| Notes |
- There is an ancient village in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland known as Oberholz. It is situated near Wald in a Swiss valley, next to a ski lift which rises to a height of 4,350 feet above sea level. The inhabitants of this village were known as Oberholtzers. The village name signified that it was on an "upper wooden slope," or, as some descendants would say, "over the hill.
Zurich became a Permanent Part of the nation of Switzerland in 1351 when it joined the Swiss Defense League, which was organized by people living in the beautiful valley and mountains of the region. Being tired of oppression by outsiders who sought to control the mountain passes connecting Italy and Germany, they unified and successfully drove the foreigners from the area.
The Oberholtzers have a long history of residence in the canton of Zurich. Julius Billeter, a Swiss genealogist, recorded some Oberholtzer births in the Wald area from as early as 1531, with the birth of Niklaus Oberholtzer. Within the next twelve Years the following Oberholtzers were born there: Hans, Niklaus, Jacob, Ullrich, Heinrich and Christian.
The city and canton of Zurich was the birthplace of the Reformation which began under the work of Ulrich Zwingli. The city of Zurich accepted various reforms in 1523, resulting in the Reformed Church becoming the official state church. The Anabaptists, or Weider-taufer, meaning to be baptized again, separated from Zwingli in 1525, resulting in Years of persecution, including the death penalty. For this reason some of the Oberholtzers could not remain in the beautiful mountains and valleys of scenic Switzerland.
From the research of Jane Evans Best we learn of a family headed by Mattheus and Annli (Stroler) Oberholtzer of Wald, which was located in the mountains east of Lake Zurich. The mother was reported to be an Anabaptist. Also at Wald were the parents named Jakob and Annli (Cuntz) Oberholtzer
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1595 - 1639 (~ 43 years)
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