History of Johann (Hans) Schneider and his descendants, as compiled by the Rev. Elam Snyder about 1910
It is only in comparatively recent times that proper attention has been given to the German and Swiss settlers in PA. Our school histories invariably tell us a great deal of the various English settlements but rarely do more than make a rare statement that Germans came to America and contributed not a trifle to the early life of this state. All heroes and pioneers we are led to believe came from or descended from the English. We happily discovered however that these German ancestors or Swiss as the case may be were not at all ignorant and brutish but that they contributed their due share of the pioneer work in our stat and especially in eastern Penna. We today represent one of the families whose ancestry was upon the scene very early indeed.
Few families can claim to be more thoroughly American ten the Snyders or as they were earlier called and are still called in the German tongue Schneider.
It was my happy privilege to delve into the history of these people, our family. Before I go into the history of our ancestry as far as I could carry investigations, which on account of the great amount of work which fell to my portion during this last year, were necessarily limited –I can say before I go into the history of our family, let me give you a brief statement as to the reason for German and Swiss emigration to America. The earliest Spanish immigrants came in quest of gold and other riches, and they signally failed. The earliest English settlers came for the purposes of colonization, the motive being to enrich their homeland thereby. Their first efforts met with failure. Then there came from England different classes who because of their religious beliefs were persecuted and who looked toward America as a possible asylum of relief. So too with our forefathers. They too were oppressed in their homeland. Germany in the 17th century was the scene of most bloody wars. Generations lived and died without knowing what it meant to have peace. Long, fierce and horrible ere these wars and after our forefathers who lived in the Palatinate were rendered homeless, their farms having been laid waste and their dwellings burned, there came the most terrible experience of all –the French invasion of 1688-1689, an expedition of killing and plunder such as was unknown even in that cruel age. Thousands of people were killed for no other reason than that they lay in the way of the plundering array. Many fled to Switzerland to about 1709 and later accepted the invitation of the English crown to come to America and find refuge in her wilds. Switzerland, the native country of our ancestors, became overcrowded and emigration had become a necessity. This little country had for a long time been the refuge for political and religious fugitives until now it was nigh overcrowded.
The earliest emigrants to America came to the Carolinas but later on the majority preferred the cooler northern climate and came to Penna. Among them was our Swiss forefather, Hans (Johann Schneider).
Hans (Johann Schneider) was born in Geneva Switzerland December 1687. Of his arrival in America there is no official record. It must have been sometime before 1717, the year after which foreigners were required to take the oath of allegiance that he and his wife landed on our shores. It is claimed that he and his wife together with his brother Jacob first settled in what is now Germantown, Phila.
Just how long he remained at Germantown we do not know but the book for proprietary warrants states that he settled at Oley under warrant Nov. 26th, 1717, for 500 acres in Oley Township. The survey of his property taken on this warrant issued to him is dated June 28th, 1729 and calls for 349 acres which amount was patented to him June 3, 1734. The rental charge was 1 shilling for every 100 acres. Nov. 10th, 1738 another warrant for 125 additional acres was issued to Hans Schneider.
Hans was a man of energy and thrift. He was a blacksmith and mechanic of repute. It is said he followed his occupation while living in Germantown. He must have taken a prominent part in the early affairs of his community for records show tat in a petition presented to the court at Philadelphia Sept. 5th, 1720 to erect Oley into a township on account of the inconvenience under which the people labored. Hans was one of the five or six who signed this. For some reason or other the petition was not granted until twentythree years later, in 1740.
The land which he took up in that plot in among the Monocacy Creek including the estate of William H. Cleaver, Clayton Snyder and the Mill estate for a long time owned by Wm. Snyder which at that time also included the estate of Joseph Snyder deceased and Thomas Snyder (All along pike for Oley Line lane at Seidels). He died July 19th, 1743 and is buried in the family burial plot on the Cleaver farm. He was married to Catherine who was born in Switzerland in 1688 and died 1778 and is buried by his side. Hans Schneider had three sons and two daughters. John Jacob1718-1785. Peter 1723-1798. John Henry 1723-1793. Barbara 1727-1788 married to Nicholas Keim. Susanna ------ -----. By will made the day before his death, Hans bequeathed to his son John Jacob the estate north of the road now called Oley Turnpike and to his son Peter the tract lying south of that road. John Jacob had a son whose name was Daniel whose daughter Esther was married to Jacob Gheer. The daughter inherited this farm and later on her descendant Mrs. William K. Cleaver fell heir to the estate.
