David Rife

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65193178
• Eby ID Number: 00092-5303
• Elected Office: 1860, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor of Hespeler
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Christian
• Occupation: 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Residence: 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; New Connexion Methodist
• Elected Office: 1875, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor of Hespeler
• Elected Office: 1878, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor of Hespeler
• Occupation: 1881, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Elected Office: 1885, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Reeve of Hespeler
• Occupation: 1891, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Milk Peddler & Farmer
• Residence: 1891, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Elected Office: 1901, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor of Hespeler
• Occupation: 1901, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Elected Office: 1903, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor of Hespeler
• Occupation: 1911, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1911, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Notes:

David Rife, "the third son, resides in Hespeler, where he is engaged in farming and the dairy business. He is married to Ophelia Lochead."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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Rife, David, Jr., farmer. Has 160 acres of valuable land. Was born in the township, 1848, on the farm where he now resides. Is at present Councillor of the village, which position he has occupied for years.

Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881 (Village of New Hespeler entries)

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Died In Hespeler, on Monday, April 14th, 1913, at 6.30 o'clock a.m., David Rife Aged 64 years, 11 months and 15 days. Funeral will take place from his late residence, Sunny Hill Farm, Hespeler, where services will be held, on Wednesday, April 16th, at 2.30 o'clock p.m., to the Hespeler Cemetery for interment. Friends and acquaintances will please accept this intimation .

Funeral Card

David married Ophelia Lochhead 24 Jan 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Ophelia (daughter of James Lochhead and Alzina Walker) was born 14 May 1853, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 3 Mar 1958; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

1. Annie Alzina Rife was born 28 Jul 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 15 Mar 1873.
2. Mabel Naomi Rife was born 26 Dec 1872, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 1934; was buried , Edmonton, , Alberta, Canada.
3. Charles Herbert Rife was born 5 Jan 1875, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 7 Apr 1953, Wawa, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States; was buried , Sellersville Cemetery, Sellersville, Bucks, Pennsylvania, United States.
4. David Edward Rife was born 3 Jan 1877, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 27 Apr 1956, Edmonton, , Alberta, Canada.
5. Lester Hungerford Rife was born 26 Oct 1878, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 3 Aug 1958, Alameda, Alameda, California, United States.
6. Margaret Ophelia "Maggie" Rife was born 26 Mar 1881, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 26 Mar 1958.
7. William Arnold Rife was born 5 May 1882, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 1965, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada.
8. Elizabeth "Bessie" Rife was born 31 Dec 1883, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Aug 1938, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada.
9. Alzina Walker Rife was born 26 Sep 1885, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 1970, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada.
10. Walker Rife was born Sep 1887, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65200335
• Honoured: Rife St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Rife Street in old Hespeler name for David Rife.
• Interesting: politics, honoured, life story,
• Eby ID Number: 00092-5294
• Elected Office: 1859, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor of Hespeler
• Occupation: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Occupation: 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer

Notes:

David Rife, "the second son of Samuel Rife, was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, August 28th, 1820. When five years of age his parents moved to Canada and settled on the farm now in possession of his brother, Samuel Rife, Jr. Here he was raised. He was married to Mary, daughter of Abraham and Sarah (Clemens) Pannabecker. They resided on a farm now within the corporation of Hespeler, Ontario. Here he died April 29th, 1888. His widow is still living and is quite active for a person of her age. She resides in the village of Hespeler. Their family consisted of seven children"

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

________________________________

St. Luke's United Church

Meetings began in homes with the arrival of a Methodist New Connexion missionary in 1837. In 1844 New Hope (formerly Bergeytown) was on the Trafalgar Circuit and was ministered to by the Rev. W. Bothwell and two local preachers. Land was donated in 1849 by David Rife Sr. for a stone church called the New Hope Chapel which was located on Queen Street at Hungerford Road. This Chapel was constructed jointly by the New Connexion Methodists and the Evangelicals, who were to build their own church in 1863. In 1851 the congregation was on the Nassagaweya Circuit. Membership continued to grow with the resultant formation in 1858 of a new circuit, the New Hope Circuit. The name of New Hope was changed to Hespeler in the same year with the subsequent renaming of the circuit to the Hespeler Circuit. Early pastors were Revs. James Bell (1858), James Hall (1859-1860), James White (1861-1863), Elias Williams (1864-1866) and James Hill (1867-1870).

