About Abraham

"He was a tall and well-built man, standing over six feet, and was possessed of great strength and endurance. He was a wheelwright by trade. He met a tragic end. During the summer of 1825 there was a drought in the upper end of Berks county. "

Abraham was murdered.   On the slope of the mountain in West Penn township, Schuylkill county (on the road from Jacksonville to Tamaqua), which he had to pass, there was an old hostelry around which many stories of robbery, and even the murder of peddlers and cattle dealers centered. He was murder by Jacob Hawkenstein

Read about the murder in Abraham Merkel Biography

(22 Oct 1814 - 29 Apr 1843).
RELATIONSHIP: Ltr Betty Lichty t o HRJ 8 Aug 1993 contains a photocopy of p. 22 of Merckel family history which quotes a narrative on record at the Berks County Historical Society, by Dr. S. K. Loy:

" After Jacob Hill had settled in the Muncy Valley, the Indians were peaceably inclined, but on a Sunday in 1778 h e--Jacob Hill--was ambushed by the Indians and killed. His friend, a Mr. Merkel from Berks County who was on duty at Fort Muncy, escaped.

Ludwig Merkel would have been 55; son Abraham, would have been 12.

ESTATE: Ltr Meye rs to HRJ 5 Jun 1992 contains photocopy from Abstracts of Berks Co. Wills and Administrations : MERKEL - Abraham Merkel, Albany, 20 Sep 1825, adm. Henry Ruppert, friend, widow renounced.

Orphans' Court 6 Apr 1827 per records in Vol. IX, p. 206, note that Elizabeth Merkel, daught er of the late Abraham Merckel, of Albany township, Berks county, petitioned the court as a minor above 14 years of age, asking that John Shollenberger be appointed her guardian. Henry Ruppert appeared as a friend of Catharine Merkel and Joseph Merkel, minor children of Abraham Merckel, deceased, and William Sweyer was appointed guardian for Catharine, and John Shollenberger for Joseph.

Orphans Court records of Berks County, Will Book vol.9, p. 423, recount s a session 8 Aug 1828 responding to a petition of Abraham Merkel, Jr., eldest son and heir of Abraham Merkel, deceased, late of Albany Twp, who died intestate leaving a widow Susanna and four children, namely Abraham, Jr. and three still in their minority, namely Elizabeth, Catherine and Joseph. The sheriff responded to the court on 7 Nov 1828 with an appraisal of $550 and said the real property could be subdivided without damage.

Links to sources or related info listed on this site

Abraham Merkel Biography
Abraham  Donat Merkel Biography
Merkles - General Biography of Merkles in the Area
James K. Merkel Biography 1
James K. Merkel Biography 2
Donat Biograpy

The Mengel Family Tree

My line
My Great Great Great Great Grandparents
I am the Great Great Great Great Grandson or Granddaughter.
 Their Great Great Great Grandson and wife A. H. Mengel and Margaret R. Connors
Their Great Great Grandson and wife James S. Mengel and E. Grace Huber
Their  Great-Granddaughter and husband  Samuel Mengel and Clara A. Merkel
Their -Grandson and wife James Kroninger. Merkel and Emma Louis Keim
Their Son and Husband Abraham Donat and Maria Ann Kroninger
You are here Abraham  Merkel and Susanna  Donat
   Parents of Abraham   Merkel aare Johann Ludwig  Merckell and Maria Elisabeth
Parents of Susanna  Donat are Johannes Jacob Donat and Catherine Holtzhauser

These links below are to  the climbing tree
No information except parents and grandparents here.
[ Abraham  Merkel Tree ] [ Abraham Merkel and Susanna Donat ] [ Susanna Donat Tree ]

[ Abraham  Donat Merkel Tree ] [ Abraham Donat Merkel and Maria ( Polly ) Kroninger ] [ Maria ( Polly ) Kroninger Tree ]

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