Michael Shultz

Since he never signed his name in German, this suggests he had lived in America all his life and with the other spellings, his family heritage may have been Dutch. He seems to have come from the Hudson River area of New York, possibly having been born in Duches, New York [Casey]; a Peter Shultz is given by one source as his father.

After his first wife died, he enlisted in the Continental Army on Feb. 15, 1776, possibly leaving his two daughters in the care of his brother, Christopher. Michael served in the 6th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the New Jersey Regiment, under Col. Elias Dayton. He was mustered out as sick at Schenectady, New York, on Oct.27, 1776 (one source says 1777).

Afterwards, he lived in New Germantown, New Jersey. In 1785 Michael and second wife Maria moved to Pennsylvania, being listed on the 1790 census in Milford Township, Bedford County (now Somerset County), and buying land in 1797.

After Maria’s death, he married a third wife, Mary Woy (b. Oct. 10, 1764; d. Mar. 10, 1862), and had two more children (possibly three, one dying in infancy). Michael Shultz died in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Mary “probably” later m. Martin Gonder (or Gunder) (d. 1821.) She was born in York County and came with her father to vicinity of Stoystown [Carroll, Casey, Shultz, Simpson].