My name is Ernie Piper and I am the Site manager of this Web site. My genealogy research is focused on the following families: Miller, Gray, Reitz, Whiting, Marshall If you wish to contribute genealogy information or send your feedback, please contact me here. You are also invited to sign the guestbook. Thank you for visiting! This Website is powered by MyHeritage™. This is a great tool that anyone can use to create a family or genealogy Web site. To learn more about using it to create your own Website, click here.
About our family
Much of the family information and proof provided in this tree on my fathers side (Piper) was gathered by others in my family before me. My Aunt Freda Hill gathered much information and was a contributer to the book Early Shanafelt Family: John and Elizabeth to America. Compiled by Laurel (Shanafelt) Powell. 1994. My Great Aunt Edna Smith and Aunt Margie Simon also passed on many grave photos and other information about the family.
The Piper ancestory followed the typical western migration from Eastern PA to Western PA/West VA on to being among the first settlers in Eastern Ohio. The Marshall ancestry is similar and settled in Sundusky Co. Ohio when it was settled about 30 years later.
Missing pieces
In October I started typing in my Aunt Freda Hill and Aunt Margie Simon's family tree information, that I inherited, into the Family Tree Builder (A book case and two filing cabinet draws of paper – they did not use a computer). I will be typing for a couple years. I plan to update and enter my family information into my tree as I go.
I have particular interest in finding proof for two ancestors:
(1) Johan Peter Johan-Peter Reitz Born: Jan 8 1788, Died: Jun 21 1867. Believed to have died in Coolspring, Jefferson, Pennsylvania, USA and buried at Lutheran Church cemetery near Richfield, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, USA. The maiden name of his first spouse is not known. He and his second wife appear in the 1850 PA census. I am a decendant of his second daughter Elizabeth Kreilich from his first wife. The daughters moved to Sundusky, Ohio.
(2) Mary Archer (Lee) Born: Estimated: 1802 Probably Brooke Co., West Virginia. Estimate based on 1850 census data and Died May 1 1851 in Brooke County, West Virginia, USA. She marred my 3-great grandfather Samuel Archer II. I do not have proof of who her parents were. Family trees on Ancestry.com suggest parents William Lee (born 1767 at Donegal, Ireland, Died Aug 27 1819 Cove township, Barbour, WV) and Jane Lee (Elliott) (Born 1768 near Donegal, Ireland and died May 15 1843).
