Committee Plans Auction

Since 1997, the Nicholas Stoltzfus House Preservation Committee has sought to honor the lives of ancestors, dating back to Nicholas Stoltzfus, who traveled to America from Germany in 1766. In the past 10 years, the original home of Stoltzfus, 1700 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing, has been restored and is beginning to serve as a museum of artifacts from generations of the Stoltzfus family.

The sixth annual bring-and-buy benefit auction, which raises funds for the preservation, will be held on Saturday, May 10. Quilts will be listed prior to the sale, but other items will be received as long as the auction continues. Bidding will begin at 10 a.m. The quilts will go up for auction at 11 a.m.

Special events will include breakfast at 8 a.m. The Sanger Choir and the Uncles will sing beginning at 8:30 a.m. The house will open at 8 a.m., with Jack Parmer and Chris P. Stoltzfus telling stories. Carol Kissinger will serve as cook, using the fireplace to prepare food. Other features will include a spinning wheel in operation, as well as a display of period clothing and the Stoltzfus family Bible and chest.

During the auction, a groundbreaking will take place for a barn scheduled to be built on the same property as the house. The historically accurate building will be erected where the original barn foundation stood, as uncovered and identified by Chris P. Stoltzfus. The barn will house additional artifacts of Stoltzfus family descendants. The structure will also contain public restrooms, an apartment, and storage space.

Descendants who are planning the structure include John Richard Esh, designer, and David Esh and Ephraim Riehl, builders. The building schedule, including barn-raising events, will be released when sufficient donations are received to begin construction.

It has been estimated that nearly 1 million decendants of Nicholas Stoltzfus are living today. The search is on for Stoltzfus, Smucker, and Smoker descendants.

Merle Stoltzfus of Elverson is chairing the advancement committee to invite donations. Interested individuals may call Paul Kurtz at (717) 367-3906 for more information.

2, committee, 0507

0430-0507, mcc, psg