Moses L. Einstein (Barry Hall’s great, great, grandfather) was born February 28, 1814, in or near Ulm, Germany. He later went to Wurttemberg before immigrating to the United States. Family tradition says he and one brother immigrated in 1828. He remained in New York City for several years earning a living, among other ways, by pushing a cart and selling mousetraps and shoelaces. He eventually migrated south to Virginia. His brother who stayed in New York eventually moved to Chicago (according to family tradition) and raised two sons, Jacob Einstein and Frederick Einstein. We have no further record on them.
How does our family connect to Albert Einstein? Albert Einstein’s gggrandfather (Naphtali Einstein) and Margaret Einstein Hall’s gggrandfather (Moyes Einstein) were brothers (see below); that makes my grandmother and Albert Einstein fourth cousins. My generation would then be Albert Einstein’s fouth cousin twice removed.
A brief history of my Einstein family:
I. Baruch Moyes Einstein – settled in Buchau in 1665
II. Moyes Ainstein
III. David Veit Einstein – died before 1763; married Caroline Ehrlich
IV. Moyes Einstein (1730-1790); married Judith Haimann (1748-1818)
[Naphtali Einstein (died before 1799); brother of Moyes; gggrandfather of Albert
Einstein; married Helene Steppach]
V. Leopold Einstein (1779-1836); married Marianne Levi (1788-1848) Children: Moses, Simon, Heinrich, Isak, Judith, Nehemias, Babet
VI. Moses Leopold Einstein (see lineage below)
In Virginia, Moses met and married Sara (Sally) Barger, daughter of Frederick (died March 31, 1860) and Sally Keister Barger (died September 19, 1858); Frederick and Sally were married on December 2, 1815. Moses and Sara’s marriage contract or bond was dated August 10, 1842. He and Sara had nine children and are buried in the Hickman Cemetary in Pulaski County, Virginia, Route 607. Also buried there are William and Margaret Hickman, parents of Lelia Hickman who married Charles B. Einstein, son of Moses and Sara.
Frederick Barger’s father and grandfather were both named Philip Barger. Grandfather Barger was born September 9, 1741, in Augusta County; he died August 3, 1803, in Blacksburg at Greenbrier. He is buried on the Barger Farm in Blacksburg.
Moses Einstein died on March 28, 1888. Sara Barger Einstein, his wife, was born on April 1, 1816, and died on May 24, 1885.
Children of Moses and Sara Barger Einstein:
1. Harvey (b. 12/20/1842, d. 7/3/1862) enlisted in the Virginia Infantry on 3/10/1862; he attained the rank of sergeant. He was wounded and died in battle on 7/3/1862 at Gettyburg, PA, as wittnessed and confirmed by a fellow soldier and friend. He was only nineteen years old. The family never heard more of him.
2. Henry Thomas (b. 7/23/1844, d. 11/6/1921) married Catherine Harless (b. 1/16/1856, d. 11/29/1912). Henry also served in the Civil War; he enlisted on 9/20/1864 and was a private in the G. Company, 4th Infantry Reg. VA. He is listed in the 1870 census as living in Christianburg, VA. They had nine children:
a. Sallie (b. 6/4/1876, d. 10/28/1962) married Henry W. Dent (b. 1865, d. 1922). They had a son, Russell Wise (b. 10/18/1909 d. 5/27/1968).
b. Joseph Harvey (b. 5/30/1878, d. 12/12/1956) married Eugenia (Jean) Brown (b. 3/30/1872, d. 3/10/1929). They had four children: Blair; Horace T. (b. 10/23/1907, d. 12/22/1928); Mary Judith (b. 11/26/1903. d. ?); daughter __ who married Eugene H. Gibson (b. 10/27/1903, d. 3/6/1971), the Gibson children were William Gibson (b. 4/23/1928), Ann (b. 9/15/1936), and infant son (b. and d. 2/5/1943).
c. Haven married Bertha Bright, son Bill.
d. John married Edith ___, son John L., Jr.
e. Fred married Bess Lyle.
f. Charles H. never married (b.4/11/1888 in Pulaski Co.).
g. W. Harmon married Margaret Munsey, daughter Doris, killed by gun shot.
h. Mary E. married Ernest R. Brown (b. 4/11/1884, d. 7/28/1908).
i. Emma married Haden Bailey.
