Her marriage to Heinrich Hafner was documented and in that record we find the name of her father.

Exact dates are quite elusive for this family. I don’t know when Matthew was born, but my theory is he arrived possibly in 1731 and was under age 21 at the time. Eva Maria married in 1752, she was probably between the ages of 18 and 21 -- thus born sometime in the 1730’s. So, it would seem she was born in America. So I also assume that Matthias married Catharina after his arrival in America. All of this is just educated guesswork though.

The early Censuses were so vague as to ages of females that it is hard to pin her down in any specific household in 1790, if she was still alive. It’s possible that by 1800, she had moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Northumberland County and was listed there. In Jacob Hummel’s household in the 1800 Census in Penns Township, there was an “extra” female, age 45+. It’s possible it was his own mother but I’ve always had the idea that it was her death, in Berks County, that triggered the exodus of Hummels to Northumberland County in the late 1790’s. So, my best guess as to the older female would be Jacob’s mother-in-law. She is never mentioned by name in Northumberland County records.

Henry Z Jones in “Even More Palatine Families” documented Heinrich Haffner son of “Hafners, Anderlin at Eberstadt” who moved to the New World in 1749. One of the more interesting German sources Jones relied on was documents relating to the emigration tax that departing Germans apparently needed to pay. Jones said: “The emigration tax could only be calculated when his father’s estate was settled in 1753.”

IMMIGRANT. The arrival of Heinrich Haffner in America on 17 Sep 1749 from the duchy of Wurttemberg on the ship Patience is documented.

Also on this ship was a man named Johann Georg Heffner who, as best I can tell, was Heinrich’s uncle. John George later worshipped at Mertz Church in Berks County. Also on-board were two men named Gramlich, which may be some evidence that the Heffners and Gramlichs were related.

At Moselem Lutheran. George Haffner s/o George and Maria b.16 Feb 1786 bp.8 Oct 1786 sp Henry Haffner ux Eva. This is the basis for knowing Heinrich and Eva Maria survived that long.

In Historical and Biographical History of Berks County by Morton Montgomery, he says that Heinrich Haeffner came from Wuerttemberg, that he married in 1752 second wife Maria Eva Kelchner, daughter of Matthias. Elizabeth is listed among their children though it is not said who she marries. Her brother married Maria Hummel. Heinrich settled in Virginville, was a weaver, served in the Revolution.

Many details are known about the life of this man. His 1749 arrival in America was documented. He was naturalized at Philadelphia 3 Apr 1763 as a resident of Richmond Township, Berks County. And his marriage was cited "28 Nov 1752 Heinrich Hafner, single son of Andreas Hafner von Eberstadt and Maria Eva Kelchner, single daughter of Mathaus Kelchner" among the marriage records of Zion Lutheran Church [commonly called Moselem Church] in Richmond Township by Rev. John Baer Stoudt. Other details about this man are not proven by any evidence I can find but cited by other persons. The Heffner Family Association, for example, cites his 17 Feb 1722 birth date.

Charles Heffner, a descendant, wrote: ”Heinrich was married prior to 1752, then married second Maria Eva Kelchner. He was a weaver, the son of Andreas Haeffner of Eberstadt, a town four miles south of Darmstadt. He settled about 1 mile south of Virginville, Berks.” I don’t know where he got the idea of Heinrich’s marriage previous to Maria Eve since it seems totally refuted by the church record cited above, which clearly says “single son”. Also, he seems to be referring to a different Eberstadt than that recognized by the Heffner Family Association as Andreas’ home.

He also said that “Henry was a soldier in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolution and was a prisoner of war for some time”.

George H Heffner, who did extensive family research long ago -- in the mid-1800’s, cited a family bible showing six children for Heinrich and Eva Marie including Elizabeth born 2 Feb 1762. He also cited the couple’s presence at the baptism of their grandson in Oct 1786 and lastly stated that Heinrich had a second wife, Margaret, who survived him.

In ”Historical and Biographical History of Berks County”, Morton Montgomery said that Heinrich Haeffner came from Wurttemberg, that he married in 1752 second wife Maria Eva Kelchner, daughter of Matthias. Elizabeth was listed among their children though it is not said who she married. Her brother married Maria Hummel.

So, all of these sources paint quite a consistent picture except for the obvious disagreement on whether Eva Maria was his first or second wife. Either way, she was our ancestor.