SULOUFFS AND SULOFFS IN AMERICA
by Reverend Nelson R. Sulouff © 2006-2009
A 1776 immigrant, Johannes Zulauf, is the forefather of all SULOUFFs and nearly* all SULOFFs in America. He was shipped to America in the Knyphausen Regiment, which was contracted on 15 January 1776 by the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel to serve King George III of England in the latter's effort to extinguish an uprising in America. Both parties to that contract expected the use of massive military force would settle problems in the American colonies within the 1776 campaign period. Neither of the contracting parties anticipated it would take seven years before the conflict would eventuate in independence for the British colonies in America.
Johannes Zulauf was born in 1753 (computed from his gravestone in Old Church Hill Cemetery, near Port Royal, Juniata Co., Pa.). Exactly where he was born is still being researched. Here, in a nutshell, is the research accomplished to date (12/5/2009):
A family oral tradition, remembered by a 3rd greatgrandaughter of the immigrant, Helen (Sulouff) Emminger (1915-1999), as she received the tradition from her grandfather, Oliver Burns Sulouff (1862-1947), states that Johannes was "from Elberfeld." A very old town named Elberfeld was located at the northernmost curve of the Wupper River north of Cologne, Germany. In 1929 this town was incorporated into the city of Wuppertal. A research hypothesis, held for many years, assumed this Elberfeld was probably Zulauf's hometown. More recent research renders that hypothesis unlikely: (1) searching for many months through microfilms of 18th-century Elberfeld church records has failed to provide support for the hypothesis and (2) this Elberfeld lies about 100 miles west of the recruiting area assigned to the Knyphausen Regiment in the mid-18th Century. In fact, recent research points to Alsfeld-Hattendorf as a more likely provenance for the immigrant, Johannes Zulauf. A tradition traced back to Johannes Zulauf's youngest daughter, Elizabeth (Zulauf) Noetling (1798?-1888) and passed down in an old handwritten note through six generations of Noetling descendants, states that Johannes' father was named Walter Zulauf and that he died during the Seven Years War. A submission made to the International Genealogical Index (IGI) since 1991 lists a Walter Zulauf born about 1722 in Alsfeld-Hattendorf to parents Adam and Anna Kunigunde (Stotz) Zulauf. The IGI listing also indicates that Walter's parents, both Adam and Anna, were born, married and died in Alsfeld-Hattendorf. This town was located on the southern border of the assigned Knyphausen recruiting area in 1776. So Alsfeld-Hattendorf now appears to be the most likely birthplace for our Johannes Zulauf.
At this point, a noteworthy coincidence siezes our attention. A small village just over a mile southeast of Hattendorf, is today called Elbenrod. In some old records its name also appears as Elberod. In German the "-rod" ending signifies forest land cleared for farming. The "-feld" ending signifies a tilled or pastured field. So the family tradition from Helen Emminger that Johannes Zulauf came from "Elberfeld" might refer to the little village southeast of Hattendorf that is now known as Elbenrod. Perhaps Johannes called this town Elberfeld or Elberod when explaining, in German, the name of his hometown. Or perhaps Johannes wrote the town's name as Elbenfeld or Elbenrod and somewhere in transmission the name was transliterated incorrectly. Search continues at this writing (April 2009) for the mid-18th Century records of the evangelical (i.e., protestant) congregation(s?) in Hattendorf and Elbenrod . It has been learned that these records are preserved in the nearby Immechenhain evangelical parish, which in today's parish structure includes the evangelical congregation in Alsfeld-Hattendorf. (Today's picturesque evangelical church building in Hattendorf, built of sandstone, dates to 1856.)
On 8 September 1779, Johannes Zulauf, in the recommissioned Knyphausen Regiment, sailed out of New York harbor in a British flotilla headed for Canada to stave off an anticipated attack from the French (who had recently entered the war on the American side). It appeared the Regiment might soon have opportunity to prove themselves in battle and rid themselves of the humiliation of having no identifying colors to carry aloft during troop movements. Unfortunately, soon after leaving the Raritan Bay, the British flotilla was caught in an off-shore hurricane that scattered and battered the ships. Johannes' ship, a British brigantine named TRITON, was driven southward instead of northward. It lost both its masts and all its guns in the storm and was captured by American privateers off the Jersey coast on 26 September 1779. (Details of this sailing, the storm, and the capture of Hessians on board the TRITON are recorded in the extant journal composed by Captain Andreas Wiederhold, commanding officer of the company in which Johannes Zulauf served.) On the German list of prisoners taken off the ship in Little Egg Harbor, the name Johannes Zulauf is listed among four men categorized as "Dienbe" (Servants). Zulauf and fellow prisoners were marched hastily across Jersey and incarcerated in Philadelphia's Old Gaol. There, on an English list of the prisoners dated 11 October 1779, his name appears among four categorized as "Servants to Officers." From there the Hessian officers and servants were moved on wagons to Reading, Berks Co., arriving the evening of 15 October 1779.
Read more about John Zulauf's service in the
Knyphausen Regiment here:
For over a year Johannes Zulauf was classified as a POW in Reading, during which time he and three other men served as attendants to the two Minnegerode Company officers, Captain Wiederhold and Lieutenant Breide. As officers' attendants, they would have been in the private employ of the officers, would essentially have been civilians with a pseudo-military status, and would not have worn military uniforms. Johannes' duty with these officers ended when the officers were exchanged and returned to New York Island (i.e. Manhattan) in November 1780, at which time Johannes remained in Reading. Between that time and 1783, his name appears on Hessian rosters with the consistent notation, "POW." Occasionally there is the additional notation, "location unknown."
Family tradition received from Helen Eminger Sulouff, again citing her grandfather Sulouff as source, holds that Johannes was engaged as a scullery worker in a large red brick mansion at an iron furnace during the period of his transition from military to civilian status. Mrs. Emminger stated that in her younger days she travelled some distance with several family members to visit the site of this iron furnace and that, regretably, she could no longer remember its precise location. Johannes Zulauf's name does not appear on the rosters drawn up in the Summer of 1783 in preparation for return of the Hessians to their homeland.
