The record of baptisms of the Conestoga Brethren include, among many others, the following: Jacob Baer/Bear - 1742 Henry Baer/Bear and Wife - 1743 Anna Baer/Bear - 1747 Veronica/Fronica/Freny Graff/Groff - 1750 Hannes/John Graff/Groff - 1754 Madeline Baer - 1763 First question: Does anyone know about one or more of the above individuals? Second question: Were they possibly from the early Swiss Mennonite Baer/Bear and Graff/Groff families that intermarried and lived in Earl Township, Lancaster County? Third question: In a footnote on p. 161 of his book, Martin Grove Brumbaugh says his first ancestor on his mother's side was Hans Graff/Groff who came to Pennsylvania in 1696 and ultimately settled in Earl Township. Was this the same person as the Hans Groff who was married to Anna Bear and to Susanna Orendorff Kendig, who wrote his will 7 Nov 1738 in Earl Township where he died before 5 May 1746? If so, what is the line from him to Martin Grove Brumbaugh? Fourth question: My own Grove ancestor was a Jacob Grove who was Brethren in Wilkes/Ashe, North Carolina, during the late 1700s, and whose children migrated to Muhlenberg, Kentucky, in 1801. Was this Jacob Grove a descendant of the Earl Township Graff/Groff/Groves? Was he the Jacob Grove who was the son of Martin Graff (died before 1760) of Earl Township? Dwayne Wrightsman

Re: Graff/Baer Brethren I have done some research regarding these families. I know that a Jacob Graff lived in Lebanon Township, and that his daughter married Jacob Thommen, a son of Durst Thommen II. A Jacob Graff and wife were on the Ephrata listing of 1770, and Durst Thommen II and his father and siblings were associated with Ephrata. Jacob died about 1782. 1750 Lebanon Township tax records show Jacob Graff, and he is listed as neighbors to Henry Kline, and George Myer in 1762 land records. 1749 land records for Michael Kline show neighbors Jacob Graff and Christopher Myer. George was a son of Christopher. Ephrata is a short distance to the Lebanon Township area where these people lived. Land records also show Jacob Graff was neighbor to Christian Stump (Brother of Brethren John Stump) and John Zeller and David Zeller. Emmert Bittinger wrote an article on the Brethren Bowman family and notes their connection to Jacob Zeller. He notes that the Bowman family came from the Quitophelia region of Lancaster County, which is Lebanon Township. A Jacob Bowman warranted property that was patented by Martin Light, another neighbor of Jacob Graff. Martin Light was the uncle of Elder Michael Meyer. Daniel Seiler and Henry Eller (both associated with the Beaver Dam Congregation) also lived in the same vicinity if Lebanon Township. I have looked at the Bare/Bar/Bear family, and found no connection to the Brethren names you list. There was a John Bear on the Bethel Township, Lancaster County non-associator list of 1777. Bill Thomas

I have Henry Baer/Bear/Bar/Barin, married Mary Moyer/Meyer, daughter Hannah, b. April 18, 1750 in Redstone, Fayette, PA. Hannah married Christian Kauffman (Stehman) Stemen April 1, 1770, in Redstone, PA. Their son, Henry S. Stemen, b. 1775, Green/Lancaster Co, PA (married Mary Beery in Rockingham Co, VA) and in 1803 went to Fairfield County, Ohio, where he was one of the original settlers. In 1809, Rev. Stemen was called to the ministry of the Mennonite Church. Karen Johnson Bagford ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dwayne Wrightsman" <dwayne55@comcast.net> To: <brethren@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 2:49 PM Subject: [BRE] Baer/Bear & Graff/Groff Brethren > The record of baptisms of the Conestoga Brethren include, among many > others, > the following: > > Jacob Baer/Bear - 1742 > Henry Baer/Bear and Wife - 1743 > Anna Baer/Bear - 1747 > Veronica/Fronica/Freny Graff/Groff - 1750 > Hannes/John Graff/Groff - 1754 > Madeline Baer - 1763 > > First question: Does anyone know about one or more of the above > individuals? > > Second question: Were they possibly from the early Swiss Mennonite > Baer/Bear and Graff/Groff families that intermarried and lived in Earl > Township, Lancaster County? > > Third question: In a footnote on p. 161 of his book, Martin Grove > Brumbaugh > says his first ancestor on his mother's side was Hans Graff/Groff who came > to Pennsylvania in 1696 and ultimately settled in Earl Township. Was this > the same person as the Hans Groff who was married to Anna Bear and to > Susanna Orendorff Kendig, who wrote his will 7 Nov 1738 in Earl Township > where he died before 5 May 1746? If so, what is the line from him to > Martin > Grove Brumbaugh? > > Fourth question: My own Grove ancestor was a Jacob Grove who was Brethren > in Wilkes/Ashe, North Carolina, during the late 1700s, and whose children > migrated to Muhlenberg, Kentucky, in 1801. Was this Jacob Grove a > descendant of the Earl Township Graff/Groff/Groves? > Was he the Jacob Grove who was the son of Martin Graff (died before 1760) > of > Earl Township? > > Dwayne Wrightsman > > > > ------------------------ > Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN > ------------------------ > Support Our Sponsoring Agency > The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) > For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:McAdamsr@hotmail.com > ------------------------ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRETHREN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

