Burkhard
Meinert (Meinder)
(1760s?-1820s?)
Burkhard Meinert (Meinder) was the son of Friedrich and Catherine (Nein) Meinert Jr. He was born in the late 1760's in Oley Twp., Berks County, PA.
He was probably named after his uncle Burkhard Meinert who lived in Northampton County, PA. He also had cousins who apparently shared the name -- Burket and Frances (Skinner) Minerd and Burket and Susan (Hartzell) Minerd.
Burkhard's family name eventually became "Meinder" though we do not know how or why. As with other Pennsylvania Germans, his name went through various spellings in official documents due to what appears to have been carelessness or apathy of local officials.
The name of his 1st wife is unknown. From this marriage was born one son, John Meinder.
His second wife was Elizabeth Konrath, spelled Conrad, the daughter of Wilhelm Konrath. They were married May 29, 1798 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading, Berks County.
A rare sketch of Reading, published in the 1840s
Burkhard was a yeoman by trade, owning a farm in Rockland Township, which was created in 1758 out of Oley Township.
Burkhard and Elizabeth had eight known children
-- Daniel Meinder, Jonathan Meinder, Maria Schroder, Salome Lease, Maria
Magdalena Reider, Benjamin Meinder, Anna Matilda Buchert and Lydia Meinder.
In his German-language will signed Oct. 21, 1822, Burkhard wrote, "...I command and it is my will that my present wife, Elizabeth, shall have all my real estate and movable property." He also wrote, "She shall also inhabit my plantation in aforementioned Rockland Township, together with my minor children..."
It is believed that Burkhard and Elizabeth are buried at the cemetery at Mertz Church in Rockland. However, there are no gravestones for either of them.
Granddaughter Caroline Meinder (1838-1886) is buried at the Friedens Church Cemetery in Oley, and her grave marker is seen here.
Copyright © 2000-2001 Eugene F. Podraza and Mark A. Miner