Bishop Amos S. Cressman^[1]

1834 - 1909  (74 years)

• Name	Amos S. Cressman
  Prefix	Bishop
  Born	4 Sep 1834	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33662953
  Occupation	1861	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1861	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Mennonite
  Occupation	1871	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Minister
  Residence	1871	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Mennonite
  Occupation	1881	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Farmer
  Occupation	1891	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1891	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Mennonite
  Retired	1901	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Eby ID Number	00028-2186
  Died	17 Jan 1909	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5, 10]
  Buried	Wilmot Mennonite (formerly Geiger) Cemetery, Wilmot, Waterloo Region, Ontario   [10]
  Person ID	I154	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Abraham Cressman,   b. 13 Dec 1789, , Chester Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 29 Dec 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 82 years)
  Mother	Mary Schneider,   b. 9 Jun 1794, Franklin Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 19 May 1864, Near Strasburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 69 years)
  Married	21 Jun 1814	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [11, 12]
  Family ID	F4432	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Annie Martin,   b. 12 Mar 1836, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 8 Feb 1914, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 77 years)
  Married	25 Mar 1856	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2]
  Children	1. Mary Cressman,   b. 5 Sep 1857, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 4 Jun 1933, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 75 years)   2. Joseph Cressman,   b. 1858, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Moses M. Cressman,   b. 19 Mar 1859, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 12 May 1938, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 79 years)   4. Nancy Cressman,   b. 23 Feb 1862, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 13 Mar 1943, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 81 years)   5. Enos M. Cressman,   b. 17 Sep 1864, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 27 Aug 1935, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 70 years)   6. Rev. Osias Cressman,   b. 30 Nov 1866, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 3 Apr 1933, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)   7. Noah M. Cressman,   b. 9 Jul 1870, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Oct 1954  (Age 84 years)   8. Lydia Cressman,   b. 6 Sep 1872, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 4 Aug 1959, Vineland Station, Welland Co., Ontario  (Age 86 years)   9. Lavina Cressman,   b. 28 Nov 1875, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 4 Oct 1916, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 40 years)
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F58	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Amos S, Cressman, "the eighth and youngest son of Abraham and Mary (Schneider) Cressman, was born September 4th, 1834. On March 25th, 1856, he was married to Anna, daughter of John and Anna (Weber) Martin who was born March 12, 1836. They reside in the township of Wilmot, south of New Hamburg, Ontario, where he followed farming for many years but now lives retired. When a young man he joined the church of his choice, "The Mennonite", and after being a member for some years he was, June 19th, 1864, ordained as deacon at the Blenheim Church by Bishop Henry Shantz. With the increase in the membership of the Mennonite body it was deemed expedient by the ministry to have a co-laborer appointed, so Mr. Cressman was ordained to the ministry, June 30th, 1867, at the Shantz Meeting House, Upper Road, Wilmot Township, by Bishop Henry Shantz. And after Bishop Henry Shantz's incapacity (He was a corpulent man and in his old age was very heavy, so much so that he could hardly help himself. This, connected with age and besides being troubled with asthma, caused his inability to attend to the duties of his diocese.) to attend to his large field of labour it became necessary to appoint a younger man to have charge over his diocese, to which Mr. Cressman was ordained as bishop, January 24th, 1875, at the Detweiler church, Dumfries, (being the old Bishop's home) by Bishops Shantz,* Hagey, and Martin, which position he still holds. Since his ordination as minister and bishop the church has had many and severe trials and difficulties and he has met with much opposition from some of his co-religionists, yet up to the present he has proved faithful, according to his views, to the doctrines of the church over which he is presiding as bishop. To him and his wife were born 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.]