Johann Bernhard ZENTMEYER

1740 - Abt 1820  (79 years)

• Name	Johann Bernhard ZENTMEYER
  Birth	11 Mar 1740	Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	Abt 1820	Shenandoah Co., (now Warren Co.) Virginia
  Burial	Santmyer Cemetery, in an unmarked grave
  Notes	There is much additional material about Bernhard on the York Co. page. There is a Bernhard Nicholas Santmyer b.1735 listed in FamilySearch IGI and elsewhere as the father of Jacob and George Zentmeyer, which we believe to be an unfortunate fabrication by a misguided LDS compiler, combining our ancestor Bernhard Zentmeyer b.1740 with another actual immigrant, Nicholas Sandmeier, who arrived on 9 Oct 1775 on the good ship King of Prussia. I have convinced FamilySearch to quarantine this record, although no one can remove it entirely except for its contributor, who will not respond to us. This bogus record also lists the surname of Bernhard's first wife as 'Luther,' for which we have found no evidence, see Catharina Laumann, but unfortunately this fabricated 'Luther' record has generated entries on 60+ trees on Ancestry.com.
  Person ID	I0050	Zentmeyer Main Tree
  Last Modified	20 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	Johann Bernhard ZENTMEYER,   b. 1 Jan 1707, Roigheim, Württemberg, Germany d. 9 Mar 1784, Warwick Twp. (now Penn), Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania (Age 77 years)
  Mother	Maria Salome ROTH,   b. 16 Mar 1712, Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France d. 1774, Warwick Twp., (now Penn) Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania (Age 61 years)
  Marriage	16 Feb 1739	Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France   [1]
  Photos » Slide Show		Bernhard and Salome's Marriage Record from the Bischwiller Kirchenbücher (Churchbooks) "16 Feb recorded in a public setting per priestly ordinances Joh. Bernhard Zentmeӱers, remaining marriage-eligible son of Jacob Zentmeӱers, citizen and resident and farmer at Roigheim, in the jurisdiction of Württemberg, and Maria Salomina, remaining marriage-eligible daughter of Jacob Roth, citizen and resident and metal worker/fitter here" This marriage record was the clue which led us the family's origins in Roigheim and then earlier in Franconia and southern Bavaria. Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Bischwiller Street Scene, Cafe and Bar. The Cafe Au Lion d'Or operates to this day in the same location in Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace (Bischweiler or Bishweiler, Elsaß in German) Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Notarial Register from Bischwiller for Centmeyer A recently discovered genealogical record from Bischwiller. The line under Jakob Centmeyer reads, 'Ackerer (farmer -Ed) in Roigheim, Württemberg.' The entry for his son Johann Bernhard reads, 'Lutheran, day laborer at the Keibelmühle (a mill -Ed) married on 16 Feb 1739 Maria Salome Roth.' The listing of their children reveals for the first time the death dates for Johann Jakob and Maria Salome.
  Family ID	F014	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Catharina LAUMANN
  Marriage	Abt 1761
  Notes	The Abt 1761 marriage date is from a birth record for Anna Margaretha Jeyter, which lists Bernhardt Zentmeyer and Catharina Laumann as sponsors in 1760.
  Children	+ 1. Jacob SANTMYER,   b. Abt 1762, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania d. Abt 1816, Shenandoah Co., (now Warren Co.) Virginia (Age 54 years) + 2. Johannes ZENTMEYER,   b. Aug 1763, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania d. 3 Sep 1844, Floyd Co., Virginia (Age 81 years) + 3. George ZENTMIRE,   b. 13 Sep 1769, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania d. 20 May 1836, Washington Twp., Warren Co., Ohio (Age 66 years)
  Family ID	F013	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Feb 2026

  
  

  Family 2	Margaretha LNU
  Marriage	Bef 1781
  Notes	We have only found one record for Margaretha. She is recorded as the wife of Bern. Zeidmayer, as a sponsor for the birth of Joseph Lauman, son of Bernhard's sister Magdelena Lauman on 14 Oct 1781.
  Family ID	F700	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 May 2015

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Birth Record for Johann Bernhard Zentmeyer b.1740 in Bischwiller Kirchenbücher (Churchbooks) "13 March was born Joh. Bernhard the child of Joh. Bernhard Zentmeӱer, citizen and farmhand and Salome formerly Roth Witnesses: Joh. Jacob Dock, a single nailsmith, son of Joh. Jacob Dock, citizen and nailsmith here, Christian Roth, a single metal worker/fitter, son of Christian Roth, citizen and metal worker/fitter here Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		The farm of Bernhard Zentmeyer b.1740 near Arendtsville, Pennsylvania Bernhard bought this farm from John Goudy in 1780 for cash and a series of bonds. He refused to pay off the bonds, because we could not obtain clear title to the property. Recent research by us in 2020 confirms that Goudy was in fact a squatter, so he could not convey clear title. Bernhard apparently lost the farm at a sale for delinquent taxes on March 4, 1793. Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Arendtsville Stone House, Exterior This is one the oldest houses in present-day Arendtsville, built in the late 1700s, and it is within the property owned by Bernhard b.1740 during the 1780s. We cannot say for certain that Bernhard lived here, but it is a strong possibility. The house is located on High street, just north of Queen St. Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Arendtsville Stone House Interior The house has several windows and doors, a large fireplace, and a stair to a second story loft which also has a window. Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Pennsylvania Gazette Notice, 9 Jan 1782. This Notice in the Pennsylvania Gazette and Weekly Advertiser, York County, warns potential purchasers of his bonds that he does not intend to honor them until he obtains clear title to the land. Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Pennsylvania Herald and York General Advertiser, 12 Sep 1792 This newspaper records the Notice of Tax Sale for Bernhard's farm just north of Arendtsville, Pennsylvania. Since he was apparently living with his son Jacob Santmyer shortly thereafter, it is presumed the sale went forward as scheduled. Image by Gary Zentmyer
  		Revolutionary War Military Abstract Card for Bernhard These 3" x 5" cards were initially prepared to serve as an index to Samuel Penniman Bates' "History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865," (Harrisburg, 1869-1871). The Office of the Adjutant General later expanded the scope of the cards by transcribing onto them data found on the original Civil War Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1861-1866 {series #19.11}.
  		Santmyers Cemetery Photo taken near the Santmyers Cemetery, Front Royal, Virginia, where Bernhard b.1740 was known as 'St. Moyer.' He is buried under an unmarked stone here. Cousin Ron caught unawares. Image by Gary Zentmyer

  
  

• Sources

  [S05794] Information contributed by Gary Zentmyer, Site Administrator.