The family who owned the Statzer/Stout family restaurant in Bristol is a part of our family line descending from Martin and Catharine Lindamood Statzer. Most researchers feel that this Martin born 21 March 1769 was the son of Martin Statzer whose estate was granted to Col. Evan Shelby in May of 1779. All information is in the book "History of Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786". Researchers have documentation of Martin and Catharine's family, many who still live in Southwest Virgina. We have not found any of this family who use the name Starcher although family of Michael (son of Martin and Catherine)who moved west to Iowa spelled the name Statser as did grandson, James Franklin who moved to Texas.

Some of us feel that the Jacob Statzer who had a land grant in what is now West Virginia and changed his name to Starcher was possibly a brother to the Revolutionary Martin of Washington County VA but there is no proof that we can find. There was also an Isaac Statesor, Statser, Statsor in NJ who served in the Revolutionary War. Isaac is a name found many times in the descendants of Martin and Catharine.

In a book written by Bill Statzer of Wise County, VA, he lists Statzers in both Austria and England. They are listed as a part of the German Settlement in Southwest Virginia in an article by then Gov. David Campbell in the Southwest Virginian.

How the name was pronounced possibly depended on how it was spelled and with the heavy German accent, it might have sounded more like Starcher/Statcher than the Statzer/Statser pronuciation of today.

You may email me direct. We do have a My Family website which has lots of history provided by many family researchers.