Martin Stupp and the Cat's Meow

Prior to the 70th David Thomas and Hester Catherine Stup reunion, descendant Cindy Cowan Picka began to research the Stup family history in America. Using multiple resources which included genealogy books, government records, and personal interviews, Cindy was able to connect our family to Martin Stupp who originated from the Rhine Valley in Germany.

During a time of drought, as well as economic and religious strife in Germany, Queen Anne of Great Britain offered displaced Germans an opportunity to settle in New York. Martin committed to being an indentured servant in the colonies, cutting trees for pitch and tar. When Queen Anne’s venture failed, Martin along with the other Rhinelanders were released from servitude. Unfortunately, the land that they had settled on in New York was under dispute. This forced another migration for the German settlers.

The English governor of Pennsylvania invited the German families to settle to the west of his colony to act as a buffer between growing Philadelphia and the Native Americans. At some point in his immigration, Martin married Anna Catherine Schultheiss and settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania. They produced several children including three sons who carried on the family name. Their home, a cabin now known as the Cat’s Meow, still exists on privately owned property in Tulpehocken Township. Both Martin and Anna are buried at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Bernville, Pennsylvania.

We know about Martin Stupp and his family because of Cindy Cowan Picka’s research. In 2010, she was the President of the Stup Family reunion and assisted in planning the 300th anniversary events for that year. This included a bus trip to the Stupp homestead in Tulpehocken Township. Cindy found genealogy research immensely rewarding and enjoyed learning more about her family heritage and sharing this knowledge with others. Sadly, she passed away from cancer less than a year later on July 13th, 2011. She is buried at Manor Cemetery with her mother (June Stup Cowan), her grandparents (George Thomas Stup, Sr. and Pauline Virts Stup), and her great-grandparents (David Thomas Stup and Hester Catherine Stup). Thank you, Cindy!

Martin Stupp
B. Apr 1683 Adelshofen, Heilbronn, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
D. 20 Jul 1753 Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA

Anna Catherine Schultheiss Stupp
B. Apr 1687 Weilburg, Landkreis Limburg-Weilburg, Hessen, Germany
D. 1738 Bernville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA

Here is a link to the Frederick News-Post article that was published on June 24th, 2010 regarding the Stups’ 300 years in America: