Research help please
Mary E(lizabeth) Schaffer died in Baltimore County, Maryland on November 23, 1898. She is buried in Mt Carmel Cemetery in Baltimore in Area U, Lot 80. Her recently unearthed gravestone, attached, indicates she was the wife of the late Christopher Schaffer and the widow of Henry Noll. The stone also shows she was born in Hanover Germany on November 23, 1808.
Also buried in Mt Carmel Cemetery, Area U Lot 80, are my great grandfather John George Foertsch/Forster and members of his immediate family. Finally, John Henry Noll, son of Henry Noll and Mary E Schafer is also buried in Area U, Lot 80, along with his wife Elizabeth Gettman/Gottmann. Other members of the Gettman/Gottmann family are buried in lots adjacent to Lot 80.
For 10+ years, I have been looking for the connection between the Forster/Gettman/Noll/Schaffer families. I have discovered a wealth of information on the families but have never found a definitive record that provides the absolute connection among them. My hypothesis is that Mary Elizabeth Noll Schaffer is the sister of my great grandfather and thus her maiden name is Foertsch. After all my research it is the only scenario that makes sense. But it is unproven. I would be most grateful for any thoughts on the hypothesis and any recommendations on how to prove it.
Based on my on-going research here are the highlights of what I know and can prove:
The families all appear to be Lutheran. My great grandfather Johann Georg Foertsch was born on March 6, 1816, probably in Wolfstein Bavaria. He came to Baltimore in the early 1840s, probably on the ship Gustav, and lived in the Canton area of Baltimore City. He died June 3, 1871, and is buried in Mt Carmel Cemetery, Area U, Lot 80. He was married twice. First wife was Henrietta Hoffman who died December 10, 1858. Second wife was Sophia Giffhorn who died October 19, 1882. Both wives are buried in Mt Carmel Cemetery, Area U, Lot 80.
Mary Elizabeth Noll Schaffer was born November23, 1808 in Hanover, Germany. She married Henry Noll about 1830 in Germany, probably in Uschlag. Their son John Henry Noll was born in Uschlag on March 22, 1832. Husband Henry Noll died in Germany about 1835. Mary then married Johan Christopher Schaffer about 1837 probably in Hanover. They had three children born in Uschalg between 1838 and 1842. The family left Bremen and arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 23, 1847, aboard the Bark Amphitrite. They moved to Baltimore where Christopher died between 1848 and 1850. Mary died in Baltimore on November 23, 1898, and is buried in Mt Carmel Cemetery, Area U, Lot 80.
Mary’s four known children, John Henry Noll (1832-1903), Henry Augustus Schaffer (1838-1864), Jospeh Henry Schaffer (1841-1890) and Elizabeth Schaffer (1842-1901) all lived and died in Baltimore. I can find no record that shows their mother’s maiden name. I have been trying to find a Uschlag birth or baptismal record for any or all of the four … without success.
Kommentare
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Have you tried here -
https://ofb.genealogy.net/baltimore/
It's an OFB for Zion Church in Baltimore, and has the family names you're looking for.
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In the OFB that Sylvia references above there is an August Schaefer b about 1837, who marries a Mina Giffhorn and they have two children whose baptism is recorded in the "Kirchenbuch Baltimore Deutsche evangelisch lutherische Zion Gemeinde"
https://ofb.genealogy.net/famreport.php?ofb=baltimore&ID=I56841&lang=de
I cannot find these records online but you might be able to get them here:
https://speccol.msa.maryland.gov/pages/speccol/collection.aspx?speccol=2600#tab3
I wonder if this August Schaefer is Mary Elisabeth Schaffer's son Henry Augustus Schaffer (1838-1864). And if his wife Mina Giffhorn is related to the Sophia Giffhorn who married great grandfather Johann Georg Foertsch.
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Thank you both for your very thoughtful comments and the links. The OFB is particularly helpful. I also have downloaded the Zion records from the MSA and will go through them to see what I can find. But, the OFB did introduce some new and intersting material, specifically Minna Giffhorn and August Schaeffer. I show Augustus Schaeffer (1838-1864), son of John Christopher Schaeffer and Mary Elizabeth, married Anna Fisher on Jan 3 1861 in the United Evangelical Church. And to confuse things more, my great garndfather's second wife was Sophia Wilhelmina Giffhorn. They married Jul 2 1871 in St Pauls. Imagine, two Mina Giffhorns in the same time frame. I am unaware of the two Schaeffer children shown in the OFB but will try to track them down.
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False alarm. The "new" August Schaeffer and wife Mina Gifhorn from the OFB are in Find-a-Grave. He died in 1890 and they are both buried in Baltimore Cemetery. A remarkable coincidence but false alarm.
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