Family Record Hunter

From Germany to Pennsylvania to Maryland back to Pennsylvania and finally Ohio. There’s lots already known about Mathias Swartzel but my goal was to solidify all those details with historical records to prove their accuracy. I previously found a stack of records for Mathias and his family from Pennsylvania and Maryland. This post is focusing on the final years of his life in Ohio.

With so many new records being digitized and published online I figured now was a good time to update the profile of Mathias Swartzel. Much of what is known about him was published in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. With the help of the newly published records I hope to find some new facts and sort out older facts that may no longer fit into his story.

After several record hunts through the local libraries and FamilySearch archives I’ve collected about as much data on the Schwartzel family as I can without a trip to Pennsylvania. While sifting through the records and indexes I have found over 24 variations and counting of spelling their surname. I don’t expect all of these records to be accurate matches to the Schwartzel family, but better to cast a wider net and narrow my focus later than miss out with the limited time I have at the library.