Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Birth4 December 1777, Berks Co, PA
Memo(death record)
Death24 September 1852
Memo(death record)
FatherJohn Arter
MotherAnna Maria Diehl
Spouses
Birth22 December 1780, Longswamp Twp, Berks Co, PA
Memo(find-a-grave, from Meiser, not sure the basis)
Death30 April 1815, Shamokin Twp, North'd Co, PA
Memo(newspaper notice)
BurialBlue Church, Ralpho Twp, North'd Co, PA
FatherDavid Mertz (P2) (~1745-<1822)
MotherBarbara Miller (~1758-1834)
Marriageabout 1805
Parent-Proof notes for Elizabeth Arter
Her death record named her parents as John Arter and Anna Maria Diehl. She was born in Berks County 4 Dec 1777.
Everything else I know about her conforms to that. We know from Census that her name was Elizabeth and we know from Orphans Court records that John Arter was appointed guardian for John (Jr.) after the death of John. An 1810 deed (Deed Book Q) lists her as an heir of John Arter and wife of John Martz -- the heirs were giving the land for St Peter’s Church in Shamokin Township.
Elizabeth’s brother Abraham married John’s sister Maria Elizabeth.
Everything else I know about her conforms to that. We know from Census that her name was Elizabeth and we know from Orphans Court records that John Arter was appointed guardian for John (Jr.) after the death of John. An 1810 deed (Deed Book Q) lists her as an heir of John Arter and wife of John Martz -- the heirs were giving the land for St Peter’s Church in Shamokin Township.
Elizabeth’s brother Abraham married John’s sister Maria Elizabeth.
Census History notes for Elizabeth Arter
Starting in 1820, after her husband died, she was variously listed as ether Widow or Elizabeth in Shamokin Township in 1820-1840. In 1850, Elizabeth Mertz age 70 lived in Shamokin Township with her daughter Elizabeth who had married Reuben Snyder and the three Snyder children: Ellen 7, David 6 and Sarah 4.
Find-a-Grave notes for Elizabeth Arter
Her death record says she died 24 Sep 1852 and was buried at St Peter’s Blue Church. Joseph Meiser picked up her birth and death date and place probably from that death record and listed her in his transcription of burials at St Peter’s.
Elizabeth Martz is on find-a-grave, based I think on Meiser. Curiously, no mention of her was noted by Gearhart in his 1937 transcription of St Peter’s. I doubt there is a surviving tombstone. I could not find one when I walked that cemetery.
The will of Elizabeth Martz of Shamokin Township was written 27 Apr 1852 and proved 11 Nov 1852. She named her four children: David, Maria wife of Samuel Raup, Elizabeth wife of Reuben Snyder and Jesse deceased left two daughters. She mentioned some tract of land previously agreed to be sold to Reuben Snyder.
Elizabeth Martz is on find-a-grave, based I think on Meiser. Curiously, no mention of her was noted by Gearhart in his 1937 transcription of St Peter’s. I doubt there is a surviving tombstone. I could not find one when I walked that cemetery.
The will of Elizabeth Martz of Shamokin Township was written 27 Apr 1852 and proved 11 Nov 1852. She named her four children: David, Maria wife of Samuel Raup, Elizabeth wife of Reuben Snyder and Jesse deceased left two daughters. She mentioned some tract of land previously agreed to be sold to Reuben Snyder.
Birth, Parent-Proof, Designation notes for John (Spouse 1)
J L Floyd, Joseph A Meiser and Allen Tallman are in agreement on the names of David’s children and who they married except Meiser and Tallman both show an extra son John. Tallman says he was born in 1774. Meiser says he was born 22 Dec 1780.
I agree that there was a son John, it is proven by the probate files of David's known son, David, who died in 1851 in Ohio and whose will and later property division named five brothers including John, deceased.
However, he was not born in 1774 as David Mertz and Barbara Miller were both still single as late as 1779. Meiser may be exactly right that he was born 22 Dec 1780 but I have no idea what the basis is of knowing that. He would have been baptized at Longswamp Reformed but no record of such a baptism exists. Meiser listed him on a transcription of Blue Church burials with that birth date and said he died 22 Sep 1852. That is clearly wrong and contradicted in his own book where it says he died in about 1814.
Since the birth date actually fits all the known facts, I have used that as his birth date. It is not proven but it is in the ballpark. My only other thought is that David also baptized an unnamed son born 1 Jun 1782. I think that child was maybe named Jacob and he died young but I cannot rule out it was John.
The fact that John was not mentioned by Floyd as a son of David is not really a problem since we know that John died very young and perhaps was simply overlooked by Floyd.
John was David’s oldest son and is designated P2a.
I agree that there was a son John, it is proven by the probate files of David's known son, David, who died in 1851 in Ohio and whose will and later property division named five brothers including John, deceased.
However, he was not born in 1774 as David Mertz and Barbara Miller were both still single as late as 1779. Meiser may be exactly right that he was born 22 Dec 1780 but I have no idea what the basis is of knowing that. He would have been baptized at Longswamp Reformed but no record of such a baptism exists. Meiser listed him on a transcription of Blue Church burials with that birth date and said he died 22 Sep 1852. That is clearly wrong and contradicted in his own book where it says he died in about 1814.
Since the birth date actually fits all the known facts, I have used that as his birth date. It is not proven but it is in the ballpark. My only other thought is that David also baptized an unnamed son born 1 Jun 1782. I think that child was maybe named Jacob and he died young but I cannot rule out it was John.
The fact that John was not mentioned by Floyd as a son of David is not really a problem since we know that John died very young and perhaps was simply overlooked by Floyd.
John was David’s oldest son and is designated P2a.
Relocated and Census Tracking notes for John (Spouse 1)
THE SHAMOKIN TOWNSHIP/SNYDERTOWN MARTZES. A John Martz showed up in Shamokin Township in the 1810 Census, the earliest Martz in that specific place. In 1820, John was not listed in Census but Widow Martz was and in 1830 this same (I assume) woman was named Elizabeth Martz. Finally, in 1850 we learn that Elizabeth was then about 70 years old -- thus born about 1780.
Everything fits with all the known facts that this was John, son of David, whose wife was Elizabeth Arter.
Everything fits with all the known facts that this was John, son of David, whose wife was Elizabeth Arter.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for John (Spouse 1)
A notice in the 12 May 1815 Sunbury Republicaner newspaper says: “Died, Sunday before last, John Merz of Shamokin Twp.” The date of death indicated was 30 Apr 1815.
There is a perfect and consistent fit between that death notice and what Census tells us about John of Shamokin Township, what Orphans Court records tell us about John, what we learn from his wife’s will and what we learn from his brother’s probate files.
John Martz is on find-a-grave. The initial memorial posted there was based on Joseph Meiser’s erroneous transcription 22 Dec 1780-22 Sep 1852. I convinced them to fix the date of death to conform to the newspaper notice. As of the summer of 2015, that is where things stand. Curiously, no mention of John was noted by Gearhart in his 1937 transcription of St Peter’s. I doubt there is a surviving tombstone.
There is a perfect and consistent fit between that death notice and what Census tells us about John of Shamokin Township, what Orphans Court records tell us about John, what we learn from his wife’s will and what we learn from his brother’s probate files.
John Martz is on find-a-grave. The initial memorial posted there was based on Joseph Meiser’s erroneous transcription 22 Dec 1780-22 Sep 1852. I convinced them to fix the date of death to conform to the newspaper notice. As of the summer of 2015, that is where things stand. Curiously, no mention of John was noted by Gearhart in his 1937 transcription of St Peter’s. I doubt there is a surviving tombstone.