Balthaser (Balser) FAUST, REV WAR VET

                   I was just looking at your information on the web and thought that you might find the article below helpful.  I'm a descendent of Frederick Faust/Foust's daughter Susannah Foust.  She married my gg grandfather George W. Stump.
Sincerely,
Sue Stump Douglas
Michigan
The Era   Monday, March 31, 1987 - Johnstown

Faust-Foust Families have roots in Revolutionary War

The Faust-Foust families of Paint Township, Somerset Co., Pennsylvania descend from an ancestor named Balthser, or Baltser, Faust who was the son of Johannes and Catherine Wilkes Faust and was born in 1758 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

On July 30, 1781, Balthser married to Eva Fissel, the daughter of Frederick Fissel and Anna Maria Diehl.  Frederick Fissel was a miller by trade in Shewsbury Township, York County, and the Fissel Church was built on a portion of his homestead.  This church today is a Shewsbury Township landmark.

In Revolutionary War

Balthser Faust served in the Revolutionary War in the York County Militia in 1781 in Capt. Ferree's Pennsylvania Rangers of the Frontier.

Later the family resided in Shrewsbury Township where the land deeds and census records show him recorded as late as 1825 when he died in Peach Bottom Township, York County.

Both Balthser and his brother, John Faust, owned land named "Settlers Mills" where they operated a grist mill, a saw mill, a fulling mill, and a carding machine.

Balthser and wife, Eva, became the parents of 10 children and several of their offspring came into Somerset County and became the direct ancestors of many with that surname residing here today.

Migrated to Shade-Paint

Catherine Faust, the oldest of the girls, was born in 1781 and married David Shaffer, Elizabeth, born in 1783, married John George Berkebile. Both the Shaffer and Berkebile families migrated to the Shade-Paint Township area where these families share a common ancestor with the Faust families.

Eve Faust was married to a Fitzgerald and then to John Oaks and they had a family of seven children in Somerset County before they moved to Iowa in 1843.  Susan married Samuel Oaks, son of Michael Oaks of Somerset County, and they raised a family in Somerset County.

The two sons of Balthser Faust who came into the Paint Township region were John and Frederick Faust and from these two sprang those bearing the Faust name today.

John Faust was the oldest of the sons and was born in Nov. 26, 1785.  He married Dorthy Cable whose parents were among the earliest settlers in Somerset County, Abraham and Susanna Stahl Cable.  This young couple resided near present day Scalp Level where John died in 1851 and his widow died in 1855.  Both are buried in what was once known as the Kunkle Cemetery on the edge of the Windber Borough above Fourth Street.

Had 7 children

Seven children were born to John and Dorothy Faust and raised in the Scalp Level area.  Susanna, wife of John Menser, Eve, wife of Joseph Orris, whose father, Adam Orris, was one of the first settlers of the Scalp Level area; and Mary, wife of Thomas Gahagen.  Two children are believed to have died young.  The sons of John Faust were George, Jacob, Ebenezer and John.
Frederick Faust, the youngest of the two boys born to Balthser Faust, was born in 1788 or 1789, judging from his baptismal records for Oct. 18, 1789 in York County.

Frederick Faust married to Eve Shaffer who died in 1815 and is buried in the Fissel Cemetery.  He then married Mary Klinefekter and the family migrated into Somerset County about 1823.

Name changed

The family surname began to change from Faust to Foust and future generations used the different spellings as they felt best.

Frederick Faust and family resided in the far western end of Paint Township near the waters of the Stonycreek that today we know as the Village of Seanor.  Then in 1846 he moved into the area which is situated directly on the Indiana and Westmoreland County line near Bolivar.  Here on this homestead he died on Dec. 1, 1856 and was buried along what was the Old Pike Road in the German Lutheran Cemetery.

Henry Foust, born on March 10 th, 1813 to Frederick Sr., married to Eve Livingston who was the daughter of David and Anna Mishler Livingston.

Foustwell

Henry operated his father-in-law's saw mill and in later years built additional buildings in what was then called Foustwell with Henry Foust being named as the founder of the village.

Here in the Foustwell district Henry and Eve raised a family of eight children - the first two died as infants and were buried in the Foustwell Cemetery.  Both Henry Sr. and Eve Livingston Foust are also buried in the old Foustwell Cemetery.

Samuel Foust, son of Henry Sr., was born on Dec. 21, 1838 and became the first postmaster for the village and operated a small grocery there.  He was married to Lydia Hoffman, the daughter of John and Franny Lehman Hoffman.  One of their six children, Emma, was shot to death by a jealous admirer when she was only 21 years of age.

Murder - suicide

Robert Long, a carpenter from the Johnstown area, had been paying attention to the young girl who was assisting her father in the store and when she decided to entertain another suitor, in a fit of jealousy, Long shot Emma then turned the gun on himself.  Miss Foust was buried in the old Foustwell Cemetery.

Frederick Foust Jr., born on March 6, 1822, married Mary Ann Miller and they resided in the same vicinity as Frederick Sr.  They were the parents of three infants when they died on Dec. 8 and Dec. 24, 1847.  It is said that they died of typhoid fever.  Frederick died first and some say Mary Ann died later in childbirth.

Their children, Susanna, became the wife of George Stump, and Sarah married Samuel Lint.  Daniel, the only boy, moved into the Somerset County area where he married Amelia Lehman, the daughter of Joseph Lehman and Anna Livingston Lehman, on Jan. 24, 1864.

