Gilbert and Lena Pierpont of Muncie come for visit

Portland, Indiana Semi-Weekly Sun, March 23, 1900, page 5

Gilbert Pierpont and wife, of Muncie, visited this week with James Huston and George Straube.

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Located this article through NewspaperArchive.com, showing Gilbert and Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont of Muncie visiting in the Portland area.  Lena was my paternal first cousin three times removed, the daughter of James Orcutt and Samantha E. Metzner.

The James Huston being visited was likely the James who had married Caroline Metzner, Lena's aunt.  Caroline died that year.   I have not yet connected George Straube to my family.

Gilbert and Lena were married November 27, 1899 in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  They were the parents of my black-sheep cousin, Harry Pierpont, member of the Dillinger gang.

Grandpa John Metzner was shot

Found an interesting tidbit while searching through old newspapers, the fact that in 1872 my grandpa John Metzner was shot. 



Portland Commercial, Portland, Indiana, May 2, 1872, page 2

The case of the State vs. John A. Bergman for shooting John Metzner was tried last week.  The Jury returned a verdict of guilty of an assault and battery, and accordingly fined him $26.

Question is, which grandpa John?  Was it my 2nd-great grandfather John Adam Metzner (1840-1895), or his father John Metzner (1805-1888)?  Will have to go to the Jay County courthouse to sort this out, though I am leaning on the victim being the younger John, a Civil War veteran.  However, there is the fact that he was often referred to by his middle name "Adam", and the article clearly states the victim was John.

Unfortunately, I've been unable to find any other mention of the incident in the local newspapers that have survived.

Who was John A. Bergman?  I believe he was the husband of Caroline H. Metzner, daughter of John (b. 1805).  This would mean that Mr. Bergman shot either his brother-in-law or his father-in-law.  Either way, this must have made for an interesting family dynamic

Caroline Metzner (b. 1852) and John A. Burgman were married March 11, 1869 in Jay County, Indiana.  The image of their marriage license was located at Familysearch.  Indexed as Burgman, his surname is spelled both Bergman and Burgman in the same document.



"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V6RG-H1P : accessed 04 Jan 2014), John A Burgman and Caroline Metzner, 1869.

In the 1870 census, I've located John and Caroline (Metzner) Bergman living in Bearcreek Township, Jay County, Indiana, with their 5 month old son, George W.  John A. Bergman was working in a saw mill.  Bearcreek Township is where several Metzner families lived.

 I know that Caroline married again in Jay County, Indiana on January 1, 1874 to James W. Huston, and that they had a daughter, Della.  So John and Caroline must have divorced sometime between 1870 and 1874 in Jay County, another avenue for me to research.  A good guess would be that the divorce occurred shortly after he shot John Metzner.

By the 1880 census, John A. Bergman was listed as a 38 year old divorced male living in the village of Bellfountaine, Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana, still listed as a sawmill worker.  I've found no other record other than the 1870 census for son George W. Bergman.  A search of Mt. Zion cemetery records at FindAGrave did not locate a memorial.

Once the weather improves and I can get up to Jay County, will definitely be researching this court case to see what all of the particulars were.  Sounds like an interesting family feud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Milestones: March 1st

My paternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Caroline H. METZNER, was born on this date in 1852 in Jay County, Indiana.  Caroline was the daughter of John and Catherine (YOUNG) METZNER, and the younger sister of my John Adam METZNER.  Caroline married January 1, 1874 in Jay County, Indiana to James W. HUSTON.  James was born circa 1854 in Ohio.  They had at least one child.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Louisa HEATON, was born on this date in 1839 in Brown County, Ohio.  Louisa was the daughter of James R. and Elizabeth (JACOBS) HEATON, and the older sister of my Rebecca Ann HEATON.  Louisa married May 28, 1852 in Brown County, Ohio to Samuel WARDLOW.  Samuel was born November 6, 1831.  They moved to Schuyler County, Missouri.  Samuel died March 17, 1911.  Louisa died October 29, 1920 in Schuyler County, Missouri.

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, Samuel NESBIT, was born on this date in 1781 in Virginia.  Samuel was the son of Samuel and Mary (BERRY) NESBIT, and the younger brother of my Elizabeth NESBIT.  Samuel married June 1, 1813 in Harrison County, Kentucky to Nancy THOMAS.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Nancy.  Samuel died September 1, 1866 in Stoutsville, Missouri.

My maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Margaret PIERCE, was married on this date in 1903 in Madison County, Indiana to John W. JONES.  Margaret was born April 1873 in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of Edmund G. and Catherine (GROENENDYKE) PIERCE.  John was born circa 1868 in Indiana.  They had 3 children and lived in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana, where John was a farmer.  Margaret died June 11, 1923 in Madison County, Indiana and is buried in the Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.

Family Milestones: January 1st

My paternal 3rd-great grandparents, George J. HALEY and Rachel H. GARY, were married on this date in 1835 in Hardin County, Ohio.  George J. was born December 14, 1814 in Basel, Switzerland.  Rachel was born March 25, 1816 in Fairfield County, Ohio.  George was a minister of the Evangelical Association and raised his family in Fairfield, Marion, Morrow and Erie Counties, Ohio.  They had 10 children.  George died February 27, 1888 in Huron Township, Erie County, Ohio.  Rachel died November 25, 1897 in Erie County, Ohio.  Both are buried in the Scotts Cemetery, Huron, Erie County, Ohio.

My paternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Sarah CHEW, married on this date in 1829 to John C. EASTLACK.  Sarah was the daughter of Rev. Nathaniel and Mary (WEST) CHEW, and the older sister of my Ezekiel Cooper CHEW.  I do not have the birth dates or parentage of John.  Sarah died in 1834.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My paternal great-granduncle, Martin Nimrod WEHRLY, married on this date in 1914 to Cora BURLEY.  Martin was the son of William P. and Olive Jane (SMITH) WEHRLY, and the younger brother of my Barbara Isabel WEHRLY.  Martin was born April 5, 1888 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  Cora was born in 1882.  They lived in New Castle, Henry County, Indiana.  Martin died February 5, 1954 and Cora died in 1972.

My paternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Hannah MAXSON, married on this date in 1824 to Samuel LIPPENCOTT.  Hannah was the daughter of Jesse and Sarah (SUTTON) MAXSON, and the older sister of my Prudence MAXSON.  Hannah was born March 24, 1806 in Clark County, Ohio.  Samuel was born April 22, 1803 in Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio, the son of Samuel and Amy (MAXSON) LIPPENCOTT.  They had 10 children.  Samuel died November 16, 1859 in Ohio.  Hannah died in 1892.

My paternal 5th-great granduncle, John DAVIS, was born on this date in 1754.  John was the son of Thomas William and Tacy (CRANDALL) DAVIS, and the younger brother of my Elisabeth DAVIS.  John married circa 1783 in New Jersey to Marvel MAXSON, daughter of Zebulon and Experience (DAVIS) MAXSON.  Marvel was born May 22, 1768 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey.  They had 7 children.  John died May 22, 1842 in Lewis County, Virginia.  Marvel died 1813 in Mad River Township, Clark County, Ohio.

My paternal great-granduncle, Ord Otterbein LeMASTERS, was born on this date in 1876 in Jay County, Indiana.  Ord was the son of Luman Walker and Mary Keziah (CHEW) LEMASTERS, and the younger brother of my Luman Cooper LeMASTERS.  Ord married June 12, 1907 to Emma W.G. GARMHAUSEN, daughter of John and Mary (STRAUSBURGH) GARMHAUSEN.   Emma was born June 15, 1881.  Ord was a doctor in Shelby County, Ohio.  They had 1 child.  Ord died September 15, 1937 in Clinton, Shelby County, Ohio.  Emma died February 10, 1956.  Both are buried in the Graceland Cemetery, Shelby County, Ohio.

My paternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Caroline H. METZNER, was married on this date in 1874 in Jay County, Indiana to James W. HUSTON.  Caroline was the daughter of John and Catherine (YOUNG) METZNER, and the younger sister of my John Adam METZNER.  Caroline was born March 1, 1852 in Jay County, Indiana.  James was born circa 1854 in Ohio.  They had 1 child.  Nothing further known at this time.

Tombstone Tuesday: John and Catherine (Young) Metzner

My paternal 3rd-great grandparents, John and Catherine (YOUNG) METZNER, are buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

John was born October 2, 1805 in Saxony, the son of Jasper and Hannah (REISENBURG) METZNER.

Catherine was born July 18, 1819 in France, the daughter of Nicholas and Salome (________) YOUNG.

