Charles Rietesel was born October 14, 1877 in Stralsund, western Pomerania. He was the son of Joaqim Carl Friedrich and Amalia Johanna (Voss) Riedesel. The family of three came to Baltimore on the ship Leipzig out of Bremen on July 7, 1880. They settled in Chicago. The ‘Riedesel’ spelling also shows up in family records but ‘Rietesel’ appears to have been preferred.
On October 26, 1904 Charles married Karolina Tron in Vanderburgh, Indiana. She was a native of Indiana and born September 11, 1875. They appear to have lived briefly in Chicago but spent most of their married lives in McHenry County, Illinois. There appear to have been four children to the marriage. Charles was a mechanic, perhaps among other trades. He died January 27, 1949 in McHenry County. Karolina died in Cook County on July 28, 1964. They are buried in the Woodland Cemetery in McHenry.