Book Description

Philip Herber (1713-1798) was born in Kerchberg, Germany. He married Anna Elizabetha Theyss (Deiss) in 1746 at Koblenz, Germany. In 1750, Philip and Anna Elizabetha immigrated to America with other family members, viz. Adam Herber, Nicheol Herber, Jacob Herber, and Maria Margarete Herber. They sailed via the Netherlands and England on the ship "Patience," and settled the Tulpehocken Valley in Pennsylvania (now Berks County). Their name Herber was anglicized to Harper. In 1753-1758 they moved to the Shenandoah Valley, and settled in Augusta County (later known as Pendleton) Virginia, which became part of West Virginia in 1863. Many families remained in Randolph and Pendleton, Virginia. Philip Harper, son of Philip and Anna Elizabetha, married Margaret, daughter of Nicholas and Maria Margaretha Simmons. Philip and Margaret had 13 children born from 1774-1800, named: Eve [Anna] Elizabeth, John Henry, John Adam, Jacob, Sarah Margaret and Mary (twins), Barbara, Elizabeth Christina, Nicholas, Aria, Moses, Leonard, and Leah. Some later descendants also lived in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and elsewhere.