Martha Ellen Shafer ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11}

  Baptism Notes:

Pastoral Records of Christ Reformed United Church of Christ, Middletown, Frederick, Md. 1830-1996 By Patricia A. Fogle.
Baptisms recorded by Rev. Dr. Charles F. McCauley
Nov. 1845 - Dec 1855. Pg 22.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She has alternate birth date of September 1856 and a birth location of Maryland.

This birth date was given on her 1900 US Census.
. ⁴

• She appeared on the 1860 US Census in Middletown, MD on 20 June 1860. ⁹

1860 US Census
Page 63, Roll 474, Dwelling 453, Family 483
Middletown, Frederick County, Maryland
Martha Shafer..7..MD
(Living with parents, and paternal uncle, Robert.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 31 Aug 1853, then her age should have been 6 instead of 7.
.

• She appeared on the 1870 US Census in Middletown, MD on 27 July 1870. ¹⁰

1870 US Census
Page 23, Dwelling 160, Family 169
Middletown, Frederick County, Maryland
Martha E. Shafer..16..MD..House Keeper
(Living with parents.)
.

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Middletown District, Frederick County, MD on 9 June 1880. ³

1880 US Census
Page 169A, District 72, Dwelling 178, Family 192, Roll 0509
Middletown District, Frederick County, Maryland
Martha E. Shafer..Wife..26..MD..Keeping House
(Living with husband and 2 children.)
.

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in District 1, Washington County, MD on 1 June 1900. ⁴

1900 US Census
Sheet 9A, District 67, Dwelling 143, Family 149
District 1, Washington County, Maryland
Farm rented
Married 23 years
Martha Schafer..Wife..Sep 1856..44..MD..9/8
(Living with husband and 8 children.)

NOTE - Her birth date is believed to be 31 Aug 1853 instead of in Sep 1856. Therefore her age should have been 46 instead of 44.
.

• She appeared on the 1910 US Census in Downsville, MD on 5 May 1910. ⁵

1910 US Census
Sheet 10A, District 142, Family 179, Roll 569
Downsville, Washington County, Maryland
Farm rented
Married 33 years
Martha E. Shaffer..Wife..57..MD..9/8
(Living with husband and 2 sons.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 31 Aug 1853, then her age should have been 56 instead of 57.
.

• She appeared on the 1920 US Census in Downsville, MD on 5 January 1920. ⁶

1920 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 191, Dwelling 18, Family 18, Roll 676
Downsville, Washington County, Maryland
Farm owned, no mortgage
Martha E. Shafer..Wife..67..MD
(Living with husband, divorced daughter, Lola, and 2 grandchildren.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 31 Aug 1853, then her age should have been 66 instead of 67.
.

• She appeared on the 1930 US Census in Downsville, MD on 4 April 1930. ⁷

1930 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 51, Dwelling 12, Family 12, Roll 881
Downsville, Washington County, Maryland
Martha L. Shaffer..Wife..76..MD
(Living with husband, divorced daughter, Lola, and 1 granddaughter.)
.

• She was buried after 25 December 1936 in the Christ Reformed Cemetery in Middletown, MD.

Find A Grave Memorial #30446504
. ¹¹

Martha married Robert Emory Shafer, son of John Hanson Shafer and Margaret Welker, on 5 September 1877 in , Frederick County, MD.^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7} (Robert Emory Shafer was born on 16 November 1856 in Downsville, MD,^{6 12 13 14} died on 15 March 1936 in Middletown, MD ¹⁴ and was buried on 18 March 1936 in Mountain View Cemetery, Sharpsburg, Washington, Maryland, United States ¹⁴.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Middletown District, Frederick County, MD on 9 June 1880. ³

1880 US Census
Page 169A, District 72, Dwelling 178, Family 192, Roll 0509
Middletown District, Frederick County, Maryland
Robert E. Shafer..Self..22..MD..Laborer
Martha E. Shafer..Wife..26..MD..Keeping House
Roy Hanson Shafer..Son..2..MD
Mary A. Shafer..Daughter..7m..MD..Oct
.

