Elizabeth Pfaffenberger Deal

Elizabeth Pfaffenberger was born in Bavaria, very likely in Petzmannsberg, on May 24, 1824. The second child of Andrew and Catharine, she was 13 in the autumn of 1837 when she migrated to America with her parents and five brothers. She spent the next five years in Pennsylvania before her family's migration ended in Washington Township of Jackson County, Indiana in late 1842.

Elizabeth spent her late teen and early twenty years on the Chestnut Ridge farm. On August 24, 1847, she married John Deal, a German immigrant farmer. The Deal's settled on a farm in Vernon Township of Jennings County, Indiana. This area later became part of Lovett Township. Mr. Deal was widowed by the death of his wife Mary Deal, who died at age 27 in 1846.₁₅₄ Two children, James P. and George W., who were born to John and Mary Deal._{139, 140}James P. born on October 22, 1842 and George W. born on January 17, 1846.

Between their wedding and 1859, the Deal's gave birth to five children (Mary Catherine, September 1848, Adam, January 1, 1851, John, July 16, 1853, William H., February 4, 1856 and Frank, 1859)._{139, 140}

Tragedy struck the Deal's in late in the 1863-64 winter. Between February 28 and March 5 three of the Deal children died. John, 10, died on February 28, William, 8, died on February 29 and George, 18, died on March 5. While no one knows what happened, it is reasonable to assume that this tragedy was the result of disease.₁₃₉ The next year (1865) James was married to Celestine Jordan on March 1. _{156, 157} However, James died two years later on March 25, 1867. Centerville Cemetery records show “Deal, Arthur O., son of JP & C, 10 Feb. 1856-25 Aug. 1867.” The author believes that the numbers on the record are transposed. Arthur O. Deal is likely the son of James P. and Celestine who was born on February 10, 1865 and died exactly five months after his father on August 25, 1867.

The last know child of John and Elizabeth, Flora Louise, was born in April 1867. Another child, Frank, apparently died in the 1860's (his name did not appear in the 1870 U.S. Census and his name was not on the tomb stone showing the 1864 deaths)._{139, 141}

Jennings County marriage records indicate that Adam married Margaret A. Furguson on November 20, 1871. ₁₅₈ Adam died at age 33 on April 27, 1884.₁₃₉ It is not clear if Adam and Margaret had a family.

Mary and Flora are the only children of John and Elizabeth known to marry and have families. Mary Catharine, also know by family as “Aunt Molly,” married John S. Wells on December 4, 1866. ₁₅₆ Flora married Ulysses Grant Hendricks on May 14, 1887.₁₄₂

Based on US Census data the author believes John Deal died between 1880 and 1900 and Elizabeth died after 1900.

Descendants of Mary Catherine were Amy Wells, born April 21, 1869, Lemuel Olin Wells born August 5, 1875 and John Everett Wells, born in September 1882.₁₅₆ Descendants of Flora Louise include Katie M. Hendricks born in December of 1889 and Mortan E. Hendricks born in November 1894. ₁₅₆

The author greatly appreciates the contributions to this chapter by Sharon Seaver in April 2010.