We know there was a deceased son John from his father’s land partition, he pre-deceased his father. He is designated J2a1.

John lived in Alsace Township, then Richmond, his remnant family then in Maxatawny in 1870 and 1880.

There is a Johannes H Mertz buried at Fleetwood with birth and death dates shown. It is my theory that everyone named Mertz buried at Fleetwood is the family of Melchior and there is a lot of evidence for most of them linking them together in various ways. I believe Johannes H is the deceased son John.

From the 1850 Census, John’s two oldest sons were William and Joel. I believe William must be the William (1842-1851) buried in the same cemetery as his parents. So the only son to track further is:

J2a1a Joel born 1843

A book of Berks County biographies, in a write-up on Frank S, says John H had three children by his first wife Anna Warner: Annie and William, both deceased, and Joel. And by second wife Sarah Sailer he had five children: John S who married Lydia Keiffer, Frank S, Ellen married Owen Koller, Sarah married Philip R Hoch and one that died young..

Anna was John’s first wife, she died in 1846, after the birth of two sons. He then married Sarah Sailor.