Johann George Mertz ¹

  General Notes:

Whole family arrived in NYC then traveled west through Pennsylvania and stopped in Wayne County, Ohio for a prolonged time in order to work, save, and outfit themselves for the rest of their journey.

In about 1841, after leaving Ohio, they decided to stay in Indiana rather than traveling on to Texas as originally planned. They secured 40 acres of government land and then another 40 acres in French Township, Adams County, Indiana, USA.

Johannes, not 72, depended on sons Michael and George to clear land and to build the homestead. ³

  Noted events in his life were:

• Immigration: Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany, 23 Apr 1839, New York, New York County, New York, USA. ³

• United States Census: Residence, 1860, Fairfield, Dekalb County, Indiana, USA.

• United States Census: Residence, 1880, Fairfield, Dekalb County, Indiana, USA.

Johann married Marianna "Mary Ann" Saurer on 8 Mar 1846 in Wells County, Indiana, USA. (Marianna "Mary Ann" Saurer was born on 31 Jan 1824 in Sigriswil, Tsigriswil, , Bern, Switzerland, died on 18 Dec 1913 in Fairfield, Dekalb County, Indiana, USA and was buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Fairfield Center, Dekalb County, Indiana, USA.)