Kershner Family Tree

Table of Contents
 
George Washington Kerchner II was born 22 Feb. 1836 in Carroll County Maryland. He was the son of George Kerchner Sr. (16 Feb., 1804 - 5 Jan. 1861) and Sarah Bollinger (10 Oct. 1807 - 27 July 1887). Although I have yet to find written proof, I believe George Sr. was the son of Jacob Kerchner Sr. (1768-1828) and Elizabeth Bailey (2 Sept. 1780 - 11 Sept. 1858). Not much is know about George Sr. or Jacob Sr. However, the birth date and death date of George Sr. are confirmed in the 1866 diary of George W. Kerchner II.
George Washington Kerchner II
(22 Feb. 1836 - 21 Sept. 1898)
 
       
 
Facts linking Jacob Kerchner Sr. to George Kerchner Sr.
    • Jacob Sr. was married and died in York Co., PA
    • George Sr. was born in York Co., PA

    • Jacob Sr. had a child named George that was born about 1804
    • George Sr. was born 16 Feb. 1804


  4. Sarah Bollinger's family came from York Co., PA
  5. George Sr. had a son named Jacob
 
       
  Early records indicate the spelling of our name as Kerchner with a 'C'. In his own hand writing in the 1866 diary George spells his father's name and his older brother's and sister's name with a 'C' but spells his own name with a 'S'. All of George's children use the 'S' spelling and most documents after his move to Ohio use the 'S' spelling. Early in my research I was only investigating the 'S' spelling. After participating in Charles Kerchner's Y-DNA project I was able to confirm that my ancestor's did not come from the widely know 'S' spelling German families and did confirm a close match to several 'C' spelling German families. I am hopeful that one day this project will find an exact match with another know relative of Jacob Kerchner or a more distant ancestor from Germany  
       
  George married Rachel Jane Cook 30 July 1859 in Carroll Co., MD. Their first child Anna M. Kershner was born June of 1860. Sometime after Anna's birth probably because at the outbreak of the Civil War George moved his family west to Beaver Creek Twp., Greene Co, OH. On 11 Feb. 1864 at the age of 27 George entered the Union Army as a corporal in the 9th Independent Company of Sharpshooters organized in Dayton, OH.

The official list of battles includes:

  • Wilderness, Virginia May 5-7, 1864
  • Mary's Bridge (Nye River), Virginia May 9, 1864
  • Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia May 8-18, 1864
  • North Anna River, Virginia May 23-27, 1864
  • Cold Harbor, Virginia June 1-12, 1864
  • Petersburg, Virginia June 15-19, 1864
  • Petersburg (Mine Explosion), Virginia July 30, 1864
  • Six Mile House (Weldon Railroad), Virginia August 18-21, 1864
  • Ream's Station, Virginia August 24, 1864
  • Preble's Farm (Poplar Springs Church), Virginia Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, 1864
  • Nottoway River, Virginia December 10, 1864
  • Fort Steadman, Virginia March 25, 1865
  • Fall of Peterburg , Virginia April 2, 1865
George was mustered out of service on July 28, 1865, as a Sergeant at Camp Chase, Ohio in accordance with orders from the War Department. He then returned to Beaver Creek to work in a Grist Mill

 
  After the war George and Rachel had 6 more children; sons Isaac, George Franklin "Frank", Jonah, and Jacob Ezra; and daughters Florence and Lavina. Sometime before the 1880 census George and his family moved to 5 acres in Butler twp, Montgomery Co., OH where he operated a sawmill. Soon after George and Rachel had their last child, a son Jacob Ezra. George operated the sawmill and tended to his honey bees until his death on 21 Sept. 1898. He speaks of his illness in his 1898 diary with the last entry on 10 Sept.  
 
The Kershner property came to be known as "Slab Hollow" and the story told was that George placed slabs of unusable wood by the road for others to burn in their stoves. It is believed that George leased the sawmill and property from the Coover family and receipts later confirm the purchase of the property by his son Frank Kershner from J.Q.A. Coover. The property remained in the Kershner family until the 1970's
 
   
  There are 3 known diaries (annual journals) of George Washington Kershner II, 1866, 1889, & 1898. The 2nd and 3rd have more detail and usually begin each day with a brief description of the weather. He often speaks about his honey bees.  
 
Christmas Day 1888
 "Christmas of 1888 was a very pretty one.  Warm & calm.  Harlacher & family were here, had a turkey and a good time.  All the family here for dinner.  Fed my bees today and on the 26th we had a very warm day.  Bees were out most all day.  Lavina went home with Harlachers on Christmas and stayed until Sunday evening.  The 30th Frank went after her.  The weather from Christmas to New Years was very pretty with no snow on the ground." (this is the first entry of the 1889 diary made in the addresses & memo section)
 
       
 
Last entries before his death
 "Cool this morning. I had fire all night in big room. Slept well on lounge. Today brother Clark was here, I am feeling bad all day. Fire in the big room. Poor appetite, my throat is swelling more & sore. Vina to Dayton, 1 quart carbolic acid, 1 qt. disinfectant, 1/2 doz. white linen handkerchiefs 50¢ Anna sent me some oysters"
 
   

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