General Notes

Written 1966 by Charles Berkheimer
FOREWORD
This little study of the American Ancestors of the Berkheimer (unreadabl
e) began a long time ago with the question of a little boy which (unreadab
le) father could not answer. It was, "Where did your grandpa come from?" (
unreadable) grandpa was not quite sure. It was not until I thought that o
ne day I (unreadable) have a grandchild who might ask me the same questi
on that I began to make a serious effort to find out. By that time mo
st of my grandfather's generation had gone to be with their fathers and f
ew more left to give me (unreadable). Since that time I have had the rewar
ding experience of interviewing hundreds of their descendants in Pennsylva
nia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Neb
raska, Colorado, California, and Minnesota. Each person had some clu
es to offer and much definite information. Most of them expressed a desi
re to find out who our immigrant ancestors were and when they came to Amer
ica.
It is impossible to give credit to all who have contributed information ab
out their forebears and other relatives. On the Family Genealogical Char
ts which I have deposited in the Historical Libraries at York and Norristo
wn, Penna., however, each source of information is noted. Let me menti
on a few of my benefactors to whom I tried to show appreciation before th
ey passed away. Miss Leah Berkheimer, of Philadelphia, loaned me the manus
cript of her aunt, Mrs. Mary Berkheimer Van Kirk, who had worked on the Mo
ntgomery County Berkheimers; Mr. B. F. Berkheimer, of Greenville, Ohio, h
ad much information about Ohio Berkheimers; Mr. LeRoy Keefer, of Milton, P
enna., knew the Northumberland County descendants of William Berkheimer; t
he George R. Seifert papers in the York County Historical Society are t
he work of a professional genealogist and gave me definite data concerni
ng the descendants of George and Lydia Seifert Berkheimer; Mr. George Berk
heimer, of "Berkheimer's Corner," Cumberland County, knew the John and Lyd
ia Slathower Berkheimer descent; Mrs. Arabella Berkheimer Waltersdorf h
ad invaluable clues concerning her family, the descendants of Henry and Ba
rbara Berkheimer, of York County, Penna. It was a tremendous privile
ge to get to know these fine folks whom, otherwise, I would never have me
t. They have now gone to their rewards.
Dr. David Berkheimer, of Yellow House, Berks County, Penna., made extensi
ve research on the Penna. Berkheimers and generously loaned me his repor
t, whish had not been reduced to genealogical form, except for the Bedfo
rd County Berkheimer Line, to which he belongs. He has completed this latt
er portion of the family genealogy, and has permitted me to use the sever
al generations which appear herewith, on my assumption that they are ve
ry likely to be descendants of the very first Berkheimer immigrant to Amer
ica.
Professor Clarence Norman Myers, of Norristown, Penna., and of Haverford C
ollege, has made a most unique and thorough study of the available data co
ncerning the original immigrants and where they lived and were burie
d. He has also, with his professional competence, confirmed my thesis conc
erning our original family name. Professor Myers lived with his Berkheim
er grandparents in Philadelphia as a boy and has a subjective intere
st in our study.
Of course, there were many tedious, but enjoyable, days of research in t
he library of Congress, the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and els
ewhere. Even then I have been unable to relate to our family tree many fam
ilies who probably belong there. This indicates the fact that this stu
dy is quite fragmentary. It is a beginning and I sincerely hope that so
me other member of the family might take it up and some day carry it to gr
eater completion. Of course, a genealogy is never completed.
This story I started for my grandchildren just had to include some eviden
ce as to how the fa