Pastoral records and tax lists disclose what Johannes was doing instead of answering the musters that rounded up Hessian POWs for their return home. He had become married and a resident of Berks Co. His marriage record, written by German Reformed Pastor, William Boos, and dated 28 March 1783 (pastoral acts book preserved in the German Reformed Church Archives, Schaff Library, Lancaster, Pa.), states Johannes was then a resident of Brecknock Twp., Berks Co. His wife was Maria Margaretha Spahr, daughter of Johann Frederick and Anna Margaretha (Schnaeder) Spahr. According to tax records, the Spahrs were residents of Robeson Twp., adjacent to Brecknock Twp. Johannes' bride went by her middle name, Margaret. Her Spahr ancestry has been traced back to the late 15th C. in Germany and Switzerland (courtesy of the late Max Spahr, Pocatello ID). Tax records for 1783 and 1784 show Johannes became a resident of Robeson Twp., Berks Co. On these tax records his name is spelled "John Sulouf," the earliest known deviation from the earlier surname spellings, Zulauf and Zulauff. A surname spelled Zulauf, Zulauff, Sulouf, or any conceivable variant has not been found in the 1790 federal census. Moreover, efforts to identify the Zulauf family living within a household of known relatives in Berks County in 1790 have been unfruitful. No explanation is known for this lack of mention in the first federal census.
Johannes and his wife had at least a son, Jacob, and a daughter, Mary, born in Berks Co. before the family moved west across the Susquehanna River into the northern tip of York Co., Pa. in late 1791. A 1792 deed (preserved in Pennsylvania Archives, Harrisburg Pa.) shows that 142 acres in Newberry Twp., York Co., had been conveyed to Johannes Zulauf on 11 March 1791. Since ownership of this acreage was transferred from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we presume Johannes built the 2-story log house situated on the property. The house is still in use at 471 Ironstone Road, which now lies in Fairview Twp., York Co. The old log house now serves as the front portion of a frame building that triples the size of the original residence.
The 1798 federal 'glass' tax lists the Zulauf house at this location as 18'x15' and the barn as 31'x20'. The barn no longer exists but an old barn bank, located about 40 yards northwest of the house, confirms where the barn had been located. Since this property appears in the 1798 federal 'glass' tax listing, the house would have had glass panes in the windows rather than the translucent window coverings of vellum or oiled paper which, at that date, were more frequently used for homes built in that area. In the late 1990's, this writer was kindly invited by the current owner to tour inside the house. Windows in the front parlor were observed to have prominent bubbles in the glass panes, most likely dating from original construction. The room's walls were rough, reflecting the wild grape vines typically used as laths to secure plaster on interior walls of homes in that era. The 1800 federal census shows Johannes with wife, five boys, and four girls in the Zulauf household at this location.
It is evident that the Zulauf family worked hard and lived frugally: they accumulated some measure of wealth over the ten years spent on this York Co. farm. In 1802 Johannes purchased 206-acres of farmland for 600 pounds Sterling (about $3000), without encumbrance, in (then) Mifflin Co. Pa., near the village of (then) Perrysville. (The deed, preserved in the Mifflin Co. PA courthouse, shows the Zulauf surname erroneously spelled Zuliff.) When Juniata Co. was taken off of Mifflin Co. in 1831, the Zulauf farm came into Juniata Co. and in 1843 Perrysville was renamed Port Royal. In this locality, except for the signature on his will, Johannes Zulauf consistently used the name "John Sulouff" and that is the name inscribed on his gravestone. The name of this family appears as "Suloff" on a list of those who, in 1803, established the first German Lutheran Church in the area, located at what has come to be known as "Old Church Hill," about two miles southeast of Port Royal. (Ref: History Of That Part Of Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys....; 1886: Philadelphia, footnote p. 804).
Numerous court documents related to settlement of the Zulauf estate, dated between 1838 and 1850, paint a picture of life on the farm in Juniata Co. The farm stretched for 226.5 perches (3737 ft.) along the Tuscarora Creek, which defined its southern boundary, and then the irregular eastern boundary stretched for a distance of about 280 perches uphill to its northernmost corner. Its boundaries and fields were marked off by split-rail fences fashioned from wood secured "on the place." Lower portions of the farm along the Tuscarora Creek were subject to flooding each Spring, damaging rail fences and crops. There was a hand-dug well under roof that provided water for the family and, customarily, there would have been a second dug well near the barn. A springhouse was erected over a spring where items that required cooling were stored. Next to the house was a sizeable truckpatch, surrounded by a "pale" fence, for growing vegetables. There was a 100-tree apple orchard and a cider press. Beekeeping equipment in the inventory indicates they kept bees and had their own honey. Items listed in the estate inventory show that crops raised included wheat, rye, hay, corn, oats, hops, and clover seed. Livestock included chickens, horses, cows, pigs and sheep. Cobbler tools in the inventory suggest Johannes may have made shoes, or at least repaired them. The lot of equipment and tools in the inventory for both farm and house indicate this household was virtually self-sustaining, typical of the pioneer farming families who settled in this region in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. (Ref: 26 documents preserved in Johannes Zulauf Estate File, Juniata Co. Courthouse, Mifflinburg PA)
Four sons and four daughters born to John and Margaret Sulouff married and had children. About half of their sons and grandsons simplified their surnames from SULOUFF to SULOFF. Daughters married men named KUNKLE, SHULTZ, WISE, and NOETLING. At this update on 8/19/2010, the family historian has information on ten generations, including 2438 descendants and 1218 spouses of descendants. John Sulouff wrote his will in 1828 and signed it "Johannes Zulauf" (preserved in estate file, Juniata Co. courthouse, Mifflinburg PA). He died 23 May 1838 and is buried in the churchyard of Old Church Hill Lutheran Church, Port Royal, Juniata Co. PA. His wife, Margaret, died in 1841 and is buried by his side in Row 15. A memorial plaque, erected in 2006 by this writer, has been placed between their headstones. Three of their children are also buried nearby in Row 15, and this old churchyard contains graves of quite a number of later descendants. Today there are SULOUFF and SULOFF families still living in the Juniata River Valley. Recorded descendants are found living around the U.S.A. from Florida to Oregon and from California to Massachusetts. A few descendants live permanently abroad: one descendant family is known to be in its fourth generation in England and another is known to be in its third generation in Australia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*US Census records 1900-1930 include names of a dozen SULOFFs, a few of whom are shown to be 20th C. immigrants from Russia and the remainder are immediate descendants of these new immigrants. We conclude the concurrence of surnames is purely coincidental and that this small, new SULOFF clan cannot be descendants of the 1776 American immigrant, Johannes Zulauf.=============================
The above biographical sketch is essentially a concise version and updating of material included in earlier works by the same author. In the 1996 Journal Of The Johannes Schwalm Historical Association, Vol. 5, No. 4, the author published the journal's 20-page lead article, Part One of "Johannes Zulauf, Soldier-Immigrant." In the 1997 issue of the same journal, Vol. 6, No. 1, he published Part Two under the same title (pp. 17-37). Part Two focused on 58-years of the immigrant soldier's life as a civilian in Pennsylvania. The author's book, A SULOUFF AND SULOFF FAMILY HISTORY, published in 2001 with a revision and enlargement to 801 pages in 2003, includes additional information and research on the subject. (Library Of Congress call number CS71.Z8662001; LOC Control number 2002278123; Dewey Classification number 929/.2/0973 Z1).
