Merlau Immigrants

The Family of Johann Karl Merlau & Maria Christina Zapf
Our Immigrant Ancestors

First Generation

In 1840, Johann Karl Merlau came to America from Hesse-Darmstadt along with two brothers and settled in Sheldon, New York. It is there he met and married Maria Christina Zapf. Christina's family had immigrated to Sheldon from the Baden. Karl and Christina had seven children.

Karl and Christina's family consisted of:

Second Generation

i.	Charles Frederick Merlau	Charles was born on November 12, 1848^3,4 and he died in 1908⁴. Charles married Mary Elisabeth Kopp.
ii.	Catherine Merlau	Catherine was born in 1850⁵. She married George Rhodes.
iii.	John Christopher Merlau	John was born on November 16, 1852¹. He married Mary Ann Heintz on April 7, 1874¹ at St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church. Mary was born on October 19, 1856¹, the daughter of Johann Georg Heintz and Anna Maria Hoffman
iv.	Augusta Merlau	Augusta was born on September 17, 1854⁶, and died April 21 1899⁷. She married Louis Hoffower. Louis was born in June 1851⁸.
v.	Magdalena "Lena" Merlau	Lena was born on July 5, 1856¹, and she died on May 5, 1880¹. She married George Kopp at St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church. George was born on August 20, 1846¹, the son of Michael Kopp and Anna Maria Heberle. He died on June 9, 1912¹.
vi.	Henry G. Merlau	Henry was born in April 1858⁹. He married Emma Eyring. She was born in April 1869⁹.
vii.	Mary K. Merlau	Mary was born in April 1861¹⁰, and died in 1932³. She married George H. Ismert. George was born on October 27, 1856³, and died on April 21, 1926³.

Johann Karl Merlau:

Passenger List - Maria and Adriana

Johann Karl Faulring was born on September 27, 1808², in Arheilgen, Hesse- Darmstadt, the son of Johann Christoph Merlau and Anna Catharina Rasch. At the time, Arheilgen was a farming community near the city of Darmstadt, the Ducal seat of Hesse-Darmstadt. He spent his formative years there, likely working on his family's farm. Today, Arheilgen is an urban district of Darmstadt.

Then, in 1840, at the age of 31, Karl journeyed from Arheilgen to Sheldon in Wyoming County, New York¹¹. He accompanied two older brothers, Johann Christoph and Johnn Philipp, and their families. After sailing on the galliot Maria and Adriana from Rotterdamm, Karl landed in New York City in early September¹¹. The new immigrants probably traveled up the Hudson River by steam boat and then crossed from Albany to Batavia by train or the Erie Canal. The final leg of the trip was most likely by cart or wagon over roads to arrive in Sheldon.

After their arrival in Sheldon, the Merlau brothers settled in the Towns of Sheldon and Wales. Since he was single, Karl, known in America by the English equivalent of his name, Charles, probably started life in America as a farm laborer, possibly working with one of his brothers. In this way, he would earn money to purchase his own farm.

Charles and his brothers attended St. John's Evangelical and Reform Church in Dutch Hollow, a valley area on the western border of the Town of Sheldon. St. John's was the center of the local German, Protestant community and served their social and religious needs. It was in this setting that Charles met and married Maria Christina Zapf. Christina, who was born about 1820^5,12 in Baden, was the daughter of Michael Zapf. Charles and Christina settled on a farm on Goose Hill road, which leads up the west hill out of Dutch Hollow into the Town of Wales. There, Charles began a life of farming, which continued until his death^1,12.

Christina died on June 4, 1862⁴, and Charles died on October 25, 1870¹.

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These pages were last modified 1/12/2012