The Nafzger Heritage News
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See here for the pdf version (scanned images) of this issue.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nafzger Heritage News Vol XVIII No 4 Raw OCR - 7/28/04 Please see pdf version for original image http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nafzger/NHN/NHNvXVIIIn4.pdf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I Iie Jbf Theritaca i US/CAN 929 N13n v Winter 1989—90 sa VOL XVIII, No 4 CHRISTIAN N. OF CANADA Christian Naffziger was a major figure in the history of the Amish in Canada. We have found a few articles concerning him. We will offer a thumb nail sketch on this Amish leader. We hope that our readers will respond with additional information. Christian’s obituary appeared on May 5, 1836 in the Canada Museum, the first newspaper published in Berlin (present-day Kitchener) Ontario. L of Christian Naffziger Mr Naffziger was born in Rheni sh Bavaria in I 776. In 1821 he left his family to look for a new home, and reached New Orleans in January, 1822. In Lancaster county he was given money and an old horse and came in January 1822 to Upper Canada. He went to the Governor and was granted a piece of land west of Waterloo, the present Wilmot township. Then he returned to London and went to the King who granted to him and his fellow country men each 50 acres. In January 1823 he returned to his family. Several of his friends here agreed to advance the money for travelling and in the Spring of 1826 he and his family and other people set out. He arrived in Philadelphia and later was taken care of by people of Bucks county and given a welcome. In October he reached here with hi s wife , three sons and two daughters and in 1827 he took possession of his land in Wilmot. We have been unable to verify the 1822 arrival in New Orleans by looking at ship manifests. However his arrival in August, 1826 aboard the ship Nimrod was located. Christian’s family and their ages were written as follows: Christian, 50 years, Maria 45 yrs, Catharine 14 yrs, Jacobina 12 yrs, Christian 12 yrs, Johannes 9 yrs and Joseph 7 yrs. (Aboard the same ship were Peter Naffziger and his family: Peter aged 38 yrs, Barbara 36 yrs, Elisabeth 12 yrs, Jacob 10 yrs, Magdalena 8 yrs, Barbara 6 yrs, Jacobina 4 yrs and Peter 2 yrs. Peter has been referred to as “ the Apostle “ . ) In addition , there was Johannes Naftzeiger 19 years; it is unknown how he was related to the others. Other Arnish families on the ship were Danner, Goldscbrnidt, Hochstettler and Rudy. According to Mennonite Encyclopedia Christian was married to Maria Statler, whose father was a tenant at Gem, an estate near Munich, Germany. Christian was born in t (modern Palatinate plus additional territory) and for some years he worked on an estate near Munich. Although Christian’s parents and place of birth have never been proven, it is probable that he was a son of Christian and Madleine Gungerich and was born in 1778 at Geilweilerhof near Siebeldingen. Other children registered in the parish records were Jacobina, Johannes, Peter and Magdalena. If this is correct, then Christian of Canada ou1d have been a great—grandson of Ulrich who emigrated in 1741. FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY Continued on Page Six 35 NORTH WEST TEMPLE SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84150 ¶fllE NAFZGER HERITAGE NEWS 1432 W. HARRISON ST. 4t2B cHICAGo, ILL 60607 * * * * * * Editor - RAY NOFTSGER * * * * * * * * SUBSCRIPTION FEE Ten Ebliars Yearly Published quarterly-— Fall, 1 Spring and Suniner. The publication of the News is a joint effort by Clair Naftzger, the original editor, and Ray Noftsger. The writing of the News and subscription lists are primarily the responsibility of Ray. The printing and mailing Clair handles from Ohio. To coordinate our efforts, we ask that our readers look at the date which appears after your last name in the mailing address. This date was on your check when your last subscription fee was paid . The renewal of your subscription is due on the anniversary after that date. Thank you for helping the News keep our record- keeping efforts to a minimum. We appreciate your past support and it is our hope that you will continue to support our efforts with the family genealogy . Thank you. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Clair, Betty and Kathleen Naftzger and Ray, Tina, David and Marc Noftsger to extend to our cousins a rry Christmas and Happy New Year . We hope the News will have another decade of success and that reader participation continue to increase. Thank your for your support. Brief Surrinary of the Amish Continued from Page Three first settled in Berks county in the Blue mountains. They later settled in Lancaster, Lebanon and Chester counties. Coninon Amish families were Hertzler, Hochstetler, Yoder, Zook, Lapp, Fisher, Kauffman, Beiler, King, Mast, Plank, Stoltzfus and Stutzmann. By the 1760s some of these families were already emigrating to Somerset county, PA. The first Amish settlers in Ohio came from Somerset county, PA and located in Holmes county. Wayne county was settled next, followed by Logan county . The Amish in Butler and Fulton counties Ohio did not come from Pennsylvania but were from an entirely new group. From the 1820 to 1850 large numbers came the Alsace, Lorraine, Bavaria and Hesse-lJarmstadt and Hesse-Nassau. These emigrants not only settled in Ohio, but also in Lewis county, New York; Wilmot township, On, Canada ; Lee and Henry counties , Iowa ; and in 183 1 a group from the Alsace and Lorraine settled in Tazwell, Bureau and Woodford counties, Illinois. Common names of the latter group were Naffziger , Schertz , Stucki , Gerber , Roth, Litwiller , Kennel and Gascho . The earliest Amish settlement in Indiana began in 1841 when the Miller and Bontragers from Somerset county, PA settled in Elkhart county. Other early settlements west of the Mississippi were in 1840 in Lee county, Iowa; 1855 in Hickory and Cass counties, Missouri; Seward county, Nebraska in 1873; and Reno county, Kansas in the eighties. wish that will * * * * * * * * * * * * * Page Two Brief Surrirtary of the Mush We have written many articles on the Naffzigers and made references to their Muish-Mennonite origins. Occasionally we have received letters requesting additional information on the Amish-Mennonites. We hope that the following surrinary will answer some of the general questions. However we add a word of caution; we are not experts on the Amish. We are relying mostly upon what others have written; rarely do the Muish write about themselves; they leave that to uoutsidershl. The Arnish, like the Mennonites, trace their origins to the Anabaptist movement which occurred during the Reformation. The movement developed almost simultaneously in Switzerland and Holland and can not be traced to any one central figure. The word “Anabaptist” means “rebaptizer” and was practiced on the grounds that infant baptism was unscriptual. In Switzerland they were called “Swiss , in Austria “ “ and in northern Germany and Holland “Menists “ . The name of the Mennonites derive from Menno Simons ( 1496- 1561) who was an important Anabaptist in northern Germany and Holland. His followers were first called “Menists” after his first name. The central idea of the Anabaptist was to revive a New Testament church. The Brethern agreed with Luther that every person had the right of free access to God by faith . But they obj ected to a state church . Furrm, the Anabaptist ‘ s ideal was to establish a voluntary church which would be composed of people who chose to follow Christ due to their own free will and they would fashion their life upon plain teachings. The first division of the Swiss Brethern was the Amish schism which broke out in the 1690s. The period was one in which there was widespread persecution. Jacob imiann was the Mennonite leader for whom the Muish received their name. He questioned the enormous authority and power of the Catholic church. He criticized the vanities of the church, the ornate ceremonies and luxurious clothing worn by priests. Aninann’s beliefs directed his followers to lead a good