George Mertz was Mayor of Mound City in Pulaski County, IL when the History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois was published in 1883. Normally I don’t put much stock in what such county histories say, they often were wrong, but in this case I have to believe since George was such a prominent person, they must have gotten their facts directly from him.

His biography says he was born 20 Mar 1815 in New Berlin, PA, son of Hon. Isaac Mertz and Susan (Stahlnecker) Mertz.

I did not previously know that Isaac had a son named George but I did think he may have had sons I never knew about and while I did know that Isaac’s wife was Susannah, I did not previously know her maiden name. The Stahlnecker name though rang a bell as there was a Mary Mertz born 1792 who married Andrew Stahlencker and my best candidate to be her was Isaac’s sister Polly. The validity of each supposition is supported by the other.

George is designated P5a4.

In 2017, I heard from Anna Peeler who wrote:

George Mertz [of Mound City], was probably a close friend of my husband’s relative, George Stoltz (1832-1892), who was also a businessman in Mound City during the middle and later part of the 19th century. Their burial plots are near one another in Beech Grove and their names appear as signatories on documents, the most significant one to me is the request for the Pulaski County Court to administer the estate of Casper Keisker who was probably my husband’s great great grandfather.  When I read deed books in the Genealogical Library in Salt Lake City, I found that George Mertz' name kept coming up.  He would either be listed as an agent or as a seller or a buyer on deeds that George Stoltz or his mother-in-law, Anna Keisker, were party to, or he was listed on other buy/sell property transactions about the same time in the same deed book.

I write this because I think [anyone interested in George Martz] might be interested in those property records in the library in Salt Lake City.  [These would also be available on microfilm at any Family History Center.]

I am certain that George Mertz in Pulaski County staring in 1860 is this George and am also sure that George Mertz in Cincinnati in 1850 is also. I don’t know where he was in 1840, I don’t think he was living at home.

There is a man indexed by Ancestry.com as George Mertz in the 1830 Census. Someone has proposed a correction that it is George Mutz and it does look more like Mutz if that was even a name. This man lived in Beaver Township, Union County where the only other Mertz of that place was Israel Mertz, brother of George of Mound City. But I have concluded that George in Beaver Township was the cousin of Mound City George.

When cousin George married in 1839, he was said to be of Beaver Township and for sure cousin George already had a son before 1840, consistent with that Census listing. My feeling is that Mound City George may already have been moving west when he met his wife and their oldest child I know of was born after 1840. Moreover, the age is wrong — George of Mound City was 25, George of Beaver Township 30-39, just right for cousin George. Also, the Pulaski County biography of George, while not specific as to when he married, doesn’t seem to be compatible with the idea he was already married with two young children by 1840.

George was not on find-a-grave as of winter 2016. Curiously, his wife is there, but no photo. I think someone posted her memorial from her obituary and a visit to the cemetery would find George and Mary together.

So I posted a photo request for Mary and the wonderful lady, Alethea England, who went and found Mary also found George and several of their children.

His tombstone clearly shows a birth date of 20 Mar 1816, in conflict with the county history biography which says 20 Mar 1815. I have no idea which is correct but I have gone with the tombstone.

He had two sons born before the 1850 Census:

P5a4a Henry C born 1843
P5a4b George born 1847

From his biography and later Census, there was also Charles born 1851 who I have not bothered to track.

Her obituary from The Cairo Citizen of 20 Oct 1905 is on find-a-grave.

“Grandma Mary Mertz.

Mrs. Mary A. Mertz, relict of Judge George W. Mertz (for several years deceased), died at her home in this city on Monday, October 16th, 1905, at the advanced age of nearly 89 years.

Deceased was a native of the east, Maryland, and her maiden name was West. She resided, was reared and educated in the state of her nativity until after her marriage.

The couple immigrated to Mound City when this entire section was hardly more than a dense wilderness — 57 years ago.

Her passing most assuredly removes a veritable landmark.

Four children were born to the twain. Three of these, Capt. George E. and Charles Mertz, of this city and Harry Mertz, of Carbondale, survive the venerable subject of this brief sketch. An unmarried daughter, Miss Ida M. Mertz, departed this sphere of existence in Mound City about eighteen years ago.

Mrs. Mertz left ten grandchildren, namely: Mrs. Charles Wehrenberg, Jr., Willie Mertz, Mrs. Will S. Sanderson, of this city and Mrs. Robert H. Newnhouse, of Fulton, Ky., children of George E. Mertz; Albert, Joe S. and Miss Allie, of Mound City, children of Charles W. Mertz; Misses Bertie and Dora of Carbondale and George of Ashley, Ill., children of Harry Mertz. She also left seven great-grandchildren —the four children of Charles Wehrenberg, Jr., the one of Will S. Sanderson and the two of Willie Mertz.

The deceased was a lady of bright intellect, unusual strength of character, charitable disposition and consequent popularity.”

(William S. Sanderson married Jessie Mae Mertz on 22 Jul 1900, in Pulaski Co., Ill.)