That branch has so more drama in it than Michael’s does!!
We have wife beaters in this branch, we have bootleggers and we have somebody who enlisted in the Civil War three times just to collect the bounty! Yes, he deserted all three times and he got caught. And he even applied for a pension!! However, our government, in one of their smarter moves, turned him down. Duh!
I keep thinking I’ve found the end of the drama, but then more just jumps up and slaps me in the face! I love this branch of the Axer family! and it always seems to be Christopher’s kid Jacob’s branch! The others, it seems, lead fairly normal lives.
Christopher’s grandson John is our subject this week, his first born, heir to the throne, yada, yada, yada. As I documented previously, John married Anna Maria Ferree and they had a daughter Lydia. So far so good.
My trip to the National Archives opened up a new chapter in this guy’s life for me. I got his military record and matched it with a file I had for the military pension for John Axer, Lieutenant in the First Maryland Calvary. Guess what? Same guy! . . . . and just what is he doing in NYC after the war??? This guy traveled from Lancaster to Maryland to NYC . . . . and now he has a different wife!!
How did I come to the conclusion that the guy in NYC is the same John Axer that was born in Lancaster, PA? For one thing I compared signatures, and for another, and most importantly, death dates matched exactly!
There is NO divorce in Lancaster County for John and Anna Maria Ferree, perhaps there is one in Philly. I certainly hope there is a divorce record, because Ida claims to be his widow while wife #1 is still alive!! What goes on here?
Another interesting fact is a letter in his file requesting a leave of absence from the military to go home to Lancaster because “one of his children” has just died and his wife is very ill. Who died? Who was the wife in Lancaster? Anna Maria was in Philly from 1850, and just exactly how many children did he have???
. . . . so now we add Ida F., as one of John’s wife and the search continues for his children! Now we must find out when he picked this one up, and when he got rid of the other! Who knows? Rosanna Kiplinger may be his wife, too! He may have wives in 3 separate states ~ and children scattered far and wide!
So continues another week of research with a lot of loose ends to tie up . . . . . somehow!
This is the 2nd time I’ve run into Christian and Christopher being used interchangeably, and both in this particular family line! Are they the same guy?? Facts say undeniably, YES!
My latest find is in the Doebler line. Anna Maria Axer, daughter of Christopher (Christian?) Axer and Catharine Danner, married to John George Doebler. Anna Maria and John George had at least five children, probably more because they keep turning up the more I dig! One of the children is the Christian/Christopher I am referring to.
According to Church Records found for a Lutheran Church, George Doebler and his wife, Anna Maria, baptized a son, Christoph on 4 October 1820. The child was born in 1816. First name for this son.
On the 1850 census, in the same area, Christopher is now married to Elisabeth. She is 26, he is 32 and they have three children, John, age 7, George, age 5 and Catharine, age 3.
On the 1860 census, same area again, Christian Dobler is 45, (he’s aged 13 years, not unusual) Elisabeth is 36, John is 17, George is 15, Catharine is 13 and two more children have been born, Anna age 5 and Mary age 2.
According to those same church records, in 1856, Christian Daveler is buried, leaving Elisabeth a widow.
In 1870, the census shows Elisabeth Daveler as 46 and a housekeeper for the Good family in the same area. Mary is with her and is 13.
On the 1880 census, Elizabeth Daveler is 53 and widowed, Anna is 25 and single. They are still in the same area. They are still in West Lampeter, which they were 10 years previous.
As Christian and Christopher are interchangeable, so seems to be Doebler/Dobler and Daveler. I have conferred with several people on this, and everybody concurs that this is indeed, the same family.
. . . . . . . . . .Just love it when more information pops out at me!!
Compiling each family on what I call “Family Cover Sheets” has paid off in more ways than one!
Each family in my database has one of these “Family Cover Sheets.” It Lists the Patriarch, who he married, their vital statistics, census data, any pertinent newspaper articles and their children and who they married. Some of them are 5 pages long, some are less than one page. Just a little background on what I go through to organize my books and records ~ and keep all the “Georges, Jacobs and Michaels” straightened out!
As I was doing a cover sheet on a new name I found, I discovered it was not a new name after all! Earlier I mentioned finding the marriage of Susan Axer and John Hanson. The marriage record stated that Susan was the daughter of Georg Axer and Mary, born Dolan, all of “Millerstown”. Millerstown is most probably Millersville, since the wedding took place in Lancaster County.
Now, if you go to the “Poor Children’s Records” in Manor Township (where Millersville is located!) you will find Susan daughter of George Oxer, on the list in 1822 and again in 1825. She was 11 years old in 1825.
Let’s assume Susan who married John Hanson is the daughter of George Oxer of Manor Twp, and label it fact #1.
Now, George Axer of Strasburg married a Polly Daein of Strasburg on 13 Aug 1801. Let’s label this fact #2.
If “Daein” is in fact “Dalin,” (think a very short script “L”) could it in fact be the same “Mary Doland” who was married to George and was the mother of Susan??? Let’s assume so, and call it fact #3.
It’s getting better.
George Oxer of Erie County was from Lancaster County and was born 11 Jan 1805. When he was baptized in Erie County (St. John’s Lutheran Church, 25 May 1844) he stated his parents were “Georg and Maria Oxer.” Son of George and Mary/Polly Daein/Dalin/Dolan? Again, let’s assume so. Fact #4.
In 1850, Hannah Oxer, age 32, is enumerated with the Stoner family in Manor Township, Millersville. This could be the same Hannah, who was on the “Poor Childlren’s List,” daughter of George Oxer in 1825, 26 and 27. Let’s call it Fact #5
Buried in Millersville Mennonite Cemetery:
Mary Oxer Copeland
Born Oct 26, 1807
Died May 30, 1878.
Old German Midwife’s Records, Family History Library Film #383294:
Born 25 Oct 1807, father Giorg Agser.
Another Child for George and Mary/Polly Daein/Dalin/Dolan. Fact #6
What these assumptions give us:
George Axer/Oxer married Mary Doland (aka Polly) on 13 Aug 1801
They were the parents of:
- Mary, married to Copeland, born 26 Oct 1807
- George of Erie County, born 11 Jan 1805 .
- Susan who married John Hanson, born about 1810, according to Poor Children’s List
- Hannah, who lived w/the Stoners, born about 1816
Any thoughts on this?
