Today two of my great grandmas celebrate birthdays. Well they would if they were still with us or the keep track of that sort of thing in heaven.

My 2nd Great Grandma Mary A Shoenfelt Ritts was born 181 years ago in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. She married John Ritts and had six children including my great-grandpa Harry.  Mary's life was tragically cut down when the trolley she was riding went off the bridge and plunged into the Juniata River. In the subsequent trial, her husband was awarded $1200. Family Tree of Mary A Ritts

Harriet Slyder lived her life in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Married to Jacob Embich in 1838, Widowed in 1854 at age 37 Harriet was left with six children; John age 13, William 11, Mary 10, Emma 8, Jacob 3 and 2 month old Harriet. The young family survived off of Jacob estate until after the Civil War marched it's way through Chambersburg as part of the Battle of Gettysburg. To defend family and home, son John took up arms joining the Union Army. After the war Harriet took up jobs housekeeping and sewing to support her family. My 3rd great-grandma at age 68 was buried in the First Lutheran Church Cemetery, Chambersburg. Family Tree of Harriet Embich

Happy Birthday Grandmas!

200 Years After Sailing to America, Families Unite

Mr & Mrs James Armstrong
(Cristoph Embich & George Greiss decendants)

Christoph Embich and George Greiss sailed to the port of Philadelphia on the Nancy in September of 1752. Christoph Adam Embich was 27 when he left Germany to stake his claim in America, is my 5^th great grandpa from my dad’s father’s line. Geoge Greiss (Grass) as a 12 year old refugee came to America from Switzerland. He is my 4^th great grandpa from my dad’s mom’s line. Presumably during the long voyage and cramped living conditions they probably met, but once arriving in Philadelphia it seems they or their families paths did not cross again my grandparents James Armstrong and Madeline Campbell met and married shortly after high school in 1929.

Christoph Embich a carpenter by trade, Lutheran by faith, settled in Lancaster where he married and had 10 children with Mary Elizabeth Kriter. Christoph fought as a Patriot in the Revolutionary War. His descendants followed in his footsteps as carpenters and farmers, patriots serving their country in times of war in Pennsylvania for many generations.

George Greiss’s path is much less defined until he appears on the 1800 census in Cambria County with his wife and 9 children. Cambria County in the early 1800s was an untamed wilderness that the Greiss/Krise family set out tame. Active members in the Catholic Church, they participated in establishing the religion in Cambria County including building St Augustine Church.

Below is an excerpt from the "Pennsylvania Germans Pioneers” listing the men on the Nancy:

[List 186 C] At the Court House in Philadelphia, Wednesday, ye 27 September, 1752.

Present: Joshua Maddox, Esquire. The Foreigners whose Names are underwritten, Imported in the Ship Nancy, Captain John Ewing, from Rotterdam and last from Cowes, did this day take and subscribe the usual Qualifications. No. 83.

Jacob Schweude	Michael Eyroh	Jacob Schmidt
Joseph Steüdel	Jonas (X) Bastian	Johan Ludwig Seiler
Jerg Hauher	Christian Homberg	Jacob Friederik (X) Danninger
George (X) Grass	Jacob Mussgenug	Jacob Dietrich
Carl Frich Siebert	Joseph (X) Bernhart	Philipp Jacob Wunder
Joseph (X) Bernhart, Junior	David Xander	Hans (N) Kintz
Johann Michale Haas	Joseph ( ) Kintz, on board	Samuel Musse
Johannes (HIM) Herman	Johan Philipp Bietighoffer	Johanis (X) Shwitzer
Philipp Mall	Jacob Junchfer [?]	Konradt Weiss
Hans Georg Kautz	Andres Bastian	Jacob Kautz
Adam Friederich Weiss	Hans Jacob Lersch	Johann Georg Friderich Bayer
Jaque Peirot	George (+) Wenig	Jaque Molac
Jacob Bauerschmid	Frantz (X) Saltzman	Jacob Bauerschmidt
Lutwig Thüringer	Gerg Friderich Jauss	Peter (X) Heatteman
Christoph Rothbaust	Johann Martin Doser	Matheas (X) Dywel
Michael Doser	Friderich Baisch	Balthas Bauman
Jacob ( ) Basich, on board	Christoph Embich	Johan Andereas (X) Rothe
Christian Mühlheim	Christoff Kreiser	Israel Eberlin
Johann Friderich Uhlandt	Fillib Follen	Jacob (X) Armbruster
Joh. Jacob Ernst	George Michael (X) Spatz	Hans Jacob Neusterdt
Johannes Butz	Vallendin Hagner	Jacob Stützmann
Hans Jerg Heudekel [?]	Ludwig Neitz	Christoph ( ) Mast, on board
Jerg Balthas Ernst	Paul Waag	Casper Underweg
Hans Georg ( ) Krebs, on board	Mardin Fromm	Hans Paul Henrich
Andreas Jäger	Rudolph (+) Klarr	Johan Max Klopfer
Hans Stös	Johann Martin Rädelmeyer	Hans Michael (X) Weller
Abraham Birkenber[g]	Johann Georg Braun	Henry (+) Shleghter
Johannes Griess	Herman (+) Matsh	Jacob (HK) Kautz, Junior
Georg Friederich Schwartz

                 

Mailbox  Beth Bostian ©1997 Beth Bostian

Source: Strassburger & Hinke,"Pennsylvania German Pioneers", Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1980, Baltimore, Volume I, p.491.