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William Lightfoot
(1771-1843)
Esther Schmidt
(1783-1835)
George Keller Gantz
(1791-1858)
Penelope Lightfoot
(1804-Between 1842/1850)
John Lightfoot Gantz
(1834-1924)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Margaret Rule

John Lightfoot Gantz 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13

  • Born: 8 May 1834, York Township, York County, PA 3 4 5 6 8 10 11 12 13 14
  • Marriage (1): Margaret Rule on 11 September 1856 in , Morrow County, OH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
  • Died: 16 July 1924, Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN at age 90 6 8 13
  • Buried: After 16 July 1924, Argos, IN 8 13
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bullet  Noted events in his life were:

• He worked as a Carpenter/worked in Sawmill. 15

• He appeared on the 1850 US Census in Perry Township, Morrow, OH on 10 August 1850. 11

1850 US Census
Page 428A, Dwelling 1090, Family 1100, Roll 716
Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio
John Gantz..16..PA
(Living with widowed father.)
.

• He appeared on the 1870 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on 24 June 1870. 12

1870 US Census
Page 35, Dwelling 283, Family 278
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
John Gantz..36..PA..Day Laborer
(Living with wife and 6 children.)
.

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on June 1880. 3

page 213A, T9-0298
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
John Gantz...Head..46..PA..Farmer
(Living with wife and 7 children.)
.

• He appeared on the 1900 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on 19 June 1900. 4

1900 US Census
Sheet 9A, District 83, Dwelling 187, Family 187
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
Farm owned, no mortgage
Married 44 years
John L. Gantz..Head..May 1834..66..PA..Farmer
(Living with wife, daughter, and granddaughter.)
.

• He appeared on the 1910 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on April 1910. 5

Sheet 6A, Household 127, District 115
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
Head..John L Gantz..75..PA
(Living with wife.)
.



• He was buried after 16 July 1924 in the Gilead Church Cemetery in Argos, IN.

Find A Grave Memorial #60375896. 13


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John married Margaret Rule, daughter of George Ruhl and Mary Magdalene Ruhl, on 11 September 1856 in , Morrow County, OH.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Margaret Rule was born on 22 November 1834 in North Woodbury, OH,3 4 5 7 8 9 died on 25 October 1919 in South Bend, IN 7 8 and was buried after 25 October 1919 in Argos, IN 7.)

bullet  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1870 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on 24 June 1870. 12

1870 US Census
Page 35, Dwelling 283, Family 278
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
John Gantz..36..PA..Day Laborer
Margaret Gantz..36..OH..Keeping House
Franklin Gantz..12..OH
Martha J. Gantz..11..OH
Alverta Gantz..8..OH
George R. Gantz..6..OH
Hannah Gantz..3..IN
Eva M. Gantz..1..IN
.

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on June 1880. 3

page 213A, T9-0298
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
John Gantz...Head..46..PA..Farmer
Margaret Gantz...Wife..45..OH..Keeps House
Alverta Gantz...Dau..18..OH
George Gantz...Son..16..OH..Works On Farm
Hannah W. Gantz...Dau..13..IN
Eva M. Gantz...Dau..11..IN
Ida B. Gantz...Dau..8..IN
Minnie E. Gantz...Dau..5..IN
John Gantz...Son..2..IN

NOTE - The oldest daughter, Martha Jane, is not shown at home in the 1880 Census. She would have been about 21 years old and had moved to Reno, Kansas. I don't yet have any info to show if she was married or why she went to Kansas. Her uncle, Henry Rule had also moved his family to Reno, Kansas so maybe she went to be near him. Also gone from the household in 1880 is the oldest son, Franklin, who would have been about 22 years old. He was living with another family and working on his own.
------------------------------------------------------------
.

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on 19 June 1900. 4

1900 US Census
Sheet 9A, District 83, Dwelling 187, Family 187
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
Farm owned, no mortgage
Married 44 years
John L. Gantz..Head..May 1834..66..PA..Farmer
Margaret Gantz..Wife..Nov 1834..65..OH..10/6
Eva M. Gantz..Dau..Apr 1869..31..IN..Servant
Fern Gantz..GDau..Mar 1890..10..IN..At School

NOTE - I can not tell for sure who the parents of Fern Gantz were with only a description of "Granddaughter". With a surname of Gantz, one would expect her father to be one of the sons but I can find no record of any of them having a daughter named Fern nor any reason why their daughter would have to be living with the grandparents. Another thought is that Fern may be an illegitimate daughter born to one of the daughters. And the fact that the 31 year old Eva was still living at home and listed as single makes her a prime suspect to be the mother of Fern. Several other daughters were married but their exact marriage dates are not yet known. It may be possible that any one of these daughters lost their husband through divorce or death and Fern was sent to be raised by the grandparents. There just is not enough information to know for sure exactly who Fern Gantz was.
-------------------------------------------------------
.

• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Walnut Township, Marshall County, IN on April 1910. 5

Sheet 6A, Household 127, District 115
Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana
Head..John L Gantz..75..PA
Wife..Margaret Gantz..75..OH
.


bullet  Marriage Notes:


John Lightfoot Gantz was born in York County, Pennsylvania in 1834. At the age of 3, he was taken with the family to a small community of Woodbury in Morrow County, Ohio. John grew to manhood here and on 11 Sep 1856, he married Margaret Rule. Five children were born here, then the family moved to Bourbon, Indiana, where one child was born. Then they moved to a farm 2 miles southwest of Argos, Indiana, where the land had to be cleared, and the house built. Later a few acres at a time were added until he had acquired 22 acres. Here four more children were born. Tragedy struck during the process of clearing the land, when in 1881, a daughter, Ida, age 10 years got too close to stumps that were burning. Her dress caught fire and she burned to death.

Grandfather Gantz spent much time working as a carpenter in the summer time and during the other times he worked at the David and Asher Boyce saw mill. He built his barn in 1876 and also, what is now very rare, the above ground type of cave where he stored fruits and vegetables. He was noted in the community as a good base singer and was a member of the Methodist Church choir for 30 or more years.

Visitors were always made welcome at the farm, especially in the summer time for the grandchildren, with fish to be caught in the creek running through the barn lot, the smell of hams and bacon cured in the old fashioned smokehouse (and chickens for the minister on Sunday, who made a point of informing Grandmother in advance of his coming) and always the blackberries and sweet corn in August.

I cannot remember of ever seeing Grandmother (Margaret Rule) Gantz angry; she also was a very hard worker. At the age of 76, Grandfather John Gantz suffered a stroke of apoplexy which gradually affected his sight until the age of 78, he was completely blind but they stayed on the farm until 1919 when old age and infirmities compelled them to leave. Grandmother died at the age of 84 in the home of a daughter, Hannah, and Grandfather died six years later at the age of 90 in the home of his son, Frank. The are buried in Gilead Cemetery about 6 miles southwest of Argos, Indiana.

(Written July 10, 1948)
----------------------------------------------

Name: John Gantz
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 11 Sep 1856
Event Place: Morrow, Ohio, United States
Age: 21
Birth Year (Estimated): 1835
Father's Name: G. K. Gantz
Mother's Name: Pernelipo Gantz
Spouse's Name: Margaret Rule
Spouse's Age: 20
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1836
Spouse's Father's Name: George Rule
Spouse's Mother's Name: Mary Rule
Reference ID: pg 218-219
GS Film Number: 317297
Digital Folder Number: 004016297
Image Number: 00086

Citing this Record:
"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZSJ-XWV : 8 December 2014), G. K. Gantz in entry for John Gantz and Margaret Rule, 11 Sep 1856; citing Morrow, Ohio, United States, reference pg 218-219; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 317,297.
-------------------------------------

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Sources


1 Jane Peppler, "Ancestors of Helen Hodges and William Peppler" (http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=jpeppler; Updated: 2005-03-22 21:15:02 UTC (Tue)).

2 W. H. Perrin and J. H. Battle, History of Morrow County, Ohio, 1880 (August 1880 by O. L. Baskin & Historical Publishers), page 249.

3 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana, p. 213A, John Lightfoot Gantz and Margaret Ruhl; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 11 Nov 2013); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 0298.

4 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana, enumeration district (ED) 83, sheet 9A, dwelling 187, family 187, John Lightfoot Gantz and Margaret Rule; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 20 Nov 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623.

5 1910 U.S. census, population schedule, Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana, enumeration district (ED) 115, sheet 6A, family 127, John Lightfoot Gantz and Margaret Ruhl; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 11 Nov 2013); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624.

6 Richard D. Lightfoot, "Descendants of Daniel Lighfoot," supplied 2013 by Lightfoot, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Plymouth, IN.

7 Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/ : accessed 11 Nov 2013), http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=60375976.

8 Cynthia C. Turk, World Family Tree Vol. 008, Ed. 1, Tree #2982, CD-ROM Database (Novato, California: Brψderbund Software, Inc, January 12, 1997).

9 Margaret Lindal Sprinkle Sopp, "Margaret's Genealogy Collection," database and images, Family Tree Maker User's Pages (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/o/p/Margaret-L-Sopp/index.html).

10 R. Carlton Seitz, Walker Family Genealogy (Personal Web Site).

11 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio, p. 428A (stamped), dwelling 1090, family 1100, George Keller Gantz; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 18 Sep 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 716.

12 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Walnut Township, Marshall County, Indiana, p. 35, dwelling 283, family 278, John Lightfoot Gantz and Margaret Rule; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 19 Nov 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M593.

13 Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/ : accessed 12 Nov 2013), http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=60375896.

14 Nancy Cooper Bannister, "Nancy Cooper Bannister's Genealogy Site" (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/n/Nancy--L-Bannister/index.html).

15 Shirley Walter (GEDCOM file received March 2004 for Solomon Lightfoot and descendants.).


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