The Hirschy Newsletter

for descendants of Philip and Julianne (Frey) Hirschy
April 1994 No. 2

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THE 1994
HIRSCHY
GATHERING

The Date -
    July 30, 1994

The Place -
    Riverside Center
    231 last Monroe St.,
    Decatur, Indiana.
It is located just east of
the river and the business
section on highway 224.

The Time -
  Registration: Begins at
1:30 p.m. We will have
color coded name cards to
indicate which of the first
families we are descended
from. This will help you
identify your nearest
relatives.
  A donation will be
accepted to cover the
rental and the mailing of
the first two newsletters.

Displays -
  We would like to have
displays of old photos and
other memorabilia. Tables
will be set up on which
these can be placed. If
you are bringing items, be
sure to label all photos to
identify the people. Label
other items to tell their
history.

The Meal -
  We will have a potluck
carry-in meal beginning at
4:30 p.m. so bring food and
beverage to share.
  Those from a distance can
purchase their contribution
from several fast food
establishments and from the
deli at Gerber's Supervalue
Grocery located just across
the street from Riverside
center. Bring your own
table service.

The afternoon Program -
   -visit with relatives
   -look at the displays
   -video your relatives
   -start a family tree
   -listen to stories
   -hear music groups
   -tour historic places

  - purchase a copy of A
Hirschy Genealogy and have
people you meet sign the
book by their name.

The Evening Program -
  At 6:00 p.m. we will
have an hour long program
that will feature the
musical talent of Hirschy
descendants, and a telling
of the Hirschy history
illustrated by slides of
some of the places
important to the Hirschy
family in Switzerland.

Take a Hirschy Tour
  If you would like to
visit the farms where your
ancestors lived, the
churches they attended, and
look up their graves in the
cemeteries, a map with
these locations will be
available to you at the
GATHERING.
  If you would like to make
this tour before the
GATHERING, you may obtain
a map with directions by
sending a stamped, self-
addressed envelope to David
Habegger, 6929 Hillsboro
Ct., Fort Wayne, IN 46835.

MUSIC
AT THE
GATHERING

  How many of our readers
are aware that there was a
composer among the Hirschy
descendants? Young Elton
Roth, (a grandson of Maria
Hirschy and Christian Roth
and a son of John Roth and
Hannah Yaggy) loved to
sing, make music, paint,
and decorate pottery. His
father despaired about
these passions of his son,
lamenting, "Elton always
has to be carving wood or
making a song. It's all
right to sing when he goes
for the cows ... but now he
thinks he must sing to an
audience and lead choirs
.... (It's) nothing bad, but
it doesn't get the plowing
done."
  Fortunately for Sunday

School children all over
the country, Elton
continued to make music and
write songs. His most
memorable hymn was the
beloved "In My Heart There
Rings A Melody." Have you
or your children ever sung
this song? If so, you have
sung the composition of one
of the Hirschy's very own!
  The Gathering Committee
is looking for other music
makers in our midst. Are
you aware of an individual
or group that could provide
us with some special music
during our celebration
together? Or do you have a
favorite song that you feel
is special to the Hirschy
family?
  If you can answer "Yes"
to one or both of these
questions, send this
information to Melissa
Beitler, 1024 Rose Lane,
Berne, IN 46711 by May 30,
1994. We will look forward
to hearing from you.

SWISS
DAYS IN
BERNE

The enclosed brochure of
last year is a sample of
what you can expect, July
28-30. The musical this
year is "Fiddler on the
Roof." There will be other
changes. New brochures are
available by May 1.

