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Where did MY ancestors come from?
That's the question all children eventually ask! In the case of our Reece Family, the short answer is Germany, probably a small village
located near Nuremburg; however, the details of the point of origin and our ancestors' journey from Germany to Piedmont North Carolina,
as well as the evolution of our surname, require a much more complex and detailed explanation...
Sometime in the late 1950s, James "Jimmy" Levi Reece, Sr. (1922-1980), son of Martin Luther and Ida May (Hutchison) Reece, told his
children that his family name was originally Cocklereece -- and that his "grandfather" had changed the family name to Reece. He said that
unfortunately, the "sons" could not agree on the spelling of the name, and so various spellings were found among his "cousins" surnames,
i.e., Reece, Reese and Rees. Of course, she didn't think he was serious -- and thought it was most certainly just one of his entertaining
tales.
Nearly fifty years later, and some 20 years after his death, Jimmy Reece's daughter, recalling her father's "family name tale," embarked on a
quest to find the Cocklereece/Reece Family "roots"...and, her findings eventually confirmed her late father's memories!
Digging up our Reece Roots
In genealogy, researchers must start with what they "know to be fact"...that is, who their parents and grandparents are, or were, and then
go backward in time from that point. In the case of our Reece ancestors, a paper trail of the differences in the spelling of the surname was
quite apparent going back only a generation; however, finding the Cocklereece/Kachelriess connection was much more difficult to
ascertain...
One of the problems with researching our surname, is that its spelling changed from document to document. For example, during a
20-year period from the 1840s to 1860s, our ancestor Daniel Reece appears as Daniel Cocklereece (Cockelreese, Cockleruse,
Cocklerice, etc. ) and variations of Daniel Reece (Reese, Ruse, Rees, etc. )!
As evidenced by the census data, many of our ancestors could not read or write, and as a result were totally dependent upon English
"clerks" -- who spelled our ancestors German names phonetically (in English) in "official" public records (census, deeds, marriages, wills,
etc.).
To add further confusion, some clerks apparently thought Cocklereece was TWO names, Cockle and Reece (Cockle being a middle
name), and subsequently recorded our ancestors names as John C. Reece, Henry C. Reece, Daniel C. Reese, etc. Researching all these
variables was a bit tedious, to say the very least!
Fortunately, the age of personal computers, as well as access to the internet , proved to be fruitful in breaking through this clutter. Various
genealogy programs, websites, and messages boards eventually provided important clues to solving our family surname mystery.
As luck would have it, the missing link, and the key to understanding our Reece/Cocklereece ancestry, was contained in a German to
English translation of early 1800s birth and baptismal records of the Friedens Lutheran Church, a copy of which was located at the
Greensboro Public Library about 1999. This document provided the proof that Cocklereece had indeed originally been Kachelriess!
Eventually, the early Friedens' Church Records unlocked the door to our past.
After that key discovery, finding our probable first American ancestor was a fairly easy task...there was only one Kachelriess who arrived in
the Colonies during the right time frame, and that person was Nicolaus Kachelriess! Fortunately, Nicolaus was literate in German, and he
could spell his name...and his signature can be viewed on the Snow Molly's Ship's 1737 Manifest!
Nicolaus Kachelriess / Kachelrieß
The first documented Kachelriess (see note 1) in America was Nicolaus Kachelriess, who arrived on September 27, 1737 at the Port of
Philadelphia, aboard the ship Snow Molly, left from Amsterdam, Holland and sailed to America via Dover, England.
Other than his arrival and one early tax census, no record of this Nicolaus has survived. Circumstantial evidence leads us to believe he
was likely born between 1710-1717 in Germany, and travelled to the new world with his young bride and toddler sons. Nicolaus must have
died between 1738 and 1750, either in Pennsylvania, or perhaps on the trip to NC via the "Fall Lilne Road" (see note 2) which was the
major wagon route to the Carolinas, passing through old Hillsborough. Soon thereafter, his widow Mary remarried, and her two sons,
Michael and Tabolt (Theobald, probably) Kachelriess were raised by their stepfather, Mathias Miers/Myars/Myers.
Notes:
(1) The "fall line" is a geographic feature which acts as a separation line between the river tidelands and inland elevations on the Atlantic
coast. Caused by erosion, it defines an east and west division between "upper" and "lower" elevations stretching from Maryland to Georgia.
By about 1735, the Fall Line Road cut off at Fredericksburg from the "King's Highway," and continued to points south following the fall line,
the first interior route into Virginia, the Carolinas, and as far south as the Georgia line. Our ancestors who traveled this interior route to the
Carolinas before 1850, probably took this route. It is easily located on a modern road atlas as US Highway 1, passing through all of
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and on to the settlement at Augusta, Georgia. [Source: Map Guide to American Migration Routes,
1735-1815; William Dollarhide, 1997]
(2) Records show that additional Kachelriess families arrived in America in the early to mid-1800s, and later. Although still rare, the
German spelling of the Kachelriess/Kachleriess/Kachelreiss/Kachlereiss surname can be located in the USA today. And, while these are
almost certainly our distant cousins, it is still unknown who Nicholas' parents might have been, so that connection is a piece of our family
puzzle yet to be solved.
What does KACHELRIESS mean in German?
A KACHEL is a glazed tile. A KACHELE a tile-maker or potter, but "RIESE" may be a form of REISE, or journey -- so KACHELRIESS may
mean travelling potter. KACHEL is actually pronounced "Kaxel" (as opposed to Cockle...)
The Piedmont North Carolina Kachelriesses...Cocklereese/Cocklereeces...
In North Carolina, Kachelriess was anglicized into Cocklerees, Cocklereese, Cocklreas, Cockelreece, and Cocklereece and is found in
surviving public records. The Cocklereece surname survived and can be found today in Piedmont NC; however, many from this line
became Reece, Reese, or Rees.
Michael Kachelriess, the progenitor of the North Carolina Cocklereece/ Cocklereese/ Reese/ Reece line was born before 1733, probably in
Amsterdam, Holland on the long journey from his parents homeland in Germany. We cannot be certain where their journey originated,
however, because Kachelriess is such a rare German surname, it is likely somewhere near Unternesselbach, Mittelfranken, Bayern
(Germany).
Mythias and Mary (Kachelriess) Miers/Myers arrived in the Parish of St. John in Granville Co, NC sometime before April 1754.
First record of a Mathias Miers/Myars in NC is dated 10 June 1753, when the following property was surveyed:
Lord Granville to Mathias Miers - Patent Book 14, # 2474 transaction dated 4/26/1754; Mathias Miers purchases 400 acres in Granville
County on both sides of Skelton (Shelton) Creek; Witnesses Jno Haywood, Sher Haywood; SCC Benford Dickens, Griffin Nunary; Wm
Churton, Surveyor. Property surveyed 10 June 1753.
Mathias Miers a.k.a Mythias Myars died in 1770 living this will:
Granville District Will dated March 1, 1770.
Mythias Myars (signs by mark) Will probated April CT 1770.
