Johann Everhard REIS zu Listernohl

   Other names for Johann were Everhard REISCH and Everhard REITZ.

  General Notes:

EVERHARD (aka EBERHARD) REIS

The earliest known ancestor for this Reiss line was Johann Everhard Reis, usually known as Everhard Reis. He married Anna Elisabeth Freithoff before 1798.

A search of the International Genealogical Index (IGI) of the Family History Library indicates that this individual lived near Attendorn, Kreis Olpe, Westfalen, Preussen in the 1798-1826 time frame. Everhard was not found in earlier or later records. Some descendants of Everhard Reis still live in Kreis Olpe. According to one of those descendants, Oliver Haase, the name did not originate in that area. It is not known when or why Everhard emigrated to Heggen or where he was born.

The surname in most baptismal records was spelled Reis, but it was also seen as Reiss, Reitz and Reisch. The Archivist of Attendorn, Otto Höffer, states that J. Everhard was the father of twelve children. The first 10 were born in Heggen bei Attendorn. The Reis family did not own a house in Heggen. They leased the "Schulten Estate" next to the church. On 11 February 1820 they bought the large estate called "Gut Listernohl" with money Anna Elisabeth inherited from her brother Professor Freithoff the famous copperplate engraver. The last two children were born at Gut Listernohl. Records indicate that the mother of the eleventh child was named Anna Sophia. Mechthild Sieg, genealogist, believes that is an inscription error by the church at that time since the mother of the twelfth child was listed as Anna Elisabeth..

The date of death for Everhard is uncertain. The Archives of Attendorn place the death of Everhard as 8 February 1823, about two months before the birth of his 12th child. However, in the document "Kastral-Gemeinde Ewig, Grundakten Nr. 43 III-5 Witwe Eberhard Reiss, Anna Elisabeth geborne Freidhoff," his widow states that Everhard died on 17 November 1826. His wife is identified as Witwe (widow) Reis in documents starting 1 May 1832.

The 'Estate Listernohl' does not exist anymore. The villages of Listernohl and Imminghausen both vanished in the "Biggetalsperre" a great water reservoir created in the 1960s between Attendorn and Olpe.

Johann married Anna Elisabeth FREIDHOFF before 1798. (Anna Elisabeth FREIDHOFF was born before 1777 and died after 1848.)