Urias S. Snider

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00106-5874
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Snider, Urias, son of John. B. and Magdalena (Snyder) Snider; born near Kitchener Ont., Nov. 22, 1875; died, after a brief illness, Dec. 25, 1958, on the farm where he was born, only 24 days after the passing away of his wife, the former Nancy Shantz; aged 83 y. 1 m. 3 d. They were married Nov. 21, 1900, and shared the joys and sorrows of life for 58 years. Eight children were born to this union, of whom 3 sons passed away in infancy. Surviving are 2 sons (Selwyn and Arlin), 3 daughters (Glennys- Mrs. Edward G. Snyder, Twilah, and Esther), one brother (Ephraim, Kitchener), and one granddaughter. He accepted Christ during the Coffman revival, and served the Strasburg Church for many years. Memorial services were conducted by Simon B. Martin and Lester Bauman on Dec. 27; interment in church cemetery.

Gospel Herald - Volume LII, Number 5 - February 3, 1959

Urias — Nancy C. Shantz. Nancy (daughter of Amos M. Shantz and Esther C. Cressman) was born 24 Jan 1875, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 2 Dec 1958; was buried , Pioneer Park Mennonite Cemetery, [formerly Weber Mennonite Biehn Drive Cemetery] Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

1. Magdalena Glennys Snider was born 24 Apr 1907, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States; died 30 Jun 1996, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Wanner Mennonite Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada.

Other Events:

• Name: Johannes Schneider
• Eby ID Number: 00106-5871
• Residence: 1870, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1901, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Notes:

John Snider, "was born December 24th, 1848. on June 5th, 1870, he was married to Magdalena Snyder. They reside near German Mills where he is engaged in farming. To them are born four 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.].

______________________________________

SNIDER. John Snider was born in Waterloo, Ont., Dec. 24, 1848; passed peacefully away Feb. 15, 1930; aged 81 y. 1 m. 22 d. On June 5, 1870, he was united in marriage to Magdalena Snyder, who preceded him in death Oct. 3, 1900. On Aug. 12, 1903, he was married to Lydia E. Bergey, who also preceded him in death on Jan. 30, 1925. To the first union were born four children, two daughters (Hannah and Almina) dying in infancy. Those who remain are two sons, (Ephraim and Urias), and eight grandchildren. Bro. Snider had the joy of seeing all his children and grandchildren converted and unite with the Mennonite Church. He was a member of the Mennonite Church for many years. He was patiently waiting and longing to leave this world, and to go home to be with Jesus. Funeral services were held on the 18th at the First Mennonite Church, Kitchener, in charge of Bros. O. Burkholder and Jesse B. Martin. Text, Isa. 3: 10, 11. Interment in adjoining cemetery.

GOSPEL HERALD - Volume XXII, Number 49 - March 6, 1930, p. 1005, 1006

John married Magdalena Snyder 4 Jun 1870, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Magdalena (daughter of Moses E. Schneider and Magdalena Clemens) was born 26 Sep 1844, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 3 Oct 1900. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Magdalena Snider
• Eby ID Number: 00106-6415
• Residence: 1870, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Other Events:

• Interesting: pioneer, story, religion
• Land: Waterloo Township - Bechtel Tract, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 007, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 012, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Name: Elias Schneider
• Residence: German Mills (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Eby ID Number: 00106-5819
• Historic Building: Abt 1812, 172 King St. S., Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Erb Kumpf House
• Occupation: 1835, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; miller
• Historic Building: 1849, 36 Young St. W., Waterloo, Ontario; Dr. Voelker House
• Elected Office: 1850, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; coucillor - Waterloo Township
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; miller
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1874, Erb Street Mennonite Church, Waterloo, Ontario; Minister
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Rev. Elias Snider "was born September 3rd, 1815. In his boyhood days he took great interest in his father's business. By the time he was twenty-one years of age he was not only a practical miller but also a thorough business man. In 1851 he purchased from the late Barnabas Devitt the large farm containing 310 acres of land, for Ð1500 and in 1853 he purchased the large grist mills now in possession of Wm. Snider & Co., together with 320 acres of land for Ð3500 In 1854 be again sold the large real estate in the town of Waterloo and purchased the "Musselman Farm" about one mile north of Waterloo, to which place he then moved. In 1860 he purchased the German Mills together with 669 acres of land. The same year he, in company with Samuel S. Schneider, regained possession of the Waterloo Mills and continued in business until 1879 when they sold out to the present proprietors. Mr. Snider now retired from business. On November 10th 1835, he was married to Hannah, daughter of John and Hannah (Bergey) Bingeman. She was born August 1st 1815, and died December 23rd, 1893. In 1874 Mr. Snider was ordained to the ministry of the Mennonite body which position he held until his death which took place April 24th, 1890. His family consisted of twelve 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.].

_______________________

Erb Street (David Eby) Mennonite Church

Early services which began around 1837 were held in private homes. Land at the corner of Erb Street and Hallman Road, where the present-day cemetery is located, was donated by David Eby Sr. on July 14, 1851; a red brick church known as David Eby's Church was built in the same year. The first minister in the new church was Jacob M. Oberholtzer who served from 1852 to 1874. He was followed by Elias Schneider (1874-1889), Jonas Snider (1892-1900), Newton Weber (1921-1923), and Noah Hunsberger (1923-1929).

Due to a difference of opinion in the David Eby congregation, Sunday School classes were held at first in a private home, that of Levi Groff, beginning in 1887. The dissension which resulted culminated in a division in the church in 1889; the minister, Elias Schneider, and the deacon, Menno S. Shantz, left the church and joined with the Old Order Mennonites of Woolwich Township. The following year, 1890, saw the commencement of "Edification Meetings", which were held in the homes of members of the David Eby congregation. These meetings later became the Young People's Bible Meetings.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, it was recognized that the church building was either in need of repair or in need of complete replacement. Consideration was given to building a new church on the same site or on a site on King Street North. A decision was made to accept from Samuel S. Snider the donation of a parcel of land which was also on Erb Street, but nearer town. Excavation of the foundation for the new church began in the Spring of 1902. A dedication service was held on August 17, 1902. A parsonage was built in 1929 on land donated by Herbert Snider, the son of Samuel Snider. The church building was renovated and enlarged in 1949-1950; a dedication service was held on April 9, 1950. Further renovations were made in 1974..


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

____________

SNIDER.-In Waterloo township, Waterloo county, Ontario, on the 24th of April, Pre. Elias Snider, aged 74 years, 7 months and 21 days. Buried on the 27th at Martin's church, Waterloo township, where a very large concourse of relatives and friends had gathered, and on which occasion Paul Martin and Bish. Abraham Martin spoke from Psalm 126: 5, 6: and Luke 2: 29,30.

Herald of Truth pages, Vol. XXVII, Number 10, May 15, 1890, p. 157 and 158

Historic Building:
The original portion of the Erb-Kumpf House was built around 1812 by Abraham Erb, the founder of Waterloo, making it one of Waterloo's oldest homes. It was a three-bay structure facing a mill situated near the south-west corner of King and Erb Streets.
Abraham Erb came from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1806 and settled on Lots 14 and 15 of the German Company Tract, land which now comprises the central business district of Waterloo. He established a sawmill on Beaver (Laurel) Creek in 1808 and a grist mill in 1816. In 1828, he sold his mills and a considerable quantity of land to Jacob C. Snider.
Magdalene Erb sold the home to Barnabas Devitt, her adopted son, in 1835. His son Benjamin served as Mayor of Waterloo from 1881 to 1883.
An addition to the house was probably built by Devitt in 1849. A slight hump in the roof on the north side indicates the location at which it joins the original structure. The application of a vertical board and clapboard which does not align is further evidence that it was added at a later date. The second addition, probably built by Hoffman around 1855, included the two-storey verandah at the front.

Elias Snider acquired the home and later sold it to Christian Kumpf in 1869. Kumpf was a newspaper owner, Mayor of Waterloo from 1879-1880, as well as Postmaster for 42 years. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Dominion Life Assurance Company in 1889. His son Ford, who became affectionately known as "Mr. Waterloo", was born in the home in 1877 and assumed ownership in 1899. One of the community's most public-spirited citizens, he served as Treasurer of Waterloo and Clerk/Manager of the Water and Light Commission. He was President of the Waterloo Red Cross Society and The Dominion Life Assurance Company.
At present, the house demonstrates a mixture of architectural styles. Among its Georgian characteristics is the six-over-six window pane arrangement. The facade, with its two wings, treillage, Gothic barge board and Doric columns, reflects the Regency influence.
In 1979, the home was sold to a law firm which has maintained the integrity of the exterior. A third addition in keeping with the style of the building has since been constructed.<sup>1a

1a</sup>Designated Properties www. waterloo.ca

Historic Building:
Constructed by Barnabus Devitt in 1849 and sold to Elias Snider in 1851.

Occupation:
Early services which began around 1837 were held in private homes. Land at the corner of Erb Street and Hallman Road, where the present-day cemetery is located, was donated by David Eby Sr. on July 14, 1851; a red brick church known as David Eby's Church was built in the same year. The first minister in the new church was Jacob M. Oberholtzer who served from 1852 to 1874. He was followed by Elias Schneider (1874-1889), Jonas Snider (1892-1900), Newton Weber (1921-1923), and Noah Hunsberger (1923-1929).<sup>1a

1a</sup>Ambrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993. [used the kind permission of Rosemary Ambrose 2011]

Elias married Hannah Bingeman 10 Nov 1835, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Hannah (daughter of Johannes "John" Bingeman and Hannah S. Bergey) was born 1 Aug 1815, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 23 Dec 1893; was buried , Martin Meeting House Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Hannah Snider
• Eby ID Number: 00009-1050
• Residence: 1835, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Hannah Bingeman, " was born August 1st, 1815. On November 10th, 1835, she was married to Rev. Elias Snider who was born September 3rd, 1815, and died April 24th, 1890. She died December 23rd, 1893. They resided in the farm now possessed by their son Jonas. Their family consisted of twelve 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.].

___________________

Mr. E. W. B. Snider's mother was buried at the Martin church cemetery on Tuesday.

Elmira Signet 4 Jan. 1894 p. 8, Col. 2

Other Events:

• Land: Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 056, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Residence: 466 Queen st., S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Eby ID Number: 00031-2422.8
• Residence: 1836, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; United Mennonite
• Occupation: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Gentleman
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Moses E. Schneider, "twin brother to Joseph E., was born November 24th, 1810. On April 12th, 1836, he was married to Molly (Magdalena) (No. 1848), daughter of Abraham and Molly (Miller) Clemens. She was born March 3rd, 1820, and died January 29th, 1887. Soon after their married they moved about two miles east of Berlin where he was the owner of a beautiful farm. Here they raised eleven children, and some time after her death Mr. Schneider made his home with his son, Esra, who now resides in Berlin. He is enjoying ordinary good health and is still able to walk about and visit his friends"


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.].

Moses married Magdalena Clemens 12 Apr 1836, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Magdalena (daughter of Deacon Abraham L. Clemens and Magdalena "Molly" Miller) was born 3 Mar 1820, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 29 Jan 1887, near, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Magdalena Schneider
• Name: Mollie
• Name: Molly Clemens
• Eby ID Number: 00023-1848
• Residence: 1836, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; United Mennonite

Notes:

Magdalena Clemens, "was born March 3rd, 1820. On April 12th, 1836, she was married to Moses E. Schneider. They resided on a farm about two miles east of Berlin where she died January 29th, 1887. "


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:

• Name: Jacob C. Schneider
• Eby ID Number: 00106-5817
• Grave Photograph - Find A Grave: Gravestone Image
• Occupation: 1835, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; miller
• Residence: 1845, 194 Forsyth Dr., Waterloo, Ontario
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Gentleman
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Jacob C. Snider "was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, February 19th, 1791. On July 21st., 1812, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of John and Anna (Schowalter) Cressman. She was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, June 10th, 1791 and died in Waterloo, Ontario, January 12th, 1879. Soon after his marriage he moved on his farm a little to the west of the town of Waterloo where he resided until his death. Not many years after his arrival in Waterloo County he purchased the mill property belonging to the estate of Abraham Erb. Here he was engaged, besides farming, in the milling and saw-mill business and later erected the distillery. He died June 19th, 1865, leaving a family of nine 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. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church

The congregation was founded in 1837 by Rev. F.W. Bindemann, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Kitchener; early services were held in homes or other suitable meeting places. Property for the first church building was purchased from Jacob C. Snider for 5 shillings (approximately $1.25). The cornerstone was laid in the spring of 1838 and dedication services in the new church at 72 King Street North in Waterloo were held in the fall of the same year. Rev. Bindemann was pastor. He was replaced in 1841 by Rev. Jacob Huettner of Preston who then ministered to both congregations. When the church's first membership list was compiled on October 24, 1841, the congregation numbered sixteen persons.

The frame church was destroyed by fire and replaced by a new, larger one in 1883. This, too, was destroyed by fire - on October 31, 1959. The congregation then built a new stone church at a new location on Willow Street, with dedication taking place on October 14, 1962.

Early pastors except for Rev. Bindemann (1837-1841), who was asked to resign in 1841, were Revs. J. Huettner (1841-1849), F.A. Peifer, Immanuel Wurster (1851-1855), and Jacob Hoelsche who began his ministry in 1855. Rev. Wurster ministered to St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Preston jointly with St. John's for one year until assuming charge of only Preston in 1855.

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

_______________________


On the 19th of June, in Waterloo Co., C.W., of liver complaint and dropsy, Jacob Schneider, aged 74 years, and 4 months. He was born in Franklin Co., Pa., in 1791, emigrated with his father to Waterloo Co., C.W., in 1805; married to Elizabeth Kressman in 1812, and leaves an aged widow and 5 children to mourn their loss. He was calm and composed during his sickness and we hope he has gone from this weary world to rest in his Father's house in heaven. He was buried on the 21st, followed to the grave by a large concourse of relatives and friends, on which occasion the brethren Geo. R. Schmidt and Joseph Hegey preached a funeral discourse from Rev. 3: 21. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I I(sic) also overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne." E.S.

Herald of Truth July 1865 - Vol. II, No.7 Page 56

______________________

On September 1st, 1829, Abraham Erb transferred 240 acres of land including his saw-mill and flour-mill to Jacob C. Snider, who had moved from Pennsylvania to a farm a little west of the present town, and Mr. Snider, great-grandfather of Frederick W. Snider, who is now, with his partner, the owner of the same flour mill, carried on business here for many years.

As the waterpower was not sufficient for his purposes, he installed a steam plant. As he then had more power than he required, he added a distillery to his other lines, and this branch of the business was carried on actively for a long time.

His son Elias then rented the mill, and, as he objected to having the still, his father removed it to his own farm. Jacob C Snider transferred 320 acres to his son Elias in 1853, (see County Records), including the mill property and much of what is now the central part of town. A landmark for many years was a tall poplar tree which stood near the mill. It was said that early in the century a poplar switch was used to drive a team of horses from Pennsylvania, and, on his arrival, the driver planted the switch near the mill. It grew to be a very large tree, five feet or more in diameter, and for many years a heavy cable circled it several times as an anchor for a tall iron smokestack, the bark finally growing over the cable. The tree was cut down in the 90's to make way for street improvements, the tree having been planted before there was a street.

The community had a very slow growth for three decades or more after Abraham Erb first located in the cedar swamp, for Jacob C. Snider, like his predecessor, was not anxious to sell his land in small lots to intending settlers. He had a large family and preferred holding his lands as an inheritance.

....In the year 1854, Elias Snider sold most of his holdings of land to John Hoffman and Isaac Weaver, retaining the mill property, the dam and various lots. The price obtained was said to have been $32,000. The land was surveyed by Mr. Schofield, a well known Berlin surveyor of that time, staked off into lots, and the lots sold.

Sixteenth Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society, 1928, A Historical Sketch of the Town of Waterloo, Ontario, Clayton W. Wells, L.D.S., D. D. S.

________________________

Snider - Forsyth - Home
194 Forsyth Dr, Waterloo
Part of Lot 22, German Company Tract


The Germany Company, originating in Pennsylvania, was initially comprised of 26 shareholders. These shareholders raised 10,000 pounds to purchase 60,000 acres of property which came to be known as Waterloo Township. The property was bought from Richard Beasley. He, along with two partners, had purchased a total of 94,012 acres from the Crown who held the land in trust for Chief Joseph Brant of the Mohawk or Five Nations Indians. This transaction took place in 1798.

Lot 22 of the German Company Tract originally comprised 448 acres stretching between boundaries now defined approximately by streets Erb and Glasgow. It was sold by David and Jacob Erb, agents of the German Company, to Abraham Gingrich in 1805. In 1815, David Gingrich, Abraham's son, sold the lot to John Binkley of Ancaster. Binkley, in turn, sold the entire 448 acres to Jacob C. Snider in 1842.

Jacob C Snider was a Mennonite. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1790 and worked as a yeoman. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in 1791. The house at 194 Forsyth Drive was built by Jacob C. Snider in 1845. This fact is recorded in the census records of 1861. The original house was a two-storey, typical Georgian frame with walls 15 - 16 inches thick. These walls were made of concrete and brick, and were covered by a clapboard exterior. The entire house, at that time, was comprised of the present day living room and centre hall.

In 1853, Jacob C. sold the property to his nephew, Samuel S., a farmer. In 1864, Samuel took out a mortgage for $6,000 from the Canada Permanent Building Society. The mortgage was discharged in 1863 according to the 1861 census. Samuel and his wife Anna had 8 children - Cyrus, Elizabeth, Catherine, Hiram, Samuel, Menno, Susanna and Titus. With a family of this size it is speculated that the money was used for very needy additions. These included four second floor bedrooms, a third floor attic, a dining room, and the present-day kitchen. The architectural design of the addition was Gothic rather than the original Georgian. This is evident in the pointed cathedral window, the centre peaked roof, and the decorative mouldings above the east and west entrances to the centre hall.

