THE AMITY CHURCH
AND ITS ANCIENT DEAD.
NOTES AND QUERIES BY WILLIAM HENRY EGLE,
PAGES 207-209
The Amityville Lutheran Church is situated in Amity township, Berks county, Pa., about four or five miles north of Douglassville, on the Schuylkill river. Its organization dates back more than one hundred and fifty years. Its cemetery is very large, and in the east end, or old church yard, lie in death’s peaceful slumber, many original settlers and founders of notable families. The present spacious brick church is, of course, not the first edifice. In this paper we will confine our research to the old churchyard on the east side of the church, the new cemetery being on the west side.
Before entering the gate our attention is called to the date “1748”, deeply cut on the stone wall, which leads to the assumption that this was the date of its original erection. Some distance away on the face of another large stone may be seen the names:
____
P. GEIGER.
W. REIDER.
H. DENGLER.
C. LUTHER.
Aug. 7th, 1820.
____
We assume that the wall was rebuilt at this time, and that the foregoing individuals were trustees. There are 270 tombstones in this old grave yard, but there are many dead of provincial times whose graves are unmarked. Many of the oldest have only rough limestone markers. The oldest stones having inscriptions are red Triassic stones obtained in Chester county, from which, unfortunately, the inscriptions are almost entirely eroded by the tooth of time. Others are of hard, coarse marble, which we presume were obtained in the quarries near Norristown, and resist the elements far better than the imported Italian varieties. Nearly all the inscriptions are in German, some are quite elaborate and give valuable family history, such as telling from what part of Germany the decedent was from – whose son or daughter – when married – how many children, &c. The oldest inscription is that of Mary Sands, 1742. The feet of the dead point toward the rising sun, typical of the resurrection. The wife almost invariably lies on the north side of the husband. The subjoined list only includes the older graves, as burials still occur occasionally in this graveyard. It will be observed that John Henry Boyer (founder of a great family) and Mrs. Levergood, were centenarians.
____
Boyer, John Henry, b. 1714; d. 1814
Boyer, John, b. 1727; d. 1777
Boyer, Elizabeth (wife), b. 1726; 1802
Boyer, Catherine, b. 1781; d. 1792
Boyer, Samuel, b. 1751; d. 1829
Boyer, Catherine (wife), 1752; d. 1826
Boyer, Helen, w. of Urich, b. 1791; d. 1847
Boyer, Daniel, s. of Phil. B. 1792; d. 1825
Boyer, Urich, s. of Phil. B. 1787; d. 1836
Boyer, Phillip, b. 1754; d. 1832
Boyer, Christiana (wife), b. 1754; d. 1832
Boyer, Hannah, w. of Henry, b. 1789; d. 1853
Boyer, Henry, s. of Val., b. 1781; d. 1836
Boyer, Elis., w. of Philip, b. 1780; d. 1833
Brendlinger, Phil., b. 1794; d. 1833
Brendlinger, Cath., w.of Philip, b. 1794; d. 1874
Bertolette, Maria, w. of John, b. 1788; d. 1827
Beck, George, b. 1779; d. 1854
Beck, Mary, w. of George, b. 1784 d. 1834
Becker, John Val., b. 1745; d. 1821
Becker, Maria, w. of J.V. and dau. of Valentine Reif, b. 1750; d. 1821
Bower, Barbara, w. of Moses, b. 1761; d. 1797
Bower, Mich., b. 1749; d. 1823
Bower, Rachel, b. 1760; d. 1822
Bobp, Cath. (Babb), w. of George, b. 1766; d. 1825
Dengler, Henry, b. 1763; d. 1808
Derr, Cath., w. of Samuel, b. 1780; d. 1863
Davidheiser, George, b. 1798; d. 1863
Dodero, Henry, b. 1739; d. 1798
Dodero, Dorothea, wife of H. and dau. of – Weidner, b. 1745; d. 1821
