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     Gideon Schaets was born in 1607 at Leerdam, The Netherlands.¹ He married Agnietje Moeus on 5 November 1634.¹ Gideon Schaets died on 27 February 1693/94.¹

     Mathias Schaets was born in 1550 at Brussels, Belgium.¹ He married Janne Schagun.¹ Mathias Schaets died in 1603 at Leerdam, The Netherlands.¹

     Andreas Schafer was born on 23 December 1878 at Schwabmuenchen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married Franziska Umfahrer on 28 October 1902 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     He was a Seilermeister (ropemaker) of Aichach, also a Feldwebel and Jager, he leased forest land to hunt. His father was still seilermeister in SOB, so they set him up in business in Aichach. He was in Flanders and France during WWI.¹

     Andreas Schafer was born on 4 March 1848 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married Anna Kneissl, daughter of Anton Kneissl and Veronika Tafelmeier, on 25 September 1875 at Palling bei Traun, Bavaria, Germany.¹ Andreas Schafer died on 22 April 1901 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria.¹

     His father in law did not approve of his marriage to Anna. Called him a gernstrick passemantier. (He was a ropemaker- apassementier referred to the fancy cording on military uniforms of the time) He had been a soldier in the Franco Prussian War.¹

     Andrew Schafer was born circa 15 February 1903 at Aichach, Germany.¹ He married Emma Elisabeth Borsum on 22 May 1930 (Brooklyn NY.)¹ Andrew Schafer died at New York.¹

     Anton Schafer was born in 1879.¹ He married Ottilie Kneissl, daughter of Xavier Kneissl and Maria Siegel.¹ Anton Schafer died on 28 May 1959 at Furstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     The third surviving child of Andreas and Anna Schafer, he was a pastry chef (Konditor). He was a journeyman in Austria.
He was in Macedonia when WWI ended, and walked all the way back home, carrying a box turtle for his children. He had married Ottilie Kneissl, half sister of Johann Kneissl(25) and lived in FFB, where his coffee and pastry shop (Konditorei) was located.
Children
1.Ottilie (Tilly)
m. Hans Huber also wounded in WWII
son Hans MD has 2-3? children living in FFB in 2000

2.Anton Missing in Russia during WWII- never married.¹ Name variation: Condit.¹

     Anton Schafer was born in December 1903 at Aichach, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married (1) an unknown woman.¹ He died at Aichach, Bavaria.¹

     He lived in the US in the 1920's, was a friend of George Hofstetter from Aichach, cousin of Anna Kneissl and godfather to their daughter Louisa. Daughter is Elizabeth Swart- she has children in Aichach.¹

     Bertha A. Schafer was born on 25 February 1915 at Brooklyn, NY.¹ She married Franz Ritz on 27 August 1949 (,Queens, NY.)¹ Bertha A. Schafer died on 4 February 1992 at Nashville, TN.¹ She was buried on 7 February 1992 in New Rochelle.¹

     Married name: Ritz.

     Clement Schafer was born in October 1891.¹ He married Walburga Hoffman.¹

     The youngest in his family, Clement was in Flanders and Alsace in the German army during WWI.
He was a court clerk in Schrobenhausen and lived in Dorfen with his wife.¹
     Their son Adolf was reported missing in Russia in WWII and presumably died there.¹

     Elisabeth Schafer was born circa 1875.¹ She married Raimund Schafer, son of Andreas Schafer and Anna Kneissl, after 1930 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ Elisabeth Schafer died at Schrobenhausen, Germany.¹

     Elisabeth and Raimund were first cousins.¹ Married name: Schafer.

     Georg Schafer was born on 2 May 1801 at Dettenhofen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married Elisabeth Weissmuller on 12 April 1839 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ Georg Schafer died on 25 January 1853 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, at age 51, of consumption (he received the sacraments before death.)¹ He was buried on 28 January 1853 in St. Jakob's Cemetery.²

     Johannes Georg Schafer was born on 10 January 1779 at Dettenhofen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married Anna Maria Gaugigl, daughter of Marcello Gaugigl.¹

     Josef Schafer was born on 28 December 1843 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married Anna Schmid on 21 February 1881.¹

     Josef Schafer was a Victualenhandler (feed and grain merchant.)¹ He and Anna had more children.²
     One of the relatives of Andreas had a son, Sigmund Mayer who was a baker and a problem.
The man's father asked Max Schafer to sponsor him in the US. Max took him in and paid his debts up to a point. Some time in the 1920's, Max had enough and told the baker to get out. If he stayed in the US, it is not known. He was probably an alchoholic and it is not known where he went with his wife Matilda.
     This was the only Shafer who came to the US that cannot be traced in that generation. It is possible that George Shafer, b. 1801 had siblings that did not stay in Germany - or
Johannes Georg, his father, but there is no family tradition that anyone came to the US before Max in 1910.
(Information from the prayerbook of Anton Kneissl, written by his granddaughter Ottilie Schafer Kneissl,
and corroborated in SOB records by her granddaughter Annemarie Kneissl Brandner.)

     Josef Schafer was born on 1 July 1872 at Sandizell, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     Josef Schafer was a "Handelsman" (merchant.)¹

     Ludwig Schafer was born on 14 December 1845 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     He lived in Schrobenhausen; his granddaughter Madeline Schafer came to the US in the 1920's and worked as a nanny in NY for many years, eventually married Willie Uhlig when they were older, and in the 60's
returned to Germany to live - she died in c. 1992; he before 1983. (NOTE: Madeline is also listed as a granddaughter of Josef and Anna Schmidt!)¹

     Madeline Schafer was born on 4 July 1905 at Schrobenhausen.¹ She died on 31 May 1990 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     Madeline was one of about 6 sisters. She came to the US in the 1920's under the sponsorship of her cousin Max Schafer, and worked as a nanny on Long Island for many years. When she was older, she married Willie Uhlig, and afte he retired, they moved back to Schrobenhausen in a nice apartment on an upper floor of a bank building which stood on the site of a former Schafer home. Wille died before she did, and at least one sister, Rosa Droessler survived Madeline.¹

     Mary (Maria) Schafer was born on 16 February 1782.¹ She married Jacob Hildebrand, son of John Hildebrand and Margaret Gardner.¹ Mary (Maria) Schafer died on 29 October 1844 at East Berlin, PA.¹ She was buried in Union Cemetery in East Berlin.¹

     Name also spelled Scheaffer, Scheafer.¹ Married name: Hildebrand.

     Max Schafer was born in 1888.¹ He married Louise Litty circa 1914 (New York, NY.)¹ Max Schafer died in 1948.¹

     Max Schafer and Louise Schafer appeared on the census of 1920 at 878 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY. They are listed as Max Schafer (head of household, rented premises (878 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY), male, white, 31 (this would mean he was born in 1889), married, immigrated to U.S. in 1910, naturalized in 1917, could read and write, place of birth Prussia (no way!!!), mother tongue- German, Father born in Prussia(wrong again!), language German, and the same listed for his mother, he was able to speak English, his trade - merchant, nature of business, delicatessen employer. In addition to his wife (who was listed as not speaking English- she spoke both French and German with the Alsation dialect) and two children Bertha (Betta, 5 yrs old, b. NY, did not attend school) and Andrew, there lived in the building Anna Schneider (lodger, 40 yr old widow born in N.Y. with German parents, who was a laundress), and James Wenzel (boarder,single, 25, came from Germany in 1915, alien, was a clerk at the delicatessen.)^1,2 Max was the first member of the family to come to the U.S. He was the fifth of six living children of Andreas Schafer, Seilermeister (Ropemaker) of Schrobenhausen, Bavaria and his wife Anna Kneissl.
     By 1910, Max had done his compulsory military service in the German army, and rather than go to FFB to be apprenticed as a butcher to his brother in law, my grandfather Johann Kneissl, he took his severance pay and went to Bremen, spent 5 pfennig to take the ferry to Bremerhaven and got a job aboard a ship, supposedly set to travel around the world.
     He loved to tell the story that it cost him 5 cents to come to the U.S. He also liked to tell his great nieces and nephews that his job aboard ship was washing dishes, and that he was so seasick he just tossed the dishes out of the porthole! The other famiily story told was that when his ship landed in New York (unscheduled, because of an illness on board) he was standing on deck and a man called up from the dock in German, asking if a certain man was on board. Max said no, but what did he want with him. The answer was that he had a job for him. Max said he'd take it, and walked off the ship to begin working in the owner's delicatessen - no detours by way of Ellis Island for him!
     He met and and by 1914 had married Louise Litty who had followed (or preceded) her sister Carrie to the U.S. from Gebweiler in Alsace Lorraine. By the time WWI began, Max owned his own delicatessen in rented quarters at 878 Broadway in Brooklyn and Louise had given birth (caesarian) to a daughter Bertha and son Andrew. This, plus the fact that in 1917 he took advantage of the opportunity to become a US citizen rather than remain an enemy alien, exempted him from military service.
     His decision not to return and become his brother in law's apprentice was fortunate, for of all the men in the crack German regiment that he had served with before coming to the U.S., only 3 survived WWI.

In 1921 Max returned to Germany to visit his family, and a photograph was taken of him with his mother and siblings- he was the only one of his brothers who had not been in the German army during WWI.
He sponsored the entrance of Tony Shafer of Aichach, the son of his oldest brother Andreas, to the U.S. that year, and in 1922 on a return visit to Germany, he sponsored Tony's friend George Hofstetter from Aichach and his niece Anna Kneissl of Fuerstenfeldbruck(my parents.) Later came Tony's brother Andrew Shafer, Anna's brothers Hans and Tony Kneissl and others. Altogether he sponsored about 16, mostly relatives, although several went back to Germany for family reasons, or after saving some money.
By the time George Hofstetter and Anna Kneissl married in Brooklyn in 1927, Max had sold his delicatessen business (before age 40!) and retired. It was said his retirement income came from holding mortgages and other investments- they must have been stocks that were not wiped out in the crash of 1929 as he and Louise and the children always lived comfortably and travelled to Germany and throughout the U.S., although at one point during the Depression he was said to have worried that he might have to go back to work.
Max (who inherited the Schafer trait of graying early) and diminutive Louise were the family center of those who had immigrated - nieces, nephews, removed cousins and friends. Christmas was always celebrated at the home in Jamaica, Queens they had purchased after retirement. Nieces (Martha Gayman- Louise's niece) and grand-nieces (Louisa Hofstetter and later her sister Ellie) spent a few weeks with them every summer,learning to cross stitch, cleaning and dusting in the house and helping in the large vegetable garden Max planted in the empty lot next door, going to Jones Beach and Jamaica Bay swimming, singing songs in French and German with Louise while she washed the dishes and the girls dried. They were more like grandparents than those who lived in far off Germany. Louise was Louisa's godmother as well.
Daughter Bertha, 13 years older than Louisa and her mother Anna's first cousin, was a secretary to Mr. Meier, a central American with an import export business, and she was always coming home to Jamaica with exotic items from his office, including raw sugar cane which tasted sweet when chewed and leather handbags with Aztec symbols.
Their son Andrew George, two years younger, studied at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute to become a Civil Engineer and before getting a job with the Tennessee Valley Authority was always about the house with his many friends and his dog Laddie. When WWII approached, Andrew requested service in the Pacific- he did not wish to fight his German cousins whom he had come to know on visits to Germany. Andrew became an officer in the SeaBees - the civil engineering branch of the Navy that built airstrips on many of the Pacific islands involved in the war against Japan.
Old world standards applied in education with the Shafers. Andrew went to college, Bertha to secretarial school. Max asked her parents why they would send a girl to college when Louisa was the first in her family to attend.
After a long and contented retirement, Max died suddenly of a stroke in his home in 1948.
In 1949 Bertha married Franz Ritz, a roofer from New Rochelle. Soon after, the house in Jamaica was sold and Louise moved into her daughter's home in New Rochelle. Bertha and Franz had two daughters, Marilyn and Joan.
Andrew had been married by 1941 to Marie, whom he'd met while working in West Virginia. He had rejoined the TVA after the war upon leaving the Navy and lived in Nashville, Tenn. He and Marie loved golf. A smoker, he died of cancer in 1970 after recovering from a heart attack.
By 1973, Bertha who was widowed in 1858 when Franz died of a heart attack while shovelling snow, had moved to Nashville. Her daughter Joan attended Vanderbilt University there, and Bertha brought her mother Louise with her. Still not gray, Louise died in Nashville on 16 Feb 1973 at 85 and was buried in New Rochelle, N.Y.¹

     Ottilie Schafer was born on 26 November 1876 at Schwabmuenchen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ She married Johann Baptist Kneissl, son of Xavier Kneissl and Anna Maria Schrem(s), on 26 July 1896 (Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, G.)¹ Ottilie Schafer died on 28 December 1960 at Furstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     Oldest living child of Andreas Shafer and Anna Kneissl. Her daughter said that the parents were married in Palling instead of Schrobenhausen because Anna was pregnant.
She married Johann Kneissl, the first cousin of her mother, requiring a papal dispensation because of the relationship. After several moves, they settled in 16 Hauptstrasse Fuerstenfeldbruck where Johann established his Metzgerei (meat business) and there raised their 4 sons and a daughter.¹ Married name: Kneissl.

