CATAWBA-WEST-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: [Catawba-West] Hunsucker
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 14:54:25 EST

Adrian,
I have 3 stories on the Hunsucker family by 3 different people. They have
been taken from the Catawba Heritage Book from ages ago. This is the first
one:

Hunsucker No. 351 p. 236-237

Johannes Hunzinger was a native of Schallbach which is a part of the German
Duchy of Nassau. This area is now a part of France that lies just south of
the Rhineland -- Palatinate of Germany. When I visited this area in 1981,
everyone I encountered spoke German and all the tombstones in the cemetery
had German names. Johannes Hunzinger married Maria Pierson on April 30,
1743. Their first son, Johan Theobold, was baptized in the Evangelical
Reformed Church in the nearby village of Rauweiller on January 24, 1744. On
May 27, 1748, the pastor of the church, John Henry Wayner, furnished a
Taufschein (Baptism Certificate) to the parents.
Johannes Hunzinger and his family left Germany and arrived at Philadelphia on
the ship *Two Brothers* on September 15, 1748. They settled in what is now
Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania the name
is spelled Hunsicker. Johannes Hunsicker was already buying land by 1750 and
1753 he signed a petition for a public road for nearby Allentown to the
Heidelberg area. In 1757, a second church was built in Heidelberg to replace
the original one destroyed by a fire. Johannes Hunsicker is listed as being
one of those who furnished money to build the new church which was to be a
"union" church (one used by the reformed and Lutheran congregations). In
1762, Johannes Hunsicker was listed as tax collector for this area.
Johannes Hunsicker and Maria Pierson are believed to have had two sons:
Johan Theobold and Jacob. It is not known if Maria came to America or
whether she died early in Pennsylvania s Johannes Hunsicker's wife's name at
birth of the third child is Magdalena. Johannes and Magdalena Hunsicker are
known to have had seven children: Johannes, Magdalena, Casper, Anna Maria,
Joseph, Heinrich and Peter. All the boys in the family served in the
Revolutionary War except Johan Theobold, who had moved to North Carolina
prior to the war, and Peter, was too young.
That Johannes Hunsicker had a long life and was a large land owner (1200
acres) can be seen in his will which was dated November 3, 1780 and was
probated December 17, 1800 (Lehigh County Will Book 4, page 38). In his will
his sons Jacob and Casper were made trustees for his son Dewalt (Johann
Theobold) *who had gone to Carolina.* The will stipulated that if Johan
Theobold did not return within fifteen years after his *Erbschaft* was due,
he would not receive anything.
Johan Theobold Hunsucker (local spelling) was confirmed at Heidelberg Church
on April 2, 1758. There is some question as to the family name of his wife,
Susannah Magdelena. The history written in 1928 by Jonas and Thomas L.
Hunsucker says that her name as Ardney one place and Nafer in another place.
Mr. Raymond E. Hollenbach, a noted genealogist and descendant of Johannes
Hunsicker, states that the family was most probably Arner, Neff or Neifer
since these families were in this area. They were married in Pennsylvania
since their oldest child, Wilhelm was born September 10, 1771 in Lynn
Township.
Johan Theobold Hunsucker and his family came to present day Catawba County
area about the year 1773 and settled on the waters so Lyles Creek. The house
was build is still standing and is the present residence of the George E.
LaFone family. Johan Theobold and his wife are buried at St. John's Lutheran
Church not far from where they settled. Their children were: Wilhelm md.
Margaret Whittenburg; Mary md. John Grunt; Joseph md. Polly Young; Mollie md.
Adam Grunt; Jacob md. Eliza Killian; Catherine md. 1) Peter Little 2) Gobel;
Sarah md. 1) John Rader 2) Simon Haas; Christian md. Catherine Whittenburg;
John md. 1) Smith 2) Sigmon; Susannah m. William Drum; Elizabeth md. Fred
Bollinger; Peggy md. Joseph Isenhower; Eva md. Jacob Little; Barbara m. John
Moser; and Theobold died single at the age of 18.

Sources: 1) History of the Johan Theobold Hunsucker Family by Jonas and
Thomas L. Hunsucker. 2) History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania - 1914. 3)
Letters from Mr. Raymond E. Hollenbach.

C. David Pope, Jr.


Joy

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