher, Harry Wettig

Many of you have asked about me and my family. I hope that this autobiographical sketch will give you some idea of my background and, maybe, help you understand why I have decided to pursue this story of the Wettig Family.

Heinrich Friedrick and Louisa Maria (Wöbbeking) Wettig were born in Neustadt am Rübenberge, in Hannover, Prußia. They married and emigrated to Cincinnati in 1849, and then to Covington in 1853. They had six children. Their firstborn son, Henry, was born in 1854. He learned the trade of the family, Cabinet making, and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He either taught or practiced Cabinet making at Georgia Tech University. He married Ella Patricia Holloran who had migrated to Atlanta from Ireland and Tennessee. They had six children.

Their first, Harry, was born in Atlanta, in 1891. He married Ida C. Leigh, who was from Jacksonville, Florida. Ida died in 1916 the same year that Harry's parents, Henry and Ella Patricia, died. Harry and Ida had two daughters. Ella was born in 1913 and died in the late 1970's in Florida. Grace was born on 5 June 1915, and now lives in Jacksonville, Florida. Her husband, Edward Foyles Bradshaw, died in the spring of 1995.

Harry, a printer, moved to Wilmington, N. C. after Ida's death. He formed the Wilmington Stamp & Printing Company with two local men, Fred Little and Sam Yopp. Working in the bindery was a young woman, Harriet Vina (Wolf) Marshall, who had lost her husband, just a few months before the birth of her first child, Jesse, in 1915. Harry and Vina were married and had four children - Frances, born 1922; Jeanette, born 1923; Harry, your Editor, born 1925; and Elizabeth, born 1927 and died in 1981. More about all of these Wettigs later. But let me tell you that there has never been a family of "His, Hers, and Ours" that had so much fun, had such deep love and so much respect and support for each other as this family Wettig of Wilmington, North Carolina.

After having four girls, Harry had about given up hope of having a son. Number five did the trick and I arrived on January 1, 1925. Needless to say, I was quite spoiled. Jesse was 10 years old at this time and I got all of the attention that a male child needs to fit him for his role in life - just kidding, girls! Our family was "outgoing." We danced, we sang, we participated in school activities, we had special projects of our own. When I was eight years old I had an accident and damaged a knee. Dad responded to this by bringing home a small printing press and many fonts of type so that I could learn something while not out running around. Soon I was printing tickets for all of the Church and School activities.

Harry age 9 months

I have never been a genealogy nut, but Erin says I may be getting that way now. I have never learned to speak German, but I used to speak French and a little Spanish. They don't help much with the genealogical research of the Family Wettig. With the help of several multilingual members of the family, and a computer based translation program, I can correspond with the family from around the world. I would love to hear from any Wettigs, whether identified in this genealogy or not. Write to us at