Kathleen, I have pondered those letters published by Brumbaugh more than one time and am still perplexed. Michael Etter was a Dunker minister and Elder, who in 1818 came from Huntingdon Co PA to Newton twp, Miami Co OH and with minister and Elder David Deeter formerly of Bedford Co PA formed the Panther Creek [later renamed Sugar Grove] church district. Michael died in 1847 at the age of 70, followed the next year by his 72 year old widow, Eve, both being buried in Sugar Grove Cemetery. The Elizabeth wife of A. Grubb who died in 1837 at the age of 77 would have been 17 years older than Michael. The name of Eve virsus Elizabeth throws a monkeyrench into the mix. You will find more on the name of Grubb at http://www.pcdl.lib.oh.us/miami/searchg.cfm which is an index to county records in the Miami Valley of Ohio. I found on RootsWeb, a listing of the Grubb children as Andrew, John, Jacob, Abraham, Mary w/o Jacob Smith, Catherine, Sarah, Elizabeth w/o Mr. Prough, and Samuel h/o Hannah Boyer. The contributor lists the parents as Abraham who died 1818 in Hopewell twp, Huntingdon Co PA and wife Elizabeth Fretz. I did see that other researchers place Abraham & Elizabeth (Fretz) Grubb as moving to Ontario, Canada where they apparently died, so there is an obvious mixup. Gale ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathleen Holder" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:46 AM Subject: Re: [BRE] Souder/Sowders, Miami County, OH The records that led me to look in Miami County in the first place include three letters that were transcribed and printed in "The Genealogy of the Brumbach families*" by* Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh. The first letter is dated May 18, 1823 and reads: "Kind greetings to you my children Jacob Krob and Abraham and Samuel and to your wives I you mother greet you with joy and love and wish you to know that I am still in good health at this time God be thanked for it Anna too Andrews wife and his children are all still in good health for the present I you mother wish to tell you that I am still with Anna and have nothing to complain of at present I wish that these few lines may find you in good health and I wish to inform you that we sent you a letter in July. I have been wondering how it happened that you did not receive it for we wrote you everything that happened to Andreas that he died and what was his illness namely fever, Michael Etter King greetings also from me Gorg Brumbach The second letter is from John Souder and Sarah Souder to Jacob Krob to "add a few lines to my Mothers letter." The third, described as having been written on the same sheet, is addressed to "George Brumbaugh Dear Brother" and signed Joshua Souder and Mary Souder.

Gale, I agree those letters are puzzling. I wish I could see the originals. I wonder if Michael Etter, as minister, might have wrirtten the letter on behalf of Elizabeth Grubb, if she was not literate. I don't know if there was any family connection between them. I have seen suggestions that Eve Reep Etter may have been previously married to a Grubb, but I am unsure that is so. Since reading your thoughtful reply, I've been going back over records I have found connecting these families. And, like the letters, these seem to raise as many questions as they might answer. The 1810 census shows two Grubb families in Hopewell Township, Huntingdon, PA (with male household heads listed with first initials G and E, which is puzzling because Abraham is listed there in 1800). Names above and below them in 1810 are Garner (also connected by marriage to my Grubb line) and Bower. On the same page is a Teeter (Deeter?) family and below that two Etter families. In 1820 in Newton, Miami, OH, Andrew Grubb is listed right below Michael Etter. I do not know where his mother was living in that year, but in 1830, there was a female age 60-69 in the household of John Souder in Newberry, Miami, OH, and I suspect that was his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Grubb. Bauers/Bowers is my strongest lead for Elizabeth's maiden name, but still unproven. Pages 358-9 of the Brumbaugh history describes the settlement of Isaac Bauer "Bowers amongst his chiildren, with an Abraham Krob listed along with three Brumbaughs and four Ba. However, the settlement was 1820, and the elder Abraham Krob/Grubb died 1814. That Elizabeth (Fretz) Grub/Grob and her husband, Abraham, went to Ontario, Canada, looks pretty well documented at this site, http://www.grobb-grubb-genealogy.com/grobb-grubb-genealogy-generation-03.htm Though, interestingly, that website also refers to 1796 and 1799 tax records in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, PA, for another Abraham Grubb, who was a weaver. In *History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties*, Pennsylvania by J. Simpson Africa Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883, pp. 336-340, it says: "Isaac Bowers, from Berks, and Abraham Grubb, from Bucks County, came to this valley in the early part of the present century." The estate inventory for the Abraham Grubb d.1814 in Hungtingdon Co lists a loom and other weaving supplies. One of the witnesses was a Joshua Souder. Those names you found for the nine children of Abraham and Elizabeth match what I have, as well as a listing in “The Crobfs/Krupps/Kropfs of Pennsylvania” by Yvonne C. Prough, published in *Mennonite Family History*, January 1987 (many thanks to Dwayne Wightsman for that source). That article identifies Abraham as son of Jacob Krop/Krupp, who arrived on the ship Allen in 1729 with Alexander Mack, settled in Salford Township, PA, and married Maria Oblinger/Uplinger. And that jibes with DNA tests results, which link me and my siblings to descendants of other Kropf family members aboard the Allen. Writing this out has been really helpful to thinking this through, and makes me realize that I'm still uncertain about the liaeage of the Grubbs buried in Sugar Grove Cemetery. Now to find some of those records listed in that Miami County index. Thanks so much for your help. Kathleen