Johann Leonard Berkheimer

Note: The 6th great grandfather of the 44th President of United States Barack Obama.

Biography

Extracted from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Berkheimer-6 on 4 February 2024.

Johann Leonard Berkheimer, son of Johann Wilhelm Berkheimer and Maria Salome Hallman, was born 3 Mar 1721 in Kleinniedesheim, Frankenthal, Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reich, and died 1804 at about age 82 in Perkiomen, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States.

He married Maria Catherine Kerger on 5 Jan 1743 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Phillip Kerger and Anna Maria. She was born 1 Jan 1719 in Kreuznach, Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reich and died 10 Jan 1795 at age 76 in Perkiomen, Montgomery, Pennsylvania.

From "The Berkheimer Family," Mifflinburg Telegraph, 29 July 2004:[2]

"John Leonard settles in Upper Salford Twp., Phila. Co. in the vicinity of Old Goshenhoppen Lutheran Church. Leonard was elected as one of the first deacons in 1744, and he was the nephew of Pastor John Henry Goetschius, who married another daughter of Anthony Hallman. In 1751, Johan Leonard Berkheimer was one of the deacons, a native of Klein Middlesheim in the Palatinate. When the St. John's Lutheran Church, Center Square was instituted, the deed for the property, containing one acre was given by George Castner and wife to Philip Bower and George Berkheimer of Whiteplain Twp., presumed to be the son of Leonard but may have been his brother, June 26, 1773. When the building was finished June 28, 1773, Leonard Berkheimer was one of the trustees. One Jan. 5, 1744 Leonard Berkheimer married Maria Catherine Kerger, who was born 1720 in Creuzenach, Switzerland, daughter of Philip and Anna Maria Kerger. They had just arrived in this country from Switzerland in 1743.

On April 6, 1763, Leonard purchased 171? Acres of land in Worcester Twp., Phila. Co. on the cross raod connecting Morris and Skippack Roads. He purchased it from John Hallman (probably his mother's brother), and his wife Anna Maria (for 850 pounds). There he lived until Mar. 30, 1797 when he sold his homestead to Alexander Scott for $139?. Leonard's house probably served to shelter soldiers in the Revolutionary War. It is certain that the first wife of Leonard was the mother of his children. In the records of St. John's Lutheran Church, Center Square, "Maria Catharine Berkheimer, died Jan 10, 1795, aged 78." The age is wrong, it should be 75 years."

In 1802 Leonard married again but since she is not the line of descendants, we forget her here.

Leonard died in 1804. His will was proven May 16, 1804 and recorded in will book 2, page 384 in Montgomery Co. In his will he names his living children.

The children of Leonard Berkheimer and wife Maria Catherine Kerger were:

• 1. Johann Michael Wilhelm Berkheimer, b. three days before Michael mass, 1744, d. nine days later.
• 2. Maria Salome, b. Sept. 8, 1745, wife of Valentine Nungessor.
• 3. Johann George, b. Feb. 6, 1747, d. Sept 25, 1830, married Susanna, daughter of Michael Haage or Hawke, of Gwyneed Twp. She was born Dec. 23, 1754, d. Feb. 9, 1826. Both are buried in St. John's Lutheran Churchyard, Center Square. In Michael Hawke's will he mentions his daughter Susannah Berkheimer. He gives her his farm of 107 acres, located at Sandy Hill. A stone house probably erected before 1760 was the Berkheimer home for over 60 years. George was a farmer, and active in the organization of St. John's Lutheran Church, Center Square, where he served as a member of the board of trustees and was on the building committee for the first church in 1773. He was active in the Whitpalin Militia in 1777. He is listed as a private in the 2d Comp. Whitpain Twp. Militia in 1781, and later as a private in the 2d Comp. 6th Batt. Of Phila. Co. It is through this line we get to the Union County people.
• 4. Johann Philip Berkheimer, b. May 22, 1749, married 1st. Barbara. He went to Virginia, Frederick Co. and had 120 acres, which he bought Dec. 3, 1798. His first wife died prior to Dec. 1798. Philip is probably buried on the farm in Virginia on Timber Ridge in the cemetery called the Old Berkheimer Plantation Cemetery.
• 5. John Henry Berkheimer, b. Phila. Co." (rest of article is hard to read)
• Maria Magdalena Berkheimer b. June 15, 1760, married Samuel Gutknecht

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For early book with ancestrial line and family tree, go to Hans Pirckheimer 1300-1375 and Anna Gundelfinger (died 1386),

http://mif.stparchive.com/page_image.php?paper=MIF&year=2004&month=...

Passenger List of "Samuel" 1732 Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild

Passenger List of "Samuel" SOURCE: http://www.immigrantships.net/1700/samuel320811.html The passengers include Johann Wilheim Berkheimer, his wife and four children. The spelling is wrong and is not the same for all the family members. It was the Captain's best guess as how to spell these German Names. The ages are wrong as well. Their names are highlighted in red and bold. Rotterdam, Netherlands and Cowes, England to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 11 August 1732 Samuel, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. Arrived Philadelphia, 11 August 1732. Hugh Percy, Commander Columns represent: Name, Age, Signatures for Declaration of Fidelity and Oath of Allegiance
1 Jacob Albrecht

Family

Origins

References

1. WikiTree contributors, "Johann Leonard Berkheimer (1721-1804)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Berkheimer-6 : accessed 04 February 2024). cites
   1. "United States Census, 1790", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHK5-PCM : Thu Jul 20 18:16:00 UTC 2023), Entry for Leonard Berkhymer, 1790.
   2. "The Berkheimer Family," Mifflinburg Telegraph, 29 July 2004, p. 4. Available online: https://mif.stparchive.com/page_image.php?paper=MIF&year=2004&month.... See Also:
   3. Lineages, Inc., comp Private Church Registers to 1800, York County, Pennsylvania Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.Original data - Baptisms Performed by Pastor Jacob Goering in Pennsylvania: York County, 1788-89. Manuscript from the Historical Society of York County.Charles W. Rutschky, Jr. Priv; Ancestry.com.
   4. Gale Research Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2009.Original data: Filby, P. William, ed.. Passe; Ancestry.com.
2. "Descendants of Antonius Heilman" by Christina Reuther, http://www.kennedyreuther.com/barlow/hallman_report.pdf.
3. WikiTree contributors, "Maria Catherine (Kerger) Berkheimer (1719-1795)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kerger-3 : accessed 04 February 2024).
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117882306/maria-catherine-berkh...
5. # http://www.wargs.com/political/obama.html 390. Leonhard Berkheimer & 391. Marie Kerger