One of the interesting additions to the house involves a separate building of brick construction which may be entered from the living room of the main house. The date of this addition is unclear according to some reports. It was used as a laundry prior to 1936. In a recent interview with Mrs. Howard Snider, who moved into the house as a new bride in 1929,[Howard and Linda were married in 1919] this addition was referred to by her as the "milk house," for the farm was still operational in those years. Mrs. Snider's daughter recalls, "my sister was old enough then to do the selling [of milk] to the townspeople. We would bring the milk from the barn, and use the milk house as our dairy." It is quite possible, however, that this building had been constructed prior to 1851 as "the doddy house" of Jacob and Elizabeth, for the census records of that year described their home as a "one storey brick." It was a very common Mennonite practice in those days for parents to have an add-on building constructed to the home of a son or daughter. Housed in this room is an enormous Dutch oven which was used for cooking. It remains uncertain whether this was the original location, or whether it had been relocated from another area of the house. While the large metal doors used to close the oven have been removed to expose the hearth, the cranes for supporting huge cooking pots remain.

Of the 448 acre property, Samuel sold 117 acres to his son, Titus, in 1903 for $8,000. In 1908, the executors of Titus Snider sold the property to George H. Hahn for $10,550. Six years later, the land was returned to the Snider family, this time to Jacob S., a ninth child of Samuel S., born after the 1861 census. The cost was $17,550. For the same amount Jacob sold the land to his son Howard S. in 1929. Jacob and his family then moved to the farm house now designated as 131 William Street West [Waterloo]. Howard sold various parcels of his land off, including a sizeable portion to the Westmount Golf and Country Club, and 56 acres, a
at a cost of $16,782 to John Derby C. Forsyth.

The Forsyths, who purchased the property in 1936 never lived at 194 Forsyth Drive, the street which now bears his name. It was purchased as a guest house. Shortly after they acquired the property, the old barn was torn down and an elaborate new one was built. Pine beams from the old were salvaged and sawed into mellow panelling for the livingroom and master bedroom of the house. "He didn't want to leave the land empty," said Mrs. Forsyth, "so he put in grain and bought a herd of purebred Jersey cattle. He lost money every year."

In 1947, the house was sold to Dominion Life Assurance Company. They planned a housing development and put the house up for sale. While the tender of Dr. Archie Case was not the highest submitted, his plans for the house most appealed to the company, and the property became his the following year. In his renovations, three-quarters of the house was replastered, and the old fashioned closed stairway was opened onto the centre hall. Part of the livingroom was put up on jacks, and garages were constructed under it at basement level. Adverse to change of any sort in the refurbishing, Dr. Case contracted for copies of the rotting window sashes, interior trim; and clapboard for exterior repairs was specially milled.

In 1963, the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. J. Askin. Subsequent owners to the Askins included Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Epp in 1978 - 1980, and a Ms. D. Crossan and a Mr. D. Zimmer, 1980 - 1982.

Much of the research for the history was done by Marg Rowell, Waterloo. This was printed with permission by Marion Roes from the framed history hanging in the hall of the 2008 owners.

Jacob married Elizabeth Cressman 21 Jul 1812. Elizabeth (daughter of John Cressman and Anna Schowalter) was born 10 Jun 1791, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 12 Jan 1879, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Elizabeth Snider
• Eby ID Number: 00028-2064
• Grave Photograph - Find A Grave: Gravestone Image
• Residence: 1845, 194 Forsyth Dr., Waterloo, Ontario
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Elizabeth Cressman, "the third daughter, was born June 10th, 1791. She was married to Jacob C. Schneider who was born February 19th, 1791, and died June 19th, 1865. She died January 12th, 1879. To them were born nine 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/28023204
• Name: John Bingeman
• Eby ID Number: 00009-1044
• Grave Photograph - Find A Grave: Gravestone of John Bingeman
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 114, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Broken Front Lot 05E, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 011, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer

Notes:

John Bingeman, "who was born in Frederick Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, March 15th, 1783. On November 3rd, 1805, he was married to Hannah, daughter of Abraham and Esther (Shantz) Bergey. She was born December 16th, 1787. In 1825 they with their large family moved to Canada and settled near what is now Bridgeport, Ontario. The following summer they moved on the east side of the Grand River. This is now in possession of Moses Kraft, one of their grand-children. He died October 18th, 1854, and she died June 11th, 1868. To them was born a family of fourteen 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.].

_________________________

A-1-46 John Bingeman: Administration to the Estate of John Bingeman, formerly of the Township of Waterloo, Yeoman, deceased, granted anede issued the 11 November 1854 to his widow Hannah Bingeman, after giving proof that her said husband was dead and dying intestate on or about the 18^th October next before, and on her giving surety herself and in the person orf Jonas Bingeman, of the aforesaid Township, Yeoman, and Elias Snyder, of the same place, Yeoman, each in the sum of £500/-. The Inventory of the chattels and goods left by said deceased at the time of his demise and the same delivered and on file in this office, amounting to £417/17/1 1/2d

Died October 18 1854
Letters granted 9 November 1854
Inventory £417/17/1 1/2

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

Johannes married Hannah S. Bergey 3 Nov 1805. Hannah (daughter of Abraham Bergey and Esther Shantz) was born 16 Dec 1787, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 11 Jun 1868, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried 13 Jun 1868, First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Hannah S. Bingeman
• Eby ID Number: 00004-857
• Grave Photograph - Find A Grave: Gravestone of Hannah S. Bergey

Notes:

Hannah S. Bergey," was married to John Bingeman."


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.].

____________________________________


On the 11th of June, in Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada, of apoplexy, HANNAH, widow of John BINGEMAN, aged 80 years, 5 months, and 25 days. Her maiden name was Berge. She was a native of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. She lived in wedlock forty-nine years and in widowhood nearly fourteen years, was the mother of fourteen children, nine of whom are still living, and leaves ninety-five grand-children and eighty-two great-grand-children. She was buried on the 13th in Ch. Eby's burying-ground. A funeral sermon was delivered by Pre. G. R. Smith from Eph. 2: 1, 5, and by Pre. Joseph Hegy from Rev. 14: 13.


Herald of Truth - Volume V, Number 8 - August, 1868, page 127, 128

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27232276
• Historic Building: 466 Queen st., S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Interesting: religion, pioneer, story
• Eby ID Number: 00106-6346
• Historic Building: 1807, 393 Queen Street South, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Site of first log cabin
• Historic Business: 1816, 113 David Street, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Sawmill
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 017W, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 023W, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Historical Event: 29 Aug 1839, Evangelical Association Church, Waterloo, Ontario; church founding

Notes:

Joseph Schneider, "was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, May 24th, 1772. On February 21st, 1798, he was married to Barbara, daughter of Christian and Catharine (Bricker) Eby. She was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, April 29th, 1774, and died in Berlin, Ontario, March 13th, 1843. On May 8th, 1807, Mr. Schneider with wife and family and a large company of others (See Vol. 1 pages 39, 40 and 41 for particulars) moved to Canada and settled where now is the town of Berlin, Ontario. Here he was engaged in farming. His first buildings were erected where now his grandson, Samuel B. Schneider, lives, a little west of the Walper Block, Berlin. Here he died October 27th, 1843, leaving 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.].

__________________________

Zion United Church

A Sunday School was established in Berlin in 1837, meeting in Jacob Hailer's carpenter shop which was located at the southeast corner of what is now King and Scott Streets. A mission was begun by Rev. Christian Holl shortly after his arrival in Berlin on May 9, 1839, and a class (or congregation) was organized several months later on August 29, 1839 by Bishop John Seybert of the Evangelical Association during a camp meeting held at David Erb's farm near Lexington. John Hoffman was the Berlin class leader; his brother, Jacob, was class leader for the Waterloo-Lexington congregation. The Berlin congregation met in the old Town Hall until their first church was built in 1841 on Queen Street South across from Church Street on land purchased as of August 24, 1841 from Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schneider. The church was dedicated on September 25th of that year, with Rev. Christian Hummel of Buffalo, New York, officiating. Rev. Joseph Harlacher was pastor from 1840-1842. In 1842 the Waterloo Mission became a Circuit of the East Pennsylvania Conference. Two years later it was part of the New York Conference.

The second church building was built of brick on the same site in 1866, and dedicated in 1867; Rev. C.A. Spies was pastor at the time. The old frame church was sold and moved to Elgin Street where it was used as a dwelling. In the same year Berlin became a station.

The present church building was built in 1893 on Weber Street; dedication services were held on June 15, 16 and 17, 1894. This building was heavily damaged by fires in 1942 and 1965 but was renovated and restored each time.

The union of the Evangelical Church and the United Brethren in Christ Church on November 16, 1946 created the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The name of the church was to change again, to Zion United Church when the Evangelical United Brethren Church joined the United Church of Canada on January 1, 1968. Of interest: some maps of early Berlin show this church as a German Methodist church.


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

___________________________

SCHNEIDER, JOSEPH, settler and sawmill owner; b. 24 May 1772 in Lancaster County, Pa, son of Jacob B. Schneider and Maria Herschi; m. 21 Feb. 1798 Barbara Eby, sister of Benjamin Eby*, and they had seven children; d. 27 Oct. 1843 in Berlin (Kitchener), Upper Canada.

Joseph Schneider's father immigrated with his parents to Pennsylvania from the Palatinate (Federal Republic of Germany) in 1736. In 1806, three years after Jacob's death, two of his sons, Christian and Jacob, settled in block 2 (Waterloo Township), in the vicinity of present-day Kitchener. Joseph and a group of other Mennonites followed them, making the month-long journey in horse-drawn wagons. Schneider purchased and settled on lot 17 of the German Company Tract of block 2. It was the attraction of inexpensive land, as well as the desire to remain under British rule in the years after the American revolution, that brought many Mennonites to the area, among them Benjamin Eby and Samuel D. Betzner*. Geographical isolation allowed them to practise their religion and language freely, although at first it forced them to travel to such centres as Dundas for supplies and services.

Schneider was an active figure among the Mennonite settlers and, with Eby, is often regarded as a founder of Kitchener. He helped open the first local road, which ran from his farmstead to the Dundas road and was known as Schneider's road until the 1870s. In 1808-9 he and four other heads of families hired a teacher to open the first school in the area. He was involved four years later in the building of the first Mennonite meeting-house, headed by Eby; in 1834 Schneider participated in the construction of a new church. Perhaps as early as 1816 he had built a sawmill on what is still known as Schneider's Creek, and in the 1820s a blacksmith shop and tavern were erected by Phineas Varnum on land leased from Schneider. Together these enterprises formed the commercial nucleus of the developing village, known variously as Sand Hills, Ebytown, and, later, Berlin. In 1835 Schneider strongly supported the establishment of its first newspaper, Heinrich Wilhelm Peterson*'s Canada Museum, und Allgemeine Zeitung, of which he was a stockholder.

Schneider died on 27 Oct. 1843. Among the possessions he left to his family were traditional objects valued by Pennsylvania Germans, including a tall case clock, the works for which he had brought with him in 1807. The clock still stands in the house he built about 1820, Kitchener's oldest structure and now a museum. In other local collections are two family bibles: one, in the Mennonite Archives of Ontario, a rare edition published in Zurich in 1560 by Christoph Froschauer and brought to Upper Canada by Schneider; the other, in the possession of a descendant, printed in Lancaster County in 1805 and containing striking examples of fraktur (ornamental writing), executed by teacher-artist Jacob Schumacher in 1821.

Schneider's farming and milling operations were continued by his youngest son, Joseph E., who in 1849 had the family's history printed in Berlin in a small booklet, possibly the earliest published genealogy in Canada. In 1874 he was a charter member of the Reforming/Reformed Mennonites (later the Missionary Church) .
E. Reginald Good and Paul Tiessen

Toronto and York Land Registry Office (Toronto), "Old York County," deeds, 5, no.1839 (mfm. at AO). Waterloo South Land Registry Office (Kitchener, Ont.), Waterloo Township, abstract index to deeds, German Company Tract, lot 17 (mfm. at AO). E. E. Eby and J. B. Snyder, A biographical history of early settlers and their descendants in Waterloo Township, with Supplement, ed. E. D. Weber (Kitchener, 1971), 136. John English and Kenneth McLaughlin, Kitchener: an illustrated history (Waterloo, Ont., 1983). Hannes Schneider and his wife Catharine Haus Schneider, their descendants and times, 1534-1939, ed. J. M. Snyder (Kitchener, [1940]). Herkommen und Geschlechts Register der Schneider Familie (Berlin [Kitchener], 1849). P. G. Klassen, "A history of Mennonite education in Canada, 1786-1960" (d.ed. thesis, Univ. of Toronto, 1970), 73-74. W. V. Uttley, A history of Kitchener, Ontario (Kitchener, 1937; repr. [Waterloo, 1975]), 17. M. [H.] Snyder Sokvitne, "The Joseph Schneider house, 1820," Waterloo Hist. Soc., [Annual report] (Kitchener), 1966: 20-27. W. V. Uttley, "Joseph Schneider: founder of the city," Waterloo Hist. Soc., Annual report (Waterloo), 1929: 111-19. G. K. Waite, "Joseph Schneider sawmill operations, 1848-1859," Waterloo Hist. Soc., [Annual report], 1985: 57-65.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online 2000 University of Toronto/Université Laval

____________________

JOSEPH SCHNEIDER
Founder of the City

The first stones in the city's foundation were laid in South Queen Street, in 1807, by Joseph Schneider. He was born in Lancaster County, Pa, in 1798, and married Barbara, sister of the Rev. Benjamin Eby.

On Lot No. 17, Pioneer Schneider built a log cabin. It stood on the east side of Queen Street, where John McKay's former home rests. Next he cut a roadway from the house to the Walper House corner and easterly to No. 57 East King Street, where he built a barn. South Queen Street was the first thoroughfare in the city and until the eighteen-eighties was called Schneider's Road.


A History of Kitchener, W. V. (Ben) Uttley, Kitchener, Ontario 1937 pg 16

Historic Building:
Joseph Schneider's house is the oldest surviving in Kitchener dating from 1820 and has been made into the Joseph Schneider Haus Muesum.

