M Andrae gives a birth date of 1859 for Caroline Roth.
This person is dead.
It is probable that August Reuter (husband of Elizabeth Fey b. 1834) and Johanna Reuter (wife of Adam Fey b. 1827) are brother and sister.
from "The Fey Story" by Dianne Z. Stevens - 2013
Elizabeth Fey (1835 Prussia - USA) married August Gastine Reuter and they had eight children in Wisconsin. August died in Dane County, Wisconsin in 1890. The 1880 census shows August working as a day laborer, their son Augustas working as a harness maker, and their daughters Emma and Rosette working as seamstresses. Just think how many seamstresses it must have taken to keep the world clothed before the advent of sewing machines!
This person is dead.
This person is dead.
This may be a son from a previous marriage.
This person is dead.
Ebenezer Mudge (b.1683 Northampton, NY;d.1758-Sharon, CT) is our next ancestor in the Mudge line. He was the sixth of nine children of Micah and Mary. He was born in Northampton after all the disaster of King Philip's War had settled down. When he was about fourteen years old Ebenezer moved with his family to Lebanon, Connecticut Here he and his brother Moses, grew and learned many skills working alongside their father, Micah. Eleven years later he met and married a girl from nearby Colchester. Her name was Abigail Skinner (b.1691 Malden, MA; d. 1675 Sharon, CT). (Some say Abigail was born in Connecticut and moved to Malden about age 10.)
Micah gave Ebenezer and Abigail some land in Lebanon, about sixty-nine acres, just a humble little wedding gift, where they made a home and started their family. The first two of twelve children were born there. Then they moved along with Micah and Ebenezer's brother and two sisters to Hebron. The brother, Moses, had a wife and at least one child. I believe the sisters were single Still that would have been nine adults and four children, and more children coming all the time living and working together. And work they did! They acquired many parcels of land and surveyed and farmed and built a mill. Ebenezer bought and sold land in Hebron up until 1737 when he sold all his property and moved to Sharon, Connecticut.
Ebenezer became one of the first proprietors of the town on Sharon, CT, in the northwest part of the state. This article from the website www.sharonhist.org tells a little of Ebenezer's time in Sharon:
At the first Town meeting on December 11, 1739, (Ebenezer) was chosen as one of four Surveyors of Highways. In 1743, Ebenezer built a home on the west bank of the pond that would eventually bear his name.... He lived there with his family of six sons (and six daughters) and died on April 21, 1758.
The pond that became known as Mudge Pond is actually a lake, one and a half miles long on the New York-Connecticut boundary and the road running by it is still called Mudgetown Road. The area is rumored to be haunted by Ebenezer's ghost!! The article continues:
reliable sources say that he is still seen and heard on the west shore of Mudge pond on the grounds of the old Hart farmhouse which stands now on the site of the old Mudge home. What can Ebenezer Mudge be up to?
The following is from Memorials - Being a Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Account of the Name of Mudge in America, from 1638 to 1868" by Alfred Mudge, Boston, 1868
He and his sons built and owned the first sawmill, grist mill and iron works. (in Sharon) He had a large family and it was said 'he had a family party, on which occasion they boiled a huge pudding by the side of Mudge Pond, and upwards of 80 children and grandchildren did eat thereof.' At his death, his widow,
six sons and six daughters signed an agreement to settle the estate without administration.
Each signed their names, indicating all had been educated.Many highly respected people of that time and place were unable to read or write and signed their names with an 'X,' so the fact that all twelve of Ebenezer's children could write their names shows that he truly valued education.
Here is a list of Ebenezer and Abigail's twelve children:
Ebenezer /b. 23 Oct 1709/m. Patience Fuller
Mary /b. 20 Mar 1711/m. Cornelius Hamlin
Abigail /b. 28 Oct 1712/m. David Skinner
Elizabeth /b. 31 Jul 1714/m. Thomas Skinner
Samuel/b. 4 May 1716/m. Eunice Skinner
Micah /b. 6 Mar 1718/m. Lucy Spencer
Martha/ b. 4 Oct 1720/m. David Goodrich
Joseph/ b. 28 May 1722/m. Jane Jarvis
Jarvis/ b. 1723/m. Prudence Treat
Deborah/b. 1726/m. Oliver Tryon
Abraham/b. 16 Jun 1728/m. Anna Gray
Sarah/m. Josiah Skinner
Four of Ebenezer's children married the neighboring children of Nathaniel and Mary (Gillett) Skinner. Nathaniel Skinner was the brother of Abigail Skinner, Ebenezer's wife. So these four Mudge children, Abigail, Elizabeth, Samuel, and Sarah, married first cousins. I guess they didn't know, back then, that it wasn't a good idea to marry your cousins.
There is a lovely description of Sharon, Connecticut and pictures of the ruins of Ebenezer's mill and iron furnace in the online article https://funwithfamilyhistory.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/0747-chapter7-book-of-leonard-gurley.pdf.
"Never was there a picture set in a more beautiful frame than that which mother nature gave to the town of Sharon, Conn. Mirrored lakes, green fields, wooded knowles, shady groves, winding lanes and happy homes combined in a symmetry of beauty with no part of it out of harmony. Such was the impression gained by this writer. Passing shady glens and babbling brooks, one suddenly arrives at the village of Sharon that sits enveloped in the green mantle of oak, elm and maple. Even the hills and mountains that surround it seem to blend into the oneness of this Garden Beautiful.
"On the northern extremity of the town is Sharon's Twin Falls. It is no wonder that the Mudges took an interest in the place. There was water power to be had and harnessed at so many places and of course the building of mills became one of the settlements earliest endeavors, thanks to Ebenezer and his sons."
Ebenzer died on April 21, 1758 at the age of 75. His wife, Abigail, lived until March of 1765 when she died at the age of 74.
From: GENERAL HISTORY
OF
THE TOWN OF SHARON,
LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONN. FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT BY CHARLES F. SEDGWICK, A. M. AMENIA, N. Y. CHARLES WALSH, PRINTER AND PUBLISHER. 1877
CHAPTER II
AN ACCOUNT OF THE MEASURES PROPOSED AND EXECUTED FOR THE SALE AND SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP.http://www.rootsweb.com/~ctlitch2/towns/sharon/sharon-ch2.htm
AT the session of the Assembly in May, 1738, it was ordered that the township should be sold at public auction at New Haven on the second Wednesday of the following October. Samuel Eels, Esq., Joseph Whiting, and Capt. Isaac Dickerman were appointed a committee for that purpose. It was divided into ñfty-three rights, or shares, as they were called. one of which was given to the first minister, one was reserved for the use of the ministry in the town, and one for the support of schools, and the debts accruing from the sale were secured by the bonds of the purchasers, and when collected the avails were divided among the other towns in the colony for the support of schools therein. The following is, a list of the original purchasers of the town :—
Nathaniel Skinner, Thomas Skinner, Nathaniel Skinner, Jr., Samuel Calkin, 2 rights, Samuel Gillet, Joshua Lyon, Joseph Skinner, John Pardee, Niles Coleman, Matthew Judd, Jabez Crippen, William Goodrich, 2 rights, Jonathan Petit, Zephaniah Swift, Joseph Parke, Joseph Holley, Caleb Chappel, Josiah Gillet, Jr. Samuel Beach, Joseph Monroe, Eben Case, Ichabod Foot, Stephen Calkin, Samuel Hutchinson, Timothy Pierce, 3 rights, James Smith, Ebenezer Mudge, John Sprague, Samuel Butler, 3 rights, Benjamin Johns, James Talmadge, Daniel Hunt, Thomas Spafford, John Goold, Benjamin Owen, Ebenzer Norton, 3 rights, Samuel Comstock, Jonathan Peck, Jonathan Case, Moses Case, John Woodin.