RE: I have Henry Baer/Bear/Bar/Barin, married Mary Moyer/Meyer, daughter Hannah, b. April 18, 1750 in Redstone, Fayette, PA. Like the Jacob Pfoutz birth location of 1737 Westmoreland County, I also question the location of a 1750 birth at Redstone. The area west of the Allegheny (Blue) Ridge was deemed Indian Territory by the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744. The Ohio Company that would lay claim to this area was not granted this land by the king until July 1749 (didn't take them long to break the treaty!). The first trading post was built at Cumberland Maryland in 1750, and a second trading post at Redstone was not built until 1752. The whites in this area were Indian traders. It wasn't long after that when the French kicked out the English from this area, and the French & Indian War began. The source of this information is the diary of George Washington. Bill Thomas

In The Groff Book, Vol 2 - Jane Evans Best lists countless members of the Bar/Baer/Bear/Beer families and some of their background as well as Graff/Groff/Grove families. In her notes she indicates she previously has published several articles for PMH including "A Bear Saga: Lancaster Co. & beyond" and "European Roots of the Bear Families of Lancaster Co", which publications I have never seen.. Janes Evans Best, is she is still available, may be the best researcher to ask about the persons listed below. Wayne Lucore Dwayne Wrightsman <dwayne55@comcast.net> wrote: The record of baptisms of the Conestoga Brethren include, among many others, the following: Jacob Baer/Bear - 1742 Henry Baer/Bear and Wife - 1743 Anna Baer/Bear - 1747 Veronica/Fronica/Freny Graff/Groff - 1750 Hannes/John Graff/Groff - 1754 Madeline Baer - 1763 First question: Does anyone know about one or more of the above individuals? Second question: Were they possibly from the early Swiss Mennonite Baer/Bear and Graff/Groff families that intermarried and lived in Earl Township, Lancaster County?

I may be mistaken, but I think Jane passed away a few months ago. You can buy all the Bear Saga Mennonite books on line. I bought them, many years ago. Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wayne Lucore" <welucore@yahoo.com> To: <brethren@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 3:01 PM Subject: Re: [BRE] Baer/Bear & Graff/Groff Brethren > In The Groff Book, Vol 2 - Jane Evans Best lists countless members of the > Bar/Baer/Bear/Beer families and some of their background as well as > Graff/Groff/Grove families. > In her notes she indicates she previously has published several articles > for PMH including "A Bear Saga: Lancaster Co. & beyond" and "European > Roots of the Bear Families of Lancaster Co", which publications I have > never seen.. > Janes Evans Best, is she is still available, may be the best researcher > to ask about the persons listed below. > > Wayne Lucore > > Dwayne Wrightsman <dwayne55@comcast.net> wrote: > The record of baptisms of the Conestoga Brethren include, among many > others, > the following: > > Jacob Baer/Bear - 1742 > Henry Baer/Bear and Wife - 1743 > Anna Baer/Bear - 1747 > Veronica/Fronica/Freny Graff/Groff - 1750 > Hannes/John Graff/Groff - 1754 > Madeline Baer - 1763 > > First question: Does anyone know about one or more of the above > individuals? > > Second question: Were they possibly from the early Swiss Mennonite > Baer/Bear and Graff/Groff families that intermarried and lived in Earl > Township, Lancaster County? > > > ------------------------ > Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN > ------------------------ > Support Our Sponsoring Agency > The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) > For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:McAdamsr@hotmail.com > ------------------------ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRETHREN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Re your second question about Swiss origin, anytime you see the name Veronica or Fronica or Freny you get to suspect that she was born in Kanton Zurich. This comes from Saint Verena, patroness of Zurich. If the lady had actually been named Verena, you could be almost certain. I have been reading parish records chasing Slifer ancestors. John McLeod At 02:49 PM 4/9/08 -0400, "Dwayne Wrightsman" <dwayne55@comcast.net> wrote: >The record of baptisms of the Conestoga Brethren include, among many others, >the following: > >Jacob Baer/Bear - 1742 >Henry Baer/Bear and Wife - 1743 >Anna Baer/Bear - 1747 >Veronica/Fronica/Freny Graff/Groff - 1750 >Hannes/John Graff/Groff - 1754 >Madeline Baer - 1763 > > >Second question: Were they possibly from the early Swiss Mennonite >Baer/Bear and Graff/Groff families that intermarried and lived in Earl >Township, Lancaster County?