Nelson Raymond Sulouff
February 24, 1929 - February 14, 2024
His formative years were heavily influenced by the devastating impacts of the Great Depression and the strict demands of a Pennsylvania farming lifestyle in Northumberland, PA. He intuitively understood and adopted the concepts and fundamentals of math, science and art; and nothing was ever discarded that could be repaired, recycled or repurposed.
He was revered as "one of the smartest men I knew", and a "Straight A Student" from start to finish, receiving numerous academic accolades. Among his earliest personal favorites is the Rensselaer Medal, a prestigious award presented to a single student in any given high school to recognize that student's strength and success in the fields of mathematics and science. Later accomplishments included the Bronze Star with "V" medal for action in Korea (1951-1952), ordination as a Lutheran Minister, Professorships at Princeton University and Gettysburg College, and retirement from the United States Navy as a senior Chaplain with over 24 combined years of military service to his country.
Since retiring in 1989, and settling in Oro Valley, AZ, he dedicated himself to his church, his community and genealogical research resulting in publications now being used extensively by other researchers of history and genealogy. He also enjoyed the spectacular and ever changing views of nearby mountains, desert wildlife, spirited games of Bocce Ball and grooming numerous flowers and plants on the back patio.
Nelson is survived by Dr. Kilja Choe Sulouff, loving wife and partner of nearly 50 years; daughter Letha (Sulouff) Welch and two sons Nathan and David from his earlier marriage to Marion (Treon) Sulouff of Watsontown, PA.
============================
10 February 2000
ANCESTORS OF NELSON RAYMOND SULOUFF
The scheme for the Ahnentafel numbers on the left is that a father's
number is double the child's, and a mother's number is double the
child's, plus o
1. Nelson Raymond SULOUFF b. 24 FEB 1929, Sunbury (Northumberland) PA
PARENTS
2. William Raymond SULOUFF b. 28 OCT 1903 Point Twp (Northumberland) PA,
d. 23 MAR 1993 Sunbury (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview
(North'd) PA.
3. Dorothy Mae EISTER b. 01 OCT 1908 Sunbury (Northumberland) PA, d. 28
JAN 1977 Danville (Montour) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview (North'd)
PA.
GRAND PARENTS
4. Lucian Hardin SULOUFF b. 02 NOV 1876 Cocolamus (Juniata) PA, d. 22
APR 1959 Northumberland (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview
(North'd) PA.
5. Dora Edna GEISE b. 15 JAN 1879 Northumberland (North'd) PA, d. 25 SEP
1939 Northumberland (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview
(North'd) PA.
6. John Samuel Albert EISTER b. 24 APR 1876 Northumberland Co. PA, d. 31
AUG 1947 Lewisburg (Union) PA, bu. Sunbury: Pomfret (North'd) PA.
7. Roselda KRIGBAUM b. 02 JUL 1874 Northumberland Co. PA, d. 24 JUL 1912
Sunbury (Northumberland) PA, bu. Sunbury: Pomfret (North'd) PA.
GREAT GRAND PARENTS
8. John Edmund 'Ed' SULOUFF b. 16 JUL 1850 Cocolamus (Juniata) PA, d. 05
NOV 1935, Lewistown (Mifflin) PA, bu. Lewistown: Mt Rock (Mifflin) PA.
9. Hannah Amanda CONRAD b. 18 APR 1855 Juniata Co. PA, d. 08 NOV 1930
Mifflin Co. PA, bu. Lewistown: Mt Rock (Mifflin) PA.
10. Samuel Brouse GEISE b. 03 MAR 1848 Point Twp (North'd) PA, d. 06 JUL
1907 Northumberland (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview
(North'd) PA.
11. Mary Cordelia SMITH b. 05 JUL 1850 Union Co. PA, d. 30 MAR 1906,
Northumberland (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview (North'd) PA.
12. Jacob H. EISTER b. 23 MAY 1829 PA, d. 02 NOV 1896 Northumberland Co.
PA, bu. Wolf's Crossroads (North'd) PA.
13. Elizabeth BROSIUS b. 07 MAY 1843 Northumberland Co. PA, d. 28 SEP
1915 Northumberland Co. PA, bu. Wolf's Crossroads? (North'd) PA.
14. Adam KRIGBAUM born 18 SEP 1832 Plum Creek (North'd) PA, d. 05 APR
1899 Klinesgrove (North'd) PA, bu. Klinesgrove: Methodist Cem. (North'd)
PA.
15. Beulah SOBER b. 23 APR 1832 Irish Valley (North'd) PA, d. 03 MAR
1904 Klinesgrove (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland Co. PA.
GREAT GREAT GRAND PARENTS
16. Jacob SULOUFF b. 27 MAR 1818 Milford Twp. (then Mifflin) PA, d. 07
MAR 1885 Cocolamus (Juniata) PA, bu. East Salem: Otterbein(?) (Juniata)
PA.
17.Lydia BURNS b. 29 NOV 1827 then Union Co. PA, d. 16 MAR 1907
Cocolamus (Juniata) PA, bu. East Salem: Otterbein(?) (Juniata) PA.
18. Henry D. CONRAD b. 1827
19. Lydia UNKNOWN b. 1825.
20. Henry GEISE b. 15 JAN 1818 OH, d. 09 JUL 1900 Point Twp
(Northumberland) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview (North'd) PA.
21. Susanna BROUSE b. 15 JAN 1831 Kratzerville (then Union) PA, d. 26
NOV 1885 Northumberland (North'd) PA, bu. Northumberland: Riverview
(North'd) PA.
22. Samuel SMITH d. 16 NOV 1889 Monroe Twp. (Snyder) PA, bu. Snyder Co.
PA.
23. Julianna BINGAMAN b. 08 MAR 1824, d. 20 FEB 1887 Monroe Twp? Snyder
Co. PA, bu. Snyder Co. PA.
24. John EISTER b. 27 OCT 1786 Montgomery or Berks Co. PA, d. 09 MAY
1853 Northumberland Co. PA, bu. Snydertown: Reformed Ch. (North'd) PA.
25. Elizabeth HARTER b. 19 MAY 1789, d. 22 JUN 1871 Northumberland Co.
PA, bu. Snydertown: Reformed Ch. (North'd) PA.
26. Samuel BROSIOUS b. 24 NOV 1817 Shamokin Twp. (North'd) PA, d. 02 OCT
1903 Snydertown (North'd) PA, bu. Snydertown: Reformed Cem. (North'd)
PA.
27. Margaret E. HEPNER b. 09 FEB 1818 Mahanoy Twp. (North'd) PA, d. 10
JAN 1859 Snydertown (North'd) PA, bu. Snydertown: Reformed Cem.
(North'd) PA.
28. Jonathan KRIGBAUM b. 17 DEC 1801 Tulpehocken Twp. (Berks) PA, d. 19
AUG 1878, Plum Creek (North'd) PA, bu. Rockefeller Twp: Eden Luth.
(North'd) PA.
29. Catherine FASOLD b. 03 MAY 1805 Whitehall Twp. (now Lehigh) PA, d.
24 NOV 1881, Northumberland Co. PA, bu. Rockefeller Twp: Eden Luth.
(North'd) PA.
30. Alexander SOBER b. 30 MAR 1807 Shamokin Twp (North'd) PA, d. 14 NOV
1869 Shamokin Twp. (North'd) PA, bu. Shamokin: Summit Cem. (North'd) PA.
31. Mary 'Polly' FOY b. 17 MAR 1807 Lower Augusta Twp. (North'd) PA, d.
12 AUG 1895 Rockefeller Twp. (North'd) PA, bu. Shamokin: Summit Cem.
(North'd) PA.
3RD GREAT GRAND PARENTS
32. John ZULAUF>SULOUFF b. 04 JAN 1792 Newberry (now Fairview) Twp.
(York) PA, d. 28 SEP 1859 Turbett Twp. (Juniata) PA, bu. Port Royal: Old
Church Hill (Rice Sec.) Row 15 (Juniata) PA.
33. Anna 'Nancy' BENDER b. 18 FEB 1795 Mount Joy (Lancaster) PA, d. 27
FEB 1861 Turbett Twp. (Juniata) PA, bu. Port Royal: Old Church Hill
(Rice Sec.) Row 15 (Juniata) PA.
34. Henry BORNS b. 1791 Northumberland Co. PA, d. 4 AUG 1851 Juniata Co.
PA, bu. Juniata Co. PA.
35. Lydia GRIMM b. 1796 PA, d. 1884 Juniata Co. PA, bu. Juniata Co. PA.
40. Samuel GEISE b. 15 APR 1792 Berks Co. PA, d. 24 SEP 1876
Kratzerville (Snyder) PA, bu. Kratzerville: Reformed (Snyder) PA.
41. Hannah BOWMAN b. 26 MAR 1793 Berks Co. PA, d. 14 SEP 1871 Monroe
Twp. (Snyder) PA, bu. 1871 Kratzerville: Reformed (Snyder) PA.
42. Henry BROUSE, Jr. b. 16 DEC 1805 PA, d. 31 DEC 1889 Kratzerville
(Snyder) PA, bu. Kratzerville: Reformed (Snyder) PA.
43. Sarah FERTIG b. 20 NOV 1807 PA, d. 05 MAY 1878 Kratzerville (Snyder)
PA, bu. Kratzerville: Reformed (Snyder) PA.
48. Jacob OYSTER b. Oley (Berks) PA, d. 1827 PA.
49. Philippina GUMP b. PA, d. PA.
50. Jacob HARTER b. 09 JUL 1757 Berks Co. PA, d. 12 JUN 1837
Northumberland Co. PA.
51. Elizabeth HEIM b. 17 SEP 1766 Mahantango Twp. (Schuylkill) PA, d. 07
MAR 1844 Northumberland Co. PA, bu. Hebe: Lutheran & Reformed Cem.
(Northumberland) PA.
52. Johann Jacob BROSIOUS b. 04 NOV 1785, d. 20 APR 1847 Lower Mahanoy
Twp. (North'd) PA, bu. Hebe: Lutheran & Reformed Cem.(Northumberland)
PA.
53. Catharine BEISEL b. 26 JAN 1786, d. 23 JAN 1867, bu. Snydertown:
Reformed Cem. (North'd) PA.
54. George HEPNER b. 16 NOV 1783 PA, d. 03 FEB 1835 PA, bu. Hebe:
Lutheran & Reformed Cem. (Northumberland) PA.
55. Eva WEISER b. 07 NOV 1782 Womelsdorf (Berks) PA, d. after 1846 PA,
bu. Hebe: Lutheran & Reformed Cem.(Northumberland) PA.
56. Johannes Adam KRICHBAUM, b. 29 DEC 1762 Tulpehocken Twp. (Berks) PA,
d. 1 MAR 1839 Shamokin Twp. (North'd) PA, bu. Augustaville: Stone Ch.
(North'd) PA.
57. Anna Regina 'Rachel' SNYDER b. 20 SEP 1758 Tulpehocken Twp. (Berks)
PA, d. 18__ Plum Creek (North'd) PA, bu. Augustaville: Stone Ch.
(North'd) PA.
58. Valentine Nieman FASOLD b. 06 FEB 1765 Baden, Germany, d. 16 NOV
1824 PA, bu. Rockefeller Twp.: Zion Lutheran (North'd) PA.
59. Catharine Barbara SCHRIBER b. 28 DEC 1775 Lehigh Co. PA, d. 31 DEC
1858 Shamokin Twp. (North'd) PA, bu. Augustaville: Lutheran (North'd)
PA.
60. Samuel SOBER, Sr. b. 12 OCT 1771 NJ, d. 20 MAR 1833 Shamokin
(Northumberland) PA, bu. Shamokin Twp.: Presbyterian Chapel (North'd)
PA.
61. Isabelle MOORE born 04 OCT 1774 Sussex Co. NJ, d. 12 JUN 1842
Northumberland Co. PA, bu. Shamokin Twp: Presbyterian Chapel (North'd)
PA.
62. Samuel FOY b. 1751 Hunterdon Co. NJ, d. 1826 Northumberland Co. PA,
bu. Rockefeller Twp: Ebenezer Church (North'd) PA.
63. Mary Osila WOLVERTON born 1772, d. 05 JUL 1851 PA, bu. Augustaville
(North'd) PA.
4TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
64. Johannes ZULAUF>SULOUFF born 1753 Elberfeld, Germany, d. 23 MAY 1838
Milford Twp. (Juniata) PA, bu. Port Royal: Old Church Hill (Rice Sec.)
Row 15 (Juniata) PA.
65. Maria Margaretha SPAHR b. 14 OCT 1766 Earl Twp. (Lancaster) PA, d.
04 JUN 1841, Port Royal (Juniata) PA, bu. Port Royal: Old Church Hill
(Rice Sec.) Row 15 (Juniata) PA.
66. John BENDER b. abt 1765 Lancaster Co. PA(?), d. Juniata Co. PA, bu.
Juniata Co. PA.
67. Elizabeth KAMMERER born abt 1770, d. Juniata Co. PA, bu. Juniata Co.
PA
68. Peter BORNS born 1760 PA, d. 1820 Penn Twp. (then Union) PA, bu.
Union Co.? PA.