From Sharon Archives - Newsletter of the Sharon Historical Society; Summer/Autumn 2002http://www.sharonhist.org/Pastnewsletters/newssumautum02.htm
Where in the World is Ebenezer Mudge?
Among the many brick orders that have come into the office, one caught my eye. It said simply “Ebenezer Mudge”. Not a modern name at all, yet it is familiar in Sharon – the Mudge part at least. But Ebenezer? Haven’t heard that one in a while! Who was he? I heard a rumor at the Great Sharon Mix for Bricks that Ebenezer is a ghost. I’m partly descended from a large Southern clan with many cherished ghosts in various family houses, so I’m willing to entertain the thought.
In Charleston, SC, it is a recognized fact that most ghosts make their presence known to us mortals because they have some unfinished business which they need help resolving. One such ghost in my mother’s family regularly appeared near a certain bookshelf in the library. Someone finally decided to search the bookshelf for clues. An old will fell out of one of the books, and was duly delivered to the proper authorities. A bit of research uncovered the fact that the estate of the deceased had never been accurately probated. The family immediately took steps to implement as many of the old will’s provisions as possible. They never saw the ghost again!
Is Mr. Mudge on such a mission? He lived in Sharon before the Revolution, having been one of the original Proprietors of the town. At the first Town meeting on December 11, 1739, he was chosen as one of four Surveyors of Highways. In 1743, Ebenezer built a home on the west bank of the pond that would eventually bear his name (in those days it was known as Skinner’s Pond). He lived there with his family of six sons and died on April 21, 1758. His sons eventually all left the town of Sharon before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, but the family name remained attached to the lake where they had lived.
Ebenezer made a brief appearance again in Sharon in 1989 in the person of Ed Kirby. On the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town, the first Town Meeting was reenacted at the Congregational Church in a play written by David Truax and produced by Jano Fairservis. After receiving his assignment as Surveyor of Highways, Mr. Mudge took part in a vote recognizing that “a pig with a ring in his nose is a tractable animal”. Following that, he disappeared again, but reliable sources say that he is still seen and heard on the west shore of Mudge pond on the grounds of the old Hart farmhouse which stands now on the site of the old Mudge home. What can Ebenezer Mudge be up to?
farmer, Millwright, surveyor
The following is copied from notes that originated with Albert Mudge via David C. MudgeEbenezer...and Abigail... raised a numerous family, six sons and six daughters, all of whom were married and living when Ebenezer died. They were very prolific, he left 25 adults and some 80 grandchildren to mourn his death. Ebenezer's family moved to Lebanon, CT about 1697. He farmed, bought and sold land there and in Hebron and Colchester until 1737. He apparently sold all his holdings at that time and with his wife and Nathaniel Skinner (wife's brother) and his family moved west to the new townsite of Sharon, CT. In 1738 Ebenezer drew the 25th home lot lying on both sides of the Town Street (now The Green) and embracing properties later occupied by Capt. Lines, Baldwin Reed, Major Gould, and Skinners. In 1740 he sold the lot to Cornelius Hamlin and Mary (Mudge) Hamlin, a daughter, and they built a house on the property. The Sharon historical Society now stands on the same piece of property. In 1743 Ebenezer settled on the western border of "Mudge Pond" a beautiful small lake on the outskirts of Sharon. A section of Sharon was called "Mudge Town." He served in various town offices and with his sons built and owned the first sawmill, gristmill, and ironworks in Sharon. When he died in 1758 his widow, six sons, six daughters, and six sons-in-law signed an agreement, as heirs, to settle the estate without administration. It was preceived a remarkable document as it not only showed the longevity of the family but that they all had a good education. (In that day many of the higher classes could not write but all of his children signed their names.)
Here's another version:
[bearces1.ged] SOURCE: "Memorials - Being a Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Account of the Name of Mudge in America, from 1638 to 1868" by Alfred Mudge, Boston, 1868 Ebenezer was a farmer, millwright and surveyor and settled early in life in Lebanon, Conn. He was the progenitor of the numerous family of Mudge in Connecticut and who later spread into Western NY. He married in 1706 and his father gave him a tract of land as a home-lot in 1711. He moved from Lebanon to Hebron with his father in 1717, or before. He sold 80 acres in Hebron in 1737 and settled in Sharon as one of the original proprietors. He is shown on the first town meeting records as having been chosen to survey Highways. He and his sons built and owned the first sawmill, grist mill and iron works. He had a large family and it was said "he had a family party, on which occasion they boiled a huge pudding by the side of Mudge Pond, and upwards of 80 children and grandchildren did eat thereof." At his death, his widow, six sons and six daughters signed an agreement to settle the estate without administration. Each signed their names, indicating all had been educated. A part of the town of Sharon is now called Mudge Town, and a lake one and one-half miles long and three fourths miles wide is still known as Mudge Pond. He married Abigail Skinner Jan 13, 1708-9. She was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Skinner, born Feb. 17 1691 in Malden, Mass. She left Sharon with her son Jarvis to New Lebanon, NY, where she died.
=======================================
from http://www.joycetice.com/families/infra.htmAnother millwright ancestor was Ebenezer Mudge (1683-1758), husband of Abigail Skinner. Ebenezer and his sons built the first mill at Sharon, Connecticut. Ebenezer was one of the original proprietors at Sharon, and he was responsible for the first saw mill, the first gristmill, and the iron works. A very large lake right there on the Connecticut-New York line is still called Mudge Pond and the road that runs on one side of it is Mudgetown Road. Ebenezer and Abigail's original property at the time of proprietorship included the land on which the Gay-Hoyt House, home of the Sharon Historical Society, now stands. from http://www.joycetice.com/families/infra.htm
Micah Mudge (b. 1650 New London, Connecticut; d.Jan 1723/24 Hebron, CT) That 1723/24 business puzzled me for awhile. The year is written that way because, for a long time, people thought the year started on March 25 instead of on January 1. In England, March 25 was called Lady Day commemorated "The Annunciation of the (Blessed) Virgin Mary". It is also approximately the date of the spring equinox. So when we look at an old date in January, February or March, and then the year 1723/24, for instance, at the time the record was made they called the year 1723, but we would actually consider that year to be 1724 using todays system.
