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Biographies

The Fritz Family has traced its' roots to Johann Michael Friesz, who was born in Bavaria about 1695. He married Maria Carlotta Fechter on June 29, 1717 and they had eight children:  Johan Simon, Johannes, Maria Catherina, Johan Peter, Johan Heinrich, Michael, Carlotta and Maria.

Johann's son Johannes, who was born in May of 1721 in Rossbach, Germany, married Catherine Alspach. They also had eight children: Anna Marie, Magdalena, Johannes, Catherina, Sharlotta, Peter, Jacob and Michael who changed his surname to Fritz.

Michael and his wife Louisa had four sons: George, Adam, Andrew and David, who was the original base of the Family Tree and the man whose name graces the cover of our two books-Descendants of David Fritz Volume 1 and Volume 2.

By 1755, a number of German families had settled in "the land beyond the Blue Mountain" in Brunswick Township. They formed a congregation and practiced the religious principles from their homeland. From 1755 to 1782, Rev. Daniel Schumaker, a missionary in Lehigh and Berks Counties, sometimes crossed the mountain on foot to minister to the people.

In 1765, the congregation began erecting a church on the Centre Turnpike, about a mile east of Orwigsburg, completing it in 1770. The first Sunday in Advent of 1770 was the dedication day of "Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brunswick Township." Rev. Schumaker preached from Psalms xxvii, 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

Rev. John Knoske was the pastor from 1803 to 1811. David Fritz was baptized in this church May 15, 1808.

Contrary to family lore, it seems David's wife Elizabeth was not a Johnson. On death certificates for four of her children, Jacob, Hannah, Solomon and Barbara, their mother's maiden name each time is "Herring." These multiple occurrences cannot simply be a coincidence.

Donald Leroy Fritz , in doing some research on Elizabeth, found that she was born in Rush Township, Schuylkill County, in 1811. She was one of the female children listed with her parents Georg Hering II and his wife Mary (Polly) in the 1820 census.

Descendants of Johann Jorg Christoffel Hering, Known as Redemptioner in Albany Township, Berks County, 1753 compiled by Calvin Adam Herring and published in 1965, gives us Elizabeth's ancestry. Johann Jorg Christoffel Hering was born in Europe in 1728 and immigrated to America, arriving at Philadelphia October 2, 1753. He married a woman named Margaretha (maiden name unknown). They had two sons killed in the Battle of Brandywine in 1777; a third son Georg; and a fourth son Jurg Philip. After Margaretha's death, Christopher married a woman named Catharina with whom he had Elizabeth Margaretha; Johannes; Heinrich; Ludwig, and Elizabeth Catharina.

Georg, born c. 1758 in Northampton, now Lehigh County, married Margaretha (maiden name unknown) in Berks County. Their issue was Georg II, Frederick Jacob, four daughters and one more son. Georg Sr. was enumerated in the 1800 census of Berks County in "the part not yet laid out into townships." This section is now in Schuylkill County. In the 1810 census of Rush Township, Northampton County, (now Ryan Township, Schuylkill County), Georg was widowed. He was not enumerated in 1820, so presumably, he died in his 50s.

Georg II was born c.1779 in Albany Township, Berks County. He died c.1834 in Rush (now Ryan) Township, Schuylkill County. He married Mary (also known as Polly which had been a common nickname for Mary). She was born in 1784 and died after 1860. They had eleven children: Anna, born c.1807, who married John Blue, born c. 1791; Hannah, 1809-1889, who was the second wife of Jacob Messerschmidt; Elizabeth, 1811-1864, who married David Fritz; Barbara, born c.1814-1898, who married Abraham Beltz; Lydia, born c. 1817, wife of Jacob Beltz; two more daughters on whom there is no further information and three sons Aaron, Emanuel, and Solomon.

David Fritz married Elizabeth in 1830 and lived in Union Township, Schuylkill County. Children Henry, David, Jr., Mary Ann, Solomon and John were probably born in Union Township. The tax records for 1839 and 1840 place David in East Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County. Tax records for 1841 through 1843 indicate that David worked a twelve acre farm in Schuylkill township for people named "Seltzer and Huntzinger." His sons Andrew and Charles were born during this time.