69. Catherine KRIMM born 17__, died Union Co. PA, bu. Union Co.? PA.
80. Heinrich Adam GEISE b. 21 JUN 1764 Tulpehocken (Berks) PA, d. Bern
Twp. (Berks) PA, bu. PA
82. Jacob BAUMAN b. 01 FEB 1752 Germany, d. 16 MAY 1829 Hebe
(Northumberland) PA.
83. Susanna BRUCK b. 03 MAR 1758, d. 02 DEC 1827 Hebe (Northumberland)
PA.
84. Henry BRAUS, Sr. b. 03 APR 1776 Macungie Twp. (Northampton) PA
85. Margaret Elizabeth PONTIUS b. 15 DEC 1780
96. Jacob OYSTER b. 1736 New Hanover? (Montgomery) PA, d. abt 1781 MD.
97. Magdalena BURKHOUSE b 17__, died 1780 PA, bu. PA.
102. Johann Georg HEIM b. abt 1735 Wuerttemberg, Germany, d. 1818, bu.
Klingerstown: Private Cemetery (North'd) PA.
103. Mary Margartha (sic) UNKNOWN b. abt 1733, Northumberland Co. PA.
104. Jacob BROCIOUS b. 1758,
105. Margaret UNKNOWN born 17__.
110. John Conrad WEISER b. 16 APR 1753 Womelsdorf (Berks) PA, d. 10 SEP
1804 Mahanoy Twp. (North'd) PA, bu. Erdman: Klinger's (Schuylkill) PA.
111. Elizabeth KLINGER b. 10 MAR 1756 Reading (Berks) PA, d. 12 MAR 1820
Mahanoy Twp (North'd) PA, bu. Erdman: Klinger's (Schuylkill) PA.
112. Johannes Adam KRICHBAUM b. 23 MAR 1727 Darmstadt? (Hessen?)
Germany, d. 1779 Hagerstown (Washington) MD, bu. Hagerstown?
(Washington?) MD?.
113. Eva Maria WEBER b. abt 1727 Germany, died 17__ Hagerstown?
(Washington?) MD?, bu. Hagerstown? (Washington?) MD?.
114. Anthony SNYDER b. Germany, d. 1774 Tulpehocken Twp. (Berks) PA, bu.
Tulpehocken (Berks) PA.
115. Mary Elizabeth KNIPPENBERG
118. Herman SCHRIEBER
120. Isaac SOBER b. 1740
121. Susan POYER d. 1780.
122. Michael MOORE b. 1739 Antrim, Ireland, d. 27 JUL 1803 Shamokin Twp.
(North'd) PA.
123. Esther REA b. 1743 Ireland, d. 1830 Shamokin Twp. (North'd) PA.
124. William FOY, Jr. b. 1700, died 1760 Salem MA.
126. Charles WOLVERTON b. 31 OCT 1741 Amwell NJ, d. 18 SEP 1816
Northumberland Co. PA.
127. Mary DRAKE b. 08 AUG 1745, d. 18 JUL 1836 Northumberland Co. PA.
5TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
128. Walter ZULAUF born 17__, Germany or Switzerland, d. "during 7
Years' War" (1756-1763), Germany
130. Johann Frederick SPAHR b. 01 SEP 1725 Waldenburg,
Neckar-Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 1787 Lancaster Co.? PA, bu. Dover Twp:
Strayer's Cem. (York) PA.
131. Anna Margaretha SCHNAEDER b. 23 FEB 1729 Switzerland?, d. MAY 1801
New Holland or Earl Twp.? (Lancaster) PA, bu. Exeter Twp: Schwartzwald
Cem. (Berks) PA.
134. Peter KAMMERER b. abt 1740,
135. Katherine UNKNOWN
136. Peter BORNS b. abt 1730 Northumberland Co. PA, d. 1790.
137. Barbara UNKNOWN born 17__, d. 1805 Donegal Twp. (Lancaster) PA.
160. George Adam GEISS b. 04 JUN 1725 Freisbach (Saarland) Germany, d.
29 JAN 1784 Berks Co. PA, bu. Bernville: Friedens Lutheran (Berks) PA.
161. Anna Barbara HAAG b. 31 JUL 1738, d. 17 AUG 1804 Berks Co. PA, bu.
Bernville: Friedens Lutheran (Berks) PA.
168. Johann Adam BRAUS, Jr. b. Lehigh Co. PA, d. 1802, PA.
169. Anna Catharina ROTHERMEL b. 24 NOV 1745, PA?.
170. Peter PONTIUS b. 17__
171. Catherine UNKNOWN b. 17__.
192. John George AISTER>OYSTER b. 1706 near Stuttgart (Wuerttemberg)
Germany, d. 1789 PA, bu. Berks Co. PA.
193. Catherine ARENDTS nee UNKNOWN, d. before 1789 New Hanover?
(Montgomery) PA.
208. Sebastian BROCIOUS b. 1725 Lancaster Co. PA, d. 03 JAN 1789 Lower
Mahanoy Twp. (Northumberland) PA.
209. Barbara Margareth ROTH b 17__, d. 1789 Upper Mahanoy Twp.
(Northumberland) PA.
220. Frederick WEISER b. 24 DEC 1728 Schoharie (Schoharie) NY, d. 15 NOV
1773 Womelsdorf (Berks) PA, bu. Womelsdorf (Berks) PA.
221. (Anna) Amelia ZOELLER b 17__, PA?, d. 1791 Tulpehocken (Berks) PA,
bu. Tulpehocken? (Berks) PA.
222. Johann Philipp KLINGER b. 11 JUL 1723 Pfaffen-Beerfurth (Odenwald)
Germany, d. 30 SEP 1811 Lykens Twp. (Dauphin) PA, bu. Erdman: Klinger's
(Schuylkill) PA.
223. Eva Elisabeth BEILSTEIN b. 27 OCT 1730 Brandau, Germany, d. abt
1815 PA, bu. Erdman's(?) (Schuylkill) PA.
224. Johannes Wilhelm KRICHBAUM b. abt 1680 Erbach (Wuerttemberg)
Germany, d. 17__ Darmstadt? (Hessen) Germany, bu. Darmstadt? (Hessen)
Germany.
225. Anna Katharine PFEIFFER b. abt 1680-85 Germany, d. Germany, bu.
Germany.
244. Abraham MOORE b. 1719 Antrim, Ireland, d. 1783 Sussex Co. NJ.
245. Margaret ABRAMSON
246. Alexander REA b. 1710 Ireland, d. 1771 Ireland
247. Anna MONTGOMERY b. 1711 Ireland, d. 1746 Ireland
252. Roger WOLVERTON b. 01 DEC 1700 Burlington Co. NJ., d. 21 APR 1748
Hopewell (Hunterdon) NJ.
