w YODER NEWSLETTER - Yoder Family Information

w YODER NEWSLETTER w 

Vol. I No. 1 P.O. Box 594 Goshen, tN 46526 May, 1983 

A BIT O] }iISfORY 

A11 American Yoders whose ancestry is 

known or suspected trace thei.r li"neage to 

the ioCer cl.an in the canton o,'' tsern in 

Switzer'land. They are a very olC 1a.rnily, 

a.npa.rr,:rrt.l)i of Germanic-Swiss stock, yet 

the: name com('s from St . T'heod ore (l'heo- 

Corus, fheodulus) a missionary monk who 

in the fourth century crossed the Alps from 

Italy to bring the Gospel to the Valais 

country in r:outhern Srvitzerland. This 

patron saint was helcl in ever greater reverence 

as tirne went on, and we hope in forthcoming 

Newsletters to give more on the 

story of his 1iJ-e and inj'luence anC oJ St. 

Joder iterns and places sti11 existing toclay. 

Joderhuebel (YoCer liill) is a naturaf 

fortress on the Emme iiiver in tlre sou'bltern 

part of the canton of Bern. Since it was 

so namcri as far ba.ck as anyone can remember 

ancl Joders were said to have lived there in 

1,h4 mirldler a13es, researcl)er iiarl ioCer of 

Ludwigshafen-am-Rhein (ivest Gerrnany) believes 

the f'ami1y must have lived there 

beJ'ore recorcecr history. Tl-re oldest reoord 

he has found i-s oi a- Feter ioder born in 

.joderhueb.el in 1260. In 1389 a grandson 

Ul1i Joder and his son ]ieini were arnong the 

leaviest taxpayers at iiuttwil, a town about 

thirtw w/r^r wJ mi'lps nnrt\. ]iarl .joCer iS confident 

that the ioders founrJ later ln nearby towns 

can bc traced back to U1li. . . in6lr-rding those 

of' the town oi Stefiîsburs. 

'located 

Steff istrrrrr- 

near Yhun south of 

t> t 4v 

Bern, is truly the homeplace of many American 

Yoders anrl j-n discussing our European 

origins we shall refer to Steffisburg again 

anC aga.in. jlere iorrers l-ive

A WORD TROH TIIE EDITORS 

BEII IODER 

does dePend on You too' 

To set You at ease regarding the two of us' 

both Yodersr we want to introduce ourseLves to 

our readers. We hope and PraY this venture will 

be the first of r"ty tot" to come, but this 

I am Ben F. Yoder, resident of Goshen'IN" 

to.i i" Middlebury,IN' ln l-gl-r' I am a retired 

teacher. My church affiliation for over 45 

vears has been with the Goshen Christian lleforned 

bnurch. Since a6e 10 Irve worked in grocery 

6tore6r factorles, ice and ice cream plantr 

coal oifice, and as a real estate salesman' 

ou.i"S WI'JII; I Eerved the United States coast 

.Guardl both ashore and asea, aa a Radioman' 

ai;;;'the war, I reenterecl Goshen College received 

a degree and entered t'lestern lvtichigan 

University tetting a l'iasters while teaching' Irve 

aiso "ttenaia s"U State, Indiana state' and 

Indiana Universities. Several years a8o I retired 

fron teaching of which ti-rrl: years were spent as 

aa elenentari school principal' Ijlnce then Irve 

aDent five years aa part-time courier and custoai"" 

"t the salen Bank & Trust Co'r from which 

I retired in Iate 1982. 

Irve the Privilege of enjoyin6 over 4l years 

of happiness with nY good and faithful wife, Ne1l 

(Hoogenboon). Together we spent happY years 

raised four children. 

through the DePression and 

Irra the eighth of nine children 

and Laura v. (uifter) Ioder, both 

thJ.s countY. 

Both Chrie and I were strangers until Rache1 

Kreider got us together' Rachel (wel"l-k'nown to 

r"r" .l ]ou) t". long been steeped in loder 

fareily lore and is well-done and ready to serve' 

We riil look forward to Rachelrs literar;l contributions 

j'nforming afl of our rich heritage and 

roots. 

rler knowlidge of the very early Yoders in 

Switzerland should be enri'ching' 

But we look to each Yoder (and related readers) 

to nake contributions of anecdotes, family jokes' 

lecends. etc.' which wil). put life in the pages 

oi"rrtu"" issues. Therers a lot of "ti6don and 

wit out there. Letrs preserve it for the future' 

Itrs up to all 6f us. Letrs do itl 

CIIRIS YCDER 

of Harvey M. 

natlves of 

My name 1s Chris Yodet, and Itm a descendant 

of Clristian Yoder, one of the early Amish 

Yoder inrnigrants nentioned elsewhere in this 

newsletterl I was born in Knoxville' TI{ and grew 

up in: DavenportrlA; Mt. LebanonrPAl and Tokyo' 

.fapan. Itm the son of Otho ts' Yoder and Phyllis 

(P'anrperien) Yoder. I have a BS fron the University 

of Arizona in Tucson in Political licience 

urrd'iti"toty. As an enrployee of the Departrnent of 

Defenser I-rve been stitioned at: Texarkana, T:{; 

-C"tpU"flrKI;llg!, 

fi. 

CumberlandrPA; Ft' Xnox,KY; 

iitring"or',{est Gerrnanyi and currently ilattle 

Creek. MI. 

My vrlfe Carroll and I have 

age 6, and a-daughter Jerusha, 

was named after the irnmigrant 

Yoder ']ine. 

a eon Chlistial' 

age 4. Chri6 tian 

ances tor 

Continue on next column 

I first began studying Yoder family history 

in L9?3 while llving near the Fennsylvania State 

l,ibrary at HarrisburS. My interesL was rekindfed 

in 19BO after returning from an ae;signment 

-,Jere 

in Germany to MichiSan. 

I have ea-sy accesc 

to the genealogical collection at the Allen 

Corrnty l'rhlic Libraryr Ft. ;'ayner,aJrd to the 

nany recordo avaiLable at Goshen Coll'ege' 

Currently, I am compilin6 a directory of 

all the descendants of my 6randfathcr's 

grandfather, Reuben'foaer (t8,t-1912) ar: 

[6is6-llennonite of LaGrange County,I;' It has 

been very rewarding to find hundreds of cousins 

vlho f never knew existedi and to receive the 

help of 5o nany in trackin;1 down various family 

lines. 

liy primary interest in this newsletter is in 

the tpportunity it present6 for sharing our 

i"riri'iti"tory and lor expanding th-e frontiers 

of or" knovrledge in thls iespect' Ljen- nentioned 

the help we are Sertina fr9-m.Racfgl.lireider' 

one of ihe rnost respecied Yoder historians in 

the country. :'Je have also received a rrcoun'u me 

inil from Dr. Don Yoder, current editor.of the 

genealgrric+I 

* 

&nnsvlvalia 

llanazing: i: 

authority on rennsyFnla German immigrants' 

i(nowledge aboul our fanily is not-confined to 

r"tof""i .such as these, and I would hope that 

"ii ort readers will see fit to share from 

their own traditions a4P lore' 

--- ooo uooo--- 

LMI{G TRE/rSUllES 

rt 

How many of us have told ourselves I wish 

I'd written down some of the stories my grand- 

;";";l; used to tellt' or 

.I wish Itd thought to 

i"x"sr."Jt"ther about...'r ? l'Jith the passing of 

each generation we can so easily lose a precious 

.""tfI" of our heritage. Cur senior Yoder Seneration 

is indeed a living treasure ' 

There are many ways in which you can preserve 

yorr tt"rit"ge tor thtse who 1alff f6ll6r;' Ask 

i;;; ;i;;" iamilv members about their parents and 

crandparent6; extend your family by locatin6 and 

i;;;ig in touch with second and third cotrsinsl 

ii"ri p!.ioaic reunions and get togethersi Sather 

old family photos and put together a-genealogy 

iot yout "ttitdt".,, "ouiinst etc'.(aII you need 

-- i6 a typewriter and a Xerox machine)' 

ir vi, are a member of our senior gen:ration 

take sorne tine to write or tape record thin86 

"[""t-V.r" family which would be of interest to 

;;;;; i; follow.-r donrt mean just names and dates 

""a-pf"i"", but also stories of human inlerest 

whicir will make the Past generations come alive' 

I treritage of love and humor and pleasant memories 

is sornethin6 we can aII hope to leave after 

,n. Donrt forget to-include stories about your 

"i" "-p""i"ncis, l'lho can better preserve those 

things about your own life vrhich might be of 

irl"-"".t and vaLue to Seneratigls 

yet unborn' 

Be assured that even if your efforts ate noE 

i*t.ai"t"fy appregiated, they wilI be some time 

in the future. 

7 

---ooo0000--- 

llhe herit,ailc o{ tlre past i* 

}n': . =:::l: 

that brings J ortil titp liarvr's u or rrr\:' 

i utur'e . 

---ooo0oo()--- 

Senc'your ir'ca.s in' lerllaf s you ila'v€) 

"";;"stions 

=;;" 

that will malre this 

f-, i151,1riiii worthrvhile '

YODER I}4MICRATTS 

There are many thousands ofzYoders livlng in 

irmerica today, but this large population is descended 

fron a rather small number of irnmigrant 

Iines. ltI1 of these branches trace back to the 

Swiso Joders. The best known of these immiSrations 

are briefly introduced below. 

I. TIIE OLEY TCDDRS 

The first Yoders known to have come to America 

were the brothers Ilans and Yost, who settledin 

the Reading area of Berks County, Pennsylvania. 

They arrived with other Protestants 

from the Palatinate and had .settled in the fertile 

Cley Val-Iey by 1714. Accordi.ng to contemporary 

references they were welL-known frontlersrnen 

and at least initial.ly belonged to the 

lieformed Church. Descendants epread into 

Schuylkl,Il, Union, Adarns, Ilorthurnberland, and 

Jefferson Countie6. tsy the third. generation, 

this l1ne was bein6 researched by an early 

genealogist. In more recent times they have 

been researched by Dr. Don Yoder of Temple 

University, a dcscendant. Dr. Yoder has found 

the direct Link between these brothers and the 

Joders of Steffisburg. 

I I BUUKS- LE:J IGî CC Ui.IT Y ICDIRS 

As early as I?j4 one John and ,'rnna Yoder 

came to 

"Pennr5 r'/codsrr and took land in what 

Iater became i.ilford Township in Bucks County 

and Upper Saucon in Lehigh. Montgomery County 

also soon came to be hone for some of the descendants 

of this line. These Yoders were the 

onJ-y ones in ;imelica to use the name CAsper, 

found so frequently among the Steffisburg 

Jod':'r recor65. A John Yoder is known to have 

rnarried Anna Bachrnan. but it is not clear 

vrhether this was the senior imnigrant or John 

Jr. Although there is sti11 some confusion as to 

the generations, this bra.nch 4ay.bc 

estublish a demonetrable connection 

of Steffisburg. 

tbe next to 

to th6 Jodere 

III E;,;iLY AI',:IJH YCDURS 

'lhere 

has been a long tradition that one 

Barbara r-odcr who lost her husband at sea came 

on to rincri.ca with her nine children. For generations 

there has been confusion about her and, 

her relationships to the other limish of her time. 

Thanks to the persistent efforts and theorytesting 

of Dr. llugh F. Gin6erich of liashingtont 

D.C., most of the rlnish-irennonite Yoders can 

now be traced to two famil"i-es who arrived on the 

Francis and Dlizabeth on Sep.2J.,L742 (and to 

one other youn6er farrrilT who was undoubtably 

related, but for whorn lhe connection is yet to 

be found). Cne of these tvro fanilies seems in- 

';/idow 

deed to be that of 

3arbara, an.l the other 

of Christi.an Yoder (probably her brother-in-Iaw) 

vrhose children for nany years were thought 

erroneously to belong to Strong Jacob loder. 

'fhese 

prolific fahilies migrated from Berks and 

Lancaster Counties on to l'lifflin and Somerset in 

i'cnnsylvania, to IIolmee County in Chio' 

Indiana, and on 

northern 

',iest. 

See tha nap of the southeastern countiee 

of PennsylYanla on page 4. X's nark the 

IocatlonL along wlth deslgneted nunerals' 

l{hen tlllage beglns, othec arts follow. 

The farrneri, thereforer are the foundere 

of human clvllizatlone. 

--DanleI l{ebeter 

IV A SCUTI{ERII BRATCH OF YODERS 

Among the the Yoders in the Strassburger- 

Hinke imnigrant I'l.sts (and we are able to j'dentify 

a. ttumbe" of them) was-one Conrad.Yottert 

who arrived October 25' I?46 on the ship ]!4tune. 

This seem6 to be the Conrad who is eaid to 

ilG visited a reLative in Pennsyl'vania and then 

joined a friend, ilenry l{ediner, who was naking 

i return trip to llorth Carolina. lie acquired 

consid.':rab1e land in Lincoln and Catawba counties, 

where his descendants can be found today' 

Several of his sons later moved to Indiana and 

one to Tennessee. Conrad may have haC a }ienhcnite 

backgroundr but tre was not a menber of a 

church and a number of his descendants are Lutheran. 

Prof. Fred R. Yoder of PuJ'lnan, l'lashinSton 

published a book on this clan in 1958. 

V. MICHEL YCDERT IALATII(E 

rn 1825 l,lichel toaer (1788-L8?r), his wLfe and 

two children and his sister-in-lahr and her two 

chilrlren Ieft lless€-Darmstadt for Aurerl-ca' He waE 

'the son of Samuel' an AmLsh Bishop in the 

German Palatinate. Samuel was in turn the son 

of Jacobr son of John. Karl Joder has identified 

this line as to their origins' among the loders 

of Stiffisburg. iulichel was probably reLated to 

the Yoders of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, fol 

that is where he went after borrovring money to 

get his family releaseil at the port of Baltimore' 

fn f845 he moved his family to Holmes Ccunty' 

Ohio, where his children interrnarried with othef 

Aml"sh. A genealogy outlining thls fatnily was 

compiled by S. & F.ii. Mast ln 195Ot and waa upaatea 

ana reissued by Roy A. Yoder within the 

Iast few Years. 

VI. LATER AI,SATTAX YODERS 

The Yoders who arrived from Montbeliard and 

Belfort in Alsace seern definitely 

the other îrnabaptist lj.nes that 

connectecl to 

hail from Steffisburg. 

They did, however, in most cases stay 

in Irrance 1OO yearo longer. They caoe as individuafs 

or sraa]l Sroups in the eaily nineteenth 

century, settling especially in Stark and Wayne 

CounLies in Ohio and Allen and Davies Counties 

in Indiana. Their common oriSin and their use of 

nanes sulii1ests that they were related among 

theorselves, but it has been difficult to connect 

therio. Ferhaps because they were influenced longer 

by the cross-currents of iluropean culture 

(one had been a cavalry officer in Napoleon's 

march on l'loscovr) they seemed l-ess close-knit 

than thei-r American counterparts, and in many 

cases their Arnish ties were soon loosened. "Je 

have been told that there is a researcher 

working on the Seneatogy of these later immigrants 

but thus far have been unabfe to locate 

him. 

';ie hope that exchanges through the !lgletter 

can help in this regard. 

7. 

VII. OTEER TCDERS 

There arc certainly other Yoders ln Anerica 

who do not stem from these migrations; nevertheless 

those outlined above make up the large 

majorlty of Yoder imml8rants attd are the be6t 

documented. In future issues we hope to go into 

more specifice on each of these as welL as to 

touch on other Lj.nes of our family. 

'-ooo0ooo--- 

I)iscontent arise from our desires oftener than 

from our wants. Restlessness arises from our 

wants more often than from our needs.

C,tB,S?eJ? 

do'*^ 

z 

to 

FF' 

EH o< 

z.E 

No. 1 marks rhere the flrst Yoders to 

rr"fi""-settiea between lobach and.Manai"*v-i"-serks 

county east-of Readlng-ln 

6ilv'riiit"r,ip: Th-v:were Reforrned and 

tutheren. 

No"2 ln upper Bucke Ccunty narks the 

erea wheie tiri second SrolP selt-l:d: 

ili; ;;in-utttoro roinehtp'-Sone of these 

loi" ""o""cd over ln Iower Mllford Tswn- 

;;i; ili;-iirrren countY' rhls grouP was 

Mennonlte. 

No 3 ln upper Berke County nan'ks the 

""""-"-"tiied^ ty the flrst Arnleh-llennoi-ril 

iod"i". ine lorisn seceded frorn the 

ffi;;";i;;;-iu"itte regl rn swltzerland' 

Thls area ls 1n Upper Bern Townsnr'p' 

il"irtil"t.oi natuGs at the foot of the 

Blue Mount"tt"' 

---ooooooo--- 

READER EXCHANGE 

Th16 NEWSLETTER w111 PubIlBh 

Yoder-related rnceetrrL Inqulries 

o" """rtartge fron readers'- Please 

irri{-io irrrrtv words or less-and 

lnclude a cotrplete nalllng a'ldre66 

for reaPonce 

-g--aE-=E=-ge--E====-gE=== 

Ylho wae Sareh Yoder, born 8-APr- 

1811 ln PA' U. Toblas Flke 12-lug 

iaiz at st. utchael's srangellcar 

irrirr. cttrr"ch ln l{a1me Co' 0H' d' 

S'-iept 1854-A1len Co, IN? Respend 

tc tirle t{fWslfffnR address and 

narked -lnqulrles'. 

aaff af aElE'Gtt3:E-;et!!tt=E 

HANTEDT Infornatlon 

on locatlon 

"i tft" Yoder regeerc'h flles of 

Cnarteg T. Yoder' of Washlngton, 

DC, (clrca 1890) and Llrnn^Yoder 

of'Falrnont WV (clrca 1930!s)' 

ReGPond tor 20) Lakeehlre Road 

gatile Creek UI 49015 + 

I 

d 

I 

Sz 

v o 

o O 

YODER REIATID BOOKS IN PROCRESS 

You will note elsewhere ln this 

issue the reference to the book 

U"i"* PrePared bY the Reuben Yoder 

F;;'{iu';i-lrortnein rndiana' This 

aesceiraant's directory Lncludes an 

anceatral sketch of Yoder6 througn 

ih" two Chrlstlan Yoders of Someriet 

CountY, PA, both Anish bishops 

u""t to tir6 orlgtnal imnlgrant of 

l?42. 

Another book, the most conPlete 

""rpJi"ifon to date of early Anigh 

i;e;;;-i; Amerlca has been made in 

"""""t 

yeara bY Hugh F' Gingerich, 

PhD, of Washingtonr DC' and-Racner 

w. XrelOer, MA, of Goshen, fN' The 

Yoder section wlll- be the largest 

i"-"-toOo-Page volune on baslc 

lnlsh geneal;gy, whlch 6eeks to 

1;;;; Sver t23- imtsn €urnalie fanilles 

and thelr lnter-relatednese 

iion lmnlgretlon to an arbltrary 

cut-off dite of ebout 18J0' Il9* 

i" it" last etages of Preparatlon, 

the book ls scheduled to go 9n 

6ele bY the end of 1983' Tltis 

o"tff"i of Anish Yoder fanllles, 

*itit a"t"", and. censua locatlons 

wherever Possible ' wlll be of 

Gpeclal lnterest to Yoders stemm- 

1ng fron thls European--branch I'a 

wlll also the coPious Yoder notes 

tn the appendlx. 

Do vou know of any other Yoderstudlei 

now in Progress? we would 

be glad to hear about then.

YODER NEWSLETTER 

FURTHER ]NFORMATION ON ST. JODER 

We have made previous reference to the fact 

that the name YODER traces back to St. Theodore, 

the first bishop of Octodorus in the fllartigny- 

Valais district of southern Switzerland. Swiss 

scholars maintain that the name St. Theodulus 

of mediaeval- times, as well as tEE F;;n;h- 

Theodule, are but variants from the original 

Theodorus. Dr. Eugen Gruber of Switzerland 

stated that in earlier times the accent was on 

the third to last syllab1e and the interchange 

of 1 and r was frequently made. This 

change in accent is the only linguistic shift 

in the derivation of the name, according to Dr. 

John Howard Yoder, distinguished theologian of 

Elkhart, lndiana, and he explained step by step 

how the evolution from TLreodorus to Joder had 

become a matter of simple norrnan etfEiF-in 

pronunciation. It may be a surprise to those 

Yoders who thought their nane catne from a clan 

of yodelers in the AIps to discover that the 

fact is stranger that the fiction, but the Swiss 

le.ave no doubt as to the derivation of the name. 

In the archives at Sion in Switzerland can 

be found the doctoral dissertations of Dr. Gruber 

about the instituted grants made in the 

name of the saints in the-diocese of Sitten 

in the Middle Ages. In one section is a 

scholarly account of St. Theodore, who, he 

wrote, "stood at the head" of a line of bishops 

in the Wa11is country (Valais)" He probably 

meant in time but perhaps also in importance. 

St. Theodore carne into special prominence when 

he discovered the bodies of the martyrs of Theba 

and started the work of buildine a basil_ica in 

their honor. As tirne went on aid l-esends were 

handed down, especially by ,'one wandering monk", 

other St. Theodores crept into the folklore-saints 

belonging to 1at-er times--who also were 

supposed to have discovered the remains of the 

martyrs. fn the liturgical festivals they 

eventually had also taken on the person, and 

character of the first saint to the point that 

esteem for then did not need to be altered when 

the authentic St. Theodore was again discovered. 

With many footnotes Dr. Gruber went into 

references to St. Theodore found in various 

docurnants, especially records listing the 

donations to his altars, the churches and 

chapels built to his honor, and the brotherhoods 

established ln his rrdln@r By the thirteen-= 

th century there was nore reference to his own 

remains, and by the fifteenth century emphasis 

centered more on the veneration of the saint 

himself. Not only did the Theodore cult spread 

into neighboring dioceses, but the people of 

the Valais took it with them when they migrated 

to other va11eys. He was increasi-ngly honored 

in the French sectors, and chapels and churches 

began to appear all along the Upper Rhone. 

The inner Swiss took up the cult of St. Theodore 

for the most nart aftcr thp fi fteenth century. 

fn later issues we hope to tell more stories 

about St. Joder and to describe some St. 

Joder memorabilia. We wish here to mention 

only one item, one of several sent to us by 

Karl Joder of ludwigshafen, West Germany, after 

receivi,ng 2 conv of the YODER NEWSLETTER. 

'/u2Q1i 

c l_y1u r k a n t u.s t:u b e v o m t). J u r t i 

St. Theodul oder St. Joder 

Martin Joder of Konolfin_ 

gen, Switzerland sent information 

to Karl Joder about 

the commemorative sramp 

depicting_St. Joder. isgf 

was the 1500th anni_versary of 

St.. ,'oder,s appointment ai 

?lsh9p and he participated in 

rne .utshops, Synod of Aqui_ 

leja in 181. Karl Generouslv 

sent us a stamp, issued by 

Liechenstein anO it was 

designed by Bruno Kaufman and 

Walter Wachter. A copy of 

the stamp appears aUove. .q. 

larger impression of St. 

Joder's statue is also shown. 

---ooo 0ooo--_ 

=== ===================== 

========================== 

WHERE WE LIVE--A DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 

The bdlow figures represent figures obtained 

from screening data banks, telephone listings, 

and others in automated acldress repositoriei 

across the country. This does not include the 

many within the ranks of our faml-fy of the ,'plain" 

religious branches who would not b6 numbered 

a.mong the above sources. The map is based on ..iust 

the known addressee totals onlv. 

AL- 28 111-1017 

AK- 3 tA- 352 

AZ- 81 KS- 1 9l 

AR- 20 KY- 51 

cA-4O6 LA- 21 

co-15'l I!iE- 9 

CT- 21 Yaa- 123 

'18 

])E- 50 r{A- 

FL-112 YrI- 171 

GA- 42 M1{- 40 

HI- 12 MS- 24 

rD- 22 M(> 114 

rL-21O r'ir- 12 

NE- 50 SC- 18 

NV- 9 Sf- 4 

NH- 4 T}I- 81 

NJ- 41 TX-178 

NM- 20 Ur- 17 

NY- 105 VT- 2 

NC- 1BB VA-176 

ND- 15 WA- 81 

oH-1221 WV- 28 

oK- a2 l{r- 55 

oR- 178 WY- 5 

PA-1]58 DJ- 1 1

*=====E=B=Q=U==I =U=E--E-P-I=I-Q=E=E---=== ======= 

Chris loder of tsattle Creek, IVichigan and 

Ben F. Yoder of Goshen, Indiana. 

Indeed we are happy to present fssue #2 

of the YNL. You have shown faith and support 

in this venture. In order that our subscription 

roster might expand, could we ask each of you to 

get one more subscription? You could te11 a 

friend or relative--even give a gift subscription. 

We're sorry to be unable to publish only a 

part of the material received. We appreciate 

your sharing with us! We hope future issues 

will afford space for all. Keep it coming. 

An explanation of the logos used at the heading 

of this newsletter. Since al1 of our orisins 

were rooted in Canton Bern, its enblem on which 

the bear is embossed is used. To the rieht is 

depicted the l{oly Bib1e, larnp of learning, and 

the grain sheaf . These iterns represent tfrat tfre 

lVord seemed to be the underlying foundation of 

the faith of our forbears which produced many 

scholars, tradesmen and husbandmen which are 

necessary for the foundation on which a lasting 

culture may be nurtured. 

=========- -=========================== 

Dear I''e11ow Subscribersr 

We will still send a FREE copy of Issue #1 

to anyone who sends a self-addressed business- 

S1ZE ENVC1OPE (SASE) tO YODER NEWS],ETTER, F. O. 

Box J)4, Goshen IN 4(,526, 

================================================= = 

A policy statement is i"n orde4 to to inform 

you that this newsletter is strictly non-profit. 

?he editors have and are wi1-1ing to" "sticir 

Going over the questionnaires it shows many 

of you have indicated a willingness to share 

geneal ogi cal information. 

We have discussed the possibi-lity of starting 

a repository for the many less-known Yoder 

1ines. Tf we could get as many individual 

family lines together, it is possible to form 

a meaningful source of information for all who 

seek their ancestry. 

our 

necks out" to keep things rolling ancl so far 

A hearty 

"Thank 

You" to those who have 

things are, looking OK. We want io give you a1l already made such contributions of their linel 

your money's worth. you can help by continuing 

to subscribe. Also why not coniider sending fn 

The Editors 

a g_ift. subscription to a friend or relativei It 

would lnsure the continued success of this ven_ 

ture. 

At this writing werre aware of the fo1lowing 

famlly reunions held this pasr surnmer. 

We hope readers will gi_ve full particulars 

of coming reunions 

that we can inform everyone. 

for 1984 io 

As this goes to press we have 2?Opaid subscriptions 

to the yNL. Non-yodeilnames run at 

around "o ot =21:=::::::*::::=="*. 

. M?ny of you have expressed a willingness to 

contribute news, history, etc. towards fhe con_ 

tefts of the YNL. Encouraging notes and letters 

have also spurred us to greater effort. A11 

these gestures of good-wil1 are well taken and 

thank uo,'.'"l:================== 

Whenever one writes to-anyone asking for 

information or some favor ii lrroufi be remembered 

that such a request shoul-d be accompanied bv a 

serr'-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). febpie 

in a position to help other" iirrd overburdenine 

postage bi11s and sorne donrt bother i;-;;;;;;"unless 

a SASE is enclosed. Others grit their 

teeth and do" This is just to inform those 

never_thought 

who 

of this before. Just a friendly 

remindero 

==================== 

The first reouest for a free copy of the yNT, 

was from j,amar jnd lois,t""-r,1"*t.".Th"y 

editors 

are 

of 

the 

the I4ENN0NTTE FAMiii-itsrony, 

Box !71, 

F. 

Elverson 

O. 

.pA I9520'.----tf-,i"-i" 

source 

an 

of 

excellent 

information to searchers of 

also 

"o;t;;-T;;; 

are subscribers of yNL. 

Mrs. Esther E. Lamberson of Elkhart fN was 

the first respondent to subscribe to yNL. Hats 

off to you' Esthe::___==_==_==__= 

When sendir* il^._query be 

both 

sure 

husband 

and give 

and wife'"^ "il";; jli" 

.; birth, 

and- grandparents, 

f3":lt.: 

names.--Of 

11 1s 

"o"""",' 

not alwavs nossible to furnish 

above facts, 

all of the 

blt grve as much as possible. 

sure and give youi Ba 

name and icJ""i"; 

===== =_=========== 

Subscription for. yg?EB ITEWST,ETTER 

is ,;3 . CO 

for resues #2 ana #: f sp"iig_*iA*,. 

Conrad Yoder Reunion--i{ickory NC in Aug. 

l\lose H. Yoder " BelLeville PA in Aue. 

Reuben Yoder " 

at Shipshewana fN in Aus. 

Noah C. Yoder " 

in Northern IN in June 

Rev. Paul D. Yoder at Lancaster Pa in June 

John T. Yoder Reunion at Kal-ona IA in Arrg. 

David S. Yoder Reunion at Kalona (l).lulv" 

Moses H. Yoder Reunion at Belleville FA, 

July 1l-14. Moses, 1J0 birthday. 

Menno S. Yoder Reunion-Shipshewana in Ju1y, 

We will accept brief notices of l9B4 YODER 

reunions. Send name of 

"Whose", 

date, and 

place and it wi11 be announced in Tssue #3. 

Werve received enthusiastic response 

from the Conrad Yoder descendants in North 

Carolina. A l-ot of interestins material 

was submitted. Lack of space-in tini.s ltz 

issue for background on this group makes 

us plan one for Issue #3 this coning spring. 

The same goes for the 01ey Yoders, Yost 

and Hannes, pioneers, from Palatinate, Germany, 

whose father was born in Steffisburg, 

Switzerland. Interesting reading will await 

you readers next spring. 

-5-:-===E===================== = 

????N:TY YODER GENEAI,OGIES TN PRlNT???? 

There have been a number of yo

We must not forget women played.a vital- role 

in being proper administrators and contributors 

in the struggles of all times in history. The 

following anecdote is a good example of what a 

wise and brave woman did in the face of danser 

during tumultous times. 

The ful1 story was told, probably by one who 

we now would cal-1 a.e.news reporter and was graciously 

submitted by Karl Joder of l,udwigshafen, 

Rep. of Germany. Karl is a descendant 

of' Yost and Caspar Joder of Switzerland. Since 

the text of the story was in Gerrnan, Gregory F. 

Yoder, of Grand Rapids MI kindly translated it 

for the YODER NEWSI,ETTER. It follows-- 

1i.,.. 4 ;.,,, *, l, 7fuu,,,,,) /:7:!: 

' //:.//,,, to lr)y17"ttl,{>n. 

=_-========= 

Anna Barbara Joder (she must have been a 

very beautiful woman), daughter of yost Joder 

and Catherine Gerber Yoder, born August, l?50, 

in Oggershei-m, Germany, owned the Hotel pfalter 

ilof. 

During the French Revol_ution (l?92-1296 ) when 

the revolutionaries destroyed and burned the 

entire Pfa1z (Falatinate). the French General 

Hoche carne with his caval_ry to _Oggersheim on January 

4, lJj|, and wanted t6 rrave-ine best quarters. 

Anna Barbara offered him her hotel as his 

headquarters (see picture)r and he accepted. 

When the French soldiers 

village of Oggersheim, Anna 

the French general- that the 

brought to his headquarters. 

plundered the sma1l 

Barbara demanded of 

stolen gooCs be 

l,ater, when the soldiers 1eft, she then returned 

the stolen goods to the villagers. 

The Hotel-Pfalzer i{of stil1 stands todav and 

is the best hotel in Oggersheim. 

J / 

{ , 

---ooo0ooo--- 

. *L.,ih.! 

, We hope eventually to have a more present_ 

able copy of the Yt{l. We have to creep before 

we wa1k, and toddle before we run. Be patient. 

Letters to the editgr: 

i\iy mother v/as a Yod:r and r vra-g rA-is,.rci t.rr'r;i-i rny 

Yoder grandparent: on a farm rmrneciia.tel''r cLisi oi 

'ahere the wioovr iarbara Yoder l'rad 1: ncl tn r.rrLr.t I s 

novr Tilden Tvrr. (tserks ,Jo. ). r arn ;r d:rr:i:rrrjlrni of' 

tlLat br:rnch. .'rs a youugstcr i. socnt rrirrch t irrc j rr 

the o1d :)isirop flcl'tz] urr s cemoi,cry 1,,ritalc l;olr,. of 

my rtmish fri.ends bef ie vc that ',vidori .,.rrl_r:ira ,i r; 

buried. 

yjhat \,/as my grandfathert ::; j'arn, tr il.e 1940t :: , 

he subd,ivided aud sofd.for builti,nil Ioi;. lhc 

streets are narned a-1'-'tcr his childrer, -.nu hr: 

turned the ba-rn into anartrnent:;. Ih:-. sn:.1] commun 

j ty is knowtr ai "Yo,lcr 

lf e -5h1;-rt ,n,: :loi:;is 

a populat ion o1' ovcr t'io j-runclred 

lre oplc . '.,.1 

-,,-^-+- -..,, I i,,pcr 

Erl ur rruw - ' u. in ihe ol-d home.';t,::r ri in Yod r:r 

Heights -Craig l,on3r,ri.irour.rl ,iirr. 

l€i+*****x*x-x'rr-x'J(J()(-i(Jf +i)c**.-)+J()i-J(*{-**i(-x*.r,KJ(x**)ii(J(+ci(t(*)+J+ 

Yes 1r rn interested in Yod:r -ii:jior,/, no,.v 

since becorning involv--d'urith uhrisiorther. jound 

it to be an undr,'rtal

t- Places 

Narned_Yoder Series 

YODJR . V/YOi"iING 

by ilavid Luthy 

(The following article, which originally appeared 

in the JuLy, l9?3 issue of 

"family Life", has been 

-ipandec aird and updated. by its author especially 

toi tne YoDER NEWST,ETTER) 

Goshen County is located in the southeast 

corner of n/yomlng and has within it towns named 

lT,2e?Anee rr and rrYodefrr. To an Amlsh or l4ennonite 

naFa^h tl-r ic urnrrld rnnorr rronrr inloroqiino fnn 

}/erDvrr vu!!u vrrr6r f vt 

rrcoshenrr is a town in Indiana and the hub of a 

large Mennonite settfement, rrLaGrangerr is the 

n:me of an ad, ioinins Tnd iana. corrntv which contains 

the thlrd largest concentration of Amish 

i n Amer i n: - and trYodef rr is the sec ond most c ornmon 

Amish surname. Surely this v/yoming county 

would seem to have real- Amish or Fiennonite roots. 

The origin of the name rrGoshen Countyrr does 

not, however, trace back to Goshenrlll. lt js 

thought to have derived from an early trapper 

namedrrGoshert. By 1846 the namerrGoshe+s Hole't 

- - 

ri nh irri oet.ed lar^ irn rnar D.' 

wdb dPpl lcu uv d - lilf rr5 d! cd. DJ 

l aBB it anneared nn i:ho m:n a s Gnshen iiof e . 

S j-nce ilGoshenrr is a blblical name, lt would appear 

that someone changed rrCosherr to rrGoshenrr. i 

The town name rrLagrangerr also does not oriqin:fo 

frnm Tnd ir-^ T! ''^^ '^-' I aftpr an car'l rr 

-- -.,, *^.*^*lrd. f u wdD l44Llisu a. -'' *^- -*-'J 

homesteader, Cale b La0aange . F 

Last but not least is the town named rrYoderrr. 

Tt does indeed haVe t 

rrruu!u 

trri an AmiSh Connegtign. It iS 

.'l 

about a m1l-e west of US Highway 85 and 2 mifes 

west of the Nebraska state l-ine. fts beginning 

is cl osel v I irked '.ri r-la *l-ra ph i -l i ^ r. : r I f f f P 9 Yodef 

family. 

Phi-1ip Yoder. was born in 1836 at Shanesville, 

Ohio. He was the son of Jacob D. and Barbara 

/ r , . - - \ r , . 

(Mil-1er) Yoder, who are listed as rrAmishrr in 

both the Christ-lan -L'isher genealogy (t,t o.Oe I t) 

and the e@ genealogy (t't o.+eet). 

rn 1B6i @eietfa Hattery at 

Shanesville. The Barbara i'lochstedfer genealogy 

l-ists them as rrlr'iennoniterr which they may have 

been when married, but they did not remain so 

untif death. Their first child, Benjamin, vras 

born at Shanesville in 1861. Shortly thereafter 

they moved to Iowa where their second chi1d, 

Amanda, was born in 1865 at Swedesburg in rlenry 

Countv. Fi.ve more childr:en rvere born in f owa: 

Jesse- ( 1869) , oscar (?), -;fara ltels), 

jda . 'ay 

(1B75), and iadie (1882). 

In the fall of 1881, Philip and his oldest 

son, Bsnj3mi-n f . or rrFrankrr as he was called, 

went to ;{yoming. Frank spent the winter there, 

whife Phil1p returned to Iowa. The following 

spring, Ph11ip brought his fam1ly to;/yorning: 

three sons and four daughters with a fifth 

daughtgrrlJina, being born there three years 

Iater.) 

The Philip Yoder farnily settled in Goshen Co. 

on a ranch al-ong Bear .jreek. Philrp prospered in 

raising eattle and horses. i{1s Amish and I'{ennonite 

heritage was discarded. In l-ate 1)aJ, after 

an absence of 42 years, Philip and his wife 

travefed back to thelr native Ohio to visrt. I'irs. 

Yoder suddenly took i11 and died in the community 

ivhere she had been born. Her obituary appeared 

in the ,.rm-L;h-l4ennonite nev/spapcr, The 3udget, 

nrr'l-,-f i-1.rrt n+ .,,ncrnpaoL Ohio in iho'-'---;-7' 

triuu_L_Lsneu aL rugar

YgDER INQUIRIES 

The Yoder l'lewsletter wi_11 publish yocle:r-related 

ancestral inquiries or exchanges from readers. 

Please limit to around JO words p1u:; .your mail_ 

ing address. It would be appreciiti:d if' " "opy 

of any helpful replies could be sent to this 

newsl-etter so we may help others wlth this data 

in the future. 

,f )t*J(J(J(i(J(**r(J(*J€J()f J+J(x*J(J(Ji)f {-*i(J(**J+*J(-*.-x*.r(*)()(t *J(J(rf *J(* 

i',leeded: PA birthplace and par::nts n.rmcs of Andrew 

Klock Yoder ( tg I'uS 1812- 6 trar 19,2r ). ".-f,irf i"_" 

da satada (r4 lel 1],rz- 9 i,iar' 191i) . 'orJ""f*""_ 

cord 1875 1n re.int 

!y!. rllorthurnberiitnd Jo.,jlli. 

I^t9 p1y : H. S . Yocl er J r, 67 Ot)' i"ie f ocly J,ane, ire th e "O a, t"tt_., 

20817 . 

/r'(*tcJc**J()fJ(**x****-x**rc)t*ic-x**r+)€)€vr)f{*'r**-r*J(i()cJ(**r(** 

Wish to find parerrts and descendants of Johannes 

Jotter, b.176J d.:A/26/ j847 rn.?hronica (Vc;;;i;;) 

lrtlqgl+c!, 

dau . of l{erman & l{anna ,:mnerich, b. 

11/?B/1761. d.9/19/1L)1. n. 12/2J/ 11a8. iol-,on.,"" 

f ived in Rockf and Trvp. , rierks u o. ,?rr. Uhif ciren: 

.:qllg 

P.6/ ;o/1789;i',ai.ia b. B/21 /i790;Jacob b. 

6/27 / 1792 d,.9/?1/ 1861.rn1 Lvcjia,l"o,rr,,n2 rJatherj-ne 

(ry ancestor); 

;{n'1} 

Joha.nne:r; b.(,/1r/j7,1 t, d,.6/1? 

/. )?-4 

0l . , ia8(raf c na 

^ r.!,y.!'gtil ; jsrn-r In'_' n. 11 / 15 

1796; Christ j-na / 

b.Z/ j /1aJO7. ;lt born ,(ockf and 

llp.Bapt. in .,'hrist (i,lertz) Luth. jh., exceoi 

Chrlstian (gapt. l,ioslem z,ions j,utn. .1,i. ,,ric-irrnond 

Twp.. Berks_ Lio.ite ply: .l_,a.n,ie1 ,î. {ot)er r1(ttt Vaiiey_ 

br:or:k Dr. , Lancas tr.t. r.l I'i 1',,(rI I 

* *r(J(JCJ+i(J(**)aJ(J(*x***,(**Jf J(J(i(.***J()tJ()CJ( X i(-X-X ;*)i x,()r)c.xJ(,x.,x-x 

u/antecl: Inf o. on the location of ilt -; ind.,:f 

research files oi:.lharf cs lL,. yr,.ri :r,, ., ,'),t.1r,. ). 

9llgE. 

1390; Lyrrn Yocl er oll r,,airi-rrorit,,, . Vri. ,: irca 

T94O/5A._ rlef ly io U. Yocje r r'2O'1 La.i,,:r;h irc jid. , 

3attl-e Oreek, 

',:i). 

49O1j. 

xJ(J(J(*t(tr*J()e)c**{ J(*)t-x J(i+*-}+J(n -K* *xx)€J(-i(ici+{;{-)( ni()€r(i+i+**J()ar( 

1?l!"q: .1t19g",!Iy of itizabeth yodcr-(s) b.,()/11 / 

190, d.10/14/1t),'(,1 ,iashington Uo.,r,ir. rn. lacharlah 

Sharp. i)arenis Jacob ioder(s) l.'l d.1/tA/ 

anci ;,if 

),tj!t,.ri,1?.\: :o.li: 

_i.zabcth ? tr.c irca 1./11, 

a.. t/ b/ 1iJ4) ,lasit.,Jo. !a.rteply to: ri:;. ii. jlllne 

, 

l51B State rrve, rrrjhtabula,Oii 44C;a4. 

*1Jtra*J+*icJ(***-xx-i+ifJ(*)e)cJa{-'xiftc*}4.**,)+{-.x,\cx*-^-x 

xd;i-xi(J+i+*reJ()c* 

iranted: Unpubli:;heciYoder LJrblc recr:rrjr; l,j5O or 

prior. Send data to ?.a3 l,ailer;ir-i.r,c: ,.,,. r;att1e 

01eek ,i"\I 49O15 .V/i]1 be used in f ulure rt :.r^;f :tt,-.rs 

or .t n research eflorts . 

****r()+i(+tJ(J()+J(iii(*x't+)r)6')i-t(J("4*'-Fi+rf*-*J(J(*7a*-k{-i-J*i(n-xx.x-i-**,Je;iitanted: 

Inforrrtation on r'rlsati.:rn yoci.;r lincs__ 

anyglg qoiits rescarch or hav_in1J carly iirrrnisrant 

or Cild r/orld ciata, please cr:nt5ct liori:r neivsletter 

f or poss jblc- articfr: clevi:l oi_-ilL;nL. 

:_f _+:*+l_tItiJ(*.), i--r*+ xi( j(yr*,t-F*++*r,,y. y.i,i.r i -:i;..x -y.r ++++++_+ r- 

.iAir- i u],.li ( c1LE.s6) scttlec at ;1r_,a_t J;ra1]p, 

Bucks Co. ,l,a. in 1T'1 9. jeeking any ve.i.ri ii:.bf e 

documentat j-on on tiris irrdividual . iiep1.;r: lisn 

H6ttle, 3ox 114, iillento.rvnrpa. ii;10i. 

x**-x *if *x)cJ(J+-)ci(***x-x-*r r-*lixxx**xx{-;+ x )c*.x.,F x,-x,xJr}--F-x,J(|*)c 

i/anted: i,lothe r of_-irary yoder (l::Zl-1a)??) . ,\ar:J 

t+as dau. of John Yoder of Centre !i,,i,..r:rks r]b.. 

fA.l/ho was his r,.rife? r,iary m.Johrr _iccli,.r( t:3ZO- 

19OA'), son of i ohn and nelecca (,i,;t,,tcr:ran),lecker._,lhey 

were rncmbi,.rs;jal-ern (rle1fcrn3.1 tl;) i,ut1 . 

01_.0en,trc ?r,rp. Repl1': i.lrs .lI j dn,cy ,);tIz,tnan rB21 Glen 

1i11en J)r. ,l3a1t.Lmore ,i.il 2.1229. 

**i(J(*J€*trJCx;+i()iitl;(ic)+'F'ia-)fi(-;{)i-ts-ts)itit-)6ii')i*-x--*xi-;;r,/r-)(yrx-.}:ir,x)++ 

,/anted: Inf orinat.ton on yoder 0cmct:;r7 f oca_teci 

north of Brotl'rertonrsomerset 0o.,_ili. in ilre rnicist 

of a strip mine nea.r the Carnbria Tiplrlc, t,.i,j 

.-l oal ,Inc. linown br,rr.it'..1 pl:rce of John Lodt:r (d . 

99t.1,1860) anci i/anted: Name of ship, exact arrivaf date . I,larla 

Y6der b. 17BO d. 186B llornerset J0.Pa. ,iecond vrife 

of Johannes Schbttler b.llT6.tihristirn .jcjLottler 

arr j.ved J.uIy ? ,1BJ 1. lieply: Jmcry jhetler, 

Chesley,Ontario IJOG 110, Il .lt. 1. 

t)cJ(x Jf * rf J(J(*)f )aJ(rFt€t(*Jt{- xtc xJ( xxja **+*,r{-)t -F.)( )i,+,x,): * *,x i(-jf j(* *tc 

Seeking info. on i'/i1f iair iienry Yottcr, ca11ed 

"Henry". i'larried I'latif cla I,ietzger (lall- 191 1 ) . 

- 

yrifc. ilartra.ra (ri.1;.;g. 1,1t',,i-;')'- 

16 othe'r stone:;. 1r; this buriiLl plac:r o-l'illjchyetizer 

.liristiantr Yoder arnd his sbn rii shop ,-hrls_ 

tian? i/]ro else ? iieply to rlharl.s 1orl cr ,:,?.1 :;, 

tlcnre, Avc , Apt . 102 , Avarl on ,1,:,r. 1t202! . 

*.xi(xJ(J(,x x,+)c)i*i-r(i(-)cyr* )a,)+-rx* -.".**;:xx;,.x,x).:-)i 

){ +i.i(.-)l.t ;a,x-x rr+-t.)(.x { 

i/anied:,Inforrnatlon orr the frrst ,;tilt.: of .Jonrarl 

:6der (ligrth ..ar:olinlr.) rvno rya.:; ail,l1inr)r. ,rlso 

an.y inf ortn:rtion o1 .)ont.lltirs otitcr v,r I i.i_, 1nd 

chrldren, as ntany marrirlri Ufrnel,; r:r titr:rr cja;cr_,n_ 

o:int:r. liel-Lya p:rlline rie,inharc]t, :j0i jt.,iarnls L,l.r. 

-.e.vton, I..J. -., r,r. 

vrv:{ -x {'-):J+*J( ')+ia)ci( J(+ r )i * )( *+ 'x -x-;+l+.x *)(,i(--.+-i:,i:. r,r.,y:i ;i )r. )( ,ir--)+-)a-,v, x r- x )a{- 

jje 

died belore 190O. T6e'y llved in i;'reemansburg, 

l{orthampton u'o. ,JJA lvhere hc owned canal boats 

running on the Lehigh Canal . Iieply: ir.ichard Yotter,J2.1 

r). ltrewport Rd, Lititz,P-11 . 17r4i. 

{-)€t('***-r*)c'r*.*i(rt)f ,(J(*J(r(J(i(-x*r(-**tt)+{,-rJ({-)c*-xi(,y.)1-i:-*)€i(i(*l+J+l( 

',1'ho 

r't':rc thc l-ttces iors ci iinria foder, born :r.bout 

112'd, at::rr i,:r1 .to ,r:.mu.'f i-cren iS (,iing) , botn 17 24 , 

dred 1Ji:,) 2.11e j.rnlniilrilnt r'rith fath:r Jacob.;\nna 

anci;ja.oiuel had son Jaco:- Klng who na-rried llarbara 

Zu1; (Zook)..i:sponci to:i',abcl- i',runk,241'1 Jetfcrst-tn 

1'"'L"":'1_Lr=L1:i=1:l:1::JJJ:=:::='3-2====== 

Who were the ancestors of Jacob Eschboch yoder? 

Born 1818, lived near Fottstown pA, Mennonite, 

Several brothers, all their names began with 

"J". 

Went to Lynchburg VA as missionary to 

freed slaves. m. Anna Whitaker. Reply tor Joan 

Yo d e r' 

= l3 := ::r1 1= 

j 

3: ::=Ilgl= ::l:l=I 2 =?!?u 

. 

Descendants of Bishop Christian C. yoder (l?90- 

1846), Somerset Co. FAI!! His homestead sraveyard 

has faIlen into oblivion and is beiie 

plowed over. If you are interested in reitoring 

this site, several other descendants could 

use your help. Contactr Chris yoder, ZO) Lakeshire 

l=1=331:l:=9:::I=5=1?l1i:====== 

-8L'L,1, SJJTIOII: ihis ner.rsl,:rr:r rvifl identify 

Yc'rl cr-rel.atr_'d bool

REVETATToNS FROM BARBARA sHrRKrs wrl,tr, 4. 

ib orl,oro E.hirKi9rrthell. arrle ol QocI Anren. 

Rachel Kreider Jt..r )ei3",t^-.5!;t ";6^"tt;d*-ii!,,*-26,-"-tt,,-&Jaal 

C^'.r*-; L{ d i4.*. .-,.d *r - l* i

Karl Joder, a researcher from Ludwigphafen/Rhein, 

Germany, has researched the Europ,r:an Joder families for 

many years. The following article is based on his many 

notes, brochures, and chans. 

The surname of Yoder is derived from the Alemannic 

given name "Theodor," derived from a Greek word 

meaning "man of God." The finr known bishoo in 

Swizerland was Saint Theodorus, who died abour 393 

A.D. His name was later changed to Sainr Jodc,r in rhe 

German-speaking sections of Swizerland, where ir 

continues to be prwalent today. 

Alrcady in the fourth and fifrh centurics, rhe.frxlers are 

known to have sertled on rhe right shore of rhc Emmc 

River on what is still known roday as'.Joder Hubel," 

'Joder 'fhis 

or 

Hill" (elwation 9,870 feer). hill was 

dweloped inro a walled srronghold ro prorecr JcxJer clans 

thLroughout rhe years. 

On a 1384 tax register for rhe small village of Hurtwil, 

Ulli Joder and his son, Heini Joder, are recorded as thc 

highesr raxed familic. According ro various Gerrnan 

knights' records, E.lsi Zaugg, daughrer of Blacksnrith perer 

Zaugg of Sumiswald, gave a large trac-r fronr her ertate ro 

the German knights. Becaue of an unusually hard plague 

that probably caused the death of several of Ulliis and 

Elsi's chil&en, tradirion stares rhar rhis gifr of land nray 

have been a roken of graritude for sparing onc of her 

chil&en. 

Ulli's and Elsi's only known son, Heini Jodcr, nrovrt 

about 1385 ro Sreffisburg, Switzerland, in rhe southern 

part of the Emmenral. The Joders lived here for 

approximarely eleven generations before the Joders who 

joined the WiedertaUt'er, or Anabaptrsr, movrnrenr were 

forced to leave their homeland in search of relieious 

frecdom. 

The Steffisburg Joders, primarily farmers, were also 

involved in a variery of rrades and servicc in civil 

adminisrration offices. In 1428 a Jost Joder served as 

govemor at Laueren near Thun. Accounts of ]oders 

involved in rhe Anabaprisr movenlenr includc Hcinijoder, 

teacher and preacher, who was arrested and imprisoned in 

Basel in 1531. Karl Joder's rcsearch al.o revcali a number 

o( joder familier who migared ro the Alsace or ro rhc 

Pfalz and larer ro America. 

Karl Joder rracc his ancesrry ro Ulli Jodcr, lxrrn about 

134z0 in Hutrwil, Swirzerland, and m:uried to Elsi 

Zaugg/Zo. Balrhasar Jqls, b. 1525 ar 

a. Barbaa 

Steffiiburg 

Joda, b. Mat. B, 1644 

m. Anna m. 

Josr 

Jan. 30, 1666 Hans Rupp 

a. Crpar 

(1) Chrisrian 

Jodc 

Rupp, b. Oct. 29. 1672 

m. Anni Morr 

(2) Chrisrina Rupp, b. F$. 20, 1676 

b. Elsi 

(l) Anna Rupp, 

Joder 

b. Oc.. t2,1679 

m. Hans Meya 

(4) Jakob Rupp, b. Jn. 24, 1686 

(l) Hrns J\{eyer, b. 

(5) 

June 12, l5g0 

. Bcnedic Rupp, b. Sept. 23, 1688 

(2) Elsi Meyer, b. Sept. 

b. 

15, 1582 

Anna Joder, b. Apr. 13, 1545 

(3) Perer Meya, b. Mar. 18, 1585 

m. lan. 7, 1670 Hans Bergm 

(4) Caspar Meya, b. Aug. 31, 1587 

c. Caspar Joder, b. June 4, 1648 

(5) Christoffel Meyer, b. June 20, l59t 

m. .lan.7, 1670 Anni Zatgg 

7. Caspar Jtxlcr, b. i548 at Sreffisburg 

(1) Anna Jodc, b. Nov. 2, 1572 

m. .lan. 17, 1571 Anni Mcs 

(2) Christina Joda, b. Mar. 75, t674 

a. Pauli Jodcr 

(3) Magrer Joder, b. Fe6. 6, 1676 

m. Fr.rncis I lcnnig 

(4) Hans Joder, b. Oc.. 7, 7677 

(1) Anni Jodr, b. Apr. 18, 1591 

(5) Barbara Joder, b. Drc. 7, 1679 

(2) Caspar Joder, 6. May 4, 1592 

(61 Vaena Jodcr, b. Jan. 28, 1583 

(l) Vercna Joder, b. July 7, 1593 

(7) Chrisrine Joder, b. Jan. 28, 1583 

b. Caspar JuJa 

(8) Mathis Joda, b. July 20, 1584 

m. Margrct Hennig 

(9) Caspar Joder, b. Feb. 5, 1587 

c. Elsi Jodcr, b. at Steffisburg 

(10) Vaena Joder, b. Oct. 20, 1589 

8. Caspa Jodcr, b. Feb. 24, 1571 

(1 1) Carhrin Joder, b. July 30, 1693 

m. July 4, 1595 Marpyet Hennig 

112) Niclau Joder, b. Feb. 23, 1595 

a. Pcra Joder, b. June 5, 1597 

d. Adam Joder, b. July 22, 1550 

b. Heini Jodcr, b. Oa. 10, 1599 

m. lan. 9, 1671 Barbli Oclxenbein 

c. Margrct Joder, b. Feb. 8, 160l 

(1) Hans Joder, b. Mar. 70, 1572 

d. Niclaus Jodr, b. July 17, 1503 

(21 Nrclaus Joder, b. Oct. 5, 1573 

e. Barbra J

(addenda to l'{astrs article on page ?) 

The families of Jost and Nicolaus Joder of 

Steffisburg are certainly not the only ones from 

whom American Yoders may be descended. There are, 

however, reasons to pay particular attention to 

these families when attempting to sort out the 

European origins of various Yoder lines. Some of 

these are outlined belowr 

1. Research by Karl Joder and Dr. Don Yoder 

has identified Hhns and Jost Joder (para 10d (1) & 

(4)) as being the founders of the 01ey Va11ey 

Yoder branch and the first of the name in Ameri-ca. 

2, Karj. Joder has established that 1820 Amish 

immigrant t'/iichael Yoder was the grandson of Jacob 

Joder, son of Hans Joder and Catherine Esch (para 

9i (3)). 

J. Five children of Jost Joder (para 9) were 

identified in 1690 Steffisburg records as suspected 

Anabaptists t Peter (9d); .lalrob ( 9e ) ; Anna 

(9f)-wife of Christian Blank; Chrlstian (9h)l 

and Caspar (9i). 

4. Two children of Nicolaus 

or suspected Anabaptist linksr 

Joder have known 

Jost (para 1Oh) 

was a suspected Anabaptist in 1590; Salornea 

,(para 10i) a:rd her husband Hans Gerber 

labeled Anabaptists in 15!1. 

were 

5. The Staadtsarchivs of Bern show a record 

"the 

?ft6/t69o 

governnent orders the provincial 

governor of Traschselwald to find out whether 

of 

the Arinabaptists Jost Joder and Christian Blank 

of Steffisburg, as.have been reported, are staying 

1n Schangnau and whether they took their 

capital with them. As soon as this is ascertalned, 

a report shall be given to the Tauferkammer there. " 

Were these 10h and pf? ft seems like1y. 

6. The Staadtsarchivs of Bern show in a record 

dated 4/8/f695r "The 

Anabaptist Christian Joder, 

of the jurisdiction of Steffisburg, has left the 

country. For the property he took along he must 

pay a 5% fee of 10 lbs(?)." Was this th? Fossible. 

7. Erlenbach, reported home of Amish founder 

Jacob Ammar, is only &.bout ten miles di-stance from 

Steffisburg. When Amman made his tour of 7693 to 

seek support 

the ministers 

for his theological ideas, one of 

accompanying him was a "Christian 

Blank". Can anyone of our readers shed light on 

whether this was the same man as at para !h? 

8. One Hans Gerber was known to have been with 

Amman at Heidelsheim in Alsace in 1711. Could 

this have been the same as the man at para 10i? 

(clipping sent by l.:rs. Nettie Poteat of Hickorv 

North Carolina 

, printed in the DATLY RECORD. )- 

The Jlrd annual Yoder family reunion was held 

Sunday(1Jth of August) at Zion Lutheran Church. 

The North Carolina Yoders are descended from 

Germanic-Swiss pioneer Conrad Yoder, who came to 

Catawba County around 1750. His grave is just 

south of Zion Church, which his children halped 

start in the 1790,s. 

Iresident Jimmy Yoder opened the meeting. Richard 

Yoder presented memorial roses to the families 

of seven clan members who died during the last 

year, and reported on the Yoder Newsletter, a new 

national family publication. 

He and Dr. Larry Yoder of Lenoir-Rhyne College 

reported that the memorial to Dr. Robert Anderson 

Yoder,,first president of the co11ege, is nearing 

completion on the site of the razed-yocler Build-ing 

on campus. 

They urged all family members and friends to 

designate! any glfts to-TFit -ollege ToF ilne-memoria1 

sincp the clan car'l i er 46r .p"oo.l esu f, "o suPPort the 

memorial 

Next year's reunion will be at Zion Church on 

the second Sunday in August. 

=========================================== 

The 1000-page volume which traces over 140 

Amish surnarnes from immigration to an arbitrary 

date of 1850 is nearing publication. Dr llueh " 

I'. Gingerich, FhD, of lfashington DC and Rac[el 

!tr. Kreider, iviA. of Goshen fl,tr have compiled data 

that represents lO years of diligent iesearch. 

The Yoder section will cover the mos-u pages, 

wi-th l''li11ers a close seconri. This covers onlv 

the Amish Yoders mentioned in Section I of thl 

first issue of the YNT, whlch shows the maps. 

The prepublication price is $35.00, plus 

handling and shipping for indivibual ord"rs. 

You may order f'romr Levi L. Stoltzfus, Treas., 

98 South Graffdale Roari, Leola lA I?540 

*=====================================-==== 

Who was the brother 

==============================================: 

of Conrad Yoder, early 

pioneer founder of the North Carolina clan, 

C0MING IN fSSUE #311. New material from Ken 

who was supposed to have gone west in the 

Hottel, Allentown PA, on Hans Joder of Upper 

early 1700's? 

Bucks Co., FA (Great 

Arryone who carr give a clue on 

Swamp). Dorothy Coffman, 

this please contact the YODER NEWSLETTER, 

of Malvern FA has found new material on the 

P. 0. Box 

l,lontgomery 

594, Goshen In t+(526, 

Co . Yod ers . 

YODER NEWSLETTER

u*-iu 

Vol. I No. 3 

YODER NEWSLETTER w- 

P.O. Box 594 Goshen, IN 45526 

Apri1, 1984 

MtlCH0lR YODER Research Summary 

hrr "J 

Mrs . i'I. Fred C of f man 

There is not much evidence on thi_s family 

and their descendants and what is available confli.cts 

to some extent. 

Census records for Northumberland Co. PA (see 

note #1) for 1810 l-ists a ivlelchior Yoder, over 45 

wlth wife, and the following males, all aged 26- 

45, all married and with children: John,Jacob, 

Henry, Ivlelchior, Jr, and Peter. S ince they all 

appear on the same census page (288) of Center 

Twp., one could reasonably expect that there was 

a relationship. fn the '1800 census, same p1ace, 

there are 5 Youter families l-isted, again all on 

the same page. They are Mj-lear (lvlelchior?), Benjamin, 

John & Jacob (these aged 26-45, and Henry, 

age 16-26. In 1790, only Melchior Yoder is listed 

in l,lontgomery Co. with J maf es under 16, 3 males 

over 16, and 2 females. From the lax l,j_sts: of 

Phitadelphia county (became Montgomery in 1784) 

wc- find Melchoir Yoder taxed in 1774 for 13O 

acres of land. lle is still in ilatf j.e'ld Twp. of 

Phrl-a.Co. in 1779 & 1740. Then in 178J, Mglchoir 

Yoder is taxed for 170 acres of Land in Limerick 

Twp. He remains therej through 1796 when he and 

sons John and Jacob all disappear. There are no 

land records recorded in Montgomery county for 

lvlelchoir Yoder ( of any speLl ings ) . 

Dunkelberser. in his Storv of invder Countv. 

[PA), 1948, p 166, says rrThis land extended as 

far west as the land known later as the Peter 

Yoder farm. Beyond thj-s was the land of Melchoir 

Yetter.rr In another Snyder County book4 a section 

on the Yoder family says |tMel,cholr Yoder, 

Senior, came to the section now known as Globe 

I'iills before 1800. He seems to have had a brother 

named i{enry. Melchior and Henry were born 

in Germany and after corn.ing to thls country 

settleci in i'lcntgornery Countyr(PA). In 1796, 

Irielchoir Junior, and hls wife, Anna, came tcr 

the Middle Creek Valley and bought some land 

from Judah Roberts in what is now Middle 

ilreek Township. In a short time hjs father, 

orothers, and uncle also came to the section. 

MelchoirrSeniorrs children were: Peter, Jacob, 

John, and MelcholrrJunj-or. Some think he also 

had a son named Abraham. Ihere is evldence which 

indicates that Melchoir died in 1BO2 (but he 

.'l 

appears in the census of 810 ! ) . John succeeded 

to the ownership of his fatherrs estate. In 1790, 

his family consisted of three males over and 

three under "l 

6 years, and two females.rr 

The above quotation would appear to conflict 

with census records and Orphans Court records of 

Snyder Co. 

fhe Godshalk/Gottschall f'amily records2 state 

that Ann Godshalk the daughter of Godshalk Godshalk 

who died in 1786 was married to Me]cholr 

Yoder, a carpenter of Phila. Co. PA. Whether 

this is the father or the son is open to conjec- 

While John Yoder (born 1768) son of Melchoir 

Sr. is listed as a weaver in the tax records, the 

other sons were carpenterso. Together they built 

the Seiberts of Globe Mi1ls Lutheran Church and 

a public school in 1BO5 in I,1i-ddl"e Oreek Twp., 

(contlnue next column) 

l'iin l:lechlxrut aut dcm obcrcn Ohi(t. 

lk'r rr'l( l larhlrxrtschilfcr allf d(nl ()hio $ir dcr l)cillsch'' .lrkt'h .todcr' lir ftrhr 'm 

l.rhrr 1757 r||.r! slrr.nt hiililr. 

Captain Jacob Yoder-llarl-y Adventurer 

lhe iffustration above was provided by Mr. Karl- 

Joder, the prominent German researcher of our family. 

Captain Jacob Yoder, a member of the Oley Va11ey, 

ynrlen femi] v- is recorded as the f i-rst man to take 

a flatboat down the Ohio and Mississlppi to New 

Orfeans. look for an article on his life in a 

future edition of the Yoder Newsl-etter. (The real 

date of thls event was .1 

782) 

---ooo0ooo--- 

Why? Because you heve eupported and shotrn faith 

in the success our paper. When you resubscribe 

""" *ifi eet the neit three leeues' You remember 

tn"t "" piomised a non-profit operation and wlsh 

it to so renaln. The editors recelve absolutely 

no monetary gain--rather we've donated our rnoneyt 

tlne, rnlleage, etc. towards the succe€ts of the 

YN!. All we isk le for your continued support 

bv belne a subacriber. Itts been one year now 

*i."" oir flrst issue and we feel werve come a 

. Yes, we too are paying subscrlbers' 

---oooOooo--- 

(continued fron previous colunn) 

Snyder Co. Glatfelter? does not list any early 

Lutheran Church at that location by that name, 

but it 

name. 

could welL bc known today by another 

J.PA Census: 1810, Northumberland CorCenter Twp.l 

Roll#51,p288; same Co. lBOO Reel- 142rOt,p747i 

Montgomery Co, 1790,p159. 

2.PA Archives,3rd S.Vol-.XIV p149161 1 ;Vol.XV'p50, 

{18;Vo1 XIV P598. 

J.Original Tax ListsrMontgomery Co.Hist. Soc. 

4. Fi;her, Dr. Charl-es A. 'SNYDER cOUNTY PIONtsilRS' 

1938, p 1o2. 

5.MSS-coll-ection' Montgomery County Historical 

society, TH9 G0DSHALK/GottScH.g.i,l FAMILY,Rev.N.B. 

Grubb (1924) 

5.Flsher, op.cit. 

l. Glatfelter, Charles H. 'GERMAN LUTHERAN AND 

REI'ORME! CHURCHIIIj IN THd PIINNSYLVANIA FIOL])'1717' 

1'l jJ, Breinigsville, PA, 1980. 

Rd. rl'lalvernrPa. 19355, would be interested in 

heaiing from any readers who may have knowledge 

of this Yoder familY. 

R

+++ +++I*$+9+$"+$* S+S* +P*l*J *T*9*S* S"**r*+++ {.++++++ 

Chrls Yoder, Battl-e Creek, Michigan 

Ben F. Yoder, Goshen, Indiana 

=a=-== a=====-==E================== =============== 

==Eghlisls4= g!=Iggs!= lgigg= glggsllr==== === === ==e== 

BACK ISSUESI 

Vol. I No. 1-free copies avail-able. Send SASE 

#to. vol. r, No. 2 or No. 3--$3.00 for both or 

31:13=:::L=!::::g:=!319:=-==e============= 

====== 

ft was a little over a year ago that we put 

together the first issue of the YNL. We really 

didn't know what to expect in terns of intereet. 

As issue #3 goes to press we are happy to_ 

say that your'n-wslettei' has grown to over 5t{ 

subscribers across the United States, Canada, 

Switzerland, Africa, Germany, Framce and Hon54 

Kong. 

Our 500th subseriber was 

of Yucaipa CA (a descendant 

Susanna Hochstettler ) . 

Elioise Cunninghan 

of Caleb Yoder and 

READERS CHA],tr,ENGEI ! CAN YOU ANSWER?? 

AmonE the iterns contributed bv our readers was 

a cryptic reference obtained by Mr. Lester Yoder 

of Leesburg FL. One of the bits of data he has 

collected over the years is about a tornbstone 

inscrlption from Eplers Churchyard, Berne Twp., 

Berks County PA. It reads "Here lies Johan 

Nicholas Yoder, is born 5th day Iebruary 1698, 

died 15 October l?59" (in German). We at the 

newsletter cannot link this early settler to any 

particular Yoder irnmigrant line. Can any of you 

tell us where Er:lers Churchyard is, and who this 

gentleman may have been? 

I= ===': ====E=================================== === 

ARTICIES WEIC0ME--Share your research with fellow 

readers! The Yoder Newsletter would welcome the 

subrnission of any origina} research and findings 

by Yoder historians. Because of space limitations 

and the need to prloritize the sequence of publication, 

we cannot guarantee early use, but do 

invite contributions. They rnay be edited. 

======================-=========================== == 

Rr:,L.ll.rUl, U?l;?:... I'lost family reunions take place 

i.r the sumrner nonths. Our sprinE edriron of the 

irev.'sl-etrt:r shoulci be a ttr,rely p1-acr io anr:ounce 

then for the inierest of other. Please lei us 

know as scon as i'ou can. ,Jcpies of the newsletter 

vol. 1, issue 1 can be nade avaifabl-e at cost of 

postage for distribution ar Yoder reunions. Coniac'": 

3en IoCcr, l'.C. yox )94, Goshen ril;. l(,i26. 

* * * *-)t i€ Jf Jt* + J(J( * J( **J+ )rJ* J(i( Jf i( J( ** J(.r( Jf *-)f + if )e ** ++.* *+! )€+ *lc t()i.)f 

Perhaps it should be known to all readers that 

if you are ln receipt of an offer to purchase THE. 

YODER FAMII,Y UELIJ4CE P,OOK by Beatrice Bailey we 

ft,ulf-Adtlse vouTo save- Voul rnoney. AlthouLh it 

does have a section on heraldry, general genea- 

Iogical advice, etc., all it contains pertinent 

to YODER is a list of Yoders (over ?000 with 

addresses) gleaned from pui-'lic sources, that would 

be of interest to Yoder related readers. 

The offer as i.t comes infers that yorr will receive 

information on the Yoder family. Thls is 

not true (except for the above list). Paul W. 

Yoder of Houston TX sent ne copied data regar-ding 

this pubtication along with a warning to be 

wary. He and I both have copies of this b'ook and 

feel all of you should be warned. 

The YODER NEWSLETIER will furnish you more 

YODER information you seek for a lot less money. 

---ooo0ooo--- 

IETTERS l RoM oUR 8E_AD_!RS 

EXCER]"TS OF 

LETTERS FROI| OUR REAIEFS 

We certainly appreciate all l-etters tha.t we've 

received. Those that contain inforrnation that 

might be of interest to sone of you we print. 

"f 

am most harpy to see in the l4l'ii that you have 

a newsletter. I am deeplv interesteC in this. 

f an a Yorler.(My mother's maiderr name was Yoder 

and al1 my brothers and sisters had "Y" as middle 

initial except me! )" Ira A. Kurtz, Jr. 

Ivlennonite Centre,76 Waterloo Rd, t/7 Kowloon, 

Hong Kong. 

"f was very hanpy to be able to answer' the 

query of iean Yoder of High Foint NC. She asked 

about the Jacob Eschbach Yoder 1ine. He was 

the son of Jacob Fiaurer Yorier 1B04-1854 and 

Anna Eschbach 1808-1881 of Lehigh Co FA. Jacob 

M. Yoder was the son of Abraham Yoder t?61- 

1836 and Elizabslth llTaurer l"i7l-1843. Abrahan 

Yoder was the son of Casner ancj Rarbara Yoder 

of Lower Milford Twp, Bucks Co PA. Casper was 

the sorr of the immigrant, Hans Yoder and his 

wlfe, Anna." Richard J. Yothers Jr. tsoston l4A 

+-.-i------ 

"My husband's grandmother, Plargreet Anelia 

Yoder narrjed Joseph Thompson. She was the 

dau. of Willian Shermanr YoCer who sett1ed in 

Jefferson Co. PA. I believe they are from the 

01ev Yoders. 

I researched the Thornpsons and traced them tc 

It'lary1and, Harford Co., but I am stuck there. 

f have always wanted to do the YoCers. I like 

the newsle:tter very much." I'lorence Thonpson 

Uniontovm OH 44685 

"1 am interested in developing a char.t of descendants 

of ny Yoder forbears. My grandfa'ther 

was John A. Yoder of Srnithville and ny mother 

was Crissie C. Yoder." Ernest C. Shank, Cookeville 

TN 18501 

l'rom Fa.uline Yorler, Greencroft, Goshen fN: 

F'lease send me the Yoder Newsletter. I am 

very interested. f was a Yoder and married 

q Ynrler--rnv grandna Yoder was a loder--and 

my mother's side has Yoders--no rnatter which 

way I turn--there thev are. 

Eloise Cunningharr of Yucaipa UA w?ltes the 

"I 

followlng. would like to also say to 

yooers eierywhere 

rYou are sure nissing a 

lot if you are not a subscriber to the 

" 

Newsletler.' Thanks, El-oise! 

r!!F======== == -= === === ==Ei:€g.-:.E=--.:; *EE=?=E== ====== 

Bv the way, if you have a change of sddress' 

Dlease inform us. Also, several- have asked what 

SASE #10 means. Self-addressed-stamped envelope 

(business size ). 

---ooo0ooo--- 

N.r*;SLTTT-itr rir.J.l::r 5!l-?!S H1; OWN... l';r. H. wal-ter 

Yoder of Grand ltaprcis I'ilchigan has beg.ul a.newsfetter 

vrithin the famrly of Jchn P. Yoder \1837- 

1917) as a means to gatner,nl'orrnation anci to 

shar€ it ar,'rcng the nemoers oi that lanily. tie 

conmend liis efforis, and wish him well-. 

)i+t+*JrJf ++t* ).Jtta+J+' Jt+iJtJt**)e+*)iJt++**i(+*)6*+)i.tf Jf +)tJ(J(*J+**J( 

Ftl\'lILY Kll]Pi 

Tne chilciren 

i]'l Tt)U'il'I lfirtouGil IilAy-L1IiG inTT:ln.. 

of i',enno i. Yocier (1863-1952) have 

spread far 

'n 

and wide. To solve the problern of 

ketp.nq 

touch they have a travcfing letter 

whlch makes ',he c ircuit everv f ew rnonths . .iach 

la.i'-":/ ados ti-eir c*rr ne*s i:, the package and th:n 

takeJ i1 cu-" aqain and plcvides new wren r-c con?s 

back. Would tiris work for you? 

J( *J(-i+ + r{-}t * J( * )t J( J(i( Jt )ti( r(* J(Jf Jf * *J( JtJf J(+* tr* YrJ(it Jt+'l(*+Jt*J(* **iCt(

PLACTS NAMED YODER SERfEST 

Yoder, Kansas 

by David Luthy 

l,ocated in Reno County, Ka.nsas, eight miles southeast 

of the county seat of Hutchinson is the smal1 town 

of "Yoder". It is in the center of an Amish farmins 

community. fts name comes from an early settler, E1i M. 

Yod 

er. 

Eli Yoder was born f'ebruary 6,, L844 in Union 

County, Pennsylvania, but grew to manhood in the 

Amisli community of Long Green, Maryland, where his 

parents had rnovec about 1849. Eli,s father, Solo- 

T91., yag bishop of the Marylanci congregation. In 

1874 Eli was thirty years olct, had iot-joined the 

Amish Church, and was yet single. He clecided to go 

lVest to "seek his fortune', and landed in Reno 

County, Kansas, where he met a non-Amish young -Thef 

woman, Mary Young, and soon married her. 

settLed down, to farming a half section of prairie 

--320 acres." 

Iour nonths after arriving in Kansas, E1i was 

jqilgg,by another wayward Arnistr youth, E. l'. peachy, 

of 

.Mifflin 

County, Pennsylvania.- Although peachy,"s 

father was also an Amish minister, he too had chosen 

not to join the church, 

"My 

commenting later in 1ife, 

parents belonged to the Amish Ch4rch, but thev 

coulcj never persuade me to beIong.,, a. 

In the fal-1 of that same year, a third Ami.sh 

youth, John Nafzinger., arrived in Reno County. He 

was a nephew of El_i Yoder, being the son of Elirs 

s_isterr -Lydia, and Feter Nafzinger of Long Green, 

Maryland. John worked on his uncle's farm and eot 

acquainted with Mrs. Yoder,s sister, Emma youngl 

and maried her. 

None of these three young men chose to remain 

in the Amish faith in which they had been raised. 

Perhaps they everr ttrought they could escape from 

their plain past by moving far away from thelr 

home communities. If this was the case, it must 

have come as quite a surprise to them nine years 

Iater when Amish farnllies from lllinois beeln 

settling in Reno County--right in the neig[borhood 

where they were homesteading. Actually it 

was quite by accldent that the A;ish settled there. 

Originally they had planned to go to Nebraska; 

but when they could not travel further because 

of a flood, they detoured into Kansas. A real 

estate agent from Hutchinson showed them land in 

Reno County. They likeri what they saw and 

purchased farms in Kansas instead of Nebraska. 

E1i Yoder now found himself with Amish 

neighbors. He showed no interest jn their nhrrrnh 

and it is saici iirat ire tried to niie ;;;-;.;;-'""' 

from them that he had been raised Amish--a seemingly 

irnpossible task with a name like .'yoder',. 

E,. I'. Peachy related many years la.ter. how Eli was 

flnally exposed r 

Mr. Yoder was the first Amish man to 

settle in this community, but when Amish 

people followed him and organized a 

church, he never united with them. In 

fact, Mr. Yoder tried to keep it hid 

from the Anish fol"ks that he had beloneed 

to them. Jake Bontrager once said the! 

were threshing for Mr. yoder. After 

supper they were sitting irr the room talk_ 

ing. Mrs. Yoder then went in the bedroom 

and brought Mr. yoder's long-tailed coat 

and barndoor trousers and showed them to 

us in the absence of Mr. yoder. No sooner 

had she shown them to us until Mr. yoder 

ha.ppened to corne in and saw what she wa.s 

doing. He rebukeci her rather severly for 

it, right in thg pt:esence of the entire 

threshing crew.J. 

When the Missourl Pacific Railroad was beinq 

b,uilt across Reno CountV, it passed over E1i 

Yoder's farm. He persuaded the railroad to 

construct a 2O-ro

li:rliilulll"nllslili'iiuili Hans Joder of Great Swamp 

issue 

There are more than fifty genealogies on various 

Yoder families in America, but none speeifically 

concerning those that settled in upper Bueks County, 

Pennsylvania. The following, based on the premises 

that the relationship between John Yoder Sr. and John 

Yoder Jr., is one of father and sons, is an attempt 

to fiU that gnawing void. 

The immigrant and progenitor of this family wa's 

one Hans Joder or John Yoder Sr. Although the 

specific date of his immigration is not known, it can 

be reasonably fixed between 1?l3 and l?20, and most 

likely l?17, the year in which some of his friends 

and neighbors who settled at the Great Swamp also 

immigranted.(l) He and his wife Anna, whose surname 

is unknown, were born in Euope in the latter part of 

the l?th century.(2) They were friends of and 

eontemporaneous with George Bachman (1685-1?53) and 

Maria Bachman (f698-f7?6) who once wefe their 

immediate neighbors and possibly relatbd.(3) The 

size of their family when they immigTated is unknown 

but the fact that their son John required 

naturalization and their son Casper did not suggests 

that the former was born in Europe and the latter in 

America. 

The earliest record of John Yoder Sr. is based on 

hearsay evidence in the form of notes kept by Isaac 

Yothers (1884-1959).(4) These notes state that John 

Yoder Sr. bought from Joseph Growden on Jan. 1?, 1720 

ninety-nine acres at Great Swamp in Richland 

adjoining (actually between) lands of Jacob Clemmer 

and George Bachman. That property is at present 

bound on the north by Route 663, on the east by the 

Milford and Richland Township boundaries, on the 

south by the road from Quakertown to Milford Square 

and the Upper Bueks County Airport, and extends 

westward by twc-thirds of a mile or half the distance 

between Portzer Road and Milford Square. The entire 

property basieally remains farmland and is what is 

iro* tn6*n as Route 663 Produce and Nursery.(S) 

The earliest existing document identifying John 

Yoder Sr. is a petition dated Sept. 17' 1730 

requesting a road be laid out from the new 

meetingh6use to Montgomery Road on the county Une ir 

order t-o have access to Philadelphia.(6) In 1734 the 

names of both John Yoder Sr. and John Yoder Jr. 

appear on a single documenti a petition for 

naturalization.(?) The purpose for naturalization 

was to secure the right to own and transfer real 

estate under existing EngIsh law.(8) Between 1?20 

and 1?40 naturalizaiion virtually required an act of 

the Provincial Pennsylvania Assembly and few Germans 

achieved this goal' and then not without political 

bribery.(g) The results of this particular petition 

were that only l4 of 55 petitioners obtained 

naturalization by an act passed on March 29, 

I 73sl l 0) 

Pourteen years elapse before further evidenee of 

John Yoder Sr. is found. That evidence, in the form 

lf estate papers of his friends ind neighbors, 

ceflects that he was a responsible member of his 

3ommunity. Considering his sssociates, the strategic 

intermarriages, and religious aetivity of his 

Cescendants, it would be a reasonable speculation 

that he was an elder or trustee under the bishoorie 

cf Valcntine Clemmer. ln I?48 he signed a 

renunciation to the executorship of the estate of 

Samuel Shoup who lived at Great Swamp with John 

Drissell.(11) In the same year he helped take 

inventory for the estate of John Landis of Great 

Swamp.(Iz) In 1751 he appraised the estate of Jacob 

Clemmer of Lower MiUord.(13) 

During the year 1750 he apparently had intentions 

toward retirement and it was not coineidental that 

his son John chose to engage in real estate 

traNactions in December of 1750. These actions were 

well coordinated with John Yoder Sf.'s retirement 

plans.(l4) The last known doeument concerning John 

Yoder Sr. is dated April 2, 1753 when he witnessed 

the purehase of land by his son Casper.(l5) 

When he and his wife died or where they are bufied 

are unknown. Although there is no list of children 

or a family Bible record now known, there is evidence 

that such a record may have existed. Among the 

lonfiscated peNonal property of his grandson during 

the Revolutionary war there were two Bibles sold at 

lublic auction. One belonging to Casper Yoder (d. 

l?98) was bought by John Bare for L6.7.6' the other 

relonging to Jaeob Yoder (1?34-180?) was bought by 

John Siegfried, then sheriff of Northampton Countyt 

for L14.10.0.; an incredible amount at that time. At 

that same sale Ll4 purchased a steer, a eow, or ten 

sheep. It is possible that one of these Bibles' 

presumably the latter' may originally have been the 

Bible of John Yoder Sr. This Provenance would 

confirm both with tradition and the pfactice of 

pri mogeniture.(16) 

bv Ken Hottle* 

__,_Flor a,legal viewpoint there is neither proof nor 

primary evidence that John yoder Jr. "no i."p".'ioo", 

were or rere not sons of John yoder Sr. of C.r""t---- 

!y"Tp:. concerning John lJohn C. Wengef. Htstory of the Mennonites of thl 

Frdnconio Conlerence (Telford, Pa.! Franconia 

-i""griiii""i 

yoder Mennonite Historical Society, f93?) p. 398. 

.Jr,; it " 

proximity_indicated in the petition of tZIs 

parucuiarly 

ina 

the fact t}|at both suceessfully obtained 

naturalization strongly suggests tne retatidnsnio-oirarher 

and son. [n lZ3S the homestead wes 

with 

e.ro*Ouo 

both children and grandchildr"n "ni"n-"ouij1" 

reasonable 

" - 

time for him to set out on his """i-ih* 

h.e purchased land at Saueon. Hi" r"na 

all.upstream fllii"Jur"il"." """ 

conforming with the *r"f i"tnur*"r 

pattern of settlement. Both men setfled beside 

G€orge,Bact)man_.sugges-ting a com mon relationship. 

rne 

and 

land transactions of l?50 are all too obvioul 

be 

? 

coincidental. 

Concerning Casper yoder; although the yother 

are hearsay 

Notes 

they can be valiiated ti tr,u-"*r""f 

the 

tl"I"" 

land owned bv Casoer was the.same "r""i'Oy'i"1, 

Yoder Sr.(l?) nire is an impressron among sone 

descendants that casper was an only child' but 

evidence supporting this exclusiveness is wanting. 

"in the 

year 1?17 many more of our fellow believers eame I 

us from GermanyJ' The earliest German setuers of 

Great Swamp were probably among this group. 

2see footnote f7. Allowing that John Yoder Jr. wl 

at least 21 years of age in 1734, his parents would 

have been born in the 17th eentury. 

3Dorothy K. Landis. Rep@t of the 3lst Reunlon o 

the Londis-Ldndes Fomtlies (Bethlehem, Pa3 Times Pt 

Co,, 1950) p. 44. Anna Bachman is given as the wil 

of John Yoder Jr. without supporting evidence or 

reference to the source of that statement. Ttle 

question is raised whether Anna Bachman was the w 

of John Yoder Jr. or John Yoder Sr.! 

4Thse notes were generously shared by a grandso 

of lsaac Yothers, Richard J. Yothers, Jr.' 259 W. 

Newton St., Boston, MA 02116. 

son a draught of that property dated 1821 the Ro 

to Milford Square is identified as the "Road from 

Quakertown to Millerstownn which suggests that may 

have been an early name for Milford Square. 

oWilliam W.H. Davis. History of &rcks County. znd 

rev. ed. (Pipersville, Pa.: A.E. Lear Inc., 19?5) 

1:443. There afe numerous errors in the account of 

this petition which contains 35 rather than 32 

signators. The three additional signatures are those 

of David Ginke$, John Greasley, and Casper Ceima 

The signature of Hans Joder is erroneoNly 

transcribed as Samuel Yoder. Other similar erros ar 

Abraham HiIl is actually A. Shelly, Jacob Klein is J. 

Klemmer, Peter Curtz is P. Zuck, Henry Walp is H. 

Taylor, and John Jacob Zeitz is George Zeitz. T\e 

original document is in the criminal division at the 

Bucks County Courthouse. 

7 Petitton to the Assembly in 1734 for 

Notxralizotton by Divers Inhob{tants of &rcks County 

at Historical Society of Pa., Streiper Collection, 

Bueks County Paperc, l:4?. The names on this 

petition are not signatures in spite of the fact that 

some are written by various German hands. Attach€ 

to the petition is a clerical eopy of these names. I 

rendering of this petition appears in Davisrs Histtry 

of &rcks Cdnty L:425-426 which contaiN both 

omissions and errors. 

Supon the death of an unnaturalized alien, his 

land, along with improvements, would theoreticauy 

revert to the proprietary govefnment under existing 

English law. Although never enforced, this law 

served as a constant threat to the German+orn 

! m migrant. 

gRichard K. MaeMaster, Samuel L. Horst, & Robe 

UUe. Conscience In Crisis (Scottdale, Pa.: Herald 

Press, 1979). Naturalization statistics and their 

corresponding legislative process are compactly and 

effectively treated here as well as tracing politieal 

bribery revealed in Pa. Archives, 8th Series, 

2:2855-2856. 

l.oJames T. Mitchell & Henry Flanders, Stotutes At 

I:arge 

-o! _,P 

ermsylvonio From I 6 I 2 - I g0 I ( Harrisburg, 

Pa.: 189?) *283-285. Both John yoders are inclJded 

among the suecessful 5 Mennonites, 2 Brethren. and ? 

Luther€n or Reformed petitionem that acquired 

naturalization steming from the petition oi n}q. 

Abraham Shelly and Jacob Musselman were &mong tho 

who were not successful. Whether their failure can 

be attributed to their moral scruDles or a lack of 

funds remains to be answered. 

_-llyq of Samuel Shoup ol creat Swamp (Jan. 8, 

1747/48; pfobated Feb. ls, L747/48), phitidetDhia 

Co.,_WiI-Book F:128, File f100. This renuneiation, 

which included John Drissel, reads, r'but In addition to these arguments, there was among 

some colonial brothers the practice of naming their 

sons identically. It is more than eurious that John 

Yodef Jr. and Casper Yoder each named their sons 

Abraham, Casper, and Jacob, Casper had another son 

named John and there is an unproven, but persistent, 

b€lief that John Yoder Jr. also had a son named John. 

Thus between 1720 and 1?50, there is sufficient, 

consistent and connected, circumstantial evidence to 

infer that they were both som of John Yoder Sr. 

There is a speculative third child; a daughter, in 

the intriguing personage of one Magdalena Yoder. Her 

appearance can be traced to the papers of Dorothy K. 

Landis collection at Lancaster Mennonite Historical 

Society where there is a notation stating that 

Michael SeU (1748-1772) married Magdalena Yoder. 

Ms. Landis obtained this pearly morsel from some 

unrevealed source, but applied it to the wrong person 

8no ramlry.(r6, 

Michael Sell was a son of Henry SeU (1?2,1-1?86) 

and [lary (Shell) Sell (b. 1?26). The similarity of 

these two surnames nas causeo many genealogists to 

being 

antient and not 

enor, (19) but it is within the efror that a greater 

fit to tfavel in ye winter Seison." 

l2WiU of John Landis of creat Swamp (Seot. 

revelation is found, Mary Shell was the only 

26. 

l?rl?; probated May t, 1?51) phila. 

daughter of Michael SheU (1693-l?69) and it is HIS 

Co., Will Book 

1:397, File 

second wife's name that was Magdalena.(20) This, in 

#255. 

l3wiil of Jacob Clemmer of Milford (March 

all probability, is the Magdalena Yoder that Ms. 

30. 1?4 

pro. Nov. rr, 1751) Phila. 

Landis placed in efror. 

Co. Wilt Book I:438, Fiie 

#280. His name but 

To speculate further, Magdalena 

not his 

Yoder was also a 

signature appears. 

l4John Yoder Jr. 

sister to 

negotiated 

John and casper. The close relationship 

a complex sale of lS0 

acres in Milford Twp. that involved 

between the Yoder and SeIl families, with its 

several 

principals. The dates 

intermarriages, has never really been explained, 

of these transactions were 

Dec. 21, l?50 and 

Magdalena 

Dec. 30, 

Yoder as stefgrandmother to the SeII 

l?50. The land was base 

on a warrant dated 

children 

Ma]'4, l?3T and was probab.lv 

and the elderly aunt to the Yoder children 

in 

part an investment vehicle fof John yodei 

would be in a position to both influenee and aecount 

Sr. ihe 

notes of Isasc Yotherc state that John yoder 

for that relationship. Hopefuuy, additional 

Sr. sold 

tne homestead to his son Casper on Dee. g, 

children of John Yodef Sr. may eventually be 

1?50. 

irientified throueh modern reseafeh techniaues. |' 

.Ken Hottle, Box ?14, Allentown, PA 18t05. 

rootnotes on third column 

(continued on next pase)

lsDeed, John Lester to Casper yoder (Aprll Z, l?Sg, 

rec. Nov, 7, L797, Bucks Co. 29:390-39I. Casper paid 

Joh Lester Ll40 for 70 acres ln Richland Two. Ttis 

Iand joined the noftheast corner of the homeitead 

tract at what is now Portzer Road, extended eestward 

to the junction of Route 663 and Old Bethlehem pike, 

whieh also ran diagonally across the property, 

northward beyond Quakertown borough limits above what 

is now the K-Mart shopping eenter, and westward again 

to Portzer Road. 

l6Pa. Archives' 6th Series' 122432, 444. 

l?Joseph Growdents great tract of 1490 acres was 

sold in part to Divers Dutchmen Prior to l?25 when 

the residual acefage was sold to Robert Fletcher. In 

l?85 a resurvey of this remainder was made basieally 

identifying the family names of these Df\rers 

Dutchmen. 

18 wilt of Michael SeIl (pro. April 70, L772) 

Northampton Co., Will File #556. The fact is that 

irlichael was 24 years old when he died, his wifers 

name was Barbara and he had a son named Michael. 

l9May Mathis Green-Watson. Nold Fomily Hlstory & 

c enealogicol Baclegrouurd. (Corpus Christi, Tex:1941) 

p.?. The Shell and SelI surnames are erroneously 

considered as one family and it is through this errof 

that the records of the Shell family are preserved. 

2oWill of Michael Shell (pro. Feb. 19, 17?0) Phila. 

Co. Will Book 0:465. File *346. In this will there 

is mention of a release between Michael Shell and his 

second wife. This release has not as vet been 

Ioeated. 

(Edltors'noter 

If your Yoder ancestors had longstanding 

Mennonlte roots (as opposed 

to those who coaverted from the Amish), 

this excellently researched article by 

Mr. Hottle should be of Darticular 

interest. All of the Mennonite Yoder 

l-ines that we are aware of descended 

fron the Hans Joder ijof GraatS6rapp".l 

- --ooo0ooo--- 

CONRAD YODER 

t7 - t790 

PlO\FER AND FOUNDER 0f i.:-S 

YODER FAMILY IN NORTH CAROI.I\{ i 

CllRlSllNA CLI)lI YODLR tsr urri 

SEII.Z YODER 2 ND \rIrI 

CATHARINL HUFFMAN YOIJEII 3 FD!/III. 

aBtJRtED t\ t)t D BAhEti at,,1t lf.R\ ) 

LL|T \BtTH YODER DAr (;rilrr 

,\t.so Rr..lRil_D HLRI 

nAFIJARA Y()t)F-l) nilt (;r\!t)\r (,t,ltr, 

Vi\(IDAI.ENA Di ITZ YODI fi .! ,rtr^,1 r rtrtr, 

Conrad Yoder(1) monument, erected in 1958. 

The above nicture was copied frorn Iired Roy 

Yoder's boo! Historv of the yoder l,amilv in 

Ncrth Ca.rqlina. It is a comprehensive wortr 

coverinq *n" 0""::::::::"::_:onrad Yoder 

ff *I:i 

PRICETOWN CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN 

" Oldest Unaber ed Church" 

- r7?7 - 

The above print was on sbationery received from 

Pen Yoder, of Mohrsville PA. He wrote, 

"Rev. 

Jacob R. Yoder preached in the Pricetown Church 

of the Frethren 186:0 to 1t8tr. He was a greatgrandson 

of the Widow Farbara Yoder and my greatgrand 

f ather. :' 

Jfl+ls*rfltlftt*t++***t+11..*{trt++rt{a.t+*tflttf+l+{.Jtt+ta+.|..*++tt+*ltJt.tt.*t+*+*f 

THn NoRTH CARILTNA YODITRS 

Of all the Yoder immirants of the 18th century, 

Conrad Yoder was unique. He is the only one of our 

name known to have settled outside of the Pennsylvania 

?.re&o In his Historlt of the Yoder larnilv in 

Nortlr. Carolina, L970, Dr. Fred Roy Yoder tells of 

Conrad's immigration to l'ennsylvania in the niddle 

of the century and of his move to North Carolina 

sonetirne between 1755 and 1762, There he settled 

about eight miles south of Hickory, North Carolina 

and raised a family of six sons and two daughters. 

The family Bible records cited tv Dr. Yoder show 

the following birth dates for these childrenr John 

26 Oct,. 1764; Jacob 1J Dec. l?6?; David 3 Apr, \??or 

Elizabeth 14 Apr, 17?6 3 Elias l1 Oct , L??? I Daniel 

18 Jun 1780; Catherine 21 Dec, I?82; Adam 23 Jun 

ti'85. The first three children were by Conrados 

first wife Christina C1ine, and the rernaining by 

his thlrd wife, Catherine Huffman. Two of the sons 

John and David, remained in North Carol_ina and 

their descendants are discussed in sorne detail in 

Dr. Yoder's book. Jacob, Elias and DanieL moved 

to southern Indiana about 181J and Adam is said 

to have gone to Tennessee. 

Laban Yoder, a great grandson of Conrad Yoder 

wrote in a letter to S. C. Yoder, Goshen College, 

dated January of L928, that Conrad was a Mennonlte 

and owned a Mennonite Hymnal. He also stated that 

Conrad visited with his hrother Jacob Yoder in 

Berks County, Pennsylvania, prior to his migration 

to North Caroli.na. It is not known who this Jacob 

night have been and how Conrad is connected to the 

other branches of the Yoder family. 

Laban goes on to discuss the children of Conrad 

who moved to fndiana. "of 

these sons Jacob moved to 

fndiana and settleC near Floonineton. He was the 

father of five sonsr Emmantrel, George, Jacob, John 

and Henry....ELias, son of Conrad, moved to fndiarra 

ca.. 1816. His sons were John, Jessle, 

rad and Joe. 

Jonas, Con- 

" 

We are all certainlv indebted to Dr. l'red R" 

Yoder, Lai-'an Yoder, Colin ivr . Yoder, Co1. George 

Yoder and other menbers of this family who have 

over the years docunented bits of their heritage. 

It can t-re expected that the YoCer Newsletter will 

provide further details in future issues and hopeful1y 

break new ground on the descendants of 

Conrad Yoder who moved west. 

---ooouooo---

*****,1+**n***+YoDER INQUIRIES*lt**{f ++lt**l+lf 'l+lt+**lf 

THE YNL will publish Yoder-related inquiries 

or exchanges at no charge. Plea.se linit t'o )O 

words or so plus your return mailing address. 

All inquiries are checked against our records 

to see if we can holp too. Send inquiries tot 

Chris Yoder (lrfNr Newsletter Inquiry), 203 

Lakeshire Rd, Battle Creek,ruiI 49015. 

ta*t+.trtstt+Jt**tt*lttfl*Llfl+lt+*lr*lt*rsttll*rflfLlf.Llt+lttl.lt*+*+*11 J€ 

Who was oLvina Yodcr (jlseyra loeter?) wno marrled 

iliilton dlfleford.Her rnother was a I'iil1er 

and her son iamuel v/i-f leford was born Dec.1B5) 

in Jarthage,(Y. .teply to:H. Kreider c/o r,h,e 

Vnrt :r \lor,rcl ol-t-ar 

, P. O. Box 5 94 , Goshen , Iii 46'j26 

J(J(J(J()CJ(JfJ()fJ(*J€i(JCtC+J(J()e*Jf*?et(J+)€J(J()CJ+++*J(***J(J(r(rC)fXt6i+J(J(* 

Would frke info. on andy or Andrew Yoder who 

lived in Plymouthrii\i area. ',Vife Sarah flershberger. 

ihildren:Abrahamri{udyrJoe rAndrew, and Anna 

who marr-ied Adam riiifler.rieply to:lienry Yoder, 

1575 Badour RdrR 2, lvlidland,lUI 48640. 

*J(+r*l(r()€J(r(-*J(J(J(J(*Jt+r(J(*++)C;(i(Je+J(Je)t-**)C)+'t(J()e*J(JfiCJ(J+*J(J(t(if,)C 

Info. desired on John Yoder/Yoders b.ca.1'185, 

m. rllizabeth ? , lived in Green Co. ,-lA. -Parents 

of Alexander Yoder/Yoders b.ca.i'iar.1B2 1, who 

lived in Licking & Union Co,0H.Reply to:lulrs. 

Clyea Yoder ,11646 Filnton I'iL RD rillarysville , trH, 

41440. 

J( JCJ()CJ€JCJCJCJ(* J+J(* J( it* J(JC J(J( *i(J+ X )e)€ *J(J(+J( X * J( X+)f ** *)C J()t *t(*J( * 

DUAL "rU,rRY: Vjanted: info.re.Sofoman Yoder (lll0- 

1866) and Barbara Miller (lll+-1858)faml-ly. jo1oman-son 

of Christlan Yoder and Barbara tlooley; 

Barbara-dau. of lanie1 I{i11er & Veronica i{ishler. 

Heply to both: 1 )0.P.Yoder r14l i. :.49th,.Portland, 

An 97215; and 2)Linda l'/i1f iams 14621 Dtxon l-rr., 

viestminster rC0 B0O1O. 

J(J( *J( *)€t(J( *J( l+J(J(J(itJ(J+ J()€ i(t( J(*i(J( J(J(J+ J(X X*J( ** t(J(Xl(t(l( *J( *J6 )eJ(J( 

What were the names of llanief Yoderrs parents? 

Daniel died Mar.1B,1B0O in Union TwprBerks,Jo, 

li. His parents may have come from the t,Iey 

area. l)anlel^rs wifers name was /\nna, who ciied 

liiar. 28, 1 tJO.1 . Reply to: tialph L - Wa.nt information on Daniel Yoder b. L793 Somerset 

Co. FA; rn. Susanna Ramsparger' IE)4. Daniet d. 

1t149. Susanna m. J. J. Pauman (2). Daniel Yoder's 

dau. Mary m. Samuel C. Mast in 1853 by lvloses Eurkholder, 

Where were they married? I'lease reply to 

Mrs. I rank Gross, 91 

vengood , Box 1O! , 

R,+2 rSt.?eters Rd.,Pottstown,PA. 19464. 

J( J( )C JtJ( 9( J€ J( J(J( *J( J( )t J+J+J( XJ( J( J(i( X * )t J+ J( JC* t( * J( )+)f J(J()6 J(J( J( * )e * J( * tt Jf )C 

What became of ilenry Yoder, b.17d2. ion of 

Chrj-stian (t'Schweitzer" ) and ilarba.ra iicoley. ,Bel-1eved 

to have left Amish faith. 

pô-^n^ *a. a vnn2T 

r2o3 Lakeshj-re ild. rtsattl.e 

Creek, Ivl-t=. 49015 

)t*J(J€)aJ(*t(*J(*)6J(ra*J+)e{Jt)aJ(i(*)6****)tJ()t*+)rJ(-te*i(*J(i(****)+tfJ( 

TviO FOit ONr: Who were the parents of Veron_ica 

Yoder, wife of, ljtephen Kurtz? ieems too young to 

have been dau. of 1742 irn. ihrlstian ]locjer. Als

*U.r,il rlS ri(,rli 1' r1,rU ^rlr 

Chrlst_irLa Gerig b. 17 Apr, 18J1, d. 21 Oct L909, 

m. to Moses Schrock b. 10 June 1828, d. 22 Apr 

1909, Christina Gerigos mother was Christine^ 

Yodr-'r. Does anyone have arry information on this 

Chrlstine Yoder, 

lvho had m( Joseph Gerig? Mrs. 

F'aul- Wade , RllI-2t( 04 l:reeport Rd. Sterline 

IL ( TO?L 

'l+*l+Jr{***J+lfl{'lflfltl*l+J+.s*+tltJ*+tft+**Jt+*Jfltl**t+Jf*+J+JfJat*t+.tflttt*lftf.t$ 

YODER GENEALOGIES TN I'RINT 

?his newsletter will identify yoder-related books 

currently availabln for purchase. Most of these 

deal 

-with one specific branch (twig), and may not 

be of interest outside that imnectiate familt: W; 

will attempt to provirie sufficient data for you to 

guage your interest. Iurther details can be oUtained 

from addresses indicated. Give us fu11 rietails 

of any books available regarding cost, etc. 

rltf .**{.1+J0Jt**t+rtJf Jr+rf .*.**Jf #.ta.t$Jt**.*lf +.rirt**lt.t*tt****J*+J+1t*+t.tf tf * 

The.David Yodef l?llr.i]:ftZZ Dages, quite a few 

rictures, "a 

little historical information" , and 

memories .frorn each 

,of, the ten children. navia s/o 

Sanuel s/o.Isaac s/o yost s/o Henry born in S*ii;_ 

.:l13ld 1756 and bur. Sunmit Mills F,r. $S.00 plus 

11 .50 postage anrj handling. Writer lvlr & Mrs baniel 

Y: I9!q", R.D. 5, Fox ZJJ, Dover DE t99ol 

*lr+{a lf+t+tflt+lt*l+Jf*+.rr+.**+tttt*.*+l*Jf*+.*,1++tt**J+.}r.**ltl+l*tf*+r+lflfJf+ 

Iif]-iam 

.1. Islel lanily Historv pook-covers 

the 

ramrty ot thrs Amish blshop of Nar.,Danee IN (1859_ 

1936). $Z.lo. ivtay be order-ed or information obiained 

from: Elizabeth D. Nis1ey, RR#1, Box LZi, 

Hutchinson KS 675OI 

lt+Jtr++tl&i{f * *+***+****Jf .tf Jr.tf .r*r*rf rt}rt +*++x**+**+***+***r** 

]_amilv Regsrd.g{^{".gTiqlr 

Ird€r arrr }annie i;il;;^- 

(m. Jan. 22, \882), lq?s, bV- SVfGn Yorte.r. fher" 

is also a 1977 supplement. Sylvan has a limited 

amount left at 82,?5 each. His addressr Sylvan 

Yoder, ltt? Irvin. Carlsi_.ad NM 88220 

l+lr*.|t*ttlfJtltrt*Jrtf.tt*+t+++*.r+*.*l{.**.r**ta*,rFJt.*ttJtJt*.t+.**+*+*tf.ttl+lr* 

{,a!-4:r,Recgrd € feISI. +nd lviaedalena (Gingerich) 

Jooer (m. Nov. 1C), 1U64), 1975, by Agnes yoder and 

Edna Swartzendruber. fhere is ifs6 a supplement to 

{u}V 1, 1980. Frice $4.00. 0r

Yoder Descendants Meet at Eelleville 

Pioneer Spirit Marks 1s0-Year Reunion 

BELLEYILLE, PA.-The l6th 

Moses H. Yoder family reunion was 

held August 13-14 at the Belleville 

Mennonite School, but it was more 

than the usual reunion-lhe familY 

was commemorating the l50th anniversary 

of the birth of Moses H. 

Yoder, the youngest son of nine 

children of Christian (Kiefer) and 

Esther Hertzler Yoder, who was 

born in the Kishacoquillas Valley. 

Moses Yoder was a true Pioneer 

going always west: from Mifflin to 

Mercer County, Pa., to lndiana, to 

Missouri, lo Kansas, and finallY, in 

the Cherokee Run, he homesteaded 

in Oklahoma. Today his living descendants 

number 774 and live in 25 

states from Florida to Alaska and 

Hawaii and one in England. 

A total of 69 Moses H. Yoder de- 

scendants, with 3? other Yoders, 

descendants of his brothers Dan and 

Simeon and his sisters Anna and 

Lydia, along with five visitors, enjoyed 

the programs. 

Alvin and Lee Yoder of the Simeon 

fanily prepared and guided a 

historical tour on Saturday after' 

noon. Two school buses transported 

90 people to the top of Jacks Mountain 

for a view of the beautiful green 

Kishacoquillas and Furgeson valleys. 

ON THE WAY down the tour 

leader pointed out Gypsy Dan Hollow, 

named for Moses' brother Dan 

who had returned to the valley seven 

times, earning the name "Cypsy 

Dan." A memorial stop on the tour 

was the Keifer Christ homestead 

where "Grandpa Mose" was born. 

At the home of Stephen Zook, descendant 

of Moses'sister Sarah, the 

entire tour group was impressed with 

a historic German Bible brought to 

America from Switzerland in 1746 by 

Jacob Hertzler. 

Saturday evening's program was 

given to history: "Our Fathers Lived 

in This Valley" by Alvin Yoder and 

"And 

Crandpe Mose Went west" 

by J. Otis Yoder. Charts of family 

lines and maps helped to clarify the 

family history. 

SEVERAL historical documents 

trrn lIi 

had been photocopied or printed for 

sale to the children. Alvin Yoder provided 

copies of the will of Christian 

Yoder, Moses' father, the settling of 

the estate, and a court order appointing 

a guardian for Moses H., who 

was not of ag€ at his father's death. 

These documents contain signatures 

as well as information. 

The J. Otis Yoders provided prinled 

copies of the English translation 

of spiritual counsel Moses' mother, 

Esther Hertzler Yoder, wrote in German 

for her children and grandchildren 

six weeks before her death. 

The translation wro done by Amish 

Bishop Ezra Kanagy of Belleville. 

The Sunday morning program was 

both historically inspirational and 

worshipful. lsabelle K. (Mrs. J. Otis) 

Yoder, who had written the Moses 

H. Yoder story and geneologY in 

1970, brought the statistics up to date 

and challenged the group to be growing 

on its roots. 

ORPHA COOPRIDER (Mrs. 

Ezra) Hershberger, of Goshen, Ind., 

gave a colorful account of her grandparents, 

Reuben C. Yoder, Moses' 

second child, and his wife Maggie 

Bontrager. This Reuben Yoder ls 

remembered by older residents of 

Belleville as the man who brought 

horses from the west and sold them 

to Pennsylvania farmers. 

Mabel (Mrs. O.J.) Yoder of Denver, 

Colo., the oldest daughter of 

Moses'youngest son, Martin, Presented 

a dramatic resume of her 

memories of her grandmother, Elizabeth 

Slabaugh Yoder, Moses' second 

wife, and the closing days of 

pioneer Moses H. Yoder. His first 

wilt. Barbara Kauffman, was mother 

of the first four children. 

A dozen Yoder men led the worship 

by singing a cappella two old 

hymns which illustrated that Yoders 

were singing pioneers. 

THE FINAL challenge of the 

morning came in considering "The 

Pioneer Spirit Must Not Die." 

Harold Yoder, professor at Coshen 

(lnd.) College and a great-grandson 

of Moses, expressed the desire to 

transmit that spirit to our children. 

Retired minister Clarence R. 

Yoder of Middlebury, Ind., grandson 

of Moses, appealed to the group 

to follow the worthy ideals of those 

who have gone before. Paul Marvin 

Yoder of Campbell College, Buies 

Creek, N.C., grandson of Moses, 

characterized the pioneer spirit: 

unflagging optimism, perseverance, 

resourcefulness and 

"work 

is 

honorable. " 

@ 

\ \ 

\r\ 

The above report is a reprint from the Sept. 1, 

198J issue of the MENNONITE WEEKLY REVIEW' 

Newton KS. The clipping was given by 0rpha 

Hershberger of Goshen IN. a descendant of Moses. 

The spiritual pioneer spirit was 

presented by J. Otis Yodet, international 

radio speaker of Heralds of 

Hope, Breezewood, Pa. He spoke 

from Hebrews I l:8-10, showing how 

pioneer Abraham had an eYe to see 

what others didn't see, an ear to hear 

what others couldn't hear and a heart 

to follow where Cod led. 

THE PIONEER sPirit was reflected 

in the menus, especially the 

bean soup and moon pies, and in the 

total expense of the weekend being 

met by freewill offerings which 

overflowed in a surplus to suPPlY 

Heralds of Hope with postage to 

mail l,1O Bibles to th€ third world 

listeners to "Hope For Today." 

YODER NEWSLETTERw P.O.Box594 Goshen,|N46526 

Gsreno-Tim6, Cwallir, Orc, Sundav, Jrnuory 15, 1984 tt 

The above obituary was sent in by Sylvia 

Martin, author of PoDDvrs Dozen. Sylvia has 

\r 

been a faithful correspondent to YNL. She 

also informed us that PoDpy's Dozen has lost 

\ 

Elizabeth Yoder 

Private graveside servicer for Elizabeth Yoder will be Monday 

at Oaklawn Memorial Park. The Rev. R. Richard Summer 

will officiate at the serviceri, which are for lamily only. 

Miss Yoder, {ll N.W. lSth St., died Saturday at Corvallis 

Manor, 160 N,E. Conifer Blvd. She was 85. 

She was born June 22. 18!8, in Wolford. N.D.. to John and 

Lydia Yoder. She spent her carly childhood in Wolford, aud attended 

lrigh school and collcge in Jamestown, N.D. 

After graduating in l92l frum Jamestown College, slre came 

west and taught school in \lontana, Idaho and Oregon, She 

completed her master's degree at the University o{ Southern 

California, and later received an honorary doctorate from 

Jamestown College. 

t'or {0 years she owned and operated Pantell School, a 

private school for girls in Whittier and Pamona, Calif. At 

Parnell, she bred and raised Arabian horses and nuintained a 

riding acaderrry, a special attraction for hcr students. 

She rvas listed in Los AnSeles County's 

"who's 

Who," and her 

picture hangs in the Jameslown College Hall ol Fame. 

In 197{, because of ill health, she deeded Parnell School l! 

Jamestown Coilege and moved to Corvallis to be near her 

sister. 

Survivors include her sistr:rs Doris (Dottie) Humble of Corvallis, 

and Edna Zilla of Darby, Mont. Her brother Mar died in 

1977. 

The family suSgests contrlbutions in her m€mory t0 the Linn- 

Benton Diabetes Association. These may be sent in care of 

McHenry Funeral Horne, 2[8 N.W. sth St. 

the second member. I'red P. Yoder, of Wolford 

ND, on January 3, 1984. Jery Yoder, was the 

first to pass on in October , 1982. 

Syl-via also informs us that she should have 

had more copies of Porrpvrs Dozen printed since 

the demand was larger than she'd planned. 

MAybe she could be convlnced to have renrints 

made if enough requests were nade. It is a 

history of Peter and Nancy Yoder and their 

twelve children and is interesting reading. 

A lineage chart proves this clan coning from 

almost a solid Yoder background from both 

Darents. 

Sylvia's address isr 2058* Pine Grove Ave. 

Springs CO 80906. 

---oooOooo---

()LD IVOFI,D ORTGTI'IS T'OR AIIOTHER YODER BRANCH 


CLD WORLD 0RI(iIi'.lS l.0R ANOTttLR YODITR BRANC]{ 

In tracing the ancestry of an3, Anerican family, 

one of the harderst steps to take is one that 

bridges the ocean to the 01ct Worlcl. Onty a few 

of the various Yoder lines have their' links established 

to genera.tions in iurope. It now appears 

that the contributions and efforts of our readers 

have matle it possibler to add another branch of our 

fanily'to this category. 

joseph Yoc.ier was born June 5, 78O? in l'rance. He 

farmed with his l,arents and on his own. ile married 

Anna Klopenstein (b. Oct. 9, lllto) in lgT9. 0rr 

l\lar-. 1 9' , l Bll they enrbarked for America arriving 

i,n.l',ay of that y'ear. His origina1 farnr was near 

Uti.ca NY, but after two years he moved to Stark 

Co., Ol1. There he farmerj until 1B44 at which 

time he moved his family to Darke Co., Oi{ w}rere 

he snent his remaining; years. 

Their chilrJren werer Joseph (O.feU. 1j, 1B4B), 

Catlierine (b. Mar.. ?, tB32 ), Barbara (A.'liav f 8, 

\95?)-, John (!.. 

l"F. to,'Iei4? ) anct Mary rr{. " 

(b. July 7, 1849).L This family appeai's in the 

1BJ0 Ohio Census, Ilarke Co., nage J1j (Wayne Twp). 

Joser.h Yocler died }reb. 11, 1886 and his wife Anna 

dleri lvay 26, 1892. Bot! were burieci in the yoder 

cemeter'y in Wayne Twr,.z 

Newsl.etter subscriber IUrs. Paul Wade, of Ster- 

Iing Il, has graciousl.y shared Alsatian yoder 

researcb se:nt to her by He1en Widmer during Nlay 

of this year. Among these notes are the f;llo;ing 

family lineage flom archives of Belfort, 

Francer YusLe Ycder (L?53) married Elizabeth 

Guemann ft758- )-rarmei in Grandvillars. 

Their. son Christian yoder (1?Bo) marriect 

Eliz,abeth Klopfenstein (dau. of Christ KIopfenstein 

and A. M. Wenger of Rousemerrt. 

Their chil-drenr Christian (1804) who married 

!q!nq1i nq Klopf r:nstein ( 1BO5 ) , and Mar. j.e Anne 

(1b18,) wife of Jean Riche. .Joseph (1808 ) who 

narried Anne Klonfenstein (dau. of Christ Kloplenstein 

and Anne Cerigue of Eguereigue). The 

gnly l{sted chilri of the lattei is Jdseph yoder 

t182e \ ) 

. Cemetery records for Joseph, son of Joseph and 

Anne, record that when he died on Feb. 13, 1848 

he was 18 .years ol.d--natchin! an IBZ/ birth date. 

Ît would certainly appear that the I'rench origins.of 

this fanily has: been determined. Many 

thanks to l,'lrs. Wade, Widner, anrj Whitlock! 

1. A-biographical dire:ctory of Darke Co., OH, 

page (21, published about 1B[]0. Copy locaied at 

Dayton fublic Library, Historical Coilection, 

IJayton 0H. 

. 2..Cemetery reccrds for Darke Co. OH furnished 

0y^rrnda (Yoder) Whitlock, Greenville OH, Ju1y, 

1984. 

3. Data proviried by Mrs. Paul Wade, June 1984. 

=:==============-====== == ====== ==::=: ==:-=== = === == 

coi lNG ATTRACTIOi'{ Il{ LJEXT ISSUET I I 

-. 

A ma.jor article, osnecially for the yoder 

News]etter on TitE ORTGTh-S OI. iHE YODERS oII THE 

OIEY_'/ALLEY, fJ, the noted historian an author 

ur. Uolr Yerinl. Incf uC eC wilf bc cxciting new 

findings fron his rr-.cent resca.rch in Germanv! ! | 

P,1 

GREAT I/]YSTERY REVEALEDI ! 

I\IHATEVER HA].F,EI.,IED TO ANOLP}{ YODEIi?? 

Not long a1ot a safe from the sunken ocean 

liner the Andrea. Doria. was orened with much fanfa.re 

on national tel evision. What was to be found? 

' . 4 

UOICr \,a.Snr JAWeIS. 

We a.t the newsletter ca.nit compete with the publicity 

builrr-uf, of the Andrea Doria., but we are 

gla.d to be a.b1e to reveal a secret which has also 

been"buried " for ma.ny years. 

fn a "Yode1 l3nrily liistory" furnished by Co1. 

George lrl . YoCer in 1920, he sketches the clescent 

of the Conra.d YoC er f amily of h-orth Carolina.. 0o1 . 

Yoder's notes were supplemented by I,,rs.'rV.EarIi: 

Ba.tes a.nd a copy furnished to the Libra.r-1r of Conqress 

in 1956 . liis records formed a ia.rge lrar t of 

the baek{round for subsequpnt publisheC historics 

of this line. 

Under ther section on the offspring of Conrad's 

son David, he wrote of David's second son,Adolpht 

"He 

was a soldier in the War of 1812 under Gen. 

Jackson. When his time expired he enlisted in the 

regul.ar Uniteri States Army anC alI traces of him 

were 1ost". (emphasis aCdeC ). 

Did AColph die in Indian lVars? DiC he complete 

his service in some dista.nt western territory? 

Did he leave Cescendants, some of whom may be 

anong those rearring this today? We will answer 

the fi:'st two of these questions in the words of 

AColph himself , @!ten 111 years agol t I 

( continue on page 4 ) 

---ooo 0ooo--- 

Ii'or those of you who are descendants of Amish 

Yoder lines, it may be of interest to know that 

thc initial qenerations of the lBth century immigrant 

linos were recorded in a 10 page article 

which appeared in the Amish monthly, 

"The Diary" 

in I'iarch of 7982. This information summarizes 

a r,ortion of the monumental work by Dr. Hugh 

Gingerich and Rachel Kreider now in final stages 

of production. We have been advised that back 

issues are a.vailable for $f .25 ancl nay be orderecl 

from The Diary, 39BL East Newport Road,Gordonville, 

TA. L7529, Ask for Vol.14,No.3,l'rlarch 1982 eciition. 

---ooo Oooo--- 

wir n6hmen Absd'ied von Hem 

Karl Joder 

In Liebc ud Danlbskeir 

PauJa foder s"l. r,on 

ud Kinder 

6700 Ludwigshdfen-Osenhem, h luli 198{ 

Herr Karl Joder, of Ludwi-gshafen-Oggersheim, 

west GermanJr a great friend of Yoders everywhere 

and noted researcher of our European Heritage, 

pa.ssed awa.y in July...li or more on this sad news 

see page +...

F R O I , 4 T H E E D I T O R S 

Chris Yoder, Battle Creek, I'.ichiga.n 

Ben F. Yocler, Goshen, lnclia.na 

a^-+-i vvrrul lrrr+i nr 

f vqvrr16 Fd svr i *nr uvr r 

.Lsvrr\ Ranlral f Kroi r:r " +\,' dor ' 

Goshen, fndiana. 

At this tirne resubscriptions a.re stil1 coming 

in. This issue is the first of three copies 

for this subscriptlon period r I'{os. 4 , 5, E 6 . 

l'any thanks to ;rou for your supnort for your 

promft rosronse, Jn your sixth issu. you'11 

get a reminder to resubscribe and the rest is 

up to you. Extra noticcs take money and time. 

VJe will strive to rnake each cofy worth your 

time and rnoney. 

FREE copies of issue #1 sti1l availablet Send 

a SASE (self-addressed sta.mped envelope), busi-ness 

-size to have one sent to family or friends. 

Back issues #z u tr3) ror $t.J0 each copy. 

Subscription rate for issues 4, J, and 6 is $3.00 

to resubscribers.t and new subscribers. 

CHRTSTI4AS TS A COMING! 

Can you think of a more family-tyoe Christmas 

gift to give a Yoder than a subscription fo the 

YODER NEWSLETTER? Ior $6.00 we will send issues 

l,2,3,and 4 and 5 and 6 wil1 be sent on issue. 

A nice stocking stufferl 

REA-DER CHALLENGE 

In the fast issue we included a "challense" 

about a gra.vestone in Eplers Churchlrard, Beine 

Twp., Berks Co., PA. It reads (in German) "i{ere 

lies Johan Nicholas Yoder, is born Jth day of 

February, 1(98, died 16 October 1759". The only 

answer was from l'lrs. Dorothy Coffma.n of IUalvern 

PA who indica.ted the churchyard serves both Lutheran 

and Reformed congregations. She was not, however, 

able to identify Johan Yoder. We since had 

occasion to visit the churchyard. Although the 

cited stone could not be found, there was a. John 

Soder/Souder from a subsequent generation wfro had 

served in the Revolution. Perhaps the earl.y nane 

was misread? The mystery continues! 

Our "Chal1enge" 

for this issue is based on 

information provided by C. J. Kurtz of Elverson, 

PA. He cites the book Annals of the Fenn Souare 

"It 

by J. Bennet Nolan which states 

t 

is the barn 

of Caspar Yoder on the Tulpechocken. The red 

devils have burned'his home and scalped the farni1y. 

Woe to us that remain here for a like fatel " 

Caspar is a name known to appear among the iviennonite 

Yoders (see issue #3, YNLrs "Hans ioder of 

Great Swamp" by Ken ilottle ) 

Can any of our readers tell us rnore about this 

1=:1::=111=:1"=1:::"=:1i:=:"=1::=:1'='=+========= 

ADAI'1S COUNTY, II"iDIANA YODEF RESEARCH 

We i d like to thank i'ir. Doyle l{interegg of Berne 

IN for senrline a copy of his kavmond Winterese and 

Pearl Yoder Familv Record which traces the descendants 

of Joshua Yoder (1816-1945) ancl Anna Rich. 

Also thanks to j\,]rs. Beulah Kreutzman of Decatur 

IN who shared her farnilv notes on Alsatian irnnigrant 

Jonathon Yoder ()/fi/t?95-4/28/1828 ) husbancj 

of llary Schrnucker. Jonathon (grandfather of Joshua 

cited above) was a member of the Evanselical I'lennonite 

Church. 

========= =============================== 

- -- - - - - =- PZ' 

LEITERS FROM READERS 

=================== ===============E==== ======= 

"f 

recently read the newsletter you sent ny 

father, and enjoyed your article about the 

Yoder history ln the canton Bern. While in the 

U. S. Army-Europe, f had the opportunity to 

vislt Switzerland. At that time I did not kno 

about the infornation given about Joderhebel, 

Huttwil, or Steffisburg, although I passed 

through Steffisburg and Thun enroute to Bern 

from Florence, fta1y, where 1 studied architecture 

for a few days. 

I researched at random looklng for Yoders 

in Luzern, 01ten, Base1, Bern, and Zurich, 

because f did not know where else to start. 0f 

course, I was not successful. 

I noticed the crest of Bern (city & canton) 

you have pictured in your newsletter. I was 

able to find a Joder (Jotter) crest--two black 

ravensr or perhaps, falcons' a.nd a tree with 

red heart shaped fruit on a shield-shaped back' 

ground. f w111 send you a copy if you want it 

As oresident of the 01ey Valley Historical- 

Society, I have some data on the 01ey Yoders. 

The "Annals of 01ey Val1ey" states that the 

brothers Yost and Hans arrived at the headwaters 

of the Manatawny Creek sometlme before 

1714, The l,ancaster County Yoders recently 

found documentatlon stating that the actual 

date they settled was 1710. 

In your newsl-etter you mentioned the villagr 

of Lobach--it 1s Lobachsvill-e. Jost and Hans 

never settled Lobachsville. fhat tract of lant 

was claimed by Johannes Keim, an Alsace-lorrair 

turned Palatinate Huguenot in 1698. Later gen 

eration Yoders settled a farm near Lobachsvill-r 

much 1ater. 

The area between Jost's homestead and Hans. 

homestead was graduall;y developed into a vlllal 

known as Yodersville, or Jottersburg' and was 

later re-named PleasantvilLe. A few years ago 

the village was re-named after the creek that 

flows past it--lKanatawny. 

Mv mother has an article stating that the 

reason a tree aDpears on the family crest is 

because the Yoder fanily was granted a tract 

of woodland for services rendered during one 

of the Crusades. How can I find out to what 

desree this could be true? 

I looked for Joderhuebel on a map of Switzerland, 

but found nothing--could that narne 

also have been changed? 

Is there any relation between the settlement 

at Joderheubel and the original settlenent 

of the i{elvetii (Heveetians), the original 

Swiss settlers? (Is there a Yoder historlan 

who can te1l me this?) I believe the 

name of this earlv colony was narned Aventicum. 

Please find enclosed check for $3.00 and 

my business card. I make museum reproduction 

redware (pottery). I am also a descendant 

of the first 01ey Val1ey potter' George 

Adam Weidnerr and am reviving his trade 

after it was forEgotten for 200 years. I nake 

only museum tyDe tulipware sgraffito pottery 

--the type the Penna. Germans used in 1683 

when they flrst arrived from Europe' 100 

years ago. Mv work is sold in museum gift 

shops. Frior to this I was an instructor at 

East Stroudsburg Universi"ty. 

I live in a partly restored 1og and stone 

farm house on a hilltop above the 01ey Valley. 

It was a pleasure to read your newsletter." 

(This informative letter was received from 

Gerald H. Yoder of Ileetwood FA)

]IROI,4 I,ETTERS TO T}M EDTTORS 

"Your 

newsletter contains a wealth of information. 

ft has made many Yoders happy." Helen 

YoCer, Venice FL. 

"I 

rea11y appreciate the 

"Places 

Named Yoder"' 

series. J was always curious alrout the place 

ca.:l led Yoder ln cr:rr-tral eastern lVyoming. " 

rlndrr.w Ytrder', Snithvill,e 0H. 

(Editors'note)--We'd like to thank once mo-r'e, 

)avir Lrrthy and the Amislr iiistorical Library, 

RRlt4, Avlmer' Ontario h"-

1iA.RI, JODER 

(t?ol 9B4 ) 

OBITU ARY 

50yER5ef 

We were much disturbecj anrt grieved to be made 

a.ware of the passing of Ka.r1 JoC er,, of West Gcrma.ny 

c,iuring the month of July' 19iJ4. 

Ka.rf was one of our ori6;ina.1 supporter:s and 

harl sent much valuecl contributions to the Yoder 

Newsletter. He was certainly unselfish with 

both his time and research findings. 

Aftcr 

much effort he unea.rthecl considerabfe unknown 

information about the ioders in Eurone, both 

pa.st arrd pre sent . 

We are inc] eec gri evinq over the news, but can 

remember him a.s an enthusiastic, plca.sant anr'l 

generous co-worker. "Ve'C hooed for many yoars 

5f rewarding contact and plea.sant cooneration, 

but such things are not controlfer: by us. iVe 

hore he ras not in great pain or Ciscomfort anC 

dic not have to ext-'crience Trrolongec suffering' 

The la.st letter receiveci from him salC as 

nrinted in German: 

Liebe l''amilie Yod.er, 

Aus clcr T'f alz, die alte ;-{cimat in 

West Germany, sen.Jen wie wiele liebe 

Gruz e . 

Karl & Ira.ula .lorjer 

!I4. Christian Yorrpr Lega!v I 

?!^ 

amilv EC.A-a-f-d-' 

fgB3, by-Tho"as yocei. This BO pasc paperback 

?i"n"""i) nrovides in detail the rlescendants of 

n^"iC l". Yorier (f84q-191 4) who marriec Catherine 

ir.i ller . The introductorlr chanter tra.ces tne 

cJescent .rom Christian ( "Schwoitzer" ) YoCcr 

(L?2(-1816) tnrouqh his son Davic' qrandson 

joshua and grt'at grandson ioses J' (Davicl's 

father). Aiso nroviCerl in this nicely Cone 

booklet is a. general- Amish history, several 

photograDhs of farms, Cocuments a.nd 6lravestones' 

CopieE available lrom Thornas Yod er , l7L7 Frand en 

Drive, Normal IL /'L?(1 for.,(.50 lostpaid' The P, 

noted Amish historian Leroy Beachl'nrovideC some 

4 

input to this work. 

== =========== == ===-=== =--== === =================== 

\ ]l 1"t;*'"" 

\ / 's|.f, / 

CL l:li'.RY lrISTOl(A':l0l; Ilj I IiCCLSS 

tsishor Christian Yo'ler ;r (1 ?90-1Blrl ) was tho seconrl 

Ami sh Bi shor of the Glarr ers Congregzltion in 

Somcrset Co. ,1 A. .liis cernete r1' shown on the ma| 

above, is novr unmarkcd qround and strin mining ha.s 

commencerJ in the imnediate area.. Thonas 01en Yocer 

of 2 0 Oxforcr Dr. , Coraonolis, l A 1 51 08, ha.s started 

funcJ raising to restore thi.s t,lot vrith a marl

ALSATIAN AiiD GERNTAN-BIr.iTir YODERS 0F 1850 CENSUS 

iilany of our Yode:r/\other ancestors ariveci in 

the Urj.ted States during the early and midrjl_e 

1700s. Another major: wave of Yoder j_mmigrants 

occurred in 19th century from the 181Os through 

1BrOs. The 1850 Census was tl,e first which lister] 

all family members. Those listed as having a 

iorei69r birthl,laue in the census are much mor6 

likely to be identifiable as fas as old-world 

origins a.nd oould well have grandchildren or 

great-grandchildren sti1l livinp;. They are 

also prime cantiidates for additional Yoder: genealogies 

in that the passing generations are fewer 

and Cocumentation, obituaries, etc. are likely 

to be more availab] c. 

The following data have been extracterj fron the 

1850 Census Yoder inr_tex bei ng prepared bv members 

of your newslettr:r staff a.nd, while it ii known 

that, there were otl.rer foreig,n-born Yodtrs who 

shotild have been in Anerica at that time, it is 

beli.evcrj to be a J'air"! v complete portrayal of 

those recorded. A kev is T)r.ovideC at the conc:lusion. 

OHI0 I 

Darkc Co., tV2yng Twp. n. jL3 (yA5) joseph yoder, 

age 42 , b. ],'rance' ; Ann, a61e 4C_t, t>. i'rance ; Cather.ine-17, 

Clrri stian-lJ , Lnn-12, I'1i-10, Barba.ra.-2, 

,lohn-4 , llary t,,. -1 ( all b. Oii ) 

]lolmes Co., \{a. Tvrp., paf'e 22( (y iLl8l ) .;acob 

Yoder, aqe 18, b. Germany; Barbara, ZI, b. Ai, 

Holmes Co., Saft Cn'eek Twp. 

.. ilolmes Co. , Ws. Twp. , nage 204 ( YRCB 

) I,ii.chael 

yoder, aqe-(oi, --z-- age 5i; John c., 23, Daniel, 

21, Catherine, L9 (all-'born Germany) 

TNDTANA T 

, Adams Co., French Twp. Simon Yutter, age 621 

Mary, age JJ, with Barbara Stuckey-JO and 

Christian Slaghter (a11 bor.n Germany) 

. Adams Co., French Twp. John Yutter, age ZJ 

(born Germany) 

Adams.(,or, Wabash 

T*p., 

age 25 (born Germany) 

1LI,II{OIS I 

(yA41 ) Joseph yutter, 

,, Bureau Co,, page 291, (yf1) Joseph yoder, age 

44; Barbara, age 45; Catherine-18, Jacob-l7, 

John-14 (a11 born Germany), Daniel-12, Josenh-8, 

Louisa-(, William-2 (aIl born I;,) 

As a word of warning, the bi_rth locations and 

ages cited in the 1BJ0 Census cannot be automatically 

assumed as accurate. The same fanilv 

between census years has often been seen to 

provide differine data. 

The corJing kev used above is to facititate 

iCentification and corresponds to that within 

the family group sheets maintainecl b;y the 

newsletter "research 

sta.ff". Taken j_n the 

sequence presented r 

YA5 is.Joseph Yoder who rnaryied Anna Klopfenstein 

(mentioned elsewhere in this issue) 

YRCts is Amish immigrant l,tichael yoder, 182J 

i.nmigra:rt from llessen Darrnstadt ( Germany ) whomarried 

I'iagdalena Eash. His familv has been 

covered in Descendants oi'i'lichael yoder IZBB- 

1978, revised and republisfreA by Ro:v A. yoaer 

of Itlillersburg 0H within the last sevrira.l 

years, YRCB1 is his oldest son and yRC6 his 

si ster. 

* Holmes Co. , l)a.1t Cr'eek Tr.rp. , Fager 2l+2 (yRC6) 

Barbara'1oder, ag.e (5 in farniiy oi John and 

Jane Knaff (a11 b. Germany) 

Stark Co., Ws. Twp., page J/(, Christian yoder. 

a1.e t5i Ann, aee l1 (both b. Germany); Catherjne- 

11, Joseth-11, T,ewis-1 (a11 born OtJ) 

Stark Co., lVs. Twrr.r page j?6 (yAL ) Joseph yoder 

are 70i Barb'ary, age ( Oi Christopher-lO (ail borrr 

Switzerland); Ieter-22 (b. I,rance); Daniel-18, 

Ihilip=1J, tsarbary-11 (aI1 born OH) 

Stark Co. r Ws. 7y1,:1 , , ltvqs )l( ( ym f ) Joserh 

Yod.Jer, a.xe )i (b. lr-ance); Leah , ag,e )2i 

Catherine-5, Barbar"y-j, joseptr-)/l2 (aI1 b. Ori) 

Stark, ',{3. Twr,., 'r:ag.e 

}l( (YA14) Andrew yoclcler, 

se,r .2J (born Swi tzlrland ); i,.ancy , arlo 22; Joscph- 

9/ibt l)'415i Lli-20 (al 1 bor.n Olt) 

. Stark, N!, lwo., page 48f Christ yodr!er, a1e 39; 

Anna, arle 39 (both b. I,'rance); Christ-1 J, Anna-l), 

larbara-11l., I'eter, ), ltraria-J (al1 born 0ij) 

_^Stark_, 

lii. Twp., page 484-Catherine Yeddsr., 4gs 

f0; Barbary, age Jo (uotn u. trance) in famiiv " Jr 

Peter anrl ii'anny Swar.tz (sn? ) 

Tuscaraw;rs Co., i.a. fwn., DAge 32( iohn yetter, 

(b,_Germanv) 

1{,? 

in fanilv oi Josenn Neal , age 

'U_ (born,IA), Eli zabeth , ag.e '2.8 (born Germany), 

Ellen-1 (born OH) 

.. lVayne Co. , Green 1'wn. , Dage 190 ( yAl ) Cnristly 

lgd:r,, at\c 52; itary, age 5B''(both born cermany)i 

uhristly-22, Johathon-20 (both born Oil) 

lVayne,Co., Creen Twp., oage 194 Catherine yoder, 

aie,1) \born Irance in family of Feter Klopfen_ 

stein, agt-. 7A; bartta.ra, are 14 (Uotn ll. France) 

--t?,tno 

Co., 3rps11 Twl ., nage 19lt t,.ar.v 

'r'oder, a1-e 

)U \Dorn Utrrmany); Joseph-21, Barbara-30 (both 

!.. oitl, .1ohn J2 (b. cermanv) (family includes 

three |,loifet (sn) chilclren' 

.. falne Co. , Grcen 'lwp. , pafle 194 Amiena ( sp? ) 

Iotter,. asc 33 (b. YA1 is Carrt. Joseph yodder, lB25 Amish 

immigrant from around Belfort iraice, who 

married Barbara Weiss. A part of frii fristory 

and descent appears in A Brief Record 

ef .lour 

l:-ers-er Iamiles pr ST.-JiE6.E-Eoir!y, 

lX_Ara4g 

Switzerlanrl) in family of 

uaniel lVeldv -39 , t,jatty-3z ( both b. Switzerla:rd ) 

by the late Charles M. yoder of SouTh 

Bend It". fhis work is currently out of print. 

YA11, YA14, yA15 --- - 

are some of his =o.,". 

YAI is Christian Yoder who maruied l,iary--?--, 

His son Christian married Catherine gecker, 

and son Jonathan married Anna Swartz. 

-- YA4l _ is apoarently Josr-:.h yorJer who rnarried 

Katherine Strigkpy. He vras 

-cnan 

the son of .tona_ 

roder, ( y44 ) and ii,s.1.y Schmucker who 

settled with his children in the Adams Oo., 

fndiana area. lt could be assumed that the 

other Adams Count;r.s ,,yutters" are a part of 

this fanily, but fur.ther researcl-r is neecjed. 

YT1 is Josenh Iod"T:. born in Bavaria 

i1 1BOJ, 

*:.q mTried Barbara ,qiur"crrtl" 

nave il'i" 

cone to Bureau ""ro -o 

Co. in 

Iliennonite. jJis 

fS:Z "Uj was a 

rtescendant" flir"-t"pt the ,,f 

sr .'t ing and some 

oder,, 

of t;;_;-;";*"io.i'or" readers. 

Any rea.der who can help i-dentify these yoder 

families and contribute ancestral or descendant 

information are askecl to write ior Chris VoJ"r, 

203 Lakeshire Road, Battle Creek-IvtI 490L5 

r.jtat,^-i-)it:rir:-;.-r*READER 

SEIiVI0E*r*,**+?rJF++j!ir+++r*.Jr,r)*-x_n+r+r 

A reminder to our readers that we have been work_ 

ing on family grollJr sheets ior various yoder lines 

a.nd have clos;e to 2 ,5AO frorn the la.st century, anC 

before inriexeC. Also have been copying over Yoder 

data. fr.om the 1 850 Census and are "los" r,o comple_ 

tion. lVe will g1ad,1y check our files for you on 

request. Can also put you in touch with oiher 

resea.rchers on some families. If you a.re working 

on a YoCer descendant rlirectory or geneology,*u;d - - 

be glad to help with aclvic",r,i "oro:r.rs.a."s 

and addresses if possj,ble. Any volunteers to help 

the newslettcr research efforis, 1et us know what 

sources you ha.ve access to, and we | P 

I 

lf be glacl to 

get your asslstance.

n{ f,lr+.*r+J*r+j***+Jr*.rryoDER TNQuTRIES*t!JpJslt**+Jt+ltJtltl+l+++t?' 

The YNT, will publish YoCer-related-inquirics or 

"""i.""E"=-ai no crrarge. Ilease limit to l0 worcs 

i.'I"',-i"t !,rovide all ,t,tn=' names,places in 

sunoorting bata ancl we will check against our 

;;t;;;s tb see if the newsletter c-an heln too' 

il;;;;= tI".'i"q"iries to I chris Yor-rcr' The Yoder 

il"*"i"it!. ,- zoj=iaueshire RD',B3tt1e Creek'l I 

?!!=!29L5- 

Neeci info on parents of Daniel Yoder' b,ca lB0B 

PL m. Nancy Durbin. Was in Greene Co' PA 1B5o' 

Known ch. iames m. Barbara Griffith; Llizabeth m' 

Samuel Oliver; John rn. ? \thitlatcht Zacha'riah m' 

Lucinda Ottt George m. Hannah Hinerman; Mary m' 

Jesse Hinerman; an

rl 

)5 

SI&Ar.rc JAC03" YOpER S 

We are jndebtert to the late C . Z, Iitast of, Efver_ 

son PA for a collection_of interesting tafes aUoirt 

0n. of'our Amish yooer j.mrnigrants. 

irjast, i;;;;;; 

crcditcd C. Z. Yorier of Waynp Co., CH, and the 

oral trarlition handed rjown in tlre communitics 

where descerrdants of this proliiic-famiit ;;;" 

settlod. 

_ iacob Yor.ror, who arriveri Sept. ZI , I?42, on the 

anrt 

Tillil 9l izabeth, mus.t frav. t.aA a power:fu1 

nn)'Slrlllrr 

, to heve soon- acqUirerj the niCkname of 

'Stark". (Stronrl) Ja()ob. We also fincj that hj-s 

son Christj.an wa.s known as,,rlr:r Di,,k 

(1itera1 

Ch.i"to1,, 

Lv thick-tirroue!), "",1' ni s'-,.:r.ar,j"on 

Bic was 

Dan vboEil-.ric.ouTi"i,,r-ri iii=i ".org his 

close r.olatives in nor.thern Berks County but 

beforr: 775A he harl bought lanA in Lancaster Uounty 

in the luorf,antown arrra. ,lis farmsiiad can be 

seen f rom thl Conestoga i ike, thr. ,,i(ing," ltigh*uy,, 

now knomt as Iloute 21. j{e had been 

,,eritrusteO 

with Jr-rnds from the -Briti 

sh"droill:"to help main_ 

tain. this higlrway, and he wasr a p"orinent'.iiir., 

rn this community, the locale "f tn" 

,,stories,,. 

.liast r.elaters that Jacob rielighted in tire ,,par.ti_ 

cipation 

- 

oi atirletic sports on his 

genrrrally 

farm. T;;t 

took rlacc among the hired rnen 

beins 

aJ.ter 

hurrieci from tire t'iefcis t;-i;; barn for 

shelter from an anDroa.ching ono*o"...,, On one 

Strons 'iacob 

?::::]:l 

was cnatleneer,i 

rrtgnnan 

uy a it"sr

Michael Yocler ft?ag-l}?g)-His irog,ts anc his 

QUiikY 

,i'iootsl-.by^lhe 1afi-E;t-mono-Grt-To?", or- _ ".'i:i:,1luiu]il"rB!rt?il;iL:fl.tt;t;:i?",:"11"" 

dhenTN.' B* x lt " paoerback. 2)( pages. Includes 

;. 

a scholarly account ly Dl. Paton w-.-Yocer on 

Co" NY to i{atherine Boyer' iie was a I'ienno- 

:fi" 

Michael,s father (Jacob Yoder, b. r?i;:;', taSZ)- nitc' Settled in f'ee co" rA bv 1859; buried in 

*no '""":."a Barbari u""r"v-(iiei-ntz1.: r;li. 'o:tr!fi:n':;l}ti:'r32;l'ffi|; 

_ I:=loi!l"l,,lf 

i:n" 

family-photographs. A limited number.?f "9p1:: 

i;ri':'i!"ri"",". rBll , ynma b. 1B( B, clara b. 

"." "il:-f availabl" for $4.00 postpaid) anc can ll 

be ortlered from Silas S. Smucker, 1304'so"in-i+tn 

1B/1 ' Sa'rah b' 1871 ' Ohrist C' b' 1B?5' Ecwarc 

St., Goshen IN 46J2(. (Raymonc! passeri away before 

i,' 1'Bl( ' charfes b' 1879 and olic b' 1885' Reply 

he harr proorreact this book and there ";;-1'l"t-Yl: 

13"!:1"?rt';;;?5"" ' 2:r?"' l"orth ilacreli'n '1r7'" 

corrected errors present. It also has ma.ny uncon- 

=:======== 

============================== 

flrmecl stories that are questioned by the.family 

OBITUAR' 

With this in mincl , it stiIl is worth reading' ') 

================================================= OLEN YODER was the OldeSt gon of lvienno R' Yodert 

we were informe

Issue No. 

TiIE ORIGINS OF THE OI,EY VAILEY YODERS 


by Dr. Don Yoder 

In the surnmer of 1950 f taught at lhe summer school 

of Colurnbia University and earned enough money to nake 

my first trip to Europe. ft was a pilgrimage which took 

ne to the old homefands of the European Yoders-- the 

Palatinate, whence they emigrated, and Swi-tzerland 

their original home. fncluded was my first visit to 

Steffisburg in Canton Bern, which I was able l-ater to 

identify as the birthplace of my fi.rst American Yoder 

ancestor, Hans Yoder (I572-L742) of the oley Va1ley. 

I had always been interested in the history of ny 

famj.1y, since those happy childhood summers whj.ch I 

epont or _9,I. Grcn4q9th-er Yoderrs Sch'rJ'-'illill lcunty farm, 

in the ilegins Valley, which my father owned for a 

decade. There all was Fennsylvania Ducch, but with a 

strong underlay of High German. There were German books 

and Taufscheins and o1d deeds and other papers from tbe 

pa6t. Ivly father and his brothers and sisters were interested 

in history, and they treasured a sketch of the 

family wriLten by their cousin who was editor of the 

Shamokin Timee that traced it to the oley Val1ey in 

Berks Countlr lennsylvania, to !{ans ano Yost Yoder the 

enigrant brothers who were the first Yoders to come to 

Pennrs Woods. 

When I became interested in our famllyrs origins, rny 

father encouraged me. I,{hen I wae a boy ny father bought 

ne a wonderful book, Annals of the CIey Valley (Reading, 

1926)t by the lleverend F.C. CroJ-I,D.D., a Lutheran 

minister and 1oca1 historian. This book had a chapter 

on the Ctey Yoders (pp.8f-84) which f read and reread. 

(Eventually I corrected the fcw nistakes the gooil pastor 

had madel for exanple, he sklpped a generation in 

his tree of the llans Yodcr descendants.) 

North of grandmotherrs farn was the Mahantongo Va]1ey. 

!4any tJ.meo my father took rne there to visit the older 

cousj.n6, who talked Dutch and brought out their old 

family papers. We read and copied the Gernan inscriptions 

in the churchyard of the St.Jacobts (Ilswerterrs) Lutheran 

and r?eformed Union Church, where most of nry Schuylkill 

County ancestors were buried-- Yoders and llepl-ersrMaurers, 

Bclac).e, Reinerts, ltlagnere, Ilerings, and Steins. 

P.O. Box59{ Godrcn, IN46526 

conft. p.3 

Dr.Doa loder - A Professor of 

tolklife Studiee at the Univcrsity 

of Penneylvaniar Dr. Yoder is an 

laternationally recognized authorlty 

on the Pcnneylvania Gernans. 

[e serves as a consultant to the 

Snithsonian Inetitute and the 

Llbrary of Congress and wae cofounder 

in 1950 of the Pennsylvan- 

La Dutch Folk Feetiva}. Itis rcubllshed 

books iaclude 

lklife. S 

1,1e85 

CHRISTIAN ANN MA.RIE YODER. TIO{TGRANTS OT'1828 

By Mary Helen Yoder Wade 

Christian Yoder is shown as YR3 in the 1859 

census records of forelgn-born Yoders reporteal ln 

the last lssue of the Yoder Newsletter. Thelr son 

Chrlstian married Catherine Becker and son Jonathan 

narrled Anna Swartz. Untll 1981+ the facts about 

this fanily were rather sparse. It was known that 

Christian and Mary (lt4arie, llaria) raised their 

two sons in Green Township, Wa)me County, OH. 

Chrlstian dled 6 Sep 1850 and was buried at the 

Paradise Cenetery, Oreen fownship. By the tirne 

Maria died, the Oak Grove MennonLte Cenetery was 

being used. Her grave stone reada: "Maria wife of 

Chrlstian Yoder-born 2J Nov 1?90 and dled 9 Apr 

1882-aged !1 yeers 4 nonths and Ltl days". 

Fanlly tradition stated that to this unlon 

four chlldren were born, two of whon dled ln 

France, the country origln of this fanlly. 

This past year these facts were sent to Helene 

Widmer of Belfort, Prance to ask lf she could 

locate any information about this fanlly. Miss 

Widmer, with really lro clue rhere to begin, found 

the records in the Danjoutin Archives. ft was 

quite a surprise that the inforrnatlon was so near 

her home and that the recorda were so lnfortnativer 

22 Dec 1.822 Marriager 

Christ Joder (25 yr.s. old) born ln 

Charnois--son of Chrlst Joder and Elizabeth Lehnan 

(reavers), and Marie Joder (33 yrs. old) born ln 

Belfort-daughter of Jacques Joder and Marianne 

Guesmann (farmers ln Belfort) 

Con't. P. 2 

1, 

MORE OLD WORT,D LINKS IDENTIFIED 

Joseph Ioder of Bureau CountY ILr 

From Kenneth L. Yoder of Grantsvllle MD comes 

some information in Gerrnan assembled by Karl 

Jocler and hls fellow researcher, Otmar Jotter 

which identifies the origln of .Ioseph loder 

of Bureau Co., IL (see YNI#4, Foreign Born 

Yoders of L850 Census, "Yf"). These data 

are slmopsized as followsr 

"Joseph Ioder, the husband of Barbara Albrecht, 

was born in 1805---the son of Joseph Joder and 

Mary-Catherln Cernann of Harmersbergerhof. Joeeph 

Sr. was the uncle of Christian Joder, the Anlsh 

minister of Horbacherhof. 

"0n 20 Apr. 1835, Joseph Jr. and hls wife 

departed with the entire Albrecht famlly for 

America. They arrived in New York ln July of 

1836. They had friends named Burkey ln Hennepln 

fL. From New York they traveled up the Hudson and 

then by way of the Erie Canal to Chicago. From 

there they traveled by ox tean west and settled ln 

Arlspie Township, Bureau Co." 

Michael Yoder of Fulton Co., 0H: 

The data contributed by subscrlber Thonas A. 

Yoder of Toledo, along with lncomplete Alsatian 

Yoder records at hand, have resulted ln the posslble 

identification of orlgin of hls great-greatgrandfather 

Michael Yoder, a settler in Fu1ton Co. 

0H. 

According to Ton's infornation, Michael Yoder 

(1825-L8?3) cane to thls country from Alsace in 

Con't. on p. 2

Chrls Yoder, Battle Creek MI 

Ben F. Yoder, Goshen fN 

!E9U g.EE 

E!Ig9E!, (tade artlcle from p. 1.) 

Another recrod stated! 

Contributlng Edltor, Rachel Krelder, 

Goshen IN 

FREE coples of fssue #l_ sti1l available. Send a 

S4SE(self-addressed stamped envelope), businesssize 

to have one sent to famlty or-frlends. 

Back issues for $1.50 per copy. For ful1 

subscrlptlon (pays through issue-#6) 96.OO. 

Our next coplf, fssue #5, wi]] be the last Lssue 

for nany of you. There have been many who have 

prepaid past issue #5. We will lnforrn those of you 

who should resubscrlbe. 

lYe are lndeed pl.eased to have an informative and 

enJ-lghtening article submitted by Dr. Don yoder of 

Devon PA. We hope to have more naterial frorn him in 

the future. 

(conrt. from Michael yoder, p. 1) 

1854. Hls wlfe Francls (nee Roth) (1821-1897) 

and daughter Anna (f8fi-I927 ) joined him in 1855 

ln Qerman Township. Francisr parents were Christian 

and Mary Roth who also settled in Fulton Co. 

Anna later marrled John R. Yoder, a son of Joseph 

Yoder of another Alsatlan imnigrant line who 

settled in All-en Co., IN. 

Portions of the Joder records from Montbeliard, 

Alsace, show the following: May 8, L849-Michael 

Joder, son of Joseph of Montbeliard, married Frena 

Roth, daughter of Christ of Brognard. March 8, 

1851-dled the infant of Michael Joder of Dasle. 

The ages, nanes and dates involved make it a 

logical, if not ful1y provable, inferance that 

thls nay have been the same family. MichaeL is 

not too conmon a name anong what linited ALsatian 

Joder records we have on hand. 

***lt*t*t**tl***Jr****tf tl{s.tttltlt$tt*lt****.tl*.t$*.*tttTttl+ta.tt{ttttt*** 

YODER IN JAPANESE 

A nane card subnitted by l{rs. 

O. B. Yoder of Saugatuck MI demonstrates 

how the Yoder narne is sDel1ed 

in Japanese. That portion oi the 

card (over) is boxed. -In Japanese 

It ls pronounced 'yo-Da',...like 

the 

alien creature in the "Star Wars" 

movle saga. That wise and lovable 

llttle being might make an approprlate 

mascot for the Yoder family. 

What do you think? 

t * f r 

* t:: 

, tt 

q *+ 

E& 

a 2tn7i 

= F F 

t^++ 

L on t 

,\ -: 

ô+ | 

^+ t-, 

CROUND.BREAKING EFFORT: : YODER CENSUS AVAILABLE: : : 

J0 Grouse Road,Malvern,PA. L9355,. ! A11 Yoder names, 

lnc.variant spel1lngs from the Pa. census records 

of I79O,l-800,1810,1820 & 1830--family records have 

been palnstakingly extracted by lrlrs. Coffman. She 

offers to share a copy (Over 50 pps) for her cost 

of photocopying and malling.Send $7.50 to the address 

above. This product is one we reconmend high- 

1y for the serious researcher, and would encourage 

donations of copys to reLevant public/prlvate 11 

librarles so all rnay benefit.- your Editors... (. 

o 

B 

Born in Danjoutin of Christ and lrlarie Joderr 

Joseph born 1824-died 1826r Catherine born 182J-dled 

age 8 no.r Christ born 23 Sep 1.82?.(1.) 

lhe 1850 Census record states that both Christ 

and Jonathan were born in 0hio, but frorn this 

record Christ was born in France--Jonathan , at 

two years younger, lgjl probably born in Ohio as 

the famiLy was knovid-o have inunigrated in 1828. 

Little Christ of C. J. grew up to take over the 

farning on the land he ancl his biother helped to 

clear for cultivation. He was the keeper of many 

bees and became known as {Bee Chrlst Yoder". He 

was married to Catherine Becker who had been born 

18 Aug 1829 on a canal boat near Canal I'ulton OH. 

It is thought that she could have been born whiLe 

her parents were irnrnigrating to Stark Co., Olt. She 

died 29-rnarch 1901 and C. J. on 6 Apr 1909. They 

were laid to rest ln the Oak Grove Mennonite 

Cenetery. C, J. and Catherine were the parents 

of twelve chijldren, two of whon died ln infancy. 

The others narrled and hacl fani1les. 

Earlier records at Belfort show that Mariats 

father Jacques, a farner and then J8 year old widower 

of Marianne Guesmann, narried in 1802 to Anne 

Graber (age 2O), Jacques is shown as having been 

the son of Christian Joder and Anne Hochstetler, 

farmers in Bavilliers. (2.) 

1. Famlly tradition has this date as 2 Sep 

I82?,..possibly the French date is of - 

baptism 

2. From other records from Miss Widmer 

(ED. note: We certainly appreciate the continued 

efforts -by this team! Mary Helen Wade, 

BR#l-21601+ Freeport Rd., Sterling IL 

61081. The records of Montbeliaid show 

a Christ Joder m. a 'Leisi" T,ehman 

on Feb. I, I7?8. This Christian was the 

son of "Chrlst de Sochaus" and Leisi 

the daughter of Slmon of the "Schetzen'. 

Will be interesting to see if they can 

be confirmed as the paternal g?andparents 

of Bee Christ! ) 

TOBIAS YODER BIBI,E RECORD 

Jacob A. Schrock of Topeka fN provided the fol1owfamily 

record fron a Bible ow?led by Monroe J. Yoder. 

It identifies the famlly of Tobias Yoder, son of 

Christian Yoder who married Judith Gindelsperger, 

and shows some data not recorded in published 

hlstorles of thle line: 

Ich Tobias Jodter und mein Weib Maria Schwartzentruber 

haben geheirat den 8 Jenner im Jahr 183?. 

Ich tobias Jodter bin geboren im Jahr 1818 den 12 

Nowember. Dezenber ten 1853 is rnein Weib gestorben. 

September den 2J 1837 ist uns eine Tochter geboren 

und si heiszt Judith Jodter. Hornung den 22 ten 

1839 ist uns since Tochter geboren und si Heiszt 

Elizabeth Jodter. September den 2J ten 1842 ist 

uns eine Sohn geboren und er heiszt Walintein 

Jodter. Hornung den 1J ten 1847 ist ein Sohn 

geboren and er heiszt Aaron Jodter. October den 

15 ten IB47 ist uns ein Sohn geboren und er helszt 

Moses Jodter. September den 10, 1850 ist uns ein 

Sohn geboren, er heiszt Jermia Jodter. 

This family Bible was handed down through the 

family of Valentine (Fe1ty) yoder. 

**************rF*******Jf lf ltt{.** J|.r+J$*r+rtl+*****ti***n**lrts 

.- T_o know where you can find a thing is in realty 

the best part of learning.

conrt. Crigins_p.1 

In 1915, when I was fourti:en, ny father and I made a 

pilgrinage to the Cley Val1ey, to visit the yoders and 

the Yoder farns. Cn the way home 

'v/omelsdorf 

we visited 

and called upon Pastor Cro1l, who was then retired, a 

charming and gracious old man. I{e gave me ccpies of 

other bcoks which he had written and encouraged me in 

ny interest in I'snnsylyania I{istory. 

Another li-nk in the chain was my fatherts distant 

cousin, Lynn Emerson Yoder of Fairrnontr',^/est Virgj-nia, € 

Schuylkill County Yoder by birth, '.rho was at that time 

working on a history of the Yoder farnilies of Berks and 

Schuylkil} Counties. In \9J6, following my own 'rdiscoverytr 

of the Cley Va1ley roots, I initiated 3 correspondence 

with him and began to exchange data. IIe kindly 

allowed me to copy his Yoder tree which he had worked 

out, and gave oe a photostat copy of the yefls1 elr6s1 

Story of I?41. More about that later. 

And of course we attended the Yoder Reunions. The 

Reunion had begun, before my time, in Schuyl_ki11 County, 

and eventually included all Fennsylvania yoders. It 

alternated between Hershey, Sunbury, and Lewistown. 

Through it we got acquainted with the genial president, 

Joseph W. Yoder, and Jormed friendships with some of 

the red-bearaeci Amish-Yoders of the Xlshacoouillas 

Va11ey. 

Final|y, 

Historical 

when I discovered the resources of the 

Society of Fennsylvania, f cane to value 

the nanuscript volume entitled lragments 

Historical- sketches of cley andffi 

of the Past: 

charming local history, fu11 of Yoder reminiEcences, 

was by Dr. Peter G. Bertolet (1822-1855), who interviewed 

o1d Yoder kinfolk. His srandrnother was MarLa 

(yoder) Bertolet and her grandiather was yost yoder 

the emigrant. 

Up until then no one had 1ocated the European 

origins of our fanily. ft was always remenrbered that 

they were originally Swiss, and Iike nany lrennsylvania 

German pioneer families, had stopped off for a tirne in 

the Palatinate before coming across the Atlantic. Cn ny 

first visit to the Berks County Courthouse at Reading I 

came across that curious German deed of January tl., I??I, 

cle.ted at Neustadt in the i'alatinate, whereby Johannes 

Jotter, eldest son of Nicolaus Jotterr a brother 

and Yost who had renained in Europe, transferred 

of l{ans 

his 

rights to some land in Fennsylvi-nia to his first 

Johannes Jotter (Hans YoderrJr.) of C1ey. (I will 

cousin, 

present 

a full analysis of this document in a subsequent article.) 

This 

part 

Falatinate Johannes Jotter 

of l,leustadt. So on my first 

Ij_ved at I4ussbach, now 

visit to the Palatinate 

in 19rO, Dr. Fritz Braun, Director of the Tleimatstel-1e 

Pfal-z in Kaiserslautern, took me to Mussbach. Alas, there 

were no Yoders or Yoder records there. But on ghat visit 

I achLeved a taste 

intriguing name of 

I have never lostfor 

the excellent local 

rrMussbacher 

Eselshaut'r, 

wine with the 

a taste whj-ch 

Fritz Braun also introducerl me in l95O to Karl Joder 

of Cggersheim, Enil Joder of Neunijhle near Albersweiler, 

and lierbert Jotter of Ludwigshafen. Ilerbert presented 

me with an eighteenth-century pewter plate frorn the 

Palatinate Joder fanily, whi.ch I stilI have and teasure. 

l'.ost of all, f value the association with Karl Joder 

(1906-1984), who had already begun at that time to research 

the Palatinate Joder lineage and who has contributed 

so much to the familyts genealogy. 

The Yoders of Canton Bern 

Cur Yoder famlly first made its appearance in European 

history in Canton Bern, Switzerland. Soon after 

its publication in 1940 I located Robert Oehlerrs twovolume 

first edition of the Familiennamenbuch der 

schweiz, now enlarged into s@ to 

this source there were two Bernese communities where 

the Yoders had thej-r citizenship rights (lieimatrecht) 

before 1800. These were Muri near Bernr now a part of 

tsern, and Stei-fflsburg, near Thun on the Lake of Thun 2 

on the edge of the Bernese Cberland. 

J. 

Palalinale 

P A jfr-r l^ru 4^{ E @' 

" ) {'__/ \-t+lf!....'. 

| 

( 

I 

srrncit. krhr 

\ 

L=-* _ ,

lane Yoder (L672-I?42), @ 

Futting together the fact that ilans Yoder of the Cley 

Valley had a brother Iost who joined him in Anerica and 

a brother 

determine 

Nicolaue who renained in Europe, I was able 

that Hans Yoder (t572-I?42) was born on the 

to 

Crtblfhl farurrat SteffJ-sburg, Canton Bern, Switzerland' 

March 1Or15?2r and died ln Penneylvania in 1742. He was 

the oldeet eon and flrstborn chilil of Adaro Joder and 

hie nlfe Barbara Ccheenbein of Steffisburg. The Cchsenbeins 

werc a fanily with orlgins in what ie now Canton 

SoIothurn.,Some of thern noved to Burgdorf and elsewhere 

in the Bernese territorles in the latd Mj.ddle Ages and 

durlng the Refornation. In the fifteenth century sone 

of then were city offlclals and clergynen in Solothurn 

lteelf and !l!-gg94!g or 

eeat at Schlose Dorneck. 

district Sovernors with their 

Adan Joder was born at Steffisburg Septembet 22t 

1550. ge had a twin brotherr Hans Joder, for whon Hans 

Yoder of Cley was naued. Adam Joder was the son of 

Nicolaus and Anna (TrachEel) Joder of the Crtbuhl Farm. 

Nicolaue Joder (1509-1580) was the son of Casper and 

Margaretha (Hennig) Joder of Steffisburg. This was ttre 

Caaper Joder who 6erved briefly 

steifisburg and the Freigericht 

as Statthalte! of 

st"T?G6ffif5r1-15r2. 

The Statthalter was, like a Landvogtt a district Sovernor 

and representative of the cantonal governrnent of 

Bern. For I'icofaus Joder see ny articlet ItThe Kung- 

Gnagi ConnectionrI in 

VI: l(January 1981), 2-6. 

Hane Yoder was twice marrled. Ilis first 

nanetl Veronica 

"Iselnynrt. At least that is 

wife was 

the way her 

nane braa spelled in the recorde 

Church ln Pennsylvania. lhis is 

of the o1d:st Reforned 

the church 15s1 llans 

Ioder joined on hls arrival In L7o9/LZIot the Dutch 

Reformed congregation at I'Ihitenarsh, north of Phlladelphla. 

f have checked the orlginal record book written 

in Holrand Dutcb' now ln the lresbyterian Historical 

Society in Philadelpblar and the transcription is as 

above given. Thls presents a problen. Is |tleelnyn" a 

I{olland Dutchmants way of spelling the Enmenthal nane 

rrEschelnannr " 

or what is more likely' the Thun-Steffisburg 

nane ttl{uoelnannrr? f have not yet been able to 

sol-ve this problern, or to fj-nd the place of date of this 

oarriage. A11 we know is that llans and veronica were 

narried ae earJ.y as L599/L?O0, the birthdate of their 

eon Hans Yoder, Jr.(1700-1779). The source for the name 

Ileelnynr'ls lVilLialo J. fllnkered.r'r0hurch Record of 

I{csbaminy and Benealen, Bucks County, I?LO-l?t8tn 

Journal of the Prcgbyterian IlistoricaL Societv'I:1 

ee the 

riference to the eecond marriager below. 

rdhen dli l{ans Yod:r leave Switzerl"t-d? Ag"1" the year 

ls not known, but he doee turn up in tbe Palatinate ln 

l?08-1?o9r ln the vllIage of SchwetzLngen, not far fton 

Mannheln and Heidelberg. Schwetzingen centere around the 

Bunner residence of the Electors of the Palatinate! the 

great Schlose whj.ch le stilt etandJ-ng anidst its fornal 

gardene. W111 tsans Yoderte knowledge of farning and 

n11Ling he probably was hired to work ln eone capacity 

for thi Elector. Unfortunately the Schwetzingen council 

minutee (Ratsprotokolle) for thi6 period are missing. 

Cur knowledge of hls reeidence ln Schwetzingen cones 

fron the Reforned Church Registers of the town. As 6ome 

of ny readers know, there ls extensive research going 

on "i pr"""nt into the backgrounds of the 

ttlTO9ererrrthe 

PaLatine enigrants of 1709, sponsoretl by Ilank Jones of 

Unlversal Clty, California. His European reeearcher, 

Karla Mittelstaedt-Kubaseck, whorn I know personallyt 

attended a lecture I gave at a conference in the Palatinate 

ln I9?4, I aeked her to be on the lookout for any 

reference she night locate to l{ans or lost loder. Sone 

tlnc later ghe wrote ne that ln going through the 

Schwetzingen Reforned Church register, on deposit in the 

Baden Church Archivea at Karlsruhe, she found Eane Yoder 

ln schwetzingcn in the years 1708-1709. gans and.Veronica 

foder bad a tlaughter Anna Regina, baptized January 2/t 

it oh.!D.. Jot t. ! (lodcr) 

uDd Pbrodct lalni lhuafrau Elt l(l!d lBDa naglla 

t.t ll|xo 

'l?09 d.[ f.ll.rt! l! dt. Ir!.1 

1708, wi.th Jacob Kcirner, schoolmaster, and his wife 

RacheI a6 sponsors. In connection with thls entry the 

pastor later added that trthis 

\ 

\ 

\ 

family went to the fsland 

of Fs4nsylyanJ-arMarch 1, 1ZO9rr. Like nany Europeans of 

the time, the pastor probably thought that Iennsylvania 

was just anottrer of those West Indian Islands. 

By I'lay 6rL?Og, Hans yoder was in London, with hundreds 

of refugee Palatines, preserved in the British Library , 

Hans Joderts name (misspelled as lrFodderil when the lists 

were published in 1909) appears among the 'rFirst Arrivalsrt 

_(Ioders are always on ti-mel). nis "gi """ given as JB, 

his occupation that of 

frhusbandmant' (farner), and his' 

religion Reforured. Accompanylng him were his wife, two 

sons aged ! and 4, and a daughter aged orru y.rr. ih" 

source of this information is the article, rrlists 

of 

Germans from the Fal_atinate who cane to In8land in 1ZO9r I 

ln: The New York Genealogical- and tsiographical ]tegisterj 

xr,r Tlllet:-- 

These lists are the key to Hans Yodcrrs early move- 

nents, settl-enents, and personal 

','/ith 

relationships in !ennsylvania. 

his name in ttre London Lj-sts appear the 

nanes of John LeDee ancl Philip Kuhlwein. This is significant, 

since Hans Yod:rrs second wife, who he marrj.ed 

in Psnlsylyania April 29rI?l L, was Anna Rosina LeDee. 

dau6hter of Jean LeDee, usually spelled LeDez, philip 

Ktihlewein (L6v-r73?) became ilanS Ioderrs brother-in-law 

1n narrying another daughter of Jean LeDez. Both LeDez 

and Kuhlewein settled in Oley with ilans yoder, in fact 

pr.eceded him ihere. 

Eans Yoder must not have been as trpoortr as some of his 

Palatine countrymen in London. l'iost of theu were shipped 

by Queen Anne either to County Lime:ick in Irelandr or 

to the iludsoa Valley in New York to nake naval stores 

for the British governnent. Ilans Yodrrr along with Jeaa 

LeDez, Phllip Kuhlewein, lians Jacob Fu1lwei1er, Gerhard 

Clenens and a few others listed, nanaged to corne directly 

to Fhiladelphia, where they becane founders of Fennsylvania 

Dutch rather than of liew York l'alatine fanilies' 

l'jhere did ltans Yoder first settle'? Cn January 14, 

1?11, he purchased a tract of 275 acres along the Schuylkill 

liver in Coventry Township, Chester Countyr somewhere 

opposite the preeent Fottstor*n. IIe purchaeed this 

land frorn John Henry Kerson (liersten) who later appears 

in Cley as reLl. Cn the sane date, January l4rlfllr an 

adJoining tract was bought fron Kerson (Kersten) by Hane 

Jacob Furrweiler (1682-r?15) 

' who also appears in the 

London Lists. The purchase of adjolning tracts on the 

sane day implJ-es 6ome relationship between the two nen. 

(Could Fullweilerrs wi.fe Barbara have been Ilans Yoderrs 

,rl 

sister Barbara, born at steffisburg Ln L5752 If so shc

would have been eix years older than her husbaad, im_ 

probable in those days but in no case inpossible.) 

Fullweiler died in 1,215! and on June 23,-I7I8 his wiclow. 

now the wife of I'iartin ill.,ley1eenr' (l,lylin) of Straburg, 

Lancaster Countyr sol-d the Fullweiler property to Jacob 

Buckholtz. Yes there i,s also a 3uckhollz j-n the l,ondon 

Lists. It all ties together. 

0n March 251L7I4, Ilans yoder received his warr.nt 

frorn l/illiam Fenn for l-and along the upper l"ianatawny 

Creek in the Cley Val-Iey. lhis includld most of the 1and 

around what is now called Pleasantville but for manv 

years was known as 'rYotterschdetlleil (yodertown). Uence 

on March 19rI?lTtrrJohn Joadertt and his wife Rosina sold 

his Schuylkill Valley farm to Henry parker. These trans_ 

fers of title to the Coventry tracts are recited in two 

lengthy deeds in the Phlladelphia Archives, recorded in 

Deed Book G-8, Fp. lJO-1]1, both recorded Augpsl 2etl?45. 

The LeDez Connection and Matthias Baumann 

The narriag,.e of Hans Yoder and Anna Rosina LeDee was 

performed by !aulus van VJ-ecq, Dutch Reforned pastor, at 

l{hitena!6h, the church of which }Ians yoder was a member 

from the beginning of the church record. in IZI_O. The 

record reacls: irtJohannes Joclder, widower of Fronica 

IseJ-nyn, and inna Rosina LeeDee'r. 

The LeDez family was Huguenot. Since Jean l,eDezrs 

deed to his Cley property, refers to him as cominE fron 

Eppstein in the Palatinate, I went one year to Eppstein, 

a smallish Palatine town on the Rhine plain near Frank-' 

enthal. In the Frankenthal Archives f went throuEh the 

records of the lrench Reforned Church at Frankenihal, of 

which the LeDez farnily were menbers. f found the birih 

of Jean LeDez, June 7r1551, son of Darriel and l{arie (Louys) 

LeDez of Flonerstteirn. llowever, there was no birth record 

for his daughter Rosina. I finally located her birth and 

baptismal record, in the Reforned Church records of the 

town of Weinheinr on the Bergstrasse, across the Rhine 

from Frankenthal, whither tlie fanily had fled in l5g9 

when the French invaded the Falatinate. 

Anna Rosina LeDez was baptized l"larch 16,1692r in the 

Reforned Church at i,Jeinhsinl aaughter of Jean LeDez and 

his wi-fe Rachel- Bertram. (Cn the-same page u/a€ the baptism 

of Johannes Ternpelnannr who becani a pioneer itefirn_ 

ed minister in LennsyJ.vania. ) Rosina had a brother 

Johannes (Jean) baptized Ju]-y 2Jr1595, also at !.Jeinhein. 

ner mother, racheL (tsertram) LeDez, died at i,.reinheim 

Aug;ust tO,1698, ased j6 yeaers. fn these entries Jean 

LeDez is listed as farmer (Hofbauer) on the Schnittburg 

i{of , a farm within the parish lir:lits of the town churcf,. 

After his wifers death Jean LeDez returned to Eppstein/ 

Frankenthal, 'nrhere he served as toIl collector 

ralatine 

ior the' 

government until leavinA for fennsylvania 

in 

L709. 

Jean l,eDez evidently settled in Cley as early as the 

autu&n of I7O9. Here he was joined by his friend Isaac 

deTurk of Frankenthal who had come to ilew york colony 

1n 1708. I{any years ago ny cousin John Josgph Stoudf" 

showed me the original patent fron William Fenn 

[rlohn to 

]-edeerr, for JJO acres of l-and rat or near a 

Place cal-1ed by the fndians C1eyil. The land adjoined 

Isaac deTurkrs tract and was grlnted, for jg 

;;;;;; t" 

.Iohn ledee, who is described as ,'Late of Epste:.n 

lalatinatein'ye- 

of the Bine but now of this Frovincet'. ThL 

docunent ls dated L?IZ. Cn the third day of the third 

nonth, called i"rayr1ZI4, Jean le dee, as he signed his 

nane, sold 11O acres of thls tract to Matthj,as Bownaa 

of O1ey, Planter. Witnesses at the signing were John 

fienry Kirsten and fsaac deTurk. 

Philip Kuhlewein (1,6$-17171, Jean LeDez,s son-in_law 

and Hans loderts brother-in-i"*i tr" been traced to the 

village of lanbshein, not far fron Fraakenthal. jlis 

connecti-ons are ecually J-nportant fcnpsnn6ylrrania history, --"' 

and I have outlined them in the articlerrfEiigration 

Materiels from Lanbsheim in the ialatinaterr-by lleinrich 

ilenbe, translated and edited Uy D9t toJ"r, in ienns.ylvania 

Fo1h1i f e, XXI r I : 2 ('r,tint e t L9? t_i9?4 ), 4o_4 g. Fhi ti-tTfiFewein 

was the son of Hans Theobald Kuhleweln and his 

wife Dorthea of Lamb-shein. He was a neaber of ttre Rcforned 

Church, but joined the pietist noverent led by 

Matthaus (t,latthi_as ) Baurnann of tambshein. For this 

reason he was arrested in 1/O5, along with roany other 

townsmen, anC forced to clean the town ditcheo as 

penalty. Matthias Baunann was Fhilip Kuhleweinrs 

brother-in-law, married to Philiprs sister Catharina 

Kuhlewein. The Baumanns folfowed the Kuhlevreins to 

lennsylvania in 1/14, settling near then in the C)_ey 

Valley. By I7L9 another brother-in-1aw. Abrahan Zimeernann, 

who had narried Veronica Kuhlewein, emigrated, 

settling in l,laxatawny, north of Cley. These detaiLs 

and rnore about this family are available in my book, 

ilhineland nmigrants (Baltimore 

r l98I) . 

The will_ of philip rXalwiner, 

of Cley, husbandman, 

y:: 

pl:""d April /,I?i? and record:d in itook e, page' 

tot. ne :"nentions his wife i'lary and his father_:_n_fiw 

John rrladeer'whon he names as his executors. ,,Jitnes6€a 

were- John Bownan, Arnoldt Huffnagel, artd Conrad Cooke. 

l.-atthla6 tsaumann continued hii religious activitLea 

i.n Pennsylvania, where his followe". ""r" cal-l-ed ,rdie 

l:leugeborenenx or 

rrlJsw6grnil.They 

"ru f."ou"rtiy-."nffio"a 

in.reports of early pennsylvania 

religion. ffi! t"r"f,iig" 

evidently stirred up the entire 01ey V6llgy and reachei 

far beyond its confines. The Chronicon nrfrr"t""se-oi'--- 

Chrcnicfe of the Ephrata cor*friS, liuffiI-E-rZgO, 

in dealing with the.liewborn movenentl nake6 the 

that l36unsnn rtis iuignent 

said otherwise to have been an upright 

nan, and not to have loved the world inordinatelyl Uit 

Kuehlenwein, Jotter, and other followers of his were 

insatiable in their 1ove of the worldrr. This staternent 

comes out of a period intense 

-of 

re).igious rivalry, and 

it is hard to know today what actuall! was meant. Ior 

the statenent and context see Chrdrnic ratense: 

A l{istory of the Cornrnunity of ffi 

ca6 ter, 

I'latthias Baunann made hls wil-l i.ebruary 2lrIl2l 

leaving 

, 

his property to his wife and his daughter sarah. 

|iay 

!n 

29r1?1O his widow Catharine, who na:.1ied .Iohann 

Peter Enderes (Andrew), sold her share of the p"op"rty 

to Saauel Hoch (itigh) of C1ey, who narriedl ttre iauiUter 

Sarah. For facsimile reproductions of will and aefarsee 

John Jospeh Stoudt, Sunbonnets ana;$reqtfv pie6i 

i"n 

After Baumannrs death the yoder 

families of Cley 

identified thenselves formally wlth the Oley Reforled 

Church which they, with John Lescher, Caspel G.i;;;;;, 

GabrieL Boyer and others, joined in iounaing Ln L?r4-I?r6. 

Hans yoder Makes his WiIl 

Hans.YoderrSr.r nade his will June 1/rL?J9. It wae 

.ranuary 

.qt9y"9 

14tl-7-4?t a phi-lade1phia, 

and recorded in 

B:.\.I, pase 268. 

Yill 

The documeni 

"uonn 

gives his nane as 

dodder of Philadelphia Countyryeonalr. He nentions 

two chil-dren, his sons John and Danielr and Danieliu-*fi" 

Barbara. l{e names his wife Anna Rosina aJrd his son Joha 

executors. The witnesses to the will were Abraham Esohnan, 

Abrahaa Levan, and Saauel GuLdin.Hans foder eigned his 

nane in German: Hans Joder. 

The Sanuel Gutdin who witnessed the will was probably 

the-SaroueI,GuldinrJr. 

r-born in Bernr switzerlandr- in 159i 

while his father was clergyaan at the Minster,The ""otoi," 

principal 

- 

church. The Reverend SanueL Guldin Sr.r(f55a_- 

1745) was the first minieter to coue to penney:.vania 

representing vrha! becanae the Gernan (rather tLan the 

Dutchj Reforned Church. Ee arrived on the Maria Hope in 

1710. Like the lay preacher Mattbias Baunann, Guldin had 

tangled with the state church over his own pietistic 

leanings. IIe lived in R6:s!ur.y but since hls son Sanuel 

r.oved to Orey in 1218, he nay arso have known Eaao yodcr. 

n+*n**t**i*****nr+r+.rrJr*nn.r+n.r$l+n.nlT*.*r+.r+.*r+n**rr{r-fffl-t;* u 

4 The good you do is not lost though you forget it.

These Cley connections with the Canton Bern could be 

Multiplied. I will mention one nore. On a fara adjolning 

Eans Yoderrs lived the David Kauffnann fanily, who were 

related to the Yoders j-n sone way not known, for Hane 

Yoder was executor of the Kauffnann estates. ft is significant 

that some of the Lancaster County Kauffnann 

fanilies had their origins in Steffisburg, and it is 

possible that these Oley Kauffnanns were Steffisburgere 

as well. 

The Yoder properties in the Cley Vs11st and el-sewhere 

often contained nri-1ls - grist mil1s, sawmi11s, flaxmi1ls, 

even papermills. I{ans Yoder,Jr. (1700-1779) built and 

operated what was later known as the Griesemer Mil1. 

Fron 1744-1?50 he was an owner and operator of the OIey 

forge, until he sold out his share to his son-in-lawe 

Col. John Lesher (U11-1794), later of revolutlonary 

fane, and oae of the leading citizens of Berks County. 

Col.Leeherrs son-in-l.aw, Jstrn Pott, Jr. (f759-f827) fafa 

out Pottsville in what l-s now Schuylkill Counly, s6s3" 

he operated the Greenwood Purnace and Forge. I'tany of the 

Oley Yoders joined in thie nigration into Schuylkill 

County, but that is another story. 

I have always been impressed with the nechanical arrd 

practical talents shared by so nany of our Yoder forefathers, 

thelr love of nachinery, constructionr and 

nathenatics. (My own father is remembered in the world 

of Anerlcan railroading for his book Locomotive Valves 

and Valve Gearsrllew Yorkr]-9lT.) Thesa tendencies must 

run in the family. hhen I fj-rst visited Steffisburg in 

1950 I found that most of the nill6 in the parish were 

run by the Yodere since the sixteenth century. Hans antl 

Iost Yoderrs father, Adam Joder, operated the fulling 

nill at the Schnittwej.er Bad, on the nountain north of 

Steffisburg. 

Yoot Yoder the Frontiernan 

fost Yoder, brother of Hans, was baptized Cctober 5 r 

I5?9, at Steffisburg. Lees docunentation is available on 

hl-s trail in Europe than his 

bably went to the Palatinate. 

brother's, but he too pro- 

re did not cone to Arnerica 

with lIans Yoder in L7O9/I7LO, since his nane does not 

appear in the London Lists of Falatines in 1709. He 

probably calne over before l/2O, and of course settled in 

the Cley VaIleYr near hl-s brother. The naiden name of his 

wife Elizabeth has not yet turned up. tsut he had a son 

l{ans also, cal-Ied 

rrYost-Hannesrr to distingui.sh hin fron 

his first cousin, Hans YoderrJr., and a daughter Elizabeth. 

who in 1744 was written up in a book of ghost 

gtories published by Chri-stopher Sauer in Germantown. 

Yost Yoder is remenbered in Penngyfvani.a legend as a 

nighty hunter and trapper. He is saj.d to have made hunting 

excursions in and even beyond the Bl-ue l":ountain in 

'what was then fndian country and is now Schuylkil-l County. 

Friendly Indiane sti11 lived in the Cley Va1ley when the 

first Yoders arrived. l'eter G. Bertolet recorded fron the 

older nenbere of the Yoder family lnany stories about the 

reLationships between the whi.te and the red nan. Severalof 

the second-generation Yodere in Cley in fact learned 

and could talk the Delaware Indian language. 

Sone of Yostrs fanily were rough and ready frontier 

types as wel1. An o1d by-word in Oley was rllike Yost- 

I{annestt-i.e. ;rough and uncouth. 

Yost Yoder made his w111 May 29tI741. It was proved 

January 14tI742.(Ividently the executors of his and his 

brotherrs wills nade a joint trip to Philadelphia to 

settle the courthouse buslness.) Yost is deecri-bed in 

the will as rrJost Jodder of Philadelphia County, husband- 

Eanrr. He nentione his wife El"izabeth and his son John. 

f,e narnes his wife and Gabriel Boyer executors. Abrahan 

Eehnan and John Jodder (thich one?) witnessed the docurnent. 

Yost Yoder nade his mark instead of signing his 

nane. The will l-o on record in the Philadelphia Archivesr 

Uitl Book F, page 267 . 

The Yoder ghost story, as related by llizabeth Yoder, 

Yoetre daughter, in L74tt tells how her fatherts.spirit 

7 

returned to visit her. It seens that fike most shosts g, 

he had a nessage for his daug.hter which he was unable to 

give her before his death. It was torrscorn and despiee 

not the Frenchmanrrr i.e.rDr. George deBennevil-Ie (t?Ot- 

1793), who was the pioneer preacher of the Universalist 

gospel in America. I{e lived in Gernantown but also had 

a base in Cley. Cn being asked by his daughter wlere he 

was, Yost Yoderrs 6host answered that he was "at a good 

placerrr and his beloved brother (Hans) was there too. 

This story appeared in a bestseller volune of ghost 

appearances, with religi,ous conmentary, published by 

Christopher Sauer in Gernantown in 1744. It was reprinted 

in 1748,1755, and 1792. 

According to Dr. Feter G. Bez'toletrs history of Cleyt 

Ellzabeth Yoder, Yostrs daughter, narried Lazarus "r'eidner. 

If this is the case, that nakes ne a descendanl sf Yost 

Yoder as well as of Hans, since Lazarus 

',{eidnerrs 

daughter 

iraria l^Jeidner (1?55-1841) was the second wife of 

ny ancestor George Yoder,sr. (1752-18JJ), "otr of Sanuel 

Yoder and grandson ef Hans YoderrJr. This makes me a 

double Yoder. 

And if Karl- Joderrs information is correct on the 

marriage of one of my nothetts ancestorsr Ilichael 

Dentlinger (Denlinger), a LlIl llennonite emigfarrt to 

Lancaster County, to Veronica Joder of Rotenhof near 

Albersweiler in the Falati-nate, then I am, for better or 

for worse, a triple Yoder. The Denlinger-Yoder is cited 

unfortunately without documentation, in the otherwise 

completely documented article by Ralph E.Denlinger, 

rrThe 

Denlinger Familyr" in t 

III:, (July 1980)'IO-15. Cn roy laet visit with Karl- 

Joder in Oggersheim in November, 1981, f asked hin 

what documentation he had for the marriager which evldently 

took place in the Palatinate' but unfortunately 

he had lost or nislaid i-t. I hope it turns up! 

The.Oley Yoders and the Later MiFration 

Ilans and Yost Yoder were of course not the only 

Yoders to come to colbnlal Pennsylvania.. They "ere the 

first to cone, wi-th lians leading the procession in 

L7O9/L7LO, and founding the Reforned branch of the 

faelly in Amerl-ca. The second wave of Yoder migration 

brought the Mennonite Yoders to Bucksr }iontgonery and 

Iehigh Counties, about 1720. (See Kenneth l{ottlers 

excellent artj-c1e on trHans Joder of Great Swaraptrr in 

Mennonlte Fanily l{istoryrll:4 (October 1981)'144-146' 

@oder Newsletter r:J,Apr.84). 

The third rnigratlon brought the Amish YoderstrStrong 

.Iacobrr, ItDl-ck Christelrr and the others- in 

I?42 and Later. The readers of thl-s newsletter and of the 

several Mennonite historical a.nd geneal.ogical periodicals 

are well informed on this mj,gration. 

I am certaj-n that all these early Yoder enigrants 

r,rere aware of their relationship to the other branchest 

a.n awareltess that we have had to rebuild in our century. 

Peter Bertoletrs history of Oley clains that they were 

related, and he was much closer than we to the emigrants. 

It is significant that the Amish Yoders came to Berks 

County following the Reforned branch. Bern Townshipt where 

they eettled, is not far fron 01ey, and some of the Oley 

Yoders had lands in sern Township. And the founder of the 

North Carolina Yoder c1an, Conrad Yoder, who arrived at 

Philadelphia in IIJL, first settled in CIey among his 

Yoder cousins and then went eouth to Lincoln County, 

liorth Carolina. There is a history of the llorth Carolina 

Yoders written by Dr. Fred Roy Yoderr whon I had the 

pleasure 6one years ago of showing through the Cley 

Va1ley. 

In conclusion, let ne say that I have always been 

interested in the fact that the Yoders- with al-I their 

talents, virtues, arrd faults- are and always have been 

a typical Pennsylvalia German fanily. The tbree branches- 

Reforned, l'lennonite, and Anisb- af1 trace back to the 

sarne roots i-n Steffisburg, C6p161 Dern. i'fl:i1e there wer': 

in other Svriss Cantcns Joder farnilies that appear to be 

unrelated to the Steffisburg clan' all the Pennsylvania 

Yoders can cl-ain a relationship to each other. Using 

the Pennsylvania Gernean word, we can say that we al-l 

belone to the sane Freindschaft.

**nr***n**r******y0DER 

QttERIES *****r*tltf *lr***i*** 

lhe YNL will publish Yoder-related inqulries or 

exchange at no charge. Please limit to 30 words, 

but provide a1I dates, natnes, places ln supporting 

data. We will check our records and try to 

help you. Adclress then tor Chris Yoder, Ihe 

Yoder Newsletter, 20J La"keshire Road, Battle 

9reeE-UI-t2915 

ll/ho were the ancestors of llowa.rd Christian ioder, 

b. 4/24/186? at Gap PA, d. 2/L5/1928 in Phi1a. PA, 

m. Anna 31aise. Reply to H. A. Yoder, Jr., 1009 New 

Hampshire Rd., Washington DC 20037, 

Who was Ba.rbara Yoder ( ?widow) , b. Prussi.a 7783, 

d. Johnson Co. , fA lB73?. Probably lived in l/]ifflin 

Co. PA from ?? to 1845. i{er dau., Johanna 

Emde (b. Prussia 1809) m. John l"nepp. Reply to 

Carolyn Nafziger, RR#l, Box 4), llinier IL (1759 

Who Wae JACCB YIDER, Earl- Townshlpl Ilascock Co"rQl!????2 

W111 eigned JuIy 25r1848;,Iacob Mll1er and John Swalk 

wltneoses. Iienti-ons wlfe Mary, eon Michael, and daughters 

Christlna, Mary, Eeternan, Blizabeth, Mahala & 

Catharlne. RepJ"y to: Chris Yodcrr2OJ Lakcshirc Rd.r 

Battle Creek, MI 49015. 

Plea.se note corresf,sd quer;r from issue #4t 

Would like to exc. info on the followins l-inet 

/. 

doseDn rooer \o. ca. 1Q28, Goshen IN) s/o Isaac 

ftgZ5-t905) ancl Susan I'lishler Yoder. fsa,ac s,/o 

Joseph OZAA-nsz ) anri El-izabeth Speicher YocJer. 

Josenh s/o Jacob 0?60-1829) anri Elizabeth Yoder 

Yorier. Jacob s,/o Christian (1?28-781,0) Yocier. 

Elizabeth rJ,/o Yost YoCer. MARGARET KWADRAT, 

11676 Post Mil1s l,ane, Reston VA 22090. 

(the above corrected query was a typographical 

error by YNl. Sorry, above correction is 0K. 

Do you know who the children 

1850, and Barbara Livengood 

N. Dee Gray, 16J Lora T,ane, 

of David Yoder, L?(3were? 

Reply to r 

l'i1Imore CA 93015 

Seek children's name and ancestry of George Yoderr 

b. 2-4-1800-d. (,-26-18J0, m. Hannah Antriam, 1821. 

Both buried at Hi11s Church, Berks C6., PA near 

Ol-ey Va1ley. Benjarnin Yoder, one of their children 

was my ancestor. Believed to be descendant of Hans 

or Yost. Reply to Glenn F. Yoder, J02 Wa.shington 

St., East, Greenville FA 18041 

Need info on parents of Daniel Yoder, b ca 1808 

PA m. Nancy Durbin. Was in Greene Co. FA 18J0. 

Known children James m Barbara Griffith; E]-izabeth 

n Samuel 01iver3 John m ? whitlatcht Zachariah 

m lucinda Ottt George m Ha.nnah Hinerman; 

Phebe (correcteri from M41y) m Jesse Hinerman; 

and Nan6y. Reply to illaxine Jones,)lJ GarCen St., 

Warren OH 44485. 

YODER: A Yoder family lived a.t Canton KS, attended 

Spring Va.lfey l{ennonite Church from 1880-1900. 

Names arer Jessph and Lydia. Childrent HarveV, 

1880-1900; lra 1881-1900; Charles, Edd, 01iver, 

lrra.nc j-s, Clarence, Minnie and lvialissa. Where did 

they come from.and where did they move? Reply 

to Lj-zzie Mae (Yoder) Selzer, RR#1, Box l7(, 

Canton KS (,?428. 

Interested in the followine info on Joseph A. 

Yotier. Dau. m. out of Amis[ faith to Uptbn in 

Nappanee IN area. Their dau Sylvia Lunt now may 

be in California. Request any of their a.ncestors, 

etc. Reply to Janice Yoder Hatchman, 1406 south 

Eighth Ave., Arcadia CA 91006 

Would seek info of parents of Ksf,hgrine Yoder, 

b ca 1812 lrance, d June ?, 7883, Archbold OH. 

m Peter Stuckey who d June 2(' , L892, Archbold OH. 

fnfo on bros and sis of Katherine would heIp. 

Willing to exchange info. Reply to Roy C. Pressler 

1107 lVest Third, North Platte NE 69101. 

Would llke info on descendants of liaryann Yoder, 

b. 1868, m. Adam Mi11er of Emmatown fN. Mapyann 

was ria.u. of An li-4 de ;hVn'7- /'L,,''y''t/L'"^(" ;dil 

/, t,e -/^ ^d uz& !-/'.2 zfu Q& 2", VS^z- 

,:^;fV.".-i/)--41**'e-;f,..+*:^*'/d;,*u/,,-* 

*û ,1,,.)e1-.-, 4i-. Q'coztz.-,z f-'4*-tr 

//. u4,;' fu',ry 7,!,*; ,tli4ft44^ft'az'V"z#t 

.;"fr-.tA,*,,L'i7 j-*.t -_Z* €3 

g,.,J", ///za.',- f 

l?*'i*t,llLril,* ( 

Henry Yoder of Elklick lownship,Sonerset Co., 

Pa.,was the son of Yost yoder of l€ncaster and 

later Mifflln Co. by his first wlfe (nane not 

known.Yost's second wife was Mary Slever. In hls 

will dated 6 April 1829, Henr.y nlmes son yost 

Yoder and Henry Hershberger as Executors to "make 

equal distributiontr among hls ten helrs. Thls 

includes portions to the children of daughters 

Elizabeth and llary in Ohio, who both dled prior 

to thelr father. Daniel Miller and Henry Hochstetler 

both served as witnesses to the document. 

We'd again take the opportunity to thank Jacob 

Schrock of Topeka,IN for contributing this iten 

to the newsletter. 

*11{'r3*ri*rf *r+r!rlrt*r$r+.ra**r1**rtrt {1***+**rt****.*{r***r**t*+*i* 

,ffi 

In the future there witL be 

an article on the several 

Joder crests. 

w!$qItL

REUNIONS 

The first lilahlon T. Ioder famlly flrst reunlon Ytas 

hcld over Easter weekend, 1984 at Carnp Menno Haven 

Tlskllwa II,. 1985 reunion to be on October 18-20' 

1985 at the same place. 

+ilr****** *tt.tt**tr* ** t+{t**10*tilt * l+***ltlt*'lt'l+ tt l+ltl+{t*** 11'11*** 

Conrad Yotter descendants wiLl neet for their 35th 

annual reunion at the Zion Lutheran Church, RR#1, 

Hlckory NC on thb second Sunday, August 11, 1985: 

tlti******.t*r+llltrt.ltltlf.*.*l0lt*.1+Ll$ttl+l+11ltl+***liltltlt{+ lrlt* lt*t{+lt 

Note to reunions to be held...In order that we may 

nake notlce of your reunion, we should get the 

lnfornatlon for each spring issue. Several that 

were received arrivecl too late to be put in. 

+*+**tttl**tsi*tltt*tltat$.r{r****.tl11t+.tt.*tltt'*lt**{+r+r+11*lt.ltltll.|tL**ltll 

Neal D. lfl1fong, Secretary of the Conrad Yoder 

Reunion suggesied an idea you night use for your 

next reunion. ffrts is itr 

"Arrange articles by 

date ln a 3-ring pressure-sensitive photo album 

and watch famtly menbers enioy 

'catching upr on 

all the news. I've saved cllppings for many years 

on family happenings (blrths, deaths' marriages' 

happy oc6asl-oirs, etc. ) . Prlmarily Ty ellppings 

deii-with fellow kinsmen, but occasionally I 

mlrht lnclude artlcles about others (not blood 

refation), but with the sane surnane. This year 

I displayed ny Yoder notebook at the reunion. A 

nunbe; o? peoble stopped to examine its contents." 

*t*t***t*****|t*lt*t**l***********|+********l+|+*|t*l+t** 

L - ! O . r! Y ^ r ' 

."e., 

Unlontorn, o[. 44585 

y'/7"1 

$-(q4! 

rtrd/tETEE 

i 

CIiRISTIAI| J. ("Bee Christ") YODER REUNION 

A reunion of the Christian J. Yoder Farnily-will 

be held Sunday, July 14, 1985 at the Fellowship 

ialI of ttre oit Groie Mennonite Church at Smithvttfe 

On. This reunion was helcl annually from 

tizt ttrougtr L9??. For a number of years.|t wls 

r6tated -Onio. an6ng Wayne, Stark anil Logan Counties In 

At th; Yo-cter reunion held in Bluffton 0H 

on July tl, 1982 it was tlecided to meet every 

ih";; !"ars. Christianrs father was aLso naned 

cit"i"ti"" and his wife Marie and he were innierints 

from Alsace, France...coming to the Or- 

;iii; area in 1828. Descendants are encouraged 

to update all farnily records and bring them to 

the ieunion or mail them to: Richard & RosaLie 

ioa"r, 259 I'ake Drive, Dalton 0H-41+61-8. 

iNoiE; s66 re:.ated ariicLe on Yoder origins) 

Dear ---nt-ine Friends' 

sitiron Peter Yoder/l4ary Metzler Yoder 

reunion-in Harrisburg PA, August 1984, I presented 

some of the Metzte"-?alniiy history-in the-form of 

U"i"f "*its...a tr'roving r6porter" listenecl in on 

conversat:ons' or inteiviewed couples fron 100' 

75o, zoo, and 2!O years ago, hiFhllehlinS- 9o1e 

iii"resting facls...rnis made the falilv hlstorv 

corne to liie an

Bonuslssue! 


I -q sue :' c' P.O. Box 594 Goshen, IN 46526, 0ctober, I9g5 

THE ST. JODER CHAPEL 

'li 

/ r lh r v nponrnai'i ] l v r v y q rnnc g r l rrndon l g J vratr f or manrr 'imeri e enq 

to travel abroad, some of you Yoders may be planning 

to include a side-trip to the St. Joder Chapel south 

of Lucerne in Switzerland. 

"Rediscovered" by Edith 

Joder of Base1, and publicized by Rachel Kreider in 

several articles in lilennonite Life (1968, 197I), it 

soon began to draw Am#f;en visfT6rs, especialJ-y 

Yoders, and a planning committee for its refurbishinq 

heqan in iurone at about the same time. 

In the second issue of our YNL we referred to St. 

Joder, sometimes known as St. Theodore or even Theodu1us, 

who in the fourth century came from ltaly up 

j-+#e-*$e-+eu*Iern 4lps to bring the Gospel. This 

missionary monk became the first (and greatly beloved 

) bishop in the Martigny-Valais district of 

southern Switzerland. As time went on, special 

votive offerings at his altars increased, churches 

were builtin his honor, and brotherhoods were 

established in his name. As people moved to other 

valleys they took the cult of St. Joder with them' 

esneeiallv into the French sectors and along the 

Upper Rhone. By the fifteenth century it could be 

found i-n inner Switzerland. Tradition says that 

even today, aside from well-known names like 

+++++++++*++++++++{ 

rlrmi 

'-Ii 

I rr < lnrrr lhaa+ qllmmrr\r 

ry'v 

SSIIJ TTi\M AGAII']! 

;',Ie are glad to be abfe to give you readers 

another tsONUS issue. Afl who have paid throu 

Is:ue '6 will still qet 17. At the next issue 

we will send resubscription envelope: for your 

convenience. 

Those of you that have subscribed ahead for 

the future vri11 not receive an envelor-re until 

e inforrn you of time to resubscribe. 

Thanks to all of you for your support. ive 

Iso ask for vour written contributions that 

rn hc nni nf od Jnrr norrr- q f nri nq inlroc of n 

y r 4 r r v L u r , ! ! r v r v 

r t J v r L U J r 

L v v 

that involve Yoder will be welcomed. For 

ace sake we will reserve editins privileses. 

r( | x x 4 2 2 4 Z X 4 4 4 t 4 4 | t 4 X r, tt. t 4 } + ++++ 

{r h2r/p nomnl etod el-nqf i frrino ihe f:mi I rr lai rr r'r cl-nnrr uvr J 

sheets submitted by our readers. The results are 

quite interesting, and we thought you'd like to take 

a look. lnput vrar received from 22J individuals, many 

of whom had nultinle YoCer ancestral lines.As you'11 

Joderheubel or St. Joderhorn, one can find traces notice in the :jumrnarv, descendants of the Amish lines 

of this veneration of St. Joder--coins in the account for 8)iL of the submissions. One individual, 

Zurich Museum, stamps (as shown in our second issue)"schweitzer Christian" Yoder was the ancestor of 3i-:4 

chips of the belt of his church tower in Sion alone. 

,t:ito 

which have been incorporated into bells of various 

n:trrr:llrr. rvp qh:ll q r ! u u r . q v s r s . L r J 

trrr lln balanCe Lhe news- 

other churches or monasteries, and i-mages showing lobter Lo assure specific information is presented 

St. Joder standing with a devil underfoot to 

of interest to this major family cate.qory. 0n the 

symboli-ze his triumph over evi1. 

other hand, however, as the Amlsh Yoders are generally 

the best documented, we wi11. likely give a dispro- 

In 7966 Miss Edith Joder took her vacation time 

to travel by car through Switzerland in the hope 

of finding some of these items. She was about to 

give up the search when she happened to find a dot 

designated as St. Joder on a very detailed map of 

(continue cn page 4) 

portionate weight to other groupi.ngs as one of our 

overal I ooal s rema ins exnan.li no the lcri;to:r. ol Yo'ier 

family knowledge overalf . 

,\ bookfet is being vrorked on which will break-down 

the names and addresses of afl submitter cross-related 

to ancestral tree down to the late 1800s. This will 

be made avail-abl-e to major genealogical reference 

llbraries to assist cthers in thei-r family research. 

lholl rl anrr of 6r1p naa.rarc r^'rnra c-aCif iC infOrmatiOn 

before that time about the identity of thelr closer 

"cousinsr " 

, f'ee1 free to write YilL Queries, c/o 2A) 

Lakeshire Rd. ,Battle Creek ,lII 49AI5, 

Al{rsH YODERS ()2,3. .83,/") 

Totafs 

YR1-_Yoder ( cI695- I7t+2) n, ";/idow" 

Barbara 

yR12-ChrisTTa; ( Q?2.6) -Jan.I??2) m.Barbara 

YR14-.'Strong.'.Iacob((I?26)-I?90)m.Anna 

YRl5-Anna ((r?28)-V9a) m.samuel King 

YR16-r'lichae1 ((1730)-1799) n. ? 

YR]7-John ((l-732 ) -c180/ 55 

14 

5 

5 

) m. Anna_ 

7 

Yil19-Veronica ( ( I735) -L306)m.John Hertzler 5 

YR2-Christian Yoder (c1/00-i'lov .177 5) n, Z 

YR23-"Schweitzer" Christi.an (Feb. f728-l'lov.20, 

1-116) m] . ? m?. Barbara ljonley l?2 

YR24-Jlrzabeth(\729-(cI??8)m.Christian Beiler) 

yR25-John (L?32-?/2/l813) m. Anna (r'{ast?) 

YR26-Yost (L734- )n1 . ? m2.l'iary Siever 

YRB-Yost (?-cI??a/I) n. ? 

YRC-Samuel (L745-9/22/\8A6 GY) m. l{ary 

I 

)6 

49 

27 

Gingerich 

a 

1". 

Continued on

F R O M T H E E D T T O R S 

Ben F Yoder, Goshen,IN, Managing Editor 

Chris Yoder, Battle Creek,MI, Histori-cal Editor 

Contributing Editor--Rachel Kreider, Goshen, IN 

For new subscriptions the rate is S5.OO which 

will give the subscriber seven (/) copies. The 

annual rate (two copies) is $3.00. This rate is 

what you pay when you resubscribe. 

A11 requests for single or several senarate 

issues will be $1.50 per issue ppd. 

The #1 issue is FRIE if a SASE is enclosed with 

the request. Anyone wishing a number of /its to be 

passed out at reunions or friends can be sent to 

you at your request. A small amount to cover 

postage will be appreciated. 

***t*********t************************************* 

V{ARNINGI In YNL #1, we spoke of German Researcher 

Karl Joders belief that 

"Joder 

Hubel', (Joder HiIl) 

in Switzerland was a ,ooint of origin for the Joder 

clan. This was stated as fact in the reprinted 

article by Lois Ann Mast (yNL #2) entitled 

"Euro.oean Yoder Research", which was based on 

KarI's records. Readers are advised to take the 

Joder Hubel story with a grain of sal_t. Some 

serious scholars feef it may well be nerely 

romantic speculation. 

**************************************************** 

CORRECTION: In YNL#5, as a heade:: to the wi.ll of 

Henry Yoder,his wife Catherine Detweilers' date of 

birth was incorrectly shown as I756 ..rt was 

i.nstearf L765... .In r-he cover article on Christian 

and Marie Yoder, YNL #5, his code was incorrectly 

referenced as YR3, it should have read YA3 ...Not 

an error, but: Reader/scholar John F. Murray of 

Kouts,IN correctly pointed out that the Tobias 

Yoder Bible Record (pg 2,YNL #5) did not list a1I 

of the known children of that individual... the 

record was, however, printed as submitted. 

******************************************* 

In 1886 the Rev. Robert Anderson yoder, D.D., 

(1853-1911), a Lutheran clergyman inO teacher in'the 

counties of Lincoln and Catawba in NC 

, ",_,r".,ruy"a 

Catawba County by horse and buggy and plattea nis 

findings in map form. The CatawLa County Histor_ 

ical Asso., Inc. reproduced the map and reduced its 

original gargantuan proportions to a manageabl-e 

approximate size of 4, x J'. The map is fi"intea on --a. 

buff heavy paper which is suitable for irt;i;g. 

The document accurately shows the stream",-;;;;i;, 

rivers, mountains and i 

er descendant of Henry yoder (b. f756), who .presently 

owns and lives on the original Henry yoder 

farm near l./ieyersdale, Somerset County, pA, - He has 

in his possession the original deeds and oatent 

for this property, which f have seen and rrhotographed. 

These include a dced dated Oct. ZIv, 

L775 for sale of the land by llichael Beeghely to 

Yost Yoder. Yost Yoder (b. t73t+), ilre fAthei of 

Henry Yoder, is stated in the deed as beins from 

Lancaster County, PA, and there is no evidencc 

that he ever lived on the property. A second 

ia^"*^..* la ^ *^r 

oocumenT :-s a patent to Yost Yoder, dated Dec. 2.I, 

1735. The third doeument is the deed for the _cale 

of the-land by Yost Yoder to his son Henry, dated 

Oct. 21, 1790. Henry yoder did live on this property, 

vrhich ha^ remained in the hand:- of his 

descendants down to the present time. 

f WOnder if +hora rF6 4h1' n+lâ1 YOdef hOmesteads 

i-n this "";;;; ;;i";"il.;;"been in the hands 

of the same Yoder fanily for over 2OO vears? 

This part of a letter was received from Vireil }l. 

Yoder of frrvin P,r., 

{- t{'-)i + Jt Jlla-)s?3 -)t tt -)i lt -;s-)iJt?t+t lt rt t'r-Fr* -)tr1 -x- rt.r!.}ttEJt-)i-lir*{L{-;r.tr t ri-x-;t-}$J* Ji * -F-)r -)r,y,-. 

"One 

clippin3 in my scrapbook shoufd be of special 

interest to you and other subscribers to the yNL. The 

item is from the HICKORY (NC) DAILY RECoRD, c. t)62.. 

It is entitled "It 

Takes a Yoder". Here's what it 

says: 

The yoders in Colorado--who may have their roots 

here in Catawba County--have come through with a 

one in twenty-two million happenstance. 

Jack Yoder of Denver was born May 16, 1!41. His 

wi-fe, Sharon, was born May L6, L943, anri their 

first Child, Todd A1lin, was born i4ay 15, 7962. 

Mathematicians say that the odds against this 

happening is 21,962,L25. 

Catawbans, with a lifetime of experiences wi-th 

the Yoders, aren't surprised that ii a triplebirthday 

had to happen, even against such odds, that it 

happened to a Yoder. They just say, "Thatrs a 

Yoder for you. " 

Yoders have been making history here for generations 

This part of his letter was sent by Neal D. 

Wilfong, Secretary of the NC Yoder Reunion group 

and a descendant of Conrad Yoder, f7--/f79O. 

*f i;i;i;;;iili*i****************************r*f, * ** rr 

REPRITvT 

cF 1938 CLASSIc- Descendants of Barbara 

Hochstetler, 139r pgs, 923.-9-5-posEege p;id;-5746;- 

Trom-Tfie-cospel aook Store, Bol 32O, Berlin,oH. 

446LO.Some copies Ieft. 

********* ***************** ************ k * k k k k k 

2 

y.*JaJiRENII 

l{DER 

* * * *lf +r{. *r*.ntt.}rlTrtJtJ+J$J+t* Ji Jr r.'*,:f -)rr.rJr?sr.sJr-)iJrJf -)r 

If you should l,{O\lE or have an address 

change, be sure to let us know. Otherwise we 

have no way of getting your YNL delivereriill 

This information, as wel-l as any questi_ons 

noczrrf i no rrnt:n crrhcan.i n*i a- -h^r 

vr !f e1vrr, ,,,.-.rld be sent 

to our Goshen Post Office Address: p.O.Box 

J!4, 

Goshen, Il{ 46526, 

Jt:tJaJtJi+JFltttlf Jtl'rt{.,t*i(Jt+!r**:Jtt+tf +t*,+t+*t*-)+J*rX-r*r.(r*Jt*.*+c,i*r.lt-XtiJ9 

'r^Jhorc 

Cnd ryi rrac 

5avcDl vnvJ' cannot harm, and where 

g^ ^;r'^- -^+ ^1f 

ne Erves noL, a_11 labor is in vain.

**************************************************** 

EAPJ,Y MARRIAGES FOR "UI\ILINKED'' YODERS 

ORIGINAL YODER HONIESTEAD 

REWARD OFFEREDI 

As a challenge to our readers, and also to assist 

in expanding the corporate knowledge of various 

Yoder fannilies, we are presenting the following 

listing of pre-1870 Yoder marriage records on file, 

for foLks whose ancestry is not known to us. The 

hel.o of al1 researchers will be appreciated in 

Iinking any of these peo.ole to their appropriate 

l-ine.A i1 rervar:,1 is o.Efered to anyone who can prove 

ilr,).)trentage of the listed Yoders. (Onty one 

wioner per name on a first in basis).(Send input to 

YNL Fa,riIy Research, 203 Lakeshire Rd, Battle 

Creek,MI 49015) 

IN SOMERSET CO., PA 

As noted in the article which sunnarizes our 

readers ancestry, 

"Schweitzer" 

Christian Yoder 

(Feb.1728- Nov.20,I816) is an ancestor of a 

significant share of those submitting Fanily 

llistory Sheets to the YNL. Originally a farmer in 

Bern Twp,Berks Co (See YNL #5 for plot map), in the 

spring of I775 he moved to present day Somerset 

Co,PA. This photograph of the original honestead 

farm house was first published in the Au9.4,1949 

issue of 

"The 

Pennsylvania Dutchman"(then editecl by 

Dr. Don Yoder). The cabin is no longer standing. 

itluskingum Co. , OH 

f lzfr-/T63T:ehridfdpher yoder to Amanda Maria 

ilaymaker by W. Seilwick 

CarroII Co.,OH 

5 /2TffB55:JTm6s-yoder to Nancy parr 

Richland Co.,OH 

r1ltI-ff54FfrTITiE yoder ro Elizaberh prunk 

Ll/5/L8584trristian A. yoder to Eve Rvder 

6 / 3 /1964-Ereder ick ,f ode r t.o tserena BeIler 

Wayne Co. rOH 

6/ld7L:Tl-.6=ffi;ham yoder to Anne Reschey by 

J. Shoemaker 

6/27/L}s2-Jacoo Yoder to Anne Schreiner: by 

'J.Bea1,'f.P. 

