(Continued from Thursday.)
Lydia Kreider, b. Oct. 17, 1862, m. Daniel Bomberger, farmer, semi-retired in Annville; 4 children: Mary, Alice, Ida and Maude, all single, employed but at home.
Elizabeth Kreider, b. Feb. 11, 1864; m. Penrose Hoffer, farmer east of Fontana, but now retired in 1729, 81 yrs., is not his. The age is about the same in both cases. If John S. is correct, however, his great grandfather made his will seventeen years before he died.
Let us look at this will a little. Jacob was a Mennonite, and evidently a pious man. He begins his will, "First and principally of all I commend my soul into the hands of God." He provided well for his wife "Cathy." We have seen that she was given a good home, and plenty of "snitzes." He continues: "I order my son Henry to give my said wife Cathy a horse to ride abroad when she thinks proper." If she was of his age, quite old ladies must have ridden horse back in those days. "And also all the hard soap as I have at the time of my Decease, and one Cow, which she shall choose for herself. ...And further, I order my son Henry Kreider to give my said wife Cathy two pair of Calfskin leather shoes yearly and every year." Kreider and shoes, of course. "And further I bequeath unto my wife Cathy...her hymn Book and Sower's Bible, and a book called the afflicted men's companion, and other book paradise Garden." As you read you wonder little that some widows break and weep over the grave of the husband.
The names of his children were: Barbara, John, Jacob, Anna, Elizabeth, Henry and Maria. He had already conveyed farms to his sons, Jacob and Henry. He continues: "I bequeath unto all my children...all my books in equal shares, share and shares alike Except what is bequeathed unto my wife Cathy.
He names his son-in-law Joseph Dohner, and his "trusty friend, Tobias Kreider, Schoolmaster," as executors. His books and friendship for the schoolmaster proclaim him a lover of learning. This Tobias Kreider was a remarkable school teacher, and we shall have considerable to say about him in due time. The will is dated Aug. 2, 1805. A second reference to the records shows that the will was probated July 22, 1822, and confirms as correct the impression of John S. Kreider that his great-grandfather died in 1822. Jacob, son of John the settler, consequently having died aged 80 yrs, was born in 1842.
It would seem that our position that the stone with "J.----/----K. 1729-81" is the stone of this Jacob, must be given up, unless the date, not too clear, is 1739, and there was delay in having the will probated. John S. Kreider likely got his 1822 from the same source from which we have just gotten it. There is just one more Kreider of whom we know who might have been born about 1729, and that is John son of Jacob the settler, but if he had lived in this vicinity and would have lived to such an age, there should be some trace of him somewhere; and there is good reason to believe that this John was born at least two or three years earlier. 1729 is too early for a death date. We must leave the subject.
By the will we have seen that Jacob, the son of John the Settler, had the following children: John, Jacob, Anna, Elizabeth, Henry and Maria. John is named first and he was likely the oldest. It was told us by a member of the family that John was likely "no good" and that he went West. We shall acknowledge that he was no good, for we know nothing about him. Two of the girls are said to have married Dohner. Which two we cannot say. Barbara was likely one. Both the Kreiders and the Dohners were staunch Mennonite families. Bishop Jacob Dohner was the offspring of one of these marriages. We have no information concerning the other daughter. We shall consider the two sons, Jacob and Henry, taking up Henry first. The father had divided his farm into two parts, Henry receiving the homestead to the north, the present farm of his grandson John S. and Jacob the farm to the south, the farm of the late Josiah Kreider. But before we take up the sons let us consider
Water is a matter of the first importance to man. It was no doubt the matter of water that caused the first Kreider's to settle on the Snitz Creek. Those who have been following these historical sketches have repeatedly run across the subject of watering meadows. It was mentioned in the Brandt history and in the Long history, and now we again encounter it in Kreider history. We shall again meet in Kreider history, where we think will be the best place to discuss its significance.
