Thursday, July 17, 2014

George Spengler (1150 - 1190)
Bruce Westerdahl’s 19G Grandfather

Very few families who emigrated to America can trace their lineage back to the Crusades of the 10th and 11th centuries. The roots of the Westerdahl/Houck families go back that far.

Bruce’s Great Grandmother was an Eyster, and she was descended from Johan Jacob Eyster who came to America from Germany in the early 1700s.

Three generations later John Eyster, married Elizabeth Emig whose mother was a descendant of George Spengler, born in 1150 in Wurzburg, Germany.

George Spengler was the cupbearer to Godfrey, the Prince Bishop of Wurzburg. Cupbearers were officers of high rank in royal courts whose duty it was to protect royalty from poisons, plots and intrigues.

In May of 1189, George Spengler accompanied Godfrey as he marched in the Third Crusade led by Frederick Barbosa, the Holy Roman Emperor. The goal of this massive force was to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims.

Unfortunately, Barbosa drowned in a river in southern Turkey, and the army disintegrated. Those who did not give up moved on to Antioch in Turkey. 


In 1190, both Godfrey and George Spengler, were victims of the plague and were buried at the Cave Church of St. Peter in Antioch now referred to as Antakya. 

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