Coming From a Distance?
  If you will you be
looking for lodging, here
are some suggestions,
  In Berne is Park Motel -
phone: 219-589-2732. There
are two bed and breakfasts:
Hans Haus, Ph. 219-589-3793
and Schug House, Ph. 219-
589-2448.
  In Decatur: Day's Inn -
Ph.: 219-238-5222; Decatur
inn - ph.: 219-728-2196;
Miller's motel - Ph.: 219-
724-7151; Matador Inn, Ph.:
219-728-2101; Craigwood Inn
B&B, ph: 219-728-2000.
  In Fort Wayne: All motel
chains are here. Call the
800 number to make a

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   reservation.
For Camping: Write/call for
information & reservations.
  Amishville, (4 mi S.E. of
Berne) 844E 900S. Geneva,
IN 46740, ph.: 219-589-
3536,
  Bearcreek Farms, RR1, Box
180B, Bryant, IN 46326,
ph.: 800-288-7630.
  Ounbache State Park, (12
mi N.W. of Berne), 6720E
100S, Bluffton, IN, 46714,
ph.: 219-824-0926.

HIRSCHY
GENEALOGY
READY

  The book will be going
to the printers in May so
it will be ready for the
July HIRSCHY GATHERING.
  The price is $30.00. If
you pick it up at the
GATHERING, there is no
additional charge.
  The charge for mailing in
the U.S. will be $3.50.
  Mailing to Canada will
cost $7.00 U.S.
  The book will have a
soft cover. If you would
like to have a hard bound
copy, there is an
additional charge of
$3.50.

  Order copies for your
children as Christmas or
Birthday gifts.

WHAT YOU WILL BE BUYING
  - An 8.5 X 11 book with
over 500 pages of
information about more than
2000 Hirschy descendants.
giving details of births,
deaths, marriages,
education, occupation and
church affiliation for many
of those listed.
  - The ancestors of the
first family coming to
America will be traced back
from two to five additional
generations.
  - The religious pilgrimage
of our people will be told.
  - Places of residence in
Switzerland will be
pictured and the story
given.
   - Pictures of persons, two

of the first generation and
several of the second
generation, will be
included. Some of these
are rare photos few have
seen.
  - The history and genealogy
of a number of families
whose members married into
the Hirschy family will be
given.
  - An alphabetical index
according to the last name
of all persons listed.
  - Several maps detailing
the location of places
significant. to Hirschy
members will be included.
  All this can be yours for
less than the cost of an
evening of entertainment,
and less than the price of
a pair of shoes. This is
your opportunity to
purchase the history of one
part of your ancestral
heritage.

WHY A
GENEALOGY?

1. Practical reasons.
  To have ready access to
names of relatives, dates
of birth, death, marriage
and other data that we
often desire to know.
2. Historical reasons.
  Regain the memories of
the past to enrich your
heritage. Learn about your
ROOTS.
  Who were your great
grandparents? Where did
they live? What was their
occupation and church
affiliation? Use the data
in this book to help you
gather additional
information.
3. Sociological reasons,
  There are numerous books
on such topics as birth
order and family systems.
Such factors impact our
lives from early childhood.
To understand ourselves we
need to understand the
setting in which we were
born.
  And to understand our
selves we need to under-
stand our forebears. What
affected them is passed
down to us in many ways.
Reflecting on their faith
and actions helps us under-

stand who we are and why we
respond to life as we do.

4. Psychological reasons.
  It is very satisfying
feeling to have a sense of
continuity with one's past.
People who have no sense of
their heritage often feel
adrift an the sea of life.
The question "Who am I?" is
a very deep one. Though
often buried in the rush of
early life, it rises to the
surface as we begin to
realize that we are but a
link in the long chain of
life.
  Joyce Giles 4.6.3.3.3
wrote, "My daughter,
Sandra, was telling me
that they found the Hirschy
newsletter very
interesting. In the
home schooling she and
Michelle are studying they
were talking about the
Vikings and Switzerland,
etc. The early family
history fit into their
course of study.
Michelle's church teacher
asked the class if anyone
knew their family history.
Michelle spoke up and told
how far back her mother's
history went."

3. Spiritual reasons.
  Some one joked that they
were afraid of looking up
their family tree because
they might find they were
on the shady side, Others
are disappointed if they
cannot point with pride to
a trace of royal blood in
their veins.
  Our Hirschy ancestors
were peasants for
centuries, part of the
large pool of common people
who make up the body of
society. But they held to
uncommon values and
challenged the status quo
of their time, often paying
a high price for their
willingness not to be
conformed to this world.
They contributed to the
strength of soul and
character of their
community.
  With Psalm 61:5 (NIV) we
can rightly say, "You have
given me the heritage of
those who fear your name,"
and "I have a delightful
inheritance." Psalm 16:16.