In 1874 at the 46th Annual Conference of the Methodist New Connexion Church it was reported that the Hespeler Circuit, which was described as being a Mission of Galt, in the Guelph District, had 4 Chapels, 1 parsonage, 1 Circuit preacher, 2 local preachers, 2 Sunday Schools and a congregation totalling 580 individuals. In the same year, 1874, the Wesleyan Methodists and the New Connexion Methodists united to form the Methodist Church in Canada.

Hespeler became a single charge c.1892 when the Rev. Dr. George H. Cornish was the minister, and from that date the church was considered to be self-supporting. Union with the Congregationals and some Presbyterian congregations resulted in the formation of the United Church of Canada on June 10, 1925; the Hespeler Methodist Church became known then as Hespeler United Church.

The 1849 stone church was torn down in 1868 to make way for a newer, larger stone church which was to remain the place of worship until 1961 when a new church was built on Franklin Boulevard. The final service was conducted in the old stone Hespeler United Church on October 8, 1961, and dedication of the new St. Luke's United Church was held a week later on October 15, 1961. The congregation celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 1987.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose


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In 1874 J. N. Goebel bought a car load of Red Herring on track at Guelph. A load some merchant had ordered, then refused. And he got them cheap. He disposed of part of the shipment off the car to local merchants and others and arranged with David Rife Sr. to haul the rest to Hespeler.

It was the dead of winter, deep snow, roads badly drifted and only a single track to Guelph. Jack Limpert, then 16, who was working for Mr. Rife (and who, by the way, told me the story) was sent with a hay rack on a bob sleigh to do the hauling. The fish were cleaned and smoked, and packed, with heads and tails on, in flat wooden boxes containing about a dozen.

Jack went to Guelph and got his fish loaded after some delay, and by noon was coming along through the hills near Squire Phin's when he saw another rig coming and turned off to give him half the road; which was the thing to do. His load upset and there he was. It happened that the approaching rig was a load of soft drinks. The driver, a decent chap about Jack's own age, anchored his team with the weight and pitched in to give Jack a hand to get going again.

By the time they got back on the road and the fish reloaded both boys were warm and tired and they sat down on a hard snow bank to rest. The hour was something after one and both boys were hungry so Jack broke open a box of Herrings, the other boy a couple of bottles of pop and they sat there and had a lunch. Red Herring and Ginger Ale.

And Jack said it tasted good.

Le Rue De Commerce, Other Times Other Customs Other Days Other Ways, Winfield Brewster 1954

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In Memory of David Rife, Sr., Born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, U.S., August 28th, 1820, Came with his Parents to Canada in 1825, settled in Hespeler, (then New Hope) County of Waterloo, Ontario, in 1842. Died, At his Residence, in that Village, on Sunday, April 29th, 1888, Aged 67 Years, 8 Months and 1 Day. Interred in Hespeler Cemetery, Tuesday, May 1st, 1888. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing."

