The Bargatze (Pargätzi) Family

The name Pargätzi is derived from the Rhaeto-Romanic form "Parcazi" which goes back to the Graeco-Roman name "Pancratius."St. Pancratius (Sogn Parcazi) is also the patron of the former church in the ruined castle of Hohentrins on a towering rock near Trins, Switzerland.

Earlier mention is the name St. Pancras, Martyr A.D. 304, no reliable information, a Syrian or Phrygian orphan brought to Rome by an uncle, converted to Christianity and beheaded by Diochtian.Source: Acts in the Acta Santorum, May Vol. III, discussed studi @Testi.Analecta Baollandiacia V. X. page 258.

St. Pancras, Bishop of Taormina, Martyr, cc AD 903, no trustworthy records for his life but a native of Antioch who was converted and baptized with his parents by St. Peter.Later sent to Sicily to evangelize consecrating him the first Bishop of Taormina.Source: Butler Lives of Saints- Houston Press.

Information regarding the family name "Pargätzi" and our ancestors in the canton of Grison, Swizerland we obtained from the book "Zur Geschichte de Familien Pargätzi von Lüen" written by Leonhard (Lieny) Pargätzi in 1997 in Chur, Switzerland.

The first references to the family name Pargätzi we know of at the moment date back to the 15^th and 16^th centuries.(In particular see the book: "Romanica Helvetica. Rhätisches Namenbuch.Edited by Huber Conrad, v. Planta Rudolf and Schorta Andrea, Zurich 1986.)Of course the name is spelled in several different ways.Thus in Trin, Tölly Pargetzi is mentioned in the year of 1479.Flisch and This Pargetzi are mentioned in the same village in 1486 as well as the heir of another Pargetzi in 1490.A sentence of the court in Obersaxen in the year 1539 mentions

Curat Pargätzi as guardian of Verena Luxin.

In 1541 Lung Pargätzi acts as a judge of the court in Ems.A sentence of the court in Rhäzüns mentions bailiff Lexyss Pargetzi and Petter Lung Bargätzi as trustees or guardians in a case of two parties quarreling over some inheritance.In 1568 the bailiff of Tamins passes a sentence in a quarrel over an inheritance between widow Anna Kropf-Pargätzi and Balzer Pargätzi.The case was afterwards taken to the court of appeal in Trun.In Obersaxen we find P. Bringazi in 1628, Michael Brincazy in 1663 and Cathrina Bringazy in 1674.All the places mentioned (Trun, Trin, Obersaxsen, Ems) are situated in the valley of the Rhine and Rhine anterior in the Grisons.

In Rragaz, a village on the river Rhine north of Chur, Hensli Pargätzi appears in 1484, the property of Vit Pargätzi ‘s wife in 1531.In the 17^th century we find members of the Pargätzi families as citizens of the villages or "neighborhood’s" of Lüen and St. Peter in the Schanfigg Valley: in 1623 Petter Pargätzi is born in Lüen, Flori Pargätzi of Lüen acts in 1616 as district representative ("Statthalter") in a quarrel between the two districts of the Schanfigg Valley about rights in the Valley of Valtellina (northern Italy.)

Other early references of our name are recorded in the Italian speaking valleys of Grison: a man named Parcaty and Joanna Parcasy in St.Maria Calanca in 1627, in 1773 Martin Bregacy in Casaccia.

According to entries in the church record books ("Kirchenübuch") of the Evangelical Reformed Protestant Church, parish of Lüen, Castiel and Calfreisen as well as neighboring parishes such as St. Peter, Molinis, Maladers and Tschiertschen – in the case of Lieny Pargätzi’s family, also of the parishes of Trimmis and Valzeina -–our families can be traced directly to Petter Pargätzi, born in Lüen in the year 1623 and father of three sons: Petter, born in 1647, Simeon, born in 1654, Christian, born in 1656. Unfortunately the first church records of Lüen, Castiel and Calfreisen, begun about 1530, were deliberately destroyed by Austrian-Spanish invaders in 1621-1622.Another old church book, that of Maladers, was destroyed in 1931, when the school building of Maladers burned.

Four generations after Petter Pargätzi (*1623) – information about birth, marriage and death of the members of these generations also appear in Lieny Pargätzi’s book – we find of the five sons and one daughter of Anthony Pargätzi (*1736) at least two brothers left Lüen.Joos (*1783), the eldest of Anthony’s children stayed in Lüen where he died in 1798.It’s known that he had the office of the sacristan.His only known surviving son Simeon emigrated to America.

Today the village of Lüen list citizenship to the Ernst Pargätzi family.

It can be mentioned the years around 1800 were years of severe political disturbances, civil war and economic crisis that the construction of good mountain roads over the alpine passes starting, in 1818, resulted in falling prices for indigenous agraian products, a process, which became ever stronger, when the railroad reached Chur in the middle of the century, and that the years 1770-1773, 1816-1817, 1853-1854 experienced severe crop failures.

