Bertha Hershman (Keener)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135581719/bertha-alice-hershman

The Keener Family

     The Tenmile Country by Howard Leckey

When Betty Spicer was released from captivity amoung the Indians,she

related the events of June 5,1774, the day on which her parents and

five brothers and sisters were killed by the Indians,and she and her

brother,William Spicer were carried off into captivity.She told how

the Indian Chief Logan with another Indian called The Snake left the

scene of the massacre and went directly west,where they met and

killed a man named Keener. Verious family traditions have identified

this man as the father of Sebastion Keener or David Keener, but it is

now definately evident that both these traditions are incorrect.Both

these men were living at a period of ten or more years after

this event.

Ulrich Keener(this name is spelled Ulris,Whoolery,Very,Ulery and

Kiener,Kyner,Kyhner,Canor,and other ways in official records)was

a native of the Palatinate,who came to America on the ship"Goodwill",

David Crocket master,which had set sail from Rotterdam and after

a brief stop at Palmouth,had arrived at Philadelphia,where on Sept.

27,1727,he was one of the passangers who took the Oath Of Allegiance

to the British.In due time he arrived in the Shanendoah Valley where on

Feb.19,1746 or 1747 his petition to "Build a water grist mill on ye

Narrow Passage Creek near his house" was rejected. Vol.1 Augusta Co.

Va.Original Petition and Papers in Court 1745-1748.

Sometime after 1773 he left his home in Shenandoah and became the owner

of a track of land in German Township,Fayette Co.Pa. near the headwaters

of Browns Run, where his neighbors were the Gillands,Balsingers,and the

Overturfs.It is certain that some of his sons were with him, probably

John,Samuel,and Sebastian Keener.Then in October 1782, on the 22nd or

23rd, Ulrich,described as being from Monongahela Co. Va.sold land on

the North Branch of the Shenandoah River by the Great Wagon Road to

Palser Hoover, he of the country aforesaid. The track contained 300 acres

and in addition to the cash involved,required the yearly payment of one

"pepper corn", the usual quit claim lease and release deed. This deed

was witnessed by three of his sons who signed their names Ulrich Caner,

David Caner,and Boston Caner.(Shenandoah County .D.B.D. pp 34-35)

No wife joined the deed so it is safe to assume his wife was dead.

 On April 9th 1784 Keener made his will in what is now Fayette Co. Pa.

The will was in German script and has been poorly translated. It was

witnessed by John Overturf,Valentine Overturf, and John Gilleland, and

was probated September 13, 1784. This item disposes of any possibility

that he was the man killed on Whitey Creek.(Fayette Co.Will book 1

pp.11-12)

 Nancy(Johnson)Dennison descendant,in an interview of1861 stated that

her mothers name was an Anrhard or Ehrehard and this the only record of

the wife of Ulrich Keener, but nothing confirms this nor is any wife

named in the will.In the mention of his children,Ulrich Keener named a

grand-daughter,daughter of his son John Keener,deceased,which is the

clue in the idenity of the man killed by the Indians.

          Statement of Elizabeth Keener Dobbins

I Elizabeth Dobbins now make the following statement under oath. I am

the widow of John Dobbins who was a soldier in the war of the Reveolution,

of the Pennsylvania Lines and that he enlisted in a company commaned I

think by James Taylor of the 4th reget----line commanded by Col.Wayne.

That my deceased husband was in several battles and received different

wounds and received a pension of 96 dollars a year from about 1820 or

21 to the day of his death which took place the 11th day of April 1823.

My said husband lost his original certificate and obtained from the

Department of War a duplicate there of about the year 1830-31 and I

farther say that I am about ninty years of age,cannot say percisely,

there being no record of my birth now to be found. That I was born near

the Shenandoah River about one mile from Millers Stone Road called

Woodstock in Va. I am informed and there lived to about ten years of age

whrn my father who's name was Samuel Keener removed with his family to

the state of Pennsylvania on what is called Whitey Creek and about

fifteen miles from Morgantown in Va. and once there resided with most

of the time with my parents to the time of my marriage which took place

in the state of Penn. and aforesaid but the name the place or County or

Township I do not remember, at near thirty years of age and in the

immeadiately vicinity where my parents lived, to John Dobbins aforesaid

by one John Minor Esq. I farther state that after my marriage I lived

near where I was married. Once from there I was removed to Patterson

Creek in Hamptonier,Va. where my Sam Dobbins was born."the statement

goes on to her moves." That I was legally and lawfully married and

before the day of June 4,1794 and eversince the death of my husband

John Dobbins aforesaid I have remained a widow.