     Ottilie 'Tillie' Schafer was born circa 1921.¹ She married Hans Huber.¹ Ottilie 'Tillie' Schafer died on 16 August 1982 at Furstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, Germany.¹

     Married name: Huber.

     Raimund Schafer was born on 10 February 1883 at Schwabmuenchen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ He married (1) Viktoria Stieff.¹ Raimund Schafer married (2) Elisabeth Schafer, daughter of Josef Schafer and Anna Schmid, after 1930 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ Raimund Schafer was buried in Schrobenhausen.¹ He died on 2 February 1938 at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria.¹

     During WWI, Raimund was in Galicia (Poland), Russia and France. Raimund Schafer was a ropemaker (Seilermeister) in Schrobenhausen. Although he was not the oldest son, he took over his father's business and ran it for his mother when she was widowed; she set up Andreas, her oldest son, as a ropemaker in nearby Aichach. He taught his niece Anna how to make knotted items- she made a dolls rope hammock among many other things which was given to her great granddaughters in Danbury CT. at Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.¹ Raimund and Elisabeth were first cousins.¹

     Truus Schagen was born on 21 August 1884.² She married John Martens.¹ Tryntje Martens died in December 1972 at Haledon, Passaic County, NJ.^1,2

     A Trientje Schagen immigrated on the Werkendam, with her parents Pieter (42) and Cornelia (43 ), and siblings Neeltje (19), Pietje (16), Maartje and Cornelia (2) and Anke (1). They were going to Paterson. Trientje is 18, which does NOT correspond with the birthdate from the SSDI.³
1920 Fed. census (1 Jun): Household of John Marten, 39 Belle Ave (1st Ward), Paterson City, Passaic County, NJ.⁴ Name variation: Trientje Schagen.³ Married name: Tryntje Martens.² Name variation: Thresa Marten.⁴

     Joseph Schamberger Sr. was born on 26 December 1858 at Kydne, Bohemia.¹ He married Anna Dorothy Svantner, daughter of Anton Schwandtner and Anna Panosch, on 21 January 1882 at Nonakdyne, Czechoslovakia.¹ Joseph Schamberger Sr. died on 1 January 1934 at Garfield, NJ.¹

     Joseph Schamberger Sr. immigrated on 22 July 1891 to Port of New York, New York City, NY.¹ He and Anna Dorothy Svantner lived at 78 Wessington Ave, Garfield, NJ.¹ Joseph Schamberger Sr. was owner of a shoe store, and he wove rag rugs for sale.¹

     Geeske Schaper was born on 14 May 1867 at Molkwerum, Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, The Netherlands.^1,2 She married Auke Faber on 29 May 1891 at Stavoren, Friesland, The Netherlands.²

     Grace Faber and Isaac Faber appeared on the census of 1920 at Hill Street, Midland Park Borough, Bergen County, NJ. their son Dick (21, born in NJ.)³ Married name: Grace Faber.³

     Jacob Schaper was born on 26 July 1887 at Gaasterland, Friesland, The Netherlands.^1,3 He married Katie W Little, daughter of Leonard Littel and Cornelia Rosenbeek, on 6 October 1915 at First Reformed Church, Midland Park, NJ.^4,1 Jacob Schaper died on 7 October 1939 at Newburgh, Orange County, NY.¹ He was buried in Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood.¹

