IMMIGRATION MARTZOLF FROM BETSCHDORF, LOWER ALSACE

Immigration

Sometime late in the year 1831, Diebold left Betschdorf for America with his wife, Eva Barbara, and four children. Diebold's brother Johann Heinrich and several other Betschdorf families are known to have entered the United States through Baltimore in 1830. The year of arrival is ambiguous in the declaration of Intent of "Theabold Mortzold" at the Beaver County, Pennsylvania court house; it appears that the date was first written as 1832, and then the '2' was overwritten with a '3'.

There were a number of immigrants from Betschdorf to America around this time. Besides Diebold, Eve Barbara, and their family, other Marzolfs who emigrated to America were:

• Johann Heinrich, older brother of Diebold, in the second quarter of 1830. Settled in Abbottstown, Adams County, Pennsylvania
• Philipp Jacob (Jacob), first cousin to both Diebold and Eve Barbara Martzolf, in 1830. Settled in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
• George, third cousin to both Diebold and Eve Barbara Martzolf and also from Betschdorf, in 1834. Settled near Buffalo, New York.
• Eve Dorothea, sister of Eve Barbara Martzolf and first cousin of Diebold, in the second quarter of 1830. She and her husband, Georg Jacob Pflug, settled in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Adams County, PA

Diebold first lived with, or near, his older brother, Johann Heinrich (John Henry) in the vicinity of Hanover, Pennsylvania. While there, they had at least two more children: daughter Eve Barbara baptized June 16, 1833 at Emmanuel Reformed Church, Hanover and Theobald baptized August 9, 1835 at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Hanover.

Beaver County, PA

The family moved to Beaver County by 1836: "Theobald Martzolf" is listed among the contributors to Burry Church in 1836. In 1837, "Theobald Martshelf" first appears in the tax records for North Sewickley Township, Beaver County. References to the Martzolf family appear in the records of St. John's/ Burry Church, New Sewickley Township, Pennsylvania; St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Zelienople, Pennsylvania; and Emanuel Lutheran Church, Prospect, Pennsylvania.