The Descendants of Johann Adam Dietel of 19th Century Somerset County, Pennsylvania

Chapter 4

 

GG-Grandparents John Adam Diettle & Margaret (Ritter) Diettle,

Ancestors of the Dietle Family Branch

 

 

John Adam Dietle

(From a photo given to Roy Dietle by his father Irvin Dietle.)

 

 

Our GG-Grandfather was John Adam Dietle, son of the first Adam 2,12b. He was born in Bavaria and immigrated to the U.S. 12b. His wife was the former Margaret 1,2,254 or Margarite 73 Ritter 2,12b,73. John Adam died at the age of 63 yrs. 3. mo. 23 days on Dec. 9, 1897 12b,46,57,276, which puts his date of birth in 1834. He was a Farmer 73, and is buried in the Greenville Union Cemetery 12b,315. His name was spelled Diettle in his obituary276*. On his daughter Mary s Certificate of Holy Baptism in 1881, the surname is given as Deittle 254. Margaret died at the age of 54 yrs. 8 mo. 26 days on August 14, 1883 12b,73, which puts her date of birth in 1828. One descendant reports her birth date as Nov. 18, 1828 73. The children of John and Margaret Dietle, and their spouses, were:

 

William21,276 Dietle21, who married Christiana Nedro 21,

Adam2,12b,131a,276 Dietle12b,131a, who married Susan Werner12b,131a,

Mary12b,276 Dietle12b, who married Ephriam Geiger12b,

Sarah12b,276 Dietle12b,, who married Calvin Christner12b, and

Catharine 12b,291 or Catherine27 Kate 92,276 Dietle, who married Harvey Faidley 12b,276, Faidly 101 or Fadely272,275,291,298.

The above list of children is arranged by birth order, as determined from the 1870 4 census and the 1880 8 census, which are both abstracted below.

 

 

Tombstone of Margaret (Ritter) Dietle, 1994

 

 

Microfilmed church records of the Greenville Union Church (not available for all years) indicate that William and Adam Deutle were admitted to the church by the rite of Confirmation on May 22, 1875 along with 17 other individuals355. The same records show John Dietel, William Duetel, and Adam Duetel receiving the sacrament of the Lord s Supper as members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church on May 23, 1875355.

 

The family of John Adam Dietle also appears in the 1860 census of Greenville Twp., abstracted as follows 105:

 

 

Name Age Occupation Place of Value of Value of

Birth Real Estate Personal

Estate

 

John Dittle 24 Shoemaker Hesse Kassel $1,200.00 $250.00

Margaret 26

William 3 PA

John 1

 

The place of birth and the value of the personal estate of John Dietle are very difficult to read in the 1860 census owing to the badly scratched condition of the microfilm which we had access too. Dana interprets the value of the personal estate as $380.00, while I interpret it as $250.00. Hesse is spelled with the old-style double s, which looks like a lower case cursive f. Hesse Kassel is not in Bavaria, and we are not sure why it is shown as John s place of birth in the 1860 census. The 1870 and 1880 census records both indicate he was born in Bavaria.

 

One initially puzzling piece of data in the enumeration of John Adam in the 1860 census was a check-mark for having been married within the past year. If this were true, it would mean the two sons could conceivably be from an earlier marriage of either parent. It is important when evaluating this census record to be aware that the column for having been married within the past year is adjacent to the column for place of birth, which the name Hesse Kassel completely fills. Upon close examination, we have found that someone has gone down the pages of the census and put a check-mark at the right hand side of each foreign born place of birth, apparently while counting the immigrant residents. Since Hesse Kassel is a long name, and fills the column, the check-mark was inadvertently put in the column for having been married within the past year. The check-marks counting the foreign born individuals all look the same, but are completely different than the marks that were entered to denote having gone to school within the past year. From this we deduce that the check-marks which count foreign born individuals were not done by the original enumerator, and have no relationship to the date of John and Margaret s marriage. It is interesting to note that there is still a different shaped check mark which was used when counting persons with a trade or occupation.

