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GENERAL INFORMATION
Elisabeth Knappenberger, daughter of Conrad Knappenberger and
Eva Barbara Blose, was
born 9 August 1779 in Macungie Township, Northampton County (later Lehigh County),
PA. She died 4 June 1834 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio from cholera
and was buried in Carey's Run Cemetery, Washington Township, Scioto County,
Ohio. Elisabeth married Samuel David GHARKY on 1
April 1800 in Westmoreland County, PA. David, as he was known, was born 13
February 1775 in Stargaard, Pomerenia (Germany) to Johann Gehrcke and Elizabeth Warburg.
He died 9 August 1850 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio and is buried in
Carey's Run Cemetery. Elizabeth and David had ten children.
Elizabeth's father, Conrad, never seemed to accept David Gharky.
Conrad gave land
to his daughter, Elisabeth, in Scioto County, Ohio but would not put it in her husband's name which
was the norm in those days. After Conrad's death in 1818, Barbara
Knappenberger, Conrad's widow, moved to Portsmouth and lived with her daughter
Elizabeth Gharky.
David Gharky had an interesting life and wrote an autobiography.
The
Biography of David Gharky is
at the Ball State University Library in Muncie, Indiana. He arrived in Philadelphia, PA in October 1796 and
from his autobiography we learn that, "He traveled through Pennsylvania and stopped at different
places to work. At one place, an old Dutch farmer invited him to his
house, and treated him very kindly. He was known by the name of
Knappenberger, a real Dutch name, and had a daughter who was not bad
looking. He soon fell in love with Elizabeth Knappenberger and she with
him and they soon agreed to get married. But when the time came to lay the
case before her father, he objected. The old man said that he wanted his
daughter to marry a farmer, and not a traveling mechanic. So the match was
broken off, and he continued his journey to the West. When he got to Pittsburgh, he took passage on a flat boat and went down the river. In the
fall of 1799, he landed at Alexandria, situated at the mouth of the Scioto
River, in the North Western Territory. .... Alexandria had just been laid out
and was improving rapidly. He worked here until the next spring, when
having a good opportunity to ride, he took the overland route to Pittsburgh, and
from thence to Westmoreland County, where he married Elizabeth Knappenberger,
whether her father was willing or not. He then returned to Alexandria with
his wife, and such goods as her father gave her. This was in the year
1800."
Letters written to David from his father in Germany gives
additional insight into this man and his life in America. One letter
reads in part, "You state that you have married a healthy, strong and
sensible woman; I congratulate you both. In your letter of June 14, last
year, also in your second, of September 19, 1806, you mention your misfortunes:
your cows had died; your sheep were torn by the wolves; and the Ohio River had
taken your fences away; besides other trouble which befell you, as your
father-in-law and brothers-in-law treat you like a Hessian. I know not
what that means....You are not a Hessian...Your little children are
certainly not treated as Hessians. You mention your three children:
Philip was born February 2, 1801; measures 3 feet 9½ inches and weighs 56
lbs. How sorry I feel for this little grandson because he lost his
forefinger. Susannah was born September 13, 1803; measures 3 feet 1/2 inch and
weights 34 pounds...."
CHILDREN
PHILIP DAVID GHARKY
(1801-1856)
Philip David was born 2 February 1801 in Alexandria,
Scioto County, Ohio and died 21 January 1856 in Strasburg, Tuscarawas County,
Ohio. He moved to Tuscarawas County, Ohio by 1825 near his two
uncles, Philip Knappenberger and William Knappenberger. Here he purchased a total of 195 acres
over the years. Philip married Margaret WALLICK on 23 June 1825 in
Tuscarawas County, Ohio. She was born 16 September 1807 in Cumberland County, PA and
died 11 October 1871 in Strasburg, Ohio. This couple was buried in
Grandview Cemetery of Strasburg, Ohio. They had ten children.
For more information on this family, click on the name above.
SUSANNAH GHARKY (1803-?)
