Ida Melvina Grenzebach

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/239912338
• Handicap: Ida was a dwarf
• Name: Ida Melvina Forler
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-164576
• Adopted: Bef 1911
• Occupation: 1911, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Domestic
• Residence: 1911, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Ida married Henry K. Forler 6 Nov 1927, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Henry (son of Jacob K. Forler and Maria Juliana "Mary" Koch) was born 29 Jun 1870, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 4 Mar 1931, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191802026
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-447747
• Occupation: 1885, Grimsby, Lincoln Co., Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1901, East Zorra Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada

William married Emma Wegenast 10 Jun 1885, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Emma (daughter of Martin Smith Wegenast and Elizabeth Streicher) was born 4 Jul 1863, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 30 Dec 1946; was buried , Evangelical United Brethern Cemetery, East Zorra Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191802040
• Name: Emma Grenzebach
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-447748
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1881, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical Association

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191825637
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-447749
• Occupation: 1885, East Zorra Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Valentine — Mary Hipple. Mary was born 22 Feb 1837; died 15 Oct 1883, East Zorra Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada; was buried , Evangelical United Brethern Cemetery, East Zorra Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191825652
• Name: Mary Grenzebach
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-447750

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237291710
• Name: M. S. Wegenast
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-149299
• Residence: 1859, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Cabinet Maker
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; EA
• Business: CA 1865, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Waterloo Steam Planing Mills
• Occupation: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Manufacturer
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1874, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1881, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Hau Rake Mfr.
• Residence: 1881, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical Association
• Occupation: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Occupation: 1901, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Machinist
• Occupation: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter, at Home
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Notes:

Wegenast, M. S., proprietor of planing mills, sash and door and rake factory. Born in Welland Co., Ont., 1836. Has resided here since 1851.

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

___________________

King Street , North Side

Foundry Street (now Ontario Street).

Jacob and John Hoffman, brothers, who came from Pennsylvania, erected a furniture factory on the corner about 1840. It was a two story frame building extending along King St., had 25 to 30 employees and a 15 h.p. engine brought from Buffalo.

Eby's history gives John Hoffman as having come from Pennsylvania in 1825; Jacob, almost two years older, seems to have come before. They both worked at carpentry, etc., for a number of years before starting the factory in which enterprise they were assisted by Benjamin Eby. On the ridge of the factory roof there was a belfry with the only larger bell in Berlin. This bell served not only the factory but the village as well, pinging at 7 in the morning, at 12, at 1 and at 6 o'clock in the evening. It was used also as a fire bell and was tolled for funerals.

By some prank or spite the bell was stolen in 1850 before there was a night watchman at the factory, and disappeared for two or three years. Eventually it was found in a well at the comer of Duke and College Streets, put back in place on the Hoffman factory and later was taken to a belfry on the Simpson factory spoken of, where it was used until this factory was discontinued. It was then taken to the pavilion in Victoria Park and was melted down when the pavilion was destroyed by fire.

Behind the Hoffman factory there was a pond, about three feet deep, fed by a spring, the water being used for the factory boiler, etc. About 1860 a frame building, used by the firm for a warehouse, covered the site of the spring. Further back there was a saw mill, also a planing mill, the first of its kind in Berlin. A two story frame building extending along Foundry Street was later added to the factory and used as a turning shop. At the rear of this building was the factory boiler house.

Next to the factory on King Street there was a three story brick building. The ground floor was used as a store, called the Berlin Warehouse. Jacob Hoffman, who by this time was alone in the business, John having gone to Waterloo, announced himself as dealer in dry goods, groceries, hardware, china, glassware, crockery, and paint and oils and manufacturer of all kinds of furniture, also sash doors, etc., selling low for cash. An overhead passage way on a bridge connected the second stories of the factory and brick building. Over the store was the paint shop and in the rear a warehouse. Hoffman's store was later occupied by William Schmidt, son of Rev. Wm. Schmidt, an early minister of the Evangelical Church. Schmidt had a dry goods store only, known as the Golden Lion store because of a large gilt lion over the entrance. Isaac Hoffman, son of Jacob, carried on the factory and store for several years; later John S. Anthes was in possession while Hoffman went to Waterloo and continued the furniture business there with Adam Klippert and Martin Wegenast as partners. Jacob and John Hoffman erected a number of houses in Berlin.