and decent life; a return to the plain and simple. Pious feelings and simple rural living would go together; practice your beliefs; and customs and traditions will reinforce religious beliefs. Another young bishop led one group which practiced strict shunning as a policy of discipline and demanded that the alder customs be practiced. The coirinon images of the Amish men with beards and the “hooks and eyes” on clothes spring to mind as examples of adherance to older customs. Today while the Amish have remained “static” on these points, the Mennonites have “progressed” away from them. In en, the Amish and Mennonite agree in doctrine ( such as opposition to taking oaths, infant baptism, military service and acceptance of public office ) ; in pract ice however there exists a wide divergence between them. The Old Order Amish constitute the main line of the brotherhood. Religious services are simple and held every two weeks in private homes. If the congregatioi becomes too big, it is divided into districts. The church offices of the Old Order are the bishop, the minister and the deacon. Normally the Amish do not practice evangelism and in this respect differ from the Mennonite churches. Working and making a living are probably the two chief aims of the Amish in the material world. Generally after the eighth grade formal education ends and boys and girls are taught the practical experiences which will make them successful, industrious and prosperous. Since 1697 the Amish have moved into European territories of the Palatinate, Montbeliard, France, Luxembourg and Bavaria and America. The Amish caine first to America in 1710 and in large numbers between 1727 and 1754. They Continued on Page Two Page Three Jacob W. Nafziger rion Nafziger of Stanford, IL writes about Jacob W. Nafziger, an ancestor of Judie Neuhaus of Lakeside, CA and Duane L. Nafziger of Cleghorn, IA. In the 1989 Summer Issue of the News, we outlined the family of Jacob W. Nafziger for Judie Neuhaus. Marion Nafziger sent a kind letter in response to the inquiry. He enclosed the obituaries for Jacob W. Nafziger and his wife Elisabeth. These clarified many questions. The obituaries were printed in the The tX Pantagraph. Jacob’s appeared on April 19, 1899 and Elisabeth’s on September 22, 1908. They read as follows: ThE of Jacob W. Nafziger Mr Jacob W. Nafziger died at his home in Dry Grove Monday night at 12 O’Clock. He was an old citizen, having come to Illinois over fifty years ago, and settled near Danvers. During the last twenty-two years he has lived in Dry Grove township, where he owns a farm of 200 acres. Mr Nafziger had been ill only four weeks. t leaves a widow and five children. They are: Ferdinand and Mrs. Bertha , living in Danvers ; Gustav , on the home farm in Dry Grove; Edward, at IAinboy, and George, at Cleghorn, Iowa. All are married. George moved to Iowa only a month ago. Mr. Nafziger was a man of excellent character and highly respected by all throughout his long and useful life . He was one of the thr ifty and energetic citizens of western McLean county. Mrs Naffziger is d . Aged resident of Danvers died Monday at age of 86. - Mrs Elisabeth Naffziger died at 1 1 : 40 Monday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs A.B. Gingerich, in Danvers, after an illness of nine weeks duration. Elisabeth Naffziger was born March 24, 1822, in Blessenbach, Germany . She was united in marriage to Jacob Naffziger in 1847. They emigrated to America in 1854. Eight children were born of this union, five of whom survive: F.D. Naffziger, of Batavia, Ia; Mrs A.B. Gingerich, of Danvers; G.H. Naffziger, of Bloomington; Edward Naffziger, of Phoenix, Ariz; and G.W. Naffziger of Cleghorn, IA. Her husband died April 17, 1899. Deceased is survived by fourteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She has been faithful and consistent member of the Mennonite Church for many years. The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. today at the Presbyterian Church in Danvers. Rev. John Gingerich will preach in German and Rev W.W. Wilson will preach in English. We