Susannah was born 13 September 1803 in Alexandria,
Scioto County, Ohio. It seems she never married and eventually moved to
Missouri most likely to live with her sister Rosannah Gharky Wildbahn. In
1870, Susannah Gharky was living in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri as a
single individual. Since we have not found her in the 1880 census, we
believe that she died prior to that date.
SAMUEL DAVID GHARKY (1806-1870's)
Samuel "David" was born 9 January 1806 in
Alexandria, Scioto County, Ohio and died in California sometime during the
1870's. Known as "David", he first moved to
Jefferson County, Missouri with his wife and son where he was listed in
the 1850 census. Then he moved to Santa Cruz County, California in the
1850s where he was involved with constructing wharves. He is listed in the
1860 census for Santa Cruz, California with his wife and son. He constructed the
second wharf in Santa Cruz, California in 1856 which was lengthened in
1863. This wharf was purchased by the South Pacific Coast Railroad in
1875. During the Civil War, David constructed a wharf extending out
from Second and Main Streets to serve the powder works, the only gunpowder
factory in the West. By 1870, David had
become a vine grower and the family was considered prominent in the Santa Cruz area. Samuel
"David" married Nancy A. (maiden name unknown at this time) who
was born about 1817 in Ohio and died sometime during the 1860's in Santa
Cruz, California. They had one son:
1. David J. Gharky was born about 1837 in Ohio and died after
the 1880 census.
David served as a Union soldier during the Civil War with the 2nd Regiment,
Colorado Calvary. David was a vine grower in Santa Cruz County
and Contra Costa County, California. He married Mary E. HELLER, daughter of
Jacob and Betsey Heller who was born in
Connecticut. Mary was born 2 Dec 1838 in New York and died 9 December 1875
in Santa Cruz County, California. David
Gharky is listed in the 1870 census for Santa Cruz, California as being
married to Mary E., age 31, and having a daughter Myrta, 3 months
old. He is listed as a vine grower. By 1880 census, David
is a widower running a vineyard at the age of 43 in Alamo, Contra Costa County, California. David
and Mary had two children:
a. Myrta Gharky was born March 1870 in Santa Cruz, California
and died 25 Jan 1895 under the name of Myrta HELLER. In
the 1880 census she is living in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California in the
household of her uncle, Alonzo Heller, and his wife, Elizabeth. She
may have been adopted by them. Myrta Heller is buried in Santa
Cruz Memorial Park along with her mother. b. Marvin
S. Gharky was born 7 June 1872 in California and died 28 Jan 1902 in Santa
Cruz County, California. In 1880 Marvin was living with his
grandmother, Betsy Heller, who was 78 years of age and born in Connecticut.
He changed his last name to HELLER as well. Marvin S. Heller married
Lizzie R. SMITH about 1894. Lizzie was born Oct 1872 in California.
They had a son, Raymond E. Heller born June 6, 1899 and died 2 Feb 1901.
He is buried with his father in Santa Cruz Memorial Cemetery. They
also had a daughter, Rosalie Myrta Heller born 10 June 1897 and died 13 June
1989 in Sacramento, California. She married a Mr. KORB.
JOHN CHRISTIAN GHARKY (1808-1889)
John Christian was born 27 May 1808 in
Alexandria, Scioto County, Ohio and died 26 April 1889 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio. John
Christian first married Susan FRANCIS on 19 March 1838 in Portsmouth,
Ohio. She died 24 February 1845 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
He later married Eliza
McDOWELL on 13 October 1846 in Portsmouth, Ohio. Eliza was born
about 1824 in Pennsylvania. Early in the 1850s, John and his second wife, Eliza, moved to Iowa
where on 21 October 1853 he issued the first number of a weekly newspaper called
the "Fayette County Pioneer" in Fayette County, Iowa. He is listed in the 1860
census for Fayette County, Iowa as a newspaper man and printer. In
the 1880 census, John Gharky, age 72, was living in Memphis, Scotland
County, Missouri with his wife, Eliza, age 56, born in PA. We have no information
concerning children and assume that no children were born to either marriage.