     Jacob Schaper and Wopke Leentjes immigrated on 1 May 1911 on the Nieuw Amsterdam, from Rotterdam (22 Apr 1911), arriving in New York on 1 May 1911. They were going to their uncle A. Faber in Ridgewood. Both listed their father as their contact in Holland. Jacob was from Balk, Wopke van Sloten.^1,2 Jacob Schaper was in the scavenger business in Ridgewood, Bergen County, NJ with his uncle Auke Faber.¹
1920 Fed. census: Household of Jacob Schaper, West Saddle Farm Road (#250), Ridgewood, Bergen County, NJ. Household consists of Jacob, his wife Katie and three children: Cornelia W. (3), Gertrude (1 1/2) and Leonard (1 mo.)⁵ Jacob Schaper and Katie had six children, all baptized in the First Reformed Church, Midland Park, NJ.⁶ Jacob Schaper and Katie W Little lived in 1927 at West Saddle River Road, Ridgewood, Bergen County, NJ.⁷ Jacob Schaper and Katie W Little lived in 1934 at State Highway #2, Ridgewood, Bergen County, NJ, They lived at there until 1935, when they moved to Chester, New York.^8,1
The obituary of Jacob Schaper appeared on 12 October 1939 in the Ridgewood Herald (pg. 2.)¹ He worked in 1935 for the Franklin Lakes Dairy Products, 510 West Saddle River Road, Ridgewood, NJ, proprietor Harvey B. Greene.⁸ In 1917 he was re-elected as diaken in the Dutch Reformed Church at Wortendyke, Bergen County, NJ.⁹
     The 1937 directory lists them as removed to New York, although Cornelia seems to be listed as a bookkeeper in Little Falls, with rental at 510 West Saddle River Road.¹⁰

     Jan Schaper was born on 16 November 1869 at Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, The Netherlands.¹ He married Jantje de Vries on 13 August 1891 at Friesland.²

     Jan Schaper and Jantje had at least seven children.³

     Jantje Schaper was born on 21 April 1891 at Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, The Netherlands.^1,2 She married Walter Leentjes.^2,3 Jennie Leentjes died on 22 May 1983 at Christian Health Care Center, Wyckoff, Bergen County, NJ.² She was buried on 26 May 1983 in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus.²

     Jantje Schaper immigrated on 24 July 1911 on the Noordam, from Rotterdam, arriving 24 Jul 1911 in New York. She is from Balk, her contact in Holland is her father R. Schaper. She is going to Hohokus, NJ. Her contact is her uncle Auke Faber.^4,3
1920 Fed. census (1 Jun): Household of Walter Leentjes, Orchard Street, Franklin Township, Bergen County, NJ.³
The obituary of Jantje Schaper appeared on 26 May 1983 in the Ridgewood News (pg. 18.)² Married name: Janet Leentjes.⁵ Married name: Jennie Leentjes.^2,3

     Rein Schaper was born on 12 May 1864 at Workum, Friesland, The Netherlands.³ He married Geertje Lunenburg on 6 November 1890 at Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, The Netherlands.^4,5 Rein Schaper died on 14 May 1934 at 441 Farview Ave, Ridgewood, NJ.^1,6 He was buried on 17 May 1934 in Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood.¹

     Rein Schaper and Geertje Schaper immigrated on the Ryndam, from Rotterdam, arriving 9 Apr 1914 in New York, with four children: Wabe (21), Aaltje (15), Jeltje (14) and Jan (11). Their last residence was Balk. Their contact in Holland was her brother H. Lunenburg in Balk. They were going to their son and brother Jacob Schaper in Midland Park. Also mentioned is their daughter and son-in-law in Paterson.⁷
1920 Fed. census: Household of Ryan Schaper, Wortendyke Roads (#148), Franklin Township, Bergen County, NJ. Household consists of Ryan, his wife Gertrude and three children: Wabe (26), Julia (18) and John (16), and a nephew Ryan (20). The family immigrated in 1914, Ryan in 1919. The men were masons and cementblock contractors, Julia was a weaver.⁸ Rein Schaper was a cement block manufacturer at Hawthorne, Passaic County, NJ. He and Gertrude Schaper lived in 1931 at 441 Farview Ave, Ridgewood, NJ.⁹
The obituary of Rein Schaper appeared on 18 May 1934 in the Ridgewood Herald (pg. 5, col. 4.)¹
     Rein Schaper officially recognizes Jacob as his son on 24 Mar 1904.¹⁰ Name variation: Reim Schaper.⁶ Name variation: Ryan Schaper.⁸

     Wabe Schaper was born in 1840 at Molkwerum, Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, The Netherlands.² He married Jantje Reins de Bok on 10 May 1863 at Hindeloopen, Friesland, The Netherlands.^1,2

     His parents were Durk Wabes Schaper and Geeske Jans Zeldenrust.²

     Anna Maria Scharek married Samuel Jacobs, son of Henry Jacobs and Maria Catharina (?), on 12 February 1756 at York County, PA.¹ Anna Maria Scharek was buried in Jacobs Cemetery.¹

     Married name: Jacobs.