John Sheffer

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR John Sheffer is not in my direct ancestry. He is the great-grandfather of James Austin Sheffer and Otis Branfield Sheffer who married Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline and Beulah Gladys Kline; the wives are 1 step removed in the following ways: Sister of Winnifred May Kline Daughter of John Abram Kline and Elizabeth Anna Frederick

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	7 Oct 1784	Westmoreland Co. PA
Marriage	1810		To Barbara Anna Bescht/Best born Westmoreland Co. PA 16 Aug 1791; died Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA 5 Mar 1874
Death	17 Feb 1864	Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA
Burial		Salem Lutheran Cemeterh

Ancestry chart segment

    Generation 3               Generation 4                   Generation 5            Generation 6            Generation 7
                                                                                                          +-- John Adam Schaeffer
                                                                                                          |    (~1751-1840)
                                                                                  +-- John Sheffer -------+
                                                                                  |   (1784-1864)         |
                                                          +-- Jacob Best Sheffer--+                       +-- Catherine Dorothea Trope (Sipe)
                                                          |   (1814-1900)         |
                           +-- George Mansfield Sheffer --+                       +-- Barbara Anna Bescht/Best
                           |   (1847-1937 )               |                           (1791-1874)
 +--James Austin Sheffer --+                              +-- Sarah Linn
 |  (1880-1960)            |                                  (1824-1890)
 |                         +-- Sarah Myers
 |                             (1853-1910)
 |
 +-- Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline
     (1885-1939) 
 Sources: 

Children

(all children with Barbara Bescht)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Susannah Sheffer	F	30 June 1812		m. 30 Nov 1830 to George Kribbs (29 Mar 1805-2 Feb 1879)	died 25 May 1902; buried Beaver Cemetery
Jacob Best Sheffer	M	20 Jan 1814		m. 27 Feb 1845 to Sarah Linn (1Apr 1824-28 Jan 1890)	died 27 Feb 1900 ; buried Georgeville Cemetery
Adam Sheffer	M	6 Aug 1815		m. Elizabeth Kribbs (17 Nov 1821-21 Jan 1874)	died 15 Apr 1880 ; buried Salem Lutheran
John Sheffer	M	1817		died young, ~age 9	died 1826; buried Salem cemetery
William Sheffer	M	26 Mar 1819		m. 1) Priscilla Kribbs (7 Oct 1817-18 Sept 1874); m. 2)Sebra Baker (11 Feb 1828-4 July 1890)	died 19 June 1912; all buried Salem Lutheran
Mary Ann "Polly" Sheffer	F	31 Jan 1821		m. George W. Long (22 July 1818-26 July 1902)	died 28 Feb 1885; buried Salem Lutheran
Anna Catherine Sheffer	F	2 Mar 1823		m. 22 Jan 1846 to William Kratzer (30 July 1823-19 Feb 1927)	died 31 Aug 1911; buried Salem Lutheran
Samuel Sheffer	M	11 Apr 1826		m. 1) Mary Ann Heasley (30 Jan 1830-28 May 1862) buried Salem Lutheran; m. 2) 1863 to Susannah Kuhns (1829-1906)	died 1903; Samuel & Susannah buried at Minneapolis, KS
Elizabeth Sheffer	F	21 May 1829		died young, age 10 yrs	died ~1839; buried Salem Lutheran
George F. Sheffer	M	24 Jan 1832		died young, age 8 yrs	died 19 Mar 1840; buried Salem Lutheran
Elias Bescht Sheffer	M	18 Mar 1834		m. Sarah Weeter (27 June 1839-28 July 1906)	died 31 Dec 1906 ; buried Salem Lutheran

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA	1800-1820
Blair's Corners, Beaver Twp., Venango Co. (now Clarion) PA	1810-1822
Richland Twp.,Venango Co. (now Clarion) PA	1822-1850
Salem Twp.,Venango Co. (now Clarion) PA	1822- ??

Photo Gallery

Gravestone of George F. Sheffer, Salem Lutheran Cemetery, to left/south of John A Sheffer grave

Gravestone of (Priscilla?), died June 1852, Sheffer plot, 2nd to right/north of John A Sheffer grave.

