Overholser Family Association

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Overholser Family Association

Among those central Europeans seeking a better life was the Oberholtzer family of Switzerland. Today, those descendants may be found all over the United States.

This is a genealogical association comprised of members with the surnames Overholser, Overholzer, Oberholser, Obertholtzer, Overholt, and other related derivatives of Swiss origin. In 1600's Europe, Protestants were troubled by religious persecution and, consequently, thousands of them fled their homes, moving their families northward to Holland, thence to England and, for many, ultimately to the new land in America. The Oberholtzer family originated in the Swiss village of Oberholtz, south of Zurich, before the 15th century. However, in 1661, one family left Switzerland for the Palatinate in Germany. Later, the Oberholtzers, along with other Mennonite Swiss and other protestant (or non-Catholic) groups from central Europe left for Holland and England. From their camps in England, refugees left for the new world in 1710. Landing in Philadelphia, they subsequently moved westward, settling on land in what is today known as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The flow of refugees from Europe to Pennsylvania increased steadily over the following years. As land in Lancaster County became fully taken up, other counties were opened, and new settlements sprang up in several nearby counties. The refugee families thrived in their new homes and ultimately their descendants moved south and west to claim land in less populated areas of the New World. Meanwhile, the Martin Oberholtzer Family in Terre Hill, Lancaster County formed an Oberholtzer Family Association. Later, as the primary organizers, they changed the surname spelling to Overholser.

08/05/2025

🗓️ Help Us Shape the Future of the Overholser Family Reunion

The OFA Reunion has been held on the first Saturday in August for the past 20+ years—but we’re hearing from some folks that this date may conflict with other reunions and commitments.

To help the OFA Board decide whether it’s worth exploring a new date, or if we should stay put, we’re asking for your input in a quick, one-page survey. It’s short, and your responses will help guide any future decisions.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts—and we hope to see you at the next reunion, whenever it may be!

We’re exploring whether our long-standing date (the first Saturday in August) is still the best option for the Overholser Family Reunion. Your input will help inform any future decisions. Please take a moment to respond.

08/03/2025

What a weekend! The 2025 Overholser Family Reunion brought together cousins from near and far for another year of shared stories, family history, and good food.

We heard opening remarks from former OFA President Michael Martin, a Treasurer’s Report from Geoffrey Martin, and a motion was passed to move a portion of OFA funds into a CD to help the association earn a better return. OFA Secretary Thomas Armstrong shared a fantastic slideshow featuring rare historical photos of Oberholz, Switzerland—the ancestral village where it all began.

We also discussed the possibility of shifting the annual reunion date, with ideas ranging from alternate Saturdays to Sundays or even late July. A membership survey will be going out soon to gather everyone’s input.

Pastor Mel Weaver gave a thoughtful presentation on the roots of Anabaptism, followed by some live musical performances and a second talk from Mel to close out the afternoon. We capped it all off with the traditional group photo (below!).

A more detailed recap—along with the reunion date survey—will be arriving via email in the next week. In the meantime, feel free to tag yourselves and your relatives in the photo and drop a memory or favorite moment from the weekend in the comments.

Hope to see you next year!

08/03/2024

Hello from the 2024 Overholser Family Association Reunion! Wish you were here! Will have details for next year’s reunion soon.

08/05/2023

Hello from the 2023 OFA Reunion!

10/29/2021

We are sorry to report the death of Nan Oberholtzer of East Earl, PA. OFA members who have attended reunions may have visited Nan's unique country store, Obie's, located in Goodville. She carried an extensive inventory of fabric in addition to selling locally made quilts and quilted products. Nan is survived by a sister Wanda and brother Kim.

07/13/2021

Brian Oberholtzer, of Reinholds PA in Lancaster County, has been named the Pennsylvania Auctioneer of the Year! See the article at https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farm_life/antiques_and_history

06/16/2021

OFA has been contacted by a man in Kingsport, TN, who found this portrait while cleaning out his parents' home. He would like to give it to a family member of the subject, Mary Overholser. Contact us if you are related to Mary or know someone who is.

03/13/2021

This question was submitted by John Frey:
Oberholser Family members of the Samuel line may be interested in an article from the January 2021 issue of Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage pages 15-23. The article is about the genealogy of the Good family, but on page 19 of this article is a picture of a painting of a ship entitled “Molly (1806 painting attributed to Robert Willoughby of Hull)”. The article discusses the arrival of the ship Molly in Philadelphia on September 27, 1727. This is the same ship that brought Samuel Oberholtzer to Philadelphia. The article doesn’t provide any citation on where this painting can be found. Has anyone else ever seen a painting of the Molly that brought Samuel Oberholtzer to America?

02/25/2021

Greetings, all! Some of you may have received an email today, but for anyone not on the mailing list, we're requesting folks register their information with us so we can create a more modern database of our membership.

Most of what we have is on Dennis's computer stored in software that likely hasn't been updated in a decade, so this is our effort to help bring things into the 21st Century.

Please click the link below and create your profile with us so we can begin this effort. Thank you and feel free to comment with any questions you may have.

Signed,
Geoffrey Martin (SL Line)

Overholser Family Association Email Forms

07/18/2020

For those who did not already learn this news from the Summer bulletin: the 2020 OFA Reunion has been canceled.

We'll miss seeing everyone but look forward to reuniting with you all in August 2021.

Address

Lancaster, PA

Website

http://www.overholser.net/

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