Family/Spouse: Jacob Pletcher. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"THE PLETSCHER OR PLETCHER FAMILY IN AMERICA" "When Samuel and Henry Pletcher were of the proper age, about 12 or 13, they were apprenticed out to trades. Samuel was apprenticed to a weaver, and Henry to a cobbler. The usual apprenticeship pe riod was until the apprentice reached the age of 21 years, a period of seven years or more for which the apprentice received their food and clothing." "At the time of the Revolutionary War, Samuel was 23 years old, and was married to Elizabet h Yotta (Yoder or Yates) of Lancaster and had sons. There is no record of his service during the war." "Samuel and Elizabeth Yotta Pletcher lived in or near Lancaster, PA and all of their 8 children were born in the Lancaster Valley. After t he birth of his eight children, Samuel Pletcher move his family to Huntingdon County, PA in the center of the state where he was recorde in the first U.S. Census of 1790. Samuel then moved the family to McDonald's farm near Beech Creek, PA, nea r Howard where he had a distillery from 1813 to 1821. In 1821, he moved his family, children and grandchildren to Ohio (Crawford County)...they took with them the five younger children and their wives, husbands and grandchildren : Henry, Jacob , Elizabeth (Reed), Catherine (Nestlerode), Anna (Pletcher) Pletcher."
Lancaster County PA 1770-1790 Howard, Centre CountyPA 1813-1821 Galion, Crawford County OH from 1821 to present day. Informtion from Howard Pletcher, Goshen, IN--Born Jan. 30, 1751 state of Baden Germany, at Wieslach, (south of Heideeh his widowed mother Marie Manardt Pletscher and infant brother Heinrich "Henry" about the year 1757-58. In Lancaster County, PA he married Elizabeth Yotta "Yoder". About 1775, shortly after marriage, he moved to Big Valley, Huntingto n County, PA. From Big Valley he moved to Beach Creek, Center County, PA about 1804-05. In 1821 he dispose of his interests in Center County and followed the families of his son Jacob and son-in-law Jacob A. Pletcher to Crawford County, OH. H e became the first burial in Pletcher Cemetery. Inscription on his headstone:
Samuel Pletcher died Mar. 15, 1830
Age 79yr. 1 m. 17 d

Pletcher Family History

The Pletcher family name was common in Schleitheim, in the Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in the 15th century. The Pletchers were nearly all land owners, all were Catholic and they were classed a noble family. The name had various shetscher, Platscher, Ploetscher due to the region the family lived in. Around 1520 to 1530, the Pletcher's broke from the Catholic faith and became Anabaptists, known as Swiss Brethren or Mennonites.

Since the Church of Switzerland was Catholic, Mennonites were persecuted and sometime exiled. At the end of the Thirty Years War (1648), many fugitive Mennonites fled Switzerland into the Palatineate region of Germany. Since church recordet Mennonites, the names were not preserved.

The first Pletchers migrated to Pennsylvania, later to Ohio. Many of the Pletchers who migrated to Indiana settled in Elkhart County. According to the Mennonite Quarterly, two Elkhart County Bishops, Jacob Wisler and John F. Funk dividete Northern Ohio Mennonite churches followed Wisler. Their group was called the Wislers and the other the Funks. They took issue with Henry Pletcher's preaching in English and the congregation also took a stand against holding evenin g services. So most of the Pletcher's left for Indiana. Preacher Henry Pletcher and his family followed in 1882. He became on of the ministers of the Yellow Creek congregation in Elkhart County. He was violently opposed to the use of tobacco an d had difficulty working with the Elkhart County ministers. Henry was "silenced" and John F. Funk charged that he "talked too much." After he was silenced, he continued his connection with the Mennonite Church and donated the land on which the S alem Mennonite church stands.

