GENEALOGY EYESTONE AND RELATED FAMILIES BY J. BRUCE EYESTONE INTRODUCTION Dear Kinsmen, My sincere greetings to you all. In the following pages,- I have endeavored. to answer my cvn questions and the questions of scores of others, as to where we came · from originally, when we came to America, how we came by the name -­ Eyestone -- how many there are of us, what we of the present day are doing, and where ar.e we located, also what relation do we sustain to those who bear the name of Augenstein. Attempts have been made by others in times past to gather infor­ mation and a few limited·collections of family data are to be found,most of which, through the courtesy of their collectors are included in this volume which is the only published volume knovn of the Eyestcne relation­ ship. Another volume is now being prepared and will doubtless appear in the near future, compiled by the Reverend Orrin Wade Sidener of Tulare, California, which will contain considerable of the data of this Eyestone volume, plus a much larger inclusion of Augenstein and Sidener relation­ ship. We have each shared with the other certain data where the relationship overlaps. It has been my thought also that with the names and addresses of our relat-ives known to us, we might by correspondence and personal visits cement our relationship and make it more real and thus prevent our drifting apart. Over three thousand eight hundred names are listed. This includes about eight hundred names which have been changed by marriage and so, listed twice. This leaves a total of over three thousand separate persons of whom.some record is ~ade. Of these, six hundred and ninety three bear the name Eyestone. One hundred and seventeen bear the name Augenstein. Y~ny others bearing Eyestone and Augenstein names have not yet been contacted, names and addresses being yet unknown to me. If all of these and their relatives were added to the present list, the final record would doubtless reach well toward six thousand. These earliest ancestors, both Augenstein and Eyestone, were God fearitg men and women. They stood for and helped to make a righteous community wherever they lived. May God grant that their descendents may be worthy of such a heritage. J. Bruce Eyestone, Compiler, 415 North 2nd Street, Mount Vernon, Iowa. November, 1948. * * * G E N E A L O G Y * * * ------------------ .... EYESTONE AND RELATED FAMILIES ,__ ... .._ ___ ,... ____ _ __ # • Compiled by James Bruce Eyestone, Mount, Vernon, Iowa. FOREWORD .......... -- ... Early in 1~27 because of the troubled situation in China the BOARD requested its missionaries there to withdraw for a period. My wife and I being among them, later found ourselves in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where my father, John Wesley Eyestone, ws then living. He was in his 90th year. Mother had gone to Heaven some years before, so we remained in Mount Vernon to ca.re for him. This did not require all my time, a.nd being interested in knowing something of my ancestors and also present day relatives, I began collecting data regarding them. In 1910, rrry father had written a book entitled "Our Family History and Father's War Experiences". Some of you may have a copy of it, which vas mostly concerned with the -war, with only a few pages of Family History. That of his own family, self, brothers and sisters is given rather fully, but very little back of them for as he stated, "Of my father's brothers and sisters, I knov but little". Many questionnaires were sent out and the data filed until 1930. Father's death at that time released us for active service again, and being unable to return to China because of the chaotic condition there, we became members of the Upper low ~onference. (Methodist). The Family TREE was of necessity neglected for 15 years. Recently iey- re­ tirement from active service has made it possible to start the TREE growing again, to bring most of the former data up to date, to add such other as I was able to find, and to make it all available for distri­ bution. To make a complete record would require almost a lifetime, for the various members went everywhere; they married and begat sons and daughters 'With great enthusiasm. The largest known family having 18 children, the next largest being 15, with many other families with from 8 to 14. The following pages contain what is known of the earlier Eyestone or Augenstein families, for all Eyestones so far as kno-wn were Augensteins in the beginning, A-u-g-e-n meaning Eye and s-t-e-i-n meaning stone. CHAllGE OF NAME According to one story the change for one George Martin Augenstein, Jr. was as follows: - Enroute from Germany to America with parents, brothers and sisters, all agreed to change their name to the American form Eyestone, but on arriving, only George Martin kept the agreement, the others retaining the German form Augenstein. 