Tutwiler Family Connections

Columbia Jane Tutwiler Landes (1839-1920) to Hans Dutwyler (1593 - ?)

Researched and compiled by Wayne Diehl, Dec., 2014. Updated Apr., 2018.

Generation 1 – Columbia Jane Tutwiler Landes (04/23/1839-06/20/1920)

Columbia Jane Tutwiler was raised near Weyers Cave, Augusta County, Virginia, and was the daughter of Henry Tutwiler (1812-1879) and Diana Trobaugh Tutwiler (1815-1889). Columbia Jane's parents were from adjacent Rockingham County and had purchased two Augusta County tracts in 1840; one of 54 acres about a mile from Weyers Cave, near the runway's south end at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and the second of 105 acres on Meadow Run, near New Hope several miles farther to the southeast.

Family of Henry and Diana Trobaugh Tutwiler:1. Columbia Jane Tutwiler, 1839-1920, m. Daniel Landes. Three children with

only one surviving childhood. Lived near Mt. Meridian, Augusta County, VA.2. Sarah E. Tutwiler, 1843-1887, m. James Harvey Reubush on Sep. 20, 18601 They

had two children and were divorced in 1879. Sarah's father, Henry, purchased a farm for her near Mt. Meridian, VA.

3. Jonathan Tutwiler, 1845- < 1860.

Below: View of Henry Tutwiler farm near Weyers Cave where Columbia Jane Tutwiler Landes was raised. View is to the Northwest. Tutwiler house is no longer standing and was probably torn down to make way for the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.

1 Augusta County Chancery Court Records.

Below: Additional view of Henry Tutwiler farm with southern end of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport runway and Massanutten Peak in the distance. View is to the Northeast.

Columbia Jane Landes, like many girls of her time, did not attend school, and she signed her name with an “X” on legal documents as an adult.

Throughout life, she is identified in the government censuses as “Columbia J.” Her sister referred to her as “Lum,”2 but we do not know if others used that nickname. Grandson, Henry Sipe, referred to her as, “Ma.”

Columbia married Daniel Landes on Christmas Eve, 1857. Daniel was raised two miles away on the southern edge of the village of Mount Sidney. The Landes's were traditionally Mennonite while the Tutwilers associated with the Reformed Church.

2 Augusta County Chancery Court records, Case # 1888-038.

Below: Photo of Daniel and Columbia Jane Tutwiler Landes, about 1860.

It is not known where the couple began their married life, but in 1859 Henry Tutwiler purchased a 156 acre farm on Middle River, about two miles from the Tutwiler home. Daniel and Columbia took up residence on the farm and soon began their family. The farm was on a high bluff and afforded expansive views of the Valley from the Northeast to the Southwest. It featured a fine, two story brick home, and, the farm was inherited by Columbia Jane in 1879.

Below: Brick home on the farm that Henry Tutwiler purchased on Middle River in 1859. This picture was taken about 1880. The “ell” to the rear has just been added and part of the original house, which was probably a kitchen, has been removed (see right side of house for shadow of earlier structure). Daniel and Columbia Jane are on the porch, and daughter, Mary Jane is standing to the left.

Daniel Landes is listed as a “Day Laborer” in the 1860 census, and it shows that the couple had a one year old daughter, Sarah M. Landes who was born, November 27, 1858. A second child, Henry LeeDavis followed on March 12, 1862. Henry Lee Davis died on December 16, 1862 and is buried at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren. Sarah M. did not survive early childhood and, apparently, passed away before 1866, when daughter, Mary Jane Landes was born. Mary Jane was the only child of the couple who lived to adulthood.

Below: Tombstone of Henry Lee Davis Landes at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren.

Daniel Landes died at the relatively early age of sixty-three in 1898, leaving Columbia Jane a widow. She lived on her farm for another twenty-two years. Daughter, Mary Jane, married John Howard Sipe in 1890. The Sipe's lived with the Landes's on the farm and were there until 1914 when they moved to the Sipe Farm at Island Ford in Rockingham County. Columbia Jane's grandson, Henry Sipe, remained with her on the Mount Meridian farm until her death in 1920.

For more details on the adult life of Columbia Jane Tutwiler Landes see “Landes Family Connections” chapter, pages 6-14.

Below: Mark of Columbia Jane Landes in 1880.

Also, please see appendix for this article regarding information on Ruebush/Tutwiler lawsuit between Columbia Jane and her sister, Sarah E. Tutwiler Reubush, in the 1880's.

Right: Columbia Jane was given a Gospel of Luke tract on her birthday in 1865, fourteen days after Appomattox. The writing is likely that of her father or husband, Daniel Landes.

Below: Map of Mt. Meridian and Mt. Sidney area of Augusta County in 1885.“D Landes” farm, home of Daniel and Columbia Jane is in upper right. “Mrs. Henry Tutwiler,” Diana Trobaugh Tutwiler, Henry's widow, is near center. Daniel Landes childhood home was at the southern edge of Mt. Sidney, lower left.

Generation 2 – Henry Tutwiler (08/07/1812 – 11/26/1879)

Henry Tutwiler was born in Rockingham County, VA, likely near the Pleasant Valley section, several miles South of Harrisonburg. His parents were John and Mary Magdelene Strough Tutwiler. He married Diana Trobaugh (05/27/1815 – 05/09/1889) on 06/27/1837 in Rockingham County. He was probably living on his father, John's, farm near Pleasant Valley. The Trobaugh's lived nearby. In 1840, he purchased two tracts in Augusta County near Weyers Cave and New Hope, respectively, in Augusta County.

Family of John and Mary Strough Tutwiler.3

1. John Tutwiler, Jr. (1803-1851) married Margaret Rymal (1811-1889). Eleven children. Remained in Rockingham County.

2. Samuel Tutwiler (1806-1874) married Susannah Landis (1815-1874). Five children. Remained in Rockingham County.

3. Leonard Tutwiler (1804-1857) married Deliah Royer (1804-1874). Ten children. Remained in Rockingham County on his father's farm.

4. Jacob Tutwiler (1807-?) married Elizabeth Sipe (1807-1870). Four children. Remained in Rockingham County.

5. Henry Tutwiler (1812-1879) married Diana Trobaugh (1815-1889). Three children. Lived at Weyers Cave, Augusta County, VA.

6. Jonathan Tutwiler (1815-1898) married 1st Mary Dearing and 2nd Julia Kyger (1815-1888). Eight children. Remained in Rockingham County near Mt. Crawford.

7. Eli Tutwiler (1824-1863) married Jane Ann Lee (1829-?). Seven children.8. Martin Tutwiler (1816-1901) married Harriet Henderson (1826-1871). Ten children. Lived in

Hampshire County, WV.9. Frances Tutwiler (1820-1901) married Lewis Argenbright (1814-1895). Four children.

Remained near Mt. Crawford, Rockingham County, VA.10. Catherine Tutwiler (?) married Christian Blose (?) in 1827. Six children.11. Fraedia Tutwiler (1820-1901) married Lewis Argenbright.12. Lydia Tutwiler (1818-?) married Jacob Spicer.13. Mary “Polly” Tutwiler (1816-1848) married Jonathan S. Pence.

We do not know much about the life of Henry Tutwiler. There are, however, a few surviving facts.

After purchasing his initial two Augusta County tracts of land in 1840, he sold his interest in his father, John's, farm at Pleasant Valley to his brother, Leonard. Five years later, he purchased an additional 155 acres near today's Shenandoah Valley Airport. At this point, he had 208 acres near the airport and 105 acres near New Hope, about five miles to the southeast.

Following the Civil War, he made a claim against the U.S. Government for supplies taken by the Union army. The soldiers took fifty bushels of wheat, twenty-five of oats and six tons of hay; a considerable loss. The records do not state for what reason, but the claim was denied.

Apparently, son Jonathan, born in 1845, did not live to adulthood. The 1860 census, at which time he would have been fifteen years old, does not show him living in the household.

3 Websource – The Families of Dennis W. Brumm (http://www.brumm.com/genealogy/index.php) which also relies on the work of Kyle Tutwiler Spicer. Also, Tutwiler, Eugene Calvin, Tutwiler, self-published 1976.

Daughter, Sarah, was either peculiar, mentally ill or both. She married James Harvey Ruebush in 1860 and had two sons with him, one in 1861 and the other in 1870. The couple's relationship was a stormy one, almost from its beginning. They were eventually divorced. Transcripts from the court proceedings provide surprising detail to the problems with Sarah Tutwiler Reubush.4

The older son of Sarah, Henry Daniel Reubush, lived with his grandparents Tutwiler, and he was provided for, separately, in Henry Tutwiler's will. See appendix for more information on Sarah Tutwiler Reubush.

