Family History Home Page
Schwyhart

Sponsored by Vision to Action

Compiled by William L. Smith

---

Our family loves to explore our family history including all of its extensions. This page begins the SCHWYHART family (constantly under construction, just as our family is). We seek your input and comments on any and all we present at: smithwil@emporia.edu

Susan Schyhart married Walter W. Kinnick in Belmont Co, OH, in about 1834. See their story in Progress Report No. 1 of The Kinnck Project. More family details are provided below. We would love to hear from any other Schyhart researchers. Until then.... Enjoy.

Main Menu*:

Part One - The narrative - My Search for Susan

Part Two - The relationships - The Joseph Schwyhart Family

References/Endnotes [ ]

Surname Index

About the Compiler

* The above information was collected and compiled into a draft report as Progress Report No. 3 of The Kinnick Project on 18 Jun 1996. Modifications have been added 31 Jul 1999. Questions and comments are welcome

Return to top of page

My Search for Susan

"Joseph Schwyhart was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1786. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Zimmerman. The following are the names of their children: John, Joseph, Jacob, William, Susan, Sally, and Barbara; three others are dead." These sentences are from page 513 of a history of Knox township in a book written by T.F. Williams, 1882, Cleveland, titled: "The Household Guide and Instructor, with Biographies: History of Guernsey County, Ohio, with illustrations." I received a copy of this page from the Guernsey County Genealogical Society on 17 Jun 1996. It is the first time I have seen a confirmation in an historical document that Susan was, in fact, a daughter of Joseph.

Susan Schwyhart was (and is) my 3rd great-grandmother. I have known she married Walter W. Kinnick in about 1834, in Ohio, and that they had six children born in Ohio before they moved to Illinois in 1844. They appear with the first four children in the 1840 census in Wheeling township, Belmont County, OH. Their lives (and respective death, include birth dates) in Illinois is documented elsewhere. Her birthplace is consistently listed in the various census reports as PA. The rest of her early life, including specifics of the marriage, have remained a mystery. Even the spelling of her last name has been elusive. However, in recent months, enough independent sources have now been identified to support the current spelling as what she intended to be used consistently during her adult life (more on the surname spelling issue later).

My intent in this document at this time is to bring together for the first time the many snippets of information I have gathered from many, many sources into the first coherent compilation of what I now see as The Schwyhart Family, the family of Susan.

I have done extensive, although certainly not exhaustive, research, primarily using Ohio sources, of the surnames Swinehart, Swihart, and Schwyhart (and several variants of each). In her book, including the descendants of Gabriel Swinehart, Sr., Arlene Mansfield notes that one of the families did change their name from Swinehart to Swihart in the early 1800s. This change was followed by all members of the family pretty consistently in the following years.

She does not have definitive histories on the Joseph and Jacob Swinehart families that seem to have migrated from Washington Co, PA into Belmont and Guernsey Co, OH around 1800. She does include a number of documented instances where these names do appear in these locations, but not nearly all of them. There is much room for additional details to be pieced together as new information becomes available.

Based on census records and the available histories referenced below, and others I have reviewed, it is my opinion that the Joseph Swinehart in Belmont County in the 1830 federal census is probably the same person and family as the Joseph Schwyhart reported as a pioneer in Knox Township of Guernsey Co in 1820. It appears to me that his son, Joseph, Jr., remained in Guernsey Co and was responsible for most of the historical reporting, since he served in various township offices. I further believe that all of the children of this Joseph (Sr.) adopted the Schwyhart spelling for use in their adult lives. This name only begins to appear in the census and other records written after 1830, but is followed consistently thereafter.[Jul 99 comment - appears more strongly that this is true.]

The 1830 census of Belmont Co, Union Township, has a Joseph and a Jacob Swinehart family (including an 80-90 year old man, believed to be the father of the two, Jacob) living very near my 4th great-grandmother, Mary Kinnick. The mix of children of Joseph match up well with the now known family of Joseph Schwyhart from Knox Township, Guernsey Co, in 1820, the adjoining county. In addition, birth records in the LDS Ancestor file and IGI files, seem to support these assertions and assumptions. All are subject to further confirmation and/or disconfirmation, of course. All comments are welcome.[Jul 99 comment: It appears that James M. information in IGI, including son, George M, is incorrect. This James, who settled in Missouri in the later 1800s, is now much better documented, but, precise placement in the family is uncertain at this time.]

