John Brubacher

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1370

Notes:

John Brubacher, "from whom most all the Brubachers in America are descendants, was a son of old Hans Brubacher who was born in Canton, Zurich, about the year 1685, came from Switzerland to America about the year 1710. He settled on the Little Conestoga, about two miles west of Lancaster City, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. On September 27th, 1717, he, in company with one named Christian Hershey, took out a warrant of 1000 acres of land lying on the Little Conestoga, in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County. Here on this tract of land he erected the first grist and saw mill in the county. In the year 1718 the 1000 acres of land taken up by the above said parties was equally divided by a line running east and west, John Brubacher retaining the lower half of the tract. It is not known for a certainty whether he was married when he came to America. A note taken from Rev. Benjamin Eby's Record, seems to certify as though he were married ere he came to America, and that his wife's name was Anna Ernst. (From J. N. Brubacher's notes on History of the Brubacher Family.) On May 13th 1729, he and his wife Anna sold and conveyed their grist and saw mills together with 150 acres of land to one Christian Stoneman. Tradition says, he was under the impression that the 'Milling Business' has a tendency to lead men into dishonesty. They had a family of ten children, of whom the eldest was named John."


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a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character.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

John — Anna Ernst. Anna was born Abt 1685, Of, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371

Notes:

John Brubacher, "was born in the year 1719, in West Hempfield Township, on their large estate taken up a few years previously. His boyhood days were spent in the employment of his father in cultivating the large farm. He, having somewhat of a roving spirit, resolved to see his father's native country, Germany. In order to raise the necessary funds for such a long journey, his father sent him to Virginia to collect rents and installments due on land previously sold there, but to his great disappointment at his return home, the neighbors had performed the kind act of dissuading his father from letting him go. After the decease of his father the spirit of going to the old country was again troubling the son, and in order to pacify this spirit he left his mother, brothers, and sister and went to the old country to see his deceased father's old homestead. Here he was received with the greatest joy by both young and old. In those days it caused great joy to see the return of children whose parents had moved from their midst to the 'New World'. Some one must have been particularly well pleased to see this young son of 'America' ("am Hannes sei Johney"), as we see. He, after spending a few months in his father's native home, was married to Maria Newcomer (this well pleased party) some time in April, 1750. Soon after their marriage they, in company with his first cousin, Abraham Brubacher, son of Abraham Brubacher, came back to America and settled at Hammer Creek, in Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Here their sweet and happy life was to be brief, for the Lord called her to His mansions beyond the skies, December 15th, 1750, being the same year of their marriage. After the decease of his wife he was again married. This time the one of his choice was Maria, eldest daughter of Michael Tauner.(Tauner is now spelled by the descended Doner) This marriage took place April 30th, 1751. She was born February 11th 1729, and died June 21st, 1802, aged 73 years, 4 months, and 10 days. John and Maria (Tauner) Brubacher had a numerous family"


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.].

John married Maria Newcomer Apr 1750, Canton, Zurich, Switzerland. Maria was born Abt 1719, of, Germany; died 15 Dec 1750, , Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

John married Maria Tauner 30 Apr 1751. Maria (daughter of Michael Tauner) was born 11 Feb 1729; died 21 Jun 1802. [Group Sheet]

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.5

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.6

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.7

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1372

Notes:

Jacob Brubacher, "the fourth member of the last named family, was born June 11th, 1758. He, in 1781, was married to Susannah Erb who was born March 17th, 1762, and died January 22nd, 1844, aged 81 years, 10 months and 5 days. They commenced 'keeping house' on the old 'Brubacher homestead' in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They afterwards moved to Ephrata village, same county, to what is now called 'Keller's Mill', which they owned and also the farm adjoining it. Jacob Brubacher was a good farmer and a successful miller. During a trip on business to Philadelphia he contracted the yellow fever from which he died. His death occurred August 31st, 1793, aged 35 years, 2 months, and 20 days. His young widow devoted her time and energies nobly in the raising of her family of seven children. Two of the family, Maria, married to Benjamin Eby and John, the youngest of the family, moved to Canada, as also did Elias a son of Christian. In the year 1809 the widow, Susannah Brubacher, paid a visit to her daughter, Maria, who then resided in Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. Here in Waterloo, Ontario, she met her parents, Christian and Maria (Scherch) Erb who had moved here but a short time previously. Her three brothers, Jacob, Abraham, and John, and four sisters, Elizabeth, Barbara, Anna, and Magdalena, were all married and had moved here during the years 1804-1807. In the year 1816 she paid her second visit to this part of the country. This time her youngest son, John, accompanied her. He was unmarried and was about 23 years of age. She remained here two years with her son, John, who started on his farm, lot No. 57, German Company's Tract. After his marriage she returned home to spend her remaining days in the service of her Lord more fully so that when the death summons should call her away she would be ready to meet her Lord in peace. It is related that on her last journey over the Alleghanies she noticed a large rattle snake lying on the middle of the road, she dismounted her pony and with a well-aimed blow she killed this dangerous serpent, thus proving to be a woman of courage. The names of Jacob and Susannah (Erb) Brubacher's children were Jacob, John, Henry, Christian, Mary, Susannah, and John. Of those who remained in Pennsylvania we shall give merely names of children but of those members of the above family who settled in Canada we shall give a full history."


