N is for Nana, Salome Knecht

     It is difficult to think of someone who died at the young age of 22 years as a grandmother!   Yet she was the mother of three children before she died.

Salome's  grave stone is located at the Moorestown Cemetery, Moore Twp., Northampton Co., Pennsylvania in the old yard at Salem Church.  It is a flat white stone with her name clearly and easily  readable.  It stood as a beacon among a field of beautiful pink flowers  on the spring day when I located the grave.   Salome was only 22 and 1/2 years old when she died December 16, 1825, just three weeks after the birth of her son Charles.  Her stone is in the same row as those of her parents.  It is visible from a distance and is in the lower  center of the graveyard.  The stone is inscribed  in German. 

 Salome Gunkel ehetran van George Gunkel 

Geboren den 28th Mertz 1803  

Gestorben den 16 December 1825 

Alt 22 Yaren 6 Monat und 18 Tagen.  

Which translates  Salome Kunkle, wife of George Kunkle, born  March 28, 1803, died Dec. 16, 1825. 22 years, 6 months and 18 days.

The birth record for Salome Knecht is located in the  Moorestown Church records.  The record states;   Knecht, Salome, born May 28, 1803, baptised July 3, 1803.   Parents are Leonhard Knecht and his wife Christina.  Sponsors are Peter Stekkel and wife Maria.  

        Grave stones of Salome's parents, Leonard Knecht and Christina Schott Knecht.

When she was 19 years old,  Salome married George Kunkel on April 7, 1822.  She soon became the mother of three children born very close together.   They were:  Lea  who was born Dec. 17,  1822, Katherine who was born  Oct. 8, 1824,  and Charles who was  born Nov. 24, 1825.  Salome died soon after the birth of Charles, most likely from complications of child birth.   "The KNECHT Family History, 1702-1987," by Linda Klosek,  provides proof that Charles is the son of George & Salome (Knecht) Kunkel.    Charles  was baptised  on  December 18,  1825 by Rev. Mendsen at the  Salem Lutheran / Reformed Church, Moore Twp., Northampton Co., Pennsylvania.  His mother died on Dec. 16, 1825.  It is likely that he was baptised the day she was buried.

Salome's father provided for these children in his will, 1836.  In the will,  Leonard Knecht states, "Salome who had been  intermarried with George Kunkle  who  since departed  her life,  her share I give  and bequeath  unto  her  two  children  Charles and  Catherine."   Lea  had since died.  

It is  amazing that  the infant Charles  survived after the death of his mother!   Some unknown woman had to have nurtured and fed him.  Whomever she was we  are thankful to her for  providing Charles  with life sustaining  nutrition.   Salome's  son  Charles  was the grandfather of Estella, whom you met earlier.
                                                       This page  © 2013,  Cynthia H. Smith
                                                       Send email  to chsmith47@yahoo.co

GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to enjoy. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

                Email address--- chsmith47@yahoo.com

M is for Maria Barbara Miller

Two year old Maria Barbara Miller arrived  in Philadelphia in the arms of  her parents, Bernhardt and Eva Maria Miller on  September 19,  1749.   She traveled to the new world  from Bödigheim, Germany first down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and then aboard the ship  "Patience" to cross the ocean.  From the book, "Pennsylvania German Pioneers, A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals In the Port of Philadelphia" by Ralph Beaver Strassburger, it is learned that the child was one of 270 people who had made the journey aboard the ship "Patience" from the the Palatinate & Duchy of Württemberg regions of Germany. 

Her parents, Bernhardt Müller  and Eva Maria Müllerin (who may have been his cousin) were married June 9, 1747 in Bödigheim.  Maria Barbara was born nine days later!   Her baptism  record  from the church in Bödigheim says that she was born between 1 and 2 in the morning on June 19, 1747.  Maria Barbara Miller, became known as Barbara throughout her lifetime because of the old German custom of a child being called by their middle name.  In old German naming patterns, the first name was a "church" or "baptism" name, so children would have been called by their middle name.   Here is a photo copy of her  record of baptism from the church in Bödigheim, Germany, supplied to me by another researcher.

Given the opportunity for a fresh start in the New World, and to cover the stigma of their love affair before marriage,  Bernhardt  and Eva Maria  changed Barbara's birth year to 1751 when they got to America.   No one seemed to be the wiser for it, 1751 is the date recorded on her gravestone!
 

Soon after arriving the Bernhardt Miller family settled in Northampton County Pennsylvania.  Bernhardt,  who was a bauern (farmer) in Bödigheim and planned to continue making a living in agriculture here, had received a patent for 87 acres of land in Williams Township, near Easton, Pennsylvania from the Penn Family.  Barbara grew up there with her eight siblings, who were George, Henry, Bernard, Valentine, Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Eve and Frederick, all  born in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. You can read more about the Miller clan.