2 According to another story this same George Martin r(;tained his name also until later when he hired out as a farm hand to an Englishrr3n named Sidener who told him that here in America a name like Augenstein had to be turned into English like Eyestone. George Martin Augenstein then changed his n~me to Eyestone but afterward regretted it because, as he said, he did not know of any Eyestones in the whole world except himself. This bit of history w:l.s given to me by Mr, A. A. Augenstein, a nephew of George Martin and who is yet living, a resident of Dakota, Illinois. 1 Names of Augensteins in the early records of immigration etc. be­ came Eyestones in the public records of a generation or two later, though why or when the changes were made is not well known. I can iz:agine the earlier settlers began calling them Eyestone while some may nave purposely changed, preferring the American form. SOURCE IN GERMANY There seems to be no doubt that our known ancestors came from Germ9.Ily. My father states in his book, "Y~ great grandfather was born in Germany". In all branches of the family there are persistent be­ liefs that the early home was in Germany. Certain printed records also read as follows: "Casper, Johannus and Hans George Augenstein left their homes on the upper F.b.ine in Germany in the spring of 1751 for tho German settle­ ments in Pennsylvania. They traveled by boat down the Rhine to Rotterdam where they embarked, Ca:sper on the ship "Two Brothers", Johannus and Hans George on the st Duke· of Wirtenburg" for Philadelphia. Casper took the Oath of Allegiance September 21, 1751 and the other two on October 16, 1751, probably settling in Bedford Co., Pennsyl­ vania. A Peter Augenstein was taxed in Bedford Co., and a Baltz~r Augenstein in 1793. Hieronymus Augenstein settled in Northu.11berland Co. b9fore 1773 and later the name of Jerome Augenstein is found. In Pennsylvania, all were known ~s Augensteins. The change to ~✓ estone C3.ID6 later11 • The above names according to our best information wer8 brothers, sons of one f~thcr named Hiero Augenstein, who had 7 sons and possibly several daughters but of the daughters we have no record, and tho name of the father is known only by inference from one of the sons whose name - Hieronymus - means Son of Hiero. Six of the seven sons c~me to America, one remained in Germany. THE OLD HOME IN GEfilliANY Where was this early home? As yet we have no definite answer, but all signs point toward the Provine of Baden in the very south­ west corner of Germ..any bounded by France on the west and by Switzerland on the south. This location agrees with the Etatcment msde above with reference to the Upper Rhine. The Rhino is 810 miles long from its mouth at Rotterdam to its source in S'4tzorl~nd. About three-fourths of the w9.y toward its source it forms the west and south boundary of Baden Province, and in addition we have docu­ ~~ntary evidence that Jacob Augenstein had a son, George ¥artin, who ;'':.me with his family to Americ-~ fro~ the Elrnondingen Dukedom in the Jaden Province. A copy of that document follows on page J. CERTIFICATE OF E~ITGRATION 3 "This is given to show th9.t the honorable citizen, George Martin Augenstein and his family immigrated to North America. George Martin Augenstein is tho lawful son of the heretofore citizen, Jacob Augenstein and his wife, w~s born on the I?th dgy of April, I782, and was baptized on the day following. In the ye~r, 1804, on the 28th d~y of FebruarJ he was rrarried to Christi3na Meier the lawful d~ughter of the heretoforG citizen, Michael Meier and his "'1ife, .. D9rothea Meier, nee Epel. From this union were born th0 following children. Juliana •.•••••••• Born the 12th day of October •• !305 George 113.rtin. • • • . u · 11 19th '' " April •••• 1811 Ernest Henry.. • • • 11 11 14th " " January •• 1814 Christoph. • • • • • • • " u 31st " '' l'13_y •••• o • I 818 0 Bcrnh:3.rdt........ " 22nd " " 1-iay •••••• I82I 11 II Jacob Frederick.. " 26th n Septe:mberI824 Michael.......... " " 9th " " December.1828 11 Christinea........ " " 8th " M:1rch •••• I83I Each of the above mentioned children were right ~fter their birth b~ptized and given to Christ. (Ccnsecrnted) God Fathers and God J.fothers were each time at the bs.ptism as vri.tnessos. William Epel and wife. Juli~n~ Ep~l, nee Drollinger.