OTHER SOURCES OF MERTZ NAME IN BERKS CO.
INDEX TO PATRIOTS SPOUSES--ANNA ROSINA-JACOB SEIP
BARBARA -HENRY FEGLEY CHRISTENA-JOHN AXLINE ELIZABETH-LORENZ SCHOLLENBERGER
MARIA -ADAM SANOR
NATURALIZATIONS--HENRY MERTZ ROCKLAND BERKS SEPT 8 1765
TAXES BERKS,LONGSWAMP 1779--PETER, PETER JR WEAVER,PHILIP WHEELWRIGHT JOHN
BLACKSMITH, PETER EXECUTOR, HENRY, SINGLE MEN DAVID, ABRAHAM.
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE--DAVID MERTZ AGE 44 AND NICHOLAS AGE 18.
NATURALIZATIONS--JOHN NICHOLAS MERTZ PHILADEPHIA CO APR 5 1743
TAXES BERKS 1767 PETER MERTZ, MARGARET MERTZ, JACOB MERTZ,PHILIP, HENRY,JOHN
SINGLE, LONGSWAMP. A JOHN MERTZ GREENWICH TWP.
107. Verena -Veronica Schnyder
The testes at her christening was Urs Schnyder of Stockh.
BIRTH RECORD GIVES NAME AS INDER BIRCK. DEATH RECORD
AGE 59 YEARS 9 MO
123. Anna Catharina Inder Beck
PARISH REGISTERS
SAYS FATHER NAME PETER
DEATH RECORD NAME SPELT JUST BECK SAYS MARRIED FOR 47 YEARS WIDOWED FOR 10
YEARS 21/2 MONTHS AGE 80 YEARS 2 MONTHS 14 DAYS HAD 8 CHILDREN 3 SONS AND 5
DAUGHTERS WITH 3 SONS AND 3 DAUGHTERS LIVING IN 1770
Death is the date he signed his will.
!INFORMATION FROM HOFFA FAMILY HISTORY BY MILTON HOFFA COPY IN BERKS CO
HISTORICAL SOCIETY READING PA
!PROBATE ADMINISTRATION PHILA. 1754 VOL F P. 548
!NAME IS SPELT HAFFA, HOFFA, HOFFER, HAFE, HAFIN, HASS
!MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN FROM PARISH ALDINGEN #1659309
A MELCHIOR HAFFA HAVING KIDS IN TROSSINGEN DURING THE RIGHT TIME BUT I CAN'T FIND JOHANNES BIRTH.
listed in Melchior shoemaker and citizen of Aldingen and his wife Maria dated 23 Jan 1730 "The groom's father Thomas Haffa Senior citizen of Russberg in the jurisdictional unit of Rietheirm dominionn of Hohenkarpfen has undertaken a conveyance of his property in December 1723.Left his lands to his brothers Johannes and Christian Hafa at Rietheim on 23 Nov 1761 at his death and left money to the five children of his brother, Melchior Hafa in New England in 1763
Swapped lands in Russberg for lands in Aldingen which Johannes his brother had received from his mother-in-law. Also brothers owed him debts at the time Mmelchior married and were listed inthe inventory.Isaac Hoffa, for several years a prosperous farmer of Cumru township, whose valuable property lies along the Wyomissing road, is now living on South Third street, Reading. He was born Jan. 4, 1851, on the Harrisburg pike, in Marion township, son of Isaac and Lydia (Neff) Hoffa. Melchoir Haffa (as the name was then spelled), the progenitor of this family in America, was a native of Germany, from which country heemigr ated in 1723, settling in the Falkner Swamp, in Montgomery county,P a. He died Dec. 7, 1768, and is buried at the Falkner Swamp LutheranChurc h. He had a son Henry, who was high sheriff of Berks county from1780 to 1 781, and the latter's son, also named Henry, is mentioned inthe Berks cou nty court records as the administrator of the estate of hisfather, the Sh eriff, in 1809. Henry Hoffa, grandfather of Isaac, Jr., was born in Berks county, where he spent his entire life, becoming the possessor of much valuableprope rty. He died in Reading in 1817. Mr. Hoffa married Sarah Ann Boyer,daught er of Henry Boyer, of Reading, and they had the followingchildren: Melcho ir; Jacob, born in Reading, May 20, 1800, settled atMilton, and was the f ather of John, Samuel, Sarah, Cyrus and Reuben (whowas born Nov. 9, 1841 ); Henry settled at