***I prefice this post with prayers for my Uncle Jose that we learned had a massive heart attack today......We love you Jose!
Today was a fantastic day for FAMILY! I am blessed to have such great Pennsylvania family that has gone way out of their way to make this Ohioan feel more than welcome and included. The family tree is quite impressive and I was on a mission today to find my 'roots'. I have been working on the family tree through
www.ancestry.com for a while now, and in my searching, I realized a couple years ago that I had a Revolutionary War connection. There is a town about 14 miles from where my grandmother lives, that has a church founded by my SEVENTH GREAT Grandfather! WOW. Heinrich Keller.....
Several of his sons served in the American Revolution and I was able to find their graves as well. How cool. In Ohio it seems nothing is quite that old....
According to
www.kellerkin.org, " Henry (Heinrich) was the chief founders of Kellers' Church in 1746. He purchased a large tract of land extending across the Tohickon Creek into Haycock Township and lived there until his death. He was one of the trustees who, on July 28, 1751, secured title to the twenty-acre tract upon which the first church, known as "Kellers," was erected; and he was one of the elders and trustees of that church until he died.
Henry of Heinrich Keller arrived in Philadelphia on the good ship "Glasgow" September 9th, 1738. From the records of Keller's Church, we have the following: "Heinrich Keller was born January 9th. 1708 and died October 18, 1782, his father's name was Wilhelm Keller and his Mother's name was Gertraut, in Weierbach, out of Naumburch, Braden. and came to America September 9th, 1738. On the 20th of October, 1728, he married Juliana, born in 1711: her Father's name was Peter Kleindinst and Mother's name Anna Maria, also out of Weierbach, Naumburch. Her Father held an Office there."Their eldest child Peter died within a week of their landing and seven others were born to them in Pennsylvania.After Henry (Heinrich)'s arrival, the first record of him as a landholder was in 1750, when he purchased of Thomas and Richard Penn 150 acres in Bedminster township, on the northwest side of the Ridgeroad. This tract he conveyed to Michael Yost in 1752. His residence at that date as shown by the deed was Bedminster. In the year 1734, a tract of 300 acres on the north side of the Tohickon, in Haycock township, was sold to Henry (Heinrich) Keller on May 10, 1757.
On November 05, 1754, Henry (Heinrich) Keller obtained a warrant for the survey of 21 acres and 136 perches at the northwest corner of the above tract and the draft of survey, on file at Harrisburg, shows that the Davis tract was then in the tenure of Henry (Heinrich) Keller. It is therefore probable the Henry (Heinrich) Keller took possession of the tract soon after his sale of his Bedminster land in 1752, under an agreement to purchase that was not completed until the date of the over the Tohickon into Bedminster township at two or three points, caused by curves of the creek. Of this tract of 300 acres purchased of Davis, Henry (Heinrich) Keller and Juliana, his wife, 1772, conveyed about 225 acres in three practically equal tracts to their sons Henry, Peter and Christopher. His son John, had purchased a large tract adjoining his father in 1772 of David Graham. Henry (Heinrich) Keller was a man of prominence in his community. He was the first constable of Haycock township, and was frequently named by the Court or selected by the parties to assist in the settlement of estates.
He is buried beside his wife, Juliana, in the graveyard at Keller's Church. His will, dated January 23, 1782, probated November 1, 1782, devises to his wife "my dwelling house together with all other buildings as it is mentioned in a certain article between Peter Keller and Christopher Keller, together with all incomes of my four sons, that is to say, John Keller, Peter Keller, Christopher Keller, and Henry Keller, as it is mentioned in a certain article of agreement [together with her personal goods and his personal estate] and 100 pounds shall stand upon interest if she should want it, ... all this she shall have so long as she remain my wife. " To his four sons he devises 75 pounds each and to his five daughters 50 pounds each.
The first place of worship in Bucks County was at the Tohickon Church, and dates back to 1743. It was called Keichlines Church, as he is reported to have given the land on which the first building, a log structure, was built. This building, also used as a school house, was replaced by a stone building by 1766. By 1749 the church was a union church - that is, it housed two congregations. One was the Lutheran congregation, the other a German Reformed congregation. The first full time Reformed minister was Jacob Riesz."
Isn't that fantatic
The day ended with us having a huge water balloon fight.. boy COUSINS are fun!!
As you can see from the photo above, I am now back in Ohio. However much I wished for uneventful after the wheels on the BUS, the wheels on the PROPELLER wasn't much more fun.....
I needed to catch a shuttle service from Allentown to Philly. This is the wheel of the little plane when we landed... BOY was happy! This was tiny little plane with 40 people on it if you count the baby that was being held behind me. It was NOT air conditioned, so it was VERY hot on the plane. We had to walk across the tarmac to board the plane. I felt like I was in the Flintstones where they got on the pterodactyl by walking up a ladder. Then we hit turbulence... UGH! You know me, I get sick in a mini van. I was just praying not to be ill in that tiny hot plane. I white knuckled it and snapped the photo of the wheel kissing the runway when we landed.
Here is the tiny plane as we disembarked. Thankfully, a shuttle took us to the next gate we needed to be to. I had a 2 hour lay-over....