When she was 20 years old, Barbara married Paulus Brodt. He was  born September 19, 1733 in Lixhelm, Lorraine, France.    Barbara and Paulus had ten children.  Mary, Barnet, Frederick, Conrad, Margaret, Michael, Catherine, Anna Rosina, Jacob and Susanna.  But soon after Susanna was born Paulus died in December of 1782; he was 48.   He was a tanner and transported his hides up and down the Delaware River.  It is said that he died as a result of a boat accident.

With ten children to care for, Barbara soon remarried to  William Gruver.  He was born in 1733 and is reported to have lived to be  108 years old.  Together Barbara and William had five children. They were Johannes, Daniel, Elizabeth, William and Maria Barbara. 

Surviving the ocean voyage to get here  and raising 15 children  was  enough for one woman to accomplish in her lifetime!  She lived to be 77 years old and was buried  at  the Forks Cemetery -  The inscription  on her gravestone reads:
                                GRUBER, Barbara, b. 1751,  d. 20 Mar. 1825 

                                      

Maria Barbara Miller Brodt Gruver is my great, great, great, great, great  grandmother!  She became the ancestor  of thousands of descendants.   I am a descendant of her daughter Susanna Brodt who married Christopher Illick.  It just so happens that Ronnie is  a descendant of her son Johannes Gruber.  I have calculated that that relationship makes us seventh half cousins, once removed.   Gotta love genealogy research... never know what you will find out! ♥

                                       This page and all contents © 2012 Cynthia H. Smith
                                                    Email  to chsmith47@yahoo.com
GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to enjoy. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

                Email address--- chsmith47@yahoo.com

L is for Lois

My mother, Lois, turned 90 in March.  We celebrated her day with family and friends bringing her their love and kisses and many good wishes.   Isn't she a cutie?

Lois Marie McEwen  is the daughter of Homer McEwen and Eliza Long.  (You read about Eliza earlier.)  Lois  grew up on a farm outside of Richmond, Pennsylvania where she was born.   She attended a one room schoolhouse until the 8th grade, than graduated high school at Bangor, Pennsylvania.  She attended  college at Asbury College in Wilmore,  Kentucky  for two years where she met my dad, Richard Hughes who was studying for the ministry.

She  always took great pride in being a minister's wife.    I have always felt that the people of the churches where my dad was the pastor truly loved Mother.   She was always serving as Sunday school teacher, women's leader and youth leader.   She has held many leadership roles in the Methodist Church Women's Organizations.  She has a very lovely  voice and often led or sang in the various choirs at the different churches.

You can visit  my web page,  See How They Grew for the story of all the places we lived  and  some pictures of  Lois and her family.

Here  she  is with her great granddaughter Madeline,  her granddaughter Sarah and her daughter.... yes that is me, Cindy. This picture shows Madeline's Maternal Family.  Now that is an interesting concept.  What do we know about our maternal forebears?  It is unique in that  it only climbs the female branch of your family tree on your mother's side.

As a tribute to my mom I am going to show our maternal family  tree.  We share this tree with just a few  select people:  my sister Sharon, my sister Deb and her daughter, Laura.

Our Maternal Family Tree.

Madeline Elizabeth Hammond,  who is the daughter  of

Sarah Elizabeth Smith, who is the daughter of 

Cynthia Marie Hughes, who is the daughter of  

Lois Marie McEwen,  who is the daughter of

Sarah Eliza Long, 1899 - 1987,  who was the daughter of  

Ella Mae Heffner, 1871 - 1945, who was the daughter of 

Ann Eliza States, 1832 - 1896, who was the daughter of 

Catherine Mumper,  1808 - 1888, who was the daughter of 

Elizabeth Jane Kiner,  1791 - 1875,  who was the daughter of 

Anna Maria Hartman 1757 - 1848,  whose mother's name is unknown to me at this time.   More research for me to do.

Lois is the mother of  five children, Steve, Sharon, Cynthia, Deborah and Richard.  They have made her the grandmother of  nine, Kara, Aaron, Tim, Mark, Richard, Sarah, Laura, Jacob, and Mark.  And now she is the beloved great grandmother of seven little ones, Abby, Madeline, Owen, Henry, Luke, Matthew and Benjamin.  We all love you Mom!

                                              This page  © 2013,  Cynthia H. Smith
                                            Send email  to chsmith47@yahoo.com

GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to enjoy. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

                Email address--- chsmith47@yahoo.com