Lieny Pargätzi, of Chur, Switzerland, continues research in order to get a more precise picture of the socioeconomic conditions under which our ancestors lived, writes in his book, that partners for marriage were mainly found in the own or in neighboring villages.The so called "mountain Sundays", social occasions with church service and dance on the alps were one of the occasions where young people of neighboring villages and even valleys could meet.

In a first survey regarding everyday life Lieny Pargätzi writes that there is little information available about the occupations of our ancestors, but that they were considered self-sufficient.In addition to agriculture, which largely served to provide the necessities of life, and following inclination, many villagers practiced a craft.There were carpenters, cabinetmakers, and blacksmiths.Lime was produced.In almost every village of the Schanfigg a tanner pursued his vocation.The leather was used for many purposes; the surplus could be sold in nearby Chur.The members of the village executed public works like the construction or the maintenance of village roads during community workdays.

The church books do not contain many hints to professions.In a few cases a sponsor is called "master" which indicates that this person followed the same trade.Christian Pargätzi (*1699) is referred to as a teacher in 1720 and when he married in 1732.In 1773, we find a schoolmaster Jann Pargätzi as a sponsor, in 1828 Jann Pargätzi the youngest brother of Christian (*1773) is also called a schoolmaster.Yet giving school lessons was not a fulltime job, often lessons only took place in wintertime.Always mentioned are official functions.Thus we find "Statthalter" Flori Pargätzi in a treaty of 1616, a son (Jann) of Statthalter", Christian Pargatzy was baptized in 1735, a "Statthalter" Christian Pargatzy died in 1751, in 1748 Anna Pargatzin is referred to as wife of the "Landmann".Among the pastors or priest mentioned in the church books we don’t find any Pargätzi’s, though in 1749 Pastor Johann Peter Malacrida married Salireth Margaretha Pargätzi of Lüen.

Our first known generation starts with Petter Pargätzi’s (*1623) descendent sons. Our direct line is Petter Pargätzi (*1623), Christian Pargätzy (*1656) and wife Margretha Pader (*1690), Christian Pargätzy II (*1699) and wife Maria Santi (*1705), Anthony Pargätzy (*1736) and wife Ursula Hassler (*1748), Christian Pargätzi (*1773) and wife Elisabeth Patt (*1773) the latterare parents of the original pioneer to the United States, Simeon Pargätzi (*1807).

Simeon’sbrothers and sisters: Simmi (little Simeon *1801), died at the age of 11 days in Lüen; Thoni (Anton *1802), died in 1825 a "natural death"; Gretta (Margreth *1804);Ursula

(*1805) died 14 April 1806 in Lüen; Gretta (Margreth) and Simeon II are the only known children to survive Christian Pargätzi (*1773) and Elsabeth Patt (*1773).

The U.S. Swiss pioneer Simeon Bargätzi(*1807), wife Cathrina Heinrich (*1807) and seven surviving children arrived in the U.S. in September 1846.Accompanied with numerous Swiss families of the Graübunden region from Switzerland, all were seeking speculative ambitions. Simeon purchased property in Morgan County, Tennessee, near today’s Wartburg.A proposed German and Swiss Colony suffered many disappointments climaxing with the Civil War beginning in 1861.The Bargätzi/Bargatze family moved to Nashville about 1862 settling in the emigrant section of North Nashville, also known as Germantown.

Social and economically we find our early Swiss Bargatze family living within the Swiss (

Due to political conditions surrounding the Civil War, Simeon’s oldest son Christian Bargetzi (*1828), a farmer and dairyman, moved his family, wife Anna Kathrina Niggli (*1830) to a more organized Swiss community in Highland, Illinois. Today a descendant son Christian, wife Dixie Daum, own a portion of the original property.

The second son Peter Bargetsy, (*1829) a farmer and dairyman, wife Amanda Schmid (*1832) returned to Morgan County, Tennessee. Peter purchased property and died at the approximate age of thirty-two during the Civil War. One maternal descendant, Eva Reynolds/Hughes Osbornelives on a section of the original property.

The youngest son Anton (*1840), first wife Mary Paulina Rupee (*1852), second wife Mary Lynch (*1852), a gardener and dairyman remained in Nashville, residing in the West end of Nashville on Blair and Compton Boulevard. Following Anton’s death the property was sold and today a few descendants, Ronald (Ronnie/Ron) Bargatze live in the Nashville area.

Simeon’s sons and grandson’s practiced the Protestant faith while one descendant great-grandson filtered into the Catholic faith. Today you find the direct family name Bargatze/Bargetzi scattered throughout US cities.

*Date of birth

©

Roman Pargätzi, Esslingen, Switzerland 2004

Sherrie Bargatze, Dallas, Texas USA 2004