Nancy Hilda Devitt

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230023614
• Name: Nancy Hilda Irvine
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-191635
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Nancy — Frank Whitman Irvine. Frank was born 2 Aug 1913, Grantham Twp., Lincoln Co., Ontario, Canada; died 25 Dec 1998, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229999321
• Name: E. M. Devitt
• Occupation: druggist
• Eby ID Number: 00030-2330
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Occupation: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Druggist
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Occupation: 1901, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Druggist
• Occupation: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Druggist
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Residence: 1938, 81 Erb St. E., Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Edward Devitt, "unmarried, is a druggist and resides at home."

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a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character.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.].

________

E. M. DEVITT TO RETIRE FROM DRUG BUSINESS

The patrons and friends of Mr. E M. Devitt who has carried on the business of druggist for about twenty five years in Waterbo will regret to learn that he has bera forced to dipose of it on account of continued Ill health. On the advice of his physician he is taking a well earned rest of six months or a year in an endeavor to regain his health. A further reason for his selling out was the scarcity of druggists assistants, many of whom have been accepted for overseas service.

Numerous friends, will however, be pleased to know that he and his family will remain in town where Mr. Devitt has, for so many years, been one of its best known and most esteemed business men.

Citizens generally will join with the Telegraph in extending to Mr. Devitt their sincere wishes for his early restoration to his former health and strength.

A. B. LEARN BUYS DRUG BUSINESS OF E. M. DEVITT

Mr. Arthur B. Learn of London, Ontario, a former Kitchener boy, has purchased the business of Mr. E. M. Devitt, druggist, and took possession on Monday, the 10th inst. Mr. Learn who is well known in the Twin City has for the past three years been manager of one of the stores of the Standard Drug Company. London. Previous to going to London ho also spent 25 years in the drug store of Mr. A. J. Roos, Kitchener.

Mr. Learn, who is an experienced and energetic young man, will conduct a first class drug store and the public may be assured of efficient and prompt attention to its needs.

His many friends in this community will wish him prosperity and success in his new venture

The Chronicle Telegraph, 13 Dec 1917, p. 5

________________


E. M. Devitt Dies Suddenly

Was Druggist in Waterloo For Many Years and Lifelong Resident

For many years a druggist and a lifelong resident of Waterloo, Edward M. Devitt passed away at his residence, 81 Erb St. E., on December 18. The deceased, who was in his 72nd year, suffered a paralytic stroke at noon, Thursday, in front of the Dominion Life building on Erb St.

Mr. Devitt was born on September 17, 1867, and was a son of the late Benjamin Devitt and Nancy Bowman. Always interested in municipal affairs, Mr. Devitt served on the Waterloo Park board for several years. He was also a member of the Board of Stewards of First United Church and for many years active in Waterloo Musical Society.

Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Edward H., and Morton C., both of Waterloo, two daughters, Nancy Hilda and Olive Susan, both of Waterloo, three brothers, A. Harvey of Kitchener, Alvah E.. Waterloo and Dr. B. Franklin of Philadelphia. Two sisters predeceased him.

The funeral will be held this (Tuesday) afternoon at 2 o'clock from the residence with interment in Waterloo Mount Hope Cemetery, Rev. E. Val. Tilton officiating.

Waterloo Chronicle (Waterloo, Ontario), Tuesday December 20, 1938, pages 1 & 3

Edward — Hilda Edna Merner. Hilda (daughter of Absalom Merner and Susanna Schaefer) was born 19 Jul 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 13 Jul 1971, Don Mills, , Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229999386
• Name: Hilda Edna Devitt
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-45133
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Residence: 1920, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97641375
• Eby ID Number: 00030-2325
• Residence: 1857, Lancaster, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Elected Office: 1865, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Councillor - Waterloo City
• Occupation: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Elected Office: 1873, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Waterloo City - councillor
• Elected Office: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mayor - Waterloo
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Gentleman
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Swedenborgian
• Occupation: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Inspector
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1901, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Hotel Inspector

Notes:

Benjamin Devitt, "was born July 10th, 1835. He is married to Nancy Bowman. They reside in the town of Waterloo. He holds the position of Inspector of Hotels. They have 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.].

______________________________

BENJAMIN DEVITT- PASSES AWAY

The death of Mr. Benjamin Devitt who passed away on Sunday at his home on Erb Street removed another estimable and worthy citizen who say the town grow from a small hamlet to its present population. Especially during the early years of the town's history he took an active interest in Municipal affairs and was prominently identified with various organizations of the town.

The end came peacefully Sunday evening at six o' clock. After an illness of two years ago his health became less robust, being affected by hardening of the arteries. He, however, was able to be about until January last when he broke his hip bone while alighting from a cutter after a drive. Since the accident he was confined to his bed almost constantly being unable to walk owing to the injury. About two months ago, he suffered a paralytic stroke which was followed by several others. On Monday night another stroke left him in a very critical condition and he lingered until Sunday evening.

The funeral was held on Wednesday at 2 o'clock from his late residence, Erb Street East, Waterloo to the Emmanuel Evangelical Church for service, then to Mount Hope cemetery where the remains were interred.

Mr. Devitt was the third son of the late Barnabas Devitt and was born July 10, 1835 on the old homestead of Mrs. C. Kumpf, King Street. He followed the occupation of miller with his father at Bridgeport for a number of years and during his residence here was married to Miss Nancy Bowman. They later removed to Waterloo where Mr. Devitt erected the Devitt Block and conducted a general store for fifteen years when he disposed of the business. He afterwards became License Inspector for North Waterloo which position he held for about fifteen years.

Elmira Advertiser Sep 8 1910

________________

THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE

An interesting meeting took place the Saturday before last in the old log cabin in Waterloo Park.

This house was, of course, the first schoolhouse in this area and stood originally on the school-house square at the corner of King and Church Streets in Waterloo. It was built in 1820 and served its purpose until 1842, when it was torn down and a 1-storey stone house was constructed on the site. The dismantled log house was erected again in Greenbush and served as a residence for a long time for the coloured man, Mr. Carroll and his family. In the course of this year, the Waterloo Park Commissioners purchased the house, moved it to their park and furnished it again as it was when it was a school-house.

At this gathering, in addition to many other ladies and gentlemen, the following (male and female) former pupils attended, took their places on the benches, and were called to order by the 82-year-old teacher, Benjamin Burkholder, who held the scepter, or rather, the switch, from 1831 to 1842 in the old log-house: Joel Guth, 80 years old; Abraham Scherk, Blair, 79; Jakob Bricker, Waterloo, 77; Sarah Burkholder, nee Erb, Bridgeport, 75; Amos Weber, Berlin, 73; John C, Bricker, Hawksville, 71; Maria Erb, nee Quickfall, Norwich 69; David B. Eby, Waterloo, 69; Wendel Baumann, Woolwich, 68; Henry Stauffer, Erbsville, 67; Simon Beatty, Elmira, 67; Jakob Ratz, New Hamburg, 67; Israel Baumann, Berlin, 65; George Elbert, Moorefield, 63; George H. Baumann, Elmira, 63; John Devitt, Waterloo, 62; Richard Quickfall, Bridgeport, 62; Isaak Hoffmann, Waterloo, 61; Robert Barkwell, Peel, 60; Diana McMahon, nee Dekay, Berlin, 60; Thomas Quickfall, Floradale, 60; Benjamin Devitt, Waterloo, 60; Isaak Devitt, Floradale, 58; John Longmann, Peel, 57. In addition, to these, the teacher read the names of 25 pupils from the roll; they were, however, absent.

Mr. Burkholder gave an interesting talk about the history of the old school-house, and after him, Rev. J.A. MacLachlan, Rev. J. McNair, Mr. J.E. Baumann, M.P., and Mr. Jakob Ratz spoke about the old days which brought many things out of the past to mind again. School was, as a rule, only in session in winter and the costs were borne by the parents of the children. There were few subjects taught, namely: Reading, Writing and Sums. The children heard little about language, and geography; no child had more than 2 or 3 books. The predominant language was German. The pupils learned to read and write English, but didn't understand a word of it. Among the teachers in the old school-house from 1820-1842, with the exception of Mr. Burkholder, were the following whose names are still recognized: Jephtha DeKay, Joseph Guth, John Herringer, Peter Otto, John Dobbin, Elias Eby, Robert Barber, & Joseph Eby.

After those present, on hearing the various speeches felt themselves transported back to the past, the school was closed at four o'clock and the pupils were gathered together in front of the school and photographed as a group. On their return into the school, they found it had been transformed into a dining room with heavily-laden tables, which the old-timers thoroughly enjoyed. After everyone had chatted cordially for a while longer, the gathering broke up. The company will not meet again in complete numbers, nor in such a way.

Berliner Journal September 26, 1895 Page 4 Column 4

Rsrch. Note:
Benjamin Devitt, 1835 - 1913

Born in the village of Bridgeport in 1835 the son of a grist mill operator, Benjamin Devitt was a businessman. In partnership with local postmaster Daniel Snyder, Devitt constructed what became known as the Devitt-Snyder Block on King Street in 1860. From this location Devitt operated a general store that was later taken over by his younger brother Menno. He was also employed as the hotel building inspector for Waterloo for a number of years. Devitt was instrumental in the formation of the Waterloo Musical Society and became the founding president in 1882. He also served on the board of The Mechanics Institute and in 1888, with the transfer of the Institute's assets, he continued on the new municipal library board. Active in local politics, Devitt served on the Village of Waterloo Council from 1865-1866 and from 1873-1876. Five years after the incorporation of the Town of Waterloo, Devitt was elected mayor. One of the most debated issues during Devitt's three year term in office was the plan to purchase a steam fire engine and construct a new fire hall for the Town, a project that was not completed until he left office. In 1882, during Devitt's second year as mayor, The Grand Trunk Railway finally completed a branch line to Waterloo following extensive negotiations and council involvement.Taken from the City of Waterloo Website 2005
____________________________________________________________________________

Benjamin married Nancy Lewis Bowman 29 Sep 1857, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Nancy (daughter of Henry William Bowman and Amanda Melvina Lewis) was born 1 Jan 1839, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 28 May 1921; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Nancy Lewis Devitt
• Eby ID Number: 00002-429
• Residence: 1857, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesley Methodist
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Occupation: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Income
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Notes:

Nancy Bowman, "was born January 1st, 1839. She is married to Benjamin Devitt, Inspector of Hotels. They reside in the town of Waterloo. Their family consists 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:

• Name: Abe Merner
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-46036
• Residence: 1861, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Iron Founder
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Elected Office: 1876, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Councillor - Waterloo
• Elected Office: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Councillor - Waterloo
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Founder
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Business: 1886, 19 Church St. E., Elmira, Ontario
• Elected Office: 1888, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Councillor - Waterloo
• Occupation: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Blacksmith
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Occupation: 1901, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Manager

Notes:

Death of Absolom Merner

Word was received here on Thursday that Mr. Absolom Merrier died at his home in Trout Creek on Wednesday in his 70th year. The deceased was a son of the late Senator Merner, of this town, and was born here. He spent his early days in New Hamburg and later was connected with the Waterloo Mfg. Co. for many years. He sold his interest in this concern about twelve years ago and for a time conducted a manufacturing business in Alliston. For the past ten years he lived retired at Trout Creek, He is survived by his wife four sons and one daughter, Herbert, of Alliston, Roland and Theodore, of Trout Creek, Henry, of Detroit, and Mrs. E. M. Devitt, of Waterloo, besides three brothers, Simpson, of New Hamburg, Amon, of Waterloo, Sulum, of Clifford, and four sisters, Mrs. Solomon Weber, Waterloo, Mrs. W. I. Becker and Mrs. E. Hildebrand, of Stratford, and Mrs. Odbert, of Detroit. The funeral takes place at Waterloo on Saturday afternoon.

New Hamburg Independent, January 9, 1920

Business:
Founded in 1886 by Messrs. P. Jansen of Elmira and Abs. Merner of Waterloo to manufacture and repair agricultural machinery. About 1900 Waterloo Manufacturing Company acquired the business then in 1902 the foundry was purchased by a joint stock company and became known as the Elmira Agricultural Works Company, Limited.

Absalom married Susanna Schaefer Aug 1870. Susanna (daughter of Henry Schaefer and Elizabeth Ebel) was born 27 Oct 1850, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Susanna
• Name: Susanna Merner
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-73777
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55219191
• Historic Building: 38 Bridge St. W., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; miller
• Eby ID Number: 00030-2322
• Historic Building: Abt 1812, 172 King St. S., Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Erb Kumpf House
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 027W, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Historic Building: 1849, 36 Young St. W., Waterloo, Ontario; Dr. Voelker House
• Residence: 1849, 36 Young St. W., Waterloo, Ontario
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Elected Office: 1858, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; councillor - Waterloo Township
• 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: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Notes:

Barnabus Devitt, "the fourth son of his father, Dennis Devitt, was born in New Jersey, U.S., March 25th, 1807. He came to Canada with his parents in 1817 and settled on the old "Daniel C. Snyder Farm" west of the town of Waterloo. After the decease of his mother he was adopted by old Abraham Erb who raised him. He was only 11 years of age when he came to Erb's. On May 1st 1831, he was married to Magdalena Shoemaker who was born November 20th, 1811. In 1829 she came to Canada with her mother and family. Mr. and Mrs. Devitt resided in the town of Waterloo until 1851 when they moved to Bridgeport where he and Elias Eby entered into partnership in the milling business. After being in business for some years, he sold his interest to the late Jacob B. Eby and purchased the beautiful farm now in possession of Tilman Shantz. Here he resided until a few years previous to his death when he again moved to the town of Waterloo to spend the close of his life. He died January 20th, 1891. They had a family of twelve children" Barnabas Devitt, "(Vol. I, No. 2322) came to Canada in 1812 and came to Waterloo in 1815."


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.].

___________________

Devitt, Barnabus, retired farmer. Is a native of New Jersey. Born, 1807. Moved to this county in 1815.

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

_____________________

The Silver Thread Lofts on Devitt Avenue is a different addition to the ever growing list of condo projects in this city. It is only three storeys high with underground parking for 15 units. It is nestled into the quiet, tree-shaded environs at 15 Devitt Ave. S. in the historic Mary-Allen Neighbourhood....The development is called The Silver Thread Lofts. This area of the city was once owned by Barnabus Devitt, who had a radish farm on the site. Later, the Silver Thread Kraut Company made sauerkraut here...

Waterloo Region Record 14 Oct 2011

Historic Building:
Built in 1840 by Jacob S. Shoemaker across from the mill he constructed in 1830. In 1969 the house with stone foundation and handmade brick walls was listed in fair to poor condition. The roof was framed with mortise and tenon joining. The house was a combination of Georgian proportions and classical decorations. The large dormers were reminiscent of early buildings in Pennsylvania. In 1850 the house was sold to Elias Eby together with the mill complex. The house was been renovated a number of times. The porch was removed and the house converted into a tri-plex by 1969. Barnabus Devitt was also a propietor with Elias Eby.<sup>1a

1a</sup>Bridgeport Mill, a non-dated (probably 1969) type written manuscript located at Doon Heritage Crossroads 2009

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.

Barnabas married Magdalena Shoemaker 1 May 1831, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Magdalena (daughter of Johannes "John" Schumacher and Maria "Mary" Shantz) was born 20 Nov 1811, Frederick Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 12 Nov 1907, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55219293
• Name: Magdalena Devitt
• Eby ID Number: 00112-7023
• Immigration: 1829, , Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Notes:

Magdalena Shoemaker, "was born November 20th, 1811. In 1829 she came to Canada with her mother and family. On May 1st, 1831, she was married to Barnabas Devitt who was born March 25th, 1807, and died January 20th, 1891."

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.].

_______________

In Memoriam Died. At Waterloo, Tuesday Nov. 12th, 1907, Mrs. Barnabas Devitt, Aged 95 years, 11 months and 22 days. The Funeral Will take place from the residence of Mr. Benjamin Devitt, at 1.30 o'clock, Friday afternoon, Nov. 15th, to Emanuel Evangelical Church, Waterloo, for service, thence to the East End Mennonite Cemetery, Berlin, for interment. Friends and acquaintances will please accept this intimation.

Funeral Card

____________

MRS. BARNABAS DEVITT PASSED AWAY ON TUESDAY

Ninety-Six Years of Age and Waterloo's Oldest Resident. Generally Respected and Loved.

The death of one of Waterloo's most estimable in the person of Mrs. Barnabus Devitt, removes one of the early pioneers who has witnessed the growth of the town from a small struggling hamlet of a few houses nestling in the midst of the woods to the Waterloo of today. Although in her 96th year the aged lady enjoyed splendid health up to a week ago Saturday, attending service at the Mennonite church on Thanksgiving Day. However, she fortunately contracted pleurisy and had been confined to her bed since that time. The malady terminated fatally, and she passed peacefully away at 6.30 A. M. Tuesday at the ripe old age of 95 years, 11 months and 22 days.

Mrs. Devitt, whose maiden name was Magdalena Shoemaker, was a member of a long-lived and highly respected family and was the daughter of the late John Shoemaker, She was born in Pennsylvania, U.S. on Nov 20th, 1811, and would have celebrated her 96th birthday on the 20th of this month. She came to Waterloo in the year 1829 with her mother and family, traversing the distance in one of the old-fashioned Wagons used in those times. Two years later she was married to the late Barnabas Devitt and they resided for a time in Waterloo, afterwards removing to Bridgeport, where her husband purchased the mill at that place. It was later disposed and the family again moved to this place where she has almost continuously resided.

As one of the early pioneers Mrs. Devitt saw the transition of this sparsely settled community to the present prosperous town of Waterloo and often recounted experiences of early days conditions which
prevailed in those primitive times. On the journey to the new home in this county from Pennsylvania, the distance was made with horse and wagon, the mother of Mrs. Devitt travelling on horseback. They had several cows with them which supplied milk and butter was churned right on the wagon as they went along. The route lay over mountains, across rivers, through swamps and over roads almost impassable and in many places did not exist at all.

The passage over the Niagara River was made in a scow as there was no bridge across at that time. When the family arrived here Waterloo to consisted of a mill store, and a few houses, and the surrounding vicinity was all woodland. Mr. and Mrs. Barnabus Devitt for a goodly number of years resided on the site where the present residence of Mrs. C Kumpf now stands where Mr. Devitt had over 100 acres of farm land. After his retirement they removed to the old Barnabas Devitt property, now owned by Mr. Herold

Mr. Devitt died in 1891 and Mrs. Devitt has of late years made her home with her son, Mr. Benjamin Devitt.

The late Mrs. Devitt possessed those qualities of heart and mind which endeared her to all with whom she came in contact and was held in the highest regard not only by the members of her family but by all her acquaintances. She was unassuming. and of a sunny disposition and cheery presence and a wide circle of friends will sincerely mourn her demise. At the recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Devitt she was the oldest of the five generations represented.

Despite het great age she took a lively and intelligent interest in every day life and retained her mental and bodily vigor almost to the time of her death. The passing away of this pioneer in a community wherein she resided for many years and in which she was held in general esteem will learn with sorrow by her many friends but the legacy which she leaves behind in an upright, and long life of activity and usefulness filled with many kindnesses will remain as a precious memory to those who had grows to love and esteem her for her many good and many qualities.

The deceased was an adherent of the Evangelical Church for many years.

Twelve children were burn to Mã and Mrs. Devitt, six of whom survive, vis. Benjamin, Waterloo, David Berlin, Mary (Mrs. Jacob Wissler), Lyndhurst, Virginia, Barnabus Philadelphia, Menno, Waterloo, Louisa (Mrs. Jacob Smith) Fork's Road. The dead are John, Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and Magdalena, who died in infancy and Matthew, whose death occurred when four years old. Thirty grandchildren, twenty-one great grand children and one great great child survive.