L2/3/L863-Joseph A.Yoder to Mary Aschbacker 

D. i{amnerer, ( Ref ormed) 

II/4/1341-Julia Ann Yoder to George Lawrence 

A. Stump ( nef o.rmed) 

4/5 /L866-ulary Yoder to 

J . Shoeinaker 

Jeremiah Brindl-e bv 

LL/I5/LA29-Mary Ann Yoder to David Cauffman by W. 

Barns 

A/L2/Lg32-Sarah Yoder to Tobias Fike by G.Weygandt 

( aef orrned) 

IO/L2/L94}-Salome yedder to David Brower by 

J. Shoeinaker 

. . . (NcT4:,t.Shoemaker officiated at other marriacres 

for people known to be of Amish heritage) 

Licences issrled but no marria,te recorde

St. Joder Chapel (from Page l) 

an area in the Niwald region. It turned out to be 

a tiny white chapel in a picturesque valley' 1000 

meters above sea 1evel, located halfway between 

Stans and Engelberg, with Grafenort, on the highway 

be1ow, the nearest vi11age. It stood alone 

except for the farmhouse nearby, and the people in 

the surrounding community could te11 her very 

Iittle about it. Her best information came from 

Dr. Ephrem 0m1in from the monastery in Engelberg. 

In 1978 when we too visited the chapel, we 

founcl in a window-well of the little building an 

eight-page brochure, protected with plastic'. 

entitled: Die Kapelle St. Joder muss restaurigrt 

werden, Dated September 19?0. It was a suppleiEiTTo 

the Nidwainer volksblatt and it was 

apparently a-!'uffiTion E generate enthusiasm 

for one more attempt to restore the chapel, a 

project that seems to have been spear-headed by 

Karl Jocler of Germany. A whole series of effofts 

had preceded this one. In 1501 an earthquake 

twisted the tower and made new foundations necessarv. 

Further repairs were made in I72?, in 1799' 

ana tg??, tn 1963 a heavy southwest wind again 

blew down the tower. Now in this latest appeal' 

because the loca1 population could not finance 

the refurbishing, it was hoped that a wider circle 

of friends and patrons could raj-se enough 

money so that work could begin by 1972, 

Fron this brochure we pass on to you some bits 

of information you might like to know before you 

go up the mountain to this romantic spot. This 

community of Altzellen takes in about fifty. larmsteads, 

with a population of approximately 4JO, 

who are sti1l devoutly Roman Catholic although 

they have not been organized into a particular 

parish. The earliest document extant about the 

iegion comes from 126?. Even by then it had been 

settled for a long time. However, in reading 

through the names of the earliest inhabitants 

known to have cleared the forest and nade the 

fields, we cannot find the name of Joder or any 

name we know associated with it (with the conceivable 

excepti-on of Baumgartner). Before this 

date there were Joders across the nountains in 

the Canton of Bern, but so far we have found no 

evidence that A1tze11en was ever considered a 

Joder "heimat". One of Karl Joder's maps shows 

a Joder farnstead that might have been within 

twenty miles. 

An anonymous wri-ter at the end of the brochure 

makes an iirteresting and plausible speculationfnere 

is general agieement that that the chapel 

was built"in 1482, and he notes that on December 

ii, t4gt, a special meeting of the Diet was held 

in Stans. not far awav: 

"After the Confederates had thoughly 

conquered Duke Karl the Brave, they 

returned as great victors to their 

homes, but after the victory over 

the enemy they began to quarrel about 

the di.vision of the booty and the 

claim of the tribes that had ioined 

in the fight (Freiburg and Solothurn). 

The more impossible a peaceful soluti-on 

seemed, the more both sides put 

this tangled ball before Brother Klaus..." 

(a monk "on the border" of the area). There were 

those who believe that by the time of the Diet 

meeting, drafts of a contract had already been 

made up, but because of their common trust in 

Brother K1aus, he was able to bring about the 

signing of the document to the satisfaction of 

all concerned--no rnean feat. ,'Bel_ls were runs 

everlrwhere " . 

A 

+. 

'Ihe 

mayor and the aldermen from 

Solothurn wrote to him: 'We have 

been informed that you through the 

grace of the Alnighty God and His 

dear Mother have created peace, 

quiet, and union in the whole confederacy 

through your good advice 

and instruction. 

t " 

The writer continues: 

"Wouldn't you expect 

that somewhere the Confererates would have put 

up a nemorial to remember this day...to the 

peace that had come out of gratitude that they 

had been saved from a civil war...?" Elsewhere 

he refemeil to a tradition that every 

evening a strip of light would appear on this 

height 

"under 

the Eggiligrat", which was the 

deciding factor in locating the chapel at that 

p1ace. Thus in November of 1482 the new chapel 

was dedicated by the Bishop of Constanz to "St. 

Joder and the God Mother", and a decision was 

made by the mountain population to hold a 

memorial annual1y. 

Brother Klaus was among the most noted 

benefactors. A nass robe he gave is stiIl 

of the 

preserved 

in the church in nearby Wolfenschiessen. 

Various relatives of farnilies in A1zellen contributed, 

foremost among them the Fliie family 

of Saxony, with whom the mother of Brother Klaus 

seems to have had connections. Their patron 

saint back in Saxony was St. Theodulus (St. Joder), 

a logical choice therefore for the patron of the 

new chapel. fn conclusion there is a quotation 

from the treatise on Brother Klaus by Robert 

Durrer: 

"In Nidwalden and beyond, worship of the 

saint had been unknown so that the influence of the 

Saxons in the face of such genealogical relations 

nust be almost certain. " 

tfe thus have better exnlanations about the 

origin of the chapel that- the speculations and funguesses 

made by our earlier American visitors. 

The chapel did not come about because of any sacriflcial 

grass-roots effort of a 1oca1 clan (1ike 

Jodersl). Probably from the beginning the symbolism 

may have meant more to the upper echelons of 

power than to the farmers around it. Support 

for it probably came from some places rather far 

away and in spasmodic fashion. It did not fa11 

into periodi-c neglect because some clan (1ike 

Joders) had turned Protestant and moved awayr the 

chap_el has always been in Catholic care. Although 

local people may not have been able to explain 

much about the chapel.twenty years ago, tirey were 

willing.to put up a sign pri,mltfv to te11 the 

rasclnated American visi_tors where to find it. 

None of the facts or fancies or errors need to 

dull our i-nterest in or appreciation of this romatic 

little chapel in such a beautiful setting, a setting 

which must be much like that which our Siiss forefathers 

knew and 1oved. It is sti11 a house of 

prayer and the bell can be a call to prayer as far 

as the sound can reach. Historians can itilt 

appreciate its antiquity; artists can sti11 stuclv 

the style and origins of the altar pieces. Speciil 

services are held there several times a year, ancl 

Benedictines from Engelberg, spending va6ations at 

"bring 

Grafenort, 

the holy sacrifice-up here." 

Some.young couples are choosing the ch-pel for their 

weddings and the bell still tolls for a- death in the 

va11ey. Whether our ancestors had anything to do 

wi.th it or not, a visit to the St. Jorter 'vqv* Chanp] v'r$Hv+ 

can be an enjoyable experience. 

(In a later issue we shall describe the interior 

of the chapel and show what interesting myths 

and legends about St. Joder are illustrated in 

the 17th century paintings on the wa1I. )

,lf r{,(,j ili)rJv rl{ Yr)r)rlRs, ccNTINTJSD, . , .'4,: ,rre .oLeaserl to briog another of 

co: :)(cel-Lant h,trnesLead ,naps by fohn Mark Slabaugh to our readers. 

?.,ir.;,->'ri r:eLcl-ects Lhe pr'>p,:ri:lr:s ()E Lwo cf thr: believe,f children of 

r'r: 

" .l L 1>.v 3.rrcera" Yo,1er. ( super- imposed on a US Geological Survey 

map). Although evenL.ital-L,v seF-t-1-ing in Lancaster Co.,pA ,Jacob 

("Strong Jacob") yoder (cL726-L790) had proger.ty sE of Harnburg in 

Bern Twg adjoining that of his b,:other Christian yoder (cL722 

-Jan.L772 

) and Bishop ,facob Hertz-1er. Al-so strown j.s the location of 

the original cemetery of the Northkill Arnish Congregation in which 

many of orrr first generation Amish yocers are believed to rest.iilone 

of these older graves are marked today except for th,et of ishop 

ilertzler 

r;f i-his 

which has 

centLrry, 

a sLcne erected by descendents in the early p,trt 

*********t* t* * **t************************** t*********************** 

Photosraph of i/illiam Feter Yoder 

(Auq. -11, 

:366-1914) and his wifc 

inna Jane ?,occ (Oct. 1q, tq73-Nov. 

23, Lg|?- ) taken about the time of 

their marriaqe Dec. 4, 1895 at 

','/i-lliam 

Bonne Terre l'10. 

Feter was 

thp orpat-srandson of Conrad Yode 

of NC by Conrad's oldest son John 

and John's son Peter. Peter Yode 

b. Oct. 13, 78A5, solC the land 

he had inherited from his father 

arnr:n.l I q

***************************************************** 

CEMETERY RESTORATIONS 

Bishop Christian Yoder ,Ir (1790-1846): As people move 

@-fe1ve ancestors resting 

behind, cemeterys, particularly rural ones, fall into 

decay. In YNL #4 (page 3) we were.oleased to announce 

a restoration effort for the Bishop Christian Yoder 

Jr. cemetery in Somerset Ccunly. We are happy to give 

the stat.us of this effort. Money raised through the 

efforts of Tom and Chdrles Yoder of Coraopolis,PA 

(which inclurfed contributions from anong our readers) 

paid for the stone shown in the accompanying 

photogra,oh. The farmed-over plot has been leveled and 

readied for seeding and the next goal is a stone waII 

around the site. (Further contributions welconed:20 

Oxford Dr.,Coraopolis,PA 15f08) 

("1.r{t rE,RY {}l 

BISHOP CIIRISTIAN YODTR Jn 

oic t3. l?90.* 

,N0v 

?t. 1646 

lilS \r.t|l \ 

il.tzADITH t,trtttn 

M^y e6. tTtt * _ .tA\.. 6. ilit{. 

CATIITRINI MIIUR 

rl{: r. r?.. 

11?jl-. ^._ll.l .. 

.r{}. rh t'' 

iltHlR5 UNK\flw|" 

3t.t+ t+ + +l tt lr Jt tt t+ *.|s J+ l+ Jf if +t l+ t{ l+.tf.t+lt J+ + * J+.t+ * tf 

The following was reeeived from Emery Shetler 

of Chesley, Ontario. 

TRAGIC INCIDENT 

One June the 10th 18J0 church services were at 

the home of Christian Sch6ttler's near Davidsvi1le 

PA in northern Sonerset County. 

A nice quiet morning to walk to church, as 

lhrisena 10, and Lizzie B were walking to church 

along. the quiet was shattered by a shot from a 

high-powered rnuzzle loader. 

The ball of the muzzle loader went right through 

Christina's head. She fel1 dead on the road. Lizzie 

ran to the Christian Schbttler home and reported 

the sad accident. 

A group of people hurried to the scene, not far 

fron the Schottler home where Christena lay in a 

pool of b1ood. She was carri_ed to the Schottler 

home where a very sad and solemn church servi-ce was 

held that day. 

Someone unknown had fired the shot whether on 

purpose or by accide.nt is not known. 

. - ..1- 

'- i-.' 

i 

' . t 

I 

,:'tj 

Why or who was out shooting on a Sunday mornlng 

in IB50? Would YNL readers have or know anything 

more about the above incident? 

,srT lttt ls* Jl- Llt lfltlf.l+ l$11.* ltrs lflf r+r+ J$lt.ttJr Jttf + J*t{. tt Jstt.rf.t+ l+ rt JtltJr * tflf l+t+ l$ r{.J{. tr 

The following copy was sent in by John M. Byler 

of Mercer PA which appeared in the Harrisburg (PA) 

Chronicle which appeared Sept. 5, 1813. 

continued next column 

#f ###{sS#F"LFIr6;3jo.!"ti=F"-*ti5.of ".::.*SiI 

that which resrs on the ori-gin"l .a;;;;it"!ri'vvqerr 

Christian yoder homestea

BOOK RBPORT 

Edward, (pilgrimage of a Mind), 'ri"!"i'='i 

are the iorrrnn''l 

notes-i?-eawara-yidE?=1ier?-ryn3i , ';i:ffi;- 

****** **** *****OUERIES** *****:'(** r l & I r * ,t r* r * r * I * l * ** 

The YNL will publish yorler-related inquiries or 

erchaoges at nr) charge.please linit to 30 words or 

sr) plirs reLurn addr:ess.All inr1,1i ries are checke

*** ** ** * * * * * * * ** ** * * * * r. * .l( * * r( I *,k * * * * * * * ** * * * 

Fami Iy Reco Record r{ _q! of _B_i_qlo-p_ 

Brsnop _qIIieI unrtscrane n Yode r 

[,L /)D-rdJd, 

---Tsfrop-Christian 

Yoder was the first Amish 

bishop o-f ttt. Glades congregation in northern 

Sonerset Co,PA. He was married to Magdalena Troyer 

1760-1843). tte is recorded as having served as 

Bishop fron 1785 until his death 53 years later. 

Bishop Jacob Mast has been cited j.n some quarters 

as the first Amish Bishop orrlainetl in A,nerica, but 

his installation post-daLes that of Christian 

Yorler. Af ter his Itowing fa,nilY register 

(apparentJ-y in Bishop Yoders own hand) as of l9BO 

A cogy is on file in the Archives of the Mennonite 

Church, Goshen CoLlege, Goshen,IN 

i': 

ni 

,, 

J,i+t, 

/' r 

'/,\ / :,1 '-';' !'"|'nn "'*^2 la'.'!' l" Zt'+l(,4.i 

1,..'-r1".?t..i,at,& : \:., 

ft*.j*J" r ru r .(,.-z o 4n-:4, :,/'*^ ft7^ M,lu zai,.f,,, 

.!-J/;- e-/^ ./:.tS,z$r . .':1,.f 

To summarize in English: Christian Yoder born 

"about" Oct.l753 (and died Apr.29, lB33) i Madlena, 

his wif e b.Oct.2O,1760 (ancl d.Aug.3,IB43).Chil-dren: 

Madlena b. Feb.l3, 1780 , r:nd.er the s ign ( Zodiacal ) of 

the twins; Maria b.Oct.30,l78I,sign the Ram; 

Abraham b.Dec.2O I7A2,sign the crab; ,Jos.oeh b. Sep. 

7,I7A4, sign the twins; Yost b.Aug.I7,1786, sign 

the twins, and d.OcL.26,I8O5; Jannes b.Nov,l3,l788 

sign the sL.eeri Christian b.Dec.l.3,1790, sign the 

fish; Solomon b.Mar.5,L793, sign the archer; Jacob 

b.Mar,L7,L795, sign the water'nan, d.Aug.I2, 1803; 

Sara b..Jan.23, L197, sign the archer, 

d.Feb.20,L8OL;Barbara b.Apr.16,l80I, sign the 

twins, d.Aug.4,IB03; 'Jonathan b.May 20,1803, sign 

the steeri Anna b. JuI.23,LBO3, sign the twin. 

*****************************************lr* 

THE NC YODIR REIINIOI{ 

Al-bert F. Yoder, of Conover, president from 19Bl+ 

convened 16c- )Jth annual Yoder Reunion on Sunday' 

August 11, 19E5 foll-ovring lunch in the fel-lowshin 

buildlng of the Zion Lutheran Church near Hickory. 

Dr. J. Larry Yoder, a professor of religion at 

Lenol-r-Rhyne College opened the festivities 

with the invocation. 

The president read the names of 2l family members 

r.'l-\^ rl i ad drrri no 1-ho nronod i ns rrper - 

wllv ursq uqrrr16 urru y! 

A l-etter from Charlotte (Yoder) i{i}ton the 1:rst 

surviving child of Francis A. Yoder and rvife 

was reaC in part to the group. F.eminiscences 

recall,ed early birthday cefebrations of the 

writer's grandfather, Co1. leorge E. Yoder. 

There will be work needed i-n removing a oersimmon 

+roe dtrshrorre,l vr v.t vs hv vJ + Iishtnino rirr 

in the Conral loder 

cemetcry. A proposed sign will roark the location 

of the historic buryi-ng Sround vri1l be erecteC 

at a later date reported the clan treasurer. 

B. 

)iES S-HIRALD, Perkasie. Pa.. WedneEdav. Julv l0-!9J5 

Yothers Family Reunion Held 

a relatively rare item in the Men- 

Sixty-two persons attended t}le 

nonite Church. Isaac M. Yothers 

annual Yothers reunion ctn Father's 

was married to Susanna S. Overholt. 

Day, June 16, at the St. John's 

At the reunion, special reginition 

Evangelical Lutheran Picnic Grove 

was given to Garret and Laura 

on Sleepy Hollow Road near Spin- (Yothers) Benner, who were the 

nerstown. 

The pioneer only family that had four 

ancestor of this family 

generations present. Their son, 

was Hans (Jon) Yoderwhosettled in 

Laverne Y. Benner, with his 

lnwer Milford Township, in um, 

daughter, Kim B. Creen, and his 

then called, 

grandson, Jm Michael Greer\ all of 

Perkesie. 

After the PA Dutch smorgasbord 

meal, John (Yothers) Hunsberger, 

president, of Perkasie, awarded $e 

following prizes: 

The oldest person present was 

Sara Ann (YotheF) Shelly, 81, of 

Rockhill Mennonite Community, 

Sellersville. 

The younS€st person present, Jon 

Michael Green. 6 weeks old. son of 

Jon and Kim (Benner) Greent 

Perkasie. 

The traditional guBsing games 

were won by Richard (Yother) 

Benner of Souderton and Connie 

wife of Gene (Yothers) Benner of 

Pennsburg. 

The officers are: Pr€sident John 

(Yothers) Hunsberger, Smith 

School Road, Perkasie: Robert L€€ 

Yothers, Vice President, Glenside; 

Secretary-Treasurer, Alverna 

(Yothers) Hunsberger, Apple Butter 

Road, Perkasie; and historian, 

Richard J. Yothers, Jr., of B6ton, 

MaEs. 

Tte reunion will be held at the 

same location cn June 15, 1986. 

?here was one marriage reported, 

Jay Douglas Hunsberger to Monica 

J. Tomcic on October 26. 1984. 

"Tte Great Swamp." 

Hans and Anna Yoder migrated 

lrom Switzerland in about 1719 and 

bought the above mentioned 

pnoperty frcm Joseph Growden for 

15 pounds current silver money. 

Their son, Casper Yoder bought 

this property lrom his parents in 

u50 for 20 pounds current money. 

Jacob Yoder (son of Casper 

Yoder), u,l2-1826, changed his name 

!o Yothers. He owned a farm of 131acres 

in New Britain Townsip (then 

knom as Vauxtown). Yothers had 

two wives, the firtt. Catherine O. 

Kulp, died in 1773 end is buried at 

the Deep Run Old Mennonite 

Cemetery. Yothers and his secmd 

wife, Barbara (Fretz) Yothers, are 

hrried in the Doyleslown Mennmite 

CemeterY. 

The - fraktur -style birthbaptismal 

certificale of Issac M. 

Yothers of Doyl€stown TowrEhip, 

(son of Jacob F. and Barbara 

(Meyer) Yothers, and grandson of 

the - abcve mentioned Jacob 

Yothers), who was baptized in 1840 

by Bishop Henry Humberger. is ngw 

on displaY at the Mennonite 

Heritagi [tuseum on Main St, 

Souderton. 

This birth-baptismal certificat'e is 

The above Yothers Reuni-on news was kinCly 

sent in by Alverna (Yothers) Hunsberger of 

Perkasie PA. She repeats the reai.nCer that 

the date of their next reunion is June f5, 

1985 at the St. John's Evan3elica1 Lutheran 

Picnic Grove on Sleepy Hollotr l{oad near 

Spinnerst olvn. 

ia r^' -)a -)f -)i -)a iS -)i ')t Jg *- ':r l+ i3 -)A -;+ lt 

-)t -)E -)$'F Ji -)t tt J'. J( -)a')'r ).t {'tt +t J9 -)t -)E -)a .;i ;i JS -)$ Ji ti r* l$ 

Albert Yoder announced nevr arl:iiti-ons to the 

Yoder farnily by rv;ty of birth and marriage. 

The president acknowledqen 

ii ii -)i J: -)a -)" it ia +i t: tt -)i .)i ia i+ Ji -)i -)t ;,. ii ;i ii -)i -)t ii -).. tt ;i 

.,t -)F i. -x" ia -x- -)t Ji -)t ii -* * -;i ii tf ti tr .,t Ja )^c j


-wTSSUE fl / P.O. Box 594 Goshen, IN 46,52J, Apri1, 1986 

ST. JODER'S CHAPEL 

(part Two) 

*r 'xi 

S,,w 

::i$ 

&,, 

$* 

Those of you who may be planning at some time to 

look up the St. Joder Chapel in the canton of Schwyz 

in Switzerland will fina it to be a very smal1 building---a 

mere white dot on the landscape as you look 

acioss the val1ey in the Nidwald region. After you 

climb the mountain from Grafenort and enter the 

chapel, you will see that it has been laid out in the 

forir of i "ro"", like the big churches, but so sma11 

that it holds hardly a dozen rows of seats and the 

benches on each side of the aisle so short that one 

of them can accomodate only two or three persons. 

(continue on page 4) 

ff 

;)ilii;, 

1. 

WOULD YOU BELIEV".... RENEWAL TIME ! 

(for details see paee 2) 

lliiiii ooooooooJ+lrl+lrJrn+r*lrnJrr++ltnr+tt.ttJ+tr+r+*+*+r**r+ir***r+*r+nr*r+n***tr 

;i.:iii THE AMISH-MENNONITE CE}iiETEFOT,STARK CO,OH 

-records by Ann E Hilleg 

o b0 

d 

C) 

o 

a 

o 

u) 

'!< 

c. 

(g 

o 

P 

a 

.c 

o 

f i...- split between Washington and neighboring 

N i_n_i shilLeo_ Tolr.osbiIls.. 

The Anish-Mennonite cenetery west of Freeburg, OH 

in Washington Twp. served this conrnunity and is the 

resting place for what appears to be two distinct 

(but piobably interrelated) fanilies. It lays off a 

private lane on the west side of Paris Ave. ' about 

0) 

o 

(U 

P 

a 

..t 

P . 

The first of these fanilies is that of CaPt.Joseph 

Yoder fron around Belfort in Alsace. His fanily was 

described in A Brief Record of Four Pioneer 

Che late 

born in Switzerland about 1789 anil his fanily noved 

across the border settling in or around Belfort. 

Although of Anish I'{ennonite background, tre Has 

either conscripted or recruited into the ArDy of 

Napoleon and became captain of a conpany of cavalry. 

He participated in the narch on l'toscow in 1812 ancl 

Iater told of the starvation and suffering of the 

retreat fron that canpaign. 

capt. Joseph narriLd Barbara weiss (L8OO-8/3/ 

IB77) and imnigrated to the US with their three 

children in the faII of 1825. After initially 

settling on a farm near I'laximo, oH they later noved 

to a small place near Al-liance,OH close to their 

oldest son Joseph where Capt. Joseph died May 20, 

1874. Capt.Joseph is described as having been "very 

taII, straight, and always carried a cane.' 

The othei apparent Yoder progenitor was Christian 

Yoder (cf786-1869). It is conceiveable that 

Christian and Joseph were brothers, but this ig 

nerely speculation at this point. In the 1850 

census, he is shown with a young wife and snall 

(continued on page 6) 

for

FROM T}IE EDITORS 

Ben F. Yoder, Goshen IN, Managing Editor 

Chris Yoder, Battle Creek MI, Historical Editor 

Rachel Krei-der, Goshen IN, Contributing Editor 

Publlshed Semi-annual1v 

RESUBSCRTPTTON NOTICE 

This is resubscription time for many 9r JUU. l_I 

you recei-ved an envelope with this i-s sue it means-T 

is time for vou to resubscribe. If o 

now a 

ve an 

me to 

With your help, we've come a long way. The YNL 

has grown to over /00 subscribers. We've helped 

1itera1ly hundreds of Yoder cousins with infoimati 

about their heritage. 

VlOAEP 

l{c e-r:p1-aineC ti-rat there is no y sor.lncl in llu:sian 

an.C that abcut thc ncare:t anyoilc co;l...1 l:Lcno:,lice) 

our nare in Russi.an ivor.riC sound t_ike I0li.l , ,/a l,ch 

it: Big Brothcr is watchirrg you. 

-)9.).-)!.).')!.|EJt.)t,,:i.iii.*L.).+'4ji-)t.)iJt+t-)t.)tJ..).).)t)?Jr*-}.-)t.i3.)t-j:.)r.)t-)i-)$ 

**Jt*rlJt+tt+JtJtJt.,+t+Jf lt+t.ttJr*Jr+ltg+trt.tt+JttaJt.tiJtJf Jf J!Jt.)gtttt.tf Jt*+J{.JtJf +t.ttJttttttt 

A SPECIAL NOTICE- To those who ordered Amish and 

Amish-Mennonite Genealogies by Hugh Gingerich and 

Rachel Kreider: We are very sorry for the long 

delay in getting out your AAMG books, but there has 

been so much more work to this than expected. We hope 

liHul:-tf,I"olil8 B3;fi"il:fi3u.:fiil,1t3"i'13;l l%T3{-}: 

**************************************************** 

From Opal West of Savannah, l'lissouri comes the 

following story of the death of Conrad yoder 

(grandson and nanesake of the founder of the North 

Carolina Yoders):"i{hen my father, Albert Conrad 

Yoder (l'877-1957 ) was a baby, Conrad yoder (1793fB79) 

his grandfather came from the barn with a rat, 

he had caught in a trap, to show my father. The rat 

bit hirn, and a short time Iater he died from the 

infection caused by the bite." 

************************** * **** t******************** 

"It 

i^ras only a feur years ago that I was able to 

esi:airlish the identity of ny great grandfather as 

Jacob Eschbach Yoder. I have no living relatives who 

could go back any further than that. Now thanks to 

you and the Yoder Newsletter (which I think I 

recieved by chance) I can trace back to rny immigrant 

ancestor."-Col. Robert A Yorler,schenectadyrNY 

* * * * * * * * * * :? * ,f t * ,k * * * .t * * .t * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

EARLY YODER IIARRIAGES $$ REWARDS CONTINUED 

In order to save the expense and time taken with 

reneWal WOfk We 41a e

YO)]R 

llie Yoder farnily v,'as estabt,ishe,l in llorth Caro.lina 

Carolina circa 1755-62 by one ConraC yoier, a Swiss 

i-nnigrant, whc lanCed at- the port of l:hilader-pfrii-on 

0ctober 2J, 17+6. 

. 

Jpon noving to Carolina many years 1ater, yoder 

took up resi lence with IleinCrich',\,ei.Jner anrl his 

fanily on bhe ,.jouth Fork riyer in an area now located 

equa.iistantly betvreen the cities of Hickory an.i Newton 

in Catawba CountS'. 

_ Conrad Yoder purchase.i a ZOO-acre tract of land 

fron Teilner, in .fecember I?6?, anC maie hir living 

principally through farrning. It is said that yoCei 

'1tgs_ a19o aCept at stone rnaionry. tsy the enl of hii 

life the pioneer ha.J acquired an estate of 1-C22 

acres. The o1d settl.er .lie,i in the spring of I?90 

and r,vas burie'i high atop a hill near his tiornesteid 

close by the waterr of the .Iacob's Fork of the Sortth 

Fork river. 

-1, rlis tingui-shed great-gran.lson of Conral yoder 

was Ceor3e ii. Yoder, v,'ho n,as born in Lincoln (now 

catawba)_Qouniy, Au.gust ?3, 13?6, _itre otOest ;f 

four .;one of l,tichael anri i;agdaleni-;;pofflr;(iieiz) 

YoCer. 

. Seorge l.:onroe yoCer attended the " jnion School_ 

house", a fielC school that onerated for three 

month terns durin.3 the rvinter ronths. yo:ier rvas 

eventually to bec6ne an assistant to the school 

rnaster and following the cornpletion of his ov,rr 

eCucation the young man taught lJ sessions in the 

school. 

- Co1. Yoder lived his entire life in Catawba 

C_ounty. lle was a wiCel_y knov.n corn anrl cotton 

farner and like hil qran:Jfathen .rt John Yoder' was 

a self-taugi.,t ",r.ilygrandlather' 

He was active in the local nil-itia, having 

mcved through the ranks as corDorat_, captaini 

na jor, regirnental ari jutant , an,, colonel. 

fn 0ctober, L362, Col. yoler volunteered for 

servi-ce in the Confederate Arny. He serveC three 

years first as a nrivate anC t.ater as a secon:i 

lieutenant in Company F,. 33th il. C. Regiment, and 

effective in l36j as a captain in the fro,rne 

:uar.i. 

- fn county politics , I o_r.. yoCer was a respected 

,rublic servant and well--known politlcaf filir".-"t 

the time that he enlisted in the lVar 3etwe6n the 

States, he was serving Catau,ba County as clark of 

and rnaster. of equity. Following the rvas Col. yoder 

practrcel brrelty as a magistrate, until 1366, when 

ne was dlslranchi:93 flon voting anl hoI.lin3 public 

offic,e by larv (untiI that laiv vris repealea 6V'"on_gress). 

,/hen the Jernocratic party giinea "oilt"oi 

of_state nclj"tics in 13?5, Co1. yirl6r r"gainuC-ih" 

office of magistrate in whi.ch capaciiy-hE """ti"""a 

to serve until 13!4. 

.- 

)uring the early 13,?O's, yoder rvas a r.ne:nber of 

the county connission and l-ater served one ter.,n is 

county surveyor. 

-He was the county coroner tn 1266_ 

6? ana..again rn I3)z-)U. Cor-. i",i;" otfigeo-i1ls-eonnunity 

by actinb as the enurnerator in jacobis 

Fork Tovrnship for the FeCera1 censuses of l33O 

an'1 l- 39C. 

. Fg"-:nany years Col_. yoder contributed artic.!.es 

about hirtory anC the ureather to several area news_ 

papers . The c o1u:nns , s onet ines written un,ier 

rset:donym 

the 

of " -oi 

(Yi" , Cetai t,eC il.re early nistory 

the South lork iti-ver pioneers anC their fanif j.ei. 

T',vo historic sketches about the yoder familv 

which Col. Yoder penned in the latter portion 6f 

the nineteenth century formed the core of a History 

of the Ypler Family in l{orth Caroli_na. The inTEi-_e 

s tln g v olume-wET c-n traG-man!- of the de s c endants 

of Conrad Yoder was published in 1!/0 by Dr. Fred 

Roy Yoler, a grandson of CoI. George 1,1. Yoder. 

As a result of xio ,rn+inn .i- I a

o 

-l ..{ 

g.{J 

( d . 

El{z 

o o H 

g-{ 

( D q 0 

- ndlr 

l{o5 

o 

.rtdo 

cp 

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Flrl O 

r-{ 

'E -i 

+ g..r 

(r)d= 

gr> - 

o.o tr 

o 

o c d 

o o o 

ti'!4! 

.P.P . 

o ( / ] 

.rl 0) 

P{tuq 

ri:,, 

Probably of the greatest interest to tne Yoder 

tourist is tne panel or nlne small paintings ' Tnree 

in a row, that at least in 19?8 was IlanS;ing on tne 

waIl to the right, up front near what was the right 

"arm of the transcript". The original paintings 

were made in the 1620's and can give us some insight 

into the life and legends of St. Joder. The 

ph6tographs taken by Edith Joder of Basel in 1966 

show the upper outer corners rounded in the likeness 

of a church window, with wooden decoration 

across the top, but the present pictures are a1most 

square and on a simple square board. The 

composition and content of the pictures in both 

cases seem exactly alike; however one sharp-eyed 

Yoder noted a slight difference in the foot of the 

Devil, making us wonder about the originals. Have 

they been restored? 0r have they been taken away' 

either because of value or deterioration' and 

repfaced with good copies? Officials at the Engleberg 

Monastery, not far away, might be able to 

answer these questions: and should a researchminded 

visitor find out any more about this ' we 

hope a report gets back to the Newsletter. 

Meanwhile, for our immediate purpose of seeing 

how St. Joder was portrayed, it makes 1itt1e difference 

whether we are seeing the originals or thc 

copies. Each of the pi-ctures has printed under it 

a caption in German beginning with the word 

At one time 

but now inside 

the chapel had a sloping wooden roof 

we see a vaulted "plastic" 

ceiling 

with several arches. Snapshots brought back by 

visitors show some slight variation and some decoration 

seems to have been added from what we remembered 

frorn our visit in 19'/8, suggesting that changes have 

probably been made during the recent restoration. At 

that time we saw that a large pai-nting in pastel 

colors directly on the left wa1l had been partially 

obliterated wrtn fresh plaster, and we see that some 

smaller darker patches of Bibical scenes are sti1l 

there. We may simply not have remembered a1l- tne 

framed pictures and stations of the cross hanging 

in tne chapel or pernaps tney nave bee,, shifted 

around or were taken down during the renovation. 

However, the three 1i-tt1e wooden figures are sti11 

in tne left "arm of the transcript", standing 

behirrd metal bars in a nicne at eye 1eve1. These 

images had once beerr stolen but were retrieved and 

si,.ce then kepr witn greater pro'uection. The altar 

arrd al'uar pieces have apparently beerr relurb].shed 

and are sai-d co snow workmansnlp of artls us and 

CrsfuSh€rr at Lucern several cerrturies ago. At the 

time or year ol our v1s1t, fl-owers graced the a1tar. 

"Wie... 

o3a) 

E t-l 

€ lr(J 

o 

q-{..r >, 

O tr.o 

o 

rl.|J o 

il3lf: l#'ffiIll;i":n;"":tili:il:;'":lid'?:,i"::fiilii3; 

(5) "How^st. Joder ordered the Bel1 to ring by 

later as for the 

'uoStl 

real st. Theodore. However tne 

Joder i_n fu11 regalia at the entrance 

character of these saints was so identical that when of,a grotto, with sharp hi1ls:"i trre uactgrouna-ana 

tne true St. Joder was eventually identi,fied, the a_few-buildiles at the-gpper edges of the"pict;;;high 

esteem felt by tne people did not need to be is shown confionting a t6if afm6si as big i" ir"-i". 

altered rliq is probably-related to some tale-known in 

(2) "How 

King Charles hands trre spiritual 

Middle 

and """,,-lJt" 

Ages, 

'-th" 

but all we know about it is thit 

1ar embiems (crosier and sword) g/ vver over 

be1l was especially 

to uu St. eu' 

associated with st. ffreo- 

Joder" 

dore and he was often ihown with one. Hij-"n"p"f 

ing, eacn -lt"'f,i: 3il:ffi:":3: :5'?;:"3ffirffi: ::3"u- li'3il'tl"ii:lu'?x lx;: a;;"""il:lf.'nil;:at":*ii; 

i;**';l*:;",f ;:*3i iliH";l;:;ii"fru;: lt;":". ililiriF'il4:;i'!i"i"53",31T"f;in"; 

struggr.es rSrween'church and staie goj.ng on'at irre- 

. ffi:;;"::tl {1i5"_f;"1}"::*"fl"ln.l;tlig ;i5::"r., 

llH ll: 5i;15i";"3"5i,fi;";:*id"i ii"l: :;:g"*fill r"" a6o,.,t ori""i,,g" to the saints in the sion- - 

ttiai ""e,^-;;-;;";; a monarch as chart-es rrre Great 

would ne wi11in! to submi.u to the representative or :illr:i.l"i"lll"i{+I"I; 3l:ffi"[31"(il:l3ffj: fft:Sil 

iff X:3;":*"rf:"f3;3'.especia11v 

one as outstanding ' 

ol9_ j,' aern frvreiii;";i,""ii-ii"""i,\ 1,,""",," (Roth) --' 

r diocese.during th; Middlt ae;s---Eueen Gruber pointed 

stil1 bear the inscripti-on or -it.--.roaer 

toaiy. 

(3) "Howrs:'ni:t;;"lorsave 

the sin of the people 

(6) "How 

st. Joder ordered the Devil to carry hin 

This interesting picture shows St. 

and 

Joder and _--the 

BelI on his shoulders across th6 

retinue beholding an opened grave, showing 

Wa11is".(the 

iil;; 

Valais country of southern Switbodies,,one 

!.f,tf,em wttt a rnfndoria zerland) 

One of the things that brougrri-ii-t" real St, Theo- 

Again in mountainous country' qt..Joder 

dore- into prominence was the discovery of the remainswith.the.i-nsignia-of 

authority i! his hands is shown 

of the "theban Martlms". ffe oraerea a basilica 

in the Be1l, 

builtsitting 

which is being carried-by a 

over the site in their mtrmrrrlr /Th 

two-legged beast with horns and a tail' and 

later also credit;e-;; Trr"-ci""ri;;i;-;f;r;il;e";#"rierce 

Later 

lg8ena began to associate th5 remains of Si. 

Joder himself with those of the rnartyrs and finali-y 

votive offerings began in his name. 

St. Moritz is now known on the Swiss maps as St. 

Maurice and it is located about twenty milbs across 

the mountains to the west of Sion, wh6re St. Theo_ 

dore 1ived. 

We need to know more about this story to under_ 

stand what motivated this picture and wLat the dis_ 

covery of the remains had to do with St. Moritz; 

but the artist at any rate wanted us to know that 

St. Joder, a man of power and authority, was aiso 

a nan of mercy and forgiveness. 

$\u .^ ,,',' 1 

!t1er l,rr r, 

$**ii-,,'l 

(4) "How St. Joder overheard the evil spirits 

discussing their misdeeds" 

St. Joder, again with staff in hand is 

standing on an archway i-n a mountain setting, while 

under the arch the devils are shown in animdted 

conversation. St. Joderts powers were considered 

so great that he could understand and outwit the 

Devil, as we sha11 see. Tt has been said that his 

image has been shown with a devil underfoot to 

show his triurnph over evll. 

arms that can reach back to hold his burden on 

his shoulders. This comes close to tne story of 

how St. Joder was to have brougnt his be1l fiom 

Rome. 

The Pope nad presented nim witn a be11 to take 

back witn him for nis diocesarr center at Sion, but 

he nad.no way to get the huge be11 up into tne 

mountains. He tnen tnought of hi_s power to make 

tne Devil do . is bidding. Sumrnoning rrin, St. 

Joder proposed to nim that r:e could have a human 

sould if he could transport the be11 up to Sion 

before dayoreak (cockcrow). St. Joder-tnan sat 

into tne bauch of the Bell, a term rnany of our 

readers clETnderstand and the Devil i" ;d;; 

anticipation swiftly bore him trrrough tne afr. 

But tne migrrt of St. Joder was greater trran the 

curl,,ing of the Devi1. At trre c6mrnand of tne 

Bishop, a rooster crowed before dawn came. 

(7) "How 

the Devil let 

broke to pieces" 

the bell fall and it 

The above story ended fortunatelV, 1ret 

these two plctures seem related. This pictirre" 

shows the bel1, though cracked and lying i-n a 

falIon nn

over tne Devil , wno is see,, 

tne air in defeat. rris long 

af-uer. This time his wings 

flyir.g away through 

wavy tail followirg 

are outstretched. 

(8) "How bad weather die8-.clryed the building 

of brrose who worked o,. St. Joder's Day" 

The building sho$rn is not mucn higher 

tllan the melr who are working on it. One is lying 

prorre in front of xne doorway, while anotner 

nolds ni-s nands to nis head. He and tne man wo!.king 

at tne slde of the building look Lrp in what 

must be astonishmenr at the wonderfullv large 

hailstones (Or is it heavy snowfall?) ttrat fiave 

taken them by surprise. Apparently the painter 

wanted to instruct us on proper reverence for a 

great bishop. 

The o1d church calendars show the feast dav 

for St. Joder to be August 16, the day believ6d 

to be the time of hls death. (You can greet your 

kin on that day with "Happy St. Joder's Day:" or 

perhaps for us simply "Happy Yoder's Day!"). 

It is appropriate at this point to mention 

that St. Joder was also cal1ed upon as a Dowerful 

protector against bad weathei. According to 

some documents of 14pl, people sang at a service 

the following Antiphon after the Magnificat in 

their mass: 

"Oh glorious pontifex, worker with your 

devotions, save us from hailstones fron cold 

and frost--that you may be eternally praised 

by the productiveness of our fruits." 

Associated with reference to weather was also 

another picture handed down during the Middle 

Ages (but not hanging in the ctrapet). St. Joder 

was shown kneeling in the foreground blessing the 

grape vines. In the background was a church in 

front of which a sexton wringing his hands in the 

midst of an excited throng. He was to have rung 

the bel1 in warning of an approaching storm but-he 

could not do this, for the Devil had possession of 

it and was shown grinning maliciously-behind St. 

Joder. This picture seems to have been more intent 

on telling a story than teaching a lesson. 

(9) "How a priest who threw away a picture of St. 

Joder saw his hands dry up" 

The partial image of St. Joder, with a staff 

but no mandorla at his head, lies in a doorway. The 

priest, with three others behind him, looks at his 

own outstretched hands. This is again a reminder 

that St. Joder was to be held in reverence and there 

could be dire consequences for those who did not. 

A11 this lore ab6ut St. Theodore, bishop of Sion, 

il-lustrates a number of thinEs about Christianitv in 

the Middle Ages. We feel we have quite outgrown the 

need or use of magic and supersti.ti_on to guide and 

(continued next column) 

6. 

encourage us in our daily li-ves or to foster our 

proper respect for good people. However we think 

we have our own ways to determi-ne who are the good 

and worthy persons, and we sti11 want to appreciate 

rnd no

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *OUERI ES* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * 

The YNL wiIl publish yorler related inquiries or 

exchanges at no charge. please limit [o 30 words or 

so plus return address. Al1 inquiries are checked 

against our records to see if we can help too. 

Address your correspondence to: yoder Neisletter 

Ouerj-es,203 Lakeshire Rd,Battle 

**************************************************** 

Creek, MI 490I5 

HARRIET (SPOTTS) YODER , b.1854, LCbANON, PA.M. 

GIDEON YCDER LB72 in McClean Co.IL. Left her husband 

and two daughters about 1890. parents died in Minn. 

Any info. concerning- her later years would be appre_ 

ciated. Tin o'CaIlaghan , 4687g -Betty nif f , eiyn'oilir, 

Mr 48170. 

********** ****************************************** 

"v{hat 

was the ancestry of JOSEPH YODER b.I/2L/LAlB 

Richland Twp., Cambria Co,pA? On 1903 marriaqe 

Iicense to Gertrude Sowerbrowser his pur.n!='r""a. 

Iisted as Joseph yoder and Emna Baurnglrdner. Reply 

toi Dwane Yoder,l0O Old Stone House Rd, Carlisf!,pa 

170I3. 

**************************************************** 

Parents of AARON YODER? b.c.1926 Bucks Co,pA.d.Sep. 

:,I??9 niye1 Ety*,oH. Married natrrerine 

b.c1832. iir;;;;;;5; 

Children were Susan (m. Wm Coodj;neuUen- ' 

(m.Mary Rickert): Sarah (..,f"ii Ucraaaen) ;.rra Jof,rr. 

to: 

l:pI{ 

Ralph B Thompson I I2o9 NorEhwesr 43d 

St. ,cainesville, FLA 32605 

. 

**********************************i**************** 

Info wanred on FREDERICK 

YODER (.fOrtnn; (Igf3_1g84) 

b. OIey Twp.Berks. Reportedly orphaned and r.i"ea Oy 

kinsman Daniel yoder near pllas-'rrtui1l..m. 

Maria 

Shartle ( 1815-189I ) . .Lived in Center Twp. , Berks. 

Children: Anelia (m.Marcus Davis) ;Alfreb 3. 

Haag);Jacob (m.Anna 

1*-f,l.ry 

Maria Fisherji uury (rn. Reuben 

Phillips); Cyrus went to OH; Valeria (;.'Wathaniei 

!",.o)i wetlington (m.po1Iy Batrhaser). reply t;;-- 

John B. yoder Jr.l1?g: Knights 

**************************i****i*i****************** 

Ave.,Tampa,FL 33611 

THEODATE YEATER/YEATOR b.NH c1809/10 .n. cI828/9 

{?seioh Bangle. Resided NH,VT,Canada,IL. Believed d. 

MO cI890. Reply: Judy persin,p.O,Box 

661767, 

Sacramento, CA 95966, 

**************************************************** 

CHARLES THOMAS yoDER.b. It/24/1815 schuylkill co,pA. 

*:îl.pitrsbursh e/.r/ts42 i""' 

-I894). nrir.rennlay tatiltl'ii 

H9 d. B/14/l-B5l.children were: Charles 

Theodore_ (1843) (see below); Hamilton Wright (1g44) 

(m.Mary Lewis);Frances Ann (f85O); and Loienzo 

T.D.(1847 (rnl.Elizabeth McKee).r.ify ro! Etcy D. 

Brooks , 23Lg Merrihitls 

*****************************i********************** 

Dr SW, no'cfrester, Minn 55gO2 

Descendant info wanted on CHARLES THEODORE YODER. 

s/o Charles Thomas yoder above.U. pa JuI 1943.Major 

during Civ. War. Lived Wash,DC. Wives believed 

Warder 

Annie 

and Emma L._. pos. d. in 1915. A dau. Edith 

n. Albanus Johnson;-elara M. m McKee. ANy info 

appreciateil.Chris yoder 203 LakEJfiire Rd, Battle 

Creek, MI 49015 

**************************************************** 

Ancestry wanted...ANTHONY YODER b.May 16,:r7g6 Berks 

Co. d. Dec.I,lg52 Northunberland Co,pA. m. Sarah 

Howerter. His .oarents reportedly peter yoder and 

Catherine Fraud. reply to Roberi D. yoder, gg4 

Brockway Mi1ls Dr.,Springfield, VT 05156. 

**************************************************:l 

Who were the parents of JOHN D YOTHER, b clglg NC, 

m-.Nov.22,1839 Lumpkin Co.,ca to Anna Blackstock; il . 

about 1890. Reply to Janet M. Gibson, 6470 Lonq 

Island Drive, Atlanta, GA 30329 

*************************************,1************* 

AncestLy lranted for William youther. B.Feb.15,lg65, 

m. Saphorri Halifax Miller Oct.3,Igg"l , d.Apr.4, 1gO4 

all events in Tennessee. Reply to Charles-youther, 

c/o 2O3 lakeshire Rd, eattl! breek, MI 49015 

*************************************************** 

7 

* 

** ** * * * * * * * *:k.r * i? t t t l ** * ** ** ** ** *** **t:l***l ****** ** ** 

Need parents & siblings of SARAH YODER b. ca Lg22 pA- 

n. (before 1-542,2) ,Toira -{ickle (b.calg22?pA). liveain 

OH 1842. Dau. Sarah Jane b.13 Jan Lg42 OH 

n.ca1863 to Daniel Sawyer (1840-1897). Both Sarah J. 

& Dan. d. Lock, Elkhart Co. IN (lived 1Bg0 Jackson 

Twp)-A.ry Infc: Jan Dixon,2223 W King, Kokomo, IN 

46901 

* * * * * * * * {, * * * J.. .* ,k I k .? .t I t I * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * + 

Need information from yoders who have o1d histories 

connected to the yoder/Cline pioneer families of 

Catawba County NC orfrom any kin. 

Also anyone (and all-) veterans or next of kin of 

World War II connected to Catawba Co., pfease write. 

Ivlrs . pauline H. Reinhardt 

503 St. James Church Road 

Newton NC 28658 

/ould l-ike info. on line of Jacob K. Yoder (Aug. 

1323-,\:rii 1!L:) an:i I'lancy Iantz (0ct., l?11-)ec., 

..,],360 ) . Chil-1ren: b. I,{iff l-in Co. !A, ttagdaline , 1351; 

iarah, b. I35); b. Cha,rpaign Co. 0ll , Solornon b . IE55; 

Sai'nue1 I. (b. I?5?-,1 . l.93I ) . llepi.y to l{arol.1 F. Yorler 

1105 Caktani Drive. Anderson IIT 41,012 

***********r***************t***********************: 

\ ai: 

Wtt"v "lor/cr 

'lui8ft 

6ci Het'4ot b c|ch 

4'/rr;,kf Fl"t 

fr*o i.fiu*( 

r'ro:n the f iles of OTTMAR JOTTER and the iate KARL - 

JCDER o-f 

.c_ermany comes the photograph displuy"a 

above. Michael yoder was a 1AZS i.nisn yoder 

immigrant froin the palatinate. He settfed initially 

r.n Sonerset Co, pA , but in 1945 moved with his 

family to HoLnes Co, OH where nany of his 

des.:err,lants res ide today. Michael ( I Tgg_f 873 ) was a 

niIler who lived and wo?ke

ORIGINAL CHRISTIAN JOTTER HOMESTEAD IN BERKS CO?? 

In YNL*5.on the back page, we presented a map by 

John Mark Slabaugh which shows the approxinate location 

of the Christian Jotter/yoder (cf7OO-I775) 

property in Berks Co.,PA. Last summer one of your 

editors visited this property and photographed the 

house which John Mark indicated as the possibte 

ttomestead property. fhe present owners welcomed the 

visit and showed where in working on a wall the 

original log beans of the structure could be seen. 

It is obvious that the house is very old, and it nay 

well be the original honestead residence. In a stop 

with a long time resident somewtrat upstream, 

"Platt's 

it was 

learned that the area was called 

Valley". 

One of the pieces of Christian Yoder property is 

known to have been Patented to John Blatt in 1810. 

A large old barn is also on the proPerty to the west 

of the house. 

**t************************************************* 

CORRSCTION ON SAMUEI, P YODER BOOK REVIEW 

t{e'd like to appologize for the erroneous 

atatenent in the iten on people of Cgnsciencg:"ihe, 

Sanuel P. Yoder Fanily, by Llssa K fhonpson (YNL +6, 

ffi that he resided in the 

Anerican West. Sanuel was born near I'torton, IL and 

spent the najority of his life near Fairbury, IL. He 

waa a grandson of Peter Yoder and Fanny Brough of 

l{ayne Co, OH (e/o Solonon Yoder and Barbara Miller, 

e/o Chrietian Yoder (1728-I8f6) and Barbara Hooley 

( r741-1812 ) . 

tttatttttttttt**ttltttit****tit****tt********t****** 

YoDER CENSUS SUMMAFnr: Flrs. Dorothy Cofman has 

continuerl her efforts to extract Yoder census data 

for the benefit of fanily regearctrers' We have 

previously nentioned the availablity of her extract 

?rom the lzso-fg:o Pennsylvania Census. Now 

AVAILABLE is this clata for 1840. Eleven pages of 

information covering Pennsylvania and 4 additional 

on Ohio. Copies of the l84O clata can be ordered for 

$3.50 frorn her at 3O Grouse Rd', Malvern' PA 19355' 

An excellent tool for: yourself and for donation to 

your favorite research Iibraryl I 

. . . 

r*t**********t.tt*il*********i***ttlt****t********** 

Honor thY father and thY mother' 

t********r*rrrrrtttt**tt*************f 

************* 

rt8i{ BOOK CFFER: fHE AJI{ISH IN AMERICA: Settlements 

That Failed, 1840:T960, Ey oavid Luthy, i3 avaj.labre 

ffitage fron PathwaY Bookstore, 

Rte.4,LaGrange, IN 4676I. It is clothbound,555 

pages, B L/2 X 1I and has rnany Yoders in its index 

of 5300 people. 

t*tr******l***tl******i**tttt**ttt*tl**tt*******i*** 

:::'::::':'::''':j:l!'::?!'::l:!:::j 

. "' 

d. " : ;' .4ir,!4t7i|u 

""'''.2'ii;j,#';i.{.1ffi 

Three men can keep 

a secret--if two of 

them are dead. 

Keep your eyes wide 

open before marriage, 

half shrLt afterwards. 

CASPAR JoDER -1578- -'r

Issue #8 

BISHOP SOLOMON YODER (1800-1990) 

By H. Harold Hartzler 

Mankato Minn. 

Solomon Yoder, the only resident Amish bishop 

of the congregation at Long Green, Baltimore Co,, 

Maryland, was born in Berks County, Pa., Nov. 18, 

1800. He was the son of Henry Yoder, an Amish 

minister, and Barbara Kauffman. Henry Yoder was 

the son of Christian Yoder and Barbara Beiler, 

who lived on a farm in Berne Twp., Lancaster Co., 

Pa, This farm was granted to them by John and 

Richard Penn, October, 1-743. 

