Our 3rd Generation- Levi Shedenhelm & Margaret Rosenberger

      When George Shedenhelm and Catherine (Shedenhelm) Lease moved to Seneca County, Ohio and settled on what would become a family farm near Tiffin, they were accompanied by their sons, Grafton McClellan and his older brother, Levi Adam... who became a successful member of Hopewell Township himself. Hopewell Township was little more than wilderness when its first election was held on December 25, 1824. It is interesting to note that family relatives. John Stoner and John Rosenberger, were elected as trustees at that time. Later in time, 1846-1852, Levi Shedenhelm served as a trustee in his own right. Levi might have remained in Seneca County for the rest of his life, except that he had married Margaret Elizabeth Rosenberger. It is impossible to talk about the Shedenhelm family without talking about the Rosenberger family and, for that matter, the Schall family because their lives and journeys were intertwined for decades and decades.
     Levi's father-in-law, John Anthony Rosenberger, was a significant figure in Seneca County, Ohio, serving as Justice of the Peace for 33 years, but he was also an adventurous man who became aware that land was being sold for $1.25 an acre in Iowa. So... on September 5, 1853, he organized a team of 26 wagons and set forth from Bascom, Ohio, for Marengo, Iowa, which was 520 miles away. The wagon train from Ohio arrived in Marengo 23 days later, on September 28, 1853, but since John Anthony and his wife, Catherine Schall, were deeply religious people, they did not travel on Sundays. Land was "cheap" in Iowa at the time, and Levi Shedenhelm, who was an integral part of the team, purchased 800 acres. Many of our ancestors did well in Iowa, but it wasn't easy for them. Their land had to be cleared and they had to travel to Iowa City (45 miles away) to purchase the goods and supplies they needed. In addition, the early settlers were threatened by "barn-burners," who set fire to their buildings and grain to drive them out of Iowa. Indeed, several of our ancestors returned to Ohio until the barn-burners were subdued. Nicholas Rosenberger, however, refused to leave, choosing instead to stay and defend his property. He built the first, and at the time, the only, cabin between Marengo and Millersburg, Iowa, and it was in his house that a group of settlers decided to hold a town hall meeting in Marengo, where they would resolve to stand together against the "barn-burners," and threaten retaliation against them in the future.
      In any event, the Rosenberger-Shedenhelm-Schall family made a significant contribution to both Sumner and Hartford Townships in Iowa County. When Hartford Township was originally organized, 1854/55, Anthony Rosenberger was elected as a trustee and Levi Shedenhelm was elected as the township's clerk. The first land entries in the township belong to Alexander Reynolds and J.A. Rosenberger, and the first school, a frame building costing $500, in the township was called the "Shedenhelm" school. In Sumner Township, Nicholas Rosenberger and Michael B. Rosenberger are listed among the earliest settlers. The first school house in the township was called the "Ohio" school, and the first church, which was formed by the Methodists, was called the "Ohio chapel." Indeed, John Anthony Rosenberger was known as the "Bishop of Iowa County," and the original members of the church he started were: he and his wife, Catherine; his son, Nicholas, and his wife, Hannell; his son, Michael B. , and his wife, Lavina; John and Nancy Bair; Levi A. Shedenhelm and his wife, Martha Ellen Rosenberger; their son, John Nicholas Shedenhelm and Mary C. Shedenhelm, Daniel Broachey and his wife, Mary; Anthony Rosenberger, and Elizabeth Rosenberger. It should also be noted that no one in Hartford Township was more respected that Dr. John Bricker, who set up his medical practice in 1854. John first married Mary Catherine Shedenhelm (April 6, 1856) and then Elizabeth Jane Shedenhelm (October 1, 1858). Dr. Bricker also came from Ohio and he was the first physician in the township.
      R. W. Rosenberger (b. 1841) enlisted in Company E, of Iowa's 24th Infantry (aka. "The Methodist Battalion) and so did John Nicholas Shedenhelm. Both men participated in the Battles of Port Gibson, Champion's Hill. Rosenberger also saw action at Sabine Crossroads, and he was captured on two occasions. Shedenhelm was at Black River Bridge and Vicksburg as well. After the war, the record shows that he and his wife, Ann C Schall, owned 250 acres of farmland and a 5 acre orchard. Levi Adam Shedenhelm and Margaret Rosenberger had 4 children. Private John N, and Dr. Bricker's two wives, Mary C and Elizabeth, J, among them. Their 4th child was Barbara Ellen Shedenhelm, who died at one year of age. Thus, this part of our 3rd generation settled in Iowa County, and I am proud to call them "family." It's no wonder that I feel very much at home in central Iowa.