Mexico, Northampton county;Rebecca married a Mr. Brig ht of Mexico, PA; John died on a ship of war;Daniel lived in Exeter town ship; Isaac is mentioned below. Isaac Hoffa, father of Isaac, was born Jan. 4, 1810, in Reading, andd ied March 31, 1896, on a farm about one mile north of Womelsdorf, which he had cultivated for forty-nine years for Elias Fidler. Mr. Hoffa was a miller by trade, and for some years in his earlier life had work edat Hertzog's mill. He then engaged in farming on a property of his o wnnear Womelsdorf, where he continued for about one year, before removi ngto the farm on which he died. Mr. Hoff married Lydia Neff (1814-188 5) ofKutztown, and to them were born nine children, as follows: William A .,of Womelsdorf; Henry, who married Selecta Kintzer, and died at the a geof thirty-three years; Mary, who married Samuel B. Myers, of Philadelphia; Sallie, who married Charles Smith of Reading; John; Isaac; Emma, whom arried Franklin Strause, of Reading; Jacob, who lives on the oldhomestea d; and Samuel, who lives at Womelsdorf. Both father and motherare buri ed at Womelsdorf. Isaac Hoffa obtained his early education in the township schools, later attending the Womelsdorf Academy and the Stouchsburg Academy, continuing school off and on until his twenty-third year. In 1872 he began teaching public school in his native township, at the Charming Forge schoolhouse, spent the following year at Wintersville, and one year at the LeissSch ool in Heidelberg township. In 1874 he engaged in farming nearStouchsbur g, an occupation which he has followed continuously. Later, in1890, he we nt West to Illinois, where he was engaged in cattle business,and in the f all of the same year he returned home, and the followingspring went to Re msen, Iowa, where there was a German-settlement. Afterremaining in that l ocality one year, he located in Cumru township, Berkscounty, and for o ne year was employed on a farm by W. J. Irwin. Mr.Hoffa at this time emba rked in the dairy business, which he has followedsuccessfully ever sinc e. At the start he purchased his milk, but afterpurchasing a farm of fift y-two acres near West Reading, in 1896, he kepthis own cows. This fa rm he sold at a large profit, after which he spentsix years on the old Ku rtz homestead, conducting his milk rout daily toReading. In the spri ng of 1904 he settled on his excellent propertyalong the Wyomissing cree k. This property, which Mr. Hoffa purchasedfrom the Harrison Althouse est ate, consists of ninety acres, and is oneof the finest farms in Berks cou nty, being supplied with the best water,and improved with large, substant ial buildings, and the best and mostmodern farm machinery. He has a he rd of twenty-two cows, and furnishedabout 150 customers daily with mil k. In 1908 Mr. Hoffa moved to Reading,where he now resides on South Thi rd street. In politics he is aDemocrat. He and his family are membe rs of St. Stephen's Reformed Churchof Reading. Mr. Hoffa was treasur er of the Reading Milk Exchange as longas that body was in existenc e, as well as treasurer of the ReadingDairymen's Association, which w as in existence for about three years. Mr. Hoffa married (first) March 14, 1874, Clara Catharine Beidler, who was born in 1849, and who died Aug. 31, 1889. He married (second) onMa rch 14, 1896, Loretta Deininger, who was born in 1853, daughter ofGeor ge Frantz Deininger, of Palmyra, PA No children have been born toeith er union. Mrs. Hoffa, by