MySource:Mksmith/Shaeffers of Fairfield County, Ohio

• Posted at Genealogy.com by Leon Kearns, 20 Sep 2000, at www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/shaffer/1709/

Any help on these families would be appreciated. I am a greatgrandson of Ephriam and have contact with a descendant of Selda(Zelda), children of Isaac and Rosannah (Rosanna) Shaeffer. They were marred as Shaffer in Lancaster Ohio.

Generation No. 1

1.SHAEFFER1

Children of SHAEFFER are: 2. i. ISAAC2 SHAEFFER, b. 1814, Fairfield County Ohio; d. October 26, 1881, Fairfield County Ohio.

      ii.   JOEL SHAEFFER, b. December 18, 1800; m. ULA BERRY.
      iii.  ABRAHAM SHAEFFER, b. May 11, 1810; d. February 18, 1877, Garnet Anderson Kansas; m. ANNA CATHARINE MARTENS, April 30, 1833, Fairfield Co. Ohio; b. July 01, 1813; d. June 17, 1882, Garnet Anderson Kansas. Burial: February 18, 1877.
      iv.   JACOB SHAEFFER, b. April 14, 1814; d. January 25, 1884; m. ELIZABETH MARTENS, April 24, 1834; b. May 10, 1816, Fairfield Co. Ohio; d. November 14, 1883.
      v.    GEORGE SHAEFFER.

Generation No. 2

2.ISAAC2 SHAEFFER (SHAEFFER1) was born 1814 in Fairfield County Ohio, and died October 26, 1881 in Fairfield County Ohio.He married ROSANNAH HOFFMAN June 07, 1836 in Lancaster Ohio, daughter of JOHANN HOFFMAN and SUSANNA KISSINGER.She died September 23, 1866 in Delphi Indiana.

Children of ISAAC SHAEFFER and ROSANNAH HOFFMAN are: 3. i. BARBARA ANN3 SHAEFFER, b. 1837, Fairfield County Ohio. 4. ii. EPHRIAM F SHAEFFER, b. November 05, 1838, Fairfield County Ohio, Adair News Mar 20 1908, Pg 1 C 5; d. March 11, 1908 (Guthrie County Iowa, Adair News Mar 20 1908, Pg 1 C 5). 5. iii. SELDA SHAEFFER, b. 1841, Fairfield County Ohio.

      iv.   WILLIAM SHAEFFER, b. 1844, Fairfield County Ohio.
       v.   CAROLINE SHAEFFER, b. 1846, Fairfield County Ohio; d. September 02, 1854.
      vi.   ISABELLA SHAEFFER, b. 1850, Fairfield County Ohio.

Generation No. 3

3.BARBARA ANN3 SHAEFFER (ISAAC2, SHAEFFER1) was born 1837 in Fairfield County Ohio.She married SAMUEL FETTERHOFF March 10, 1867 in Carroll County Indiana.He was born February 03, 1831, and died August 07, 1907 in Carroll County Indiana.

Children of BARBARA SHAEFFER and SAMUEL FETTERHOFF are:

      i.    IRA4 FETTERHOFF, b. January 14, 1869; d. March 25, 1955, Carroll County Indiana; m. MARY SHAFFER, January 20, 1890; b. November 19, 1868; d. July 21, 1974, July 21 1974.
      ii.   CYNTHAELLA FETTERHOFF, b. April 08, 1871.
      iii.  ETTA MAY FETTERHOFF, b. July 11, 1874; m. HENRY SNYDER, December 22, 1892.

4.EPHRIAM F3 SHAEFFER (ISAAC2, SHAEFFER1) was born November 05, 1838 in Fairfield County Ohio, Adair News Mar 20 1908, Pg 1 C 5, and died March 11, 1908 in Guthrie County Iowa, Adair News Mar 20 1908, Pg 1 C 5.He married RACHEL M MCMAHON March 15, 1864 in Delphi Carroll County, Indiana, daughter of JOSEPH MCMAHAN and RACHEL BIRD.She was born March 13, 1843 in Delphi, Indiana/Adair News 22 Oct 1926 Pg 5,C5, and died October 13, 1926 in Adair, Iowa/Adair News 22 Oct 1926 Pg 5,C 5.

Ephriam F. Shaefer was born in Fairfield County, Ohio November 5, 1838, son of Isaac and Rosena[Huffman]Schaefer.In 1852, the home was moved to Carroll County Indiana where the family engaged in farming until Isaac death. Ephriam was 12 years old when his parents moved to Carroll county, Indiana. Ephriam shared the life of the farm with six siblings and attended the district school.

