This week's candidate as we look at the 3rd great grandmothers, having already covered the earlier grandmothers and a bunch of the grandfathers in previous posts, is Catherine Wolgerman. And there's a bonus!! I was looking into her the location of her grave so that I could include a Find A Grave number for her as well as her husband, Benjamin Franklin Troutman, I got a new cousin! Here's how it happened.
I was on Find A Grave checking out Benjamin Franklin Troutman's memorial page, which was quite extensive and informative. I sent an email to the person who created the page, Stephen, to thank him for all of information there some of which was new to me, like the fact that Benjamin Franklin Troutman was an accomplished gunsmith. I love the details of a life when you can get them but certainly didn't go to Find A Grave looking for them. But there they were! Stephen emailed back pretty fast and, long story short, we're cousins! And I sure didn't go to Find A Grave looking for cousins but, hmmm, is this a new strategy?
1. Diane Kelly Weintraub
2. Francis Patrick " Pat" Kelly (1916 - 2007)
3. Virginia Williams, living and loving it
4. John Lee "Lee" Kelly (1892 - 1969)
5. Helen Gertrude Zeller Kelly ( 1894 - 1985)
10. Gustav William "Gus" Zeller (1858 - 1927)
11. Moretta Workman Zeller (1859 - 1946)
22. Elijah Workman (1816 - 1864)
23. Nancy Ann Troutman (1826 - 1882)
Elijah was born and died in Zihlman, Allegany County, MD, which is really hard to find on the map but located near Mt. Savage and Frostburg, Maryland. You can just about see Zihlman from where Mom now lives, especially when the leaves are off the trees.
Nancy Ann Troutman was born in Wellersburg, Somerset County, PA, and that's where the Troutman line settled and stayed, except for a short move and back again, or the ones who wandered off to Ohio. Elijah was a farmer as was his father Benjamin Franklin Troutman.
Gosh, I sure wish I had a photo of this couple!
46. Benjamin Franklin Troutman (1780 - 1856) (Find A Grave Memorial# 74544823)
47. Catherine Wolgerman (1765 - 1874)
It is quite possible that Benjamin Franklin Troutman was born in Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania and came to the Somerset area with his parents. If he did then his father, Peter Troutman, moved from his place of birth in Somerset to Berks County and then moved back to Somerset County again. Benjamin Franklin was said to have been a renowned gunsmith and well known for his craft. He could sing and dance and was in competitions for such talent. In the 1850 Census he is listed as a farmer, working the land with his son, Adam.
As for Mrs. Troutman, hardly ever mentioned in records, she was Catherine Wolgerman and it's generally thought that she was born in Allegany County, Maryland, not too far from the Troutman stomping grounds, but records for that time and place are practically non-existent. She married when she was 27 and now that I think about it I do wonder if there was a first marriage for her. If so we have not found anything to indicate it.
They has these children:
John Troutman (1782 - 1870). He married Elizabeth Horn. They both died in Ohio.
Mary Ann Troutman (1816 - 1899) She married Solomon John Leidig.
Joseph Troutman (possibly twins with Mary Ann. 1816 - 1898). He married Elizabeth surname unknown.
George Troutman (1820 - 1891)
Daniel Benjamin Troutman (1822 - 1891). He married Catherine Emerick. They both died in Kansas.
William Troutman (1825 - 1837) He married Louisa surname unknown.
23. Nancy Ann Troutman 1826 - 1882
Sarah Troutman (1829 - ????). Sarah married George Washington Sheirer.
Adam Agustus Troutman (1832 - 1858). He married Amanda Hildebrand.
Eleanora Troutman (about 1835 - before August 1856). She married M. Reiber.
Harriet Troutman (1843 - before 1920). She married John W. Hansel.
Yeah, well, there you have the end of the line and another brick wall. Maybe Cousin Stephen can shed more light on these ancestors. He seems to know a lot! Just yesterday afternoon we exchanged tree information so my fingers are crossed!
These early frontier families interest me. They are often interconnected in the extreme (see last week's post). But I'm thinking that Wolgerman isn't a particularly common name in these parts. And if I had to guess, I'd say it sounds German. Catherine lived to be 89 years old and that's to her credit, I think. She and Benjamin and his parents made a life around the church their family helped found, the Comps Church. And that's where they are buried.
Find A Grave listing for Benjimin Franklin Troutman.
It is commonly held that his wife Catherine Wolgerman is also burried in this location.
The URL for this post is: http://nutsfromthefamilytree.blogspot.com/2013/06/surname-saturday-wolgerman-married.html
I am writing on this article since I am related to the Troutmans through both the Leydig and Sheirer lines. This is awesome that you have this info.
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