. ____________ Cressman - Bishop Amos Cressman died at his home near New Hamburg, Ont., on Sunday morning, Jan. 17, 1909; aged 74 y. 4 m. 13 d. He had been a patient sufferer from neuralgia in the face for several years, which gradually became worse, affecting other parts of the body and finally settled on his heart, causing death. He suffered great pain at times but was patient through it all, having a desire to depart and be with the Lord. The end came very peacefully. He passed away without a struggle. A few weeks before his death he assisted in the funeral services of Bro. John Cassel and also attended the funeral of Bro. Joshua Nahrgang at the home church. Bro. Cressman was a faithful member of the Mennonite Church for many years, uniting with the church when a young man. On June 19, 1864, he was ordained deacon at the Blenheim Church by Bish. Henry Shantz. He served the church as deacon for three years, and on June 30, 1867, he was ordained to the ministry at the Schantz M. H. by Bish. Henry Schantz.[sic] Seven years later, Jan. 24, 1875, he was ordained bishop, serving the church in this capacity for 34 years, holding the office up to the time of his death. As deacon, minister and bishop he was faithful in the discharge of his duties, having the welfare of the church at heart, faithfully upholding the doctrines according to his views of what the Bible teaches, warning much against pride and exhorting to humility. He is survived by a loving companion, four sons and four daughters, all being members of the same household of faith. One of the sons, Moses, is a deacon in the church, and another one, Osiah, is a minister. Funeral services were held at the Geiger Church, Jan. 20, where a large number of friends had gathered to pay their last tribute of respect. Services at the house were conducted by Orphen Wismer and at the church by M. C. Bowman in English; text, Phil. 1: 20, and in German by Bish. Jonas Snyder from Heb. 13: 7. After the burial, many returned to the house for refreshments after which the brethren J. S. Gerig in English and D. J. Wyse in German, gave short exhortations. These brethren are from Ohio. M. C. C. Gospel Herald - Vol. I, No. 45 - February 6, 1909, page 719 ________________________ BISHOP AMOS CRESSMAN. On lot No. 25, on south side Bleam's road, a half mile southwest of New Hamburg, one hundred and sixty acres in extent, lives this honored and well- known citizen of Wilmot township. The farm was purchased from the Canada Company by Dennis Devitt, and from the latter it was purchased by the late Abraham Cressman, father of the subject of this sketch, in 1850 Amos took possession on April 1, 1856. On March 25 of tue same year he was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Annie, daughter of John and Nancy (Weber) Martin, of Woolwich township. She was born March 12, 1836. At the present writing her mother is still living at the advanced. age of 88 years. Her father died in 1879, aged 73 years. The venerable bishop first came into the light of the world on September 4, 1834, being a son of Abraham and Mary (Snyder) Cressman. His father died a the old homestead near Strasburg in 1871, aged eighty-two years and thirteen days. The mother still survives him. The subject of this sketch is a staunch and faithful adherent of the Mennonite church, with which he has been identified since youth, and to- day stands conspicuously prominent among its counsellors and advisers. He was ordained as a deacon June 14, 1864, a minister in July, 1867, and a bishop on February 18, 1875. Here in his typical Mennonite home he has lived the life of a humble farmer and constantly served his church for nearly half a century. His home is most beautifully situated on a bluff overlooking the Nith river bottoms, and from which a magnificent birdseye view of the village of New Hamburg can be had. Here in the newer addition to the old homestead. erected for their special accommodation, he and his kind and devoted wife live a happy an contented life, with the assurance that their past life has not been misspent. While Mr. Cressman has retired from active farm life he is still an energetic worker in the church for which he has so zealously labored for many years. That he has an inordinate affection for his children and a desire to see them on the road to well doing, we have good proof in the fact that his four sons have been assisted by him to a promising start in life, all being in possession of beautiful farms within a few miles of the parental homestead. It seems to have been his ambition to settle his sons as near together as possible, for three of them are in possession of three of the finest farms in Wilmot township, all adjoining each other, and the fourth has possession of the old homestead. His sons are decidedly energetic and show good training. It is seldom that we hear of so many sons in a family possessed of such an industrious and enterprising spirit as do the four young Cressman brothers. And it is not often that we find a more clever lot of young men who give better evidence of good breeding