It's been a while since I've written about an ancestor in the Harshbarger line. I seem to have written about most or all of the "easy" ones, and since most of the family is of German or Swiss ancestry, and didn't arrive in American until the first half of the eighteenth century, I have a smaller pool of ancestors to research. However, here is one that I seem to have overlooked.
Martin Laber is thought to have been born in Pennsylvania August 20, 1738, although I've not found a record yet. He is the son of Wendell and Anna Margaretha Mueller Laber, and was one of at least ten children. His father was a religious man who helped to found at least two churches, the second one being closer to his home than the first. "Home" by at least 1747, was in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Martin stayed there his whole life. This is in the northern part of the county, bordering on Berks and Dauphin counties now, but at the time, it was all wilderness. Lancaster town itself was hardly a village, and the area would go through some very rough times during Martin's lifetime.
Martin married Anna Catherina Enck, the daughter of Johan Jacob and Anna Catharina Becker Enck, on October 13, 1761. The pastor was Rev. John Waldschmidt, who was actually sent as a pastor for the Dutch Reformed Church. (Without going into a good detail of theological detail, the Germans of the area were satisfied with their pastor, be he Dutch, German, or some combination there of.
By 1761, the worst of the onslaughts from the French and Indian war (meaning attacks by the native Americans in cahoots with the French) were mostly over, and Martin and Catherine were able to make a home for themselves. Martin, like his father, was a farmer and called himself a yeoman in his will. He and Catherine had at least 5 children, and stayed on the farm they owned their whole lives. In 1782, he is shown on a tax list as having 140 acres of land, 2 horses and 4 cows, and his tax is one of the higher ones on that particular page. But I'm getting ahead of the story.
After the French and Indian war, and after the few years of peace, life was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Martin seems not to have been greatly affected by the war itself. He was in the militia but I've not found that he was ever called to duty. He may well have been used for a few days as a guard for prisoners of war, or to transport food and supplies, but it doesn't appear, as far as I've learned so far, that he ever was in a battle. This is not to say that his life was easy. He lived perhaps 50 miles from Valley Forge and 65 miles from Philadelphia. Lancaster County, then, as now, had a reputation as being a "bread basket" and surely Martin would have contributed, we hope voluntarily, to Valley Forge. It's possible there were British foraging expeditions that far from Philly but if so, they would have been of short duration. And surely, there was tension. Where would the next battle be? Would the country maintain the independence they had declared, or would they be defeated by the British, with the help of the hired Hessians? Mothers have always had to calm the fears of their children, it seems.
That is as much of the life of Martin as I currently know, except for records created when he died. Martin wrote his will on February 26, 1812 when he signed with a mark. It wasn't probated for another 11 years, though, on October 20, 1823. His actual date of death is given on Find a Grave as September 2, 1823, so it seems that he either had a long illness or he had a serious illness and recovered. He provided for his wife in his will, but she died September 23, 1813. He left land or money or both to each of his three sons, one hundred pounds to each of his 7 Dulibon grandchildren, and one hundred dollars to "his congregation" to build a new church. The graves, with standing headstones, are at what is now the Brickerville United Lutheran Church and Cemetery at Brickerville, Pa.
Martin lived through interesting times. He survived, supported his country, supported his church, raised a family, and paid his taxes. We can be grateful for ancestors like Martin! I'm also grateful to Anne Caston, who located some of the information I've used in this post, and who generously shares her knowledge and information.
The line of descent is:
Martin Laber-Catherine Enck
Catherine Laber-Henry Dulibon
Elizabeth Tullepan-Conrad Mentzer
Catherine Mentzer (Mancer)-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Personal note: This is my 700th blog post. We'll see how much longer I can keep finding stories to tell. I know there are a few more waiting out there!
Showing posts with label Harter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harter. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Harshbarger line: George Harter 1801-1854
George Harter was a bit of a traveling man, it seems. And he has confused various researchers, including yours truly. There seem to be two George Harters, each purported to be a son of Gearge and Mary Magdalena Miller Harter. They have two different birthdates. One is September 22, 1795 and the other is September 22, 1801. The later date is supported by the 1850 census, when he was 48 years old. Both birth locations are given as Rockingham County, Virginia, where George and Mary are known to have lived. So, either one birth date, and potentially set of parents, is incorrect, or they had two children named George. This would not be totally unusual. Possibly the first son died but perhaps they gave two children the name of George and used a nickname for one of them. Or perhaps he was born in 1795 but not christened until 1801.
At any rate, George would have been a youth in his teens, possibly as much as 20 years of age when his parents moved from Rockingham County to Licking County, Ohio. The family was there as early as 1817, and George probably helped his father get his land cleared and planted, and the homestead built. But by 1825 he was ready to marry. He chose Elizabeth Geiger, daughter of Anthony and Mark Kirk Geiger, as his bride, and they married on September 8, 1825. (I did find an 1820 census form for a George in Licking County, showing a woman and a child but I am not sure whether this was our George or not. If it was, then his first wife and child must have died before the 1825 marriage.Or perhaps this was the 1795 George who had married by then).
We're not sure exactly when George and Elizabeth moved to Whitley County, Indiana. They were there by 1840. George was taxed on land there in 1838, although that is not necessarily proof that he was living there then. (His land was valued at $98 in Smith Township, and his total state and county tax was $2.38. Elizabeth's father, Anthony, died in Whitley County in 1836, so it is very possible that they had traveled together to their new home. George and Elizabeth had at least six children together, with John being the oldest.
We often forget what it was like for the first settlers of a region. They had to live off the land and from what they brought with them to their new home, while acquiring land, clearing it, planting crops, building shelter and then a home, hunting wolves and whatever other predator animals could threaten his family, while his wife had babies, kept the family fed, cooking and did laundry and took care of the animals, made soap and candles, and did all the things that were necessary to keep a household fed and clothed.
As a further example of life in pioneer days, I found this in the 1907 edition of "History of Whitley County" by Kalin and Maring: (in an 1841 perjury trial related to counterfeiting)..."The jury adjourned to a big black walnut stump to deliberate. Every man in those days was more or less a hunter of wild game and the barking of squirrels and the gobble of wild turkeys caused the bailiff a great deal of trouble in keeping the jury together and attentive to business." George was one of the men on this jury, the first "big" trial in Whitley County.
The 1850 census shows that George was farming a tract of land worth about $2700, and sons John and Henry were also noted as farmers. He had acquired at least 360 acres of land in two separate transactions in 1837 and 1838, in each of which the patent says he is of Licking County, Ohio. It is likely that he purchased the land, cleared it and planted crops, and then went back to Licking County for his family. The land he purchased is on the east edge of Whitley County in Smith township, some of it north of Churubusco and some just south of Churubusco.
The next we hear of George is his death, noted as being March 9, 1854 in Whitley County. We don't know his cause of death, but since he was likely in his early 50s, it wasn't old age. The time of year suggests that it could have been pneumonia, ague, or one of the fevers that early ended the lives of many Whitley County pioneers. I have not found a will or an inventory for him.
George's life doesn't seem to have been impacted by national events, except to the extent that he was looking for land to purchase. He was too young to have been part of the war of 1812, and it's thought that his parents didn't leave Rockingham County until that war was settled. The native Americans had pretty much left the area when the Harters moved on to Whitley County, although of course a few stayed behind. Kilsoquah, the daughter of Chief Little Turtle, was just a few years younger than George and would have likely been known to him, for instance. Even though he didn't serve in the military, as far as we know, he was one of those quiet American heroes, who worked and worshiped
and raised children who would do the same.
The line of descent is:
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Update 7/31/2021. I think I've located the right Harter family in Licking County, Ohio and back to Rockingham County, Virginia. I am planning to write another blog post about George's parents.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Harshbarger line: John Boughan of Virginia
First, almost none of this research is mine. I found a very well researched blog page on Thomas Moore's Genealogy site and most of what I will be talking about is his research. Without his research, I would know almost nothing about this man.
It is strange to be writing about a man in the Harshbarger line who was not of German or Swiss descent. At least, we don't think he was, and he was in Virginia long before more of the Germans and Swiss immigrants had even thought about crossing the ocean.
John's parents were James Boughan and Mary, possibly Mary Edmondson. He was born probably about 1675 but maybe as late as 1683. His parents were probably the immigrants of the family, and were here at least by 1664. If you wish to prove your descent from James and Mary, you may be eligible for membership in the Jamestowne Society, which would be kind of cool. It seems that John should also be a qualifying ancestor, but apparently so far no one has submitted his proof. John had three siblings but so far James is the one that seems to qualify for admission to the society. It follows that John should also qualify.
We don't know when John was born, but he was signing documents in 1704 so would have been born at least by 1683. His marriage was to Susannah Ley, sometimes erroneously named as Susannah Bryant. She married Thomas Bryant after our John's death, which is apparently where the confusion started. John and Susannah had at least four children together, John, Augustine, Dorothy and Mary.
If you can imagine a young man in about 1700, wearing colonial clothing and possibly a powdered wig, this may represent John. He was a man of substance, frequently being called on as a witness to a neighbor's will, or to be an appraiser. He sued and was sued quite often, and was required to post bond on more than one occasion. He inherited land from his father as well as, sadly, "Negroe's" and their increase. His wife was to have the use of them (no indication how many) until her death and then they were to be divided up between the four children. He was known as a planter and some of his transactions were paid in tobacco rather than cash, as was typical for other planters in the era. His land was mostly on Piscataway Creek, which drains into Rappahannock River. This was quite close to the coast and if there were hurricanes, it might have been a bad place to be.
John died sometime before August 10, 1720, the date his inventory was taken. Much of the value of the estate was in the 15 slaves he owned. Their value totaled 287 pounds, 10 shillings and the estate was valued at a little over 410 pounds. Land didn't yet have a high value. As mentioned earlier, Susannah married Thomas Bryant, but died herself in 1726.
We don't know whether John worked as hard to raise his family as the "Pennsylvania Dutch" did to raise theirs. But it wasn't an easy life, living and working on the frontier of Virginia, just as it was not easy living on the frontiers of Pennsylvania. We can be grateful to John and Susannah for the heritage they passed on.
The line of descent is
John Boughan-Susanna Ley
Mary Boughan-John Edmondson
Sukey Edmondson-Thomas Wyatt
John Wyatt-Alice Gordon
Jean Wyatt-William Farmer
Margaret Farmer-Solomon Bennett
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
It is strange to be writing about a man in the Harshbarger line who was not of German or Swiss descent. At least, we don't think he was, and he was in Virginia long before more of the Germans and Swiss immigrants had even thought about crossing the ocean.
John's parents were James Boughan and Mary, possibly Mary Edmondson. He was born probably about 1675 but maybe as late as 1683. His parents were probably the immigrants of the family, and were here at least by 1664. If you wish to prove your descent from James and Mary, you may be eligible for membership in the Jamestowne Society, which would be kind of cool. It seems that John should also be a qualifying ancestor, but apparently so far no one has submitted his proof. John had three siblings but so far James is the one that seems to qualify for admission to the society. It follows that John should also qualify.
We don't know when John was born, but he was signing documents in 1704 so would have been born at least by 1683. His marriage was to Susannah Ley, sometimes erroneously named as Susannah Bryant. She married Thomas Bryant after our John's death, which is apparently where the confusion started. John and Susannah had at least four children together, John, Augustine, Dorothy and Mary.
If you can imagine a young man in about 1700, wearing colonial clothing and possibly a powdered wig, this may represent John. He was a man of substance, frequently being called on as a witness to a neighbor's will, or to be an appraiser. He sued and was sued quite often, and was required to post bond on more than one occasion. He inherited land from his father as well as, sadly, "Negroe's" and their increase. His wife was to have the use of them (no indication how many) until her death and then they were to be divided up between the four children. He was known as a planter and some of his transactions were paid in tobacco rather than cash, as was typical for other planters in the era. His land was mostly on Piscataway Creek, which drains into Rappahannock River. This was quite close to the coast and if there were hurricanes, it might have been a bad place to be.
John died sometime before August 10, 1720, the date his inventory was taken. Much of the value of the estate was in the 15 slaves he owned. Their value totaled 287 pounds, 10 shillings and the estate was valued at a little over 410 pounds. Land didn't yet have a high value. As mentioned earlier, Susannah married Thomas Bryant, but died herself in 1726.
We don't know whether John worked as hard to raise his family as the "Pennsylvania Dutch" did to raise theirs. But it wasn't an easy life, living and working on the frontier of Virginia, just as it was not easy living on the frontiers of Pennsylvania. We can be grateful to John and Susannah for the heritage they passed on.
The line of descent is
John Boughan-Susanna Ley
Mary Boughan-John Edmondson
Sukey Edmondson-Thomas Wyatt
John Wyatt-Alice Gordon
Jean Wyatt-William Farmer
Margaret Farmer-Solomon Bennett
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, August 16, 2019
Harshbarger line: Conrad Mentzer 1799-1880
First, let me give much credit where much credit is due: Much of the material in this blog post was located by a distant cousin to my husband, Anne M Caston. I had bits and pieces, (most of the census records) but she has found much more. Anne, I certainly appreciate you and would love to meet you some time!
Second, let me say that census takers, church pastors, and transcribers, among others, have made it immensely difficult to trace this man. I don't know of many other people, in our families, who have had their surnames spelled in so many different ways. except for possibly his wife's surname. It's no wonder that it has taken more than one person to figure this much out. I hope someone, sometime, will see this post and be willing to join us in our search.
And third, it helps not at all that there was another Conrad Mentzer born in 1799, who is mostly documented in Washington County, Maryland. That Conrad is not ours and he is not very closely related to this Conrad Mentzer.
And as always, despite fairly good records and documentation, there is still much we don't know about Conrad, such as the minor detail of the identity of his mother, and what he was doing in 1820, and of course the always present question of "Why?" In this case, my big "Why" is "Why did you move to Stark County, Ohio, and why move when you did?"
So let's start with what we know. Conrad Mentzer was born March 25, 1799 and baptized June 16, 1799 at the Emanuel Lutheran Church, Brickerville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His parents were John and Margreth (Margaret) Mentzer, and he was one of eleven children born to the couple. Our first record of him as an adult is on August 29, 1819 in the same church, when he married Elizabeth Tullepan/Dulibon and various other spellings. The next record is the 1820 census in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he is listed as being a while male, aged 16-25, living with a white female aged 16-25, and one female unger age 10. This would be their first daughter, Leah, who was born November 6, 1819. The young couple certainly had very little time to spend together before their family started arriving. In the 1820 census, Conrad is listed as being in "manufacture" rather than agriculture or commerce. I'd love to know what he was doing!
There is a reference to a Conrad Mentzer who owned land in Clay Township in Lancaster County Pennsylvania in 1828 but I am not sure that this is our Conrad. John Mentzer had died in 1821 so it's possible that Conrad was able to purchase land there. Clay Township was not formed until 1853 and is right next door to Elizabeth Township, so possibly this is our guy. He was listed in 1830 as living in Elizabeth township. By this time, he was in the male 30-39 column, Elizabeth was in the 30-39 age column, and there were one male aged 5-9 (Joel), 2 females under 5 (Susan and Catherine), one female aged 5-9 (Caroline), and one female aged 10-14 (Leah). If the couple had additional children, he or she was born and died between the census years.
Interestingly, the name above Conrad's name in the 1830 census is that of Margaret Mentzer, who is between the ages of 60 and 70, and who had two males living with her, aged 15-20 and one female aged 20-30. This was likely the mysterious Margreth/Margaret, mother of Conrad. I don't yet have a death date for Margaret, but one wonders if she had died, or gone to live with one of the older children, soon after this.
We don't know exactly when the Mentzer family moved to Stark County, Ohio but Conrad purchased land there, with a recorded date of May 17, 1831. He paid $400 for 80 acres of land, which showed the price of inflation in just a few short years. Earlier, land in this area was going for $1.50 an acre. He may have been there that year and cleared land or/and planted crops, with or without his family. Elizabeth had her hands full, whenever she arrived, and we can bet that daughters Leah and Caroline helped watch the younger children when they weren't helping Elizabeth with chores.
The 1840 census shows "Coaured Mincer" living in Franklin Township, Summit County. By now, the children were older, but all except Leah still at home. It appears that Franklin Township, Summit County, may have been very close to Elizabeth Township, Stark County. If Conrad sold his land in Elizabeth township, we've not yet found record of it. It's possible that township boundaries were still not settled, or that the census taker simply got it wrong. Of special note is that there was no mention of Elizabeth. Divorce records should be checked as a precaution, which I haven't done yet, but it's probably a safe assumption that she had died, after less than 20 years of marriage.
By 1850 Conrad was back in Jackson Township, Stark County, with wife Elizabeth. Except, it was a different Elizabeth. In 1843 he married Elizabeth Balmore Treesh or Trisch, and they were married until Conrad's death in 1880. This Elizabeth, then, was Catherine Mentzer Harshbarger's stepmother for much longer than her mother had been able to mother her. We have record of Conrad on the agricultural schedule for 1850. He is reported as having 30 acres of improved land and 25 acres of unimproved land, valued at $1500. His farm implements were valued at $30, so probably not much more than a plow. He had three horses, three milch cows, one other cattle, six sheep, and three swine. In the preceding year, he had produced 100 bushels of wheat, 50 bushels of Indian corn, and 25 bushels of oats.
We haven't found him in the 1860 census yet, but in 1870 he was in Jackson Township, Stark County, and is still listed as a farmer. However, there is no value listed for his farm, but it seems that he still onwed land because there is a later record of a land transfer (after his death) from Conrad to Henry Caston, a son in law. In 1880, he is listed on the census as a retired farmer, and it's noted that his wife couldn't read or write, so by implication he could do so That is the last record of Conrad until his death on December 16, 1880. There was no probate until 1883, as far as I can tell, and I am not sure where the death date comes from. Elizabeth apparently lived longer, but I am not sure of her death date. There was another Elizabeth Mentzer (maiden name Essig) who died in Masillon, Stark County in 1896, and it's possible that the 1896 death death for Eliabeth Balmore Trisch Mentzer is earlier.
Things about Conrad I wish I knew:
Name of his mother
Date of first wife's death or divorce
Church attended in Stark County
Death date, or where this date came from
Burial location
Was he a happy person?
The line of descent is:
Conrad Mentzer-Elizabeth Tullepan
Catherine Mentzer-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Second, let me say that census takers, church pastors, and transcribers, among others, have made it immensely difficult to trace this man. I don't know of many other people, in our families, who have had their surnames spelled in so many different ways. except for possibly his wife's surname. It's no wonder that it has taken more than one person to figure this much out. I hope someone, sometime, will see this post and be willing to join us in our search.
And third, it helps not at all that there was another Conrad Mentzer born in 1799, who is mostly documented in Washington County, Maryland. That Conrad is not ours and he is not very closely related to this Conrad Mentzer.
And as always, despite fairly good records and documentation, there is still much we don't know about Conrad, such as the minor detail of the identity of his mother, and what he was doing in 1820, and of course the always present question of "Why?" In this case, my big "Why" is "Why did you move to Stark County, Ohio, and why move when you did?"
So let's start with what we know. Conrad Mentzer was born March 25, 1799 and baptized June 16, 1799 at the Emanuel Lutheran Church, Brickerville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His parents were John and Margreth (Margaret) Mentzer, and he was one of eleven children born to the couple. Our first record of him as an adult is on August 29, 1819 in the same church, when he married Elizabeth Tullepan/Dulibon and various other spellings. The next record is the 1820 census in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he is listed as being a while male, aged 16-25, living with a white female aged 16-25, and one female unger age 10. This would be their first daughter, Leah, who was born November 6, 1819. The young couple certainly had very little time to spend together before their family started arriving. In the 1820 census, Conrad is listed as being in "manufacture" rather than agriculture or commerce. I'd love to know what he was doing!
There is a reference to a Conrad Mentzer who owned land in Clay Township in Lancaster County Pennsylvania in 1828 but I am not sure that this is our Conrad. John Mentzer had died in 1821 so it's possible that Conrad was able to purchase land there. Clay Township was not formed until 1853 and is right next door to Elizabeth Township, so possibly this is our guy. He was listed in 1830 as living in Elizabeth township. By this time, he was in the male 30-39 column, Elizabeth was in the 30-39 age column, and there were one male aged 5-9 (Joel), 2 females under 5 (Susan and Catherine), one female aged 5-9 (Caroline), and one female aged 10-14 (Leah). If the couple had additional children, he or she was born and died between the census years.
Interestingly, the name above Conrad's name in the 1830 census is that of Margaret Mentzer, who is between the ages of 60 and 70, and who had two males living with her, aged 15-20 and one female aged 20-30. This was likely the mysterious Margreth/Margaret, mother of Conrad. I don't yet have a death date for Margaret, but one wonders if she had died, or gone to live with one of the older children, soon after this.
We don't know exactly when the Mentzer family moved to Stark County, Ohio but Conrad purchased land there, with a recorded date of May 17, 1831. He paid $400 for 80 acres of land, which showed the price of inflation in just a few short years. Earlier, land in this area was going for $1.50 an acre. He may have been there that year and cleared land or/and planted crops, with or without his family. Elizabeth had her hands full, whenever she arrived, and we can bet that daughters Leah and Caroline helped watch the younger children when they weren't helping Elizabeth with chores.
The 1840 census shows "Coaured Mincer" living in Franklin Township, Summit County. By now, the children were older, but all except Leah still at home. It appears that Franklin Township, Summit County, may have been very close to Elizabeth Township, Stark County. If Conrad sold his land in Elizabeth township, we've not yet found record of it. It's possible that township boundaries were still not settled, or that the census taker simply got it wrong. Of special note is that there was no mention of Elizabeth. Divorce records should be checked as a precaution, which I haven't done yet, but it's probably a safe assumption that she had died, after less than 20 years of marriage.
By 1850 Conrad was back in Jackson Township, Stark County, with wife Elizabeth. Except, it was a different Elizabeth. In 1843 he married Elizabeth Balmore Treesh or Trisch, and they were married until Conrad's death in 1880. This Elizabeth, then, was Catherine Mentzer Harshbarger's stepmother for much longer than her mother had been able to mother her. We have record of Conrad on the agricultural schedule for 1850. He is reported as having 30 acres of improved land and 25 acres of unimproved land, valued at $1500. His farm implements were valued at $30, so probably not much more than a plow. He had three horses, three milch cows, one other cattle, six sheep, and three swine. In the preceding year, he had produced 100 bushels of wheat, 50 bushels of Indian corn, and 25 bushels of oats.
We haven't found him in the 1860 census yet, but in 1870 he was in Jackson Township, Stark County, and is still listed as a farmer. However, there is no value listed for his farm, but it seems that he still onwed land because there is a later record of a land transfer (after his death) from Conrad to Henry Caston, a son in law. In 1880, he is listed on the census as a retired farmer, and it's noted that his wife couldn't read or write, so by implication he could do so That is the last record of Conrad until his death on December 16, 1880. There was no probate until 1883, as far as I can tell, and I am not sure where the death date comes from. Elizabeth apparently lived longer, but I am not sure of her death date. There was another Elizabeth Mentzer (maiden name Essig) who died in Masillon, Stark County in 1896, and it's possible that the 1896 death death for Eliabeth Balmore Trisch Mentzer is earlier.
