Individual Details

Rev. William Thomas Albright, History of the Widenhouse, Furr, Dry, Stallings, Teeter, and Tucker Families (Greensboro, North Carolina: privately published, 1950)

WIDENHOUSE HISTORY

CHAPTER I

The Widenhouse family in America begins with Martin Widenhouse I, who came to America from Germany about 1780. The family tradition is that he left Germany to escape the military law requiring all males to enlist for a period of training at the age of seventeen.

By the records in the Court House in Concord dated May 11, 1801, Martin Widenhouse I married Saly Koon, and his bondsman was Phillip Jordan. Saly Koon had been twice married, first to Adam Beri and second to John Kuntz. The following record of her marriage to John Kuntz is from the records of St. John's Lutheran Church located a few miles from Concord near the Mount Pleasant road:

"Groom, John Kuntz, second legitimate son of George Kuntz, .deceased Bride, Salomi Beri, Sr., relict of Adam Beri, deceased. Bonds pronounced November 12, 1797; Married November 16, 1797. Witnessed by Christopher Seurle and Adam Beri's young brother. Married by Rev. A. N. Marcard, Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church." (Salomi Beri, whose maiden name was Garver, had a daughter named Katharine by her marriage to Adam Beri. This daughter married George Teter January 26, 1809.

Now, judging by the above record, and also the fact that his son, Martin Widenhouse II, attended St. John' in his early life, I believe he was of the Lutheran faith and may have been a member at St. John's. At any rate, from all we know of Martin Widenhouse I, his family and descendants, we are assured that he was a rugged and honorable citizen, and an ancestor to whom the Widenhouse generation can look with pride. He was born in Germany in 1764 and died in this country in 1842 at the age of 78. His wife Sally was born in Pennsylvania in1766 and died in 1850 at the age of 84. Her maiden name was Garver and as already stated, she married Beri, then Kuntz before marrying Martin Widenhouse. Notice how the spelling of her name has varied, being Bary, Deberry, then Koon to Koonce. She and her husband both died at the old home in eastern No. 9 Township about two miles from Georgeville, and are buried within about two hundred yards of the house in which they had lived. Here also is buried their daughter, Sally, who died in infancy.

For a living, Martin Widenhouse I engage in farming and other activities incident to rural life in his day. There were no towns and cities or industries as we know them today.

We regret that we have no information on the ancestry of Martin Widenhouse or his wife, Saly Kuntz.

To Martin Widenhouse I and Saly Kuntz were born three children as follows:

First, Sophia, born April 22, 1802, died September1, 1885. On October 9, 1821, she married Daniel Furr.

Second, Martin, born April 10 (sic 26), 1802 (sic 1804), died March 8, 1896. On September 26, 1843 he married Lucretia Stallings.

The third child of Martin Widenhouse I was named Sally and died in childhood.

Martin Widenhouse I and his wife Saly Kuntz constitute the first generation of the name in America. Their three children, Sophia, Martin, and Sally, are the second generation.

Sophia Widenhouse (See Above) married Daniel Furr on October 9, 1821. Daniel Furr was born March 21, 1795 and died June 9, 1876. They are both buried in the cemetery of St. Martin's Lutheran Church, near the old site of Bost's Mill on the road from Concord to Georgeville, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. It is believed that they were Lutherans in religion. Daniel was the fifth son of Paul Furr and his wife Mary Stutts, and a grandson of Henry Furr, who came from Germany about 1758 and settled near Bost's Mill, which was then called Boger's Mill. Daniel Furr was a farmer and lived not far from St. Martin's Church.

On Sophia's tombstone is this inscription:
"Dear Mother thou hast left us
Here thy loss we deeply feel
But 'tis God that hast bereft us
He can all our sorrows heal."

On Daniel Furr's tombstone are the words:
"Even so, Father, For so it seemed good in thy sight. Matt. IX, 26."
"For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return. Gen. III, 19."

Marriage Bond of Martin Widenhouse I

Know all men by these presents, that we, Martin Widenhouse and Philip Jordon of the County of Cabarrus and State of North Carolina, are held and firmly bound unto his excellency, Benjamin William, Esquire, Capt. Gen. and Commander in Chief over the State aforesaid, in the just sum of five hundred pounds current money of said State, to be paid to his said Excellency, the governor, his successors and assigns to which the payment well and truly to be made and done, we bind ourselves and our hears, Exrs. and Administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents.
Sealed with our seals and dated this 11th day of May A.D. 1801.

The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above bonded, Martin Widenhouse has made application for a License for marriage to be celebrated between him and Saly Koon of this County, now in case it shall not appear hereafter that there is any lawful cause to obstruct the said marriage, then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. Martin his X mark Widenhouse (seal)
Philip Jordon (seal)
signed and sealed in the
presence of John Simaner

While Martin Widenhouse I and his wife, Sally, lived on a farm near a large spring just west of Cabarrus and Stanly County line, a son was born on April 26, 1804 whom they namer (sic) Martin, after his father, and so he was Martin Widenhouse II.

When this son was about four years old, the family moved to a larger house on the west side of Meadow Creek on the farm now owned by John P. Cox, a great-grandson of Martin I. This new house was built of logs at a public working, at which time two men got into a fight.

The household goods were moved to the new house on a wagon, except a large pillow bolster which the lad Martin carried in his arms a distance of half a mile.

Birth	1764	Marburg, Hesse, Germany
Marriage	11 May 1801	Cabarrus County, NC - Saly KUNTZ
Death	1842	Cabarrus County, NC

Spouse	Saly KUNTZ (1766 - 1850)
Child	Sophia WIDENHOUSE (1802 - 1885)