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

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Mark your calendars: June 12, 6 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. CT, 3 p.m. PT

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The first SFANA Symposium session is titled “Schürch Family Migration to California in the 19th to Early-20th Century”.

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Learn about the first family members to move to the Golden State, both the notorious characters, and the solid citizens including an organizer of the first Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. The lives of ancestors from codes H, V, E and others are colourfully disclosed in a production worthy of director Cary Adams’ North Hollywood home! The virtual presentation will be broadcast via Zoom.com and include a presentation of about 40 minutes followed by live Q&A.

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Register for this free event at schurchsymposium@gmail.com.

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You will receive a confirmation email and approximately 24 hours before the event receive a link to the Zoom meeting. It’s easy to use. Just click on that link and you’ll be entered into the meeting.

A Letter from the President of the Association

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February 6, 2021

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The Schürch Family Association of North America held a brief meeting today to discuss the problems created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the Reunion scheduled for August 5 to 8, 2021 in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. We decided to postpone the Reunion until August 2022 in Canada. There are currently too many unknowns about border openings and vaccine schedules. Details of the reunion in 2022 will be forthcoming by email and newsletter. In the meantime the Executive Committee Officers will continue in their roles until August 2022.

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We also agreed that we will proceed with the Schürch Symposia Series. This will be online Schürch related information about our history and genealogy that will be presented using Zoom technology. Look for the announcement in the April Newsletter.

Tom Shirk

President

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2 Riverhills Lane, Toledo, Ohio 43623

419-346-1811

Longtime Newsletter Subscriber 
Robert Jantzi Passes Away

Robert Jantzi has subscribed to the newsletter since 1988 and has attended many reunions. He was a remarkable man. 

Robert Walter Jantzi was born in Stratford, Ontario on April 6, 1948 and passed away on May 5, 2021 at the age of 73 in Hamilton, Ontario at the Juravinski Hospital in the COVID-19 Ward. Robert grew up in Wellesly, Ontario where his father and grandfather owned and operated Wellesly Feed Mill. Robert married Joyce Stengel on January 1, 1977 in Dunville and Reverend Roger Winger officiated their marriage. Robert is predeceased by his parents Walter and Mary (Roth) Jantzi and his youngest brother Paul (October 2011). Survived by his wife Joyce, brother Bruce, sister Joyce and husband Lloyd Bauman. Survived by nephews and nieces Rebecca (Nick) Bauman, Christina (Bauman) and husband Kevan Arjune, Robin (Jantzi) and husband Matt Gallant and Shawn Jantzi and great nephews and nieces Silas, Selena, Freda, Dorothy, Kalvin, Mary, Adam, Lewis and Gabriel. Predeceased by brother-in-law Earl Stengel (2017) and nephew Jim Stengel. Survived by sister-in-law Jean Stengel and nieces Kathryn and Selina Stengel. Robert worked in horticulture. On January 28, 1986, Robert sustained a 20 foot fall while pruning trees around hydro wires for the City of Hamilton. After this incident, Robert was bound to a wheelchair, but that did not stop him from continuing to live a full life. Robert took great interest in timberframe barns and old mills and he would take the time to tour old mills across Ontario.
Robert and Joyce both enjoyed many conferences and bus tours in the United States with the Timberframes Guild of North America and Friends of Ohio Barns. Robert also enjoyed going to plowing matches. He researched wheelchairs and enjoyed his many different wheelchair magazines.
A casual ultrasound revealed that Robert had Adrenal Cancer. While in St. Peter's Hospital, he was exposed to someone in his room with Covid-19. He tested positive and was immediately sent to the Juravinski Hospital COVID-19 unit where he passed away at 2:00 a.m. on May 5, 2021. Robert had faith in the God of the Bible and in Jesus his son, which allowed Robert to know where he was going.
If desired, donations can be made to the Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Hamilton, or to a charity of your choice. Keeping with Robert's wishes cremation has taken place. Online condolences can be left at www.cresmountfennellchapel.com

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TheRecord.com 

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.

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

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Enjoy the video!

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Reunion 2021 POSTPONED

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NEW DATES:

August 4- 7, 2022

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Location: Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre

Fort Erie, Ontario

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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.

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.

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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.