HISTORY OF KREIDER FAMILY FROM THE PEN OF REV. J.G. FRANCIS

(Continued from Monday)

TOBIAS, SON OF MICHAEL THE SETTLER

Tobias Kreider was the youngest son of Michael who settled on his father's 310 1/2 acre tract at Fairland. Tobias, the youngest son got the homestead, the eastern part of this tract. We have described the old buildings. See the News of June 13. There was no Cleona in his day, yet his buildings stood just north of the present town and the town itself is built on his land. Now since there were a number of Tobias Kreiders, we shall call this one Tobias of Cleona.

Tobias Kreider, of Cleona, was married twice, first to Catharine Kreider (May 1, 1796-Sept. 4, 1826), oldest child of "Johnny" Kreider of the homestead on Snitz Creek; and secondly to Maria (Mary) (July 16, 1803-March 30, 1858), the third daughter and fifth child of the same father, See the News of May 29, 1919.

Tobias was a class leader of the United Brethren church. Like others, he was wont to give his experience. It is remembered that he once said in an experience at meeting that Anna his first daughter by his second wife, as a little child was pushing her baby child, fell and bit her tongue, from the effects of which she died.

The Cemetery North of Cleona.

The Kreiders here had their own cemetery. It is on the eastern part of the original tract, in the midst of the field east of the buildings, and a good stone's throw east from the road running north from Cleona. It is enclosed with a substantial iron fence, without a gate, which may mean no trespassing, or no more burials. We visited the cemetery twice: in the spring when the wheat in the field has half grown, and recently with wheat in head. Both times we climbed the fence, thus placing in jeopardy both trousers and coat tail, but neither time was there any extra work for the wife. The cemetery is about 20 feet by 40 feet, two rows of graves running north and south. Some of the stones have departed from the plumb line, and the weeds inside of the fence think they have a right to grow as high as the wheat outside. We were able to copy the following inscriptions, which are about all of them:

The Family of Tobias of Cleona

  • By his first wife Catharine, Tobias had the following children:
  • By his second wife Mary, Tobias had the following children:

    MARY KREIDER BOMBERGER

    Mary Kreider, the only child of Tobias by his first wife, who lived to have a family, was married to Christian Bomberger, b. Dec. 13, 1813; d. Nov. 6, 1858. Christian was also the only child of his mother, Anna Kreider, daughter of "Jacob the Gelder," the first wife of Abraham Bomberger, who after her death married Elizabeth Kreider, daughter of John beyond the tunnel, by which marriage he became the owner and habitant of a part of the Kreider estate there, and is buried on the private cemetery on his farm. Where Anna Kreider Bomberger, mother of Christian, is buried we have not learned; but the Bombergers have taken good care of the legal papers of her ancestors, and to them we and other writers on Kreider history are greatly indebted for information.

    Christian Bomberger, Anna's son, after his father's second marriage, lived with his uncle Christian, on the present Hauck farm, along the Lancaster road, about one mile south of Lebanon. The uncle was childless and the young Christian became the owner of this farm. We have come into possession of some interesting local history which we herewith give under the name

    (To be continued next Monday)