Things about Conrad I wish I knew:
Name of his mother
Date of first wife's death or divorce
Church attended in Stark County
Death date, or where this date came from
Burial location
Was he a happy person?
The line of descent is:
Conrad Mentzer-Elizabeth Tullepan
Catherine Mentzer-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Harshbarger line: Jacob Geiger 1748-1792
I am seriously wondering if there are two Jacob Geigers, and if they have somehow been mixed up in most records. What I have found is quite confusing but it seems to have two men by the same name at the same place at the same time. I am trying to get to the bottom of this but here's what I think I know.
Jacob was born in 1748 and wsas the son of Johan Valentin Geiger III, and Sarah, who may have been a widow Vettatoe, or some such name. He was reportedly born in New Hanover Township, in what is now Montgomery County but at the time was still Philadelphia County. This would have been frontier land at the time.
Somehow, Jacob made his way to Frederick County, Maryland, where we have one of the first documentations that I've been able to locate. There he married Elizabeth Schultz on August 11, 1776, in a Lutheran church or at least by a Lutheran pastor, just a few weeks after our country declared Independence. Jacob had actually been in Frederick County longer than that, because in December of 1775 he was listed as an Associator in the American cause. This was basically a volunteer militia. He also took the oath of allegiance in 1778, which was to the state of Maryland rather than to Great Britain, or, more interestingly, to the American cause. This was required of all office holders, including attorneys, and also all voters, which meant at the time those men who owned real estate.
Jacob and Elizabeth had at least seven children, born from 1776, just three months after the wedding, to 1786. Elizabeth, I think, deserved a break after that. Her body must have been worn out by the time the last one was born.
We don't know what other military service Jacob may have participated in, before or during the Revolutionary War. The area he is believed to have settled in was hard hit by attacks by native Americans, and it is more than possible that Jacob participated in one or more of the marches and battles that protected Americans and "rid the area" of most native Americans. The stories from that time and area are gruesome, but for the purposes of this blog, it is only a possibility that Jacob was involved, not a certainty. It is, however, more than likely that the family moved to the relative safety of a nearby fort or stockade for at least short periods of time during the war years.
I think that Jacob owned land in Frederick County, Maryland called "Discontentment". There were 244 acres there, and it was resurveyed in 1793, soon after Jacob died. It wouldn't have belonged to son Jacob, because the son was only 15 years old at the time. A more thorough study of land records would possibly show that the land was deeded to either heirs or a purchaser.
It has been reported, but I can't document, that Jacob Geiger died at or near Greenbrier, Berkeley County, (West) Virginia in February of 1791 or 1792. If his birth date is correct, he was a young man of 44 at the time, which makes one wonder if an accident or injury of some type was involved. It could also have been simple overwork. We don't know when the family relocated, or why, but the Jacob Geiger who died in Northampton County, Pennsylvania at about the same time does not appear to be one and the same with our Jacob.
One other thing that is confusing on websites I've found is that both Jacob and Elizabeth are said to have died on the same date, February 24, 1791 or 1792. I'd like to find the source of that information, because that could indicate either Indians, or some sudden disease like cholera. Either way, there would be a story there. But once before I thought I'd found a couple who died on the same day, and that information turned out to be faulty. So the question is still an open one: Who died when, and where, and how? Is that too much to ask?
Jacob lived a difficult life in difficult times. I hope his homestead gave him wonderful views, and I hope he died happy, knowing that his children had the skills and fortitude to continue carving out homes in the wilderness.
Much of this post is speculation, with just a few records to support it. If anyone has additional information on this man, I would love to hear more of him, especially if there is documentation. Please contact me.
The line of descent is:
Jacob Geiger-Elizabeth Schultz
Anthony Geiger-Mary Kirk
Elizabeth Geiger-George Harter
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Jacob was born in 1748 and wsas the son of Johan Valentin Geiger III, and Sarah, who may have been a widow Vettatoe, or some such name. He was reportedly born in New Hanover Township, in what is now Montgomery County but at the time was still Philadelphia County. This would have been frontier land at the time.
Somehow, Jacob made his way to Frederick County, Maryland, where we have one of the first documentations that I've been able to locate. There he married Elizabeth Schultz on August 11, 1776, in a Lutheran church or at least by a Lutheran pastor, just a few weeks after our country declared Independence. Jacob had actually been in Frederick County longer than that, because in December of 1775 he was listed as an Associator in the American cause. This was basically a volunteer militia. He also took the oath of allegiance in 1778, which was to the state of Maryland rather than to Great Britain, or, more interestingly, to the American cause. This was required of all office holders, including attorneys, and also all voters, which meant at the time those men who owned real estate.
Jacob and Elizabeth had at least seven children, born from 1776, just three months after the wedding, to 1786. Elizabeth, I think, deserved a break after that. Her body must have been worn out by the time the last one was born.
We don't know what other military service Jacob may have participated in, before or during the Revolutionary War. The area he is believed to have settled in was hard hit by attacks by native Americans, and it is more than possible that Jacob participated in one or more of the marches and battles that protected Americans and "rid the area" of most native Americans. The stories from that time and area are gruesome, but for the purposes of this blog, it is only a possibility that Jacob was involved, not a certainty. It is, however, more than likely that the family moved to the relative safety of a nearby fort or stockade for at least short periods of time during the war years.
I think that Jacob owned land in Frederick County, Maryland called "Discontentment". There were 244 acres there, and it was resurveyed in 1793, soon after Jacob died. It wouldn't have belonged to son Jacob, because the son was only 15 years old at the time. A more thorough study of land records would possibly show that the land was deeded to either heirs or a purchaser.
It has been reported, but I can't document, that Jacob Geiger died at or near Greenbrier, Berkeley County, (West) Virginia in February of 1791 or 1792. If his birth date is correct, he was a young man of 44 at the time, which makes one wonder if an accident or injury of some type was involved. It could also have been simple overwork. We don't know when the family relocated, or why, but the Jacob Geiger who died in Northampton County, Pennsylvania at about the same time does not appear to be one and the same with our Jacob.
One other thing that is confusing on websites I've found is that both Jacob and Elizabeth are said to have died on the same date, February 24, 1791 or 1792. I'd like to find the source of that information, because that could indicate either Indians, or some sudden disease like cholera. Either way, there would be a story there. But once before I thought I'd found a couple who died on the same day, and that information turned out to be faulty. So the question is still an open one: Who died when, and where, and how? Is that too much to ask?
Jacob lived a difficult life in difficult times. I hope his homestead gave him wonderful views, and I hope he died happy, knowing that his children had the skills and fortitude to continue carving out homes in the wilderness.
Much of this post is speculation, with just a few records to support it. If anyone has additional information on this man, I would love to hear more of him, especially if there is documentation. Please contact me.
The line of descent is:
Jacob Geiger-Elizabeth Schultz
Anthony Geiger-Mary Kirk
Elizabeth Geiger-George Harter
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, June 7, 2019
Harshbarger line: Johann Jacob Fehler 1746-1817
Johann Jacob Fehler left just enough of a paper trail that I can write a few sentences about him. He was the son of Jacob and Anna Margareth Lowenguth, and was born April 13, 1746 in Upper Tulpehocken Townhip, Berks County, Pa. Jacob and Margareth were apparently killed in one of the many attacks by the native Americans, in 1758, and our Jacob was an orphan at the age of 12, He had three older and five younger siblings, except that maybe he didn't. The will of Jacob Lowenguth refers to an only son, Jacob, and two daughters, which would not explain the long list of children I've found for them.
At any rate, our Jacob would have lived with other family members, or assigned a guardian by the court. I've not found a record yet of what happened to the children, but somehow they survived the horror of being orphaned and went on to live their lives.
Our Jacob is next found marrying Anna Eva Behney, daughter of Peter and Anna Barbara Behney, on October 26, 1767, but I haven't yet found records specifying the location. Some say it was in Heidelberg Township, Berks County and some say East Hanover Township, Dauphin County. We know he was in East Hanover Township by 1781, when there is record of the baptism of the ninth of his twelve children. The distance between Jacob's childhood home and his new home was about 30 miles, down a mountain valley and Jacob may have been quite happy to leave his childhood home behind.
We don't know what Jacob did during the Revolutionary War. His name is not found on the digital archives of Pennsylvania web site, or perhaps I didn't think of enough way s to check the spelling for Fehler. It seems that he would at least have been in a militia, since at the start of the war he was only about 30 years old. Certainly news of the war would have reached him and he would have followed the events with interest, if he didn't go off to war for at least a time.
Jacob and Eva had 12 children together. I've not located a death date for Eva but it's possible that Jacob remarried as his will names a wife whose name starts with Pa...Jacob was apparently a successful farmer, for his will lists many items that are to be the property of his wife. His son Christly is to care for his (Step) mother, and daughter Barbara is also to be allowed to live in the house. If Christly and Barbara can't get along, then he is to build her a new house to live in, and a barn. Christly gets the home farm of about 50 acres. Other sons have already received land from their father, and the remaining daughters are to get 50 pounds apiece, to make them roughly equal to what the sons got earlier.
The only other fact we know about Jacob is that he and Eva attended Lutheran churches. He died October 1, 1817 and was buried at the Sattazahn Lutheran Cemetery near Jonestown, which is named for a Revolutionary War hero. There may or may not be a connection there.
Jacob Fehler deserves our admiration. He certainly had a traumatic childhood but he rose above it, made his way through or around the Revolutionary War, married, raised a large family, and when he died at the age of 71, was able to have given or to give each of his children enough to give them a real boost in their financial condition. He was another hard working :German", although he was of the generation born in the colony of Pennsylvania.
The line of descent is
Jacob Fehler-Eva Behney
Christina Fehler-John Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
At any rate, our Jacob would have lived with other family members, or assigned a guardian by the court. I've not found a record yet of what happened to the children, but somehow they survived the horror of being orphaned and went on to live their lives.
Our Jacob is next found marrying Anna Eva Behney, daughter of Peter and Anna Barbara Behney, on October 26, 1767, but I haven't yet found records specifying the location. Some say it was in Heidelberg Township, Berks County and some say East Hanover Township, Dauphin County. We know he was in East Hanover Township by 1781, when there is record of the baptism of the ninth of his twelve children. The distance between Jacob's childhood home and his new home was about 30 miles, down a mountain valley and Jacob may have been quite happy to leave his childhood home behind.
We don't know what Jacob did during the Revolutionary War. His name is not found on the digital archives of Pennsylvania web site, or perhaps I didn't think of enough way s to check the spelling for Fehler. It seems that he would at least have been in a militia, since at the start of the war he was only about 30 years old. Certainly news of the war would have reached him and he would have followed the events with interest, if he didn't go off to war for at least a time.
Jacob and Eva had 12 children together. I've not located a death date for Eva but it's possible that Jacob remarried as his will names a wife whose name starts with Pa...Jacob was apparently a successful farmer, for his will lists many items that are to be the property of his wife. His son Christly is to care for his (Step) mother, and daughter Barbara is also to be allowed to live in the house. If Christly and Barbara can't get along, then he is to build her a new house to live in, and a barn. Christly gets the home farm of about 50 acres. Other sons have already received land from their father, and the remaining daughters are to get 50 pounds apiece, to make them roughly equal to what the sons got earlier.
The only other fact we know about Jacob is that he and Eva attended Lutheran churches. He died October 1, 1817 and was buried at the Sattazahn Lutheran Cemetery near Jonestown, which is named for a Revolutionary War hero. There may or may not be a connection there.