The next section of this report begins the process of assembling this array of data into a coherent pattern of a family in a readable format. It has many gaps, of course. Anything presented is subject to challenge and correction or update as new information becomes available.

Questions and comments are welcome.

Return to top of page

The Joseph Schwyhart Family

Joseph SCHWYHART was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1786 [1,4]. His wife was Elizabeth ZIMMERMAN (b. 1787, OH [4]; daughter of Henry ZIMMERMAN).\

Children of Joseph and Elizabeth SCHWYHART [Updated 31 Jul 1999]:

i SUSAN SCHWYHART, b. 2 May 1809, PA
ii JOSEPH Z. Jr.,SCHWYHART, b. abt 1811
iii Sarah E.(SALLY) SCHWYHART, [modified Jul 1999]
iv BARBARA SCHWYHART,
v JOHN SCHWYHART, b. 16 Jan 1818 [5]
vi CATHERINE SCHWYHART, b. 1820; d. 1875
vii JACOB SCHWYHART,
viii JAMES SCHWYHART - possibly [Jul 99]
ix ISAAC SCHWYHART, b. 15 Jul 1829, Belmont Co, OH [5]; d. Shiloh
x WILLIAM SCHWYHART, b. 1829 [4]
xi I. ANDERSON H. SCHWYHART, b. 1832 [4], d. by 1882) [1]

i SUSAN SCHWYHART, b. 2 May 1809, PA; m. Walter W. KINNICK; d. 27 Sep 1884, Bureau Co, IL. (This family is reported extensively elsewhere.)

ii JOSEPH Z. SCHWYHART,Jr. [1], m. Rachel A. MERCER (daughter of James and Maria MERCER), lived in Wheeling township for sixteen years, but since then Knox township has been home, he has held various township offices [1].

Children of Joseph and Rachel SCHWYHART (in 1882, eleven, eight living, all at home [1]):

C i Maria SCHWYHART [1], m. John DAWSON of Liberty [1]
C ii James SCHWYHART [1],
C iii Eliza SCHWYHART [1],
C iv Martha S. SCHWYHART [1],
C v Barbara Ann SCHWYHART [1],
C vi Mary Jane SCHWYHART [1], m. William A. LEWIS [3, p. 238].

Children of William and Mary Jane LEWIS:

D i Ida LEWIS [3],
D ii Lillis LEWIS [3],
D iii Jennie LEWIS [3], m. Jacob WEARSCH, brother of Philip (see Wilma LEWIS) [3].
D iv Wilma LEWIS [3], m. Philip WEARSCH 1903, set up housekeeping in Wheeling Township, his work with the lumber company took him to different locations in southern OH, but Guernsey was home base. Four of their six children were born there. For a few years, the Philip Wearsch's lived and worked in Rocky River. Upon retirement, they went back home to Guernsey where they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1953. Little Guernsey cemetery is the resting place of many of family and friends [3].

Children of Philip and Wilma WEARSCH (descriptions by Mary E. Westerfield):

E i Mary WEARSCH, b. 1904, m. Fred WESTERFIELD. She became an elementary teacher in Cambridge. After marriage, they lived in West Cleveland suburbs. They had ten children, 29 grandchildren and six great grandchildren [3].
E ii Gordon WEARSCH, b. 1906, m. and later lived in Michigan and Florida, but came back to live several years before his death in 1977. He had two adopted children and four grandchildren [3].
E iii Ruth WEARSCH, b. 1909, d. age eight years.
E iv Robert WEARSCH, b. 1912, married, two married children and three grandchildren all in the Guernsey County. He served in World War II with Patton's army in Germany [3].


