John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 789

At the same church service where Veronica Blankenbaker was sitting next to Catherine Deer, Martin Deer and his wife, Anna Maria, attended.  Also, at this same service, Martin Deer, Jr. and his wife, Veronica, attended.

The church records provide evidence that Martin Deer, Sr., was married at least two times.  I have a note that he appeared with a wife Frances in 1756, but I cannot say now what the source was for this information.

A Barbara Deer was confirmed in 1785, at age 17.  She must surely be a sister to Andrew and Martin.

As one read the genealogies of other Germanna families, many Deers are encountered.  Families into which they married include:  Clore, Kabler, Yager, Weaver, Gaar, Wilhoit, and Wayman, to name at least a few.  There are many Deer families in the Gaar Genealogy.

One more shred of information comes from " Rhineland Emigrants ", by Don Yoder.  Talking about an Anna Eva Jöckel's husband's death, it is noted that he was buried on Martin Deer's place.  This was in 1751, and in 1756, she died and was buried on Martin Deer's place.  Also, Johann Jacob Detweiler was born 5 Sep 1756, and died the following 25 February, with his burial place being on the burial place of Martin Deer, his grandfather.  These items come from the Old Goschenhoppen Lutheran Burial Register of 1752 to 1772 .  This is about midway between Pottstown and Allentown, in Pennsylvania.  This may all just be a coincidence of names, but still the combination of Martin with Deer arrested my attention.

Gene Dear found new information for the Deers, and better organized a lot of what had been known.  Still, it is my feeling that more work would be profitable on the Deers.  There are unanswered questions, including whether their history in America started in Pennsylvania or in Virginia.