Jacob Fehler deserves our admiration. He certainly had a traumatic childhood but he rose above it, made his way through or around the Revolutionary War, married, raised a large family, and when he died at the age of 71, was able to have given or to give each of his children enough to give them a real boost in their financial condition. He was another hard working :German", although he was of the generation born in the colony of Pennsylvania.
The line of descent is
Jacob Fehler-Eva Behney
Christina Fehler-John Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Monday, December 24, 2018
Beeks and Harshbarger Christmas, 1918
Christmas 100 years ago...What was it like for those family members who were alive then? In many ways, we can only guess whether they had a bountiful Christmas or were lucky to get (or give) an apple or orange. But we do know they had family...Boy, did they have family!
We can only begin to imagine Christmas Day in 1918 for Wilbur Beeks. He was in Russia, and had been since early August, as part of what was supposed to be a second front against Germany but ended up being part of the Russian revolution. By now, he had mostly recovered from his wounds received September 27, and was operating with his unit again. We can only hope they had some pause for a Christmas celebration. Wilbur's wife of a little over four years, Cleo Aldridge Beeks, had a little bundle of joy to enjoy at Christmas. After having buried two babies, one in 1915 and one in 1916, Kenneth Eugene Beeks was having his first Christmas (he would have only one more) and enjoying the day as much as a baby of almost six months can.
Cleo would have had her choice of places to celebrate. I don't know where she was living then. She may have lived in Andrews, as that is where the birth record for Kenneth states,. If so, she could have been living the life of a single Mom while Wilbur was away. Or she could have been living with her parents, Harvey and Margaret Catherine Dunham Aldridge. Harvey was 65 and his wife was 60. In 1920, the Aldridges were living on Berry Street in Andrews, and Harvey was a laborer at the lumberyard. The Aldridges were already raising two grandchildren, but probably would have had room for a daughter and grandson, too, if needed. There were six surviving Aldridge children including Cleo, so the family gathering, wherever it was held, would have included many Aldridge grandchildren, nieces and nephews to Cleo. Maybe she didn't have enough time to really miss her husband that day.
Or she may have been staying with, or at least visiting, the home of her in-laws. John, 51, and Elizabeth Wise Beeks, 48, that day. In 1920, they were living on Main Street in Andrews, and he was a section man on the interurban line. Two of their children, Charity and Chester (Bud) were living with them, as was David Wise, Elizabeth's father, who was 81 years old. And there was another Beeks family member to visit, Mary Wise Beeks, Wilbur's grandmother, the widow of William Beeks. She was 78 years old, but lived in a home she owned on East Washington Street in Lagro. Her son Martin lived with her. Mary and William had several children, some still living, so presumably there was a large Beeks Christmas celebration somewhere.
One other thing about the Beeks Christmas celebration: Cleo herself turned 22 on Christmas of 1918.
The Harshbargers in Whitley County also had lots and lots of family. Grover Harshbarger by now was mostly recovered from the bout with "Spanish influenza" that had knocked him for a loop and out of the military earlier that year. He may have been living with his father then, but by 1920 he was living with his sister Maud, her husband, daughter, son in law, grandchild, and at least two other lodgers, relationship not determined although another of the 'lodgers" had the surname Harshbarger. Grover was a logger at a saw mill. Both his parents, Emanuel and Clara Ellen Harter Harshbarger were still living. listed as in the same household, in Thorn Creek, Whitley County, Indiana. (This was significant because there had been an earlier divorce action and I never found whether or not it was withdrawn, Apparently it was.) Emanuel was 64 and Clara was 61. They had at least three other children still living, so if they hosted a Harshbarger family Christmas the farmhouse they lived in would have been crowded.
Goldie Withers was 17 and single, likely living with her parents, William H and Della Kemery Withers. Her sister Sue, three years older, was married but probably came home for Christmas. By 1920, both girls were gone, but 1918 would have been a family year. Della's parents were still alive and in Whitley County, too, and they have a large family. Adam, 72, and Nancy Fanny Buchtel Kemery, also 72, were farmers in Columbia Township, Whitley County. They had two adult children living with them in 1920, but others were grown and away from home so there were likely grandchildren at the Kemery household that day, too.
All of the families I've visited here had good support systems. In the case of Cleo Aldridge Beeks, that was probably needed and she learned her lessons well, as she cared for many aging relatives during her lifetime. But Christmas 1918 for all would have been a time of hope, with the war (except for Wilbur and the thousands of others still fighting in Russia) over. And one other thing-Christmas Day 1918 brought just a little bit of snow to northern Indiana, .6 of an inch but enough to qualify for a "White Christmas".
We can only begin to imagine Christmas Day in 1918 for Wilbur Beeks. He was in Russia, and had been since early August, as part of what was supposed to be a second front against Germany but ended up being part of the Russian revolution. By now, he had mostly recovered from his wounds received September 27, and was operating with his unit again. We can only hope they had some pause for a Christmas celebration. Wilbur's wife of a little over four years, Cleo Aldridge Beeks, had a little bundle of joy to enjoy at Christmas. After having buried two babies, one in 1915 and one in 1916, Kenneth Eugene Beeks was having his first Christmas (he would have only one more) and enjoying the day as much as a baby of almost six months can.
Cleo would have had her choice of places to celebrate. I don't know where she was living then. She may have lived in Andrews, as that is where the birth record for Kenneth states,. If so, she could have been living the life of a single Mom while Wilbur was away. Or she could have been living with her parents, Harvey and Margaret Catherine Dunham Aldridge. Harvey was 65 and his wife was 60. In 1920, the Aldridges were living on Berry Street in Andrews, and Harvey was a laborer at the lumberyard. The Aldridges were already raising two grandchildren, but probably would have had room for a daughter and grandson, too, if needed. There were six surviving Aldridge children including Cleo, so the family gathering, wherever it was held, would have included many Aldridge grandchildren, nieces and nephews to Cleo. Maybe she didn't have enough time to really miss her husband that day.
Or she may have been staying with, or at least visiting, the home of her in-laws. John, 51, and Elizabeth Wise Beeks, 48, that day. In 1920, they were living on Main Street in Andrews, and he was a section man on the interurban line. Two of their children, Charity and Chester (Bud) were living with them, as was David Wise, Elizabeth's father, who was 81 years old. And there was another Beeks family member to visit, Mary Wise Beeks, Wilbur's grandmother, the widow of William Beeks. She was 78 years old, but lived in a home she owned on East Washington Street in Lagro. Her son Martin lived with her. Mary and William had several children, some still living, so presumably there was a large Beeks Christmas celebration somewhere.
One other thing about the Beeks Christmas celebration: Cleo herself turned 22 on Christmas of 1918.
The Harshbargers in Whitley County also had lots and lots of family. Grover Harshbarger by now was mostly recovered from the bout with "Spanish influenza" that had knocked him for a loop and out of the military earlier that year. He may have been living with his father then, but by 1920 he was living with his sister Maud, her husband, daughter, son in law, grandchild, and at least two other lodgers, relationship not determined although another of the 'lodgers" had the surname Harshbarger. Grover was a logger at a saw mill. Both his parents, Emanuel and Clara Ellen Harter Harshbarger were still living. listed as in the same household, in Thorn Creek, Whitley County, Indiana. (This was significant because there had been an earlier divorce action and I never found whether or not it was withdrawn, Apparently it was.) Emanuel was 64 and Clara was 61. They had at least three other children still living, so if they hosted a Harshbarger family Christmas the farmhouse they lived in would have been crowded.
Goldie Withers was 17 and single, likely living with her parents, William H and Della Kemery Withers. Her sister Sue, three years older, was married but probably came home for Christmas. By 1920, both girls were gone, but 1918 would have been a family year. Della's parents were still alive and in Whitley County, too, and they have a large family. Adam, 72, and Nancy Fanny Buchtel Kemery, also 72, were farmers in Columbia Township, Whitley County. They had two adult children living with them in 1920, but others were grown and away from home so there were likely grandchildren at the Kemery household that day, too.
All of the families I've visited here had good support systems. In the case of Cleo Aldridge Beeks, that was probably needed and she learned her lessons well, as she cared for many aging relatives during her lifetime. But Christmas 1918 for all would have been a time of hope, with the war (except for Wilbur and the thousands of others still fighting in Russia) over. And one other thing-Christmas Day 1918 brought just a little bit of snow to northern Indiana, .6 of an inch but enough to qualify for a "White Christmas".
Friday, November 17, 2017
Harshbarger line: Bits and pieces from the Emanuel Harshbarger family
Here are some bits and pieces from the life of the Emanuel Harshbarger family, as found on Newspapers.com
From the Commercial Mail, Columbia City, Indiana Jan. 11, 1958, in a column that was looking back 50 years:
"The Emanuel Harshbarger family reported they thought they were the county's bread-eating champions. They baked 738 loaves of bread during 1907, also ate 483 cookies and 106 pies."
I don't have death dates noted for all of the eight children in this family, but I think some were already gone by then. Grover Harshbarger was just ready to turn 17, and I suspect he ate like a growing boy. In the 1910 census, just Grover and his brother Logan were listed as living at home. Daughter Bertha, then 13, was listed in the 1900 census. So the family that ate all this food wasn't large, unless perhaps Clara sold some of the excess to neighbors or a grocery store.
Then from the Commercial Mail, May 27,1961, also looking back 50 years:
"Ambrose Keister, Troy township, had a barn raising when a 30x50 foot barn with an L was raised by Emanuel Harshbarger and his special equipment." I'd love to know how that was done, and what the special equipment was!
And finally, from The Fort wayne Sentinel, of January 13, 1920
"Fire Does Slight Damage. (Special to the News.) Columbia City, Ind. Jan. 12.--
Fire was discovered in the Emanuel Harshbarger home, two miles north of town, at 9 o.clock yesterday morning, but little damage was done. it was communicated from a defective chimney in the space between the door and ceiling and it was necessary to chop several holes in the upstairs floor to get at the smouldering blaze. The family washing was being done and plenty of water was standing in vessels with which to fight the fire, which was finally extinguished by members of the family. The loss was small and was covered by insurance."
The common thread I'm seeing here was that this was a hard-working family. These are the kind of people who made America.
The line of descent:
Emanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
From the Commercial Mail, Columbia City, Indiana Jan. 11, 1958, in a column that was looking back 50 years:
"The Emanuel Harshbarger family reported they thought they were the county's bread-eating champions. They baked 738 loaves of bread during 1907, also ate 483 cookies and 106 pies."
I don't have death dates noted for all of the eight children in this family, but I think some were already gone by then. Grover Harshbarger was just ready to turn 17, and I suspect he ate like a growing boy. In the 1910 census, just Grover and his brother Logan were listed as living at home. Daughter Bertha, then 13, was listed in the 1900 census. So the family that ate all this food wasn't large, unless perhaps Clara sold some of the excess to neighbors or a grocery store.
Then from the Commercial Mail, May 27,1961, also looking back 50 years:
"Ambrose Keister, Troy township, had a barn raising when a 30x50 foot barn with an L was raised by Emanuel Harshbarger and his special equipment." I'd love to know how that was done, and what the special equipment was!
And finally, from The Fort wayne Sentinel, of January 13, 1920
"Fire Does Slight Damage. (Special to the News.) Columbia City, Ind. Jan. 12.--
Fire was discovered in the Emanuel Harshbarger home, two miles north of town, at 9 o.clock yesterday morning, but little damage was done. it was communicated from a defective chimney in the space between the door and ceiling and it was necessary to chop several holes in the upstairs floor to get at the smouldering blaze. The family washing was being done and plenty of water was standing in vessels with which to fight the fire, which was finally extinguished by members of the family. The loss was small and was covered by insurance."