E v Doris WEARSCH, b. 1914, m. Elwood BURTON, lived most of their married life in Rocky River. Two daughters, one in New York State and one near Cleveland, four grandchildren [3].
E vi Hayes WEARSCH, b. 1916, married and lives in Avon, OH, near his two sons and two grandsons [3].

C vii Corda Bell SCHWYHART [1], m. John NELSON [ 3]. Child: Eva Mae NELSON BAIRD.

iii Sarah E. (Sally) SCHWYHART [1], b. 1813; m. John Hanson WEEDON (son of Thomas and Letitia WEEDON, Thomas fought in both the Revolutionary War and in the War of 1812; John became a hatter by trade, making both silk and beaver hats); d. 1899. The family moved to Kimbolton in 1837 [3, p. 239].

Children of John and Sarah WEEDON:

D i Alfred WEEDON [3], b. 1836, enlisted in the Civil War in 1861 in Company R, 26th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, becoming a sergeant-major; m. Eliza Jane DULL (daughter of David and Charlotte Margaret (MARTEL) DULL), 1864. They moved to Adair Co, IA, in 1868; later they moved to Crawford Co, KS, where Elizabeth died leaving three small children. In 1872 Alfred brought his family back to Guernsey Co. He served as Clerk of the Courts for 6 1/2 years, and as Civil War Pension Agent for a number of years.

Children of Alfred and Eliza WEEDON:

E i Ella Nora WEEDON, m John MARLING: Children: Paul MARLING; Arthur MARLING; Lucille Lenore MARLING, m. Clyde Raymond THOMPSON; children: Raymond THOMPSON, b. 17 Aug 1914; and, Robert THOMPSON, b. 19 Mar 1917 [3].
E ii David WEEDON [3]
E iii Susan WEEDON [3]

D ii John WEEDON
D iii Thomas WEEDON
D iv Susan WEEDON
D v Elizabeth WEEDON

iv BARBARA SCHWYHART, b. abt 1815

v JOHN SCHWYHART, b. 16 Jan 1818 [5]; m. Margaret

Children of John and Margaret SCHWYHART [5]:

C i Rachel Ann SCHWYHART, b. 29 Jul 1836 [5]
C ii John SCHWYHART, b. 28 Oct 1838 [5]
C iii Elizabeth SCHWYHART, b. 21 Jun 1843, OH [5]
C iv Walter SCHWYHART, b. 16 Apr 1845 [5]
C v Jacob SCHWYHART, b. 2 Nov 1847 [5]
C vi Mary SCHWYHART, b. 20 Aug 1850 [5]
C vii Sarah SCHWYHART, b. 3 Apr 1852 [5]
C viii Susan SCHWYHART, b. 24 Oct 1854 [5]

Daughter of Jarius and Elizabeth STOREY:

Tessa Storey, b. 14 Oct 1871, d. 3 Apr 1952, m. 1 May 1906 Frederick Arrored REILLY, Kawanee, Henry Co, IL

Children of Frederick and Tessa REILLY:

i. Lawrence Nestor REILLY, b. 26 Feb 1909 (twin), d. 14 Feb 1996, Cottonwood, AZ; m. Vivian Beatrice HOLLY
ii. Clarence Arrored REILLY, b. 26 Feb 1909 (twin), m. 5 May 1935 Velma Hermina HEINRICK, Kawanee, Henry Co, IL
iii. Edith Genevieve REILLY, b. 23 Aug 1912, Kawanee, Henry Co, IL, d. 5 Nov 1975 Kawanee, Henry Co, IL; m. 16 Mar 1937 John Harvey KOMP, Kawanee, Henry Co, IL

i. Judith Kay REILLY, b. 21 Oct 1941, Rockford, Winnebago Co, IL, m. 26 Feb 1972 Joe Lyman VERMILION, Tempe, Maricopa Co, AZ (div)

ii. Holly Jo REILLY, b. 18 Jul 1948, Rockford, Winnebago Co, IL

Kevin Alan VERMILION, b. 5 Aug 1975, Mesa, Maricopa Co, AZ

vi CATHERINE SCHWYHART, b. 1820, Belmont Co, OH; m. John LEWIS (b. ca. 1817, PA/MD, d. 1852, Newcomerstown, OH) 1840; d. 1875, Guernsey Co, OH [2].

