(Continued from Monday.)
-Family Bible.
We have about finished the records of Michael Kreider the Settler at Fairland. From records of Hon. A. S. Kreider we learn that a few of his daughters have been missed; and it seems that his wife instead of being Ana Stoever was Anna Long. We shall restate his family, which will be valuable by way of review as well as by way of correction.
We have now considered the history of three of the sons of John Kreider, who located on the western half of the "Kreider Settlement" on Snitz Creek-Henry the Martyr, on the homestead, the present Lorenzo Laudermilch farm; Jacob, who lived in the eastern end of the present farm house of John S. Kreider on Snitz Creek, extreme western end of the Kreider Settlement; and Michael who located on the 310 1/2 acre tract at Fairland. We now come to Rev. Martin Kreider, brother to the three already mentioned, who was located by his father east of the Colebrook road along Snitz Creek.
We are now taking up a character of no small significance in the religious development of Lebanon county. In The News of May 26th we made the following statement: East of the (Colebrook) road was Martin, a preacher, whose home was a fortress of the United Brethren, from which stronghold they took the town of Lebanon. The basis of this statement will be more plain as we proceed.
First of all it is in place to identify this Martin. Early in these articles, we stated that the 585 acres of the eastern part of the "Kreider Settlement." was taken in 1760 by four of the eight sons of Jacob, who received the warrant in 1741 for 250 acres of land in Lebanon township in other words, of Jacob the Settler. Jacob's son Martin had the farm of this tract immediately east of the Colebrook road, the farm on which Rev. Martin resided. We then erroneously supposed that Martin, son of Jacob the Settler, and Rev. Martin were one and the same person. Yet we had run up against a difficulty. Christian Kreider, son of Jacob the Settler, had his farm immediately east of his brother Martin. But we found that Martin Kreider in August county, Virginia, gave a bond on March 30, 1772, to Christian Kreider of the province of Pennsylvania: On the back of this bond Christian writes: "Mit meinen Br.: Martin Kreider." So in 1772 Martin Kreider, brother of Christian of the extreme eastern part of the "Kreider Settlement"; was in the Valley of Virginia, and certainly was one of the very first white settlers in that far-off wilderness. Christian died Oct. 13, 1789, but by Aug. 21, 1789, the bond had been satisfied. The bond is now in the possession of John S. Bomberger, farmer north of the C. & L. power house and a direct descendant of this Christian Kreider.
Now, we were confronted with the question: How could Martin Kreider have been in the Valley of Virginia in 1772 and later up to 1821, be on his farm at Snitz Creek? Had he become tired of Virginia and contrary to the tide of migration, returned to the "Kreider Settlement" on Snitz Creek. Hon. A. S. Kreider had secured information from the court records at Lancaster which helped us out of our quandary. He had gathered that on Sept. 7, 1764, Martin Kreider sold his 160 1/2 acres, on Snitz Creek to John Kreider, the Settler on the western part of the Kreider lands on Snitz Creek, and that said John Kreider, and wife, Barbara, on Jan. 14, 1768, conveyed this 160 1/2 acres to Martin Kreider, their son, who was the preacher. So we are dealing with two Martin Kreiders who early lived on one and the same farm. Martin son of Jacob the Settler, who through his father became the owner of the farm in 1768.
So we have John Kreider, the Settler, providing for his four sons as follows: Conveyed to Martin 160 1/2 acres on Jan. 14, 1768, farm east of the Colebrook; conveyed to Jacob 172 1/2 acres, July 6, 1768, extreme western end of the "Kreider Settlement," resided on [sic] old part of John S. Kreider farm house; conveyed to Michael 310 1/2 acres, Jan. 28, 1772, located at Fairland and Cleona; and conveyed to his son Henry the Martyr (regarded as his youngest son) 173 acres, Feb. 22, 1776, being the homestead, the eastern part of John's west end holding in the "Settlement," the present Lorenzo Laudermilch farm.
Hon. A. S. Kreider places John Kreider, Sr., beyond the Tunnel, among the sons of John the Settler, thus giving him five sons. We are not convinced that this John is one of the sons. In fact we are convinced to the contrary. This John was born in 1761 or 15 years after the birth of Henry, who we regard as the youngest son, and 21 years after the birth of John's son Martin. We regard John Sr., beyond the tunnel as the grandson of Jacob the Settler, and when we reach John, Sr., beyond the Tunnel, we shall give our reasons for our position. In the meantime possess ye your souls in patience. Rev. Isaac Kreider, of Center county, says that one John Kreider, of Conewago, was a son of our Settler John. We know nothing of John of Conewago.
