Johan März and his wife probably arrived in New York from Bavaria around 1849-50. The first official record of their presence is the baptism of their first child, Franciska, at Most Holy Trinity RC Church in Williamsburg in 1851. Their only other child, Michael, was baptized at the same church in 1854. Johan worked in farming in the Town of Newtown, Queens County until he purchased a farm on Central Avenue in Valley Stream in 1860.It was about that time that Johan started calling himself John March. März is the German word for the month of March. He continued to work his farm until he transferred it to his son in 1877.

In 1872, Franciska married a local farmer, Alois Finn, at St Boniface RC Church in Fosters Meadow. They had five sons, three of whom married into other local farm families, specifically Kiesel, Kreischer, and Rottkamp.  Franciska died at age 31 soon after childbirth whereas Alois continued farming well into his eighties.

Michael March took over his father’s farm in 1877 and married Amelia Reisert six months later at St Boniface. Over the next twenty five years they had nine children and Michael bought a second farm on Dutch Broadway in Elmont, NY. When the children became of marrying age they predominantly chose other Elmont farming families for spouses. Three March daughters married three Rottkamp brothers and the oldest March son married a Rottkamp cousin. Two other daughters married a Hoeffner and a Hoffman while a son married a Krummenacker.  Only the youngest son who never lived on the farm chooses a wife who was not a farmer.

The oldest son, Joe, ran the farm on Central Ave. farm while his brother Fred operated the one on Dutch Broadway. In 1934, the brand new Southern State Parkway ran right through the middle of the Central Ave. farm and it soon was no longer viable for agriculture.

Submitted by Paul Hoffman

Email: PWH115@Optonline.net