I'm snowed in for a bit so guess what? Working on my genealogy! I can hardly contain myself. Today I found a photo of my great-great-great grandfather's tomb in the Mountain View Cemetery in Sharpsburg, MD.
Can't wait to see it in person. The Miller (originally Mueller) family emigrated to America from Germany in 1731. These "Pennsylvania Germans" (as they were called because of their place of origin in the New World) would eventually be the largest group to settle Western Maryland. The majority of these pioneers were Lutheran, but a notable minority were "Dunkers" or German Baptist Brethren. These Dunkers settled along Antietam Creek, having crossed the South Mountain range. The creek was named after a Delaware Indian word meaning "swift flowing water." One of these Dunker families settle on the creek itself. He was my great-great grandfather, John Hancock Miller, born Feb. 20, 1820. According to my research, he died on June 18, 1912 in Middleton, Colorado. Exactly where he's buried, I do not know.
I do know that the Germans who settled the Antietam Valley were used to hard work. The soil in the area was mainly limestone that formed many rocky outcroppings. This provided a real challenge for anyone trying to till the soil, but the Dunkers were up to the task. In 1745, Daniel Dulaney of Maryland wrote to Governor Samuel Ogle, "You would be surprised how much the country is improved beyond the mountains, especially by the Germans." I can just imagine the Millers turning the abundance of stone to their advantage, using it to construct their walls, barns, and farm houses.
Initially, the Dunkers worshipped in their own homes. But by 1830 the "Manor Church" was built, which become the mother church of the little Dunker Church of the Antietam Battlefield. Not surprisingly, it was constructed of stone.
Well, I need to bundle up and check on the animals. I hope you didn't find this post too boring. I've been interested in my heritage for a while but I never had the chance to talk to my parents or grandparents about their ancestry. Thankfully, knowing everybody's names is usually enough to get you started. The My Heritage website has been helpful. I know some people don't care about their family history at all. They don't feel any connection to the past beyond their parents. I guess I'm a bit different. For one thing, I love history. For another, I feel an emotional connection to these people. I enjoy learning things about them that make them more human if you will. Spitting into a tube can only tell you so much. They are your progenitors, not just biologically, but culturally, intellectually, even spiritually. I also research my ancestors because as I get older I feel my mortality. I hope that maybe someone in a hundred years will want to know about me -- where I came from, what made my tick, etc. Besides, I enjoy the challenge of doing genealogical research. Who knows what you'll discover (scary thought!)?
Hope you're safe and warm wherever you are!