Eagle, Henry, husband of Maria Harrenstein, b. 1758; d. 1825
Engel, Cath., nee Pott, b. 1787; d. 1810
Focht, Brarb., w. of Ludwig, b. 1769; d. 1858
Fusz, Geo. (Foos), b. 1738; d. 1800
Fusz, Cath., wife, and daughter of Daniel Womeldorf, b. 1742; d. 1801
Greiner, Phil., b. 1754; d. 1833
Greiner, Margaret (wife), b. 1764; d. 1834
Geiger, Philip, b. 1765; d. 1831
Geiger, Anna Maria, wife, nee Stichter, b. 1769; d. 1847
Gerber, Jacob, b. 1746; d. 1817
Gerger, Maria (wife), b. 1767; d. 1839
Guldin, Anna, w. of Jacob, b. 1774; d. 1830
Hoffman, Henry, b. 1781; d. 1828
Hunter, Jacob, b. 1775; d. 1823
Hunter, Anna, w. of Jacob, b. 1776; d. 1870
Horner, Jacob, b. 1755; d. 1837
Horner, Elis., w., nee Baum, b. 1764; d. 1823
Holder, John, b. 1783; d. 1870
Hartman, Yost, hus. Of Elis. Bear, b. 1764; d. 1831
Hartman, John, b. 1794; d. 1821
Hartman, Hannah, w. of John, nee Luther, b. 1791; d. 1821
Hill, Magdalena, dau. of Jacob, b. 1786; d. 1802
Kline, Abraham, b. 1784; d. 1814
Kline, Jacob, b. 1734; d. 1814
Kline, John, b. 1764- d. 1827
Kline, Magdalena, (wife), b. 1766; d. 1843
Kline Henry, s. of J. and Mag., b. 1793; d. 1827
Kline Susanna, w. of Henry, b. 1796; d. 1820
Kern, Mich., Rev. soldier, b. 1757; d. 1850
Kern, Mary, w. of Mich., b. 1762; d. 1828
Kerling, Peter, b. 1759; d. 1823
Kleber, Hannah, b. 1780; d. 1800
Knabb, Jacob, b. 1771; d. 1826
Knabb, Hannah (w), b. 1775; d. 1825
Luther, Peter Care, b. 1762; d. 1823
Luther, Wilhelmina, w. of Peter, b. 1764; d. 1847
Lorah, Geo., Esq., b. 1745; d. 1826
Levergood, Matthias, son of Adam and Christina, b. 1749; d. 1825
Levergood, Cath., nee Shuster, w. of Matt., b. 1759; d. 1860
Levergood, Joseph, b. 1777; d. 1838
Levergood, Mary, w. of Jos., b. 1776; d. 1846
Ludwig, Emanuel, b. 1757; d. 1791
Ludwig, Rachel, w. of John, b. 1754; d. 1822
Ludwig, Cath., dau. of John and Rachel, b. 1787; d. 1856
Ludwig, Daniel, b. 1793; d. 1882
Ludwig, Mich., b. 1745; d. 1806
Ludwig, Susanna, w. of Mich., b. 1751; d. 1818
Ludwig, Sarah, w. of John, b. 1781; d. 1811
Lesher, Abraham, b. 1788; d. 1826
Lesher, Elis., w. of A., b. 1785; d. 1861
Marquet, Peter, b. 1763; d. 1810
Marquet, Mary, w. of P. and d. of Peter Moser, b. 1767; d. 1835
Marquet, Philip,b. 1793; d. 1861
Marquet, Elis., w. of P., b. 1796; d. 1873
Matthias, Maria, nee Geiger and w. of Philip, b. 1793; d. 1823
Moser, John, b. 1716; d. 1793
Pott, John, s. of John, b. 1764; d. 1850
Pott, Sabilla, nee Leffler, w. of John P. b. 1774; d. 1824
Pyle, Rebecca, d. of Daniel and Cath., b. 1727; d. 1807
Pyle, Elis., nee Becker, w. of Dan’l, b. 1734; d. 1796
Pyle, Jacob, b. 1776; d. 1795
Roth, Solomon (Rhodes), b. 1757; d. 1798
Roth, Peter, so. Of Sol., b. 1793
Roth, Elis., d. of Sol., b. 1788
Roth, Cath., d. of Jonathan, b. 1786; d. 1788
Roth, Elisabeth, b. 1784; d. 1825
Roth, Mathias, b. 1717; d. 1795
Roth, Jacob, b. 1744; d. 1825
Roth, Susanna (wife), b. 1749; d. 1813
Rhodes, John, d. 1767
Rhodes, John, son of Jacob, b. 1775; d. 1850
Rhodes, Mary, w. of John, b. 1781; d. 1860
Roth, Samuel, b. 1780; d. 1822
Rhodes, Mary, w. of Henry, b. 1785; d. 1854
Rhodes, Daniel, b. 1753; d. 1825
Rhodes, Magd., w. of Dan’l., b. 1761; d. 1813
Rhodes, David, s. of Dan., b. 1792; d. 1812
Rhodes, Peter, s. of Dan., b. 1794; d. 1822
Rhodes, Samuel, s. of Dan., b. 1796; d. 1838
Rhodes, Jacob, s. of Dan., b. 1784; d. 1848
Rhodes, John, s. of Dan., b. 1787; d. 1861
Rhodes, s. of Dan. B. 1798; d. 1873
Rhodes, Adam, s. of Dan., b. 1800; d. 1888
Rahn, Ann, w. of Jacob, b. 1798; d. 1866
