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Archiver > BRETHREN > 1999-07 > 0932175748


From: Emmert Bittinger <>
Subject: Re: Fwd: Fike family
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 21:42:28 -0400


SECOND REPLY FROM EMMERT:
Did you note my message on the Fike family, Thurs. between 10 and ll a.m. The
book by Morrow is precisely about the Fike family you are describing below. It is
a fine book with detailed information. Incidentally, I too am a descendant of
this Fike line, and my Grandmother Etta Fike was the wife of Jonas Bittinger.
They were the parents of Rev. Foster Bittinger, Dr. Desmond Bittinger, Ilda
Biittinger, wife of Rev. Edward Ziegler, all well known. Moses Fike whom you
mention below was my great grandfather. He was a marvelously interesting man who
lived to the ripe old age of 96, dying in 1934. I remember his interesting
stories of pioneer times in the mountains of West Virginia, around Eglon where
this branch of the Fike family liveld. Moses Fikes father was Peter Fike who
married Magdalena Arnold. She was the daughter of a famous horseback riding
preacher who traveled all over northern W. Va. preaching to his scattered
congregation which he helped to found in 1794. He died in 1831. Elder John kline
stopped to visit my ancestor Peter Fike at Eglon in 1854 and again in 1855 at
which times he held meetings in the Fike home and organized the Eglon
congregation by the election of deacons and "speakers."
The Fike story is an interesting and amazing one. Several were famous
horseback riding ministers of the last Century. My grandmother Etta used to
"brag" about how many Fike ministers (and in-law ministers) there were. She ehad
counted over 125 before the time of her death around 1970. Fikes were members of
Maple Spring Congregation at Eglon and of Sandy Creek Congregation near Bruceton
Mills, both in Preston Co. W. Va. Some of their history is in Allegheny Passage.
Emmert Bittinger

wrote:
Merle, Ann, and Lisa, thanks for your responses. I think I was too vague

> about my question. My Fike line starts with Johann Feick (John Fike) came
> here from Switzerland in 1751. He first went to York Co., PA, then on to
> Elklick Twp., Somerset Co., PA. His wife's last name was or was not
> Bandrayer. His son, Christian Fike 1760-1850 married Christina Liebungut
> (Livengood). Their children were:
> Barbara Fike m Jacob Schrock
> Jacob Fike m Susan Lichty
> Christian Fike Jr. m Susanna Beeghly...these were mine
> Peter Fike m Magdalen Arnold
> John Fike m Catherine Miller
> Joseph Fike m Sally Miller
> Elizabeth Fike m John Lichty
> When Christian Jr. was 63 years old, he took his wife and seven of their
> children and their families to Iowa. The tale is that they travelled in
> covered wagons. The trip was long and difficult. After weeks of travel they
> looked shabby , and people felt sorry for the old man with his large family.
> They did not know that his money belt contained enough money to buy each of
> his children a quarter section (whatever that is) of land. They settled in
> Monroe Twp., Benton Co., Iowa. (I'm guessing that this is now Waterloo.
> When I was a kid, they all seemed to be originally from Waterloo, Ioway.Their
> children were:
> Elizabeth Fike m Jacob Reiman
> Mary Fike m Joseph Blough
> Jacob C. Fike m Elizabeth Blough...they were mine
> Emanuel Fike m Mary Ann Miller
> Fike m Elizabeth Baer
> Catherine Fike m George Barkley
> Christian Fike - singl
> Tobias Fike m Sarah Knupp
> Sarah Fike m Henry Knupp
> Moses Fike m Emeline Lager & Catherine Robison (sequentially, I believe)
> Dina - died young
> Peter Fike m Susan Allison
> Susanna Fike m Andrew Gnagy
> Joseph Fike m Anna Lichty
>
> The children of Jacob C. Fike 1821-1902 and Elizabeth Blough 1820-1909
> were:
> Christian Jacob Fike m Frances Allison...these were mine
> Sarah Fike m Bejamin Lohr
> John Fike m Mary Miller
> Susana Fike m Jacob Grady
> Elizabeth died young
> Samuel Fike m Sarah Kimmel
> Mary Ann Fike m William Blough
> The children of Christian 1843-1926 and Frances 1845-1938 were:
> Jacob Henry Fike m Fannie Steele
> Martha Fike died young
> Flora Fike died young
> Ida Fike died young
> Bert Fike m Abigail Lichty
> Fannie Fike m John McCahill ( I REALLY DID have an Aunt Fannie!)
> Abraham Fike m Mary Lehman & Mrs. Preston Moody
> Frank Fike m Grace Luper...my grandparents
> Charles Fike m Catherine Beam
>
> NOW if I don't have a WHOLE BUNCH of cousins out their in Dunkerland, I have
> been at least working on my typing skills. My real interest is to find out
> if anyone in this largish family has found who came before Johann? I hope
> somebody out there saw something useful. Jeanne Webb
>
> --part1_cc7197db.24bfc6f4_boundary--
>
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