The town of Bremen, Marshall County, Indiana, is ten miles west of Nappanee, Elkhart, Indiana. Many of the families of our ancestors and relatives lived in Nappanee and nearby towns. Many people connected to the Wilson family are buried in the Bremen Cemetery. One of these families is the Arch Family. Miriam Grasz Field, who began this family history, was born in Nappanee. Miriam’s mother was Tressa Ethel Wilson. Chloe Adella Wilson Arch and Tressa were first cousins. Chloe married Bert E. Arch in 1901. They had five children, four of whom survived to adult hood. Their youngest child, Frederick Burdette Arch, was born the same year, 1918, as Miriam. There were actually 5 first or second cousins born in 1918 and they remained friends through out life. Chloe and Tressa were very close friends. Gene and Lucie Field visited the Bremen cemetery in July of 2009 and photographed the tombstones of many of the people buried there that have a connection to the Wilson family.

Bert E. and Chloe Adella Wilson Arch.

Left to right: Floyd Grasz, husband of Tressa Wilson, Bert E. Arch, husband of Chloe Wilson, Hazel Stafford Wilson, wife of Herbert Elson Wilson, Tressa Wilson, wife of Floyd Grasz, Hazel Mae Miller, wife of Merle Emerson Miller, Chloe Wilson Arch, wife of Bert Arch, the man on the right may be Merle E. Willson.

Left to right is Nicholas Arch/Ertz, his sister Maria Emma Ertz and her husband Jacob Gensley. Jennie Weirbaugh, wife of Nicholas, is in the photo below.

Nicholas Arch/Ertz was born 15 December 1840 in Wederath, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He immigrated to New York on the ship Hero 18 June 1852. He married Jennie Weirbaugh/Wirebaugh 16 December 1869. Their son Bert E. married Chloe Adella Wilson 14 September 1901 in Nappanee, Indiana. Their children were first cousins of Tressa Wilson Grasz.

Charles Earl Arch was the oldest child of Nicholas and Jennie Arch. He was born 14 November 1870 in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa. He died 9 December 1959 in Bremen, Indiana. He married Mary Elizabeth Kring 23 December 1894. She died 24 March 1928 and Charles married Mayme (last name not known) 25 June 1955. Mayme died 16 December 1955. Her name does not appear on the tombstone.

Edward Arch was the third child of Nicholas and Jennie. He was born 8 February 1878 in Victor, Iowa County, Iowa. He married Mary Mabel Hornsby in 1904, in Delta, Colorado. She was born 31 January 1884 in Roane County, Tennessee and died in Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Kentucky 3 April 1954.

Dewey Earl Arch was the second child of Charles and Mary Arch. He was born in Breman, Indiana 5 January 1898 and died in Breman 21 May 1955. On 22 July 1925 he married Bernice Knepper in Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana.

Some time after Dewey died Bernice married a man named Teghtmeyer whose first name we do not know.

Roger Allen Nifong is a second cousin once removed to Floyd M. Grasz the huband of Tressa Ethel Wilson. Floyd and Roger both descend from John Henry Gross/Grass and Regina Rosina Meuller who immigrated to Stark County, Ohio from Germany some time in the 1830's. Some of their children, among them Jacob and Lewis, then moved into northern Indiana in the 1850's. Jacob was the great grandfather of Roger Nifong and Lewis was grandfather of Floyd Grasz. Roger married Fern Maxine Yarian 3 June 1944. There are many Yarians buried in the Bremen cemetery. There are also other connections between the Wilson family and the Yarian family.