by Carol Romig Dietrich
Johannes, son of Hans George and Anna Dorothea Romig, of Unterkessach, Germany, arrived in America, November 08, 1752, on the ship, "Snow Lousia", entering through the port of Philadelphia. Johannes settled a short distance to the west of Boyertown, in an area known as Worman, now Earl Township, bordering on Douglass Township, Berks County.
Johannes was the last of the four sons of Hans George and Anna Dorothea
to emigrate to this country. All four brothers settled in Pennsylvania. Three years prior to the arrival of Johannes, his youngest brother, Christian came to America choosing to settle in Lancaster County. In 1750, two other brothers, Hans George, and George Michael had arrived, and both settled in York county. After settling in the Worman area Johannes married Anna Maria Keihle (Keeley), daughter of Valentine and Susanna Keihle.
During the year 1767, Johannes took deed to ten acres of land, where he built a stone house and a Swiss barn, both still standing to this day, strong and proud. In 1780 there were three Romig farms in the Earl Township area, one is still owned by descendents of Johannes and Anna Maria. Early tax records show Johannes owning and paying taxes on one hundred and forty eight-acres. As time went on, Johannes added more land and the plantation grew to onehundred and eighty acres.
It was here, where Johannes and Anna Maria raised their children. Records of local churches show they had six children baptized. If there were more children, we do not know of them, at this time. The children were: the first born son, John, (b.1763 d.1822), married Magdalena Schwartzenback (b.1768 d.1843) and raised six children; George, (b.1765 d.1850), married Sophia Fritz (b.1773 d.1828) who had eleven Children; Christian, (b.1766 d.1844), married Catherine Speidel (b.1767 d.1844) and raised five Children; Jacob, (b.1772 d.1834) who married Susanna Weidner (b.1785 d.1864); who had four children, one of whom was blind her entire life; Catherine (b.1774 d.1787); and Henry (b.1776 d.1843) married to Catherine Spira (b.1781 d.1860).
All these children of Johannes and Anna Maria settled in Berks county,except for the youngest son, Henry. Henry and Catherine, and their only child, Henry Jr. moved to the Lincoln area of Lancaster County during the year 1807.
According to his 1804 will, filed in Berks County, Johannes left to his wife, Anna Maria, the use of their house, stable, garden, interest from a sum of money, for the rest of her life. The balance of his estate, including the farm located partly in Earl and partly in Douglas Township, was left to his oldest son, John. Johannes also provided for his remaining four sons and an Elizabeth Heppen- heimer. The reason for the bequest to Elizabeth Heppenheimer is not yet known. Was she a daughter, a sister, a friend or did
he owe her money? Johannes, named his oldest son, John and a his friend Jacob Keeley, executors of his estate.
Anna Maria, wife of Johannes, died during the year of 1807. The burial sites for Johannes and Anna Maria, are not known, although, records indicate they might be buried at Falkner Swamp Church. It is also possible that they were buried in the Fritz Cemetery, in Douglass Township, Berks County where their son, Christian, Christian's wife Catherina and many of their friends are buried. The burial site of Johannes and Ann Maria's daughter Catherine, has also not be found.
These are some of mysteries of the Romig family, that I will keep working to solve. I am proud of my ancestor, Johannes Romig, and believe he was a strong, proud, honest, hard-working man.
Sources:
Parrish register of Widdern Protestant Parish, Widdern, Germany
Baptism records, of New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, PA
Falkner Swamp Reformed Church Records, New Hanover Twp., Montgomery County, PA
St. Paul's Lutheran Records, Amityville, Berks County, PA
Copy of Will, probated Berks County, PA
Courthouse Earl Twp., Lancaster County, Tax Record of 1807
Fellow Romig researcher, Rod Romig Fritz
Cemetery researcher, Betty Burdan
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Estate of: Jacob Geiger, 1851: Pottsgrove, Montgomery Co, PA
Transcribed and Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Betty J. Burdan. <bjburdan@ptd.net>
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Petition for sale of real estate of Jacob GEIGER, dec'd, Pottsgrove
Oct 31, 1851 - E.B. 11, page 334, Montgomery Co., PA Archives
To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphans Court of Montgomery County.
