Here are more of the brick walls in the Harshbarger line. If I could find out something about these people, and especially their parents, I could write more posts about them!
Matthew Farmer is still a mystery to me. He was born sometime in the 1735-1745 time frame possibly in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Two of his children married in Franklin County, Virginia in 1799 and 1803, and he was their surety so it seems that he lived there at that time. He is in Elizabeth County, Miami County, Ohio by 1820, and there he stayed until he died in 1835. If his birth date is truly correct, then he was quite old, at least 90, when he died. A check of Chesterfield County shows that it wasn't formed until 1749, so we should probably be looking in Henrico County for Farmers. I have seen several Farmers who arrived in Virginia in earlier times, mostly as indentured servants, so it is possible that the Farmers had already been in Virginia for several generations when Matthew was born. I don't know the name of Matthew's wife, (Molly Glass was married to a different Matthew Farmer) and I sure would like to find out more about both of them!
I don't know whether I consider Mary Gearhart a true brick wall, but I have a thick file folder for her and still no smoking gun to point to her parents. Mary was born in about 1812, and married Joseph Withers in 1832 in Carlisle, Pa. They are in Iowa in the 1850 census. She may have died sometime between 1850 and 1860, or she may have become a widow and remarried. I haven't located her after that date, and I can't say for sure who her parents might have been. Peter Gerhart married Polly Wallace in 1805 at the First Presbyterian church in Carlisle but I haven't yet found proof that these people are Mary's parents. I haven't ruled them out yet, either.
Anna Marie Geise or Geiss married Daniel Kramer. She was born , married in about 1765, and died in 1813, and that's about all that is known of her. My tree says she was born in 1755, with no proof. Daniel's children were born starting in about 1766 so either she was born several years earlier, or she was a second wife and not the mother of all of Daniel's children. She died in Centre County, Pa. I would sure love to know more about her. Who were her parents, and when did she come to America, or was she actually born here?
Today's last mystery is Magdalena Kunkle. She was born about 1725, and she married Johann Caspar Schneer in 1759. They had only two children, so perhaps she died shortly after giving birth to her second child, Julia Margaret, born in 1761 when she would have been about 36 years old. I've found only one possible reference, a Maria Magdalena Kunckel who was born in Brocken, Ascheffanburg, Bayern, Germany July 1,1726, but if this is the right person I cannot place her in Pennsylvania, let alone in the proximity of Caspar Schneer. Like Anna Marie Geise, I feel confident that there wouldn't be more than one or possibly two generations, to get her back to parents in Germany, and I would like to do that for both of them.
I still have a few more Harshbarger brick walls to sum up what I know, and don't know, about the people in this line. If you have something to add about any of these people, please contact me. My email is happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom.
Showing posts with label Mary Gearhart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Gearhart. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Friday, April 25, 2014
Harshbarger and Beeks lines: Actively pursuing (AKA brick walls)
OK, I'll admit it. These two lines have fairly robust family trees. A lot is known about some ancestors in these lines, and a little is known about a lot more. A genealogist working 30 years ago would have been thrilled to have such a full family tree. But it's not 30 years ago, and I'm not a genealogist. I'm just trying to find the story of my husband's ancestors, so I can pass it on to our children and grandchildren. And these folks I've been actively pursuing frustrate me!
Here are the "Disturbing Dozen" of missing ancestors in the Harshbarger and Beeks lines. These are all third or fourth great grandparents to my husband, which in genealogy terms is not so very long ago. The first six are in the Harshbarger lines and the last six are in the Beeks line. I am posting them here in the hopes that someone will stumble across one of these names and be able to offer some help, to tell me where I'm wrong or give me ideas about where to look for records.
Henry Cook: born Berks County, Pennsylvania January 30, 1794. Died Whitley County, Indiana, 1861. He also lived in Stark County, Ohio for possibly about 25 years. He had 9 children living at the time of his death, and two young sons named John had died earlier in the early 1820s. His birth name was possibly Koch. His wife was Catherine Whetstone, see next.