It must have been a horrible frightening experience for Micah and Moses when their mother and step-father were hung. Perhaps they were taken in by other Mudge or Steele relatives. Micah became an educated person and a surveyor. And as the colonies kept growing surveyors were always in demand.
Micah married (Mary Alexander b. 1848 Windsor, CT; d. 1728 Hebron, CT.) on 23 Sep 1670 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Mary's father, George Alexander, had been one of the founders of Northampton. Together, Micah and Mary, had nine children, two sons and seven daughters.
Here is a description of the early married life Micah and Mary must have experienced in Northampton from James Trumbull's History of Northampton, Massachusetts: From its Settlement in 1654, Vol. I, Chapter 22, p. 284-288:
Their houses, nearly all built of logs, were but scantily furnished, and contained little beyond the bare necessities of life. Their flocks and herds supplemented what the soil provided, and the nimble fingers of the housewife, and her daughters, manufactured the fabric, as well as the garments that clothed the family. They lived quiet and contented lives, attending two services at the meeting house on Sundays, and town meetings regularly on week days, at least most of them did, as often as the business of the community demanded attention. Their food was coarse but nutritious. Corn and wheat and rye were the staple at every meal; meat was abundant, pork, beef, mutton, wild game and fish, were plenty; potatoes were unknown, but turnips, cabbages, beans and a few other vegetables, were used to a considerable extent.
Wheat bread was in more common use at that time than in after years. "Rye and Indian" bread, consisting of one part rye and two parts Indian meal, came into use when wheat became scarce, and it's popularity continued well into the present century. (1800's). The first settlers learned from the Indians the use of cornmeal, which made its appearance on the table at nearly every repast. It came in the shape of hasty pudding, as corn cake, as boiled Indian pudding, and sometimes as samp and hominy. Succotash, beans boiled with corn in the milk, was another dish derived form the Indians, which is still welcomed everywhere. Bread and milk were much used, especially among the younger portion of the family, and bread and cider were substituted when milk was wanting.
...The pioneers of Northampton were many of them blessed with large families. Some of them had ten, twelve, fifteen, and seventeen children. Twenty-five among those who came here within the first ten years of settlement, had three hundred thirty children born to them. Many of their sons became themselves heads of families, and grants of land were made to them. When new towns were projected at Northfield and Deerfield, many of these young men were among the original settlers. The older citizens of Northampton became the corporators or "engagers" in them, their sons occupied the home lots and established political and religious institutions therein. Of the first petitioners of Northfield, all but three were citizens of Northampton; ten Northampton names are found upon the early records of the town of Deerfield, and one-third of the householders there in 1675 (when it was burned) had been residents of this town. Very few of the older inhabitants of Northampton removed permanently to these new settlements.
Micah was among those from Northampton who in 1671 bought land from the Indians in northern,Massachusetts. and built a village called Northfield. Micah did the surveying. His name is on two deeds related to the founding of Northfield.
But the Indians weren’t satisfied! In 1675 they burned the village and all the residents and their families had to leave. This uprising of the Indians was part of what was called King Philips War. I found a wonderful description of the burning or Northfield by Irwin Goodwin in an website called, "Genealogical Gleanings." Here it is:
On 2 September 1675. the settlers of Northfield, MA were pursuing their normal routine. Tales of attacks by the Indians had filled the long summer and Northfield had appealed for more soldiers from the military garrison at Hadley (a larger town 25 miles to the east), but no soldiers had yet arrived.
Shots suddenly rang out and the women and children ran for safety in the fort. The men, harvesting grain in the meadow were caught by surprise and eight were killed. Cattle were slaughtered and grain destroyed and a few buildings were burned. The survivors huddled inside the fort, listening to the gunshots and the attackers' yells and the cattle's moans.
Fortunately, Hadley was sending troops to Northfield and a troop of 38 soldiers under the command of Captain Robert Beers was enroute. When the soldiers were four miles from Northfield, they decided to stop for the night and early the next morning the soldiers continued their travel on foot, leaving the horses with an armed guard.
Suddenly they were ambushed and 22 soldiers, including Captain Beers were killed. The survivors returned to Hadley to sound the alarm.
On 5 Sept 1675, a relief troop of 100 soldiers rushed to Northfield with orders to accompany the settlers to the safety of Hadley. Under some protest, the settlers agreed to leave their crops and cattle behind and seek the security of the fort at Hadley. Following their departure, the Indians burned the village of Northfield, which King Philip used over the next several months as a rendezvous with other river tribes.Hadley itself was attacked and was saved by a man with a white beard and flowing hair, some said was an angel from heaven but later it was discovered that it was regicide Goffe, one of those men responsible for the death of the father of Charles II
You can read more about King Philip's War in the story about our ancestor, John Browne. He was one of your Grandpa Stevens ancestors on the Stevens line.
We don't know if Micah was actually living there when the Indians burned Northfield. All Micah's and Mary's children are said to have been born in Northampton during the 1670's and 80's. Many people who survived the Indian attacks went to Northampton, Hadley, or Hatfield. Here is some more from James Trumbull describing the situation in the Massachusetts portion of the Connecticut River valley after King Philip's War:
"During the fall and winter of the year 1675, the condition of affairs in the valley must have been discouraging, and it is not strange that the commander-in-chief felt compelled to place the county partially at least, under martial law. The future was dark and unpropitious, and there seemed to be no immediate prospect of relief. Hadley, Hatfield and Northampton were all that remained of the northern settlements. To describe the situation in one of them portrays the condition of all. Equally harassed, none escaped the peculiar trials and perplexities of the times, and though some suffered in a less degree, all were grievously burdened. In addition to the hardships attendant upon the war (King Philip's War), winter set in with more than ordinary severity. The cold was intense, snow fell in unusual quantities, rendering communication with other towns very difficult, and some of the time quite impossible.Northampton was not a frontier town and had not, like the others, sustained and concerted attack by the Indians. Yet her citizens had enlisted in the various expeditions and numbers of them had been killed; others had been slain within sight of their own firesides; many houses and barns had been burned; the town was filled with soldiers billeted upon the inhabitants; fugitives from the abandoned towns sought protection here, and could not be denied; the meadows had been only partially planted; the slender harvest following an interrupted seed time, could not be wholly gathered; much of the hay and grain stored in the barns had been destroyed; and altogether the outlook was most discouraging. Many of the inhabitants had furnished provisions and other material aid in carrying on the war, and were compelled to wait years for repayment. The loss of so many buildings and barns and such quantities of hay and grain, proved a serious obstacle to the keeping of stock which had greatly accumulated, and it became quite a problem how to subsist the cattle and horses. Supplementary to the drain of supporting an increased population, came the burden of war taxes. ..."
