Martz Family Documents
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The Birth Certificate of Elizabeth (sister of John H. Martz, who died in infancy)
“To the two spouses: Johannes Mertz and his legal wife Margaretha born Keller, a daughter was born 25 day of February, 1848 in Green Township in Mahoning County, Ohio. . .” (The child’s name and baptism are blank.)
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The Birth Certificate of Johannes Martz, Jr. (English translation with actual misspellings):
“To the two spouses: namely Johannes Mertz and his legal wife, Elizabeth Bieber (recorded as Beaver in English) a son was born into this world in the year of our Lord Jesus 1815, the 26th day of August. This son was born in Hauridter Taunshib in Tanzin (Taupin?) County* in the free state of Penselvannia in North America, was baptized and is given the name Johannes on ______day in the year of our lord Jesus 1815 by Mr. Fanhol (Faehol or Faichel).”
Baptism witnesses were Sallomon Stautzen and his wife Ester.
NOTE: The pastor/clerck probably could not speak English and therefore Germanized the spelling of English names and places. The form was printed by Peters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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The Birth Certificate of Margaretha Keller (who married Johannes Martz, Jr. on February 20, 1840)
“To
the two spouses: namely Johannes Keller and his legal wife
Katharina, whose maiden name was Kenreich a daughter was born in
the year of our Lord 1818, the 12 day of February in Fairfield
Township, Columbiana County in the state of Ohio in North
America, and she is given the name Margaretha Keller.
On ______ in the year 1818 she was baptized by Peter
Mahnenschmidt, with parents as witnesses.”
*There was no Tauzin or
Taupin in Pennsylvania. Dauphin County, which sounds like
Taupin, adjoins Lancaster County on the Northwest.
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The Birth Certificate of Catharina Kenreich, the mother of Margaretha Keller:
“To
the two spouses: namely Casper Kenreich and his married
wife Anna the daughter of Heinrich Barth, to them a daughter is
born the 12th
day of November in the year of our Lord 1793. This daughter
is born in Earl Township, Lancaster County, in the state of
Pennsylvania in North America and was baptized in the name
Catharina.”
By Mr. Miller
Witnesses: the parents
In
the margins it is written”
“In
the spring of 1812 she was confirmed by Pastor Bliff.”
“She was legally married to Johannes Goodman by Pastor Keller on the 5th day of October, 1828” (It should no doubt read she was married to Johannes Keller by Pastor Goodman on the 5th day of October, 1828.)
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The Birth Certificate of Daniel Martz (brother of John H. Martz):
“To
the two spouses: Johannes Mertz and his legal wife
Margaretha the daughter of Johann Keller a son was born on August
12, 1843. This son was born in Berlin Township, Trumbull
County, in the state of Ohio, in North America and is given the
name Daniel Mertz. This 24th
day of September in the year of our Lord, 1843 baptized by
Heinrich Hueff. Witnesses are the parents”
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This form of the birth and baptism certificates printed entirely in German script and featuring elaborate drawings, discloses the contemporary attitudes and thought of two centuries ago. Depicted are angels, birds, branches and leaves, musicians on clouds, fruits, animals with wings and persons at the gates of heaven. Verses of favorite hymns and sayings printed on the borders reflect their somewhat cold, almost pessimistic views of life. Here are some of them:
“When we are born it is only a short step from the first day of life to the cool grave. Every moment our strength wanes and every year we get ready to die.”
“Who knows at what hour the final voice awakes us. Because God did not proclaim that to any human being, be prepared and if your house is in good shape you will leave the world with joy.”
“Earthly security gives eternal dying.”
A
document kept with the family certificates is a graphic pictorial
and written statement of the choices in life, the easy road of
thousands to eternal fire and damnation, the narrow and difficult
path to Zion taken only by a few, and the path traveled by many,
some of who struggle and make it to heaven and others who slip
and fall into fiery hell with the other multitudes of sinners who
took the easy path. The narrative, also in German script,
explains the drawings. This document was often used by
ministers of the day to assist in teaching confirmation classes
to people who could not read and write. The document is
entitled, “The Different Paths To Eternal Life or Eternal
Misery” and reads in part:
“The
gate to hell is wide open all of the time. You can enter
with bags. Nobody will check you. You can take as
much as you want. If you want false honor and possessions
then go there. Thousands have gone. If you want lust,
pride and splendor, this is your way. All of the greedy,
lusty people are going there, singing, dancing, and playing
music, rich and poor, small and large. They hope to get
into Abraham’s lap but it is a false hope.
There
are many examples for idiots and fools. Babylon’s
whores are along this road. The law turned upside down will
feed those traveling this road.
If
you want the cross of Christ you must bear your own cross of
misery. The door is narrow and easily run past. Few
want to go to Zion. The path is thorny and only for Saints.
Their fruits are on the Tree of Life. Where are your
Fruits? Many are called but few are chosen.
Thus
speaks the Lord. Death is without mercy, killing the rich
and poor. The Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the
sinner, but only in the sinner turning away from evil.”
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Here are a couple of pages from Johannes Martz’s family bible
I want to apologize for the
quality of these documents, they are copies of many copies, and
the originals were obtained from a Donald Krewson (son of Edith
Martz Krewson, daughter of Cornelius Martz, son of Johannes H.
Martz, son of Johannes H. Martz, son of Abraham). Donald
was born, 01 December 1908 and died January 1979, in Fairfield,
Allen County, Indiana.
These documents are in the book written by H. Martz in August 1991, describing the family line from Johannes H. Martz who was born in 1787 in Pennsylvania and married Elizabeth Bieber (recorded as Beaver in English) about 1809. He had borrowed the original documents and made copies (wishing today he had been able to make a better copy or to obtain them to put into the Martz Archives
I am hoping, since Donald
has gone on to be with his parents and siblings, that his
children had foresight to keep these documents protected from the
elements and would be willing to let others make scanned copies
or allow them to be obtained for the archives.
If you are Donald’s
family line or know of this family and should be reading this
please contact me about the original documents.
If any of you connected with this Martz line has other documents that you would like to have placed on this site so that others researching this line are able to enjoy the family history, please e-mail the information/pictures/documents. Email:
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