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in District 1, Washington County, MD on 1 June 1900. ⁴

1900 US Census
Sheet 9A, District 67, Dwelling 143, Family 149
District 1, Washington County, Maryland
Farm rented
Married 23 years
Robert C. Schafer..Head..Nov 1857..43..MD..Farmer
Martha Schafer..Wife..Sep 1856..44..MD..9/8
Roy H. Schafer..Son..Dec 1878..21..MD..Farm Laborer
Mollie A. Schafer..Daughter..Oct 1879..20..MD
Ira R. Schafer..Son..Jan 1881..19..MD..Farm Laborer
Harvey C. Schafer..Son..Jan 1881..19..MD..Farm Laborer
Lola C. Schafer..Daughter..Apr 1883..17..MD
Robert C. Schafer..Son..Jan 1886..14..MD..Farm Laborer
Lottie A. Schafer..Daughter..Aug 1888..11..MD..At School
Charles E. Schafer..Son..Mar 1889..11..MD..At School
.

• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Downsville, MD on 5 May 1910. ⁵

1910 US Census
Sheet 10A, District 142, Family 179, Roll 569
Downsville, Washington County, Maryland
Farm rented
Married 33 years
Robert E. Shaffer..Head..54..MD..Farmer
Martha E. Shaffer..Wife..57..MD..9/8
Robert E. Shaffer Jr..Son..24..MD..Farm Laborer
Charles E. Shaffer..Son..21..MD..Farm Laborer
.

• They appeared on the 1920 US Census in Downsville, MD on 5 January 1920. ⁶

1920 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 191, Dwelling 18, Family 18, Roll 676
Downsville, Washington County, Maryland
Farm owned, no mortgage
Robert E. Shafer..Head..63..MD..Laborer, Farm
Martha E. Shafer..Wife..67..MD
Lola E. Snyder..Daughter..36..MD..Divorced
Charlotte E. Snyder..Granddaughter..11..MD
Russell Shafer..Grandson..5..MD
.

• They appeared on the 1930 US Census in Downsville, MD on 4 April 1930. ⁷

1930 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 51, Dwelling 12, Family 12, Roll 881
Downsville, Washington County, Maryland
Robert E. Shaffer..Head..74..MD..Laborer, General Farm
Martha L. Shaffer..Wife..76..MD
Lola Shaffer..Daughter..46..MD
Elizabeth Shaffer..Daughter..21..MD

NOTE - Although listed as a daughter, it is believed that Elizabeth was a daughter of Lola Shafer and should have been listed as a granddaughter.
.

  Marriage Notes:

Robert and Martha were 2nd cousins.
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Name: Robert E. Shafer
Spouse's Name: Martha E. Shafer
Event Date: 05 Sep 1877
Event Place: Evangelical Lutheran Or Lutheran Congregation Of Middletown, Middletown, Frederick, Maryland

Citing this Record
"Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4VM-F8Z : 11 February 2018), Robert E. Shafer and Martha E. Shafer, 05 Sep 1877; citing Evangelical Lutheran Or Lutheran Congregation Of Middletown, Middletown, Frederick, Maryland, reference ; FHL microfilm 13,934.
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There currently exists (12/2019) an indexed record on FamilySearch of a marriage between Robert E. Shafer and Martha E. Shafer based on a computer printout of marriages at the Middletown Evangelical Church in Middletown, Frederick, Maryland.

Unfortunately, FamilySearch has put this reference into a Record Collection entitled "New York, Church Records, 1660-1954" showing the event location as Middletown, Saratoga, New York instead of Middletown, Frederick, Maryland. The Shafers were never in New York and the marriage did in fact take place in Maryland.

Furthermore, there is no such location as Middletown in Saratoga County, New York. Some records before and after this particular document even incorrectly reference Rhode Island.

FamilySearch has been notified of this error and they are working to correct the indexing and Record Collection errors.

(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG5V-TJ7M)

Brian L. Lightfoot
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