St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Fryburg, Washington Township
Transcribed by Jean S. Morris and originally published in the Western PA Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Winter 1992), pg. 45. No copyright infringement intended.
"Client work in Clarion County Pa has proved rewarding for [Ms. Morris]. Not being Catholic, I was not privy to recording formats used in Sacramental Registers which can be very revealing. I am cautioned that not all parishes used this same type of register, but the abstracts which follow certainly did, and through them we found names of parents, and places of birth, and better yet, parish of baptism.
"St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Fryburg, Clarion County, was founded in 1820. Our [WPGS] library has a volume on this church's members, which was published in 1974 and updated in 1987, but it concerns only ancestors of current members of the parish and is not a set of complete abstracts of the baptismal and marriage registers of the church.
"Fryburg, Clarion County, is just across the line from Venango County, and it was in Venango County that my interest was centered until [I received] the help of Mary Platt of the Venango Genealogy Club, who found the ancestor in question in the St. Michael's Fryburg records.
"I was then fortunate enough to be put in touch with Helen Hoover, of Fryburg, who is a member of St. Michael's parish, and who was one of the compilers of the books on St. Michael's members mentioned above.
"These two ladies, along with Barbara Harvey, who is abstracting the records of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Oil City for the Newsletter of the Venango Genealogy Club, Box 811, Oil City PA 16301, were of invaluable help in my research.
"The following is only a sampling of the Baptisms from St. Michael's, which were sent to me for my research, but they may help you, and certainly, if you do not find your Catholic family in Venango County, walk across the border into Clarion County - for these families walked to the nearest parish to worship during this early period. Granted it might be a long walk, but they did it. See maps [in original article] to determine if your families might have been in these areas at this time.
"NOTE: If you wish research accomplished in the records of these counties and/or churches, please contact the ladies whose names are listed [in] this article. DO NOT WRITE THE CHURCHES. Catholic records are most difficult to secure, and we do not wish to alienate the Diocesan fathers. All of these ladies are WPGS members and work for a fee. Send #10 SASE with your request."
Baptisms
| Name | Baptized | Born | Parents | Sponsors / Priest / Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Alexander Graham | 13 Aug 1871 | 8 Aug | John Graham and Paulina Christina (Steyerwald) | sponsors Alexander Eisenman and Mary Eisenman; priest John Kuehn |
| Cecelia Kerle | 24 Sep 1871 | Sep 21 | parents John Kerle and Maria (Hettig) | sponsors Ferdinand Hettig and Agatha Graner; priest John Kuehn. A note above Cecelia's name states that she married Pet. Market at Clarion 24 Apr 1917 and is signed by G. Winkler. |
| Catharina Flynn | 15 Aug 1871 | 20 Mar at Wean, Forest Co. Pa. | James Flynn and Helena (Felton) | sponsors Ann Rafferty and Thomas Flynn; priest John Kuehn |
| Mathilda Hertel | 28 Aug 1871 | 10 Aug | Joseph Hertel and Marianna (Stegel) | sponsors Mathias Hertel and Agatha Hertel; priest John Kuehn |
| Joseph Keilhacker | 17 Sep 1871 | 12 Sep | Anton Keilhacker and Barbara (Habinger) | sponsors Johannes Lotz and Maria Ursula Lotz; priest John Kuehn |
| Elisabeth Fesenmeyer | 15 Oct 1871 | 12 Oct | Caspar Fesenmeyer and Agatha (Siegel) | sponsors Bernhard Siegel and Maria Siegel; priest John Kuehn |
| Johannes Kaltenback | 4 Oct 1871 | 1 Oct | Elias Kaltenback and Leopoldina (Heng) | sponsors John Fleckenstein and Regina Obenroeder; priest John Kuehn |
| Wilhelm Nick | 8 Oct 1871 | 3 Oct | Ferdinand Nick and Maria (Hufnagel) | sponsors Franz X. Nick and Barbara Hufnagel; priest John Kuehn |
| Henry Hergenroether | bapt 8 Oct 1871 | 3 Oct | George Hergenroether and Sarah Anna (Emerling) | sponsors Henry Hergenroether and Susanna Hergenroether; priest John Kuehn |
| Louisa Catharina Denzlinger | 29 Oct 1871 | 21 Oct | Leo Denzlinger and Agnes (Smucker) | sponsors Theresia Neiderrieter and Franz Denzlinger; priest John Kuehn |
| Benjamin Purcell Weber | 5 Nov 1871 | 23 July | Charles Weber and Sarah Ann (Brandon) | sponsors Sebastian Weber and Anna Neiderrieter; priest John Kuehn. A note appears after the name of sponsor Sebastian Weber, which states that he married Anna Weaver May 5, 1930 |
| John Martin Coughlin | 5 Nov 1871 | 24 Nov Gas City, Venango Co. Pa. | William Coughlan and Nora (Murphy) | sponsors John Cameron and Mary Farell; priest John Kuehn |
Marriages
| Groom | Bride | Date | Priest / Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Collins born 24 Mar 1844 Butler Co. Pa. son of Charles and Elizabeth Collins |
Louisa Forker born 23 Mar 1850 Butler Co. Pa. dau of William and Margareth Forker |
18 Nov 1870 | sponsors Frances and Catherine Eiseman; priest John Kuehn |
| Martin Conners born 1845 Highmarket, New York son of Patrick Conners and Bridget (FURGESON) |
Margareth Carl born 11 July 1848 Clarion Co. Pa. dau of James Carl and Mary Reed |
2 Jan 1871 | David Dingmon and Priscilla Dingmon; priest John Kuehn |
| Raymund Ditz born 23 Jan 1847 Freyburg Pa. son of Andreas Ditz and Mary Buechner) |
Francisca Eisenman born 7 May 1852 Freyburg Pa. dau of Lambert Eisemen and Cath. (Fesinmeyer) |
16 Feb 1871 | Lucas Eiseman and Magdalena Ditz; priest John Kuehn |
| Michael Möller born 21 Nov 1839 Millerstown, Clarion Co. Pa. son of Michael Möller and Anna M. (Caspar) |
Maria Magdalena Kohlhepp born Apr 1845 Millerstown, Clarion Co. Pa. dau of Peter Kohlhepp and Ana M. (Hag) |
29 Apr 1871 | Dover Schab and Maria Schab; priest John Kuehn |
| Roman Nufer born 23 July 1848 Mercer Co. Pa. son of George Nufer and Margareth (Helmig) |
Lydia Louisa Fröhm born 22 May 1854 Venango Co. Pa. dau of Jacob Fröhm and Maria (Koester) |
9 May 1871 | Mary Fesenmayer and Catie Eisemon; priest John Kuehn |
| John Buechner born 11 Oct 1836 Oberriedenberg, Bayern son of Johan S. Buechner and Maria B. (Dorn) |
Mearia Aulbach nee Kitz born 8 Sep 1835 Freyburg, Pa. dau of Ferdinand Ditz and Franiesca (Eisenomon) |
6 July 1871 | Barbara Rumpel and Valentin Huefner; priest John Kuehn |
| William Couglan born 22 Feb 1844 Drummonville, Canada son of Martin Coughlan and Ellen (Hickison) |
Laura Murphy born 15 Aug 1851, Cork, Ireland dau of John Murphy and Mary (Long) |
1 Nov 1871 | Bridget Moran and Felix Oberoeder; priest John Kuehn |
