A great deal of information about this family line can be found in the History of The Descendants of John Koontz, by Lowell L. Koontz (Alexandria, Virginia: 1979). From pp. 4-8:

2, JOHN (COUNTS) KOONTZ, Sr. son of 1, John (Cuntz) Koontz and Anna Elizabetha Catherine Stoever m. Elizabeth Baker who was a sis. to the second wife of Daniel Mauck who owned the farm where D. W. Brubaker once resided, and d. in 1802. Elizabeth Baker's father came to this country from London, England. John m. Elizabeth in the early 1760's as his eldest son Jacob was b. 1764.

John b. 26 Mar. 1739 in Opequon, Va. in Frederick Co., Va. He d. 25 Apr. 1832 in Page Co. near Alma, Va. and bur. in cem. 73. The tombstone was removed from the Koontz Shuler Cem. by Carroll R. Shuler of Stanley and placed in a cement and rock memorial to the Rev. John Koontz which stands in the Seekford Cem. in Alma, Va. In talking with Carroll R. Shuler he stated that the body had not been disinterred and that he has taken the tombstone from near the center of the Koontz Schuler Cem. where the body still remains. The date on the limestone slab is hand carved and is still quite legible. The foregoing date is correct for it is not only listed on the tombstone that way but Elder John had a will probated 28 May 1832. Two things have confused the issue: one, Elder John had a son who d. in 1831 and his son's will was probated Dec., 1831 and secondly the Mill Creek Church records state death in the church since the beginning of the year 1832 probably recording this at the end of that calendar year. The church records states "Edward Holmes, Eld. John Koontz; since 1832," meaning since 1832 began not before 1832.

It is not known when Elizabeth was b. as her grave was not marked by an engraved t. s. in the Koontz Shuler Cem. but she d. between 1825-1826 as the church records show her death in the list of deceased members just before members known to have d. in 1827. She is not listed in the 1830 census of Page Co., with her hus.

John, living near Winchester, Va. was impressed by the message of Baptist preachers and hence traveled to Fauquier County and was baptized there December, 1768. With his return to the Winchester area he began preaching, and in November, 1770 he visited his bro. George who lived in the area of Mill Creek and soon began preaching there. John continued to live near Winchester and visited Mill Creek. He converted Martin Kaufman II from the Mennonite religion to the Baptist faith. Martin Kaufman's father, Martin Kaufman I, was a Mennonite minister who came to the valley from Lancaster Co., Penn. and on 23 Feb. 1796 bought the land along the Shenandoah River where Route 211 crosses it. John Koontz and Martin Kaufman II both could speak German and English and were very successful preachers and by 1772 had organized a Baptist congregation. John was ordained a minister and gained his title of Elder John Koontz between 1772-1775. In October, 1776 John Countz was deeded 86 a. of land in Shenandoah Co., that section that later became Page Co. It is thought John Counts came to live in the Mill Creek section about this time.

Elder John Koontz was pastor of the Mill Creek Baptist Church for about 50 years. German Mennonites from Penn. sent several preachers to the Valley to work against Elder John and the Baptist movement. Some of the local people opposed Elder John Koontz more physically. Once while he was on his way to preach he was seized and threatened with imprisonment for preaching without authorization. John Countz and Martin Kaufman II were so successful in converting Mennonites to Baptists that there are very few Mennonites found in Page Co., Va. today. On 25 Aug. 1785 John Counts obtained certification to perform marriages from Shenandoah Co., Va. and signed his name clearly Counts....

Elder John Koontz and his wife Elizabeth are found in the following Deeds of Shenandoah Co., Va.

(1) Oct. 1776 David Coffman of Dunmore Co. to John Countz of Dunmore Co. 86 acres as listed before [Book B p. 426]. (Note: Part of Shenandoah Co., was known as Dunmore Co. till 1778.)

(2) March 24, 1784 Christian Bumgardner to John Countz 2 acres on Hawksbill Creek [Book E p. 49].

(3) March 29, 1786 John Koontz to Daniel Mauck 86 acres sold him by Coffman and deed signed by John's wife Elizabeth [Book F p. 16].

(4) Aug. 31, 1786 Lewis Bibber sic. (Biedler) and Barbara his wife to John Koontz 127 acres {Book F p. 239]

(5) June 14, 1806 John Koontz, Sr. and Elizabeth his wife to Isaac Koontz 134 acres bought from Bibber sic. (Biedler) and Coffman [Book P p. 201].

The will of Elder John Koontz was dated 14 Mar. 1807 but not probated until 28 May 1832 [Book A pp. 26-27]. The following is the will of Elder John Koontz.

In the Name of God, Amen -- I John Koontz of Shenandoah County and State of Virginia, being in common bodily health and perfect mind and recollection, thanks be unto God for the same -- do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner following, (to-wit). Firstly: It is my will that all my just debts should be paid first: Secondly: I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth, all the property which I have and possess to her own proper use and enjoyment as she may choose to apply it or find necessary during her natural life time, and after her death. I give and bequeath unto my three sons, Jacob, John and Isaac Koontz each one and equal part in that which may remain. As to my daughter, Elizabeth, which is dead I have had given her in her lifetime all which I intended to give her or her heirs; Thirdly: I do hereby appoint my three sons, Jacob, John, and Isaac Koontz my sole executors of my last will and testament; Forthly: I do hereby disannul and make void all former wills by me made, ratifying, confirming and declaring this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness wherof. I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 14th day of March, Eighteen hundred and seven

_____________ John Koontz (seal)

Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of us. John Roads, Joseph Mauch, Jonas Ruffner, David Varner, Christian Aleshire, Benjamin Wood.

Acknowledge before me on the 9th day of Dec., 1828.

Jos. Strickler

At a court held for the country of Page on Monday the 28th day of May 1832. The writen will of John Koont was produced to the Court by Isaac Koontz and proved by the oath of Jonas Ruffner and Joseph Strickler, witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.

Test: Wm A. Harris, Clerk

...Just across the Shenandoah River from Alma, Va. on the north side of 340 is located the home of Elder John Koontz. Elder John Koontz bought this house and property of 112 A. on 27 Aug. 1814 from David and Margaret Huffman [Book V p. 303]. John willed this to his ch. [Book A pp. 26-27] The house was later deeded to Isaac Koontz then to Andrew Jackson Shuler as verified by the following refs. [Book E p. 477, Book G pp. 116-118, Book M p. 274] Earlier Elder John Koontz lived on the Hawksbill Creek.

Jacob bought land from John Pence on 29 Sept. 1791 [Book H p. 204]. The 1830 census shows Elder John Koontz and Isaac lived in the 2 1/2 story log structure with immense rock chimneys and both ends and tiny paned windows. It had a full cellar beneath. The house was just below the old Koontz Shuler Cem. 73. The compiler first visited the house in 1973. It had been torn down since Ann Kerkhoff had written about it. It had been used as a chicken house for some time before it was torn down as one could see from old chicken feeders still under some of the floor boards and debris. What a poor fate for such an historic log house.

During the Civil War in the winter of 1862 a small group of Yankees used the house as their winter quarters. At this time Andrew Jackson Shuler was living there as he had married Juliana An Koontz the great granddaughter of Elder John Koontz. The property had passed from Isaac Newton Koontz, Sr. , son of Elder John Koontz, born 1777 to Isaac Newton Koontz, Jr. b. 1810 to Andrew Jackson Schuler b. in 1831.

A short essay from 1 Oct 1998, about John Koontz with details about his early life can be found in the "Heritage and Heraldry" column of the Page News & Courier by Robert H. Moore, II: "Connection between the Rev. John Casper Stoever and Elder John Koontz".

One could speculate that there might be some connection between the Beaver family of Massanutten and the Cockrills of Carters Run, Fauquier County through the Mill Creek Church and Elder Koontz's Baptist connections in that county.

From the 20 July 1799 entry in the Mill Creek Church Minute Book:

Bros. John Coonts, Isaac Hasbaskker and John Wood appointed to attend the next Association to be held at Carters Run Meeting House in Forquire (Fauquier) County on Fryday (Friday) before the first Sunday in October 1799.

It is not known to me where Carters Run Meeting House might be in the county, but it is mentioned in Morgan Edwards' Material Toward the History of the Baptist in 1772. Along with his reference is also a mention of another branch of the church founded by an Elder John Monroe "at the head of Carter's Run, where there is a house 40 feet by 24 built in 1771". The following picture which I took in Marshall (formally known as Salem), Fauquier County, Virginia is of this still extant building (extensively remodled with an addition to the front of the building) which was known as the Upper Carter's Run Church and now a local Civil War museum.