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(John) Michael Matter (1763-1852) and wife Anna Maria Romberger (1770-1838)

2nd great grandparents of President Dwight D. Eisenhower

St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Berrysburg, Mifflin Twp., Dauphin Co., PA

Evelyn and I had found this tombstone many years ago, still standing but in 2 pieces, the top laying behind the standing stone. We put it together. Years later we returned and found it lying flat on the ground, apparently having been broken again, now in 3 pieces. This time we took a photo of it. Below is our photo, plus Rebecca’s death record from her church.

If you look closely at the photos, it is difficult to see, but the stone actually reads, on the very top piece, “Rebecca” and under the dove, “wife of” followed by “Jacob Rumberger” with Rebecca’s birth and death dates.

 

In our first visit, the tombstone next to it, also broken off but with just a bit of a bible inscription on the bottom (the top pieces had apparently been carried away many, many years ago because we could not locate them), was most likely Jacob, b. 19 June 1806. D. 20 Nov. 1864. Josiah ( & his wife Elizabeth) buried near to them, was one of their sons.

 

Even Philip Rice, in his book Dauphin County Pennsylvania Vital Records, on page 209, recorded the tombstone as Jacob’s because the top part was broken off when he inventoried the cemetery. The piece was lying right behind the tombstone when we originally saw it and placed it back on top. But we had no way to fasten it and it took years for us to make our way back. Philip and his people were doing the whole cemetery, thus did not have time to look for the top piece.

 

So --- the “mystery” Jacob Rumberger is actually Baltzer Sr.’s son Jacob, buried with his wife Margaretha/Rebecca. Their son Josiah and his wife are buried nearby.

 

Louise & Evelyn James