Christian Yoder (I?22-I7?2) was a son of the 

Wiclow Barbara Yoder while Barbara Beiler was a 

daughter of the immigrant Jacob Beiler. The 

above mentioned Barbara Kauffman was the daughter 

of Stephen Kauffman and Barbara Yoder, she being 

the daughter of Christian Yoder. 

Soloman maruied Frances Riehl (Mar. 5, f804- 

Aug. 20, 1B68), the daughter of Jacob Riehl and 

Veionica Zug. (See Fisher Family History #4692). 

Jacob Riehl was the son of Lewis Riehl and Veronica 

Fisher, daughter of Christian Fisher. 

Veronica Zug was the daughter of John Zug, son 

of the immigrant Christian Zug. 

Solomon and Frances had nine childreni Levj-, 

b. 12-8-1829, d. at age of B; Noah, b. 9-30- 

1831, d. 11-5-1887; Lydia, b. 3-29-1833, m. 

t-L', 

J.JA' 

,, 

1596 STEFFISBURG IIARRIAGE RECORD 

WERE TI{ESE YOUR ANCESTORS? 

Complenents of Ottrnar Jotter of Grunstadt, West 

Gerrnany, and his late co-researcher Karl Joder, 

comes this early marriage record frorn Steffisburg 

Switzerland. It records the Marriage of Caspar ,loder 

and Margret Henning on JuIy 4, \596. fhese folks are 

the known ancestors of the yoders of the Oley Valley 

(Hans and Yost), and the grandparents of a number of 

,foder families known to have been Anabaptists. 

Although none of the Anish/Mennonite yoders who 

irnmigrated to America during the l8th century have 

had their European roots documented, it appears 

highly likely that they sprang from this Couples 

descendants. In the article by Lois Ann Mast 

presented on page 7 of yNL #2 (entitled ',European 

Yoder Research") they appear as family number B. 

Several- I9th century irnmigrants can be traced back 

to them, and we'II provide nore detai.ls on these in 

a fitLura issue. 

********** * * **************************************** 


Box 594 Goshen, IN 46526 

Samuel S. Yoder was born in Holrues Co., Ohio on 

Aug.16,l84l. He was the son of Yost Yoder and Nancy 

Hochstetler, and a great.-grandson of Amish Bishop 

Christian Yoder Sr. of Somerset Co., PA (first 

Bishop of the clades congregation). 

Sanuel's father died in 1850 and his nother 

married Tobias Miller, a widower with 1I children. 

This made a total in the joined family of 24 (Lhe 

last child being that of Tobias and Nancy and died 

as an infant) . Since this was too nany youngsters 

to handle, the older ones (Sanuel included) were put 

out with other families. 

Although his parents were Amish. Samuel becane 

Methodist and moved to AIIen County in the western 

part of the stat,e. He and four brothers enlisted in 

the Union Army during the CiviI War. Samuel's 

enlistment on Apr.L9,1862 was in Conpany K of the 

l78th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, where 

he served as a Second Lieutenant. His next younger 

brother Moses was wounded in the Battle of, Kenesaw 

I"lountain and is buried in the National cemetery at 

Chattanooga,TN. Brother Jacob diecl in Louisiana. 

After the war Samuel worked in the pharmacy of 

his older brother Noah, who had earned his M.D. 

before the war and lost one leg during the course of 

it. In 1867-8 he attended the University of 

Michigan at Ann Arbor to study nedicine, and then 

settled in Bluffton, Ohio where he continued his 

sturlies with a doctor. In Bluffton, his political 

interests were sparked and he was selected to serve 

as l{ayor of that city. 

On Oct.6,J-87O he married Minerva Maxwell of 

Berlin in Holmes County. Three children were born 

while they Iived in Bluffton, unfortunately one son 

died in infancy. Their home there is shown in a 

photo taken at the tine of it's construction in 

1875. It was a substantial brick two-story 

surrounded with an ornate wood fence, 

++ ++++ +++ +++ +++*++ ++++++++++++ ***(*"*o*ti*1*l,lr"**ol.J*.*l] 

AMISI{ AI{D AMISI{/MENNOI{ITE GEITEAI,OGISST 

1, 

U:ZEqG 

A YODER TN CONORESS 

comFrTed-E . E; FusF'T-lnc- 

erlch and Rachel Kreider. 0rders may be 

placed withr levi L. Stoltfus, South Groffdale 

Road, LeoLa PA 1?540.It ls at the bindery. 

fhis is the best general informational source 

of the Anish Yoders at this Doint. 

***Jr**{flrtt*t*rr.*nr$r+*.tHt **rstsrt**{r**t****tltllr**1111*lrtf**t.l

FROM 

THE EDITORS 

een-lr.-v-o1ler,-costidn,-rx--ua-n?-gTng-r-

This article by David Luthy is reprinted with his 

permission.It originally a.o,oeareC in the Aug-Sep 1973 

issue of 

ARKANSAS 

Yoder* 

"Family Sunday work, the Amish-Mennonites decided to move 

Life" 

away. The rice required water pumped from wells 24 

hours a day, seven days a week. With the irrigating for 

rice came the unwelcome mosquitoes. Some say that 

TOWNS NAIUED YODER SERIES 

drove the Amish-Mennonltes away. Records also show 

ttrat there was inter-marriage with 

Abotrt three miles southeast of 

the German Luther_ 

an neighbors. This was likely 

$uttgart, the county seat of Arkan- 

one reason why the 

Amish-Mennonites sought a 

sas 

new 

County, Arkansas was the village 

location. 

When the Amish-Mennonites 

of Yoder Station. It was named for 

left Arkansas they sold 

their beautiful prairie land for probably g50 

Jacob Yoder who was born on Dec.4, 

an acre. 

Today it is worth close to $1,OOO €rn acre_ if it can be 

1838 at Huningue, France Just across the border from 

purchased at all. Today a frain passes through the yo_ 

Basel, Switzerland. Jacob's parents were Amish. In 

der Station community once a day, but it no longer 

1858 at 20 years of age Jacob immigrated to America, 

stops. All the store buildings have been torn down ex_ 

settling at the Amish settlement (now extinct) in Fulton, 

cept one which is used as a furniture upholstery shop. 

Counry, Ohio. He married there on Dec.16,1860 to 

The Yoder Station School still stands as it was built 

Susar Nofziger and lived there until 1869 when he and 

around 1885 and is used as a community center. 

his wife moved to Hickory County, Missouri. 

rlrttH+l$ar*J+*l$lf *lf.lt**11ll.*ltnl+l$t+*t+**t'.t+tl*t+ttrsl?rs.tttstl{tttt}11**tl 

It was in 1882 that a number of Amish-Mennonites 

MORE 

from the church in Hickory County, 

OLD WORLD 

Missouri 

LINKS 

investi- 

FOUND 

Joseph Ioder of Bureau 

gated 

Co,IL. 

land in Arkansas County, Arkansas. One family 

moved there that year and several other in 1883, including 

Jacob Yoder. 

Soon ajter the Amish-Mennonites seftled in Arkansas 

County, a railroad was built from Stuftgart to Gillett in 

the south part of the counry. The tracks r€rn across the 

Jacob Yoder farm. A station was built and named "Yoder 

Station. " Soon the community around the station 

began to grow. There was a train depot, a post office, 

and four general stores. Two blocks'from the station 

the Amish-Mennonites built a frame church house. And 

the country one-room schoolhouse not far away was 

named the "Yoder Station School. " 

YODER SCHOOT - Thls plcture was talcn in 1904 by 

the teacher. This same buildtng (wtth tmprovements) is 

sttll standtng today and ls usd as a cohmuity center. 

The Amish-Mennonites of Arkansas were a progressive 

group and later joined the (Old) Mennonite Church. 

Jacob Yoder was their leader, being a bishop. In I9I2 

he moved to Pryor, Oklahoma. Two years later he died 

and his body was returned to Arkansas for burial beside 

his wife who had preceded him in death. 

W L920 the Amish-Mennonite congregatlon at Yoder, 

Statlon, Arkansas became extinct when the families 

moved to Albanv, Oregon and Pryor, Oklahoma. The 

church house was torn down board by board, loaded on 

a railroad car at Yoder Stafion, and shipped to Pryor, 

Oklahoma where it is still being used today by the 

Mennonites there as an educational building. 

The reasons why the Amish-Mennonites left Arkansas 

.rre not easily discovered today. It is believed that when 

rice was started to be grown in the area and required 

3, 

In YNL #5 we rlescrlbed the immigration and 

identified the parents of Joseph Ioder who sett.led 

rn Bureau Co,Illinois in 1836. Due to the research 

of Karl Joder and his compatriot Ottmar Jotter in 

West Germany and Switzerland, we are now able to 

conplete his ancestry, back to its origins in 

Steffisburg. 

Joseph Ioder (l_805-f857) was, as previously 

stated, the son of Josef Joder (b.7/15/]-776 airf aem 

itorbacherhof , Geneinde Hinterweidenthal) and his 

wife Maria Katherina Gerrnann. Josef was the son of 

Christian Joder (b.L732 auf dem Salzwoog) r dr 

Anish-Mennonite preacher in Annweiler Tal, and his 

wife Maria Sreinmann (who died 4/LB/:-AOB). 

This Christian Joder was in turn the son of 

another Christian Joder (b.Z/t5/L691 in Steffisburg) 

wtro married Anna Maria Clauss. In the yNL #2 articie 

by Lois Ann Mast, entitled European yoder Research, 

he can be seen a{nong the faffi 

Steffisburg Joders as f.i.(4). 

You'11 notice that two generations back is the 

Caspar Joder and Margret Henning wtrose rnarriage, 

record is includecl in this issue. (Note: did you all 

notice the coincidence of their marriage being on 

our country's birthday...4th of JuIy. albeit lgO 

years early?). 

The descendants of Joseph Ioder are, Eo our 

knowledge, the only Yoder cousins in the US toctay 

who spell their name -Ioder. 

Do you ,our readers, 

know of any others? 

**************************************************** 

WILI,IAM WESTFORD YODER 

( rB60-r928) 

Fron Canille loder of 

Houston fX cones thls 

photo of her husband's 

&ncestor, Willian Westlord 

Yoder uho lnnlgrated 

fron Brown Co., 

'fndlan- 

In to 

Temitoryr OK 

before the turn of tne 

century. Willian was a 

great-grandson of the 

founder of the North 

Carolina Yoders, Conrad 

Yodcr 

I*tl+******.**l*tlt*tt*t,l**i

(S. S. Yoder continued from P.l) 

tt ir'rr.r1 . c! 

Although Sarnuel did practice medicine, he became 

increasingly interested in politics and decided to 

stuily for the law. In 1878 he moved his fanily to 

Lima to do so, and was adnitted to the bar in 1880, 

when he was close to 40 years old. In Lima he was 

active in Democratic politics and served as probate 

court judge for Allen County 1882-1886. He also 

served as a member of the State Democratic 

Committee. 

Samuel was elected in 1886 to the first of two 

terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He 

served in the 50th ancl 5lst Congress. Another member 

of the Ohio delegation at the time was Willian 

t'tcKinley Jr of Canton, who 10 years later was to 

becone the President of the United States. After two 

terms in the House, Samuel was selecteil by his 

collegues to be the Sergeant At Arns, a position 

which he held fron IB91 to 1893. One of his 

functions in this role was to overgee the payrnent of 

Congresslonal salaries, paying out over $3,000,000 

as disbursing officer for the U.S. Treasury. 

Washington agreed with Samuel and he decided to 

remain in the area. He moved out to Berwyn, Md. When 

Congress \das not in session, no one stood the heat 

of the District over the summer. Samuel was 

convinced that Washington would grow out into the 

I'laryland suburbs and as a business venture decided 

to ganble on this. He founded an electric railway 

and served as its Vice President. He acquirecl the 

access rights to and constructed a stretch of track 

betvreen the Distrlct and Berwyn ( a matter of some 

25 rniles). fne electric cars !{ere ridden out to 

Bervryn and then had to be ctrarged all night for use 

ttre next ilay. This investnent did not prove a 

cororoercial success and Samuel lost much of his 

fortune as a regult. 

A 

4 

Hon. Samu.l S. Yod... 64?7 

Samuel's three children who lived were EarIy 

(r875-t924), Elfie Ada (1878-1966 ), and samuei s. 

(1886-1945). Oaughter Elfie eloped with the Road 

Conmisioner for Berwyn, Edward T. Strea, in 19OB and 

had a rocky marriage at times. She frequently 

returned horne to her parents and, as a rnodern 

working wonan, her son Hazen was raised bv his 

grandfather during nuch of his chifdhood. 

Samuel was a menber of the I.O.O.F. (Oaa 

Fellows), and active in the Union Veterans Union 

serving as Commander-in-Chief in I893. He was an 

enthusiastic chess player and member of a chess 

club. His grandson recalled friends ilropping by 

frequently to play. Sanuel was also a piofiiicreader, 

reading often to his grandson, and had sets 

of Tennyson and Goethe, many in German. 

In her later years, Minerva was an invalid with 

heart trouble, and could not do much arouncl the 

house. She died in 19L9. Samuel also suffered an 

extended illness with cancer of the bladder. On Mav 

IO, 1921, he and grandson Hazen went by thenselves 

out to ttre circus. At that tine he was livinq at 

Maryland Ave. at 2nd Street near the Capitali the 

crrcus was out at H and l5th SI.N.E. , about a rnile 

and a half distance. After their jaunt he and Hazen 

walked the full way home. fhis was the last 

adventure for these two good friends. Sarnuel died 

the next day, a few months short of his gOth 

birthday. crandson Hazen was 9 years old at the 

time, 

(Editors note: yoders have contributed in rnany ways 

to the development of our country, holiling politions 

of resposibility in a variety of fielis. io-date, 

however, only S.S.yoder has been a member of the 

United States Congress. With the assistance of Mrs. 

S. Hazen Strea, the widow of Conqressman yoder,s 

grandson, we are pleased to preient never before 

published family photos and annecdotes on this 

reknown "cousin". Another aspect of this story, 

which we lack the power to do justice to, is the 

love and speci_al relationship between a boy and his 

grandfather. Few remenber the political and 

commercial accomplishments of 3.s. yoder. But for as 

long as tre lived, there was a 9 year old boy who 

never forgot him. ) 

*******************************************t******* 

LATE NOTICE! 

A Joder (Jost) coat-of-arns plcture, in color' 

8" x Io',.of gooil quallty and sultabLe for 

flaning. $8.50. Order fron A&M Enterprises' 

R D #f Pequea PA L7576.

NEW YODER EOOK AVAII,ABLE 

- T Strgll Pass This Wav But Once is the nane 

of the 256 page paperback book wrltten about 

the Enos M. Yoder (1883-1956) fanily. rt includes 

their direct line of ancestois, their 

descendants, and excerpts of letters written by 

Anna Beachy Yoder, second wife of Enos. Theseletters, 

amanged in chronoLogical order, give 

us a glimpse of what life was like during lhe 

Depresslon of the rJOs 

and how they handled it. 

ft covers a span of 5O years, sharing their 

joyit sorrows, hunor, travel, etc. ihe price 

ts $7.00, plus $1.00 mailing costs. 

Martha SchLabach 

P. O. Box 2JO 

*.trnnJ+{.*r}rrno***ofilgB7 "I1 "fr??*k ***n.nrrr+.r(,.r+.r.nnn*nn 

"Allentown Morning CalI',, Jan. l2 r l9O3 

contributed by Ken Hottle 

!y,:' 

L 

I rriliruroiiire I I 

I RTEI.YSBURO, Ju. t0.-Wtrura I 

I li:'.i i?"',J#+i'rlif,'. j,.i: I 

I ,. 1). t:L+rhrrd. 3rcra. Tlor iof I 

[1i."" out ol oD. tri. I 

l+.1+Jtlt*it+ttl+tTtsttlfttt+**tttst$lttfltltt*l*Jfttttlftttt***t$tt.ttt* 

Christian Yoder 

( Aug. IB, 1B 3 3-Aug.2 , IBBB ) 

From Shirley Collins of Matamata, New 

Zealand, came this photograph of her 

great-great Uncle Charles Christian yoder 

taken in Ootacamund, India. His wife was 

Mary Symons of Cornwall, England. From our 

birth records of Switzerland yoders, the 

newsletter found a Christian Joder, born 

in Steffisburg on Aug.IB,lB33 to Christian 

Joder and Elisabeth Heil of Thunqschneit. 

Sounds likely.. . can any of our ieaders 

confirm this was he? 

************************************t***** 

FREE HOW-TO BOOKLET ON FAI'TILY REUNIONS 

This 26 page booklet covers reasearc-h and 

organization, planning, and in general touches on 

everything you'11 need to know about holding a 

family reunion. Great for the beginner and plenty to 

offer those who have more experience 

"Gathering 

with reunions. 

For a free copy of 

the Generations' write 

to Family Reunion Guidebook, Fetter Homes and 

Gardens Family Network, P.O. Box LO237, Departnent 

P, Des Moines, Iowa 50336 

NOW IS NOT TOO EARLY TO PLAN FOR A FAMILY 

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***************t*r*+rr*********************tr******* 

ANOTTTER YODER FAMII,Y HISTORY 

David V. lodes and l(a-l!q J. Schrock Fanllv 

E+sT_"rv-. . b{ Dilfd-s-na-fiiri- offia?"iff 

lhe book is about 140 pages and the prlcd is 

q4._00. Coples nay be oiaEred irorn-r,eiter f. 

Graber, Route 2,.!i119wood Road, Itunnelty i* 

Ir*lflf t$ttlf l$tst{'t+lt.tf.t1l1*tt*ttt${tt,ttl+t*{+tt.tt*n*******l*****i*li* lZtlZ 

JOHN YOD 

and 138 perches. rt was warranted to John yoder 24 Nov 17g4. 

Parcel B contained 76 acres and r40 perches. rt rdas warranted 

to John Horn 4 Aug 1750. parcel c (not drawn) to the north_ 

west contained 5 acres and 75 perches. It was applied for I 

oct 1766 but no nane is indicated on the survey.-These parcels 

are found on Survey No. 8-2-152, dated g, 9 Dec 17g4. A 

previous survey (A-53-295) exists for parcel B and another 

(D-53-I71) exists for parcel C. 

Andrew Lytle, the.S,urveyor, noted that parcel A had very 

poor rand. rt is manifest John yoder bought parcel g from John 

Horn and warranted parcel A just prior to tfris resurvey. 

fhis is the John yoder wtro was the believed son of Widow 

Barbara. (see the articre in yNL #2, 

"Reverations 

From Barbara 

shirk's will" for discussion).He was born in ]-732 and died in 

1804. He married an Anna who was born about 1740, and 

they had ten children bori-TEEween 1763 and 17g2. This faniry 

was one of the few Amish families to renain in Berks co, when 

others noved away. 

- We are again indebted to John Mark Slabaugh, Uniontown,OH 

{gT.!hi: 

rnap and ttre research into these proferty records. 

5. 

*******************t******************************************

(Bishop Solonon Yotler fron 

page U 

Peter Nafzi-nger, d. 9-L3-I919; Jonas, b. +-2- 

1835, n. Annie Mast, d. 7-3l-l9o6t Moses , b. 

11-11-1839, m. Mattie Neuhauser, d. 1-9-1880; 

John, b. 12-4-18441, d. ?-28-1868; E1i, b. 

2-6-1844, d. ?-28-1905; Lewis, b. 4-18-1846, 

m. Sarah Rebecca Mast, d. 6-15-7893. 

Solonan came with his father Henry Yoder to 

Mifflin County before 1829. His first four 

children were born in Mifflin County near 

Mattawarura, Pa. Before 1837 he moved to Union 

County where his last'five children were born. 

He signed the will of Jacob Beiler in 1849 as a 

wi.tness. He was evidently ordained a bishop in 

Union County and like1y ordained Elias Riehl as 

a bishop. In 1854 he moved from Union County 

to Baltimore County, Maryland. There he bought 

a farm of 111 acres which is sti1l in the possession 

of the Yoder descendants. 

Bishop Solomon Yoder was devout in his faith, 

always courteous, kind and affable. His life 

was exemplary in all respects and he always 

supported those interests which were calculated 

to uplift and benefit humanity. He was highly 

thought of by his contemporaries. He was an 

active participant in a series of Amish conferences 

known as the Diener-Versammlungen, held 

annually (except 18??) from ]-862 to 1878. A 

brief description of these conferenees is 

found in Vo1, 2 of the Mennonite Encyclopedia. 

At the first meeting, held in Walme Co., 0h. , 

Bishop Jonathan Yoder of fllinois norninated Solomon 

Yoder as chairman. He declined but did 

serve on three committees. Again 1n 1861 he 

served on three committees when the meeting 

was held in Mifflin Co., Pa. As was true of 

most Amish leaders, he was opposed to photographs. 

In the 1868 meeting held in Mifflin 

County, he served on two committees. After 

that he did not attend the meetings of the 

Diener-Versamrnlungen. With the close of those 

meetings in 1878, there arose the division in 

the Amish church. The more conservative group 

became known as the Old Order Amish. The more 

liberaL group becane known as the Anish Mennonites. 

Solornan Yoder chose to follow the Anish 

llennonites. 

As he grew older, after 1870, Solotlan was, 

assisted in his work as blshop by John P. Mast 

of Iancaster Co., Pa. He nade his wllL ln ]-8?7. 

The wlll is as followsr SoLonon Yoder's last 

wl1l and testamentr f, Solonon Yoder of Baltlnore 

County ln the state of ilIaryland, belng 

deslrous to settle ny worldly affairs before 

it shall please alnighty God to cal-l me hence, 

do make and publish this my last will and testatnent 

in manner as followsr lten, I w111, devlse 

anal beq'ueath that all ny property and such 

Dersonal -crt possessions that I nay own at the time 

ny dec-ease shatl be divided- by ny executors, 

hereafter naned, and the proceeds of sald sale 

(after my debts and funeral expenses have been 

paid) to be equally divlded between my seven 

chllalren share and share alike, vl-s, ltoah, 

Jonas, Solonon, Itloses Eli' Lewis and Lydla. 

Iten, I do hereby appoint Peter Nafzinger and 

ny son Lewis Yoder to be my executors of this 

my last w111 and testanent with power to sell 

and convey any or all such property before 

nentloned anal I do hereby appoint the said 

Peter Nafzinger and Lewis Yoder trustees to 

take care of and rnanage ny son Noah's share of 

ny estate and to use the sarne for his benefit 

6 

and f do hereby will and dlrect that my executors 

of this ny last will and testament shall 

se11 all the property as soon as convenient and 

to be atl sold within one year of ny decease. 

fn testinony of which f have set my name anC 

applied my seal thls eighteenth day of August 

in the year eighteen hundred seventy seven. 

Solomon Yoder Seal 

Signed, seaLed and declared by Solomon Yoder, 

the above nentioned testator, as his last will 

and testanent, who signed our nanes as wltnesses. 

Charles L. Fleside, Jos. Hertzler, Isaac D. 

Hertzler 

After naking-his w111 Ln L87? Solomon Yoder 

became quite feeble and was unable to leave his 

home. On the first of February 1880 he took to 

hls bed. After three weeks of suffering he was 

called home by his heavenly Father. He died 

Feb. 22, 1880 at the age of 79 years, 3 months 

and5 days. Hls funeral services were conducted 

by John Yoder ln English and Elias Riehl in 

German. 

The wrlter has known descendants of Solonon 

Yoder since he lived in Long Creen ln 1916. An 

interestlng story concerns E1i Yoder, son of . 

Blshop Solornon Yoder. l{e was born Feb. 6, 1844 

in Union Co., Pa., then went with his parents to 

Baltirnore Co., Md. in L854. Sone tine later, as 

a young man, he decided to go west and forget 

his Anish baekground. He bought land in Kansas, 

was married there and started the town known as 

Yoder, Ks. on one occasion when visitors were 

present, his wife brought out his Anlsh sult of 

clothes to show then to the visitors. This 

dlspleased EIi very much. The raost lnteresting 

part of this story ls that many Amish fanilies 

have moved to the vicinity of Yoder, Ks. Thus 

Eli. Yoder has not been able to be isolated from 

the Anish. He died July 28, L905, 

The Yoder fanily I remember best is that of 

Lewis Yoder who was a nlnister after the death 

of his father. The youngest son of Bishop Solonon 

Yoder, he was born in Union Co., Pa., April 

18, 1845 and married Sarah Rebecca Mast, the 

daughter of Danlel Mast and Elizabeth Zug. Danie1 

litast was the son of John Mast and Elizabeth 

Kurts, wh11e Elizabeth Zug was the daughter of 

Jacob Zug and Anna Sumners. tewls Yoder died 

June 5, L893, but hls wldow sarah (wtast) Yoder 

did not die until 1920. Thus I well remenber 

her and her childrenr Elizabeth Solonon, Lydla, 

Enery, Ada and Morris. My family has kept in 

contact with that of Emery Yoder to this date. 

He married Anna M. Gerbrick and had children: 

Edith, Elizabeth. Ruth and Sarah. Edith narried 

Carroll Wilhide. Their present address is 

Detour,Md. Last year rny brother John, hls wife 

Helen and f had the pleasure of belng entertained 

1n their hone. This was on the occasion 

of the annual Long Green insprirational- neeting 

when former residents of Long Green and their 

friends gather together to renew acquaintences. 

At this last neeting in Long Green, f felt 

lnspired to write the story of the life of 

Solomon Yoder. 

*{1.||*l$.tttfi+*lf Jttt.*.trJ+tf nttttl+*.1+tt***tf *.lf *.tt*ltttltlf .ltl$l+Jr.llJt.lt.l+{tlf ,t 

DANIET J. YODER AND LOUISA MILI,ER REI'NION 

Received a report from Ray A. Yoder, of 

Arizona City AZ, of the annual reunlon of 

the Danlel J. Yoder and Louisa Mlller descendants 

was held on July 19, 1986, at 

Canby OR. There were about /0 attending. 

*J$tt*ttttll**rt*****rtjt*{1*l+**.tf ltttL*Jlrttf tf lf ltlriltt+l$ltJt.t+rf JtJt Jt*

** *** ** * * I * * t* * * * * * *QUERI ES* ** * * ** ** * * * * ** * * ** * * * * * * 

The YNL will publish Yoder related inquiries or 

exchanges at no charge. Please limit to 30 words or 

so plus return address. AII inquiries are checked 


Submit to: YNL Queries, 203 Lakeshire Rd., Battle 

Creek, MI. 49015. NOTE: It would be appreciated if 

an info copy of any replies could be sent to the yNL 

* * * fFFFFFFFT* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *FtiffF*'*-FfF 

FRENI JODTER m.Peter KlopfensteLrr L/'1,4/L768 in Ivlontbeliard, 

France. Who were he parents, brottrers and 

sisters. Any info appreciated. ROY C PRESSLER< 1107 

W 3rd , North Platte, NE. 6910I 

**************************************************** 

Ancestry wanted for KATHERINE YODER (3/6/LB3L- 6/4/ 

IB93) ml. Henry Oakley. nr2 Joseph C. Zehr of Lewis 

Co, NY. Moved to Cntario, East Zora An-Menn congregatr.on. 

ALSO would Iike ancestry of Susan MiIler 

wife of DAVID C. YODER, son of Bish. Christian yoder 

Jr. of Somerset Co. PA. Reply to: Bruce W. Jantzi, 

RR*2,Wellesley, Ontario, Canada, NOB 2T0. 

**************************************************** 

SAMUEL FRANKLIN YOTTER b. Germany 1864. m. Emma 

King. -l . Kansas City, rUo. 1BB9 . Who were his parents 

anC siblings. Does anyone know sonething about this 

family? Patricia G. Watkins, 104 Melody Lane, 

SIidell, Lsuisiana 70458 

*******************************:t***************r**** 

Ancestry wanred for ANDREW B YODER b. 5/L6/l-843 pA. 

n.Ada L N[orton d.5/28/L9I6 St. Louis,irto. Reportedly 

broke of f with f amily (am. /l,ten. ) af ter going to 

fight in Civil War. One brottrer in pA known to have 

been naned Levi. Any info or clues to: Allen L. 

Yoder, 1608 E Republican #4, Seattle, WA 9BIL2 

**************************************************** 

Wtro was SAMUEL YODER of Berks Co. PA. married Hannah 

Cleaver. A son Walter C. was born 1880 in 

Pleasantville, PA. Need family history & ancestry. 

Leonard Yoder, I07 Balsam Dr., WaynesviIIe,NC 2A7A6 

*****************************:*********************** 

Info wanted on DAVID YODER m. Lavina Lesher in OH 

had children Dallas, Wj-IIis, Lottie, Vera. please 

reply to D R Yoder,1745 Wilson Ave,Arcadia,CA 91006 

***************J,************************************ 

rJEVr BRTDEN YODER b.LO/L2/].849 in W.Va. m. 5/L6/L867 

i-n Markleysburg,PA to Emma RiIla Reckner. Children 

Thomas, Milton, Olive, James Walter, Albert,Ben 

Franklin, Wm. Lee,& Sidney Harvey Patterson Yoder. 

Any information would be appreciated. Reply to John 

W. Yoder, RD#3, Box 370, Cogan Station, PA 17728 

**************************************************** 

'v{ho 

were ancestors of ADAIVI DANIEL YODER b. 1868 in 

Berks Co. PA. m.lBB7 Sallie Ida Enes in Berks Co. 

Reply to Mrs. I"lary Gofus, 1424 Friedensburg Rd, 

Reading, PA 19606 

**************************************************** 

what was ancestry of ADAM YODER,b. 28 Feb lgIB in pA 

c1.26 Ylay IB5B. Married lB43 Harriet Isanhart (182If91f). 

Residents of Seneca Co.,OH 1850. ptease reply 

to :Warren Yoder, 314 Maple Dr., Sctrertz,TX 78154 

**************************************************** 

What was ancestry of ABRAIIAM YODER d.8/l/L879 Locust 

fwp, columbia Co, PA n. Catharina Troutman. A son 

Daniel Yoder (?IA47-L929) m. Sarah Ann Long I871. 

Jean L. Newell, 660 Boas St.Apt. l-708,,Harrisburg,PA 

L7IO2. Same info wanted by Ctrarles Yoder Jr,RD#3 

so x 4 4 r ei6;€6-Ff-T46'fO- 

*****************l********************************** 

i{y grandparents JACOB H YODER (b.Oct.1857) and wife 

Louisa of tsoyertown,PA...appear there in 19O0 

census. 'rlhat ** ** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** ** * ** * ** * *t ** ** * ** * *, r.* 

ELI REED YODER b. Sep. 1850 resident of pine 

'Iwp, 

Grove 

Schuy1kill Co.PA. possible son or grandson of 

Elijah Yoder b.1800 shown in IB50 census for pine 

Grove Twp. Can you help with info?? Reply to John L. 

Yoder 72I Erann Rd, Toms River,NJ 09753 

**************************************************7i 

r 

Needle in a haystack? CATHERINE JADRY (Iisted as 

daughter of Chretien Joderen and Louise Clenent) b- 

L782 to Florinont. m. Jean Rich of Liebsdorf or 

Liebenstein, France. Catherine d. March 1962 at 

Liebsdorf. Any info OR advice on how to proceed?? 

Reply to Marylou von Rotz Byrd, 1367 Kintyre Way, 

San Jose ,CA 95129. 

* * :t * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * :t * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

i{hat was the ancestry of FRANKLIN YODER (b.Oct.1B53) 

who m. Elanore Gable and resided in Hegins, 

Schuylkill Co.pA??? Reply please to: Ruht W. yoder, 

Valley Stream Apts c-103, Lansdale, pA 

**************************************************** 

19446 

Who was Magdalena b 9 July l_Z5l and n. Christian 

Yoder, b. J Dec. I76L. Christian was son of 

Yost Yoder and Catherine tyster. Willis and Dorls 

Igqgf, 

4349 svl lakeview Blvd. r€ke 

q70?4 

Oswego OR 

Seek birth, marriage, death dates & places for 

Casper Yoder who was father of Annie yoder (who 

marrted Jacob KuIp 29 June 1258) and son of Hans 

(John) &_Anna Yoder. Rep,y to t[rs. El].en Chestnutt, 

718 Pioneer Iane, Colorado Springs C0 

8ogo4. 

Everynane i.ndexes are available for two publications 

by Paul V. Hostetler of Hamden CT. 

was his ancestry??- Harry D. Yoder, 200 

Orchard Hills Dr., Boyertown,PA L95L2 

**************************************************** 

ELIGA YODER, b.Jul.9,1803 d. Jacobs Church, PA n. 

Anna M. (1811-1885). Resided in Pine crove,PA. Son 

Abratran (1833-1909) who rn. Ananda Sterner. Who were 

EIiga's Yoder ancestors?? Reply to Robert J. Yoder, 

69 Amherst Ave., Pueblo, CO 81005 

**************************************************** 

^ 

BISHOP JACOB HERTZLER and His Fanily published 

in L9?6 

THE THREE ZUC (200K) BROTIIERS of L742 publlshed 

ln 1982 

The indexes, $3.00 each, are photocopied and 

can be taped to the back cover of lfr. Hostetlerrs 

publ.ications. Order from Ken J Heeter, ?ll 

Beretta Way, Bel Alr MD 2LOI4. 

BISHOP CHRISTIAN YODER JR CEMETERY FUND 

. . . In YNL #6 we described the progress 

of the effort to restore the cenetery of 

Bishop Christian yoder Jr. of the Gl;des 

congregation in Sonerset Co, pA. Thls 

plot has cone a long way... fron a 

farmed over piece of ground destined for 

the strip mine, to a nicely kept 

gravesite with a new marker flanked by 

two dwarf evergreens. The final touch 

planned is an enclosing stone wall. 

Thus far, 752 of the estimated cost for 

the wall has been raised. 

As an inducement to contributors, a 

copy of The Reuben yoder Fanily and its 

Ances t ry-lE ffiire- ent-Eo - 

anyone donating $ 15 or more to the 

effort. This I57 page booklet contains 

full descendant information on the 

youngest of Bishop Christian's sons, and 

much historical data and family 

rlocuments on this Yoder Iine going back 

to the arrival of 

"Schweit.zer" 

Christian 

and his father in philadelphia on SepE. 

2I,1742. The remaining copies of this 

booklet, by YNL editor Chris yoder, will 

onl-y be avdilable in this manner until 

the goal for construction is reached. 

Contributions by persons wanting 

the Reuben Yoder booklet should be senc 

to: Christian Yoder Cemetery Fund, c/o 

203 Lakeshire Rd.,Battle Creek, MI 

49015. This will assure pronpt shipment 

of your copy. 

7 

**************************t*****************l*****tr

'u$-'H144!!&\e!1e.ta.,wedneedav.rune25,retr6 

An nUO l FOmilV ReUn iOn Held 

Yothers Fom ity Holds ";:: ,"*}1il****"*l,l{ ,!i,i;ti!if':;ffi2:*"'^;:; ,,*'* **,**,9iJi}13 

63rd Annuol Re union i[*?F-il[::Tii]illl+:5,"#: ihi"t"{rh:*:*.*;,"tu?liff ""i"m ["r"1".:i ",,x [TJtl* 

TheYothersFamily63rde""-*r,jfi,l;lif"".".''"if:TF;J"ii::,ijJ:i::::'$**1:'":\1xj:'J3\$Mr:Ted(Donna)YoderofHickory.::ili;f]"A'J# 

ReunionwasheldSulday,Jungl5at Eeatast distance trr attend th€ several hundred guests - Copres of a nrap of Catawba product were o'n hand for sile. 

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran f-amilv sathering County, which were surveyed and The Rev. Frank Yoder of Dacatur. 

Church.Spinnerstown..with?6rt'di'i.ii'.niofthisfamily*".""'a-T'T9l]ul..,".y.: 

family members in attendence. HansJoder"or John yoder. ol 

Sr.. and 

the lamlly and 

l9,.lepDers 

lts Yoder in 1886. were distributed. Dr. retired Baptist minister, Yoder is a 

JotnlYothers)Hursbergeroriili-i."rix"rv.t;;;;;;;;.iih 

Smith's School Road, peikasre,settled 

at the Great S*"-o.-""". f^r::ll^b]illt,and 

nine marriages president of Lel-orr'-Rhyne.College lrated to Tennessee from Linccln 

pr€sident of the group opened thel"-i!-.i;.s-t\,r-;; oI f'qd;;. Tl'.iTr"iTttrk*krr kk kk kk-Xi'idfl?iT.!';ti?-"f-,1.Î9f- *9"lTI inrthe leth century 

business meeting -- , dents are buried in t}te Saucon Jotrn yooer Junror's farm uas Jacob Yothers ano nls slaonu 

PastorDavidMiller, Quakertown, Mennonite Cemetery. Coopersourg imated next to the Saucon Nlen wife. Barbara (1.-retz_).\.othen. ar€ 

askedtheblessingbeforethesp.m. Theearliestrecordof JohnYodei. nonite Church. Upper Saucon buriedintheDoylestownMennonire 

Pennsylvania Pernsylvania Dutch meal. meal 

., Sr.. and his wife Anna. state that otr T^rvnshin Lpirh cornrv {.h,,r.h's {'pmprpru u,hprp rhc! 

Sr., and his wife Annd, state that on To\\'nship, Leigh couiriy. Chuch's Cemeiery, u,here the1. 

_ Tte president then awarded the January l?, l?20 he bought 99 acr6 C"=p.i V"A"T Uoughi hrs father s were membem 

following prizes: to the couplefrom joseph Growdei at Great gs-r;i!'ir*-'. iiio in Ri"nt"na ite totto*ing officers were 

married the longest -- Pa:tor swamp in Righland, adjoining lands i"*"rnip. elected to theassociation: presid€nt 

Abram w and Mary (Trauger) of Jacob clemmer and George In t?ihe bought a l3r acre farm i;d'i;;$;;"r, perkasie; vice 

Yothen of Perkasie, 59 years. Bachman. The land is located north 1n fV"* Srita,; Township, f"r", Fiuria"ii"iloUt yotf,u"r, Glensialei 

Tte youngest child was .D"utg !; of Route 663 at portzer. Road. known as Vauxtown. Caspdr \ oder seir"ilil' _-il"r.u."., Alverna y. 

Yothers Jr.. 8-months old, son oI John yoder, sr. had two s{)ns. sold this farm to his sin,. la""n fffrliliteri perkasie, .nd 

DavidL andArlene(Geissinger)JohnJr.andcasper.TheymayhaveYoder,inl?81for467pounds. 

llistonan,RichardJ.yothers,Jr., 

Yothers. Souderton. had more children, but r6cordi rve:e Jacob yoder changed his nun," t,, bifn- i,.iass"' 

Jim Yothers Hatboroand l,€isle not kept of women's maiden nlmes Yr,lhers (year unknown) all,l all Th€ tS? reunion will be held the 

Benner, Perkasie, were the winners so they were hard to identify. th, Bucks County Yothers are lii5 third Sunday in June at the sattre 

of the traditional guessing game. descendanls. laation. 

CHRISTIAN V. AND MATTIE J. (MIII,ER) YODER REUNION 

Or July 5, L986 the reunion of the descendants of 

Christian V. Yoder and llattie (m111er) Yoder was held 

at the farn of William Yoder on the County Line Road 

southwest of Nappanee IN. Christian V. was the son of 

David C. Yoder who went to KS and David C. was the 

son of the third Christia!_f4gm the Anlsh imnigrant, 

Christian Yoder of I?44.(L?42) 

Attending the reunlon were from AL, CO, FL, IL, IN, 

MI, 0H and KS. 

Rachel Kreider and Ben F. Yoder, of the Yoder Newsletter, 

attended as guests. Rachel presented a chart 

showlng the J.ineage of Christian V. and Mattie which 

supplemented the chart nade by Enos D. Yoder of Sarasota 

FL who also was in charge of the affair. 

A book of the fanily record of Christian v. and 

Hattie Yoder's descendants was conpiled by Ievi and 

Elva Knepp and Alvin and Adelaide Fry' a1l of KS. It 

vras dlstrlbuted at the reunlon. 

Good food, hospitality and enjoyable fellorhip was 

enjoyed by over 150 in attendance. 

PETER AND NANCY YODER.REUNION 

130 descendants gathered at the Crossroads camp 

at RolLa North Dakota on July 22-25, Expenses were 

paid by an auction which consisted of items made by 

the menbers. Time was spent €wimming, horseback 

and pony riding, fellowship, trips and singing and 

was enjoyed by all. 

States represented were fowa; Indiana, Arizona, 

North Dakota Montana, Florida, Colorado' Kansas 

and Minnesota. 

Peter Yoder came to North Dakofa in 1895 at age 

21 by train to his homestead southeast of Mylo 

which was later built in 1906. Nancy came from 

Bertrand in 1894 in a covered wagon. They were 

married in 1897 on November 7 and raised twelve 

children. They celebrated their 5Oth and 6Oth 

anni-versaries with all chj-ldren present. 

This family is thankful to have been blessed 

with good health and were able to get along with 

what was provided and can stil1 enjoy good times 

together. 

(this information was provi-ded by Sylvia Martin, 

one of the daughters, who sent a tetter) 

Itt{- l+Js * Jllf rtll + * ttlt Jf rfl$rt *J+ l+Jt lr +tJt Jg+t JtJtJt Jf lrJ$lt.n+ l*r+J+ J+r+Jf t+l* ltJ+ +*Jt lfJ+ lf * 

8, 

SEVENTEENTH MOSES H. YODER REI'NION HELD IN 

SOUT}TERN UICHICAN 

The seventeenth reulon of the Moses H.Yoder 

fanily was held Aug. 8-J-0, 1986, at Canp Fort 

Itil1 near Sturgls, Miehigan. 0f the possible 

plo living Yoders on the family tree (by birth' 

acloptlon, marriage) only 82 nade lt to at least 

one session. They cane fron Michigan, Indiana' 

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vlrglnia, North Carolina' 

Florida, Illino1s, Iowa and Kansas. 

01d photos, etc. were on cllsplay. Several 

fanily itbums and scrap books provided acquaintance 

with absent ones. 0rpha Cooprlder Hersh- 

Uerger, IUrs. Ezra, of Goshen is continuing her 

seaicfr into the past Bs one of the older grandchildren 

of Moses H. Yoder and 6he was responsible 

for the most of the memorabilia. The 

oldest livtng grandchild, Steven Yoder' now at 

GrJencroft, do6hen, was not able to attend. His 

son, ttarold Yoder, Goshen, was the Master of 

Cerenonies - --O1 for all the sessions.- 

Saturday aftennoon an auetion of donated 

items, handmade and otherrvise, was lots of fun' 

providlng activity indoors while lt ralned ancl 

iunds to-pay for the carnp faclllties. Few folks 

took the taient shor in the evenlng seriously 

but everyone enjoyed the singing of Terry and 

Judy Yoder, he from a wheelehalr. 

In the Sunday forenoon fellowship, Honer 

Yoder, a great grandson and pastor, gave an 

approprlate devotional nedltatlon on the fanily. 

His father, Clarence Yoder, of Mlddlebury, 

lnformed us of his parents, Ezra and Susan Yoder. 

J. Otis Yoder of Breezenood PA, had done considerable 

research in the fndlana-Mlchlgan area where 

hls father was born and in Somerset Co., PA 

where hls nother was born and presented a paper 

on T,evi and EIla Yoder, his parents. Tine did 

not pernit the historles of two other Moses H. 

Ioder children to be given, so they were turned 

lnto seed for the next reunion set for 1!88 at 

Midland MI. 

The third updated revision of the Moses H. 

Yoder Genealogy was on sa1e. Cassettes of the 

historical presentatlons from the previous reunions 

are still available 

l,trs J. Otis Yoder, Breezerood pA 

rt**tt.*tf *ls*ttt*t**lt*it*lf t.tf {*Jatttts**tt**t++.1+**ttitt*t+*t***tf l.tf

_st_ 

Itr[ 00 


wk 

bonus lssuef 

Issue #9 P.O. Box 594 Goshen, IN 46,526 Apri1, I98? 

Jacob Yoder & Maria Keim 

by Helen V. Yoder 

Jacob Joder, son of the lrurai6rant Jost Joder 

and wife Elizabetb, was born in 1735 in tbe Oley 

VaIley , Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was only 

seven years o1d at tbe death of his father. At 

tbe age of 22 years, Jacob enllsted 1n tbe 

Provincj.al servlce of Pennsyl.vania on November 6, 

7757. He was a saddLer for three years i.n Captaln 

John Nicholas Veatherholt's Company, He was 

statloned 1n Heidelber6 Township, Norttrampton 

County in l'larch and Aprl1, ),758. (PA Archlves, 2 

ser.,vol. II) 

Jacob served 1n the Ameri-can Revol-utlon as a 

prjvate in Peter Nagle's Company and later 1D 

tân+ain ihar'loc C-nlrln'e hi l i+ia f n]nnol Tncanh 

Hiester cornmanding, August 10 to September I, 

1780. He was in a detachment of the Sixth 

Battalion to guard prisoners of war froru the 

Hesslan camp, Reading to Pb.11adelpbla, (Source of 

lnformation - Keirn and A111ed Farn111es. ) 

Jacob Joder marrled llaria Kelm wbo was born ln 

November, L734 ln the Oley Valley of Berks County. 

Maria was the daughter of the l--l6rant Johannes 

Keim and his second wlfe. Maria Ellzabetb. 

Jobannes Kej.m, tbe ploneer of the Huguenots to the 

Oley Va11ey, was born about 1675 near Speier, 

Rhine ValIey 1n Germany and cane to America around 

1707. Excel}ent sources of informatlon on the Keim 

family can be f ound 1n KEII'{ AND ALLIED FAMILIES by 

DeR Ranrlnlnh Keim. and the HTSTORICAL REVIEV OF 

BERKS COUNTY; Volume XLIX, Number 3, Sumner, 1984, 

published by the Reading, PA Hlstorical Society. 

Also Dr. Don Yoder, Professor at tbe Universlty 

Pennsylvania, published 

"THE 

ORIGINS OF THE 

of 

OLEY 

VALLEY YODERS" in tbe Yoder Newsletter. Issue No. 

5, Aprl1, l-985. Of the immlgrant brotbers, Jost 

and Hans, Dr. Yoder 1s a descendant of Hans. 

Fron tax Iists in the Pennsylvanla Archlves, 

Jacob Joder was found llving in Rockland Township 

of Berks County in L767, In the third serles, 

Volume 18, page 1O, Jacob owned 74 acres of land, 

in 1768, Jacob owned 160 acres, 2 b.orses, 5 cattle 

and 3 sbeep. In I7A4, be owned 200 acres, 4 

horses, 8 cows, 11 sheep and 8 persons were 1lving 

1n the household. 

Jacob and Maria Keim Joder had L2 chlldren. 

The births or baptlsms have not been located but 

the children are listed ln Jacob's will 1n Volume 

(continued on page l*) 

L, 

*********************** ***** k * k k k** k k *k************* 

iiI!{AT? i"ie w.rite a YODER Genealogyl 

--A Recipe for Home Consunption 

AII it takes is a typewriter, dedication, and a 

xerox nn,echine. Are corrsins of your grandfather still 

Iiving? you'Il be suprised how easy it can be (with 

a Iiti: l. ) ?loo",, grease anl so'n.: ,:cstage) to put 

together a descendant directory which covers 

s ix genera L 

five or 

j,r:rrs (b.: S,rre L,) gaLher addresses as well 

Fo you'll have a market when you are through). i{ix 

in some anecdctes fron yorrr senior Yoder rnembers 

(don't be sorry Iater you,lidn't tap the nernories of 

these fa.niLy ;r.r.r.rrrrzi). A,1d some old family 

photographs, diary extracts, and family records 

(you'I1 find these grow as others becorne interested 

in what you are doing). Ttren track back the ancestry 

of your b;ginning Yoder couple.YNL can help if you 

are serious). Be prepared to take a year or so of 

.oatient and persist-ent effort. Stir it aII together 

and you'Il end up with one of the nicest rlishes 

any)nj can 1)rovide their family -- a piece of its 

heritage preserved and Lasting for generationsl 

********** k r< k * k k k rrr ******************************** 

"CAFE YoDER" in Montbeliard, Alsace,France. 

Anabaptist Yoders were in Alsace by the I690s, 

fleeing .oersecution in their native Switzerland. 

Carol Stauffer of New Brenan, OH (barely visible in 

front of the cafe) kindly shared this photo from her 

I985 trio. 

t 

i 

* 

* 

+ 

I 

I 

* 

*, 

Reprinted with permission 

of Lne aurhor and '.The 

Budget",1984 

Excerptsfrom the Hisrory, Life and Fairhofthe 

Ambh and related groups by Leroy Beachy. 

The Samuel Yoder Letter 

Ncarly every person who pursues a particular 

intcrcst for any lengrh of time uncovers an 

objcct or rcmcmbers an occasion which merits 

prcscrvation aftcr the chaff has been winnowed 

away. The Samucl Yodcr letter is such an item. 

and may bc of special intercst to rhe thousands 

of his descendants. 

(continued on page 5)

FROM THE EDITORS 

Ben F. Yoder, Goshen, IN Managing Editor 

Chris Yoder, BattIe Creek,MI Historical Editor 

Rachel Kreider, Goshen,Ilr1, Contributinq Editor 

The YNL is published seniannually in ApriI and 

October of each year. CHANGES OF ADDFJSS should be 

sent promptly to THE YODER NEWSLETTER, PO Box 594, 

Goshen, IN 46526. Art icle contributions and Yoder 

nemorabilia are verv welcornel I Send them on int I 

FREE CCPIES Of 

seI f-addressed 

address. Send 

YNL #t still available, 

business-s ize envelope 

one to friend or familvl 

send starnped 

to Goshen 

LAZINESSI I We mentioned in the last YNL that we 

would be working on the second index of subnitted 

Yoder history sheets. WelI, we haven,t finisheit it 

ancl are still in that condition. . "workinq on it". 

llltlllllThis BONUS ISSUE extends the subscripticn 

period of all readers by one issue!tllllltl 

**************************************************** 

VOLUNTEERS WANTEDI I If you have access to the US 

Census records and sone tine to contribute, we could 

use your help in two basic ways. First, there are 

several ancestral queries each month that require 

sorne. census digging to try to piece folks, heritage 

cogether. Second, we want to qraduallv conpile a 

full set of yoder census data amons oir onlhand 

records. We have made an excellent start in this 

with the work of Dorothy Coffrnan on the early 

Pennsylvania records (see acl elsewhere in this 

issue) and through our own on-goig efforts. We are 

only infrequently able to visit an archive to 

continue this work, however. If you can heLp out, 

please write: Chris yoder, 203 Lakeshire Rd-., BattIe 

Creek, tll 49015. 

**************************************************** 

YODER PENNSYLVANIA CENUS EXTRACT AVAILABLE: -- AI1 

Yoder names and records, including variant spellings 

froro r790,lBoo,rBro,lB2o, & lB3o Fennsylvanii cens,ls 

compiled into a single extract. Over 60 pages, at 

cost for copying and nailing g7.50. For lg40 

Pennsylvania and Ohio (15 pages) for 93.50. Order 

from llrs. Dorothy Coffnan, 3O Grouse Road, Malvern, 

PA.19355 

**************************************************** 

TINA YOTHERS (of rhe TV show FAMILy TIES) was 

presented a "Girl Hero,, award by the Girls Club of 

America on Feb.27. This award was in recoqniti-on of 

presenting a "positive 

and appropriate roie modeI" 

for American gir1s. Ms. yothers is a descendant of a 

grandson of "Hans Joder of Great Swamp,, who applied 

the spelling "yottrers" (y6'-ttrErs) whiah renaii! in 

that line to this dav. 

********************i******************************* 

Mrron County's original 11 

Mennonite families are now 83, 

with 350 to 400 members. More 

than 80 percent are dairy 

farmers, and more than 60 

percent are named Yoder. 

From an articLe in the JuLy 27,L986 

"Atlant,a WeekIy" about the Nlennonite 

settlement in l'lacon County, Georgia. 

