A Biographical sketch in the "History of Pike and Dubois Counties, Indiana", published in 1885 in the section on "Bainbridge Township" reads:
"Toliver Wertz, M.D., of Jasper, Indiana, was born in Pennsylvania, April 14, 1838, being the youngest of seven children born to Henry Wertz and Ann Abrahams, natives of Pennsylvania and England, respectively. They made their home in Pennsylvania, where they passed their lives.
Our subject was raised on a farm in his native State, receiving a good literary education, completing an academic course. He followed the occupation of farming until he was twenty-five years old, and taught school one year, when he began the study of medicine, attending Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, in 1864-65. He then came to Warrick County, Indiana where he practiced at Boonville until 1871, and then came to Jasper, where he has been engaged in attending to a reasonably large and remunerative practice. In 1878 he returned to the above named medical college, and received a diploma from there in 1879. He is a Mason, and although not a member of any church, was raised in the Protestant faith."
Thanks to David Heller (dlheller@fuse.net) for locating and sharing this record.
Our records of his parents, Henry and Sara Wertz do indeed list Toliver as the youngest of their seven children. Our Bedford County records show this Henry Wertz as born about 1791/1802, probably in Cumberland Valley township, son of Paul Wertz and Catherine Stiffler.
Toliver's biography (above) states that his mother was Ann Abrahams. Our Bedford County records (mostly from the 1992 files of Kay Williams), show Henry's wife as Sara Abraham Oster or Easter. Kay's records stated that son Toliver Werts, was born 14 April 1838, and was "living in the west" in 1905. I guess if you live in PA, Indiana is "the West", although those of us in Colorado (or California) might take a different view!
Does the claim in Toliver's biography that his mother was Ann Abraham, and Kay William's record that Henry's wife was Sara Abraham Easter or Oster perhaps indicate that Henry married twice??
OR that Henry's wife's maiden name was perhaps Sarah Ann Abrahams and that she married a Mr. Oster or Easter before she married Henry Wertz?
Anyone with clues or proof to the correct maiden name(s) of the wife of this Henry Wertz, please contact us at:
Choppin.Carolyn@usa.net
Thank you.