The petition of John GEIGER, Administrator of Jacob GEIGER, late of the
township of Pottsgrove in said County, who died Intestate Respectfully
represents - That the said Intestate left issue twelve children to wit: Samuel,
Mary now the wife of George HATFIELD, Rebecca intermarried with Christian YERGY
who is now deceased, David, Catharine now the wife of John PEARCE, Sarah, now
the wife of Henry BEAR, Charles, Jacob, Henry, John, Christianna now the wife
of Jacob STITCHER, and Joseph, all of whom have attained their full age. That
the personal Estate of the said Intestate is insufficient for the payment of
his debts as by the account herewith produced appears: And that the said
Intestate died seized in his demesne as of fee and in a certain messuage [sic]
and tract of land situated in the township of Pottsgrove, fronting on the
Reading and Perkiomen turnpike and adjoining lands of Isaac CHRISTMAN, Jacob
GEIGER, and public road leading from the said Reading and Perkiomen turnpike to
the Swamp Churches, containing five acres more or less. Your petitioner there-
fore prays your honors to grant him and order to make sale of the said messuage
and tract of land with the appurtenances for the payment of the debts of the
said intestate and Herewith prays.
John GEIGER (signature)
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Inventory of Estate
A true and perfect Inventory and Conscionable appraisement of all the personal
Estate of the said Intestate. Amount of Inventory filed in Register Office -
$119.00
A just and true account of all the debts of the said Intestate which have come
to the knowledge of the petioners.
Jacob GEIGER, mortgage and note - $907.58; David WEAND - $5.17; Sarah BOLIG -
$ 6.38; Unstead WELLS - $1.49; Isaac RHOADS - $0.75; John GEIGER - $12.22
The within described premises is all the Real Estate of the said Intestate,
where so ever situate that has come to the knowledge of your petitioner.
John GEIGER (signature)
Montgomery County: Personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of
the Peace in and for said County John GEIGER the written named petitioner who
being duly sworn according to law did depose and say that the facts set forth
in the written petition and accompanying statements are true and correct to the
best of his knowledge and belief.
John GEIGER (signature)
This 31st day of October A.D. 1851. Jno H. HOBARD (signature)
We the undersigned do hereby certify that we have a knowledge of the written
described premises for which an order of sale is prayed, and that in our opinion
it is worth about the sum of Six hundred Dollars.
Levi RICHARDS (signature) Jonas SMITT (signature)
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Order to Sell, EB 11, p. 334
Where Upon, the Court, upon due consideration had of the premises, order and
direct that the said administrator.....expose the said Messuage and tract or
piece of land with the appurtenances, to sale by public vendue, or outcry,
and sell the same for the purpose in the said petition mentioned, for the best
price that can be had therefore - and that due public and timely notice of the
time and place of sale be given according to law, and the rules of the said
Court, and that he make report of his proceedings herein, to the next stated
Orphans Court to be held for the said County of Montgomery, after such sale.
By the Courts,
Clerk of said Orphans Court.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Report of Sale
To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphans Court of Montgomery County
The undersigned administrator written named Respectfully Reports - That in
pursuance of the written order of Court after having given due public and
timely notice of the time and place of sale he did on Saturday the 27th day of
December A.D. 1851 expose the lands and tenements therein mentioned to sale by
public vendue or outcry and sold the same to Jacob GEIGER for the sum of seven
hundred and fifty dollars ($750) he being the highest bidder and that being the
highest and best price bidden for the same - which sale so as aforesaid
made he prays may be confirmed by the court.
