History of the Descendents of John Koontz. by Lowell Koontz

(6327 Phyllis Lane, Alexandria VA 22312), 1979.

"JOHN (CUNTZ) KOONTZ

thought to be the son of immigrant Joseph Cuntz and AnnaGertrud

Reinschmidt, married Anna Elisabetha Catherine Stoever,

daughter of Reverand John Casper Stoever, Sr. On 25 June1738 at

Earltown, Pa. by Reverand John Casper Stoever, Jr. (Itef.203,

p. 56) (Ref. 202, p. 93)

John born 18 Apr. 1706 Niederndorf, Germany, died after1745,

the last year any records can be found on John andElizabeth. On

5 Aug. 1745 John of Frederick Co. sold 195 acres of land to

Lewis Stephens and Elizabeth surrendered her dower on 6 Aug.

(Ref. Fredericls Co. D.B. 1, pp. 227 & 229)

Descendants of our lineage believe the father of John wasJoseph

Cuntz, as named above, the 1714 Germanna immigrant. Evidence

seems to indicate Joseph was John's father but as Joseph'swill

does not mention his son, John, there is no proof. (Ref.202,

pp. 104 & 105) The evidence that associates John Cuntz asthe

son of the Germanna immigrant Joseph Cuntz is as follows:

(A) Holtzolaw (Ref. 202, p. 93) lists John born 18 Apr. 1706in

Niederndorf, Germany as the son of Jost Kuntze (JosephKoontz)

and first wife, Anna Gertrud Reinschmidt, the daughter ofMartin

Reinschmidt of Lower Wilden.

(B) Immigrant Joseph Cuntz is listed with his second wife,

Katherina, and his son John Annalis (sic) and Kathrina his

daughter (Ref. 209, p. 370) and also a daughter Elizabeth(Ref.

202, p. 93) This establishes the fact Joseph had a son,John, he

brought to America. The (sic) indicates that Annalis was nota

part of his name at all but was part of his sister's name,Anna

Elizabeth, and that the original record was in German andthis

mistake has been made in translation. (Ref. 17, p. 282)

(C) Johanes Coones or Johannes Cuntz (two differentspellings on

ship list) age 24 arrived in the port of Philadelphia 30Nov.

1730 on the ship "Joyce. " Presented to the Court of

Philadelphia were the names of 24 Palatines, who with their

families made about 52 persons that were imported on theship

"Joyce" from Europe by Captain Atilliam Ford oi Boston.(Ref.

201, pp. 37 & 38) This may cxplain why Joseph Cuntz did notlist

his son, John, in his will as his son may have returned to

Germany before returning to America in Nov. Of 1730.

(D) John married the daughter of John Casper Stoever, Sr.the

pastor Of the Hebron Church founded by the 1717 GermannaColony.

John Casper Stoever, Sr. came from Germany via England and

Pennsylvania to Virginia, where he had been licensed byGovernor

Spotswood to become pastor of the Lutheran Church now inMadison

Co., Va. but then in Spotsylvania Co. (Ref. 205, p. 62) The

Orange Co. W.B. 1, pp. 237-238 lists Elizabeth CatherineCuntze

as a daughter and one of the heirs of Reverand John Casper

Stoever, Sr.

Subject:

License of Rev. Stoever

Date:

Tue, 17 Oct 2000 05:56:49 -0400

From:

John Blankenbaker

To:

guyz@cookeville.total-web.net

When Rev. John Caspar Stoever started his work in the Robinson River

Valley, Spotswood had been gone from Williamsburg for more than tenyears

so could hardly have licensed Stoever. In addition, none of theministers

were licensed by the colony.

(E) Joseph Cuntze's will was dated 18 Oct. 1730 and probated10

Feb. 1731 Stafford Co. W.B. 1729-48, p. 22 (Ref. 202, p. 93)as

Joseph died early in 1731 and was possibly in failing healthin

1730. This adds reason to the return of John to America onthe

ship "Joyce."

It has not been possible to establish that John did returnto

Europe but in light of the above evidence it is believedthat

John is, in fact, the son of Joseph Cuntz the 1714immigrant.

John Cuntz and his wife moved from Pa. to Frederick Co., Va

after their marriage. John Koontz of Orange Co. was deeded195

acres by John Branson of Orange Co. on 23 June 1739. (OrangeCo.

D B 3, p. 191) This land now is located in Frederick Co.,Va.

after the change in the boundary (1738-43). While they were

living at Opequon, Va. located 4 to 5 miles S.S.W. of

Winchester, Va. their son John was born 26 Mar. 1739. (Ref.203,

p. 13) That this John born 26 Mar. 1739 was the later ElderJohn

Counts of the current Page Co. area has been wellestablished by

born C. Holtzelaw.

At Jobn's birth in what is now Frederick Co., Va. thesponsors

were Casper Stoever (the Uncle), Jacob Neuschanger, andlsfaria

Baumann. John and Anna Elizabeth Catherine, his wife, were

sponsors at Opequon 29 Apr. 1740 for John, son of Johann

Broband. (Ref. 203, p. 13)

"Jacob Neuschwanger, sponsor of the child John Cuntz in 1739

(Later Elder John Koontz), was the son-in-law of Melchior

Brumback, the 1714 Germanna colonist. " (Ref. 202, p . 105)

The last appearance of the couple in Frederick records was 6Aug

1745 when Elizabeth surrendered her dower."