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.].

Jacob married Susannah Erb 1781. Susannah (daughter of Christian Erb and Maria Scherch) was born 17 Mar 1762, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 22 Jan 1844. [Group Sheet]

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.8

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.9

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.10

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.11

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.12

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.13

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1371.14

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1373

Notes:

Jacob Brubacher, "the eldest, was born January 27th, 1782. In 1807 he was married to Maria, youngest daughter of Christian and Catharine (Bricker) Eby. She was born October 12th, 1787, and died April 16th, 1864. They resided on the old 'Brubacher Homestead' in Elizabeth Township (part of Warwick), Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he died July 30th, 1854. To them were born 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.].

Jacob married Maria Eby 1807. Maria (daughter of Christian Eby and Catharine Bricker) was born 12 Oct 1787, Of, Elizabeth (Part Of Warwick) Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 16 Apr 1864. [Group Sheet]

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1374

Notes:

John Brubacher, "was born September 26th, 1783, and died of smallpox in 1792."

^{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.].}

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1375

Notes:

Henry Brubacher, "was born October 21st, 1985. He was a merchant for many years and was familiarly known as 'Der Unkel Hennie' (Uncle Henry). His death took place April 26th 1839. He was never married."


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.].

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• Eby ID Number: 00018-1376

Notes:

Christian Brubacher, "was born September 18th, 1787. In 1809 he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Dulabon) Scherch. She was born in 1789 and died April 5th, 1873. He died February 14th, 1853. Their family consisted 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.].

________________

On the 16th instant, in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pa., Christian Brubacher, aged 65 years, 4 months and 27 days.

The Berlin Telegraph Feb 25 1853 pg 3

Christian married Elizabeth Scherch 1809. Elizabeth (daughter of John Scherch and Elizabeth Dulabon) was born 1789, Of, Pennsylvania; died 5 Apr 1873. [Group Sheet]

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• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19043926
• Name: Maria "Mary" Eby
• Name: Mary Brubacher
• Eby ID Number: 00018-1387
• Epidemic: 1834, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Cholera

Notes:

Maria Brubacher, "was born August 6th, 1789. On February 25th, 1807, she was married to Bishop Benjamin Eby who was born May 2nd, 1785, and died June 28th, 1853. In 1807 they moved to Canada, and settled at Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario, where she died August 18th, 1834. To them was born a family of eleven 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.].

Maria married Bishop Benjamin Eby 7 Feb 1807. Benjamin (son of Christian Eby and Catharine Bricker) was born 2 May 1785, Hammer Creek, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 28 Jun 1853, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

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• Name: Susannah Graybill
• Eby ID Number: 00018-1388

Notes:

Susannah Brubacher, "was born June 20th, 1791. In September, 1813, she was married to John Graybill who was born December 18th, 1789 and died December 7th, 1838. They resided in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, near Shaefferstown, where she died November 7th, 1878. To them 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.].