2 GENERATION OF SHEDENHELMS-SHITTENHELMS-SCHIEDENHELMS-SHEATENHELMS IN AMERICA

      Frederick Shittenhelm was the immigrant who brought us to American. Like other Germans from the Palatinate, he sailed from Rotterdam to Philadelphia, where he took an oath of allegiance and went to work. Since there are no records of Frederick purchasing land in Pennsylvania, it seems likely that he worked off his debt (for passage to America) and then migrated to Maryland, as many other Palatines had done before him. Frederick bought 109 acres near McKaig, Maryland and called the place, "Frederick's Contentment." Thus, when he died in 1808, our ancestors had a foothold in America. In fact, they had a home and a beginning for us.

JAKOB SCHITTENHELM, THE SHEETENHELMS, & THE LEASES
      Frederick and Maria Barbara Schittenhelm had four children: Jacob Schittenhelm, George Shedenhelm, Elizabeth Schiedenhelm, and Catharine Sheatenhelm. As the oldest son, Jacob inherited at least part of his father's farm (aka "Frederick's Contentment), and we know that he also purchased 130 acres of land from Thomas Walter in May of 1807. Since Jacob was married to Mary Walter, it is likely that Thomas was his father-in-law or one of Mary's uncles. In any event, Jacob's line of the American Schittenhelm family stayed in Maryland and embraced the surname of Sheetenhelm. Indeed, Jacob and Mary had five children: Thomas Sheetenhelm, (1799-1853) who married 1) Mary Clay and 2) Elizabeth Harris; Catherine Sheetenhelm (1802-1807), who married Daniel Lease; Delilah Sheetenhelm (1805-1879), who married Charles Lease; Reuben Sheetenhelm (1811-1882), who married Mary Ann Lease; and Mary Shedenhelm, who married Washington Hammond. Jacob is my 3rd great-grand uncle, and I am proud to say that he served our country during the War of 1812. Records show that he was a Pvt. in Capt. Duvall's Company of the Maryland Militia and that he was baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Jacob is my 4th great uncle.

GEORGE SHEDENHELM AND THE MOVE TO SENECA COUNTY, OHIO
      It seems that, while other family members moved west, the Sheetenhelm's stayed in Maryland, and there are Sheetenhelm's listed in Maryland White Pages to this day. However, the connections with the LEASE family carried over to Jacob's younger brother, George, who is my 3 great-grandfather. George, who adopted the surname of Shedenhelm,  was baptized on April 21, 1782, in the German Reformed Church of Frederick, Maryland. In the course of time, he married Catherine Lease and they had six children together: Levi A. Shedenhelm (1806), who married Margaret Rosenberger, Elizabeth Shedenhelm (1807), who married Aaron Ruse; Henry Shedenhelm (1810), who married Mary Myers; Grafton Shedenhelm (1813), who married 1) Mary E. Schall and 2) Catherine M Schall; Mary S. Shedenhelm (1817), who married Barnett Freeze;  and Barbara Schendenhelm (1821), who married John Michael Schall. Since his older brother inherited his father's land and since attractive land deals were being offered in Ohio, George moved from Hagerstown, Maryland to Tiffin, Ohio in the fall of 1830. The record shows that George purchased 80 acres at the Tiffin land office on May 25, 1832, and we know that he also purchased160 acres near Wolf Creek, which is 3 miles north of Tiffin. Some researchers believe that George married Catherine Lease- others believe that he married Catherine Slaymaker- still others believe that he married both of them in succession. However, George and Catherine Lease are buried together in Tiffin, Ohio. The census of 1850 indicates that George, age 71, was living with... Catherine, age 60; Mary Ruse, age 18; and Lyhae McCracken, age 14 months. George's will was probated on November 1, 1852, and in it, he gave the following instructions:1) pay all of my funeral expenses and debts first, 2) give all of my real estate and personal property to my beloved wife, Catherine; 3) "It is my will that my son-in-law, Aaron Ruse, shall not receive any more of my property... but that his wife, Elizabeth, receive an equal portion; 4) give to the granddaughter who lives with me $150 and other specified items; 5) "It is my will that my money and interest be divided equally... with the exception of the said, Aaron Ruse; 6) after my wife dies, remaining assets should be divided equally, except for Aaron Ruse; 7) my will shall be executed by my sons, Levi and Grafton. George is my 3rd great grandfather and Catherine Lease is my 3rd great grandmother.