Peter the second son of Hans was married to Apalonia Youngman about 1746. It is interesting to know that her father John Deidrich Youngman bequeathed to the Moravian church the land on which was established the Moravian school which is now commonly called the Herrwheiter Schoolhouse. While the school was in existence he was its leading support and after his death the school could no longer be maintained as a Moravian institution. Let me remark here it is well to observe how the leading families of the township were drawn together by marriage. The Herbeins, the Keims, the Yoders, the Bertolets, and the Ritters, yes all the prominent families have this become united.
This Peter Snyder and his wife Apolonia lived on the tract now occupied by Clayton Snyder. They had 8 children: John Benjamin 1740-1816. Daniel 1750-1817. Peter 1752-1815. Jacob ______ - 1830. Barbara 1746-1816 married to Ritter. Elizabeth ____ - 1822 married to Faber. Catherine married to Hill. (buried at Oley Church.) Upon the death of Peter which occurred in 1796 his estate was divided between Daniel Benjamin and Peter. Daniel received the old mill property, Benjamin the old homestead and Peter the farm later inherited by Thos. Snyder (father to Thos. C. Snyder). We must in this account eliminate all the children of Peter except Benjamin. I have partly traced Pater’s son Daniel’s family but must take some time to that before I can give the family history in detail. Benjamin the Grandson of Hans and the son of Peter, therefore a member of the third generation was born Dec. 21st, 1748 and died Oct. 25th, 1816. He was married first to Esther Herbein who was born Mar. 9th, 1759. Died May 6th,1797. They were married Mar. 21st, 1780. He was later married to Susannah Wesner who was born Nov. 4th, 1773 and died June 1st, 1837. The children with his first wife are Jacob 1781-1845. Daniel 1783-1825. John 1785-1856. Peter 1787-1853. Susannah wife of Daniel Ritter 1790 - ____. Eliz. wife of Jacob Ritter 1792–1859. Mary 1795–1800. David 1797-1866. With his second wife Gideon 1804-1875.
Probably most of us who are present here today are direct descendants of Benjamin Schneider the great grandfather to others of you; the grandfather to a few of the older generation present. I will attempt today to trace the descendants of only two of these children, those of my great grandfather Peter, and those of David who lived and died on the estate on which you now stand. Pardon me for allowing myself to take up my own lineage. We now come to a period which though unknown to me is yet remembered by some of you. Peter Schneider the fourth son of Benjamin was born Sept. 18th, 1787 and died Oct. 3rd, 1853 exactly a hundred years almost to the month after his great grandfather Hans Schneider. Peter was hired to Peter Herbein who lived on and possessed the farm now occupied by and owned by Adam Snyder. My great grandmother Mary Herbein (Polly as she was usually called then) whom I of course very well remember was servant girl at her uncles home. Pater Herbein not having any direct heirs was willing to bequeath the farm to his niece should she be willing to marry Peter. Whether that was sufficient reason for my great grandparent to marry or not the fact remains that they were married though there was a difference of 20 years between their ages, Mary Herbein having been born in 1807. The following children were born to them. Peter 1829-1903. John 1834-____. Daniel 1840 -____. David 1847 - ____. Sarah 1843-____ married to Henry Esterly. Also a boy and girl dying in early childhood. Grandfather built a home near the Only Line trolley station for a Dr. Leinbach who married Mrs. Lydia Snyder, Jacob E. Snyder’s mother. Dr. Leinbach however died before the house was finished and in 1852 Peter moved off the farm and himself occupied it. He lived in it only one year to Oct. 3rd, 1853 when death called him hence. His funeral services were held in the barn of the old homestead and he is buried in the family burial plot in the orchard of the farm. Peter had inherited from his father a part of the old Snyder homestead ie the farm now embracing the estate of Clayton Snyder, the Oley Line Hotel, and the United Traction Cos. Farm with Jacob his brother. They jointly built the Oley Line Hotel in 1835 and later Jacob took the hotel property with 11 acres and Peter took the old homestead including about 120 acres.