In 1682 Micah and his family were able to return to Northfield and resettle the town. A deed was signed by Micah and two others, Cornelius Merry and John Lyman, paying the Indians an additional 12 pounds. There is no date on this particular deed, but it says, "This is to be in addition to the am't paid in the Original Grant, bearing date of the year 1671." This may be a transaction at the time of resettlement. We can't be sure. Then there is the following document which is particularly interesting:
*Order from the General Courte of Boston, dated May 24, 1682
The Towne Book of Squakeheag orNorthfield, Where in is Recorded the names of ye petitioners for the PlantationWith the Grants and Acts of the General Court about . . . . With the Deeds from the Indions and the orders of the Comitey with the consent of the Proprietors Which Have taken upp Land there With the Grants and rerescript of every mans Land.
The names of those that presented their Names to Major Pinchon to bee presented to the Honored Gen Couret who engaged to doe yr indeuer to atend the conditions of ye grant
Elder John Strong Isark Shelden
Joseph Parsons Sen'r Matthewe Clessen
Samuel Wright Sen'r Joshuah Pummery
Joseph Dirkinson John Alexander
George Alexander Cornelius Merry
Thomas Bascomb William Smead
Robert Liman Richard Weller
Thomas Roote Sen'r John Kilburne of Wethersfield
William Jeanes John Hilleor
William Hubbard Micah Mudg
Nathaniel Phelps Sen'r Ralph Hutchison
William Miller Sen'r."Of these 23 'proprietors' (meaning original settlers who were granted land), besides Micah, four, plus Major Pynchon, are our direct ancestors. Here's how, briefly:
Major John Pynchon, Samuel Wright, Nathaniel Phelps, and Isaac Sheldon are ancestors of Paul Stevens through the Derrick line. George Alexander was the father of Micah's wife, Mary. John Alexander was George's brother, not our direct ancestor.
Toward the end of the century, Micah's surveying skills were called for to help lay out the town of Lebanon, Connecticut. It astounds me, the amount of traveling these colonists did. From Northfield in northwestern Massachusetts to Lebanon in east central Connecticut is well over a hundred miles as the crow flies. And yet this was at least the third major move Micah made with his family, with horse and wagon and over wagon tracks. We know Micah was in Lebanon before 1698. He helped lay out the town, and was a land trader. There are many records of his purchases and sales of land in early Lebanon records. He was also one of the founders of the First Congregational Church, and his wife, Mary, was the first female member. She was the only female member between 1702 and 1707. Another record shows he kept a tavern .
Sometime before September 1717 Micah moved his family again, this time only about eight miles west, to Hebron, Connecticut. he and his sons built and ran a mill there on the road to Colchester. At that time Micah and Mary had four grown children still living with them; their two sons, Moses and Ebenezzer, and two daughters, Thankful and Susanna. Their daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, had married and stayed in Northampton. Their daughters Sarah and Abigail were married and settled in Windsor, Connecticut.
Micah died in January of 1723/24. He left a will naming his wife, all his sons, daughters and grandchildren. His estate inventory is interesting reading. It and his will may be found in the book , Mudge, Alfred, Memorials: Being a Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Account of the Name of Mudge, Boston 1868 It itemized all his possessions and their monetary value in 1724. He owned several books which are enumerated. This was at a time when books were rare. And he signed his name to his will.
Micah Mudge (1650-ca 1724) helped lay out the town of Lebanon, Connecticut and in 1700 he and his wife Mary Alexander were among the founders of the First Congregational Church of Lebanon. Prior to the move to Lebanon, Micah had been a surveyor and proprietor at Northampton, Massachusetts. The misfortune of Micah's life, and a sad story even today, was that in 1664, his mother, Rebecca and her third husband Nathaniel Greensmith were hanged as witches in Hartford, Connecticut. Rebecca's surname is not known but she was married first to Abraham Elston by whom she had two or three daughters, then to Jarvis Mudge, by whom she had two sons, and then to Nathaniel Greensmith. Micah was only fourteen when his mother was killed. from http://www.joycetice.com/families/infra.htm
Biography from WikiTree:
Deacon Thomas Skinner was baptised on July 25, 1645 in Chichester, Sussex, England. He married Mary Pratt, a daughter of Richard and Mary Pratt of Charlestown, Massachusetts. She was born July 30, 1643 and died in Colchester, Connecticut on March 27, 1704. They removed to Colchester about 1700. He died between 1722 and 1732. [1] [2] [3]
Excerpt from "Genealogical and Family History of Central New York," Page 55" "(II) Thomas (2), son of Thomas (I) Skinner, was born in Subdeanery and Parish, Chichester, England, July 25, 1645. He married Mary, daughter of Richard and Mary Pratt, of Malden, Essex County, England. Richard Pratt was baptized there, June 29, 1615, died 1691. Deacon Thomas Skinner removed, with his wife, sons Richard, Benjamin, Ebenezer, Nathaniel, and daughter Abigail, to Colchester, Connecticut, where he was one of the original proprietors. His name and that of his son Ebenezer frequently occur in the early records. He held various town officers and served on important committees. He and his son Benjamin were granted lots, January 21, 1702, and, in May, 1702, he drew his house lot. The diary of his son Thomas has been preserved and gives many interesting details of family history. All his children were born in Malden. His wife died March 26, 1704. Children: Mary, born November 3, 1666; Thomas, November 3, 1668, removed to Norton, Massachusetts; Abiah, June 16, 1671; John, April 5, 1673, mentioned below; Richard, June 2, 1675; Joseph, January 13, 1678; Hannah, died October 20, 1728; Benjamin, born January 30, 1681; Ebenezer, April 23, 1684; Nathaniel, January 27, 1686; Abigail, February 17, 1691."From Skinners Kinsmen [1]
2. Deacon THOMAS SKINNER (2), Thomas (1), bp. Subdeanarie Parish, Chichester, England, July 25, 1645, married Mary, daughter of Ric ard and Mary Pratt, of Charlestown, Mass. She was born Sept. 9 or 30, 1643, and died in Colchester, Conn., March 26, 1704. They removed to Colchester, of which town he was one of the original proprietors, about 1700. He died between 1722 and 1732.
Children:5. Mary (3), b. Malden, Nov. 3, 1666.
6. Thomas (3), b. Malden, Nov. 3, 1668, m. abt. 1694, Hannah (Carpenter ?) . Removed to Norton, Mass., and was the first schoolmaster there; began teaching 1719. His will was probated May 19, 1750.
7. Abraham (3), b. June 16, 1671, married Abigail, daughter of Benj. Chamberlain, was of Oxford, Mass., in 1713, (removed to Colchester about 1722, and was living 1743?) .
8. John (3), b. Malden, April 5, 1673, m. about 1696, Sarah . Removed to Norton, d. Apr. 8, 1754.
9. Richard (3), b. Malden, Jan. 3, 1675-6, m. Nov. 24, 1708, Hannah Pratt, his cousin. Removed to Col chester, Conn., d. before 1720.
10. Hannah (3), b. Jan. 8 or 13, 1678, d. Jan. 18, 1725 or Oct. 21, 1728.
11. Joseph (3), twin to Hannah, d. Jan. 18, 1725 or Oct. 21, 1728.
12. Benjamin (3), b. Jan. or Nov. 30, 1681, m. Eliza beth Dixon. Removed to Colchester. She d. Dec. 1, 1753, at Hebron, Conn. He d. same place, June 2, 1750.
13. Ebenezer (3), b. Feb. or Apr. 23, 1684, m. Sarah Lord. Removed to Colchester. He d. 1755.
14. Nathaniel (3), b. Malden, Jan. 27, 1686, m. Mary,
BurialBell Rock Cemetery , Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA [2]
Per death record for Katarina Schwarz, Jakob was a cooper, making casks and tubs.
Johan Jacob was from Bisterschied, a village east of Rockhausen, north of Kaiserlautern
State - Rhineland- Palatinate
District - DonnersbergkreisAt the time of his emigration the area of Germany that includes Bisterscheid was part of Bavaria. As French power declined after 1815, Kaiserslautern and the Palatinate became a Bavarian province and remained so until 1918. Now Bisterschied is in the German state called Rheinland-Palatinate often abbreviated to Rheinland Pflaz.
"The Britzius Story" by Dianne Z. Stevens 2013:
The Britzius Story
19 June 2013Dear Children,
I am writing to tell you about our Britzius Family.. My great grandmother on my father's father's side was a Britzius. Almost everything we know about the Britzius line has come by way of Bill Moyer, a researcher in Dallas, Texas. Twice Bill and various family members traveled to Bisterschied, Germany in search of his wife's Britzius roots. Bill was able to uncover roots going back as far as 1546. He visited many sites of family history interest, brought back copies of original birth and death records, and wrote reams of descriptions and stories which I shall now try to summarize.
The first Britzius of whom we know anything was Wendel Britzius (1546 Sötern, Saarland – 1618 Sötern, Saarland). His wife was Elizabeth (b abt 1580 Sötern). Sötern is a small village just west of where the rest of our German Britzius story takes place in the German state of Pfalz. Sötern is in an important iron producing region along the Saar River. Bill writes, “A souterrain in French is a tunnel, and the town has deep tunnels under it, though nobody now knows why.” Previously an entirely Catholic region, the Palatinate accepted Calvinism under Elector Friedrich III during the 1560's, when Wendel was a boy. So all our Britzius ancestors were Protestants.
Our Britzius ancestors came from the Palatine. What is The Palatine? There was no Germany when Wendel was born. Look on the map on the next page and find Rheinland Pfalz. It's pink. Palatine is frequently abbreviated to "Pflaz." It's the same place. The Palatine is an area of what is now Germany that has very beautiful forests and very confusing history. It was a Celtic region of Europe when it was conquered by Rome in about 12 B.C. It was conquered by French people in 496. It was part of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806, when that empire dissolved. So our Wendel was born during the Holy Roman Empire period. By the time he was born the heart of the Holy Roman Empire had been split into realms of princes and states. The most important states belonged to the seven Electors. These were men who selected the Holy Roman Emperor. One Elector was the Elector Palatine or Count Palatine of the Rhine. Actually German princes (meaning old time princes of areas that are part of todays Germany) could do as wished. The were seldom interfered with by Rome. The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. For a short while during the Napoleon era our ancestors homeland became French, part of Alsace, and Britzius was spelled Brisseau. After Napoleon the Palatine became a Bavarian Province until 1918. After WWII Rhineland-Palatine became a German state. At the time our Britzius ancestor emigrated in 1840 their area was part of Bavaria.
The word Palatine comes from Rome.
“In legend, the Palatine Hill in Rome was said to be the one on whose foot the twins Romulus and Remus were deposited when they escaped the flood of the Tiber River. It became the initial center of Rome and retained this importance for most of the life of the later Empire. The Roman emperors designated some of their local officials with the title "palatine" after the name of the hill.” (From an article, “Rhineland-Pfalz” on genealogy.net)
Later "Count Palatine" was used as a title for an official sent to report on a remote region owned by the Holy Roman Empire. Eventually the counts palatine became responsible for general government functions. Over the centuries the term came to be the name for a huge state in what is now Germany called Rhineland-Pfalz or Rhineland-Palatinate or Rheinland-Palatine or just Pfalz for short.Origins
No matter how far you go back in any family history people always wonder about what came before. In the Britzius case there are several stories about where the Britziuses originated. I'll relate several and you can choose whichever you wish as there is no way to know for sure.
A granddaughter of a Britzius family in Bisterschied told Mr. Moyer that she believed the family had originally immigrated from Austria. Mr. Moyer thinks this theory came from a misreading of the name Sötern in Wendel's record.
Here's another story: A Gunter Britzius told Mr. Moyer that during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the loss of life in the Pfalz was so great that the nobles who owned the land sought immigrants from all over to come and repopulate so they could continue to receive their taxes and rents. The Britzius family immigrated at that time with other Huguenots from France because of the oppression of the Protestants by French King Louis the XIV. But wait! Louie XIV reigned from 1643 to 1715 and our Wendel had already lived and died in the Pfalz before that time.
Then there is the fairly tale origin, a legend passed down through Bill's wife's Britzius family. According to this legend the name was originally 'Brisseau.' Two of it's progenitors are said to have been a young soldier and a young lady attached to a French court. They eloped, a quite scandalous action in that time and place. In order to escape censure they fled from France to the Rhineland-Palatinate.
The final story is the one Mr. Moyer finds most believable. There is a type of rock called brescia. It is found in northern Italy in a place called Brescia. The area is named after an ancient tribe, the Brescii. This story is from a Rhineland-Pfalz Family Society magazine, April 1990. “In 1310-1312, Wirich, Lord of Sponheim, was a close associate of Kaiser Henry VII and of Henry's brother, Archbishop Baldwin of Trier, in the Italian campaign. In the fighting in Brescia, he took prisoner the leader of the opposition, Theobald of the Brusciati. . . For his valor he was given the new title, 'King of the Hill' by the Kaiser.” The Italian leader he captured was Theobaldo de Brusciati, a name very close to Theobald Britzius, of which there are several in our direct line of genealogy. The Knight Wirich who captured him may well have brought him back to his home near Sponheim, Pfalz, very near to Sötern, Bisterschied, and all the other villages from whence our Britzius ancestors have been traced. In fact Sponheim is about 20 kilometers north of Bisterschied.
