The family of Benjamin Buchtel 1806-1872

Benjamin Buchtel is the son of Solomon and Maria Margaretha Reber Buchtel, born in 1806 near Rebersburg, Centre County, Ohio.  He died in 1872 in Whitley County, Ohio.  Although it's possible that he had an earlier wife, no record of an early marriage has been found.  He was 38 years old when he married Barbara Burkholder Long, a young widow who had also lost her only child by that marriage.  Barbara is the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller Burkholder.  

We don't know what their early marriage was like, but by about 1870 it was miserable, at least for Barbara.  She divorced him on grounds of cruelty and non-support, and had several witnesses willing to describe the physical abuse she had undergone.  Benjamin was a heavy drinker and probably an alcoholic by this time, but we don't know how long this had been true.  Benjamin and Barbara had several children together, and apparently also raised Joseph, who was not Benjamin's child but was Barbara's.  So let's start with Joseph.

Joseph was born in 1844, but we don't know if it was before or after Benjamin and Barbara married.  His father was John Hively, and although he is listed as a "Booken" in the 1850 census in Portage County, Ohio, he seems to have always known who his father was.  His obituary doesn't mention his father's name but does mention his surviving half siblings.  Joseph married Sophia Tannehill, the daughter of William and Mary Smalley Tannehill.  Their children are Mary, Ann, Charles, and Sarah.  Joseph died in 1913 in Whitley County, Indiana, and his obituary indicates he had come to the county as a boy of 14.

Elizabeth, known as Betsey, was born in 1846, based on the census.  It could have been a year earlier, or later.    I have not located her after the 1870 census so I'm not sure what happened.  Did she marry, or leave the area, or was she deceased?  Perhaps someone reading this will know, and will be willing to share their information with us. (It is possible that she married an Oscar Palmer, but if so, it is not the Oscar Palmer of Whitley County who was married to Sarah.)

Fannie was born in 1850.  She married Adam Kemery, the son of Daniel and Susanna Essig Kemery.  They had at least six children together, although the first child wasn't born until nearly 5 years after their marriage and there are gaps between children, so it's possible that there were more who did not survive.  Their known children are Pheba, Harvey, Benjamin, Della, Cora, and Earl.  Fannie (sometimes seen as Nancy) died in 1925 in Whitley County, Indiana.

Susannah was born in 1851 and died in 1938 in Branch County, Michigan.  She married William Vampner (Wampner and various other spellings), the son of Henry and Wilhelmina Budde Wampner.  Thier children are Joseph, Ida, Ada, Erly, Elizabeth, John, Woodie, Goldie, Oscar, and Arthur.  

Margaret was born in 1853 and died in 1928 in Whitley County, Indiana.  She married Alexander Kemery, also (see above) the son of Daniel and Susanna Essig Kemery.  Their children are Barbara, Elizabeth, Anna, Lora, Nellie, John, Bertha, and Vica.  

Solomon was born in 1856 and died in 1928 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married "Emma", who was possibly Sarah Emeline, Knapp, the daughter of Oscar Knapp.  I've not yet identified her mother.  Their known children are Jessie, Benjamin, Samantha, Eldora, Edward, and Zula.  

Thomas was born in 1860 but I've found no further record of him.  The Buchtel name is frequently mangled in records so it's possible that I've just not found the spelling used in later records, but it's also possible that he died before the 1870 census.

The last born child, Eva or Evie, was born in 1864.  She was blind and may or may not have had other physical handicaps.  I've not found record of her after 1880.

As mentioned, Benjamin died in 1872 but Barbara's story is not quite finished.  She married Daniel Kemery-yes, the same Daniel Kemery who was the father of Adam and Alexander Kemery, two of her sons-in law.  So she now became the stepmother of her sons in law, and grandmother and step grandmother to their children.  I've not found a definite death date for Barbara but it was sometime between 1877 and 1879, when land was being transferred and she is listed as being deceased.  

Just for fun, I looked at the 1950 census for Whitley County, where these offspring of Benjamin and Barbara lived.  I found no Buchtels, but I did find a lot of Kemery names.  It appears that in 2025, there are still Kemery families living in Whitley County. 

 

The family of Solomon Buchtel 1776-1838

 Solomon Buchtel's family is easier to write about than some, thanks to research most generously posted online under the Waite-Humphreys family tree.  I've been able to add a little information to what was provided there but the skeleton is provided by that site. There are still some unknowns in what we both have found, but not as many as in some of the other families I've tried to outline.  

Solomon Buchtel was born in Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in 1776, the son of John or Johannes and Catherine Scheler Buchtel.  He married Maria Margaretha Reber, the daughter of Johann Conrad and Mary Pontius Reber, and died in March of 1838 in Millheim, Summit County, Ohio.  It appears that he was in Ohio as early as 1811, but I've not found record of him having served in the War of 1812 there.  Most likely, if he stayed when the war broke out, he did serve at least in the local militia, as the only men who were excused were those over 60 and those physically unable to live the soldier's life. Solomon and Maria Margaretha had eight known children.  The first seven were boys, so I'm a little surprised that the last, Hannah, wasn't named Hallelujah or some similar name.  Surely her birth was a cause for rejoicing!

Benjamin was born in 1806 and died in 1872 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married Barbara Burkholder Long, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller Burkholder, a young widow.  It is possible that he had been married earlier because this marriage was in 1844 and he would have been 38 at the time, which is old for a first marriage.  However, no records have yet been located to even hint at such a thing.  Benjamin and Barbara's children are Joseph, Elizabeth, Nancy, Fannie, Susannah, Margaret, Solomon, Thomas, and Eva.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Joseph was born in 1807 and died in 1882 in St. Joseph County, Indiana, where many of his siblings settled.  He was married twice, first to Nancy Noll (also seen as Null), the daughter of George and Nancy Hall Noll.  Their children are Abigail, Sarah, Nancy, Mary Ann, Catherine, and Henry (and let there be rejoicing for the boy!).  His second marriage was to Mary Chaney, who was not yet sixteen, while he was 51.  They had one son together, Jacob.  I have not yet found parents for Mary, but I'm looking at a few men named Jacob Chaney, thinking there may be a Jacob in her family because that is not a Buchtel name.  So far, I've not found a smoking gun, not even a likely suspect.  

Solomon was born in 1810 and died in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska in 1888.  He also was married twice, first to Hannah Myers, whose parents are not known to me at this time.  They have at least three children, Mary, David, and Julian. His second wife is Catherine Lantzer, and their children are Mary, Hiram, William, Joseph, George, Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Solomon, and Catherine.  Catherine's parents are Abraham and Susannah Miller Lantzer.  

William was born in 1811 and died in 1878 in St. Joseph County, Indiana.  He married Catherine Gailey or Guiley, the daughter of Daniel and Mary Emerick Guiley.  Their children are Daniel, Sarah, Harriet, Elias, and Mary.  

Thomas was born "about" 1815 and may have been the first of the children to have been born in Ohio.  He seems to have been in St Joseph, County, Indiana for a few years but if the records are not confused, returned to Stark County, Ohio, and died in 1904.  (Some trees, without documentation, say he died in St Joseph County about 1880, but the researcher may not have been aware of his return to Ohio.) His wife is Sally George, but all that I have been able to locate about her parents is that her mother may have been Mary.  Their children are Jonathan, William, Mary, Elizabeth, Sorinta, Katherine, Olive, and Caroline.  

Henry, known as Harry, was born about 1819 and died about 1844.  He married Agnes Myers, who was his cousin, the daughter of Jacob and Catherine Buchtel Meyers or Moyer. Catherine was a daughter of Peter Buchtel who died in the War of 1812.  Their children are Sevilla and Henry.  

Jonathan was born in 1822 and died in 1870 in Des Moines, Iowa.  He married Eliza Jane Newcomer, possibly the daughter of William Newcomer.  Their children are William, Henry, and John.  Jonathan was an MD, as were William and John.  Henry was a DD, so my assumption is that Jonathan had a successful practice and was able to help provide educations for each of his sons.

And last, there is Hannah, born in 1824 and died in 1890 in St. Joseph County, Indiana.  She married Rev. Samuel Gettig, the son of Henry and an unknown Swineheart or Swinehart Gettig.  Their children are Malinda, George, Mary Ellen, and Mellisa.  Samuel was a Civil War veteran, and I would not be at all surprised to learn that others named here also served in the Civil War. Jonathan and William Buchtel both enlisted from South Bend, Indiana, and I think they may very well be the two of the same name mentioned here, but I've not located information to confirm that. 

This Buchtel generation, 8 of them, saw great changes in their mostly long lives.  The one son who seems to have had a difficult time dealing with life was Benjamin, and we are not sure we know his whole story.  I'm told that the Buchtel name still is honored in Stark County, Ohio, where several buildings bear that name.  

 

 

Harshbarger line: The family of Johannes/John Buchtel 1732-1809

John Buchtel is the immigrant ancestor in a line of three male Buchtels who tie into the Harshbarger family downstream.  He was born in 1732 in Linsenhofen, Esslingen, Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany, a son of Johannes and Lucia Ehhalt Buchtel. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1753, and married Catherine Scheler, sometimes seen as Seyler, whose parents are not currently known, in 1760, possibly after completing an indentureship.  He died in 1809 near Rebersburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania, and Catherine died in 1813.   John and Catherine had at least ten children together, and about 72 grandchildren.  (Please note that almost all the surnames in this post are of German origin and have multiple spellings.  Good luck with that!)

John (he seems to have gone by John, rather than Johannes) was born in 1762 and died in 1818 in Bethlehem, Stark County, Ohio.  He married Catherine Snyder, the daughter of Peter and Maria Catherine Stentz Schneider.  Their children are Henry, John, Hannah, Catherine, Julia and Herman.  

Elizabeth was born in 1764 and died in 1801 in Freesburg, Snyder County, Pennsylvania.  She married George Meyer or Mayer, the son of Jacob and Susanna Ream Meyer.  Their children are Barbara, Lizzie, Julia, Susan, Mary, and George.  There may also be a child, Margaret, whose birthdate is given as four months after her mother's death date.  However, it's possible that this is a baptism date for Margaret; I have not seen the documentation on this.

Agnes was born next, in 1766.  She died in 1862 in Lake Township, Stark County, Ohio, the wife of Michael Myers, who was another son of Jacob and Susanna Ream Meyer.  Siblings of one family married siblings of another family more than once in this family.  Their children are Henry, Sophia, Michael, Elizabeth, Jacob, Barbara, Christopher, Joshua, John, Mary, Philip, Susan, and George.   

They named their first son, born in 1770, Martin.  He married Eva Walter, the daughter of Jacob and Catherine Scott Walter.  Their children are Sarah, Catherine, Elizabeth, John, Susan, Fannie Ann, and Michael.  Martin died in 1853 in Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio.  

Peter was born in 1771 and died in 1812 in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio.  He was killed at some point during the War of 1812, and his body was never recovered.  He married Anna Margaret Cramer, the daughter of Daniel and Anna Maria Geis Cramer. (The Cramers are also ancestors in another Harshbarger-related line, and we will see their names again in this post.)  Their children are Solomon, John, Mary Catherine, Margaret, Peter, Michael, Elizabeth, Susannah, Rosanah, Sarah, and Maria, so his widow certainly had her hands full.  Fortunately, there was family nearby.

Catherine was born in 1772 and died in 1852 in Hamilton, Ohio. She married Simon Bickel (also seen as Pickle), the son of Tobias and Catherine Moser Bickel.  Their children are Thomas, Simon, John, Rosina, Andrew, and John.  

Solomon was born (baptized?) in 1776 and died in 1838 in Millheim, Summit County, Ohio.  He married Mary Margaret Reber, the daughter of Conrad and Maria Margrete Pontius Reber.  Their children are Benjamin, Joseph, Solomon, William, Thomas, Henry, Jonathan and finally!-a girl, Hannah.  I will write more of this family in my next blog post.

Margaret was also born in 1776, and died in 1863 in Madison, Franklin County, Ohio.  She married Ludwig Kramer, the son of Adam and Christine Dubbs Kramer.  (I haven't found a connection between Adam Kramer and Daniel Cramer, but there may be one.)  Their children are Jacob, George, Philip, Sarah, Adam, Margaret, Christina, and Lewis. Please note that I've not located documents for Margaret's birth, and not all trees are listing her.  It is possible that she belongs to another Buchtel family, but I didn't locate a "likely suspect" so am including her here.  

Maria was born in 1777 and died in 1810 in Miles, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  She married Abraham Cramer, the son of Daniel and Anna Maria Geis Cramer, and was the second of this nuclear family to marry into the Cramer family.  Their children are Solomon, Elizabeth, Philip, Daniel, and John.  

Lutzann, known as Lucy, was the last known child of this couple.  She married Nicholas Bierly, the son of Johann Anthony and Anna Maria Warner Bierly, and died in 1851 at Rebersburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  Their children are Nicholas, Hannah, Michael, John, David, Anthony, Reuben, Peter, Simon, and George.  

As we can see, most of the Buchtel children moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio.  Two of the women died before the families moved, and one, Lutzann, stayed on or near the family homestead.  The family knew the grief of losing a member in the War of 1812, and it is possible, even probably, that more of the men served in that war also.  This was a generation approaching greatness.

The family of Thomas Moon 1756-1828

 Thomas Moon is the subject of this last post about the Moon family.  He was born in 1756 in Arden, Berkeley County, Virginia (later West Virginia), a very short distance south from Pennsylvania and Maryland, and a very short distance north from Virginia.  He is the son of Jacob and Jane Rees Moon, and he certainly saw a lot of history in his day.  Most of his siblings stayed in the general area of the homestead, but Thomas had a bit of adventure in him.  He died in 1824 in Green Township, Fayette County, Ohio, which is about 400 miles from "home".  Two of his sons were also there in the 1820 census.  

Thomas married Jean Gray, the daughter of John and Jean Wardrop Gray and they had at least 9 children together, all apparently born in Berkeley County, Virginia/West Virginia.  As usual, I've found that some of the children are researched more thoroughly than others, and the "others" have pretty gaping holes in their stories.  

James was the first born, in 1779, which presents a bit of a problem because Thomas and Jean were not married until 1780.  I am accepting the information as given, with a bit of hesitancy on the date of James's birth.  There is of course a possibility that one or the other of his parents had a previous relationship or marriage, but no evidence to support that, that I know of.  James married Elizabeth Pine the daughter of James and Martha Gatliff Pine.  I have located just two children for them, George and James.  James died in 1841 in Highland County, Ohio.

Jacob was next, born in 1781.   He married Leah Rees, the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees (we will see this couple mentioned more than once in this blog post.  Three Moon children married three Rees children.)  Their children include Albert, Jane, Thomas, Reese, and Margaret.  Jacob died in 1852 in Livingston, Madison County, Illinois, so he was also a bit of a traveling man.  

John is one of those who are giving me a research headache.  I have a birth year of 1784 for him, and a death date of 1871, with no location found.  There is a John Moon who was a prisoner of war in the War of 1812, but I've not been able to determine whether or not this is our John Moon.  Any help would be most gratefully appreciated.  

Christian or Christy Ann is giving me another headache.  Which is her name?  She seems to have been born about 1785, and there is a will in Fayette County for someone by that name in 1843. It is Christian Moon in the will, which gives her residence as Green Township, Fayette County, Ohio, and Christiana Moon in the appraisal of her estate.  The only fly in the ointment here is that trees that list her at all show her as having married a Mr. Jones.  If she married him, there must have been a divorce, for her to be using her maiden name.  The marriage information, such as it is, may be totally incorrect, or may apply to another Christian Moon.  

We are on slightly firmer ground with Martha, born in 1786.  She married Daniel Rees, the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees (second marriage of Moon sibling to Rees sibling).  Their children are Margaret and Christiann.  Daniel seems to have died in 1817 and in 1822, Martha Moon is recorded as being married to John Draper, the son of David Draper.  Was it a simple mistake that she was referred to as Martha Moon and not Martha Rees? Perhaps.  If this is the correct Martha, her children with John are Wesley, Martha, and John.  After John's death, Martha went west to Tipton County, Indiana, where Rees and Moon family members lived, and died in 1869 near Kempton.  

David was born in 1788 and died in 1871 in Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio.  He married Mary Ellen Ellis, , known as Polly. the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Rees Ellis.  (Margaret was the daughter of Morris and Sarah Rees, and a cousin to other Rees family members mentioned in this post.) Their children are Eliza, Margaret, Thomas, Jane, James, and Mary.  

William was born about 1790 and died in 1854 in Fayette County, Ohio.  He seems to have had three wives. The first is Margaret Chew, the daughter of Colbey and Rebecca Rees Chew.  (I have not traced Rebecca Rees with any degree of certainty, but it is my very strong hunch that she is going to tie into some of these other Rees families at some point).  They had at least one child together, Herbert.  He next married Nancy Dunn, the daughter of Robert and Ann Strawbridge Dunn.  Their children are Sarah, Jane, Mary Ann, Matilda, and Lavinia.  His third marriage was to Delilah Taylor, the daughter of Zachariah and Mary Taylor Taylor (not a typo).  Their children are WIlliam, Victoria, and James.  

Margaret Ellen was born in 1794 and died in 1876 in Kempton, Tipton County, Indiana. She married Owen Traveler Rees, the son of Solomon and Ann McNeil or Neal Rees. Solomon was the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees, so we are now down a generation.  Their children are Christina, Thomas, Ann, Isabella, Andrew, Eliza Matilda, Margaret, and Albert.  I have written of this family earlier.  

Finally, Thomas was born in 1796, and died in 1871 in Fayette County, Ohio.  He married Frances Irion,. the daughter of Robert and Nancy Ballentine Irion.  Their children are Nancy, Eliza, Mary, Francis, Albert, Margaret, Christina, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Thomas.  There is a possibility there was another son, James.

William is sometimes listed as another son, but his birth year is 1805 and his purported mother would have been nearly 50 at the time. In addition, there was already a William, alive and well, in this family.  I am not including him as a son of Thomas and Jean, but he may well be a nephew.  

As noted, most of these children died in or around Fayette County, Ohio, with two in Tipton County, Indiana and one in Madison County, Illinois.  The Moon family had roots in Ohio, then Virginia, and finally Pennsylvania, but by the 1860s and beyond, the Moons were on the move, but this is as far as my study will take them.   As always, corrections and additions are welcome!