Frederick K. Braniger was born in 1783 in Maryland. He moved on into Donegal Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania where he met and married Susannah Hayes, daughter of Michael and Nancy Hayes. Susannah was born about 1783 in Pennsylvania. This couple were known as Pennsylvania Dutch. Actually, Frederick K. Braniger was German. In Germany the surname was Braninger. He and Susannah had ten known children. Susannah died October 3, 1853 and is buried in Cumberland Cemetery, Monroe Twp., Guernsey Co., Ohio.

Their children were:

• Wilhelm N., born 27 April 1808 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth B. Dearmite. This couple moved to Black Hawk County, Iowa. Wilhelm died 25 Jan. 1870.
• Michael, born 18 Sept. 1809 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, married Mary. Michael was a farmer. He died in 1879.
• Letia, born March 7, 1812.
• Elisabeth, born Sept. 9, 1814.
• John Lingell, born Aug. 22, 1816 and married February 22, 1844 Mary M. Fisher who was born Dec. 22, 1826 in Penn. John was a farmer and died Sept. 21, 1887. Mary died May 13, 1906.
• Franz Hoeh, born Jan. 20, 1818, marr. Sarah Jane Snider who was born in 1826 and died in 1908. Franz was sent to Wheeling to learn harness and saddle making. He died Nov. 7, 1895.
• Daniel Austin, born 1824, he married Mary. Daniel was also sent to Wheeling to learn to be a tailor. Daniel died August 8, 1894.
• Lydia, married Mr. Schoonover. She died before her father.
• Sarah, married Mr. Miller.
• Nancy, married January 2, 1832 Daniel Schoonover in Guernsey County, Ohio.

All of these children were born in Pennsylvania. Frederick and Susannah moved to Guernsey County, Ohio in the early 1800's, living in Washington Twp. first and then Monroe Township. After Susannah's death Frederick moved to Huntington County, Indiana to live with a daughter. He died and is buried there. All of Frederick's sons, with the exception of Wilhelm, who moved to Black Hawk County, Iowa, lived out their lives in Guernsey County. John Lingell, their third-born son, married Mary M. Fisher and had 12 known children. They are: Eliza Ann, John Bracken, Theodore Francis, Frederick, Letiza Levina, Sarah, Lewis Hayes, Michael Dean, William D., Aary Jane, Charles Alvin, and Elmer E. Braniger. John, Mary, and all of their children with the exception of my Great Grandmother, Aary Jane, are buried in Irish Ridge Cemetery, which was once called Hopewell. Clearfork Cemetery in Monroe Township, Guernsey County is full of our Braniger relatives. Aary Jane married George Coutts and he bought a mill on the southside of New Philadelphia in the early 1900's and she died at Dover Hospital and is buried in East Avenue Cemetery, New Philadelphia.

Note from submitter:

My Grandmother, Minda Coutts Edie, told me that when her Gt. Grandparents, the Braniger's, were traveling to Ohio in a wagon, they were crossing a river when their cow fell into the water. It was pretty rough and Gt. Grandmother didn't want to lose any of their precious stock so she jumped into the river and piloted the cow across. These ancestors were awfully tough pioneers.

My information was gathered from older relatives who loved to tell us of their hardy ancestors. The Braniger clan has an annual reunion in Guernsey County, usually in August. I also have been researching for over 20 years. I have used a branch of the Mormon Library and a branch of the National Archives in San Bruno, Calif. I have gotten some of the information from census records, marriage, birth, death, and land records. Mary Goldie Higgins was very helpful on the Braniger line. Thank you very much.

Changes:

2002 February 25: Moved to own file.