Son Jacob was born after David moved his family to Rush Township (present day Ryan Township) in 1844. There David worked for a man named "Blue." It's possible that this was Elizabeth's sister Anna's husband. That would be a logical explanation for David and his family to be residents of this area for a time and a reason for David's children Henry and Mary Ann to remain in the township with relatives when David moved his family to Union Township in 1848. After returning to Union Township, David and Elizabeth added Barbara, Hannah, General Washington, Amelia, Sarah, and George to their family and David worked as a "laborer." After Elizabeth died in September 1864, David lived with son Solomon and later with son Andrew.

In 1882, the tax collector began registering David as "old." Then in 1883 and 1884, David was defined as "old and infirm." After 1888, he was no longer entered on the tax rolls. This, in all probability, is the year he died.

David and Elizabeth were buried in the Girard Manor Cemetery where St. John's German Reformed Lutheran Church once stood. It is a quiet, peaceful cemetery nestled in the beautiful valley in which Phinneyville is located in East Union Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

So the children that we've researched of David and Elizabeth are:
Henry
David, Jr.
Maryann - no information on children for her
Solomon
John
Andrew
Charles
Jacob
Barbara
Amelia - no information on her
General Washington
Sarah - no information on her
Hannah

Fritz Family Ancestors are Buried in the Following Cemeteries

Odd Fellows Cemetery, Shenandoah Heights, PA

( Name , Born , Died)

James Albert Fritz 12 Nov 1877 , 25 Dec 1941

Nona Isadora Fritz 19 Dec 1880 , 19 Aug 1941

Henry Charles Fritz 06 Feb 19 , 16 Aug 1990

Judy Fritz 09 Oct 1950 , 10 Jan 1956

Grace Ann Fritz

Erma Lucinda Williams 05 Apr 1904 , 19 May 1971

Luther Josiah Williams 17 Mar 1897

James Luther Williams 07 Mar 1933 Oct

William Franklin Williams 97 Mar 1933

William Guinn Sr. 25 Jun 1988

Calvary Hill Cemetery, Shenandoah Heights, PA

( Name , Born, Died)

Rabena Elizabeth Ringheiser 29 May 1901 , 23 Nov 1963

Jacquetta Anna Leach 20 Feb 1920 , 11 Oct 1994

Evergreen Cemetery, Mt. Eipran Ave. & Ferry Ave., Camden, NJ

( Name , Born, Died)

Franklin Garland Pooley II 16 Jan 1910 , Dec

Annetta Louella Pooley 28 Mar 1911 , 09 Oct 1992

Franklin Garland Pooley III Jan 1930 , Mar 1930

John Pooley Jul 1935 , Jan 1936

The following records were found in the Pennsylvania State Library, Harrisburg, PA

1900 U.S. Census - Schuylkill County - Mahanoy City - Fifth Ward - North 6th Street

Call No. 141, Micro Copy T-623, Roll No. 1484, Ed 161, Sheet 25, Line 94

Fritz, Jacob Age 50, born 1850, married 30 years, coal miner

Eliza Age 49, born June 1850, married 30 years, ten children, seven living. Born in Ireland, immigrated 1854

Richard Age 25, born May 1875, fireman in colliery

Frank Age 19, born January 1881, day laborer

Martin Age 17, born March 1883, day laborer

Nellie Age 13, born September 1886

James Age 10, born August 1889

Bessie Age 8, born October 1891

1910 U.S. Census - Schuylkill County - Mahanoy City - 1st Precinct - North 6th Street

260 0042 0429

Fritz, Eliza Age 55, married 37 years, widowed

Martin Age 25, laborer in the coal mines

James Age 21, laborer in the coal mines

Bessie Age 18, working in the shirt factory

Richard Age 34, married 10 years, fireman in the coal mines

Alice Age 26, daughter-in-law, mother of seven children

Joseph Age 9

Richard Age 8

James Age 7

Thomas Age 5

Alfred Age 4

Mary Age 2

Elizabeth Age 7 months

1920 U.S. Census - Philadelphia County - Philadelphia - 2812 19th Street

Vol 259, Ed 1351, Sheet 10, Line 72

L532 Lentz, Anthony Age 28, automobile mechanic

Elizabeth Age 28

Philip Age 5

Elizabeth Age 2

Macintosh, Kathryn Age 37, boarder, grocery cashier