Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Birth13 February 1820
Memo(baptism record for Carl, find-a-grave says 7 May 1816, but I think it wrong
Death25 August 1900
Memo(obituary, find-a-grave says 18 Sep 1800, but I think it wrong and death record says 15 Aug)
BurialGnaden Huetten, Lehighton, PA
FatherJohn Philip Mertz (G1a4) (1797-~1875)
MotherTheresa (1798-1885)
Spouses
Birth13 December 1821
Memo(find-a-grave)
Death12 August 1902
Memo(find-a-grave)
BurialGnaden Huetten, Lehighton, PA
Birth, Parent-Proof, Designation notes for Charles Mertz (G1a4a)
This Charles is a bit of a mystery — or maybe not one at all. The doubt comes from the fact that Charles was born in 1816, per his find-a-grave memorial. But Philip baptized a son Carl in 1820 and it is clear from tick marks in the 1820 and 1830 Census, that Philip had just one son of the age that both Carl and Charles would have been. Perhaps Carl died quite young but why would Philip have named a son Carl when he already had one named Charles?
It is my belief that Charles’ find-a-grave memorial is just wrong. It is my belief that Charles in Census in Mahoning Township was none other than Carl born 1820. Carl/Charles is designated G1a4a.
It is my belief that Charles’ find-a-grave memorial is just wrong. It is my belief that Charles in Census in Mahoning Township was none other than Carl born 1820. Carl/Charles is designated G1a4a.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for Charles Mertz (G1a4a)
Charles has two find-a-grave memorials, one at Gnadden Huetten Cemetery and one at St. John’s Cemetery, both in Lehighton.
I issued a photo request for both of them and heard back from Brenda Artz who seems to have photographed both cemeteries, has lists of burials at both and seemed quite knowledgeable about both. She says there is no evidence that either Charles or his wife Elizabeth is buried at either cemetery. His Gnadden Huetten memorial says he is in Plot #2 — and Brenda said there is evidence that C H Mertz once owned Plot #2, but does not appear to be buried there.
Both memorials say he was born 7 May 1816 and died 18 Sep 1900. Brenda, though, sent me his obituary from a Lehighton Press newspaper article dated Aug 31, 1900 (a Friday) which said he died Saturday (meaning 25 Aug) and was buried Tuesday (i.e. the 28th). It also said he was age 84 (possible confirmation of an 1816 birth) and left five grown sons (naming only Al and Granville) and three daughters.
It is also curious that for a brief time, on Charles’ find-a-grave memorial, there was an image of a document that listed the names and ages of men eligible for the draft in 1863 in Carbon County. That list included George Mertz age 37 (correct), Joseph age 42 (correct) and Charles age 43 (possible evidence for an 1820 birth).
And then, just to further complicate things, a long time correspondent interested in Charles sent me a death record for him saying he died 15 Aug (which was a Wednesday) and was buried the 18th (which would be Saturday).
So clearly this is all a mess. Since there is no tombstone anywhere for Charles, clearly his find-a-grave memorial is the most suspect — although the 18 Sep date there “resonates” with the 18 Aug date on his death record. And then his obituary says he died Saturday (the 25th) while his death record says he was buried Saturday (the 18th).
In any event, I simply don’t believe any date on his find-a-grave memorial. And I think we can be sure he died in August And as to the question of whether to believe his obituary or death record, I think the newspaper article has to be given more credibility at least as to his date of death.
There is a something a little suspect about the death records. They were filed or submitted about every 6 months and at first glance looked like the submitter sort of kept a running log as deaths occurred and then turned in his log at the end of about six months.
But the lists are not all in exact chronological order — some deaths pre-date what otherwise is the time period of the report. For example, they reported say on June 26 and then again on Dec 28 but on the Dec 28 report there might be a death that occurred prior to June 26.
Clearly, there were delays sometimes in terms from when a person died until it was reported and so I wonder if such delays might call into question the accuracy of the dates reported.
For now, I am using the date from the baptism record for Carl as Charles’ birth date and the date of death from his newspaper obituary.
I issued a photo request for both of them and heard back from Brenda Artz who seems to have photographed both cemeteries, has lists of burials at both and seemed quite knowledgeable about both. She says there is no evidence that either Charles or his wife Elizabeth is buried at either cemetery. His Gnadden Huetten memorial says he is in Plot #2 — and Brenda said there is evidence that C H Mertz once owned Plot #2, but does not appear to be buried there.
Both memorials say he was born 7 May 1816 and died 18 Sep 1900. Brenda, though, sent me his obituary from a Lehighton Press newspaper article dated Aug 31, 1900 (a Friday) which said he died Saturday (meaning 25 Aug) and was buried Tuesday (i.e. the 28th). It also said he was age 84 (possible confirmation of an 1816 birth) and left five grown sons (naming only Al and Granville) and three daughters.
