GUTEKUNST GENEALOGY

The Goodykoontz Branch

 

The Goodykoontz Family is believed to be a branch of the Haiterbach Gutekunst Line. The name came into existence when a Georg or Hans Georg Gutekunst (allegedly born 1731/32 in Haiterbach, Württemberg, Germany) came to the British Colony of North America in the 1750s/60s and settled in Northampton Co., Pennsylvania.

Probably in order to have his name not mispronounced or misspelled all the time, he changed the "Gutekunst" - which would be pronouced "Gutikanst" in American English - into "Goodykoontz" which is exactly how the name was pronounced in his native tongue of the Swabian Black Forest region.


Tombstone of Anna Margaretha (Margaret Goodykoontz ).
She is the widow of George Gutekunst and mother of all Goodykoontz families.
She died March 1819 and is buried in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, Floyd, VA.

This stone is certeinly not the original headstone, but seems to have been set up in the second half of the 1900s as commemoration. It does not look like the style of stones use 200 years ago.

 

The family moved in the early 1780s to Frederick Co., Virginia.

Finding a husband or wife in the woods of Viginia might have been a difficult task in those days. Maybe that explains why 2 daughters of George and Margaret Goddykoontz married the brothers Abraham and George Frederick Phlegar, while 3 of their sons married the daughters of George (Bieber) Beaver (born 1 May 1755 in Chester, PA) and of his wife Catharine Kieffer (born 1760 in PA), descendants of early settlers from Alsace-Lorraine.

While several descendants of George and Margaret Goodykoontz stayed in the East and farmed the country as pioneers (Floyd, Montgomery and Grayson Co's, Virginia), others went west to settle in the 1820s in Indiana (Madison, Allen, Hamilton and Tipton Co's.). Another Virginia branch settled somewhat later in McDonald Co., Montana.

 


Payment reminder of A.E. Gutekunst, a descendant of the Indiana pioneer Daniel Gutekunst (1783/84-1843).

Could "A.E." stand for Ansel Espa Goodykoonty, born 15 May 1846 in Indiana? (son of Jacob and grandson of Daniel,
see below - marked yellow in the descendant list).
If anyone knows more, please contact me.
my email

 

 

Early Family Tree of the Goodykoontz Family

 

The connection to the German family is somewhat uncertain. The Individual claimed in many genealogies to be the imigrating ancestor never left home. Hans Jerg (= Johann Georg) was born on 6. Feb. 1732 in Haiterbach (Württemberg, Germany), married twice in that town and had several children there. He died in Haiterbach on 18. December 1781 of fever.

Taking the headstone of Margaret Goodykoontz in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, Floyd, VA as proof of origin of this line does not help. I believe it is only a commemoration stone set up much later, and the data on it gathered by a genealogist.

But if not the fellow born 1732 in Haiterbach (there is no birth in 1731 in the church records) is the forefather of this family line, then who is.

The Haiterbach church books list another "Hans Jerg Gutekunst" born Feb 14, 1715. His parents are Hans Georg Gutekunst born April 19, 1680 and Anna Maria Scheerer. We did not die in Haiterbach, nothing is know on his fate. If this were him, this would of course make him 17 years older. He would then have had children only at the age of 52. His last child would be born when he was 66 years of age. Possible of course, but not likely.

George Goodykoontz could also originate from one of the other lines, from Schietingen and Oberschwandorf.


I however came accross this entry in the English translation of:
Adolf Gerber, Neue Beiträge zur Auswanderung nach Amerika im 18. Jahrhundert aus Altwürttembergischen Kirchenbüchern unter Hinzuziehung anderer Quellen. (Stuttgart: J. F. Steinkopf, [1928]).

This is certainly the ancestor of the Goodykoontz family. He is said to be from Niefern (see red flag on map below). However, Niefern is quite far away from the villages of origin of the Gutekunst family and I have never come accross any other Gutekunsts in Niefern. But there is another village in Württemberg - Nuifra, very similar in spelling, and a Gutekunst line lived there. It is a suburb of Haiterbach. Could this have been mixed up?

 

The village of Niefern near Pforzheim, Württemberg

 

The town of Neu-Nuifra in the Black forest. The postcard shows the "Cafe Gutekunst"

 


 

Since the established early genealogy of this family is certainly wrong, I thus leave this in red .

1 Hans Jerg Gutekunst, born................ in Haiterbach, Württemberg, Germany,
... + Maria UNKNOWN

..... 2 Hans Georg Gutekunst (= George Goodykoontz), born 6. Feb 1732 (others say 1731) in Haiterbach,
........ died 3 May 1784 in Frederick, CO, VA, burried at Floyd Courthouse, Va.
.... .... + Anna Margaretha (=Margaret) UNKNOWN, born 25. Dec 1737 in Germany, died March 1819
............. in Floyd Co. Va.


