The early Rheins (Reins) were a widespread clan of executioners in (a) low Alsace and the adjacent area of the Saarland to the north in the Lower (Rhenish) Palatinate all in the Holy Roman Empire prior to the Thirty Years War that ended in 1648 and (b) the Kingdom of Lorraine.

Johann Gaspard Rhein,  also known as Jean Gaspard Rhein, was born in Saverne, low Alsace, in 1595 that was under the jurisdiction of Hanau-Lichtenberg, the House of Hesse-Darmstadt in the Holy Roman Empire. He was an executioner in Saverne and later Riedheim and in Bouxwiller in low Alsace.

His son Wolfgang Rhein was born in 1628 in Saverne. He was an executioner and came later to Saverne from nearby Otterswiller, dates unknown. The Burgers Records for Strasbourg in the year 1708 lists a Franz Rhein. It states that he is a burgher, that he is bourgeois, that he is an executioner and that he is the son of Wolfgang Rhein.

Franz’s son, Joannes Martin Rhein, born 1690 in Wiebelskirchen, Ottweiler, Saar married to Anne Barbara Lohr, was an executioner in Herrlisheim in low Alsace from 1709 to 1735, the date of his death. Their son, Francois Joseph Rhein, born  March 10, 1754,  married to Catherine Pfaadt, was a farmer in Herrlisheim, Bas-Rhin, France. They had a son Antoine Rhein, born January 29,  1789 in Herrlisheim, died March 13, 1837 in Herrlisheim. Antoine Rhein married Marie Anne Kistler, born  January 3, 1792, died 30 July 30, 1863. They had a son, Jacques Rhein, born February 28, 1820, Herrlisheim. He married Reginia Kistler, born  April 28, 1827. She died after 1880 in Herrlisheim, Alsace Lorraine, Germany.

They had a son, Joseph Rhein, born April 13, 1866, Herrlisheim, who completed his military service in the German Army in the German Territories in Africa in 1890. He married Louise Laeng, born  May 15, 1866, Herrlisheim on May 3, 1890, in St Arbogast Roman Catholic Church, Herrlisheim.

The earliest documented information on the forebears of the Laengs is in the year 1529, the estimated date of birth of Urs Laeng, in Utzenstorf, Canton of Bern, The Swiss Federation. He married Margret Zeigler, born about 1550. Their son, Durs Laeng is the father of Hans Jacob Laeng, Christened April 20, 1622, married to Verena Wyss. 

Their son Dorsch Laeng, a Calvinist, came to Herrlisheim about 1667 to 1668 from Utzenstorf. He married first Anna Banzen, daughter of Endres Banzen in Herrlisheim, on the Sunday after Esto Mihi, February 19, 1673. He married second Anna Maria Nonner, daughter of Hans Gorg Nonner and Anna Maria Schertzler, of Gambsheim, in Herrlisheim on February 22, 1689. 

They had four sons all of whom remained in Herrlisheim including Georges Laeng born about 1695 married to Anne Kientz, born Feb 9, 1690, in Herrlisheim. 

Their son Jean Georges Laeng, born June 12, 1720, died March 26, 1787, married Marie Salome Gross, born Jan 2, 1728.

Their son Phillippe Laeng born May 6, 1753, died after 1826, married Odile  Zillox Jan 21, 1779 in Herrlisheim. She was born about 1759 n Weyersheim and died  April 20, 1810 in Herrlisheim.

Their son Jean Michael Laeng, born Mar 6, 1783, married Madelein Zinger, born in 1793, died 1847. He died in 1847 in the United States.

Their son Alexander Laeng, born January 12, 1819, died after May 1890 in Herrlisheim. He married Francois Pfaadt, June 16, 1849, in Herrlisheim. Their daughter Louise Laeng born May 15, 1866, married Joseph Rhein, born April 13, 1866, Herrlisheim in St. Arbogast Roman Catholic Church, May 3, 1890.

Joseph Rhein and Louise Laeng

Joseph and Louise left for the United States the day following their wedding arriving Port of New York on May 20, 1890, from Le Harve on LaChampange, L. Boyer, Ship’s Master. They settled in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

They had three sons Joseph Peter, born March 16, 1895, the father of the author of this work; Aloysius Ralph, born February 1, 1900, and Anthony Joseph, born July 14, 1905, all in Pittsburgh. Joseph Peter married Mabel Florence McKinney of Sligo, Clarion County, Pennsylvania on August 6, 1924, at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Pittsburgh. She is the 2^nd great-granddaughter of John McKinney, born about 1748 in Ireland and Mary Llewellyn. He was a volunteer from Haverford, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and served in the First Battalion, Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, Continental Army during the American Revolution. She is the 3^rd great-granddaughter, in the maternal line, of Lieutenant William Stewart, born 1738 in County Donegal, Ireland, and Mary Gass. He was adjutant in the Second Battalion of the Cumberland County Pennsylvania Militia during the American Revolutionary War. Aloysius Ralph and Anthony Joseph had no male issue.

Joseph Peter Rhein and Mabel Florence McKinney had two children: Joseph Philip Rhein, born October 1, 1926, the author of this work, and Marilyn Mary Louise Rhein, born December 8, 1927.