Deffenbaugh Genealogy

The Deffenbaugh surname goes back at least to 1660 in Bad Liebenzell, Germany where Johannes Tiefenbach was born.  His son, Kasper was born in 1695.  His son, Johannes Casper, lived in Bedford, Pennsylvania and built a house in 1760 which still stands today.  Johannes' son from his first marriage, Gottlieb, built the Defibaugh Tavern in Bedford.  Johannes' son John from his second marriage with Sophia Sagenhoffer lived in Cumberland Valley township in Bedford County.  There, Jacob Deffenbaugh was born in 1799.  Jacob eventually moved to Morrow County, Ohio (then Richland County).

Jacob purchased 80 acres for $1.25 acre on June 12, 1828.  This land was in the western half of the southwestern quarter of section 21 of Perry Township (south of North Woodbury, Ohio).  Jacob's first wife, Elizabeth Weirick, died in 1846 and is buried just north of North Woodbury.  Jacob married his second wife, Hannah Kahler, on August 24, 1848.  The family was living in Morrow County, Ohio in 1850 according to the 1850 Census.  Sometime between 1850 and 1860, Jacob and Hannah moved to Noble, County, Indiana.  In the 1860 Census is listed an Anthony (from Jacob's first marriage), George (age 10) and Essa (Essie, age 7) both of whose mother was Hannah.  Jacob died on September 4, 1862 and is buried in the Cosperville Cemetery near Wawaka, Indiana.  Hannah died on October 2, 1886 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery in LaGrange County, Indiana, just a short distance from Jacob.

It is also not known when Jacob's son George came to Illinois.  George married an Emma King (Koenig) from Troy, Illinois.  George was my great great grandfather which started the Deffenbaugh line for me in Illinois.

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Corrections and updates can be sent to me, David “Buzz” Asselmeier.

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Genealogy Data Last Updated: January 26, 2020 (always updating) - now 9587 names