To Grandson Mythias (Cockelreece), son of Tabalt Cockelreece, 100 A. in Granville County on North side of Mill Creek, adjoining
Shearmon's land;
to wife Mary Myars all the rest of his real and personal estate;
to Michael Cockelreece, after death of wife Mary, "this Plantation & mill" and also two Negroes (named Tomas and Jack);
to Tabalt Cockelreece 1 Negro (named Nell);
and the rest of estate "horses, hogs, sheep, etc. to be equally divided betwixt the two boys, Michael and Tabalt.
Exs; "my son Michael Cockelreece and my wife Mary Miers/Myars" Wit: Thos. Oakley, Jacob (surname not clear) Nahrun Saunders. Id, page
140. ret. to April Ct. 1770; among other items "one parcel of books" and 3 Negroes. Id p. 146.
Because it was a common practice for the eldest son to be named executor or co-executor of his father's estate, it is believed that Michael
Cockelreece was the elder of the two sons.
Seven years later, Mary and her sons sold property on Shelton Creek which appears to be part of the original tract granted to Mathias Miars
in April 1754 - Granville Grant E.SS.LG - 48-G #171 NC Archives S.108.246a:
February 6, 1777 - Recorded in Granville County Deed Book L, page 137
Tobott Cockleree, Michael Cockleree, and Mary Moyars of Granville County sold land jointly to Thomas Person...all that parcel of land
situate...on both sides of Sheltons & Fox Creek Begining at a hickory on Shearmons line...crossing both creeks to a red oak thense 324
poles to a black oak near Oakley thense E. ___ poles crossing Sheltons or Stoney Creek to the first station including five hundred acres
...more or less...
Theobald Kachelriess/Tabott Cockelrees/Tabalt Cockelreece/Tobott Cockleree
It is not known what happened to Theobald Kachelriess, or his son Mathias, after they sold the Granville property in February 1777. A
Joboll Cocklerus appears on the 1778 Jury List in the Camden District, near York, SC, and then disappears. It is believed that the Tabott/
Talbalt/ Tabolt/Tobott in NC records, and the Joball Cocklerus are the same person. Because of the time frame and location, it does
seem very likely that Theobald/Tabott/Talbalt/Tabolt/Tobott/Joball and his son may have been casualties of the American Revolution.
Michael Kachelriess/Michael Cockelreece//Michael/Cockleree
Michael Kachelriess was the father of at least 11 children by three wives. At the time of his death in May 1827, he left a wife named
Margaret (who was 40 years younger!), and 11 adult children who were named in his Orange County NC Estate record. The youngest child
was Sarah, born about 1805, was the only child by Margaret. We don't know the name of Michael's first wife, but we know his oldest son
Johannes (John) was born about 1760. There may have been other children of this union, but there is no record of them in North Carolina.
In a 1780 Granville County Deed, we learned that Michael's (second) wife was named Rebekah. Because this Rebekah bore 9 children
(Michael Jr, Catharine, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Nicholas, Daniel, Henry, Maria, Jacob), beginning 1770-1775 and ending in 1792, we can
estimate she was probably born 1750-1754, and was too young to have been the mother of Michael's oldest son Johannes, who was born
about 1760. Michael married Margaret, between 1800-1805, after the death of Rebekah.
It is unknown where Michael or any of his wives are buried, but it is very likely that Michael and Rebekah are located in unmarked graves at
Friedens Lutheran, were the family were members for many years. The following are his children by three wives:
Johannes Kachelriess/Cockleriece/Cocklereese/Cocklerease/Cocklereas was born about 1760 in NC and died in January 1843 in
Montgomery Co, Illinois. He married Susannah Markert of Guilford Co, NC in May 1801. They produced at least 8 children, most of whom
left NC with their parents, after John's father death in 1827. Descendants of this line eventually migrated north from Illinois to Marion, Iowa,
and several went west from there on the Oregon Trail, settling in Roseburg, Douglas Co, Oregon.
Michael Kachelriess/Cocklereese was born 1770-1775 in St. John's Parish, Granville District of NC and died before 1840, probably in
Shelby or Christian Co,Illinois, but he left few traces and little is known of his descendants. The name of Michael's wife is unknown, but this
couple had at least 3 children in NC.
Catherine Cocklereece was born September 1776 in St. John's Parish, Granville District of NC, and died April 1857 in Indiana. She
married the Reverend Johannes Ludwig (Lewis) Markert before 1800 in Orange Co, NC, probably. Both are buried in the Phanuel Lutheran
Church Cemetery, just a little east of Wallace, Fountain County, Indiana (23 mi. north of Portland Mills), on Old Lutheran Church Road next
to the church ( just north of Turkey Run State Park, about 6 or 7 miles). . Rev. Markert , a Lutheran minister, is assumed to have been the
brother of Susannah, who married Johannes Cocklereese, Catherine's older brother. Catharine and Lewis Markert produced 12 children.
Elizabeth Cocklereece was born 1778-1780 in St. John's Parish, Granville District, NC, and died after 1840 in Orange Co, NC, probably.
She married John W. Tickle/Tickel, Jr. in Guilford County in April 1799. Elizabeth and John Tickel produced 9 children.
Rebecca Cucklereese was born Feb 1781 in St. John's Parish, Granville District, NC, and died June 1855 in Jefferson Co, Illinois. She
married James McLean in Orange County in April 1801. Rebecca and James McLean produced 10 children.
Nicholas Cocklereese/Reece/Reese was born between 1782-1790 in St. John's Parish, Granville District, NC, and died before 1840 in
Sumner Co, Tennessee, probably. His wife's name is unknown, but they produced at least 10 children.
Daniel Cocklereece/Reece (see Daniel Kachelriess below)
Henry Cocklereas /Reese/Reece was born between 1790-1794 in Orange Co, NC, and died in Shelby Co, Illinois in July 1828. Between
1810-1815, he married Mary Lu (unknown, but may have been a Rhodes) in Orange County, NC, or Sumner Co, TN. Very little is known of
this family, but they produced at least 5 children.
Maria (Mary) Cocklereece was born about 1791in Orange Co, NC, and died between 1861-1869 in Guilford Co, NC, probably. Between
1821-1822, she married Christian I. Isley, the brother of Philipena (Phebe) Isley who married Daniel Kachelriess. Christian was a widower
with 10 children under 15 years of age. Mary and Christian produced 5 children. Christian is buried at Friedens Lutheran Cemetery, and
Mary is likely buried nearby an unmarked grave.
Jacob Cocklereese/Reese was born about 1792 in Orange Co, NC, and died in 1838 in Sumner Co, TN. Between 1814-1815, he married
Lucretia Jackson in Tennessee, probably. Jacob and Lucretia produced 7 children, most of whom lived and died in Tennessee. Jacob
may be buried in an unmarked grave at Henry or Green Top Cemetery, or at Willow Grove Methodist Church, Sumner (now Trousdale) Co,
TN.
Daniel Kachelriess
Our part of the Kachelriess line descends from Daniel Kachelriess, the sixth child and third son of Michael and Rebekah.
Daniel was born about 1787 in Orange Co, probably, and died between 1850-1860 in Dobson, Surry Co, NC, probably. Between 1810 and
1811, he married Philipena "Phebe" Isley, the daughter of Balthasar and Catharina (unknown) Isley who were also members at Friedens.
Daniel and Phebe had 8 children (Solomon, Seanna, David, Alfred, Jacob, Henry, Elisabeth and Rebecca), all born in Orange County, and
all baptised at Friedens Lutheran Church .
