Nicholas
Peter Steffy was born October 29, 1749 in Lancaster Co., PA. He was the
son of Johann Philip Steffey & Magdalena. His name on all records is
listed as Peter, but a bio of g-grandson Henry Wertz indicates that his name was
Nicholas, so that may have been his first name.
Maria Elizabeth Schellenberger
was born abt 1756 in PA. She was the daughter of Michael Schellenberger &
Margaret. Last name may be Schelleberger.
THE FAMILY OF NICHOLAS PETER STEFFEY& MARIA ELIZABETH SCHELLENBERGER
(Note: Last name on records has also been spelled STAFFEY, STEPHY, STEFFEE, STEFFEN, STEFFY, STIFFY, STIFFLER, STEPHENS & STEVENS etc)
 | Nicholas Peter Steffey & Maria Elizabeth Schellenberger |
Peter Steffey & Maria Elizabeth Schellenberger were married on March
21, 1776 in the Schwartzwald Reformed Church, Exeter Twp, Berks Co., PA. They
had 4 known children. From birthplaces of their children, they lived in Lancaster
Co., PA in 1777 & 1780. In 1781 Peter is listed on Lancaster County militia
rolls as having "left the area". There is a household of Petter Stephen
on the 1790 census of Paradise Twp., York Co., PA that has numbers that would
fit this family, and they had children born in Paradise Twp in 1783 & 1784.
The family moved from York County to Huntingdon Co., PA sometime between 1785
to 1800, and the households of Peter Staffey and his son Nicholas are listed on
the 1800 census of Tyrone, Huntingdon Co., PA. Both Peter & Nicholas are listed
on Huntingdon Co., PA tax records in 1801 to 1810. (See Notes for Peter Steffey
below for details on tax records). The households of P. Steffee & N. Steffee
are both listed on the 1810 census of Franks Township, Huntingdon Co., PA. Peter
& son Nicholas are both listed on Huntingdon County tax records from 1811
to 1820. Households for Peter & Nicholas Stephy are listed on the 1820 census
of Frankstown, Huntingdon Co., PA. Nicholas & Peter are both named as heads
of household on Huntingdon County tax lists in every year from 1821 to 1830. Nicholas
& Peter Stiffler, along with Nicholas' son Peter Stiffler Jr are all listed
on the 1830 census of Frankstown, Huntingdon Co., PA. There is a male the right
age to be Peter, age 81, and a female the right age to be Maria Elizabeth, age
74. Peter & Nicholas are listed in Huntingdon County tax records from 1831
to 1840. Maria Elizabeth died sometime after 1830 and possibly before 1840
in Huntingdon Co., PA. She is not living with son Nicholas in 1840, and I
don't know if she is named in Peter's will. Nicholas Peter Steffey died about
January 1840 in Hollidaysburg, Frankstown Twp, Huntingdon Co., PA. He was
age 90 when he died. His will was probated in January 1840. |
The Children of Nicholas Peter Steffey & Maria Elizabeth Schellenberger:
| John Nicholas Stephens | John Nicholas Stephens was
born on January 5, 1777 in Lancaster Co., PA. . He is listed on all records
as Nicholas, with variations of Steffey or Stephens for the last name. His family
moved from Lancaster County to York Co., PA in 1781 when Nicholas was age 4. There
is a son the right age group to be Nicholas, age 13, in the household of Petter
Stephen on the 1790 census of Paradise Twp., York Co., PA. Nicholas married Mary
about 1799 in PA and they had at least 8 and possibly 13 children. Family
story is that Mary was an Indian princess, but this is not confirmed. Nicholas
moved from York to Huntingdon Co., PA sometime between 1785 to 1800; I don't know
if it was before or after his marriage. The household of Nicholas Staffey is listed
on the 1800 census of Tyrone, Huntingdon Co., PA, living near the household of
Peter Staffey. Nicholas & his father Peter are both listed on Huntingdon Co.,
PA tax records from 1801 to 1810 (see Notes for Nicholas Stephens for more details
on tax records), and the households of N. Steffee & P. Steffee are listed
on the 1810 census of Frankstown, Huntingdon Co., PA. The 1810 census only indicates
one son & one daughter in the N. Steffee household - research by Dale Steffey
indicates that there should have been one son and 6 daughters at that time. There
is also an unidentified woman age 26-44 living nearby with Peter Steffee and his
wife, and there are 3 young daughters living with them at that time that need
to be identified. More research is needed to try to document the daughters in
this family born before 1810. Nicholas & father Peter are listed on Huntingdon
Co., PA tax records between 1811 to 1820. The households of Nicholas Stephy &
Peter Stephy are listed on the 1820 census of Frankstown, Huntingdon Co., PA.
On the same page in 1820 are households headed by Jacob Wertz, Martin Moyer, Abraham
Sells, Herman Farber & David, George & Henry Leamer - all of these surnames
are connected by marriage to Peter Steffy's descendants. They are listed under
the name Nicholas Stiffler on the 1830 census of Frankstown, Huntingdon Co., PA..
Nicholas, father Peter, & sons Peter Jr & Henry appear on Huntingdon Co.,
tax records between 1830 to 1840. Nicholas' father Peter died about January 1840
(when his will was probated), and the household of Nicholas Stiffy is listed on
the 1840 census of Blair, Huntingdon Co., PA. Nicholas & Mary moved from Pennsylvania
to Iowa by 1850; two of their daughter's families moved there in 1850, and I assume
Nicholas & Mary came with them. Nicholas & Mary are listed on the 1850
census of District #11, Benton Co., IA, living by the families of their married
daughters Margaret Hite and Rebecca Leamer. Nicholas is listed on the index of
the 1852 state census of Taylor, Benton Co., IA. They are listed on the 1854 state
census of Canton Twp., Benton Co., IA. Nicholas is listed at age 83 on the 1860
census of Benton Twp., Benton Co., IA, living with his married son Henry Stephens.
Mary is not listed in the household; I assume she died sometime between 1854 to
1860. John Nicholas Stephens died on February 1, 1861 in Benton Co., IA. The Family of John Nicholas Stephens & Mary Notes for Nicholas Stephens |
| Peter Jr or Unknown Son Steffy NOTE - I DO NOT THINK THIS IS A CHILD OF THIS FAMILY | Unknown Son Steffy was born between 1776 - 1784 in Lancaster Co., PA. Speculation that this son is part of this family is based on the unidentified male who is age 16-25 in the household of Peter Staffey on the on the 1800 census of Tyrone, Huntingdon Co., PA. That same year there is also an unidentified male (besides Peter) who is over age 45 in the household, so I think they may have been relatives who were staying with Peter at the time. I do not find this "son" on any other census record with Peter. In 1790 he should be age 6-15, and if the Peter Stephens family in Paradise Twp, York Co., Pa in 1790 is the correct record, there is only one male over age 16 (Peter) and only 1 male under 16 (Nicholas, age 13) in the household. There is not a male the right age to be him (age 26-35) in Peter's household in 1810, and as far as I can tell he doesn't appear in tax records in Huntingdon Co., PA under his own name, unless he moved elsewhere. This "son" is listed in some online trees as being named Peter Steffey Jr. There is a Peter Steffey Jr who begins appearing on tax records in Huntingdon Co., PA in 1829 along with Peter & Nicholas, but he is only age 20-30 on the 1830 census so I think he is the Peter who was born about 1804 to Nicholas Stephens. |
| Elizabeth Steffy | Mary Elizabeth Steffy, known as Elizabeth,
was born on May 25, 1780 in Lancaster Co., PA. There is a female the right
age group to be Elizabeth, age 10, in the household of Petter Stephen on the 1790
census of Paradise Twp., York Co., PA. There is a female the right age group to
be Elizabeth, age 20, in the household of Peter Staffey on the 1800 census of
Tyrone, Huntingdon Co., PA. Elizabeth married Martin Luther Myers abt 1800
and they had 8 children. The family is listed on the 1810 census of Franks, Huntingdon
Co., PA. They are listed on the 1820 census of Frankstown, Huntingdon Co., PA.
There is a household headed by Martin Myer on the same page as Peter & Nicholas
Stiffler on the 1830 census of Huntingdon Co., PA, but the oldest female in the
household is age 30-40, and Elizabeth should be age 50. Martin died in 1837 in
Hollidaysburg, Huntingdon Co., PA. I have not found Elizabeth in 1840 at this
time. Elizabeth is listed at age 70 on the 1850 census and at age 80 on the 1860
census, both in the household of her son Samuel in Blair, Blair Co., PA. Mary
Elizabeth Steffy Myers died on February 28, 1863 in Blair Co., PA. Notes for Mary Elizabeth Steffy Myers |
| Susanna Steffy | Susanna Steffy was born on February 28, 1783 in
Paradise Twp., York Co., PA. There is a female who could be Susanna, age 7,
in the household of Petter Stephen on the 1790 census of Paradise Twp., York Co.,
PA. There is a female who could be Susanna, age 17, in the household of Peter
Staffey on the 1800 census Tyrone, Huntingdon Co., PA. Susanna married Daniel
Myers and they had 10 children. There is a household of D. Myers that has
3 young sons (under age 10) on the 1810 census of Franks, Huntingdon Co., PA,
but the wife is listed as age 16-25 and Susanna should be age 27. There is an
unidentifed female age 26-44 living with 3 daughters under 15 in the household
of Susanna's parents that same year. Notes for Susanna Steffy Myers |
| Maria Catharine Steffy | Maria Catharine Steffy was born on October
1, 1784 in Paradise Twp., York Co., PA. There is a female who could be Maria
Catherine, age 6, in the household of Petter Stephen on the 1790 census of Paradise
Twp., York Co., PA. There is a female who could be Maria Catherine, age 16, in
the household of Peter Staffey on the 1800 census Tyrone, Huntingdon Co., PA.
Maria Catherine married Harman/Herman Farber, and they had at least one
daughter named Polly and census records indicate at least 10 children. The household
of Herman Farber is listed on the 1810 census Greenfield, Bedford Co., PA. There
is a wife the right age group to be Maria Catherine, age 25, and there are 5 children
in the household although there is a male age 16-25 and another age 10-15 that
may be too old to be children of Maria Catherine. The household of Herman Farber
is listed on the 1820 census of Frankstown, Huntington Co., PA, with a wife the
age group to be Maria Catherine, age 35, and 10 children in the household. They
are on the same page as Peter & Nicholas Stephy. Herman Farber is listed with
8 children on the 1840 census of Huntingdon Co., PA, but there is no female the
age to be wife Maria Catherine in the household. (The oldest female listed in
the household at that time was age 15-19). Maria Catherine Steffey Farber died
on July 25, 1828 near Hollidaysburg, Frankstown, Huntingdon (later Blair) Co.,
PA. I do not find Herman Farber on the 1840 index. There is a Solomon Farber
in Blair, Huntingdon Co., PA that year. Notes for Maria Catherine Steffey Farber |
