Anthony Betz – Caroline Betz Sinton’s great grandfather
17 May 1836 - 13 Jan1882
Anthony was born to Anton Betz and Regina
Rohrman in Feilbingert, Germany. German
Lutheran records show that Anthony was baptized on 23 May 1836 in Feilbingert,
Bayern, Germany. When Anthony was 11 years
old, he and 5 other family members emigrated from Germany to the US on the ship
“St James” which departed London and arrived in New York City on 19 Jan 1848. Along
with Anthony was his 7 year old sister Mary, his parents Anton, age 40, and
Regina, age 35, and Anton’s parents Philip Hans, age 65 and Christiana, age
61.
We don’t know how the family came to reside in Tamaqua, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, but two years later according to the 1850 Census, they were shown living there with Anton listed as a laborer and all but Mary could read and write. I assume that Anthony worked in the local coal mines based upon his future occupations.
On 4 June 1855 at age 22, Anthony had petitioned to become a naturalized citizen of the US. In the 1860 census, Anthony is working as a miner and is married to Mary Jane Braun-Brown with a 4 month old child Isabella. They were living in the North Ward of Tamaqua.
In 1865, Anthony shows up on a tax list with an income of $260.04 and a tax of $13.00 owed.
By 1870, the census shows that Anthony has real estate
valued at $600 and a personal estate of $200 and still a miner. By now the
family has grown to include children, Mary age 10, John E(llsworth Sr) age 8, Jacob
H age 6, George age 4 and Annie age 1. At this point tho, based upon his
assets, Anthony may have been a superintendent of the mine where he worked.
Zion Lutheran Church records list Anthony and his wife a communicants
on 20 May 1877.
In 1880, the census shows Anthony as a Coal Miner with wife
Mary Jane, children, John 18, Jacob 16, George 14, Annie 10 and Christina age
7. The sons John, Jacob and George were all working in the coal mines.
The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church records show that on Jan
13, 1882, Anthony died at age 45 of an affliction of the stomach and was buried in
Tamaqua 3 days later.
In a short biography of one Charles Newton Smith, Anthony is
mentioned. Quoted from :
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/il/county/knox/1899_biographies_1.html
1899 Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois Knox County Biographies
These biographies were typed by Kathy Mills & Foxie Anderson Hagerty -
please do not copy without giving them credit
“” Smith, Charles Newton; Engineer; Galesburg; born June
24, 1855, in Pennsylvania, where he was educated. His parents were Jeremiah and
Catherine E. Miller Smith, of Pennsylvania, the latter of Reading; his
grandfather, Jacob Smith, and his great-grandparents were also natives of
Pennsylvania. He was married in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, September 16, 1878, to Isabella, daughter of Anthony Bets, of Germany, and Mary Jane
Brown Betz, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Betz came to Tamaqua from Germany at the age
of nine years. He was superintendent of a coal mine till his death at the age
of forty-four years. Mr. and
Mrs. Smith have four children, Jerry, Laura Jane, Robert Henry, and Edward
Newton. Mr. Smith's father was one of the first locomotive engineers in
Pennsylvania, and followed the business stile he retired of old age. He now
lives at Tamaqua, Pa. his wife died in 1895. At the age of fourteen, Mr. C. N
Smith began to work in a rolling mill, and when eighteen years old, began as
brakeman on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. After being conductor for
two years he began as fireman on the same road, and after three years, became
and extra engineer. He left during the Strike of 1887, but began running an
engine on the C B & Q R. R. in March, 1888, which position he still holds.
During his entire railroad service, Mr. Smith has lost but two weeks' time. By
economy, he and his wife have built their home on East South street, Galesburg.
Mr. Smith is a republican.””
Naturalization records
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