Served in Civil War

On Sept 3, 1864, Daniel Foust went off to serve his country in the Civil War and served seven and a half months in Co. K, 206 Regt. of the Pa Volunteers.  Upon returning home he and Amelia raised a family of 11 children and he died in Paint Borough as one of the oldest and most widely known citizens of the area on July 28, 1933.  Ameritia preceded him in death in 1915.  They are buried in the Berkey Cemetery.

Jesse Foust, the eldest of Daniel's sons, was born on Sept. 6, 1866 and married to Mary Ellen Shaffer, daughter of Andrew and Sarah Seese Shaffer.  Jesse had no children of his own.

Know for his art

He was well known for his art and the Walnut Grove Church of the Brethren displayed one of his paintings for many years.  Mary Ellen died in 1933 and Jessie married secondly to Sarah Louder.  Jesse died on Sept 21, 1944.

Robert N. Foust, born in 1869 to Daniel, married to Eliza Jane Makin and raised a family of eight children.  He died on Nov. 2, 1951.  His children are: Dulcie, wife of Richard Malloy; Chester, married to Mary Rummel; Irvin, married to Emma Miller;  Amelia, wife of Frank Smith; Calyton, married to Effie Manges; Walter Merle, married to Florence Berkey; and William, the last surviving child, married to Katherine Moore.

Anna Belle Foust, the only daughter born to Daniel and Amelia Foust, was born on Jan. 4, 1874 and was married in 1894 to Henry Berkey, who was born in paint Township on Nov 8, 1873 to John and Mary Younker Berkey. They resided near the old Flat Rock School when first married then moved into the Paint Borough section of the township.  Harry Berkey died on July 23, 1935, and Anna Belle died on Nov. 4, 1957.  Both are buried in the Berkey Cemetery.

She smoke (sic) a pipe

It is remembered by some of the family that Anna Belle smoked a pipe and would go into the closet when doing so.  Her mother also was known to smoke a small pipe as the custom of many women of that day.  Anna Belle is recalled lovingly as a small lady who when she was in her later years was known as "Mamma-Berkey."  She prepared home made root beer in her basement, a treat for all who visited her.

In 1964 a monument was placed on the grave of Harry and Anna Belle Foust Berkey which bears the surname of Berkey by two of her grandchildren, a lasting tribute to loving grandparents.

Daniel G. Foust, born in Scalp Level in 1881 to Daniel and Amelia married to Katie Weaver who was the daughter of Jonas J. and Ida Kaltenbaugh Weaver.

They were the parents of seven children who are well known in this vicinity, as Bessie, wife of Richard Garner;  died in 1965; Florence, wife of William Gittings; Anna Grace, married to Robert Anderson; Glenn, married to Gladys Bridgman and second to Lorraine Leonard, died in 1983. Ruth wife of Clarence Statler, died in 1981; and Maria, wife of Maxwell Old.

Harvey C. Foust was born on July 19, 1892 to Daniel and Amelia Foust and was the youngest of the children.  He married to Sadie Wissinger who was born on Feb. 8, 1897 to Charles and Mary Ellen Penrod Wissinger.

To this couple two children were born, Mildred, married to John Aitkens and Gladys, married to Hobart Sherlock.

Now 90 years old

Mrs. Sadie Foust recently celebrated her 90th birthday while residing in the Village of Rummel.  Because of her help much of the Faust Family History was able to be placed into book form and a copy of this book has been donated in the Windber-Johnstown Area Genealogical Society for the Windber Library research shelves.

All those interested in the people and places of our area may visit the library and the many family historys (sic) that have been placed on the shelves through the efforts of society members throughout the United States.


Marlin Ralph Shaffer Jr.--
In other records, "Foust", is used.  He was also known as Balsar Sr.
Born 1759 or 1769 in Lancaster borough or county, in or near York co.  See US
film 020,349, (also ss 2 Aug 1994, sp 2 Aug 1994)
item 3, Hist of York Co. 974.841 H2C or D3p or E3n.  He served in Captain
Ferree's Co. of York Co. Associates and Militia, 1781-1782.  Above are old
notes.  He probably was born in Screwsbery Twp., York.  Another birth date,
about 1769.  Prob. born in Lancaster Co. which later became York Co., Pa.
Married in First Reforned Church, York, Pa. to Eva FISHEL, also spelled FISSEL.
The Fissel Lutheran and Reformed Church was named after her father, Frederick
Fissel (his wife being Anna Maria Diehl).  Eva was borh in 1765 in Shrewsbury
Twp. and died in 1804.  The Fissel church, which is one of the landmarks of
Shrewsbury Twp., was previously known as the Jerusalem church.  From "History of
York County" by Geo. R. Prowell is the following account:  "..(as to Fissel's
church), the missionaries of the Lutheran and Reformed Church held meetings in
vicinity as early as 1750, soon after this region was settled by the Germans
from the Palatinate country along the Rhine in Germany."  Balthasar served as
private in the York County militia in 1781 in Captain Ferree's company, York
Co. Pa. Rangers of the Frontier.  An bir. date 1769 (IGI, wrong).
See Pa. Archives, 6th Ser, Vol 2, p. 654, 655, 670, 671.  Listed with two
other inhab: taxable lists, LDS f. 0599213 item 1, Shrewsbuy Twp, 3 inhab.