Maria B. Bechtel

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00007-0650

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00007-0648
• Historic Building: CONSTRUCTED About 1815, 168 Bechtel St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; squared timber (about 1815) & stone after 1840
• Land: 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Lower Block Conc. 2 Lot 08, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Residence: 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Old Survey Lot 02, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Samuel Bechtel "son of Joseph and Magdalena (Allenbach) Bechtel, was born January 24th, 1791, and died February 21st, 1861. He was married to Barbara, daughter of Wendel and Mary (Huber) Baumann. She was born January 17th, 1799. They resided on the farm now occupied by their son Solomon, situated in the township of Waterloo, near 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a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character.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.].

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Wanner Mennonite Church
Begun: 1829

A small wooden meeting house was built in 1829 on a corner of the farm belonging to Samuel Bechtel which was located in the vicinity of the present-day regional headquarters of the Ministry of Natural Resources near the intersection of Highways 24 and 401. The site for this community meeting house, as well as a school and a burial ground, had been chosen on August 8, 1829. The land was donated by Samuel Bechtel and his wife Barbara (Baumann) on March 15, 1830. A new meeting house, of white brick, was built in 1837 on the east side of Henry Wanner's farm, somewhat north of the first meeting house. Meetings at first were held every eight weeks. The deed of land for the meeting house known as Wanner's was dated October 15, 1837. Early preachers were David Sherk, who had been ordained by Benjamin Eby in July 1837, Jacob Bretz, Jr., and Joseph Hagey.

Joseph Hagey was ordained bishop in 1851. During his time divisions occurred in the church by a surge of enthusiasm for a Methodist form of revivalism. Solomon Eby of Port Elgin, who announced his own conversion in December 1869, was leader of a group which believed that members could be converted through participation in revival meetings. John Baer of Wanner's became associated with Solomon Eby, and was compelled to leave the church in the spring of 1874, as were Eby and his other followers. The new church movement resulted in organization conferences which culminated in the conference on March 23, 1875 at Bloomingdale where New Mennonites and Reforming (or Reformed) Mennonites joined together as United Mennonites. The United Mennonites favored revival meetings, Sunday Schools and prayer meetings, and were opposed to the use of alcohol and tobacco.

The date of construction of the meeting house which replaced the one built in 1837 is somewhat in doubt. It is possible that a new building was erected in the early 1870s; it is also possible that the 1837 building only underwent extensive renovations at that time. There is no doubt, however, that a new brown brick church was built in 1938. An education wing was added in 1969.

The earliest Mennonite Sunday School in North America was begun in 1842 and was held jointly by the Wanner and Hagey Meeting Houses. It was discontinued after a short time because of a division of opinion within the congregations. An attempt was made later, in the mid-1860s, to begin another Sunday School, but this, too, did not last long. Many years later, on June 10, 1896, a meeting was held to organize a Sunday School. Anson Groh was appointed superintendent..

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

Samuel — Barbara Bauman. Barbara (daughter of Wendel Bauman and Maria Huber) was born 17 Jan 1799, Alleghany Valley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania; died 7 Jun 1871; was buried , Wanner Mennonite Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Barbara Bechtel
• Eby ID Number: 00002-32
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Barbara Baumann, "the fourth daughter of Wendel Baumann, was born January 17th, 1799 and died June 7th 1871. She was married to Samuel Bechtel. They resided in Waterloo County near Preston. They had 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/19546720
• Residence: 168 Bechtel St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Location of his log house.
• Eby ID Number: 00007-0645
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - Beasley's Broken Front Lot 04S, Waterloo County, Ontario

Notes:

Joseph Bechtel "son of Martin Bechtel, a minister of the Mennonites, was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, May 9, 1761. He was married March 5th, 1786, to Magdalena Allebach who was born September 21st, 1761, and died September 21st, 1837. They moved to Canada in 1802 and settled on the farm situated at the mouth of the Speed River where it meets with the Grand River. Here they resided many years. In 1804 he was ordained as a minister of the Mennonite body which position he held until his death which took place April 11th, 1838. They had 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.].

