More March Madness

March 18 is a special anniversary. 

On March 18, 1794, George Zirkle and Catherine Roush were married in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. (Do a Google search for Shenandoah Valley, VA and look at the images - or click Here for an aerial view on Google Maps) They probably spoke only German, and most likely grew up together in the small farming community they lived in. Both their fathers had fought in the Revolutionary War, just a few short decades before. Maybe George and Catherine were drawn to each other because of their similar backgrounds. Both families originally settled in Pennsylvania after their arrival from Germany in the early 1700s, then migrated to Virginia later. Both families were staunch supporters of America and fought bravely and fiercely for their new homeland. Whatever drew them together, I am glad they found each other!  

George and Catherine were my 5th great grandparents.

In 1805, Catherine's parents Phillip and Catherine, sold 346 acres of land in OH to George. Presumably this is the land in Champaign County that George and Catherine and their family settled on, however, at the time of the transfer Phillip and Catherine were living in Gallia County, so until I can find a copy of the deed, I can't say for sure. Either way, something brought George and Catherine to OH from VA, either in the early 1800s when they bought this land, or later in the 1830s with the other Zirkle and Shaffer families. 

George and Catherine are buried in the Zirkle Cemetery, located in Terre Haute, Champaign County, OH. Click on their names to virtually visit their graves. 

Happy anniversary great (x5!) grandparents!!