| Notes |
- Birth: Sep. 6, 1779
Berks County
Pennsylvania, USA
Death: 1870
Born as (Johan) Heinrich Fetter, in Maxatawny Township (South of Kutztown), Berks County, Pennsylvania. Heinrich is the son of Philip Fetter Sr. and his wife Anna Maria Fizzler. Heinrich was baptized at Ziegels Church in Weisenburg Township (now in Lehigh County), PA., by Rev. Philip Jacob Michael, and was confirmed by Rev. Jacob Lupold, at the same church.____________________________________Heinrich's Grandfather was born as Johan Wendel Vetter (pronounced in German as "Fetter", with an "F"). He was known as "Wendel" Fetter, and he was born April 16, 1713 in Rheinpfalz, Germany. "A Collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, and French Immigrants in Pennsylvania From 1727 to 1776", by Prof. I. Daniel Rupp, page 154, shows that "Wendel Vetter" arrived in Philadelphia on a ship named the "Loyal Judith", from Rotterdam, on Sept. 03, 1742. Wendel was 29 years of age. Documents indicate that Wendel changed the spelling of his name to "Fetter" almost immediately upon coming to the U.S. (apparently because the Americans did not know that "Vetter" should be pronounced as "Fetter"). Wendel used the "Fetter" spelling for his land and tax records, but for the church records and for their gravestones, the "Vetter" spelling was used. Wendel, age 42, owned 25 acres in Northhampton Co., North of Philadelpha, PA in 1755. A book titled "Naturalizations of Foreign Protestants in the American Colonies and West Indian Colonies", by M.S. Gluseppi (reprinted by theGenealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1979), on page 118, has an entry for Wendel Fetter of North Wales Twp., Philidelphia Co. PA. He was naturalized at the Supreme Court in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania on Sept. 22, 1765. (At the time North Wales Twp. was in Philidelphia Co. PA., but later it was in Montgomery Co. PA. Montgomery Co. was seperated from Philadelphia Co. in 1784). In 1769, at the age of 56, Wendel paid taxes on a farm in Gwenedth Township in Philadelphia Co. PA., as well as taxes on two horses and three cows (near Lansdale,Pennsylvania today). The Montgomery Co. Historical Society tells us that in 1773, Wendel bought the fifteen acre lot back of North Wales Twp. (adjoining Thomas Showmaker). Wendel was taxed on 15 acres in 1774, age 61, with only one cow reported. In 1779, at age 66, Wendel paid taxes in Gwenedth Township again. Finally, the tax record in 1782, when Wendel would have been 69, shows the property as the "Wendel Fetter's Estate". Wendel and his family belonged to the Reformed Lutheran Church. His headstone has "Wendel Vetter" across the top, and is written entirely in German. It states that he was born April 16, 1713 and that he died Nov. 09, 1794. His headstone is located next to his wife Elisabeth's headstone, in the Wentz Reformed Church cemetery (just behind the church) in Worcester Twp., Montgomery County PA. An identical headstone for his wife Elisabeth (spelled with an "s"), reads in part: Elisabeth Vetterin, died Nov. 23, 1779. Note: The reason for the "in" on the end of her last name is because in the German language (in that time period), this was the way to identify the surname of a married woman (instead of using "Mrs. "as we do in English). The chuch cornerstone shows that it was built in 1762. Wendel was a carpenter. Records show that Wendel was paid two times, for helping to build the church building, the school and the horse stable. Note: Wendel's son Philip Fetter Sr. also had children baptized in this "Wentz Reformed Church".__________________________________Heinrich's father was Philip Fetter Sr. (the son of Wendel). Philip Fetter Sr. was born about 1735 in Rheinpfalz, Germany. "Genealogical and Biographical Annals of Northumberland County Pennsylvania, Vol. 2", by J. F. Floyd & Company, page 506, tells us that Philip Fetter landed at Philadelphia in the fall of 1751. Numerous researchers have been unable to find his name recorded in these passenger records in 1751. (Could it be because he was too young to be listed?) In "A Collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, and French Immigrants in Pennsylvania From 1727 to 1776", by Prof. I. Rupp, page 173, there is a record of a Philip Vetter arriving in the United States on Dec. 22, 1744, aboard the "Muscliffe Galley", from Rotterdam, with a stop-over in Poole, England. Philip later settled in Maxatawny Township, Berks County Pennsylvania. [Records show that Philip had a sister named Anna Christina. She married Adam Hofman on Feb. 19, 1751 in the Skippach Church in Montgomery Co. PA.]. Philip married Anna Maria Fissler between 1758 & 1760, (possibly in Franconia Twp., Montgomery Co. PA). Note: Our first record of Philip and Anna Maria shows that in 1758 they served as witness' to the Christining of Jacob Sorwer's daughter, at the Christ (Indian Creek) Reformed Churchin Franconia Twp., Montgomery Co. PA. They were both single at this time. Anna Maria Fissler was born in 1736, also in Germany. She was the daughter of Jacob Fissler and his wife Eva Kopp, who were married on Dec. 12, 1728 in Lossburg, Wurttemburg, Germany. Jacob and Eva had six known children. Jacob and Eva Fissler and four of their children arrived in Philadelphia, PA., on Oct. 20, 1752, on the "Duke of Wirtenburg". They had belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany. In 1761, shortly after they were married, Philip Sr. and Anna Maria Fetter had a son John, that was baptized at the Indian Creek Church in Franconia Twp. Montgomery County Pennsylvania. In 1762 Philip Sr. and Anna Maria Fetter had a