This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: zulifuz Surnames: Harter, Eister, Zahner, Glaser, Heim, Hepner, Heim, Lang, Williams Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.pennsylvania.counties.berks/9899.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hello Robert, My maternal grandfather's ancestors included 17th C. & 18th C. Harter ancestors in Berks, Lancaster & Northumberland Counties. I'm posting information (below) on the earliest five generations of Harters in my ancestral files, hoping I might furnish clues that will help you in the search for your Harters. The material I am posting has been gleaned from researchers and sources I regard reasonably reliable, with the caveat that I have not personally proven much of what I'm posting for your consideration. >From my ancestral files: "Descendants of: Andreas HARTER 1 Andreas HARTER b. abt 1698 Germany d. bef 12 APR 1757 Earl Twp. (Lancaster) PA m. Anna Catharina ZAHNER m. 25 JUL 1724 Oberdigisheim, Wuerttemberg, Germany b. abt 1700 Germany [daughter of Peter ZAHNER] Anna: Her father's name is found on church record of marriage for A. Catharina Harter (source World Family Tree CD). 2 Catharina HARTER b. 13 OCT 1724 Oberdigisheim, Wuerttemberg, Germany d. 06 MAR 1807 Lancaster Co. PA m. Jacob GLASER 2 Johannes HARTER b. 01 JAN 1727 Oberdigisheim, Wuerttemberg, Germany d. bef 1800 Upper Mahanoy Twp., (Northumberland) PA m. Anna Maria UNKNOWN-HARTER m. bef 1756 b. 05 APR 1726 d. 22 NOV 1800 Mahanoy Twp. (Northumberland) PA Information was provided by Justin Houser E-mail 6/21/01, referencing "Harter History p. 7." [N.B.: There may have been information in the "Harter History" prior to comments about Johannes (aka John) Harter b. 1727 received from Mr. Houser.] "It is surmised that John's parents also immigrated and were farmers in Berks Co. It is not known if John accompanied his parents to America: his signature is not on the list of passengers. John may have married in Germany or in Pennsylvania. His children were born in Berks Co. Pa. He is listed as a Berks Co. resident when, on 16 May 1774, he bought 100 acres in Northumberland Co. from John Weber, the deed being recorded after his death. "There is a patent to John Harter for 214-5/8 acres of land on Mahantongo Creek adjoining Jacob Stauch and Jacob Albert surveyed by warrants of 24 May 1774 and one to Michael Miller dated 21 August 1751 (DB#L p. 440, also recorded in 1801). Possibly Michael Miller was the father-in-law of John Harter, or he could have purchased this warrant. The family of John Harter attended Schwaben Creek or Himmel's Church, Washington Twp., Northumberland Co., Pa., and the records [of Himmel's] show the family as Lutheran [vis-a-vis German Reformed] communicants on most of the lists. Mrs. Anna Maria Harter appears much more often than John.... There are no other Harter tombstones at Himmel's and by 1830 the families were attending other churches." "Reference for the Revolutionary service of [a] John Harter is found in Penna. Archives, 5th Series, Vol. 8, p. 662: 4th Battalion, Northumberland Co. Militia, muster-roll of Capt. Benj. Weiser's Co., private #25 - John Harter,... It is possible that this service may be for the son John Harter...." The interesting will of John Harter was made 18 June 1798 and recorded 6 January 1801 (WB#1 p. 235). He willed house, household items, and a cow to wife, Anna Maria, and provided that his sons were to provide pasture for their mother's cow. Sons Andreas and Matthias were to maintain their mother's house at their own expense. The two youngest sons were to receive all land and plantation and all standing thereon. [This implies that the older sons were already married and established in homes of their own.] John's personal property was to be sold and the proceeds divided among six children. Oldest son was John Harter. Oldest daughter was Anna Maria, wife of Peter Smith. Other children included Jacob, Anna Catharina (wife of John Heim), Andrew, and Mathias. A codicil dated 13 May 1799 directed that if a daughter died her share was not to go to her husband but to her children. 3 Jacob HARTER b. 09-JUL-1757 Berks Co. PA d. 12-JUN-1837 Northumberland Co. PA m. Elizabeth HEIM b. 17-SEP-1766 Mahantango Twp. (Schuylkill) PA d. 07-MAR-1844 Northumberland Co. PA [daughter of Johann Georg HEIM and Mary Margaretha UNKNOWN-HEIM] As received from Justin Houser E-mail dtd 6/21/01, quoting "Harter History p. 10-11": "Jacob was no doubt born in Berks Co. Pa. and came with his father to Northumberland Co. where he married Elizabeth, daughter of George Heim, born in Wuerttemberg, Germany, and died at Klingerstown, Schuylkill Co. Pa. Jacob and Elizabeth were regular communicants at Himmel's Church, Washington Twp., Northumberland Co., Pa. and all of the following children were baptized there except Elizabeth who appears in the records of Klinger's Church, Upper Paxtang Twp., Dauphin Co., Pa., actually this is not very far apart. On 14 August 1837, Mathias Harter and John Eister were appointed administrators for Jacob Harter, late of Jackson Twp. Northumberland Co., Pa., the widow renounced, bondsmen were Abraham Troutman and John K. Clark (WB#3 p. 282) DB#EE p. 58, 59, and dated 11 May 1839 records release from 6 heirs of Jacob Harter to the administrators. Jacob, John and Samuel Harter were of Ohio, Daniel Harter and Joseph Williams and his wife Magdalena were of Jackson Twp. Northumberland Co. Pa. and George Harter signed his release in Schuylkill Co. Pa. on 27 May 1842. John and Samuel Harter signed their release in Wayne Co. Ohio in 1844. They each received $31.48 from the personal estate. Jacob Harter appears in the 1810 census of Upper Mahanoy Twp., Northumberland Co. Pa. as a farmer over 45, 3 males over 10, 1 male 10 to 16, 2 males 16 to 26, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10 to 16 and his wife 26 to 45." World Family Tree CD lists Jacob's siblings as: Anna Maria b. Berks Co. PA, m. Peter Smith; John, m. bef 1780 to Mary Elizabeth; Anna Catharine b. abt 1760 Berks Co., m. John Heim, d. abt 1800 Northumberland Co.; Andrew b. 1767 Berks Co., d. 1847 Northumberland Co.; Mathias b. abt 1770, m. abt 1798 to Elizabeth Bowman, d. 1824 Upper Mahony Twp., North'd Co. Elizabeth: Elizabeth was confirmed 6/10/1780 at Himmel's Church, Washington Twp. 4 John Jacob HARTER b. 03 FEB 1786 World Family Tree CD shows J. Jacob was wed to woman named Mary before 1814. 4 John HARTER b. 24 JUL 1787 Northumberland Co. PA d. 17 JAN 1846 Milton Twp., Wayne Co. Ohio 4 Elizabeth HARTER b. 19-MAY-1789 d. 22-JUN-1871 Northumberland Co. PA m. John EISTER m. __-___-18__ b. 27-OCT-1786 Montgomery or Berks Co.(?) PA d. 09-MAY-1853 Northumberland Co. PA [son of Jacob OYSTER and Philippina GUMP] 5 Catherine EISTER b. 08-OCT-1821 d. 05-JUN-1857 m. Elias BROSIOUS b. 08-JUL-1821 d. 01-MAR-1892 [son of Johann Jacob BROSIOUS and Catharine BEISEL] 5 Jacob Harter EISTER b. 23-MAY-1829 PA d. 02-NOV-1896 Northumberland Co. PA m. Elizabeth BROSIUS m. __-___-1860 Northumberland Co. PA b. 07-MAY-1843 Northumberland Co. PA d. 28-SEP-1915 Northumberland Co. PA [daughter of Samuel BROSIOUS and Margaret E. HEPNER] Jacob's middle initial was 'H," almost certainly for "Harter" after his mother's maiden name. PA Civil War Muster Roll lists Jacob H. Eister as an infantryman in the 172nd Pennsylvania Draft Militia, this unit being from Snyder and Northumberland Counties. Record is preserved as Film Number M554 roll 33. Details copied in next paragraph are from http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.htm: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the Civil War he served with the 172nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry (Drafted Militia) organized at Harrisburg October 27 to November 29, 1862. Moved to Washington, D. C., December 2; thence to Newport News, Va., December 4, and to Yorktown, Va., December 12. Unassigned, Yorktown, Va., 4th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to April, 1863. West's Advance Brigade, 4th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to June, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps, to July, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Corps, Army of the Potomac, to August, 1863. SERVICE.-Garrison duty at Yorktown, Va., till June, 1863. Dix's Peninsula Campaign June 27-July 7. Ordered to Washington, D. C., July 9. Join Army of the Potomac at Hagerstown, Md., July 14. Pursuit of Lee to Williamsport, Md. March to Warrenton Junction, Va., July 19-25, 1863. Ordered to Harrisburg, Pa., and mustered out August 1, 1862. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of those beloved family stories that gets told generation after generation has been furnished by Jacob and Elizabeth's great-granddaughter, Louisa (nee) Eister in a letter dated 7/10/94. She writes, "My uncles & Dad told me an interesting story about them. When Jacob returned from the Civil War, he arrived at night and the family dog didn't remember him. He chased Jacob up a tree & J. called until he got Eliz. awake. She called off the dog but Jacob wouldn't enter the house due to Army lice. He bathed first and when he was sure the lice were gone, he went in." Elizabeth: Elizabeth's ancestors are found in the Eister Family Files inherited by this writer, in THE CONRAD WEISER FAMILY published 1960, and in the LDS ANCESTRAL FILE. Seven generations of Elizabeth's ancestors are included in the family history, and siblings are listed for Elizabeth's mother and two earlier generations of the Brosius family. Considerably more detail is found in the LDS ANCESTRAL FILE, some of which is regarded suspect. Elizabeth appears in the 1910 census in the household of her son, "John Eyester." She is listed as age 68, widow, 4 children born & 4 still living. 5 John Harter EISTER b. __-___-18__ d. __-___-____ 4 John Wilhelm HARTER b. 14 JUL 1794 4 Mathias HARTER b. 04 OCT 1796 Northumberland Co. PA d. 15 MAR 1870 m. Hannah EISTER Hannah: Possibly the daughter of Jacob Oyster and Philippina Gump, in which case she married a brother-in-law. 4 John George HARTER b. 20 SEP 1798 Northumberland Co. PA World Family Tree reports J. George married woman named Catharine before 1824. 4 Daniel HARTER b. 04 AUG 1800 m. Rosina LANG m. 10 DEC 1822 David's Church (Northumberland) PA 4 Wilhelm HARTER b. 06 MAR 1803 4 Magdalena HARTER b. 01 JUN 1805 m. Joseph WILLIAMS 4 Samuel HARTER b. 22 APR 1807 World Family Tree reports Samuel's wife's name may have been Magdalena, but this may be a confusion with the name of Samuel's sister. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.