Lawrence Lorenzo "Renz" Baumgardner, son of Captain John Baumgardner (1787-1853) and Margaret Rebecca Etter (1787-1837). Born Sept. 1, 1827 Died Feb. 8, 1900 Married Mary Buchanon
Seated L to R, front: Minnie, Mary, Renz, Mary E., Ida. Back row L to R: J.B., W.R., J.A., C.L., Louis, and George. The picture was taken about 1890.

Renz was the Depot Agent in Rural Retreat (which is the town next to Wytheville) and all of his sons worked for a railway. That would be either the Norfolk & Western or the Southern Railway System. In 1863 the Renz family was living in the building containing the Depot. It was set fire by Union soldiers during Renz' absence. (He had learned the soldiers were enroute and had taken important papers to Wytheville to be locked in the railway's more secure vault.) Mary and the children saved most of the furniture. They stayed with relatives nearby until they bought a house and relocated it to a lot in Rural Retreat. They reassembled it and added framework.

The combined time given to the railway by Renz, his sons, and one grandson totalled about 300 years.

Renz and Mary had nine children:  
 
  J. B., James A., Charles L., George Stewart, W. Robert, Minnie E., 
  Ida Lee, Louis K., and Mary E.  (No birth dates known.)
 
Marriages:
 
  J. B. to Jennie English
  James A. to Alice Howe
  Charles L. to Nannie Spence 18 Aug 1887 in Rural Retreat
  George S. to Florence Painter
  Minnie E. to Walter Spence
  Ida Lee to William Gammon
  Louis to Eunice Taylor
  W. Robert never married
  Mary E. never married
 
Deaths:
 
  Renz 8 Feb 1900
  Mary Buchanon unknown