Here is information about Kies from An Account of St. Joseph County from Its Organization (1923).

Frank N. Kies, president of Frank N. Kies & Sons of South Bend, wholesale confectioners, was born in Bavaria, Germany on March 17, 1870, the son of Stephen and Eva (Kispert) Kies. The father came to the United States first in 1871, in 1874 he returned to Germany, and then once more came to the United States. He was variously engaged as a merchant, operator of saw mills and a lumberman. He was located for fourteen months in New York City, and then came to St. Joseph county, where he worked for the South Bend Woolen Company until his death in 1900 (an error since Frank N Kies died in 1954) . He was a member of the Knights of Labor, the South Bend Turners, and in religious matters affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran church.

There were thirteen children in the family, of whom three sisters and one brother are living in the United States. Frank N. Kies was educated in the public schools through the eighth grade, and at the age of twelve started clerking in a grocery store. He then became engaged in the restaurant business, and remained in that and in the hotel business as an employee until 1890. In that year, he opened a saloon and restaurant where the Oliver Hotel now stands, and in 1893 opened the Grand View Hotel and restaurant on South street, which he operated for seven years. During the succeeding eight years he was South Bend agent for the Pabst Brewing Company, and in March, 1919 organized Frank N. Kies Sons for the wholesaling of confectionery, a business in which he has since continued. Mr. Kies was married on January 18, 1891 to Katherine Klughart, and they have two children, George and Paul J., who are members of the firm with their father. Mr. Kies is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Red Men, the Turners, the Sons of Herman, and is a devout member of the Evangelical Lutheran church.

His obituary was published in The South Bend Tribune on July 14, 1954. He lived at 420 N. Cushing St. The obituary states that he came to South Bend 78 years earlier. He was married to Miss Katherine Krughardt on January 17, 1890, in South Bend. He died following an undisclosed illness and is buried at Highland Cemetery in South Bend.

The bottle shown below is the only example we currently have. It was made by the Streator Bottle & Glass Co., which ceased operations in 1905, so it dates to before that time. If you have any additional examples, please consider sharing them with us.