Children of EPHRIAM SHAEFFER and RACHEL MCMAHON are:

      i.    BENJAMIN FRANKLIN4 SHAEFER, b. December 22, 1865, Carroll County Indiana; d. June 03, 1948; m. MARY ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM, April 12, 1899, Stuart Catholic church, Stuart, Iowa; b. December 17, 1872; d. July 03, 1957.
      ii.   NOAH WEBSTER SHAEFER, b. July 21, 1867, Carroll County Indiana; d. February 24, 1954, Phoenix Arizonz; m. ANNIE CAROLINE GUY, March 15, 1893, Guthrie C	ounty Iowa; b. October 18, 1874, McDonough County Illinois; d. October 24, 1947, Moose Jaw Sask Canada. Burial: Moosejaw Sask Canada
      iii.  EFFIE MAY SHAEFER, b. May 07, 1869, Carroll County Indiana; d. December 29, 1930, Guthrie County Iowa; m. CHARLES LOVELL BURR, August 11, 1881; b. March 29, 1863, Scott county Iowa; d. July 16, 1932, Guthrie Center Iowa. (Possibly error on marriage date Obit Says August 5 1891.) Burial: Union Cem Guthrie Center Iowa. (Alt marriage date March 15 1893.)
      iv.   SADIE JOSEPHINE SHAEFER, b. July 17, 1872, Guthrie County Iowa; d. December 22, 1928, Adair, Iowa (of cancer of the stomach).
      v.    AMELIA AGNES SHAEFER, b. March 20, 1873, Guthrie City Iowa; d. August 05, 1918, Guthrie County Iowa; m. ELZA M BURRIS, December 22, 1897, Guthrie county Iowa; b. February 25, 1873, Marion County Iowa; d. 1963.
      vi.   WILLIAM WILSON SHAEFER, b. September 23, 1876, Grant township Guthrie county Iowa; d. October 07, 1958, Muscatine Iowa; m. (1) MARY JANE MAXWELL, January 22, 1902; b. August 09, 1863, Davenport Scott County Iowa; d. March 06, 1924, Adair Adair County Iowa; m. (2) PEARL MEARS, April 20, 1931, Cresco. (Mary Jane was also known as "Minnie." The date of death was give by an individual who had his fathers records of the funerals that he had handled. A previous date of Mar 24, 1924 was given to me.)
      vii.  NELSON JOSEPH SHAEFER, b. October 19, 1877, Guthrie County Iowa; d. February 16, 1947, Des Moines; m. HARRIET JANE DAWSON, September 16, 1897, Avoca Iowa; b. March 24, 1882, Jameson Missouri; d. January 07, 1957, Des Moines Iowa.
      viii. HERMAN SAMUEL SHAEFER, b. November 17, 1879, Guthrie County Iowa; d. March 16, 1942, Des Moines Iowa; m. JULIE MARTIN, March 14, 1900, John Martin's House; b. December 31, 1879; d. April 29, 1968, Des Moines Iowa Glendale Cem.
      ix.   ARTHUR ALVA SHAEFER, b. November 15, 1881, Adair, Iowa; d. August 10, 1960, Des Moines, Iowa Stuart Cem; m. SYLVIA MAY WOLFE, October 19, 1910, Guthrie County Iowa; b. October 14, 1889, Astoria Fulton County Illinios; d. February 25, 1976, Guthrie County Iowa Stuart Cem.
      x.    ELMER EDMUND SHAEFER, b. February 09, 1883, Grant township, Guthrie county,Iowa; d. July 03, 1964, Guthrie County Iowa; m. MARTHA FRANCISCA AUGUSTA KRAUSE, December 12, 1906, Grant township Guthrie county, Iowa, St John Lutheran Church; b. November 10, 1884, Guthrie CountyIowa; d. April 08, 1959, Dallas County Iowa.

5.SELDA3 SHAEFFER (ISAAC2, SHAEFFER1) was born 1841 in Fairfield County Ohio.She married JACOB GILBERT AKER 1859 in Indiana, son of JOHN AKER and MARY VANWAY.He was born April 24, 1837 in Fairfield Co. Ohio.

