Johan Jacob Runninger and Margaretha Lowenguth

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Husband Johan Jacob Runninger ^{1 2}

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           Born:  - Holland
     Christened: 
           Died: 1825 - ? Venango Co, PA
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 

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Wife Margaretha Lowenguth ³

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            AKA: Margaretha Levenguth,3 Margaretha Levengood 3
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Mary Runninger ³

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           Born: Bef 1791 - Pennsylvania
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef 29 Oct 1835 - Venango Co, PA
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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2 M Johann Jacob Runninger ^{1 3}

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           Born: 7 Mar 1792 - Penns Twp, Northumberland Co, PA 3
     Christened: 25 Mar 1792 3
           Died: 25 Dec 1834 - Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 4
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 5

         Spouse: Susannah Rice (1805-1868) 4
           Marr: 6 Jun 1822 - French Creek Twp, Mercer Co, PA 4

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3 M Johann David Runninger ³

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           Born: 20 Feb 1795 - Penns Twp, Northumberland Co, PA 3
     Christened: 3 Apr 1795 - Himmel Lutheran and Reformed Church, Washington Twp, Northumberland Co, PA 3
           Died: 30 Apr 1856 - Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 6
         Buried:  - Mill Creek Cemetery, Utica, Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 7

         Spouse: Rosanna Heffernan (cal 1796-1856) 6

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4 F Anna Catherine "Aunt Kate" Runninger ³

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           Born: 7 Feb 1799 - Northumberland Co, PA 3
     Christened: 31 Mar 1799 - Himmel Lutheran and Reformed Church, Washington Twp, Northumberland Co, PA 3
           Died: 29 Nov or 11 Dec 1884 - Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 8
         Buried:  - Nicklin Cemetery, Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 9

         Spouse: John Sherman (      -Bef 1884) 8

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General Notes: Husband - Johan Jacob Runninger

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He came to the United States in 1777, and settled in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, then in 1801 moved to Venango County, and bought three hundred and seven acres of land in French Creek township. He was an active business man.

All the early family records indicate that Johan Jacob Runninger came to the United States in 1777 from Hesse Kassel, Germany, as a Hessian soldier. These were the soldiers hired by King George to come to America to fight for the British in the Revolutionary War. It appears likely that Runninger, like so many of his comrades, deserted and either joined the American army or simply settled in eastern Pennsylvania. We find the first trace of him after the Revolution in Penn's Township of Northumberland County, Pennsyl­vania, in 1792. There are some clues that he was in that area as early as 1786 but proof of this has not yet been found. The entire north cen­tral Pennsylvania area was called Northumberland County at that point in time. The area in which Jacob lived was near present-day Selinsgrove in what is now Snyder County.
In 1792, Jacob purchased land in Mahanoy Township from George Borrell. The deed was dated 22 March 1792 and Jacob described himself as "of Penn's Township". This deed was not recorded until 3 May 1802. Possibly it was recorded at that time because he was selling the property in order to go to Venango County.
He moved his family to Venango County in 1802. The county had only been formed in 1800 and was still, to a great extent, unbroken wil­derness. Jacob purchased 307 acres of land in Frenchcreek Township and set out to clear the timber, pull the stumps, and establish a farm for himself and his family.

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General Notes: Wife - Margaretha Lowenguth

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Little has been found concerning her other than she was born in America and that her father's name was Johan. She is supposed to have come to Venango County, Pennsylvania, with her husband and died there. No birth or death dates have been found for her and it is not know where she is buried. A woman of the correct age is shown in Jacob's household on both the 1810 and 1820 censuses.

1 Editor, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 564.

2 Charlotte Blair Stewart, The Descendants of Jacob Runninger (Pennsylvania: The Runninger Reunion Committee, 1986), Pg 1.

3 Charlotte Blair Stewart, The Descendants of Jacob Runninger (Pennsylvania: The Runninger Reunion Committee, 1986), Pg 2.

4 Charlotte Blair Stewart, The Descendants of Jacob Runninger (Pennsylvania: The Runninger Reunion Committee, 1986), Pg 7.

5 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 8, Sandycreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1999), Pg 79.

6 Charlotte Blair Stewart, The Descendants of Jacob Runninger (Pennsylvania: The Runninger Reunion Committee, 1986), Pg 5.

7 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 6, Frenchcreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1998), Pg 31.

8 Charlotte Blair Stewart, The Descendants of Jacob Runninger (Pennsylvania: The Runninger Reunion Committee, 1986), Pg 6.

9 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 6, Frenchcreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1998), Pg 72.