Rev. Christian Eby^{[1, 2, 3]}

1821 - 1859  (38 years)

• Name	Christian Eby
  Prefix	Rev.
  Born	19 Jun 1821	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168929349
  Occupation	1852	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	farmer
  Possessions	1853	Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 002, Waterloo County, Ontario   [8]
  Eby ID Number	00031-2459
  Died	5 Nov 1859	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 4, 5, 9]
  Buried	First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  Person ID	I21155	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	Bishop Benjamin Eby,   b. 2 May 1785, Hammer Creek, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 28 Jun 1853, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 68 years)
  Mother	Maria "Mary" Brubacher,   b. 6 Aug 1789, Elizabeth Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 18 Aug 1834, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 45 years)
  Married	7 Feb 1807  [10, 11, 12, 13]
  Family ID	F159	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Maria "Mary" Cressman,   b. 17 Dec 1820, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 23 Apr 1867, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 46 years)
  Married	2 Mar 1843	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4, 14, 15]
  Children	1. Tobias Eby,   b. 13 Jun 1858, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 13 Jun 1858, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)   2. Mary Eby,   b. 26 May 1859, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 May 1859, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F17	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Rev. Christian Eby, "the fifth son and eighth member of Bishop Benjamin Eby's family, was born June 19th, 1821. He was received as a member of the Mennonite Church while yet a young man. On February 26th, 1854, he was ordained as a minister of the church. The congregation soon found him to be a man of more than ordinary talents. Having his mind well stored with biblical and other knowledge, besides being endued with grace and unction from on high, he was fully qualified for the work of the ministry. He ranked with the best ministers of the church in his day, and was by all considered sound in the doctrine of their famous founder, Simon Menno. He did not, like some, try to build the house of God, the Lord's temple, with wood, hay and stubble, but with gold, silver and precious stones. His sermons were generally well prepared for the various occasions, full of logic, adapted to the wants of the hearers and attended with divine influence and power, hence deep and lasting impressions were made upon his large congregations. The writer heard him preach telling sermons even within the first years of his ministry, and many times afterwards. He was very punctual in attending to his appointments and faithful in visiting the poor and all members of the church placed in his charge. During the year 1857 it was noticed that his health was failing, and, to the great loss of the church, he, on November 5th, 1859, passed out of this vale of tears to mansions above, where all is peace and joy. He was married to Mary, daughter of Abraham and Mary (Schneider) Cressman. She was born December 17th, 1820, and died April 23rd, 1867. They resided on the old homestead of his father, Bishop Benjamin Eby. They had two children who lived but a few hours" 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.]. ____________________________ First Mennonite Church The first church built in Waterloo County was erected in Berlin in 1813, and was known as Benjamin Eby's Meeting House. Benjamin Eby had come to Canada in 1807 and in 1809 was ordained preacher. Three years later, in 1812, he was ordained bishop. His "parish included sections of Waterloo, Wilmot and Woolwich" (Uttley 1937: 27). In 1818 a frame addition, which was to be used as a winter school, was built on to the church. The log meeting house was replaced in 1834 by a larger frame church, and the old building was taken to Breslau to become the first meeting house in that community. (The Breslau church was known as Cressman Meeting House, a name which was changed in 1968 to Breslau Mennonite Church.) A Sunday School was opened in the church in 1841. Benjamin Eby died in 1853. He was followed by Abraham C. Weber who served the congregation until his death in 1874. In that same year, a division in the church brought about the departure of a group who organized a congregation of Reforming (or Reformed) Mennonites, to become United Mennonites in 1875 and then Mennonite Brethren in Christ in 1883. Their church is the present-day Bethany Missionary Church on Lancaster Street East. Christian Eby was the next minister of the Berlin Mennonite Church, until 1879. The church was known over the years as Benjamin Eby's Church, Christian Eby's Church (from 1854-1904), and the Berlin Church (from 1904 until 1917.) The name of the church became First Mennonite Church in 1917. A new brick church was built in 1902. A Bible Study School was begun in 1907, and in 1928 a separate brick Bible Study School building was erected. Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church was formed by some members in 1924 as a result of a division in the church. Of interest: when the new church was built in 1902, the 1834 frame church was bought by D.B. Betzner who moved it to Cedar Street where it became a woodenware business and then a furniture factory. It was destroyed by fire in 1937. 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..., 563. [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..., 345. [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..., 433. [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..., 494. [S47] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - First Mennonite CC#4507 Internet link First Mennonite Cemetery online. (broken & eroded) Zum Andenken an / Christian Eby / gestorben den (5) Nov.1859 Alt. 38 Jahre / 4 Monaten und 16 Tage / in memory of / Christian Eby / died 5 Nov.1859 aged 38 years / 4 months and 16 days / (verse) [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 4 Pg 19. Christian EBY Farmer Birthplace: Canada Age 31 Mennonite b. 19-Jun Maria EBY Birthplace: Canada Age 31 Mennonite b. 17-Dec Valentine BOEHMER Birthplace: Canada Age 10 Lutheran b. 22-May Sarah KENEY Birthplace: Canada Age 7 Mennonite b. 23-Aug Henry MEISER Labourer Birthplace: Germany Age 14 Lutheran b. 6-Mar John SCHWALM Painter Birthplace: Germany Age 22 Lutheran b. 30-Mar Elisabetha BLOCK Birthplace: Germany Age 8 Lutheran [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 4 Pg 19. [S1737] Probate - Wills of Waterloo Register A 1853-1871, Will of Benjamin Eby - A-1-17: 22 Oct 1853. [S14] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Chronicle (1856-1860), 08 Nov 1859. 05 Nov 1859 In Berlin, on the 5th inst., Mr. Christian Eby, an old resident of the locality, whose decease in the prime of life is deeply regretted by a very large circle of relatives and friends [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..., 550. [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..., 616. [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..., 344. [S16] Bible - Genealogical Information in the Bibles of the Waterloo Historical Society, Eby Bible owned originally by Menno Eby Jr. Berlin, 15 Mar 1885. [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..., 564. [S13] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - Wellington District Marriage Register Part 1 1840-1852, Eby, Benjamin - Minister of the Mennonist Society #27. Christian Eby, To Mary Kressman, Both Of Waterloo. 2 Mar. 1843. Rev. Eby. Wit. Abraham Kressman And Isaac Eby

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 19 Jun 1821 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 2 Mar 1843 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - farmer - 1852 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Possessions - 1853 - Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 002, Waterloo County, Ontario Died - 5 Nov 1859 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth