Maria Garlitz Shumar

My ggg-grandfather married Maria GARLETS, daughter of Henry, son of John of Christian I. My ggg-grandfather was George SHUMAR of Fayette County, PA.

In looking at George's history, I could not find the name of his first wife, but his second wife (married about 1856), was Maria GARLETS. In the 1860 census, Henry GARLETS is married to Elizabeth, and living next to George and Maria SHUMAR. Looking back to 1850, George is still married to his first wife, and Henry GARLETS is married to Elizabeth, but they are living with James STAFFORD.

I had always assumed that Henry and Elizabeth were the parents of Maria GARLETS, but then I found Henry in the 1840 census, and there was no woman living with him who could be the mother of his children. So Elizabeth was Henry's second wife.

It turns out that Elizabeth was also in her second marriage. Her first husband was Theophilus SHEPPARD, hence the name you have, Elizabeth SHEPPARD. More recently I have found websites guiding me to the actual situation.

Elizabeth STAFFORD (daughter of James) married Theophilus SHEPPARD about 1813 or so. They had at least 14 children. Theophilus died sometime after 1840. Elizabeth must have married Henry GARLETS sometime in the 1840s. It is possible that the child Jane GARLETS listed with Henry and Elizabeth in the 1850 census is their daughter. I originally discounted that, because Elizabeth would have been about 50 when she was born. But given Elizabeth's obvious fertility with Theophilus SHEPPARD, it is possible that she had another child with Henry in 1845. I'm not sure enough of that to include Jane in my database, but if she is, that woudl put Elizabeth and Henry's marriage date at sometime about 1844.

Main message is, I don't know Henry's first wife, but I believe she was the mother of the children listed at garlitz.org. Henry married Elizabeth (STAFFORD) SHEPPARD after 1840. Maria GARLETS married George SHUMAR about 1856, and had at least 6 SHUMAR children. We are in touch with the SHUMAR descendants of Maria GARLETS.

I am not yet prepared to post the genealogy I'm working on, which will include the children of George SHUMAR and Maria GARLETS, but I should be ready in about September. Matt Sanders