Napoleon Bonapart German and Sarah Furman Buchanan

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Photos and research by: Kathy Kilpatrick, Ginny Kichline, and Caroline Bausinger, and Connie Pickering Stover. Ancestry.com


1.2 Napoleon Bonepart German
            b: 22 Dec 1814, Newtown, Bucks Co., PA
            o: 1850, Laborer, Soldier in Mexican War
            lived: 1850, (age 36) Hunterdon Co, Delaware Twp, NJ
            d: 29 Oct 1856 Lower Amwell, Hunterdon Co., NJ (age 41)
            b: Lower Amwell Graveyard, Sergeantsville, Hunterdon County, NJ

            m: Sarah Furman Buchanan
                  b: 9 Aug 1829, Baptistown, Hunterdon Co., NJ
                  m: 17 Oct 1850, Delaware, Hunterdon, NJ
                  d: 14 May 1926, Trenton, Mercer Co. NJ

Children of Napoleon Bonepart German and Sarah Furman Buchanan

                            1.2.1 John M. Buchanan German
                                      b: 1848
                                      d: 1851

                            1.2.2 Evaline Estelle German (St. Germain?)
                                     b: 26 Jan 1851, Baptistown, Hunterdon, NJ
                                     m. Snyder Curtis
                                     d: 20 May 1931, Trenton, Mercer Co., NJ (age 20)

Notes from Kathy Kirkpatrick: My ancestor is Evaline Estelle who married Snyder Curtis. I have a picture of her with her children, among whom is my gmother Evalyn Snyder Curtis

                            1.2.3 Yardley Reeder German [great grandfather of Kathy Kirkpatrick]
                                     b: 21 Apr 1853, Baptistown, Hunterdon, NJ
                                     lived: 1860 Delaware, Hunterdon, NJ (age 7)
                                     lived: 1870 Raritan, Hunterdon, NJ (age 17)
                                     lived: 1910 Delaware, Hunterdon, NJ (age 57) - no occupation
                                     d: 1920 Flemington, Hunterdon, NJ (age 67)

                                     m: Deborah A., about 1876

                          Children of Yardley Reeder German and Deborah A.
                                            1.2.3.1 Yardley Reeder German Jr
                                                     b: abt 1878, NJ
                                                     o: 1910 Laborer
                                            1.2.3.2 Daisy
                                                     b: abt 1878, NJ
                                            1.2.3.3 David E.
                                                     b: abt 1898, NJ
                                            1.2.3.4 Frank
                                                     b: abt 1906, NJ

                            1.2.4 Israel Poulson German
                                      b: 2 Apr 1857, Baptistown, Hunterdon, NJ
                                      lived: 1860 (age 3) Delaware, Hunterdon, NJ
                                      d: 26 Aug 1863, Baptistown, Hunterdon, NJ (age 6)

U.S. Army Register of Enlistments 1835-1839
Napoleon B. German
Eyes: hazle / hair: brown / complexion: light Height: 5'4"
Born Bucks co., PA
Occupation: Farmer
Recorded: July 18 1838

I believe Napoleon was married before he married Sarah Buchanan. He was a veteran of the Mexican War and was 39 years old when he married her. Sarah was living with her sister and brother-in-law who was Napoleon's younger brother. The four lived Hunterdon, Co., NJ along with Margaret, mother of the two men.

It seems that Sarah and Napoleon had a son out of wedlock who died as a toddler. They were then married. My ggrandm was the first child born. Another son followed. I am in touch with one of his descendants who also is willing to share information. Sarah was widowed after only 6 years of marriage. Her children were close to her. However, Sarah was an independant woman who lived in her own home into her 90's.

It is through the records of the Curtis family that I have photos and information re: Emile. She was quite lovely. I believe she carried the cursed gene that we inherited from the German family...CURLY HAIR. At least she appears to have long curly hair in her picture. I will send hard copies of the information I have to you if you send your snail mail address to me.

I am sure you will find it interesting that I graduated from Neshaminy HS in 1959 and my husband from Quakertown in Upper Bucks. You remember Neshaminy?? The football champs (Just kidding) Newtown was one of my favorite places. Goodie's had the best ice cream in the county.

If we pull together all the information we have, some pattern should emerge. David A. had a brother who moved to Philadelphia and on south. I have not had time to see if any of his descendants have done any work. We may find out more re: the St. Germaine immigaration from them.