3. Elmira Elizabeth (b. 10/18/1846, d. 3/6/1909) married John Keister 9/28/1872. She died in Pulaski Co. where all of her children were born. She was better known by the nickname “Ellen.” They had five children:
a. Miles (b. 10/14/1873) married Nannie Brooks.
b. Sudie married Phil Wright, one adopted son James
c. Tosh Egbert (b. 8/15/1879, d. 4/16/1884).
d. Bertha Susan (b. 7/19/1884).
e. Eula Thomas (b. 6/27/1887, d. 6/9/1901).
4. Mary Susan (b. 9/30/1848, d. 3/14/1896) married Joseph Harvey Chrisman (b. 1/20/1844 and fought in the Civil War), son of Abraham and Margaret Yearout Chrisman. Mary and Jospeh were married 10/1866 and had six children. (Moses Einstein visited his daughter and her family on 3/28/1888; Mary prepared his favorite dish of cabbage and dumlings – he was stricken soon after eating and died in their home.)
a. Charles G. died young.
b. Ida W. (b. 11/5/1870, d. 7/1/1898) married Isaac Warren.
c. Abraham Wharton left home and only heard from once.
d. Clara Blaine (b. 7/1876) married Arthur Payne in 1901. They had seven children: Hazel Ward married Archie William Hughes, one daughter; Alma Louise married Lawrence Kessler Simpkins, daughter Clara Mary; Mary Ella married Samuel Carl Palmer, son Carl, Jr.; Ethel Frances married Archer Lynwood Kinzer; Leslie Houston married Mitchell Brown (b. 1912, d. 10/20/1977), son Dr. Michael Payne married Ruth __ on 12/21/1970; Joseph Chrisman died in 1941 (he was injuried by a dynamite blast and was an invalid from his teens.); Thomas Barger (b. 11/29/1920, d. 11/8/1978) – he stayed with his mother and only lived a few years after her death – he was never married.
e. George Adam married Kate Ragan. He was a U.S. Mail carrier. They had five children: Gladys Ragan married Collins Grimes, one daughter; Allen married Elizabeth Zimmerman, a son and a daughter; Edwin Curtis married Gaye Underwood; Elizabeth died young; infant that died young.
f. Cambell Houston married Ethel Fox.
5. Charles Bingley (b. 2/16/1851, d. 11/12/1903) married Lelia Lowery Hickman (b. 12/8/1858 in Pulaski Co., d. 8/27/1922 in Christianburg, Va.). The wedding was on 7/10/1878 at the home of the bride’s mother, “White Glade” in Pulaski Co. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. J. M. Luck. She was the daughter of William P. and Margaret Hoge Hickman. Charles and Lelia had 11 children.
a. Dana Ward (b. 1/15/1880 in Pulaski Co., d. 4/3/1971 in Charlottesville) married Lacie Bernard Hall (d. 11/18/1948 in Charlottesville), son of Joseph Darius and Mary Alice Gibson Hall, on 6/11/1902. Lacie and Dana are buried at Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church near White Hall in Albermarle Co. They had six children, three of whom are buried in the J. D. Hall Cemetery in Montgomery Co.: Lewis E. (b. 9/1903, d. 4/27/1910); Helen Howery (b. 7/1905 , d. 12/11/1905); Mary Elizabeth (b. 10/30/1906) married Henry Godwin 2/6/1926, one son Bernard, one adopted daughter Patricia Ann who married Oliver Fleming McKeown 7/1/1943 – they had four children; Lacie Bernard (b. 12/23/1911) married Grace Moore 7/13/1933, son Edward Richard (b. 4/9/1935); Robert Tracy (b. 1/21/1911) married Catherine Moore, sister of Grace, son Robert Tracy, Jr. (b. 6/27/1938) married Pat ____, one daughter; Tracy and Catherine divorced and he remarried; Joseph Darius (b. 1/13/1914, d. 7/25/1914).
b. Nancy Rebecca (b. 11/8/1881 in Pulaski Co., d. 10/26/1953) married Jack Zink (b. 10/13/1879, d. 1/7/1937) on 9/20/1899. They had six children: Lucille (b.__, d. 5/24/1971) married Charles W. Moorman, Sr., had son Charles, Jr. and daughter Mary who married ___ Campagnone; Andrew (b. ___, d. 5/8/1969) married Pauline ___, sons Robert and Jack, daughter Audrey; Charles; Randolph; Billy; Judy.