On May 16, 1805, Jacob Kreider, Sr., conveyed to his two sons, Jacob, Jr., and Henry, yeomen, the right to water their meadows, which right he had received from his father, John Kreider, May 10, 1769. It constituted:
"The right, Liberty, Privilege and permissions to take the Water of a certain Rivelet or Stream (Snitz Creek) running through the Lands late of the above said John Kreider, the Elder, but now John Kreider, Junior (John, the son of Henry the Martyr), and the said Jacob Kreider, Senior, at the uppermost Floodgate, upon the Lands of the said John Kreider, Junior (the Lorenzo Laudermilch farm) and leading the same through the Ditch now made upon the Lands of the said John Kreider to and upon the Lands of the said John Kreider to and upon the Lands of the said Jacob Kreider and the said Henry Kreider in Order for Refreshing and Watering the Meadow Ground of the said Jacob Kreider and Henry Kreider three days in every week forever hereafter. That is to say six of the Clock on Monday morning to six of the Clock on Thursday morning. Together with free Liberty and privilege of Egress and Regress upon the Lands of the said John Kreider, in order to let out the water as aforesaid, nevertheless with as little damage to the said John Kreider as possibly may be. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the right, Liberty and Privilege of taking and using the Water in Manner aforesaid with the Appurtenances, unto the said Henry Kreider from Monday morning of every Week at six of the Clock till Wednesday morning at six o the Clock to Water his Meadow, his Heirs & Assigns for Ever, as Tenants in Common, And the said Jacob Kreider and Henry Kreider doth Covenant and promise, Grant, Agree for themselves, their Heirs, [Executors], Administrators & Assigns To and with the said Jacob Kreider, his Heirs and Assigns by these presents That the said Jacob Kreider and Henry Kreider, their Heirs and Assigns shall and will at the Joint & Equal Expense with the said John Kreider, his Heirs and Assigns from time to time forever hereafter when Occasion shall Require make and keep in Repair and good order the Floodgate above mentioned, and also to Keep in Order the Race or Ditch leading from the said Floodgate through the Land of the said John Kreider to the lands of the said Jacob Kreider and Henry Kreider."
The assurance is given to protect in the exercise of these rights forever. This meadowland is, however, now under the plough, and has ceased to be meadow land. How this will effect matters we leave to our learned legal friends, should occasion arise. We shall now look up the two sons of Jacob, Jacob Kreider, Jr., and Henry Kreider.
We must be careful to distinguish between Henry now under consideration and his uncle Henry, the martyr of the Revolution.
On May 6, 1806, Jacob Kreider, Sr. and wife Catharine conveyed to Henry Kreider, son of Jacob, Sr., three tracts of land, the first 92 acres, 130 perches, all in the present farm of John S. except 4 acres to the east, also 10 acres south of the farm conveyed to Jacob, Jr., and 42 acres, now in one of the Mark farms. At that time the first tract was bounded by the land of John Kreider to the east, John Laudermilch to the north, present Laudermilch and Kline farms, also by George Reinoehl farm to north, now farm of Jacob Kreider, dec., by the George Reighert farm to the west, now the farm of Ezra Kreider, and by the Jacob Kreider, Jr., farm to the south, the farm of the late Josiah Kreider.
Henry Kreider was born Sept. 12, 1774; and died Apr. 9, 1835. He was married to "Christie Widemoyer." The tombstone says that his wife Christiana was born July 11, 1777; and died Aug. 3, 1864. They are buried in the cemetery on the old homestead farm. They were doubtless Mennonite. At any rate their son Jonas married a daughter of the Mennonite preacher, John Shaeffer, north of Halfway.
Christiana Kreider Krall was named after her grandmother, Christiana Witemoyer. Ludwig Wittemeyer came to America in 1750, in the ship Phoenix. He took up land one mile east of Schaefferstown, on which he and his wife are buried. It is the farm owned in 1902 by Samuel Blecher. Ludwig (Lewis) was born in Germany in 1729, and died aged 91 years, 7 mos. 8 days. His wife, Maria, was born in 1742, died aged 88 years, 2 months, 26 days. They left children: David W.; Christina, m. Henry Kreider; Juliana, m. George Gibson; Michael; Mary, m. George Murdock; Catharine, m. Jos Kline; Susanna, m. George Groff; Sarah, m. ----- Reider; Elizabeth, m. Conrad Glick; and George.
?From a newspaper clipping of July 28, 1902, kindly shown us by Mrs. Witmer Shenk, of Lebanon, Pa.
Henry had five children. He used to say that he had "a house full of children - one in each corner and one in the middle." His children were:
Rev. Jacob Kreider was the eldest son of Henry, but not the oldest child, as Mary was older than he. The Family Bible tells us that Jacob was born in Dauphin county. Our first thought that his father must for a time have moved to our neighboring county to the west. But in the time of Jacob's birth things were different–instead of us being required to go to Dauphin county, Dauphin county had come down to us. Snitz Creek was in Dauphin county from 1785 to 1813. While all of Henry's children were born in the same house, the three oldest were born in Dauphin county and the two youngest in Lebanon county. Lebanon county was only eight days old when the daughter Catharine was born.