The funeral will be held on Friday afternoon the at 1.30 o'clock from the residence Benj Devitt, to the Evangelical Church for service thence to the East End Mennonite Cemetery, Berlin for interment.

The Telegraph extends sincerest condolences to the bereaved family.


The Chronicle Telegraph (190101), 14 Nov 1907, p. 5

Other Events:

• Name: Heinrich Bauman
• Name: Henry W Bauman
• Name: Henry W. Bauman
• Eby ID Number: 00002-64
• Business: CONSTRUCTED 1835, 4 King St. N., Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Hotel - Farmer's Inn & Bowman House
• Residence: 1838, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; inn keeper
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Inn Keeper
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Gentleman
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Notes:

Henry W. Baumann, "was born February 25th, 1815, and died February 7th, 1883. Resided in the town of Waterloo. He was married to Amanda Lewis."

Henry W. Bowman, "son of Christian and Magdalena (Weber) Baumann, was born in Waterloo, February 25th, 1815. On June 12th, 1838, he was married to Amanda Melvina, daughter of Amasa and Mary (Brundige) Lewis. She was born in New Jersey, U. S., August 22nd, 1821. Came to Waterloo to Mr. Daniel Schneider's when she was four years of age. She died happy in the Lord, November 12th, 1878. Soon after their marriage they commenced to keep hotel in Waterloo. They were proprietors of the Bowman House for over thirty years. 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.].


Business:
2 1/2 storey stucco over brick, burned in 1850, replaced by a similar structure and sold to W. Young in 1876.

Henry married Amanda Melvina Lewis 12 Jun 1838, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Amanda (daughter of Amasa Lewis and Mary Brundage) was born 22 Aug 1821, , New Jersey; died 12 Nov 1878, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Amanda Melvina Bowman
• Name: Mandy Lewis
• Eby ID Number: 00002-64.1
• Residence: 1838, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesley Methodist
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Other Events:

• Interesting: politics, story, business
• Eby ID Number: 00127-7659.2
• Residence: 1845, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1852, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; foundry man
• Occupation: 1861, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; ?
• Residence: 1861, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Business: 1862, Peel St., New Hamburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; New Hamburg Foundry
• Business: 1867, Peel St., New Hamburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; New Hamburg Foundry
• Historic Building: 1868, 145 Peel St., New Hamburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Puddicombe House
• Occupation: 1871, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Iron Foundry
• Elected Office: 1872, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Reeve/Mayor
• Elected Office: 1873, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Warden for the County of Waterloo
• Occupation: 1881, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Manufacturer
• Residence: 1881, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Reformed Presbyterian
• Occupation: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Furniture Manufacturer
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Elected Office: 1894, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Reeve/Mayor
• Residence: 1894, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Elected Office: 1896, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Warden for the County of Waterloo
• Website: 2007
• Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region: Bef 2012, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; politican, blacksmith, newspaper editor,

Notes:

A grist-mill built by Josiah Cushman about 1834 formed the nucleus around which a small community of Amish Mennonites and recent German immigrants developed. A village plot was surveyed in 1845 and six years later a post-office, New Hamburg, was established with William Scott, an early mill-owner, as postmaster. By then the village, with a population of 500, contained several prosperous industries, including a pottery, and the carriage-works and foundry of Samuel Merner, a prominent Swiss-born entrepreneur. The construction of the Grand Trunk Railway, completed in 1856, and agricultural prosperity stimulated the community's development as an important centre for milling and farm machinery production. New Hamburg was incorporated as a Village, with about 1100 inhabitants, in 1857 and as a Town in 1966.


Text from the Founding of New Hamburg Plaque

_____________________________

MERNER (Muerner, Mürner), SAMUEL, blacksmith, businessman, politician, and jp; b. 9 Jan. 1823 in Kien, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, son of Jakob Emanuel Muerner, a farmer, and Susanna Schluchter; m. first November 1845 Maria Ann Grasser (d. 1890), and they had seven sons and seven daughters; m. secondly 1898 Ellen Sararus, née Fletcher; d. 11 Aug. 1908 in Berlin (Kitchener), Ont.

Samuel Merner attended school in Reichenbach in the central Swiss Alps. He immigrated to Upper Canada with his family in 1837, settling in what would become Waterloo County, where Germans and the German language were common. Jakob Muerner located on a bush farm on Bleam's Road, about two miles east of the village of Hamburg. Samuel stayed on the farm for one year and then was apprenticed to a blacksmith in Preston (Cambridge). He became a journeyman blacksmith in 1840 and four years later established his own shop in Hamburg. He expanded it to make wagons and carriages. The business was sold to his brother Frederick in 1856, by which time Samuel had accumulated sufficient capital to establish a foundry in New Hamburg, as the village had become known, and another in Waterloo. He had anglicized his name, as many German families in the area then did.

