Seitz Family History & Genealogy

Frances Margaret Seitz was born Tuesday, February 14, 1882 to Jacob and Catherine Seitz in Cleveland, Ohio. Frances was baptized shortly thereafter in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Cleveland. Frances Margaret Seitz married Harry Michael O'Keefe on Wednesday, November 11, 1903 in St. Francis' Church, Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. F. Metternich officiated. The new Mrs. Frances O'Keefe was 21 and he was 27 years old. He had returned from fighting in the Philippines a little over eighteen months previously. They had three children. Harry and Frances moved in with his parents for about a year when their first child, Gertrude Catherine O'Keefe was born October 19, 1904 and again when Edward Joseph O'Keefe arrived on May 11, 1907. In 1910 they moved to 1460 East 93rd Street, which would be their home until 1926. Bernice Frances O'Keefe was born December 23, 1917. When Bernice was born Frances was 35 and Harry was 41. Gert was 13 and Ed 10 years old.

On August 16, 1922, at the age of 45 Harry joined the U. S. Government's Veteran's Bureau (later called Veteran's Administration) serving in Dayton, Columbus, Lexington and Toledo before finally being assigned to the Cleveland office. Frances was left to run the household while her husband worked out of town. About the same time her son Edward started working full time when he left school after finishing the ninth grade at the age of 16. A few years later, Harry and Frances bought a home that had been built in 1927 at 1251 Irene Road, Lyndhurst Village in what was called the Mayfield Highlands. Ed moved out a few years before he got married on November 8, 1932 and, Gert, her oldest daughter was married on January 26, 1933.

Frances' husband Harry died October 9, 1937 at his home 1251 Irene Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio from angina pectoris (heart problems) at the age of 60. Frances was 55 when Harry died. After a funeral mass at St. Gregory the Great Church, he was buried at Calvary Cemetary. Harry and Frances were married 33 years.

Bernice was 19 when her father died and was living at home with her mother on Irene Road. On August 9, 1941 Bernice married Edward Charles Feller. Bernice was 23 years old and Ed was 22. Ed Feller was soon serving in the US Army during the Second World War. Bernice continued to live with her mother on Irene Road until Ed came back from the service in 1944. Frances sold the house on Irene and moved into a duplex with Ed and Bernice. Frances lived with Bernice and her family for the next twenty years. After a short stay in the hospital, Frances moved into the apartment on Wellesley with her daughter Gert a few years after Gert's husband Dan's death in 1961. Gert and Frances later moved to the retirement apartments that were built where Euclid Beach Park had been located. Frances, needing more care, was moved to Greenlawn nursing home in Concord, Ohio for several years before her death. Frances died October 20, 1980 at the age of 98. After the Mass of Resurrection, she was buried next to her husband of 33 years; some 43 years after his death, in Calvary Cemetery section 12 lot 183.

Jacob was born Thursday, November 7, 1844 to Wilhelm Seitz and Wilhalminia Seitz (nee Kemeras) in part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire later defined as Berlin, Germany. Jacob came to the United States as a young man in September 1867 at the age of 23. Catherine arrived in the US in 1868. Jacob Seitz married Catherine Grohs on Monday, December 14, 1868 in the Church of St. Peter located at E. 17th and Superior in Cleveland, Ohio. Reverend F. Westerholt officiated. Jacob was 24 and Catherine was 21 years old. Jacob was a blacksmith. They had five children over a sixteen-year period. Wilhelm J. or Will as he called himself was born September 8, 1869. Will was a US citizen by birth and later a printer by trade. Jacob filed his Declaration of Intention (to become a citizen) or First Papers in Probate Court in Cleveland on June 13, 1874. On July 29, 1876, Jacob filed his Petition for Naturalization or Final Papers in Probate Court in Cleveland and received US citizenship that day for himself and his wife. Katherine E., called Kate, was born October 29, 1877. Phillip J. was born March 20, 1880. Phil was a professional photographer. Frances Margaret was born February 14, 1882. The youngest was Frank G. born February 1886. When Frank was born his father was 41 and his mother was 38. His sibling's ages were William 16, Kate 8, Phil 6 and Frances 4. Frank would eventually work with his brother Phil in the photography business. All the children were born at home in Cleveland.

Jacob suffered from hemophilia, the inability of his blood to clot. He would eventually pass on this condition through his daughters to his grandson(s). There is no evidence that he was aware of this condition but if he got cut or injured it would have immediately become apparent.

In 1886 Jacob bought a large family plot (section NEW lot 328 part ALL) in St. Joseph's Cemetary located at 7916 Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. Over the years, he provided a burial place for some eleven people as listed below:
Name Date Relationship
Ann(e) Gennelly April 29, 1886 ?
Francisca Seitz March 10, 1896 his son Will's daughter (21 days old)
Jacob Adams December 10, 1899 his son Frank's future wife's father
Gertrude Seitz March 15, 1900 his son Will's daughter (20 days old)
Beatrice Seitz March 28, 1914 his son Frank's daughter (age 2)
Jacob C. Seitz December 24, 1922 himself
Barbara Adams April 2, 1923 his son Frank's mother-in-law
Frances Seitz (nee Von Paris) March 31, 1928 his son Will's wife
Catherine Seitz July 11, 1936 his wife
Will J. Seitz March 9, 1949 his son
Katherine (Kate) E. Seitz January 28, 1965 his daughter

In 1906 the family moved to 1230 E. 89th street in Cleveland, which would be the family home until 1928. Jacob's oldest son, William, lived right next door with his family at 1228 E. 89th Street during the same period. Jacob C. Seitz died in his home at 1230 E. 89th street Cleveland, Ohio on December 24, 1922. He was 78 years old. Jacob and his wife Catherine were married 54 years. The wake was held at the family home. After a Requiem Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church he was buried in the family plot that he had purchased 36 years earlier.