Children of John and Catherine LEWIS (and probably others):

C i Sarah E. LEWIS, b. 1 Nov 1843, Guernsey, OH; m. John FOLKERT (b. 5 Jun 1840, Guernsey Co, OH; d. 8 Mar 1913, Guernsey Co, OH); d. 10 Jul 1917, Guernsey, OH [2].

Children of John and Sarah FOLKERT (and probably others):

D i William D. FOLKERT, b. 24 Mar 1914, Guernsey, OH [2].

vii JACOB SCHWYHART,

ix ISAAC SCHWYHART, 15 Jul 1829, Belmont Co, OH [5]; m. Sarah Ann KIMBLE. Served in Co. H, Seventy eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Battles: Shiloh, Bolivar, Raymond, Champion Hills, Vicksburg, Canton, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Lovejoy and Bentonville; d. killed and buried at Shiloh, Civil War.

Children of Isaac and Sarah SCHWYHART [5]:

C i Isabella SCHWYHART, b. 28 Feb 1851, Guernsey Co, OH [5]
C i Lee Ann SCHWYHART, b. 8 Sep 1852, Guernsey Co, OH [5]
C i La Mira SCHWYHART, b. 18 Oct 1856, Guernsey Co, OH [5]
C i Mary A. SCHWYHART, b. 20 Mar 1858, Guernsey Co, OH [5]
C i Lydia M. SCHWYHART, b. 11 Sep 1860 [5]

x WILLIAM SCHWYHART, b. 1829 [4]; m. Ruth (b. 1823, OH [6]); farmer [6].

Children of William and Ruth SCHWYHART [6]:

C i Marjon SCHWYHART, b. 1846, OH [6]

C ii Henry SCHWYHART, b. 1847, OH [6]; m. Harriett FIELDS [5].

Children of Henry and Harriett SCHWYHART (probably others) [5]:

D i Clarence Edward SCHWYHART, b. 14 Jul 1873, Davis Co, MO [5]; m. Clara Thresa ROWE [5].

Children of Clarence and Clara SCHWYHART [5]:

E i Gladys Lorraine SCHWYHART, b. 15 Apr 1900, Durango, Laplata Co, CO [5]; m. Clarence Raymond FUNK [5]
E ii Elva Berneice SCHWYHART, 5 May 1903, Durango, Laplata Co, CO [5]; m. Clint Edwin WAGGONER & 3 others! [5]

C iii Landon SCHWYHART, b. 1849, OH [6]

xi ANDERSON H. SCHWYHART, b. 1832 [4], d. by 1882)[1]


Questions and comments are welcome.

Return to top of page

Endnotes

[1] The Household Guide and Instructor, with Biographies: History of Guernsey County, Ohio, with illustrations, by T.F.Williams, 1882, Cleveland.
[2] Ancestor Chart, No. 99, Compiler, William D. Folkert, 23 Apr 1976, part of the Five Generations in Guernsey County, GCGS, 1986, Vol 1.
[3] Guernsey County, Ohio, A Collection of Historical Sketches and Family Histories, Compiled by members and friends of the Guernsey County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society, 1979.
[4] 1850 federal census, Wheeling Township, Guernsey Co, OH.
[5] LDS church, Ancestoral File
[6] 1850 federal census, Bokes Creek Township, Logan Co, OH.
[7] LDS church, IGI File


Questions and comments are welcome.

Return to top of page

Surname Index

BAIRD, Eva Mae NELSON
BURTON, Elwood
DAWSON, John
DULL, David
, Eliza (Elizabeth) Jane
FIELDS, Harriett
FOLKERT, John
, William D.
FUNK, Clarence Raymond
KIMBLE, Sarah Ann
KINNICK, Mary
, Walter W.
LEWIS, Ida
, Jennie
, John
, Lillis
, Sarah E.
, William A.
, Wilma
MARLING, Arthur
, John
, Lucille Lenore
, Paul
MARTEL, Charlotte Margaret
MERCER, James
, Maria
, Rachel A.
NELSON, John
ROWE, Clara Thresa
SCHWYHART, Barbara
, Barbara Ann
, Catherine
, Clarence Edward
, Eliza
, Elizabeth
, Elva Berneice
, Gladys Lorraine
, Helen Agnes
, I. Anderson H.
, Isaac
, Isabella
SCHWYHART, George Mitchell
, Henry
, Jacob
, Jacob
, Jacob
, James
, James Garfield
, John
, John
, John Riley Yocum
, Joseph
, La Mira
, Landon
, Lee Ann
, Lydia M.
, Maria
, Marjon
, Martha S.
, Mary
, Mary A.
, Mary Jane
, Matilda Alma Mary
, Rachel Ann
, Sally
, Sarah
, Susan
, Susan
, Walter
, William
SWINEHART, Gabriel, Sr.
, Jacob
, Jacob
, Joseph
, Joseph Z., Jr.
THOMPSON, Clyde Raymond
, Raymond
, Robert
WAGGONER, Edwin
WEARSCH, Doris
, Gordon
, Hayes
, Jacob
, Philip
WEARSCH, Mary
, Robert
, Ruth
WEEDON, Alfred
, David
, Elizabeth
, Ella Nora
, John
, John Hanson
, Letitia
, Susan
, Susan
, Thomas
, Thomas
WESTERFIELD, Fred
, Mary E.
YOCUM, Margaret Elizabeth
ZIMMERMAN, Elizabeth
, Henry


Questions and comments are welcome.

Return to top of page

About the compiler

William L. SMITH, Ph.D., is the son of the late Delbert Leverne SMITH and the late Mary Eileen KINNICK SMITH OLSON. Dr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Iowa State University, his Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Accounting from Drake University, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Management from the University of Arizona. He also holds an Iowa certification as a Certified Public Accountant, not in practice.
Dr. Smith served as a personal assistant to Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray and as Deputy Commissioner of the Iowa Department of Social Services. Dr. Smith also served in the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force early in the Vietnam era. He and his wife, Nancy, owned and operated a nationally franchised accounting service for small and medium-sized businesses for a number of years, first in Iowa and then in Arizona. Dr. Smith is currently on the management faculty of the School of Business at Emporia State University.
Bill and Nancy are members of several county Genealogical Societies around the nation and visit local libraries wherever their travels take them to acquire that one more bit of family history information that will fill in a gap in one of the many lines they are working on at the time. Bill is County Coordinator of the Carroll Co, IA, site of the US GenWeb Project.


Dr. Smith also serves as Director of the Center for Business and Economic Development, the outreach arm of the School of Business at Emporia State University, and, Executive Director of the Kansas Business Hall of Fame. He invites you to visit the Web site for the Center at:
http://www.emporia.edu/n/www/ibed/center.htm

Electronic messages can be sent to:

SMITHWIL@emporia.edu

Fax messages can be sent to Dr. Smith at 316-343-7989 or phone messages can be left, 24 hours, at 316-341-5729. Your comments are welcomed.

Questions and comments are welcome.

---

This page originally created on March 14, 1998. Last updated October 2005. Maintained by William L. Smith

Children of James and Matilda SCHWYHART (probably others) [5,7]:

D i George Mitchell SCHWYHART, b. 18 Jul 1853, Belmont Co, OH [5,7]; m. Margaret Elizabeth YOCUM [5]

Children of George and Margaret SCHWYHART [5,7]:

E i John Riley Yocum SCHWYHART, b. 8 May 1890, Baxter, Stone Co, MO [5,7]
E i Matilda Alma Mary SCHWYHART, b. 8 Apr 1893, Baxter, Stone Co, MO [5,7]
E i Jame Garfield SCHWYHART, b. 8 Feb 1895, Baxter, Stone Co, MO [5,7]
E i Helen Agnes SCHWYHART, b. 26 Sep 1906, Baxter, Stone Co, MO [5,7]