Meyers Family Tree

Our Mennonite Heritage

Christian Meyer and his family from near Zurich Switzerland were being persecuted because of their Mennonite faith. They and many other Mennonites suffered at the hands of the government controlled by the Catholic church in the principality of Switzerland until they emigrated to the Rhine Valley in what is now Germany and eventually to the British Colonies in their search for religious freedom, peace and hope for a better life.

Other Mennonites with family names like Souder, Landes, Derstein, Rosenberger, Alderfer, Bergey and Moyer (Meyers) also left Switzerland in about 1640 as they had suffered enough as well. (Mennonites with names like Tyson, Godshall and Lucken left Holland around the same time.) All these Mennonite families traveled to the Palatinate area from Germany along the Rhine River.

Beginning in 1683 through an invitation of William Penn they began migrating to Pennsylvania. Some Meyer families came later in 1727 during the time when a large number of Mennonites and Lutherans from Germany were leaving for the new world in their quest for a better life. The word had spread, Pennsylvania was the place to move to.

The name of Moyer, Meyers, Myers, now almost as common in Bucks county as Smith, was originally spelled Meyer, and the present bearers of the name are descended from several German emigrants of that name who settled in what is now Montgomery county, in the first quarter of the eighteenth century, from whence their descendants migrated into Bucks county in the second and third generation.

Edwin H. Meyers, my Great Grandfather, came from this hearty stock of pioneers, who traveled thousands of miles to settle in Franconia, Pennsylvania and begin farming the land and building new lives. Our family tree, below, is a testament to the dedication of hundreds of family members who preserved the stories and genealogy of this huge family.

1. Baschi (Sebastian) Meyer (Moyer) [1595-1640] Switzerland [9x GG]
…. + Ottilla Muller [1598-1639]

…. 2 Hans Meyer [1621-1685]
…. 2 Anna Meyer [1631-?]
…. 2 Samuel Meyer [1634-?]
…. 2 Jacob Meyer [1636-1685]
…. 2 Caspar Meyer [1630-?]

Descendants of Jacob Meyer

…. 2. Jacob Meyer [1636-1685] Gundersheim, Germany [8x GG]
….…. + Margaretha Meyer Kundig, [1633-1701] Canton Zurich, Switzerland
….…….….. 3.1 Ulrich Meyer [1668-1741]

[7x GG]…... 3.2 Christian Meyer [1672-1751] - Settled in Salford Twp, Montgomery Co. PA
….….….….…. + Anna Barbara Bergey  [1677-1748] Germany
….….….….….…. 4.1 Barbara Bergey Meyer (Moyer) [1701-1773]  m. Abraham Reiff

[6x GG]…...….…. 4.2 Christian Meyer, Jr [1705-1787]
................................... b: abt 1705, Langerall, Baden, Germany
................................... d: May 1787, Franconia Twp, Montgomery Co PA
….….….….….……..+ Magdalena Bechtel [1710-1787] d. Montgomery Co., PA
................................... b: abt 1706, Lower Salford Twp, Montgomery Co PA
................................... d: abt 1788, Franconia Twp, Montgomery Co PA
.......................................... 4.2.1 Christian Meyer
.......................................... 4.2.2 Jacob Meyer, Rev. [1730-1782] + (2) Barbara Derstein
.......................................... 4.2.3 Samuel Meyer
.......................................... 4.2.4 Esther Meyer + Christian Gehman
.......................................... 4.2.5 Anna Meyer + John Kratz
.......................................... 4.2.6 Maria Meyer + Martin Detweiler
.......................................... 4.2.7 Barbara (Meyer) Moyer [1744-1813] + Abraham C. Kratz

.......................... 4.3 Anna Christina Meyer [1707-1758] + Henry Funk
.......................... 4.4 Elizabeth Bergey Meyer [1708-] + Nicholas Oblinger
.......................... 4.5 Jacob Bergey Meyer [1709-]
.......................... 4.2 Samuel Bergey Meyer [1711-1766] - Settled in Hilltown

[5x GG]….…….….…. 5.1 Christian Meyer (Moyer) [1728-1783]
….….……….….….……….+ Mary Detweiler [1730-?]

