It’s here!   The Schurch Family Association of North America Symposium Series!

​

The first one was held on June 12, 2021. It was a success! The second one is coming soon.

​

Schurch 101 Zoom Presentation

5 p.m. Eastern Time

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Hosted by Stephen Shirk,

 Historical Committee Chairperson 

​

Click here to see the full flyer.

​

Remember this is a free event. Register for this symposium at schurchsymposium@gmail.com.

​

​

Y-DNA Project

​

Alan Leis is the new administrator of this project. Justin Houser is a co-administrator. If you would like to have your Schurch genes tested, contact Alan. He would be more than happy to assist you.

E-mail: alanleis1@gmail.com

Lyle Ronald Sherk

1933 - 2021

Ron with Walter Schürch at the 2004 Schürch Reunion in Ontario. We lost Walter a few years ago. Both men were great supporters of our reunions.

Ron was one of the founders of the Schürch Family Association of North America. His contribution to our association was enormous. 

​

Lyle Ronald (Ron) Sherk passed away peacefully in Pearland, TX August 15th. He was born on Feb. 9, 1933 in Avon, PA to Eleanor Elizabeth Bemesderfer and Lyle Christian Sherk, who preceded him in death. Ron is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary Louise Magorian, his children Karen (Kurt) Christensen, Joanna (Jorge) Guzman, DiAnn (Jon Ouellette) Sherk, and Scott Sherk, his siblings and their families Dick (Sharon) Sherk, Terry (Gail) Sherk, Sam (Connie) Sherk and Clara (Jim) Dunbar, and his beloved grandchildren Jamie Christensen, Keelia Otten, Tania Guzman, Luke Christensen, Adriana (Andres) Guzman, Galen Otten and Liam Ouellette.

Ron grew up in Ephrata, PA and attended Ephrata High School. After graduation he joined the Air Force, serving as a radio technician and operator during the Korean War. He was stationed in France, Germany and Turkey. While in Ankara, Turkey, he met the love of his life Mary Lou, who was working with a satellite project in conjunction with the University of Nebraska. After finishing their contracts, they moved to Lincoln, NE and were married on Dec. 22, 1956. During their years in Nebraska, Ron worked for Walt’s Music, Dietz Music, American Stores and Metropolitan Life. At Met Life Ron worked as a sales agent, and then as sales manager. During this time, Ron and Mary Lou welcomed twins Karen and Joanna, then later DiAnn and Scott.

When Ron was 42 he was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a severe form of arthritis. Ron and Mary Lou made the decision to move to a dryer climate, to help ease his symptoms, and moved to Littleton, Colorado. A few years after that, Ron went on disability. He developed an interest in genealogy research. He researched the Sherk family history and helped start the Sherk Family Association. He connected with family members from Pennsylvania to Canada to Switzerland and helped organize Sherk family reunions. He was the editor of the Sherk family newsletter for many years. Ron and Mary Lou lived a great life in Colorado and during this time welcomed their seven beloved grandchildren. Nothing was more important to Ron than spending time with his family, which included his many beloved pets over the years. In 2014 Ron and Mary Lou moved to Pearland, TX, where they have lived until the time of Ron’s death. Ron’s hobbies included caring for his pets, repairing antique radios, researching genealogy, vegetable gardening and spending time with his family. His wit, positivity, friendliness, love of music and storytelling will be greatly missed by his family! Donations may be made to The Arthritis Foundation, The Humane Society or The Parkinson’s Foundation.

Reunion 2021 POSTPONED

​

NEW DATES:

August 4- 7, 2022

​

Location: Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre

Fort Erie, Ontario

​

Details of the next reunion will be posted here and on the Reunions pages in the menu as they become available. The newsletter and our Facebook page will also have details.

New Brubacher House Video

This new video shows the history of the Brubacher House as it relates to the Brubaker Family but the House also has deep Sherk roots. The House was built by John and Magdalena Brubacher. John’s father was Deacon John E Brubacher, Code C346 who was the first male Brubacher immigrant to Waterloo County. John E was the grandson of Maria Sherk Erb, Code C3, and her husband, Christian Erb, immigrants to Waterloo County about 1806.

John Brubacher’s mother was Catherine Sherk, Code H464, daughter of Joseph Sherk, Code H46, who was the first immigrant to Waterloo County in 1800.

Thus John Brubacher, descendant of John E Brubacher and Catherine Sherk and builder of the Brubacher House can claim two Schurch codes, C3464 and H4644.

​

At the Schürch Reunion in 2016 in Waterloo Region, this house was one of the stops on a bus tour.

​

Enjoy the video!

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msVJar4UzeI&list=PLRVDwi_WScLnjyYTLm0njOMFG8Dg3AnKB&index=2&t=0s

How Many Ways can one Spell Schürch?

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.

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.