..............3 Maria Magdalena Goodykoontz, born 17 Aug. 1769 in Northampton County, PA, d: 7 Jul 1850.
................ + George Frederick Phlegar, born 3 Jul. 1762, d: 29 Jul 1839.

..............3 Jacob Goodykoontz, born 1771 in Northampton County, PA, d: 1835
................ + Margaret (Peggy) Beaver, b: 1795 d: 1867
.................... 4 Drucilla Goodykoontz
....................... + John Vineyard
.................... 4 Daniel Goodykoontz
.................... 4 Eli Beaver Goodykoontz
....................... + Emma Hazlett
........................... 5 Story Goodykoontz, b: Abt 1830
........................... 5 Margaret Elizabeth (Bess) Goodykoontz, b: Abt 1838 d: Aft 1936
................ + (2nd marriage of Jacob G.) Anna Margaretha UNKNOWN b: 25 DEC 1737 d: MAR 1819

..............3 Hans Georg (George W.) Goodykoontz, born 23 Mar. 1773 (also 23. Apr. 1773) in
................ Northampton County, PA, died 13 Sep 1824.
................ + Mary S. Beaver, b: 16 Jul 1784, d: 14 Jun 1847
.................... 4 Catharine Goodykoontz, b: 19 Sep 1801, married 2 Feb. 1819 in ,Montgomery,Va.
....................... + Mosbey LeSueur, b: 2 Oct. 1795 in Virginia
........................... 5 Martel LeSueur, 16 May 1821
........................... 5 George LeSueur, b: 3 Apr. 1823 (twin)
........................... 5 James LeSueur, b: 3 Apr. 1823 (twin)
........................... 5 Elizabeth LeSueur, b: 26 Apr. 1825
................... 4 Rebecca Goodykoontz, b: 5 May 1803 d: 17 Jun 1818, married 16 Mar. 1826 in
...................... Montgomery,Virginia
....................... + James Washington LeSueur, 15 Oct 1798 in Virginia
........................... 5 Mary LeSueur, b: 1828
........................... 5 Elizabeth LeSueur, b: 1827
........................... 5 John G. LeSueur, b: 1834
........................... 5 George LeSueur, b: 1836
........................... 5 Ann E. LeSueur, b: 1838
........................... 5 Nancy A. LeSueur, b: 1841
........................... 5 Catharine S. LeSueur, b: 1845
........................... 5 Dorothy B. LeSueur, b: 1845
................... 4 David Goodykoontz, b: 8 Dec 1805 d: 15 Apr 1871
................... 4 Hans Goodykoontz, b: Abt 1805
................... 4 Archibald Goodykoontz, b: 26 Sep 1807
................... 4 Isaac Goodykoontz, b: 30 Sep 1809
................... 4 George Goodykoontz, b: 30 Jan 1812 d: 1888
................... 4 Alfred Goodykoontz, b: 3 Nov 1813
................... 4 Rachel Goodykoontz, b: 14 Oct 1815
................... 4 Nancy Goodykoontz, b: 27 Jul 1817
................... 4 Adaline Goodykoontz, b: 24 Dec 1820
................... 4 Washington Goodykoontz, b: 22 Feb 1822
................... 4 Polly Goodykoontz, b: 13 Mar 1824

..............3 Anna Margareta Goodykoontz, born 25 Dec. 1775 (or 25 Jan. 1775) in Northampton Co.,
................ PA, d: 8 Sep 1851 in Floyd Co., buried Zion Lutheran Church Cemetary, Floyd Co., Va.
................ married 12 DEC 1797 in Frederick County, Va.
................ + Abraham T. Phlegar, born 25 Jan. 1776 d: 14 Sep 1865
................... 4 Eliza Phlegar, b: 29 Mar. 1801 in Va.

..............3 Elizabeth W. Goodykoontz, born 1776, d: 6 Oct 1858
..............3 Maria (Polly) Goodykoontz, born 1779, d: Abt 1867
................ + William Gilliam, born 1775, d: 1831
..............3 Eva Goodykoontz, born 1781, d: 1867

