Samuel Myers was born about 1774 likely in British Colonial Pennsylvania. Samuel married (1) Catharine Rush around 1795 in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and (2) Mary MNU around 1820 in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. Samuel Myers died on March 3, 1828, in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
Samuel Myers was born around 1774 likely in the British Province of Pennsylvania, the second of eight known children of Nicholas Myers and his wife Hannah. In November of 1781 Samuel's father purchased 244 acres in Cumberland County and shortly afterward the family moved there. Samuel would have been about 7 years of age at the time of the move. Samuel grew up on his father's farm located in a bend of Cocolamus Creek, today in Perry County and home to Sweet Water Springs Farm near Millerstown.
Samuel's family was of Germanic descent, often referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch though Pennsylvania German is a more accurate description. Samuel likely spoke German as well as English. It is not known what the Myers' family religious inclinations were, but Samuel was or became a member of the German Brethren Church.
Samuel's father Nicholas was an industrious man. In addition to farming, Nicholas speculated on land and built houses. It appears that as Nicholas' children neared the age of majority, Nicholas began acquiring land for them.
Around 1794 Samuel was in Northumberland County where he met and married Catharine Rush sometime before December of 1795. Catharine was the daughter of John Rush. Samuel and Catharine had the following known children:
- John Rush Myers
- Samuel Myers
- Susanna Myers
- Catharine Myers
- Michael Myers
- Hannah Myers
- David Myers
- Sarah Myers
Samuel and Catharine's first two children were born in Penns Township, Northumberland County.
Catharine's father John Rush wrote his will in December of 1795. He devised his land in Penns Township, Northumberland County, to his oldest son Daniel and to his daughter Catharine Myers. John Rush appointed his son-in-law John Shallenberger, husband of his daughter Salome, and his friend Peter Godshall executors of his Will. John died prior to March of 1796.
In 1799 Samuel was one of the trustees of the Middle Creek Society of the Brethren, along with his brother-in-law Daniel Rush, Melchior Yoder, Peter Godshall, and John Yoder. The Society was organized for the purpose of building a meeting house and school. Daniel Rush deeded land to the Society which included the “Rush Burying Ground”, likely the same ground where John Rush was buried.
When John Rush's estate was settled in June of 1800, Samuel and Catharine were in Mifflin County where John Shallenberger and Catharine's sister Salome also lived. John's executors Peter Godshall “of Penns Township, Northumberland County”, and John Shallenberger “of Greenwood Township, Mifflin County”, deeded 170 acres of land which had been devised to Catharine, to Catharine and her husband Samuel Myers. The same day Samuel Myers and his wife Catharine, “late of Penns Township”, sold the land to John Delp for 850 pounds.
Samuel's father Nicholas had begun acquiring land in Mifflin County around 1793, most of which was obtained in conjunction with John Shallenberger. Mifflin County had been formed from parts of Cumberland and Northumberland Counties in 1789. Prior to 1800 Nicholas moved to Mifflin County, about 15 miles north of his farm along Cocolamus Creek. Nicholas lived in Greenwood Township near the line dividing Fermanagh Township from Greenwood Township. Samuel and his young family located to Fermanagh Township sometime in late 1799 or early 1800. Samuel's older brother John also lived in Fermanagh Township, about half way between Samuel and their father Nicholas.
On May 1, 1800, Samuel purchased 46 acres of land in Fermanagh Township from Hugh McElroy. He sold the tract to his father Nicholas around 1804.
Samuel settled on a 146 acre tract that had been surveyed for John Holmes in 1769 along Lost Creek. He also purchased adjoining tracts. On this property Samuel built a stone house where he raised his family and lived until his death. Likely the remaining 6 of his 8 known children were born here. Samuel also built a saw mill and grist mill. When Juniata County was formed in 1831, the property became located in Juniata County, today on Cuba Mills Road a short distance from the Juniata River. The house still stands and Highway 22 runs through the middle of the family homestead and farm that Samuel once owned. Samuel's name is reportedly etched in a gable of the house.
In 1805 Samuel's brother John died leaving a widow and 6 young children. Samuel, along with John Rothrock, were granted letters of administration. John had been acquiring rights to land and had also patented several tracts. Samuel and John Rothrock patented the land and held it in trust for John's children.
On October 6, 1810, Samuel along with his brother-in-law Michael Bashore and Elias and John Horning “all of Fermanagh Township, Mifflin County” purchased 2 tracts of land containing 650 acres in Barree Township, Huntingdon County for $800. The following April John Horning purchased the 2 tracts, paying $200 each to “Elias Horning and Esther his wife, Samuel Myers Sr. and Catharine his wife, and Michael Bashore and Hannah his wife.”
In 1811 Samuel's brother-in-law Jacob Michael “of Montgomery County, Ohio” granted Samuel “of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania” power of attorney to “ask demand and receive all monies due to me by George Wolf”. Jacob was married to Samuel's sister Mary and they had moved to Ohio around 1803.
In 1815 Samuel witnessed a deed when his father Nicholas sold almost 400 acres of land in Montgomery County, Ohio, land which Nicholas had acquired in 1807. The deed was sworn to in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
By 1817 Samuel's father and mother could no longer get along and live together. It was decided that Nicholas would leave Pennsylvania for Ohio, where two of his children already lived. On April 17, 1818, Nicholas, who was already in Ohio, entered into an agreement with Samuel, Samuel's brother Michael, and Samuel's brother-in-law John Lauver to take care of their mother Hannah. Nicholas also gave Samuel and Michael power of attorney over his properties in Mifflin County.