John GEIGER (signature)
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Additional from Will of Jacob Yorgey, 1884 Douglass Twp., Berks County, PA
Vol. 15, page 113:
Codicil to the will: 8-6-1877
I hereby declare as follows - My said daughter Rachel with her first husband
David Keyser, who is also deceased, left issue a son named Jacob Y. Keyser
and three daughters named Elmina, Leah, and Malinda. The five hundred dollars
mentioned in Item 2nd payable two years after the first day of April after my
decease, to my said daughter Rachel I now give and devise as follows-one
hundred dollars thereof to my grandchildren Edmond, Milton, Columbus and George
Wellington Geiger in equal shares......I hereby appoint Edmond Geiger to be the
guardians of his brothers Columbus and George Wellington Geiger......
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Rachel Yorgey (b1-24-184?) m. 1st David Keiser and had children: 1) Jacob,
2) Elmina m. John Egolf, 3) Leah m. Harrison Rhoads, and 4) Malinda m. John
Mauger. Rachel m. 2nd to John Geiger and their children were: Edmond Geiger;
Milton Geiger; Columbus Geiger; and George Wellington Geiger (b.1-26-1864 bpt.
Emmanuel Lutheran Ch., Pottstown, PA, sponsors were Jacob Yorgey and Sarah.
Jacob Hanselman Yorgey (1797-1884) m. Sarah Ann Reifsnyder (1800-1871) both
buried East End Cemetery, Pottstown, PA had children: Charlotte (1820-1905) m
Frederick W. Nieman; George (1821-1906) m. Elizabeth Bower; Rachel (b. 1824) m.
1st David Keiser, 2nd John Geiger; Christian (1825-1869) m. Matilda Fritz;
Ephriam (1828-1884) m. Hannah Bechtel; Leah (1831-1884) m. Henry Baker; Sarah
Ann (1839-1872) m. Henry E. Rhoads.
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Frederick A. Koons, son of Henry and Mary M. Koons, born 22 Mar 1805, Pa, married, 18 Oct 1825, Falkner Swamp Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, Pa, Elizabeth Fritz, daughter of Peter and Susanna Fritz, born 28 Jul 1805, Falkner Swamp, Montgomery County, Pa. He died 8 Sep 1872, Defiance Co. Oh, she died 1896. Both are buried in Brunersburgh Cemetery, Noble Township, Defiance Co., Oh.
Frederick A. Koons may have been an innkeeper in Philadelphia at one time. In his will he named his son Frederick M. Koons as administrator. The estate was inventoried 19 Oct 1872. Of interest in the estate inventory were: 35 head of sheep @ $1.75 per head, 1 buggy @ $75, 1 mare horse @ $1000.50, 1/2 interest in crosscut power wind saw @ $35, 1 table, 6 chairs, 6 knives and forks, 6 plates, 6 tea cups and 4 saucers, 1 sugar dish, 1 milk pot, 1 tea pot, and 12 spoons. The family bible was specifically mentioned in the inventory, but no mention of who recieved it. Frederick A. Koons is listed in the 1830 censes for Union Township, Berks County, Pa. In March, 1830, Frederick A. Koons purchased some 17 acres from Thomas M. Green for the sum of $400. This property was in Union Township, Berks County, adjacent to Henry, his father. (Berks County deed #39, page 116). In 1860 Frederick A. and Elizabeth are listed in the censes for Brunerburgh, Noble Township, Defiance Co., Ohio. His occupation was listed as farmer.
Henry Koons (father) was the son of Frederick and Mary Koons, born 29 Jun 1778, Pa, probably Limerick Twp., Montgomery Co., died 14 Jan 1859, Defiance Co., Oh. He married Mary Magdalena _______, 22 Feb 1782, Pa. Mary died 3 Dec 1868, Defiance Co., Oh.
In March, 1820, Henry purchased some 86 acres in Union Township, Berks County, Pa from Nicholas Brower, his brother-in-law, for $6000. At that time, Henry was from Upperprovidence Township, Montgomery County, Pa. (Berks Co., Pa deed #34, page 144). In March, 1830, Henry purchased an additional 6 acres adjacent to his first property in Union Township, from the estate of Abraham Brower for $212.50 (Berks Co., Pa deed # 39 page 174) In March, 1832, Henry then a resident of Philadelphand an Innkeeper, and his wife Mary Magdalena, sold the 6 acres and the original 86 acres for the sum of $4900 to George Snyder. (Berks Co., Pa deed #39, page 610)
Frederick (gandfather) Kuntz (now spelled Koons), son of George Michael and Eve (Engelhart) Kuntz, born 6 Jul 1744, died 19 Aug 1823, age 79. He married Mary Kendall, b. 7 Apr 1750, d. 31 Jul 1825. Frederick purchased land in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, Pa 19 Jun 1779 from John Umsted and wife Catherine (20 acres) and 27 May 1796 from Henry Boyer and wife Susanna, (26 acres). He died in Limerick Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa.
George Michael Kuntz (ggrandfather) arrived in the port of Philadelphia on 24 Sep 1727, according to the notation in his family bible which was still available in 1884. According to the book "Oath of Allegiance" by William Henry Egle, he arrived with Hans Michael Kunts, probably a brother or maybe his father. The "Abridged ompendium of American Genealogy" states that he came from the Palatinate, Germany. He settled on lands along Swamp Creek, Frederick Township, Montgomery County, Pa, and married Eve Engelhart, sister to Ludwig Engelhart, on the 1st day of April, 1732. George Michael was probably born about 1700, and died 10 Aug 1759. Eve died 27 Jun 1772. Both are buried in the Leydich Burying ground, (a four family cemetery) of which he had provided 1/4 of the property.
Jarad J. Koons, son of Frederick A. and Elithabeth (Fritz) Koons, born 3 Nov 1830, Berks Co., Pa, married 19 Sep 1852, Brunersburgh, Defiance Co., Oh Ellen Sewell, daughter of william and Rebecca Sewell, born 13 May 1836, Tuscarawas Co., Oh. Jared died 19 Sep 1906 Kidder, Caldwell Co., Mo Ellen died 4 May 1915, St. Joseph, Buchanan Co. Mo. Both are buried in the Kidder Cemetery, Caldwell Co. Mo.
Jared J Koons and Ellen moved to Missouri in 1878, settling on a farm north of Hamilton. Later they moved to a farm north of Kidder. About 1900 he engaged in the grocery and dry goods business in Kidder and subsequently embarked in the furnature and undertaking business in Kidder, until his death from typoid fever. He served at one time on the town board. At the time of his death he was living in Kidder, Caldwell Co., Mo were he lived on North Elm Street at Fifth Street.
The following is an excerpt from Jared's will, filed 22 Sep 1906, Caldwell County, Mo.
I give bequeath, and dispose of as follows, to-wit. To my beloved wife Ellen all my estate real and personal during her natural lifetime or during her widowhood without her giving bonds or security therefore of any kind, after her death or remarriage the whole property real and personal shall be equally divided between all my children, William F., Wayne A., Wallace W., Ida Belle Wilson, and Anna Gertrude if she remain unmarried and in bad health to the time of final division, as herin provided for, shall have two Hundred (200) dollars in addition to her share.
the inventory is listed as follows (it obliously included the store stock) : The drewling house and Buildings on Lots One (1) Two (2) Three (3) Four (4) Thirteen (13) Fourteen (14) fifteen (15) & Sixteen (16) in Block Thirty Two (32) and the Store Building & Ware House on the South 1/2 of Lot Seventeen (17) in Blk Ten (10) in the village of Kidder. County of Caldwell, State of Missouri.
Peter F. Koons, son of Frederick A. and Elizabeth (Fritz) Koons, born 6 Feb 1833, died 10 Aug 1909. He married 16 Nov 1856, Defiance Co., Oh; Rebecca A. Sewell, born 28 Jan 1833, died 13 Oct 1914. Both are buried in the Brunerburgh Cemetery, Noble Township, Defiance County, Ohio.
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Hezekiah R. Fritz 5-1-1a-1-6-1
From the Brief Personals of the History of Clarion Co. by Davis
Fritz Hezekiah R., Leeper, p.o. Farmington, was born in Berks Co, Pa on Aug 19, 1821. he was the third of eight children born to John and Catherine Fritz, an old and respected family of Berks County. Hezekiah came to Richland in 1840, where, in the same year, he married Caroline Klinger, by whom he had 14 children, eleven of whom are now living. Mr Fritz was always known as an industrious, honest citizen. He was often honored by his fellow townsmen with town offices, and held the postion of justice acceptably for a term of five yrs. By trade he was a mill-wright, but most of his latter yrs were spent farming and lubering. He died on Jan 25, 1883. He was an earnest member of the German Reformed Church of Beaver Township, but for many yrs past the family have resided in Farmington, Pa.
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From the Oil City Blizaard, Thursday, 12 Jan 1911
Death of one of Venango County's oldest residents occurred this morning. Mrs Harriet Fritz Koch, who celebrated the 94th anniversary of her birth Sept 19, 1910 at her home in East Sandy, died this morning at 6 o'clock. She was one of the oldest and best-known residents of the county.
This remarkable woman was born in Berks Co, Pa in 1816, being the daughter of John and Katherine Fritz. When 19 yrs of age she was united in marriage to Abtraham D. Koch and in 1840 the couple moved to Venango Co, Pa. the journey was made by stage coach and steamboat and the novity of the long trip with several interresting adventures was always an interresting topic for Mrs Koch in her advanced yrs to talk about.
the couple settled near Alum Rock and later moved to East Sandy where Mrs Koch resided continuusly for 66 yrs, the present homestead having been remoldeled from the original house.
Mr Koch built a flouring and lumber mill, one of the first in this section, operating it from 1846 untill his death June 9, 1867 when his son Alfred took the father's place as overseer of the homestead and continued the milling business for 22 yrs. The mill was one of the finest of its day and took charge of the business of a wide area of the surrounding country for many yrs. The walls of the fondation may still be seen not far from the Koch home.
For the past two years, Mrs Koch was not able to leave her room, having suffered a fall. Prior to that time she did a large share of her own housework. Up until a few yrs ago, her birthday was celebrated by a reunion at Monarch Park and these occations were always looked forward to by the honored guest, who dearly loved the companionship of her family and friends.
For one of her yrs, she enjoyed excellent eyesight, her hearing was acute and her mental facuties unimpaired and she spent the greater part of the day in reading and conversing with the members of the household and nurse. Last week she contracted a servere attact of pleuresy which was the ultimate cause of her death.
Mrs. Koch was the mother of ten children, three whom are living: William of Lamartine; Aaron of East Sandy and jeremiah of West Virginia. Her son, Alfred Koch, met his death November 28, 1910 by falling from the Petroleum Street Bridge (Oil City). She is also survived by her twin brothers, John and Franklin Fritz of Oil City who celebrasted their 84th birthday. Anouther brother, Aaron Fritz in California is 81 yrs of age.
(Oil City Blizzard - Friday, jan 13d, 1911) : Funeral services in Memory of Mrs Harriet Koch, whose death occurred Thursday at teh family home at East Sandy, will be held Saturday morning at 10 o'clock at the house. The interment will be in Mt Zion Cemetery (Maple Shade, Pa - Cranbery Twsp.
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Abraham D. KOCH - miller; b. 29 Aug 1807 in Montgomery Co., PA; in 1840 moved from Lancaster Co., PA to Clarion Co., PA and in 1846 located in area of East Sandy,
Rockland Twp.; m. Harriet FRITZ, b. in Berks Co., PA 19 Sep 1817; children; Caroline,
died in infancy; Hannah, b. 10 Jan 1837, d. 20 May 1860; John, b. 29 Sep 1839, d. 19
May 1864 in VA while in the service; Alfred, b. 20 Aug 1842, m. Elizabeth SCHMELZLY; William, b. 15 Sep 1844, m. Mary E. McCALL; George, b. 6 Apr 1847; Sarah, b. 13 Sep 1849, d. 16 Jun 1864; Aaron, b. 9 Feb 1852; Jerry H., b. 21 Jun 1854, m. Mary J. EWER; Ocella I, b. 14 Sep 1857.
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