253. Mary FOX d. 1748.
6TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
260. Johan Georg SPAHR b. 1699 Altenburg, Schwartzwald, Wuerttemburg,
Germany, d. 09 OCT 1777 Dover (York) PA, bu. Dover Twp.: Strayers Cem.
(York) PA.
261. Maria Catharina KAUFFMAN b. 30 JAN 1703 Waldenburg, Wuerttemburg,
Germany, d. 16 JUL 1776, Dover Twp. (York) PA, bu. Dover Twp.: Strayers
Cem. (York) PA.
262. Johan Christian SCHNAEDER b. 1695 Germany, d. 1793 Lancaster Co.
PA, bu. New Holland (Lancaster) PA.
263. Susanna Margretha UNKNOWN b. 1707, d. 1767 Lancaster Co. PA.
320. Heinrich GEISS b. abt 1695 Germany, d. Freisbach (Saarland) Germany
321. Anna Catharina (?) UNKNOWN b. abt 1700 Germany, d. 17__ Freisbach
(Saarland) Germany.
322. John George HAAG b. abt 1700
323. Margaret UNKNOWN b. abt 1700
336. Johann Adam 'Hans' BRAUS, Sr. b. abt 1706 Asbach, Baden, Germany,
d. 18__ Lehigh Co. PA.
337. Anna Catharina KUCH b. 25 OCT 1711 Asbach, Baden, Germany, d. 04
MAY 1793 Lehigh Co. PA.
338. Christophel ROTHERMEL
339. Juliana STEMPEL
384. Johann Jacob AISTER b. 1665 Palatinate, Germany, d. 29? MAY 1745
New Hanover (Montgomery) PA, bu. New Hanover (Montgomery) PA.
385. Catherine UNKNOWN b. abt 1670 Palatinate? Germany, d. aft 1745 New
Hanover (Montgomery) PA, bu. New Hanover: Swamp Church? (Montgomery) PA.
416. Johann Nicholas BROCIOUS, Sr. b. 1700, d. 1794 Upper Mahanoy Twp.
(Northumberland) PA, bu. Rebuck: Himmel Lutheran (North'd) PA.
417. Anna Barbara SCHAEFFER
440. (John) Conrad WEISER b. 02 NOV 1696 Affstatt (Wuerttemberg)
Germany, d. 13 JUL 1760 Womelsdorf (Berks) PA, bu. Womelsdorf: Weiser
Farm Plot (Berks) PA.
441. Anna Eva FECK b. 25 JAN 1699 Germany, d. 11 JUN 1781 Womelsdorf
(Berks) PA, bu. Womelsdorf: "By the Old Church" (Berks) PA.
442. John ZELLER b. 1686 Strasbourg? (Alsace) now France, d. SEP 1737
Tulpehocken (Berks) PA, bu. Stouchsburg? (Berks) PA.
443. Catharine UNKNOWN b. 16__, d. bef DEC 1751 PA, bu. PA.
444. Johannes KLINGER b. 18 NOV 1694 Reichelsheim? (Odenwald?) Germany,
d. 22 SEP 1774 Germany, bu. Germany.
445. Agatha HEIST b. 04 AUG 1699 Germany, d. 10 APR 1780 Germany, bu.
Germany
446. Johann Jakob BEILSTEIN b. 24 JAN 1696 Luetzebach Germany, d. 21 MAR
1758 Brandau?, Germany.
447. Anna Elisabeth RETTICHS b. 25 NOV 1705 Brandau, Germany, d. 30 MAY
1777 Brandau, Germany.
488. John MOORE b. 1683 Antrim, Ireland.
492. George REA b. 16__ Ireland.
494. Daniel MONTGOMERY
495. Mary UNKNOWN
504. Charles WOLVERTON b. 1660 Wolverhampton, England, d. 1746.
505. Mary CHADWICK b. 1674 PA or VA, d. 1751.
506. George FOX b. 1680.
7TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
520. Hans Jerg SPAHR b. 16 MAY 1671 Altenburg, Schwartzwald,
Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 1737 Oferdingen, Schwarzwald, Wuerttemburg,
Germany.
521. Anna Maria UNKNOWN b. 12 JUN 1675, Wuerttemburg, Germany, d.
Germany.
522. Michel Georg KAUFFMAN b. 21 JAN 1680 Waldenburg, Jagst,
Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 09 FEB 1742 Waldenburg, Jagst, Wuerttemburg,
Germany.
523. Anna Maria BUEHLER b. 16__ Waldenburg, Jagst, Wuerttemburg,
Germany, d. Germany.
524. Jacob SCHNYDER b. 03 MAY 1667 Altestadt, Westphalia, Germany, d.
1726 Hachenburg, Germany.
525. Elsa KLEIN b. abt 1673 Germany, d. 1706 Hamm, Westphalia, Germany.
672. Hans Peter BRAUS b. 16__ Germany, d. 17__ Asbach, Baden, Germany.
673. Anna Catharina UNKNOWN b. 16__ Germany, d. 17__ Asbach, Baden,
Germany.
674. Hans Georg KUCH b. 1674 Germany, d. 30 SEP 1727 Germany.
675.Barbara UNKNOWN
880. John Conrad WEISER b. abt 1667 Grossaspach (Wuerttemberg) Germany,
d. 1746 Womelsdorf (Berks) PA, bu. Stouchsburg: Zion? (Berks) PA.
881. Anna Magdalena UBELEN b. 16__, d. 01 MAY 1709 New York state
882. Johan Peter (SCHNEIDER) FECK b. 15 NOV 1672 Oberstein
(Nassau-Siegen) Germany, d. 05 DEC 1744 Tulpehocken (Berks) PA, bu.
Tulpehocken: Reed's? (Berks) PA.
883. Anna Maria RISCH b. 01 MAY 1681, d. 17__ Tulpehocken? (Berks?) PA
884. Jacques (SELLAIRE) ZELLER b. 1660 Zweibrucken, Germany, died 1709
Enroute to U.S., prob. in England.
885. Clothilde DEVALOIS b. abt 1660 France?, d. Tulpehocken (Berks) PA,
bu. 14 JAN 1749 Stouchsburg: Christ Lutheran (Berks) PA.
888. Johann Georg KLINGER b. 05 MAY 1655 Pfaffen-Beerfurth, Odenwald,
Germany, d. 25 MAR 1694 Germany, bu. Germany.
889. Anna Elizabeth GOETTMAN b. 1663 Germany, d. 03 APR 1743 Germany,
bu. Germany.
