The emigrants of the Giezendanner-Mettler branch to Indianapolis in the middle of the 1900's
by Dr Ernst W. Alther, St Gallen
(Joop Giesendanner translation and published here with the approval and consent of the writer)

From the alliance of Giezendanner-Anderegg (x 1726) stems Hans Martin Giezendanner-Friedrich (x 1785), who originally settled as a baker in Furth on Necker River, then at Ennet Brugg from 1770 onwards in the community of Wattwil. His son Johannes, who lived from 1788 to 1849 in Ennet Brugg, made his apprenticeship as a sugar baker and took over his Dad's bakery after his father's death . From the first marriage Giezendanner-Näf (x 1814) came Anna Barbara who was not yet of age when her mother died. In 1838 Anna Barbara married in Lichtensteig Josua Wäspi, who was a fitter and kitchen stove manufacturer, founding the third branch of the St. Gallen Lines.
From the second marriage of Johannes Giezendanner to Anna Mettler in 1831, two daughters and one son survived. One daughter married in the Canton of Zürich. After the death of her husband in 1849, the widow decided to sell the house and bakery in Ennet Brugg and emigrated to America with the younger daughter and the son to America. The son Wilhelm (William) Giezendanner, who lived from 1845 till 1925, established himself as a baker in Indianapolis, developed a modern enterprise and was very successful in his trade.
William was also an honorable member of the Meridian Lodge and Order of the Odd Fellows, and built the "Wm Giezendanner Building" at the Senat Avenue/Indian Avenue and Vermont Street in Indianapolis.

In the year of the foundation of the bakery William Giezendanner married in 1868 Margaretha Hoffmann. Out of this marriage came beside the daughter Myrthe Lucila in between 1868 and 1898 five sons, whose names were John George, Harry F., Walter B., William Jr. and Charles J.;
in the next generations 31 descendants were born.

from:
Toggenburgische und werdenbergische Auswanderungen Mitte des 17., 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts
(reprint from:
Toggenburger Annalen 1998)