MARY HOFFMAN, daughter of the pioneer, 1 JACOB HOFFMAN, and Catherine Best Hoffman, was born in Germany in 1755.
She remained with her parents on their voyage to America in 1768, and on their sojourn through Pennsylvania and Virginia.
She was a very beautiful and vivacious girl, according to all accounts of her youth.
The story is told among the Hoffman descendants that when the Hoffman family were making preparation to emigrate to America a young boy named John Dettro begged to accompany them, but he had no funds with which to pay his transportation.
Giving an attentive ear to the youth's entreaties, 1 JACOB HOFFMAN agreed to pay the boy's expenses providing that he would remain in the home after arrival here and serve at hard labor for a period of six years. To this the boy readily agreed.
While living on a farm in Virginia, young John Dettro proved himself a fine worker, a genteel lad, and a lover of the old man HOFFMAN'S daughter, MARY.
By mutual consent the youth was released from his agreement to do hard labor before his time was up, and wedding bells rang out in the Valley of Virginia.
Moving time was on again, and all came to North Carolina.
Due to the difficulty of the German people to pronounce a "D" with the English accent, the "D" in Dettro was slurred over with the sound of a "T.
Therefore, Dettro was soon pronounced "Totherow" in that section.
However, some of the older children moved early into Tennessee and other sections, and many of them retained the "D" in the name and spelled it "Dethrow," which accounts for the various spellings of the same name in many sections of the Southern States. Henceforward the name will be spelled "Totherow."
Their children:

1. 3 Jonathan Totherow, m. Louisa Clemmer. Moved to Tennessee.
2. 3 Solomon Totherow, m. Elizabeth Jenkins.
3. 3 Jacob Totherow, m. Nancy Weathers.
4. 3 Mary Totherow, m. William King
5. 3 John Totherow, m. Elizabeth Clemmer.
6. 3 George Totherow, m. Susie Plonk. Lived in Lincoln County.
7. 3 Elizabeth Totherow, m. John Shrum.
8. 3 Hannah Totherow, m. Martin Keener.
9. 3 Barbara Totherow, m. Dan Stamey.
10. 3 Sally Totherow, m. Jacob Plonk.
11. 3 Catherine Totherow, m. Phillip Rhyne. Moved to Tennessee.
12. 3 Margaret Totherow, m. John Dixon, moved to Arkansas.
13. 3 Michael Totherow, m. Barbara Shrum.
14. 3 Susan Totherow, m. Henry Shrum and went West.

https://www.seekingmyroots.com/members/files/G003479.pdf page 126

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 7 2016, 1:27:13 UTC

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