Merner's ancestry, however, was no barrier to either success in business or entry into public life in the Waterloo County area. In 1857 he became a member of the council of the newly incorporated village of New Hamburg. He was appointed a justice of the peace in 1862, in which year he purchased the Canadisches Volksblatt, the local German newspaper. As he accumulated public offices - he also served as reeve of New Hamburg (1873-78) and warden of Waterloo County (1878) - his business interests prospered. Though the foundries were turned over to sons in 1873, he still owned two large farms, a major flour-mill and another structure in New Hamburg, and two large buildings in Berlin, where he was associated with William Simpson's furniture company. He was a founding director of the Economical Fire Insurance Company and a director of several other businesses, including the Preston Furniture Company, the John Hoodless Furniture Warehouse in Hamilton, the Dominion Life Assurance Company, and the Canadian Manufacturing Company, which had taken over the Simpson firm. It was said by the Canadian parliamentary companion that "all Swiss people emigrating to the Western Province [Ontario]" were directed to Merner.

In 1878 he stood for election to the Ontario legislature as a Conservative in the Waterloo South by-election. He lost, but later that year he was elected to the House of Commons for Waterloo South, defeating well-known Liberal James Young*. Merner helped his cause by assisting in the establishment of New Hamburg's first English newspaper, the New Hamburg Independent. At the next general election, in 1882, he was defeated by James Livingston, a business competitor from nearby Baden. Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald* appointed Merner to the Senate on 12 Jan. 1887.

Merner was very much the dominant personality in the life of New Hamburg in the 1870s and 1880s. He and his family lived in a stately residence situated on the Nith River in the centre of the village. After remarrying, in 1898, he moved to Berlin and took up residence in the Brunswick Hotel, which he owned. His health declined quickly after the move, as did his personal fortune, the result of "reverses" and the failure of his endorsements "for others"; he appears to have tried to commit suicide by taking carbolic acid in 1905. The attempt failed and he actually attended some sittings of the Senate before his death in 1908. Merner was survived by his wife and by four sons and four daughters from his first marriage.

The Berlin News-Record noted his death with the headline "Vital spark passes." "Honest Sam" Merner had little impact on national politics but, like so many public figures of the time, he significantly affected the community in which he lived. A biographer described him as "a typical Swiss burgomeister who achieved wealth and distinction in the New World." That success was the result not of Merner's abilities but of the fact that his small part of the New World had a Germanic tradition that allowed a German-speaking immigrant to flourish. In that sense, he was not so typical of his times in Canada.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, article by John English AO, RG 22, ser.211, reg.M, no.5196. Univ. of Waterloo Arch. (Waterloo, Ont.), L. J. Breithaupt, diaries, 1905. Waterloo Hist. Soc. (Kitchener, Ont.), Merner file; "Mürner, Muerner, Merner: genealogy and related branches," comp. Ruth Merner Connell (1976). Canadisches Volksblatt (New Hamburg, Ont.), 12 Aug. 1908. News-Record (Berlin [Kitchener]), 11 Aug. 1908. E. H. Bovay, Le Canada et les Suisses, 1604-1974 (Fribourg, Suisse, 1976). Can., Senate, Debates, 1887-1909. Canadian album (Cochrane and Hopkins), 2: 364. Canadian biog. dict. CPG, 1879, 1883, 1903-9. Cyclopædia of Canadian biog. (Rose and Charlesworth), vol.1. E. H. Devitt, "Hon. Samuel Merner," Waterloo Hist. Soc., Annual report, 1940: 139-41. Directory, Waterloo County, 1877/78: 149. Alexander Fraser, A history of Ontario: its resources and development (2v., Toronto, 1907). More than a century in Wilmot Township, [comp. Florence Diamond et al. ] ([New Hamburg, 1967]). Newspaper reference book.

__________________________________


SAMUEL MERNER 1823-1908

Samuel Merner, born and educated in Berne, Switzerland, eventually became a Canadian senator.

He came to Wilmot Township with his parents and nine brothers and sisters in 1837. At Preston he learned the blacksmith trade and four years later at New Hamburg opened a blacksmith business which in time branched into a wagon and carriage trade. He sold his business to his brother Frederick and opened foundries in New Hamburg and Waterloo. In 1873 his sons purchased the foundries.

In 1862 Merner purchased the New Hamburg German newspaper, the Volksblatt, which he sold to Otto Pressprich in 1865.

He was reeve of New Hamburg from 1872 to 1878 and was the first New Hamburg reeve to be chosen warden of Waterloo County. In 1878 he was elected to the Dominion Parliament as an Independent. A supporter of Sir John A. MacDonald, he was appointed to the Senate in 1887.

___________________________

The Hon. Samuel Merner was born in Reichenboch, Canton of Berne, Switzerland, January 29, 1823. He is the son of Jacob Merner, a farmer of the same place. He was educated at Reichenboch, and removed to Canada with his parents in 1837. For several years he did business as an iron founder and manufacturer of furniture. He was married to Mary Anne, daughter of Joseph Crasser, of Wilmot, Ont. He has been Reeve of New Hamburg for several years, and was Warden of Waterloo County in 1873. He has been engaged for several years in the settling in the Province of all the Swiss people emigrating to Canada. At a by-election held in 1877, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the Legislative Assembly for South Waterloo. He held a seat for the same constituency in the Commons from 1878, when he defeated the Hon. James Young, of Galt, to 1882, when he was defeated. He was appointed to the Senate, January 12, 1887. A Conservative. New Hamburg, O.