By will dated Sept. 26th, 1853 Peter bequeathed the farm on which he lived and which he inherited from Peter Herbein (the eastern part known as the Kemmerer farm to Daniel.) to Peter the eldest son, my grandfather. The old Snyder homestead was bequeathed to his sons John and David, John receiving the old building and 80 acres and David the new stone house where great grandfather died together with 40 acres. Peter’s widow Mary lived up to 1895 and lies buried beside her husband in the family burial plot. Peter Snyder my grandfather born in 1829 was married to Anna Hechler. He lived on the farm bequeathed to him up to the time of his death which occurred Feb. 27th, 1903. Time forbids me to describe him –like whom I look in spite of his peculiarities with reverential awe as my grandfather, his staunch honesty, his devotion to work, his apparent gruffness and yet his tenderheartedness when his sympathies were aroused, all these qualities I shall never forget.
His children who lived to adult age are Peter 1852- . Mary 1854-1874 married to Adam Kleinginna. Hannah 1859- married to Daniel B Noll. Sallie 1852- married to John Strunk. Adam 18 married to Lucetta Knabb. Grandfather Snyder bought the old Nein farm upon which my father Peter lived for 28 years. Upon his death by will the old homestead was bequeathed to his son Adam and the Nein farm to my father (Peter). Grandmother Snyder died Dec. 12th, 1896. Peter Snyder was born Dec. 27th, 1852 was married to Mary daughter of Henry Moyer. The following children survive: Sallie born April 16th, 1872, married to Wm. Jackson. Henry born Nov. 19th, 1874 married to Minerva Hunsberger. Aaron born July 18th 1876. Mary April 7th, 1878. Elam April 12th, 1880 married to Louise Shalter. Bettie born June 23rd, 1883. Hanna Aug 14th, 1888. On June 26h, 1907 there arrived in the home of Elam a little son whose name is Harold Klam, the first in our line of the eth generation.
Mary Kleinginna was the mother of fie children Alvin, George, Annie, Peter and Elmer, all of them being married but Elmer. Geroge has two children and Peter one named Clarence Paul.
Hanna married to Daniel Noll has two children, Annie married to Ed. Kramer and having three children Jonathan, Hanna and Gertrude and Levi who is still single.
Adam married to Lucetta Knabb has three children Elmer Eva and Florence.
We will next outline the family of John H. Snyder, born 1834 Peter Snyders second son. John lived on the original Snyder homestead which he interited from his father, up to 1888 with the exception of two years when he was the landlord of the Stonersville hotel. He was married to Sarah daughter of Gideon Snyder, Benjamin Snyders granddaughter. She died in 1906. The following children grew to adult age. Chas. 1855-1896 married to Hanna Boone. Catherine 1854- married to Daniel Altenderfer. Higb 1858- married to Rebecca Lorah. Calvin 1880- married to Katie Heck. Milton 1866- married to Deborah Spon. Mary married to David E. snyder grandson of David Snyder who lived on this estate. Sallie 1870- married to Frank Heffner and George - (died a few years ago). Charles had three children, Taryne married to Chas. Moyer. Jennie married to chas. Leinach has one child. Gertrude is the third. Catherine married to Daniel Altenderfer has one son Jesse. John has the following children Mabel, Lorah, Olive, John, Gordon and Clarence, Effinger, Leroy. Calving ahs the following children George, Edgar, Harvey, William, Walter, Sadie married to Harry Derr, Byron and Helen. Mrs Derr has one child Harry. Milton has the following children Maude, Lulu, Paul, Helen, Sarah. Mary married to David E. Snyder has the following children Annie, Raymond and Mazie who died in Oct. 1903. Raymond has two daughters Mary and Ruth. Sallie married Frank Heffner has three sons, Carl, Wayne and Robert. George who died in 1905 has one daughter Edna.
Daniel Snyder the third son of Peter was born in 1840- . He was married to Elizabeth Ritter. With the limited time which I had I could not trace his descendants to the limit and will consequently in this account only enumerate his children. Dorothy married to Peter Conrad, Rolandus, Daniel, Elizabeth, George, Ailee married to Trumbore, Norma married to Wilson Loose and William.
David the fourth son of Peter was born 1847- . He married to Wilhemina Wasser and left 2 daughters, Mery wife of Chas, Moyer and Sallie ____ Ebberts. Both daughters are dead.
Mary left the following children Nina, Chas, Emma, Mammie and Lulu.
