Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Birth5 June 1825
Memo(baptism record, death certificate and find-a-grave say 5 Jun 1826)
Death2 April 1907
Memo(PA death certificate and find-a-grave)
FatherJohn Philip Mertz (G1a4) (1797-~1875)
MotherTheresa (1798-1885)
Birth, Parent-Proof, Designation notes for George Mertz (G1a4c)
His death certificate says he was the son of John Philip Mertz and Teresa Borliski — both born in Northampton County. He is designated G1a4c.
Relocated and Census Tracking notes for George Mertz (G1a4c)
George did not live with his parents in 1850, so where was he?
There was a George Martz, age 25 (exactly the right age), living in Mauch Chunk with Nathan Martz age 33 and Elija (a female who I think was Eliza) age 22. Nathan and George were butchers.
This seemed obviously to be George, son of Philip so I had to consider that Nathan possibly was another son of Philip — though tick marks in Census allowed for only one son of his age and I believe that was Charles.
And then I remembered. I knew who Nathan was. He was born in Northumberland County, the son of Henry Martz of that place whose wife was Elizabeth Fegely. A biography of Nathan in a Northumberland County history book says that as a young man he went to work for his Fegely uncles at their store in Mauch Chunk. (Their store must have been a grocery store or butcher shop.)
And I knew a few more things about this Nathan. For one thing, his wife, who he married in Allentown in 1847, was Eliza, born in 1827. She was obviously the Elija in Census. My conclusion is that Nathan and Eliza had nothing to do with the other Mertzes of Carbon County — they were interlopers for a brief time.
George is not quite so easy. It turns out that Nathan had a brother George, though he was not named in an 1851 document that presumably listed all of Henry’s children. If George of Mauch Chunk was Nathan’s brother, who otherwise I can’t account for in 1850, he must have died not very long after that Census.
So I don’t know where Philip’s son George was in 1850 and the age was exactly right that maybe he was this other George, though that would be a very strange coincidence to be living with Nathan who he was not related to. What has finally convinced me that George in Mauch Chunk was indeed Nathan’s brother is his occupation. Philip’s son George, who I can find in 1860-1880 Census, was always a blacksmith. My conclusion is Philip’s son George just went missing in the 1850 Census and George of Mauch Chunk was of the Northumberland County family.
There was a George Martz, age 25 (exactly the right age), living in Mauch Chunk with Nathan Martz age 33 and Elija (a female who I think was Eliza) age 22. Nathan and George were butchers.
This seemed obviously to be George, son of Philip so I had to consider that Nathan possibly was another son of Philip — though tick marks in Census allowed for only one son of his age and I believe that was Charles.
And then I remembered. I knew who Nathan was. He was born in Northumberland County, the son of Henry Martz of that place whose wife was Elizabeth Fegely. A biography of Nathan in a Northumberland County history book says that as a young man he went to work for his Fegely uncles at their store in Mauch Chunk. (Their store must have been a grocery store or butcher shop.)
And I knew a few more things about this Nathan. For one thing, his wife, who he married in Allentown in 1847, was Eliza, born in 1827. She was obviously the Elija in Census. My conclusion is that Nathan and Eliza had nothing to do with the other Mertzes of Carbon County — they were interlopers for a brief time.
George is not quite so easy. It turns out that Nathan had a brother George, though he was not named in an 1851 document that presumably listed all of Henry’s children. If George of Mauch Chunk was Nathan’s brother, who otherwise I can’t account for in 1850, he must have died not very long after that Census.
So I don’t know where Philip’s son George was in 1850 and the age was exactly right that maybe he was this other George, though that would be a very strange coincidence to be living with Nathan who he was not related to. What has finally convinced me that George in Mauch Chunk was indeed Nathan’s brother is his occupation. Philip’s son George, who I can find in 1860-1880 Census, was always a blacksmith. My conclusion is Philip’s son George just went missing in the 1850 Census and George of Mauch Chunk was of the Northumberland County family.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for George Mertz (G1a4c)
George is on find-a-grave, there is no sign of his wife.
I found a brief obituary for him in the Lehighton Press dated 5 Apr 1907. “George Mertz died at the home of his son Blacksmith Charles Mertz on Tuesday morning, aged 80 years, 9 months and 6 days. He is survived by the following sons and daughters: Mrs. Benjamin Xander, Charles and Mrs. Jefferson Arner, Mahoning; Mrs. Alfred Werley, Phillipsburg; Alex and Nathan, Easton, and Mrs. John Gombert, of Sayre.”
I found a brief obituary for him in the Lehighton Press dated 5 Apr 1907. “George Mertz died at the home of his son Blacksmith Charles Mertz on Tuesday morning, aged 80 years, 9 months and 6 days. He is survived by the following sons and daughters: Mrs. Benjamin Xander, Charles and Mrs. Jefferson Arner, Mahoning; Mrs. Alfred Werley, Phillipsburg; Alex and Nathan, Easton, and Mrs. John Gombert, of Sayre.”