Funeral Card

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Rife Avenue

This street was named in honour of David Rife, Senior and his son David Rife, Junior. David Rife, Senior was born in Pennsylvania in 1822. His father Samuel had immigrated to the American Colonies aboard the ship "Richard & Mary" in 1753. Samuel served in the American Revolutionary War prior to moving his wife Elizabeth, and young family, to Canada in 1822. They moved to Preston the following year, before settling in Guelph Township in 1825. David Rife, Senior settled on a Waterloo Township farm near Hespeler (now Avondale, Gerard, and Elizabeth Street area) in 1844. In 1849, he donated land to build the Methodist Church and parsonage at the corner of Hungerford Rd. and Queen St. East (replaced by an apartment building). He often served as minister, and was a strong adherent of the Temperance Movement. In 1874 he became a preacher when the New Connection and Wesleyan Methodist Churches merged. He also served on the Hespeler Village Council from 1859 to 1867. He died on April 29, 1888. David Rife, Junior was born in 1848 on the family homestead (known as Sunnyhill Farm). For many years he operated a dairy, supplying milk and related products to many of Hespeler's residents. He also enjoyed a well earned reputation for breeding quality Holstein cattle. He followed his father into public life, serving on the Hespeler Village Council from 1877 to 1884 and again from 1901 to 1904. He was also Hespeler's reeve from 1885 to 1887. David Rife, Junior died April 13, 1913 and is buried, as is his father, in New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler.

Lary Miller 15 May 2011 The Company of Neighbours

David — Mary Pannabaker. Mary (daughter of Abraham "Abram" Pannabecker and Sarah Ann "Sally" Clemens) was born 16 Nov 1823, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 12 Sep 1906, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69946552
• Name: Mary Rife
• Eby ID Number: 00087-5087
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Residence: 1891, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Residence: 1906, Cooper St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Mary Pannebecker, "was married to Daniel Rife who died April 29th, 1888. They resided in Hespeler. She is still living and his a family of seven children"

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

________________

Died In Hespeler, on Wednesday, September 12th, 1906, at 6 o'clock a.m., Mary Panabaker, Relict of the late David Rife, In her 83rd year. Funeral Will take place from her late residence, Cooper Street, Hespeler, where services will be held, on Friday, September 14th, at 2.30 o'clock p.m., to the Hespeler Cemetery for interment. Friends and acquaintances will please accept this intimation. Hespeler, September 12th, 1906.

Funeral Card

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180090719
• Eby ID Number: 00092-5277
• Death: 7 Jun 1856, Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Samuel Rife, "fourth son of Rev. David Rife, was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, April 15th, 1788. He was married to Elizabeth Hoke who was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, January 7th, 1793. In 1825 they moved to Canada and located in Waterloo County for a short time, then moved to what was afterwards called Guelph Township, Wellington County where he squatted on a tract of land before the survey of the township was made. The old homestead is now in possession of their son, Samuel. Here and on the farm adjoining their homestead Mr. and Mrs. Rife resided until their deaths. He died June 7th, 1856, and she died August 21st, 1873. Their family consisted of eight children, the five eldest of whom were born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, and the three younger in Guelph Township, Wellington County, Ontario."


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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A-1-99 Samuel Rife Sr. Probate of the will of Samuel Rife Senior, Late of the Township of Waterloo, granted the 8^th day of July 1856 on the petition of Samuel Rife, David Rife and George Rife the Executors named in said will.

I Samuel Rife Senior of the Township of Waterloo…It is my wish and will that all my honest debts be paid. Secondly, It is my wish and will and do hereby give and bequeath unto my dear and beloved wife Elisabeth, the use of my small homestead which I bought of Jacob Bretz and Joseph Cook[?], with all its privileges and as much of the household furniture, mare harness buggy and spring wagon, two cows, chattels as she thinks proper to make use of during her natural life. I also bequeath unto my dear and beloved wife Elisabeth, fifteen pounds lawful money of Canada in each and every year during her natural life to be paid to her by my Executors out of my Estate of Lot number Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen and Sixteen in the Township of Guelph, an amount left in the farm aforesaid sufficient so that the interest will pay the aforesaid amount. Thirdly, my Executors shall have full power and authority at any time where they see proper to sell my farm lot number thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen in the south east side of the Waterloo road in the Township of Guelph and then equally divided among my six children namely Samuel, David, Joseph, George, Elizabeth, Maria, share and share alike until the six aforesaid children shall have one hundred and fifty pounds currency of this province each of them as their share, then my eldest daughter Nancy shall come in heir, equally, share and share alike with the rest of my six children. It is my wish and will that my daughter Maria's share aforesaid is collected and the aforesaid farm sold, the sum or share is to be let out on interest by my Executors for her support during her natural life and after her death to her children although if she become a widow and the Executors think or believe that she is in need of her share they can give it to her, all what I have charged in my Book. I also give and devise unto my eldest daughter Nancy, formerly the wife of Edward Vance all the farm Lot number two, south west half in the fourth concession of Division B, Guelph Township during her natural life but after her death my Executors shall have full power aned authority to sell the aforesaid farm to any person or persons, and sign seal and deliver a deed of conveyance and of the same, and the price of sasid farm to be equally divided among my daugher Nancey's children namely Mary,, John, Edward, which she had by her first husband Edward, but should my daughter Nancy choose to have the said farm sold before her death, my Executors shall have full power and authority to sell the same and to sign seal and deliver a deed of conveyance of the same and divide the price of the same between my daughter nancy and her three before mentioned children. The one third to be given to my daughter Nancy and the other two thirds is to be equally divided among her three children….I do hereby nominat, constitute and appoint Samuel, David and George, my three sons my sole Executors of this my last will and testament.

