| VARNER (Juniata County) Click here to read a text family history GEDCOM |
| My direct ancester is Elizabeth Jane or Eliza as she is also called. She is the daughter of John Varner and her mother is Barbara Leckenton. She married Henry Koble. I have a copy of her death certificate and see that this is another ancestor who suffered with Brights disease of the kidneys. Two other ancestors of mine suffered with this as well. Another reason I am interested in family history is to be aware of illnesses they suffered with so I know what to be aware of myself. |
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| This page is a link off the Woodcock family home page. All underlined text is clickable. |
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| During the past two years that I have seriously been researching my family tree, I have have come to understand how very important it is to verify and even to cross-reference information. By that I mean to find at least two "official" sources that give basically the same information. Official meaning census records, death records, birth records, deeds, land bounty warrants, wills, marriage records, pension records, military records and discharge papers, tax records and records from other government sources. Just like world history can be slanted according to the views of the writer, or is simply copied without doing any reseach for verificaion of facts, family history can also easily fall victim to the problem of inaccuracy. The Varner family has not been immune from this. For example, if you go into the Juniata County Historical Society you will find a Varner family file. According to handwritten notes in that file, the Varner family is descended from a HESSIAN soldier. After asking a cousin who lives in Schylkill County to check out that information, Stuffle was not found in any indexs of official records there. This is of course no fault of the Historical Society who could not possibly take responsibility for all the information contained in all the family files in the county. The file simply reminds us to double check records so we can pass only the facts down to generations to come. The information did inspire me to learn more about who the Hessians were so it was interesting, but not connected to my family research. If anyone CAN verify the information regarding the Varner Family relationship to a Hessian please e-mail me. |
| There are pictures of Eliza's daughter Bertha and some of her family on the Gilbert Connection page. |
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| This is a 5 generation photo of Eliza's brother Joseph's family. They are from youngest to oldest: James Wagner (baby), Dorothy Fike Wagner, Fianna Shawver Fike, Minnie Varner Shawver, Joseph Varner. I am related to both the Varners and the Fikes shown here because my grandmother was Bertha Fike. |
| Varner or "Warner" or "Werner" as it is also sometimes spelled is a German name. I have not located the date that they landed in America yet, but I will continue my search. Click on the picture for some interesting information on German settlers in general. One thing I love about family history is how it inspires me to learn more about history in general. |
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| This is a photo of Barbara Leckenton Varner and two of her daughters. The one on the left is believed to be Elizabeth Jane. |
| This photo is believed to be of Bertha Koble--on far left who is Eliza's daughter and Eliza when she is older. I can see some resemblence to her brother Joseph and his daughter Minnie shown above. |
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