Between 1840 and 1850 Daniel, Phebe and many of their children moved from Guilford County to the Fish River District in Surry County,
where Daniel and his oldest son Solomon are found listed as Reece... Daniel's occupation is cooper (wooden bucket maker), and
Solomon is listed as a stone mason.
Solomon Kachelriess/Cocklerice/Reece was born September 22, 1812 (baptised Salomon Kachelriess). He married Mary "Polly"
Unknown before 1832. Solomon and Polly had 7 children (Margaret, Rachel, John, Daniel, Julius, Sarah, and Milton). In 1840, Solomon
Cocklerice is enumerated in the North Division of Orange County, NC, but by 1850 this family has moved to the Fish River District, in Surry
County, NC, and is listed as Solomon Reece, working as a stone mason. In 1860, Solomon Cocklerce is listed in Dobson, Surry County,
NC. Sons Daniel and Julius served in the confederacy. By 1870, Soloman "Reeves" is found farming in Surry County, Dobson Township.
In 1880, Solomon is missing and Mary is listed as a widow, lving with son Milton, his wife and daughter. Solomon and Mary Reece are
probably buried in a family cemetery in Surry Co, NC, but the location is unknown.
Seanna Kachelriess was born April 1814 in Orange Co, NC and either died in youth, or married, before 1830. Nothing more is known.
David Kachelriess (baptised Davit Kachelriess - see below)
Alfred Kachelriess was born Jan 21, 1819 (baptised Alphert Kachelriess). He married Mary Ann Carmack in Guilford Co, NC, April 2, 1845.
Alfred and Mary had 2 children (John Franklin Reece and Delilah Reece). Alfred and Mary Ann died before 1900 in Guilford Co, probably;
;however, it is not known where they are buried.
Jacob Kachelriess/Cocklereece was born May 6, 1821 (baptised Jacob Kachelriss). He married Catherine Ann "Katie" Bell, sister of
Mary "Polly" Bell who married David Kachelriess. Jacob and Catherine had 7 children (James Henry, John A. G., Mary Elizabeth, William
Rufus, Manerva E. B. , Joseph Franklin, and Charlie L. ). Descendents of Jacob's line retained the Cocklereece surname where many can
be found in the Piedmont NC area today. In a 2001 email, John A. Cocklereece wrote "...According to my father, my great/great grandfather,
Jacob Cocklereece, is also buried there [Lee's Chapel Cemetery, Guilford Co, NC] in an unmarked grave. Oral family history states that
Jacob [a cooper] owned a barrel factory during the Civil War, which was considered a necessary resource, and, therefore, he did not serve
in the War." Jacob died between 1881 and 1884, and is said to be in an unmarked grave at Lee's Chapel Cemetery in Greensboro.
Catherine died between 1884 and 1885 and is probably buried near Jacob.
Henry Kachelriess/Cocklereece/Reece was born June 30, 1823 (baptised Heinrich Kachelriess). He married Mary M. Carmack, sister of
Mary Ann Carmack who married Alfred Reece. Henry and Mary Reece had 4 children ( Daniel Christopher, Mary Elizabeth, Alfred Rankin,
and Delilah Jane). Henry and Mary moved to Spiceland, Henry Co, Indiana in 1868, were they both died. (See photo with more about this
couple)
Elizabeth Kachelriess was born October 25, 1825 (baptised Elizabeth Kachelriess). On August 1, 1843, Elizabeth married Robert Bell,
brother of Mary "Polly" and Catherine "Katie" Bell, who married Elizabeth's brothers David and Jacob, respectively. Elizabeth and Robert
had one child, Peter, who died in the Civil War.
Rebecca Kachelriess was born October 3, 1830 (baptised Rebecca Kachelriess). Rebecca was about 13 when her family moved from
Orange/Guilford to Surry Co, NC about 1843. She does not appear on the 1850 Census with her parents when she would have been age
20, and may have married or died before that time. Nothing more is known of Rebecca.
David Kachelriess/Cocklereese/Reese
David Kachelriess/Cocklereese, also known as David Cocklereece, David C. Reese, and David Rees, was born April 22, 1817 in Orange
Co, NC, the son of Daniel Kachelriess and Philipena "Phebe" Isley. In Feb 1844, in Guilford County, he married Mary "Polly" Bell, the
daughter of Francis Bell and Sarah "Sally" Flippen. David and Mary produced 7 children (see below).
When his parents and brother Solomon moved to Surry Co, David remained in Guilford. In 1850 Census he is listed as David
Cocklereese, along with Polly, two sons - Franklin and Joseph, and Polly's younger sister, Sally Bell. At that time, David was a "cooper" like
his father, Daniel.
By 1860, David Reece is found farming in Guilford. He and Polly list sons Franklin and Joseph and have added four more children ( Sarah,
Samuel, Robert, and David Reece Jr). In 1870, David and Polly Rees are living in Jefferson Township, McLeansville, Guilford. David is
once again a cooper, but his sons are farming. Children listed are Franklin, Joseph, Sarah, Samuel. Robert, Martha, and Louisa Rees
There is no record for David on the 1880 Census. Born in 1817, he would have been 63 in 1880. Both David and Mary are listed as "living"
on the March 25, 1877 Guilford County marriage record for their son (Samuel) Henry Reece who married Mary I. Story. There is a record of
Mary Reece's death in August 1879 at the age of 63 (1880 NC Mortality Index).
Neither, David nor Mary, are buried with their children at Bethel Presbyterian. It is possible they are buried somewhere on the family farm
located somewhere off NC 70, near present-day McLeansville, NC. Also, a descendant, the Reverend Henry Reece, told Ianthia Gerringer
LaMarr in January 2000, that "early Reece settlers from Pennsylvania" were buried in unmarked graves at the Mt. Hope Methodist Church
near McLeansville, NC. These graves may be David and Mary.
Rev. Reece also stated that the "old (Reece) home place was on Knox Road across from East 70 Highway" and the chimney that is located
on land near Whitsett that once belonged to a Story or a Summers. Virginia Cordell who is a Reece descendant subsequently built a
house on the land.
David and Mary had 7 children, all born in Guilford Co, NC::
William Franklin Reece, b. 01 Sep 1845, NC; d. 08 Feb 1920, Gibsonville, Guilford Co, NC; m. Mary F. Summers, 15 Mar 1876, Guilford
Co, NC; b. 04 May 1853, Guilford Co, NC; d. 29 Jul 1907, Gibsonville, Guilford Co, NC.
Joseph Rankin Reece, b. 09 Nov 1848, NC; d. 20 Jun 1929, McLeansville, Guilford Co, NC; m. Cladora Elizabeth May, 31 Oct 1872,
Guilford Co, NC; b. 03 Jan 1854, Guilford Co. NC; d. 23 Feb 1930, McLeansville, Guilford Co, NC.
Sarah Catherine Reece, b. Jan 1850, NC; d. Bet. 1910 - 1920, Guilford Co, NC, probably.
Samuel Henry Reese, (see details below)
Robert M. Reece, b. Jan 1855, NC; d. Bet. 1910 - 1920, Rock Creek, Guilford Co, NC, probably.
Martha Anjaline Rees, b. Jun 1860, NC; d. 1937, NC, probably; m. Jospeh Franklin Cocklereece, , 20 Jan 1885, Guilford Co, NC; b. Oct
1863, Guilford Co, NC; d. 1937, Guilford Co, NC, probably.
Louisa F. Rees, b. 22 Oct 1862, NC; d. 19 Mar 1932, Guilford Co, NC; m. Peter J. Gerringer, 17 Apr 1884, Guilford Co, NC; b. 13 Mar 1858,
North Carolina; d. 05 Jun 1938, Guilford Co, NC.
Samuel Henry Cocklereese/Reese
Samuel Henry Reese, known to his family as Henry, was born December 30, 1853, the son of David Cocklereese and Mary "Polly" Bell.
Henry was known by various names and spellings: Henry Reese, Henry S. Reece, Samuel Rees and so forth. (His death certificate lists
his name as Samuel Henry Reece;however, his tombstone indicates his name was Samuel Henry Reese...)
Henry and Mary Isabelle (Story) Reese were married in Guilford Co, NC, March 29, 1877. Mary died September 23, 1926, and Henry died
December 5, 1930. Both are buried at Bethel Presbyterian Church, Guilford Co, NC, where they were active members for many years.
Henry and Mary had 13 children, all born near in Guilford Co, NC, near McLeansville:
Ida Frances "Fannie" Ruth Reese, born December 21, 1877, and died October 4, 1968. She married Charles Green Sherwood in Guilford
Co, NC, September 26, 1897.
David Carrington Reese, born Jan 8, 1879, and died March 27, 1946. He married Mary Edna Evans.
Martin Luther Reese/Reece (Sr), (see below)
Daisy M. Reese, born April 1882, and died August 14, 1946. She married Silas Leslie Williams in Guilford Co, NC, December 20, 1903.
James Riley Reese, born December 1, 1883, and died June 30, 1885.
Henry Cleatus "Cleat" Reese, born March 12, 1885, and died July 04 1963. He married Minnie Frances Reece.
Cora Ann Reese, born Feb 1886, and died March 21, 1959. She married George William Marley in Guilford Co, NC, November 23, 1910.
Lorence Lee Reese, born July 14, 1887, and died September 18, 1902.
Florence "Dolly" E. Reese, born September 15, 1889, and died May 13, 1974. She married James A. Capps.
Otts Hubert Rees/Reese, born January 9, 1892, and died May 25, 1964. He married Opal Rose Montgomery.
Clifford Earnest Reese, born Aug 1893, and died July 26, 1936.
Herman B. Reese, born September 17, 1895, and died October 23, 1965. He married Ruby Lee Walker in Guilford Co, NC, March 17, 1919.
Lawrence Reese, born September 1897, and died between 1900-1910.
Martin Luther Reese/Reece
Martin Luther Reece, known to his family and friends as "Luther," was born in Guilford Co, NC, July 15, 1880, the third of thirteen children of
Samuel Henry Reese and Mary Isabelle Story. In Guilford Co, NC, on April 30, 1906, Luther Reece married Ida May Hutchison, daughter of
James H. Hutchison and Jane Wright Rascoe. To this union ten children were born, five boys and five girls: Maude Ethel, Theo Lillian,
Maude Ethel, Norman Martin, Lawrence Kendrick, Dora Battle, Sadie Lee, Martin Luther Jr., Ida Ruth, James Levi, and Jessie Louise Reece.
Luther Reece was born and raised near McLeansville in Guilford County in Jefferson Township, where he is listed on the 1900 Census,
unmarried and living with his parents. His father Henry was a farmer, and Luther employed as day labor. By 1910, M. Luther Reese, Ida
May, and their three young children Maude, Theo, and Norman are found living in Morehead Township, at 834 Silver Rain Avenue,
Greensboro. Luther's occupation is listed as "house carpenter." Although he appears on the 1910 census as M. Luther Reese and the
1920 as Martin L. Reeds (sic Reece), it is unclear when he changed the spelling of the family name. The youngest two children, James
Levi and Jessie Louise, have birth certificates indicating Reece is the spelling of the surname.
It is interesting to note that daughter Dora's middle name "Battle" came from the family association with Dr. John Thomas Johnson Battle.
It is thought that Dr. Battle may have been the doctor who delivered Dora in 1913. In 1907, Dr. Battle, a Baptist, transferred his membership
to the Forest Avenue Baptist Church (now College Park Baptist, where Martin Luther and Ida Mae Reece were founding members. Louise
Simmons recalls that her father, Martin Luther Reece, had been involved in the building of Dr. Battle's farm home and had once taken the
family there to see the construction.
Luther (1880-1930), Ida May (1882-1936) and daughter Sadie Lee Reece (1915-1916) were originally buried at Mt. Zion Methodist Church
Cemetery. The church was situated on the east side of Freeman Mill Road about 50 yards NE of the cemetery in the 2500 block of
Freeman Mill Road in Greensboro, on the west side. In the 1976, the new US 220 was surveyed to cross Mt. Zion Cemetery. The State of
North Carolina purchased the property from Glenwood Methodist Church, who was still using the cemetery at the time, and authorized the
relocation of the graves in the Summer of 1977. The original tombstones were moved with Martin Luther, Ida May, and Sadie Lee to their
new resting place at Guilford Memorial Park at 5900 High Point Road, Greensboro, NC.
Maude Ethel Reece, born January 1, 1907, and died April 22, 1936. She married three times.
Theo Lillian Reece, born March 7, 1908, and died May 11, 1973. She married Owens Leroy Counts, Sr.
Norman Martin Reece, born Jan 3, 1910, and died June 23, 1990. He married Ruth V. Golightly.
Lawrence Kendrick Reece, born December 6, 1911, and died March 25, 1977. He married Alice R. Stewart.
Dora Battle Reece, born July 9, 1913, and died July 4, 2000. She married Silas Zenith Blair in Guilford Co, Nc, June 25, 1938.
Sadie Lee Reece, born Jan 1, 1915, and died June 19, 1916.
Martin Luther Reece, Jr., born September 10, 1916, and died April 25, 1994. He married Bennie Lee Jennings.
Ida Ruth Reece, born July 18, 1918, and died April 15, 2005. She married (1) David Woodrow Elkins in York Co, SC, April 10, 1942, and (2)
Emile Joseph Dube in Guilford Co, NC, September 10, 1989.
James Levi Reece, Sr., born May 29, 1922, and died May 5, 1980. He married Ruth Hunter Knox in Guilford Co, NC, September 12, 1942.
Jessie Louise Reece, born September 7, 1924. She married Rober John Simmons in York Co, SC, March 7, 1943.
More Kachelriess Family History
More details on the Kachelriess Family History can be found at the Frieden's Church Family History page, as well as at My Carolina
Cousins FamilyTreeMaker User Pages, where a detailed outline tree of the Descendants of Michael Kachelriess
can be found. Click here to view an NGS Quarterly Format Genealogy Report for the Descendants of Nicolaus Kachelriess.
Family History compiled by Peggy Reece Bruckner...who is still working on this never-ending story...
That's the question all children eventually ask! In the case of our Reece Family, the short answer is Germany, probably a small village
located near Nuremburg; however, the details of the point of origin and our ancestors' journey from Germany to Piedmont North Carolina,
as well as the evolution of our surname, require a much more complex and detailed explanation...
Sometime in the late 1950s, James "Jimmy" Levi Reece, Sr. (1922-1980), son of Martin Luther and Ida May (Hutchison) Reece, told his
children that his family name was originally Cocklereece -- and that his "grandfather" had changed the family name to Reece. He said that
unfortunately, the "sons" could not agree on the spelling of the name, and so various spellings were found among his "cousins" surnames,
i.e., Reece, Reese and Rees. Of course, she didn't think he was serious -- and thought it was most certainly just one of his entertaining
tales.
Nearly fifty years later, and some 20 years after his death, Jimmy Reece's daughter, recalling her father's "family name tale," embarked on a
quest to find the Cocklereece/Reece Family "roots"...and, her findings eventually confirmed her late father's memories!
Digging up our Reece Roots
In genealogy, researchers must start with what they "know to be fact"...that is, who their parents and grandparents are, or were, and then
go backward in time from that point. In the case of our Reece ancestors, a paper trail of the differences in the spelling of the surname was
quite apparent going back only a generation; however, finding the Cocklereece/Kachelriess connection was much more difficult to
ascertain...
One of the problems with researching our surname, is that its spelling changed from document to document. For example, during a
20-year period from the 1840s to 1860s, our ancestor Daniel Reece appears as Daniel Cocklereece (Cockelreese, Cockleruse,
Cocklerice, etc. ) and variations of Daniel Reece (Reese, Ruse, Rees, etc. )!
As evidenced by the census data, many of our ancestors could not read or write, and as a result were totally dependent upon English
"clerks" -- who spelled our ancestors German names phonetically (in English) in "official" public records (census, deeds, marriages, wills,
etc.).
To add further confusion, some clerks apparently thought Cocklereece was TWO names, Cockle and Reece (Cockle being a middle
name), and subsequently recorded our ancestors names as John C. Reece, Henry C. Reece, Daniel C. Reese, etc. Researching all these
variables was a bit tedious, to say the very least!
Fortunately, the age of personal computers, as well as access to the internet , proved to be fruitful in breaking through this clutter. Various
genealogy programs, websites, and messages boards eventually provided important clues to solving our family surname mystery.
As luck would have it, the missing link, and the key to understanding our Reece/Cocklereece ancestry, was contained in a German to
English translation of early 1800s birth and baptismal records of the Friedens Lutheran Church, a copy of which was located at the
Greensboro Public Library about 1999. This document provided the proof that Cocklereece had indeed originally been Kachelriess!
Eventually, the early Friedens' Church Records unlocked the door to our past.
After that key discovery, finding our probable first American ancestor was a fairly easy task...there was only one Kachelriess who arrived in
the Colonies during the right time frame, and that person was Nicolaus Kachelriess! Fortunately, Nicolaus was literate in German, and he
could spell his name...and his signature can be viewed on the Snow Molly's Ship's 1737 Manifest!
Nicolaus Kachelriess / Kachelrieß
The first documented Kachelriess (see note 1) in America was Nicolaus Kachelriess, who arrived on September 27, 1737 at the Port of
Philadelphia, aboard the ship Snow Molly, left from Amsterdam, Holland and sailed to America via Dover, England.
Other than his arrival and one early tax census, no record of this Nicolaus has survived. Circumstantial evidence leads us to believe he
was likely born between 1710-1717 in Germany, and travelled to the new world with his young bride and toddler sons. Nicolaus must have
died between 1738 and 1750, either in Pennsylvania, or perhaps on the trip to NC via the "Fall Lilne Road" (see note 2) which was the
major wagon route to the Carolinas, passing through old Hillsborough. Soon thereafter, his widow Mary remarried, and her two sons,
Michael and Tabolt (Theobald, probably) Kachelriess were raised by their stepfather, Mathias Miers/Myars/Myers.
Notes:
(1) The "fall line" is a geographic feature which acts as a separation line between the river tidelands and inland elevations on the Atlantic
coast. Caused by erosion, it defines an east and west division between "upper" and "lower" elevations stretching from Maryland to Georgia.
By about 1735, the Fall Line Road cut off at Fredericksburg from the "King's Highway," and continued to points south following the fall line,
the first interior route into Virginia, the Carolinas, and as far south as the Georgia line. Our ancestors who traveled this interior route to the
Carolinas before 1850, probably took this route. It is easily located on a modern road atlas as US Highway 1, passing through all of
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and on to the settlement at Augusta, Georgia. [Source: Map Guide to American Migration Routes,
1735-1815; William Dollarhide, 1997]
(2) Records show that additional Kachelriess families arrived in America in the early to mid-1800s, and later. Although still rare, the
German spelling of the Kachelriess/Kachleriess/Kachelreiss/Kachlereiss surname can be located in the USA today. And, while these are
almost certainly our distant cousins, it is still unknown who Nicholas' parents might have been, so that connection is a piece of our family
puzzle yet to be solved.
What does KACHELRIESS mean in German?
A KACHEL is a glazed tile. A KACHELE a tile-maker or potter, but "RIESE" may be a form of REISE, or journey -- so KACHELRIESS may
mean travelling potter. KACHEL is actually pronounced "Kaxel" (as opposed to Cockle...)
The Piedmont North Carolina Kachelriesses...Cocklereese/Cocklereeces...
In North Carolina, Kachelriess was anglicized into Cocklerees, Cocklereese, Cocklreas, Cockelreece, and Cocklereece and is found in
surviving public records. The Cocklereece surname survived and can be found today in Piedmont NC; however, many from this line
became Reece, Reese, or Rees.
Michael Kachelriess, the progenitor of the North Carolina Cocklereece/ Cocklereese/ Reese/ Reece line was born before 1733, probably in
Amsterdam, Holland on the long journey from his parents homeland in Germany. We cannot be certain where their journey originated,
however, because Kachelriess is such a rare German surname, it is likely somewhere near Unternesselbach, Mittelfranken, Bayern
(Germany).
Mythias and Mary (Kachelriess) Miers/Myers arrived in the Parish of St. John in Granville Co, NC sometime before April 1754.
First record of a Mathias Miers/Myars in NC is dated 10 June 1753, when the following property was surveyed:
Lord Granville to Mathias Miers - Patent Book 14, # 2474 transaction dated 4/26/1754; Mathias Miers purchases 400 acres in Granville
County on both sides of Skelton (Shelton) Creek; Witnesses Jno Haywood, Sher Haywood; SCC Benford Dickens, Griffin Nunary; Wm
Churton, Surveyor. Property surveyed 10 June 1753.
Mathias Miers a.k.a Mythias Myars died in 1770 living this will:
Granville District Will dated March 1, 1770.
Mythias Myars (signs by mark) Will probated April CT 1770.
To Grandson Mythias (Cockelreece), son of Tabalt Cockelreece, 100 A. in Granville County on North side of Mill Creek, adjoining
Shearmon's land;
to wife Mary Myars all the rest of his real and personal estate;
to Michael Cockelreece, after death of wife Mary, "this Plantation & mill" and also two Negroes (named Tomas and Jack);
to Tabalt Cockelreece 1 Negro (named Nell);
and the rest of estate "horses, hogs, sheep, etc. to be equally divided betwixt the two boys, Michael and Tabalt.
