Monroe County, Ohio Church Records:
Nineteenth Century Records of Lewisville, Middle (St. John=s) and Miltonsburg
(St. Peter=s) German
Evangelical Protestant Churches
By: Dr. Shirley A. Harmon
Understanding a little of the history behind
the translation of these records from German to English makes getting them to
you more exciting.
In February of 1977 there was a report in the
newspaper Spirit of Democracy, Woodsfield, Ohio of the finding of a box of
church records in an attic. The finder reported the records to Catherine F.
Fedorchak who published the report in her AFamily
Research in Monroe County, Ohio@ newspaper
column. Ernest J. Thode of Marietta, Ohio, translated a few of the records in
these books which resulted in a 20-page booklet. Mr. Thode also compiled a list
of the European origins for some of the individuals mentioned in these church
records and Catherine Fedorchak published much of the information in some of
her columns in 1978.
Dr. Shirley A. Harmon later discovered a
microfilm of these records in the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. The exact history of the
records whereabouts between 1977 and 1993 is unknown. However, it is assumed
that they were sent to the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society in
Lancaster, PA for safekeeping and preservation. The microfilm of 1993 was made
in Lancaster, PA. Realizing the value of these records to genealogists with
Monroe County, Ohio, especially since the majority of the records had not been
translated, Dr. Harmon translated, transcribed, and compiled the records into a
book.
The information found in those parish books
primarily names families in Monroe County, Ohio. Shirley found mention, though,
of people from many locations in southeast Ohio, including Noble, Washington,
Belmont, Jefferson and Guernsey Counties, Ohio as well as Wheeling, WV and
Pittsburgh, PA. There is also mention of individuals living in other parts of
the United States. These records represent a major source of information on the
European origins for these immigrants to Monroe County, Ohio.
These immigrants were people from Germany,
Switzerland, and France (Alsace). Dates of the records are approximately from
1831-1948, but some birth dates were much earlier than the years when these
family records were entered. The Miltonsburg parish of St. Peter=s is located today in Malaga Township, Monroe County,
OH. Lewisville is located in Summit Township, Monroe County, OH. This book
includes family records, baptism/confirmation/Marriage and death records, and
European places of origin for many of these Monroe County families. What a
find! The book has an excellent index prepared in 1999. It is an 8.5" X
11" book, softbound with 255 pages. It is in-stock. The price is $26.00.
Click here for the Short-Cut Table of Contents