Personnel of the Senate and House of Commons, Eighth Parliament of Canada Elected June 23, 1896, Portraits and Biographies of the Members, Montreal, John Lovell & son 1898, pg 206

________________________________________

Jacob Merner with his wife and family emigrated from Germany and settled on a farm miles west of New Hamburg in 1837. Several of the ten children still survive, among them being Mr. Christian Merner of whom a sketch appears elsewhere. Wm. Smith had the first blacksmith shop. It was here that the late Samuel Merner learned his trade. Jacob Brill was the first cooper and did a thriving trade in barrels, churns, &c. The pioneer weaver was John Oehm who made cloth for his numerous patrons on his hand loom. Theobald Seyler owned a frame hotel on the site of the present Queen's and John Boeckner did the cobbling and shoemak-ing for the neighborhood. The latter's shop was on the site of the present residence of Mr. D. Becker. Wendel Schuyler was the first teacher in 1838 or 1839. A portion of the first log schoolhouse still stands near the Cemetery and is used for a dwelling: Soloman Weaver was a miller in the early days and later became an evangelical minister. Business men who came a little later were Wm. Burkhold, who established a brickyard; Fred Merner who started a carriage business and Wm. Hunter, who had a general stare. In the early 50's Sylvester Frank built a brewery. It was of brick and a portion of it is still in use in connection with the present brewery. Hse village has gradually increased in population and assessment with no particularly stirring events to mark its even progress. The great flood of 1883 due to a cloudburst is an event never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. On that occasion the water covered the streets up to the door of the Imperial hotel, and swept away the Rau, Hartman and Helmer bridges, thus cutting the village off from the outside world. In this its golden jubilee year, New Hamburg stands a community of contented, busy people, living in good homes and doing admirably their little share of the great world's work.

Special Industrial souvenir number of New Hamburg: containing a comprehensive review of the natural advantages and resources of the village of New Hamburg, 1908, Berlin Daily News, Berlin, Ontario

__________________________________________

SAMUEL MERNER, M. P. , of New Hamburg, was born in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, in 1823. He emigrated with his father's family to Canada in 1837, when they settled a bush farm two miles west of the village, where he now resides, and there his father lived to the age of 86 years. After learning the blacksmith's trade in Preston, our subject opened a shop in New Hamburg in 1844, from the operations of which he embarked in foundry and implement manfacturing busi-ness some years later, and this branch of industry he still carries on. By the exercise of a large degree of energy and a progressive spirit above the average, he has succeeded in amassing a large and valuable property in the village of his residence and environs ; though in order so to do he has not neglected to give that attention to matters of a public nature which is incumbent upon all good citizens. He has held successively the various offices of municipal honor, from Councillor to Warden, and after suffering defeat in a contest for parliamentary honors in 1877, was elected in 1878 to the House of Commons for South Waterloo, as a Conservative and advocate of a protective tariff.

Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsell & Co., Toronto, Ont. 1881

____________________

Merner, Samuel, M.P., formerly Reeve of New Ham-burg. Owns 400 acres in the Townships of Wil-mot and Wellesley, valued at $25,000. Is a native of Switzerland. Born, 1823. Has resided here since 1837.

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

___________________________

HON. SAMUEL MERNER.

Hon. Samuel Merner, whose intense and well-directed activity has led him from small beginnings into large business enterprises, stands today as one of the foremost men of western Ontario. He has been and is distinctively a man of affairs and one who has wielded a wide influence. There is in him a native sagacity, a strength of character and a firmness of purpose which have enabled him to leave the impress of his individuality upon any line of action which has claimed his attention and co-operation. Success has seemed to follow his every move, but this is due to no fortunate combination of circumstances. An analyzation of his life work shows that his advancement in business and political lines has come as the result of careful investigation of the questions under consideration, of well formulated plans and unflagging industry in the prosecution of a course which he has marked out.

A resident of Berlin and for many years numbered among the citizens of Waterloo county, for during a long period he made his home at New Hamburg, Mr. Merner comes from a land noted for men of unflinching bravery and resolute purpose. He is a native of Berne, Switzerland, born on the 19th of January, 1823. His parents were Jacob and Susanna (Schluter) Merner, and while spending his boyhood days in their home he pursued his education in the public schools to the age of fourteen years, when in 1837 he accompanied his parents to the new world. The family home was established in Wilmot township, Waterloo county, and after a year devoted to farm labor Samuel Merner was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade in Preston, Ontario. He served for two years, gaining an accurate knowledge of the business and becoming an expert workman. He then established a shop of his own at New Hamburg and gradually built up an extensive trade in general blacksmithing and in wagon and carriage building. Some years later he sold this business to a brother, Frederick Merner, and opened a foundry at New Hamburg and also one in the village of Waterloo. In 1873 he sold the New Hamburg foundry to his eldest son, Simson, and the Waterloo foundry to his second son, Absalom. In the meantime he had made investments in commercial and industrial interests whereby the development and growth of the county has been largely promoted. For years he was one of the large stockholders in the Simpson & Company furniture factory of Berlin, and when that industry became absorbed in the vast corporation known as the Canadian Manufacturing Company, Limited, he became a director in the new enterprise. He is also a director and president of the Preston Furniture Company, Limited, and director of the John Hoodless furniture warehouse in Hamilton. He also holds stock in the Economical Fire Insurance Company of Berlin, the Dominion Life Assurance Company of Waterloo and the New Hamburg wagon works, and is connected with the directorate of all these. Notably prompt, energetic and reliable, he has made a record in the business world which any man might be proud to possess and has enjoyed to the fullest extent the confidence and admiration of his contemporaries and associates in the business world.

