GRANDDAUGHTER OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR CAPTAIN JOHN GEORGE OVERMIRE

DAUGHTER-IN-LAW OF JACOB DITTOE, BENEFACTOR OF ST. JOSEPH'S, THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN OHIO

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A BIOGRAPHY OF BARBARA L. OVERMIER DITTOE, by Laurence Overmire (4th great nephew), genealogist and family historian, updated Feb. 2022:

Barbara Overmier (aka Overmire) was born Mar. 12, 1790, in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, the fifth child of George (III) Overmire and his wife Mary Rearick. Barbara came with her parents to Perry County, Ohio, in 1811.

Although Barnhart B. Overmyer's 1905 Overmyer History shows Barbara married Peter Dittoe, land records and cemetery records show she actually married War of 1812 veteran Michael Dittoe (about 1814). Michael was a drummer and his brother Peter Dittoe was a fifer in Capt. Daniel Lidey's Company in the War of 1812. Sgt. George Overmire (probably Barbara's older brother) also served in that company. Michael's father Jacob Dittoe was the benefactor of St. Joseph's Church in Somerset, Perry County, the first Catholic church in Ohio. In 1850, Capt. Lidey was a neighbor of Michael and Barbara.

Michael Dittoe was a farmer. He and Barbara had at least four children: William H., Catherine, Sarah J., and Thomas Leo, but little is known of their descendants.

Barbara died in Perry County on Nov. 4, 1863, and was buried in St. Joseph Church cemetery. Her gravestone shows she died aged 73y 7m 23d, which puts her birth date at Mar. 12, 1790.

WARNING:

There were 3 early Dittoe settlers in Perry Co.--Peter, John and Michael. The 1905 Overmyer HIstory book says Barbara married Peter Dittoe, although other sources say she married Michael, including Vol. F. Pg. 93 of the Land Transfer Records in New Lexington, dated October 8, 1832. Michael did indeed marry Barbara as shown by their tombstones.The 1905 Overmyer book is in error on this point. According to the "History of Fairfield and Perry Counties," Peter Dittoe married Ann Spurk.