William Buterbaugh (1778-19August 1859)and his wife Christena Rodkey/Rotkey (1776-25 September 1859) are buried at the East Mahoning Baptist Cemetery in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. They had eight children who will not be named since the Buterbaugh family is not our focus here today but their children are named in the following Indiana County deeds: deed book 25, page 626 and deed book 26, page 121. The short biography for Joseph L. Buterbaugh in Caldwell's 1880 History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania on page 482 gives his grandparents' names as William and Christina Buterbaugh nee Rotkey. This is the only mention of her maiden name that I can find other than later family histories. William Buterbaugh came from Huntingdon County where Elias and Rosina Rodkey owned a tavern in Williamsburg, Woodberry Township. A William Butterbaugh is living in Morris Township, Huntingdon Township in 1800 near Joseph and Peter Butterbaugh. William Butterbaugh is 16 to 25 with a wife the same age and one son under 10. He appears in 1810 in Allegheny Township, Huntingdon County under the name Wm Booterbaugh and in 1820 in Woodberry Township, Huntingdon County under the name William Butterbock. He is in Green Township in the 1830 census under the name William Buterbaugh.
Now for the Rodkey family. Elias Rodkey first apppears in Williamsburg, Huntingdon County in 1798 when he is taxed under the U.S. Direct Tax. He owned 2 houses and 2 lots in the town of Williamsburg. He also appears in the 1800 census but died prior to
19 December 1801 when his wife Rosina and son Jacob filed letters of administration to administer his estate. Rosina appears in the 1810 census as R. Rodkey in Williamsburg, Huntingdon County. She is a female 45 years and over living near her son Jacob. She died sometime after this.
Elias and Rosina Barbara Rodkey had children baptized at Friedens Lutheran Church (also known as the Allemangel or White Church) near Stony Run, Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania between 1762 and 1776. The name was spelled Ratchen or Rathge in the baptismal records. These records are available in Rev. Schumacher's record book, in the baptismal register for Friedens Lutheran Church, and on Ancestry.com. There are two baptims for a Christine:
1). Christine Rathge, born 9 December 1773, baptized 1 January 1774
Parents: Elias and Rosina Rathge
Sponsors: Geo. Michael Reinhart and Chrine Boeander
2). Christine Margaret baptized 11 August 1776, 13 weeks old
Parents: Elias and Rosina Barbara Ratchen
Sponsors: Henry Geuck and Anna Marg. Boelender
If one goes by the information on Christena Buterbaugh's tombstone, she was born about 1776. That would indicate that it is the second Christine but I have never seen the name Margaret used for her.
Elias and Christine Rodkey and their children appear in church records in Maryland between 1784 and 1796. Elias and his wife Rosina Radge(h) appear in the records of St. Benjamin's Lutheran Church (also known as Krider's or Pipe Creek) near Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, as communicants and sponsors in 1786 and 1791. Their son Jacob and his wife Margaret have two daughters, Elisabeth (1786) and Mary (1796) baptized at this church.
Elias' son Jac. Radgie, single, and his daughter, Cathr. Radge, single, were communicants on 7 November, 1784 at St. Mary's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Silver Run, Carroll County, Maryland. It is assumed that Elias and his wife Rosina were living in Carroll County, Maryland also at this time.
The Lutheran church record for St. Paul's Church of Arcadia, Baltimore County, Maryland, was destroyed in a fire but the Rev. C. Stork Jones published a pamphlet in 1902 on the history of the church. According to this pamphlet, Elias and Rosina Barbara Rathge and their children Christina and Daniel appeared in the records for this church in 1794.
A Nicholas Rathge of Albany Township died in Berks County in 1760. His will was written 22 April 1760 and probated 23 May 1760. He names his wife Maria Anna Ursula and his children Elias and Anna Margaret in his will. Elias Ratchen and Maria Ursula (son and wife of Nicholas Rattge) were sponsors for Maria Ursula, daughter of Johann Wilhelm Weynand and Gerdraut on 13 November 1757 at the Allemangel Church (see Record Book of Daniel Schumacher).
Nicolas Rattge arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 26 September, 1737 on the ship, Saint Andrew Galley. Although only male names are recorded on the ship's lists, his wife Maria Ursula and children Elias and Anna Margaret probably came with him since he was married and his children were born prior to his arrival. Johan Nickel Radge and Maria Ursula Helffrich (May) were married on 4 December 1717 in Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. Anna Margretha Radje was born 22 May 1727 and baptized 25 May 1727 in Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. Elias Radgen was born 17 August 1732 and baptized 19 August 1732 in Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. These records are in Anna K. Burgurt's book, Eighteenth Century Emigrants From Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt To Pennsylvania. They are available on FamilySearch.org. There is a discrepancy on the last name of Maria Ursula. FamilySearch states her name is Maria Ursula Helffrich. Anna K. Burgurt's book states she is a daughter of Henrich Helffrich May. The original marriage record needs checked to clarify which one is correct.
There was an Elias Ratgen on the same ship, Saint Andrew Galley, that arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 26 September 1737. He is often confused with Nicholas Rathge's son Elias that died in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Elias Ratgen was a son of Joachim and Rosina Dorothea. He was born 27 March 1715 and baptized 29 March 1715 in Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. He married Magdalena Spindler on 14 May 1737 in Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. His second wife was Rosina Ziegler according to the Genealogical and Biographical Annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, page 940. He died before 28 June 1788 in Berks County, Pennsylvania where he owned property in Cumru Township. An Orphans' Court record in Berks County dated 25 March 1789 (Orphans Court Proceedings Volume 4, page 64) names his heirs. It names his wife Rosina, his "eldest and only son Elias," as well as his daughters and their husbands.
Joachim and Rosina Dorothea Radge also had a son Johann Jacob Radge, who was born 25 October 1719 and baptized 28 October 1719. He was on the ship, Robert and Alice, that arrived in Philadelphia on 3 December 1740. He died before 28 July 1784 in Berks County, Pennsylvania where he owned property in Union Township. An Orphans Court record in Berks County dated 11 August 1784 (Orphans Court Proceedings Volume 3, pages 105-106) names his heirs. It names his wife Catharine, sons John and John Adam, as well as his daughters and their husbands.
It is not known how the Elias and Jacob Radge, sons of Joachim and Rosina Dorothea Radge, were related to Nicolas Rathge but it is very likely that there was a close relationship since they were all from Pfungstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. It is possible that Joachim and Nicolas were brothers but further research into the records in Pfungstadt is necessary before any definite conclusion can be reached.