WILLIAM CHRISTIAN GHARKY (1810-1851)
William Christian was born 1 September 1810 in
Alexandria, Scioto County, Ohio and died 24 January 1851 in Carrolton,
Louisiana. He married Eliza MITCHELL on 21 November 1843 in Wilkinson
County, Mississippi. She was born about 1823 in Ohio and died 3
April 1852 in Pocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas. William Christian and
Eliza are listed in the 1850 census for Randolph County, Arkansas with their two
sons. This couple had three children.
1. William
Henry Harrison was born about 1844 in Tennessee. Nothing further is known about
William Henry who
was left as an orphan at a young age. He may have been adopted and his last name
changed. We have not located him in the 1860 census as we did his
younger brother.
2. Henry Clay was born about 1847 in Arkansas. Henry
Clay "Gerkey" was located in the 1860 census for Columbia, Randolph
County, Arkansas as 14 years of age and born in Arkansas. He is living in
the household of Hugh and Mary Sparkman, farmers. .Nothing further is known about
Henry Clay at this time.
3. Eliza A. was born November 1849 and died February 1850 in Randolph County, Arkansas.
GEORGE HENRY GHARKY (1813-1894)
George Henry was born 17 May 1813 in Alexandria, Scioto
County, Ohio and died 30 January 1894 in Portsmouth, Ohio. He married Martha
Eliza OLDFIELD, daughter of Judge William Oldfield and Maria Hempstead, on 20 September 1852 in Portsmouth, Ohio. She was born 11 June
1834 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio and died 15 November 1911 in
Portsmouth, Ohio. George Henry and Martha Eliza had five children.
1. George H. Gharky, Jr. born 9 July 1853 in Portsmouth,
Ohio
and died 11 November 1875 in
Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio
2. Jane L. Gharky (known as Jennie) was born in 1858 in Portsmouth, Scioto
County, Ohioand died 25 September 1897 in Portsmouth,
Ohio.
3. Sarah Elizabeth Gharky born 25 August 1861 in
Portsmouth, Ohio
and died 4 March
1865 in Portsmouth, Ohio.
4. Marinette Iams Gharky born January 1866 in Portsmouth, Ohio and
died sometime after 1920 in Ohio. She married Samuel Leonard RICE who was born
June 1862 in Ohio. They had
a daughter named Helen M. Rice (born June 1892 in Minnesota). In the 1900, 1910 and
1920 censuses, this family
was living in Portsmouth, Ohio. Samuel was a civil engineer.
5. William David Gharky born about 1868 in Portsmouth, Ohio and
died sometime after 1894. It is believed that he lived in Columbus, Ohio
in the late 1880s and early 1890s. In the 1887-1892 City Directory for
Columbus, Ohio, he is listed as a telegraph operator. However,
another William David Gharky has been located in a directory for Detroit,
Michigan for 1890-91.
FREDERICA ROSINA ROXANNA GHARKY (1815-?)
Frederica "Rosina" Roxanna was born 27 September 1815
in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio and died between 1884 and 1894 in Missouri. She married Thomas
W. WILDBAHN on 8
October 1835 in Portsmouth, Ohio. He was born 8 April 1808 in Piqua, Ohio
and died sometime after 1888. This couple
moved from Portsmouth, Ohio to St. Joseph, Missouri in 1845 where they purchased the
grist mill and ran it until 1854. They then moved to Wathena, Kansas and
built a saw mill which he operated for six years. After selling the mill,
the family returned to St. Joseph, Missouri. This couple had three
children.