Exs; "my son Michael Cockelreece and my wife Mary Miers/Myars" Wit: Thos. Oakley, Jacob (surname not clear) Nahrun Saunders. Id, page
140. ret. to April Ct. 1770; among other items "one parcel of books" and 3 Negroes. Id p. 146.
Because it was a common practice for the eldest son to be named executor or co-executor of his father's estate, it is believed that Michael
Cockelreece was the elder of the two sons.
Seven years later, Mary and her sons sold property on Shelton Creek which appears to be part of the original tract granted to Mathias Miars
in April 1754 - Granville Grant E.SS.LG - 48-G #171 NC Archives S.108.246a:
February 6, 1777 - Recorded in Granville County Deed Book L, page 137
Tobott Cockleree, Michael Cockleree, and Mary Moyars of Granville County sold land jointly to Thomas Person...all that parcel of land
situate...on both sides of Sheltons & Fox Creek Begining at a hickory on Shearmons line...crossing both creeks to a red oak thense 324
poles to a black oak near Oakley thense E. ___ poles crossing Sheltons or Stoney Creek to the first station including five hundred acres
...more or less...
Theobald Kachelriess/Tabott Cockelrees/Tabalt Cockelreece/Tobott Cockleree
It is not known what happened to Theobald Kachelriess, or his son Mathias, after they sold the Granville property in February 1777. A
Joboll Cocklerus appears on the 1778 Jury List in the Camden District, near York, SC, and then disappears. It is believed that the Tabott/
Talbalt/ Tabolt/Tobott in NC records, and the Joball Cocklerus are the same person. Because of the time frame and location, it does
seem very likely that Theobald/Tabott/Talbalt/Tabolt/Tobott/Joball and his son may have been casualties of the American Revolution.
Michael Kachelriess/Michael Cockelreece//Michael/Cockleree
Michael Kachelriess was the father of at least 11 children by three wives. At the time of his death in May 1827, he left a wife named
Margaret (who was 40 years younger!), and 11 adult children who were named in his Orange County NC Estate record. The youngest child
was Sarah, born about 1805, was the only child by Margaret. We don't know the name of Michael's first wife, but we know his oldest son
Johannes (John) was born about 1760. There may have been other children of this union, but there is no record of them in North Carolina.
In a 1780 Granville County Deed, we learned that Michael's (second) wife was named Rebekah. Because this Rebekah bore 9 children
(Michael Jr, Catharine, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Nicholas, Daniel, Henry, Maria, Jacob), beginning 1770-1775 and ending in 1792, we can
estimate she was probably born 1750-1754, and was too young to have been the mother of Michael's oldest son Johannes, who was born
about 1760. Michael married Margaret, between 1800-1805, after the death of Rebekah.
It is unknown where Michael or any of his wives are buried, but it is very likely that Michael and Rebekah are located in unmarked graves at
Friedens Lutheran, were the family were members for many years. The following are his children by three wives:
Johannes Kachelriess/Cockleriece/Cocklereese/Cocklerease/Cocklereas was born about 1760 in NC and died in January 1843 in
Montgomery Co, Illinois. He married Susannah Markert of Guilford Co, NC in May 1801. They produced at least 8 children, most of whom
left NC with their parents, after John's father death in 1827. Descendants of this line eventually migrated north from Illinois to Marion, Iowa,
and several went west from there on the Oregon Trail, settling in Roseburg, Douglas Co, Oregon.
Michael Kachelriess/Cocklereese was born 1770-1775 in St. John's Parish, Granville District of NC and died before 1840, probably in
Shelby or Christian Co,Illinois, but he left few traces and little is known of his descendants. The name of Michael's wife is unknown, but this
couple had at least 3 children in NC.
Catherine Cocklereece was born September 1776 in St. John's Parish, Granville District of NC, and died April 1857 in Indiana. She
married the Reverend Johannes Ludwig (Lewis) Markert before 1800 in Orange Co, NC, probably. Both are buried in the Phanuel Lutheran
Church Cemetery, just a little east of Wallace, Fountain County, Indiana (23 mi. north of Portland Mills), on Old Lutheran Church Road next
to the church ( just north of Turkey Run State Park, about 6 or 7 miles). . Rev. Markert , a Lutheran minister, is assumed to have been the
brother of Susannah, who married Johannes Cocklereese, Catherine's older brother. Catharine and Lewis Markert produced 12 children.
Elizabeth Cocklereece was born 1778-1780 in St. John's Parish, Granville District, NC, and died after 1840 in Orange Co, NC, probably.
She married John W. Tickle/Tickel, Jr. in Guilford County in April 1799. Elizabeth and John Tickel produced 9 children.
Rebecca Cucklereese was born Feb 1781 in St. John's Parish, Granville District, NC, and died June 1855 in Jefferson Co, Illinois. She
married James McLean in Orange County in April 1801. Rebecca and James McLean produced 10 children.
Nicholas Cocklereese/Reece/Reese was born between 1782-1790 in St. John's Parish, Granville District, NC, and died before 1840 in
Sumner Co, Tennessee, probably. His wife's name is unknown, but they produced at least 10 children.
Daniel Cocklereece/Reece (see Daniel Kachelriess below)
Henry Cocklereas /Reese/Reece was born between 1790-1794 in Orange Co, NC, and died in Shelby Co, Illinois in July 1828. Between
1810-1815, he married Mary Lu (unknown, but may have been a Rhodes) in Orange County, NC, or Sumner Co, TN. Very little is known of
this family, but they produced at least 5 children.
Maria (Mary) Cocklereece was born about 1791in Orange Co, NC, and died between 1861-1869 in Guilford Co, NC, probably. Between
1821-1822, she married Christian I. Isley, the brother of Philipena (Phebe) Isley who married Daniel Kachelriess. Christian was a widower
with 10 children under 15 years of age. Mary and Christian produced 5 children. Christian is buried at Friedens Lutheran Cemetery, and
Mary is likely buried nearby an unmarked grave.
Jacob Cocklereese/Reese was born about 1792 in Orange Co, NC, and died in 1838 in Sumner Co, TN. Between 1814-1815, he married
Lucretia Jackson in Tennessee, probably. Jacob and Lucretia produced 7 children, most of whom lived and died in Tennessee. Jacob
may be buried in an unmarked grave at Henry or Green Top Cemetery, or at Willow Grove Methodist Church, Sumner (now Trousdale) Co,
TN.
Daniel Kachelriess
Our part of the Kachelriess line descends from Daniel Kachelriess, the sixth child and third son of Michael and Rebekah.
Daniel was born about 1787 in Orange Co, probably, and died between 1850-1860 in Dobson, Surry Co, NC, probably. Between 1810 and
1811, he married Philipena "Phebe" Isley, the daughter of Balthasar and Catharina (unknown) Isley who were also members at Friedens.
Daniel and Phebe had 8 children (Solomon, Seanna, David, Alfred, Jacob, Henry, Elisabeth and Rebecca), all born in Orange County, and
all baptised at Friedens Lutheran Church .
Between 1840 and 1850 Daniel, Phebe and many of their children moved from Guilford County to the Fish River District in Surry County,
where Daniel and his oldest son Solomon are found listed as Reece... Daniel's occupation is cooper (wooden bucket maker), and
Solomon is listed as a stone mason.
Solomon Kachelriess/Cocklerice/Reece was born September 22, 1812 (baptised Salomon Kachelriess). He married Mary "Polly"
Unknown before 1832. Solomon and Polly had 7 children (Margaret, Rachel, John, Daniel, Julius, Sarah, and Milton). In 1840, Solomon
Cocklerice is enumerated in the North Division of Orange County, NC, but by 1850 this family has moved to the Fish River District, in Surry
County, NC, and is listed as Solomon Reece, working as a stone mason. In 1860, Solomon Cocklerce is listed in Dobson, Surry County,
NC. Sons Daniel and Julius served in the confederacy. By 1870, Soloman "Reeves" is found farming in Surry County, Dobson Township.
In 1880, Solomon is missing and Mary is listed as a widow, lving with son Milton, his wife and daughter. Solomon and Mary Reece are
probably buried in a family cemetery in Surry Co, NC, but the location is unknown.
Seanna Kachelriess was born April 1814 in Orange Co, NC and either died in youth, or married, before 1830. Nothing more is known.
David Kachelriess (baptised Davit Kachelriess - see below)
Alfred Kachelriess was born Jan 21, 1819 (baptised Alphert Kachelriess). He married Mary Ann Carmack in Guilford Co, NC, April 2, 1845.
Alfred and Mary had 2 children (John Franklin Reece and Delilah Reece). Alfred and Mary Ann died before 1900 in Guilford Co, probably;
;however, it is not known where they are buried.
Jacob Kachelriess/Cocklereece was born May 6, 1821 (baptised Jacob Kachelriss). He married Catherine Ann "Katie" Bell, sister of
Mary "Polly" Bell who married David Kachelriess. Jacob and Catherine had 7 children (James Henry, John A. G., Mary Elizabeth, William
Rufus, Manerva E. B. , Joseph Franklin, and Charlie L. ). Descendents of Jacob's line retained the Cocklereece surname where many can
be found in the Piedmont NC area today. In a 2001 email, John A. Cocklereece wrote "...According to my father, my great/great grandfather,
Jacob Cocklereece, is also buried there [Lee's Chapel Cemetery, Guilford Co, NC] in an unmarked grave. Oral family history states that
Jacob [a cooper] owned a barrel factory during the Civil War, which was considered a necessary resource, and, therefore, he did not serve
in the War." Jacob died between 1881 and 1884, and is said to be in an unmarked grave at Lee's Chapel Cemetery in Greensboro.
Catherine died between 1884 and 1885 and is probably buried near Jacob.
Henry Kachelriess/Cocklereece/Reece was born June 30, 1823 (baptised Heinrich Kachelriess). He married Mary M. Carmack, sister of
Mary Ann Carmack who married Alfred Reece. Henry and Mary Reece had 4 children ( Daniel Christopher, Mary Elizabeth, Alfred Rankin,
and Delilah Jane). Henry and Mary moved to Spiceland, Henry Co, Indiana in 1868, were they both died. (See photo with more about this
couple)
Elizabeth Kachelriess was born October 25, 1825 (baptised Elizabeth Kachelriess). On August 1, 1843, Elizabeth married Robert Bell,
brother of Mary "Polly" and Catherine "Katie" Bell, who married Elizabeth's brothers David and Jacob, respectively. Elizabeth and Robert
had one child, Peter, who died in the Civil War.
Rebecca Kachelriess was born October 3, 1830 (baptised Rebecca Kachelriess). Rebecca was about 13 when her family moved from
Orange/Guilford to Surry Co, NC about 1843. She does not appear on the 1850 Census with her parents when she would have been age
20, and may have married or died before that time. Nothing more is known of Rebecca.
David Kachelriess/Cocklereese/Reese
David Kachelriess/Cocklereese, also known as David Cocklereece, David C. Reese, and David Rees, was born April 22, 1817 in Orange
Co, NC, the son of Daniel Kachelriess and Philipena "Phebe" Isley. In Feb 1844, in Guilford County, he married Mary "Polly" Bell, the
daughter of Francis Bell and Sarah "Sally" Flippen. David and Mary produced 7 children (see below).
When his parents and brother Solomon moved to Surry Co, David remained in Guilford. In 1850 Census he is listed as David
Cocklereese, along with Polly, two sons - Franklin and Joseph, and Polly's younger sister, Sally Bell. At that time, David was a "cooper" like
his father, Daniel.
By 1860, David Reece is found farming in Guilford. He and Polly list sons Franklin and Joseph and have added four more children ( Sarah,
Samuel, Robert, and David Reece Jr). In 1870, David and Polly Rees are living in Jefferson Township, McLeansville, Guilford. David is
once again a cooper, but his sons are farming. Children listed are Franklin, Joseph, Sarah, Samuel. Robert, Martha, and Louisa Rees
There is no record for David on the 1880 Census. Born in 1817, he would have been 63 in 1880. Both David and Mary are listed as "living"
on the March 25, 1877 Guilford County marriage record for their son (Samuel) Henry Reece who married Mary I. Story. There is a record of
Mary Reece's death in August 1879 at the age of 63 (1880 NC Mortality Index).
Neither, David nor Mary, are buried with their children at Bethel Presbyterian. It is possible they are buried somewhere on the family farm
located somewhere off NC 70, near present-day McLeansville, NC. Also, a descendant, the Reverend Henry Reece, told Ianthia Gerringer
LaMarr in January 2000, that "early Reece settlers from Pennsylvania" were buried in unmarked graves at the Mt. Hope Methodist Church
near McLeansville, NC. These graves may be David and Mary.
Rev. Reece also stated that the "old (Reece) home place was on Knox Road across from East 70 Highway" and the chimney that is located
on land near Whitsett that once belonged to a Story or a Summers. Virginia Cordell who is a Reece descendant subsequently built a
house on the land.
David and Mary had 7 children, all born in Guilford Co, NC::
William Franklin Reece, b. 01 Sep 1845, NC; d. 08 Feb 1920, Gibsonville, Guilford Co, NC; m. Mary F. Summers, 15 Mar 1876, Guilford
Co, NC; b. 04 May 1853, Guilford Co, NC; d. 29 Jul 1907, Gibsonville, Guilford Co, NC.
Joseph Rankin Reece, b. 09 Nov 1848, NC; d. 20 Jun 1929, McLeansville, Guilford Co, NC; m. Cladora Elizabeth May, 31 Oct 1872,
Guilford Co, NC; b. 03 Jan 1854, Guilford Co. NC; d. 23 Feb 1930, McLeansville, Guilford Co, NC.
Sarah Catherine Reece, b. Jan 1850, NC; d. Bet. 1910 - 1920, Guilford Co, NC, probably.
Samuel Henry Reese, (see details below)
Robert M. Reece, b. Jan 1855, NC; d. Bet. 1910 - 1920, Rock Creek, Guilford Co, NC, probably.
Martha Anjaline Rees, b. Jun 1860, NC; d. 1937, NC, probably; m. Jospeh Franklin Cocklereece, , 20 Jan 1885, Guilford Co, NC; b. Oct
1863, Guilford Co, NC; d. 1937, Guilford Co, NC, probably.