Johannes Britzius (b. 1602) was a son of Wendel and Elizabeth. He was also known as Hans. He married Anna Weber (1602 Buhlenburg, Pfalz – 1670 North Brickenberg, Pfalz) whose parents, Johannes Weber (1578 Birkenfeld, Pflaz - 1634 Buhlenburg, Pfalz) and Elizabeth, and grandparents, Johannes Weber (abt 1550 Buhlenburg, Pfalz - 1602 Buhlenburg, Pfalz ) and Katharina Trein (abt 1550 - 1587 Buhlenburg, Pfalz). Buhlenberg and Birkenfeld are little villages within a few miles of Sötern where Wendel Britzius was born.
It was when this Johannes (1602) was growing up that the Thirty Years War began. It lasted from 1618 until 1648. Initially it was about Catholics versus Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire. The Palatine at that time was Protestant. But the war gradually evolved into a conflict involving all the Germanic states, France, Spain, Holland, Denmark,even England and Sweden.. For thirty years all these armies were running back and forth over the land of our Britzius ancestors, killing, maiming, pillaging, burning.
To understand how devastating this war was, it helps to know how armies operated at that time. The soldiers weren't paid wages. They were expected to support themselves by loot and tribute, whatever they could steal from the inhabitants. In other words, vicious lawlessness. Crops were destroyed leading to widespread famine and disease. Many villages in central Europe were literally wiped off the map during this time. The village of Altheim, further south, where our Zimmerman ancestors came from, lost two thirds of it's population. It was a horrible time!
Nevertheless, Johannes and Anna got married in the middle of all this madness on April 23, 1627 and had a son, Johann Nicklaus Britzius on January 6, 1628, in Achtelsbach another little village in the same neighborhood., about 2 km. northeast of Sötern. We don't know how long Johannes lived or how they coped with the war or whether he and Anna had any more children. By the way, there are 5 Johannes Britzius's in this story so it's important to note their birthdates. Then there are three more that have middle names as well. And not to be confused with the five additional Johann Britziuses!
Johann Nicklaus Britzius (1628 Achtelsbach, Pfalz – 1712 Achtelsbach, Pfalz) also known as Hans Nickel, was born during the Thirty Years War and married Christina Schuch (1630 Traunen, Pfalz – 1702 Achtelsbach, Pfalz) right after it was over on Jan 23, 1649. After this war the Pfalz was owned by Bavaria, a country far to the east. Mr. Moyer was able to trace Christinas ancestors back to Johannes Schuch, probably born about (1530 Bruecken, Pfalz), even earlier than Wendel! Hans Nickel and Christina lived a long life in Achtelsbach and had at least six children, so life must have settled down a little. Johann lived to be 84 and Christina, 72. These were ripe old ages for that time and place.
Another sign life had settled down, their son, Johannes Britzius (1658 Achtelsbach, Pfalz – 1732 Achtelsbach, Pfalz) and his wife, Elisabeth Katharina (1663 - Achtelsbach, Pfalz – 1731 Achtelsbach, Pfalz) were both born and died in Achtelsbach. I'm thinking that means they didn't need to become refugees from their home village. They also had at least six children including a Hans and three boys whose first names were Johannes. I don't claim to understand German names. Usually, if they have two given names, they use the second one. This was true even of our German Kleasner relatives who were born in Missouri after 1900. Mr. Moyer explained it thusly, “I was told Germans name many boys Johannes in honor of John the Baptist, and many girls Maria in honor of the Virgin Mary, after which they append other names the children are more likely to use. The second name is usually the one kids go by.” All we know of this Johannes is the one given name.
Just because the Thirty Years War was over, don't think our Britzius ancestors ever had it easy. All the people lived at the whim of the nobles that owned the land. And your village, your district, your whole world as you knew it, could be inherited or given away. In 1685 the Palatinate was inherited by Philip William, Count Palatine of Neuberg. In 1742 the Palatine was inherited by Duke Charles Theodore of Sulzbach, who also inherited Bavaria. (Imagine inheriting Texas or Canada!) And then there was The War of the Grand Alliance in which Louis XIV of France claimed part of the Palatinate. It lasted from 1689-1697. Besides wars there was always the weather. It could be devastating and cause famine. During the winter of 1708-09 it was so cold “Wine froze into ice. Grapevines died. Cattle died in their sheds. Many Palatines traveled down the Rhine to Rotterdam in late February and March. In Rotterdam they were housed in shacks covered with reeds. The ones who made it to London were housed in 1,600 tents surrounding the city. Londoners were resentful. Other Palatines were sent to other places, such as Ireland, the Scilly Isles, the West Indies, and New York.” (from Genealogy.net) (This is when our Palatine DeMouth ancestors arrived in New York.) This was the more 'settled' time?
Johannes and Elisabeth Katharina had a son, Johannes Mathias Britzius (1700 Achtelsbach, Pfalz – 1766 Bisterschied, Pfalz). This Britzius went by the name of Mathias. He married Maria Elisabetha Reissdorf (1701 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1766 Bisterschied, Pfalz). Mathias, besides being a farmer, worked as a decorative gardener and a porter at the Castle Sötern. Early church records of this area are kept in archives in Speyer, Germany. These records are very interesting because as well as giving genealogical information, they also tell about occupations people have such as Matthias being a gardener at the castle.Johannes Mathais and Maria Elisabetha had five children that we know of. The youngest was Theobald Britzius (1742 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1803 Bisterschied, Pfalz). In 1767 he married Catharine Charlotte Gerlach (1748 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1816 Bisterschied, Pfalz). Both her parents lived their whole lives in Bisterschied. A church record telling about this Theobald says he came from Teschenmoschel. That's about a mile SW of Bisterschied. That church record also tells us that besides being a farmer, Theobald was a cooper and a beer brewer.
Now I will tell you a little bit about Bisterschied. It lies in hilly country with many streams which flow northward and empty eventually into the Rhine River. When Bill Moyer visited he found it to be a quaint little village surrounded by bright yellow fields of rapeseed plants. This is the seed that canola oil comes from. The farmers also grow other grains and lots of cherries. For centuries the people of Bisterschied were known for the special care they put into cattle breeding. Millstones from local granite were manufactured here in the 1600's and 1700's . In the 1800's bricks were made from local clay. And there was a great deal of metal mining around the mountain in earlier times, perhaps accounting for an heirloom pewter plate. (I'll tell you about that soon.) Another traditional occupation was linen weaving.