John and Catherine were married on November 4, 1839 in Newark, Licking County, Ohio. John and his family had emigrated to the United States in 1838. I do not know when the Young family emigrated from Alsace to the United States.

John and Catherine lived out their lives in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana where John farmed. They moved there from Licking County, Ohio circa 1850.

John died on January 10, 1888 in Jay County, Indiana and Catherine followed him on June 22, 1910 in Jay County.

Children of John and Catherine (YOUNG) METZNER are:

• John Adam METZNER (1840-1895); married Clara MOULTON; 4 children
• Henry METZNER (1842-1842)
• William F. METZNER (1844-1929); married Mary Ann HALEY; 8 children
• George W. METZNER (1847-1869); married Elizabeth ________
• Louis Napoleon METZNER (1848-1900); married Henrietta WEAVER; 4 children
• Caroline H. METZNER (1852-aft1880); married James W. HUSTON; 1 child
• Catherine E. METZNER (1853-1943); married George STOLZ; 1 child
• Wesley T. METZNER (1855-aft1930); married Mary Emma ROSER; 4 children
• Samantha E. METZNER (1857-aft1880); married James ORCUTT; 1 child
• Martha J. METZNER (1859-1861)
• Mary A. METZNER (1862-aft1920); married Harvey A. HUEY
  

John Metzner household - Jay Co., IN

The John METZNER household was enumerated in Noble Twp., Jay Co., IN in the 1860 & 1870 census. John was my maternal 3rd-great grandfather. In both records, they were living in the jurisdiction of the Hector post office.

John was a 53 year old farmer, born in Saxony, in the 1860 census. His real estate was valued at $1500, and his personal estate was valued at $400. His wife, Catharine, was keeping house, aged 40 and born in France. Their children listed were William, aged 16; George, aged 13; Lewis, aged 11; Caroline H., aged 9; Catherine E., aged 6; Wesley T., aged 4; Samantha, aged 2; and Martha J., aged 6 months.

John was listed in 1870 as a 62 year old farmer, born in Saxony, with a real estate valued at $3000 and a personal estate valued at $600. Though foreign born, he was a U.S. citizen. His wife, Catharine, was listed as aged 50 years old, born in France. Catharine's mother, Salome, was also living with the family. The census taker listed her name as Solama - aged 77, born in France. The children of John & Catharine living with them in 1870 were : Catherine, aged 16; Wesley D., aged 14; Amanda, aged 12; and Mary, aged 8.

John METZNER b. October 2, 1805 Saxony, d. January 10, 1888 Jay Co., IN., m. November 4, 1839 Newark, Licking Co., OH to Catherine YOUNG, daughter of Nicholas and Salome (________) YOUNG. Catherine b. July 18, 1819 France, d. June 22, 1910 Jay Co., IN.
Children of John and Catherine (YOUNG) METZNER are as follows :
i. John Adam METZNER b. August 23, 1840 Licking Co., OH., d. December 4, 1895 Jay Co., IN., m. Clara MOULTON.
ii. Henry METZNER b. November 3, 1842 Licking Co., OH., d. 1842 Licking Co., OH.
iii. William F. METZNER b. January 6, 1844 Licking Co., OH., d. 1929, m. Mary Ann HALEY
iv. George W. METZNER b. July 6, 1847 Licking Co., OH., d. May 16, 1869, m. Elizabeth ________.
v. Louis Napoleon METZNER b. November 3, 1848 Licking Co., OH., d. July 3, 1900 Jay Co., IN., m. Henrietta WEAVER.
vi. Caroline H. METZNER b. March 1, 1852 Jay Co., IN, d. after 1880 census, m. James W. HUSTON.
vii. Catherine E. METZNER b. October 2, 1853 Jay Co., IN., d. 1943 Jay Co., IN., m. George W. STOLZ.
viii. Wesley T. METZNER b. November 9, 1855 Jay Co., IN., d. after 1930 census, m. Mary Emma ROSER.
ix. Samantha E. METZNER b. ca. 1856 Jay Co., IN., d. after 1880 census, m. James ORCUTT.
x. Martha J. METZNER b. December 26, 1859 Jay Co., IN., d. December 3, 1861 Jay Co., IN.
xi. Mary A. METZNER b. March 24, 1862 Jay Co., IN., d. after 1920 census, m. Harvey A. HUEY.