Ref: Kathy, Sept 18, 2006

I grew up in a household with my mother and father (Doris and Ken), my grandmother and grandfather (Evalyn and George) and my great grandmother (Bertha May). We all lived together always. Bertha May died when I was 12, Evalyn died in 1994. Bertha May was one of 10 children and especially the sisters were very long lived - well into their 90s. I knew them all as they would come to our house to visit their sister. They were the grandchildren of Napoleon and Elizabeth.

Napoleon died young, 29 Oct 1856, but Elizabeth lived to the ripe old age of 96 and died 14 May 1926. Elizabeth lived for a time in the same house with the Curtis children, so they knew her. In fact my grandmother, Evalyn, who was born in 1901 of course remembered her great- grandmother Elizabeth very well. I have a videotape of Evalyn talking about the family and telling some stories about Elizabeth.

We have quite a few pictures of Elizabeth and have visited the house where she lived in her older years as well as the grave sites of Napoleon and Elizabeth. It was Bertha May's younger sister Eva who first took an interest in family history. In the late 1950s/early 1960s she collected and compiled some typed information and gave a copy of it to her sister Bertha May. That copy is what started my interest.

In many cases it looks as if she is writing down what someone has recalled. I will recap what she says there about the family of David and Margaret German (including her mis-spellings). Children are:
Alexander German m. Amelia Smith
        Children of Alexander German and Amelia Smith
                Margaret, Mary, Will, David, Edward, Elizabeth
John German m. Eliza ?
        Children of John German and Eliza
                Charles, Joseph, Annie
Napoleon m. Elizabeth Furman Buchanan
        Children of Napoleon and Elizabeth
                Evaline, Yardley
                Israel [my note: on the cemetery headstone it looks as if Israel's birth predates their marriage]
Franklin m. Sarah Ann Buchanan
        Children of Franklin and Sara Ann
                Cornelius, James, Annie, George
Emily m. John DeMar
        Children of Emily German and John DeMar
                Frank, John, Evelyn, Emily, Alexander, Carrie Evelyn
Evelyn married Yardley Reeder of Newtown, Pa.
        No children
Sarah Ann m. Jeremiah Smith
        Children of Sarah Ann and Jeremiah Smith
                Fannie, Tamson, Gardner, Ella, Louisa

I also have a copy of a letter to Sarah Ann Smith (I assume that is the sister who married Jeremiah Smith) dated 8/17/1844 signed "Brother". The author of the letter was in the military, I think in Florida. Our cousin Frank Curtis (g-grandson of Bertha May's sister Victoria Elizabeth) has the original. We also have a photo which is labeled on the back as being Aunt Evelyn Reeder, but I question the identification. The dress is from the 1870s at the earliest and the subject is pretty young, I would say not over 40 or so. I think that may be too young to be Evelyn the sister of Napoleon who married Yardley Reeder and they had no children.

I do have lots of letters to Elizabeth German. I also have two cds with copies of the Hunterdon Gazette (local newspaper for Napoleon and Elizabeth) from 1825 to 1844. There are some family references, plus the flavor of the times is just very informative.

David Alexander German
o: 1850 Philadelphia Directory, Cooper, South Kensington
+ (Amelia) Mary Smith
Parents of Margaret, Mary, Will, Edward, Elizabeth and: • David Leedom German, Sr. (b. December 15, 1856; d. June 18, 1928; m. September 23, 1882) Wife - Catherine Louisa Grim (b. November 17, 1862; d.?1945) (see page on the Grim family) Parents of Howard, David L. Jr. and: •

Harry Grim German
b. February 2 1884
d. February 9, 1949
+ Maude Luella

Thomas German
b. June 12, 1880
d. March 29, 1967) Parents of Ronald T., Harry G. Jr. and: • Harold Leedom German (b. October 4, 1912; d. February 5, 1986; married April 29, 1942 in Washington, DC) Wife - Sara Marguerite Howard German (b. June 5, 1916; d. December 7, 1986) (see page on the Howard family)
Parents of:
• Harold Leedom German, Jr. (b. December 4, 1950); and
• Carolyn Sue German Fox (b. June 18, 1944)
Husband - Siegfried Werner Fox (see separate page on the Fox/Fuchs family); (b. June 26, 1943; d. October 15, 1991)