The History of Dauphin County, PA has a biography for Daniel Martz and his son Jacob Rogers Martz of that place. It reads like many other county history books. It simply names Daniel’s ancestors, who it says were of Berks County, without citing any but the most basic facts and/or source references. I read it and at first totally dismissed it as myth.

Then as I was fleshing out what I knew about Daniel of Dauphin County (who I thought was the son of Jacob of the same place based on J L Floyd’s statement that Jacob had a son Daniel — I now think he did but it was a different Daniel) and found John age 66 living with Daniel in 1870, I realized that must be his father and I remembered this was what the county history said.

It all fit and I now basically buy into the whole family history as stated in that book. The idea that Peter had a son John is stated in several places, it’s just I never knew which adult John — or even whether he survived to adulthood — it was. Now, knowing who I was looking for and that he did live to at least 1870, and knowing a little bit about his family as told in the county history book, I think I have found glimpses of John over the years.

John is designated J3a.

This is what the county history book says about John: “John Mertz, son of Peter and Catherine (Phillips) Mertz, was born in 1801, in Berks County, and followed the calling of a miller. He was a man of education and refinement, as shown in the papers in the possession of his grandson, Jacob Rogers Martz. His position in the community was one of some prominence….He was a devoted member of the Lutheran Church. He married Sarah Powell, and their family consisted of the following children: Catherine, Daniel, Priscilla, John, William, and Charles. The death of John Mertz, the father, occurred in 1880.

The statement about the “papers in the hands of Jacob Rogers Martz” is especially intriguing. It makes me wonder if some of the whole family history back to Johannes the immigrant was given there. I wish it explained further. I’d love to see those papers.

For someone who achieved some level of prominence (according to the county history), it is hard in Census to be certain I have the right John (there were too many).

I have a few clues. A daughter is buried in Stouchsburg which is in Marion Township and a son is said to have been born in Bern Township, both Berks County places. Marion was formed from Tulpehocken and Heidelberg Townships in 1844. Two sons (and a daughter I think) later lived in Myerstown and/or Jackson Township, Lebanon County — which borders Marion Township.

There are several candidates in the 1840 Census in Bern and/or Tulpehocken Township, but none look exactly right. I seriously considered maybe he was the John in 1840 in Norwegian Township, Schuylkill County but that doesn’t seem right either.

I did though find him in 1850 in Tulpehocken Township and then in 1860, I’m sure he is John in Marion Township. The ages of everyone and the presence of Sarah, William and Charles in the household and a younger John nearby adds credibility to my assertion that this is him. It would have been nice had his occupation been miller.

In 1870, he lived with his son Daniel in Millersburg. In 1880, there was a John Mertz living in Myerstown, Lebanon County, the father of Kate Kunkleman. I would bet she was the daughter Catherine mentioned in the county history.

So John and his family were associated with Stouchsburg and later Myerstown, some are buried in each place and there are multiple Census listings of the family in both places.

The PA death certificate of Mrs. Priscilla Brown, born 10 Dec 1827 died 23 Sep 1908, says she was the daughter of John Martz and Sarah Paulis. No specificity for any of their birth places was given, all said just Pennsylvania. But it is interesting that Priscilla was to be buried in Stouchsburg.

According to the county history his sons were Daniel, John, William and Charles. I have found them all.

J3a1 Daniel born 1826
J3a2 John born 1833
J3a3 William born 1837
J3a4 Charles born 1843

The county history biography of her son Daniel gives her name as Sarah Powell, consistent with her name in the 1850 and 1860 Census. It is also consistent with the death certificate of her daughter Priscilla born in 1827 which gives her name as Sarah Paulis (close enough to Powell, I think, to not raise any questions).

So why does the death certificate of her son William say his parents were John Mertz and Catherine Stack? Had Priscilla been born later than William, I might think Catherine had been a first wife for John, but she was born before William.

I think it is just an error. I also note that the informant was William’s attending physician and I’m not really sure it says Catherine Stack, I maybe could read it more like Catherine Haak and Willam’s own wife was Mary Haak, possibly a source of the informant’s confusion.