Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Spouses
Birthabout 1819
Memo(Civil War Draft Registration)
DeathSeptember 1868, Iowa
Memo(court discussion of Iowa land sale involving John)
FatherHenry Martz (H2b) (1791-1870)
MotherJulia A Timberly
Census History notes for Elizabeth Norris
By 1880, she has remarried George Knight and now lives in Kansas. The Marts names in her 1880 household are just a little confusing. Some are her children but also her son Benjamin had by 1880 married George Knight’s daughter Susanna and they had a new born daughter named Mary also present.
Birth, Parent-Proof, Designation notes for John (Spouse 1)
IDA Rees, who wrote a book on “Big Henry” and his family of Adams County, Indiana lists John, born 1820, as Henry’s second son. But I only ever could find him in the 1850 Census living as a neighbor to his father and brother and then he seemed to disappear. Where’d he go?
Separately, at some point I became aware of an Elizabeth Martz, the widow of John, who in 1870 was living in Iowa with seven young children, six born in Wisconsin from 1857 to 1866 and the youngest born in 1879 in Iowa.
We always had a theory that Elizabeth’s husband John was none other than Henry’s son John, but I could not connect enough dots to believe there was enough evidence to make that connection.
Finally, in 2020, the dots emerged and that connection is now proven. The dots we connected were these:
We knew that the widow Elizabeth was Elizabeth Norris, daughter of Loyd Norris (note the name of her oldest son was Loyd). In 1850, Elizabeth, age 17, was still living at home and home was Bearcreek Township, Jay County, Indiana. In 1850, John was living near his father in Monroe Township, Adams County, Indiana. Monroe County adjoins Jay County and the the two townships were separated by just one intervening township (Wabash). In other words, John and Elizabeth lived not far apart at all.
Ida Rees also said Henry had a son William and he was a person I never could find anywhere. Imagine my surprise when I finally found him in the 1860 Census living in Wisconsin, a neighbor of Loyd Norris. He had married Sophia Norris, Loyd’s daughter and Elizabeth’s sister.
And we learned that John Martz had died in Iowa in 1868. And people familiar with the 1860 Census of Richland County, Wisconsin said it was notoriously bad at having skipped many persons.
So John was in Adams County, IN in 1850, in Richland County, WI in 1860 (but skipped in Census) and then died in Iowa in 1868 leaving his widow and children who can be found there in 1870.
And finally, Kimberly Martz-Platt found, among the estate papers of Henry Martz of Adams County, record that Jacob H Martz (Henry’s oldest son) was appointed guardian for a set of children whose names exactly match the names of the children living with the widow Elizabeth Martz in 1870.
John is designated H2b2.
Separately, at some point I became aware of an Elizabeth Martz, the widow of John, who in 1870 was living in Iowa with seven young children, six born in Wisconsin from 1857 to 1866 and the youngest born in 1879 in Iowa.
We always had a theory that Elizabeth’s husband John was none other than Henry’s son John, but I could not connect enough dots to believe there was enough evidence to make that connection.
Finally, in 2020, the dots emerged and that connection is now proven. The dots we connected were these:
We knew that the widow Elizabeth was Elizabeth Norris, daughter of Loyd Norris (note the name of her oldest son was Loyd). In 1850, Elizabeth, age 17, was still living at home and home was Bearcreek Township, Jay County, Indiana. In 1850, John was living near his father in Monroe Township, Adams County, Indiana. Monroe County adjoins Jay County and the the two townships were separated by just one intervening township (Wabash). In other words, John and Elizabeth lived not far apart at all.
Ida Rees also said Henry had a son William and he was a person I never could find anywhere. Imagine my surprise when I finally found him in the 1860 Census living in Wisconsin, a neighbor of Loyd Norris. He had married Sophia Norris, Loyd’s daughter and Elizabeth’s sister.
And we learned that John Martz had died in Iowa in 1868. And people familiar with the 1860 Census of Richland County, Wisconsin said it was notoriously bad at having skipped many persons.
So John was in Adams County, IN in 1850, in Richland County, WI in 1860 (but skipped in Census) and then died in Iowa in 1868 leaving his widow and children who can be found there in 1870.
And finally, Kimberly Martz-Platt found, among the estate papers of Henry Martz of Adams County, record that Jacob H Martz (Henry’s oldest son) was appointed guardian for a set of children whose names exactly match the names of the children living with the widow Elizabeth Martz in 1870.
John is designated H2b2.
Relocated and Census Tracking notes for John (Spouse 1)
I have only ever found John in Census in 1850. By 1860, we are certain he had moved to Wisconsin where we find his father-in-law and his brother living next door to each other and somehow John most have been there too but was simply skipped over by the Census taker.
The question to which I have no answer is what happened to what must have been John’s first wife and two daughters he had by her as known from the 1850 Census.
The question to which I have no answer is what happened to what must have been John’s first wife and two daughters he had by her as known from the 1850 Census.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for John (Spouse 1)
I do not think John is on find-a-grave.