German Immigrants In American Church Records, Volume 31: Southern Ohio Protestant

2026-04-21T09:40:46-04:00

Dr. Minert and a team of researchers at BYU are currently involved in a project wherein they read and extract Americans' German vital records from historic local church vital records. These church records often pinpoint German origins in the "old country." Places and dates of birth, marriage, and previous residence in Germany are commonly found in these records. Dr. Minert estimates that 65-76 percent of historic local church records give an immigrant's exact place of birth. Entries found in the volumes include people born in Switzerland and Austria.

Please note that there is a 4,211-surname index to this book at the end of this entry.

Typical entries from the Berg Church, Fearing Twp., Washington Co., Ohio are as follows:

Jakob Theobald b. Godelhausen, Pfalz, Bayern 24 June 1823; son of Daniel Theobald and Catharine Ensmenger; d. Fearing Twp., OH 9 Feb 1885, age 61-7-15; bur. Fearing Twp.; m. USA Fall 1847, Margaretha Wagner. He immigrated in 1846. Ref: p. 211.

Anna Elisabeth Catharine Zumbro b. Sötern, Oldenburg 1 Aug 1809; dau of Franz Zumbro and Anna Elisabeth Schneider; d. Fearing Twp., OH 26 March 1885, age 75-7-25; bur. Fearing Twp; m. Sötern, Oldenburg, Carl Reitenbach; 2m. 1854, Jakob Noe She immigrated in 1854. Ref: pp. 212-213.

Elisabeth Becker b. Krottelbach, Kusel, Pfalz, Bayern 30 Jan 1825; dau of Adam Becker and Margaretha Dauber; d. 19 Dec 1885, age 60-10-20; bur. Fearing Twp., OH; m. USA 2 April 1846, Johann Jakob Biehl. She immigrated in May 1845. Ref: pp. 214-215.

Catharine Hess b. Pfeffelbach, Rheinprovinz 1806; d. 9 Jan 1886, age ca. 80; bur. Fearing Twp., OH; m. USA 1848, Jakob Mortz. She immigrated in the 1840s. Ref: p. 215.

Peter Lauer b. Krottelbach, Pfalz, Bayern 29 May 1836; d. Fearing Twp., OH 8 Feb 1888, age 51-8-10; bur. Fearing Twp. 10 Feb 1886; m. Fearing Twp., OH 18 Sept 1860, Katharine Schimmel. Ref: p. 216, Marriages 1860.

Johann Jakob Clos b. Frohnhofen, Homburg, Pfalz, Bayern 19 Sept 1801; d. Fearing Twp., OH 23 March 1888, age 86-6-4; bur. Fearing Twp. Ref: p. 217.

Volume 31 covers twenty-four churches found in Southern Ohio. Ten of twenty-one counties in the region had records that were transcribed in this volume. The following list is made up of those counties. In parentheses is the number of churches covered for the county: Hamilton (6), Hocking (2), Meigs (1), Morgan (1), Muskingham (2), Noble (1), Pike (1), Ross (1), Scioto (1), Washington (8).

The following twenty-four churches have been extracted.

Chester Twp., Meigs Co., St. John’s Evangelical Church

Chillicothe, Ross Co., Chillicothe Circuit Methodist Church

Colerain Twp., Hamilton Co., Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Cumminsville, Hamilton Co., First German Evangelical Protestant Church

Elk Twp., Noble Co., Pawpaw United Evangelical Protestant Church

Fearing Twp., Washington Co., Berg Church

Franklin Furnace, Scioto Co., St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Green Twp., Hamilton Co., First German Evangelical Protestant Church

Harrison, Hamilton Co., St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Liberty Twp., Washington Co., St. John’s Lutheran Church

Logan, Hocking Co., St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church

Lowell, Washington Co., St. John’s German Evangelical Protestant Church

McConnelsville, Morgan Co., Solomon Lutheran Church

Marietta, Washington Co., German Methodist Church

Marietta, Washington Co., St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Marietta, Washington Co., St. Paul’s First German United Evangelical Church

Marion Twp., Hocking Co., St. James German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Muskingum Twp., Washington Co., First German Evangelical Protestant Church

Reading, Hamilton Co., St. John’s Independent German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Reading, Hamilton Co., St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Watertown Twp., Washington Co., German Evangelical Protestant Church

Waverly, Pike Co., German Methodist Church

Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Immanuel Lutheran Church

Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Trinity Lutheran Church

Roger P. Minert

2020, Hard Cover, Every-name index, 630 pp.

ISBN: 9781628592672

121-FR0667