Bisterschied now belongs to a collective municipality with Rockenhausen as it's seat. That is a group of little villages with all the main government functions centralized in one town. Several of these collective municipalities belong to the district of Donnersbergkries, which is named for the Donnersberg, the highest mountain of the Pfalz, right near Bisterschied. Mr. Moyer tells a little about the mountain, “the Donnersberg. It's a pretty big mountain, ... but with gradual slopes and a highway going up. 'Donner' is 'thunder'... and 'Donnersberg' means 'Thunder Mountain' Once I was looking at the old records after Napoleon conquered that part of Germany, and the name of the mountain had become 'Mont Tennerre' which means the same thing in French...Peoples' names had changed too! 'Johann' became 'Jean' when written by a French clerk.” In the Middle Ages, five castles surrounded the mountain: Tannenfels, Wildenstein, Hohenfels, Falkenstein and Ruppertsecken but today, only ruins remain. Another interesting feature of Donnersbergkries is a fragment of an old Roman road just east of Bisterschied.
Theobald and Charlotte Gerlach Britzius had at least five children including our immigrant ancestor Johan Jacob Britzius (1788 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1866 St. Charles, Minnesota) He married Catharina Elisabethe Schwarz (1786 Bisterschied, Pfalz - 1838 Bisterschied, Pfalz). Johan Jacob, was a cooper making casks and tubs. In 1838 Catharina Elisabethe died. Two years later Johan Jacob became our Britzius immigrant ancestor, one of them. He and four children boarded the ship Leopard in LeHavre, France and arrived in New York on July 6, 1840. The ship's log lists the children and their ages as Catharina Britzius born 1813, Jacob born 1820, Dewold born 1821, and Lisbeth born 1823. We now know some of these names and dates to be not quite right, for instance Dewold was our second Britzius immigrant ancestor, Theobald.
This misspelling points up the various spellings of names in records. Here are some of the ways Britzius has been misspelled over the centuries: Bretzius, Printgins, Pritzius, Brizeau, Pretorius, Buzas, Pretzeus, Britzies, Brizius, Britzins, Britzions, Brytius, Bretches, and Pretzius.
When Johan Jacob arrived with his children, they settled in Auburn Township, Tuscarawas County Ohio, perhaps because extended family was already there. We don't know for certain. I did find an entry on the 1840 census for Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, Bucks township for, it looks like, Adam Pretzius. Jacob and Theobald are in Bucks Township on the 1850 census and Bucks is right next door to Auburn township. And we know how Britzius got misspelled! So this Adam could be the relative our Britzius family followed. We know there was another Britzius family in Ohio here from that part of Germany because of the letter My Trip to America which is posted with Christina Elizabeth Maurer's information.
Johan Jacob brought two heirloom items with him from the old country which survived at least until recently. One was a pewter plate inscribed with the date 1773 and the initials I. B. ('J' was often written 'I'). Perhaps it may have been made by Johann Jakob Britzius (b. 1737). He was not a direct ancestor . We don't really know who made it. This plate was said to have been part of a set that ended up being used to feed the pigs when the family lived in Minnesota. I'm glad one was rescued! The other item is a pottery pitcher said to have been made by our immigrant Britzius ancestor, probably Johan Jacob. Both these items were last known to be in the possession of Ruth Britzius Wolfe, a great-granddaughter of Johan Jacob
Here is what we know about the children of Johan Jacob and Catharina Elisabethe Schwarz Britzius who all immigrated to America with their father.:
Catharina Britzius (b 1810- Bisterschied, Pfalz) married a man named Johann Schnell.
Jacob Heinrich Britzius (1812 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1892 Mt. Vernon, Minnesota) married Catherine Elizabeth Wasem.
Here is a story about Jacob Heinrich that appeared in a book about Winona County, Minnesota in 1883.:
"Jacob Brizius, farmer, was born in Germany in 1812. He was apprenticed to the cooper trade, working at the trade for some years. He enlisted in the Bavarian army and served twelve years, raising to the rank of sergent. In 1847 he came to America, settling in Ohio, where he worked at his trade for some ten years, when he came west to the Trout Valley. With his wife he trudged his way through the valley, becoming lost and almost discouraged by the difficulties he experienced, but like the old soldier he was, he pushed on until he found the place he thought would suit him, which he settled on and where he has remained ever since. He has by dint of hard work and perseverance gotten himself one of the finest farms in the valley. He was married in 1848 to Miss Catherine Wasem, by whom he has thirteen children, three of whom are dead. Jacob has held the position of supervisor. He is Evangelical in religion and a republican in politics. He is a man of sterling integrity and is looked upon as one of the fathers of the settlement. He is still a hale, hearty old man and takes an active interest in public affairs." (History of Winona County, page 714).
Theobald H is our 2nd immigrant ancestor. More about him later.
Elizabeth Britzius (1823 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1891 Montrose, Minnesota), married Heinrich Jacob Wasem.
Heinrich Jacob Wasem and Catherine Elizabeth Wasem were brother and sister, children of Johann Heinrich and Charlotta Catharina Spitz Wasem who came from Teschmoschel, Pfalz about the same time as our Britzius family. I'm betting they all knew one another before they emigrated. The two Britzius-Wasem marriages took place in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
Our next ancestor is the son of Johan Jacob and Catharina Elisabethe Schwarz Britzius, Theobald H. Britzius (1820 Bisterschied, Pfalz – 1896 St. Charles, Minnesota). He came with his father, one brother and two sisters to America in 1840. They settled in Little Valley, Quincy Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. On Dec 7, 1843 he married Christina Elizabeth Maurer (1827 Waldgrehweiler, Pfalz – 1902 St. Charles, Minnesota) in Fiat, Bucks Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The most interesting thing I've found out about these two is they were the parents of 15 children! Can you imagine raising fifteen children without running water? Twelve survived to adulthood. Sometime between the birth of baby number twelve and baby number thirteen they moved, along with papa Johan Jacob Britzius (1788), to Quincy, Olmsted County, Minnesota.
Here is a little about each or their fifteen children:1 – Elizabeth Britzius is our direct ancestor. More about her later.
2 - George Britzius ( 1845 Ohio – 1924 Minnesota) – Bill Moyer sent the following information about George.
"(George) was a Lutheran minister in rural Minnesota, gave his sermons in German. Earned $600 a year, sent $100 to his 'boys' homesteading in Montana. George may have originally obtained the land in Montana (near Harlowton) for his sons to settle. . . Don Russell, grandson of George's, son of Lydia) wrote me in 1978 about his grandparents as follows: . . .'And my grandfather had strong opinions about telling the truth--as well as card playing, booze, Catholics and Jews; all bad. He was a strong believer in honesty, hard work, his church, fairness as he saw it. And he was a pretty good natural physician (meaning he believed in the curative power of natural herbs). In some of his parishes he was the only 'doctor' in the area. He was also kind and generous, so it was only natural (one obituary said) that friends came to his funeral from as far away as 100 miles. His medical assistance was usually rewarded with farm produce; from laying hens to a barrel of fall apples - sometimes spring plowing help. His chief vanity was the ownership of the best looking pair of horses in his parish - he knew how to drive them, too. You could say he loved good horses the way I like my red Cadillac."
