File:A brief history of John and Christian Fretz and a complete genealogical family register to the fourth generation - with accounts and addresses delivered at the Fretz family reunions held at (14784279835).jpg

Identifier: briefhistoryofjoh00fret (find matches)
Title: A brief history of John and Christian Fretz and a complete genealogical family register to the fourth generation : with accounts and addresses delivered at the Fretz family reunions held at Bedminster, PA, 1888, 1893, 1898, and 1903...
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Fretz, A. J. (Abraham James), b. 1849
Subjects: Fretz family Kulp family Overholt family
Publisher: Milton, N.J. : (s.n.)
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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retzs ofan old Alsatian stock, who claim they are of Germanorigin, as all true Alsatians are. The province of Alsatia was annexed to Francein 1648, prior to that time it was always under Ger-man Dominion, and while the French language wasexclusively taught in the schools, the languagespoken is a German dialect, with decided variationsin different localities. However, Fretz is a familyresiding to this day in the Canton Zurich, Switzer-land, so it is possible that the family may be of Swissorigin. The Fretz ancestors undoubtedly landed at thePort of Philadelphia; the date of their arrival is notknown, but must have been between the years of1710 and 1725. It is said that they came to thiscountry during what was known as the last perse-cution. They were given the alternative of con-necting themselves with the State church, or leavethe countr3% and they chose rather than to give uptheir religious liberty to leave the Fatherland, theland of their birth, and the homes of their kindred oa w o
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— 9 — and friends, the graves of their ancestors, and allthe hallowed associations of the home and countryof their nativity, and found for themselves a homein a strange and far-off land where they could wor-ship God under their own vine and figtree, ac-cording to the dictates of their own conscience with-out fear of molestation. Undoubtedly they had heard that America af-forded a refuge for the oppressed and granted relig-ious liberty to all its subjects, and naturally enoughthey accepted the invitation of the good WilliamPenn, to come over to this land of Canaan, wherethey too, might enjoy liberty of conscience. Andthus are we, as their descendants, citizens of thisgreat liberty loving country. How we, of to-da3%should prize this liberty! Think what our ancestorssacrificed to enjoy it. How they left their nativeland, a country established many hundreds of years,to seek a home in the new world, in the wilds ofAmerica. They came about thirty-five years after thecharter was granted,

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