Bishop Elias E. Weber^{[1, 2, 3]}

1834 - 1909  (74 years)

• Name	Elias E. Weber
  Prefix	Bishop
  Born	22 Feb 1834	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Cressman Mennonite Church, Breslau, Ontario
  	minister
  Occupation	1852	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	labourer
  Occupation	1871	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1871	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Mennonite
  Occupation	1881	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1881	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Mennonite
  Occupation	1891	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1891	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Mennonite
  Occupation	1901	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Farmer
  Eby ID Number	00127-7837
  Died	23 Jan 1909  [10]
  Buried	First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  Person ID	I18209	Generations
  Last Modified	12 May 2024

  
  

  Father	David M. Weber,   b. 22 Jun 1811, , Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 17 Sep 1877, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)
  Mother	Catharine Eby,   b. 25 Jul 1814, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 30 Mar 1867, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 52 years)
  Married	3 Feb 1833  [4, 11]
  Family ID	F4716	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Shoemaker,   b. 6 Apr 1832, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 14 Nov 1921  (Age 89 years)
  Married	20 Mar 1855  [4]
  Children	1. Simeon Weber,   b. Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Sarah Weber,   b. 25 Jan 1859, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 23 Aug 1860  (Age 1 years)   3. Lovina Weber,   b. 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1947  (Age 86 years)   4. Leah Weber,   b. 21 Apr 1863, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 21 Apr 1863  (Age 0 years)   5. Nancy Weber,   b. 30 Jun 1864, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 5 Feb 1956  (Age 91 years)   6. Lydia Weber,   b. 24 Oct 1866, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 Aug 1949, Edmonton, , Alberta, Canada  (Age 82 years)   7. Rosella Weber,   b. 1868, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   8. Amos Weber,   b. 26 Feb 1869, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1965  (Age 95 years)   9. Israel Weber,   b. 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   10. Isreal Weber,   b. 1871, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   11. Mary Weber,   b. 20 Dec 1875, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 Jun 1961, Brooks, , Alberta, Canada  (Age 85 years)
  Last Modified	13 May 2024
  Family ID	F1593	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Bishop Elias Weber," the eldest son of David and Catherine (Eby) Weber,was born in Berlin, February 22nd, 1834. His boyhood days were spent on his father's farm. During the winter months he attended the common public schools. On March 20th, 1855, he was married to Mary Shoemaker. They now reside on the old "Kunniman Farm," one mile west of Breslau, on the Berlin Road. They have a family of nine children, namely: VII Sarah, died young; VII Simon, died young; VII Lovina, married to Jacob Woolner; VII Leah, died young; VII Nancy, married to Aaron Schiedel; VII Lydia, married to David Reist; VII Amos, married to Rosilla Wambold and resides at home with his father; VII Israel, and VII Mary. In his younger days he joined the church of his choice, the Mennonite, and a few years later he was chosen as a deacon. He was afterwards called to the ministry on the Cressman field of labor, and finally, upon the death of Bishop Joseph Hagey, he was ordained bishop. He is of genial and sociable disposition, but guards himself against frivolity. He is generally well received by the people by all, and it may be said of him that he is one of those men who make for themselves many friends and few enemies. His talent as a minister compares favorably with that of the majority of our day. His education is rather limited, but he has studied and made good progress in the acquisition of Bible knowledge. His preaching is spiritual and at most times powerful and convincing, having great effect on the large audience generally present. That he has the confidence and high esteem of the whole congregation is evident from the fact that he was chosen as one of the candidates for the office of bishop. May he be spared for many years to come, and may his labors be crowned with glorious success in winning souls for the Lord." 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.]