HALTER Family History
The first with the surname HALTER in Schirrhein, Alsace, France area "were one of two brothers. Abraham and Jacob HALTER. They left the village of Tafer in the Canton of Fribourg southwest of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland for land in Alsace that had been stripped of its population during the Thirty Years War. They immigrated to Schirrhein, Alsace between 1650 and 1660. In 1689 Abraham HALTER died in Schirrhein. Among his descendants, was Edouard HALTER of Schirrhein, Alsace's most famous poet, historian, and literary critic. A lesser known but nonetheless interesting descendant was Romain HALTER, the first mayor of Schirrhein, who served through the chaotic period of 1789-1792, during the French Revolution. Descendants of Abraham and Jacob are now scattered throughout the area and are found predominately in towns and villages around Schirrhein, particularly Schirrhoffen, Bischwiller, and Hagenau."
Courtesy of: Vincent Falter
My Own Halter Line
I know that this is far from a substitute for a family tree, but I needed to get something down in print so that I could then work from there to clean it up. I have only included couples that had or have Halter as their surname. That is not to mean that others are not important, but I needed to simplify this beginning list and that was one way to do it. To the best of my knowledge, the information is correct, but there are items that must be filled in, even in the more modern listings. A listing of children for each of these couples will come soon.
The most complete listing of husband-wife pairs is:
In Schirrhoffen
Louis Halter, b: about 1740 married Marguarite Eck, b: about 1740
Ludwig Halter, b: March 1765 married Magdalena Royer, b: 1769
Joseph Halter, b: January 24, 1797 married Marie Anna Lang, b: April 1, 1799
In Ohio
Joseph Halter, b: June 12, 1828 married Elizabeth Duerr
Joseph Herman Halter, b: April 19, 1858 married Magdalene Casper
Florentz Andrew Halter, b: July 25, 1893 married Barbara McCarty, b: November 20, 1896
George Joseph Halter, b: April 25, 1923 married Pauline Elinor Ebner, b: April 29, 1923
William Andrew Halter, b: June 18, 1946 married Susan Louise Moomy, b: March 26, 1948
Michael William Halter, b: August 27, 1973 married Kimberly Nicole Neuharth, b: September 11, 1980
So Ludwig and Magdalena, Joseph and Marie Anna and their young son Joseph made the trip from Schirrhoffen to Stark County, Sandy Township, Ohio. My great grandfather, Joseph Herman Halter is the gentleman wearing the dark suit in the group picture. His wife, Magdalene, is on the far right. The complete list of people in the picture, from left to right (standing) are:
Joseph, Florentz Halter, Barbara Halter, (with the hat in the back, George McCarty, Barbara's father), Barbara's sisters, Bertha, Martha and Emma (I'm taking an educated guess on those) and then Magdalene.
Sitting ( left to right): Florentz and Barbara's daughters Mary Esther, and Elizabeth (Betty). Betty died, I believe before age 3. And then is Agnes, another of Barbara's sisters. There were seven sisters in her family, no brothers. There will be more on the McCarty sisters in a later post.
The other picture shows my grandparents, Florentz and Barbara, again, with Mary Esther and my dad, George (age 5) seeming to be uncooperative about having his picture taken
These pictures were taken in the summer of 1928 at Shoenbrunn, which was evidently a traditional Halter family gathering place in the summer. My parents took my brother and I there when we were kids. Ok, Mike and Kris, when should we schedule a visit to Schoenbrunn. Below is a little background on the subject.
Schoenbrunn The Moravian church founded Schoenbrunn ("beautiful spring") in 1772 as a mission to the Delaware Indians. The settlement grew to include sixty dwellings and more than 300 inhabitants who drew up Ohio's first civil code and built its first Christian church and schoolhouse.
Problems associated with the American Revolution prompted Schoenbrunn's closing in 1777. Schoenbrunn's story features a rare meeting of Indian and European cultures and a fascinating perspective on the American Revolution.
Today the reconstructed village includes seventeen log buildings, gardens, the original mission cemetery, and a museum and visitor center. The site also includes natural areas and picnic facilities.
