JOHN and CATHARINE STAMM
Johan Christian Stamm was born Oct. 2, 1785 in Geismar in Churhessen (probably Kur-Hessen), Germany. (1)
Married Anna Catharine Goehring in 1813. Catharine was born Oct. 3, 1784 in the Alsace region of France to Henry William and Catharine (Baur or Baer) Goehring. Catharine’s family immigrated to the United States in 1803. (2)
Children: (3)
Lewis.
Sophy. Married Michael Ensle.
Amalia.
Charlotte, born about 1817. Married George Hartzell.
Elisa. Married Jonathan Sukman.
Julian.
Marianna, born Nov. 9, 1822
William, or Wilhelm, born April 9, 1824.
Catharine. Married James Allison.
Catherine’s death record at St. Peter’s Reformed Church in Zelienople, Pa., indicates that she gave birth to 11 children. Presumably three of these died before John wrote his will in January 1860 because Marianna and two as-yet-unidentified children do not appear in it.
Johan may have had a brother named Daniel, who appears in Butler County records and was born in 1783. (4)
Johan and/or his family immigrated to the United States in 1802, according to the St. Peter’s records. Two towns named Geismar appear on a detailed road map of Germany, both in the eastern part of the modern state of Hessen.
Johann settled in Franklin Township, Beaver County, Pa., in 1813, the St. Peter’s records say. Johan’s will mentions the land was on the banks of the Connoquenessing Creek.
In 1836, Johan served as a one of three "viewers" sent to determine whether Beaver County should establish the township of Slippery Rock. The viewers approved the idea and the township was formed in 1837. (5)
Although the family appears in St. Peter’s records in the 1820s, it appears to have switched churches during the next decade or so. The family also attended church at what later became known as St. John’s United Evangelical Protestant Church. Johan’s name appears of the list of members who contributed toward the minister’s salary in 1836. (6) However, Johan and Catherine’s deaths are recorded at St. Peter’s, as has already been noted.
Johan died Dec. 7, 1863 and Catherine died Dec. 22, 1866. They are buried at St. Peter’s Reformed Church’s cemetery in Zelienople. (7)
(1) "St. Peter’s German Evangelical Protestant United Church, Zelienople, Butler County, Pennsylvania," transcribed by Gertrude M. Ziegler, page 111. (2) St. Peter’s records, page 114. Catharine’s death record says she was born in "Hesse Kassel, Elsass," which probably indicates Keskastel, Alsace. Her sister Anna Barbara’s death record in "St. Paul’s German Lutheran and Reformed Church, Zelienople, Butler County, Pennsylvania," transcribed by Gertrude Mohlin Ziegler, page 171, states that she was born in "Keeskastel." The "H" may be a transcriber’s error. Despite the indication in St. Peter’s records that the couple was married in 1813, one has to question whether there was something irregular about the situation. "History of Butler County, Pennsylvania," by R.C. Brown Co., page 1167, lists the children of Henry William Goehring and indicates that each daughter "married" her husband. However, after Catharine’s name, it says that she "became the wife of John Stamm." In addition, Henry William’s estate papers indicate that the husband of each daughter received the "legacy." However, these papers list Catharine Stamm as the recipient instead of John Stamm. It seems unlikely that two different sources would depart from their standard format when listing Catharine unless there was a good reason. (3) Children are named in Beaver County Will Book D, page 333. The births of Marianna and William are recorded in "St. Paul’s German Lutheran and Reformed Church, Zelienople, Butler County, Pennsylvania," transcribed by Gertrude Mohlin Ziegler, pages 20 and 24, respectively. (4) Birth date for Daniel, who was married to Elisabeth, appears in the listings for the Mennonite and Grace Reformed cemetery in "Butler County Cemetery Inventory, Vol. 4," by the Butler County Historical Society, page 9. (5) "History of Beaver County Pennsylvania and the Centennial Celebration," by the Rev. Joseph H. Bausman, page 884-885. (6) From part of "Souvenir Commemorating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Organization of St. John’s United Evangelical Protestant Church," pages 14-15, which was supplied by Kay Schaney. (7) "Butler County Cemetery Inventory, Vol. 4," by the Butler County Historical Society, page 13.