My mother’s folks came from Alsace-Lorraine, France or Germany. It belonged to either country at different times. My grandfather’s name was Louis Diss. He was a carpenter. He learned the carpenter trade in France and he came over on a sailing vessel and got a job in New York. He was working on a big building in New York and was sitting on a windowsill when my grandmother, who had come on a sailing vessel about 6 months later than him, was walking down the street and looked up and recognized him! They had known each other in France, so it was only two months or so later that they got married. Her name was Mary Diebold. She had a very fine recommendation from some people in Montmarte, France that she would qualify as a good maid and especially an upstairs maid that the rich people might like in a hotel. At some point after they were married they lived in Avondale. My grandfather Diss worked for his cousin, a contractor. Frank Diss was the oldest child, then Gus and then a daughter Emma. Then they went to Jefferson City to build a barracks in the Civil War. They had a son born down there who’s name was Henry who died and he’s buried in Jefferson City, Indiana. Then they moved back to Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, USA My mother, Josephine, was the next child and she was born in Avondale after they came back from the Civil War project. She lived there until she was 4. My Grandfather Diss wanted to go into business for himself but did not want to go in opposition of his relative so he moved down to Delhi (which was known at the time as Muddy Creek). He lived in a log house until he had time to build a new house (that is still standing) on Hillside Ave. They had one other daughter named Odelia. We called her Aunt Tilly. She died I think in 1933 as a maiden. She was a seamstress who made her living sewing for other people.

Both of my mother’s brothers were carpenters the same as her father was. Many times when I met the old carpenters 60 or 70 years ago they remembered my Uncle Frank and my Uncle Gus Diss. Also, my Uncle Gus was the carpenter foreman and framed the roof on Music Hall here in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, USA

My mother (Josephine), who moved when she was 4 to “Muddy Creek," was 22 years old when she got married to my father. He was 25. They moved down to Muddy Creek and he worked for my grandfather, the carpenter contractor, for a while. I believe my oldest brother, Arthur, was born in Muddy Creek and also my sister Loretta. Loretta was born in 1890 on November 10. I was born next, I was 84 on September 30 this year (1976). Another sister, Florence, who was five years younger than I, died of pneumonia when she was seventeen in 1915. We had been on a farm until that time, but we moved into the town of Cheviot so that we could get “on the car” more readily than we could on the farm. The next child in our family was Louis. He passed away about a year ago. He was born in 1901. He was married to Clara Focke and they had one daughter. After him was Clarence born in 1903. He was married to the sister of Clara, Luella Focke, and they had one son, Jimmy. Aunt Mary is next. She was born in 1906 in May. She took care of my mother, Josephine, a good part of her life. My sister, Loretta took care of my mother after that. Mary is now a widow - having been married to Al Kenker the box manufacturer in Cheviot. The next and last is my brother Ralph who was born in 1908 and died in 1957. He was married to Helen Imholte. They had no children.

Contributor: Ronald J Repking - [email protected]