Witnessed by, John Ellis, John McIntosh and William Henry.
Will dated 10 March 1856
Proved 8 July 1856
Died 10 March 1856
No inventory.

Surrogate Court Records Copybook Register A 1853-1871 transcript to 1863. Frances Hoffman transcriber.

Samuel — Elizabeth Hoke. Elizabeth was born 7 Jan 1793, , Chester Co., Pennsylvania; died 21 Aug 1873, Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada; was buried , Wanner Mennonite Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180090921
• Name: Elizabeth Rife
• Eby ID Number: 00092-5277.1
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/214514953
• Name: Abram Pannabecker
• Eby ID Number: 00087-5086
• Occupation: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Yeoman
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Prodestane

Notes:

Abram Pannebecker, "was born in Vincent Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, September 13th, 1796. On November 16th, 1822, he was married to Sarah Clemens. They resided near Hespeler, on the farm now possessed by William Shaw. When old they left the farm and moved to Hespeler where he died June 30th, 1880, and she died May 24th, 1885. To them was born a family of eleven children"

"Mr. Abram Pannebecker nearly met with his death in 1836 by the caving in of a well. About 10 a.m. he went into it for the purpose of cleaning it and immediately after going down the well caved in and thus burying him under the stones and rubbish. The alarm was given at once and the neighbors hurried together and commenced to make a speedy effort to rescue the buried man. After six hours diligent work he was rescued from his perilous condition alive, contrary to the expectation of his family, friends and neighbors, with only his nose broken and some slight bodily bruises. The well was seventeen feet deep."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.]

Abraham married Sarah Ann "Sally" Clemens 16 Nov 1822. Sarah (daughter of Abraham C. Clemens and Mary "Polly" Custer) was born 5 Jan 1805, , Chester Co., Pennsylvania; died 25 May 1885, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Wanner Mennonite Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/214519113
• Name: Sallie Clemens
• Name: Sarah Ann "Sally" Pannabecker
• Eby ID Number: 00023-1729
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Notes:

Sallie Clemens, "was married to Abram Pannebecker. They resided on the farm now in possession of William Shaw, near Hespeler, where they both died."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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At the residence of her son-in-law, Lewis Kribs, Esq., on the 24th inst., Mrs. Sarah Panabaker, relict of the last Abraham Panabaker, aged 80 years and 5 months. Deceased was a daughter of the late Abram Clemens and emigrated to waterloo township from Pennsylvania in 1810. She was resident of Waterloo for over 75 years, 50 years of which she was a member of the Methodist Church. The deceased lady was very much respected.

