1823 – 1901
Christopher’s 3rd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 58 · generation 6
Evidence: identity documented
Family
- Spouse: Verena Habegger (1822–1894)
- Family notes: Christian Stauffer + Verena Habegger (m. unknown)
- Children in this vault: Elizabeth Stauffer (1855–1919)
Life and evidence
Correction (2026-10-31): born 1802 in Alsace, not 1823
Born 15 Sep 1802 at Oberhaus, Alsace; came to New York in 1820, to Wayne County, Ohio in spring 1830; married May 1832 at Wooster (by a Dunkard preacher) Maria Steiner, widow of his uncle Hans (Johannes) Stauffer; to Adams County 16 Apr 1840, a little over three miles north-west of Berne. Maria died 21 Apr 1851. He married the widow Verena Habegger Burkhalter on 23 Mar 1854. Died 20 Jan 1892. (Habegger, Swiss of Adams and Wells, M10)
Two other county histories agree: “Christian Stauffer (1802–1892) and Verena Habegger Stauffer (1822–1894)” (1979 History of Adams County), and “her father was born in Alsace” (Standard History of Adams and Wells Counties). The earlier dates 1823–1901 were probably another Christian Stauffer’s grave. He was 53 when Elizabeth was born.
Elizabeth was a twin: Elizabeth and Anna, born 3 Sep 1855. Children with Verena: Elisabeth and Anna (1855), Marianna (1857, m. Christian C. Neuenschwander), Sarah (1859), Katharina (1861).
Native of Switzerland (Snow 1907); farming in Monroe Township by 1855. Named on daughter Elizabeth’s death certificate.
In their lifetime
- 1833 — 1833 First Swiss Mennonite settler in Putnam County, Ohio
- 1835 — 1835 The Ramseyers sail on the Richmond
- 1852 — 1852 Swiss Mennonites found Berne, Indiana
- 1869 — 1869 The Fieguths move from Prussia to Am Trakt
- 1874 — 1874 Military service ends the exemptions
Death notice, Christlicher Bundesbote, January 1892
“Stauffer. On 20 January near Berne, Ind., Christian Stauffer, aged 89 years and 4 months, after a long illness. S. F. Sprunger preached on Col. 1:12–15.” (Consistent with birth 15 Sep 1802.) No parents named.
Research tasks
- Trace the Stauffer and Habegger lines to their Swiss/Jura origins task/ai
Sources
Narratives and research
- Stories: Double ancestors
- History: 1833 First Swiss Mennonite settler in Putnam County, Ohio, 1835 The Ramseyers sail on the Richmond, 1852 Swiss Mennonites found Berne, Indiana, 1869 The Fieguths move from Prussia to Am Trakt, 1874 Military service ends the exemptions, Faith traditions
- Sources: Find a Grave, Habegger - The Swiss of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana, Snow - History of Adams County Indiana (1907)
Open questions
- Born 1823, died 1901 (Find a Grave, earlier vault entry) vs. born 15 Sep 1802 in Alsace, died 20 Jan 1892 (Habegger M10; 1979 Adams County history; Standard History 1918: father born in Alsace)
Research log
- 2026-10-31: Habegger, Swiss of Adams and Wells (M10) re-read: born 15 Sep 1802 at Oberhaus, Alsace; uncle Hans Stauffer; parents not given
- 2026-10-31: Christlicher Bundesbote 1892 searched for his death notice (Jan 1892): not found in the OCR text
- 2026-10-31: archive.org full-text search ‘Christian Stauffer’ Oberhaus: no other source
- 2026-11-01: Christlicher Bundesbote Jan 1892: ‘Stauffer. Am 20. Januar bei Berne, Ind., Christian Stauffer, im Alter von 89 Jahren und 4 Monaten, nach längerem Leiden’; sermon S. F. Sprunger on Col. 1:12–15. No parents named
Record compiled 31 October 2026.
About this research
Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.