George Jakob Layher (1772-1827) had a son, Jacob Fredrich Layher (b. Oct. 20, 1805) who left his ancestral home of Kirchberg, Germany, a small Wurtemberg town near the Murr River, on May 16, 1846, and emigrated to the United States with his wife Rosina M. Benzler (b. 1810) and four children: Frederick (b. 1833), Rosina M. (b.1840), Fredericka (b.1834), and Christina Carolina (5 days old).
They arrived in New York on June 16, 1846 on the John Gossler Ship under Captain Fairfowl and settled during the fall and winter in Erie, Pennsylvania.
In the spring of 1847, they moved on to Kosciusko County, Indiana, where they acquired (or homesteaded?) a farm in Turkey Creek Township. In 1851, Jacob and Rosina had their first and only U.S. born child, David Layer. In the mid-1850s, for some reason--perhaps because of Jacob's death in 1856--the family sold (or lost) the farm.
Frederick Layer moved to New Haven, Ohio in 1853 or 1854 after marrying Louise F. Vogel (b.1835 in Warsaw, Indiana). During the Civil War, he served in the army, but by 1870 he was a day laborer in New Haven, Ohio. At this time, he had also married Sarah Huston after the death of Louise in 1869, and she was helping him raise three children (the fourth child, Louisa S. Layer, had left home after marrying O.W. Byrers). By 1880, Frederick was a dry good merchant, and he and Sarah were raising five children of their own.Frederick's mother Rosina, now 70 years old, was living with them, along with his older son, Fred Henry Layer, now 22 years old and working as a clerk in a store.
At first, Fred Henry Layer lived in New Haven, Ohio, and owned a general store, which was also his residence. Later, he moved to Chicago, Jct., Ohio, and managed an advertising billboard company and, from 1903 to 1911, he managed the Chicago Opera House. Fred Henry Layer's son, Harold Layer ("Tiger") married Mabel Straub from Mansfield, Ohio, and they had their first son, Fred Louis Layer. Harold and Mabel Layer then moved to East Chicago, Indiana, where three more children were born: Yvonne Layer ("Bonnie") who married Harrell Smith ("Smitty"), Patricia Layer ("Pat") who married Thomas ("Budge") Mulligan, and Harold Layer Jr. ("Hadie") who married Dorotha Hess ("Dot").
Another child of Frederick's, Anna, married George S. Beelman in 1880, and sometime after that date they migrated to Gann Valley, South Dakota, where descendants are living to this day, along with others in Detroit, Michigan.
Another family, the Gugeler's, apparently were close to the Layer's--perhaps dating back to their common roots in the Wurtemberg region of Germany. They also emigrated in 1846, also spent the winter in Erie, Pennsylvania, and also moved to Indiana in the spring of 1847. In 1859, Rosina M. Layer married Gotlieb J. Gugeler in Indiana and they moved to Dickinson County, Kansas. She took eight-year old David Layer with her and--possibly--Fredericka Layer. By 1870 they had a farm in Union Township, Kansas, and were raising three children.
In 1880 and 1900, they lived in Liberty Township, Kansas, and in 1910, in Rhinehart Township, Kansas. Many descendants of this branch of the family are living in Kansas and Iowa today. No trace of Fredericka has been found, but some circumstantial evidence indicates that she may have married (possibly a "Canville"), and may have lived in Kansas (possibly the towns of Junction City, Erie, Chanute, or Parsons).
In 1870, David Layer, at age 18, worked as a farm hand for Conrad Kohler, who was a blacksmith also from the Wurtemberg region of Germany and whose wife was born in Ohio. David married his boss's daughter, Elizabeth Kohler, and by 1880 the two of them had their own farm in Liberty Township, Kansas. They raised three daughters there, but, in 1896, David took a job with the railroad in Denver, Colorado. However, one of the above postcards indicates that David was living (or staying temporarily) at 238 West 6th Street, Junction City, Kansas in October 1908. So, his exact "migration" pattern between Kansas and Colorado is not known. After his death in 1913 in Colorado (?), Elizabeth returned to Kansas with Mabel. Agnes stayed in Colorado and Nena moved to Arizona. Descendants of David Layer are living in Kansas, Arizona, and possibly New York.
Finally, there is the mystery of the John Layer family of New Haven, Ohio, that is buried under the largest tombstone in the Guinea Corner Church cemetery. It is engraved as follows: John Layer (1806-1885), Dolly (his wife) (1816-1852), Christina (1850-1852), Catherine (1842-1852), Louisa (1845- ), Caroline (1840- ), Mary (1843- ), and Frederick (1838-1896). I cannot connect them at all with the above family or with the 1846 emigration; they may have been German cousins who migrated separately to Ohio before 1846.
The following are the direct ancestors of Frederick Layer (All were born and died in the Kirchberg/Murr region of Germany, except as noted.)
Georg Layher b.1617 d.1692 ---- married in 1666 to Maria Heigelin
Johann Philipp Layher b.1676 d.1734 ---- married in 1698 to Anna Margaretha Rommel
Johannes Layher b.1705 d.?? ---- married in 1766 to Anna Sybilla Vogel
Johann Georg Layher b.1742 d.1819 ---- married in 1766 to Sabina Rosina Obermuller b.1742 d.1807
Georg Jacob Layher [Mayor/Brewer: Kirchberg/Murr] b.1772 d.1827 ---- married in 1795 to Maria Rosina Schahl b.1773 d.1820
Jacob Friedrich Layher b.1805 d.1856 (IN or OH?) ---- married in 1831 to Rosina Benzler b.1810 d.1891 (OH)
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