Henry Tutwiler prospered enough that, in addition to his farm, he purchased a farm for each of his two daughters to live on with their husbands. The farms, each one about 150 acres, were passed to them in his will.

Below: Henry Tutwiler

4 Chancery Court Records, Rockingham County, VA, 1879. http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=015-1879-084#img

Henry Tutwiler died accidentally in 1879. His granddaughter, Mary Jane Landis Sipe recorded, “Grandpa Tutwiler was killed Nov. 29. Thrown out of a small spring wagon near New Hope.” He was buried at Friedens Reformed Church, near where he grew up in Rockingham County. His wife Diana remained on the home farm and died in 1889. No picture of her survives.

Below: Henry Tutwiler Bible of 1848 with family records in his handwriting.

Below: Henry Tutwiler Bible of 1848. Henry and Diana Tutwiler grave at Friedens Church

Generation 3 – John Tutwiler, 1771 – 01/18/1841

John Tutwiler was probably born in Virginia when his father migrated southward from Pennsylvania, finally settling in Rockingham County around 1780. He married Mary Strough, (~1778-~1855)5 on November 21, 1796. Her father's name was Henry.

John was the son of Leonard Tutwiler and wife, Catherine (maiden name unknown).

Children of Leonard and Catherine Tutwiler6:

1. Feronica (Fanny), 1766-1828, married 1st John Keister, 2nd Peter Gardner.2. Henry, 1768-1841, married Margaret Lushbaugh.3. Jacob, 1770-1828, married Elizabeth Ann Sipe.4. John, 1771 - 1841, married Mary Strough. 5. Jacob, 1773-1847, married Anna Altaffer. Moved to Ohio.6. Mary, 1776-1834, married Peter Whitesel.7. Elizabeth, 1778-1850, married Frederick Brock. Moved to Ohio.8. Catherine Tutwiler, 07/18/17827 - 06/06/1871) married John Sipe and lived near Island

Ford, Rockingham County, VA.9. Anna, 1783-1855, married Robert McClung. Moved to Ohio.10. Jonathan, 1787-?11. Susanna, 1791-1880, married George Whitesel.

John's father, Leonard, purchased a farm “near the present Mount Crawford railroad depot.”8 It is likely that John was a young boy when his father purchased this farm and that he was raised there.

John purchased a farm about two miles from his father's. Abner G. Baker in 1938 wrote that, “John Tutwiler … owned a large tract of land near Pleasant Valley9 a part of which is now owned by Roger Lam, W. J. Diehl, Ernest Level and C. S. Baker. The old Tutwiler house stood just below the road from where the house now stands of Courtney Baker.”10 Fortunately, Rockingham County had an atlas prepared in 1939 which shows the farms of Lam, Diehl and Baker which were along present day Western View Road, Route 846. Courtney Baker's farm was at the eastern end of the road.

5 There are various spellings of her name in various documents and family genealogies such as Strauch and Trough.6 Websource – The Families of Dennis W. Brumm (http://www.brumm.com/genealogy/index.php) which also relies on the

work of Kyle Tutwiler Spicer. This site is the best documented Tutwiler Family Tree that the writer has seen. Also, Tutwiler, Eugene Calvin, Tutwiler, self-published 1976. The writer believes this information to be essentially correct, but it should be verified before being cited. Tutwiler and Brumm/Spicer do not agree in all respects, and the writer has generally deferred to Brumm/Spicer because it is better documented.

7 Letter from Linnie Sipe Robinson to Irene Sipe Hedrick, dated Jan. 15, 1919. “His oldest child, Mrs. Mary Sandy, was born on Grandmother's 20th birthday, June 18, 1802. In a letter dated Jan. 31, 1914 she gives the dates of Catherine Tutwiler Sipe as July 18, 1782 to June 6, 1871.