890. Hans Leonhart HEIST b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
891. Anna Rosina MEISTER b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
892. Georg BEILSTEIN b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
893. Eva KOHL b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
894. Johann Martin RETTICHS b. 18 JUL 1675 Beedenkirchen (Lautertal)
Germany, d. 16 SEP 1766 Brandau (Modautal) Germany.
895. Ottilia ROEDER b. abt 1678 Brandau (Modautal) Germany, d. 10 JUL
1724 Brandau (Modautal) Germany.
1010. John CHADWICK b. 16__ Lancaster, Rochdale, England
1011.Elizabeth LEET b. 1644, d. 1674, England.
8TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
1040. Jacob Jerg SPAHR, Jr. b. 25 MAR 1646 Altenburg, Schwartzwald,
Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 15 APR 1715 Oferdingen, Schwzwald,
Wuerttemburg, Germany.
1041. Anna Barbara STIFTL b. 1650 Rommelsbach, Wuerttemburg, Germany, d.
12 MAR 1683 Altenburg, Schwartzwald, Wuerttemburg, Germany
1044. Hans Jacob KAUFFMANN b. 16__, Germany, d. Germany.
1045. Anna Magdalena JOERG b. 16__, Germany, d. Germany.
1046. Johan Georg BUEHLER b. 16__, Germany, d. Germany.
1047. Agatha Marie UNKNOWN b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
1048. Martin SNYDER b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
1049. Sophia GIESE b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
1050. David KLEIN b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
1760. Jacob WEISER, II. b. abt 1625 Wuerttemberg, Germany, died abt 1685
Grossaspach (Wuerttemberg) Germany, bu. Grossaspach? (Wuerttemberg)
Germany.
1761. Anna UNKNOWN b. 1628 Germany, d. 06 JUL 1696 Grossaspach
(Wuerttemberg) Germany, bu. Grossaspach? (Wuerttemberg) Germany.
1762. Hans UBELEN b. Germany, d. Germany.
1764. Nicholas (SCHNEIDER) FEG b. 05 MAR 1648 Vollmersbach near Idar,
Westphalia, Germany, d. 27 APR 1724 Vollmersbach near Idar, Westphalia,
Germany
1765. Anna Margaretha KOCH b. abt 1652 Germany, d. NOV 1697, bu. 16 NOV
1697 Vollmersbach near Idar, Westphalia, Germany.
1766. Johannes RISCH b. abt 1646 Germany, d. JUN 1717, bu. 13 JUN 1717
Germany.
1767. Anna Margaretha UNKNOWN b. 30 APR 1651, d. 26 MAY 1728.
1768. Rev. Hans Rudolph ZELLER b. 1637 Zurich?, Switzerland, d. 1693
Zweibrucken, Pfalz, Germany.
1776. Georg KLINGER b. abt 1610 Germany, d. bef 1694 Pfaffen-Beerfurth,
Odenwald, Germany, bu. Germany.
1777. Christina UNKNOWN b. 1614 Germany, d. 30 SEP 1695
Pfaffen-Beerfurth, Odenwald, Germany, bu. Germany.
1778. Philip GOETTMAN b. 16__ Germany, d. Germany.
1788. Johann Conrad RETTIG b. abt 1638 Beedenkirchen (Lautertal) Germany
1789. Margaretha UNKNOWN b. abt 1645, Germany
9TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
2080. Jacob Jerg SPARN b. 1616 Holzelfingen, Wuerttemburg, Germany, d.
27 MAR 1681 Altenburg, Schwartzwald, Wuerttemburg, Germany.
2081. Maria KEHRER b. 1620 Wannweil, Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 13 MAR
1682 Altenburg, Schwartzwald, Wuerttemburg, Germany.
3520. Jacob WEISER, I. b. abt 1595 Wuerttemberg, Germany, d. abt 1675
Wuerttemberg, Germany, bu. Wuerttemberg, Germany.
3521. (Anna Maria?) MAYER b. abt 1600 Germany, d. Germany
3528. Johannes (SCHNEIDER) FEG b. abt 1625 Vollmersbach near Idar,
Westphalia, Germany, d. Germany.
3530. Wilhelm KOCH b. 1615 Alchert (now Alchenrodt) Idar-Oberstein, d.
SEP 1674 Alchert (now Alchenrodt) Idar-Oberstein, bu. Alchert (now
Alchenrodt) Idar-Oberstein.
3531. Lucia UNKNOWN d. 29 SEP 1679
3536. Rev. Dr. Hans Heinrich ZELLER b. 1609 Zurich?, Switzerland, d.
1672 Zurich, Switzerland.
3552. Eberhard KLINGER b. abt 1589 Rielingshausen, Wuerttemburg, Germany
3553. Ursala UNKNOWN b. abt 1592.
10TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
4160. Jacob Daniel SPARN, Jr.
4161. Anna Catharina UNKNOWN b. 1595 Germany, d. Germany.
4162. Jerg KEHRER b. Germany, d. Germany.
4163. Maria HEINMEYER b. Germany, d. Germany.
7040. George WEISER, II. b. abt 1565 Wuerttemberg, Germany, d. abt 1630
Wuerttemberg, Germany, bu. Wuerttemberg, Germany.
7042. Hans MAYER b. 15__ Wuerttemberg, Germany, d. Germany
7072. Heinrich ZELLER b. abt 1583 Switzerland?, d. 1645 Zurich?,
Switzerland.
7104. Stephen KLINGER b. abt 1545 Rielingshausen, Wuerttemburg, Germany,
d. 1613 Rielingshausen, Wuerttemburg, Germany.
7105. Anna EBERLIN b. abt 1548 Wuerttemberg, Germany.
11TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
8320. Jacob Daniel SPARN b. 1550 Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 1612
Holzelfingen, Wuerttemburg, Germany.
8321. Anna Catharina GEIGER b. 1554 Wuerttemburg, Germany, d. 1612
Holzelfingen, Wuerttemburg, Germany.
14080. George WEISER, I. b. abt 1525 Wuerttemberg, Germany, d. abt 1604
Grossaspach (Wuerttemberg) Germany, bu. Wuerttemberg, Germany.
14144. Stephan ZELLER, II died 1606.
14208. Jacob KLINGER b. abt 1520 Rielingshausen, Wuerttemburg, Germany.
12TH GREAT GRAND PARENTS
16640. Johann SPARN b. abt 1525 Germany
16641. Martha UNKNOWN b. abt 1527 Germany.
16642. Jacob GEIGER b. 15__ Germany, d. Germany.
16643. Catharina UNKNOWN b. 15__ Germany, d. Germany.
28160. Simon WEISER b. abt 1500 Wuerttemberg, Germany, d. aft 1550
Wuerttemberg, Germany, bu. Wuerttemberg, Germany.
