#62917 Jacob Stouffer

Jacob was born Abt 1813 in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

The starting point for Jacob is that we have his first name from his son's death certificate, as well as the name of his wife, Susan. The difficulty is in determing which of the many Jacob Stouffer individuals is our Jacob. So far, there's no way to be certain, so the following is a best guess.

I believe our Jacob would be the one who appears on the 1850 Federal Census of Unity Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. His surname is given as Stoffer and he is a farmer.

Based upon this census, there is some possibility that Jacob may have had two wives. Susanna is not listed until 1860 and there is no female of the right age to be Jacob's wife on the census. Further, based upon her age given on the 1860 census, Susanna would have been only twelve or thirteen when the oldest child was conceived, which seems young. Jacob's youngest child on the 1850 census is Margaret, and she is shown as two months old. A possibility is that Margaret's mother died in childbirth.

We also see a Catherine Septer, age 75, living with Jacob. There are a substantial number of Septers living in Unity and the surrounding areas at this time. On the 1840 Census of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland Co. we find a Frederick Septer with a wife of the right age to match Catherine. Frederick doesn't appear on the 1850 Census, suggesting that Catherine may now be a widow, so one possibility is that this is Jacob's mother-in-law and he was first married to a Miss Septer. Since I find it somewhat implausible that Susanna would have started having children when barely into her teens, I've followed this possibility here and listed the first three children as children of a first wife.

He appears as a farmer on the 1860 Federal Census of Unity Twp., Pennsylvania with real estate worth $300 and personal goods worth $155.

In 1870 I have difficulty identifying Jacob, or even being certain if he is still alive. There is a Jacob in Unity Twp., but this is a parallel individual who appeared with the 1860 census and is married to Rachel with different children.

Some researchers have identified our Jacob & Susan as a couple living in Mahoning Co., Ohio, appearing there on the 1870 and 1880 censuses. However, I have found that couple on the 1860 Census under the name Stofer, so they are unlikely to be a match. There is a J. T. Stouffer living in nearby East Huntingdon. He is married to a Susan. However, the names of the children shown don't overlap except for a Martha, but she has a birth date differing by seven years from the Martha shown on the 1850 and 1860 censuses. If this is a match, Susan's birthdate moves back by about 6 years, putting her closer to Jacob in age.

Perhaps the best possibility on the 1870 Federal Census is a Jacob in nearby Latrobe, living with Mary Stouffer, age 29. There's no previous evidence of a daughter, Mary, especially one born around 1841, but she may be a niece or cousin since the 1870 census does not list relationships.

There is a Jacob buried in Unity Cemetery in Latrobe. The grave marker states he was 72 years old when he died on 3 Sep 1886, putting his birth at Abt 1814. I haven't seen the grave myself so I don't know who, if anyone, is buried near him but the FindAGrave entry is not linked to any other name.

Jacob married first #50896 «Unknown» Septer.

Marriage notes

They married.

 

«Unknown» died Bef 1860.

She appears to be the daughter of Frederick & Catherine Septer.

Children of this relationship:

#62926MiJohn Stouffer(Abt 1836–)
#62925FiiCathren Stouffer(Abt 1837–)
#62919FiiiMargaret E. Stouffer(May 1850–)

Jacob married second #62918 Susanna Campbell.

Marriage notes

They married.

 

Other names for Susanna: Susanna Stouffer.

Susanna was born Abt 1824 in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

Children of this relationship:

#62920MiMathias G. Stouffer(Abt 1851–)
#162MiiWilliam Henry Stouffer(18 Jun 1854–24 Mar 1932)
#62921FiiiMartha L. Stouffer(Abt 1857–)
#62922FivRuth Ann Stouffer(Abt 1858–)

1840 U.S. Census, Mount Pleasant., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Roll: 498; Page: 401; Image: 810; Family History Library Film: 0020559.

1850 U.S. Census, Unity Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009., Roll: M432_837; Page: 342B; Image: 354.

1860 U.S. Census, Unity Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009, Roll: M653_1196; Page: 1187; Image: 557; Family History Library Film: 805196.

1870 U.S. Census, Latrobe, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009, Roll: M593_1465; Page: 145A; Family History Library Film: 552964.

Jacob Stouffer, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #115366190.

William Henry Stauffer, death certificate, no. 31735, registered no. 106 (25 Mar 1932), Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health, Pennsylvania.


Line Generation: 1

Relationship: Great-Great-Great-Grandfather