LETIERS TO THE EDITORS 

-miteal the community of Yoder, 

Oregon, located in the Willamette VaIley. The house 

oriiinally built by my grandfather (is stiIl there, 

as is the sawrnill (still operated by Yoders) which 

was built by ny grandfather's brother Jonathan. He 

also built the Yoder Store in 1915, and it is still 

in operaticn as a genui-ne country store (they have 

nice 

"Yoder 

Store" T-Shirts) 

"sinca mowino t-o Florida in 1970 I trave found 

quite a clan of Yoders in the Sarasota area... they 

operate a couple of restaur.nts gu.i.nteed to fiII 

vou up with Pennsll;:3;i":"i3l.ll!3;"r Gabres,FLA 

I reallv had sone chuckles over the article on 

'Yoder 

in Japanese',Issue *5,p.2, Apr.85. Ours is 

essentially an Oriental culture here and whenever, 

invariably, I talk to someone on the phone, they get 

YODA out of it. So when I walk into the shop they 

are surprised to see a Haofe (Caucasian) instead of 

the Japanese they were expecting. I have found out 

that is, in a very real sense, an icebreaker and 

there is a closer feeling between us. The Japanese 

set a kick out "t-1i"1?";. 

voa.r, Kaneohe,Hr 

" 

There is one place that I do not agree with the 

bcok 

"Amish 

anC Arnish-I'lennonite Genealogies". It 

gives the birth and death dates for Mary Sommers 

(Sumrners) (wife of YRl462) as 29 Sep 1786- 21 Mar 

1861. On the grave marker at the Yoder Cenetery 

between Bellefontaine and West Liberty, OH where 

thev are buried t:-';:ii"tJlt;i331; 

sanrord, FLA 

STORY OF A STARK CO.,OH ALSATIAN YODER FA"UILY - "."1y 

great-grandfather Christian Yoder had two sons. One 

died when 16, kicked by a horse. ivly grandfather, 

D6t6r waAa* hii rour r , l.qs 

sons. Forest C. was mv father. 

I was the middle one of 6 boys and 3 girls. My wife 

and I have 3 sons and I daughter, 16 grandchildren, 

and 11 great-grand children. 

My father Forest was killed by Iightening on a 

Ioad of hay, JuI.I,1913 

a widow. She continueil 

at age 38, Ieaving my mottrer 

to run the farn, rai-se the 

fanily... all turned out successful in their lives. 

One older brother, 

years. 

Joe, was Stark Co Auditor for 32 

I started my own business Mar.1,1930 with 2 used 

cars and body and paLnt shop in Louisville. I 

acquired the Oldsrnobile dealershi.p 1935 and sold out 

in 1980. I still continue to operate the (Yoder) 

ei rnnrl- :q A rol_ i romon{- hn'nhrr Tn l.ha frrtsrrra i F 'rn'r 

L L 

I 

r u 

visit the R E OIds l4useum in Lansing, MI you wiJ.l 

see two fine old cars wittr the Yoder name on as the 

donor. (f940 OLds Hydromatic Coupe and 1904 

Oldsrnobile Runabout)---Russell IrI. yoder, LouisviIIe, 

OH (Editors note: See YNL#7 Article on Stark Co 

Cernetery... It appears that Mr. yoder's 

g-grandfather (18ll-1897) may have been preceeded by 

two other Christian Yoders. One nentioned in the 

cem. article (I787-1869) and another whose IB24 wiLl 

(Stark Co Rec.A p75) Ieft his property to John 

Gerber and Christian YoLter Jr,) 

**************************************************** 

You can obtain a map of Amish Immigrant 

Berks County PA. A large )l x 66" map of 

immigrant Amish homesteads i-n Berks County 

duced by John M. Slabaugh who has supplied 

Yoder Newsletter several times. 

This map is available for $7,50 postpaid from: 

Abner F. E11er 

176 North Hollander Road 

Gordonville PA I7529 

2. 

Land Grants in 

all known 

has been promaps 

for the

YODER POPCORN COMPANY, INC. 

Yoder I opcorn Conrpany was beSun in 1936 by rtufus l. 

Yoder (f899-797? ), when he was encouraged to selt popcorn 

to the produce markets in Chicago and fndianapolis. 

Contacts in these markets had resulted from deliverin.g 

produce grown on the family farm near Shishewana, fnd., 

owned by Rufus's father, Tobias V. Yoder (f8?O-1969), 

Since 1!6!, when Rufus retired, the responsibility of 

the business was assurned by his children, Larry R. 

Yoder, now Presi.lent, and Pauline Yoder, and a corporate 

Dartner, Leonard Penner. who serves as Vice-Pres. 

Since Yoder Popcorn beqan. nearly all of its popcorn 

has been ear-harvested with a corn oicker--the ,'oldfashioned 

way". Whole ears are picked in the field, 

stored in a crib to dry naturally during the winter 

months. and then shelled in the spring after the kernef 

has had time to harden and the moisture 1evel has dropped. 

This method i.s in contrast to harvesting with a modern 

eombine vrhich picks and shells the popcorn in the same 

operatlon during the fall harvest when the kernel is 

still wet and soft. Harvestine poDcorn bv combine 

greatJy increases the risk of liernel ,lamale whieh may 

result in partially popped and unpoped kernels. To 

insure uniform moisture, Yoder DoDcorn is conditioned 

in large bins with moisture 1eve1s contro]l-ed by computers 

which use only natura.l air in the conditionino 

process. The kernels are then qradeO,--"f".""a ;; ;i;, 

poJ-ished by snecial brushes, an.l electronicallv sorted 

to enhance the appearance and achieve an ootimum pop. 

Yoder's careful choice of hvbrids, their constant 

crrno-"i c i an nf +h. ,..e growln.q process , harvesti-ng methods, 

conCitioning, cleaning and packaging produces a Droduct 

that will pop eonsistantlv and leave verv few 

unpopped kernels. 

For manv years, the comDanv was nrimarily a suoolier 

of popcorn to repackers and to the concessions trade. 

In l9?2, Yoder Popcorn began paekaging popcorn under 

its own name and servieing the retail grocery trade by 

its own delivery system in northern In'liana and central 

and western Ohio. In Michigan. it has been marketed 

throu3h brokers. l,{arketing howcver has been verv 

regional--primarily northern fndiana Miehiqan and parts 

of Ohio. Even today, the packaged popcorn sales is less 

than half of the sa]es and the remainder is sold In 50 

pound bags by truckload lots. Effort is now being made 

to exoand the oackaged market in both volume and geooranh 

ic arp2si 'lo nnnnl omon* n^h^^rn. . !v vv,i'rJ u 

n,ldi ti ona'l non- 

vvPvv! ervrrq! vvp 

corn related items such as special sa1ts. savory flavors, 

popping oils, home and commercial poDpprs have been added 

to Yoder's produc t I ine. 

The popcorn processin.q plant is I oeated in the center 

of the large northern fndiana Amish eommunity four miles 

south of Shipshewana. Over the vears 1ocal residents 

came to the plant to obtain their sunply of popcorn 

which resulted in maintaining a smalI retail outlet, As 

northern fndiana tourism has grown over the last fifteen 

years so have the number of customers to the sma1l 

retail outl.et that has now been expanded into a "Countrv" 

Popcorn Specialty Shoppe. FeatureC in the shoppe is a 

free sample of "Tiny Tender" popcorn whieh has become 

Yoder's sDeeialty item, "Tiny Tender" is the snarl grain 

popcorn that cones frorn the tip of the ear and has gained 

popularity with the 1oca1 residents as a very tenciei 

popcorn with less hults. fn addition to nopcorn. the 

shoppe features oopping oils special salts and savorv 

flavors popcorn poDpers pr-us fndiana produced products 

ineluding hard candies piekels, honev, corn husk dolls 

special popcorn recipe books etc. 

fn February. 1!86, Jane and Michael Stern re1eased a 

nationally s5mdicated articLe entitled "A Taste of America" 

featuring Yoder Popcorn that appeared in the food 

(continue on next column) 

TINY TENDER* 

section of approxinately 1_00 newspapers fron 

coast to coast. They had visited the popcorn 

shoppe as tourists, but had not identified 

themselves to the owners. Nearly 2,000 

inquiries were received from the pubLicity, 

which prornpted the expansion of the mailorder 

business. Popcorn and related items are 

now being shipped daily to alL parts of the 

eountry. 

ff you are interested in YODER POPCORN 

please wr ite for the mail-order information 

which includes a complete product and price 

1ist. Write to the YODER POPCORN CO., INC., 

RR#1, Box 126, Topeka IN 465?f or call 

(2r9) ?68-405r. 

***lt*lt*lttstt.t+*+* **l+tf t+.ra* tf **J$ttt*ttJ+t1tttt.tf.tt*itf Jf t+t *lf *i.tl 

3. 

The Swlss Reformed Church in Steffisourg 

Switzerland. It is here that tne Joder5 

worship as did many generations before. 

This cnurch was renovated during the 

last years for Steffisburg's SJOtn 

anniversary. Carol Stauffer of New 

Bremen OH was kind enough to share this 

for our readers. 

tf ** *l+* tt.t+*lt *.tf tf .tt.t+t$*lr t+l+t+tll1lf .taif l$tt *l+ * *l+Jr t+*t+* tt*l 

The man who has not anything to boast of 

but his ill-ustrous ancestors is like a 

potato, --the only good belong to him is 

underground' 

_sir Thomas overbury

(continued from Page 1) 

4, page 2L4 In the Readln6, PA Courthouse' Tbe 

date oi the w111 is March 12, 1803' probated on 

March 14, 1804. The wife, Maria, ls not rnentioned 

so sbe must be deceased in 1803. His estate is 

dlvlded. into twelve equal porti.ons' The chlldren 

were 1, Daniel' I 2, Peter; 3' Johannes; 4' 

Abraham: 5. Jacob; 6. EIlzabeth Graeber; 7 ' 

Catharlne Anstat; 8. lila6dalena Anstat; 9 ' Esther 

Bartoi 10, Mary Mensch; 11. Grandchlldren of my 

deceased dau6hter, Susanna Herner; and 12' 

Grand.chlldren of my deceased daughter, Barbara 

Oyster. It was through obituarles that the dates 

oi Ut.th were found on some of these chlldren' 

The sorr, Daniel was bora j-n 1758 and dled 

May 1 , 1822. He rnarried Esther Hoch (Hi5h) ' 

daughter of Rudolph and Marie Hoch of }laj'dencreek 

Towishlp, In the 1790 and 1800 Census of the 

Unlted Sttt"=, Danlel Joder was 11vin6 1n Rockland 

Townsbip. Thelr cblldren were f' Jacob; 2' Marla' 

narried Daniel Zle6l.er; 3' Samuel'1' 4' 

Ellzabeth, marrled. Johann Reppert in 1809; 5' 

Esther (1789)-1873); 6. Susanna, married Vllllarn 

Veidneri 7. Catharine

THE SAMUEL Y(lIlER LETTER 

Contlnurd from page 1) 

Samuel Yoder was the BishoD of an Amish 

congregation in Germany at the turn of the 

Eighteenth Century. He is most readily 

idcntified to many as rhe father of Michel yodei 

who immigrated to America with wife and two 

small sons in 1825. The letter. dared Februarv 

19, 1806, was written from Ramersberg, a 

village in the German state of Hesse to Samuel.s 

relative, Christian Yoder, in America. An 

English translation of the German lettcr 

follows. 

'Grace, 

Peace and Mercy in Christ Jesus, his 

beloved Son, who has called us to his Heavenly 

Kingdom. I wish to my beloved cousin, 

Christian Yoder, and to his beloved children 

and siblings (brothers and sisters), a friendlv 

greeting and ir is my hean's desire rhar you wiil 

request ln your prayers to the Beloved God that 

he may, in Grace, forgive and remit our many 

sins. I am also minded to prevail for you in as 

much as the Lord lends me grace in my great 

weakness. 

Further, my beloved cousin, that which you 

wrote to me on Nove mber 10, | 804 we received 

on July 8, 1805, and I and my children greatly 

rejoiced that we received news from our beloved 

cousins. At the most I rejoiced that my letter 

found alive my two dear old cousins who 

showed their love in sharing rhe news ofloving 

friends. 

I learned from your lctter that there is still a 

large family of Yoders, for which I rejoict. In 

Germany, here in Hesse, I am the only one. I 

have two sons and five daughters. Thc sons arc 

still single. Three daughten are married. Two 

are yct single, with whom I keep housc. My 

loving wifc died nearly three years ago and in 

March I will be sixty-fivc years old. Of my 

father's brother, John, one son is still livingand 

lives in the Palatinate yet. So near has the 

family of Hans Yoder died out in the Palatinate. 

For all those under French control it looks 

bad since the non-resistant church is severely 

oppressed. Bccause of the evil war they must bc 

included in the lot and if one is struck he must 

furnish a man or he must go to war himself. 

fhere are many changes taking placc in 

Germany and the rent situation is so bad that 

we can scarcely rent a farm and hardly know 

where to go. 

I wish that my children were with you. For 

myself it is no longer worthwhile as I hope my 

pilgrim journey is near its end. Also the passagc 

fare is too high for us to pay. 

If you wish to write to me again sometime, 

make the address to George Yutzi on the 

Mitteldorf in Hesse Cassell and the Fclsbcrg 

community, then to Samuel Yoder, then I will 

receive it sooner. I think I will finish now. Have 

patience with my poor writing; it was done in 

love. I had the misfortune of dislocating my 

shoulder and my right arm is lame, which you 

can see. I and my children again extcnd a 

friendly greeting, with the Lord's peace. Also I 

greet the ministers and elders in the church of 

God, which stand with us in one faith, in 

baptism, the Lord's Supper and footwashing, 

herewith obeying God and his rich word of 

grace, through Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Written the sixteenth of February, 1806 by 

your loving friend, Samuel Yoder, of 

Remersberg in Hesse." 

Thc letter poses an interesting question: who 

was thc Christian Yoder to whom the lette r was 

addressed? Samuel's use of the word "cousin" 

('Vetter"in.Ccrman) was probably used much 

like we would usethewordi'Freundschaft."lt is 

common in Germany to use 

.TOHN yODER 

- 

BIBIE 

'Vetter" as a 

colloquial expression ro denote a reasonably 

close rclarive, inctuding fi";';;;i"';;;;;;;1 

his farher's brorher's son; hii truc firsr cousin. 

So then rhe Christian yoder mav noa have been 

afirsrcousinofSamuel's.bursrilt ararherclose 

relative. A second clue concernins rhis Yoder 

relative is rhar he was one of 

over 200 year-o1d oible of first 

generation Amish Yoder inmigrant JSHN 

g?ateful to Ben for snarirlg copies. of 

tne o1d family records conrained within 

it. An extract is presented below 

followed by tne description of tne fam- 

*rio dcar old 

cousins,' old enough that Samuel seemed 

mildly surprised that hc was yet 

ily as recorded in the Amisn and Amisn 

Mennonite Genealogies oy-EI-ngerfcfr-Efrd' 

'found alivc." 

One may think immediately of the two 

Christian Yoders who arrived -on the ship 

Kreider. 

about l(X) years of age if he had been alive in ,_:,' '. 

1806, whicfi is quire 

-unlikely 

and rhe younge, 

t ,r/ / 

( '/ 

L^9 n' d/-/i.7r-. 

chrisrian had dicd by l78t soircoutd nor have y''/^ -1 2t (ot' "' (t,):' 

t c,. 

been him. Perhaps 

'i 

the most likcly candidare is ,) 

Z t , ( - 

the chrisrian yoder (oAG 

""'c/,';/r.,/,: 

rze8) wrro nao 

r-7r/ "u>*,,_t *2:7 

Barbara H olly for his second wifc and is 

" 

/ 

^ / 

c-. z/ I / ' / 

bclieved to have bcen thc son of the older t'r It' tq/,/y',tl'1/raz'tt 

/*1/tr*" 

immigrant Chrisrian. This Christian Yoder - ( 

/ / L'-" 

- 

lived until f8l6andwasaroundeightyyearsold ,) r, 

6/,,, /7./, t.4 

atthe timeof Samuel'sletterin t8-0o,whichfor ,./ .,/ /' / (i-t' 

/ 

Ju' 4. / n/o$+ 

those days was ce rtainly a ripe, old age . There is ../ /" U { . o 

refation of Samuel Yoder and his "beloved.r,/.4 

./...7, f 9 / 

cousin Christian" but there seems ro be no'// 4"4on /ca/*1, I, fa{S-ptt, 

conclusivc solution at this time, only a number ,,C. U L-" L/ 

of possibilities. ln one such possible solution, / | t tt/ ,1 '7 2 

( f\ 

rhischristianappearsrobeasecondcousinof -, 

"1,';//* 

/ Y aft" 

//n *l aL7 

Samuef Yoder'sfather,Jacob. ftt) q-^ 

tt" r ' 4 

'f 9 z-/ 

ttt4< ^/ 

The fetter, which was found near charm, 

a/a/ 

, / :f 

?/ 

Ohio in a shoe box full ofcollected naoers. isa u/ 

9 f '/ (\ tt y' / 

copy from the original, matle in itso Uy tttillittfi tst* f/ic/*l/' r.l.t-d44+r, 4Jor//11' 

Samuel's grandson, Jacob M. Yoder (OAG .4/ 4/ 

3055). lf the original was available ro be copied 

ahundredyearsago,irmayberhatitsrillexists 

ran 

in scme orher coltection amonq yoder -_..n yoder (1732_1904) m. Anna (Berkey?), 

descendants in rhe charm "';" 

jf r'l4o- 

;;.."*.;;;il 

? ) parents of : 

be glad to learn about it' 

Barbara 6-2g-r?63-6-1|-r?9g 

Yeronica 8-g-t?eU- ? 

Anna ro-26-1765-12-29-IW3 

David 9-5-1767-- ? 

Ellzabeth 6-29-1769- ? 

Magdalena 8-2-L7'lI-3-13-1850 

John L2-22-r7?3-]_853 

Sarah 3-L-r?76- 1812 

Catnerine 2-25-I7?9-7 -I5-186? 

Jacob F. 4-]-3-].',82- ? 

+++++++++++++++++++I++**+ 

An attractive 8x10 inch eolored photo 

of the Jost Joder (1428) coat-of:arrns 

would make an attractive walI iten. 

The colors are blue and so1d. The 

cost is $8.50 and can be-ordered 

fromr 

A & M Enterprises 

RD#l, Box 211-4 

Pequea PA 17565 

This crest is present in the Swiss 

Reforned Church in Steffisburg. 

r*:1";"*1,$:til:j:1[tnx ]3331 ]; fi:il:3"1{,3'io1""fi:":33' 

ii?i"r':1li.i':tffll;",1^,1'i,'ilij'llJ;'J.'.'; o/,,,, /:/.,, / -/ (J *:. a / vi,-"2y',,\ 

:i,'1'"'1,::rn;i:*ll';:l;ltli;p*u, (^ r.'7' 7,,,./").," ;t" (an"' 

^ 

;H'i'i":':;;: ;:::,:f:T,T.lTf,l'*Jil ".': 

t f 'r/r'/ I z aZ "X.. f ,/q,,2.../0, 

younger than he, and one whose death dare is ,',// ,i-t- [ g 

./ 

^ | .\,1 z e /' 

t"Sil:;li.:':,:Il'.lrtl?,n,,n,,.rinre77,borh / 

"r' a"6*ra*trrttoy't't^,/*JlMdv,,,, 

f.H%:""1r'il:".^,T:l1x:r:rJ,'J#,1.^"T'i 

)"4';'/*"-/ z (f . ,,1-,,,'' g/,f :,. ,'"?.f, 

5.

(continued from page ll) 

Tbe daugbter, Catharine was born in j,766, 

Rockland Townshlp, and died May 12, ),A37. She 

rnarried Abraham Angstadt on Februlry 20, j,ZgT by 

Rev. Boos. Abraham was born on Decernber 5, L264, 

the son of Johannes and Anna lrtaria Kolb Ansstadt. 

He died on October 5, IA4Z. Catharine and Ibraham 

were tbe parents of flve children: 1. Elisabeth, 

born July 30, !787 and died on April 2, 1877 and 

rnarried John l'{.oser on September 1, 1g 16 (microf llrn 

#31, Reading Historlcal Society); 2. Susanna. 

born on January 26, I7gO, d.ied ln 1B5O and rnarried 

Jacob Mertz; 3. llagdalena, born October 19, L?gg 

1n Rockland Township, died May 23, I|ST, marrled 

Jolrann Hamsher; 4, Hannah, born October 14, 1803, 

dj"ed December 26, 1865, married. Jacob Frederj.ck; 

5, Benjamln, the only son, was born Irlarch g, IAO?, 

died August 30, LB?9, married his first cousln 

Catbarine Joder, daughter of Jacob (Catharlne 

Joder Angstadt's brother) and [aria Bertho (Barto) 

on }larch 23, 1831. EIGHTEEN CHILDREN were born to 

this marrlage. The lineage of Catberine Jod.er and 

Abrabam Angstadt bas been researched. and 

contributed by Elayne E. Rickmers (Mrs. Harold 

James Rickmers) 436 E. Valnut St., Kutztown. pA 

19530. 

Tbe daugbter llagdalena was born 1n j.764 and 

died on September 25, j,Bs?. She married. Jacob 

Angstadt

**************************************************** 

********************QUERIES************************* 

The YNL wiIl publish Yoder related inquiries or 

exctranges at no ctrarge. Please limit to 30 words or 

so plus return address. AIl inquiries are checked 


Subnit to: YNL Queries, 203 Lakeshire Rd., Battle 

Creek, MI. 49015. NoTE: It would be appreciatecl if 

an info copy of any replies could be sent to the yNL 

* * * *T * * * * *F* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **Tf*.rrrrrr 

ivtro were the parents of JACoB yoDERS, (?1905-I88I) 

who rnarried Phoebe Gordon and resided in Greene and 

Washington Cos. PA? Please reply to : Jotrn E. yoders 

Jr., 52I Hahaione St 2-IBiI, Honolulu, HT 96825 

**************************************************** 

ALFRED CHARLES yoDER (9/r3lr8s0- L2/25/L915) b. in 

Coal Brook Twp,Berks Co,PA mI. Katie B. m2. Harriet 

Ann Roth. Resident of Shamokin, PA. What was his 

ancestry? Had siblings John b.3/6/L857 Douglas Twp, 

Jeremj.a b.4/29/186I Exeter Twp, and Ir4essiah b. 

LO/22/1863 Spring Twp, Berks Co.Repl-y to Wm.E Yoder, 

380 High St., Souderton, PA 18964 

**************************************************** 

Any info wanted on family of JACOB JODER m.1685 

Verena Kauffman, PITER \'ODER m 1684 Miss Stahli- and 

CTIRISTIAN JODER m.1684 Barbara Gerber... 1690 

suspected Anabaptists. Sons of Yost Yoder and Anna 

Trachsel of Steffisburg. fheir chil-dren's 

residences, etc. John M. Byler, Rt 4, L6I37 

*****************************t********************* 

A quilt was inherited frorn the Jacob Eschbach Yoder 

estate. The quilt was handmade and contains the 

following inscrLpti.on i.n one corner 

"nade 

by W. 

Steiner in Upper Hanover Townshi-p, I"lontgomery 

County, 1849" Can anyone iclentify this W. Steiner? 

--Reply to: Co1 Robert A yoder, 2451- Brookshi-re Dr., 

Schenectady, NY L23O9 

***************************&************************ 

DAVID YODER, b. about 1830,Amish farmer and 

carpenter, married Elizabeth in Logan Co.,OH. 

l'loved to Holmes Co. where hiilfirst wife died about 

1865. He n2. Martha Kendall and went to Milford Ind. 

There he m3. Mary J. Drake on I/10,/I878 in Starke 

Co.,IN. Then moved to Nappanee,IN. C.hildren: Anna, 

Malinda, Sena, John, & Nehemiah. Reply with ancestry 

to : Janet .Me€ervy, pC Box 704, Mira Loma, CA 9L7Sz 

**************************************************** 

************* **************** ** t******************** 

READER CI{ALLENGES 

In a prior issue we ,oresenterf a nurnber of 

Indiana m.lrriage records and challenged our reaCers 

to indentify the ancestry of the folks involved. 

crace (t'trs. Ora) Yoder and Keith E. yo,ler won the 

challenge by identifying EJ-rz-abeth yoder who married 

i{enry Smeltzer an,f t-he Jacob i-I . yoder who married 

Barbara Shrioer as the children of Samuel anrl 

Margaret (Holde,nan) Yoder. SanueI was a great-greatgreat 

granrlson of Hans yoder of Great Swanp,, (see 

YNL+3). This issues' 

1850 Census recor

** ** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jr * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

HENRY YODER CEME'TERY 

There are a good chunk of YNL readers who are 

descendants of Henry Yorler (L756-ra29) and his wife 

Catherine Detweiler. The son of Yost Yoder of 

Lancaster and lvlif f Iin Co, PA ( the Ycst who n2. l'Iari,r 

Sevier),Henry purchased l.rn,f in EIk Lick Twp., 

Sornerset Co.,PA originally warrented to his fath-'r 

on Oct.18,l7B5. His cemetery and Iocation of his olrl 

homestead north of Salisbury, dre shown on this ma,o 

provided by John Mark Slabaugh. The original 

gravestones have been replaced by descendants, btlt 

it is un,lerstood that ;'1r . Bender, ,oresent owner of 

the property, tras them in safe keeping, 

** * *** * ** * * f, * * * * * * * * * * * rr * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Yoder Estate on the island of Kauai, Hawaii 

--photo conrributed oy David-and Cindy 

Schultz,... taken during tneir honelrmoon 

vislt to Aloha State. 

Trl ESCHBACH YODER FAMILY..After the CiviI War, Jacob E. 

Yoder (1838-1905), the 8th of 15 children of a i'lennonite f amily, 

went from the sLate nornal school at i"lillersburg,PA to 

c,rnari hf ahA f'^- astablishrnent and operation of schools for the 

negro in the Lynchburg, VA area. This position was a ciifficult 

one requiring a person of exceptional character and spirit. His 

wife, Anna Wtritaker, a descendant of Roger Williams, was also a 

nissionary sponsored by the Northern Baptist Church. The black 

schools were incorporated into Lhe city systern in 1E71, and 

Jacob served as their superviscry principal until his death. The 

Yoder building onJackson Street in Lynchburg, now a recreation 

center, was nimeil in his honor. (JacoU E.- Jicob M-(1804-1854) 

-Abraham (I76L-r836) -casper (L'720-L7BL)-Hans of Great swamp 

(cal68O- cI753) (see YNL#3) Portrait cornplenents of col. Robert 

Yoder, Schenectady,NY. 

**************************************************************** 

B, 

INJURED IN RUNAWAY. 

Two Young Lrdler, of K{t:to\yn, Hurl 

On Saturday, 

Mlrr Rebecm ItRrto erld lllrr Tlllle 

Tuler, brtth ol l(utzt6n 1, w"r? con- 

;idernbly InJurc!t ln an ercltlnF runrsa!i 

whlch tmk plica ne^r there Siturde)' 

ev"nlnB, Th^y sore leturnlnf 

(ronl Dr] vlllp C-hurch And rlrllnrr ltt 

a cnmlste dmsn hy n hor n rnlrrer! bI 

\vltllRm D. Yoder, l)ronr'lptor of th? 

lvn.hlrrrfton lloup. Il.tq Frr I-)'oni 

uil Iiutrto$-n, the lxrrso t.nk lrlglrt 

at a ernRll $'aartn us.(l hy bo}! ln 

EetherLnc lrrlnulr. snd rr tl R\rat. 

Itoth the younr lrtdl* nxr(1. rieFl'omt. 

Rtlelnptt to ch.tk hlm. ltlk t{'d"r 

fell out attd nar drngEP't about a 

Flu&re. nnd I har] rrh? s:rt relett#{ 

ona o( tlte qheel. Pased over her 

bo(ly. 

Mlm R:rrlo Tlucklly held to' th. 

relnt. RctSlnlnf her presnc" ol mll)rl 

tttc let No one llne anrl pul|.d hard on 

thp othpr. In thlr soy lhe tnn th. 

hors€ ll)lo tn'embenkrnent ^lr,|g tho 

tm,l klcklnq and' dentoll.herl lll. 

dreher, Ila nls klrke.l \lls Bnrto 

on. tha rlFht am frMturlnf it. llY 

thln tme rslettn(. nrrlve,l nn,l thP 

horF s';rr mttvlrrerl. I\l lrs Yoder n al 

(tlt sn(l Ua,t1"arl nll .r!er thc ho(t)' 

from balnf dmRFe(l ^lrrtF tll- rord 

IrOtlt lhe )Tung l^dlB \\'ete airltte,l 

to thelr hom6. 

"AIIentown Morning CalI" , oct.13,1903 

cont r ibuted by Ken llottle 

******* * *********** *** tr**** **** **** &**


Issue,#10 P.O. Box594 Goshen, IN 46526 October, I98? 

AMTSH YODER NICKNAIVIES 

How often genealo3ica'l researchers have 3roaned 

bheir way throu3h family lists of early Ami:h Yoders 

which contai-ned identical names from one generation 

to the next, including the collateral l-inesl fn 

those days geo3raphy or distinct church affiliations 

cou1d help et community keep indivual-s identified 

but even then it was inevitable that nicknames would 

arirlle to disti-nguish people of the same names in the 

same age bracket. Learned papers have been wri-tten 

about nicknames, even Amish nicknames, using learned 

words like patronvmie, ethnoqraphic, toponymic, 

hvhocoristic, endoqamic, or onomastic in drawing 

conclusions about the devel.opment and significance 

or niekname,s- h',rt rare leave all tha+ to tl+e- scholars. 

For orrr parb we simply enjoy takin3 note of what 

nicknames we have found among the Amish Yoders and 

,guessing how they might have originated. Our readers 

have supplied a few of these and v.re hope nore 

of you wil-1- add to our collecti-on, especially when 

the name can be accompanied by a story explaining its. 

Naturally we are used to the usual variations of 

formal names when carried into common parlance-like 

Dave, Dan, Ike, Joe,or Jake. It gets more 

interesting when we get Jockey Lave, Dizzy Dan, Rich 

Ike, Reuby Joe, or illades Jake. The German or Pennsylvania 

Dutch spoken at home made Leff out of Levi, 

son nrrt n't Vr:e6n l.Tocnph ) or tr'pl trr 6yl Of Valentine, 

: : ! . " " \ U v ' i P U r t / " . j - : - : - y , L 

Yohn or Yune was used for Jonathan, Mauny or lUanny 

for Emanuel, and Check or Yockl-e for Jacob. Tobias 

became Duvas and in Somerset County, PA, we found 

two Duvas Yetters (Iobias Yoders) who vrere second 

cousi-ns, a year apart in age, and who mamied sisters. 

For some reason one of them became Walnua (Walnut) 

Duvas and his name was written as Tobias W. Tobias 

S.. on the other hand, was the son of Sti-ller Yuseo. 

which probably accounted for the S (unTEEs-TT wa-s 

due to his mother'r rnaiden name. 6ut this practice 

war not as common in Somerset County as in rome other 

Amish settlements. ) (continued on page 4. ) 

*********** ******************r********************** 

IU1CRE 

CLD y'IORLD LINKS ID6NTIFIEJ 

'Ih{6 YOTTER; a)1,' CDpStEIT'tr 

In previous issues, we've outlined the Eurcpean 

crigins of a nurnber of American YoCer Iines. This 

has included: the Reformed Church yoders (Hans and 

Yost) of the OIey VaIIey, Berks Co.pA (yNL+5); 

Joseph Ioder of Bureau Cc.,IL (YNL 5&3); and 

Alsatian Ycders Jcse.oh of Darke Co.,OA (yNL4), 

Christ and Marie of Wayne Co.,OH (YNL 5) and 

irlichael of Fulton Co., OH. Another line which 

contributeC muJ-tiple inmigrants to the US is that 

e"hi.ch cane b_v way of Ep.ostein i n the .3ermait 

Palatinate and took on the spellinq of 

"Yotter". 

Cne of the Anabaptist Jod-er families which fled 

Switzerlaod was that of Christian Joder (b. mar.20, 

1637 in Steffisburg). fnis Christian married 

Margaret cerber (a second cousin) and settled in 

E.opstein by 1711. As a point of reference, he is 

shown in "European Yoder Researctr" (YNL 2,page 7) as 

9.}t.(Z)). Their son Ctrristian (l-720-1799) who 

married Elisabeth Schwaar adapted the spelling 

Jotter and a nunber of his descendants cane Lo 

Anerica in the I3O0s. r'r nn+i nrrnrt nn nrzo ? ) 

SANS YCDER, Ci,gY .WP AO'{SSTEAD 

COrI{FLICT IITH tHE INDItu\S 

lYod"" family home near lle original :iLe 

I 

I of the cabin buitt by Hann: Yo'ler' 1714' I 

Photograpirs (:onLribute,l by S. Aylner Yoder of 

Pegua, PA, show va'riorrs scenes of the HANS YODER 

hornestr:arf gro.oerty in CIey Towoshi.o, tserks, Cc pA. 

llans, with his brother Yost, were the ,orogenitors of 

the Reformed Chrrrch Yoders ( first i(nown Yoders to 

settle in the Amrican colonies). We have covered 

them or their descenrl,eot,s in pasL YNL articles. 

These excellent ,oictures seefl Lo set the stage 

for a story cited in Fragnents of the Past by Dr. 

Peter Bertolet, who had gathered Lhe data from Yoder 

descendants in the early 1,900's: 

"On or near the spot where now stands the statsly 

mansion and other excellent buildings, was first 

erected a small house, the home of ilance Yoder and 

family. fhe precise date of this I was not inforned; 

but it is certain, that ae that tine all around was 

(continued on page /+. ) 

t. 

.€ " . 

"u*'" 

The barn buil-t by Hanns Yoder. The farm 

nnioin:'l lrr nnnqiSted Of 1200 aCreS. TOday 

f40 acres are ot'ned by Mrs. Anna Yoder. 

'i, 

""- 

.

FRC}4 THS EDITCRS 

Ben F. Ycder, Goshen, IiiID }4anaqinq Editor 

Chris Yoder, 

Rachel Kreider, 

BatLle Creck X{I , llistorical Editor 

Goshen, fiilD, Contributing Editor 

The Yl{L is -cublished seniannuaLly in ApriI and 

October of eactr year. Subscribers to this 

subscription -oeriod are covered frorn issue #3 thru 

12 (barring any additional BONUS editions) . CI'IANGES 

OF ADDRESS should be sent prcr.otly to TIIE YODER 

NEWSLETTER, p .c. gox 594, Goshen, Ii,I 46526. Article 

contributions and Yoder memorabilia are verv 

:::::i:l i _::li_::::_:i_::::___ 

FREE copies of YNL *I are still available. Send 

staflped addresserf busiiress-sized envelope to Goshen 

YNL address. Send one to familv or friendl 

----....-- 

ATTENTION FOR A],], YNL SUBSCRIBE]IS 

Lg!Sq$L-P#+6+Y+3+ior:-a. rast Februarv ror a 

short time, we jor.rrneyed across the state f ron Fl' 

,uy.t" to w. pafm Beacir on State *EO' Somewhere along 

lirat roaa...there was an enormous greenhouse 

."rn"f,.*' Imagine my surprise when the sign saiC 

;v6bin, Alva Farm"-. They were growing acres (yes' 

acres) of al-l types of ilants- under Lights with 

r[i:ir -r:::::1 -: -:: ::: -?:i:::i -:: : :li: : li 1]lli :"- i- 

"The phoLo of the Yoder family ccat of arns 

(pictureC in Yi'{L *9 ) was given to m3 by Caspar anC 

Christian Joder when I met them in Steffisburg in a 

very interesting way. I arrived there from Bern on a 

Sundalt norning and stopped at the local hotel ' I 

asked the desk c1erk, who spoke EngLish, to call the 

first Yoders Iisted in Lhe phone directory, and ce1I 

then that I was an American Yoder and would like to 

neet them. within 20 minutes Casper, Chris+-ian and 

their moLjrer and faLher arrived. Their mother spoke 

fluent English.., 

"On a subsequent trip, I net with Walter anC his 

wife (Lhe .oarents of Christian and Casper) again' 

They took me to lunctr- which really was a truge feast 

of venison and excellant veqetables, veniscn and 

wild boar are very pcpuidr rnedls orer ;nere anl 

verv, verv qcod. 

n'I qaih6reC that aII nine Joders listeC in the 

p'oone bcck there are very close relatives. Walter 

has a brother ttlere, Willi and two maiden cousins 

wtrom we visited, both very ol-d. It would appear that 

the name Joder will disa,opear in Steffisburg as I 

belive there are only one or tsto young Joder boys to 

carry on the name. There certainly must be far more 

Yode?s in the USA than there are in Switzerland and 

the rest of Europe. 

"walter 

and his wi-fe senC greetings to aII the 

Anerican Yoders. I gave the good Walter and his wife 

copies of the Yoder i'Iehrsletter for which they were. 

nost grateful.christian's mottrer-in-law is fluent in 

English and can translate... 

"Anottrer 

very interestj-ng thing happened in 

Lucern. I bought some gifts in a tittle gift shop 

anrl there is a Joder girl who works there. I also 

net a Inan on Lhe Lri-o fron i'{evada who has Ycder 

cousins and tri-s Yoder ancestors came from Lancaster 

County. 

"once 

on a Florida fishing trip, I met a Yoder 

from Goshen, MY brother, about 30 years ago met a 

Yoder in Montreal Canada who said he was the onLy 

Yoder in the Canadian Air Force... 

---S. Aylner YoCer,Pequa, PA 

I have r:ead;rl-I the issLres cf Yi{L#1 throuSh *9 an,l 

f inC Lhern very interest ing. I was born ,f an .7-2 , L9LI 

near Smithville,O!{ and my husband Carl arrd' -l -have. 

liverf in Bluf f tcn,Ch since f 946 ' '1y Yof,er background 

first errpeared in YNL+5 written b,v 'lary 

-,:lelen 

Yo]er 

wade, SterIing,IL. I arn a f irst cor-rsin cf her 

father . 

Our son David and his wife,fu:1ith went to 

Switzerland fron ApriI 1,1985 to June 1, I936 where 

he engegel in genealogical research. tle Lrncel n.J 

.l irecf dn.Dql-rJ b. -r- -:" -'^^s. uL), vJU\ >rA S:v:raI nJer" 

J=Lrsr 

tracJ.l back eighL Lo ten generdLlcns. 

i'ly Yoiler gran,lf ather was Christian J. ("aee 

Christ") o. La21 Danjoutin, tselfori T3rriLcry, 

France; d. I9C9 bur. Cak Srove {enncnlte 3emetery. 

ile m. I85I Catherine Decker. 

I f there are interested -cerscns who wish tc kncw 

more about these famj.Iies, the April 1937 issue of 

Pennsylvania i'lennonite rleritage incluCes my "ReaCers 

Ancestrlz" as wrj-tten by my son David Smucker. 

--Irene Yoder Smucker.. tsluffton,OA 

** *** * ** * * * * * * t * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

'fhe f irst f:trmcr was the f ir:t rnan, an''l 

al.l historic nobil ity rest: on rl:-:e:-r'ion 

a'1'l 't:^ of - !'Je are interested that al-1 subscribers receive 

the Yoder Newsl-etter. If you have moved please do 

j-nform us of vour o1d and new address, lVe havc 

-Tt; : n'rmher of dr:n 1 i nated nrre.: and it hol n:' 

identify you when your ol"d arldress is 1iven. 

Do any of you know the l-ocation of the foltowing 

readers'i Their newsletters were returned to usr: 

Charles D. Yothers . 450I r\r'l-in3ton Blvd, . 

Arlington VA. 

Thomas A. Yoder, 5/+0 l'latterhorn \'/ay, Alpharetta 

GA. 

l'{abe1 V. Brunk (old address was Charlottesville 

VA) sent a card but did not state new address ' 

Card was postmarked Tampa FT,. 

j3.t++?i-).ttrt*-)r-F itt!)irtitit j+-)ttit?'dilXrrF'dil.tV.Oi#O*-"""";i;:13t?-)i-)r)sl)t-;t-)!-).ii 

(Please refer to Issue ll5' Aprt.t. 1985' p.2 and 

fssue /19, October I)81 , page 2 (l,etters to the 

Ilditors - ) 

l,{y-neprhewts vridow was in bhe Japanese raid at 

Peari Harbor, December /, 19ltt.' She later met my 

nephelv whilc he was assiSned to Naval- fntelligence 

in Honolulu. En3agement for marriage foT'lowed. 

Her aunt, cxplaining to an island nelghbor' 

that Lola was engaged to a young man named Yoda 

(as Yoder is pronounced in llal,vaii). .ij'veryone 

assumed she was to be vredcled to a Japanese. I'atcr' 

when the propoted groom visited the aunt' the 

neighbor remarked in surprisc , 

-n'l 

"l'ihy he doesn't 

l.ook lilte a JaPl" 

\i/ho would think our o1d Pennsylvania Dutch name 

could cause such con.ternation? 

x.-)t..)iJtJtji.)r'?-)t;|-)+-).j{.-)it,r.)r-)t-),.')?.):-)9ji-).rJ?i+-)l-)iii.)?i.*.-)i-)tt+-F-)r-)iJi.) 

BOOK FOR SAI,I 

Jeremiah Yoder (1-356-1901 ) was the great gralCson 

of Henry Yoder (1 ?56-1329), t'he book is soft 

bounrl , goocl paper and compiled by Edrvard A' Yoder' 

The Jer6miah-Yorler Centennial- Farn now borders the 

city of Arthur Ii,. 

The cost is :lr5.OO ppd' and can be ordered f!9mi 

Svlvan 14. Yocler tl-12 Trvin' Carl-sbad Nl'{ 88220 

**++*'++++++++*;**++++++++++++++++++++*+++++rF+++++++* 

WARNING!!l Again, we'd like to warn our readers 

aqainst suc-!r'of fers received through the rnail as 

fiom "Halbert's,INC" 

in Bath oH or-"EIlzabeth Yoder 

Ross" of scranton,PA. for 

"YoDER FAI4ILY ALBUi'1"s. 

Proceed with caution when lrou receive such 

solicitations. i"lanlz cons ist of 

"boiIerpIate" 

infornation on genealogy and only Yoder content is 

nane anC adilress IisLing of Yoders" 

++++++++++++++++++++++*+++++++++++++++++++++++++++li+ 

DESCENDANTS OF SAllUlL r) Al{D :$ANCY A (STU'IZ{A\I) 

YODSR. ..2) 2ages. send $4 Lo 'r{c,ner B. Swartzentruber 

P.O.Box 33I, Shipshe,nrana,lN 46365. SenueI (L864- 

1933) was the scn of Daniel I. (L335-19f1) son of 

rsaac Y (1309-1830) son of Ycst ll.(L734-L371) son of 

H.eocy t^/'rlo n. C.1 Lherine Dr:tweiler son of Yost b.1734. 

2.

Christion Tot\e'. (rrro- rrrq) u. Elisabet\ Sc\r.ron-r 

l\ern'ic!, Totteir (rrro' tBrB) Eggltein 

Pcler lolte.rr trr?t-tt +3) 

x\. lr\uir Kchbre\ q1.\hvonrkc Ro\rtr 

t.El,qr\ct\ B\rm re11:tein 

I 

,- 

\\ernnc\ Tatter (rr-lr - {lrr J rr+e)elptei" 

ft.\svTottcF(rrt6->rBro) trarobTotterr(rgoq- ) 

q 

n\. w\uio, 

. 

5e3\\ie\ 

lttarquetlre 

,lSol 

Sttrro.\l1g 

a, . ueit r _ - - - - - - - 

?..\ bJ[,rr 

ch"istionTotteY (\Bo,{ - ) 

GLo." rn Totter ( r ror.rt rs ) 

61jrtt\n,m. Anno. RoLrtr 

E1lttrin,\l Aqner GoLe\ 

I 

- . t ' 

"911.t1* 

To\ anhej lottCr, I.Ge\,zren 

\.d*e" 

ottei'nn,.hYo,\e, 

(qf+lt$6_ ctErq) 

(rrl rrfrr:r . . 

rfr*l rc r*) 

u 

t,rfrr/rrrt. 

Bor\orr 

rl,lirqrrl 

Strc$\Ev 

ht.Kat\.Bal*httr *c\An-i.lt J. dr" Ar;.1,;' " 

n Clt\.eriug 

LeeG.,Iovre rn lBtf* 

Ancestor of 

@ Ri u\orA, F. \otter,(c"s.rs C,tt, l\o 

O Dot no f{csnvo6, G*een\c\t, r{1. 

$ To\.^ L .\otter 

r 

reeG,re 

AlAcn,Ny 

) 

l-ock gort,NV 

One of the Iatter of these yotter inrnigrants rs 

ttre one we'lI address first. He was Peter Yotter 

(b.1865), a great-9reat-great Erandson of Chri.stian 

and Elisabeth (see YoLter chart for your bearings). 

i{is parents were ,fcl1annes .fotter and tsarbara 

Stref Ier, i,lennonites, who moved f rom Eppstein to 

Galizien in l_372 where they liveC until their 

deaths. Cf their ten recorded chilCren, three are 

said to have gone to the U3, incluiing Peter. Two 

cousins of Johannes had migrated to tne US in I35C, 

and likely set tha strge for the irnrnigration by his 

o*n children. Peter appears to be siro*n in the 1900 

i{ebraska census anC has .oresent Cay descendants in 

I{ansas City, i'lo. 

The chil,lren cf ,Jcnann ,Jctter oE lp.cstein and 

Agnes (Goebel) Eicheluerger (see chartJ were a11 

born in Sembach. They were Eiizabeth (12/L/Lg2g,), 

Clrristian (tZ/tz/ta 3r ) , lreinricn ( I L/27 /),A33) and 

Susanna (5/4/L936). Jonann was born in IB03 and died 

in 1333 in E.opstein Ieaving his ycu;rg farnily 

fatrrerless. Family sources report th;t the 6oys came 

to Ar0erica to avcid rnilitary service. Descenlant 

Donna vleszaros located the shi.o record which gi-ves 

the arrival of Christian, age lB, and Henri, ige 16, 

in the gort of i{ew york o.,50 cci taSO. They.i^. o., 

the ship the "Wilhelm records. In 1370 they are shown in Frani

(continued from Page l,) 

Women's names were also changed when taken out of 

formal context or camied from one language to another. 

Verena in the Swi-ss records was not pronounced as we 

il6lfa-in English but sounded more li"ke I'ge4ey or 

Froh4a, Soon the early Franeys in Amerlia-il6re also 

FE6iEa (veronica), Fronia (sophronia), Frances, and 

eventually Fanny--al1 essentialfy the same name. 

Nancy and Narurie in many cases were written as 

Anna in formal records longer 

l.ro-f :-v often written as Mary. 

ago, and &l-1J or 

Ketie, t

winDNrxsD^y, tr.Ixliltuartf. l.o, lBgB't n^*'-t'-- de 4 

/*e"+ a'A( 

,l'he 

frrrully of .Jrrcob Yodcr corrslnte(l $ peddler or any ot,lter buelness rnon 

l'lte nxes lrrrl n eteel poll, os tvell ns I 

steel edge. 

.rf four ions aild tlrreo dnughtere, ns fol- :foro go Well In givlng credit to the de- 

Tl|I TRUI STI]RY OF lorvs I Jolrn, I4llzobeth, Joseph J., An- scendants of theso people in tlre prosrrn, 

Snrnh, I)nni"l nttd Bolornon, Of 'cnt day? 

l.hese, J,rhn Yotlcr rvns lnnrricd lo n sle- In 1820 he establlshed himself iu S,rlt.erof 

tlteltrtoI\llchnclSlpo,nutlrrtoved iisbury ond opened a shop forthorc- 

'l'lre rvelght, nnuber, plece 

nutl tnnkerts l)nn)e \lere nll cnrefrrll-y 

Htnrnped otr enclr nxq, rrnd tiroy nero 

trot, grottttrl do\vrl to n elrarp erlgo, ns 

nre tlrc nxes rvc brty lrr tlreetores lrr orrr 

on'tr rln.y I otr tlre contrnry, tlro erlgc 

rvng lcft nt n tlricl

(continued from page 5. ) 

Oertaloly a nlan capoble of drawlng 

up au lnstrument of wrltlng euch ag 

tbla ls, was no lgnorant urountebank, 

glven to consultlng ,tl{ex doctor!,rr 

Ilrd Splegele', and tbe ltke, 

1!Ir. Joder has left lt as a matter of 

record that Aaron Echrock wse tbe 

ruost obedient and falthful apprentice 

he ever hadl and he tleo became ilre 

best workman. Tho lete Mlchael 

I(oorrtz, who lived eeveral nrllee south 

of Bornerset, was his next apprentice. 

Other apprerrtices seerll to hnve been: 

I)svid I,'rLtnkhnuser, John Swartzendruber, 

Siruruel Judy, G,rbriel Schrock, 

Leorrnrd llcrkey, Jolrn Yowler, Joreph 

Weimer, 0.:orgr: Licbty, llenjlrnin J. 

Jtxler, (his sou) 'ltromm 

Illoors aud 

(luorge Oolerncn. As soon as tn &pprentlce 

or journeymnn could really 

nrake uud shape an axe he wosallowerl 

o atamp of hls own, arrd was perrtritted 

to staurp his uatne urrder that of J, J. 

J oder. 

After l\Ilclrael l(oontz bccame free, 

bc locsted a slrop obout thrco urllee 

soutll of Sorrrcrsel,. trn tlre Oentrevlllo 

roatl, .Jorler senl the lron, steel, borai, 

etc., to hirrr, bls son Ilerrjnmlrr usually 

d lng ilrc lrrullng. I{oonlz then rvork. 

e tl onrl slr:rped tlte nrnl.r rlnl lnto nxesl 

tben tbey rrere [rrrrled bnck Lo trteclrlrrlesburg 

to }Ir. .lotler's slrrrp, whcre he 

tetnJrelcd tltern lritrreelf. Ol,hers of ths 

JourlleJ nlen rrrny btve rlone tlre sanre. 

We glve hcre nslrterrrent,of the rrunrbcr 

of axcs nrade by JoselrlxJ. .Iodcr 

lrirnsclf, ns rlell ns l,hose rnrde by tho 

RI,l)r'pu I ir.cs Rnrl jorrrrrc; rnorr, brrt rvlrlr.lr 

reeeivcd tlre finnl tcnrperlng nrrtl lrtrdetrlug 

nt lrls blntls :.--. 

No. tttrde b;' .Ioscph J. Jode r, 4,550 

" r\lichrel l(oontz, z,XN 

" 

I)nvitl l'rlrrklrnuscrr 360 

" 

John Su'nrtzetrdruber, 2f)0 

" 

Sarnucl JrrrlS', 700 

" (Jsbriel Schrock, 900 

,r 

Leonrrrl llerkcy, nO 

'r 

Jolrrr -I,-oulcr 

Later he lnld thts lautl oII Into lown 

lots, Iillng tlre plot ltt tho ltecorderra 

o{Ilce nt Eotnerset. IIe gnvo hls new 

towu the uame of l\[e cbo ulcsburg; 

tbough wben a poetolllce rvas estnbllshed 

l[ coukl noi keep this nnme, but 

tooh tbe name of Eummlt l\lllls. It, 

was for n long tlrnc also colled 

l.llj 

" 

Joscph \\'cirrtcr, 2:, 

" (leorgc Llclrl5', 43(l 

! Jl. J. J()dcr, 

4ilJ 

" 'I'ltottt:ts 

J\Irtrlre, 29 

" (lrorgc Colettt:rtt, I,l9; 

'I'qtrl 

12,31i, 

I!t,sirlcs tlrcsc l,ircre s crc Irtrrrdrcds of 

chisels, tlrnrring krrires, ctc., rnrtle 

Itcre nlso. 

Tlrcse {igtrres rre fronr lrls books as 

be kepl thctr, nnrl erruc tlorvrt to 1857, 

when lre qtrit work. 

We believe tlre hst of his alrprerrtices 

\vere .lerorue Bowrrrrrr nrrd Jere. J. 

Llverrgoodl tbe lalter rrow rcsides nt 

Sallsbur-\'. -IJowrunn s'ent to tbe war 

nnd lost lrla good right nrrrr ln tbe servlce, 

nutl eould rro longer work of tbe 

[rnde. I\l r. Llverrgoorl bccrrrre a 

wortlrl' succcssor to tbc grea[ nxc-ruaker, 

ntrtl rre verttttro to srty tlrnt, is n 

tnnl

*****-i a k k k k k i r: < ieJJRI,r.ji * *; tr t r * k i l * * r * *r k k * x * k k k k k k 

Iirr'{.{i- vi_l_l_ -rrri>l-i;ir {>litr t.ll_aL:,_l in,I,riries or 

3xr--:r'trt.JJ:j r.i- il,) ,lll:ia 

J.-. ? L:rr;e Li,nit t,t 3l wor:,1s r;,: 

sr) i)l-,-1.j ra(ii-rtrn arldre;;. Al. I i1,1,1i,ries ttae 

,].E.'iins. ,) tr t,::t)r:,ls L,t s.:,: i_ i ,j/.-> ,1 1.1 h,:lc 

ci-r.)(lk3,l 

i-r;r>. 3:n1 

l--,r: lirr:i-s Yit.ler, 2O3 Lakr,rshit't: Road, B.rLtle Creek 

NlI 4901 i; 

{!)ie: .'l:'1 

( a i .,vi lûr1 wc. k. 

',1 

t2pr:,:r;iai:e :iri_a.J 

f or r^:non.e ) 

i E y,t,r y;L 11 ;,4 

6/25/L894 GiImer Co., cA. Ephrain was also called 

"Adam " 

in some census records. reply to Buford F. 