in the presence of the stranger who may invade their respective homes. It gives the writer pleasure to refer to euch of them as follows. Moses M., the eldest son, owns and resides on part of lot 25, 3rd concession, block A, three miles southwest of Haysville, about four miles northwest of Plattsville, and about five miles north of Bright Station. It comprises 130 acres and is classed among the best farms of the township. He was born in 1859 and was reared to manhood on the old homestead. In June, 1881, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Y. Shantz. They have two sons. The mother was born in 1861. They removed to their present home some time in 1884. That their patience and toil are bearing fruitful results we have no occasion to doubt. Their premises bear a comfortable and decidedly neat appearance, an evidence of good farming and clever management. In the in the breeding and raising of live stock his ambition sees to run in favor of horses, for it is not likely you will find a finer lot of animals than those kept, in his stables. They are kept in superb condition both for the road and the far. His farm was originally purchased from the Canada Company by one Daniel M. Potter, and subsequently transferred from the latter to the late John Bean, who in the course of time deeded it to his son John S. Bean. From the latter it passed into the hands of Bishop Cressman on March 9, 1874, and subsequently it became the property of Moses M. He has vastly improved it, being now a home that any person of domestic tastes would be glad to own. Both he and his wife are members of the Mennonite church, and their home is conducted on principles espoused by that denomination. Enos M. On the adjoining farm to the north lives the subject of this sketch. He also has an inclination to improve his home and to make labor in cultivating the soil count to the best advantage. That he is making most valuable improvements the writer found ample proof in visiting his farm. On the occasion of the writer's visit he was busily engaged with a number of hands laying down a substantial Thor -old content flooring throughout his entire stables. The barn, which has been almost entirely rebuilt recently, is now one of the most conveniently arranged structures of the kind in the township. The stal's substantial and neatly finished, high ceilings and plenty of room and light, are features in this barn well worth the consideration of others who contemplate rebuilding or remodeling their barns. In addition to the barn a commodious driving shod has been erected for the housing of vehicles and farm implements. In fact, the entire premises have been renovated since the present owner took charge in 1887. From an aspect of delapidation and decay it has been transformed into a home that appears attractive to those who pass along on the public highways In 1893 the fine brick residence now occupied by the family was erected and completed, and old trees and other objects that were an eyesore to the pretty lawn it now affords removed. This farm comprises one hundred acres of the south half of los No. 25, 3rd concession of block A, about two miles southwest of Haysville. It was purchased from the Canada Company by the late John Green on May 9, 1851, for $618. Enos M. took possesion in 1887. It is certain that it could not be purchased for ten times that amount to-day. Enos M. was born in 1864. and was married in 1887 to Lovina, daughter of County Councillor Jacob S. Hallman. Their family at this writing numbers five children, three sons and two daughters. The mother was born in 1867 on the farm now occupied by Mr. Charles Montag, the former home of her parents. As a wife, mother and housekeeper she is well worthy of high praise. She and her husband still cling to the old Mennonite faith taught them from their infancy up. The view to be obtained from the portals of this home is one of more than usual distance and beauty. In a clear atmosphere the blue outlines of the Doon pinnacle can be plainly seen nearly twenty miles away to the east, and the Baden hills about ten miles to the northeast. Osias M., the third son of the Cressman family, has possession of the old homestead, and as I have already described it in the forepart of this sketch a repetition is not necessary. He was born on November 30, 1866, and on November 5, 1889, he was married to Annie, daughter of Joseph and Betsy Gingrich. She was born July 12, 1867. They have four children, three sons and one daughter. They took charge of the old farm in 1895. In their hands the old homestead that has stood the storms of more than half a century will not decline into dilapidation and decay, for both are amply possessed of that strictly industrious nature for which the Cressman family is noted, to continue to keep it up in that comfortable and homelike condition it presented in days gone by. Osias and wife are also members of the Mennonite church. Noah M., the fourth and youngest son of the Cressman family. It was a source of great pleasure to the writer when he visited the home of this rising