The common thread I'm seeing here was that this was a hard-working family. These are the kind of people who made America.
The line of descent:
Emanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, August 25, 2017
Harshbarger line: Johann Jacob Enck, Immigrant
Johan Jacob Enck is new to the family tree, and I am grateful to Anne for setting me straight and putting me on the trail of this man. His story appears to be a lot like those of the other German immigrants in the family. He was possibly born July 30, 1698 in Hueffelsheim, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, to Bernard Heinrich and Elisabetha Arnd Enck. (It is possible that he was born in Heddesheim rather than Hueffelsheim, but he married in Hueffelsheim and lived there for at least twenty years. Since men typically took their bride to their own home village I'm going with Hueffelsheim until or unless we find actual records of the birth location.)
When he married, it was to Anna Cathareina Becker, daughter of Anthonii Becker, on Noember 23, 1723. His father is there listed as Bernhard Enck. The marriage took place at the Evangelisch, Heddesheim, which means it was a Lutheran church. It appears that there are currently three churches in Heddesheim that would fit the description, but probably there was only one church at the time. Heddesheim is described as being a tiny town, which at one time grew a lot of tobacco, but that time period isn't designated so I don't know if it was before or after the time of Jacob and Catherine.
They came to America in 1743, on the ship Snow Charlotta, which arrived on September 5,1743. It is possible that they stayed in Germantown for a while, but they eventually settled in Lancaster County. We know they had three children born in Germany, Johan Jacob, Johannes, and Anna Catherina, but there may have been others born in Pennsylvania. A lot of trees show Jacob marrying again in 1755, but I'm not sure this is the same Jacob. If it is, then he must have first been widowed, which is entirely possible.
It seems that his land may have been along the Cocalico Creek but I am still trying to confirm that. He was buried on March 30,1774 at either the Zion German Reformed Church Cemetery at Brickerville (per Find A Grave) or the Bethany United Church of Christ at Ephrata, per a database from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania found on Ancestry. Bethany UCC was formerly a German Reformed Church, and they have records indicating Jacob was buried there, yet I can't find his name in their old cemetery listing. So perhaps the pastor buried Jacob at the Brickerville location? It's hard to know for sure what happened, but that is the general location of his grave, anyway.
There is a will for Jacob which I need to research further. If I can locate it, I will make a transcription in a separate blog post. I'd love to travel to Lancaster County so I could do more thorough research on this family, as on many others, but for now we at least know where he came from, the name of his wife, when he arrived in America, his religion, and when he died. That's a start.
The line of descent is:
Johan Jacob Enck-Anna Catharina Becker
Anna Catharina Enck-Martin Lauber
Catherine Lauber-Henry Dulibon (Tullapen)
Eliizabeth Tullapen-Conrad Mentzer
Catherine Mentzer-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
When he married, it was to Anna Cathareina Becker, daughter of Anthonii Becker, on Noember 23, 1723. His father is there listed as Bernhard Enck. The marriage took place at the Evangelisch, Heddesheim, which means it was a Lutheran church. It appears that there are currently three churches in Heddesheim that would fit the description, but probably there was only one church at the time. Heddesheim is described as being a tiny town, which at one time grew a lot of tobacco, but that time period isn't designated so I don't know if it was before or after the time of Jacob and Catherine.
They came to America in 1743, on the ship Snow Charlotta, which arrived on September 5,1743. It is possible that they stayed in Germantown for a while, but they eventually settled in Lancaster County. We know they had three children born in Germany, Johan Jacob, Johannes, and Anna Catherina, but there may have been others born in Pennsylvania. A lot of trees show Jacob marrying again in 1755, but I'm not sure this is the same Jacob. If it is, then he must have first been widowed, which is entirely possible.
It seems that his land may have been along the Cocalico Creek but I am still trying to confirm that. He was buried on March 30,1774 at either the Zion German Reformed Church Cemetery at Brickerville (per Find A Grave) or the Bethany United Church of Christ at Ephrata, per a database from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania found on Ancestry. Bethany UCC was formerly a German Reformed Church, and they have records indicating Jacob was buried there, yet I can't find his name in their old cemetery listing. So perhaps the pastor buried Jacob at the Brickerville location? It's hard to know for sure what happened, but that is the general location of his grave, anyway.
There is a will for Jacob which I need to research further. If I can locate it, I will make a transcription in a separate blog post. I'd love to travel to Lancaster County so I could do more thorough research on this family, as on many others, but for now we at least know where he came from, the name of his wife, when he arrived in America, his religion, and when he died. That's a start.
The line of descent is:
Johan Jacob Enck-Anna Catharina Becker
Anna Catharina Enck-Martin Lauber
Catherine Lauber-Henry Dulibon (Tullapen)
Eliizabeth Tullapen-Conrad Mentzer
Catherine Mentzer-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, April 7, 2017
Harshbarger line: Michael Birkle Immigrant, most likely
I know very little about Michael but he has a name and dates, and seems to have come to America so I'll write just a paragraph or two about him. He is in the Harshbarger line and I'm coming to a close on Harshbarger ancestors unless I break down another brick wall at some point.
Michael Birkle was born in 1676 in Hinterzarten, Breisgau-Hockschwarzwald, Baden, Germany. This is in the southwest part of Germany, in what is known as the Black Forest, and is now an attraction for ski-jumpers. In 1676, though, the thing that would be unusual in family history is that this was apparently a Catholic village, for Michael and his family were Catholics. (Usually a village was either Catholic or Protestant, depending on the preference of the ruler of the time). Michael's parents were Jacob and Maria Imberi Birkle.
We know that on November 22, 1699, he married Anna Maria Willmann, daughter of Anton and Catharine Willmann. They had about a dozen children: Franciska, Johan Jacob, Sgatha, Joseph, Catharina, Mathias, Gertrud, Christina, Maria Magdalena, Barbara, Michael, and possibly Maria (it's not clear whether Maria and Maria Magdalena could be the same person). It looks like the last child was born in 1724, and so this would have been a busy household. Records show that Michael Birkle came to the: New World, arriving on September 29, 1733 in Philadelphia aboard the ship "Mary".
From there, it gets confusing. Everyone agrees that he died on December 5, 1753 but some say he died in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania and some say he died in Hinterzarten. So was it Michael the younger, born in 1702 who came to America, and not Michael Senior? Or did our Michael come, and then return to his native village in his old age? Were death records kept in both countries, with the record in Germany kept up by a priest even if the death occurred elsewhere? I'm also showing that Maria Magdalena married in 1738 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and his wife Maria died in Lebanon County in 1760, which if true would tend to make me think Michael also died here.. Incidentally, the Lebanon County would be a modern term, for it wasn't formed until 1813. Records of the time would all have shown Lancaster County as their residence. Since Maria Magdalena arrived in 1733, presumably with her parents, I'm leaning more toward the "they never left" idea.
I'll keep looking for records in Pennsylvania that give evidence of Michael's life here, because there may be more to the story than I've been able to find so far. In the meantime, we can think about the family religion and when it might have changed in the family.
The line of descent is:
Michael Birkle-Anna Maria Willmann
Maria Magdalena Birkle-Andreas Kraemer
Daniel Kramer-Anna Maria Geise
Anna Maria Kramer-Andrew Kepler
Mary Kepler-George Harshbarger
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Michael Birkle was born in 1676 in Hinterzarten, Breisgau-Hockschwarzwald, Baden, Germany. This is in the southwest part of Germany, in what is known as the Black Forest, and is now an attraction for ski-jumpers. In 1676, though, the thing that would be unusual in family history is that this was apparently a Catholic village, for Michael and his family were Catholics. (Usually a village was either Catholic or Protestant, depending on the preference of the ruler of the time). Michael's parents were Jacob and Maria Imberi Birkle.
We know that on November 22, 1699, he married Anna Maria Willmann, daughter of Anton and Catharine Willmann. They had about a dozen children: Franciska, Johan Jacob, Sgatha, Joseph, Catharina, Mathias, Gertrud, Christina, Maria Magdalena, Barbara, Michael, and possibly Maria (it's not clear whether Maria and Maria Magdalena could be the same person). It looks like the last child was born in 1724, and so this would have been a busy household. Records show that Michael Birkle came to the: New World, arriving on September 29, 1733 in Philadelphia aboard the ship "Mary".
From there, it gets confusing. Everyone agrees that he died on December 5, 1753 but some say he died in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania and some say he died in Hinterzarten. So was it Michael the younger, born in 1702 who came to America, and not Michael Senior? Or did our Michael come, and then return to his native village in his old age? Were death records kept in both countries, with the record in Germany kept up by a priest even if the death occurred elsewhere? I'm also showing that Maria Magdalena married in 1738 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and his wife Maria died in Lebanon County in 1760, which if true would tend to make me think Michael also died here.. Incidentally, the Lebanon County would be a modern term, for it wasn't formed until 1813. Records of the time would all have shown Lancaster County as their residence. Since Maria Magdalena arrived in 1733, presumably with her parents, I'm leaning more toward the "they never left" idea.
I'll keep looking for records in Pennsylvania that give evidence of Michael's life here, because there may be more to the story than I've been able to find so far. In the meantime, we can think about the family religion and when it might have changed in the family.
The line of descent is:
Michael Birkle-Anna Maria Willmann
Maria Magdalena Birkle-Andreas Kraemer
Daniel Kramer-Anna Maria Geise
Anna Maria Kramer-Andrew Kepler
Mary Kepler-George Harshbarger
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, January 13, 2017
Harshbarger line: Christian Bracker or Bracher
Caution! This blog post is full of conjectures and speculation. I'm writing it only because I am hoping someone will respond with information, not because I have information to share. All thoughts are purely my own, and I am responsible for misleading everyone if this speculation turns out to be totally incorrect.
The subject of today's post is Christian Bracker, or possibly Bracher. The only reason we know at present of his existence at all is that his name is in the marriage record of his daughter, Eva, when she married Johan George Harter (Herder) on October 26, 1752 in the records of St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Upper Saucon township of what is now Lehigh County, Pennsvylvania. At the time, it was Northampton County, but just barely. Prior to 1752 it had been Bucks County. I am only beginning to check the records of those last two counties but so far I haven't pulled up any mention, anywhere, of Christian. So, was his name noted in the record because he was known to the people of the area, or because he wasn't known and the pastor was trying to leave genealogy clues for us? At this point, a coin toss might be in order, if a decision needs to be made.
I have located one potential marriage for a Christian that seems to fit what we can guess about Christian. Since Johan George Harter was from Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, it is possible that the families knew each other and settled near each other in Pennsylvania. In looking for a Christian Bracker in Wuerttemberg, Germany, I find a Christian Bracher who married Rosina Barbara Neuschander in Botenheim, Neckar, Wuerttemburg, Germany on July 12, 1730. Eva Bracker Harter is believed to have a birthday of April 14, 1730, which is close to the marriage date. She may have arrived before the marriage or the birthdate may be off by a year. None of Eva's known children are married Barbara or Rosina, as far as we know, so this might not be the right couple, or at least not the right wife. Still, that area seems to be a good area to start researching, for someone who knows enough German and has access to local records.
So if Christian Bracker did come to Pennsylvania and was known to the pastor, what became of him? Again, there is only speculation. If he was still alive by 1755, he very well may have travelled elsewhere for safety as the native Americans attacked the settlers rather consistently for several years then. He may have traveled with his daughter, or with other family members. Based on a projected birth date of about 1705, he may have died at any time, as life was hard for these people. Or he could have been one of those who lived to a ripe old age of 85 or even 90. I'd like to think he died late in life, but if so, there would likely be more records than we are currently finding.
So, as you see, there is nothing known of Christian except that he had a daughter Eva. There are hints of his origin and of his wife, but there is as yet no proof that I am aware of. He is a mystery but perhaps the mystery will be solved one day. Most mysteries are.
The line of descent is:
Eva Bracker-Johan George Harter
George Harter-Mary Kitterman
Johan George Harter-Mary Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update July 31, 2021. Please disregard this post. The first generations are not correct. George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger and the later generations are accurate.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Harshbarger line: Rice Jones died 1666 or later
I don't know much about Rice Jones. He is reported to have come from Wales, or at least his father was from Wales. If true, than most likely the name would have been written Rhys ap Jones, or something similar. However, by the time he arrived in Virginia he was Rice Jones.
We don't know when he arrived in Virginia. Some say he arrived in 1650, and it certainly seems that he did, yet there are references to a Rice Jones in Virginia as early as 1628. Probably the 1637 birthdate I had listed for him is too late, but was he born as early as 1607? That would make him old enough to be a landowner in 1628.
He is shown as a planter with land around Elizabeth City, and later is listed in Lancaster County records. His will is apparently recorded in Lower Norfolk and Norfolk County records, if this is the same Rice Jones. He mentions his wife Ann. Our Rice Jones was married to Jane Cocke, so it's a little bit confusing. The only child I know of, from Rice's marriage to Jane, was Anna Keen Jones, who married John Wyatt.
It seems almost too little information to even write a post about Rice Jones, but as usual I am cousin baiting and hoping someone will know more about Rice and contact me. And even if this is all we know, it's a reminder that the Harshbarger line has many divergent branches and not all led back to Germany or Switzerland. Rice was most likely Welsh, or at least lived very near Wales, and that makes him interesting to me.
The line of descent is:
Rice Jones-Jane Cocke
Anna Keen Jones-John Wyatt
Thomas Wyatt-Susanna "Sukey" Edmondson
John Wyatt-Alice Gordon
Jean Wyatt-William Farmer
Margaret Farmer-Solomon Bennett
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
We don't know when he arrived in Virginia. Some say he arrived in 1650, and it certainly seems that he did, yet there are references to a Rice Jones in Virginia as early as 1628. Probably the 1637 birthdate I had listed for him is too late, but was he born as early as 1607? That would make him old enough to be a landowner in 1628.
He is shown as a planter with land around Elizabeth City, and later is listed in Lancaster County records. His will is apparently recorded in Lower Norfolk and Norfolk County records, if this is the same Rice Jones. He mentions his wife Ann. Our Rice Jones was married to Jane Cocke, so it's a little bit confusing. The only child I know of, from Rice's marriage to Jane, was Anna Keen Jones, who married John Wyatt.
It seems almost too little information to even write a post about Rice Jones, but as usual I am cousin baiting and hoping someone will know more about Rice and contact me. And even if this is all we know, it's a reminder that the Harshbarger line has many divergent branches and not all led back to Germany or Switzerland. Rice was most likely Welsh, or at least lived very near Wales, and that makes him interesting to me.
The line of descent is:
Rice Jones-Jane Cocke
Anna Keen Jones-John Wyatt
Thomas Wyatt-Susanna "Sukey" Edmondson
John Wyatt-Alice Gordon
Jean Wyatt-William Farmer
Margaret Farmer-Solomon Bennett
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, December 16, 2016
Harshbarger line: Johan Mentzer 1701-?? Immigrant
Johan or Johannes Mentzer or Maintzer is the first immigrant ancestor in this family. He came to Philadelphia in September of 1751 on board the "Brothers", along with his second wife, Catherine Spirgi and four children. Two of the children were "theirs" and two were from his first marriage, to Anna Maria Meyer. She died some time between the death of her third child on April 1, 1729 and August 11, 1733, the date of Johan's second marriage. Johan's birth to Johan George Mentzer and Anna Maria Heim, as well as Johan's two marriages and the birth of all of his children, took place in Hagsfeld, in what is now Baden, Germany. He is described as a burgher in the town records there, which seems to imply more than just citizenship. He was likely well-respected and probably a member of the middle class or better, perhaps a merchant of some kind. (This is implied by the term 'burgher' but may not necessarily be true in this instance. Generalizations are always dangerous.)
That's as much as we know about Johan's life in Germany. Probably for economic reasons, perhaps as a result of the Thirty Years War, Johan and his family decided to start a new life in the New World. We know he came to Philadelphia and we know he settled in what was then Lancaster County. It's believed that he as well as his son Conrad died in 1781, in Lancaster County, but I haven't found documentation of that yet. I also have nothing that shows me where he lived, what land he owned, what taxes he might have paid, or what church he attended.
I always wonder about these people. At age 50, what gave him the impetus to start over? Was he healthy enough to try pioneer life, or did he have any idea what he was getting into? Was he as respected here as he was in Hagsfeld? The search goes on, but meanwhile, here is another German immigrant who deserves our respect.
The line of descent is:
Johan Mentzer-Catherine Spirgi
Conrad Mentzer-Catherine Elizabeth Hibschmann
John Mentzer-Margaret
Conrad Mentzer-Elizabeth Tullepan
Catherine Mentzer (Mancer)-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
That's as much as we know about Johan's life in Germany. Probably for economic reasons, perhaps as a result of the Thirty Years War, Johan and his family decided to start a new life in the New World. We know he came to Philadelphia and we know he settled in what was then Lancaster County. It's believed that he as well as his son Conrad died in 1781, in Lancaster County, but I haven't found documentation of that yet. I also have nothing that shows me where he lived, what land he owned, what taxes he might have paid, or what church he attended.
I always wonder about these people. At age 50, what gave him the impetus to start over? Was he healthy enough to try pioneer life, or did he have any idea what he was getting into? Was he as respected here as he was in Hagsfeld? The search goes on, but meanwhile, here is another German immigrant who deserves our respect.
The line of descent is:
Johan Mentzer-Catherine Spirgi
Conrad Mentzer-Catherine Elizabeth Hibschmann
John Mentzer-Margaret
Conrad Mentzer-Elizabeth Tullepan
Catherine Mentzer (Mancer)-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, December 2, 2016
Harshbarger post: Daniel Schultz 1730-1820
This is a frustrating post to write. I know nothing more of this man than the approximate birth and death dates for him. I don't even have a death location.
The only clues I have to Daniel Schultz's life are that he was married to a Catherine Walter and their daughter Elizabeth was born in Frederick County, Maryland in 1757. I do know that Frederick County had a settlement of Germans and because Catherine is sometimes listed as Catherine Walterin, the feminine form of Walter, I suspect that this was a German family. I would love to know when the families immigrated and where they were from. I also know there would be several variant spellings to the Schultz name, including Shultz. That makes searching more challenging!
Other suspicions are that the family farmed, that it was larger than the one child I know of, and that they may have moved on by the time Daniel died, in 1820. His daughter Elizabeth had died earlier in 1791, in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia) and it is possible that this is where we should be looking for Daniel. After all, there were grandchildren to enjoy and to help raise!
Again, this is more of a place marker post, knowing that his story isn't told yet. I hope others in his family will find this, and someone will contact me with other information, be it a scrap or a document or a place to look for records. One Ancestry tree shows a Revolutionary War symbol, but there is no indication of whether he was a veteran, and if so, what group he was with. I will start looking in the militia for Frederick County, for starters, but that may or may not prove fruitful.
When I know more, I will write more.
The line of descent is:
Daniel Schultz-Catherine Walter
Elizabeth Schultz-Jacob Geiger
Anthony Geiger-Mary Kirk
Elizabeth Geiger-George Harter Jr.
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
The only clues I have to Daniel Schultz's life are that he was married to a Catherine Walter and their daughter Elizabeth was born in Frederick County, Maryland in 1757. I do know that Frederick County had a settlement of Germans and because Catherine is sometimes listed as Catherine Walterin, the feminine form of Walter, I suspect that this was a German family. I would love to know when the families immigrated and where they were from. I also know there would be several variant spellings to the Schultz name, including Shultz. That makes searching more challenging!
Other suspicions are that the family farmed, that it was larger than the one child I know of, and that they may have moved on by the time Daniel died, in 1820. His daughter Elizabeth had died earlier in 1791, in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia) and it is possible that this is where we should be looking for Daniel. After all, there were grandchildren to enjoy and to help raise!
Again, this is more of a place marker post, knowing that his story isn't told yet. I hope others in his family will find this, and someone will contact me with other information, be it a scrap or a document or a place to look for records. One Ancestry tree shows a Revolutionary War symbol, but there is no indication of whether he was a veteran, and if so, what group he was with. I will start looking in the militia for Frederick County, for starters, but that may or may not prove fruitful.
When I know more, I will write more.
The line of descent is:
Daniel Schultz-Catherine Walter
Elizabeth Schultz-Jacob Geiger
Anthony Geiger-Mary Kirk
Elizabeth Geiger-George Harter Jr.
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, November 11, 2016
Harshbarger line:Thomas Allaman, Immirgrant to Virginia
This blog post is really just more of a place holder, because so far I've found very little about this man. He was born sometime in the early life of Virginia, perhaps 1622-1630. All the sources I've found indicate that he was born in Essex or Gloucester Counties of Virginia. If this is true, his unknown parents were actually the immigrants. I've seen Thomas's father as Thomas Allaman and his mother as Margaret, but I don't know if there is proof for that.
Thomas had at least two wives, with Judith being the daughter of his first marriage and John, William, and Thomas being sons of his second wife, believed to be Mary Webster Webb. He died on March 9, 1706, having survived drought and (probably) hurricane, peace and war, insects and illness. He was probably 76 years old or more when he died, which was an old age for Virginia colonists of the time.
That's as much as we know about Thomas, but we can speculate. Because he was in Virginia during this time period, he was probably a part of the Anglican (Church of England) religion. He would have paid a tithing tax to the authorities, in addition to whatever the government required of him. He was likely part of the militia, for these people had to be on their guard against native American attacks and intrusions for many years. We don't know whether he took part in Bacon's Rebellion or not, but we do know he likely wasn't a ringleader in that event. He may have farmed or fished, but if he did neither of these for a living than he would have been some time of merchant or craftsperson. Those were the opportunities available at the time.
I would love to know more about this man and his wife. Nothing further is readily available on the net, and my search of books at the library has so far come up empty. If someone has had better luck than I have, and you're willing to share what you've found, I'd love to hear from you.
The line of descent is:
Thomas-Allaman-Judith
Judith Allaman-James Edmondson
John Edmondson-Mary Boughan
Sukey (Susannah) Edmondson-Thomas Wyatt
John Wyatt-Alice Gordon
Jean Wyatt-William Farmer
Margaret Farmer-Solomon Eliot Bennett
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Ellen Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Thomas had at least two wives, with Judith being the daughter of his first marriage and John, William, and Thomas being sons of his second wife, believed to be Mary Webster Webb. He died on March 9, 1706, having survived drought and (probably) hurricane, peace and war, insects and illness. He was probably 76 years old or more when he died, which was an old age for Virginia colonists of the time.
That's as much as we know about Thomas, but we can speculate. Because he was in Virginia during this time period, he was probably a part of the Anglican (Church of England) religion. He would have paid a tithing tax to the authorities, in addition to whatever the government required of him. He was likely part of the militia, for these people had to be on their guard against native American attacks and intrusions for many years. We don't know whether he took part in Bacon's Rebellion or not, but we do know he likely wasn't a ringleader in that event. He may have farmed or fished, but if he did neither of these for a living than he would have been some time of merchant or craftsperson. Those were the opportunities available at the time.
I would love to know more about this man and his wife. Nothing further is readily available on the net, and my search of books at the library has so far come up empty. If someone has had better luck than I have, and you're willing to share what you've found, I'd love to hear from you.
The line of descent is:
Thomas-Allaman-Judith
Judith Allaman-James Edmondson
John Edmondson-Mary Boughan
Sukey (Susannah) Edmondson-Thomas Wyatt
John Wyatt-Alice Gordon
Jean Wyatt-William Farmer
Margaret Farmer-Solomon Eliot Bennett
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Ellen Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, October 28, 2016
Harshbarger line: Daniel Lawall 1716-1796 Immigrant
What's a good German doing being listed as of Huguenot ancestry, anyway? Well, Daniel's great grandparents left France when the Edict of Nantes of 1598, granting Huguenots a certain amount of liberty protection in France, was rescinded in 1685. Protestants were no longer free to worship or live as they pleased, and many, many families went to friendlier locations in Germany. If they chose the right city or village, they could continue to worship as Protestants. The family name was probably De Val or de la Val, in France.
Daniel himself may have come to the New World in search of religious freedom, or because of economic reasons, or a combination of both. He was born in 1716 in Budesheim, Rhein-Platz, in what would become Germany. His parents were Johan Daniel and Agnes Germanding Lawall, and he likely had siblings although I don't have any evidence of that. Most German families were large. Pictures on line show the village of Budesheim that at least from a distance probably hasn't changed much in 300 years, except this was in an area that was likely fought over during World War II, so perhaps the buildings are newer than they look. If I were a traveling person, this would be someplace I would want to put on my bucket list!
In Germany, Daniel married Barbara, who has not yet been identified further, to my knowledge. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1752, probably with Barbara and their five children. We don't yet know the story of his life in Pennsylvania, except that he was a farmer. By 1781 he was on the tax rolls in Lower Saucon township, Northampton County, Pa. At his death in 1796 he is listed as a yeoman, so he must have been a landowner.
I haven't yet found a will, but I have located the abstract. It names his wife, Barbara, and his children Ludwig, Anna Margaret (deceased wife of Christopher Ketterman), Gertraut, wife of George Seitz, Philip, and Bernina, wife of Valentine Horn. A nephew, Daniel Beidelman is also mention, and is one of the executors of the will. I wonder how Daniel Beidelman fits into the family? Is there a potential clue to Barbara here?
So far, this is what I know about Daniel. I'd like to know whether he knew that he was of French ancestry, or whether he thoroughly identified with his German village. I'd like to know where his land was, and how much he had. I'd like to know what this man thought of the events of the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War. How was he affected by these events? Was he glad he had come to America? I would like to sit down and talk with this man!
The line of descent is:
Daniel Lawall-Barbara
Anna Margaret Lawall-Christopher Kitterman
Mary Kitterman-George Harter
Johan George Harter-Mary M Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Ellen Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update: July 31/2021 Please disregard this post if you are reading it because it ties into the Harter line. The first four generations in this list are not connected to the George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger. More research to follow.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Harshbarger line: Thoughts about Hans Jacob Loewenguth or Liebengud
I've long had the story about this family as that they were killed by Indians in the horrible attacks in Berks County, Pa in 1758. In double-checking the facts before I wrote up this story, I am confused. I may be missing a generation, it seems to me.
My story starts with a Hans Jacob who was born probably in Bern, Switzerland in 1681. However, when I started fact checking, I'm finding that most sources say this gentleman died in or before 1754. He also is assigned a different wife (Maria Margaretha Schaefer) than the one I have noted. They were married in Mertzwiller, Bas-Rhin, France on December 9, 1720. This would make Hans Jacob very old by the time of the 1758 attack, and if he actually died in 1754, it would have been impossible.
So the Hans Jacob I have in my records probably was not born in 1681. I don't know if he was a son of the Hans Jacob mentioned above or not. It seems possible, though. Having two generations of Hans Jacobs would help make sense of some of the Lowenguth/Liebengood/Liebengud men that I haven't been able to account for, such as Peter, who was possibly a brother to the younger Hans Jacob. But wait, there's a problem! It seems that the younger Hans Jacob died in 1808, not 1758, in Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (oh goodness, another county to research?? Yikes!)
I'm going to copy the copy I made from a book, who knows what it was. The heading at the top of the page says "Reading and Berks County", but I have no information as to the title or publication date of the book, although from internal clues it was after 1919. It's found on page 392.
"Jacob Loewenguth, who came to this country in 1710, was born in Schalkendorf, in Alsace, and was the son of Friederich Liebengut, who left Aarwanger, near Langenthal, Canton, Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1653, after the Peasants War, in which he took part. He was one of a part of Germans sent by the British Board of Trade to Livingstone Manor in the Province of New York, to manufacture tar and naval stores, to cover the cost of their transportation. He was located in one of the towns in "West Camp", above the present city of Kingston, on the Hudson River. After three years of toll and hardship and the failure of Governor Hunter, of the Province of New York, to keep his contract with the settlers, in 1713 they left the Camps and worked their way through the wilderness to the Schoharie lands, a beautiful country southwest of Albany, in the western foothills of the Catskills. This Schoharie land was promised them by Queen Anne, of England, who was interested in them as refugees from their distressed fatherland, and had been given to the Queen by a group of Indian chiefs, who were in London when the refugees were camped outside the city.
After ten years of conquering the forest and creating and cultivating the farm lands of Schoarie, the settlers were driven out and the settlement caused to be abandoned by a combination of land speculators, who had been favored by the New York provincial government. Jacob Loewenguth was one of the group of settlers, who in 1723 cut through the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna, down which they worked their way to the Province of Pennsylvania. They ended their journey at the mouth f the Swatara Crrek and from there moved into and settled the Tulpehocken region.
Jacob Loewenguth's family consisted of his wife, Margaretha, and three children, Jacob, Anna Margaretha, and Anna Barbara. In the early part of April, 1758, a party of Indians attack the settlement and Jacob Loewenguth and his wife wife were filled and scalped. Anna Barbara, and Anna Margaretha, who was the wife of Jacob Fehler, with two of her children, were carried away captive by the Indians, and nothing was ever heard of them. Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., the son, escaped the attack"
To further confuse matters, Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., farmer, son of this Jacob Loewenguth, is said to have died in 1788.
This is quite a colorful story and I thought it worthwhile to put it in this blog post, because if this is not our Hans Jacob it is still likely a relative of some sort, and this story needs to be remembered and honored. The conditions these settlers lived through were horrendous, from Germany to England to at least two settlements in New York, to Pennsylvania, where things started out looking better, at least.
I would love to hear from other researchers and family members who can share their sources, hopefully better than I am able to do. The book I quoted from was written about 150 years after the Indian attack, which makes it suspect to elaboration and confusion over the years, and also means we have to wonder if the person who compiled it was one of the "fake" genealogists of the time period. I don't know who provided this family biography although it may have been contributed by John E. Livingood, M.D., who has a rather extensive biography on the same page. Since there were also Hans Jacob Loewenguths, both Senior and Junior, and Peter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1750, I am thoroughly confused. I would love to be able to figure out the truth in all of this.
Here is the possible line of descent:
Hans Jacob Loewenguth-Margaretha Sands
Anna Margaretha Loewenguth-Jacob Fehler
John Jacob Fehler-Anna Eva Behney
Christina Elizabeth Fehler-Johannes Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
My story starts with a Hans Jacob who was born probably in Bern, Switzerland in 1681. However, when I started fact checking, I'm finding that most sources say this gentleman died in or before 1754. He also is assigned a different wife (Maria Margaretha Schaefer) than the one I have noted. They were married in Mertzwiller, Bas-Rhin, France on December 9, 1720. This would make Hans Jacob very old by the time of the 1758 attack, and if he actually died in 1754, it would have been impossible.
So the Hans Jacob I have in my records probably was not born in 1681. I don't know if he was a son of the Hans Jacob mentioned above or not. It seems possible, though. Having two generations of Hans Jacobs would help make sense of some of the Lowenguth/Liebengood/Liebengud men that I haven't been able to account for, such as Peter, who was possibly a brother to the younger Hans Jacob. But wait, there's a problem! It seems that the younger Hans Jacob died in 1808, not 1758, in Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (oh goodness, another county to research?? Yikes!)
I'm going to copy the copy I made from a book, who knows what it was. The heading at the top of the page says "Reading and Berks County", but I have no information as to the title or publication date of the book, although from internal clues it was after 1919. It's found on page 392.
"Jacob Loewenguth, who came to this country in 1710, was born in Schalkendorf, in Alsace, and was the son of Friederich Liebengut, who left Aarwanger, near Langenthal, Canton, Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1653, after the Peasants War, in which he took part. He was one of a part of Germans sent by the British Board of Trade to Livingstone Manor in the Province of New York, to manufacture tar and naval stores, to cover the cost of their transportation. He was located in one of the towns in "West Camp", above the present city of Kingston, on the Hudson River. After three years of toll and hardship and the failure of Governor Hunter, of the Province of New York, to keep his contract with the settlers, in 1713 they left the Camps and worked their way through the wilderness to the Schoharie lands, a beautiful country southwest of Albany, in the western foothills of the Catskills. This Schoharie land was promised them by Queen Anne, of England, who was interested in them as refugees from their distressed fatherland, and had been given to the Queen by a group of Indian chiefs, who were in London when the refugees were camped outside the city.
After ten years of conquering the forest and creating and cultivating the farm lands of Schoarie, the settlers were driven out and the settlement caused to be abandoned by a combination of land speculators, who had been favored by the New York provincial government. Jacob Loewenguth was one of the group of settlers, who in 1723 cut through the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna, down which they worked their way to the Province of Pennsylvania. They ended their journey at the mouth f the Swatara Crrek and from there moved into and settled the Tulpehocken region.
Jacob Loewenguth's family consisted of his wife, Margaretha, and three children, Jacob, Anna Margaretha, and Anna Barbara. In the early part of April, 1758, a party of Indians attack the settlement and Jacob Loewenguth and his wife wife were filled and scalped. Anna Barbara, and Anna Margaretha, who was the wife of Jacob Fehler, with two of her children, were carried away captive by the Indians, and nothing was ever heard of them. Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., the son, escaped the attack"
To further confuse matters, Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., farmer, son of this Jacob Loewenguth, is said to have died in 1788.
This is quite a colorful story and I thought it worthwhile to put it in this blog post, because if this is not our Hans Jacob it is still likely a relative of some sort, and this story needs to be remembered and honored. The conditions these settlers lived through were horrendous, from Germany to England to at least two settlements in New York, to Pennsylvania, where things started out looking better, at least.
I would love to hear from other researchers and family members who can share their sources, hopefully better than I am able to do. The book I quoted from was written about 150 years after the Indian attack, which makes it suspect to elaboration and confusion over the years, and also means we have to wonder if the person who compiled it was one of the "fake" genealogists of the time period. I don't know who provided this family biography although it may have been contributed by John E. Livingood, M.D., who has a rather extensive biography on the same page. Since there were also Hans Jacob Loewenguths, both Senior and Junior, and Peter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1750, I am thoroughly confused. I would love to be able to figure out the truth in all of this.
Here is the possible line of descent:
Hans Jacob Loewenguth-Margaretha Sands
Anna Margaretha Loewenguth-Jacob Fehler
John Jacob Fehler-Anna Eva Behney
Christina Elizabeth Fehler-Johannes Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, July 22, 2016
Harshbarger line: Tobias Miller 1731-1805
Tobias Miller. I could pretty much end this post right there, because that is almost as much as I know about him. There seem to have been several Tobias Miller's in this time period, one who stayed in Pennsylvania, one who went to North Carolina, and ours, who went to what became Franklin County, Va. There are probably others, too, but these are the three who are most frequently mixed up in the records or trees found on line.
