Joe,
I'm not sure if my ancestor is the one you are looking for, as I've not done detailed research on his background. I do "know" that he served in the Civil War, but have not documented it yet. Below is the information that I have from my mother, who wrote this in 1943/4 while still in high school.
John Ray
John Joseph
Burkhart was born on April 12, 1832 in Germany and brought to
America in 1844. He grew up on his fathers farm in
Lorain County and was educated there.
He married Gertrude
Peiffer, who was also a native of
Prussia, Germany. She was very young when her parents, John Joseph and Margeruite (Zunger) Pieffer, crossed the ocean to
America. John and Gertrude were married on May 7, 1855 at Saint Threasa's Catholic Church in
Lorain County. They were farmers and owned 40 acres—Lott 55—in
Sheffield Township in
Lorain County in 1857. In 1863, they sold their farm and moved to
Palmer Township in
Putnam County,
Ohio where they purchased 80 acres of land. Later they purchased another 80 acres and, an additional 30 acres of farm land.
As well as a farmer, John was a stock raiser, an assessor for one year and a township trustee for nine years. John also fought with the Union
Army durning the Civil War.
John and Gertrude had twelve children. Their raised their family on their farm near New Bavaria,
Ohio. John had an unfortunate accident when he was kicked in the head by a horse and as a result he lost an eye.
Both John and Gertrude are burried in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Cementery which is located about two miles east of New Bavaria on
Ridge Road.