28288. Stephan ZELLER d. 1606 Zurich?, Switzerland.
==========================
Sulouff Line To Nelson Sulouff:
[As written by Nelson]
1) Forefather of SULOUFFs is Johannes ZULAUF (b.
=============================
An early resident of Berks County is the forefather of all SULOUFFs and virtually all SULOFFs in America. Immigrant Johannes Zulauf lived in Berks Co. from the Fall of 1779 to early 1792. He was shipped to America with Hessian soldiers who were sold by their German soverign to fight for the British during the American Revolution.
Johannes Zulauf was born in Germany in 1753 [computed from his gravestone near Port Royal, Juniata Co., Pa.] Family tradition states he was "from Elberfeld." This town is now incorporated as a suburb of Wuppertal, which lies in a picturesque valley at the northernmost curve of the Wupper River, a tributary that enters the Rhine River from the north near Cologne. Recent research questions the "Elberfeld" provenance and favors the town of Alsfeld-Hattendorf as Johannes Zulauf's ancestral home-town. An old hand-written note, traceable to Johannes' youngest daughter, Elizabeth, and passed down through generations of descendants, states that Johannes' father, Walter Zulauf, was killed during the Seven Years War in Europe.
Military records reveal that Johannes Zulauf arrived from Germany at Staten Island on 15 August 1776 in the Minnegerode Company of the Knyphausen Regiment. He participated in the battles of Long Island, Brooklyn Heights, White Plains, and in seizing Fort Washington on New York Island (Manhattan). Between 28 November and 14 December 1776 he marched with his unit across Jersey and was stationed at Trenton in December 1776. His name appears on a list of those Hessians who successfully evaded capture when Washington's forces raided Trenton the day after Christmas in 1776. He participated in the Philadelphia campaign: was at the Battle of Brandywine, spent the winter of 1777-78 in Philadelphia, was at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, and then returned to New York Island in July 1778. On 8 September 1779 he sailed with the British flotilla out of New York harbor, headed for Canada to stave off an anticipated attack from the French. The flotilla was caught in a fierce hurricane that scattered and battered the ships. Johannes' ship, a British brigantine named TRITON which lost both its masts in the storm, was captured by American privateers off the Jersey coast on 26 September 1779. On the list of prisoners taken off the ship, Johannes Zulauf is listed among four men categorized as "Servants to Officers."
He was held very briefly as a POW in Philadelphia and then was moved to Reading in Berks Co., where he arrived on the evening of 15 October 1779. For over a year he was held as a POW in Reading, during which time he and three other men served as attendants to the two Minnegerode Company officers, Captain Wiederhold and Lieutenant Breide. As attendants, they would have been in the private employ of the officers, would essentially have been civilians with a pseudo-military status, and would not have worn military uniforms. Johannes' duty with these officers ended when the officers were exchanged and returned to Manhattan Island in November 1780, at which time Johannes remained in Reading. His name does not appear on the rosters drawn up in the Spring and Summer of 1783 in preparation for return of the Hessians to their homeland.
Johannes' marriage record, written by Reformed Pastor William Boos and dated 28 March 1783 [pastoral acts book preserved in Reformed Church Archives, Schaff Library, Lancaster, Pa.], states Johannes was then a resident of Brecknock Twp., which lies adjacent to Robeson Twp. in Berks Co. His wife was Maria Margaretha Spahr, daughter of Johann Frederick and Anna Margaretha (Schnaeder) Spahr. Johannes' wife went by her middle name, Margaret. Her Spahr ancestry has been traced back to the late 15th C. in Germany and Switzerland. Tax records show Johannes was a farmer in Robeson Twp., Berks Co. beginning in 1783. On two of these tax records his name is spelled "John Sulouf." He and his wife had three, four, or five children born in Berks Co. before the family moved across the Susquehanna River to northern York Co. in early 1792. A 1792 deed shows that Johannes purchased 142 acres in Newberry Twp., northern York Co., Pa. (now in Fairview Twp.) The 2-story log house on this property, probably built by Johannes, is still in use. It now serves as the front portion of a frame building that triples the size of the original residence. The 1800 census shows Johannes with a wife, five boys, and four girls in his household.
Evidently the ten years spent on this farm were quite profitable. In 1802 Johannes purchased a 206-acre farm for 600 pounds Sterling, without encumbrance, near what is now Port Royal, Juniata Co., Pa. In this new locality he consistently used the name "John Sulouff" (except for signing his will), and that is the name inscribed on his gravestone. He and family are listed among those who helped to establish the first German Lutheran Church in the area, located at what came to be known as "Old Church Hill" a few miles southeast of Port Royal.
Numerous court documents related to settlement of the Zulauf estate, dated between 1838 and 1850, paint a picture of life on the farm in Juniata Co. The farm stretched for 0.7 mile along the Tuscarora Creek, which defined its southern boundary, and from there the eastern boundary stretched for a distance of 0.6 mile uphill to its northernmost corner. Its boundaries and fields were marked off by split-rail fences made from wood secured "on the place." Lower portions of the farm along the Tuscarora creek were subject to flooding each Spring. There was a hand-dug well under roof that provided water for house and barn, and a springhouse was erected over a spring where items that required cooling were stored. Next to the house was a sizeable truckpatch for growing vegetables, surrounded by a "pale" fence. There was a 100-tree apple orchard and a cider press. Beekeeping equipment indicates they had their own honey. Crops raised included wheat, rye, hay, corn, oats, hops, and clover seed. Livestock included chickens, horses, cows, pigs and sheep. Cobbler tools in the inventory suggest Johannes may have made shoes, or at least repaired them. The lot of equipment and tools in the inventory for both farm and house indicate this household was virtually self-sustaining, typical of the pioneer farming families who settled in this region at the beginning of the 19th Century.
Four sons and four daughters born to Johannes and Margaret married and had children. Some of the sons and grandsons changed their surnames from SULOUFF to SULOFF. Daughters married men named KUNKLE, SHULTZ, WISE, and NOETLING. At this writing (9/22/2001) the family historian has information on eleven generations, including 1954 descendants and 971 spouses of descendants.
Johannes wrote his will in 1828 and signed it "Johannes Zulauf." He died 23 May 1838 and is buried beside his wife, Margaret, in the churchyard of Old Church Hill Lutheran Church, Port Royal, Juniata Co., Pa. Three of his children are buried nearby, and this old churchyard contains graves of quite a number of Johannes' descendants. Today there are many SULOUFF and SULOFF families still living in the Juniata River Valley.
The above biographical sketch was condensed from a 485-page work, THE SULOUFF AND SULOFF FAMILY, published in January 2001 by Rev. Nelson R. Sulouff.
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