son, Philip Fetter Jr., who was baptized at the same church. A hand drawn fraktur (an elaborate baptizem certificate), records the birth of Philip Jr. in New Britain Twp., Bucks Co. PA. [Doylestown area] on June 4, 1762. The father [Philip Sr.]was listed as the son of "old Johan Wendel Fetter" and the mother, Anna, was listed as the daughter of "old Jacob Fissler". This fraktur is pictured in: "Fraktur, A selective Guide to the Franklin and Marshall [College]Fraktur Collection", by Carol Faill, (at the college in Lancaster, PA). In 1763 they had a son Jacob (who was the father of Joseph and Elizabeth, who moved to Berrien County Michigan), baptized at the Wentz Reformed Church in Worcester Twp., Montgomery Co. PA. The sponsor was Jacob Fissler. Another son Adam, was also baptized at the Wentz Reformed Church in 1769. Note: Philip's parents, Wendel and Elisabeth "Vetter" [Fetter] are buried in this Wentz Reformed Church cemetery. They then baptized son Soloman in 1774 in the Ziegel Church in Weisenberg Twp., Lehigh Co. PA. On Sept. 06, 1779, their son Heinrich Fetter [Sr.] was born in Maxatawny Twp. (S. of Kutztown), Berks County PA. Heinrich was also baptized in the Ziegel Church. Philip Sr. and Anna Maria Fetter had lived in or near: 1. Franconia Twp., Montgomery Co. PA. 2. Worcester Twp., Montgomery Co. PA. 3. New Britain Twp., Bucks Co. PA. 4. Weisenberg Twp., Lehigh Co. PA., and 5. Maxatawny Twp., Berks Co. PA. [Keep in mind, that the boundry lines of many of the counties in Pennsylvania have changed over time, so the same area could have been listed as being in two or three "different" counties through the years]. The children of Philip Fetter Sr. and his wife Anna Maria Fissler are: John, Philip Jr., Jacob (two of Jacob's children, Joseph and Elizabeth, moved to Berrien Co. MI), Adam, Peter, Soloman, Conrad, George, Frederick and Heinrich (two of Heinrich's children Joshua and Moses, moved to Berrien Co. MI). Philip Fetter Sr. died in Maxatawny Twp.,Berks County Pennsylvania in 1810.
_______________________________________Heinrich Fetter Sr. was married (at the age of 25), on Dec. 11, 1804, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania to Elizabeth Hartman, the daughter of Johan Dietrich Hartman and his wife Catharine Ruchin.---------------------- Elizabeth Hartman was born Oct. 19, 1781 in Whitehall Towhship, Northampton Co. PA., and she died March 03, 1847, aged 65 years, four months, and fifteen days, in Upper Mahanoy Twp., Northumberland Co. PA.--------------------------- Elizabeth and Heinrich Fetter Sr. had seventeen children, three of whom died young, leaving thirteen sons and one daughter reaching maturity. (They are listed under his wife Elizabeth Fetter, of PA).--------------------- Heinrich and Elizabeth moved from Berks County Pennsylvania to Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County Pennsylvania in 1810.------------------ Heinrich trained as a shoemaker, but he became a farmer for his principal ocupation. He farmed in Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland Co. Pennsylvania.------------------------- Heinrich Sr. died in 1870 in Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland Co. PA., (near Rough and Ready, Pennsylvania).
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Note: Heinrich and his wife are buried in the Salem (Lutheran and Reformed) Church Cemetery, - also known as the "Salem United Church of Christ (Herbs) Cemetery", in Upper Mahantango Township, in Schuykill County, Pennsylvania, (near the Northumberland County line), near Rough and Ready, Pennsylvania. At least seven members of this Fetter family are buried here.
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Note: See article on the family of Heinrich Fetter Sr. in the following: "Genealogical And Biographical Annals Of Northumberland County Pennsylvania, Volume 2," by J. L. Floyd & Co., 1911, pages 506-510. (Also article on his son Joshua's father-in-law Michael Smith, on pages 474-475). Located in the Allen County Public Library Fort Wayne, Indiana. Also, at the Library of Michigan, in Lansing, Michigan.
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Note: John Smith, the brother of Mary Ann Smith who married Heinrich's eldest child Joshua Fetter/Feather Sr., is also buried in this cemetery.
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Note: See the bios for Heinrich's family, on this web site:----
Grandfather, Wendel "Vetter", of PA. ------
Grandmother, Elisabeth Vetter, of PA (spelled with an "s").-----
Wife, Elizabeth (Hartman) Fetter, of PA. ----------
Son, Joshua Feather Sr., of Michigan.-----
Son, Moses Feather, of Michigan.-----
Nephew, Joseph Feather, of MI.---
Niece, Elizabeth (Feather) Shemely, of MI.
______________________________________
SORCES: Most of the enclosed bio
information, courtesy of Thomas T. Fetters.
______________________________
Additional information from:
Donald E. Fetter Jr., Dave Fetter,
and Merle Fetter.
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Family links:
Children:
Joshua Feather (1805 - 1877)*
David Fetter (1808 - 1890)*
Mary Ann Fetter Rebuck (1809 - 1894)*
Isaac Hartman Fetter (1810 - 1894)*
Heinrich Fetter (1811 - 1897)*
Solomon Fetter (1813 - 1883)*
Daniel Fetter (1815 - 1878)*
Jonathan Fetter (1817 - 1848)*
Moses Feather (1826 - 1890)*
Levi Fetter (1828 - 1846)*
Spouse:
Elizabeth Hartman Fetter (1781 - 1847)
*Point here for explanation
Burial:
Salem United Church of Christ Cemetery
Rough and Ready
Schuylkill County
Pennsylvania, USA
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1779 - 1870 (91 years)
, d. 3 Mar 1847, Northumberland County