Gravestone of Infant Sheffer, dau of W & P Sheffer, Salem Lutheran Cemetery

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
0	1790 United States Federal Census,
1	1800 United States Federal Census, Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA, page 17. Family headed by Adam Shaffer: 2 males <10, 1 male 26-44, 3 females <10, 2 females 16-25, 1 female >45. The ages are off by a few years from other records of this family, but the location and distribution of children are consistent. Adam should be 49 and John 16 in this census.
2	1810 United States Federal Census, Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA, page 8. Family headed by Adam Sheffer: 2 males 16-25, 1 male >45, 1 female 10-16, 1 female 16-25, 1 female >45. The age for John Adam Sheffer ((59) matches. John (25) matches for one of the males. The other ages can be matched to other children of John Adam Sheffer.
3	1820 United States Federal Census, Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA, page 22. Family headed by John Schaffer: 4 males<10, 1 male 26-44, 2 females <10, 1 female 26-44. Previous enty: Adam Schaffer: 1 male <10, 1 male >45, 1 female 26-44, 1 female >45. The ages would appear consistent with the families of John Sheffer (36) and Barbara (29) and of John Adam Sheffer (69) and Catherine. There is one extra female under 10 in the John Schaffer household. The other children are Susannah (8), Jacob (6), Adam (5), John (3) and William (1). The child and younger woman in the Adam Schaffer family are not identified.
4	1830 United States Federal Census, Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA, page 7. Family headed by John Sheffer: 1 male <5, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 40-50, 1 male 70-80, 1 female <5, 2 females 5-10, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 30-40, 1 female 50-60, 1 female 70-80. Note: The ages appear to correspond with other sources as follows: The two older males are John Adam Sheffer (79) and John Sheffer (46). The older females are Catherine Dorothea Trope and Barbara Bescht/Best(39) plus an unknown woman. The male children are Samuel(4), William(11) and Adam(15). John has died. The female children are Elizabeth(1), Anna(7), Polly(9), and Susannah(18).
5	1840 United States Federal Census, Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA, page 9. Family headed by John Shaeffer: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 2 males 20-30, 1 male 50-60, 2 females 15-20, 1 female 40-50. Note: The ages appear to correspond with other sources as follows: The oldest male is John Sheffer (56). The oldest female is Catherine Barbara Bescht/Best(49). The male children are Elias(6), Samuel(14), William(21) and Adam(25). The male 15-20 is unknown. George has died. The female children are Anna(17), Polly(19). Elizabeth has died and Susannah has married.
6	1850 United States Federal Census, Richland Twp, Clarion Co, PA, page 25. Census dated 5 Aug 1850. Lines 27-31: John Sheffer, 62, farmer, $3000 real property; Barbara, 59; Samuel, 25, farmer; Elias, 16, farmer; Hugh Brady, 13. All b. PA. Samuel, Elias and Hugh attended school.
6A	1860 United States Federal Census, Salem Twp, Clarion Co, PA, page 15. Census dated 29 June 1860. Lines 13-15: John Shaffer, 72, farmer, $3000 real, $2000 personal property; Anna, 69; Magdelena Henry, 80. All b. PA. Elias Shaffer is next entry.
7	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Winnifred May Kline
8	Rick Sheffer personal correspondence Aug 2008. "Sheffer Family Journey, from the Rhineland to Venango County, Pa.", copyright 2008 by Rick Sheffer, a powerpoint presentation of data and photos,program presented in Emlenton PA Sept. 2008. Information based on Hazel Sheffer Crawford's collection of family and other photos to be donated to the Pumping Jack Museum (of the local oil industry), in the former Crawford High School building, Emlenton, Venango Co. PA. "It is my strong opinion that the farm of John Sheffer (son of John Adam Sheffer) is now under Kahle Lake, (Salem Twp. Clarion Co. PA)" Note: this location is corroborated by Nancy Beals & Charlie Walls, owners of a farm bordering Kahle Lake. The deed to their property notes that the land west of their property "is Sheffer land". However, Kahle Lake covers the land west of their property.
9	The John Adam Scheffer Family History and Lineage 1751-1958 compiled by Hazel Sheffer Crawford, Emlenton, PA 1958. Submitted to us by Nancy Beals Walls Oct 2008. See John Adam Schaeffer biography.
10	Gravestone transcriptions, Salem Lutheran Cemetery June 2009 transcribed by Elizabeth Wilson Williams George F. Sheffer (24)th of Jany AD (1830/39?), Mch 19th AD 1840... & 4 d. Note: Stone lies flat in ground in 2009, immediately to the left/south of the gravestone of his grandfather John Adam Schaeffer) (Priscilla?), (...illegible line...), __ W. & M. __, January ...., June 1852 Note: This stone lies flat in ground in 2009, 2nd to left of John Adam Schaeffer. INFANT dau of W & P Sheffer, May (11)? 1865?, Aged 1 mo & 12 ds.
11	Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Beaver City, Clarion County Cemeteries Transcriptions, Clarion Co. Historical Society, 1986. Cribbs, Charles S. born 1863/07/11, died 1892/05/08, "not in Kribbs plot" Kribbs, Adaline, died 18__/12/29, Dau. of G. & S. Kribbs. Kribbs, Christian, born 1776/10/15, died 1856/04/05 Kribbs, Garret, born 1800/07/25, died 1870/07/25 Kribbs, George, born 1805/03/29, age 73y,10m,24d, "wife was Susannah". Kribbs, Mary M., born 1778/12/25, died 1843/04/15. Kribbs, Maurice S. died 1865/09/22, "Infant son". Kribbs, Sarah S. died 1865/03/14, age 11y, 5m, 12d, "Dau. of G. & S. Kribbs". Kribbs, Susannah, born 1812/06/30, died 1902/05/25, "Wife of George".

Source notes

• Around 1810, William Bescht (Best) Jr., Barbara Best Sheffer’s father, purchased a track of land in Venango County near Blair’s Corners (present day Clarion County) and gave parcels to each of his children for relocation to the area. In 1822 John and Barbara purchased & moved onto land near Salem (now Lamartine, Salem Twp.).
• Searching Ancestry.com census records for 1790 yielded no John or Adam Sheffer (incl. soundex) in Westmoreland or Fayette County.