The surname of this branch of the family is recorded as Staver, Stiver or Stoever, with Stoever being used for the oldest members and the original immigrants. This spelling would be consistent with German, and the pronunciation in English would be difficult. (I am told that the sound is made by forming the mouth for a long-o while saying long-e.) It's easy to surmise why the Staver spelling came about. The Stiver variation is either another Americanization or a misspelling.
From "History of Montgomery County, Ohio:"
Henry Staver, farmer, P. O. Farmersville; born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, March 27, 1795, is a son of Adam and Fanny (Dupes) Staver, natives of Pennsylvania. The grandfather, Jasper Staver, was also a native of Pennsylvania, but the great-grandfather, Jasper Staver, was a native of Germany, and emigrated to America early in the seventeen hundreds; he was a Lutheran minister, and is said to be the third minister who came from Germany to this country. The grandfather, Jasper, and one of his sons came over the mountains from Pennsylvania on horseback to Ohio to see the country and prospect for a home in 1805, and while here bought two farms, one on Twin Creek and one on Bear Creek, the former in German and the latter in Jefferson Township. They returned home to Pennsylvania and the next spring, in 1806, they took their families and moved to this county, coming to Pittsburgh, thence by flatboat to Cincinnati, six of them coming by land on horseback, and met the others at Cincinnati, when the boat arrived, and there, with their horses and wagons, started for their new homes, and were four days in making the distance, about fifty miles, an average of twelve and one-half miles per day, so bad were the roads in that early day. Adam was born in 1767, and his wife was five years older than he. Here they lived and struggled together, battling with the many hardships of pioneer life. But they were solaced through their many trials with the encouraging thought that their children and descendants shall reap the benefits and fruits of their labors, and thus they continued to good old age. She died July 15, 1854, aged 91 years, six months, nine days. He died August 25, 1854, aged 87 years, two months, three days. They were parents of seven children, six sons and one daughter, three now survive--Barbara, now widow Vance, living in Elkhart County, Indiana, now in her ninetieth year, Henry and Valentine. Our subject was eleven years of age when brought to this county, and here he was raised accustomed to the scenes and hardships of those early days, grew to manhood and was married October 7, 1820, to Anna Swartzley, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, three now living--Samuel, Jonathan, and Elizabeth. His wife died June 12, 1828. In the fall of 1830, he married for his second wife, Sophia Bickel, by whom he had eleven children; seven survive--Rebecca, Lydia A., Israel, Sarah, Matilda, John Henry and Lucinda. Mr. Staver, after his marriage, located upon the place where he now lives, and has resided since, a period of sixty years. Mr. Staver started in life a poor man, and by good, honest labor, a constant industry and economy, he has accumulated a large amount of property; is now owner of nearly seven hundred acres of land. In this sketch of family history we hand down to posterity examples of true pioneer history of good works, crowned with a success early in life, worthy of imitation, and worthy to be cherished and honored by generations yet unborn.
Grave located at Old Slifer's Church cemetery near Farmersville, Ohio. |
