Decendants of Theobald Gerst

FATHER: 111; MOTHER: 111s

MARRIAGE: remained single.

ELIZABETH GARST, DAUGHTER OF FREDERICK "INDIAN" GARST

The will of Frederick ("Indian") Garst Sr. provides convincing evidence that his daughter Elizabeth, listed as his youngest child with an estimated birth year of 1805 in William Tell Garst's Our Garst Family in America, is the same person as the Elizabeth Garst who was born ca. 1789-1790, the single mother of four who managed a 92-acre farm south of Salem, Virginia, in the 1830s and 1840s. Her only son was the Thomas Garst who is listed in the back of the William Tell Garst family historyas a "disconnected family". When looked at as a whole, the following documents tell her story.

The Will of Frederick Garst

Frederick's will dated 29 Jan 1838, proven 19 Sept 1842 (Roanoke Co. Will Book 1, pp. 15-16), lists his daughter Elizabeth after Frederick, Anna, and Magdalene, and before Jacob, John, Peter, George, and William. (Henry had already died.) This might indicate a birth order different from that in the Garst history and would be consistent with Elizabeth's age in censuses of 1810 through 1850. Elizabeth was probably a year older than Jacob, who was born 20 Dec 1790, but could have been his twin, as both were listed as being sixty in the 1850 census. Although Frederick mentions the husbands of Anna and Magdalene, he does not mention a husband for Elizabeth.

In regard to Elizabeth, the will states: "6th I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth fifty cents for her full share of my real and personal Estate, besides confirming to her the two tracts of lands lying on Lewis mill branch in this county, and other property, which I have already given her."

The land records involving Frederick Garst and Elizabeth Garst

On 2 March 1818, Frederick Garst was granted eighty acres on the southeast fork of Lewis Mill Branch (Virginia State Land Office Grant No. 67, 1817-1818, p. 145). This land lies just south of present-day Salem, on the south bank of the Roanoke River.

On 25 June 1829, Frederick Garst deeded the same eighty acres to Elizabeth Garst for the sum of $100 (Botetourt Co. Deed Book 19, p. 256). A 6 May 1830 survey of John Houtz's farm describes it as adjoining Elizabeth Garst's farm (Botetourt Co. Survey Book 4, p. 171).

On 29 Dec 1833, Elizabeth Garst had twelve acres surveyed (Botetourt Co. Survey Book 5, p. 16). The survey mentions that the land was "part of an exchange land office treasury warrant of 1,000 acres...issued the 14th of December 1819 to FrederickGarst who assigned 12 acres to the said Elizabeth Garst." This land was also on "Mill creek a branch of Roanoke River" and is described as being adjacent to David Shanks and John Houtz's tracts as well as "to her own land".

On 20 May 1843, these twelve acres were granted to Elizabeth (Virginia State Land Office Grant No. 94, 1842-1843). The grant again mentions the adjacent properties of David Shanks and John Houts (sic).

On 29 May 1844, Elizabeth Garst deeded her eighty-acre tract and her adjoining twelve-acre tract on the east fork of Lewis Mill branch to Thomas Garst for the sum of $150 (Roanoke Co. Deed Book B, p. 243).

On 18 Aug 1848, Thomas Garst deeded the land to Madison Pitzer and Bernard Pitzer (Roanoke Co. Deed Book C, p. 495). Thomas moved to Wabash Co., Indiana, shortly thereafter.

Marriage records for the children of Elizabeth Garst (proving maternity)

8 Oct 1838: Phillip Brown and Thomas Garst paid the bond for the marriage of Phillip Brown and Elizabeth Garst. An attached note states: "This is to certify that I doth agree for the clerk of this county: to Issue licence to Philip Brown to marry my Daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth Garst (her mark)."

11 Nov 1841: Thomas Garst and E. Brubaker (Elizabeth Brubaker, daughter of Jacob and Susannah Grisso Brubaker) were married by Joshua Burnett (reported 1 Feb 1842).

24 Dec 1841: Michael T. Hartman and Thomas Garst paid the bond for the marriage of Michael T. Hartman and Catharine Garst.

28 Dec 1842: Samuel Ritchie and Thomas Garst paid the bond for the marriage of Samuel Ritchie and Emiline Garst.

The first marriage record proves that Elizabeth Garst was the mother of Elizabeth Garst Brown. That she was also the mother of Katharine Garst Hartman seems evident from the fact that she was living with the Hartmans in 1850. That Thomas Garst was her son is inferred from the land records cited, from the fact that he and Elizabeth Garst Brown moved their families to Wabash Co., Indiana, at the same time in 1848, and because he paid the marriage bonds for the three women (apparently because he was the only male in their family).

Census Records for Frederick Garst and Elizabeth Garst's Families

1810 Census, Botetourt Co., VA (M252, Roll 66, p. 626): Frederick Garst Sr. - two males 10-16, one male 16-26, one male 45+; one female 16-26, one female 45+. Anna and Mary Magdalene were both married; Elizabeth was the only other daughter, so presumably she is the female 16-26, which would be consistent with her age of about twenty in 1810.

1820 Census, Botetourt Co., VA (M30, Roll 130, p. 58): Frederick Gharst - one male 0-10, one male 10-16, two males 16-26, one male 26-45, one male 45+; one female 0-10, two females 16-26, one female 45+. Although not conclusive, this data allows for the inclusion of Elizabeth Garst (although she would have been around thirty, not 26) and her two older children - Thomas (5) and Elizabeth (2) - among the household members. The four other males under 45 are probably Frederick's unmarried sons - William (17), George (20), Peter (21), and John N.(24).

1830 Census, Botetourt Co., VA (M19, Roll 189, p. 281): Elizabeth Garst - one male 10-15, one male 20-30, two females 5-10, one female 10-15, one female 40-50. Thomas would have been 15, Katharine 8, Emaline 10, Elizabeth (the daughter) 12, and Elizabeth (the mother) 40. The additional male 20-30 might be Frederick's youngest son William, who would have been about 27 at the time and who seems to be unaccounted for elsewhere (it is thought that he married ca. 1830-1833).

1840 Census, Botetourt Co., VA (M704, Roll 578, p. 232): Elizabeth Garst - one male 0-5, one male 15-20, one male 20-30, one female 15-20, one female 20-30, one female 40-50). It appears that Philip and Elizabeth Garst Brown and their son Charles William (born 7/1839) were living with Elizabeth. Thomas could be the male 15-20 (although he was actually going on 25) and either Katharine (18) or Emaline (20) could be the female 15-20.

1850 Census, 57th District, Botetourt Co., VA (Roll 973, p. 312): Elizabeth Garst, 60, was living in the household of Michael T. and Catharine Hartman (her daughter Katharine). The listing above them is for Jacob (83) and Magdalena (79) Garst, who were living with Jacob's daughter and her husband, Forest and Mary Lockett. Michael T. Hartman is Jacob Garst's grandson; his daughter Catharine had married John N. Hartman in 1812.

The 1850 census is the last known record of Elizabeth Garst; she is not listed with Michael and Katharine Hartman in the 1870 census (Cave Spring Twp., Roanoke Co.) and has not been found elsewhere. A grave marker for Michael T. and Katharine M.Hartman is found south of Roanoke in the Hartman-Shartzer Cemetery, located in the Stonehenge Apartment complex on Chapparal Drive. It gives us Katharine's date of birth (July 22, 1822) and death (Nov. 28, 1901).

Elizabeth Garst's daughter Elizabeth moved with her husband Philip Brown to Wabash Co., Indiana, at about the same time as Elizabeth's son Thomas Garst and his wife Elizabeth. Philip Brown and Thomas Garst both purchased land in Wabash Co. in 1848, and they were living there with their families at the time of the 1850 census. Elizabeth Garst Brown died in May 1869; her brother Thomas Garst died in February 1889. Both are buried with their spouses in the Mt. Vernon section of the Mississinewa Memorial Cemetery, Waltz Twp., Wabash Co., Indiana.

No trace of Elizabeth's daughter Emaline and her husband Samuel Ritchie has been found subsequent to their 1842 marriage license.

Compiled by Judy Garst Schramm, great-great granddaughter of Thomas Garst, with thanks to Dwayne Wrightsman, who sent me Frederick's will and helped me "connect the dots".

August 27, 2004