Good morning: I hope we are all connected to the same line. I have had so much trouble moving backward. My ancestor was William SHAVER born 1792 in Huntingdon County, PA. In 1817, he married Elizabeth (?) born in Chester County PA in 1800. Children John born in Ohio in abt 1819, married Martha Kellums, Francis Marian born Ohio abt 1829, Julia born Ohio abt 1826, Adam born Ohio abt 1834, Temperance born Iowa abt 1838, and twins George W. and Elzina born in Iowa in 1841. His nephew was Jacob SHAVER who was married to Louise (or Louisa).who was born in Ohio about 1813. Children: Isaac, born Ohio abt 1831, Lovina or Covina born Ohio abt 1833, Mary A. born Ohio abt 1840, Peter born Ohio abt 1842, Martha born Iowa abt 1844, and Milton born Iowa abt 1848. Charles Higgens born Indiana abt 1846 also lived with Louisa in 1850. Although William's family had been living in Iowa at least since 1838, when the land West of the Blackhawk Territory opened, evidently around 1843, both men moved their families there, where they lived until they died about 1844-45. The wives and children stayed on, until Elizabeth came West by covered wagon with her children (several grown) in 1852 for Donation Land Claims. While searching Iowa and Oregon records, the name was frequently listed SHAFFER. I believe they were of German origins. I wonder if William and Jacob could be members of your same families. I have the names of many of William's descendants until present day. I hope some of these names sound like a possible match and will provide me with a thread to follow. Bev Smith [email protected] --------------------- Forwarded message: From: [email protected] (G. S. Shaffer) To: [email protected] (Carol A Cecil) CC: [email protected] Date: 97-10-15 02:14:18 EDT On Sun, 12 Oct 1997, Carol A Cecil wrote: > I am a decendant of John Shaffer (1755-1847) wife Eve Kelchner > (1757-1830), do you know or have any information on his parents, > brothers & sisters? I have a large line of John Shaffer decendants, & > Jacob Shaffer & Otilla Schmid decendants.. I am a decendant of John > Shaffer through his son William, his son William Jefferson Shaffer, his > son James Franklin Shaffer , his son Oliver Jefferson Shaffer, his son > James Robert Shaffer. Many geneologists are trying to claim Jacob Shaffer > as his father, but there is no proof, also Jacob has a son Frederick born > the same year 1755. I have ordered both their RW militray records and > have proof of their births. > any info will be helpful, I also share lines. > > Thank You Carol A. Shaffer Cecil > PO Box 986 > Willows, Ca. 95988 > > Hi Carol, His parents were Jacob & Maria Shaffer. Ottilla was Jacob's second wife. Jacob & Rosina Nina Keller Schaffer are John's grandparents. Michael (b 1757 in either PA or Shenandoah CO Va) is his brother, & my g-g-g--grandfather. I have a friend who says John is really a nephew of Jacob (b 1728 in Darmstadt Germany, d 9 May 1815 near New Market VA) & Maria (or Mary, b 1732 in Germany or PA). My info comes from "The Sheffer Family of Shenandoah County Virginia," by Charles Loeber. This is a printer's proof of a 1944 Shaffer Reunion in Staunton VA. You can get it at the Library of Congress (it is not bound but a loose collection of papers) or through the Mormon Family History libraries. It is on microfilm, & is so thick, it is almost thicker than the spool. On it is the compilation by all branches of Jacob & AHis two wives' families, except Michael's (mine), which was not represented at the reunion. (No, I wasn't at the reunion; I had to wait 8 more years to be born). I know there are a good number of us on this list, Carol, who are descendants. Jacob the emigrant, according to his obituary, was born 30 December 1728, & came here "in his 19th year." He arrived in Philadelphia, & moved to Maxatawny Twp, Berks Co PA before going to Shenandoah Co. VA. The "SFofSCV" states they had a family Bible which named Jacob's older siblings (but they didn't write them down in that document!!!), the first being born in 1711, & Jacob in 1728, being the youngest. The document says his mother's naem was Rosina Nina Roller, but I won't go into here why others have persueaded me that it is not Roller but Keller. Jacob Keller was Jacob Shaffer the emigrant's sponsor when Jacob & Rosina died at an early age. I have ship records, too, & oddly enough, my mother's emigrants were on that same ship! That was seven generations back for me & they came from different places to ride the same ship & probably met each other during the voyage. I hope others weigh in on the John Shaffer m Eve Kelchner & their relatives; this John also died in Sullivan Co Tn, just across the border (4 miles) from sw VA where many of the other relatives lived. Rev. G. S. Shaffer Silver Spring MD (a transplant Buckeye)