. _____________________________________________ Weber, Elias (1834-1909) Elias Weber: bishop and farmer; born 22 February 1834 in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario to David and Catherine (Eby) Weber. He was the oldest child in a family of five sons and six daughters. He was a grandson of Bishop Benjamin Eby. On 20 March 1855 Elias married Mary Shoemaker (6 April 1832-14 November 1921). They had six daughters and three sons. Elias died 23 January 1909. By vocation Elias Weber was a farmer; he and his family lived west of the town of Breslau. His education was limited to the primary schools of his day. As a young man Elias Weber joined the Cressman congregation at Breslau. In 1867 he was ordained as a deacon for the congregation, and in 1874 as a minister. After the death of Bishop Joseph Hagey , he was ordained in 1879 as the bishop for the Waterloo Township churches. The major crisis of his bishopric was the division within the Ontario Mennonite Conference that led to the formation of the Old Order Mennonite conference in the late 1880s. Abraham Martin was the conservative bishop in Waterloo County, who held responsibility for the congregations in Woolwich Township. In 1885 a number of converts resulted from a series of evening meetings in Woolwich Townships. Martin opposed these revivalistic-style meetings and refused to instruct or baptize the group of over 30 coverts. After some delay, Elias Weber agreed to baptize the converts, which he did in three different groups from May-July, 1885. A series of other issues found Bishops Martin and Weber on different sides, and in 1889 the division became final. Elias Weber also helped to organize the Alberta Conference (later the Alberta-Saskatchewan Conference and still later the Northwest Mennonite Conference ) in July 1903. He ordained Amos Bauman as the bishop for the three-congregation conference at that time. Elias Weber was said to have a genial, but cautious, personality. He was not as gifted speaker as some other leaders in the conference, nor did he leave a legacy of writings. But Weber provided moderate leadership at a time more educated, aggressive Mennonite leaders from the U.S. were influencing the Ontario churches in more progressive directions. Steiner, Sam. "Weber, Elias (1834-1909)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2002. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 14 Nov 2005 <https://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/W4333.htm _______________________________ Breslau (Cressman) Mennonite Church Services were begun in Breslau in 1815. In 1834, Benjamin Eby's log meeting house, which had been built in Berlin in 1813, was moved to Breslau to the Cressman farm. Preaching services which were held every four weeks began in the reconstructed meeting house in 1837. A new brick church was built in 1856, at which time the old log meeting house was moved to Frederick Schaefer's brickyard. The old building may have been used for storage or an office until approximately 1880 when it was clad with white "Breslau Brick" from the brickyard, and used as a home by Frederick Schaefer and his family. The address of the house is reported to have been 18 Woolwich Street; it was still standing in 1985, according to Alder 1985, with the original log walls possibly preserved within the brick ones. A summer Sunday School was begun in June of 1872. It was held in the Breslau schoolhouse until 1877 when it was moved to the church. Sunday School continued on in the summers only until 1889 when Sunday School classes began to be held all year. The 1856 white brick church was taken down in March 1908, and was replaced with a new white brick church. In 1968 the name of the church was changed from Cressman Mennonite Church to Breslau Mennonite Church. Major renovations were made to the church in the same year. It is of interest to know that land amounting to approximately three acres was deeded to the congregation by Christian C. Snyder in three parcels, in 1837, 1859, and 1870. Joseph Hagey, the first minister at Cressman's, was ordained on February 10, 1839. He was ordained bishop in 1851. Ministers who followed him in serving the church at Breslau were Jacob Woolner Sr., Elias Weber, Isaac A. Wambold, Jacob S. Woolner, and Oscar Burkholder. Services were held every four weeks from 1837-1867, and bi-weekly from 1867-1894 when weekly services were begun 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..., 560. [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..., 468. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 018900-1903. Daniel S. Frey, 42, Widower, Farmer, b. Woolwich, Res. Carstairs Nwt, son of John Frey and Christina Snyder, married Lydia Reist, 36, Widow, b. Waterloo Twp., Res. Berlin, daughter of Elias E. Weber and Mary Shoemaker, Witnessed by: Illegible Kolb and Mary Weber, Both of Woolwich, 21 Dec 1902 at Woolwich, (Mennonite) [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..., 594. [S132] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo North - 1901, Waterloo C-5 Page 10. [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 4 Pg 25. [S604] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo South - 1871, Div. 1, Pg. 60. [S178] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo South - 1881, Waterloo S. Twp. 1881 Div 1 Page 29. [S1573] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1891, Section 1 Page 2. [S47] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - First Mennonite CC#4507 Internet link First Mennonite Cemetery online. [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..., 559.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 22 Feb 1834 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - minister - - Cressman Mennonite Church, Breslau, Ontario Occupation - labourer - 1852 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1871 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1871 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1881 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1881 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1891 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1891 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1901 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth