Mrs. Mary Stacer,
Dear Cousin,

I will now give you a few facts concerning the ancestry that we had in common. Our earliest ancestor was Martin Weimer. It is not known to a certainty where his birthplace was in Germany, nor when he came to America, or where he first landed. Uncle David Welfley left it as a matter of record that in his opinion he most likely landed at Baltimore. On this I think differently. The Pennsylvania Archives print the name of a vast number of German immigrants who landed in Philadelphia, giving the year and the name of the ship in which he came, and in these lists I find the name of a Martin Weimer. (These lists Uncle David never saw and I believe this was our ancestor, for this reason. The family traditions are clear that he was a redemptionor, that he was unable to pay his passage money, and that both he and his wife were sold for a term of years to pay the passage.  It is also very positive that they first lived in Cecil County, Maryland. Now Cecil
County is east of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay and more easily
accessible to Philadelphia in those days than was Baltimore, and that his time was bought by some resident of Cecil who had business there. 

If this surmise is correct, then he came to America in 1774 and prior to the Revolutionary War. The family traditions as they have come down to us are that he served in the Revolutionary War and he was present at Yorke town when Cornwallis was taken. Some time after the Revolution was over and a success he decided to move westward, but there is no record of the precise year, nor is the precise motive known, except that he might have a home of his own, and went when land was only a few cents an acre. But I think that either he or his wife had some relatives who came into this county before he did.

At any rate, he seems to have come by way of Cumberland where he struck the Old Braddock Road, which he followed to a point some five or six miles west of where Frostburg now is, here he turned off to the north finding his way through what, even in our day, was almost impenetrable wilderness, some four or five miles when he came to a place that he decided to make home, and proceeded to build a log cabin for shelter of his family. This place was in Greenville in a branch of the Pine Run. It is about one and a quarter miles south from Uncle Jerry Glodfelty’s place and near the Maryland line. I think the farm is now known as the Delas Thomas farm. Ambrose McKenzie once owned it. Before him, Samuel Meese, and Peter Hutzel were former owners. Here he and his wife made their home in the primeval forest, and so far as is now known, with probably no neighbors within miles. The time is supposed to be the spring of 1783 or 84.

His wife’s maiden name was Catherine Barbara Troutman. At the time of the settling on the Greenville farm, they had a family of four children. The eldest was Margaret, born in Germany. (She was the stepmother of John Engle and mother of Samuel Engle). Next, Elizabeth, then a son named Martin and a second son called Godfrey, who would seem to have been three or four years old. They did not remain here more than a couple of years at most. By that time he had become better acquainted with the country and found a better place in Elk Lick, certainly better land with the advantage of near neighbors all around. He settles on the Henry Glodfelty farm and erected the first building on it. The house he built was still standing some five or six years ago. Here he reared his family and lived the remainder of his life. By trade he was a shoemaker. On this farm were born, also, grandmother Weimer and Adam Weimer, her youngest brother. He died the 11th day of May 1815 past 77 years of age, and is buried in the old grave yard at Salisbury. His grave is marked and is near that of your grandmother Patton. He made a will and provided well for his wife who died in 1825. Uncle David Welfley remembers her quite well and says she was a Christian of strong faith and earnest piety, and when her own son, Martine, your mother’s grandfather, died, there being no minister, she stood by his bedside, praying with him and admonishing him to place his trust in God. That is about all that is known of the worthy couple who were by great grandparents and your great, great grandparents. It now remains to add something of their children. 
The eldest, Margaret, married Clement Engle, they lived on the George Lowry farm in a house standing at the turn of the road, which you probably remember. I remember her quite well; she died in 1848 of fever. Your grandmother Patton died about the same time. 
The second daughter, Elizabeth, married Equilla Snell, but all trace of her or her descendants has been lost, nothing whatever is known of them. The eldest son and third son and also named Martin Weimer, I do not know what his wife’s name was. He appears to have lived in Salisbury. He built the house we used to live in and which is yet standing, but no longer habitable. He died a few years after his father. This Martin Weimer was the father of the Martin Weimer we knew and who only died a few years ago, also father of Jacob Weimer who used to live in Berlin.

The second son, Godfrey Weimer, married Elizabeth Sterner whose father used to live on the John W. Beach farm, the one he lived on before he moved to the Peter Livengood farm. Shortly after, he moved to Ohio. He is dead a good many years. He left behind a numerous family, who all appear to be very nice people. I had the pleasure of meeting quite a number of them in 1892. They live in the neighborhood of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, that is, some do, for like all families, they are scattered, more or less. One of his daughters died five days after Margaret Lowry. One daughter, almost 92 years old is yet living, and a son, Adam Weimer is yet living at Trisdale, Kansas. They all seem to have been a long lived family.

A brother of grandmother Welfley, he died of the fever in 1848. His wife was then dead. He had three daughters and one son, the eldest daughter was married to Jenkin Griffith. She died not long after her father. Then there was a daughter Ann and Catherine and son Samuel. Last I ever heard of them they lived somewhere in the Cove near Accident, but I do not know what became of them.

If I have been able to give you any information that will be of interest to you or your family, I shall feel amply paid for the trouble. 

Your Cousin,
William H. Welfley (g-grandson of Johann Martin Weimer April 7, 1738- May, 1815)