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The HFFA was formed to foster and perpetuate research into the genealogy of Heinrich Frey, his wife Anna Catherine Levering, and their descendants. Heinrich was born in Altenheim, Baden, Germany. He emigrated and arrived in Germantown, Colony of Pennsylvania in October 1685. HFFA MEMBERSHIP ENTITLES YOU TO: MEMBERSHIP TYPES: For a listing of the current officers of the Association, click on WHO WE ARE. |
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This is the only official website of the Heinrich Frey Family Association. |
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President of the HFFA
We welcome all direct descendant of Heinrich Frey to the HFFA and hope that you enjoy our website.
If you find this website interesting and are a direct descendant of Heinrich Frey and Anna Catherine Levering Frey, we invite you to join our wonderful organization. Membership is currently $25 a year. It is simple to join! Complete your information on the “Contact/Join” tab and send to Rebecca Proffitt, Member Chair, or send it to me at HFFA-Pres@att.net
Our biennial reunions are held in the USA where we have had, and may have today, a family presence. They usually run from a Wednesday to Sunday with two days of exploring the local cemeteries and sites related to the history of our forefathers, plus a day for a educational talks and our business meeting. Our 2026 Reunion will return to Winchester, VA.
We are here to support and encourage our family to learn more about their direct lineage. Let’s work together to fill in the gaps on our family tree!
Gretchen Fry Harvey, HFFA President |
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HFFA members present at our July 2013 Reunion in Kansas City, MO. |
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HFFA group outside the 1770 Germantown Meeting House in Pennsylvania during our 2015 Reunion. |
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2017 Reunion in Hannibal, MO |
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HFFA members present at our 2009 Reunion in Texas. |
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HFFA members attending the 2011 Reunion in Winchester, VA. |
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HFFA members visiting the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO during our 2013 Reunion where we learned more about Cousin Johnny Fry who was the first Pony Express Rider. |
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Copyright © 2016-2025 Heinrich Frey Family Association. All Rights Reserved. No pictures, stories or genealogy information on this website may be reproduced or otherwise distributed without prior written permission from the Heinrich Frey Family Association. No part of this website can be submitted to or published on any other website or genealogy service. Nothing contained in this website can be used for any Baptism, sealing or other religious purpose. Last updated September 28, 2025. |
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SAVE THE DATE Our 2026 HFFA reunion will be in Winchester, VA on June 18-20.
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2022 Reunion—Xenia, Ohio |
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2019 Shelbyville, Kentucky Reunion |
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2024 Reunion—Morgantown, Pennsylvania |
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2025 Frey European Heritage Tour August 30—September 8 Switzerland, Germany & France |
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22 Frey/Fry/Frye cousins and their spouses along with our guides, Lois Ann and Lemar Mast had the experience of a lifetime by visiting the towns in Switzerland and Germany where Jacob Frey and his son, Heinrich Frey, were born and lived. Heinrich then emigrated to America in 1680. Our family group was made up of one father, daughter and granddaughter, one father daughter, and three mothers and daughters, along with several siblings. |
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On our bus ride from the Zurich airport to Gontenschwil for our first two days of exploring, we passed the Habsburg Castle which was constructed at the beginning of the Habsburg dynasty which family ruled over Europe for many centuries |
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Most of us spent our first two nights at the Seehotel which was located on a beautiful lake a couple of miles from Gontenschwil. |
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Our first nights dinner at the Gasthof Bad Schwarzenberg was absolutely fabulous, especially the Carrot and Orange Cream Soup. |
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On Sunday morning we attended church services at the Gontenschwil Reform Church. In addition to be welcomed by the town mayor, we had the privilege of witnessing two baby girls get Baptized. While this church was constructed in 2023, it is on the spot where the original church was located in the 1600’s when Jacob Frey was Baptized there. |
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After church services we broke bread with over 40 residence of the area who have the surname of Frey. In this area the only spelling for our surname is Frey and it is pronounces Fray. We brought gifts for the children as well as the adults. The lunch consisted of local wine, fresh local vegetables and the best locally made pork (or veil) sausage. |
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Our original plan was to have our group picture taken in front of he Frey Chocolate plant on our way from the Zurich Airport to Gontenschwil. However, since our plane was 3 hours late, we had to wait until our 3rd day of travel to get this historic picture. Founded in 1887 by brothers Robert and Max Frey, the factory remains in operation today under ownership of the Migros Grocery Store chain which bought it from the Frey family about 2 years ago. We do not know if we are related to this Frey family. While the Frey logo is still used on the chocolate wrapper, the only Frey sign at the factory is on the top of the building. |
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Next to the Gontenschwil Reform Church is a 250 year old house that has been maintained and is now a museum. This picture shows the wood beams that may have been used when it was built. Swiss law does not allow the demolition of old buildings so this one may be similar to homes that go back 350 years. |
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For our extended lunch hour on Monday September 1st, we got to spend several hours in Lucerne. |
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Getting ready for dinner on our first night in Brienz. Our hotel overlooked Lake Brienz. |
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While staying in Brienz, we visited the Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum. This old bus from the 1950’s is Germain made, but right-hand drive. The museum occupies many acres and takes several hours to walk around. This is an actual house from an industrialist from the late 1800’s. |
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Most of us had lunch at the Ballenberg Museum. |
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On Tuesday September 2nd, the weather stopped us from riding a gondola to Niederhorn. We then rode the Brienz Rothorn Railway to the top of Brienzer Rothorn about 7,000 feet. While the views of Lake Brienz and the town of Brienz were great, the cold wet weather at the top was not so great. |
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Entertainment for our second night in Brienz was provided by Adolf who played several types of Alphorns. He then invited those in our group to play. |
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On Wednesday, September 3rd, we started off with a visit to the Barau Cowbell Factory in the Emmental Valley. This company was founded in 1730 and continues to make cow bells today. |
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For convenience, we ate several lunches at a supermarket.
Because of the sale of the Frey Chocolate Company to the Migros Grocery Store Company, Frey Chocolates are now only available at Migros stores. Fearing we would not find enough Frey Chocolate, we stormed the chocolate isle when we found a Migros store. |
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Heinrich and his siblings were born in Altenheim, Germany. The picture on the left is believed to be a close representation of what the Altenheim Church looked like at the time that Heinrich and his siblings were Baptized in this church in 1659. The center picture and picture on the right are of the church at this time. The Baptismal records of the church were transcribed from the original records several years ago and summarized in book form. Under the listing of Frey, there are two families with surname of Frey. We do not know who Christiana Frey is. In Germany the surname of Frey is pronounced Fry. |
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Anna Hirtzeller, the mother of Heinrich still has many family members living the village of Hinterville and they still attend this Church in Uerkheim. |
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Heinrich lived in Kriegsheim, Germany when he met up with Gerhard Hendricks with whom he contracted to be an indentured servant for 6 years to pay off the cost of going to Pennsylvania. This is the current church in Kriegsheim. |
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Worms, Germany is known as being where Martin Luther stood up to Church authorities. Some of us visited the memorial to Martin Luther as it was within walking distance from our hotel. We took a Rhine River boat ride where we got to see many castles, vineyards & small towns. |
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We spent our last night at the Kronenhof Hotel in Schaffhausen, Switzerland where we all got together for our farewell inner. Special guests were Andros Frey and his family whom we first met on our first day in Gontenschwil, Switzerland. |