8 Op cit., Tutwiler, Calvin Eugene, p. 8.9 The Pleasant Valley section of Rockingham County is between Harrisonburg and Mount Crawford, nearer the latter, and

east of Interstate 81.10 Baker, Abner G.(1878-1945), “A Genealogy and History,” unpublished manuscript, 1938. Abner Baker compiled a

Trobaugh family genealogy which included information about Trobaugh and allied family farm locations in the Friedens Church, Mill Creek and Pleasant Valley areas.

Below: Farm site of John Tutwiler and 1939 home of Courtney Baker.

Below: Aerial view of John Tutwiler Farm. Courtney Baker house in right center. The John Tutwiler home was across the road from it according to Abner Baker writing in 1941.

Generation 4 – Leonard Tutwiler (Duttweiler), ~1739 – O6/25/1804.

Leonard Tutwiler was born in Oberweningen, Switzerland in late 1739 or early 1740 Church records show that he was christened on Jan. 10, 1740. He was the son of Heinrich (1707-?) and Verena Surber Duttweiler (1716-1793).

Below: Oberwiningen, Switzerland

The family emigrated to Pennsylvania on the ship Halifax, sailing from Rotterdam on Sep. 22, 1752 and arriving at Philadelphia before the end of the year. Leonard was about twelve years old during the voyage. Some sources indicate that brother, Jonathan was born at sea.

Children of Heinrich and Verena Duttweiler:

1. Leonard Tutwiler, 1739/1740 – 1804. Married Catherine _ ?__ and had eleven children. Lived in Rockingham County, VA.

2. Anna Tutwiler, 1741-?. 3. Henry Tutwiler, 1743-1793. Married Anna Maria Maurer and lived near Hagerstown, MD.4. Jonathan Tutwiler, 1753- 1819. Married Maria Barbara Wagner and lived near Hagerstown,

MD. Jonathan served four years in the Maryland Line of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and was discharged a sergeant.

5. Jacob Tutwiler, 1755-1828. Married, first, to Catherine Chaney in 1780 and, second, to Eve Miller and lived near Hagerstown, MD.

There are no known records of where the Tutwilers settled, once in America. Leonard Tutwiler was married around 1765 to Catherine (maiden name unknown), probably in Pennsylvania or western Maryland, near Hagerstown.

Leonard Tutwiler was apparently in Dunmore County, Virginia where a Committee of Safety11 formed in 1775. He was one of the 86 signatories to the to the Committee’s establishment.12 Dunmore County was established in 1772, and its name was changed to Shenandoah County in 1778. Therefore, we can pinpoint Leonard's presence in that area to the years between 1772 and 1778. By 1780, however, he had moved farther south to Rockingham County, Virginia, living on the north side of North River, near Mount Crawford. He served in the Rockingham County Militia which participated in the Battle of Cowpens, SC on January 17, 1781.13 At the time of the battle, Leonard Tutwiler was thirty-six years old, a relatively advanced age for a soldier. He left wife, Catherine, and seven children at home when enlisting in the militia, certainly a significant sacrifice for all of the family.

From C. E. May's Life Under Four Flags in North River Basin of Virginia, page 208, we get a summary of the service of the Rockingham Militia in the Battle of Cowpens campaign.“Robert Craven, II was sworn in as a captain in the Rockingham County militia, March 23, 1779. … he raised a volunteer company for duty in South Carolina. This company marched first to Hillsboro and lay there two weeks waiting for reinforcements. When these arrived, they marched under General Stevens to Cheraw Mills, where they joined General Nathaniel Green and his army. After surprising some Tories in the Black Swamp and taking 14 prisoners, Captain Craven marched his company to Georgetown and captured 28 more prisoners and some supplies. His company then joined General Morgan's force and took part in the Battle of Cowpens. After this engagement, the colonials fell back before Cornwallis to Salisbury.. Here Captain Craven's company was detailed to conduct some English and Tory prisoners to Virginia. They escorted them to Pittsylvania Courthouse and delivered them to the militia of Pittsylvania County. Then, he and his men returned to Rockingham. August 22, 1782, Captain Robert Craven II was promoted to the rank of major in the Rockingham County Militia.”

On February 26, 1782, a Captain Baxter commanded a company of Rockingham County militia charged with escorting a party of British prisoners from Rockingham to Winchester, some sixty miles north. The company included Private “Leonard Futsweiler.” The company was disbanded a week later on March 4th.14 Following his term of service, Leonard Tutwiler returned to Rockingham County. He had a farm of 120 acres on North River15 which he purchased in 1782.

