
Person Info
John Bretz: Birth: ABT 27 MAR 1768 in Lancaster County, PA. Death: 4 NOV 1836 in Fairfield County, Ohio
Valentine BRETZ: Birth: 27 MAR 1770 in possibly Lancaster County, PA. Death: 28 APR 1845 in possibly in Fairfield County, Ohio
Martin Bretz: Birth: BEF 1775 in Lancaster County, PA. Death: AFT 1820 in Fairfield County, Ohio
Phillip Bretz: Birth: BEF 1775 in Lancaster County, PA.
Anthony Bretz: Birth: BEF 1775 in Lancaster County, PA. Death: AFT 1820 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Margaret Bretz: Birth: BEF 1775. Death: AFT 1820 in Perry County, Ohio
Elizabeth Bretz: Birth: BEF 1775 in Lancaster County, PA. Death: AFT 1820 in Lebanon County, PA
Jacob Bretz: Birth: 30 JAN 1776. Death: 8 JUL 1829 in Fairfield County, Ohio
Conrad Bretz: Birth: ABT 6 MAR 1781 in Lancaster County, PA. Death: 29 JAN 1861 in Sycamore Township, Wyandot County, Ohio
Magdalena Christena Bretz: Birth: ABT 11 JUL 1785 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Death: 21 MAY 1848 in Fairfield County, Ohio
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Note: From the url: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kieffer/p14.htm Christina (?) * Main Page * Surname Index * Master Index * Images Christina (?)1 b. circa September 1741, d. 5 April 1818 Relationship 4th great-grandmother of Craig Allen Kieffer. Birth circa September 1741 Christina (?) was born circa September 1741.2 Marriage circa 1761? She married John Bretz circa 1761?3 Marriage Record The exact marriage date and marriage place of John Bretz and Christina are not known. Also, Christina's last name is not known. John Bretz was born in 1737, and Christina was born in 1741. If Christina was married when she was about 20 years old, it would suggest a possible marriage date of about 1761. However, they could have been married a few years earlier or a few years after this date. Their son Johannes was born in 1768. However, they had a least twelve children and some of their childrens' birth dates are not known. Baptism Witness 28 February 1779 On 28 February 1779 at the White Oaks or Union Church, Penn Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania a Johannes and Christina Bretz witnessed the baptism of Johannes Mayer, born 20 November 1778, son of Jacob and Susanna Mayer.4 Baptism Witness 12 March 1781 On 12 March 1781 at the White Oaks or Union Church, Penn Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania a Johannes and Christina Bretz witnessed the baptism of Johannes Greiner, born 23 December 1790, son of Martin and Margaretha Greiner.5 Death 5 April 1818 Christina (?) died on 5 April 1818 in (Fairfield County?), (Ohio?).2,6 Burial She was buried in St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Berne Township, Fairfield County, Ohio.2,7 Gravestone In 1928 author J. Harlan Bretz inspected St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery and stated: "This cemetery, donated by John Bretz and taken out of his farm, was visited in 1928 by J. H. B. It was fairly well kept and there were but a few fallen stones. Several graves had only rough slabs which apparently never had had inscriptions on them. The cemetery is located on a southern slope, well above the valley bottom. The landscape is a pleasing mature topography, pro-Illinoian in age, only 10 to 20 miles south of the margin of glaciated southern Ohio. Valley trains fill the major valleys but there is no outwash in the valley near the cemetery. The church, across the road from the cemetery, bears the inscription 'St. Pauls Ev. Lutheran. Organized 1820, built 1874' John Bretz gave a baptismal cup to the original Lutheran society but, if he died in 1812, this present society cannot be that original Lutheran Reformed to which he made the gift. The John Bretz headstone is of dense sandstone. Part of the inscription was almost undecipherable. The year of death was apparently 1812. 18 was clear enough and 2 was fairly clear. The spacing and the absence of any cross groves seem to indicate that the third figure was 1. It can hardly be 0 or 2, if other history is to be relied on. The stone had a painted design on the head, a crescent moon and several stars, and the incised letters and figures were also painted. Much of this paint still clung to the stone." Author J. Harlan Bretz recorded nine Bretz graves in the cemetery at that time: 1. John Bretz departed this life June 5, 1812 aged 74 years, 9 months 2. Christena wife of John Bretz departed this life April 5, 1818 aged 75 years and 7 mos. 3. In memory of John Bretz who departed this life Nov. 4, 1836 aged 68 years, 7 months and 8 days 4. Mary wife of John Bretz died Aug. 12, 1850 aged 75 years, 5 months, 6 days 5. John Bretz died July 9, 1874 aged 65 yrs., 11 days 6. In memory of Valentine Bretz who departed this life April 28, 1845 aged 75 years, 1 month and 1 day 7. In memory of Elizabeth Bretz wife of Valentine Bretz died January 24, 1848 aged 72 yrs., 8 mos. and 24 days 8. John Stoneburner died April 27, 1860 aged 60 yrs., 4 mos., 3 days 9. Catherine wife of John Stoneburner, B. May 28, 1803 d. Feb. 10, 1889 In 1983 a book on Berne Township Cemeteries indicated that the Bretz graves were in row 6, section 1 (the far right section of the cemetery as one looks at the cemetery from the church). The book reported that the Bretz graves indicated: 1. Bretz, John, d. July 9, 1874, aged 65 Y 11D 2. Bretz, Mary, wife of John, d. August 12, 1850, aged 75Y 5M 6D 3. Bretze [sic?], John, d. Nov. 4, 1836, aged 68Y 7M 8D 4. Bretz, Christina, wife of John, d. Apr. 15, 1818, aged 76Y 2M 5. Brentz [sic?], John, d. June 18??, aged 74Y 2M 6. "8 Broken Stones (No Inscriptions)" The book also reported two other Bretz gravestones in row 5: 1. Bretz, infant daughter of Valentine and Elizabeth, died Oct. 8, 1810 2. Bretz, Anna, daughter of Valentine and Elizabeth, died Dec. 3, 1816, aged 11Y 6D The cemetery book did not list any other Bretz gravestones in the cemetery.8 Event 19 June 1819 On 19 June 1819 the heirs of John Bratz sold Conrad Bratz two tracts of land in Fairfield County, Ohio for $1,000. The first tract was part of the west half of section 36, township 15, range 18 and contained 56 acres and 130 perches. The second tract contained 3 1/2 acres. The deed listed the heirs of John Bratz deceased as: 1. Anthony Bratz and wife Molly/Magdaline (name spelled both ways in deed) of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania 2. John Painter/Bender (name spelled both ways in deed) and wife Elizabeth of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania 3. Philip Bratz and wife Elizabeth 4. John Bratz and wife Mary 5. Valentine Bratz and wife Elizabeth 6. Martin Bratz and wife Caty 7. Jacob Bratz and wife Elizabeth 8. Henry Bratz and wife Caty 9. Jacob Foorman and wife Caty 10. Isaac Hite and wife Molly 11. Margaret Miller of Perry County, Ohio.9 Family John Bretz b. circa September 1737, d. 5 June 1812 Children 1. John Bretz b. c 27 Mar 1768, d. 4 Nov 1836 2. Valentine Bretz b. c 27 Mar 1770, d. 28 Apr 1845 3. Martin Bretz b. b 1775, d. a 1820 4. Philip Bretz b. b 1775 5. Anthony Bretz b. b 1775, d. a 1820 6. Margaret Bretz b. b 1775?, d. a 1820? 7. Elizabeth Bretz b. b 1775?, d. a 1820 8. Jacob Bretz b. c 30 Jan 1776, d. 8 Jul 1829 9. Conrad Bretz+ b. c 6 Mar 1781, d. 29 Jan 1861 10. Magdalena Christena Bretz b. c 11 Jul 1785, d. 21 May 1848 11. Catharine Bretz b. c 14 Apr 1788, d. 5 May 1848 12. Henry Bretz b. c 4 Jan 1789, d. 16 Jan 1865 Citations 1. Johannes Bretz estate (1812), estate file 85, Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, Lancaster, Ohio. 2. J. Harlan Bretz, An Incomplete Genealogy of the Family of John Bretz of Fairfield County, Ohio With a Partial History of One line of Descent in This Family (Chicago: privately printed, 1949), 19-20. 3. Marriage date very approximate based on the birth date of the first known child. 4. F. Edward Wright, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Church Records of the 18th Century, vol. 1 (Westminister, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1994), p. 182. 5. F. Edward Wright, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Church Records of the 18th Century, vol. 1 (Westminister, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1994), p. 183. 6. Death place probable based on residence at time of death and/or burial location. 7. The Fairfield County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, Cemeteries of Berne Township (Canal Winchester, Ohio: Hartman Printing Shop, 1983), p. 83 (St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery). 8. J. Harlan Bretz, An Incomplete Genealogy of the Family of John Bretz of Fairfield County, Ohio With a Partial History of One line of Descent in This Family (Chicago: privately printed, 1949), pp. 19-20. 9. Fairfield County Deed Book [CD]; Recorder's Office, Fairfield County Courthouse, Lancaster, Ohio. Compiler: Craig Kieffer, 5409 Wehawken Road, Bethesda, MD 20816-3139; [email protected]@aol.com |
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