Most of us in the Association are descendants of the sons of Johann Wilhelm Fulbright (George, John, and Jacob) or of the Andreas (Andrew) Fulbright line. Accordingly, most of the presentations at the reunions and most of the articles on family history in the newsletter have been on these male Fulbrights. What we often forget is that Johann Wilhelm had 6 known daughters. Four of these daughters came with their husbands and families to Southeast Missouri and were early pioneers in the area. One of these, Catherine, was the first Fulbright to set foot in Missouri, probably in 1800. A fifth daughter, Dorothea or Dolly, emigrated to Indiana. The life of a sixth daughter, Elizabeth, is obscure until proof is found of the identity of her husband. The descendants of the daughters who came to Southeast Missouri probably number in the thousands by now. In fact, most of the correspondence I have received recently on the family has been from descendants of the daughters. Just think, if we could get just a fraction of these cousins to become members of the association, we could triple or quadruple the membership!

Finding the story of the Fulbright daughters is complicated by lack of marriage records and the inevitable problems with tracing women once their surname changes at their marriage. Thus, we have a good idea of the life of Catherine, Christine, and Dorothea, but we still have a lot to learn about Elizabeth, Mary, and Margaret. The will of Johann Wilhelm Fulbright made on 13 Feb. 1805 and proved in 1808 mentions his daughters as Catherine Bullinger, Elizabeth Killian, Dorritha Moyers, Christina Taylor, Mary Link, and Margaret Crites. I will give brief sketches of what we do know about each of these daughters.

Catherine Bollinger was born January 2, 1752 and baptized as Anna Catharina Volprecht (Williams Township Congregation records, Northampton Co., Pa.). She married Johannes (John) Bollinger, son of Heinrich and Elizabeth Boilinger. Tnis marriage is proved by his estate records in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, and by the marriage record of their daughter Catherine from Ste. Genevieve, Mo. (also recorded in Cape Girardeau Co. Deed Book), in which her mother is listed as Catherine "Fulprite" The Bollinger family figures prominently in the history of Southeast Missouri. In 1796 or 1797, George Frederich, brother of Johannes, came to Missouri with a friend. While here, he was told by the local commandant, Louis Lorimier, that he would provide a large concession of land to Bollinger if he brought additional American colonists. Colonists would get free land, and the only costs would be those connected with surveying and recording the land survey. Southeast Missouri was Spanish territory at the time. Col. Bollinger returned to North Carolina and assembled 20 families to make the journey. Among these was the family of John and Catherine (Fulbright) Bollinger. Legend has it that the group left after the tall harvest in 1799, arriving at the Mississippi River at the end of the year. Legend also says they crossed the river on the ice at Ste. Genevieve, Missouri on January 1, 1800. Other possible crossing sites in other accounts are near Chester, Illinois, and between Chester and Cape Girardeau. John's land grant (Survey #768) includes the present-day site of the Patton Methodist Church in Bollinger Co. When John died in 1811, he was buried on this site, and his marker (now mostly illegible) is still there. Catherine died in 1817, and her marker is still legible (C B.-1817). Thus, Catherine has the oldest marked Fulbright grave. (This came out in conversation with Judy Fulbright at this year’s meeting. Previously Peter, son of George, and grandson of Johann Wilhelm, was thought to have the oldest marked grave of any Fulbright.) There is much information on this family in the Bollinger genealogy, Bollinger Connections, by Orenia Bollinger.

Ehzabeth Fulbright was born May 25, 1754, and baptized on June 23 as Anna Elisabeth Catharina Volbreeht (Williams Township Congregation Records, Northampton Co., Pa.). She married a Killian, but we are not sure which one. Recently, Lorena Shell Eaker in her book, German Speaking People West of the Catawba River in North Carolina 1750-1800, suggested that she had married Michael Zimmerman and then John Killian after Michael's death. There was an Elizabeth who married these 2 men based on her will (in which she wills to her Zimmerman and Killian children). The only problem is that this ignores Elizabeth's birth record, and assumes she is 10 years older than she really was. She was possibly confirmed in 1779 at St. Paul's Church in present-day Catawba Co., N.C. (I say possibly because this date would place her confirmation at a relatively old age (25), and this may be another Elizabeth.) Until we find proof, we can only speculate on Elizabeth's husband and her life after her marriage.

Dorothea or Dolly married Elias Moyers (Myers), Jr, son of Elias and Elizabeth Moyers. Her birth date is not known, but she was confirmed at St. Paul's Church in present-day Catawba Co., N.C. in August 1776. The couple emigrated to Davis Co., Indiana in 1816, and some descendants have compiled information on the family in that location, although I have not seen the information. Both Elias and Dorothea died in 1833 in Indiana. The information I have on this family is mainly from the works of Lorena Shell Eaker.

Christina married Benjamin Taylor in about 1780-85. She was confirmed at St. Paul's Church in 1779. Benjamin Taylor was a Revolutionary War veteran, and filed for and received a pension (RWP #30573). Supposedly there is more information about him in the pension file (I really should send for it!). This family came to the Stoddard Co., Missouri area, where they have many descendants today. A search of local records in Cape Girardeau and Stoddard counties would probably yield additional information on this family, and some of their descendants could probably tell us more.

Mary and Margaret have caused a lot of confusion to historians of the Fuibrights. They are possibly the "Anna Maria" and "Margaretha" Vollbrechten listed as being confirmed in 1783 at St. Paul's Church in Catawba Co. In Johann Wilhelm's will, Mary is referred to as Mary Link and Margaret as Margaret Crites. Mary was thought to be the wife of JoIm Link, son of Jacob and Barbara Link. Depending on whose work you believe, Margaret was wife of Peter Crites, or some other unidentified Crites. The only problem is that traditionally, John Link's wife is named as Margaret! I have even heard one suggestion that Johann Wilhelm got these daughters confused in his will, and that the confusion was a result of the multiple names given to German children at their baptism. I don't buy this story myself. This confusion is unfortunate, because many Fulbright descendants of the Jacob, Jr. line in Southeast Missouri descend from John Link and therefore have double Fulbright ancestry (Karen McClaran and I, for example). (John Link's granddaughter Matilda Mayfleld married John Fulbright, son of Jacob Jr.) Alice Spiliman is a Link/Fulbright descendant who has done much work on these families, both of which came to Southeast Missouri prior to 1820. She has much more on the Links than I do. Her theory is that John Link married Mary Fulbright and Peter Crites married Margaret Fuibright. Mary Link and Peter Crites died, then John Link married Margaret Fulbright Crites. Alice stated in a meeting several Fulbright researchers had last April that land records in Southeast Missouri in which the wives of these men were mentioned supported this. Again, more information is needed on these 2 daughters. There are numerous Link descendants in Southeast Missouri (mostly in Stoddard Co.), and many Crites descendants who are also Fulbright descendants.

So, the Fulbright story is even more interesting when we consider the daughters. I have often heard pride expressed in the pioneering spirit of John Fulbright and Jacob, Jr. in coming to Missouri early. The REAL pioneer was Catherine, who preceded Jacob, Jr. and John from the Andreas line to Missouri by at least 12 years and John (son of Johann Wilhelm) by at least 15 years! When you consider the Fnlbright daughters along with the Fulbright sons, our family had a large stake in the early settlement of Soutbeast Missouri. We hope to show many of you some of the Fulbright landmarks (for both the sons and daughters) when the Association meets in Cape Girardeau in 1999.