11 From Wikipedia - Many Committees of Safety were established throughout the Thirteen American colonies at the start of the American Revolution in 1774-75. They became shadow government that took actual control of the colonies away from royal officials who became increasingly helpless. These committees in part grew out of the less formal Sons of Liberty groups, which started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss and spread awareness of the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community. The local militias were usually under the control of the committees, which in turn sent representatives to county-wide and colony-level assemblies to represent their local interests.

Committees of Safety formed in 1774 to keep watch on the distrusted royal government. By 1775 they had become the operating government of all the colonies, as the royal officials were expelled. Massachusetts took the lead in the appointment of a committee of safety so early as the autumn of 1774, of which John Hancock was chairman. It was given power to call out mandatory militia, with penalties for failing to respond to a call-up, and provide means of defense. It provided many of the duties of a provisional government.

12 Virginia Historical Magazine, Virginia Historical Society, 1936, Vol. 44, No. 2, p. 102-104.13 Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution by John Hastings Gwathmey, page 778, “Tootwiler, Leonard, reported loss of certificate of service at Battle of Cowpens in Augusta May 18, 1784.14 Chiarello, Susan B., “Magazine of Virginia Genealogy”, Volume 48, August 2010, Number 3, page 211-212.15 Op cit., Tutwiler, Calvin Eugene, page 8; Tutwiler cites a manuscript by A. P. Funkhouser who was a postmaster in

Harrisnburg, VA. From 1897 to 1905. The manuscript, written around 1900, was a history of the postal service in

By 1789, Leonard owned 328 acres16, part of which was on North River and part near Pleasant Valley which was later willed to son, John.

Below: Satellite view of Leonard Tutwiler 127 acre farm on North River.

“The children of Dr. Henry Tutwiler of Green Springs (Alabama) recall his telling them of this grandfather, Leonard, visiting at the home of Dr. Tutwiler's father, Postmaster Henry Tutwiler of Harrisonburg. Grandfather Leonard wore a queue and was proud of his soft, abundant brown hair.”17

Harrisonburg. Leonard Tutwiler's, son, Henry, was the postmaster in Harrionsburg from 1810 to 1825 and again from 1832 to 1841. In writing about Postmaster Henry Tutwiler, Funkhouser stated, “Henry Tutwiler's father, Leonard, resided near the present Mt. Crawford railroad depot.” The survey of 100 acres was entered in the Rockingham County Survey Book and dated February 18, 1782. The survey stated 100 acres, but the actual calculated acres is 127. Satellite view of farm is done with PlatPlotter program by Jason Rushton.

16 Wayland, John W., “Virginia Valley Records”, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD., 1985, p. 45.17 Op cit., Tutwiler, Eugene, page 2.

The following Rockingham County document, dated 1794, contains Leonard Tutwiler's signature at the bottom. The first page of the document (not pictured) confirms that he lived near North River.

Leonard attended Friedens Reformed Church which was a few miles to the east of his home. His name appears several times in the church records during the 1790's, and he was listed as one of the church “Directors.” Upon his death in 1804, Leonard was buried in the Frieden's cemetery, his headstone inscribed in German.

Below: Frieden's Church. Leonard Tutwiler grave in foreground.

Generation 5 – Heinrich D. Duttweiler, 1707 - ~1793

Heinrich Duttweiler was christened on May 8, 1707 in Niederweningen, Canton Zurich, Switzerland. His father was Jakob Dutwyler (1684-1731), but his mother's name is unknown. Heinrich married Verena Surber (1716-1793) on Nov. 20, 1736 in Switzerland. Niederweningen is about two miles from Oberweningen where they began their family.

The population of Niederweningen in 1678 was 727. Eleven years later in 1689, it had dropped tragically to 133. Whether it was war, disease or some other cause is not known. By 1735, the village's population had rebounded to 335.

Below: "Niederweningen 2011-09-14 14-39-28" by Roland zh - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -

After having four children, the family began their emigration to Pennsylvania in 1753. Their fifth and final child, Jonathan Duttwiler, was likely born at sea.

At least three of the children, Henry, Jonathan and Jacob, eventually settled in the area of Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, and it is quite possible that Heinrich and Verena came there from Pennsylvania, as well,.

Generations 6 – 9

END