Children of SELDA SHAEFFER and JACOB AKER are:

      i.    ALBERT4 AKER.
      ii.   NELSON EDWARD AKER.
      iii.  B. LAURA AKER.
      iv.   S. OLIVER AKER.
      v.    V. PRUDENCE AKER, m. FICKEL.
      vi.   EMMA AKER, m. MORTSOLF.
      vii.  D. CORA AKER, m. RODENBARGER.
      viii. E. ELEANOR AKER.
      ix.   B. CHARLES AKER.
      x.    FRANK AKER.
      xi.   D. EDWIN AKER.
      xii.  M. WILLIE AKER.
      xiii. CARRIE MAUDE AKER.

• Reply by Robert Shaffer, 14 Aug 2001.

I believe it is possible that Isaac is a brother to my 2nd gr grandfather Joseph Shaffer born in PA ca 1773. He married Catherine Alspaugh, dau of Henry Alspaugh, Fairfield Co, OH in 1817.Joseph later moved to Holmes Co, OH and then to Marion Co, OH, where he died.

Have you found the parents of Isaac?

• Reply by Leon Kearns, 14 Aug 2001.

I have a good possiblity, Isaac Shaeffer who married Julie Ann Ream. I have a copy of a letter written by a grandson of Isaac's who speaks of Isaac's brothers and looking at the Fairfield Co. History I find Isaac and Julie with these sons. I was contacted by a researcher who has a hand written history of the family and she says that this is true. I have nothing with which to prove this information.

• Reply by Rick Pullin, 21 May 2005.

Your message is old, but I will tell you what I know anyway, since it may help someone else out there.

In researching my Shaffer family in Fairfield County Ohio, I have discovered alot about yours instead.

I have the following information: (please try to verify in case i have made some mistakes, but it is a place to start).

Martin M. Shaffer b. Ca. 1728, lived in Earl Twp. Lancaster Pa. Martin died 1, Nov. 1790 in Earl Twp. Lancaster Pa. Married Margret Groff Ukn. date of marriage. she was the daughter of Samuel and Christina Huber Groff.

Martin & Margaret had the following children:

Abraham, Samuel,Isaac,Christiana, Elizabeth , Margaret, Martin, and possibly a John (am not sure about the John)

Samuel, Abraham, and Isaac moved to what is known as Madison Township, in Fairfield County Ohio.Which was established in 1812, the first families in the township were the Shaffer, Ream, and Landis families.(Landis also of Lancaster Pa.)

Abraham Shaffer, married Barbara Ream, and Isaac Shaffer married Julia Ream, sisters, thier father was Abram Ream also of Lancaster Pa.

In the history of Madison Twp. it is written that Isaac came to the area in the spring of 1798.He had the following children, Delilah, born in January of 1800, also daughters Judith and Rachael,sons Joab, and Isaac.

Abraham and Barbara were the parents of Joel, Samuel, Ezra, Judida, Catherine, David, Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Ezra,(yes 2 Ezra's) the eldest probably passed away. Salem, George and Ada.

Brother Samuel, came to Madison Twp in 1802, he married Elizabeth Gilbert,(probably in Pennsylvania) thier children were

Elizabeth,John,Andrew,Samuel G. and George, (Elizabeth Gilbert Shaffer died Ca. 1799) Samuel married a second time when about 80 years old, obviously no issue from the second marriage.

Okay, now I have helped you, I am trying to research the families of Nicholas, John and Joseph Shaffer, Joseph married Catherine Alspach, Nicholas, I know little about, but he was living in Holmes county whith the rest of my Shaffer clan in the 1830 Mechanic Twp Census. and John the eldest of the three, had 3 children married in Fairfield Co. Daniel,Abner and Lydia.if you have come accross them, or any records pertaining to them please inform me, any help would be wonderful.

I hope I have helped some. I forgot one thing, Martin is said to be the son of Phillip Shaffer, born in Baden Germany, d. 13 June 1758 in Earl Twp.,Lancaster Pa.his wife's name was Mary Leigh.

Good luck in your research.

Note: I found much of this written in a history for Madison Township in Fairfield County Ohio, the name is SHAEFFER in the Biographies instead of Shaffer, the information on Martin came from the LDS site.

In the following month [May 1798] we have witnessed the arrival of several emigrant wagons over the eastern end of the trace. Among these families were the Wilsons, the Greens, the McMullens, the Coopers, the Shaffers, and a few others. In the fall of the same year, a number of other families have arrived and pitched their tents in various localities. Then in the spring of 1799 we have seen the tide of emigration coming in from both directions in considerable force. . . . [Hervey Scott, Complete History of Fairfield County, Ohio, 1795-1876 (Columbus: Siebert & Lilley, 1877), p. 301]