 

The listing in the 1860 census is the only information which we have regarding the child John. Given the apparent popularity of the name John in this family, it seems probable that John, who was age 1 in the 1860 census, is actually the same individual who is listed as Adam, age 11, in the 1870 census; our Great-Grandfather Adam Dietle who was born August 28, 1859. This probably means his full name was John Adam.

 

John and Margaret also show up in the 1870 census, as shown in the following abstract by Dana 4:

 

I have also found the 1870 census with John Dietle on it. It is not very readable so I didn t copy it for you. Here is what it said.

 

Dittle John, 35 yrs., Male, White Farmer

Value of Real Estate $5000 Born in Bavaria

Value of Personal Estate $600

 

Margaret, 41 yrs. Female white Housewife

William 13 yrs. Male white works on farm

Adam 11 yrs. Male white works on farm

Mary 8 yrs. female white

Sarah 5 yrs. female white

Catherine 9/12 yrs. female white

 

Dana also forwarded a photocopy of the 1880 census 8. This is the first census which indicates the relationship between the head of the family and the other members of the household, and it names William and Adam as being sons of John. This is the last available census which lists the John Adam Dietle family, as the 1890 census was destroyed by fire. We have abstracted the 1880 census material as follows:

 

Head of Family: Dietle, John, white male, age 45, Birthplace: Bavaria, County: Somerset, M.C.D. Greenville

 

Dietle, Margaret, white wife, age 51, Birthplace: Hanover

Dietle, William, son, age 22, Birthplace: Pennsylvania

Dietle, Adam, son, age 20, Birthplace: Pennsylvania

Dietle, Mary, daughter, age 18, Birthplace: Pennsylvania

Dietle, Sarah, daughter, age 15, Birthplace: Pennsylvania

Dietle, Catharine, daughter, age 10, Birthplace: Pennsylvania

 

 

The 1870350 census of Greenville Twp. included a schedule for agricultural production which provides insight into John Adam Dietle s farming activities. In this schedule his name is spelled Dittle . The census shows that his farm was valued at $2000, and consisted of 70 acres tilled and 50 acres in woodland. His farm implements and machinery were valued at $15. He had 1 horse, 8 milk cows, 6 sheep, and 3 swine, with the value of all livestock estimated at $600. He paid out $50 for wages in the preceding year, and harvested 25 bushels of rye, 150 bushels of oats, 43 bushels of buckwheat, 30 lbs of wool, 150 bushels of Irish potatoes, 800 lb of butter, 7 tons of hay, and $15 of orchard products. The value of home manufactured goods in the preceding year was $40, the value of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter was $130, and the estimated value of all farm production was $772.

 

 

The 1880334 census of Greenville Twp. also included a schedule for agricultural production. At that time the census indicates that John Adam owned two farms, the first with 75 acres tilled, and the second with 85 acres tilled. The first farm had 70 acres under the heading of permanent meadows, pastures, orchards and vineyards, and the second had 85 acres. The first farm had 37 acres of woods, and the second had 56 acres. The first farm was valued at $2,000, and the second at $2,500. His machinery and implements were valued at $100, and his livestock at $300. In 1879 he paid $200 for 37 weeks of labor. His farm production for 1879 was valued at $492. In 1879 he had 25 acres of grassland mown, and 150 acres not mown, and produced 16 tons of hay and 6 tons of grass seed. He had only one horse on hand for both farms, and had 9 pigs on hand in June, 1880. In 1879 he had 7 calves and slaughtered 7 cows, and made 700 pounds of butter. He had 3 acres of buckwheat in 1879, which yielded 69 bushels, 1 acre of Indian corn which yielded 30 bushels, 3 acres of oats which yielded 70 bushels, 4 acres of rye which yielded 50 bushels, 1 acre of wheat which yielded 17 bushels, 2 acres of potatoes which yielded 300 bushels, 3 acres of apples with 150 trees which yielded 200 bushels which were valued at $50, and harvested 181 lbs of honey, and sold or consumed $7 of forest products.