It is also curious that for a brief time, on Charles’ find-a-grave memorial, there was an image of a document that listed the names and ages of men eligible for the draft in 1863 in Carbon County. That list included George Mertz age 37 (correct), Joseph age 42 (correct) and Charles age 43 (possible evidence for an 1820 birth).
And then, just to further complicate things, a long time correspondent interested in Charles sent me a death record for him saying he died 15 Aug (which was a Wednesday) and was buried the 18th (which would be Saturday).
So clearly this is all a mess. Since there is no tombstone anywhere for Charles, clearly his find-a-grave memorial is the most suspect — although the 18 Sep date there “resonates” with the 18 Aug date on his death record. And then his obituary says he died Saturday (the 25th) while his death record says he was buried Saturday (the 18th).
In any event, I simply don’t believe any date on his find-a-grave memorial. And I think we can be sure he died in August And as to the question of whether to believe his obituary or death record, I think the newspaper article has to be given more credibility at least as to his date of death.
There is a something a little suspect about the death records. They were filed or submitted about every 6 months and at first glance looked like the submitter sort of kept a running log as deaths occurred and then turned in his log at the end of about six months.
But the lists are not all in exact chronological order — some deaths pre-date what otherwise is the time period of the report. For example, they reported say on June 26 and then again on Dec 28 but on the Dec 28 report there might be a death that occurred prior to June 26.
Clearly, there were delays sometimes in terms from when a person died until it was reported and so I wonder if such delays might call into question the accuracy of the dates reported.
For now, I am using the date from the baptism record for Carl as Charles’ birth date and the date of death from his newspaper obituary.
Known Sons notes for Charles Mertz (G1a4a)
From the 1850 Census, Charles had three sons by that date:
G1a4a1 Nathan born 1846
G1a4a2 William born 1847
G1a4a3 Alfred born 1850
There were several other sons born later that I have not tracked further. But one of these later sons is quite important: son John age 6 in 1870 and age 15 in 1880. He was the ancestor of the man in the Mertz/Martz DNA project described as “John Philip Mertz born in 1863 in Packerton, PA”. His PA death certificate says John P Mertz 15 Jul 1863-1 Nov 1918, son of Charles Mertz and Elizabeth Hontz.
The DNA conundrum is this: if John P descends from Charles and if Charles was Carl born in 1820 son of an older John P(hilip) and if the older John P was of the Heidelberg family, then clearly the Heidelberg family has some relationship to that of Theobald Martz (T), the Frederick, Maryland line.
But if somehow John P born 1863 was not a descendant of the Heidelberg family, then there are other mysteries to be solved as to how someone born in Packerton descended directly from Theobald. And if that is the case, where is the weak link in the supposed connections from John P back to George the immigrant? Is the weak link Charles who was born in 1816 and was not the son of John Philip? Or was it John Philip who just appeared in East Penn Township and it was only coincidence that George had previously been there?
The possibilities are endless but my belief is I do have the connections right and that the connection between the Theobald Martz family of Frederick, MD and the George Mertz family of Heidelberg goes back to their European ancestors.
G1a4a1 Nathan born 1846
G1a4a2 William born 1847
G1a4a3 Alfred born 1850
There were several other sons born later that I have not tracked further. But one of these later sons is quite important: son John age 6 in 1870 and age 15 in 1880. He was the ancestor of the man in the Mertz/Martz DNA project described as “John Philip Mertz born in 1863 in Packerton, PA”. His PA death certificate says John P Mertz 15 Jul 1863-1 Nov 1918, son of Charles Mertz and Elizabeth Hontz.
The DNA conundrum is this: if John P descends from Charles and if Charles was Carl born in 1820 son of an older John P(hilip) and if the older John P was of the Heidelberg family, then clearly the Heidelberg family has some relationship to that of Theobald Martz (T), the Frederick, Maryland line.
But if somehow John P born 1863 was not a descendant of the Heidelberg family, then there are other mysteries to be solved as to how someone born in Packerton descended directly from Theobald. And if that is the case, where is the weak link in the supposed connections from John P back to George the immigrant? Is the weak link Charles who was born in 1816 and was not the son of John Philip? Or was it John Philip who just appeared in East Penn Township and it was only coincidence that George had previously been there?
The possibilities are endless but my belief is I do have the connections right and that the connection between the Theobald Martz family of Frederick, MD and the George Mertz family of Heidelberg goes back to their European ancestors.
Parent-Proof notes for Elizabeth (Spouse 1)
She is said to be the daughter of Leonhard and Maria Barbara (Sandel) Hontz on her find-a-grave memorial.