Catherine Whetstone was born December 27, 1799 in Berks County, Pa and she died August 19, 1887 in Whitley County, Indiana. That is what is known about her, except for the details in the above paragraph. Her name may have originally been Wetstein, or another variant because this name is spelled in all sorts of interesting ways.
Joseph Withers was born about 1804 in Pennsylvania. His trade was a shoemaker. He is found in Morris Township, Knox County, Ohio in 1840 and in 1850 in Marion County, Iowa. Then he disappears, as far as I have learned. Some of his family ended up in Whitley County, Indiana, with oldest son John being there as early as 1857. He was married to Mary Gearhart in 1832 in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pa. He and Mary were the parents of at least 8 children.
Mary Gearhart was born about 1812 in Pennsylvania. I know nothing more about her at this point, other than the information shown above. Her name was probably Gerhard, a generation or two before Gearhart.
Barbara N Long was born in 1826, possibly in Clermont or Brown County, Ohio. I am not sure about that information because it doesn't really make sense as to how she married in 1844 to Benjamin Buchtel in Summit County, Ohio. She moved with Benjamin to Whitley County, Indiana, and after his death married her son-in-law's father, Daniel Kemery. I have not found her death record, so I don't know whether she died in Whitley County or perhaps went to live with one of her children after Daniel's death in 1877 (if she was still living then).
Ann Catherine Wilson was born about 1768 in Virginia, and married Caleb Bennett November 8, 1785 in what is now Wetzel County, West Virginia. She and Caleb had at least 6 children. Caleb died in Scioto County, Ohio on September 23, 1851, but I don't know when Ann died.
On to the Beeks line:
Polly Carter was born about 1805 in Virginia and died March 12, 1880 in Largo, Wabash County, Indiana. She married John Beeks in 1830 in Greene County, Ohio. It appears that they had at least three children, although I don't know of genealogical proof for Casey Beeks. Polly may have been a nickname for Mary.
Jackson Wise is one I am truly actively pursuing at the moment. I think I know who his parents are but I haven't yet seen the records. I've written about him recently, so will not repeat it here, except to say he was born December 27, 1817 in Ohio and died in 1893 in Wabash County, Indiana.
"Possibly Eva" is the wife of Philip Serfass, and that is as much as I know about her right now. Philip was born in 1782 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. They probably had a large family, if they lived, but I only know of Mary. At one point, the Serfass family were of the Moravian faith, but I don't know whether that applies to this generation or not. I would expect to find that she was of German heritage, if I could find a record of her.
Jeremiah Folsom I have also already written of. He was married to Sally Lock in 1815, and was born about 1795 and died before 1835 probably in Dearborn County, Ohio. His children's guardian was Austin Clark.
Jason Wheeler was born October 4, 1765, possibly in New York, and died about 1843, probably in Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana. He was in Herkimer County, New York, in 1800 and Chenango County, New York in 1810, before moving to Clermont County, Ohio with much of his family. He was married to Patience.
Patience, possibly Tracy was born about 1768. The 1850 census can be read either Virginia or Vermont as her birth place. I lean toward Vermont but am keeping my mind open on that subject. She died after 1850 in Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana. Other then her marriage to Jason Wheeler and the fact that they had 12 children, that's what I know about Patience.
So you can see that even though these trees are robust, they are certainly not "completed". I need to know more about each of the 12 persons noted above, especially who their parents are. As usual, I'd be delighted to hear from anyone who has any knowledge of any of these people, even if it's just to say "That's all I know, too."
Updated 10/21/2015 correcting birth date for Catherine Whetstone. I am also wondering if perhaps her first name might have been something like Maria or Anna or ?
Here are the "Disturbing Dozen" of missing ancestors in the Harshbarger and Beeks lines. These are all third or fourth great grandparents to my husband, which in genealogy terms is not so very long ago. The first six are in the Harshbarger lines and the last six are in the Beeks line. I am posting them here in the hopes that someone will stumble across one of these names and be able to offer some help, to tell me where I'm wrong or give me ideas about where to look for records.
