In the Sunbury American newspaper of 7 Feb 1857, I found notice of a 30 acre tract being sold by Wm K Martz, Mary Ann Martz, Sophia Martz, Susan Dieffendaffer and Jacob Martz. Wm K Martz must be William Keefer Martz (P6a2a) who lived in Sunbury in 1850-1880 and specifically in 1850 lived with his mother Magdalena, several young girls who seem to be his daughters by a then deceased wife and two older Martzes who I think must be William’s siblings — they were Mary 24 and Henry 13.

His mother, Magdalena, died 30 Sep 1856. So I believe this is the heirs of Jacob Martz whose wife was Magdalena Keefer selling what must have been Jacob’s land after the death of his widow.

This explanation therefore establishes that the older Jacob had a son Jacob. And this younger Jacob was still alive in 1857 (as opposed what must be his brother Henry who must have died before then).

I believe this was the Jacob Martz age 16 found in 1850 also living in Sunbury with Lewis Dewart. (Lewis Dewart was a prominent local politician, don’t see any obvious connection.)

The question is what then happened to him. A Jacob Martz (married, mechanic) of Jackson Township registered for the Civil War Draft in 1863 at age 27. This is clearly the Jacob Martz who married Mary A Malick of Jackson Township in the early 1860’s and then moved to Trevorton where he lived the remainder of his life with the reported occupation of carpenter. An interesting detail since William K Martz reportedly started life as a carpenter before later becoming a contractor.

I believe this biography all applies to just one man, Jacob Martz, son of Jacob and Magdalena (Keefer) Martz and he is designated P6a2b.

And the possible clincher to this may be an interesting mistake by Joseph A Meiser. Meiser claimed that this Jacob’s mother, wife of the older Jacob, was Mary or Magdalena Malick. But I don’t think there is any question that Magdalena was Keefer, so where did Meier come up with Malick? Could it be he simply at some point got Jacob the father and Jacob the son mixed up and actually had learned that Jacob had married Mary Malick but failed to unscramble which Jacob it was who did that?

1850. This could well be the Jacob Martz age 14 living in Sunbury with random people including Lewis Dewart, 69, head of household.

1863. Jacob Martz, a married 27 year-old mechanic, registered for the Civl War draft from Jackson Township.

1870. Jacob and now wife Mary A live in Trevorton with two sons: Clement and Grant.

1880. Jacob is now in Zerbe Township which surrounds Trevorton.

So assuming these are all the same Jacob, for some reason he found his way from Sunbury down to Jackson Township by the early 1860’s where he met and married Mary A Malick and then by 1870 moved to Trevorton.

From Census, there were just two children, sons Clement and Grant. Both were born in the 1860’s so not designated nor tracked further here. They both stayed in central Pennsylvania and could easily be tracked with Census and their Pennsylvania death certificates available.

The 1870 will (probated 1871) of Maria Malick named a daughter Mary Mertz.

A very interesting will. Maria wishes to be buried in the cemetery near Daniel Zartman in Jackson Township, Northumberland County. Maria and her husband Jacob Malick are in fact buried at Zartman’s Evangelical Church Cemetery in Herndon, PA, a small town surrounded by Jackson Township. There are two Daniel Zartman there but neither predeceased Maria per find-a-grave. Jacob did predecease Maria so why didn’t she say bury me near him? I wondered if maybe she was a Zartman, but her tombstone says Miller.

She gives to her daughter Hannah and her grandchild Isaac Reitz the land where she now lives — presumably Isaac was Hannah’s child. (The land abuts land of Daniel Hilbush which is interesting as his daughter Catherine Ann was, by 1871, married to Samuel Martz presumably of the Shamokin Martz family.)

Finally, Maria’s personal property was to be divided among all her children: Sarah Dottery, Hannah Malick, Lydia Kimbel, Esther Meiser, Mary Mertz (spelled with the “e”), Charlotte Raker, Polly Stover, Harriett Bower, Jeremiah Malick and Abraham Rubendahl — the last one a bit of a zinger.

J R Hilbush was one witness and he also recorded the will as the registrar. Henry Deppen was another witness. (Another interesting name. George Deppen who lived in Herndon was married to the former Mary Ann Mertz, but she was definitely the d/o Peter P and Susanna Hilbish Mertz).

The PA Death Certificate of Grant Martz (1868-1950) said his parents were Jacob Martz and Mary Malick.

The PA Death Certificate of Clement Martz (1863-1935) said his parents were Jack Martz and Mary Malick.

1850. Lives in Jackson Township with her mother and two sisters and some kids named Chamberlain. Neighbors are Daniel Zartman age 42 and his neighbor is Elizabeth Zartman 62. Could Elizabeth Zartman be the widow of the Daniel Zartman mentioned in the will of Maria Malick?