ELIZABETH SHIDENHELM AND NATHAN BRASHEAR JR.
      Those of us who are attached to uniformity will be frustrated with the undisciplined way in which surnames were handled in the past. Clerks wrote names as they heard them and people changed the spelling of their surnames for reasons of their own. Thus, even before we leave the 2nd generation of "Shedenhelms" in America behind us, we have already encountered Shittenhelm, Schittenhelm, Sheetenhelm, Shedenhelm, and Shidenhelm (Schiedenhelm). Soon, we we encounter a line of Shetenhelms... but now, our focus in on Frederick's daughter, Elizabeth, who was born in 1799. Elizabeth married Nathan Brasher, Jr. Nathan died at an early age in 1817, but not before he purchased a tract of land, which he named, "Nathan's Purchase," and moved to Ohio, where he died. Indeed, each of their children lived relatively short lives and lived them in Ohio. Nathan Brashear, Jr and Elizabeth Shidenhelm had the following children: Truman (1799-1849) married Elizabeth Kerns; Barbara (1801-1847) married George Seidner; Nancy Ann (1802-1847) married James Owen; Hiram (1814-1847) married Mary Cherry; Perry (1818-1847) married Elizabeth Phipps; and Catherine (1810-1833) married Nathan C Owen. Elizabeth is my 4th great aunt.

CATHERINE SHEATENHELM AND ANTHONY ECKHART
      Little is known (by me) as this is written about Catherine Sheatenhelm and Anthony Eckhart, other than Catharina was baptized in the Evangelical Reformed Church, Anthony served in the War of 1812, and they were living in Falls, Ohio in 1860, with their children: Betsy Eckhart, who was born before 1809; Susan, born 1809; Barbara, born 1811; Catherine, born 1813; Cornelius, 1814, married Elizabeth Weaver; Polly, born 1816; Lewis A., born 1816, married Samantha White; Eden, born 1825, married Mary Weaver; Grafton D., born 1825, married Priscilla Mathias; Lovina, born 1830, married Jeremiah Stukey; and John Alexander, born 1837. Catherine is my 4th great aunt.

      These four people comprise the second generation of our family in America. However, the third generation was much larger and included thirty-two cousins: Levi Adam Shedenhelm, Henry Shedenhelm, Grafton Shedenhelm, Mary Shedenhelm, Barbara E. Shedenhelm (from George), Thomas Sheetenhelm, Catherine Sheetenhelm, Delilah Sheetenhelm, Reuben Sheetenhelm, Mary Shedenhelm (from Jakob), Betsy Eckhart, Susan Eckhart, Barbara Eckhart, Catherine Eckhart, Cornelius Eckhart, Polly Eckhart, Lewis Eckhart, Eden Eckhart, Grafton Eckhart, Lovinia Eckhart, John A. Eckhart (from Catherine), Freeman Brashear, Barbara Brashear, Truman Brasher, Owen Brasher, Solomon Brasher, Esther Brasher, Catherine Brasher, Nathan Brasher Jr., Elizabeth Brashear, Hiram Brashear, and Perry Brashear.