The sponsors at John's baptism were his parents, John Lessig and Margaret Meixsell, . He was married to Elizabeth "Eliza" Altemus (daughter of Michael Altemus Jr and Elizabeth Markwart) 18 Jan 1854 in Monroe Co., Pennsylvania by Rev. Becker.

They were blessed with eleven children:
1. Sarah Elizabeth Lessig b. 1854
2. Caroline "Calla" Jabell Lessig b. 1856
3. William Lessig b. 1860
4. Mary Alice Lessig b. 1865
5. Emma Katherine Lessig b. 1867
6. Frank Lessig b. 1869
7. Joseph Alvin Lessig b. 1871
8. Lydia Edith Lessig b. 1873
9. Albert Lessig b. 1877
10. Lenor "Bay" Lessig b. 1878
11. Frederck" Freddie" Lessig

John was a laborer. John owned no real estate and had personal property of only $100. (1860 census, microfilm roll #1142, Monroe Co., PA, Ross Twp., house #775)

A year later John Lessig joined the Union Army. He served as a Private in Company D of the 67th Regiment from 28 Aug 1861 to 14 July 1865 during the Civil War. His regiment saw action at Winchester and Fredericksburg.

Around 1865-1867 John and his family left Monroe County and settled in Adams County, Wisconsin, on Roche Cri Creek, where John operated a gristmill and sawmill. In the early 1870s, they moved again to Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, where the chidren attended public school. John was head sawyer at the John Rablin sawmill. He also worked as a carpenter on the first "Green Bae" railroad bridge. The final move was to the town of Rudolph, Wisconsin, where John bought 40 acres of un-cleared land near the Worden stone quarry. He furnished rock for the building of the original Howe School and for the courthouse.

Later John, with sons William and Franklin, erected a sawmill and brickyard on their land. Lessig brick was used for most of the brick business buildings in Grand Rapids and for residences throughout the county. John also built a large brick mansion for his family at Rudolph.

In 1904, the year of his 50th wedding anniversary, John fell from a horse. The mishap left him in pain for the rest of his life. On 2 March 1916 John died and the Rudolph brick-making enterprise was closed. Eliza died 18 April 1932 at the age of 97. Their daughter, Lydia, continued to live in the family mansion. The house was later sold to Charles Wallace. On 2 October 1959 the mansion was consumed in a fire. (Above information from a newspaper article on the Lessig family in "The Daily Tribune", Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Saturday, 30 Nov 1991)

Two of John M.Lessig's descendants are Susanne Heck of Canton, Ohio, and Susan M. Sadler of Cottekill, NY