Ralph with his family in Young Harris, Georgia. He grew up attending Old Union Baptist Church. The Old Union Cemetery lays in front of the church. Several sets of grandparents and many relatives rest in the cemetery. Ralph grew up with many stories recalling his ancestors' lives, which made him yearn for more Plott Family history.
Letter sent to Plott names across the United States in 1972.
Meanwhile in Oklahoma, where Leora’s family settled after coming into America and where she was born, her mother, Martha Krey-Loesch had been collecting family information for the Loesch, Krey, Nobis and Ehrhardt side of the family. Ralph and Leora decided to include Ralph’s side of the family within the joint genealogy efforts. As Leora’s side of the family was 100% German and 100% Lutheran heritage, Ralph knew that Leora’s side of the family would help us understand the German and Lutheran traditions that might have been used in the early Plott line.
As a child, about twelve years old and probably during our 1972 Oklahoma vacation, I remember my parents taking my sister and I to the Enid City Library, which had numerous telephone books from across the United States. With pen and composition notebooks, my parents, sister and I started writing names and addresses of as many Plott people we could find listed in the phone books. Then, after we returned home to Georgia, my parents composed the below cover introduction letter, which also asked the Plott recipients to complete a provided family genealogy and history summary. Hundreds of 1972 Christmas holiday letters with forms were mailed out.
Dear Folks:
When could be a nicer time than the holidays to think of our genealogy book about the Plott’s and their families. We do hope you like the Christmas card of our family and dog. Our dog’s name is “Maggie Dear”. She is a Plott Hound, which has now become a world famous breed. Maggie Dear is registered with the United Kennel Club and is full of personality. Wish you could meet her. The Plott Hound breed of dogs has been in the Plott family and in this country for over 220 years.
Now just a word about our book---- Thanks to the Herbert Plott family and the James Woolley family of North Carolina, we now have the work of Grace and Minnie Plott and James Iverson Plott, that had a beginning many years ago. We hope to complete this book by reverifying dates and etc. and adding on people who have been born and married into the Plott family. We do hope with our deepest and sincerest wish that you will help us by furnishing us with the information to be entered into this book with the enclosed form. You may not know the name and dates for each and every blank, but fill in as many as you know. It may be that we have in our material of the older people, your line, if you can send us, of your family and far enough back into your grandparents, to tie them into what we have.
The Plott name is a proud name, with many distinguished people. It is a family with much family color, such as our Plott Hound dogs, mountains, ranges, creeks, and towns named after the Plott’s of the past. So, please do help us fill our dreams by helping us record and preserve the life of our people, past and present.
We wish you a Blessed Holiday Season……………..
James R. Plott
My father James Ralph Plott is kneeling with the Plott hound dog, Maggie. Christmas 1974. Special guest was the lady in the black and white skirt suit, Ollie Plott Shermer, who sat to the left of my father in the photo. Ollie was the granddaughter of Col. Henry Plott, Jr., son of Henry and Lydia (Osborn) Plott. To my father's right shoulder was his brother, William "Bill" Eugene Plott. This photo gives a glimpse to show how our family holidays were also a time for family history.
Chief James Ralph Plott - U.S. Navy, Key West, Florida
After 20 years of proud serve in the U.S. Navy, Ralph enjoyed wood craftsmanship. Leora was always by his side. Together they crafted the alter, narthex and other furniture for Oak Road Lutheran Church in Lilburn, Georgia.
Ralph Plott & Leora Loesch-Plott
You knew that Mr. and Mrs. Plott had arrived
for Plott Family history research when their
Amerigo camper on top of a Dodge truck
pulled into the area.
Leora Loesch-Plott
As mentioned before, Leora's grandparents and great grandparents, my maternal great grandparents, all came from Germany and they were all Lutheran. Karl Gottlob Loesch & Elelore Weck-Loesch, George Adolf Adam Ehrhardt & Susanna Margaretha Schrepfer-Ehrhardt, Johann Adam Ehrhardt & Elizabeth Margaret Schubert, Ernst Friedrich Grosse-Nobis & Marie Louise Charlotte Dunker, and Franz (Frank) Hermann Ludwig Krey & Clara Margaretha Charlotte Nobis.
In 1975, Leora and Ralph published the Krey - Nobis Family Book, which is for the Franz (Frank) Herman Ludwig Krey & Clara Margaretha Charlotte Nobis family.
Krey - Nobis Family Book Published by Leora and Ralph in 1975
Bernita, Norma, Hubert, Martha, Leora and Paul Loesch
Hubert Loesch & Martha Krey-Loesch
Hubert Loesch & Martha Krey-Loesch
Frank Krey & Lottie Nobis-Krey
Lena, Mary, Henry, Bill, Charlotte, Charlotte (Dunker) & Ernest Friedrich Nobis
Maggie Ehrhardt-Loesch & Robert Loesch
Farm Oklahoma, Maggie Ehrhardt Loesch and Robert Loesch
This report is dedicated to my parents James Ralph Plott and Leora Ruby Loesch-Plott. I love you.