Anna Maria Debolt Christler

http://germannafamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I061997&tree=tree1

The following is excerpted from Note 1433 of "Debolt Connections in Germanna Colony History," under "The Germanna Colonies by John Blankenbaker," retrieved August 17, 2007 from http://www.germanna.net/germanna_notes/1rr.htm:

"I then remembered that Michael Crisler, the son of Theobald Crisler and Rosina Gaar, had married the widow Mary Ann (Thomas) Debolt. Mary Ann Thomas was the daughter of Michael Thomas, the son of John Thomas and Anna Maria Blankenbaker, both of Neuenbuerg. It seems to me that a connection had been carried from Neuenbuerg to America.

"Next, remembering that the Germans even had trouble spelling the name, I begin wondering about the confusing between “t” and “d” and between “b” and “v.” In the soundex system these are equivalent sounds. So could Tivall have been derived from Diebold? In America, a connection between the Diebold and Gaar families was established by the marriage of Christian Tivall to the unnamed daughter of Andreas Gaar. When Mary Ann Thomas Debolt was left a widow, Michael Crisler stepped to the plate and married her.

"I believe the only place so far that I have encountered the Debolt name has in southwest Pennsylvania. In the 1770s, this area around Red Stone Fort was thought to be a part of Virginia. Many members of the Thomas family had moved there at this time."

Further information is found under Note 1440 of the same reference:

"Continuing with the family of Michael Thomas, there was a daughter Anna Maria, no doubt named for her grandmother Anna Maria Blankenbaker who married first John Thomas in Germany. Anna Maria, the daughter, married first Michael Debolt.

"The bells started ringing when I read in the index of names for Neuenbürg the names Debelt/Debold/Debolt or in nearby Eppingen the names Dewald, Dibold, and Diebolt (t,dt). Was this a case that a family came from the same area of Germany that the Thomas family did? Were they influenced to come by the Thomas family?

"Michael Debolt did not live long and Anna Maria Thomas Debolt then married Michael Crisler. So often when a women is widowed, the family seems to rally around and tell some man from the family that he must do his duty and marry the widow. If this is true, what is the Crisler and Debolt connection? Do you remember a few notes ago when we were discussing Warrants & Surveys that a Christian Tivall assigned his rights to Theobald Crisler? Have we got another variation on the connection of a Dewald/Dibold/Debolt with a Crisler?

"Michael Crisler was the son of Theobald Crisler and Rosina Gaar. Where were Michael Debolt and Anna Maria Thomas living? Anna Maria died in Pennsylvania. Where did she live with Michael Debolt? It is so frustrating to have a little information and to be left with large gaps in one’s knowledge.

"I have some information Michael Debolt for which I do not vouch. On 10 Aug 1779, Mary Ann Thomas Debolt (probably the widow of Michael Debolt) married Michael Crisler. In January 1785, the Fayette County Orphan’s Court (in Pennsylvania) appointed Michael Chrisler to be a guardian over the persons and estates of Catherine Debolt, Michael Debolt, Mechlin (?) Debold, and Mary Debold minor children of Michael Debold during their minority. This family later settled in Beaver County, with the exception of Michael Debolt who married Abalona (Apollonia?) Yeager and settled in Fayette County. Catherine married George Mason, Mechlin (Mary Magdalene) married William Eckles, and Mary Ann married Ruel Reed. These surnames may all be German for Mason seems to have originated from Maurer meaning mason and the name Reed might be Rieth or a similar name.

"The story is told that a brother of the father Michael Debolt was captured as a lad by the Indians and forced to live with them for nine years. Apparently he was not mistreated but he felt that he should return to his own people and he made his escape."