Sallie left one son Harry. David lies buried in the family burial plot of his father on Adam Snyders farm.
Sarah married to Henry Esterly born in 1843 is the mother of the following children. John, Harry, Romanus, Alice, Geo, and Sallie. John has two children Mary and John. Harry has one named Franklin. Romanus has four named Mabel, Saran, Paul and Chas. Alice married to Howard Body has 3 children named Emily, Henry and Ralph. I will now take up the decedents of David Snyder the eighth child of Benjamin. To the descendents must be given the credit of inaugurating this family reunion which now having assumed a wider scope then at first will I trust to eventually embrace all descendants of our honored and revered Hans Schneider to whom we all owe our existence.
Daniel Snyder was born on the old Snyder homestead at Oley Line on March 28th, 1797 the year when George Washington went out of the Office of Pres. Of U.S. He was married to Mary Magdelena Leinbach. He inherited this estate from Peter Herbein, lived here until he died suddenly at the Berks county house while on a trip to Reading May 3rd, 1866 attaiing the age of 59 years 2 mon. 5 days. Of his life more will be told later on providence permitting. He is buried at Friedensburg.
The following children grew to adult age. Simon 1821-1867. Benjamin 1825-1860. Rachel married to Wm. Brownback 1827- . Jeremiah 1830-1833. Mary Ann married to Harrision Yoder 1835- . Hacjsib 1837- .
Emma Rebecca married to Daniel Happle 1840- . Joel -1865 was married to Elizabeth Hechler. Simon the oldest son bon in 1821 met death suddenly while coming to this place to acquaint his brother of a misfortune. He was kicked by his horse and instantly killed in 1867. He is buried at Friedensburg. He was married to Mary Esterly and a second time to Sara Quinter. The following are the children. Mrs. Amanda Ludwig married to Albert of Neversink. John e, of Friedensburg, David E. 9th Franklin St. Reading. James E. of Spangeville. Charles of St. Lawrence and with his second wife a daughter Emma married to Jacob Ludwig. Amanda was married to Albert Ludwig, his children are _______ wife of Jacob Leob, Wilton, Clara wife of Barry planner, Sallei wife of Wm. Lutz, Sylvana wife of Chas Hafer, alma wife of Arthur Bechtel, Sadie, Jennie, Bertha and Warren.
Harry married Clementine Rothrock has the following children, Helen, Willard, Henry and Edwin. Mary wife of Jacob Loeb has the following children, Harry, Leroy, edna, Albert and Arthur. Wilton married Daisy Kepperer ha the following, Earl, Erma, Edna and Ella. Clara wife of Harry Planer has the following, elmer, Harry, chas, and George. Sallie wife of Wm. Lutz one child Sou Webster. Sylvana wife of Chas. Hafer has the following Ralph, Arthur, Lloyd and Oscar. John E. has the following, Mrs. Mary Angstadt, Chas, David E. married to Mary daughter of John H. Snyder, her descendants were named in connection with his wife’s family, Elmer. James E has the following children, Nelson, Ella, Warren, Paul, Miriam and Alice. Chas of St. Lawrence is married to Mary daughter of Rachel Snyder Brumbach. Their only surviving daughter is Marian, Maude having died a few years ago.
Benjamin the second son of David Snyder was born Mar. 29th, 1825 and died Nov. 6th, 1860 at the early age of 35 years and is buried at Friedensburg. He resided at the time of his death at St. Lawrence. His wife was Rachel Schmehl. The following are his children, Adeline married to Harrison Seidel, Jefferson, Emma Louisa married to a Mr. Green of Phila, Amelia Amanda who died at the age of fifteen years. Agnes married to Jacob Hopple, Mary Olivia married to Isaac Deturk Stockon, Charles and Thomas.
Adeline March 29th, 1847 is the mother of the following children, Ella wife of Elmer Shell, Benjamin Jefferson, Frederick and Ida wife of Wm. Moyer.
Ella wife of Elmer Shell has 6 children, Walter, George, Christopher, May, Lillian and Dorothy…Benjamin is married to Ida Fisher and has 4 children, Harry, Claude, Carl and Edna. Harry is married to Emma Zuber. Jefferson married to Clara Lorah has 4 chikdren, Lizzie, Iva, Charles and Willie. Frederick married to Maggie Wein has 3 children, Maude, Verna and Ethel. Ida married to Wm. Moyer has 2 children, Esther and Olivia.
Jefferson probably the first of the descendents of Ben. Snyder Jr. i.e. his great grandfather being a member of the Berks county Bar since 1875 was born Nov. 6th, 1848. He was married to Annie yeager daughter of Rev. Thos. Yeager. The following are his children, Mrs. Mary Brister, Thos. Yeager also admitted to the Berks County Bar and John K. Agnes was born Dec. 28th 1853, and married to Jacob Happle. The following are the chikdren, Lillie, Ellis, and Edward. Lillie married Elmer Althouse and has 3 children, Elmer, Helen and Sarah.
Mary Olivia married to Isaac Deturck was born Jan. 24th, 1856. Her children were Kate one of Exeter Townships proficient teachers, James graduate of Princeton University and now a Prof. at Hackensack N.J. Olive in the office of Beard & Co. Reading contractors, Robert, Lulu, and Wayne and Chas. Thos. Stockton, the circumstances of whose most horrible and untimely death are still fresh on our minds was born Nov. 1st, 1859 and met his death together with his wife Ida Brumbach (daughter of Albert Brumbach) at Honda Cal. May 11th, 1907 and was interred at Aulenbachs Cemetery. His 3 orphan children are Edna, Percy and Sarah.
Rachel the child of David Snyder was born Jan. 6th, 1827. She was the 2nd. Wife of __________ Brumbach. Tho almost 81 years old she is well preserved. Her children are the following. David, George, Thomas, Aaron, and Mary wife of Chas. Snyder. David married to Sarah Leinbach has the following children, Harry, Chester, Carrie wife of Harry Ream and Bertolet. Harry Brumbachs children are Helen and John. Carrie Reams child is named Sarah. George Brumbach was married to __________ Rohrbach. The names of his surviving children are Annie, Murray, --Mabel and Belle having died a few years ago. Thomas who with his wife Susan Lorah met his death in like manner wit Stockton Snyder & wife leaves the following children, Ada, Paul, Eva, and Ray. Aaron Brumbach married to Mare Esterly has 3 children Bertha Arthur and Stewart. Mary was married to Charles Snyder. Her Family is recorded in connection with her husbands family.
Mary Ann married to Harrison Yoder was born March 3rd, 1835.
Jackson who has the honor of living on his fathers farm was born Nov. 29th, 1837. He resided on his father homestead since childhood and is rightly regarded as one of Oleys honored and respected citizens. His first wife was Elizabeth Herbein with whom he had the following children, Hettie wife of Samuel Reiff, Lucy wife of Ambrose Kuhns, Elizabeth wife of Frank Eshelman, and Mary who died about 9 years ago. His second wife is Anna Lutz with whom he had the following children, Howard, Grover, Emma, David and Bird. Mrs Heetie Reiff has two daughters Etta and Laura. Mrs Lucy Kuhns has a daughter Clara and a son Wm. Snyder Kuhns. Mrs Elizabeth Eshelman living in Stonersville as a son Paul. Mary had a daughter Edna. Grober married to Carrie Eliz. Fleck has a daughter Carrie.______________.
Emma Rebecca, married to Daniel Happle and living at St. Lawrence was born April 17th, 1840. Joel Snyder who was married to Eliz. Hechler died March 31st, 1865 and is buried at Friedensburg. His children are Mary Ann married to Thomas Ulrich living at Cornwall, Lebanon county. Emma married to John Fries at Reading, Minerva wife of Joseph Kistling and charles. Minerva Kistling died about 6 years ago and is buried at Schwartzwald. Her children are Joseph, Catherine married to George Sheetz, William, Robert, Minnie, John, Chas, Milton and Earl.
Joseph married to Minnie Dauthrich has 1 child Elaine.
Catherine (Mrs. Sheetz) has 1 child Bertha. William married to Bessie Hoyer has 1 child William. Mrs. Ulrich (Mary Ann) lives at Cornwall, Lebanon Co. and has the following children, Fred, rose, Frank, John, Harry, Mary, Thomas and Paul. Emma was first married to Ephrium Witmer and the following are her children, Thurman, Mamie and Lizzie. Her second husband is John Fries. Charles is married to Maggie Minnieh who died about 33 years ago an has two sons Ray and Ralph.
Submitted by Todd.
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