In a message dated 8/27/07 11:57:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time, myravg@wamail.net writes: > I'm compiling information about my German families who settled mostly > along > the Dutch Second Creek in Rowan County prior to the American Revolution. > One of the German family lines I research, whose parents were early settlers of old Rowan - Johannes (John) Rintleman (Rentleman - Randleman) and his wife Anna Margaret Schnepp (Snapp), had a son Jacob who married Elizabeth Fullenweider(Vollenweider) and migrated to Union Co., IL. John Rintleman also had a son named Martin Rintleman who married Experience Harris and lived later in Cabarrus Co., NC, who had a few of their children also migrate to Union Co., IL (settled in the areas of Alto Pass and Jackson). Intermarried with Hartline, Goodman, etc. The reason I mention this fact is that it is significant in reference to the question you asked about possible sources for church records to help you with your research. John Rintleman was the son of Christophe (Christopher) Rintleman b. abt 1718 German - d. 19 Feb 1778 Rowan Co., NC. Christopher, along with Christopher Lyerly, was instrumental in establishing the first formal German Lutheran Congregation on 2nd Creek. This is from North Carolina Colonial Records (with other notes): 1771 - Rowan Co., NC Petition of German Lutherans of Rowan County granted for Christopher Lyerly and Christopher Randleman to solicit aid for church work in the colony. C. R. 8-630-2 (Vol. 8-630-632) (Note: They went on horseback through the wilderness to Charleston and there sailed for Germany and brought back Rev. Adolphus Nussman to preach and John Gottfried Arndt to teach. Later Nussman ordained Arndt to the ministry and he became the pioneer Lutheran preacher in Tryon (now Lincoln) County, and when he died his sacred dust was buried beneath the Old White Church in Lincolnton.) (Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina: Containing Interesting and Authentic Facts of Lincoln County History Through the Years 1749 to 1937, William A. Sherrill, Charlotte, NC, 1937, reprinted 1998, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, MD, p. 16) The church that was subsequently established is today known as Organ Lutheran Church. from The History of Organ Church, Rowan County, NC by Reverend George H. Cox, pub 1894, on the occasion of the Centennial Celebration of the first stone church, May 6. 1894: "The following is a record made in the old church book by Rev. C.A.G. Storch, dated January 1789: "Im 1774 ten yahre nach Christ's Geburt, foigende Mitgiieder userer Gemeinde die sogenammte Orgeikirche zu bauen nemiich." (The translation of the above is that in the 1774th year after the birth of Christ, the following members of our congregation began the so called Organ church.): Georg Ludwig Siffert, Wendel Miller, Peter Edelmann, Johannes Steigerwalt, Phillip Grass, Peter Stirewalt, Michael Gulhmann, Christopher Bless, Leonhard Siffert, Jacob Klein, Anton Jruhn, George Heinrich Berger, Christoph Gulhmann, Johannes Rintlemann, Johannes Eckel, Bastian Lenz, Jacob Benz, George Eckel, Franz Oberkirsch, Johannes Jose, Heinrich Wenzel. 10 September 1789 - Rowan Co., NC - land transfer John Rentleman & wife Margaret of Rowan Co., NC let the elders & trustees of Second Creek Organ Meeting House have 10 acres next the land of said congregation on the line between said Rentleman & George H. Berger, for 5 pounds, witnessed by Jacob _____, John Stigerwalt & Windle Miller & proved by Stigerwalt in Nov. 1789. (Rowan Co., NC DB 11, p. 815) (Reference: 16 August 1786. Leutwick Seffert of Rowan Co., let the Elders and Trustees of the Lutheran Congregation Second Creek Organ Meeting House have 10 acres next George Henry Berger, including the said meeting-house & school-house & other buildings. - Rowan Co., DB 11, p. 408) As you can see from the earlier reference concerning Christopher Rintleman's trip back to Germany to hire a minister and teacher for the German congregation in Rowan, he returned with Rev. Adolphus Nussman and as teacher Johans Gottfried Arndt. Christopher Rintleman's daughter Elizabeth later married Rev. Nussman. John Gottfriend Arndt (Arends) later was ordained as a Reverend and the two split their ministries between several congregations established in the area. Rev. Nussman moved into Cabarrus Co., and for a period also had a large congregation in Mecklenburg Co., NC. I have some of his writings but don't have them transcribed into my database and can't tell you further information until I locate my hard files on him). Rev. Arendt(Arends) 1740 - 1807 married Hannah Rudisill. He ministered to congregations in Rowan and then old Tryon/Lincoln Co., NC: (Note on Rev. Arends. He founded several churches before his death and kept a "Diary and Account Book" which is today preserved at the Archives of the North Carolina Synod (Lutheran Church of America), Salisbury, NC. The Diaries are written in German. "confirmation for "children" usually took place as they do today, in their "teens"; these confirmations denoted the first time the "children' took their first Holy Communion. ) (from A List of Children of Settlers of German Descent in Central North Carolina, 1775 - 1791, translated and edited by Ute-Ingrid Seidler, North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal - Nov. 1982, p.p. 192 - 197). This may be a good starting point to examine for information on your early German family lines in old Rowan church records. Charmaine Reel Ernst ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

I found this book at the genealogical society library. I don't think it has been mentioned yet, and it might help somebody. I was working on my nieces' families. Elaine Oakes Lorena Shell Eaker (Mrs. Odis C.), German Speaking People West of the Catawba River in North Carolina 1750 - 1800, 1994, P.O. Box 2125, Church Hill, Tennessee 37642, (copy at the Genealogical Society of Old Tryon County, Forest City, North Carolina).