wrote in the 1989 Summer Issue of the News that Jacob and Elisabeth emigrated to America in 1851/52. The obit above states 1854; however their child Ferdinand was born in America circa 1 852 according to various census’. Elisabeth’s birth at Blessenbach in 1822 is not surprising but curious. Continued on page Five Page Four Jacob W. Nafziger Continued from page Four Blessenbach is a small village in Hesse—Nassau south from Weilburg. We know that Valentin Nafziger and his wife Elisabeth (who may also have been a Naffziger) lived on the estate Hbrderhof at Blessenbach in 1813. Prior they have lived on the estate Ludwigsberger Hof at Seelbach, another village in Hesse-Nassau. Valentin was born in 1748 and died in 1826. Elisabeth was born in 1760 and died in 1825. They had sons named Johannes and Christian and perhaps a third named Jacob. We are uncertain as to who was the father of Elisabeth, although we can say that he was neither Johannes nor Christian. Nor do we know who were the parents of Jacob W Nafziger. As we previously wrote in the News, Jacob and Elisabeth first moved next to Frederick and Barbara Naffziger in Stouts Grove township, McLean county, IL upon their arrival in Illinois. Frederick and Barbara, emigrated in 1840 and lived first in Butler county, OH prior to moving to McLean county. Barbara was a Naffziger who was born in 1817 at Horderhof, the daughter of Jacob and Barbara Naffziger but exactly how she was related to Elisabeth, wife of Jacob W. is uncertain. There is a strong possibility that they may have been sisters, which would help explain why they resided next to each other in Illinois. But we must have additional information, which we hope readers will provide. An updated listing of the family follows. 1. Jacob W. (= 26 June 1817 Hesse—Nassau + 17 April 1899 Dry Grove, IL) m. Elisabeth [ Naffsinger] (= 24 Mar 1822 Blessenbach + 21 Sept 1908) Married in 1847 in Germany Lived Stouts Grove and Dry Grove townships, McLean Co IL. Irr 1851/1852 according to census ‘ ; 1854 in the obituary. 11. Elisabeth (= about 1851 Hesse—Nassau + ?) 12 . Ferdinand D . ( = about 1852 IL + ?) Lived at Batavia, IL 13 . A . Bertha ( = about 1854 IL + ?) m. August B. Gingerich, lived at Danvers 14. Gustavus H. (= 1860 IL + ?) ‘ Lived at Bloomington, IL 15 . Louis ( = about 1862 + ? 16. Edward ( 7 Mar 1863 Danvers, IL + 7 Oct 1935 Phoenix, AZ) m. Sussie Louise Carius (= 5 Sept 1869 Germany + 12 May 1954 co) (d/o Peter & Elisabeth [ M: 6 Feb 1890 Tazewell Ca, IL 161. Clarence W. (= 13 Dec 1891 IL + 15 Feb 1958 CA) m. 1 . Eden Fergeson ( = ? + ? 2. Margrete (+ ? + 19 June, 1988 CA) 1611. Richard (= 23 April 1921 + Living) 1612. Fergeson (=23 June 1936 TX + Living) 162. Charles Lewis (= 3 Dec 1893 + 15 Feb 1966 Chandler, AZ) m. Mable Evelyn (Dilley) Sullivan (= 20 Dec 1891 + 4 July 1956) 15 Apr 1916 Phoenix, AZ. 1621. Phyllis (= 30 Aug 1914 AZ + Living) 1622. Jayne Louise (18 May 1918 + 17 Jan 1964) m. Lue Clark Gist (= ? + ?) 29 July, 1934 Phoenix, AZ 1623. Charles Lewis Jr. (= 8 Nov 1927 + 11 Nov 1976 CA) 163. Clint Earl (= 20 Apr, 1902 + 13 Mar, 1932) 17. George W. (= about 1866 + ?) m. ? Luella Brenneman (=? +?) Lived Cleghorn, IA Page Five Cbristian Naffziger of canada Continued from Page One Nalzigcr (Nafzger, Nafiziger, Nafzinger, Naffzer, Naftziger, Nofziger, Nofisinger, Nofskcr, Naltiger), a Mennonite name of Swiss origin, found in the 18th century in the P;ilatinate, where Jo Naf zigcr (q.zi.) was an elder of the Essingen congre gation until about 1790, and in Alsa:e, where Christian Nafziger as an elder of the Froensberg congregation from 1765 until after ISIO, while Chris- tian Nafzigcr, Jr., was jj elder of the Stioete C(fl gregation from about lio5 until after 1 In }- ( qt’.) Hans Nafzigcr was a preicher in the district of Na lS6-ca. and Peter Nafzi çcr about the end of the lSth century on the Kain mcrhof in the principality of f)arrnstadt. .\ branch of the Nafzigers settled in Lu-See here for the pdf version (scanned images) of this issue. Copyright 2020 Benjamin Noffsinger
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