Jacob Hoffman was very stout, weighing over 300 pounds. He was a member of the Evangelical Church. For a time he served on the village council. He resided on Foundry Street in the rear of the Canadian Block in a square, hip roof, two story, frame house, until it was destroyed by fire, when he moved to the west side of Foundry Street, south, where now is the Robe & Clothing Co. building. Here he had a one and one-half story frame house with a large two story addition at the rear where were lodged apprentices and other factory employees. There was a small portico over the front door and a porch extending along the northerly side of the house.

Next to the Hoffman warehouse there was a saloon and restaurant occupied by a Mr. Unger. He served, among other things, oysters which came in small wooden, 1-gal. kegs. Adjoining Hoffman's store there was the tailor shop of H. J. Nahrgang, later occupied by Henry Glebe, an early band master; next a store differently occupied at various times and next the shoe store of Wm. Niehaus. A three story brick building occupied by Wm. Young as a grocery. Mr. Young eventually went to the Canadian Block and the store was used for various purposes, among them auction sales in the evening. Here there was sold the first white crockery offered in Berlin. Later the building was occupied by the Berliner Journal.

A one and one-half story frame building with gable toward King St. and a veranda, occupied by Mr. Fuchs, a tailor and shoemaker, whose wife assisted her husband as expert in repairing clocks. The family lived in the building. About 1865 the frame building was moved to the rear and Fuchs' block erected on the street. The ground floor had three stores, the west one occupied by Mr. Fuchs, the middle by John Kayser, dry goods merchant, and the third one by Tindall Simpson and Sons, shoemakers and tailors. The first building on part of the Fuchs' block site was a rough frame structure used by one Susand, colored, who was the first barber in Berlin.

A two story brick building with gable facing King Street, occupied by Christian Garman, harness maker, who later moved to New Hamburg and started a tannery. This building was later occupied by Levi Gaukel, son of Frederick Gaukel, after his father's death. He had a small hotel known as The Red Lion. In 1860 Urban Prinzer succeeded Gaukel and continued the hotel for a short time.

A two and one-half story brick building with gable facing King St. was occupied by Levi Gaukel, as a butcher shop after he gave up the hotel next door. Jacob Gaukel was associated with Levi. Later George Debus occupied this shop.

A building with gable and porch facing King Street, later occupied by George DeBus as a barber shop.

On the corner of King and Queen Streets there was first a driving shed for the Gaukel hotel opposite, until the Bowman block was erected in 1860. This was a three story brick building lengthwise with King Street. Joseph Bowman the noted violinist occupied the third floor of this building. Half of the ground floor of the building was occupied by Henry B. Bowman with a partner Heins as general dry goods store. This was on the corner. The other half was a brick store occupied by Cole and Graf, druggists, and later by Wm. Bowman in the same business. On the site of the Bowman block is the handsome Bank building built by the Merchants Bank and now occupied by the Bank of Montreal.


REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

Martin married Elizabeth Streicher 11 Oct 1859, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth (daughter of Mathew Streicher and Elizabeth) was born 25 Apr 1842, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 8 Mar 1873, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237301632
• Name: Elizabeth Stricker
• Name: Elizabeth Wegenast
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-49757
• Birth: CALC 8 May 1842
• Residence: 1859, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; EA
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

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• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-447754

Jacob — Martha. Martha died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

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• Name: Martha Grenzebach
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-447755

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• Name: George Wegenast
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-247902
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; labourer
• Immigration: Apr 1932, , USA

Johann — Christina Schmidt. Christina was born 16 Mar 1799, Holzhausen, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany; died 8 Jan 1862, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237892690
• Name: Christina Wegenast
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-247901
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; EA

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-177742

Mathew — Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born Abt 1811, of, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

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• Name: Elizabeth Streicher
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-177745