Henry Cook: born Berks County, Pennsylvania January 30, 1794. Died Whitley County, Indiana, 1861. He also lived in Stark County, Ohio for possibly about 25 years. He had 9 children living at the time of his death, and two young sons named John had died earlier in the early 1820s. His birth name was possibly Koch. His wife was Catherine Whetstone, see next.
Catherine Whetstone was born December 27, 1799 in Berks County, Pa and she died August 19, 1887 in Whitley County, Indiana. That is what is known about her, except for the details in the above paragraph. Her name may have originally been Wetstein, or another variant because this name is spelled in all sorts of interesting ways.
Joseph Withers was born about 1804 in Pennsylvania. His trade was a shoemaker. He is found in Morris Township, Knox County, Ohio in 1840 and in 1850 in Marion County, Iowa. Then he disappears, as far as I have learned. Some of his family ended up in Whitley County, Indiana, with oldest son John being there as early as 1857. He was married to Mary Gearhart in 1832 in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pa. He and Mary were the parents of at least 8 children.
Mary Gearhart was born about 1812 in Pennsylvania. I know nothing more about her at this point, other than the information shown above. Her name was probably Gerhard, a generation or two before Gearhart.
Barbara N Long was born in 1826, possibly in Clermont or Brown County, Ohio. I am not sure about that information because it doesn't really make sense as to how she married in 1844 to Benjamin Buchtel in Summit County, Ohio. She moved with Benjamin to Whitley County, Indiana, and after his death married her son-in-law's father, Daniel Kemery. I have not found her death record, so I don't know whether she died in Whitley County or perhaps went to live with one of her children after Daniel's death in 1877 (if she was still living then).
Ann Catherine Wilson was born about 1768 in Virginia, and married Caleb Bennett November 8, 1785 in what is now Wetzel County, West Virginia. She and Caleb had at least 6 children. Caleb died in Scioto County, Ohio on September 23, 1851, but I don't know when Ann died.
On to the Beeks line:
Polly Carter was born about 1805 in Virginia and died March 12, 1880 in Largo, Wabash County, Indiana. She married John Beeks in 1830 in Greene County, Ohio. It appears that they had at least three children, although I don't know of genealogical proof for Casey Beeks. Polly may have been a nickname for Mary.
Jackson Wise is one I am truly actively pursuing at the moment. I think I know who his parents are but I haven't yet seen the records. I've written about him recently, so will not repeat it here, except to say he was born December 27, 1817 in Ohio and died in 1893 in Wabash County, Indiana.
"Possibly Eva" is the wife of Philip Serfass, and that is as much as I know about her right now. Philip was born in 1782 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. They probably had a large family, if they lived, but I only know of Mary. At one point, the Serfass family were of the Moravian faith, but I don't know whether that applies to this generation or not. I would expect to find that she was of German heritage, if I could find a record of her.
Jeremiah Folsom I have also already written of. He was married to Sally Lock in 1815, and was born about 1795 and died before 1835 probably in Dearborn County, Ohio. His children's guardian was Austin Clark.
Jason Wheeler was born October 4, 1765, possibly in New York, and died about 1843, probably in Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana. He was in Herkimer County, New York, in 1800 and Chenango County, New York in 1810, before moving to Clermont County, Ohio with much of his family. He was married to Patience.
Patience, possibly Tracy was born about 1768. The 1850 census can be read either Virginia or Vermont as her birth place. I lean toward Vermont but am keeping my mind open on that subject. She died after 1850 in Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana. Other then her marriage to Jason Wheeler and the fact that they had 12 children, that's what I know about Patience.
So you can see that even though these trees are robust, they are certainly not "completed". I need to know more about each of the 12 persons noted above, especially who their parents are. As usual, I'd be delighted to hear from anyone who has any knowledge of any of these people, even if it's just to say "That's all I know, too."
Updated 10/21/2015 correcting birth date for Catherine Whetstone. I am also wondering if perhaps her first name might have been something like Maria or Anna or ?
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