It may here be in place to attempt a list of the children of John the Settler (1715-1785) designated by some as John Jacob, but who signs his name as "Hans Greider," said to be the son of Martin the Immigrant, b. in 1681. children:
Mary's record is our own. Hon. A. S. Kreider says that a daughter m. John Knoll; Rev. Isaac Kreider says that a daughter m. Abr. Knoll of South Lebanon. Now we find inscriptions on two old tombstones at Krall's meeting house as given above, the wife's name given as Mary Kreider Krall. We regard Knoll as a slight departure from the correct spelling. It will be noticed that Rev. Isaac gives the same Christian name that is on the tombstone. It will also be noticed that that wife is of the age of John's children, and there seems to be enough space for her in the year 1743. If you can upset our conclusion, you are welcome. And now parenthetically we shall give a short account of
Mary Kreider, afore, m. Abraham Krall, afore, who April 26, 1794, bought a 215 acre farm of Jacob Thoma, at Horst's Mill, which had been bought by his father, Durst Thoma, from the Penns, Feb. 4, 1762, Abraham Krall on April 23, 1799, conveyed this farm to his son, John, who by endorsement on back of deed Jan. 1, 1846, conveyed it to his son Benjamin, and this 1799 deed is the last one made of the property. Benjamin got all the land except three-fourth of an acre "on which a meeting house stands, and which has been sold and conveyed for that purpose." Anna Krall, daughter of Benjamin, still resides on the farm. After her decease it becomes the property of all of Benjamin's descendants.
Abraham and Mary Kreider Krall likely had but one child. Abraham wrote his family record in German, which translated is somewhat as follows: "In year 1767, the 15th day September, in 4 hours afternoon, is to me my son John Krall born in sign Twins."
"In year 1773 the 10th day September is to me my daughter (daughter-in-law) Elizabeth Gemennin born in sign Cancer."
Then the son John wrote; "In year 1801 the 22nd day November that I John Krall and Elizabeth Krallin) [sic] Gemennin, that to me was married.
"In year 1803 the 7 day January in 7 hour morning is to me my daughter Maria Krallin born in sign of the Lion.
"In year 1813 in 9 day May in 4 hours morning is to me my son Benjamin Krall born in sign Virgin.
Benjamin Krall m. Apr. 22, 1834, to Catharine Brandt; children:
So much for the descendants of Mary Kreider Krall.
As to the daughter of John Kreider the settler who m. Brackbill, of Bethel township, we have given the name Elizabeth, because we find a Christian Brightbill of Bethel d. prior to 1797, leaving a wife Elizabeth, and it was difficult for a man in ye olden time to have three daughters and not call one Elizabeth. The Brightbill children were: John, Christian, Henry, Jacob, Anna m. Christian Wolf, Barbara m. Jacob Moyer, Elizabeth m. Frederick Sherick, Madlena, Christiana, Maria and Abraham. Take this for what it is worth.
It is said of Christiana Kreider, m. John William Early, that she was the daughter of a Mennonite preacher, who served in his office sixty years. Martin under consideration[, ] this Mennonite preacher, died in 1826, so he was called to the ministry about 1766; or being born in 1740, at about the age of 26 years. 1766 was quite awhile before the organization of the United Brethren church, so Martin may have labored one-half of his years in the ministry for the Mennonites.
Rev. Christian Newcomer, a United Brethren father, writes: "May 27, 1797. This day a sacramental meeting is to commence at Martin Kreider's near Lebanon. Brother Crum delivered the first discourse." Under the date of October 7, 1797, Newcomer continues: "This forenoon we had a blessed meeting at Brother Martin Kreider's; in the afternoon we preached at Lebanon."
We are informed that Martin Kreider's was a regular preaching place of the early United Brethren, and so continued until Light's meetinghouse was built in 1820, at Seventh and Lehman streets. This meetinghouse was built by the Mennonites, but used in common by Mennonites and United Brethren, the line of demarcation at first seems not so closely drawn.
It is stated that Rev. Martin Kreider labored with Behm and Otterbein, the founders of the United Brethren, that he was next to them in age in the United Brethren ministry. These things must be true. Behm had been a Mennonite preacher before he became one of the founders of the United Brethren, so for a number of years he and Martin were together Mennonite preachers. Inasmuch they came together as United Brethren, they must have been kindred spirits in the old Mennonite fold. Both wanted more life, more manifestation of the Spirit. The separation from the Mennonites, doubtless, was gradual, as for awhile they held meetings in the same houses. Rev. Martin is mentioned as a co-laborer with Rev. Henry Landis and Rev. Felix Light.
Rev. Martin is said to be buried in the little private family cemetery on the Lorenzo Laudermilch farm [..... ??] was not far away, but that likely had been strictly Mennonite. Perhaps Rev. Martin wanted to sleep his long sleep in a strictly United Brethren bed, and so started a separate cemetery on his own farm. His grandson, Rev. Christian S. Kreider, was the founder of Salem United Brethren church at Ninth and Church streets, the mother U. B. church of Lebanon; and the grandson may be said to have erected a living monument to the memory of his grandfather; but it seems to us that it would be in place for the spiritual children of Rev. Martin Kreider to erect in Ebenezer cemetery a becoming monument.
It is written of him: "And of his success as a minister we shall be allowed to say that in each generation of his descendants can be found more than one minister, even down to the fourth generation, that since his generation there are rising of nearly a hundred of his offspring, preaching the Gospel of the lowly Nazarene; and while all are not of the church of the United Brethren, the major part of them are."
(To be continued next Monday)