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Preston (Bechtel or Hagey) Mennonite Church

The second meeting house in Waterloo County was built, probably in 1814, by John Erb, a wealthy miller of Preston. This brick meeting house served as a community church and was located "near Jacob Hagey's", which was on the road running from the top of the Kress Hill west and "adjoining the Kitchener Highway" (Witmer 1967: 26). Another meeting house, known as the Union Meeting House, was built in the area around 1824. A meeting was held in the Union church on November 20, 1824 to commence recording the accounts of the congregation in Hagey's Deacon Book. The deed of land for the Union Meeting House and burial ground, which was for one acre of part Lot 22, Beasley's Broken Front, was transacted in 1835.

Hagey Meeting House was buiilt of red brick in 1842 on part Lot 23, just north of Preston on the west side of the Breslau Road, and slightly north of the Union Meeting House site. The deed, dated February 2, 1842, recorded the purchase of the land from John Hilborn and stressed that the property was to be for "the purpose of public worship by the Mennonist Society" (Witmer 1967: 28). Joseph Bechtel was the first minister in the area, from 1804-1837; he was followed by David Sherk (1838-1843). Next came Joseph Hagey (1844-1877), who was ordained bishop in 1851, and then Jacob B. Gingrich from 1878 to 1901. Services were held every four weeks until 1890 when bi-weekly services were begun. A Sunday School was established in 1842 with the congregation of Wanner Meeting House near Hespeler, but it was discontinued because of a difference of opinion regarding the need for Sunday Schools. On April 26, 1891 a Sunday School was organized at Hagey's, with deacon Abraham Oberholtzer as superintendent. Five years later, on June 10, 1896, a Sunday School was organized at the Wanner church.

Major changes were made to the church building in 1927-1928 when the basement was excavated, new windows were installed and the roof was raised two feet. Fire on January 15, 1950 caused extensive damage to the interior and furnishings of the church. The building was completely renovated and also enlarged at the same time; dedication was on July 2, 1950. Another fire, on Feburary 19, 1953, completely destroyed the church. A congregational decision was made to build a new church, on Concession Road in Preston, and the cornerstone was laid on Thanksgiving Day, October 12, 1953. Official dedication services in the new Preston Mennonite Church were held on May 16, 1954. The building was enlarged in the summer of 1989.

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

Residence:
The current building contains some original logs from the home.

Joseph married Magdalena Allebach 5 Mar 1786. Magdalena was born 21 Sep 1765, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 21 Sep 1837, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19546759
• Name: Magdalena Bechtel
• Residence: 168 Bechtel St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Eby ID Number: 00007-0645.2

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00002-25

Notes:

Wendel Baumann, "the third son of Christian Baumann, was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, February 25th, 1758. He resided in the house built by his father in 1749. Here he died November 20th, 1842. He was married to Maria Huber, who was born May 20th, 1760, and died April 20th, 1816. They 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.].

Wendel — Maria Huber. Maria was born 20 May 1760, Of, Alleghany Valley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania; died 20 Apr 1816. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Maria Bauman
• Eby ID Number: 00002-25.1

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00007-0645.1

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39476529
• Eby ID Number: 00002-3

Notes:

Christian Baumann, "eldest son of old Wendel Baumann, was born August 13th, 1724, and died July 25th, 1790. Resided in Alleghany Valley, Berks County, Pennsylvania. In 1749 he erected a log dwelling the timber of which was quite sound upwards of one hundred years, and was so far always owned by his descendants. He was married to Elizabeth Baumann who was born August 27th, 1724, and died Feb. 2nd, 1791. They had a family of five children,. (information from S. P. Bowman of California, U. S.)".


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.].

Christian — Elizabeth Oberholtzer. Elizabeth was born 27 Aug 1724, Of Alleghany Valley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania; died 2 Feb 1791, , Berks Co., Pennsylvania; was buried , Allegheny Mennonite Cemetery, Allegheny, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84278135
• Name: Elizabeth Bauman
• Eby ID Number: 00002-3.1