..............3 Daniel Goodykoontz, born 1783/84 in Frederick County, Va. (or Franklin, Pa.?),
................ died 17 Sep. 1843 in West Maplewood, Anderson, Indiana.
................
+ Hannah Beaver, born 13 Jul 1788 in Upper Strasburg, Franklin, Pa.
................... 4 Jacob Goodykoontz, b: 19 May 1809 in Frederick County, VA. d: 21 Jun 1888
....................... + Mary D. Ward b: 1 Nov 1813
........................... 5 Bakley Goodykoontz
........................... 5 Rebecca Goodykoontz, b: 8 Oct 1831
........................... 5 Thomas Jacob Goodykoontz, b: 8 Oct 1834 d: 6 DEC 1895
.............................. + Lucretia M. Bean, b: 27 Apr 1841
........................... 5 Daniel Franklin Goodykoontz,b: 5 Jan 1837
........................... 5 Caroline Beaver Goodykoontz, b: 23 Sep 1838
........................... 5 Naomi McClure Goodykoontz, b: 11 Sep 1841
........................... 5 Elizabeth Ward Goodykoontz, b: 28 Dec 1843
........................... 5 Ansel Espa Goodykoontz, b: 15 May 1846
........................... 5 Flo Goodykoontz (is this the same as Floyd Madison below?).
...........................
5 Floyd Madison Goodykoontz, b: 26 Feb 1849
........................... 5 Noble Jacob Goodykoontz, b: 24 Apr 1851
........................... 5 Emma Goodykoontz, b: 17 Feb 1854
........................... 5 Sarah Goodykoontz, b: 3 Mar 1856
........................... 5 Dora Virginia Goodykoontz, b: 4 Apr 1859
....................... + (2nd wife of Jacob G.) Sarah Reynolds , b: 13 Dec 1828
........................... 5 Delia May Goodykoontz, b: 5 May 1868
........................... 5 Lola Frances Goodykoontz, b: 4 Apr 1870

Birthplaces of the following children a likely to be wrong, the older children are probably born in Virginia, and the younger ones in Indiana (the 1850 Census lists Jacob, Simon, Harvey, Abraham and a Eli (born ca. 1824) all as still born in Virginia. The Family thus only went East after 1824).

................... 4 Simon Goodykoontz, b: 1810 in Fort Wayne, Allen, IN
................... 4 Leath Goodykoontz, b: 25 AUG 1812 in IN
................... 4 Harvey Goodykoontz, b: 6 JAN 1813 in Anderson, Madison, IN
................... 4 Oma Goodykoontz, b: 17 AUG 1815 in Montgomery, Co., VA
................... 4 John Goodykoontz, b: 9 APR 1816 in Montgomery, Co., VA
................... 4 Hannah Goodykoontz, b: 1818 in Fort Wayne, Allen, IN
................... 4 Sanford Goodykoontz, b: 1820
................... 4 Abraham Beaver Goodykoontz, b: 9 DEC 1822 in Grayson Co., VA

The above Abraham Beaver Goodykoontz seems to be identical with the one listed at www.rootsweb.com at:
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dixonsmith&id=I18091
However here he is listed born on 20 DEC 1811 in Grayson Co., Virgina
. At rootsweb.com
3 marriages and 5 children are listed.

................... 4 Joanna Goodykoontz, b: 1824 in Fort Wayne, Allen, IN
................... 4 Margaret Goodykoontz, b: 1826 in IN
................... 4 William Goodykoontz, b: 26 APR 1829 in Anderson, IN
................... 4 Jonathan Goodykoontz, b: 1830 in Anderson, Madison, IN

..............3 Catherine Goodykoontz, born 1783 in Frederick County, VA
................ + Christian Stipe

 

Any corrections or additions to this tree are welcome. Please send them to
my email

 

 

 

Among the Virginia Goodykoontz's is the politician Wells Goodykoontz (1872 - 1944)

Wells Goodykoontz (1872 - 1944)

A Representative from West Virginia; born near Newbern, Pulaski County, Va., June 3, 1872; educated under private tutors and attended Oxford Academy at Floyd, Va., and the law department of Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va.; was admitted to the bar in 1893 and commenced practice at Williamson, W.Va., in 1894; also engaged in banking; member of the State house of delegates in 1911 and 1912; member of the State senate 1914-1918 and served as president of the senate and Lieutenant Governor ex officio of the State from 1917 to December 1, 1918; president of the West Virginia Bar Association in 1917 and 1918; chairman of the central legal advisory board for West Virginia during the First World War; elected as a Republican to the Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1919-March 3, 1923); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922 to the Sixty-eighth Congress; resumed the practice of law and banking interests in Williamson, W.Va.; also engaged in literary work; died in Cincinnati, Ohio, on March 2, 1944; interment in Fairview Cemetery, Williamson, W.Va.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present


This is a page from the book "Floyd County (Va. ): A history of its people and places" by Dr. Amos D. Wood, edited by Ann Scott Swain. It has about 11 pages on the Goodykoontz family, starting with Hans George Gutekunst who landed in Phil. Pa. in 1750, took the oath of allegiance, and settled first in Northhampton Co. Pennsylvania now Lehigh County, PA. It then follows them to Floyd Co.VA and lists several generations of the family.

 



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