I've written before about Johann Conrad Reber, born December 10, 1751. I mis-stated his place of birth, for in researching his father, I find that his parents were already in Pennsylvania by the time Conrad Jr. was born.
So let's look at this father's life and we may gain some insights into the younger generation also. Johann Conrad Refer, the father and immigrant, was born in March of 1723 and christened on March 23 of that year. He was the son of Johan Bernhard and Annia Maria Ahl Reber, and was born in Langenselbold, Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany. The town may have been more of a village at the time, but it was probably larger than some of the other towns that our German ancestors came from. Still, economics of the time meant that land was scarce and our Conrad decided to come to America in 1746.
We don't know where he lived at first. Germantown was a first stop for many of the immigrants of the time, but he was soon in Tulpehocken township, Berks County. It is not known whether he had family there but it's quite possible. He married Anna Margaret Conrad on August 1, 1750, and the couple set to work to build a family. It's likely that they built their own home, which can still be seen today, or at least, there are pictures of it. It's a small log cabin and it's hard to see how they raised 7 children in such a small space, so maybe this is their first home, or their last one.
Conrad may have wondered whether he had made the right choice in settling in Tulpehocken township because that area was hard hit by attacks from the native Americans for several years during the French and Indian War. There is a long list in one of the Berks County history books of those who were killed, captured, and wounded, and it is sobering indeed to read it. Most likely Conrad was in a militia to protect his family and his neighbors. This was a Lutheran or Reformed family, not Mennonite or Amish, so fighting was permissible to them. There seem to be no nearby settlements that the family would naturally have gone to, so they may have gone to Reading, which would be quite a trip, especially with young children, but there was a greater degree of safety there.
We can also wonder about Conrad's thoughts regarding the Revolutionary War. He was 52 years old when it broke out, which was probably old to be doing much soldiering. But he may have been involved in providing or transporting supplies to the Americans. His son Conrad apparently fought so his father would have had some feelings about the matter. Mostly, though, he farmed.
Conrad farmed to support his family, and on some of the tax lists, there are also the initials "g.m." I haven't found a key for this but I'm guessing this might have been "grist mill". On tax lists, Conrad is generally taxed more than most of his neighbors, but not as much as some. On one such list, I believe from 1789, he is shown as owning 200 acres, 4 horses and 5 cattle. Sometime during his later life, he seems to have moved from Tulpehocken township to Bethel Township, but probably did not move far. The two townships are adjoining.
There are varying dates for Conrad's death, from 1786 to 1796. The inventory was presented in 1796, and there wouldn't have been minor children to delay the probate, so I'm guessing he died shortly before September 24, 1796. He is buried at Zion Church Cemetery at Strausstown. It's not known when Anna Margaret died but it was apparently after her husband. The records I found of his will are not clear but it looks like his estate was valued at about 224 pounds.
You can see copies of his signature and of the picture I referred to at www.bergergirls.com, if you'd care to look.
The line of descent is
Johann Conrad Reber-Anna Margaret Conrad
Johann Conrad Reber-Mary Margaret Pontius
Mary Margaretha Reber-Solomon Buchtel
Benjamin Buchtel-Barbara Burkholder
Nancy Buchtel-Adam Kenery
Della Kemery-William Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Withers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Withers. Show all posts
Friday, May 1, 2020
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Harshbarger line: Martin Laber, 1738-1823
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!
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!
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Harshbarger line: Where was George Essig in 1840?
Perhaps I should start at the beginning, with the "who" of george Essig. He was the son of Simon and Juliana Margaretha Schneer Essig, and was born, some say in Adams County, Pennsylvania, on October 19, 1794. This would make some sense, as his father, Simon Essig, is believed to have been the only one of his family to have escaped an Indian attack, near Emmitsburg, Maryland, before the Revolutionary War. The two locations are near each other.
Simon and Juliana moved on to Stark County, Ohio, and raised their rather large family there. George was one of 14 children born to the couple. His parents were on the 1810 tax rolls for Stark County, and it is reported that Simon was in Plain Township, Stark County, planting an orchard as early as 1806. It appears that all but possibly one of the children in George's first family had been born before the move from central Pennsylvania to central Ohio was made. What a trip that must have been! george would have been eleven or twelve years old at the time, so he would have been old enough to help with whatever needed to be done. He would also have been old enough to remember both Pennsylvania and the trip.
There is a tradition that George served in the War of 1812 along with his brothers Jacob and Adam. I have not found any evidence of George's having served, but tradition says that he was injured by Indians (fighting on the side of the British) near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Sometimes these stories are true and sometimes not, so take it with a grain of salt until records are found verifying this. It is beyond doubt that the Essig family would have felt threatened by the events of the war. Fort Meigs was not constructed until 1813, and it was 156 miles away from Canton, the nearest town to where the Essigs lived. If George wasn't a soldier in the war, he would probably have been in a local militia, and certainly would have been prepared to protect his family from stray Indian raids.
After the war was over, George married Catherine Shollenberger (various spellings), daughter of Peter and Susanna Shollenberger, on September 6, 1816. We can trace the couple in the 1820 census, when there were two children, and the 1830 census, when there were 7 children under the age of 20 (officially) or under the age of 14 (actually). We know George owned land in 1828 in Plain Township, Stark County.
Then George seems to go missing from the records. A George Essig purchased public lands in Dekalb County, Indiana in 1840 and up through 1852. I do not know whether this is our George or not. It is possible, whether or not this was our George, that the family was traveling somewhere in 1840 and thus was missed in the census. I found a George Essick in the 1840 census in Davidson County, North Carolina, but the ages were off and it doesn't seem likely this was our George. Some families just get missed, or are hiding within another family and so don't get named in the early censuses.
We do know that George and Catherine were in Whitley County, Indiana by 1850. That year's census shows them with 4 children still at home, ranging in age from 13 to 20. Some of the older children live near by, having started their own households. (According to his will, there were 11 children living at the time of George's death.) By 1860, George and Catherine are living in Columbia City, where he still is listed as a farmer. An eleven year old boy named Washington Payne is living with them. I don't yet know who he is, whether he is someone living there to help care for them or whether he is part of the extended family.
George died on April 11, 1866. Although he is not shown as having any land in the 1860 census, his will gives land to his son Joseph and to son David, after the death of his wife Catherine, and to each of his other children $35, which Joseph is to pay at the rate of $10 per year. Catherine lived until June 19, 1872. They are buried at Oakgrove Methodist (Redbrush) Cemetery near Larwill, Indiana, which was near the land they owned and farmed.
There is undoubtedly more to George's story. He left Pennsylvania, arrived in Ohio when it was basically frontier, helped build Stark County, and then came to Whitley County while it was still early in that county's history, probably again clearing land and farming as his father and his father before him had done. He would certeinly have stories of his own to tell!
The line of descent is:
George Essig-Catherine Shollenberger
Susannah Essig-Daniel Kemery
Adam Kemery-Nancy Buchtel
Della Kemery-William Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Simon and Juliana moved on to Stark County, Ohio, and raised their rather large family there. George was one of 14 children born to the couple. His parents were on the 1810 tax rolls for Stark County, and it is reported that Simon was in Plain Township, Stark County, planting an orchard as early as 1806. It appears that all but possibly one of the children in George's first family had been born before the move from central Pennsylvania to central Ohio was made. What a trip that must have been! george would have been eleven or twelve years old at the time, so he would have been old enough to help with whatever needed to be done. He would also have been old enough to remember both Pennsylvania and the trip.
There is a tradition that George served in the War of 1812 along with his brothers Jacob and Adam. I have not found any evidence of George's having served, but tradition says that he was injured by Indians (fighting on the side of the British) near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Sometimes these stories are true and sometimes not, so take it with a grain of salt until records are found verifying this. It is beyond doubt that the Essig family would have felt threatened by the events of the war. Fort Meigs was not constructed until 1813, and it was 156 miles away from Canton, the nearest town to where the Essigs lived. If George wasn't a soldier in the war, he would probably have been in a local militia, and certainly would have been prepared to protect his family from stray Indian raids.
After the war was over, George married Catherine Shollenberger (various spellings), daughter of Peter and Susanna Shollenberger, on September 6, 1816. We can trace the couple in the 1820 census, when there were two children, and the 1830 census, when there were 7 children under the age of 20 (officially) or under the age of 14 (actually). We know George owned land in 1828 in Plain Township, Stark County.
Then George seems to go missing from the records. A George Essig purchased public lands in Dekalb County, Indiana in 1840 and up through 1852. I do not know whether this is our George or not. It is possible, whether or not this was our George, that the family was traveling somewhere in 1840 and thus was missed in the census. I found a George Essick in the 1840 census in Davidson County, North Carolina, but the ages were off and it doesn't seem likely this was our George. Some families just get missed, or are hiding within another family and so don't get named in the early censuses.
We do know that George and Catherine were in Whitley County, Indiana by 1850. That year's census shows them with 4 children still at home, ranging in age from 13 to 20. Some of the older children live near by, having started their own households. (According to his will, there were 11 children living at the time of George's death.) By 1860, George and Catherine are living in Columbia City, where he still is listed as a farmer. An eleven year old boy named Washington Payne is living with them. I don't yet know who he is, whether he is someone living there to help care for them or whether he is part of the extended family.
George died on April 11, 1866. Although he is not shown as having any land in the 1860 census, his will gives land to his son Joseph and to son David, after the death of his wife Catherine, and to each of his other children $35, which Joseph is to pay at the rate of $10 per year. Catherine lived until June 19, 1872. They are buried at Oakgrove Methodist (Redbrush) Cemetery near Larwill, Indiana, which was near the land they owned and farmed.
There is undoubtedly more to George's story. He left Pennsylvania, arrived in Ohio when it was basically frontier, helped build Stark County, and then came to Whitley County while it was still early in that county's history, probably again clearing land and farming as his father and his father before him had done. He would certeinly have stories of his own to tell!
The line of descent is:
George Essig-Catherine Shollenberger
Susannah Essig-Daniel Kemery
Adam Kemery-Nancy Buchtel
Della Kemery-William Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
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.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Harshbarger line: William Cook of Whitley County
It's been a while since I've written about a Harshbarger family ancestor. I thought I'd written about all of the men, but here is William Cook who has not yet been acknowledged as part of the DNA of the Harshbargers. I really know very little about the man, considering that he has only been gone about 142 years, but he lived through interesting times, and left his home in Pennsylvania to come to Ohio and then on to Indiana during relatively early times. In each case, the best of the lands had been acquired by the earliest land speculators and settlers, but good land was still available and the prospects must have seemed bright.
William Cook was born August 8, 1817, probably in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Henry and Catherine Whetstone Cook, and was one of at least eight children of the couple. When William was quite small, probably about 4 years old, his family packed their goods and moved to Stark County, Ohio. Henry was a blacksmith in or near Canton, Ohio and also farmed. Henry ran into business difficulties and filed for bankruptcy about 1842, and was buying or leasing land in Whitley County, Indiana the following year. He may have planted crops, for he was a farmer, but he must have returned to Stark County where by 1850 he was listed as a blacksmith, with his home and land valued at $27,000. This was quite a turn around for a man who had been bankrupt just a few years earlier.
William lived in Marlboro Township, Stark County, in the 1850 census but he was not a man of means. His property was valued at $1200. William had married Elizabeth Brown, daughter of David and Barbara Brothers (also seen as Bruder) Brown on December 31, 1837 and by the 1850 there were three children, Sarah, Barbara, and Alfred. Also living in the household was "Barbara" Brown, age 66, who would be Elizabeth's mother. I have seen references to Elizabeth as Betsy, which somehow makes her seem a little less stern and more cheerful. I don't know that William ever used a nickname, though.
Sometime between 1850 and 1860 the Henry Cook household and the William Cook household all moved to Whitley County. There was already a Henry Cook in Whitley County in the 1850 census and he was of the right age to be Henry's son and William's brother, but he was too young to be the Henry Cook connected to the land deals earlier in the 1840s.
William and Betsy lived in Columbia City, Whitley County in 1860 and owned land valued at $300 with personal property valued at $80. It sounds like they were just getting started. By 1870, only Sarah, the oldest, was left at home, William was still farming, with property now valued at $1200. The 1880 census doesn't show a value but his son Alfred and his family is living there also. It is from this census that we learn that William and Betsy could both read, but they couldn't write. The deeds I have copies of show that they each signed with a mark.
One of the deeds is interesting. In it, he couple is selling (for $1) land to their daughter Barbara, who is now Barbara Withers. There is a lengthy description of the land, but what is interesting is that the deed was notarized by Thomas Marshall, who was later the Vice President of the United States. This deed was from 1878. Eight years earlier the Cooks had sold land to William Withers, who was their son in law. (Barbara Cook married William Withers in 1867).
William died April 3, 1888 and was buried at Bethel Cemetery, just outside Columbia City. He seems to have not left a will and I've not found estate papers, although there should be some. Elizabeth outlived him by 11 years and died before March 8. 1899. Sarah, their first daughter, apparently never married and died at the age of 83, single. She was a retired housekeeper.
This family seems to have been one of those families that stays out of sight for the most part. William may have voted, but he evidently did not take an active role in government. He and Betsy worked hard and helped their family survive, probably at a higher economic level than they attained. They may not have had riches, but they lived through the War with Mexico, the Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield, and they saw forests give way to factories and farms. Their times were fascinating and their lives were challenging.
The line of descent is:
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
William Cook was born August 8, 1817, probably in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Henry and Catherine Whetstone Cook, and was one of at least eight children of the couple. When William was quite small, probably about 4 years old, his family packed their goods and moved to Stark County, Ohio. Henry was a blacksmith in or near Canton, Ohio and also farmed. Henry ran into business difficulties and filed for bankruptcy about 1842, and was buying or leasing land in Whitley County, Indiana the following year. He may have planted crops, for he was a farmer, but he must have returned to Stark County where by 1850 he was listed as a blacksmith, with his home and land valued at $27,000. This was quite a turn around for a man who had been bankrupt just a few years earlier.
William lived in Marlboro Township, Stark County, in the 1850 census but he was not a man of means. His property was valued at $1200. William had married Elizabeth Brown, daughter of David and Barbara Brothers (also seen as Bruder) Brown on December 31, 1837 and by the 1850 there were three children, Sarah, Barbara, and Alfred. Also living in the household was "Barbara" Brown, age 66, who would be Elizabeth's mother. I have seen references to Elizabeth as Betsy, which somehow makes her seem a little less stern and more cheerful. I don't know that William ever used a nickname, though.
Sometime between 1850 and 1860 the Henry Cook household and the William Cook household all moved to Whitley County. There was already a Henry Cook in Whitley County in the 1850 census and he was of the right age to be Henry's son and William's brother, but he was too young to be the Henry Cook connected to the land deals earlier in the 1840s.
William and Betsy lived in Columbia City, Whitley County in 1860 and owned land valued at $300 with personal property valued at $80. It sounds like they were just getting started. By 1870, only Sarah, the oldest, was left at home, William was still farming, with property now valued at $1200. The 1880 census doesn't show a value but his son Alfred and his family is living there also. It is from this census that we learn that William and Betsy could both read, but they couldn't write. The deeds I have copies of show that they each signed with a mark.
One of the deeds is interesting. In it, he couple is selling (for $1) land to their daughter Barbara, who is now Barbara Withers. There is a lengthy description of the land, but what is interesting is that the deed was notarized by Thomas Marshall, who was later the Vice President of the United States. This deed was from 1878. Eight years earlier the Cooks had sold land to William Withers, who was their son in law. (Barbara Cook married William Withers in 1867).
William died April 3, 1888 and was buried at Bethel Cemetery, just outside Columbia City. He seems to have not left a will and I've not found estate papers, although there should be some. Elizabeth outlived him by 11 years and died before March 8. 1899. Sarah, their first daughter, apparently never married and died at the age of 83, single. She was a retired housekeeper.
This family seems to have been one of those families that stays out of sight for the most part. William may have voted, but he evidently did not take an active role in government. He and Betsy worked hard and helped their family survive, probably at a higher economic level than they attained. They may not have had riches, but they lived through the War with Mexico, the Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield, and they saw forests give way to factories and farms. Their times were fascinating and their lives were challenging.
The line of descent is:
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
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".
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Harshbarger line: Friedrich Carl Hoerner 1703-after 1789, Immigrant
I thought I was done writing Harshbarger stories, but in a genealogy clean up project I have been working on, I found another ancestor who was an immigrant. It will not surprise anyone in the Harshbarger family to learn that he came from Germany and died in Pennsylvania. But what else can we learn about him?
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was born, or christened, December 23, 1703 at Dierbach, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rheinfeld Pfalz, Germany. This is a small village, current population abo0ut 540, and is located on the "point" between France and Germany. One wonders how many wars this small village has seen? Dierbach's church is Protestant and has been since the Reformation, the current church having been built in 1502. Pictures of the town show typical German, half-timber construction, the type we would associate with medieval times.
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was the son of Hans Gall and Juliana Margarethe Kurtz Hoerner, one of at least eight children. Both of his parents lived until Frieddrich Carl had reached young manhood. He was 20 when his father died and 33 when his mother died in 1737. Friedrich appears to not have married until he was 41 years old, which was not that unusual for the men in small German villages. Life was hard and it might take that long to save enough money to provide even the barest of necessities for a wife and a new household.
In 1744, Friedrich Carl married Anna Catharina Schaub, daughter of Thomas Schaub, and their first child was born the following year. Maria Salome is the only known daughter of the couple, and we don't know when Anna Catharina died. Perhaps she died young and perhaps that is part of the reason that Friedrich Carl came to America, arriving at Philadelphia on September 29, 1750.
Tbe next records we have for him are tax and census records starting from 1762, when he was in Berks County, probably Exeter Township. It appears that they were members of the Schwartzwald Reformed Church (Calvinist, as opposed to Lutheran) because a son was buried there in 1788. Also Friedrich Horner and Maria Horner are the parents of a daughter baptized November 21, 1766 at Oley (Salem) Reformed Church. If this is our Friedrich, then it appears that Anna Catharina had died and Friedrich had remarried. In the 1779 tax records, he is noted as having 100 acres of land, so he was probably farming. It looks like there may be a Nicholas and a Matthias Hoerner in the same township, but I don't know if they are related or not.
This is as much as I currently know about Friedrich Carl Hoerner. He may very well have served in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763 (mostly up to about 1760, as far as the fighting goes) but I don't have any record of that. He certainly would have been affected by the war, as this was frontier country at the time. He lived through the Revolutionary War, too. I would love to hear some of this man's stories, wouldn't you? He is believed to have died after 1789, possibly in Bedford County, Pa. I haven't located a will.
The line of descent is:
Friedrich Carl Hoerner-Anna Catharina Schaub
Maria Salome Hoerner-Henry Matthias Braun
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was born, or christened, December 23, 1703 at Dierbach, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rheinfeld Pfalz, Germany. This is a small village, current population abo0ut 540, and is located on the "point" between France and Germany. One wonders how many wars this small village has seen? Dierbach's church is Protestant and has been since the Reformation, the current church having been built in 1502. Pictures of the town show typical German, half-timber construction, the type we would associate with medieval times.
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was the son of Hans Gall and Juliana Margarethe Kurtz Hoerner, one of at least eight children. Both of his parents lived until Frieddrich Carl had reached young manhood. He was 20 when his father died and 33 when his mother died in 1737. Friedrich appears to not have married until he was 41 years old, which was not that unusual for the men in small German villages. Life was hard and it might take that long to save enough money to provide even the barest of necessities for a wife and a new household.
In 1744, Friedrich Carl married Anna Catharina Schaub, daughter of Thomas Schaub, and their first child was born the following year. Maria Salome is the only known daughter of the couple, and we don't know when Anna Catharina died. Perhaps she died young and perhaps that is part of the reason that Friedrich Carl came to America, arriving at Philadelphia on September 29, 1750.
Tbe next records we have for him are tax and census records starting from 1762, when he was in Berks County, probably Exeter Township. It appears that they were members of the Schwartzwald Reformed Church (Calvinist, as opposed to Lutheran) because a son was buried there in 1788. Also Friedrich Horner and Maria Horner are the parents of a daughter baptized November 21, 1766 at Oley (Salem) Reformed Church. If this is our Friedrich, then it appears that Anna Catharina had died and Friedrich had remarried. In the 1779 tax records, he is noted as having 100 acres of land, so he was probably farming. It looks like there may be a Nicholas and a Matthias Hoerner in the same township, but I don't know if they are related or not.
This is as much as I currently know about Friedrich Carl Hoerner. He may very well have served in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763 (mostly up to about 1760, as far as the fighting goes) but I don't have any record of that. He certainly would have been affected by the war, as this was frontier country at the time. He lived through the Revolutionary War, too. I would love to hear some of this man's stories, wouldn't you? He is believed to have died after 1789, possibly in Bedford County, Pa. I haven't located a will.
The line of descent is:
Friedrich Carl Hoerner-Anna Catharina Schaub
Maria Salome Hoerner-Henry Matthias Braun
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
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, October 20, 2017
Harshbarger line: Done with the Withers family?
Tuesday I wrote a blog post about the end of the line, opportunities for discovery brick wall people in my husband's maternal grandmother's line. Today I'm writing about the same sort of people in his paternal grandmother's line. There aren't as many people that I'm missing, because my criteria is that I just want to get the family back across the ocean. Many people in this line came to America in the 1730-1755 time period (a few earlier), so that doesn't include as many generations as did the Aldridge line.
From what I can tell of the people I do know about, these folks were mostly from Germany and Switzerland. I don't believe any of them were wealthy, or they would have left their footprints in the form of paperwork in more places than we can find them. I envision them as being hard working, good folks, devout Christians whatever religion they were, and I'm proud that they are the ancestors of my children and grandchildren.
I just wish I could find some information about these missing people:
Elizabeth Miller, 1789-1869, married to Joseph Burkholder
possibly Adam Burkhalter and Anna Mellinger, born about 1700-1705 I'm not sure whether or not
they came to America
possibly Johannes Gingerich and Anna G Sherk, about 1705-1771, again not sure if they came to
Aneruca
Anna Margaret Conradt, wife of Johannes Conrad Reber, born about 1750
possibly Johann Gerber and Maria Gertraut Bener, born 1695-unsure if they came to America
Anna Maria Lauber born December 20, 1793 married Hans Jacob Kemmerli
Susanna, wife of Peter Shollenberger, born May 4, 1777 died November 11, 1849
Magdalena Kunkle born about 1725 married to Johann Caspar Schneer
Anna Eva Matte about 1700-abt 1772, wife of Wendel Essig
Joseph Withers born 1804 married to Mary Ann Gearhart born about 1812 (need parents for both of
them)
Christina wife of Sebastian Kestenholtz, born about 1736
Christina Emmert born 1728, wife of Mathias Bruder
Mary Magdalea, wife of John Whetstone, November 1776 January 10, 1852
Anna Gerber wife of Jacob Maag 1703-1767
Adam Koch and Catherine Drucker born 1735-died 1807 and 18817-need parents for both
Elizabeth Leitzee born about 1755, wife of Adam Koch Jr.
That's only 21 people missing in this line, plus of course several generations of parents for some of them. These, along with the list from Tuesday and several similar posts I'll be doing, will be my guideposts for researching in the future. If I learn who these people, and their parents, are, I will be sharing, and I will be happy. I would be delirious with joy if someone contacts me and helps me with any one of these folks!
From what I can tell of the people I do know about, these folks were mostly from Germany and Switzerland. I don't believe any of them were wealthy, or they would have left their footprints in the form of paperwork in more places than we can find them. I envision them as being hard working, good folks, devout Christians whatever religion they were, and I'm proud that they are the ancestors of my children and grandchildren.
I just wish I could find some information about these missing people:
Elizabeth Miller, 1789-1869, married to Joseph Burkholder
possibly Adam Burkhalter and Anna Mellinger, born about 1700-1705 I'm not sure whether or not
they came to America
possibly Johannes Gingerich and Anna G Sherk, about 1705-1771, again not sure if they came to
Aneruca
Anna Margaret Conradt, wife of Johannes Conrad Reber, born about 1750
possibly Johann Gerber and Maria Gertraut Bener, born 1695-unsure if they came to America
Anna Maria Lauber born December 20, 1793 married Hans Jacob Kemmerli
Susanna, wife of Peter Shollenberger, born May 4, 1777 died November 11, 1849
Magdalena Kunkle born about 1725 married to Johann Caspar Schneer
Anna Eva Matte about 1700-abt 1772, wife of Wendel Essig
Joseph Withers born 1804 married to Mary Ann Gearhart born about 1812 (need parents for both of
them)
Christina wife of Sebastian Kestenholtz, born about 1736
Christina Emmert born 1728, wife of Mathias Bruder
Mary Magdalea, wife of John Whetstone, November 1776 January 10, 1852
Anna Gerber wife of Jacob Maag 1703-1767
Adam Koch and Catherine Drucker born 1735-died 1807 and 18817-need parents for both
Elizabeth Leitzee born about 1755, wife of Adam Koch Jr.
That's only 21 people missing in this line, plus of course several generations of parents for some of them. These, along with the list from Tuesday and several similar posts I'll be doing, will be my guideposts for researching in the future. If I learn who these people, and their parents, are, I will be sharing, and I will be happy. I would be delirious with joy if someone contacts me and helps me with any one of these folks!
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, July 14, 2017
Harshbarger line: Paul Hawn, another veteran to thank!
This is a short post because I am still trying to pull together the military records of Paul Hawn. However, I've found enough to write a couple of paragraphs, maybe, and that is more than we knew before. Paul Hawn is the son of Adrian Hawn and Goldie Withers. Goldie later married Grover Harshbarger, so Paul and Cleve Harshbarger are half-brothers.
I first learned that Paul had been in the Army when I found this brief mention in the Huntington Herald Press of October 11, 1944:
"Reports Saturday"
Pfc Paul W. Hawn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Grover Harshbarger of near Majenica, will leave Saturday for Minneapolis, Minn. to report for active duty after spending an extended furlough here. He recently returned after 21 months' duty in Alaska."
This paragraph leads to several questions, but I have no answers at this point. All I can really say is that he probably enlisted or was drafted in 1942, although it might have been earlier. So far I'm not finding his military record.
I do know this much, I think. He got out of the service, probably at the end of World War II, and then in 1948 he re-enlisted and stayed in the Army for 20 more years. He is listed as having attained the rank of First Sargeant, and it's noted that he served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. I wish I knew more about his service, when he was where and what he did in the Army. However, this is what I have been able to locate and it's more information than I had when I woke up this morning.
I did find a couple of pictures of Paul, as a freshman and sophomore attending Columbia City High School. In 1930, he was living with his Withers grandparents (William and Della Kemery Withers), so it appears that he attended school there and if he graduated, graduated from that school. I sure need to do more research on that, too!
Paul died April 6. 1998, just 2 and 1/2 weeks after his half brother, Cleveland Harshbarger, died. Paul's remains were cremated, and his ashes were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Thank you for your service, Paul Hawn!
If anyone in the Hawn family sees this, please contact me at happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom. I'd love to know more about Paul!
I first learned that Paul had been in the Army when I found this brief mention in the Huntington Herald Press of October 11, 1944:
"Reports Saturday"
Pfc Paul W. Hawn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Grover Harshbarger of near Majenica, will leave Saturday for Minneapolis, Minn. to report for active duty after spending an extended furlough here. He recently returned after 21 months' duty in Alaska."
This paragraph leads to several questions, but I have no answers at this point. All I can really say is that he probably enlisted or was drafted in 1942, although it might have been earlier. So far I'm not finding his military record.
I do know this much, I think. He got out of the service, probably at the end of World War II, and then in 1948 he re-enlisted and stayed in the Army for 20 more years. He is listed as having attained the rank of First Sargeant, and it's noted that he served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. I wish I knew more about his service, when he was where and what he did in the Army. However, this is what I have been able to locate and it's more information than I had when I woke up this morning.
I did find a couple of pictures of Paul, as a freshman and sophomore attending Columbia City High School. In 1930, he was living with his Withers grandparents (William and Della Kemery Withers), so it appears that he attended school there and if he graduated, graduated from that school. I sure need to do more research on that, too!
Paul died April 6. 1998, just 2 and 1/2 weeks after his half brother, Cleveland Harshbarger, died. Paul's remains were cremated, and his ashes were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Thank you for your service, Paul Hawn!
If anyone in the Hawn family sees this, please contact me at happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom. I'd love to know more about Paul!
Friday, June 30, 2017
Harshbarger line: Wendell Essig: How did I miss him?
Actually, I don't think I missed him. In my more rational moments, I wonder if I should write about Wendell at all, because most of what we "know" about him doesn't seem to be proven. Some of it is in outright dispute. But these stories are so good I am going to write about them anyway, hoping that someone, someday, will be able to prove or disprove these family stories. If they are true, then this ancestor is worthy of honor and respect, and we need to at least pass the stories along. If they aren't true, let's determine that, too!
So...Wendell Essig was born in Bern Canton, Switzerland, the son of Wendell and Juliana Margaretha Trachsell or Troxell. At an early age he spent time in mining in "Rhine Phals". The story doesn't indicate whether he did this voluntarily or whether he was forced into it. Either scenario is possible, as he may have been trying to help support his family. The position seemed to work in his favor, because he later served 7 years in the Prussian army. Again, I don't know if this was voluntary or whether he has drafted. During at least part of that time, he was one of the imperial body guards, and was present at the coronation of Frederick the Great in 1740. (There should be records of his service, shouldn't there? As of now, I don't know how to research to find them.)
Here is where the stories diverge. The story, apparently from son Simon, is that his father arrived in Baltimore in 1750, and shortly thereafter married Anna Marie Matte. Not too long after that, they settled in the general area of Hagerstown, Maryland. I'll get to the rest of the story later.
The second version is that Wendell arrived in 1749 in Philadelphia and went to Northampton County, where he is on tax records in 1772 and church records (Dryland Union Church, Nazareth twp, Northampton County) through Easter of 1782. Jacob Essig and George Essig are also in the church records there, although there is nothing to prove relationships. So that is one story.
The "rest of the first story" is that Wendell and his family were massacred by native Americans in or before 1772, and Simon was the sole survivor. He would have been no more than 18 at the time. Simon survived because he was away from home at the time. Some family historians discount this tale because they haven't found evidence of native American massacres near Hagerstown I've read enough history to know that families in the Cumberland Valley were driven back many many miles before they found a safe haven like Hagerstown, so I tend to think the attack very well could have happened, even without any specific report mentioning the Essig name. Germans clearly were in the area, and the native Americans were active in trying to push the settlers back, during this time period. Still, some sort of proof would be nice to have.
If the story isn't true, why would someone make it up? Was it possibly a misunderstanding many years later of the experience of the family of Simon's wife's family? Her mother's first husband had been killed by the Indians, in Northampton County, Pennsylvania and if one of Simon's children was reporting this story, perhaps he or she had heard it as a young child and forgotten the details as the story was told. I'm not sure we will ever know.
Wendell and Eva Maria are said to have had four children, Simon, Adam, Jacob and George, not necessarily in that order. The 1772 or earlier death doesn't allow for a 1782 church record in Pennsylvania. Either there were two families with similar names and naming patterns, or one of these tales is incorrect. I don't believe anyone has located wills or estate papers in either location, so I will let you be the judge-two men, or one?
The line of descent is:
Wendell Essig-Anna Maria Matte
Simon Essig-Juliana Schnerr
George Essig-Catherine Shollenberger
Susannah Essig-Daniel Kemery
Adam Kemery-Nancy Fannie Buchtel
Della Kemery-William Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
So...Wendell Essig was born in Bern Canton, Switzerland, the son of Wendell and Juliana Margaretha Trachsell or Troxell. At an early age he spent time in mining in "Rhine Phals". The story doesn't indicate whether he did this voluntarily or whether he was forced into it. Either scenario is possible, as he may have been trying to help support his family. The position seemed to work in his favor, because he later served 7 years in the Prussian army. Again, I don't know if this was voluntary or whether he has drafted. During at least part of that time, he was one of the imperial body guards, and was present at the coronation of Frederick the Great in 1740. (There should be records of his service, shouldn't there? As of now, I don't know how to research to find them.)
Here is where the stories diverge. The story, apparently from son Simon, is that his father arrived in Baltimore in 1750, and shortly thereafter married Anna Marie Matte. Not too long after that, they settled in the general area of Hagerstown, Maryland. I'll get to the rest of the story later.
The second version is that Wendell arrived in 1749 in Philadelphia and went to Northampton County, where he is on tax records in 1772 and church records (Dryland Union Church, Nazareth twp, Northampton County) through Easter of 1782. Jacob Essig and George Essig are also in the church records there, although there is nothing to prove relationships. So that is one story.
The "rest of the first story" is that Wendell and his family were massacred by native Americans in or before 1772, and Simon was the sole survivor. He would have been no more than 18 at the time. Simon survived because he was away from home at the time. Some family historians discount this tale because they haven't found evidence of native American massacres near Hagerstown I've read enough history to know that families in the Cumberland Valley were driven back many many miles before they found a safe haven like Hagerstown, so I tend to think the attack very well could have happened, even without any specific report mentioning the Essig name. Germans clearly were in the area, and the native Americans were active in trying to push the settlers back, during this time period. Still, some sort of proof would be nice to have.
If the story isn't true, why would someone make it up? Was it possibly a misunderstanding many years later of the experience of the family of Simon's wife's family? Her mother's first husband had been killed by the Indians, in Northampton County, Pennsylvania and if one of Simon's children was reporting this story, perhaps he or she had heard it as a young child and forgotten the details as the story was told. I'm not sure we will ever know.
Wendell and Eva Maria are said to have had four children, Simon, Adam, Jacob and George, not necessarily in that order. The 1772 or earlier death doesn't allow for a 1782 church record in Pennsylvania. Either there were two families with similar names and naming patterns, or one of these tales is incorrect. I don't believe anyone has located wills or estate papers in either location, so I will let you be the judge-two men, or one?
The line of descent is:
Wendell Essig-Anna Maria Matte
Simon Essig-Juliana Schnerr
George Essig-Catherine Shollenberger
Susannah Essig-Daniel Kemery
Adam Kemery-Nancy Fannie Buchtel
Della Kemery-William Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, June 16, 2017
Harshbarger line: One more ancestor, Joseph Seiler 1687-1739/40
Joseph Seiler was not an immigrant and I really don't have enough information about him to write a post. But I've found some hints and they tie in with what I've learned while researching other Harshbarger line families, so I'm willing to put these ideas (not my own) out as a hypothesis.
Joseph Jacob (or possibly Jacob Joseph) Seiler was born in 1687 in Wilstein, Germany, a small town
that currently does not seem to be on a map. His father's name was Joseph, and it's unsure which name our subject used. Typically, if his name was Joseph Jacob he would have gone by the name of Jacob and documentation seems to support this, but many online sites call him Joseph.
The interesting thing to me is that this was a Mennonite family, but we don't know how long the family had been followers of Menno Simons. For one thing, Joseph Jacob had at least six children, born in four different cities. This would not be typical of a German line, but indicates that he owned no land and that he either may have been ejected from each village, or forced to leave for economic reasons. Either scenario is typical of the Mennonites of the time, who were heavily fined and harassed by local authorities, due to pressure from above.
The other item that points to a Mennonite belief system is that Joseph had a book printed in 1571, written by Menno Simons, and Joseph had hand-written in it the names of his 7 children, where they were born, (Wilstig, Sembauch, Obermelingen, Ischbach), their birth date, and the astrological sign they were born under. Apparently at least at this time the astrological sign was an important factor in the Mennonite life.
I've seen speculation that this family may trace back to Emmental, Switzerland but no real evidence this is the case. If true, again it would tie in with what we've learned of the Swiss Mennonites who were forced out of Switzerland and into a life of poverty in Germany. It makes sense.
The only other thing I can tell you about Joseph Jacob is that he died January 19,1739/40 in Milsbach, Germany. It is uncertain whether more will ever to found about this family, because the Mennonites lived mostly "under the radar", except for the tax collector. But perhaps with persistence, and cash, more could be learned and we would know whether this family also traces back to Switzerland. We do know two of his sons came to America, and that is what matters most in our family history!
The line of descent is:
Joseph Jacob Seiler-Anna
Daniel Seiler-Hanna Gerber
Catherine Sayler-Johannes Buchtel
Solomon Buchtel-Maria Margaretha Reber
Benjamin Buchtel-Barbara Burkholder
Nancy Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery
Della Kemery-William H. Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Joseph Jacob (or possibly Jacob Joseph) Seiler was born in 1687 in Wilstein, Germany, a small town
that currently does not seem to be on a map. His father's name was Joseph, and it's unsure which name our subject used. Typically, if his name was Joseph Jacob he would have gone by the name of Jacob and documentation seems to support this, but many online sites call him Joseph.
The interesting thing to me is that this was a Mennonite family, but we don't know how long the family had been followers of Menno Simons. For one thing, Joseph Jacob had at least six children, born in four different cities. This would not be typical of a German line, but indicates that he owned no land and that he either may have been ejected from each village, or forced to leave for economic reasons. Either scenario is typical of the Mennonites of the time, who were heavily fined and harassed by local authorities, due to pressure from above.
The other item that points to a Mennonite belief system is that Joseph had a book printed in 1571, written by Menno Simons, and Joseph had hand-written in it the names of his 7 children, where they were born, (Wilstig, Sembauch, Obermelingen, Ischbach), their birth date, and the astrological sign they were born under. Apparently at least at this time the astrological sign was an important factor in the Mennonite life.
I've seen speculation that this family may trace back to Emmental, Switzerland but no real evidence this is the case. If true, again it would tie in with what we've learned of the Swiss Mennonites who were forced out of Switzerland and into a life of poverty in Germany. It makes sense.
The only other thing I can tell you about Joseph Jacob is that he died January 19,1739/40 in Milsbach, Germany. It is uncertain whether more will ever to found about this family, because the Mennonites lived mostly "under the radar", except for the tax collector. But perhaps with persistence, and cash, more could be learned and we would know whether this family also traces back to Switzerland. We do know two of his sons came to America, and that is what matters most in our family history!
The line of descent is:
Joseph Jacob Seiler-Anna
Daniel Seiler-Hanna Gerber
Catherine Sayler-Johannes Buchtel
Solomon Buchtel-Maria Margaretha Reber
Benjamin Buchtel-Barbara Burkholder
Nancy Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery
Della Kemery-William H. Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, May 5, 2017
Harshbarger line: Jacob Maag 1703-1767 Immigrant
Every time I write a Harshbarger blog post now, I fear that I've found the last ancestor who is "findable", and it makes me feel like a failure even though I've set the rules for this post, and I could always change them. The rues are pretty loose. It needs to be a direct ancestor (for the most part) and it needs to be an immigrant or have another compelling story to tell. Of course, I could always break those rules, and I may have to, if I want to keep writing about people in the Harshbarger line.
However, I did find "just one more" ancestor who is an immigrant and from everything I can tell, is a Harshbarger. He follows much of the typical Harshbarger story, which is a good thing because I don't have very many details about him. Jacob Maag was born in Endhori, Zurich, Switaerland. He was born or baptized on May 22, 1703. His parents are given as Heinrich Maag and Klienvre Volkhart, or Jacob Maag and Barbara Surber. There are good reasons to accept either pair of parents but I have no opinion. It's enough to know he came from Endhori, which may have been a small town on the southern border with Germany, near Zurich.
Jacob was 42 when he came to America on the "Loyal Judith" in 1743, according to the ship manifest. There was also a Henry or Heinrich who was 15, and who is as yet not identified to my satisfaction. He could be a younger brother, or a son, or nephew. It is possible that Jacob went back to Switzerland a few years later and brought his family back, as it seems he didn't take the oath until 1746. Usually the oath was taken as soon as one stepped off the ship. Or the 1746 date could possibly be a typo.
Jacob married Anna Surber, as yet not further identified, in Bolach, Zurich Canton in March of 1721. I've found several conflicting records of their children but they had several, and they seem to have all come to America also. I found a will that Jacob witnessed on April 17,1748, for Maria Gertraut Seibel, in Philadelphia. I've not yet determined whether she was a family member or a friend. I've found a listing for him at the Red Lion Inn in 1758 in Philadelphia and one mile from Germantown in 1761, so it doesn't appear that he left the immediate area, although I've not yet found land records.
He and his wife "Barbara" were sponsors for two of the children of Isaac Wetstein (Whetstone) and Anna Maria's children, and also for other Maags. These records are in the First Reformed Church of Philadelphia. This church began as a German Reformed (Calvinist) church but the Maags would have been quite at home there and may well have been German speaking even though their home was in Switzerland.
I haven't found Jacob's will yet but I've found a reference to it, so I'm anxious to see it He died May 18, 1767, in Philadelphia. The fact that he stayed so near to, or in, the city makes it likely that he was a tradesman or merchant of some kind. I'd sure like to learn his occupation. The "city" dwelling aspect here is a little different than those of the family who have farmed, and that makes him interesting. I'd love to learn more of Jacob's story!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Maag-Anna Barbara Surber
Anna Maria Maag-Isaac Whetstone
Jacob Whetstone-Anna Maria Schaeffer
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
However, I did find "just one more" ancestor who is an immigrant and from everything I can tell, is a Harshbarger. He follows much of the typical Harshbarger story, which is a good thing because I don't have very many details about him. Jacob Maag was born in Endhori, Zurich, Switaerland. He was born or baptized on May 22, 1703. His parents are given as Heinrich Maag and Klienvre Volkhart, or Jacob Maag and Barbara Surber. There are good reasons to accept either pair of parents but I have no opinion. It's enough to know he came from Endhori, which may have been a small town on the southern border with Germany, near Zurich.
Jacob was 42 when he came to America on the "Loyal Judith" in 1743, according to the ship manifest. There was also a Henry or Heinrich who was 15, and who is as yet not identified to my satisfaction. He could be a younger brother, or a son, or nephew. It is possible that Jacob went back to Switzerland a few years later and brought his family back, as it seems he didn't take the oath until 1746. Usually the oath was taken as soon as one stepped off the ship. Or the 1746 date could possibly be a typo.
Jacob married Anna Surber, as yet not further identified, in Bolach, Zurich Canton in March of 1721. I've found several conflicting records of their children but they had several, and they seem to have all come to America also. I found a will that Jacob witnessed on April 17,1748, for Maria Gertraut Seibel, in Philadelphia. I've not yet determined whether she was a family member or a friend. I've found a listing for him at the Red Lion Inn in 1758 in Philadelphia and one mile from Germantown in 1761, so it doesn't appear that he left the immediate area, although I've not yet found land records.
He and his wife "Barbara" were sponsors for two of the children of Isaac Wetstein (Whetstone) and Anna Maria's children, and also for other Maags. These records are in the First Reformed Church of Philadelphia. This church began as a German Reformed (Calvinist) church but the Maags would have been quite at home there and may well have been German speaking even though their home was in Switzerland.
I haven't found Jacob's will yet but I've found a reference to it, so I'm anxious to see it He died May 18, 1767, in Philadelphia. The fact that he stayed so near to, or in, the city makes it likely that he was a tradesman or merchant of some kind. I'd sure like to learn his occupation. The "city" dwelling aspect here is a little different than those of the family who have farmed, and that makes him interesting. I'd love to learn more of Jacob's story!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Maag-Anna Barbara Surber
Anna Maria Maag-Isaac Whetstone
Jacob Whetstone-Anna Maria Schaeffer
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, April 21, 2017
Harshbarger line: Yost Gingrich, probably ours
I say probably because I'm not100% convinced that the Burkholder tree I've been working on is correct. And Yost (Josef, Joseph) comes from that tree. His daughter Maria or Mary married Adam Burkholder, and they had several children together. Here's the problem: Joseph Burkholder was born in 1783. His father, Adam, who married Maria or Mary was born in about 1728. I've seen all sorts of dates for Maria's but averaging them out, I'm guessing about 1745. Now, it wouldn't be impossible for a woman of that age to have a son of Joseph's age (giving birth at somewhere around age 40), but there's another problem. Joseph Burkholder doesn't seem to be mentioned in his supposed father's (1728-1800) will, unless I'm missing something.
There could be an explanation for the will omission, but since Joseph was only 17 at the time of Adam's death, I'm wondering if we are actually missing a generation here, and it was one or another of Adam's sons who was actually Joseph's father. Regardless, I'm going to post what little I've learned about Yost because I think that based on names and location, Yost is probably the great grandfather, if not the grandfather, of Joseph Burkholder. Obviously, more work needs to be done on this line.
Yost Gingrich is variously reported as having been born in "Europe", "Germany" or "Bern Canton, Switzerland." My guess is that if he wasn't from Switzerland, then his parents were, because there is every indication that this was a Mennonite family, and many if not most Mennonites can be traced back to Switzerland. The specific locality in one tree is given as "Konsfinger, Bern, Switzerland" and he would have been born sometime about 1720 or so. Apparently the actual record hasn't been located yet, or else his parents, Johannes and Anna Sherk Gingrich, were living under the radar of the state church, which is also possible.
Yost is the only child I'm aware of. He married Anna Huber, daughter of Jacob and Anna Leininger Huber, in about 1740 in Seftigen, Bern, Switzerland. Again, documents seem to be lacking or at least not yet known to me. We don't know for sure when Yost came to America because some trees show that his children were born in Germany (or Switzerland) and some show them as being born here. He and Anna did have at least 8 children, though, with birth dates generally given in the 1740s and 1750s.
When Yost came to America, he apparently settled in that part of Lancaster County that would later become Amwell Township, Lebanon County, Pa. He purchased land from and beside Michael Baughman, and by 1771 was taxed for 240 acres, a mill (probably a grist mill), four horses and four cows. In roughly 25 years, he had done rather well for himself and his family. He died on or shortly before March 5, 1776 and is probably buried on the family farm. Maria outlived him by many years and died in 1813 in probably Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
This isn't much to go on, especially since I'm not sure of the exact relationship between Joseph Burkholder and Yost Gingrich. However, it is another tie in to Bern Canton, Switzerland, another story of Mennonite trials and blessings, and another reason to honor the efforts of these ancestors to come to America to build a new life. I hope to update this post when I've figured out the correct relationship, so for now consider this a work in progress.
The line of descent would be
Yost Gingrich-Anna Huber
Maria Gingrich-Adam Burkholder
possibly another Burkholder generation
Joseph Burkholder-Elizabeth Miller
Barbara Burkholder-Benjamin Buchtel
Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery
Della Kemery-William A Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
There could be an explanation for the will omission, but since Joseph was only 17 at the time of Adam's death, I'm wondering if we are actually missing a generation here, and it was one or another of Adam's sons who was actually Joseph's father. Regardless, I'm going to post what little I've learned about Yost because I think that based on names and location, Yost is probably the great grandfather, if not the grandfather, of Joseph Burkholder. Obviously, more work needs to be done on this line.
Yost Gingrich is variously reported as having been born in "Europe", "Germany" or "Bern Canton, Switzerland." My guess is that if he wasn't from Switzerland, then his parents were, because there is every indication that this was a Mennonite family, and many if not most Mennonites can be traced back to Switzerland. The specific locality in one tree is given as "Konsfinger, Bern, Switzerland" and he would have been born sometime about 1720 or so. Apparently the actual record hasn't been located yet, or else his parents, Johannes and Anna Sherk Gingrich, were living under the radar of the state church, which is also possible.
Yost is the only child I'm aware of. He married Anna Huber, daughter of Jacob and Anna Leininger Huber, in about 1740 in Seftigen, Bern, Switzerland. Again, documents seem to be lacking or at least not yet known to me. We don't know for sure when Yost came to America because some trees show that his children were born in Germany (or Switzerland) and some show them as being born here. He and Anna did have at least 8 children, though, with birth dates generally given in the 1740s and 1750s.
When Yost came to America, he apparently settled in that part of Lancaster County that would later become Amwell Township, Lebanon County, Pa. He purchased land from and beside Michael Baughman, and by 1771 was taxed for 240 acres, a mill (probably a grist mill), four horses and four cows. In roughly 25 years, he had done rather well for himself and his family. He died on or shortly before March 5, 1776 and is probably buried on the family farm. Maria outlived him by many years and died in 1813 in probably Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
This isn't much to go on, especially since I'm not sure of the exact relationship between Joseph Burkholder and Yost Gingrich. However, it is another tie in to Bern Canton, Switzerland, another story of Mennonite trials and blessings, and another reason to honor the efforts of these ancestors to come to America to build a new life. I hope to update this post when I've figured out the correct relationship, so for now consider this a work in progress.
The line of descent would be
Yost Gingrich-Anna Huber
Maria Gingrich-Adam Burkholder
possibly another Burkholder generation
Joseph Burkholder-Elizabeth Miller
Barbara Burkholder-Benjamin Buchtel
Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery
Della Kemery-William A Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
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
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