Susannah married John Graybill Sep 1813. John was born 18 Dec 1789, Of, Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania; died 7 Dec 1838. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Interesting: pioneer, story
• Eby ID Number: 00018-1389
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 057, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 059, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 006, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Occupation: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Gentleman
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

John Brubacher, "the youngest son of Jacob and Susannah (Erb) Brubacher, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, July 11th, 1793. In 1815 he came to Canada (See pages 45, 46 and 47) and selected his lot, No. 57, German Company's Tract, township and county of Waterloo, Ontario, a little to the east of Berlin. Here he had a small clearing made and a log shanty erected thereon. Late in fall of the same year Mr. Brubacher returned to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to make arrangements for moving to Canada the following spring. Early in 1816, he, in company with his mother, moved to this country and had their home with Bishop Benjamin Eby. As soon as the log shanty on his large farm was finished he started housekeeping for himself. His mother proved to be his female assistant for one year. On March 6th, 1817, he was married to Catharine, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Betzner) Sherk. She was born February 11th, 1798 and died October 8th, 1882. He died October 10th, 1875. When quite a young man he was ordained as deacon of the Mennonite Church for the Eby field of labor. This position he held until his death. To them was born a family of fifteen 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.].

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October 10th, in Berlin, Canada, John Brubaker, one of the first settlers in this section, aged 82 years and 3 days.


Death Announcement - Herald of Truth, November 1875

_____________

JOHN BRUBACHER

John Brubacher came to Canada in 1816 and was accompanied by his widowed mother, Mrs. Susanna (Erb) Brubacher. She was a plucky woman and whatever she did was done aright. On the way over Mrs. Brubacher rode on a horse and killed a rattlesnake with her whip. Her son drove a heavily-laden Conestoga. Among other articles he brought in a churn. When they reached this settlment, their first meal was eaten off a pine stump. Mother and son then threaded their way through the woods to her son-in-law, Ben Eby's place,

John Brubacher made a clearing on Lot 57 and erected a log home. His mother kept house for him until 1817, when he married Catherine, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Betzner) Sherk. Ezra Eby said that Mrs, Susanna Brubacher sold her son 896 acres for $672 and then returned to Pennsylvania. Later on John Brubacher. as has been said, bought the Elias Eby farm in the East Ward and built a home in Brubacher Street that is still in use. Eventually John is said to have acquired 3,000 acres of land and to have given each of his fifteen children a farm.

John Brubacher was a short, dark man, and could lift a barrel of cider to his shoulder and take a drink out of the bunghole. His favorite saying was: Truth lasts the longest. His great-grand-father, also named John, when urged by his neighbors in Pennsylvania to build a gristmill declined, because he feared he might he tempted to take too heavy tolls.

Mrs. John Brubacher dressed plainly and wore a white cap. Her descendants treasure the heirlooms she handed down. There were no locks on their doors and often at night Indians entered her kitchen and slept on the floor. Once she was alarmed at breakfast time when a squaw fed a young papoose a piece of liver-sausage.

Fire was hard to make, for the settlers had no matches. A handful of dry cedar-bark was shredded and sparks struck from a flint with a piece of steel. Some families kept their fire burning the year round.

One night an Indian buck rapped on John's window and pleaded for a drink of whisky, but the pioneer did not give him any. Wild animals were all too plentiful and wolves a menace. Occasionally he heard the squeal of a pig as it was dragged from its pen by a black bear.

The Mennonites loved music. Once, while revisiting his old home in Pennsylvania, John Brubacher called on a man who owned a medodeon and had him play a hymn often sung in Ben Eby's church. As he listened tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. The pioneer walked with his head bent Ward Bowlby once met him in East King Street and said, "Mr. Brubacher, when walking you should keep your head up" John responded, "Mr. Bowlby, yonder is a field of wheat. Some of the stalks stand with their heads up those are empty; the bent heads only are filled with grain."

Mr. Brubacher's youngest daughter, Veronica (Mrs. Moses Betzner) died in 1936, when in her ninety-second year. She was an early riser; ate whole-wheat bread and until her fortieth year never tasted tea nor coffee after that she drank milk or butter-milk. "Sunrise," said she, "has a virtue no other part or the day has. Work is a blessing. Without it He would not be worth living."

"This community," she added, "was based on practical Christianity. The people were honorable and in business matters no writings passed among them It was all done by word of mouth and a man's Yes was binding."

A History of Kitchener, W. V. (Ben) Uttley, Kitchener, Ontario 1937, pg 23, 24

John married Catharine Shirk 6 Mar 1817. Catharine (daughter of Joseph Sherk and Mary Betzner, daughter of Joseph Schoerg and Elizabeth Betzner) was born 11 Feb 1798, , Pennsylvania, USA; died 8 Oct 1882, near, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried 11 Oct 1882, First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]