                       Gilmer Co. Va. August 14,1845

West Virginians In The American Revolution
By Ross Johnson
Dobbins,John

Service-Pennsylvania Va.No.16401 No.W 3784

On June 6,1819, before the Greenbrier County Court, John Dobbins,aged

72,declared that he enlisted in 1776 in Lancaster,Pennsylvania,in the

company of Captain James Taylor,Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment. He

served his term of one year and reenlisted at Charslestown,Pennsylvania

in 1777 in the same company, but this time was with the Fifth Pennsylvania

Regiment, commanded by Colonel Francis Johnson. He continued in service

until 1783 with the wagon trains and was not in any battles. The soldier

received pension in 1820 for six years service. He died April 11,1833.

Sometime before 1794 the soldier married Elizabeth Keener, daughter of

Samuel Keener. She was born about 1755 in Millersville,now Woodstock,

Virginia,and moved with her parents to Whitey Creek, Green County, Pa.

15 miles north of Morgantown when she was ten years old but they may

have lived for a time in Lancaster Co. before going so far west.John

and Elizabeth Dobbins had one son,Samuel,born on Patterson Creek,

Hamphshire,Co.,(W)Va. about 1786. The widow applied for pension which

was granted in 1846. Her claim was supported by her brothers John,who

lived in Braxton Co.,Va. and George, who lived in Taylor Co.Va.in 1845.

They both stated that they had been born on Whitey Creek,Pa. and that

they attended the wedding of their older sister, Elizabeth.

          Deposition of George Keener:

Taylor County, Va. August 25,1845
George Keener states that he is Seventy Two years of age. That he was
born in the state of Pennsylvania and removed to the State of Virginia

some Fifty years ago and his residence in Va. And since stated that a

sister of his married John Dobbins, who was a soldier of the Revolution.

That his sister's name was Elizabeth Keener, that said Elizabeth was much

older then himself, that she was the oldest of the family. Since then

informant would farther say that he cannot remind the percise year that

his sister aforesaid married with John Dobbins, but that it must have

been about 60 years since and this informant would farther say that he

well remembers the wedding and the time that the marriage aforsaid took

place,that said Dobbins was a stanger and not long from the army and

that this informants parents at first objected to the marriage of

sister Elizabeth to said John Dobbins. That after the marriage aforesaid,

this informant after lived with John Dobbins and at the time lived with

them three years,that when John Dobbins and family moved to Harrison

County,Va.on the Little Kanawaha,that informant went with them.

          Deposition of John Keener:

Braxton County,Va.August 9, 1845
John Keener on his oath states that he is now Seventy Eight years of
age.That he was born in the State of Pennsylvania and near a creek

called Whitey Creek but that the name of the County does not remember

that it was some miles from Morgantown,that he has since lived at several

places but for the last thirty years has resided in what is now the limits

of the County of Braxton aforsaid but was formerly Nicholas and Lewis,

And this informant farther states that Elizabeth Dobbins who was

Elizabeth Keener is a sister of his. That he well remembers the times

and was present at their marriage of said Elizabeth with John Dobbins,

who was a soilder in the War of the Revolution and a pensioner for many

years and died some twelve years since.That the said marriage took

place near Whitey Creek aforesaid.That the marriage aforesaid took

place shortly after the Revolutionary War,and about sixty years since

of Samuel Dobbins the only child of said Elizabeth is now near Sixty

years old,since this informant was at the time of said marriage about

Sixteen years old.This informant farther states that since John and

Elizabeth Dobbins lived together as man and wife until the death of

said John. He states that his father lived in Shenandoah County in

the state of Virginia at the time that his said sister Elizabeth was

born who was oldest of the family and between him and Elizabeth there

were several children and that said Elizabeth was about twelve years

older then himself.(He states other things about the moving of

Elizabeth and the death of John.)