young farmer, for it brought to him pleasant memories of long ago. It was here that he occasionally played in his boyhood days. That was some forty years ago when the late Jacob Bean, founder of the home, was yet in the prime of his manhood. Here we periodically visited him and greatly enjoyed his generous hospitality and basked in the smiles of his genial countenance. He passed to his reward more than twenty years ago, the victim of a paralytic stroke. His bones repose in the family graveyard a short distance east of the home he hewed out of the wilderness. To-day we see new and younger faces around the venerable homestead, but typical Mennonite hospitality and kindness yet predominates, for no where in my travels through the township have I met with more cordial treatment than that at the hands of the industrious young couple who now occupy it. Noah M. was born on July 9th, 1870, and worked on the parental homestead until his marriage. He was married on March 12th, 1895, to Mary Ann, daughter of Aaron and Annie (Good) Snider. She was born near Kossuth, June 6th, 1872. They have been blessed with one child,a bright little son. On the April following their marriage they moved to the homestead where they now reside with bright prospects for their future properity. The farm is described as the north half of lot 25, 3rd concession, block A., and comprises 100 acres. It is two and a half miles southwest of Haysville and three miles southwest of Hamburg. Mr. Cressman has since made quite a number of valuable improvements, especially in the barn. That has been built considerably higher and the stables completely remodelled, the ceiling being made higher and cement flooring put in.Galvanized iron watering troughs of the latest improved type are among the convenient fixtures added. The stables are well lighted and supplied throughout by waterpipes. for the distribution of water by wind- power. A well 292 feet deep gives abundance of that most necessary article on the farm. There are two large wind-mills, one being used for pumping water and the other for grinding feed and operating the turnip pulper. On the upper floor a room is set apart, for the chopper where plenty of feed is kept constantly on hand. While he raises a large amount of grain annually Mr. Cressman is also a successful stock feeder. He generally manages to turn out from ten to twelve choice export cattle and from fifty to sixty hogs each season. In hogs he is decidedly to the front. The fine and thrifty lot of porkers in his stables at the time of my visit would be hard to beat, especially for the export market. His favorite breed appears to be the Tamworth and Berkshire cross, though he has a number of fine throughbred specimens of the former breed. Those oprosed to be Berkshire and Tamworth cross wonld undoubtedly change their opinions should they visit the hog stables of Noah M. Cressman. The remainder of Bishop Cressman's family are daughters,named as follows: Mary, at home; Nancy is the wife of Eli Good near New Hamburg, Lydia is the wife of Christian Fretz at the Twenty Lovina at home Waterloo County Chronicle, 2 Nov 1899, p. 6

  
  

• Sources

  [S10] Book - Vol II 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..., 42. [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..., 501. [S133] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1901, Wilmot H-4 Page 21. [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851. [S8] News - Gospel Herald, February 6, 1909 - Obituary of Amos S. Cressman. [S140] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1881, Div. 4 Page 34. [S190] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1871, Wilmot Twp. 1871 Div. 2 Page 37. [S939] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1891, Div. 2 Page 55. [S844] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1861, Sect. 10 Page 60. [S3231] Find A Grave, Cemetery, W., America, N., Municipality, W., Centre, W., & Cemetery, W. (1834). Amos Cressman (1834-1909) - Find A Grave Memorial. Retrieved 13 April 2020, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33662953/amos-cressman. [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..., 485. [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..., 289.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 4 Sep 1834 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 25 Mar 1856 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1861 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1861 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Minister - 1871 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1871 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1881 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1891 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1891 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Retired - 1901 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 17 Jan 1909 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Wilmot Mennonite (formerly Geiger) Cemetery, Wilmot, Waterloo Region, Ontario  = Link to Google Earth