Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-06-04
The ZirkIe Reunion.

there was a re-znion of the Zirkle families
of this region of country, held at the End
less Caverns, 4 miles South of this place,
on Thursday, May Goth, instant. There
was a large crowd present, composed
largely of Zirkle families and their rela-
tives by consanguinity and afinity-the
gathering embraced, say some $50 or 300
persons-some rs per cent. Of whom were
of that family-drawn together mostly
from Shenandoah, Page, and Rockingham
counties. John G. Zirkle and Lewis Zirkle,
both born in the same year, aged II, were
the two Oldest of that family present on
this occasion, whilst Mabel NJ, daughter
of DR.. NJ. S. Zirkle, of Edom, Va, was the
youngest present, being years of age.
At the request OF of Col. VIM. Sibert, IRE
lated by affinity the company congregat-
ed about the speakers stand, where be
made shout Introductory address. Col.
S. stated, that owing to the indispostion
of Mr.. John G.. Zirkle, who had prepared
the history of the family, that his kins-
man, Mr.. John Thomas, of Broadway, Va,
would deliver the production, which we
here report substantially as follows:
In giving the history or rather genealogy
of the rather numerous posterity OF the
Zirkle family, l am compelled to rely en-
tirely on tradition for my information, as
the time was too short since heard OF
this reunion of the family, and would be
expected to say or write what know
about it, for me to search the records at
the county-seat, or the church-bOoks in
the archives at New Market. But by way
of preface allow me to say, our ancestry
came to this section long prior to the
Revolution of l776. l find that our
progenitor, whose given name l never
learned, came to Pennsylvania from
Bavaria, a constitutional monarchy OF the
German empire, from town of note, call
ed Deux Points, of Zweybrucken, Ii. e. two
bridges) which is noted for its valuable
editions of the Greek and Latin Classics
formerly published there, and called the
Bipont editions from the word Bipons, the
Latin name of the town. l cannot say
whether he came here with family or
any brother, or kin, but am inclined to
think he was alone. He settled in what
was then the county of Berks, or that of
Bucks. now Lebanon. Here he ended his
DAYS. He left large property, which the
executors were enabled to sell by two of
the Oldest heirs signing their right. After
the executors sold, they boarded a ship
and fled the country. presume most Of
the heirs were then minors, whether they
n ~. 4oI NJ hn ha0E xrnO6o
as they called it, viz, Frederickstadt Il e.
now Frederick City, Nd, 1 know not: l
do know, however, that my grandfather,
G. A. Zirkle, served his apprenticeship at
the wheelwright trade in the town of
Fredericton. There he married Eliza
beth Ritenour. After that he came to
Virginia, where he died in August, $500,
leaving widow and nine children-3 boys
John, Benjamin, and George, and six
daughters, five of whom all removed to
Ohio, opposite Point Pleasant, Galena
County, in the beginning of this century.
There were FIVE brothers, Lewis, George
A. (grandfather), Michael, Andrew, and
Peter. The latter three located in the
forest, on adjoining farms, where some Of
their grandchildren reside at this time,
excepting Peter, who emigrated to Mason
County, Va, before my recollection, and l
have never heard anything of his poster
ity. Andrew had not a large family, some,
a son at least, died at the age of twenty
one or thereabouts. He had another son
who died and left but two heirs, if mem
ory serves me right. His SOD, the only
one of his children I ever saw, who died, |
think, in 1856 (Andrew) had four sons and
two daughters-the names of the sons
being Michael Moses, Reuben, and George.
Reuben lives in Tennessee, George on the
old homestead, the other two, Michael and
Moses, are no more. The two daughters
names were Polly and Phoebe. Polly has
gone over the river. Michael's family
was the most numerous Of them all-thir-
teen in number-nine boys and four girls.
Two of the daughters and eight of the sons
went West long before Horace Greedy adj
vised anyone to do so;-the rest of them
lie beneath the clods of the Shenandoah
Valley.
Lewis had four sons-Lewis, Daniel,
John, and George. George left here early
in life, No one knows where he located or
where any of his family are, if he left any.
John removed to BOtetourt long ago-he
had sons and daughters. Daniel and
Lewis closed their lives here where they
were born. All that was mortal of them
now rests in the churchyard that their
fathers benevolence donated to the Luth-
eran Church at New Market, where their
fathers and mothers too lie buried. There
were six daughters, two of whom, Mrs.
Rosenberger and Mrs. Eary, died in this
section, and four of them went West, and
like many of the family are scattered over
much of that great section of country.
AS TO their position in church matters
they with scarcely any exceptions were
Lutherans. inherited doubtless from their
German ancestors, as we have seen they
were from the very country where the
Professionals, headed by the Great Reform
er, Martin Luther, entered a protest against
certain proceedings of the Emperor which
procured for them the name of Professionals
ll529.)
Financially, the family has always been
above the frowps of the world, and are
still so. There are nor ever have been
millionaires among them, nor do l think
any of them want to be. So they have a
competency, they seem to be satisfied.
They with but few exceptions have al
WAYS pursued the avOcation of farming,
some few of them are mechanics, but still
less of them are engaged in traffic.
As to the morality and good citizenship
of the family, it has always been above
reproach. never knew nor heard of any
one of them to be brought before a court
of Justice for the slightest difference
against the peace and dignity of the COM
monwealth. But for fear you might con-
slider the blotcing, which is no purpose of
mine, / will stop. It's little remarkable
that nearly all of the real estate owned by
our ancestors is still occupied and owned
by their posterity. This would be no
wonder in country where the laws of
primogeniture compel property to descend
from father to Oldest sOn.-ShenGndoah
Valley.