John Erb^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

1764 - 1832  (67 years)

• Name	John Erb
  Born	8 Dec 1764	Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania   [6, 7]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21698950
  Land	Bef 1831	Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 075E, Waterloo County, Ontario   [8]
  Land	Bef 1831	Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 004W, Waterloo County, Ontario   [8]
  Land	Bef 1831	Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 011, Waterloo County, Ontario   [8]
  Land	Bef 1831	Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 104W, Waterloo County, Ontario   [8]
  Land	Bef 1831	Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 020E, Waterloo County, Ontario   [8]
  Died	2 Sep 1832	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 7]
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  Eby ID Number	00032-2779
  Buried	Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  Person ID	I10867	Generations
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2025

  
  

  Father	Christian Erb,   b. Oct 1734, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 7 Jul 1810, Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 75 years)
  Mother	Maria Scherch,   b. 1737, Of, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 17 Aug 1814, Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 77 years)
  Married	1756  [10, 11]
  Family ID	F1128	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Magdalena Schantz,   b. Jun 1770, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 2 Jun 1826, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 55 years)
  Children	1. Elizabeth Erb,   b. 3 Apr 1790, , Pennsylvania, USA ,   d. 2 Jan 1867, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 76 years)   2. Samuel Erb,   b. 4 Jan 1792, , Pennsylvania, USA ,   d. 26 Jun 1878, Norwich, North Norwich Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario  (Age 86 years)   3. Nancy Erb,   b. 15 Feb 1794, , Pennsylvania, USA ,   d. 15 Nov 1865, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 71 years)   4. John S. Erb,   b. 4 Sep 1795, , Pennsylvania, USA ,   d. 19 May 1873  (Age 77 years)   5. Henry Erb,   b. Abt 1797, , Pennsylvania, USA ,   d. Sheffield, Beverly Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario   6. Joseph Erb,   b. 30 Mar 1800, , Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 15 Oct 1885, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 85 years)   7. Susannah Erb,   b. 6 Feb 1803, , Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 6 Aug 1844, Near Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 41 years)   8. Magdalena Erb,   b. 18 Jul 1810, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 20 Feb 1883, Near Erbsville, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 72 years)   9. Christian Erb,   b. 15 May 1815, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 28 Jun 1849, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 34 years)
  Last Modified	29 Jan 2025
  Family ID	F2819	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  John Erb, "the third son of Christian and Maria (Scherch) Erb, was born December 8th, 1764, and was married to Magdalena Schrantz who was born in June, 1770. In 1805 he, in company with his wife and family, William Corwell, Henry Kraft and family, Peter Hammacher and family, Matthias Scheirich and family, Abraham Stauffer and family, and other families moved to Canada and settled in the township and county of Waterloo. John Erb settled on the Speed River about 200 rods from where now Erb's Mill, of Preston, stands. He proved to be the founder of Preston. In 1806 Mr. Erb erected his saw mill. Before this time no sawed lumber could be obtained nearer than Toronto or Niagara. A year thereafter (1807) he erected his grist mill which were rebuilt by their son, Joseph, in 1834. In a very short time Preston proved to be quite a business centre. Here he died September 2nd, 1832. His wife died June 2nd, 1826. They had 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.]. ______________________ 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

  
  

• Sources

  [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 617-618. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 841. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 292. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 341. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 687. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 617. [S146] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Hagey Mennonite CC#5431 Cemetery Internet Link . Erected/ to the memory/ of/ John Erb/ who departed/ this life the 2nd/ day of September/ A.D. 1832 aged/ 68 years/ Friends nor physi-/ cians could not save/ our mortal bodies from/ the grave nor shall/ the grave continue us/ here when Christ our/ Saviour doth appear [S1322] Land - Founding Families of Waterloo Township 1800-1830, 25. [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 615. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 615-616.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 8 Dec 1764 - Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania Land - Bef 1831 - Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 011, Waterloo County, Ontario Died - 2 Sep 1832 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth