Symposium Series
Symposium #9 is coming up as part of the “Notable Schürch” sub-category of the symposium series. Three Shirk Sisters – A Legacy of Community:
What do an actuary, a book editor, and a Gumdo (martial arts) master have in common?
Saturday, June 13, 2026: 5PM EDT, 4PM CDT, 3PM MDT, 2PM PDT
Watch for registration information coming soon by e-mail.
Minnesota sisters Lisa (Shirk) Carriere, Diane Shirk, and Susan Shirk attended their first SFANA Reunion in July 2024 and were impressed by the feeling of connection to the larger community of Schürchs in North America and Switzerland.
They had been active participants in past Symposia, including the Notable Schürchs series, which inspired them to think about their ancestors’ contributions to their communities and consider how they have followed in those footsteps.
Join us as sisters Lisa, Diane and Susan share their stories of growing up as Shirks, discovering their family legacy of community, and finding their places in continuing that legacy.
Symposium #8, Schürch Migration from Switzerland to Northwestern USA by Donna (Schuerch) Love, was held on November 1, 2025.
Donna (Schuerch) Love, from Missoula, Montana documented the story of her great-grandparents, Johannes and Magdalene Schürch, who immigrated with their family of 12 children to the United States from Wasen, Switzerland in 1884, settling first in Iowa, then South Dakota, and eventually in Oregon.
It is available on YouTube. https://youtu.be/3mxux-X_Vkk
Reunion 2026
Routes to Roots
Our next reunion will held be in Stouffville, Ontario in July of 2026 in the area where Casper Scherch settled in 1804. Casper was an older brother of Joseph who settled in the Waterloo region of Ontario in 1800.
A previous reunion was held in this area in 1996. A lot has changed since then and there are lots of sites to explore and enjoy - museums, graveyards, trails and more.
Save the dates: July 24 & 25, 2026
The April newsletter has all the details about the reunion including the registration form. An e-blast will also be sent to email addresses.
Go to the Reunion 2026 menu item to learn more about our the 22nd gathering in Stouffville.
Schürch Heritage Tour
September 9 to September 20, 2025
The Schürch Family Heritage Tour is completed. TourMagination, Winnipeg MB, coordinated the tour details on behalf of our Schürch Family Association of North America. The November issue of our Schürch newsletter has many articles and photos about the trip. Click here for excerpts from the newsletter.
For forty years, The Sherk Family by Thomas A. Sherk has been the go-to resource for Schürch family history. At the 2022 reunion auction, two copies sold for more than $200 each. Now, through a one-time collaboration with Tom Sherk, the Schürch Family Association of North America is able to offer copies of a limited reprint edition of The Sherk Family.
The book was reprinted in November 2023 and can be purchased for $169 USD. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own your personal copy of The Sherk Family. This price includes shipping.
Please send your check/cheque or money order as well as the number of desired copies, your contact information including name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address, to our US treasurer at the following address:
Jack Sherick, 18 North Pine Street, Lancaster, PA 17603. Direct inquiries may be sent to Jack at sci5teach322@yahoo.com.
Please make payments payable to Schürch Family Association of North America in US$.
Canadians, please use a US bank draft or a money order.
FAMILY NEWSLETTER
The April issue of the Schürch Family newsletter will be in the mail shortly. It includes information about the reunion in July; the activity schedule, list of speakers, and special events.
Click here for excepts from the November 2025 issue. The focus is the Heritage Tour.
Get 40 Years of Schürch Family Association Newsletters!
Includes
• 40 years of family newsletters
• Every Name Index
• Tables of Contents
Digital Version: $125 in both USB and USB-C drives
This is a vital resource for researchers and newsletter subscribers.
Send your order and cheque or money order to your respective treasurer. That treasurer will notify Cary Adams and he will mail out the flash drive. Any questions should be directed to Cary at
Y-DNA Project
Justin Houser is the administrator. If you would like to have your Schurch genes tested, contact Justin. He would be more than happy to assist you.
E-mail: jkhouser84@gmail.com
The Sherk Family
by Thomas A Sherk
How Many Ways can one Spell Schürch?
Scharc
Schark
Sharrach
Schearch
Schearck
Scherch
Scherck
Schereck
Scherg
Scherge
Scherich
Scherk
Scherrich
Schirch
Schirck
Schirg
Schirk
Scheorck
Schoerg
Schorch
Schorck
Schorg
Schorock
Schorrock
Sharrich
Shirrock
Schorg
Sherak
Shorck
Schuerch
Schurch
Schurcho
Schurck
Schuerg
Schurg
Schürg
Schurge
Schurger
Schurgh
Schurgo
Schurig
Schuricht
Schurke
Scurean
Scurge
Sharg
Sharick
Sharigh
Shark
Sharrich
Sherak
Shercg
Sherch
Sherck
Shereck
Sherg
Sherich
Sherick
Sherig
Sherk
Sherock
Sherog
Sherrick
Sherrig
Shierk
Shirch
Shirck
Shirg
Shirk
Shirok
Shirrock
Shorck
Shorg
Shork
Shurck
Shurg
Shurixh
Shurk
Sierck
Tscherck
Tsherch
Tsherck
How many? Sixty or more at last count. Add family surnames with ties to the Schürch family like Bergey, Brubacher, Clemmer, Detweiler, Erb, Good, Hunsberger, Martin, Shantz, and many more and the number of Schürchs skyrockets. In the 37 years since our association was established, Schürch historians have discovered numerous ties connecting the descendants of the first Swiss arrivals in 1727. Come and explore and celebrate your ties to Schürchs in Switzerland and across North America.
Who are the Schürchs?
Well, if your family name or that of any ancestor is Scherich, Scherch, Schirch, Schuerch, Sharick, Sherck, Sherick, Sherk, Sherrick, Shirck, Shirk or any of the more than 70 variants, you are a member of the Family. The Schürch Family originated in Switzerland and through emigration spread to North America in the late 1600s.
Our Swiss-German ancestors spelled their name Schürch and this is still the accepted spelling in Switzerland today. The Swiss also spell it ‘Schuerch’ exchanging the umlaut for the letter ‘e’. Our immigrant forefathers did not speak English and the clerks on the ships at the port of arrival did not usually speak German. Thus in Colonial America and later in the 1800s, various phonetic spellings were adopted. The name of the Family Association uses the Swiss spelling since it is the original surname and is representative of all the various branches of the family in North America today.
The Schürch Family Association of North America (SFANA) was created in 1982 by a group of individuals who were interested in preserving their family heritage. At that time, it was known that at least twenty-five individuals with likely ties to a Schürch family arrived in North America between the years 1727 and 1808. Many of those families (but not all) had ties to Sumiswald, Switzerland. Consequently, a sister organization, Schweizische Gesellschaft für Namenstrager Schürch (SGNS), developed around the same time, with similar goals. This sister organization has compiled extensive documentation on family branches in Switzerland.
The Swiss Schürch Association meets regularly. To learn more of the Schürch Family Association of Switzerland, abbreviated SGNS, visit the Swiss Schürch Family.
SFANA has provided this site to disseminate information about our family and the activities of the Association. Check in on a regular basis to see the latest information on the biennial reunion, research and family happenings.
To learn more of the Schürchs who first landed on North American shores go to Schürch History.
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