Johannes Jacob Gotthard (son of “Mr. Unknown” Gotthard and “Mrs. Unknown” (Gotthard)) was born Bef. 1722 in ??, De (English Descent), and died date unknown. He married Sophia (Gotthard) on Bef. 1739.
Notes for Johannes Jacob Gotthard:
One of the first settlers of Benton and also one of the builders and founders of St. Gabriel’s Church.
Reported to be a wealthy Englishman from Delaware.
McKenzie Family History 
Sorry, but much misinformation here. There is NO evidence his middle name was “Jacob” although another, nearby, Johan Jacob Gotthardt family existed with similar names and dates. It’s almost certain that people have mixed together the two lines. This is important as, per the German naming system, John Godhard would then have been called Jacob, not his Saint’s name of “Johannes/John.” In every document I have, he is named John, not Jacob. There are dozens of variations on his surname, including different spellings in the same document.
John Godhard never made it to Benton. His Laubach & Frutschie descendants removed John in the back of a wagon when he was very ill and after many family members’ deaths in Northampton County, PA. John died somewhere around the village of Buckhorn in 1797 (I have his will posted all over ‘Net). That area was still part of Northumberland County until 1813 when it became Columbia County. His Laubach relatives then moved to the Benton area near others of the family.
John Godhard most certainly could NOT have built the St. Gabriel’s Church in Cole’s Creek, Sugarloaf Twp., Columbia County, PA (carved from Northumberland County in 1813) as that church was built long after his death, although it was built by many of his descendants whose names are on the stained glass windows.
Last thing, although the local history subscription books state John Godhard was English, we still have no evidence of his origins. (Those subscription books were written from family members’ memories & lore who paid to publish their family, not by genealogists.) It is possible John Godhard’s family, like some of the Hess families, were among the Germans fleeing religious persecution who went to the Netherlands and then England/Ireland before coming to America. — PALE (researcher for 50+ years)
Thanks, Mr. Laubach. I’ve been working on genealogy since the 70s and I know how lines can be misconstrued. I haven’t been back to this side of the family in quite some time. Thanks for the information. I will change it.. Rita
Hello! I really appreciate when people try to help out and post info like you did. Good way to meet genealogy “cousins!” 🙂 I too have been researching for over 50 years now. I’m just trying to correct some of the old info now online that was generated mostly by family “memories” in the subscription books from the late 1800- & early-1900s. Of course, it feels like a losing battle in this day of click and copy onto computers rather than go out and actually research like I’m sure you have (in those pre-computer days). Like you, I have many lines now that I haven’t revisited in ages so I’m sure there is new info available. Actually, I admit I’ve gotten a bit lazy in my online tree as I’ve gotten older and have just discovered a major mistake I made by relying on some other people’s info. Anyhow, thanks, again, for your posting! Polly (aka “PALE,” my initials on most sites)