Laura's father was William Ihle.  Her mother was Elizabeth Hesch.  First, we'll explore Elizabeth's line.  Though I have yet to identify her parents, I have uncovered a bit of history about her. 

Elizabeth Hesch was born around 1852 and it is believed she was born in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio.  Census records of 1870 show Lizzie Heish, age 18, domestic servant at Henry Crane's home in the Sixth Ward of Cincinnati.  The census states her parents were born in Germany.  Elizabeth had two sisters, Martha and Mary who were born about 1847 and 1849 respectively.  These two sisters never married and a picture of them survived.  Mary is on the left and Martha, the elder of the two is on the right.  The sisters lived together until at least 1930 when they rented at 2335 Chickasaw Street, near the University of Cincinnati.  In 1934, the elder sister, Martha, died and is buried in the Ihle family plot in Wesleyan Cemetery, Cincinnati, but unfortunately there is no headstone.  Mary's whereabouts after 1930 is unknown but Laura's grandchild, Carol, recalls going to visit the maiden aunts at a home in Cincinnati when she was around eight years old.  Martha and Mary were seamstresses or domestic servants.

Elizabeth married Andrew Wild on 3 December 1874 at St. Mark's German Evangelical Church near Norwood.  The couple's wedding was witnessed by  Edward Holland and Wilhelm Piepho.  Wilhlem will be important in Elizabeth's future but we'll come back to him. 

Andreas Wild was born about 1844 in Baden and was the son of Magdalena.  His father is unknown.  Andrew served in the Civil War - Ohio Infantry, 181st, Company I with a George Wild, age 33, probably a relative but not a sibling.  Andrew enlisted as a private on 20 Sept 1864 and mustered out of the same company on 14 July 1865 in  Salisbury, North Carolina.  He was recognized for distinguished service. 

Andrew had a brother William and two sisters, Mary and Julia and possibly more siblings. 

In 1870, Andrew worked at a photographer's gallery and at the time of his marriage he is a lithographer.  The groom is 30 and the bride is 28.  Almost nine months to the day, 2 September 1875, the couple have twins, Andrew and William.  Andrew succumbs to convulsions at birth and dies.  He is buried at Carthage Road, now known as Vine Street Hill, Cemetery.

William Carl was baptised on 24 Jan 1876 and his godparents are Samuel Weier and Julie Wild, sister of Andrew.  Perhaps the reason for his baptism was that, William, five months old, is ill because two days later on 26 January 1876, he died of convulstions.  He, too, is buried at Carthage Road.   

With two dead babies, Elizabeth is faced then with another tragedy when Andrew died a year later on 3 March 1877 of tuberculosis.  He was 33.

Elizabeth's whereabouts are unknown for the next eighteen months, but she married William H. Ihle on 27 October 1878.  I suspect that William Piepho, witness at her wedding to Andrew Wild, introduced her to William Ihle.  Piepho was married to Ihle's sister, Amelia in 1876. Since William Ihle's wife, Margaret Severns, died just after her daughter was born, Piepho may have arranged a meeting since both Ihle and Elizabeth were now widowed.  The daughter was Martha Ann and was most probably less than a year of age at their marriage. 

On 6 November 1880, the couple had a daughter, Laura Mary.  In 1882-83, a son William Henry was born, followed by Walter in 1884-85.  

Suddenly on 15 January 1885, Elizabeth, at 33, died at her home in Cumminsville.  She left her 32 year old husband, two daughters, ages 6 and 4. and sons, age 2 and infant.  It is possible that Elizabeth died in childbirth with Walter, but this fact is unknown at this time.