Samuel's sons were beginning to come of age in 1817. Samuel began to purchase land in Wayne Township from the Bratton family and from Michael Ritz, purchasing about 400 acres in total.
In 1818 Samuel's daughter Hannah married neighbor John Bushey. Samuel's first grandchild Catharine Bushey was born the following year.
By 1819 Samuel's nieces and nephews, children of his deceased brother John, began to reach the age of majority. On April 19, 1819, Samuel and John Rothrock deeded land to John's son Samuel and to Isaac Body, husband of John's daughter Mary.
The following year Samuel's son John married neighbor Harriet Horning and his daughter Susanna married Jacob Eby. It is not known whether Samuel's wife Catharine witnessed the events. She died sometime around 1820.
After Catharine's death, Samuel remarried a widow named Mary. Mary's maiden name is not known. When she married Samuel she already had two 2 daughters, Elizabeth age 19 and Rebecca age 16.
In 1822 son-in-law John Bushey died leaving 2 young daughters and an unborn child. Samuel was appointed administrator of his estate.
In May of 1823 son Samuel married Elizabeth Shellenberger.
Samuel was taxed in 1823 on 464 acres in Fermanagh Township and 440 acres in Wayne Township, a total of 904 acres. On August 21, 1823, Samuel purchased 220 acres of land in Fermanagh Township from David W Hulings. This property would descend to his eldest son John Rush Myers.
In March of 1824 Samuel began to divide his land holdings among his children. Samuel, along with his wife Mary, wrote two deeds that would not be recorded until after his death. In one they deeded all the land in Wayne Township to son Samuel and daughter Catharine. In the second, they deeded the family homestead in Fermanagh Township to children Michael, David, Susanna and Sarah as tenants in common.
Samuel continued to watch over the heirs of his deceased brother John. In 1825 he purchased 218 acres in Milford Township. On December 20, 1826, Samuel deeded the land to John's son John. Six years later In 1832 John, along with his wife Mary, sold the land to John Lauver, Samuel's brother-in-law and John's uncle.
About 1826 son Michael married Catharine Holtzapple and son David married Catharine's sister Elizabeth Holtzapple.
On February 6, 1826, Samuel and his wife Mary sold 106 acres of land to Christian Myers. Samuel had purchased the property from the Sheriff on June 2, 1825. Samuel's sons John and Samuel Jr witnessed the deed. While too old to be Samuel's son, a familial relationship to Christian has not been established; however the shared Myers surname along with the deeding of property is likely not a coincidence. Christian was a stone mason by profession. In 1829 Christian and his wife Susannah sold the tract and moved to Portage, Ohio.
Around 1827 Samuel's daughter and widow Hannah Bushey married neighbor William Pannebaker Jr.
On March 3, 1828, Samuel Myers died in Mifflin County about 54 years of age.
Samuel did not leave a will as he had made deeds for most of his property prior to his death. Letters of administration were granted to Samuel's sons John and Samuel, and his son-in-law Jacob Eby. Samuel's children entered into agreement with Samuel's widow Mary, who survived until 1850.
According to letters written to two Myer's family descendants, one written in 1928 and one written in 1929, Samuel was buried in the cemetery ”between the state road and the river” “one mile north of Mifflin” where “there is a strip of land from ¼ mile to ½ mile in width”. The cemetery along the Juniata River near Cuba Mills, also contained “Myers and Horning and other graves”. Sadly the cemetery was washed away the night of May 31st in 1889 when the Juniata River flooded. Citing “old Mrs. Stambaugh”, “during the flood the bodies and stones washed away. She was young then but remembered it well.” In Juniata County the devastating flood swept away homes, bridges, and livestock. The newspaper reported that “Hundreds of acres have been stripped of surface soil, leaving rocks and stones …”.
Following Samuel's death, eldest son John remained in Mifflin County, which subsequently became Juniata County. In 1838 he sold his land to David Yoder and moved to Wayne County, Ohio, where he died in 1870.
Second son Samuel remained on the land deeded him by his father where he raised his family and lived until his death. He was one of the founding members of the Spring Run Brethren Church and timber from his property was used to build the meetinghouse. Samuel died in 1874.
Daughter Catharine sold her share of the Wayne Township land to her brother Samuel. She wed John Glock in 1836 and moved to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, where she died in 1856.
Daughter Hannah Pannebaker lived in Tuscarora Township on her husband's large farm where she died in 1859.
Daughter Sarah married around the time of her father's death. She moved with her new husband Samuel Lutz to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Sarah and Samuel sold her quarter part of the land deeded to her by her father to her brother David within a few months of her father's death. Sarah died in Huntingdon County in 1885.
Son Michael deeded his quarter share of the land given to him by his father to his sister and brother-in-law Susanna and Jacob Eby in 1829. Michael initially moved to Mifflin County and by 1842 settled in Huntingdon County where he died in 1891.
Daughter Susanna and her husband Jacob Eby sold their now half share in the land her father deeded to her and her brother Michael, to her brother David in 1829. Susanna and Jacob moved to Franklin County and sometime after April of 1854 relocated to Jo Daviess County, Illinois. Susanna died in Illinois in 1872.
Son David sold the family homestead in 1834 and moved closer to his in-laws located in McAlisterville. The property passed to John Forry, and then into the hands of Jacob Steely. Part of the property was deeded to Enoch and Elias Horning in 1864 by Jacob Steely's heirs. David settled on land once owned by his grandfather Nicholas Myers. David died in Juniata County in 1868.
Genealogical Research and Life Sketch Completed: May 2024
Sources:
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