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 | Ghering |
| Chandler |
| Crawford |
| Baney |
Mother's side:
| Proper |
| Bush |
| Sutton |
| Britton |
If you can fill in
missing information, or would like to exchange information, please email me.
Kathy Goodman
Christian and Christina GheringAbout 12 km northwest of Rottweil, near the Schlichem River, nestled in the rolling hills of southern Germany, lies the small town of T�bingen. Amid the snowy apple blossoms and fresh green grass of Spring, Christian G�hring, 27, and Christina Link, 23, were married May 7, 1835 in the small Evangelische church. Christina�s mother was not present, she had died before Christina was 10. Christina's father died in the Napoleonic Wars never seeing his daughter and perhaps not knowing of her existence. Her step-father, Jacob Link, his second wife, and their children had left for America in 1832 and settled in Ohio.
Like many in T�bingen, Christian was a farmer. He and Christina�s home was near the church where they were married. In this home they brought their first five children into the world: John, George, Christian, Jacob, and Anna. These were the names of Christian and Christina�s siblings and ancestors. Names passed through the generations. Christian�s ancestors are listed in the Evangelische Church records back to the 1650's. Their history may go back further, although it has not been documented by researchers. T�bingen has been in existence since the year 783.
Christina Link�s Parents
Christina's stepfather was Jacob Link, a carpenter, and her mother was Christina Jetter Link. Jacob was born December 5, 1788 and her mother, Christina, was born March 2, 1792. They were married in T�bingen on February 5, 1817.
In the book,1200 Jahre T�bingen Stadt Rosenfeld, the crisis after the Napoleonic Wars is recounted on page 100. According to court records from 1808 � 1822, 10 men from T�bingen took part in Napoleon�s Russian campaign. Only one returned. The story goes on to state that the names of some of the soldiers are known because the young women of the village were fined for having become pregnant without being married. These women and men were listed in the town records. The following entry explains who Christina�s biological father was:
Christine, daughter of Johann Jetter, with Matth�us Link from here, soldier in the field against the Russians.
Matth�us did not return from the Napoleonic Wars. It must have been difficult for Christina, 20, to bear her child without a husband and to be fined and disgraced by the town. Christina named the child after herself, as was common in her day. After all, her mother was also named Christina. Matth�us was possibly one of Jacob Link�s cousins. Christina and Jacob had two children:
Anna Maria (Mary) Link, born January 12, 1818
Johannes Link born March 06, 1819Christina Jetter Link died March 30, 1819. I believe she may have died of complications from child birth along with the child, because Johannes is not listed as one of Jacob's children in later history.
On February 27, 1821, Jacob married Anna Maria (Mary) G�hring from nearby Bickelsberg. They had four children:
Jacob born November 23, 1823
Christian born October 21, 1825
Agnes born November 04, 1827
Anna Barbara born December 05, 1829
John W. Link born 08 September 1832 (on board ship to America)Jacob and Mary emigrated to North America in 1832 with the following children: Mary (child born of Christina), Jacob, Christian, Agnes, Anna Barbara, and John W.. Thanks to Barbara Dahl, I learned that Jacob, Mary and children arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, and made their way to Ohio. They ended up in Attica, Seneca County, Ohio where Jacob died on August 20, 1840, at age 51.
Leaving T�bingen
In 1843, Christian and Christina packed their belongings and left T�bingen. Christian's passport was given at Rottweil on April 5, 1843. With their five children, they traveled through Baden to the port of Le Havre in northern France to board the ship that would take them to America.
The trip from T�bingen to Le Havre was more than 400 miles. About 70 days after leaving home, they landed in the port of New York on June 16, 1843. From there, they traveled to Cherrytree Township, Venango County in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The following is a translation of Christian G�hring's passport issued at Rottweil, W�rttemberg, Germany, April 5, 1843.
| Christian
G�hring Passport
Christian G�hring, the owner of a fortune of 2,500 guldens, who was born and lived at T�bingen, near Rottweil, was on April 27, 1843 to go to the North America with the intention to establish a home. He was to go through Baden by the way of Havre and was to travel free and unhindered to the town of his destination. Given at Rottweil on April 5, 1843. Stamped at Stuttgart, W�rttemberg, Germany. Description of Person
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Christian and Christina settled in the rolling wooded countryside of Cherrytree Township, Venango County, in northwestern Pennsylvania. The weather and terrain must have reminded them of their homeland. Here they built a farm and added eight more children to the family:
| Michael Ghering b: September 20, 1844 |
| Godfrey E. Ghering b: September 23, 1846 |
| Conrad Ghering b: December 17, 1847 |
| Isaac Henry Ghering b: December 09, 1848 |
| Jeremiah Link Ghering b: October 05, 1851 |
| William Ghering b: January 17, 1853 |
| Samuel Ghering b: March 01, 1854 |
| Benjamin Ghering b: October 07, 1855 |
Two of the children, William and Samuel, died as infants. Tragically, at age 18, Conrad died when he fell from a horse. Their last child, Benjamin, was born mentally retarded and in 1920, at age 65, died at the North Warren State Hospital in Pennsylvania.
Most of the sons were farmers. However, Isaac "Henry" Ghering and Jeremiah (Jerry) Link Ghering were both teachers. Henry graduated from Edinboro College and taught school in Venango County. Jerry graduated from Grove City College and taught in Western Pennsylvania public and normal schools for more than 45 years. At his death he was teaching in Warren, Pennsylvania. At age 67, while crossing the street, he was was struck by an automobile driven by one of his students. He died a week later, February 9, 1919.
Jacob and Michael moved to Michigan and settled in the Traverse City and Old Mission area. There, they were quite successful farmers and acquired much land. Many of their descendants still live there.