c. Margaret Ellen (Maggie Ella) (b. 9/28/1883 in Pulaski Co., d. 10/16/1966 in Radford, Va., hospital) married William S. Hall, son of Joseph Darius and Mary Alice Gibson Hall (see Hall genealogy on this site) on 5/17/1905. They had eight children: Alleene Blanche, William Howery, Charles Einstein, Margaret Ellen, Robert Stanley (Barry Hall’s father; complete lineage carried in Hall family on this site.), Olive Catherine, Lelia Alice, and Ann Temple.
d. Sarah Agnes (b. 6/16/1885 in Pulaski Co., d. 11/26/1885).
e. Renna Sue (b. 11/28/1886 in Montogomery Co., Va., d. 5/27/1959 in Charlottesville), buried at Mt. Moriah with Dana and Lacie.
f. Ada Reid (b. 11/5/1888 in Montogomery Co., d. 9/2/1961) married Frank Zink, brother to Jack, 4/23/1908. Ada and Frank buried at Vienna, Va., two children Maynard and Helen.
g. Henry Thomas Montague (b. 10/19/1890 in Montogomery Co., d .7/10/1891) was a twin to Lelia Kate.
h. Lelia Kate (b. 10/19/1890, d. 10/14/1968) married Thomas Houston Elliton (b. 6/28/1893, d. 11/27/1964) on 12/30/1920. They had four children: Edith J. (b. 11/22/1918, d. 6/9/1919); Alma Lousie (b. 5/13/1920, d. 12/19/1922); Thomas Houston, Jr., (b. 5/22/1923, d .6/27/1962); Emily Lou (b. 4/1/1929) married Alton C. Smitherman, a daughter Michelle (b. 10/19/__).
i. Robert Tracy (b. 12/20/1891 in Montogomery Co., d. 6/18/1966 in Stephens City, Va.) married Alma Acree (b. 8/12/1895 in Richmond). They had three children: Robert Acree (b. 10/6/1919) married Janet Shockey (b. 12/7/1921), son William Edward (b. 3/17/1952) and two daughters Elizabeth Ann (b .3/23/1954) and Nancy Jane (b. 7/15/1957); Charles Bingley (b. 2/2/1922) married Polly Blevins (b. 5/13/1925), adopted son Charles, Jr (b. 8/11/1954); Jack Whitten (b. 7/8/1924) married Helena Justus (b. 6/18/1927), two sons Stanley Whitten (b. 8/3/1952) and Robert Curtis (b. 11/20/1953) and one daughter Robin Lea (b. 4/22/1956).
j. Mattie Ruth (b. 1/3/1893 in Montgomery Co.) married James Frederick Kicklighter, son Ray Kicklighter; Ruth divorced and later married Bruno Haase; Bruno died and Ruth continues to live in Dunedin, Fla.
k. Maria Judith (b. 8/23/1896 in Montogomery Co.) married Robert Lee Thomson 6/16/1917 in St. Charles Catholic Church in Arlington, two daughters Marie (b. 11/25/1918, d. 2/9/1919) and Mary Lou (b. 2/9/1926), children Judith, Kathleen. Lara, Danny, Erroll, and one son Robert Lee (b. 6/12/1920) married Marjorie Forgey, son Clifford Duane.
6. Issac Lewis (b. 7/2/1853, d. 6/22/1934) married Cora Yingling. They had four daughters.
a. Sallie Lewis (b. 9/10/1890) married Ed Kemp (b. 2/26/1895, d. 2/11/1957) on 1/11/1922, one daughter.
b. Nina (b. 11/24/1892, d. 5/9 or 10/1972). She was a school teacher; after her brother Tosh’s death, she assumed the burial expenses because she would not have Einstein name blemished with unpaid bills.
c. Ida Warren (b. 1/23/1899).
d. Helen Barger (b. 4/18/1906).
7. Tosh Barger (b. 1/19/1856, d. 3/13/1935) was a brilliant man – educated as a lawyer and helped establish a school on the Pulaski side of the river, but he died a penniless man and a street walker due to alcohol. He served in the state senate.
8. Sallie (b. 10/27/1858, d. 7/29/1859).
9. Maria Judith (b .6/27/1861, d. 4/22/1934) married E.F. (Tebe) Lawrence (b.1861, d. 1927), no children.
I am Jack Einstein [ now 92] and new many of my fathers siblings and some of the previous generation. I knew Tosh B. Einstein well and can relate relative items.