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Note: Catharina's birth and baptism dates are extracted from the records found at St. John's Luther an Church located outside Berrysburg, Mifflin Twp., PA. John Messner Sr. and his wife Cathari na were the sponsors. Catharina Enterline had 6 children with her first husband Samuel "Schit z". The "Schitz" family were members of Fetterhoff's Lutheran Church congregation located i n neighboring Halifax Twp., and 5 of their 6 known children were baptised at this church. Acc ording to Peter Enterline's estate papers, these 6 children were put under the guardianship o f Joseph Miller, of Jackson Twp. shortly after Samuel died in 1848. It is unclear at this tim e, but Catharina may have been pregnant with child #6 (Samuel) at the time of her husband's u ntimely death in 1848. In the 1850 US PA census for Jackson Twp., Dauphin county, she is list ed as head of her household, and her property is valued at $650. James, her fifth child, wa s discovered through the census records living with Catharina's parents, Peter and Susanna (M essner) Enterline in neighboring Jefferson Twp., Dauphin county (which was just over the ridg e). Catharina was listed as child #1 (the eldest) in her father's intestacy papers and note s indicate that she was first married to Samuel Sheetz (spelled that way in the estate papers ), then second to Christian Miller, of Middle Paxtang Twp. There was one child with Christia n Miller, and when Catharina herself died May 28, 1853, this young child, Sarah Ellen, was th en put under the guardianship of her grandfather's estate. Questions arise. Peter himself die d one month earlier. Did grandmother Susannh Enterline assume responsibility for the child? C hristian Miller petitioned the courts that his daughter Sarah Ellen should receive her "mothe r's" fair share of Peter Enterline's estate. Christian also petitioned at this time that hi s daughter, Sarah Ellen, should be left under "new" guardianship with John Hoffman, and tha t $200.00 should be awarded John Hoffman for compensation for this responsibility. (John's wi fe Mary Ellen was Sarah Ellen's aunt). The above guardianship papers are on file at the Dauph in County Courthouse in Harrisburg, as is the information concerning Catharina's two husbands , which are cronicled in the intestacy papers of Peter Enterline.
Catharine's grave was located in 2001 in a small family gravesite (The Geiger Cemetery) abou t 1/2 mile south of Peter's Mountain, along the main road that runs through Middle Paxtang Tw p.. Her tombstone is one of about 17 stones which are still readable, a 4 foot high pryamid s haped stone which she shares with (3) others. It reads: "In memory of Catharine/wife of/Chris tian Miller/and daughter of Peter & Susannah Enterline/died May 28th, 1853/aged/35 years 5m o and 1day." LDS microfilm #384702.
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