Hans Stauffer, b. c1683. d. c1728, Mückenhäuserhof?

Hans Stauffer's first wife was probably named Veronica, as descendants of their grandson Christian Stauffer (son of Jacob 1713-1775) believed the mother of Jacob Stauffer was named Veronica. They mistakenly believed that Jacob's widowed mother was brought to Pennsylvania, but it was actually his step-mother Elisabetha (Risser) Stauffer. Veronica may also have been a Risser, as Hans was living at Friedelsheim before his marriage to Elisabeth Risser in 1713. His family did not live at Friedelsheim so it's probable that his first wife's family lived in the Friedelsheim congregation. Hans Stauffer was living at Alsheim bei Gronau in about 1697 before he went to work at Lambsheim. The Risser family was living at Alsheim bei Gronau at the time. Hans' second wife Elisabeth's parents were Hans and Verena Risser. Veronica is the Germany form of the name Verena. It is very possible that Hans and Verena Risser had a daughter named Veronica.. Their son Hans Risser Jr. moved to Friedelsheim. Since the number of Mennonites in the Friedelsheim congregation were small, the first wife of Hans Stauffer could very well be Veronica a probable daughter of Hans and Verena Risser and an older sister of his second wife Elisabetha Risser.

At the time of Hans Stauffer's second marriage in 1713 at Ellerstadt, he was called a widower and he and his bride Elisabetha Risser were "both from sect of Mennonite who lived at Friedelsheim". Elisabetha was probably the daughter of Hans Rüsser and Verena Rüsser who were Anabaptist refugees living at Wachenheim near Friedelsheim in 1672 and at Alsheim bei Gronau in 1685.

He was probably the Johannes Staupfer who was a cow herder living at Lambsheim, Bayern, Germany in 1698 and it stated that he had previously been at Alsheim bei Gronau. His religion was not mentioned in the record. He would have been just a young teenager about age 15 years. Alsheim bei Gronau is only about 8 miles from Branchweilerhof and only three miles from Friedelsheim. Hans’ cousin Mathias Stauffer was listed as a cow herder at Kohlhof in 1717 when he was only about age 15 also. Hans was probably working on the farm of Mennonite Hans Risser prior to 1698 who lived at Alsheim bei Gronau. He would later marry Risser's daughter.

Hans Stauffer does not appear on the 1715 tenant list at Friedelsheim, but Hans Rüsser, his probable brother-in-law does. After his marriage, Hans moved to Wartenberg, Bayern where his son Johannes was born in 1715. Hans does not appear on the list of Mennonites living in the Kaiserslautern area in1717. He apparently moved to Mückenhäuserhof in about 1716/1717 to join his father Daniel who was a tenant there. He may have died by 1727 as that is when his brother Christian Stauffer returned from Mannheim to take over the tenancy at Mückenhäuserhof. Hans’ son Johannes wrote in his Bible record that he was born in Wartenberg in 6 August 1715 but was raised on the Mückenhäuserhof. Another son Christian wrote in his Bible that he was from Mückenhäuserhof when he married Barbara Kunzi in November 1730 at Alsheim. In 1739, Hans’ brother Daniel wrote a letter from Alsheim to the local authorities and mentioned that he was the guardian of some minor children. Daniel may have been referring to the younger children of his brother Hans. Hans probably lived at Friedelsheim from about 1706 to 1713 and then at Wartenberg from about 1714 to 1717 and then at Mückenhäuserhof from about 1717 to about 1727/1728.

Children:

1. Daniel Stauffer, b. 1707. d. 1776, Shenandoah County (now Page County), Virginia. He supposedly married Eva.

2. Christian Stauffer, b. 1709. d. 1747, Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. From a bible record found in Kansas City, Missouri the following was written on the first page "Year 1730, 10th of November have I, Christian Stauffer, from Mückenhäusen married afterwards at home unto the Vet. Christian Kintzi daughter by name Barbara Kintzin who was born in the year 1705 God our Lord give us grace and blessing that we live according to his will"

3. Barbara Stauffer, b. 1711. d. Virginia. She married Martin Kaufmann (d. 1749), son of Michael Kaufmann. They lived at Page County, Virginia. She arrived in Philadelphia on the ship "Pink Plaisance" on 21 Sep 1732 as "Barba Staphen" age 20 with Daniel Stauffer, age 24, Jacob Stauffer, age 20 and Anna Stauffer, age 18. She was a Mennonite.

4. Jacob Stauffer, b. 1712. d. 1775, Donegal Township, Lancaster County. He married Magdalena Hess (28 Mar 1717-1784), daughter of Hans and Magdalena Hess.

5. Anna Stauffer, b. 1714. She arrived on the ship "Pink Plaisance" on 21 Sep 1732 as "Anna Stapan" age 18.

6. Johannes Stauffer, b. 6 Aug 1715, Wartenberg, Bayern, Germany. d. Jan 1767, Warwick Township, Lancaster County. He married Catherina Schenk, daughter of Michael and Anna (Rasy/Rassi) Schenk in the fall of 1738. He was raised on the Muckenhauserhof.

7. Madlena Stauffer, b. c1720. d. Shenandoah County, Virginia. She married Michael Kaufman, son of Michael Kaufman as his second wife. They had no children together. She probably emigrated in 1737 with her probable brothers Christian and Johannes.

research by Richard W. Davis