Reiger, Herman, b. 1766; d. 1792
Reimby, Christopher, b. 1750; d. 1826
Reimby, Anna, w. of Ch., b. 1769; d. 1852
Reif, Jacob, b. 1796; d. 1827
Ritter, Elis., w. of John, b. 1787; d. 1825
Romig, Geo., s. of John, b. 1765; d. 1850
Romig, Anna Sophis, w. of Geo., b. 1773; d. 1828
Reider, Jacob, s. of Mich., b. 1790; d. 1868
Sands, Mary, b. 1741; d. 1742
Sands, Mary, b. 1744; d. 1749
Sands, Othniel, b. 1756; d. 1831
Sands, Cath., w. of Oth., b. 1764; d. 1822
Schrack, John Peter, b. 1750; d. 1823
Schrack, Elis., nee Weber, w. of John P., b. 1746; d. 1818
Schrack, Dan’l., s. of John, b. 1778; d. 1843
Schrack, Mary, w. of Dan’l. b.1789; d. 1823
Schrack, Geo., s. of John and Elis., b. 1783; d. 1813
Spies, Ludwig, b. 1778; d. 1827
Stapleton, John, d. 1754
Stapleton, Maria Margaretha, w. of John, b. 1721; d. 1794
Stapleton, John, Jr., Esq., b. 1751; d. 1820
Stapleton, Rosins, w. of John, b. 1760; d. 1833
Stapleton, William, b. 1720; d. 1785
Stapleton, Anna K., w. of William, b. 1728; d. 1795
Scheetz, Mary, w. of Philip. B. 1756; d. 1822
Scheitz, Hannah, w. of Henry, b. 1792; d. 1854
Strunk, Jacob, b. 1796; d. 1866
Strunk, Maria, w. of Jacob, b. 1798; d. 1840
Tyson, Margaret (nee Baum), w. of John, b. 1778; d. 1826
Val Reed, Henry, b. 1722; d. 1790
Van Reed, Ann, w. of H., b. 1720; d. 1805
Weber, Jacob, b. 1722; d. 1790
Weber, Barbara (nee Roth), w. of Peter, b. 1719; d. 1805
Weber, Jacob, son of Peter, b. 1751; d. 1835
Weber, Ann (nee Van Reed), w. of Jacob W., b. 1755; d. 1831
Weber, Samuel, son of Jacob, b. 1788; d. 1839
Womeldorf, Daniel, b. 1702; d. 1759
Womeldorf, Jacob, b. 1734; d. 1805
Womeldorf, Cath., b. 1742; d. 1803
Zerr, Jacob, b. 1760; d. 1826
Zerr, Susanna, w. of Jacob, b. 1766; d. 1842
Zeller, John, b. 1780; d. 1858
Zeller, Cath., w. of John, b. 1785; d. 1869.
As a sample of the curious epitaphs to be found, and also the rapid Germanizing of the feeble English element in that early day, we will give the inscriptions on the stones of John and William Stapleton. Their father, Robert P. Stapleton (b. 1690) was of the English nobility. Becoming a Quaker he was expatriated and came to Pennsylvania about 1715, settled in Oley, five miles north of Amityville. In 1750 he led a Quaker colony to the vicinity of Woodstock, Virginia, where he acquired extensive lands; died there 1754, having left John and William (as above) on his estate in Oley. John married, March 10, 1747, Maria Margaretha, daughter of Valentine Liger, who came to New Hanover in 1717, and was a very prominent man. William married Anna Kinga Hoffman. John, sr., had but one son, John, as above, an officer in the Revolution and great-grandfather of the writer of this sketch. John, sr., died 1754 (same year as his father, in Virginia.) His widow survived him 40 years.
Hier ruhen die geb
Eine eines mit
Brooders diese Semeinde
William Stebelton
Geb 1720 – und lebte mit
Seiner Ehgatten u, Ana – 37 yahr
In eine friedsame ehe und
Starb ohne kinder –
26 Mertz, 1785.
____
[Translation]
“Here rests the remains of a Brother of this Society, William Stapleton, Born 1720, and and lived in peaceful matrimony 37 years with his wife, Anna, and died without children Mar 26, 1785.”
_____
1754
HIR LIGT
IOANN STE
BELDON IN
SEINEM SARG
UND GRVFT
BIS IN AMIN
STEN DAG
SEIN IESUS
WIDER RVFT.
___
Trans. – ” 1754. Here lies John Stapleton, (“Stebeldon”) in his coffin and grave until him at the last day of Jesus again calls.”
A. STAPLETON.
Lewisburg, Pa.
Contributed by Shirley Pierce
About Author