Mr. Merner has been twice married, his first union being with Miss Mary Ann Grassar of Wilmot township, who died in 1890. Their family numbered fourteen children. Following the death of his first wife he wedded Miss Ellen Fletcher, a native of England. He has four sons and four daughters still living and in addition to the two sons named above a third son, Ammon, is foreman of the Waterloo Manufacturing Company, of which Absalom is vice-president, while the fourth son is a hotelman at Clifford, Ontario.

While Mr. Merner 's accomplishments in industrial and commercial circles would entitle him to distinction and representation as one of the prominent men of western Ontario, he is perhaps even better known because of his native and honorable political service. Following his retirement from business he became a leading figure in political circles as an advocate of the Conservative party, which had always received his endorsement at the ballot box. For eighteen years he was reeve of New Hamburg, for ten years was a member of the New Hamburg school board and for two terms was warden of the county of Waterloo. In 1877, at the by-election in South Waterloo, he was nominated as the candidate of his party for the Ontario Legislature. Though defeated at that time, in 1878, at the general election for the House of Commons, he was successful in defeating so distinguished a public man as the Hon. James Young of Galt. Residents of the village of New Ham- burg will long remember the night of September 17, 1878, when their fellow citizen was declared elected as their representative in the Dominion House. The rejoicing which followed bespoke the immense popularity of the candidate. At the general elections of 1882 he was defeated by James Livington, ex-member of Parliament of Baden, Ontario, and in 1887 he was called to the Senate at the instance of the late Sir John A. Macdonald. He has always stood firm in support of his honest convictions and his political service has been marked by the utmost fidelity to the duties that have devolved upon him. His position is never an equivocal one. On the contrary he gives careful consideration to the questions at issue and when once his course is determined nothing con swerve him from the path which he believes to be right. The same honesty of intention and unfaltering course in action have been manifest by him in all the relations of life and have made him therefore a man honored and respected by his political adversaries as well as his political adherents.

A History of Ontario: its resources and development

Historic Building:
Two story yellow brick house built by Samuel Merner, now (2010) a bed and breakfast, restaruant and spa called "Puddicome House". Sold in 1888 to the Puddicombe family.

Website:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Merner

Samuel married Mary Ann Grasser 11 Nov 1845, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Mary (daughter of Francois Joseph "Joseph" Grasser and Maria Eva "Eva" Pingenat) was born CALC 25 Dec 1827, , Alsace Lorraine, France; died 1 Jul 1892, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Riverside Cemetery, New Hamburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Ann Merner
• Eby ID Number: 00127-7659.2000
• Immigration: 20 Aug 1832, New York City, New York, USA.
• Residence: 1845, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1881, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical Association
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical

Notes:

Died at New Hamburg on Friday, July 1^st, Mary Anna beloved wife of Hon. S. Merner, aged 64 years, 6 months and 6 days.

Elmira Advertiser, July 14, 1892

_________________________

Mrs. Merners Funeral

The burial of the wife of the Hon. Samuel Merner took place on Tuesday last at 2, p. m. The deceased had been ailing for several months previous to her death with some bronchial affection. Mrs. Memer was born in Alsace, and was nearly 66 years of ago at her death. She was the mother of 14 children, 10 of whom are still living. Her remains were followed to the grave by a large concourse of relatives and acguaintances. Among the latter were many officials of the county. The cortage left the house and wended its way to the Evangelical Methodist church on Peel street, where funeral services were held, the Rev. Mr. Umbach officiating. The church choir sang appropriate hymns to an overflowing audience many being unable to gain admittance. The remains were exposed to view in the vestibule and the last affectionate look was taken by the friends before the procession moved to the grave. The remains were then interred in the family burial plot in the village cemetery. Numerous floral offerings were received, among them a magnificent pillow with the words "our mother" from the children of the deceased.

New Hamburg Independent 8 Jul 1892 pg 3

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-75292
• Residence: 1848, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; brick maker

Henry — Elizabeth Ebel. Elizabeth (daughter of Johan Conrad Ebel and Katharina "Catherine") was born Oct 1811, , Germany; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Elizabeth Schaefer
• Name: Elizabeth Schmitt
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-75293
• Residence: 1854, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran