Johann Nicolaus Reeb

The leading researcher on the Reeb/Rape/Rappe family is John V. Reeb. He is credited with identifying much of the family roots, and continues to research all Reeb families, both ancestry and descendants. He is the author of the excellent book: "Reeb Roots: In Europe and America", compiled by John V. Reeb, edited by Nell Taylor Norvell, Gateway Press Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1994. John V. Reeb can be contacted (and would like to be contacted by Reeb descendants and researchers) at: John V. Reeb email: jvreeb@pacbell.net If you use data from this website that comes from that source, please credit him in your own research or on your own website. ------------------------ Excellent documentation on him appears in [John V. Reeb and Nell Taylor Norvell, "Reeb Roots in Europe and America, 1995, Chapter 1]. The following is taken from that source: He was born at Keskastel in the Grafschaft (County) of Nassau-Saarwerden about 1620, although the exact dates of his birth and death are unknown. References to "Niclass Reeb" in churchbooks of Nassau-Saarwerden often state that he is otherwise known as "Nickel Stroh", leading some to conjecture that his mother's maiden name may have been Stroh. Both Dr. Gerhard Hein and Mrs. Trudy Schenk, two german born genealogists, have indicated the opinion that these records indicate he may have been born out of wedlock to Stroh woman, or at least for some other reason was connected to the Stroh family. He lived during the 30 years war (1628-1648) in region where many of its battles were waged. A heavy rainfall caused crops to rot in 1642 causing mass famine in the year he was married, and in that same year, Croatian soldiers plundered the region further. His marriage record in the Lutheran Church at Bockenheim records "Niclass Reeb, son of Heinrich Reeb deceased at Castel (Keskastel)" and "Catharina, daughter of Hans Wuerth from Bistorf [Pisdorf]" [Reeb & Norvell, p. 13]. On 2 Feb 1643, the Lutheran Churchbook of Bockenheim named "Nickel Reeb from Kastel" (Keskastel) as godfather for the baptism of Maria Magdalena, dau. of Anstett and Margaretha Mueller from Harskirchen. [Reeb & Norvell p.13] (Harskirchen is 4 kilometers west and slightly south of present day Sarre-Union (old Bockenheim)). On 2 Mar 1645, "Niclass Reeb" witnessed the baptism of Niclass Klein from Zollingen at the Bockenheim Lutheran Church. [ibid p.13]. On 13 Feb 1648, Nickel Reeb was named godfather at baptism of son of Niclass Durhurt and wife Eva at "Pisdorff", recorded at Bockenheim [Reeb & Norvell, p. 14]. Same day his wife, Catherina, witnessed baptism of Catharina, infant dau. of Lorentz Fischer and wife Gertrud. On 2 Apr 1648, "Nickel Reeb of Castel" named godfather at bap. of Hans Nickel, son of Peter Theibolt of Domfessel. [ibid, p. 15] On 24 Oct 1648, the treaty of Westphalia ended the 30 years war. Families began returning to the region. By 1649, Johann Nicolaus Reeb's family resided in Catharina's native village of Pisdorf. On 23 Jan 1650, the Lutheran Churchbook of Bockenheim named Niclass Reeb as the godparent at the baptism of Hans Nickel, son of Martin Schneider. [ibid, p.15] On 17 Feb 1650, Niclass Reeb was a witness to bap. of Hans Nickel, son of Georg Fischer, in Pisdorf. On 25 Aug 1672, Niclass Reeb was godparent to Hans Niclass, son of Hans Philipp and Claudina Francisca Riesser, baptised at Pisdorf. [ibid, p. 19] On 4 Apr 1676, Nickel Reeb from Bischdorf (Pisdorf) was named as godparent to Hans Peter, infant son of Hans Heinrich and Kunigund Reeb, baptized in Bockenheim. (The father of this infant had been baptized 28 years earlier and witnessed by Nicolaus's wife Catharina). [ibid, p. 20] On 22 Feb 1679, the widow of Johann Nicolaus Reeb died in Pisdorf. Therefore, we have his death between 4 Apr 1676 and 22 Feb 1679. [ibid, p.20] !Children: Listed in [Reeb & Norvell, Ch. 1]