Person:Christian Pershing (3)

GREENSBURG is in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is located southeast of Pittsburgh. Counting all the years of the Pershing Family in America, a good argument could be made that Westmoreland County was central to the Pershing Family story. That is also where the first Pershing Reunion was held in 1923, with General John J. Pershing being the principal speaker.

Christian left Westmoreland County in circa 1818, to move to Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The Pershing book goes on to describe the interesting story of Christian having to carry with him many of the household and frontier necessities; including the cherry trees which the Pershing farm was famous for.

The Pershing book says he bought a 160 acre farm from his assumed cousin, Daniel Ermel (who has a WeRelate page). As mentioned on the Ermel page, the book says this farm was near "Canal Dover", which is now the ciy of Dover (Dover Township). However, the local history books (which Edgar Pershing may not have had access to) show Christian was mostly associated with a farm near RAGERSVILLE, in Auburn Township! The Pershing book says that Christian did buy a second tract of 80 acres from the government in 1823, but does not identify the location. We have plat maps showing Christian as the purchaser of a plat of 83.5 acres, also in 1823, which must be it - except this farm is in Section 15! The "History of Tuscarawas County" (1884) says: "Christian Pershing a Pennsylvania German like most of his neighbors, and a Lutheran, became the owner of the northeast quarter of Section 11 entered by Daniel Ermal". However, it is known that Christian was already living in Auburn Township by 1820, and the Original Plat Map of Auburn Township, shows The same farm details in Section 15, which is catty-corner from Section 11, and known to have been Christian's farm. All very confusing! A short distance south, in Ragersville, the name of Peter Karns appears, as one of the original land owners. There still has been no connection found to link this Karns with the two Karns brothers, who married Christian's daughters. In 1848 Christian was sworn in as an Auburn Township Trustee. One of the other trustees was John KERN, perhaps related to "Peter Karns"? In any event, it is interesting that Christian knew both Swiss Karns families, even if they were not related to each other!

James Haupert listed Christian's burial as being in Laketon, Indiana, but Ernie Wheaton had taken a photograph of Christian's tombstone, where he was buried next to his first wife in the Shanesville First Reformed Cemetery. This cemetery is located about 3 miles northeast of Christian's former Auburn Township farm, where there was also a Lutheran Church, of which Christian was known to have been a devout member. Shanesville is now part of Sugar Creek.

Christian's second wife, Mary Kuhns, is listed in James Haupert's index as being buried in the Urbana Cemetery. No stone has been found, and the conclusion is that it has weathered away.

--White Creek 17:22, 24 August 2012 (EDT)

1.   Earnest Wheaton of Indianapolis, Indiana.
2.   The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio: containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, churches, schools, etc.; general and local statistics; military record; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest Territory; history of Ohio; miscellaneous matters, etc. etc. (Chicago [Illinois]: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884).
3. ↑ Tuscarawas County, Ohio Cemeteries Volume I.
4. ↑ "KARNS - Pershing" by Earnest S. Wheaton.
5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 The Pershing Family in America 1749-1924 by Edgar J. Pershing (1924).

   Robert MacPherson of Oregon has a date of birth as: 23 Feb 1787

6. ↑ "RAGERSVILLE" Aurburn Township, Ohio 1830-1980.

   The book has some documentation of Christian Pershing

7. ↑ www.rootsweb.com.

   Rob MacPherson (a Pershing descendant) has more detail on Christian's birth and death. The Pershing book only has the years of birth, marriage, and death.