[4x Great Grandfather]….…...6 Jacob Meyer [1751-1810]
….….……….….….….…………….+ Mary (Maria) Kolb Detweiler, [1 Mar 1751 - 21 Jun 1819] 
….….……….….….…………………….7.1 Samuel Myer (Meyers) [1773-?]
….….……….….….…………………….7.2 Susanna Moyer [1775-1856]
….….……….….….…………………….7.3 Ann (Nancy) Moyer (Meyers) [1775-?]
….….……….….….…………………….7.4 Jacob Meyer [1777-?]
….….……….….….…………………….7.5 Christian Moyer [12 Jan 1778-9 Apr 1859]
….….……….….….……………………..... + Mary Landis [1775-1854]
….….……….….….……………………........ 7.5.1 Jacob L. Moyer [1802-1874]
….….……….….….…………………….7.6 Marie Elizabeth Moyer (Meyers) [1779-1832]
….….……….….….…………………….7.7 Jacob Meyer (Moyer) [1780-?]
….….……….….….…………………….7.8 Mary Moyer [1783-1820]
….….……….….….…………………….7.9 Abraham Moyer [1786-1866]

[3x Great Grandfather]….….………….7.10 William Meyers [1789-1837] Revolutionary War Vet.
….….……….….….………………………..+ Sarah Stout [1793-1870]
….….……….….….…………………………….8.1 Abraham Myers b. 1815
….….……….….….…………………………….8.2 William Myers b. 1825
….….……….….….…………………………….8.3 Joseph Myers b. 1832

[2x Great Grandfather]..……………………….8.4 Samuel S. Myers [1838-1898]
….….……….….….………………………………..+ Amanda Hoffman [1841- 1917]
….….……….….….………………………………… 9.1 William H. Meyers [1868-1934]  
….….……….….….………………………………… 9.2 Rosella Meyers [1870-1937] + Angeny ….….……….….….………………………………… 9.3 Emma C. Meyers [1871-]  

[Great Grandfather]….….…….…………………… 9.4 Edwin H. Meyers [1874-1907]
….….……….….….……………………………………………+ Katie Ellen Fluck [1893-1907]
….….……….….….………………………………………………..10.1 Naomi Meyers [1894-]
[Grandmother]….….……….….….……………………..………..10.2 Miriam Meyers [1895-]
….….……….….….……………………………………………….......+ Arthur John Pickering
….….……….….….………………………………… 9.5 Janet Meyers [-1936]
….….……….….….………………………………… 9.6 Norman Meyers [1879-1948]
….….……….….….………………………………… 9.7 Orrin Garfield Meyers (Step Son) [1881-1932]  
….….……….….….…………………….7.11 Sarah Moyer [1789-1865]
….….……….….….…………………….7.12 Joseph Moyer [1791-1862]
….….……….….….……….+ 2 Susanna Detweiler [abt 1728-1783]
….….……….….…….…………..6 Magdalena Moyer (Meyers) [1757-1836]

….….……….….….…. 5.2 Jacob Meyer [1730-1778]
….….……….….….…. 5.3 Samuel Meyer [1734-1800]
….….……….….….…. 5.4 Anna Meyer (Moyer) [1736-1824]
….….……….….….…. 5.5 Maria Meyer [1738-1811]
….….……….….….…. 5.6 Fronica Meyer [1739-1740]
….….……….….….…. 5.7 Esther Meyer [1742-1780]

….….….….….…. 4.5 Anna Meyer [1706-1758] m. Henry Funk [“Loving son-in-law”]

….….….…. 3.3 Hans Meyer [1680-?]
….….….…. 3.4 Jacob Meyer [1684-1747]