Brick Walls and Inlaws

I worked on a question for my sister in law a couple of weeks ago. I have worked on various related families from time to time. My software lets me look at the families I have worked on in a pedigree form so I can see at a glance about four generations for whatever person I select.

After I looked at the Wrights for Deb, I got into her Francis, Monnin and Millet families. Her family lines were so interesting.

I looked at my other in-laws and decided I would get at least four generations on them. Sometimes you hit brick walls.

I kind of struck gold on my brother-in-law, Jack's family. At least his mother. Her maiden name was Syx. They were German and I traced them back to 1625 in Marienfels, Germany. The Shannons I took back to the 1700's. The Bauersachs were also German. I took them back to 1665. I went back about three generations on the Spears, but that was only to about the late 1700's. That was his mother's father's families.

On his mother's maternal side, I took the Cass family back to 1750 in Rhode Island. They were married to another Wright family who were from Maryland. I am still working on that side of his family.

But his father. I can only go so far from what I remember. I know his mother was married three times. Some things I picked up I don't remember Jack telling me and yet something sticks in my mind that he did say something. His father died young. It looks as if he were in an orphan's home in Xenia, Ohio when he was 7. No other census record fits so far. That is what niggles at me. It seems like he told me something about his father's history, but I can't remember the story.

I also found that his mother's third husband was first married to her sister. The sister died, Jack's father died and those two got together. That I don't think I ever remember him saying.

The Schenck's, my brother-in-law's family, I have done a little on. The Schencks I have back to Roelof Martense Schenck. He was born in Holland and came to America settling in Flatlands, Kings County, New York. The next line Jan Roelofse Schenck was in New Jersey. The next was John Schenck. Next was William Janse Schenck who was born in New Jersey and moved to Ohio where he died in Warren County. Next was David Schenck who moved to Ohio with his parents. Next was John David Schenck who was born in Ohio. He was the father of Obediah Schenck. Next was John David Schenck, then Paul David and then Lowell, David's father.

I was able to follow the Scharffs, Wombolds, Piles, Loy, Gebhart, and Sears who are other lines of Mr. Schenck. Benjamin Sears wife, Hannah, is a brick wall for me. So far I haven't found her maiden name.

David's mother, Virginia Gibson, has a bunch of holes in it. I only have the Gibsons back to James Gibson in Virginia. Issac Gibson's wife, Mollie Etha, is a brick wall. Following Mrs. Schenck's maternal lines I have traced the Shuemans, Geetings and Coblentz.

The Geeting name originates from Eberhard Guding born in 1629. Next is Herman, then Johan Ebert Guding and the next son, Johannes Heinrich takes on the new spelling of Geeting. He is the one who immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania. They have a lot of interesting lines.

My other sister-in-law is also a Deb. She has a Purvis line that I have taken back to 1677 when David Purvis was born. He immigrated to Virginia in 1693. His son, Thomas, was born in North Carolina. Next was his son, James, then his son, Jesse. The next in line, James, moved from North Carolina to Pulaski County, Kentucky. On the way to Kentucky they lived in Tennesse for a bit which is where the next in line, Alfred, was born. He moved from Pulaski County to Jackson County, Kentucky. The next in line was Henry Jame Purvis. Next was John Irvin Purvis. That was Debbie's grandfather.

I was able to follow the Abrahms line back to Pennsylvania. I followed the Asbill and Bicknell families.

Deb's mother was a Parker. The Parkers came from England. The oldest known to me was William who was born in Yorkshire, England and died in Cornwall. His son James was also in England. Richard was born in Cornwall and immigrated to Virginia. The next son was Richard as was the next. This third Richard was the one who moved from Virginia to North Carolina. Next in line was Daniel Parker followed by Isaac. Isaac named his next in line Daniel. Daniel's son Pleasant Lewis Parker moved from North Carolina to Clay County, Kentucky. The next in line was Alexander who moved the family to Laurel County, Kentucky. Next was Pleasant Parker. The next generation was Anderson Parker. His son was Kelly Parker, Mrs. Purvis' father.

I was able to follow their Truett, Browning, Faubush, Cathers, Moore and Robinson lines.

Deb, the other Deb, David's wife, was the Schwieterman line. I also found her Manetsch, Grieshop, Francis, Cordonnier, Monnier and Millet lines. Most of her lines were Swedish and French. Only her great grandmother Anna Hinders has been a stopper for me.

Gary's family the Dursch family is from Germany. I can go back to Joseph Dursch. Gary has given me some beautiful pictures of this line, but they aren't identified so, I can't even match them up the people yet.

The Apgars are also from Germany. I can take them back to 1669 to Johan Adam Ebgart. His great grandmother, Bertha Hoffke is a block, but I could find the Sharritts.

For his mother's side, the Boyers I can only take back to Pennsylvania in 1819 so far. I have taken the Emrick line back to 1652 in Germany. The Weavers I can take back to George Weber, then Hans Weber, then Johan Andreas Weber, and Johan Enoch took the name Weaver. He is the one who immigrated to America from Germany and lived in Pennsylvania. His son John Jacob Weaver moved his family from Pennsylvania to Jefferson Township, Ohio. The next child was Peter Samuel Weaver then Henry P. Weaver. Next was William Henry Weaver, then Winfield P. Weaver. Winfield was the father of Eva Agnes Weaver, Gary's grandmother.

I have followed their Keedy, Silvers and Brinkley lines.

One interesting thing for Gary was his grandmother, Sarah Victoria Linebach who was married to Horation Allison Boyer. I can find her living with a Reed family in Germantown. She was 7 years old and there with a brother, Benjamin. I followed the Reed family and figured out that his wife was a Leinbach. I found the Leinbachs were in Pennsylvania and three children moved to Ohio. Later, when Mr. Reed is elderly and a widower, he lives with the Boyers. I know there is a connection and I am leaning toward Sarah being a neice of Sarah Leinbach who married Samuel Reed and also leaning toward that being her brother, Daniel's child, but I can't prove it yet. Once I get the connection there, I have the Leinbachs back to Germany also. I have pictures of the city they lived in and a lot of details about their occupations, etc.

Once I connect the Leinbach, who also got changed to Linebaugh, I will post their story because there are pictures and stories to go with it.

I don't know if any of my nieces or nephews look at this. If they do, I can send them a pdf file of their family trees on the other sides of their families. They just have to email me.

I am still looking for some of the brick walls, but I like doing the searching and fitting the pieces together.