John Nicholas David SMELTZER

1832 - 1921  (88 years)

• Name	John Nicholas David SMELTZER
  Birth	18 Oct 1832	Mader's Cove, Lunenburg, NS   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	18 Aug 1921	Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS   [2, 3]
  	Cause: Old age
  Burial	Park Cemetery, Mahone Bay, NS
  Person ID	I175026	A Few Relatives of Bob and Mary Hegerich
  Last Modified	19 Dec 2012

  
  

  Father	George Bernard SMELTZER,   b. 1799, Lunenburg County, NS d. 28 Feb 1874, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS (Age 75 years)
  Mother	Mary Elizabeth EISENHAUER,   b. 25 Feb 1801, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	9 Dec 1824	Lunenburg County, NS   [1]
  Family ID	F54620	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah ACKER,   b. 27 Sep 1842, Oakland, Lunenburg, NS d. 22 Oct 1917, Mader's Cove, Lunenburg, NS (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	26 May 1866	Lunenburg, Lunenburg, NS   [4]
  Children	1. James Stephen SMELTZER,   b. 16 Jun 1859, Lunenburg County, NS d. 6 Sep 1918, lost at sea (Age 59 years)   2. Enoch SMELTZER,   b. 1861, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS d. Yes, date unknown   3. George Arthur Henry SMELTZER,   b. 12 May 1870, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS d. Bef 1881, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS (Age < 10 years)   4. Emma S. C. SMELTZER,   b. 21 Feb 1872, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS d. Bef 1881, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, NS (Age < 8 years)
  Family ID	F67145	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jun 2025

  
  

• Notes

  Son Stephen is born seven years prior to the marriage of John Nicholas David and Sarah Ann (ACKER) SMELTZER, but he is buried in the same grave as David and Sarah and, at marriage, he lists them as his parents, so there is no doubt that they were his de facto parents. David states that he is a bachelor and Susan states that she is a spinster when they marry in 1866, so either: a. David is a widower on 1866 and the marriage record is incorrect; or, b. Stephen is a youthful indiscretion on the part of one or both of his parents; or, c. Stephen is a relative who was taken in. But then, in the 1871 Census, we also see son Enoch age 10 in this family and, at marriage, he also gives his parents as David and Sarah. So once again we are faced with choices a , b, and c above; however, I doubt that choice b. is correct. BeCAUSe there is a ten year gap between Enoch and his next youngest [known] sibling, and beCAUSe there is a ten year age difference between David and Sarah, my best guess is that the 1866 marriage record is incorrect, and David is a widower when he marries Sarah. Son Stephen is born seven years prior to the marriage of John Nicholas David and Sarah Ann (ACKER) SMELTZER, but he is buried in the same grave as David and Sarah and, at marriage, he lists them as his parents, so there is no doubt that they were his de facto parents. David states that he is a bachelor and Susan states that she is a spinster when they marry in 1866, so either: a. David is a widower on 1866 and the marriage record is incorrect; or, b. Stephen is a youthful indiscretion on the part of one or both of his parents; or, c. Stephen is a relative who was taken in. But then, in the 1871 Census, we also see son Enoch age 10 in this family and, at marriage, he also gives his parents as David and Sarah. So once again we are faced with choices a , b, and c above; however, I doubt that choice b. is correct. BeCAUSe there is a ten year gap between Enoch and his next youngest [known] sibling, and beCAUSe there is a ten year age difference between David and Sarah, my best guess is that the 1866 marriage record is incorrect, and David is a widower when he marries Sarah.

  
  

• Sources

  [S9315] Parish Register, Zion Lutheran Church--Lunenburg. [S1509] Inscription Survey, Park Cemetery--Mahone Bay. [S12554] !NS Historical Vital Statistics, Year: 1921 - Book: 95 - Page: 815. [S12554] !NS Historical Vital Statistics, Year: 1866 - Book: 1828 - Page: 13 - Number: 87.