About a month ago Richard Metteer posted the following in our guest book:
"My great-greatgrandfather was David Wertz b.PA and married Ellen Revelle. He served in the Mexican War and the Civil War. He died 26 Dec. 1910 in Hartwick, Powshiek County, Iowa. Their daughter, Molly Wertz, married Jacob Mills. They lived in Hastings, Nebraska and Logan ,Iowa."Unfortunately the email address Richard listed bounced!! I would like to tell Richard that we do have records of his David Wertz family, and can also put him in touch with some living cousins!
According to the 1870 Census in Jefferson Twp., Poweshiek County, Iowa this David Wertz's family consisted of David, age 42, born PA (thus born about 1828); his wife, Ellen, age 32, born Ohio; and seven children: William, age 17, born Ohio; Sarah, age 14, born Iowa; Lydia Ann, age 11, born Iowa; Mollie J., age 9, born Missouri; David, age 6, born Missouri; Peter, age 4, born Iowa; and Emma M, age 4 months, born Iowa.
If all the places of birth are correct, this family was living in Ohio until at least 1853, in Iowa from about 1856 to 1859/60, in Missouri from 1860/61 to 1864/65, and then back in Iowa. Does anyone have an 1850 Ohio census record for this family? Or a marriage record probably also in Ohio for David and Ellen Revelle Wertz?
We do not know David's parentage for sure, but believe that he is most likely the son of Peter Wertz, 1792-1873, and Mary Foose of Landisburg, Perry Co., PA. Their 14 children included a David Wertz about whom the Perry County records say only that he "was married and lived in Iowa; they had several children; one daughter lived in Long Beach, Calif., and some of the other children lived in Nebraska." (see pages 239 and 240 in our Wertz Book; and Newsletters #30, page 5; and #31, pages 3 and 4.)
If anyone knows Richard's correct email address, or can add any additional records on this family, please write!
Thank you, Carolyn Choppin
Choppin.Carolyn@usa.net
