Johann Georg Schaeffer

Life

Johann Georg "Peter" Schaeffer was a son of Lt. George Schaeffer, born of Katharine Bieber. We have a good wedding date for his father and his father's second wife, in 1751, so Peter must have been born before then, and was likely born in Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France.

After marrying, and when his children were grown, Peter and his wife Catharine and at least three of his sons moved west to Centre County PA. This is where Peter died, although his wife and at least two of his sons later continued on to settle Germantown, Montgomery County, Ohio.

DNA

DNA evidence has confirmed that Peter's mother was a Bieber, of the same Bieber family that emigrated to Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania. This implies that he was born in Europe and was brought along when both the Biebers and the Schaeffers (at least those related to Johann Georg Schaeffer) emigrated.

Revolutionary War Soldier.

THE SCHAEFFERS

The only family of this name who can be called pioneers are the children of Peter and Catharine Schaeffer, of whom there were eight, viz., Mrs. Philip Gunckel, Mrs. George Boyer, Mrs. Pressler, Jacob, Michael, Peter, John and Henry, all born in Pennsylvania, and all came to German Township and died here. The daughters came out in 1804 and 1805; the sons, not until about 1814. John and Henry became farmers; Jacob was a wagon-maker, and resided in the town; Michael built the Schaeffer Hotel, which was afterward kept by his son George; Peter was an able man, taught school, practiced law, was the first Postmaster of Germantown, and served in the war of 1812, and his widow, who is still living, receives a pension from the Government for his services in that struggle. The mother of this family has a very romantic history, having been captured by the Indians when about seven years old, and held a captive for seven years. She was adopted by the tribe, and assigned as servant to an old Indian chief, who was no longer able to follow the chase. She was finally recaptured by some whites, who were building a boat not far from the Indian camp, one of whom took her to an Eastern city, educated and supported her as his own child until she reached womanhood. She wrote a letter about this time to where she supposed her early home had been, addressing the same to her father, who, with her little sister, had been captured at the same time, but subsequently released, her mother having been brained by an Indian for resisting the capture of her little ones. To her great joy, she received an answer to her letter, sought out her father. and again, after many years' separation, became one of his household. Soon afterward, she married Peter Schaeffer, and. bore him eight children. Her husband died in Pennsylvania, after which she lived with her daughter, Mrs. George Boyer, and removed with that family to the Twin Valley in 1805. During her captivity, she learned the Indian language, as well as the medicinal properties and uses of herbs and roots, and always after practiced the healing art. She died August 16, 1818, in the seventy-third year of her life, and her remains are resting in the Lutheran Graveyard in Germantown, to which denomination she ever tendered a loving fealty. The number of descendants of Mrs. Catharine Schaeffer cannot, by this time, fall far short of one thousand, for at least five hundred of the people of Germantown are descended from her.