3 – Philopena Britzius (1846 Ohio – 1928 Minnesota) was called Phoebe. She married Jacob Harshman. They had five children and settled in Minnesota.
4 - Katherine Britzius (1848 Ohio – 1882 Minnesota) married Andreas Stefan. She died at the age of 34 of TB.
5 – Theobald Britzius (b 1849 Ohio) died as an infant while the family still lived in Ohio.
6 – Margaret Britzius (1851 Ohio – 1879 Iowa) married Peter Von Lackum, a physian from Prussia. He was a widower that brought 4 children to the marriage. Maggie and Peter had at least two children. They lived in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Then Maggie died in childbirth at the age of 28. The 1880 census shows H. Von Lakum, Maggie’s 8 year old son, living with the family of Theobald and Christina Maurer Britzius.
7 – Addicum Britzius (1852 Ohio – 1912 South Dakota), known as Adam, married Luisa Haber and they had five children. One died as a two-year old. After the children were born they moved to Marshall County, South Dakota. Adam died at the age of 60 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
8 – Gabriel Britzius (b 1854 Ohio) - I have found no further record of Gabriel.
9 – Jacob Britzius (1855 Ohio – 1925 South Dakota) also called Jake bought land in Aberdeen, South Dakota in 1883. In 1898 he served on the committee that bought land for the Aberdeen town hall. He married Mary Merten and they had two children.
10 – Nikolaus Britzius (1857 Ohio – 1864 Minnesota) died six days after his sister Maria was born.
11 – Johannes Britzius (1859 Ohio – 1936 Alaska), known as John, according to the 1920 census he was single and worked as a gas supplier for a gold dredger. He died in Nome, Alaska in 1936.
12 - Heinrich Britzius ( Dec 1861 Ohio – 1928 California), also known as Henry, was the last child of Theobald and Christina Elizabeth to be born in Ohio. He married Lettie Frances Moore in Faulkton, South Dakota and had four children. They moved to California. The 1920 census shows Henry is a jeweler running his own business in Gilroy, California.
13 – Maria Britzius (1864 Minnesota – 1930 Minnesota), also known as Mary, was the first child of Theobald and Christina Elizabeth to be born in Minnesota. She was born in Quincy Township, Olmsted Co, MN. She married Gunter John Fredrick Schmidt and they had seven children all born in Minnesota.
14 – Theobald D. Britzius (1866 Minnesota – 1930 Minnesota), called Tim, married Mary Schield and had two children. They stayed in Minnesota. Their son, Elmer died in the crash of a plane he was piloting in 1950. I found the following article on Ancestry.com. It is from June 28, 1950 Winona Republican - p. 1 and 4 The article has two photos of the mangled plane and also pictures of the two little girls.
"Dover Mayor, Two Girls Killed in Plane Crash
(Photo Caption) - Dover's Mayor And Two Young Girls died when a plane crashed near St. Charles early Tuesday night. The twisted wreckage is shown in a ditch along highway 14 shortly after the crash. Traffic on the highway was blocked in both directions for some time as civil aeronautics officials investigated.
Dover, Minn. - (Special) - Three persons died in a plane crash near here Tuesday night, turning into tragedy an early evening pleasure ride for Dover's mayor and two little girls.
Elmer A. Britzius, 57, candidate for the state legislature, widely known retired farmer and businessman, and Joan Herman, nine, were killed outright; Mary Rose Herman, ten, died en route to a Rochester hospital.
The plane crashed on highway 14, two miles west of St. Charles about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. Britzius was flying his own plane and had been taking the two sisters for a pleasure ride to Winona and back.
Witnesses said the machine came in for an apparent landing on a field next to the highway, its engine sputtered, and then a wing tip grazed the concrete highway, throwing the plane around and into a ditch.Rush to Plane
Motorists reportedly rushed to the wreckage and succeeded in pulling Mary Rose from the debris unconscious but breathing. She died a short time later.
Britzius was pinned under the engine and the other young passenger was also trapped in the wreckage. Both were dead when witnesses got to the plane.
The two sisters had often gone for rides with Britzius as had scores of other youngsters in the area. In fact, several were waiting at the landing strip on Britzius' farm near-by for the plane to return, having been promised rides last night.
Britzius held a pilot's license and had made a practice of giving neighborhood children free rides. He was a man of many interests, owning several farms in the area, a hotel in Dover, and having invented a number of articles.
When only 17, Britzius invented and patented a milk strainer. One of his later inventions - a cone-shaped paper popcorn sack -led to the opening of a small manufacturing plant here, which his only son, Edison, managed.Mayor of Dover
A Life-long resident of this area, Britzius had been mayor here for three terms and had filed recently as a candidate for the state house of representatives.
The two girls were daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Herman, Dover. There are four other children in the family: Oka May, Alvin, Rex, Rodney, all of Dover. Mr. Herman is a carpenter.
Britzius is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son: Mrs. Burton Henry, Dover, Mrs. Vernon Anderson, Rochester, Mrs. T. R. Kangas, Guam, and Edison, Dover, and one sister, Mrs. Leroy Millard, Dover. A son, Harold, is dead.
He married Mabel Cunningham at Viola, Minn., August 15, 1914. Britzius was born in Quincy township near here October 14, 1892.
Funeral services for Britzius will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Dover Methodist church with burial in Evergreen cemetery. Friends may call at Rendernick's funeral parlor, St. Charles.
Services for the two girls will be held at the school house here, but the time has not been set.(Photo Caption) - A Wing Of Elmer A. Britzius' Plane, shown above after it crashed last night, reportedly grazed the concrete highway, throwing the ship around and into a ditch. Witnesses said the pilot apparently was coming in for a landing on a farm field and then changed his mind. As he tried to gain altitude the motor sputtered and the plane crashed."
15 - Caroline Britzius (1869 Minnesota – 1940 Ohio), also called Carrie, married Frederick Grimm. They had twelve children. They started out in Minnesota but moved back to Ohio.
Elizabeth Britzius (1844 Ohio – 1911 Oregon) married Adam Zimmerman (1837 Canada – 1899 Oregon) in 1868 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. He had lost four children and his first wife, Eve Hopp, in the eight years from 1859 to 1867 at their farm home near Preston, Minnesota. Eve died in December of 1867. Adam married Elizabeth Britzius in March of 1868. He was no doubt, desperate for help with his three remaining children, and you must remember there was no fast food in those days. Who better to get things under control that the eldest of fifteen siblings! We shall continue with Adam and Elizabeth's story when we get to Adam Zimmerman.
So for now, dear children, we come to the end of the story of our wonderful Britzius ancestors that struggled through centuries of war in Pfalz, Germany, survived their immigration to America and have left us with hundreds, perhaps thousands of cousins we don't know.
So HOORAY for the Britziuses!!!Love,
Granny
On the death record her name is spelled Katarina by the translator.