Notes:
Information about the Blessing family has been researched by Doug Mumma, Frank Lamca and Sue Cohen.
Name Plessinger has many variants: Plesinger, Playsinger, Plasinger, Pleasinger, Playsing, Blessinger, Blesinger, Blessing, Plessing, Blasing, Plasing, Plasinor, Plasiner, and so on.
Citation from Vital Records of Christ Lutheran Church of York, Pennsylvania, quoted by Howard Lanham (see xerox): "[10519] 7 July 1765. Conrad Blassing and Catharine Margaret Sommer."
Steven Beckler states that Conrad "was a taxpayer in York Co, Pa. in 1772."
Account of Conrad's grandson John (son of his son Jacob) in Families of Darke Co., OH, p. 525, states that Conrad "had served in the Revolutionary War." According to Howard Lanham and Steven Beckler, Conrad served as a private 4th class, 8th company, 2nd Battalion of the York County Pennsylvania Militia commanded by Capt. William Walls. Another Plessinger researcher, Richard A. Martin, adds that "he was fined twice; once in 1777 and again in 1778 for failure to perform his military duties." Martin further adds, citing York Co. tax records, that Conrad was a taxpayer in 1772.
Howard Lanham (xerox of letter from Lanham to Thurman Plessinger, 1982): "Conrad Blissinger of Hellam Township fined May 1777 for 'failure to meet & exercise in order to learn the art military' (source #383 in 'Evidences of the Blessing Family in York Co., Pa. File #1288 MS York Co HIst Soc)."
Donald McKee, a descendant of Conrad's Nicholas, says that Nicholas Plessinger was born in Bedford County in August, 1787. The latest reference to the Conrad Plessinger family in Maryland German Church Records is in v.04: Conrad & Catharina Blessing were sponsors at the baptism of Christina, daughter of Adam & Christina Paulus on March 2, 1785. The family must have moved to PA between March, 1785, and August, 1787.
Martin states that "after spending six years in Maryland, Conrad obtained a land warrant for 200 acres in Belfast Twp, Bedford, Pa." and in 1803 [Beckler says 25 May 1801] he obtained an adjoining 60 acres from the Adam Powell estate. Richard Martin dates the original land grant in Bedford County as March 1, 1787, and says that Conrad moved his family back to Pennsylvania at that time.
Howard Lanham says that in Bedford Co, he "was made subject by law to the performance of military duty January 29, 1789."
1790 Federal Census, Bedford County, PA, lists Conrod [sic] Plesinger.
McKee agrees on the date for taxes, and his war record (though he says Pvt. 1st class). He says that the extra 60 acres were acquired on 26 May 1801. Says further that Conrad's neighbors in Bedford Co. were "Jacob Kombale, Adam Powell, Henry Levering, and William Morris."
McKee says that he was buried "on the old Plessinger farm near Needmore, Pa. It was a farm once owned by Mac Mellott and later by Raymond Plessinger. The markers were creek stones near the house, which have become lost with the passing years."
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Birthdates for those of Conrad's children supplied by Bennie T. Plessinger and Donald McKee should be regarded as tentative. The date for Mary, for example, would mean that she had married at age 12. Most of their dates for Conrad's children born in Maryland vary from the Maryland German Church Records. I have followed the MD Ger Ch Recs dates when applicable. All other dates should be regarded as tentative.