c.1795 – 1873
Christopher’s 4th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 98 · generation 7
Evidence: identity family compilation
Family
- Spouse: Louise Eckinger (c.1797–1873)
- Family notes: Jacob Reich + Louise Eckinger (m. unknown)
- Children in this vault: Barbara Reich (1826–1894)
Life and evidence
Stark County cemetery book (vol. 1, Amish-Mennonite Cemetery #93)
Barbara’s stone stands near Daniel Rich (c.1807–1857) and his wife Catharine (c.1819–1871), with a child Emmeline Rich (d. 1884, d/o D & B, a later Daniel). Daniel may be Jacob’s brother or a cousin: a lead only. No stone for Jacob or Louise was copied.
- Stark County naturalization index 1809–1852 (lending copy, archive.org
indextonaturaliz0000laur): look for Jacob Reich/Rich task/human
Barbara Reich’s father, per Staker and both 1986 family sources (tree gives 179?–187?). No record yet. Peter Ramseyer ‘worked for his father-in-law’ (1910 county history).
In their lifetime
- 1798 — 1798 Old Bern falls; religious freedom
- 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
Sources
-
Read the German Herold der Wahrheit page images for the death year (archive.org
derheroldderwahr*; Fraktur OCR unusable) for an obituary task/ai
Narratives and research
- History: 1798 Old Bern falls; religious freedom, 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
- Research: Ramseyer side - short lines
- Sources: Illustrated family tree (Ramseyer, July 1986), Staker - Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County Part 5, The Schrock Ramseyer Story (1986)
Research log
- 2026-10-31: Cemetery inscriptions, Stark County, Ohio (DAR/LDS, vols. 1-6, archive.org) searched for Reich/Rich/Eckinger: Barbara Rich Ramseyer is in the Amish-Mennonite Cemetery #93, Washington Twp., beside Daniel Rich (d. 8 May 1857 aged 50-1-11, so b. c.Mar 1807) and Catharine (w/o Daniel, d. 1871 aged 52); no stone for Jacob or Louise. Daniel is too young to be Jacob’s father; possibly a brother (unproven)
- 2026-10-31: archive.org full text: ‘Jacob Reich’ + Stark, ‘Rich, Jacob’ + naturalization: no relevant hit. The Stark County naturalization index 1809-1852 (Laurer) is lending-only; worth checking for Jacob Reich task/human
- 2026-11-01: Herald of Truth (English) for the death year searched by name, date and place (Stark/Wayne): no obituary found. Stark County Amish Mennonite deaths were probably reported in the German Herold der Wahrheit (not yet searched)
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.