It seems to be pretty well agreed that Tobias was born in 1731, either in Pennsylvania or in wherever his parents came from, which was probably somewhere in Germany. I base that "probably" only on the suspected (several) names of his parents, which all seem to have a German background. One set of possible parents would be Jacob and Magdalena (maiden name unknown). Another would be Johann Michael and Susannah Agnes Berchtol. If we go strictly from a majority standpoint, Johann Michael and Susannah Agnes would win. However, I've seen no proof and I'm not willing to stick my neck out on this one.
So, Tobias was either born here or born there. The first time I can really say "Yes, this is likely our guy" is on a 1770 tax list of Coventry Township, Chester County, Pa. At the time, he had 2 cattle and 2 horses, no sheep and no slaves. He owned 100 acres of land. This was not a lot to have in raising a family but it was something. It's unclear whether he was married at this time. Usually if men were single they were called "inmates" but perhaps he was not included there because he owned land. At any rate, in 1773 he married Barbara Brower in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and our family is descended from this marriage. (Tobias would have been 42 years old when he married Barbara, which is old for a first marriage, and another reason I bring up the possibility of an earlier marriage.)
Tobias and Barbara had moved to either Bedford or Henry County, Virginia, by 1786 because when the county of Franklin formed from those two counties in 1785, one of the first acts of the courts was to appoint Tobias to be the surveyor of a road from Little Creek to Maggotty Creek there. This indicates that he had been there long enough to know the "lay of the land", so to speak, and also shows that he was in good health at the time. I tried from maps to figure out where he would have lived and so far haven't narrowed it down any more than somewhere around Boone's Mill, north of Rocky Mount and south east of Roanoke.
I'm not sure how many children they may have had. Mary and Hannah are pretty much agreed on; I've also seen John, Jacob, Tobias and Catherine listed, with no birth or death dates. Presumably these children were born between 1773 and maybe 20 years later, so some were likely born in Chester County, Pa. and some in Virginia.
Tobias died in 1805, most likely in Franklin County, Va. Some of his children moved on to Montgomery County, Ohio, very early in Ohio's history, and some say that Tobias died there. It appears that Barbara died the same year, although none of this is documented.
I've found several items on internet trees that I don't think are correct. This Tobias was not in Lancaster County, Pa in the 1790 and 1800 census reports. This Tobias was not the one buried in Philadelphia. This Tobias was probably not the one with an estate sale in 1822 in Hagerstown, Md., mentioning personal property items. First, the distance in time and miles is great, and second, why would his personal property have been saved that long?
I would love to hear from other members in this family who have researched Tobias, to see what is actually documented, who actually belongs in this family, and what Tobias's story is. Was he a participant in the Revolutionary War? When did the family go to Virginia? What church did the family attend? Where is he buried? Who were his parents?
Names without stories bother me! So do people without parents.
The line of descent is:
Tobias Miller-Barbara Brower
Mary Miller-Johan George Harter
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update: I located information showing that Mary Miller and George Harter were married by Jacob Miller. In researching him, I find that Rev. Jacob was a Brethren or Dunkard Minister, and was a brother to our Tobias. There is a legend that five Miller brothers went to Franklin County, Va., all pastors. Tobias may not have been a pastor, though, because he didn't perform his daughter's wedding ceremony. No one seems sure who the parents were of Jacob Miller, but he seems to have left a very large posterity. No doubt they would also like to know the parentage of Jacob and Tobias!
Update 2: July 31, 2021. Please disregard this post. The line of descent is not correct. George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of Mary Miller and Johan George Harter.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Harshbarger line: Christopher Kitterman about 1730-1806 Immigrant
Looking rather desperately to find another name to write about in the Harshbarger lineage, I noticed Christopher Kitterman. He was just sitting quietly in the family tree, with no folder, no information, and nothing to indicate he was really a person. Now he has his own folder in my file cabinet, with the beginnings of some information about him, thanks largely to Virginia Shoemaker Perry, who, as it turns out, has written a whole book about Christopher and his descendants. Unfortunately, the book does not seem to be available (not even Allen County Public Library has a copy) but fortunately, she has shared some of what she knows on line. Thank you, Virginia!
Christopher was born sometime about 1728 in Germany. Virginia is not willing to say where he was born, but other sources state it was Grossgartach, Wuerttemberg, Germany. She is also not willing to give him a birth date, and I have seen dates from 1719 to 1730. If information that a daughter was born in 1732 is correct, than I would give him an even earlier birthdate, but as far as I know, no one has found documentation for any kind of birthdate, or for his parents. It sure would be nice to solve these questions.
Similarly, there are two dates given for his emigration to America. One source says he came on the ship "Patience" in August of 1750 and Perry says he came on the "Janet" in 1751. Either could be correct, or both could be correct, for he could have come and then gone back to Germany to settle an estate, talk family members in to coming, sell real estate, or for any number of other good reasons. At any rate, he was in the Colonies, Pennsylvania of course, by 1751. He was a farmer and a Lutheran, and soon found a good local girl to marry. He married Anna Margaret Lawall, daughter of Daniel and Barbara Lawall, at Tohickon Union (Reformed) Church in Bucks County, Pa. on February 3, 1761. This is late enough that it may have been a second marriage, and another wife has been suggested (not by Perry, as far as I know) as Anna Christina. At any rate, this marriage took place on February 3, 1761, and their first daughter, Mary, was born July 31, 1761, so it may have been time for this couple to marry.
Additional children were Elizabeth, Henry, Jacob, and Michael. Some Ancestry trees also list Michael, Maria Magdalena, Catherine, and Susanna. If these were Christopher's children, they must have been by a first wife because the birth dates are all before the marriage date of 1761, and good Lutherans would not have waited until child number 5 to marry.
It appears that sometime about 1771 or 1772, Christopher and his family moved to Frederick County, Maryland. Confusingly, he is listed as being in Frederick County, Md in 1771/72, with a notation that he had moved to Pennsylvania, and in 1772 there is a Stophel Kataman in Lower Saucon Twp, Northampton County, listed as a laborer. If this is the same person, he may have gone back to Pennsylvania temporarily to help a family member, or to earn some cash as his farm in Maryland got established. (Daniel Lawell was in Northampton County when he wrote his will in 1796, so maybe it was the in-laws who needed help.) It would be interesting to find out what the story is behind this, if in fact these are the same men. He is in the 1790 census in Frederick County, Maryland with 1 male over the age of 16, and 2 females, so by now, the child rearing was done. We don't know who the second female was, but perhaps she was a relative, or maybe even a helper of some sort as this would have been an aging couple. They haven't been found in the 1800 census, which indicates they may have been living with someone else (or it could just be that the name has been so mangled in the transcriptions that no one has yet recognized it).
By 1806, Christopher was in Frederick County, Virginia and his wife was named Christine, because both facts are stated in his will. We don't know when he moved to Virginia, when wife Anna Margaret died, or who Christine was. However, she is mentioned by name several times in the will, so we can assume this was his wife at the time of his death. The will itself is complicated and a transcription can be read on wikitree. Besides his wife, he also mentions his brother John George Kitterman, deceased, his son John Kitterman, deceased son Michael, son Henry, daughter Mary Harter, daughter Susanna Fishburn, daughter Catherina Miksel. Elizabeth Ader is mentioned and may be a daughter, also, but that is not specified. (If Nancy Glass is not provided for in the will of Adam Ader, then she is to get money from what Christopher has left Elizabeth, so Adam may be a stepfather to Nancy). Further research would be needed to clarify that. The will was written March 6, 1805 and admitted to probate March 16,1806. I note that Maria Magdalena and Johann Jacob, who are each supposed to be his children and each alive at the time of the will, are not mentioned in the will.
This is a lot of information to find and process for one morning. There are mysteries and uncertainties here, but at least we know he is part of the family, we know he was a Lutheran and a farmer, and we know he had several children and two or possibly three wives. That's a start. I'd love to hear from someone with more information about Christopher or/and his wives.!
The line of descent is:
Christopher Ketterman-Anna Margaret Lawall
Mary Kitterman-George Harter
Johann George Harter-Mary M Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update July 31, 2021 Please disregard this post. George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of Johann George Harter and Mary Miller.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Harshbarger line: Georg Lindemuth 1709-1772
Here's another Harshbarger line ancestor, an immigrant, about whom very little is known. We know he was born about June 12, 1709 in Bodigheim, Baden, Germany to Georg Lindemuth and Anna Catharina Bauermann or Baueman. I have been unable to locate information about the town online but it appears that it must be small, and was probably even smaller 300 years ago. Interestingly, there is a Jewish cemetery here which apparently dates back to early times, but the Lindemuth family seems to have not been of that faith. Georg was one of at least five children born to the couple. The family probably lived a typical small village German life, meaning it was highly structured and difficult to rise economically.
Georg married Maria Anna Drach, daughter of Johann Georg Drach, in 1733. She was three years older than he, widowed with two young children, and the couple would have at least 7 children together, some in Germany and some in their new home. They emigrated in 1749 on the ship Patience, arriving September 19 of that year. They would have had little time to prepare for their first winter, so perhaps they stayed in Germantown for their first months or years.
The trail goes cold after that, or at least, I haven't found it yet. Maria Anna died in 1755 and it is believed that Georg married again, to Barbara Keller, although some say that she was his first wife and died in Germany. Since Georg was just 24 when he married Maria Anna, I don't think it's likely that he had married earlier, given the norms of the time. I'd love to find documentation for the second marriage, whenever it was.
Georg died in 1772 in Berks County, Pa. I've not found a will for him but there were many German wills that were not transcribed so it's possible there is or was a will. It's also possible I just haven't found it yet.
I'd love to know more about this man. What church did he attend? Where did he settle in Berks County? What lead several of the children to go to the Buck Hill area of Frederick County in about 1752? What was his occupation? He likely farmed, but was there something else? How did the French and Indian War impact his life? There's much to be learned about this man and his family!
The line of descent is:
Georg Lindemuth-Maria Anna Drach
Maria Elizabeth Lindemuth-Bernard Kepler
Andreas Kepler-Anna Maria Kramer
Mary E Kepler-George Harshbarger
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Georg married Maria Anna Drach, daughter of Johann Georg Drach, in 1733. She was three years older than he, widowed with two young children, and the couple would have at least 7 children together, some in Germany and some in their new home. They emigrated in 1749 on the ship Patience, arriving September 19 of that year. They would have had little time to prepare for their first winter, so perhaps they stayed in Germantown for their first months or years.
The trail goes cold after that, or at least, I haven't found it yet. Maria Anna died in 1755 and it is believed that Georg married again, to Barbara Keller, although some say that she was his first wife and died in Germany. Since Georg was just 24 when he married Maria Anna, I don't think it's likely that he had married earlier, given the norms of the time. I'd love to find documentation for the second marriage, whenever it was.
Georg died in 1772 in Berks County, Pa. I've not found a will for him but there were many German wills that were not transcribed so it's possible there is or was a will. It's also possible I just haven't found it yet.
I'd love to know more about this man. What church did he attend? Where did he settle in Berks County? What lead several of the children to go to the Buck Hill area of Frederick County in about 1752? What was his occupation? He likely farmed, but was there something else? How did the French and Indian War impact his life? There's much to be learned about this man and his family!
The line of descent is:
Georg Lindemuth-Maria Anna Drach
Maria Elizabeth Lindemuth-Bernard Kepler
Andreas Kepler-Anna Maria Kramer
Mary E Kepler-George Harshbarger
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
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