The Bryan Democrat
March 11, 1897 P. 5 C. 3

Mrs. Polly Schartzer, widow of Philip Schartzer, died Friday, March 5th, aged nearly eighty-eight years. An extended notice will appear next week.

The Bryan Press
March 25, 1897 P. 5 C. 4

FIVE GENERATIONS.
A link in the Chain Broken.

Mary Gingery Schartzer was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, April 18, 1809, and departed this life Friday morning, March 5, 1897 - aged 87 years, 10 months, and 15 days. She was united in marriage with Philip Schartzer of Lancaster county, Penn., June 2, 1825. There were born to this union 15 children, five of whom and the husband and father preceded her to that peaceful rest "from which no traveler has yet returned" save our Jesus of Nazareth, in whom she trusted. Ten children - four sons and six daughters - remain to mourn the loss of a dear mother. There are also living forty-nine grandchildren, eighty-four great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
The family removed from Lancaster county, Penn, to Wayne county, Ohio, about the year 1836, and from there to Bryan, Williams county, Ohio in the spring of 1854 - forty three years ago - where she continued to reside until her death.
Mother Schartzer believed the gosbel of the Son of God and confessed Christ and repented and was baptised into Jesus Christ about twenty-five years ago, and was a faithful follower of the Master until she fell asleep in Jesus Christ. Her greatest wish and heart's desire was that all her children and descendants even unto the fifth generation, and her friends and acquaintances as well, might all repent and come in to the Kingdom of God's dear Son. So let us all heed the advice of one that has gone clear through the whole journey pf life. She saw the spring-time, the summer, the autumn, and the winter of life.
Mother Schartzer's death occurred at the residence of her son-in-law John Yates, on East Butler street in Bryan. Funeral services were held at the residence on the Lord's day afternoon March 7, 1897, and were conducted by Brethren George Sellers and C. Krabill, ministers of the Brethren, or German Baptist church in which she had held membership for a quarter century.
The scriptures read and commented on at the funeral of Grandma Schartzer was the entire fifth chapter of Second Corinthians and the latter part of the seventh chapter of Revelations, beginning with the 9th verse. The following are the first lines of some of the hymns that were sung: -"Dropping down the troubled river to the tranquil, tranquil shore," "There is a calm for those that weep, a rest for weary pilgrims found," and "Go bury thy sorrow, the world hath its share."
Philip Schartzer and his wife Mary lived together from the date of their marriage in 1825 to the day of his death, Jan. 5, 1891, a period of almost sixty-six years.
After they were married Mr. Schartzer worked for an entire year as a farm laborer for the small sum of $30. He had a small cabin rent free in addition.
A short chronology of the descendants of Mary and Philip Schartzer may not be uninteresting:
Criscelda Schartzer Fightner, of Wayne county, Ohio, 6 children, 29 grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren.
Elizabeth Schartzer Oxenrider, 9 children, 18 grandchildren.
Sophia Schartzer Starn, widow of John Starn, 4 children, 9 grandchildren.
Malinda Schartzer (Starn) Brenner her first marriage was with Alexander Starn, now deceased, 3 children, 4 grandchildren.
Stephen Schartzer (deceased) 2 children.
Amos Schartzer, 3 children, 4 grandchildren.
Philip Schartzer, 4 children, 11 grandchildren.
Mary Schartzer Yates, 3 children, 2 grandchildren.
Noah Schartzer, 7 children, 2 grandchildren.
Jacob Schartzer, 5 children, 4 grandchildren.
Susan Schartzer Deck, 3 children, 1 grandchild.
Total Descendants living: 10 children; 49 grandchildren, 84 great-granchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.
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The following appeared in the Bryan Democrat April 23, 1896:
Grandmother Schartzer who is staying with John Yates, her son-in-law, on East Butler street, wishes to express her thanks to the little girls of the flower committee of the Junior Socity of Christian Endeavor of the East High street Church of Christ, who so kindly remembered her on last Saturday, April 18, the eighty-seventh anniversary of her birthday, with a bouquet of beautiful flowers. Their kindness will always be remembered.

Mr. J.D. Starn whose insurance local appears in this issue is also a grandson of the late Grandma Schartzer whose obituary appears in this paper. He is a son of Mrs. Melinda Schartzer Starn Brenner. His mother is now Mrs. Godfrey Brenner who lives on South Main street, Bryan, Ohio.