Galt Reporter May 29 1885 pg 8

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00092-5275

Notes:

David Rife, "a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was born in the year 1751 (My grandmother, Mrs. John Shoemaker, daughter of Barbara Reiff, used to say that her uncle, David, was two years older than her mother and that her uncle was ordained as minister of the Mennonite Church when he was in his thirty-ninth year, consequently he entered the ministry in 1790). All attempts made to obtain names of his parents and of all his brothers and sisters proved fruitless. We know of one sister he had, named Barbara, who was born in 1753, and died in Waterloo County in 1820. She was married to Isaac Shantz, father of all the old Shantzes that settled in this county during the early part of the present century. When a young man he moved to Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was a Mennonite and in 1790 was appointed a minister of that church. He was married and had a family of eight children"


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29726013
• Historic Building: 655 Blackbridge Rd., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; 2 story stone house
• Military: War of 1812
• Eby ID Number: 00087-5083
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 128, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Lower Block Conc. 2 Lot 09, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Lower Block Conc. 3 Lot 08, Waterloo County, Ontario

Notes:

"The Pannebeckers (To have a complete history of the Pannebecker family, write to Mr. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Philadelphia, Pa., and get the book, "Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Pannebeckers", edited by Pennybecker. It is well worth the money and one of the most complete works of its kind in existence) were of the first settlers of German origin who settled in Pennsylvania over two hundred years ago. We find them to have been a prominent family in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania as early as 1709."

Cornelius Pannebecker, "a native of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, was born December 8th, 1770. In April, 1792, he was married to Anna Dettweiler, sister to old Rudolph Dettweiler who resided near the Wanner Meeting House at Hespeler. She was born November 16th, 1775, and died October 27th, 1855. In 1810 they, in company with Christian Shantz and family, Jacob Shantz and wife, and others, moved to Canada and settled in Waterloo County, Ontario, near the present village of Hespeler, on the farm now occupied by Peter Wier. Here they resided until their deaths. He died June 22nd, 1855. To then was born a family of thirteen children"


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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About the year 1822, Joseph Oberholtzer, a sawyer, and Cornelius Pannabecker, a blacksmith, both sound men, had come to the conclusion that, having regard to the fact that so many new buildings were being put up by the settlers, a saw mill in this locality would pay.

In 1823, Joseph Oberholtzer bought from Christian Strome (Strohm) 24 acres of land lying both sides of the River Speed at some distance below the present D. W. & W. Buildings and on it they erected a small saw mill building, installed sawing machinery and built a dam on the Speed to furnish power to operate it.

After it had been in operation for a time they discovered to their sorrow that their mill was not big enough to handle the huge logs the farmers were hauling in to be sawn, and so, later, when their frail dam went out in a flood it was not replaced; They salvaged what they could and wrote off the rest to profit and loss. They had made the mistake of building too small and they paid the shot.


Le Rue De Commerce, Other Times Other Customs Other Days Other Ways, Winfield Brewster 1954

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Unwilling participants in the War of 1812

About 20 Mennonite men were conscripted to haul supplies for an 1813 engagement

...No one was exempt from non-combatant duties, although some resisted at times. Some were fined heavily in court. Cornelius Pannebecker removed the wheels from his wagon to save it, although his horse and son were still conscripted. Elizabeth (Gabel) Bechtel was threatened at sword-point by an officer who knew she was hiding oxen, which he sought for a massive-scale transport operation to the Detroit River.

Waterloo Region Region 23 Jun 2012 Jonathan Seiling

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About the year 1840, the third saw-mill in New Hope was erected. It was located just below the Forbes Mill site by a partnership composed of another great-grandfather of the write, the late Cornelius Pannebecker, and one Joseph Oberholtzer, whose sister was married to Bergy.

Cornelius Pannebecker arrived from Montgomery County, Pa. in 1810 and was the son of a Mennonite minister who lived on the Schuylkill River at the present site of Spring City. Joseph Oberholtzer was evidently a native of the same county in Pennsylvania and located here probably in 1826 and information in hand also points to his having been the son of a Mennonite preacher. The family was of Swiss descent, while Pannebecker was descended from a Dutch family which had migrated for a few years into Germany about Kriegaheim near Worms, before participating in the exodus of Quakers and Mennonites to Pennsylvania, about the year 1700.

