The Gerberich book says Peter was the son of Johannes and cites his birth date as if it came from an actual church record, but doesn’t specifically say that such record exists.

IMMIGRANT. The Gerberich Famly in America tells the story that in 1751 Johannes and his brother Michael had determined to emigrate to America. At the last moment, probably due to his wife’s pregnancy, Johannes postponed his trip but his son Peter came with Michael. The child whose birth caused him to postpone his trip was named Maria Elizabeth and she died 3 Apr 1752 at the age of eight days.

The Gerberich book says Peter moved to York County in about 1770. However, there are a number of baptisms by Peter and his wife in York County, the earliest of which was 1766. So it seems he was already in York County by 1766.

1790. He is in Codurus Township, York County.

There are a number of baptisms by Peter and wife Margaretha at Jacob’s (Stone Church) in York County including: Catharina 1766, Susanna Philippina 1769, Susanna 1771 and George Peter 1774.

I found Peter’s will, the date it was written is unclear, it proved 21 Aug 1805. He mentioned no wife. He named his twelve children: John, Frederick, George, Michael, Jacob, Joseph, Margaret, Maria Elizabeth, Susanna, Catharina, Barbara and Eve. He gave no married names for any of his daughters except Margaret who was deceased, so her share went to her six children by George Bailey.

The Gerberich book lists these same children and documents the descendants of most of the sons and of Margaret but loses all track of the other daughters. Few birth dates are given. Exact dates are given for John (13 May 1761) and George (4 Jul 1774) and approximate dates only for Frederich (1765), Joseph (1791), Margaret (bef 1770) and Eve (1789).

The book suggests that Peter married a second time and indeed the births of daughter Eva in 1789 and son Joseph in 1791 suggest to me a younger wife. However, throughout the period from his arrival in York County until the 1790’s, Peter’s wife was always said to be Margaretha.

A woman who has as her life mission to find all the graves of Gerberich descendants in America solves this apparent puzzle by saying Peter’s second wife was also named Margaret -- Anna Margaretha Berge.

There is someone nicknamed “Gerblady” whose mission in life seems to be to transcribe all the US graves of the Gerberich descendants. She says Peter’s wives were: first Anna Margaretha Rudolph and second Anna Margeretha Berge. It appears that Peter and Margaretha had son Joseph in 1791 which may well indicate that he did in fact have a second wife.

Peter’s 9 Feb 1755 marriage to Anna Margaretha Rudolph is documented in church records.

The details of Peter’s second marriage were confirmed by Becky Curry who found the bond Peter posted on 27 Jan 1801 as Administrator of the estate of his late wife, Margaret, deceased, said to be one of the daughters of Henry Berge, late of Montgomery County. Becky added that Margaret had been the widow of Clement Ruhl, originally from Montgomery County, who died sometime before March 1778 and whose inventory was signed by Peter and Margaret Gerverigh (former widow).

Margaret is not of great importance to my story since she was not the mother of Maria Elizabeth, but it is just interesting that both of Peter’s wives were named Margaret and it was not obvious they were two different people from the few surviving records.