Pennsylvania Chapter, Palatines to America

James Beidler is President of the Pennsylvania Chapter. He is noted writer, columnist, speaker, and researcher.

 

He writes the weekly column “Roots and Branches” which is published every Monday afternoon in the Lebanon Daily News. He is the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society editor of their publication, Der Kurier. He writes a column (page) in every issue of the German Life magazine.

 

He is available for genealogical research including solving “missing heirs” cases.

 

He is on the Pennsylvania Humanities Council as a Commonwealth Speaker.

 

In the Federation of Genealogical Societies, he is Vice President for Development.

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Eleanor Zerby Blankenbaker is a descendant of Martin Zerby (Zerbe) who came to New York in 1710 as a member of the “tar-makers” group of Palatines. Martin’s home was at Kettenbach in Hesse. After living a few years along the Hudson River, he moved to Tulpehocken in Pennsylvania.

 

Though she lived the first fifty-odd years outside of Pennsylvania, she and her husband John, moved to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania in 1985.  She supported John in his efforts on behalf of the Germanna Colonies of Virginia. She and John and traveled twice to Germany and Austria where they took many pictures, some of which are shown on this web site.

 

Her hobbies include quilting and reading. She is a docent at Winterthur Museum in Delaware. In Kennett Square, PA she teaches English as a second language. She is Secretary of the Delaware Photographic Society.

 

Eleanor and John are the parents of three children located in Connecticut, Texas, and Wisconsin. They have two grandchildren.