It would appear that Bergy's first saw-mill was too far up the river and the partnership mill too far downstream to quite meet the tastes or requirements of the times, for within a few years Cornelius Oberholtzer erected the fourth saw-mill about midway between these two points, and with it a small foundry or shop, probably for mill repairs etc. Some particulars of this fourth mill are available.

It continued in operation until sometime in 1864, although it evidently changed ownership, September 27th, 1863, to a partnership composed of George Randall, then of Berlin, Herbert M. Farr of Waterloo and Shubel H. Randall of New Hampshire, the purchase price according to the Galt Reporter files of that time being $8,000. The old mill was used to saw the timber and lumber for the Randall-Farr Woolen Mills, two stone structures erected in 1864, but as the saw-carriage had capacity only for logs up to 16 feet in length, the large timbers for the new Woolen Mills had to be hewn and were not sawn. It had been said with perhaps some little exaggeration, that the process of sawing logs of large diameter with the vertically operated drag-saw then in use was so slow that the operator after starting to log, had time to walk up town a half mile or more to the hotel, for liquid refreshments and return before the cut was finished.

The timbers of white-pine, taken out of this Oberholtzer mill when the woolen-mill buildings crowded it out of its place were used in the construction of the Lewis Kribs saw-mills which in 1865 were located close to the old public school site. When Mr. W. A. Kribs erected his present manufacturing buildings alongside the G. T. R. lines in 1902, these same old timbers were for the third time used and are at the time of writing, as sound as when first used in 1840.


Tenth Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society, 1922, pages 213 - 224.

Historic Building:
In 2009 this 2 story fieldstone house was in good condition, still used as a residence and their are still farm buildings on the site. There is a great deal of new construction not far from the house and soon the house will be surrounded with new housing.

Cornelius married Anna Detweiler Apr 1792. Anna (daughter of Abraham Detweiler and Elizabeth Kolb Ziegler) was born 16 Nov 1775, , Pennsylvania, USA; died 27 Oct 1855, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Wanner Mennonite Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29726056
• Name: Anna Pannebecker
• Eby ID Number: 00087-5083.1

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39091890
• Eby ID Number: 00023-1619
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Lower Block Conc. 3 Lot 09, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Lower Block Conc. 3 Lot 10, Waterloo County, Ontario

Notes:

Abraham Clemens, " was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1764. He was married to Rebecca Miller who was born in 1763 and died in 1819. They moved to Canada in 1809 and settled in Waterloo County, Ontario. near Hespeler, where he died in 1819. To them were born eight children"

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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WARNING: In my view (Jim McKane), the preponderance of the evidence suggests that at least the first 5 of Abraham's children were born to Rebecca Miller and the last one, two, or three of his children to Mary Custer. Hannah and Elizabeth could have been the last children of Rebecca (and I have listed them this way) or the first two children of Mary. Apparently all the children were born in Chester Co., PA before Abraham and his second wife moved to Canada. But I have no primary sources to confirm the dates of the two marriages or which wife was the mother of each child.

Abraham married Mary "Polly" Custer 18 Oct 1785, Skippack, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. Mary was born 15 Feb 1763, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 8 Sep 1819, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Wanner Mennonite Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39092629
• Name: Mary "Polly" Clemens
• Name: Polly
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-82773

Notes:

"OCTOBER 18, Tuesday. United in marriage Abraham, the son of George Clemens, and [Molly] the daughter of Paul Custer, hitherto unmarried persons of Shippach, Montgomery County, on the written consent and bond of the parents."

THE JOURNALS of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg In Three Volumes

Vol 3, p689 1785 date; pg 690 MARRIAGE: OCT 18, 1785 Tues "The Journals of H M Muhlenberg" 3 Vol. Translated by Tappert and Doberstein. Publ: The Evangelical Luthern Ministerium of PA and Adjacent States and The Muhlenberg Press, Philadelphia, PA 1958.