1. Sarah Wildbahn who died in infancy.
2. Susanna Elizabeth Wildbahn (aka Susan or Susie) was born
August 1838 in Ohio and
died 2 Dec 1920 in Spokane, Washington. She
married John Wesley BAILEY, Esquire on 8 May 1856 in St. Joseph, Buchanan
County, Missouri. He was born 17 September 1830 in Dover, Stewart County,
Tennessee and died between 1900 and 1910. In 1900 they were living
in Helena, Montana. In 1910 Susan Bailey was a widow and living in
Spokane, Washington.. This couple had six children of which 5 lived to
adulthood:
a. William A. Bailey was born February 1857 in St. Joseph, Buchanan
County, Missouri. He married Marcie A. [maiden name unknown] who
was born February 1860 in Missouri. They had four children all born in St.
Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri: Charles A.
Bailey (January 1800), Betty A. Bailey (Sept 1882), John B. Bailey (March 1893)
and Jeff L. Bailey (Sept 1895).
b. Ettie Bailey was born January 1863 in St. Joseph, Buchanan
County, Missouri and died 11 Aug 1942 in Spokane, Washington. She married
Add Clement GUTHRIE about 1885 in Missouri. Clement was born June 1856 in
Maryland. They had one son: John C. Guthrie born Aug 1886 in
Buchanan County, Missouri.
c. John Wesley Bailey, Jr. was born August 1874 in St. Joseph,
Missouri and died 2 May 1940 in Spokane, Washington. He was single in the
1910 census.
d. Thomas W. Bailey was born Jan 1882 in Buchanan County,
Missouri and died 4 July 1944 in Spokane, Washington. He first married in
1902 to Unknown who died prior to 1910. He remarried in the 1920's to Nina
Greve who was born about 1881 in Iowa. There seems to be no
children.
e. Susie Kay Bailey was born April 1885 in Buchanan
County, Missouri and died 28 April 1912 in Spokane, Washington. She was 27
years of age and unmarried.
3. Charles Thomas Wildbahn was born October 1856 in Missouri.
He worked as a clerk for the house of JW
Bailey & Company and later as a salesman. Charles married Mary
A. LEWIS who was born February 1862 in England. The 1900
census indicates that her parents were born in Wales. They had three sons: a.
Ralph Brainerd Wildbahn was born 20 July 1889 in Detroit, Michigan. He
married Clara M. (maiden name unknown) who was born about 1891 in
Missouri. They had a daughter, Dorothy B. Wildbahn born about 1914 in St.
Joseph. Missouri. By the 1930 census, this family was living in Oakland,
California. b. Millan Wildbahn was born 27 December
1895 in St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., Missouri and died 19 May 1942 in Alameda
County, California. He is buried in Golden Gate National Cemetery. c.
Charles Earl Wildbahn was born 26 Sept 1901 in St. Joseph, Missouri and died 21
Oct 1971 in Alameda County, California. Charles married Helen (maiden name
unknown) about 1927. Helen was born 17 Jan 1900 in Missouri and died June
1980 in St. Joseph, Missouri.
MARVEL GHARKY (1818-1834)
Marvel was born 28 February 1818 in Portsmouth, Scioto County,
Ohio and died 5 June
1834 in Portsmouth, Ohio
SARAH ANN GHARKY (1820-1895)
Sarah Ann was born 20 September 1820 in Portsmouth, Scioto
County Ohio and died 13 January 1895
in Portsmouth, Ohio. She married Allden Washington WILLIAMSON on 22 December
1841 in Portsmouth, Ohio. He was born 7 February 1819 in Virginia and died 7 February
1903 in Scioto County, Ohio. He was a canal boatman. They
had one daughter:
Rose E. Williamson was born November 1842 in Scioto
County, Ohio. She married a Mr. GOODRICH about 1888 and had no
children. She was living with her widowed father in the 1900 census
and is listed as a dressmaker.
ELIZA JANE GHARKY (1823-1826)
Eliza Jane was born 10 March 1823 and died 25
July 1826 in Portsmouth, Ohio.
If you would like to learn more or have family
information to share, please contact us at jsappleton@windstream.net
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