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LET'S
TRAVEL TO
EUROPE
  There is interest in
going to Switzerland and
France to visit the farm
Bas de Brandt, and the
village of Trub. We could
meet relatives still living
there.
  If you would consider
going on such a tour in the
summer of 1995, give your
name and address to Cletus
Hirschy, 3923 Hazelhurst
Dr., Ft. Wayne, IN 46804.

SHALL WE CONTINUE THE
NEWSLETTER?

  A number of you have
expressed interest in this
newsletter. Future issues
will have articles telling
the story of various
Hirschy family members. We
have some on hand and we
invite you to write what
you know. New research
findings will be a feature.
  If you want to receive
the next four issues, send
$5.00 to Dick Beitler along
with your order for the
book and you will be placed
on the mailing list. Those
who have sent in a
contribution are already on
the list,

HOW ARE
WE
RELATED?
  Some of you may not have
figured out how you are
related to the Hirschy
family, or how many
generations back you have
to go to get to a Hirschy
ancestor. Here is a clue
.   Look at the number behind
your name on the envelope
in which this newsletter
came. A number such as
4.5.5.5 would tell you that
you are in the fourth
generation for each number
stands for a generation.
The first number is a four
indicating that in the
first generation your
ancestor was the fourth
child in the first family
that came to America. The
next number is a 5, so the
second generation was the
fifth child of number 4.
The same holds true for the

third number which tells us
that in the third
generation child was a
fifth child of the second
generation, etc.
  To help you determine
your connection, here are
the first two generations
of the family. Only
children who had
descendants are listed
here, All are given in the
Hirschy Genealogy.

1. John Hirschy,
    m. Barbara Stauffer
1.1 Christian C. Hirschy
    m. Catharine Schindler
1.2 Mary Hirschy
    m. John Biberstein
1.5 Verena Hirschy
    m. John AugsbiLirger
1.6 Catharine Hirschy
    m. Albert Kauffman
1.9 Anna Hirschy
    m. Daniel Liechty
1.10 Salome Hirschy
    m. Emmanuel Wanner
1.11 Ephraim Hirschy
    m. Lucy Hannah Graber
1.13 Rebecca Hirschy
    m. Noah Schindler

2.Anna Hirschy
    m. Paul William
2.3 Eliza Williman
    m. George B. Dunkle
2.7 William Williman
    m. Ida May Smalley
2.8 Lucy Williman
    m. William Shaffer

3. Philip Hirachy
    m. Mary Rich
3.1 John J. Hirschy
    m. Sarah Roth
3.2 Jacob Hirschy
    m. Mary Roth
3.4 David Hirschy
    m. Susan Moser
3.5 Lydia Hirschy
    m. Christian Wurthner
3.6 Elias Hirschy
    m. Magdalena Stucky
    m2. Katharine Lehman
3.8 Joel Hirschy
    m. Sarah Schenbeck
3.9 Christian P. Hirschy
    m. Louisa Felber
3.10 Noah C. Hirschy
    m. Augusta Hunsberger
3.11 Amos Hirschy
    m. Emma Schenbeck

4. Louis Hirschy
    m. Magdalena Burkhalter
    m2. Fannie Lesh
4.3 Lydia Hirschy
    m. Charles Lachman

4.4 Anna Hirschy
    m. Henry Gisel
4.5 Samuel B. Hirschy
    m. Christina Luginbill
4.6 Peter Hirschy
    m. Susanne Bandy
4.8 Jonathan Hirschy
    m. Lena Amstutz
4.11 Jonas Hirschy
    m. Elizabeth Kleck
4.12 Katrina Hirschy
    m. David C. Stucky
4,19 Rosina Hirschy
    m. Jacob Balmer
4.21 Amos Louis Hirschey
    m. Ida E. Smith
4.23 Abraham Hirschey
    m. Verna W. Webb
4.29 Rebecca Hirschy
    m. Peter Kusser
Yes, he had 29 children!