Louisa F. Rees, b. 22 Oct 1862, NC; d. 19 Mar 1932, Guilford Co, NC; m. Peter J. Gerringer, 17 Apr 1884, Guilford Co, NC; b. 13 Mar 1858,
North Carolina; d. 05 Jun 1938, Guilford Co, NC.
Samuel Henry Cocklereese/Reese
Samuel Henry Reese, known to his family as Henry, was born December 30, 1853, the son of David Cocklereese and Mary "Polly" Bell.
Henry was known by various names and spellings: Henry Reese, Henry S. Reece, Samuel Rees and so forth. (His death certificate lists
his name as Samuel Henry Reece;however, his tombstone indicates his name was Samuel Henry Reese...)
Henry and Mary Isabelle (Story) Reese were married in Guilford Co, NC, March 29, 1877. Mary died September 23, 1926, and Henry died
December 5, 1930. Both are buried at Bethel Presbyterian Church, Guilford Co, NC, where they were active members for many years.
Henry and Mary had 13 children, all born near in Guilford Co, NC, near McLeansville:
Ida Frances "Fannie" Ruth Reese, born December 21, 1877, and died October 4, 1968. She married Charles Green Sherwood in Guilford
Co, NC, September 26, 1897.
David Carrington Reese, born Jan 8, 1879, and died March 27, 1946. He married Mary Edna Evans.
Martin Luther Reese/Reece (Sr), (see below)
Daisy M. Reese, born April 1882, and died August 14, 1946. She married Silas Leslie Williams in Guilford Co, NC, December 20, 1903.
James Riley Reese, born December 1, 1883, and died June 30, 1885.
Henry Cleatus "Cleat" Reese, born March 12, 1885, and died July 04 1963. He married Minnie Frances Reece.
Cora Ann Reese, born Feb 1886, and died March 21, 1959. She married George William Marley in Guilford Co, NC, November 23, 1910.
Lorence Lee Reese, born July 14, 1887, and died September 18, 1902.
Florence "Dolly" E. Reese, born September 15, 1889, and died May 13, 1974. She married James A. Capps.
Otts Hubert Rees/Reese, born January 9, 1892, and died May 25, 1964. He married Opal Rose Montgomery.
Clifford Earnest Reese, born Aug 1893, and died July 26, 1936.
Herman B. Reese, born September 17, 1895, and died October 23, 1965. He married Ruby Lee Walker in Guilford Co, NC, March 17, 1919.
Lawrence Reese, born September 1897, and died between 1900-1910.
Martin Luther Reese/Reece
Martin Luther Reece, known to his family and friends as "Luther," was born in Guilford Co, NC, July 15, 1880, the third of thirteen children of
Samuel Henry Reese and Mary Isabelle Story. In Guilford Co, NC, on April 30, 1906, Luther Reece married Ida May Hutchison, daughter of
James H. Hutchison and Jane Wright Rascoe. To this union ten children were born, five boys and five girls: Maude Ethel, Theo Lillian,
Maude Ethel, Norman Martin, Lawrence Kendrick, Dora Battle, Sadie Lee, Martin Luther Jr., Ida Ruth, James Levi, and Jessie Louise Reece.
Luther Reece was born and raised near McLeansville in Guilford County in Jefferson Township, where he is listed on the 1900 Census,
unmarried and living with his parents. His father Henry was a farmer, and Luther employed as day labor. By 1910, M. Luther Reese, Ida
May, and their three young children Maude, Theo, and Norman are found living in Morehead Township, at 834 Silver Rain Avenue,
Greensboro. Luther's occupation is listed as "house carpenter." Although he appears on the 1910 census as M. Luther Reese and the
1920 as Martin L. Reeds (sic Reece), it is unclear when he changed the spelling of the family name. The youngest two children, James
Levi and Jessie Louise, have birth certificates indicating Reece is the spelling of the surname.
It is interesting to note that daughter Dora's middle name "Battle" came from the family association with Dr. John Thomas Johnson Battle.
It is thought that Dr. Battle may have been the doctor who delivered Dora in 1913. In 1907, Dr. Battle, a Baptist, transferred his membership
to the Forest Avenue Baptist Church (now College Park Baptist, where Martin Luther and Ida Mae Reece were founding members. Louise
Simmons recalls that her father, Martin Luther Reece, had been involved in the building of Dr. Battle's farm home and had once taken the
family there to see the construction.
Luther (1880-1930), Ida May (1882-1936) and daughter Sadie Lee Reece (1915-1916) were originally buried at Mt. Zion Methodist Church
Cemetery. The church was situated on the east side of Freeman Mill Road about 50 yards NE of the cemetery in the 2500 block of
Freeman Mill Road in Greensboro, on the west side. In the 1976, the new US 220 was surveyed to cross Mt. Zion Cemetery. The State of
North Carolina purchased the property from Glenwood Methodist Church, who was still using the cemetery at the time, and authorized the
relocation of the graves in the Summer of 1977. The original tombstones were moved with Martin Luther, Ida May, and Sadie Lee to their
new resting place at Guilford Memorial Park at 5900 High Point Road, Greensboro, NC.
Maude Ethel Reece, born January 1, 1907, and died April 22, 1936. She married three times.
Theo Lillian Reece, born March 7, 1908, and died May 11, 1973. She married Owens Leroy Counts, Sr.
Norman Martin Reece, born Jan 3, 1910, and died June 23, 1990. He married Ruth V. Golightly.
Lawrence Kendrick Reece, born December 6, 1911, and died March 25, 1977. He married Alice R. Stewart.
Dora Battle Reece, born July 9, 1913, and died July 4, 2000. She married Silas Zenith Blair in Guilford Co, Nc, June 25, 1938.
Sadie Lee Reece, born Jan 1, 1915, and died June 19, 1916.
Martin Luther Reece, Jr., born September 10, 1916, and died April 25, 1994. He married Bennie Lee Jennings.
Ida Ruth Reece, born July 18, 1918, and died April 15, 2005. She married (1) David Woodrow Elkins in York Co, SC, April 10, 1942, and (2)
Emile Joseph Dube in Guilford Co, NC, September 10, 1989.
James Levi Reece, Sr., born May 29, 1922, and died May 5, 1980. He married Ruth Hunter Knox in Guilford Co, NC, September 12, 1942.
Jessie Louise Reece, born September 7, 1924. She married Rober John Simmons in York Co, SC, March 7, 1943.
More Kachelriess Family History
More details on the Kachelriess Family History can be found at the Frieden's Church Family History page, as well as at My Carolina
Cousins FamilyTreeMaker User Pages, where a detailed outline tree of the Descendants of Michael Kachelriess
can be found. Click here to view an NGS Quarterly Format Genealogy Report for the Descendants of Nicolaus Kachelriess.
Family History compiled by Peggy Reece Bruckner...who is still working on this never-ending story...
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Unknown Artist Rendering of the Ship "Snow Molly" - 1737
| March 24, 2007 - Palmetto Islands County Park, Mt Pleasant, SC |
Reece Reunion Webspace Courtesy of Jim Reece & Joe Mama's Mobile Stages, Inc.
| 2007 - Celebrating the 270th Year of Our German-American Heritage... |
| Present Day Sheltons Creek located near US 158 in Granville Co, NC - photo by Cathy Reece Lawrence, March 14, 2007 |