Marti Oberholtzer

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

Family/Spouse: Margaretha Schollenberger. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78766023/marx-oberholtzer

Family/Spouse: Margaret Dobler. Margaret was born on 9 Feb 1639 in Wald, Hinwil, Zürich, Switzerland; died on 7 Jan 1670 in Grunbach, Enzkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The area of the Palatinate where the Anabaptist Oberholtzers lived is today known as the Kraichgau. This region was depopulated during the Thirty Years War. The Oberholtzers and other foreign families were needed in the area by landlords who sought to rebuild their manors and estates. In exchange, they were given some religious toleration. Consequently, the majority of the Anabaptists emigrated from Zurich, whose officials had resorted to execution, imprisonment, confiscation of property, and any other means of cruelty, in hopes of banishing them.

The Geneallandearchiv, Karlsruhe, gives this quote from the seventeenth century: "A number of the Wiedertauffer wish to settle here, which people practice their religious exercises partly in the forest, partly in their houses, and some have their land on the church support land. Many adapt well, among them is Marx Oberholtzer, who announced that he plans to marry his brother's servant, but does not intend to have his marriage announced publicly."

Marx Oberholtzer was among a group of 53 Anabaptists meeting for worship near Sinsheim on the evening of March 2, 1661. While they were singing, the meeting was abruptly ended by German authorities. Their names were taken, which included other familiar Pennsylvania names such as Groff, Hess, Landis, Meyer and Miller. They were to report for punishment on March 29th. Appearing on that date, they stated that they had come into the country from Switzerland in 1655 and had been meeting for worship secretly in the forests near Steinsfurt. The government fined them but they continued to meet. In 1662, Elector Karl Ludwig ordered that the Mennonists should no longer be forbidden to meet, but that every participant must pay a tax. Warfare, economic difficulties and religious suppression would later entice members of the Oberholtzer family to America. The Anabaptists in the Palatinate became known as Mennonists, for a group of Holland Anabaptists who took the name from an early leader, Menno Simons.

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78023207/marcus-oberholtzer

Marcus married Elizabeth Ely in 1698 in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Elizabeth was born in 1664; died in 1726 in Coventry, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78023646/samuel-oberholtzer

Samuel married Elizabeth in 1721 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was born in 1700 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died in 1782 in Plumstead Twp, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78023619/marcus-oberholtzer

Marcus married Elizabeth Staats in 1740 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth (daughter of Pieter Pietersen Staats and Lysbet Aersen Middagh) was born about 1686 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York; died in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Military Service: Abt 1777; American Revolution (US) CAPT PATTERSON, 2ND BATT,BUCKS CO MIL

Notes:

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52122348/martin_staatz-overholt

Martin married Elizabeth Nash in 1767. Elizabeth (daughter of William Colley Nash and Agnes Kolb) was born on 3 Aug 1751 in Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 1 Jul 1831 in Tinicum, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mary Angeny. Mary was born on 12 Mar 1765; died on 11 Jul 1853 in Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Gertrude Kulp. Gertrude was born on 28 Dec 1769; died on 27 Jul 1827 in Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio; was buried in Old Mennonite Cemetery, Seville, Medina County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82328393/agnes-myers

Agnes married Abraham Meyer in 1790. Abraham (son of John Meyer and Mary Sensenich) was born in 1771 in Pennsylvania; died on 15 Jan 1845 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: John Schrauger. John was born on 26 Apr 1776; died on 4 May 1833 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Doylestown Mennonite Cemetery, Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Jacob Leatherman. Jacob was born on 17 Aug 1772 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 25 Feb 1855 in Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio; was buried in Old Mennonite Cemetery, Seville, Medina County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52741976/abraham-overholt

Abraham married Hannah Shutt about 1810. Hannah (daughter of Jacob Shutt and Margaret Godshalk) was born on 26 Feb 1792 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 22 Feb 1873 in Plumstead Twp, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Anna Shutt. Anna (daughter of Jacob Shutt and Margaret Godshalk) was born on 9 May 1793; died on 14 Oct 1872 in Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: School Teacher

Notes:

Buried:
Section 2, Row 4, Lot 6

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175355849/john_overholt-meyers

John married Elizabeth Stauffer on 25 May 1817 in Pennsylvania. Elizabeth (daughter of Abraham Stauffer and Eva Oberholtzer) was born on 25 Dec 1795 in Pennsylvania; died on 6 Feb 1857 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Margaret married Henry W. Nash about 1830. Henry was born on 30 Sep 1783 in Plumstead Twp, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 18 Oct 1861 in Medina County, Ohio; was buried in Old Mennonite Cemetery, Seville, Medina County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Margaret married Benjamin Gable on 10 Feb 1867 in Medina, Medina County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Tobias Fretz. Tobias was born on 4 Jul 1809 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 28 Sep 1879 in Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Section 1, Row 14, Lot 42

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106047194/anna-myers

Anna married Samuel Stover Myers on 31 Oct 1846 in Plumstead Twp, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Samuel (son of John Overholt Myers and Elizabeth Stauffer) was born on 29 Jun 1823 in Plumstead Twp, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 30 Sep 1882 in Plumstead Twp, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Henry S. Musselman. Henry was born on 21 Oct 1821 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 16 May 1885 in Huron County, Michigan; was buried in Port Crescent Cemetery, Port Crescent, Huron County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: John Fluck. John was born on 19 Aug 1821 in Pennsylvania; died on 6 Jun 1898 in Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: School Teacher

Mary married Joseph W. Swope in 1858. Joseph was born on 6 Aug 1831 in Tinicum, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died on 26 Feb 1909 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Deep Run Mennonite Church East Cemetery, Bedminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]