Map of Redbank

Map of Redbank
Map of Redbank

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Familes of Brothers Christian and Samuel Himes of Redbank Township, Armstrong County

This post is about Christian and Samuel Himes who lived in Redbank Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.  It is a continuation of the previous post titled "Who were Christian and Samuel Himes' parents?"  Their parents were John George Himes who died in 1829 and his wife Susanna who later married Christian Shoffner.

I believe that Susanna's maiden name was Roth.  The Himmel Church records in Northumberland County have the following baptisms:  Maria Susanna, daugher of Christian Roth and wife Susanna, was born 20 March 1796 and was baptized 17 April 1796.  Sponsors were Michael Roth and wife Susanna.  Daniel Roth, son of Christian Roth and wife, was born 9 Nov 1799 and was baptized 1 December 1799.  Sponsor was William Roth, single.

John George Heim and his wife Susanna were sponsors for Johann Georg Roth, son of Daniel and Rebecka Roth, on 25 January 1829 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (Yeany's) in Shannondale, Redbank Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.  Both Maria Susanna and Daniel Roth, children of Christian Roth and his wife Susanna, were baptized at the Himmel Church in the late 1790's and then Susanna  and her husband John George Heim were sponsors in 1829 for a child of Daniel Roth.  All the evidence seems to support the fact that Susanna Heim's maiden name was Roth.


Christian Himes, who was born about 1814, married Mary Ann "Polly" Miller about 1833.  They appear in the 1840, 1850, and 1860 censuses in Redbank Township, Armstrong County.  Christian died between 1 September 1864 and 8 September 1864.  His will was probated 9 September 1864 but his estate was not settled until 1869.  A petition filed in Orphans Court in Armstrong County in March 1866 to sell his real estate names his widow Mary and six children:  Solomon Himes, Joseph Himes, Susannah intermarried with John Fetter, Samuel Himes, Rebecca Himes, and George Himes (the last two being minors).  Petitions were filed in Orphans Court in March 1867 to appoint guardians for Rebecca and George who were minors.  Chirstian's widow was remarried to Isaac Rettinger by March 1867 when she petitioned the Court for a guardian for her daughter Rebecca under 14 years of age.  Petitons were again filed in Orphans Court in September 1867 since Christian had sold property to several people without making out deeds to them.  These petitions name his widow Polly Rettinger who had remarried and his adult children and his daughter's spouses:  Susannah and John Fetter, Elizabeth and John Kocher, Solomon Himes, and Joseph R. Himes.  Samuel Himes does not sign the petitions.  Elizabeth Himes who was not named in the March 1866 petition in Orphans Court is named in September 1867.  The maiden name of Christian Himes' wife Mary Ann is from the death certificate of their son Joseph and their daughter Rebecca.

Christian Himes and Mary Ann "Polly" Miller had the following children:

1)  Israel (1834-June, 1864) married Susannah Copenhaver (1835-1917).  He died from a wound received in the Civil War.
2)  Solomon (18 September 1837-31 August 1897) married Elizabeth Fetter (1837-1912).
3)  Joseph R. (20 October 1839-21 April 1910) married Elizabeth Miller (1841-1926).
4)  Susannah (born about 1840) married John Fetter
5)  Elizabeth (1843-1896) married John Kocher (1831-1911)
6)  Samuel (born about 1845)
7)  Rebecca Jane (May 1853-4 January 1922) married Frank W. Kunselman (1849-1912).
8)  George W. (born January 1855)
9)  Valentine (born about 1857-before March 1866)  

Samuel Himes was born 5 July 1817 and died 18 August 1865 according to his tombstone in the New Salem Cemetery in Armstrong County.  His will was probated 29 August 1865 but his estate was not settled until 1869.  His will names his wife Elizabeth and minor children:  Sarah, Torney, Samuel, and Folton.  He named his eldest son L. G. Himes as his executor.  He married Susanna Elizabeth Ferringer about 1836.  The maiden name of Samuel's wife Susanna Elizabeth is from the death certificates of their sons Valentine and Samuel and their daughter Sarah.  The Orphans Court in Armstrong County appointed guardians for Valentine 19 years old and Sarah, Turney, and Samuel under 14 years of age in March, 1867. 

Samuel Himes and Susanna Elizabeth Ferringer had the following children:

1) Caroline Suzanne Himes (3 February 1837-25 April 1893) married David Shick
(1830-1892)
2)  Levi G. (July 1840-27 June 1910) married Christina O. Schreckengost (1839-1916).  They moved to St. Joseph County, Michigan.
3)  Susana (3 April 1843-25 August 1902) married John Rettinger (1840-1926)
4)  Margaret "Peggy" Ann (18 October 1845-26 March 1925) married Jacob Kocher (1841-1922)
5)  Valentine C. (about 1848-12 November 1922) married Emily Lindermuth (born 1865)
6)  Sarah Magdalene (4 February 1857-29 March 1918) married Benjamin Franklin Troutman (1849-1901)
7)  Wilson Turney (October 1859-15 January 1927) married Rebecca Hetrick (born 1859) and Mary E. McKelvey (born 1873)
8)  Samuel H. (26 March 1862-11 February 1941) married Kathryn Michael (1865-1929)
9)  Fulton (born between 1860 and 14 July 1865-died before March 1867)

Christian supposedly owned 1/6 of two stores and his brother Samuel and his son Levi owned 1/3 of the same two stores with Abraham Kunselman who owned the other half of the two stores.  One of the stores was in New Salem but the location of the other store is unknown.  Samuel was appointed administrator of Christian's estate after his death in September, 1864 and Samuel's son Levi was appointed administrator of Christian's estate after Samuel death in August, 1865.  Thus, Levi was either administrator or executor of both Christian and Samuel's estates after their deaths.  Samuel and Levi supposedly got the proceeds from the sale of one of the stores but it is not known what happened to Christian's share.