Ancestral Photographs of Upstate New York

Tangled Roots and Twisted Branches

MYER / MYERS

The following information is taken from my grandmother's book, "Tangled Roots and Twisted Branches" (published 1987), with some minor reformatting for the web. This book is known to contain some errors. If you have any corrections or additions, please contact me.

Christian Myer was born in the Palatine region of Germany, near the Rhine River. The story states that, when a young man, he went aboard ship to bid farewell to his young friend sailing to America. When he came up on deck, the ship was in full sail and the Captain refused to turn back to let him off, so he was obliged to make the journey too. He was one of the first settlers of the Saugerties, New York region, coming up the Hudson River in the winter of 1710, landing at West Camp.
He built a log cabin on what is now the old Dederick farm, just south of the Railroad Station at West Camp. He raised flax and wheat, and his wife often carried a bushel of wheat on her head to the mill at Rondout, and there, while waiting for the wheat to be ground, she would pull the flax.
Clearwater's HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY states that Christian's wife was Anna Overbaugh, the daughter of Dominie Overbaugh, and that they were married aboard ship 1709. LONGYEAR GENEALOGY says he was married to Anna Gertry Theunis. They had twelve children, but again I am only listing the ones in our line.

JOHANNES MYER baptized 30 April 1721 Kingston Dutch Church married 25 November 1753 to Maria Osterhout baptized 28 July 1734 (the daughter of Teunis OSTERHOUT and Catherine LEGG - see OSTERHOUT and LEGG sections).

JOSIAH / Isaiah MYER baptized 3 February 1756 at Katsbaan, died 18 June 1830. He married Marietje LEGG.
Josiah and his brother built a stone house (still in use (as of 1987 -- RT)), located at the intersection of the Sawkill Road and exit off Rt. 209 near the old schoolhouse. They resided there for most of their years. She died 28 August 1839, and both are buried in the cemetery back of the barn (CHASE CEMETERY) on the farm, which was later owned by Lemuel Boice. Pictures show initials cut in the stone doorway with dates.
Marietje LEGG was the daughter of Samuel LEGG and Sara DuBois. Josiah & Marietje had eleven children.

SARAH MYER baptized 16 March 1783 married 26 July 1793 to HEZEKIAH VAN KEUREN. He was baptized 5 April 1765 at Kingston Dutch Church and died 3 March 1832. They had a large family, and both are buried in the CHASE Cemetery on the farm.
Hezakiah's mother was Catherine DuBois, a sister of her grandmother Sara DuBois who married Samuel Legg. VAN KEUREN father unknown. Sara and Hezakiah Van Keuren had 17 children, most of whom were baptized in Kingston Dutch Church: [see page 59 BURHANS GENEALOGY]

Nancy Van Keuren born January 1821 married 15 july 1841 to Abraham OSTERHOUDT.

Jeremiah Van Keuren born 8 June 1823

Rachel Emily Van Keuren born 22 July 1827

Samuel Legg Myer born 1784 married Catherine Mower

Abraham 1785

William E. born 1787 married Naomi Mosher

Petrus born 1788

Johannes born 1789 married Marie Carle

Marie born 1792 married Andrew Joy

Jenna / Jane born 1793 married Henry DuBois

Arriantje / Harriet born 1797 married Wiliam Van Etten

Elizabeth born 1801 married Isaac Newton

Marietje born 1803
[OLDE ULSTER : Brink February 1908 page 54]

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