 

The Will of John Adam Dietle was admitted into probate on December 13 1897 in Somerset County, and can be found in file 98 for that year. The will also identifies William and Adam as being sons of John Adam, which also helps to clear up any doubt caused by the misplaced check-mark in the 1860 census which was mentioned earlier. The text of the will is included immediately below, however I have edited some of the capitalization and punctuation to achieve better clarity 92:

 

I John Dietle of Greenville Township Somerset County and State of Pennsylvania being sound and disposing of mind and memory, do make, declare this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void any and all former wills by me on anytime heretofore made, and first I direct that all my just debts, and funeral expenses be fully paid out of my estate and after payment thereof, I direct as follows. My son Adam Dietle to have the old home farm on which he now lives at the sum of twenty two hundred and fifty one dollars. One thousand dollars of this sum my son Adam shall have as his share in the real estate. The balance twelve hundred and fifty one dollars he shall pay out in equal shares to my three daughters as follows. Four hundred and seventeen dollars to my daughter Mary, wife of Ephriam Geiger. Four hundred and seventeen dollars to my daughter Sarah wife of C J Christner. Four hundred and seventeen dollars to my daughter Kate, wife of Harvey Fadeley. The amount coming to my daughter Mary must be paid to her in one year from the date of my death. The amount coming to my daughter Sarah must be paid to her in two years from the date of my death, and the amount coming to my daughter Kate must be paid to her in three years from the date of my death. I direct that my son Adam Dietle must secure to each of my daughters the amounts above stated by giving to each of them a judgment bond or mortgage on the property I have willed to him. As I have executed a deed to him for the farm, but I direct that my son Adam shall have no title to the farm under the deed until he shall first secure to my three daughters the amounts coming to them from the farm, and that he shall do immediately after my death. It is my will that whatever debts I may have shall be paid out of my personal estate, and after the payment of the debts & funeral expenses, the balance then remaining shall be divided in equal shares between my five children, William Dietle, Adam Dietle, and my three daughters Mary Geiger, Sarah Christner, and Kate Fadeley. It is my will and desire that my estate shall be settled without any proceedings at law. And I direct that in case my children cannot agree in the division of my personal property, that they each shall choose one person to act in their place, and the person chosen shall make the division, which shall be final. I direct further that in case it becomes necessary that an executor be appointed, I appoint my son Adam Dietle as my executor But he shall perform all the duties in the settlement without any commission and shall make no charges further than the actual expenses necessary. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 28th day of November 1896.

 

John Dietle (seal)

 

The Somerset Co. deed index 95 lists a real estate transaction in Greenville Twp. between Grantor John Dietle and Grantee Adam Dietle on Dec. 13, 1897, several days after John Adam s death. The Somerset Co. deed index 95 also lists a real estate transaction between Grantor John Dietle and Grantee William Dietle on Dec. 9, 1895 in Greenville Twp.

 

John Adam Diettle s obituary reads as follows276:

 

THE GRIM REAPER

 

John Adam Diettle

 

The death of this well known and universally respected man came so suddenly that the announcement was a profound shock to all of his friends, neighbors and acquaintances. He was taken ill from a severe cold at the residence of his son, which developed into pneumonia, and which proved fatal in a few days. He died Dec. 9, 1897, in Greenville township, aged 63 years, 3 months and 23 days. He emigrated to this county from Germany and settled in Greenville. By thrift and wise management he amassed a competence and leaves, besides his good name and honest career, to his children a goodly portion of this world s goods. His wife died about 14 years ago. His sons are William and Adam, and his daughters Mary, married to E. Geiger, Sarah, to C. M. Christner, all of this county and near town, and Kate, to Harvey M. Faidley, of Burr Oak, Kans., who is now here on a visit. All the children were present and ministered to their loved father in his last illness.

 

Interment was made by the side of his departed wife in the cemetery of the Greenville church, in the midst of a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends, Bishop C. G. Lint officiating. Mr. Diettle s was a familiar figure on our streets, his genial smile and even temper making him a great favorite with all. Peace to his ashes.

 

 

The tombstone of John Adam Dietle as it appeared in 1994.