His Pennsylvania death certificate says his father was Joseph, mother’s name unknown.

1850. Jacob Frederick age 23 lives in the Daniel P Hilbish household in Freeburg. Also present is Catherine Frederick age 18. This could be his wife -- which would mean she was his first wife and Amelia Brown second -- but I suspect that Catherine is his sister. If Catherine was the wife of Jacob, then a logical explanation might be that she was Daniel's daughter. Daniel did in fact have a daughter Catherine, but she is also present in his household in 1850.

There is another Jacob Frederick age 19 in the 1850 Census living in Penns Township. He lives with Daniel Frederick age 35 (an older brother?), Daniel's wife Elizabeth as well as Charlotte age 60. Their neighbor households are those of Benjamin Hummel, Henry Hummel (son of Benjamin) and Isaac Biddlespach (son-in-law of Benjamin).

The close association of this latter Frederick family and the Hummels is then proven by the 1860 Census where we find Charlotte Frederick living with Benjamin and Catherine (Hilbish) Hummel. Also present in this household is Jacob Frederick age 25, Susan 24 and Austin 3.

Meantime, by 1860, Jacob Frederick -- the one born in 1827 -- is living in Point Township with second wife Mary Burns and daughter Lilly Katurna age 3. Neighbors are Isaac Biddlespach and George Peter Mertz.

Continuing to track Jacob in Census:

In 1870, he is age 45 and lives in Point Township (nearest Post Office Milton) with wife Mary 43 and daughters Caturah 13 and Mary age 5. He seems now somewhat removed from the Mertz/Hummel/Hilbish nexus.

In 1880, he is age 53 and lives in Northumberland Borough with wife Mary 52 and daughter Ella age 16. His neighbor is B F Mertz (son of George Peter).

In 1900, he is age 72 (born Aug 1827) and lives in Northumberland Borough with daughter Ella age 36. His neighbors include several descendants of George Peter Mertz.

In 1910, he is age 82 and lives in Northumberland Borough with daughter Ella M age 46. There are no recognizable descendants of George Peter Mertz on his Census page but as he lives on Queen Street, they are not far away.

He wrote his will in 1904, it proved in Sep 1916, mentioned daughters Ella Frederick and Lilly Keturah, Mrs. George Wallice. B F Mertz was a witness to the will but had died by the time it proved.

Jacob Frederick came to my attention when he was listed as an attendee (with unnamed wife and daughter Ella) at the 1890 Hilbish Family Reunion. My fifth cousin, Alicia Blackman, and I worked relentlessly to identify all the named attendees and their relationship to the Hilbish family.

Jacob's exact relationship to this family is not yet established but his close association with both the Freeburg Hilbishes and the Point Township Mertzes can be documented. He married first Amelia Brown, granddaughter of Freeburg's Peter Mertz and Catherine (Motz) Mertz -- but that seems more the result of rather than the explanation for his close relationship with these people.

Generally, from 1850 on, he is never far from some members of the Hilbish, Hummel or Mertz families.

Two other documents add to Jacob's story. He is mentioned in the 1862 will of Daniel P Hilbish as living on Daniel's Point Township farm. Then in 1896, there are two deeds recorded involving the heirs and descendants of George Peter Mertz deeding land to Jacob Frederick.

He is buried in Riverview with wife Mary M and daughter Ella. They are buried quite close to Benjamin Hummel, George Peter Mertz and Isaac Biddlespach and it appears to be in the same family plot.

My theory is this: the key to the story is Daniel P Hilbish. Daniel P “adopted” Jacob Frederick, not unlike the relationship between our grandfather Curry and Bill Remphrey -- not a legal adoption perhaps but they forged a familial bond. The Daniel P Hilbish farm in Point Township was close to the George Peter Mertz farm so later land transactions between these parties may have been a result of the fact that they were neighbors.

We first encounter Amelia Brown in the 1850 Census. She is 18 years old, living in Washington Township in the household of her grandmother, Catherine (Motz) Mertz, widow of Peter. Also living in that household is her mother Polly and 5 year-old brother Levi.

In 1850, a Jacob Frederick appears on the scene in various ways associated with the Hilbish, Hummel and Mertz families of Freeburg and he continues to be involved with them his entire life, being buried in the Hummel plot in Riverview. One of the first things I learned about him was that he married Emily Brown in 1855. But, there is a tombstone at St Peter's Church in Freeburg of Amelia Frederick wife of Jacob born 10 Mar 1833 died 25 Aug 1854 age 21y 5m 15d.

I think Amelia Brown is the Emily Brown who married Jacob Frederick and then died young.