Samuel Pletcher, born January 29, 1750, in Germany, married Elizabeth Yoder, 1771, in Lancaster, Penn. Samuel's son, Jacob, born March 11, 1790, in Lancaster, Penn., married Barbara Nestlerode. Jacob's son Christian, born December 31, 18d Mary Catherine Enders, in 1862. Christian's son, Noah Pletcher, born February 15, 1866, in Harrison Township, Elkhart County, was married to Emma Anderson in 1891, and died April 16, 1937. His son Clayton, born September 3, 1893, in A labama, married Elsie Fetters in 1913, died October 23, 1957. Clayton's son LaVern Pletcher, was born May 5, 1914, and married Lenore Doering, May 26, 1935. LaVern's son Richard Pletcher, born April 5, 1941, married Susan Templeton, January 26 , 1964. LaVern and Richard founded Amish Acres in 1968.
Source: Amish Acres web site
angiergabeladded this on 1 Jun 2010
mwigeloriginally submitted this to Igel Family Tree on 29 Dec 2007
Pletcher Cemetery in Crawford County, Ohio:
Monument erected in Pletcher Cemetery on Beck Road, Galion, Crawford County, Ohio. The Pletcher Cemetery is the resting place of Samuel Pletcher 1751 - 1830. Inscription on monument reads: PLETCHER CEMETERY SAMUEL PLETSCHER GERMAN IMMIGRANT
Born January 15, 1751 near Alt Wiesloch State of Baden Germany. Died March 15, 1830 near Galion, Polk, Township Crawford Co Ohio
Samuel arrived at the Port of Philadelphia November 10, 1756 aboard the ship "Snow Chance" with his infant brother Heinrich (Henry) and his widowed mother Marie (Mennardt) Pletscher. The father, Samuel Pletscher died at sea. The brothers Samue l and Henry were raised
by their great Uncle Fredrick Mennardt. March 30, 1771 in Lancaster County PA Samuel Pletcher married Elizabeth Yoder
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From findagrave.com:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=25658731

Birth: Jan. 29, 1750, Germany
Death: Mar. 15, 1830
Galion
Crawford County
Ohio, USA

Born January 15, 1751 near Alt Wiesloch State of Baden Germany. Died March 15, 1830 near Galion, Polk, Township Crawford Co Ohio. Samuel arrived at the Port of Philadelphia November 10, 1756 aboard the ship "Snow Chance" with his infant brothe r Heinrich (Henry) and his widowed mother Marie (Mennardt) Pletscher. The father, Samuel Pletscher died at sea. The brothers Samuel and Henry were raised by their great Uncle Fredrick Mennardt. March 30, 1771 in Lancaster Co. PA Samuel Pletche r married Elizabeth Yotta, Yotter, (Jordy) Yoder. The family lived in big valley Huntingdon Co PA from 1780's until 1804 From 1804 until 1818 they lived near Howard below Beech Creek in Centre Co PA. Elizabeth (Yoder) Pletcher died in Centrer Co unty PA between 1810--1819. Samuel, a widower, followed his son Jacob and son -in-law Jacob A. Pletcher and their families to Crawford Co Ohio in the
spring of 1821 where he spent the remaining 8 years of his life.He was a weaver and family said made cloth for Rev. War for uniforms, blankets,etc.

Samuel and his brother Henry lived on their step-father's farm until they became of age (around 12 - 13) when they were apprenticed out to learn a trade. Samuel was apprenticed to a weaver and Henry to a cobbler. An apprenticeship usually laste d until the apprentice reached the age of 21 years and the apprentice received food and clothing.

When the Revolutionary War began, Samuel was 23 years old, was already married to Elizabeth Yoder and had sons. There is no record of his service during the war, but according to family tradition, he was a volunteer in the service of his country . The bible of William Henry Reese (grandson of Ulrich Pletcher) had a note which reads: "Samuel, father of Olie, fought in the American Revolution".

Samuel married Elizabeth Yoder, daughter of Ulrich and Magdalena Yoder, March 30, 1771 in Lancaster County By 1790 they had moved to Huntingdon County and in 1792 Samuel was issued a warrant for a tract of land in Tod Township, Huntingdon Count y containing sixty-two acres and 155.9 perches. The 1790 census for Huntingdon County, Huntingdon Township lists: Samuel Pletcher, 2 males greater than 16, 4 males less than 16 and 4 females.

The book 'History of Beech Creek Area' lists Samuel as one of the sawmill operators of Bald Eagle Township from 1801 to 1811. A deed in the Centre County Courthouse, February 28, 1810, Samuel Pletcher, Sr. of Centre Co, Bald Eagle Township sol d 245 acres in Nittany Township, Centre County to Jacob Keller for 600 pounds or $400. The deed was signed by Samuel in German.


Family links:
Parents:
Samuel Pletscher (1729 - 1757)

Children:
Jacob Pletcher (____ - 1870)*
William Ulrich Pletcher (1774 - 1857)*
Elizabeth Pletcher Reed (1785 - 1856)*
(Mrs. Jacob A.) Anna Pletcher Pletcher (1787 - 1855)*

Burial:
Pletcher Cemetery
Galion
Crawford County
Ohio, USA

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Samuel married Elizabeth Yotta. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"THE PLETCHER OR PLETSCHER FAMILY IN AMERICA" "The family name of Pletscher (with various changes in spelling due to the region the family lived is an old family name in the community of Schleitheim in the Canton (state) of Schaffhausen,n S zrland. The Swiss authorities state that the name of Pletscher has been in their community since the 15th Century. The family has always been Mennonite, and the early members of the family were deacons and leaders in their churches." " The f amily was a large one, and was settled in Switzerland, in Germany, and in France. The center for those of Mennonite faith, was Schleitheim, in Switzerland. In February of the year 1524, the Mennonites held their first Synod in tha city and a p aper was drawn up listing the beliefs of their faith. That paper is still preserved to this day in the Community of Schleitheim." "Our family came from the region near Schleitheim, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The first record we have is of th e father, believed to be named Martin Pletscher, his wife Mary (Marie) and their two sons, Samuel and Henry. Martin is believed to have been born about 1730 in Switzerland. The family was forced to move into the Alsace region of France, near Mu elhausen (now Mulhouse). It was probably here that Martin met and married his wife Mary. She has been listed as being of French birth, born about the year 1731. They were married either in the Alsace region, or the German section lying betwee n the Alsace and Switzerland." "Because of their faith, the Mennonites were forced to move around to escape persecution. Family tradition has always listed the birth place of the sons Samuel and Henry as being in Germany near the Swiss border . One tale handed down from father to son thru the generations says that the family lived so near the Swiss border that when the men chopped wood the chips flew into Switzerland." "...About the year 1757, this family, consisting of the fathe r (presumed to be Martin), his wife Mary, and the sons Samuel and Henry (now aged 6 and 1 years) emigrated to America. The usual procedure in those days, was to travel from their native country to a Dutch port....The usual voyage then took abou t 8 or 9 weeks, depending on weather. From all records available, it appears that the husband named Martin died aboard ship on the way to America." "Family histories relate the advertisement of the widow Mary and her two sons in Philadelphi a papers for the payment of certain charges put on them while on board ship...they were not 'bound' passengers, but the extra charges could have been for funeral expenses of the father while on board ship." "An uncle of Mary's named Frederic k Maynard, who lived near Lancaster, PA took them into his home. After Mary had worked as a housekeeper for the length of time to repay the charges, he married her. He was a widower at the time. The sons, Samuel and Henry Pletcher, were then r aised unger his protection on his farm near Lancaster, PA. The widow Mary Pletcher was listed as being a resident of Conestoga Twp. Lancaster County in 1750, so her marriage must have occurred after this date. Nothing further is known of the m other of Samuel and Henry except the notation that she was married to a man named Schenck after her marriage to Frederick Maynard." "225 YEARS OF PLETCHER FAMILY" of Lancaster and Centre Counties (Information from Howard Pletcher, Goshen, IN " The year was 1756. Because of religious persecution in Germany, many Mennonites were coming to PA. One of the many ships arriving was the Snow Chance, and on it was a young widow and her two sons. When Mary Pletcher arrived in Philadelphia i n 1756 with her five-year old son, Samuel, and her newborn son Henry, she was unable to pay for her voyage (perhaps her husband had died during the six-month trip) and so advertised for hire. Mary Pletcher met and married Frederick Maynard (Me nart) about 1760; he was a widower and a Mennonite who owned land on Conestoga Creek in Lancaster County He had at least two children by his first wife, Jacob and Mariah (who was to marry Michael Schenck). When Henry and Samuel came of age, th ey became apprentices at shoemaking and weaving respectively. Both served as volunteers in the Revolutionary War." 1981--Leroy and Ann Sathre, 1103 Observatory Dr., Orlando Fl. 32808
Symposium on the early Pletcher family--by Pam Pletcher (info from Howard Pletcher, Goshen,IN) "Mary Pletcher and her husband (unnamed, but perhaps Samuel Ploetscher) left their German Palatinate home near Switzerland to go to America in 17g with them their Samuel who had been born Jan. 28, 1751. On their 6-month voyage, Mary's husband died and was buried at sea, and Mary's youngest Henry was born at sea. They may have been passengers on the ship Snow Chance, which landed at P hiladelphia, Nov. 10, 1756, being the only ship reported landing German passengers there during 1756, owing to hostilities between France and England..." "Both (Samuel and Henry) volunteered for Revolutionary War service, where Henry worked a t his trade in making shoes for the soldiers. No record is available...concerning Samuel's activities as a soldier..." Information from Howard Pletcher. In Germany the name of Pletcher (or Pletscher as it in German) is very common and is the e quivelant of Schwinn, being famous for bicycles manufacturing. Pletchers were originally Catholic from Schaffhausen, Switzerland. They converted to Mennonite and suffered persecution under the Swiss government which did not allow members of t he Mennonite faith to own land. After the 100 year war, Germany invited the Mennonites to come and farm their lands. The Pletchers then moved to the Wieslach area of Germany. It is thought that Samuel the immigrant son may have been a "home-s tyle" preacher. The Pletchers were "renegade" Mennonite.

Martin? married Mary MaynardAlsace, France. Mary was born in 1731 in Alsace?, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Y
Y
Y
Y