Jacob was married by Preacher Groh in the town of Lebanon, Aug. 30, 1832, to Maria Long (Oct. 4, 1813 - June 18, 1890), the older daughter of Joseph Long and his wife Barbara, born Lantz. See our history of the Long family. Jacob became the owner of the Long homestead through his wife and early moved upon it. Both are buried in the Long cemetery here. Jacob was a member of the River Brethren, now Brethren in Christ, likely drawn to this church through his wife's people. Jacob was called late in life to the ministry, was well informed in the Scriptures, but was put to work too late to develop into a speaker. He had 13 children:
–From Family Bible in possession of Henry, 913 Chestnut Street, Lebanon.
JOSEPH KREIDER, SR., afore. m. Leah Moyer, b. Apr. 18, 1837; farmer on the homestead, later retired in Fairland; school director; deacon of Brethren in Christ; 7 children:
HENRY KREIDER, afore, m. Mary Shenk, daughter of Henry; farmer at Sporting Hill and elsewhere, with John Long in lumber business in Cleona 13 years, in grain, coal and lumber business in Palmyra 18 years; now retired 913 Chestnut street, Lebanon, Pa.; has supplied the writer with valuable records and information; Brethren in Christ; 7 children:
WILLIAM KREIDER, m. Catharine Wilhelm, b. Mar. 9, 1846, daughter of David of Palmyra, in which place Wm. settled and became with his sons potent factors in developing the place; in mercantile business with brother Abraham, adding the grain and coal business of Martin Early; Abraham going to Chicago, brother Henry, afore, entered the business, who with brother Abraham returned after constituted the firm, with William, however, holding a half interest and later bought out the shoe concern and continued with his son David as W. L. Kreider and Son; entered the shoe manufacturing business, which he and his sons have greatly developed; in 1897 added a flouring mill of 125 barrels capacity per day; president of Londonderry Water Co.; one of first directors of Lebanon and Annville Electric Railway; director of Palmyra Bank; also owned lumber yard and planing mill in Palmyra, which he later sold to W. H. Erb; built residences extensively in eastern Palmyra; in 1890 with Henry Long bought 40 acres of the Michael Kreider and laid out Cleona; had 7 children:
From Families and Biographical Annals of Lebanon County.
ABRAHAM L. KREIDER, afore, m. Rebecca Light; grain merchant in Palmyra, for an interval in Chicago, finally moved to Seattle, Washington, where he died; widow now at Goldboro, Wash., 2 children:
BENJAMIN KREIDER, afore, m. Sallie Kauffman, of Kansas; bologna manufacturer in Cleona; she, Brethren in Christ; no children.
SARAH KREIDER, afore, m. Adam Moyer, farmer on Gravel Hill, now in Palmyra where he works in the shoe factory; United Christian; no children living.
Jonas Kreider, afore, was the second son of Henry, son of Jacob, son of John the settler. He occupied the house occupied by his father and grandfather before him. He married Barbara Schaeffer, daughter of John Shaeffer, the Mennonite preacher north of Halfway. Although both came of pious stock, neither was associated with any church; but they had a Family Bible and kept a family record. The record is headed as follows: Family Register of Jonas and Barbara Kreider, a born Shaeffer, who with each other in hold matrimony were united the 30th day of Nov, 1837, in South Lebanon Township Lebanon County and State of Pennsylvania, in North America."
This is a splendid announcement for a man and wife to make to the world, to those far and near; and the becoming complement to it is the record of a large family honorably begotten.
We have previously given the dates of birth and death of Jonas Kreider (Dec. 27, 1810 - June 7, 1887). Barbara Shaeffer, his wife, was born Aug. 5, 1817; d. Sept. 14, 1889. They had the following children:
–Family Bible in possession of John (S.) Kreider.
JOHN SHAEFFER KREIDER, afore. m. Jan. 10, 1868, to Elizabeth Smith, b. Dec. 26, 1844, d. Feb. 16, 1905, daughter of Joseph of the Brethren; farmer on the homestead at Snitz Creek; Brethren; helpful beyond others to the writer of these records; children:
(To be continued on Thursday)