5. Marianna Hirschy
    m. Joseph Klopfenstein
5.2 Peter Klopfenstein
    m. Catherine Nofziger
5.3 Lydia Klopfenstein
    m. Joel Schmucker
5.4 Joel Klopfenstein
    m. Mary A. Breneman
5.6 Mary Klopfenstein
    m. Joseph C. Short
5.7 Joseph Klopfenstein
    m. Arminta Barnes
5.8 Jacob Klopfenstein
    m. Josephine Trumphy
5.9 Samuel Klopfenstein
    m. Sadie Kohlman
5.10 Elizabeth Klopfenstein
    m. Peter Witmer

6. Maria Hirschy
    m. Christian Roth
6.1 Lydia Roth
    m. George Zehr
6.4. Peter D. Roth
    m. Elisabeth Wittwer
6.5 John Roth
    m. Hannah Yaggy
6.6 Rosina Roth
    m. Jacob W. Klopfenstein
6.7 Catharina Roth
    m. Peter Rich
6.8 Jacob Roth
    m. Elisa Liechty

7. Rosina Hirschy
    m. Peter Steiner
    m2. Henry Boyer
7.2 Mary Steiner
    m. David Staninger
7.3 Peter 0. Steiner
    m. Mary Thurlow
    m2. Mattie Biggs
7.5 Lovina Boyer
    m. Emmanuel Frase

8. Christian Horn
    m. Barbara Steiner
(Descendants not known)

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9. Lydia Horn m. Peter Roth 9.1. Christian Horn m. Catherine Stucky 9.6 David Roth m. Mary Hildy 10. Joseph Horn (Descendants not known) FROM THE HIRSCHY GENEALOGY In 1907 Noah C. Hirschy made a pilgrimage to the home in Switzerland where his father was born. Here is a portion of his reflection on that experience. "The road from Vallanvron to Bas des Brandt winds round and round among rocks and pine groves, slowly down through a long field. This large field, the farm with the farm house, the entire estate, is called Bas des Brandt, and was the birth place of my father. On the meadows so splendidly kept stood the second crop of grass. To the left of the road was a patch of oats just beginning to ripen, In front stood the house. Now imagine, if you can, the feelings that dominated my soul! Here it stood, a broad low building after the characteristic style of the Jura region the house built over a century ago. The home of my great grand-father.	The walls are of massive stone at least a foot and a half thick. The wide tile roof on the north side is entirely covered with moss and looks old enough to be the original, while that on the south side is new, A family lives there now, but they know nothing of the earlier inhabitants, who lived there. Except for the court records kept at La Chaux-de-Fonds, I could not have found out for certain whether this is the place, and yet it is only seventy-two years since the Hirschy family moved to America. I was shown through every room of the large structure. There was the kitchen with the wide open fireplace and chimney, apparently unchanged. I seemed to hear the voice of the aged mother who managed to feed seven children as best she could after their father's death. It was in those days when the children were yet small and gathered about her knee around the open fire place, when moral truths were implanted that have since become the rich heritage of entire families. "He who is not too good to take a pin, is not too good to steal a needle," is one of her precepts that reechoed again and again in my childhood days through one of her sons,	The march was continued through the halls and rooms, down stairs and up stairs. I was not satisfied till I has seen it all. The middle front room upstairs is the work shop. And how nearly this found a duplicate over in Indiana is almost incredible! There was the same small wooden mallet, the draw knife, the buck saw hanging on the wall, tools small and tools large, the very pattern of which was reproduced on another continent. More than this, on the wall was also a bunch of dried wormwood and tansy and camomile, always seen in the work shop of my childhood. How true it is that we enter into other's work! How much more true even than this is it that we enter into other's ideas! After the custom of the Jura region, as in fact of all rural Switzerland, the house and barn are both under the same roof, A door from the hallway leading from the kitchen opens at once to the hen house, the calf stable and the pig pens. Beyond these is the stable for the cows and horses. Above, there is the haymow and the granary ..... The full account of this visit can be read in the Genealogy along with photos of the farm made in 1907.

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