Historic Building:
Now on this site is Barra Castle a 15 unit apartment building, due to be renovated for other purposes (2009).

Historic Business:
Joseph Schneider's Saw-Mill

The pioneers had then begun to replace their log-houses with frame homes. To meet a demand for lumber Joseph Schneider built a saw-mill in 1816 on Schneider's Creek. It rested on the easterly side of David Street, opposite Victoria Park. The mill dam was above the railway, and the mill-race crossed David Street between Schneider Avenue and Roland Street. The up-and-down or "muley" saw was run by an overshot waterwheel.1a

1aA History of Kitchener, W. V. (Ben) Uttley, Kitchener, Ontario 1937 pg 17

Historical Event:
A Sunday School was established in Berlin in 1837, meeting in Jacob Hailer's carpenter shop which was located at the southeast corner of what is now King and Scott Streets. A mission was begun by Rev. Christian Holl shortly after his arrival in Berlin on May 9, 1839, and a class (or congregation) was organized several months later on August 29, 1839 by Bishop John Seybert of the Evangelical Association during a camp meeting held at David Erb's farm near Lexington. John Hoffman was the Berlin class leader; his brother, Jacob , was class leader for the Waterloo-Lexington congregation. The Berlin congregation met in the old Town Hall until their first church was built in 1841 on Queen Street South across from Church Street on land purchased as of August 24, 1841 from Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schneider.<sup>1a

1a</sup>Ambrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993. [used the kind permission of Rosemary Ambrose 2011]

Joseph married Barbara Eby 21 Feb 1798, , Pennsylvania, USA. Barbara (daughter of Christian Eby and Catharine Bricker) was born 29 Apr 1774, , Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 13 Mar 1843, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27232187
• Name: Barbara Schneider
• Residence: 466 Queen st., S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Eby ID Number: 00031-2422

Notes:

Barbara Eby, "the third daughter of Christian Eby and his wife, Catharine Bricker, was born April 29th, 1774. On February 21st, 1798, she was married to Joseph Schneider who was born May 24th, 1772, and died October 27th, 1843. She died March 13th, 1843. In 1807 they, in company with some of the Ebys and Erbs, moved to what is now Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario. They settled on lot No. 17, U. B., of the Township of Waterloo, now forming part of the town of Berlin. The old homestead is now owned by a grandson, Samuel B. Schneider. Here they raised 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.].

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19903938
• Eby ID Number: 00023-1830
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Broken Front Lot 21, Waterloo County, Ontario

Notes:

Abraham Clemens L., "the eldest son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Lederach) Clemens, was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, July 3rd, 1781, and when four years of age his parents moved to Chester County where he was raised. In 1807 he was married to Magdalena, daughter of John and Hester (Steiner ) Miller. She was born February 8th, 1786, and died February 1st, 1847. In 1809 they moved to Canada and settled in Waterloo County, Ontario, a little north of Preston on the farm owned until recently by their son Joel Here they both died. His death took place January 26th, 1845. In 1815 he was ordained deacon of the Mennonite Church for the Hagey field of labor. This position he held until his death. To him and his wife were born ten 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.].

__________________

Mennonite families suffered misfortunes, such as childbirth deaths of women, accidental work deaths of men, frequent deaths of infants and young children, and the scourges of cholera, typhoid and tuberculosis. Cholera epidemics of the 1830s especially in July-August 1834 - could be devastating. Funerals were usually arranged by neighbours and friends, but the community was so demoralized in 1834 that, as Deacon Abraham L. Clemens wrote to his brother in Chester County in 1836, "the neighbours did not go out to assist one another as in any other disease so that there was no funeral held."

BUILDING COMMUNITY ON THE FRONTIER: the Mennonite contribution to shaping the Waterloo settlement to 1861 by Elizabeth Bloomfield

Abraham married Magdalena "Molly" Miller 1807. Magdalena (daughter of John Miller and Hester Steiner) was born 8 Feb 1786, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 1 Feb 1847, North Of Preston, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19903751
• Name: Magdalena "Molly" Clemens
• Name: Molly Miller
• Eby ID Number: 00079-4778

Notes:

Magdalena Miller, "daughter of John and Hester (Steiner) Miller, was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, February 8th, 1786. She was married, in 1807, to Deacon Abraham L. Clemens who was born in the same place, July 3rd, 1781. In 1809 they moved to Canada and settled a little north of Preston where they both died. He died January 26th, 1845, and she died February 1st, 1847. See No. 1830. (Could not ascertain whether Magdalena and Margaret Miller were any relation to I Jacob Miller)."


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.].