Criteser Crossroad

Genealogy and History at the Crossroads

By Walt Criteser
walt@criteser.org

The Criteser's have crossed many roads and have traveled with many other families. This publication does not intend to be a comprehensive genealogy of the Criteser surname nor of my ancestors. Although this page is titled Criteser Crossroad it attempts to cover related families such as GOUGE, and JONES. Plus, I intend to include surnames from the same localities who are not known to be related, but which I have stumbled across and for which there seem to be a couple coincidences. Gathering additional clues about them may help me in my search of direct ancestors. In fact, Criteser Crossroad will tend to show movement patterns, will focus on end lines, with the hope of finding others who have crossed the same roads. I intend this publication to be useful for anyone performing genealogical research in the same locations. If you see an interesting name or pattern of movement which matches your ancestors please send me email. We may each have a tidbit the other is looking for to tie up a loose end.

This publication is in its infancy and is under construction. I expect these pages to be graphically challenged for a long time. In the early stages it will not be very sexy. Expect changes during the early experimentation stage and when additional content is added.

Mission Statement

Provide resource information for researchers searching in the same localities. Sharing of local histories.
Organize content to allow other researchers to notice potential connections.
Provide online description of Criteser family research activities.

If you find this publication useful or have suggestions on how to improve it, please send comments to Walt Criteser.

Many people have asked me how CRITESER was spelled before the spelling was Americanized. In my opinion there is no single correct answer because the spelling varied based on who was writing the name and most of the time it was not the ancestor who was writing the name but rather a clerk or census taker. I have seen the surname of our ancestors spelled many ways in census records and even official government records. The two most common alternate spellings are CRITSER, and CRITZER. But there are many more that I have seen including CRITISER, CRITISEN, KRYTZER and KISER.

I have a book called German American Names by George Jones. The entry in the book for CRITZER refers to the entry for KREUTZ, KREUTZER, KREUTZMANN. The entry for KREUTZ, KREUZ, KREUTZIGER, KREUTZINGER reads "crusader, [or] dweller on a cross road". And last of all, KREUTZER in the book is "a coin".

Primary Surnames

Calvert: PA>OH
Criteser: VA>BartholomewCo,IN>BooneCo,IN>LucasCo,IA>DouglasCo,OR
Gouge: AdairCo,KY>BartholomewCo,IN>BooneCo,IN>LucasCo,IN>DouglasCo,OR
Jones: PA>OH>BooneCo,IN>DouglasCo,OR

If you are also researching the above surnames, especially in or near the advertised locations, please send comments to Walt Criteser.

I recommend you also check the locality pages because many additional names are listed in each locality.