Yother, Rte 3, Box 470, LaFayette, GA 3O72A 

**************************************************** 

Would Iike to exchange data on family/ ancestry of 

ABRAHAM YODER b. Feb.8,1837 m. Jan 19,1861 to Lydia 

Oberholtzer. A descendant of Mennonite yoder Iine. 

re-oly to Ken Wm. Yoder, 2236 Marlboro Dr., 

Henderson, NV 89015 

, r** *** * **** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * k * k * k k.k.k.k.k l * * ** ** 

ifnai- w.rs cncestry of JACCB YIDER, of Lewisourg,?A. 

3. L133 C. 1,/llil13i4, marrisl Uary Sterner 

(f 793-1353) .Thr:12 haC scns Peter, r'tathaniel, inarles, 

Jacoc 3., fchn S. aod 1ar:ghter i'11r,v A. ,James. Rep1y 

to : N,R. YcC"r, 9CC Pleasant R.j"Cge RC., 

iiioomrngton, Ir'l 4-/4i)L 

Wno was CATHERINE YODER b. Igl2 Alsace. M. to peter 

Stucky. She d. lg33 Fulton Co., Oil. Wbo were 

parents, 

trer 

brothers, sisters? Reply to: Anna 

Bumann, 

R. 

308 lr{ullen, Lamar, 

*********r.****************************************** 

Cof; 41052. 

*-irat is the ancestry of ,fACKSCi{ yO?ilERS,born in 

circa 

GA 

1839 OK bv 1910.^Reply ' - to lliisira pearson, Box 

irf,>) i-lr.)tJ'.r i,)\1. !r)ci, ir': th: YVr. 

*****:k* k t ? | ? k + k k k k k k k k k k k kk k k k k *t t k * k l* * k I t k k k X k k.k k k 

,i'jl{:lR Yf)gt n.L5 .lun l32l ia tn,:')t_,).1 I-,-ltnerart 

Jri-rr.l-l aL 3iran.gsviLl,:, F-) j"brsti,rq t:ifsct,t+i,le,:./ 

R,lifs.i/ler whl r'iti r). L7 I.rn 13C3. Sebtstitn:1. ll23 

rnl n/il- Li,rn (tler: (lt:li,:v.:,1 tc h,rv.r be,:n the soo ,)E 

G:,>c,1o g)13. 

{17;2-L,} ll) )) or; elrlrtinL,:rl 

r.lrni'.ri,;',ctl,)t. EStit,lr :qly nrv.: r,rr:i;1 tJrirl, i),tt 

1:1 ii1 irlg f uri-lr::r: is knr>wrr >f h:r. . R=;1-y L,t: \1a n R. 

"l.)yer, LLt2 Nycof f Ave., J.1,:

NEVs-HERALD,Perkaeie'Pa.'wedneeday,July'I,198? 

***********************************************r***++++++++i++++ff 

Yothels Family Holds Reunion '**51r3;"3""'5.11?ni;l'-)" 

in pirrs- 

,,:h"';l#:, t;ffi1?'ffi"T'j."rfl: il:niTT*";*.:ilx'ei'"'#s",T iii'i.i^ril"#i: l:-;.::,:3"i1:: x::5:, 

lattreri-ng pl;"Ji;;li"-d;; and 

alnual bu.gand is most likely b,i.r.ia*,i?ii 

f or hi s second wi f e Emma L. 

yothers Reunion with 4s people CaiPerYoderownedtractsof lan6 He served in the Civil War as ar4-ilor, 

present, 21. - 

';i;;: 

in both Richland rownship 

",[T,"'t];Jf;: #]|,"nil!:Jl:.**"yr.tr,i?iif H!1 

sun_day,,ftne 

g$ :h: le'roe 6n either side or tt''t .""tiilll I 

highest ranking yoder: t" ";, 

crraires !sD 

aboutr6s0.HediedintowerruilllritohissonJacobyoaurinrzeYu,;"t"oif, 

rived rrvcu 

about16g0.HediedintnwerMilfordlohlssonJacobYoder,rn.lTSl. 

in:washingt"",oc rIr wcSolngCOnrOC and is tS I 

rownship. He purchased a tra;T;;:h.11qedll._::T".19.I:!!ers,allthe 

known to have been invoived in farn!.ty 

gg.acra.inLoderMilfordr"**trtpYl^"j^t_,c_ounty Yothers are his research during the last cent.ury. 

tthen He 

known as 

"The 

Grpei 

oescenoanB 

wAq i . r I ad 

syimo,;;I-"" -;"*p't'?.;;;# -Jon"--rl*.u"tger.of 

Perkasie, 

source for Desc. of Jacolo 

,j,]I..r]u^r--* 

of Trevose. in l72O for presloenl awarded the Iollowing uE L Lvr . 

l5 pounds. His wife;s" nujigrizes, 'Ihe couple.married thI ilis lhilCren included: Edith (l,1rs. 

was Anna (malden longest,56years,DwightandBetty Albanus Johoson) b.Apr.Lg79t Clara (Mrs. 

name unknown), Hans l]"1l""'i]n"*::il.j,31'ffji; ,lH ,=,. r,Ic3ee); and Fra-nk w. b. i,lar.rE83. 

and Anna Yorler were anniversary the -o.t r".l"tiv, when_ his widow died in 1927, h:.s son 

a-ncestors of this family clan. The Derwin and Martha yothers, !'rani( was a resiCent of AlbuquerguerNn4. 

Yothers were Mennonits - most perkasie 

WHAT A TREASIJRE his acCunulated yOder 

iT"i''"'"T*":,ii'#'1ff E:l"Jlf! "ifl!,Illlli;"J:Hi1",":T"Hyil :::;" ^ 

":i"ia'u. i t fh;v-;;;r; be round 

Lancaster counties or farther wst. wimers of the traditionai today. 

euo.in* 

Do any of you know of r-his 

Hans and Anna Yoder had twog6ps. gentleman? 

sons, John and casper. Thev mav - The officiers are as (photo 

have had more children, ^lo]l1y:: 

com,oriments 

but no president, of ,,lrs. petrenr 

John HunsDerqer. 

rmords were kept and the Yoderperxaste;' ","; p.";i;;;;,''B;d found 

:h?",. 

among papers of Cong. S.S. 

family Bible was sold rn t??8 a .h( Yothers, Glenside- and secretary- Yoder) 

familysaleandhasneverb€ertxeasurer,AlvernaY'Hunsbergei,********i*********************************ffi 

recovered. Perkasie. 

John Yoder Jr.. bought land The next reunion will be held the 

from his father in Northampton same place the third Sunday in June 

Col'nty (now Leish County) and l9BB. - 

**********rr********************************* 

AyJmer Yoder of pequea pA a,skerl that anyone orCerin3 

a Jost Joder coat-of-arms photo (as shown on po:u-j' 

_of , f ssup ty9 to please made the check orrt to S . A. - 

- 

Yoder, RD#-t, -gox z3j--A peq u.a pA 1? 565. 

{ " 'q 

-}{e.;" 

-.:a-* 

Th.>s:,2[:;r1 a fe11:,:; uh) rr: E.r,ni. 1-i.ar witrr cire JuJ 

YODER CErvlE,fERV in'i:),4i.1 ,t;{rl il:)rl,\TL'{, :1 rvill oe 

irri,er:esierl in seein.; i-l).i; i)i.rli'-,tr() taken 

T,)),a Y,).1,1 r ,>e. C,tf,),{t),)l-iS, ?A. 

i-n .JLlne c/ 

q{)r yefrs, sLr:ip ,nioin3 

ha,1 rn.rle Lhe 3raize;rer.l ,r ,/i, f i.rial. isLanl. The rnining 

'oe,:n 

co,npany has 

" 

r:.:cLei,ning" i-rl.: lanrl an,1 has now 

c1,rl

w YODER NEWSLETTER 

Issue #1 1 P.O. Box 594 Goshen, IN 46526 Airr i l 1988 

SPECULATIONS ON EARLIEST AMISH 

TIES TO EUROPEAN JODERS 

Anyone interested in Yoder history is naturally 

curious about nhat connections can be made between 

the American lines and the Joders of Europe from 

whence they came. The various clans reflected in 

the YNL have. had uneven successes. Some have made 

documented linkagesr others do not even vish to 

speculate at this point, especialty not in print. 

Some are making good progressi others cant even 

find any helpful leads to get started. It seems 

premature to discuss the tie to more evidence. We 

are not ready to be definite. However, lte have 

never been closer to the information we are seeking 

and the subject has been brought up so frequently 

Llrat a requesl has been made for us to outline the 

guesses to date in the hope of stimulating profitable 

discussion and continuous careful research. 

A good starting point would be the letter from 

Amish bishop Samuel iloder of Hesse, who wrote on February 

10, 1806, to his "vetter" (cousin) Christian 

Yoder of Somerse! County, Pennsylvania. It was discovered 

by Leroy Beachy of Holmes County, Ohio, and 

repointed in the XNL of Apyl7, 1987, with permission, 

from Beachyrs column Unser Leit in the Suqarcreek 

Budqet (1984). RecorEE-T?oil-TEe line of Michaet Yoder, 

Samuel's son lrho came to America, show that Samuel 

was lhe son of Jacob, son of Hans. Karl Joder's 

research shows that bhi-s. $amue1:.i^ras !he eon od Oaspar 

and Verena (Stauffer) Joder, son of Jost and Anna 

(Trachsel) Joder, as shown on the bottom line of the 

chart on paqe 7. 

The Amish and Mennonites come from the Anabaptist 

r,ring of the Reformation. In his letter of Janu8ry 15, 

1975, to "cousin'KHE1" Joder of 0ggersheim, Professor 

Don Yoder, who has done considerable research in 

Steffisburg, said that most of the Anabaptist Joders 

seern to have come from tro far.rilies--that of Jost, 

born 1607 and his brother Nicholas, 1609, who on the 

same day (October 14, 1642) married cousins of the 

same name (Anna Trachaet). Through the generosity of 

Karl Joder, charts and data about these families were 

sent to various interested people in the United States 

and the outline was printed in the YNL, No,2, p.7. 

Begrnni.ng with Caspar Joder and Margreth (Hennig),the 

data was also included in the Gingerich-Kreider book 

of basic Amish genealogies (p. 572). The coding 

there can make it easier to follow in a discussion of 

fanily lines. Casper senior is Y, his son ,fost is Y6r 

Jost's youngest son Caspar who married Verena 

(Franet) Stauffer is Y6b and Caspar's son Hans of 

is Y6b4, the grandchild of Samuel. 

Excerpts from Samuelrs letter as quoted from 

Beachey's column read: 

"Grace, Peace, ahd Mercy in Christ ,Jesus, 

His beldved Son, who has calted us to His heavenly 

Kingdom. I wish to my beloved cousin, 

Christian Yoder, and to his beloved children 

and brothers and sisters a friendly greeting... 

"Further, my honored cousin, that which you 

wrote to me on November 10, 1804, we received 

on July 8, 1805, and I and my children greatly 

rejoiced that we received news from our beloved 

cousins. At the most I rejoiced that my letter 

found alive my dear two old corrsins who showed 

(continue on Page 3) 

FURTHER THINGS ABOUT ROSANNA OF THE AMISH 

How many of you have ever read Rosanna of the 

Ami sh" Thoqe llnA.drl: i nran '.,i +h f h^ f i f o .+.rf -- 

:nrl rol iniarrc hr.^tiCeS Of these finc ncnnlo chnrrlrt 

frrL yuvyrc 

read this book. The Amish appreciate the privi- 

'tana 

^f l irrinn ih - ^^,.-+-,, ..L^-^ !\orr nrn nr>nriaa 

lcas v! ury wrrvrs ut.LJ uuil yr 

thelr faith wi-th freedom assurc.i by our great 

Corrstitution. 

The Amish take care of thei-r own i-n times of 

trouble, sickness and agedness, and are liberal 

to olhers in times of strife and need. They 

lake no welfare, Social Security or subsidi-es 

f rom t.he dovprnmenf Thpv nav f lrc i r shaf e of 

ta:(es. They consider it a God-given d'rty to be 

good stewards to the .land, lhe family and of 

1ife. Simplicity is a reguired virtue, 

Rosanna's last grandchilC, George C. Yoder, 

1890-1987, resident of Goshen, Indiana.. 

(continrie Rossanna article on page 4) 

****t**************************************** 

ADAM YODER..."moved to Tennessee and all traces 

him were lost. " 

Adam Yoder who was the youngest son of Conrad yoder, 

founder of the North CaroLina branch of the yoder fami- 

1y, In the History of the Yoder Family in North Carolina 

by Fred R. Yoder (whose obituary appears Efsewhere 

in this issue), Adam's birthdate is reported 

from Bible records to have been June 23, 1785.Fami1y 

tradition states that Adam moved to Tennessee and "alI 

traces of hin vere lost". After several years of gathering 

and trying to decipher c1ues, we set out in bhis 

article to piece together what appears to have become 

of him and his family. We'd like to emphaize that what 

is painted here seems a very likely picture, but one 

which is largely constructed by inference. 

(cont,rnue ADAM yODER-page 4) 

t.

IATIERS T0 THE EDITORST 


f have read with interest your October #lO 

Newsletter, 

*************************************************** 

and would like to reply with some 

comments on the nicknames that are mentioned. 

Ben F. Yoder, Goshen IN Managing Editor 

Chris Yoder, Saudi Arabia, Historical Editor 

Red Yost was known for his red hair. 

Rachel Kreider, Goshen fN, Contributing Ed. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * i * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Lame Yost was kicked by a horse and as a result 

CHANGE 0F ADDRESS FOR QUERTES: The new address for walked with a limp. He was the father of Little 

historical and genealogical editor Chris Yoder, and Crist, who was short of stature. Little Cri_st 

for "YODER was 

QUERIES' is: Chris Yoder, US REP JECOR the husband of Rosanna of the Anish. They had a 

(cENPRo), Box ##, APo NY 09038-zoo1. 

grandson who was also short, and called Little 

Crist and was maried to Lydia Sharp. 

Chris has taken a two-year assignment in the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but will be continuing his 

ful1 involvement vith the YNL. Use U. S. Dostaqe 

and allow four weeks fct a reply. 

Nick Yone was a son of Nicholas and Leah(yoder) 

Yoder, a daughter of Butcher Christian and Sarah 

Hertzler. He married 

*************************************************** 

Leah Yoder, daughter of Joel 

and Veronica Yoder. Joel was a son oi Red yost. 

We have received notice of the launching of a 

MISHLER NEWSLETTER. This may be of interest to 

Cooper Christ was a son of John yoder and Anna 

readers with Mishler ancestry. For further inform- (Mast) Yoder, and was a cooper by trade. Butcher 

ation contact: MISHLER NEWSLETTER, Bob Ghinder, Christ was a son of Yost and Mary (Siever) yoder. 

16691 Craigmere Dr., Middleburg OH 44130. 

Yost and 

*************************************************** 

John were sons of Christian 07OO-f??5) 

and Barbara Yoder of Berks County. 

A YODER TOUR TO SWITZERLAND 

wouldn,t you enjoy seei.ns svitzerland (rwo days in3."$::"ilr:l:i;:"ili" i";;:""f,"ffj:";"5":"3:"":i 

steffisburg) and other scenic spots after a relaiing 

John and Anna (Mast) yoder, 

tour from Luxembourg to Basil to 

thus 

start? 

cooper christ 

Enjoy 

waS 

the 

beauty through scenic 

the uncle of Kiefer 

Germany 

christ and also 

to Heidelburg-and 

his brother-in- 

down 

along the Rhine 

1"". 

River valey for the return. The time 

would be from SepL. 1I Lo 24, 1988. Accomodations 

Charlie Christ was a brother of Lame yost, 

would be 3 and 4 star hotels and restaurants. 

son 

For 

rurrher inrormation wrire ro: s. Aylmer yoder, 1126 ifu3iltuan]lirl"Enlrii"*lf {i:*"?:*"y;iurfif;I!") 

Marticville Road, pequea pA 12565. 

*****************************************************manner: 

rn those days it was common to try to keep 

The --nnual reunion of the descendants of Adarn yoOer"it a secret as to which girl you were courting, and 

2-28-IB1B-5-26-1858 and Harrlet Isenhart, 6-20-1821- so you traveled as quietly as possible. on once 

5-30-1911, rqi1l be hetd ai: Nettle Lake oH on 4 Sept. occasion while going to vj.sit his girlfriend, Saloma 

1988 at the home of Alva Koht. Contact M. S. Zook, on horseback, he had to cross a wooden bridge, 

Siclrmirter, Rr. 117396 Rd. B, Montpelier OH 43543 and was heard to whisper "schleich 

Charlie, schielch", 

f6r lnoi:e. rnformatlon. meaning 'Quiet, Charlie, quiet"--anu thus the nick- 

****************************************************' namg charlie christ. 

QUERIES QUERIES QUERIES 

***********************************x*r*r************i 

In "Mennonite Farnily History", July 1982, the.wife 

of Stephen Kurtz (L724-1773) (RzB1 ) is listed as 

being Veronica Yoder b. 1738, daughter of Yost Yoder. 

Does anyone have any information on triro this Yost.- 

Yoder was? Reply to Deb MilLer, 103 Denbigh Drive, 

Iorra City IA 52240. 

**************r*************************************l 

CALVIN HENRY YODER, b. 12/12/1832 iluniata Co., PA, 

m. Amy Weir. He d.5/5/1915 at Willo'w Hill IL. 

Calvin's parents were PETER YODER (b. 1780) and 

Ellen ? b. (1790), (Note: Both Peter and 

E11en are shown in the 1850 ,luanita Co. census) 

Can anyone please help me with information on 

this family or its origins? William A. Yoder, 

5806 Briercliff Road, Knoxville TN 37918. 

**************************************************** 

WANTED: Information and locations of the descendants 

of EVERITT YODER, brother of PURTIE and JOHN 

MAX, son of WILLIAM J. YODER and NANCY A. MAVITY. 

Was in or near Chandler OK about 1920. Reply to 

Rob Yoder, P. O. Box 170717, Arlington TX 76003. 

***************************************************t 

DON'T BE AFRAID. We are always glad to receive 

YODER related news items or other things that rrould 

be of interest to our readers. Such items will be 

g1ad1y received and used when possible in future 

issues. Space governs vhen it can be used' DON"T 

HESITATE if you have anything you think is suitable. 

* t* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

People will not look forward to posterity who 

never look backward to their ancestors. 

---Burke 

Q1rpsy Dan, son of Kiefer Christ and Esther (Hertz- 

1er) Yoder got his name because he never stayed in 

one place for any length of time. He moved across 

the Allegheny Mountains seven times (out and back) 

in his lifetime, and thus Gypsy Dan. 

I enjoy your Newsletter very much, and look for- 

ward with anticipation to i_ts arrival in my mail. 

--Alvr-n D. yoder, Bef leville pA 

, ll-i 

4t.3, 

t., 

,e'6: 

W 

House in -+i.-+^ *^+ -+' 

Steiffrsburg where Anaba 

p urD u- lils ! d! te r 

leaving the Swiss Reformed Ohu 

rch --- photograp h 

contrlbuted by Mr. & Mrs. R.J tauf f er ,liew re men g 

OHr0. 

J+ J( *J+t(+JCJ( )CJ( *)CJ( J(J( J(lf.*** J( J(+ J(J( *J( i(i(J(J( )t X* J( *Jf)(J(* J(*J( ,** r( J(J( J(* *.* 

2,

Anna Trachael 

r644 

SPECULATIONS ON EARLIEST AMISH TIES TO EUROPEAN .JODERS 

Kather i nr 

Rtisser 

Jakob Joder(y65) 

b 1652 

m. Verena 

Kaufmann 

m. Margreth 

Staehl i 

aspar iloder (Y6b) 

loder (Y613) 1 

rozs--i4i 

\4d _ 

\*$ 

Magdalena c"ru.r 

Christian Joder(y615) 

b.168C 

Hans ,Ioder (Y651t 

b. 1685 

b.1687 

-/ 

^/ 

,Takoh .Tndor /?) 1v6c2\ 

b.1697 

b.1664 b. 1686 

Johannes Joder (Y6b4) 

Verena Stauffer Catherine Oesch 

(continue JODER from page 1.) 

their love in sharing the news of loving friends' 

"1 trearned fron your letter that there is sti1l a 

large family of Yoders, for which I rejoice. In Germany, 

here in Husse, I am the only one. I have trro 

sons and five daughters. The sons are sti11 single. 

Three daughters are married. Tvo are yet single' 

with whom I keep house. My loving wife died nearly 

three years ago and in March I vi1l be sixty-five 

years o1d. Of my father's brother John, one son is 

still living and lives in the Palatinate yet. So 

near has the family of Hans Joder died out in the 

Pala!inate. 

The letter ends "...your loving friend, Samuel Joder 

of Remersberg in Hesse." 

That the recipient in America was Christian Joder 

YR23 as coded by Gingerich-Kreider (p. 494), is 

assumed not only because it was found in the collection 

of a descendant, but because of a second letter 

from Samuel, also discovered by Leroy Beachy an 

earlier letter dated April 30, 1804. He writes: 

"This 1804 letter was not enclosed in an envelope 

but folded in such a way that the message was on the 

inside and the outside could be used for addressing. 

The letter was not sent through the mail system bul 

vas carried from Hesse to Pennsylvania by some 

trusted friend..." The closing line of the letter 

said, "written in haste because of this opportunity 

arranged by God...Your friend Samuel Joder, bishop 

in Hesse, " 

Beachy continues: 

"On the outside SamueI had 

written: 

'This letter will be cared for by these 

good friends who are planninS 

to America 

!o -travel 

lnd is to be defivered to the Yoder family or to 

lhe Mennonites in Pennsylvania (the rMenisten 

(next column) 

3" 

"\ 

Joder (YRt 

-- 

) 

I o.tzz) rroes=t1-02) 

I m. Barbara_ 

I 

I 4. 1,742 at sea 

ristian.lotter 

(YR2 

) 

b.(??) (1700-1703) 

iracob Joder ( y6b42 ) 

b.1708 

m. Anna Oesch 

I72B-L8I6 

Yod 

17 32_r81,3? 

(the above are the first 

Anish Yoder as immigrants 

to America (YR code) 

(the rest are 

precedent to 

(Y6 code) 

the Joders 

above Yoders 

s.amuel Joder (y6b423 ) 

( 1740-1806) 

m. Maria Guengerich 

Gemein in Benselfanien')". Beachy believes that 

it must have been received first by Christian 

Yoder's brother John in Mifflin County, for other 

handwritlng on the outslde says3 "This letter is 

to be received by Christian Yoder in the Glades" 

and also on the opposite side: "The grace and mercy 

of God I wish you, my greatly bel_oved brother 

Christian Yoder besides ministers, wife and children. 

Remember us in your prayers to God. I am 

also minded to do so in my great inability and 

weakness, Further, f inform you that this letter 

camecame to my hands from our beloved friend samuel 

Yoder of Gernany for which I greatly rejoice 

in my hear!. So I am sending it to you as I thinl< 

you will also appreciate and cherish it.Hanes 

Yoderr. 

On the outside Samuel lrrote some things which he 

repeated in the letter of 1806. Space dictates that 

we lift out only a few of the other senLiments: 

"Further we inform you that ve have received 

your letter of December 4,1803 on April 7, which 

gladdened our hearts to once again be informed 

of you in the letters in which you told about 

yourselves. From Snartzentruber f have no response. 

I have seen from your letter that you 

have a large number of Yoders there and that two 

of the old ones are sti1l living, but I must tell 

you, dear friends, that the yoder family here is 

small. I am the only Yoder that lives here in 

Hesse. My father was Jacob yoder, a son of Hans 

Yoder who lived at, Herffinen and Rosenthal and 

died at Dirmstein. 

rrlf my older cousins are still living they 

will have known hirn. .. " 

(continue on page 7)

(RoSANNA from page 1) 

The story of Rosanna Mcconegal is based on a 

true-life story how an Irish-Catholic infant 

lost her mother on her fifth day after birth. 

The heartsick father, with his olher four children, 

l-ef t f or Phi. ladelphia ruhere he could f ind 

homes for his children with friends and relatives. 

Elizabeth Yoder had been a gooci friend 

and helper to the McGonegals offered to keep 

Rosanna until a suitable home could be found. 

Time passed and Rosanna became a cherished 

child to Elizabeth and as she matured she feII 

in love with and married Christian Z. yoder, 

known as Little Crist. 

The first child born to them was named yost, Mc- 

Gonegal Yoder. A daughter Elizabeth was born l_ater 

and died while only a toddler. Then .Tohn was born 

and later Joseph, the author of the above named 

book. Of the three boys only yost remained Amish 

and John and Joseph became Mennonites. 

Joseph becane a teacher and school administrator. 

He was soon active in teaching and writing music 

vith many chorale groups in pA, fN, VA and IL. 

His brother John, kno1rn as J.M. yoder, became a 

successful businessman and moved to Goshen IN where 

he was one of the founders of the Goshen Milk Condensing 

Co. He married Sarah Hooley in 1887, They 

had one son, George C. yoder and he was the last 

surviving grandchild of Rosanna. He passed on in 

,January 15, 1987. Following are excerpts from 

Qeorge's oldest daughter Audre's letrer: 

(ADAM YODER from page 1) 

The 1820 North Carolina censua shows Adam Yoder and 

his family living in Haywood County, North Carolina. 

Haywood is west of the Yoder settlement ln Catawba 

County, and closer to the border with Tennessee. In the 

1830 census, Adam is not listed in North Carolina, nor 

is he found in any of the adjoining counties. 

Co1. George Yoder, Civil War veteran and historlan 

of the North Carolina Yoder family, reported that Adam 

had married a Sallie Davis. Buford Yother of LaFayette 

GA has found a reference to a Daniel 'iifrETiTage Yother who marrled 

an Elender Davis on Feb. 24, 1807 in 

Bonds 

of Tyron and Lincoln Counties NC". Conrad did have a 

son named Dani.el, but he was married to Elizabeth CIine 

well before that date. Could this record have referred 

to Adam? 

Unidentified Yoders appear in northern Georgia beginning 

vlth the 1B4O census. In Lumplcin County' a John 

Ephraim and an Adam are shown. In Gilmer County, there 

is a David Yeoder. A George Yother is listed in Hall 

County. The Adam is too young to have been Conrd's 

son. With David Yeoder, an aged male (70 to 80 years 

old) is recorded, but he is too old to have been Adam 

(he may have been a father-in-law?). 

The 1850 census is the first one in which the format 

provides for listing information aborrt each member of 

Lhe famiry. It shows a David, George, Jefferson, Jason, 

and Ephraim Yother in Gilmer County, and a John and 

'famund', (calfea 'ldam" in the 1870 census) in Lumpkin 

County, also with the last name spelled Yother' The 

"Yot,her" spelling is not vithout precedence in the 

North Carol-ina 1ine. In addition to the 1807 marriage 

record, in the first U.S. census of the 1790 (taken 

after Conrad had died) the widow "Catherine Yother" is 

"Dad was born in Be11evil1e PA, March 1890, The listed as head of the family. 

family moved to Goshen in 1905, where he entered The first generation male Yothet/yoder line of 

Goshen Col1ege. In 1909 he met the only girl he Georgia is shown on the chart included with this 

ever had(!), Hazel Stiver. They rere mairied May 191jrrticfe. The data displayed in the chart is based on 

He worked for his father, ,1.u. Yoder in the milk census information and assorted records to include 

condensing business from 1909 until his retirement some gathered from current day descendants of these 

in 1950--40 years. lines. An interesting picture emerges. We knolt that 

Outside of his retirement years spent vj.th his Conrad's son Adam was sti1l in NC as of 1820' We 

grandchildren, his greatest joy was fishing the lakesalso know that he reportedly 

"moved to Tennessee" at 

around Goshen. How he loved itl some Lime. The older males in this outline vere all 

When Dad was about five years old he cut his 1eg born in North Carolina between about 1807 and 1822' 

with an ax. His grandmother (Rosanna) came to his The youngest of these from the 1850 census, Jason, was 

house and "pow-ilowed"; stopped the bleeding which born about IB27 in Tennessee. This matches the patwas 

profuse. Needless to say, he was a gr-at believ-tern of migration for Adam. No other Yoder/Yother 

er in this gift of healing, ind he had a man in Gosh-branch is known to have been in NC at the appropriate 

en who he called to pow-wow for me when I had been time. The oldest malets birth is consistent with the 

hit in the'eye and nose with a golf club and it Yother/Davis marriage date. (Note: According to 

WORKED, so I'm a believer too. It would be interest-Janet Gibson of Atlanta GA, one granddaughter of John 

ing to find out how many of your readers have ever D. Yother told of hearing that the farnily name was 

heard of pow-arowing, and the cases they know about." once spelled "Yoder"). 

The Tennessee census records don't show any Yoders/ 

The book Rosanna of the Amish is well written and fothers in either 1830 or 1840. The only Yoder in the 

easily read ii?--IG-Ul6edJn-EiiE characters and 1850 census for that state is a son of one of Adam's 

events. It is paperback and has 251 pages with broLhers. 

illustrations. It can be purchased from: Several pre-1840 referebces appear for members of 

this apparent farnity in Georgia' During the Florida 

THE PROVIDENT BOOK STORE War of 1836-7, an Ephraim Yoder served with the 

119 East Lincoln Avenue Mounted Volunteers, Nelson's Battalion from Georgia. 

Goshen IN 46526 In the War of 1837-8, Adam, Ephraim and John Yoder 

serve

A VISIT TO STEFFISBURG 

AND JODERSHUBEL 

(A part of a letter written by Orie B. yoder of 

Medina OH during an August 1987 trip) 

"Our next destinination was Steffisburg. Foll-owing 

your instructions, we located the Reiormation 

ciiurcn and toured tne grounds as well as tne church. 

From Steffisirurg we drove inr,o the Emnental, a 

beautiful drive, and on to Schngnau. At Schangnau, 

the hotel you referred to was closed for the s;ason. 

However, on a map on trre outside wa1l oI' the hotel 

we located Jodershubel. Lois sugJesEed xr-.aL we drive 

to Jodershuuel. I conbrived nei-tnat one hill looks 

just-like another hi_ll, and furthermore. that we 

could not recognize Yoder HilI if rile saw it. So. we 

drove on to the srnall churcn in Schangnau, in the 

hopes of finding some clue of a Joder. We entered 

the church and l_ooked about. Thereafter, we looked 

over the cemetery. To our surprise, a1l markers in 

the cemetery were of recent times--no old graves. 

As we examined the individual stones, Eldrith came 

upon-a stone with the name Christian Schluchter, 

showing the address ',Jodershubel", We then reaii_ 

zed that Jodershubel was a definite geographie 

1gcatio4. at _least as recently as 1963,- L-ooking 

around the cemetery, we noticed three local ladfes 

visiting a family grave, and I asked them if thev 

knew of such a place as Jodershubel. Between mv 

broken German and their conprehension of Englislr, 

we.finally c-onveyed the idei of Jodershubell Tiiey 

said, "Ya, Ya!" and they would take us there, sinle 

they lived nearby. So we followed them as titey 

drove some-very narrow roads around curvy rnouniains 

for about lJ minutes until they stopped and pointed. 

There it was--Jodershubel. f thougirt it wouid be a 

high mountain peak; but no, it was-a midsized hill 

with a family raking hay on the hi_llside. The homestead 

was located further around the hill. On our 

re_turn-trip, our loca1 ladies again stopped, got out 

of their car, and pointed aerosa the va1iey sfiowing - 

us the homestead of Jodershubel from a distance. 

The cooperative willingnerJs of these 1oca1 ladies 

in helping us locate the Joder homestead was most 

apprec iated . 

I now know that Jodershubel and the Joder homestead 

exist. Swiss folks continue to harvest hay 

from the carefully tended fields and feed it to 

their carefully tended cattle. 

hearty nental and physical condition of the yoders 

today. 

For the remainel of our Swiss trip we bought a 

railpass and rode, first class, back'ana forih 

across Switzerland, visiting the cities and other 

interesting sights. " 

t+++*++++++++++r+*++++++++++f i++*++++++f l++++++++{+ 

Yes, Ben, our trip was a success. f wish all 

Yoders could travel to Jodershubel and breathe that 

fresh rnountain air that has developed the positive. 

(ccntine next column) 

***********************************************jSSUe 

ADoLPHUS YoDER FAMI.LY IDENTIFIED 

In a previous j.ssue, we reported what became 

of Adolphus Yoder who left North Carolina to 

serve in the War of 1812 and went west, settling 

in Washington co., MO. Thanks to Marie 

Edgar, Potosi, Mo, rrho is the secretary of the 

Mine Au Breton Historical Society, we are able 

Of YNL, We pfeSented arrfeadef ChaffenseI 

se9\jnq tle identity of John yotter (11/1J/178j_ 

5/27/ 1847) who 1s buried in the Dunker Cemetery, 

Huntsdale, Cumberland CountyrpA. We have not found 

the origin or ancestry

G^*nA \o).P,^r \ 

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FURTHER INFORMATION ON HENRY YODER (I756- 

1829) IN SOMERSET CO., PA GIVEN BY WILLIAM 

YODER OF GOSHEN IN. 

T lras intrigued by reading the last April 

issue (Tssue +7) of the YNL on the article by 

John Mark Slabaugh concerning where Henry 

Yoder (Sr. ) r'ras the son of Yost Yoder, is 

buried. Since this was my stamping ground 

"home community" up to 51 years ago it hit 

and 

me 

between the eyes , s i nce Henry 

great granCf ather. My brother 

was :1-a' ,Jreat- 

Ernest (noI,/ 

deceased) and myself, some thirty years ago 

had the new stone put in place, between the 

two old slones belween the two graves. 

7 r., 

Note on Katie's (Catherine Detweiler) marker 

the stone cutter made a t instead of an i which 

stands for Yoder. 

As the o1d stones were fi-e1d stones and 

were barely legible and not written rn con_ 

temporary language, we had the bj"rth and 

Lewiston (ID) Tribune, Oct. 1, 1987 

Fred R. Yoder, 98, retiged WSU proilessor 

PULLMAN - Fred Roy Yod-Gduction to sociology and the 

er, 98, a retired sociology profes-a.\other was the history of the Yodsor 

at Washington. State d er family in North Carolina. 

H?:iil':'d.+',:3,0"i":l,mr':;t-.T:yr:1"^nb-":orthecom- 

HICKORY DAttY RECORD-Mon., Augusr lt,l9g7 

'ArtnluAf 

Reunion 

yoDER rN ARABT. Fomily Holds 37tk 

the pullni'an Convaielient i"n: i*lltitv "Coirg.regational Cltuicltter. 

He had been a resident theren 

tff" 

for the past three months' fj,f,,"oh,i ,#,11i,, ffi1?1: 

can . sociological Association, 

He was born Dec. 12, 1888, at and the American Legion. 

gickoryr- 

N.c.'-t9 

colin 

,and I{e also was a life member 

Erqm4 Ygder. 

of 

Yoder gradu 

rrffi l{i;kory ^r;,th 

" 

d;'piii; lxE J}":?in""ill,?fa,ti,1".ti1i 

High School and re(eived hrs ;!;,;--bachelor's 

degree Ler,oir-Rhyne 

College, at Hickory. Yoder was a member of the 

Whitman Countv Democratic 

. rle recelv€o.a masler s qegree 

Party and was a candidate for 

lrom Ine unlverstty oI Nofir tne i_1.S. Congfess Fourth Dis- 

Carolila., and h rinltor's degree iiii,t-ii"iSii.''IiJ"ivas -bffi;;;i 'iir known as 

from University of Wisconsin. ;lfu.. 

wnitman 

Yoder studied two years 21 County 

" 

University of'Missouri at Colum- yoder held most all local.and 

bia and attended two terms at state offices in thl Democratic 

the University of London. party and wal a dilegate to the 

He was awarded an honorarv National Convention in 1952, He 

LLD desree from Lenoir-nfiin6 of the.Alpha 

#:9-Y"*3,]l"tber 

College." 

I(appa Delta, a sociology honor' 

u"lj 

Yoder taught high rchool for 

nlne iiarJifia- "bi-i"g"-iir riiii 

He se-rved in both.world war I 

iM; sor;;rs.- ilil:?f #;i,lllln,ijT,!il,T,i 

He married Wilma porter on Forces, 

{ll"^.?3:,.11?31,9 -Y1ll1-Y1tl"t In addition to his wife, surv! 

Jne survrves nlm ar tlelr nome 

vors include one son, Hubert 

at Pullman' yoder of pullman, and Thomas 

As a sociology protiessor, he Yoder of Fort W-a-yne, ll4.; f 

received an aw-aid for.his liad- daughter, Elaine Yoder Zakariership 

in opening the doors for son.of Pullman; a broth-er, Yates 

btacligradriate si-udents at WSU. Yoder of llickory'.N-.C.;' seven 

He tausht at wsu-ror !! years EHl8:iliififfi: and rive Ereatstepping 

down in 1954. He then 

mo:ved-to Portland, Ore., and . The funeral will The gamut from foods of everv 

description to the election 

From 

of officer! 

the YNL's highlighted h-is"iiffililff'lii;";;ili the 3?th annual ;;i;H statistics.which.indicated 

reunion 

that six 

Middle EaStern of otine.ii,aei}imil;: the Yoder family, which ili"il;;:"ilfi 

babies}adbeenborninto,thefami 

was held 

ci rrosnonrtanf .hr1. suriliivalzio;i;ii;r;'ciiu;fi:'::: srnce the last 8et. together' Nina 

yoder, comes anotrrl 

le-held Mon' 

taught at Lewis and Clark Col- qav at 10 4..m. at-the Cgmmqnily 

leg;there. 

Congregational Church at Pull- 

"T[i,*;;";;;;il" 

22 deatf,s 

ffi;l"1tf'and 

were arso 

er version of the hostpastor;theRev.Floydw.'Bost, yoderstatedthatrheseniormemname 

YODER as writ_ 

acovereddish.picnicwashadbyall berofthefamily,Dr.FredR.yoder 

inthechurchlellowshipbuilding. 

t_an in e rnro.inn 

of.pullman. 

presidert 

$asn., nad recentii 

Abert F. yoder of Con_ entered a hospttal foi treatmerii-'oi 

script. Arabic over conducted a businesE me€tinc Yoder. whois'98 vearsold. iuthorea 

script is read f ror 

durh{-Ihichtime the groupclectetr a 

,,History 

of the yoder Familv in 

riqht ro 1err. rh; lr.X;:1f"fr#i,:T*"i"#""li"Trff fro,tiib"iiorin.:?'tiirzA.transcription 

of Yoder, president; I, Clement Hahn Copiesof theYoderhbtoryaswell 

our name consists 

Jr., vic+president; Neal D. lvilfone. ascompanionind*rii|;t;J:*"i{ 

or rhe rerrers, ;.H:li:v; and Gerald M' Yodei' President Yoder disclosed 

3it""1*a"Y#r:lsere aistriuutbo at 

-tro 2 ) ) 4 l}f".;ilst"lf'{ffj!i.:tfii,*.# iu*'.i*n An,onio Acosta or 

tro la, d* us ;,,* ,J* [i#t*:%H;orJ'il:ff,:li [i:].;{*pjt1_\";iliiil:tii ii.T,1i*r,Iilil'liixuilo,r,"," 

liJi,?tiu1iffi3ii5,,j; 

-f 

Hassill and Doiothv Reeo-of statc- 

fl--ff;;'"::::';:'-:,'3:T:-"16-.'l:,-'.ilu 

l- 

petriarch, Conrad Yoder, ;ho 

anq 

died 

Drotnv 

i" 

Keep ot state' 

;i,iiij:' 

I - 

Io.- located on a knoll above the Ja"cob;i Mrs. Mollie W. Yoder, 90, ol 

E| Xf SJllii:l *"ntv road 1008 soulh 

lli:,xi'ii,:xi "iB Ti::".ffi; 

- An announcmenr was shared thst SDencerYooerwontiredrEuncrronoi 

lF;Eiieali|ifon8naorecentiywrrt1enlo-tn3meyoungestguesr,.Tnecnrtots 

i 'r;-T'rrT 

,. :. 1-. hlrtory of the Blackburn familv. The the ron ol Ted and Donna Yoder of 

.:" 'Y-r "Y,.r;i 1"",t"#"r5lfl^9:tlssa.lli.*l RhJ-,*i1T3*"6.i,î,nhadf^,, 

He also taught at westei.n man' 

"-. 

: :'] - future UV tle Catawli-Couiiiv iiis- ibi'meeting"wasadjournedfollow- 

,T. : a 

Kentucky rntucky State eollegr,, Collegr,, Bowling Bowling Bu Burial will follow 

Green. Ky.,.and Campbellsville man City Cemetery. 

*';ri: iT':,?i",+Tff:1Tfi;, j!3lJ"o!'"o'l? pS,J..:i"B*"ii$,'{:H."i 

' 

, | : q9q?q Conred lod_er-t-h;ough 

Yoder_ t_hrough ttre tht-;ion;r; oioniiii Baptist_evaqgelist,'Yoder 

Baptist evangelist,'Yoder is a gra-nd- Srandi 

ga_ugnter, CatherlDe, who marrla son of Ell Yoder, who emigrated to 

L 

John Baker, Sr, Tenne$ee from Lincoln County in 

"'', 

i *:::{.\--, 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **f**i.lTl,i :.ilY; * * * * * * *, 

Burial will follow at the Pull- 

College at Cdmpbellsville, Ky. -._ .__,, _ __ 

He relired from there in f#f irii . The family.suqBests memori- 

;;;ahrh; iilt;;;.tii; "f 

YODER's I'IILL, sold to Griesmers, 

"Griesmers 

now called 

Mi11". Located off Route 73 in 

PIeasantville, pA. This property was on the 

homestead of Hans Yoder of the OIey li.ne (warrent 

returned Mar.25,I7l- 4). fhe original nill was burned 

in 1847 and rebuilt the "a*e y6.r. This photograph - 

was provided by Mrs. Gertrude 

*************************************************** 

Seiz,Lansdale,pA,. 

{f APoLoGTES To ouR READERS 

Honest efforts and great amounts of time 

in order to get this issue together in an 

orderly and attractive fashion seemed to be 

an impossible task. Much retyping and planning 

r'/as necessary. Hope you can struggle through! 

'ri;;f, 

tEt 

He retired from there in 

ale be given to thd Community 

& 

went to'the Universitlr.of North 

Carolina, at Chapel llill, N.Ci, N.d: congriuqtioqal c.t1ur9f oI to Carolina, at'Chapii itiit, tt.C:- Jh9 

eongr-e-gqqoqal.c-hurch 

- or to the 

wrreii rrt Jia ii,i'eaicii. frb'iilt ll$_Y$_"1,$t'"llt'lte Fgll lt 

r,l''i ii''iiiylet"ri"i' i""p''iir#lii pa.grpbells-Yille colleg6, camp 

iii-rc* 6hlii.1i,;t -i,at;;fj 

bellevtlle, Ky. 

their home since. ryimbaU . Funeral FoSt. 

Yoder wrote sevon books, p_ub: Pgllman ls ln chargo of srfi{S 

hlnc two. One waE an idtiG 6tnt8. 

qt Fred Roy Yoder 

ewtvr. vwndr 

!$vli3hlng 

two. One waE an idtrc 6tnt8. 

standing where 

r+++++++****xrrr 

r++t+|++++++++++****aar:r 

Conrad Yoder 

dARLy RECORDS ll,lgl lrNXrnc- ,]'to.u;-e--stood. 

house stood. 

- - a * * * * * t 

From Helen V. Yoder came the following records from 

the Lutneran Church Records of Lower Bermudian Oonsregation, 

latimore 'ownship, Adams Co.,PA, .hey address -A 

the children of Daniel Jodder and his wlfe Catherine , (rt;\) 

all of whom were baptised by ftev. l,ucas Rauss 

Y 

Johannes b. 6/ 14/ tl 0Z bapr,.9/ 22/ \'t62 spr:n.Jchanne-^ ASper {- 

t 

and Elizabetha 

Elizabetha b.12/20/1761 bapq.12/26/ 176J spon. Johann 

f,ehmer & -dllzabetha 

\,vv!By d 

,^^+ vD L 

L 

u. 

nt, 

r r )O/ 1765 Uapt,9/ 1r/ 1765 spon. ceorge 

Heckel-e & Anna .Cl,izabeth 

Maria Barbara b. 11/Z/1766 bapt.1/1/1767 spon. peter 

Strum & Margaretha .llarbara 

Catharina b.'J/4/1768 bapt.5/21/1758 spon. NlchLae ; 

Dotter & Catharina 

susanna b. 5/5/ 1759 bapt.5/2a/ 1759 spon. Heinrich 

Kranester & Susan 

Johanna O. 717/1770 bapt. B/12/ 1770 spon. Caspar Klej-n 

& Catharina Schneider 

Maria Magdalena b.B/1O/17?B bapt. 1O/19/fl7A spon. 

Frederlch Herman & Maria Magd. 

Any readers who may have access to records in this 

area couLd be of great help by attemptj-ng to declpher 

the origins and destination cf this family. 

++ *+*++** **J+ *.L * + *+++ +* )tJ()ti(t+ Jt*.*J+i( J( )f* J(Jt )f J+ i()+ t+J(JtJ(J( )tJt J+)€ J+ i+*+ * 

t

w YODER NEWSLETTER 

I ssue #l 2 P.O. Box 594 Goshen, IN 46526 October . I 988 

(Part II of the article "Speculations 

on Earliest 

A'oish "ies to European .loders', follows. ONE SHOULD 

REFM AGAIN T'O TIJE LINEAGE TREE PRIIVIED ON PAGE 3 

IN YNL *11--April, 1988) 

)ooooooooooooo( 

SPECT'I,ATIONS ON EARLIEST AIqISIj TIES T'O EI]ROPEAN JODERS 

(Part I1) 

Caspar Joder Y6b had tvo older brothers whose lines 

show possibilities for connection. Hans y6l, born 

1644, ytad two sons we might consider and so did his 

brother Jakob, whichever of the two Jakobs is y65 in 

the conflicting data. There are argunents for and 

against each lheory, sollp stronger that others, but 

nolg 9{ r!S!_El:._ been clearly proved. 

J. Virgil Miller has speculated lhat the father of 

our i.rmigrants might trave been Jost Joder y613, a 

theory that has also appealed to Dr. H. F. Gingrich. 

Karl Joder stated that this Jost, who dropped out of 

his records, emigrated to Anrerica. Mi11er thinks it 

j.s nnre likely Lhat this vas the yost of 1717 in 

Lachen and that his children would have been the emigrants. 

The Chorgerichtsnanual (Judiciat proceedinqs) 

of Canton Bern in 1691 noted that "the oldest son oi 

Hans ,foder of the Bernestrasse, named Jost, is never 

at home and the father ;,h.':,; LeForts 'Ersein jetz 

nit daheim sondernzu Kaserts irr der Arbeit,.', Mitler 

says this being away at vork was a typical excuse 

for hunted Anabapists. Miller points out that no 

other Jost can fit i.nto Lhis incident as vel1 as yost, 

the Amish minister vho lived for a tire at Lachen. 

The footnotes in $,ffi discuss the possibility


Ben F. Yoder, Goshen IN Managing Editor 

Chris Yoder, Saudi Arabia, Historical Editor 

Rachel Kreider, Goshen IN, Contributing Ed' 

********************************************* 

CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR QUERIES: The nev address 

for historical and genealogical editor Chris 

Yoder and for "YODER QUERIES" is: Chris Yoder, 

us REP JECOR (CENPRO), Box 33, APO NY 09038-7001 

Chris has taken a two-year assignment j-n the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but will be continuing 

his fult involvernent vithe the YNL. Use U' S' 

posLage and a1low two to four weeks for a reply' 

************************************************* 

The profits acquired from the YNL subscriptions 

are being shared vith you by issuing bonus issues' 

When data are gathered frorn various sources by r{ay 

of original documents or copying, such expenses 

are being paid from our YNL funds. No personal 

fees or compensation are taken by any one of us' 

We do hope to establish a Yoder repository for 

the future generations. We are interested in 

establishing a safe place for the storage of any 

such property and books. If you have any o1d 

letbers, documents, material, objects from the 

past that would be of Yoder origin we lrould be 

gaaa to receive the same for the future. DO l{O'i 

ihrolr away any o1d papers, letters etc. that you 

might- be calling "junk". 

************************************************** 

If you have moved be sure we are so inforned' 

QuiLe a number of readers have received no issues 

and if we are not inforrned we t'ssume all is well 

(lrhen it ain't). Mention your old address too' 

************************************************** 

During their first year of narriage my niece and her husuand 

speit their first year in Argentina' He served as pas- 

torintheAlr€rlcanchurchandsheaSanelementaryteacher. 

A young girl from California entered the school after 

regurir "6t"io.," had started. While entering the girl's 

.rur. o. the class rol-1 the girl reluctantly paused after 

being asked her name and said, "I l/ould not care to say' 

ft i6 funny and you would laugh." The girl was finally persuaded 

and said it was Yoder. In surprize my niece explained, 

"Why that v-as my nDther's name before she vas rarrled' 

I don't-think it is a fr.rrry name"' A big smile crossed 

the girl's face. 

T}11S NI]il,IFFR 12 ISSUE IS ANCIHER BONUS. AII SUBSCRIBERS 

ADD ONE MORE ISSTJE COMING ON YOT]R STJBSCRIPIION' 

At the next YNI#13 many of you vil1 receive an addressed 

envelope. This will inform you that a new subscription 

period^wirf begin with Issue #14' As lre explained before' 

to send $6.00 ior the two-year period will certainly save 

a lot of tine for atl of us. We will certainly accept $3'00 

for a one-year subscription and don't want to be too stern' 

Si"qr. .opi"= are sti1l $1.50, Atl are sent First C1ass' 

*************************************************************t 

Chris Yoder and his fanily got a short leave 

and did get to visit his parents in Michigan. 

They also attend the annual Reuben Yoder desceddants' 

reunion held in Shipshewana, fN. Hrr cal1ed 

and we had a good talk on the phone. They 

were making a stop in England before returnj'ng 

to Saudi Arabia. A11 is well with them. 

Serving God is doing good to man, but praying is 

thought an easj,er service, and therefore more 

qenerallv chosen, 

*******t********************************************************* 

Here in Goshen tlx, nc:r;si:r'1 ci ' r'hich print's our YNL' tns each 

SaturOiy a page-tenqth cofunn vritten by Jirn Naile enLitled 

"STRAY TACKLES" by Tack' Following is an item in his coluru:I3 

Hard to Believe 

,.Tttis week I met a Yoder arrived from Denver, Colo., and after 

t.u"ing her about the spelling of her-name.' I had to tell my 

;;;;;i;. true story about the ctan' To rnake my story' r rmst 

repeat fiYself. 

Some years ago a man visiting our 'ourthouse announced 

thathewasfromNewYork,andvasdoingsomeresearchonhis 

;ft;-""r* 

i.iitv. 

is Yoder," he said' carefully spelling 

o,.rf, 

ir 

iv-o-a-e-r." of course there vas material aplenty' 

The wornan listened attentively' with a srnile' and said' 

"In Denver I did have to spel1 my narne' And sonretines it was 

p;;.;;;; as if it tu" t$tt"d ivith an extra 

'd' as in Yodder"' 

*************************l*************************************** 

Q U E R T E S - Q U E B r E 9 , , Q U - E R r E ! = - 

Can YOU Flease nerf, lne focate Fountain Dale' PA 

cemetery (maybe in Berks Co" PA) ? T was 

told th;t is where rny 3rd Gcmother' Barbara YoDER 

oyster,/nyster, is buiied' she died before 1803' 

Any help appreciated and I will pay YCU for your 

heip. thant< you. Mrs. Ann E' Hilles' 191 West 

nayton St., Alliance OH 44607' 

**************************************************** 

What is the ancestry of GIDEON YODER r'rho m' Mamie 

Mailer and died in Steam Va1ley PA? Known children 

included: Theodore Roosevelt Yoder b 3/IO/I9O2 in 

ej-ther Steam Valley or Trout Run PA; Mildred 

Yoder, late of Beliefonte PA; and possibly another 

son, Harold Yoder. Reply to: Patricia Hooper' 

RD1 Box 322, Newark Va11eY NY 13811' 

*****************************************************r 

BONUS ISSUT 

ltre following j-nfornation was on a paper sent by Patricia 

(soddy) Tharp, now living in Saudi Arabia. Famity records and 

other pertinent data also offered with the following; 

A Historv and Bioqraphical Cvclopedia of-gutler coqntv, Ohio, 

roesternTiog. Pllb. Co.;Encinatti OH, 1882, Reproduction by 

Butler Cor:nty Hist. Soc., reproduced by Unigraphic' Inc', 

4400 Jackson Ave., Evansville IN 47115, 1973. 666 pages' 

Page 640, 

*************************************************************: 

"Anpng the Manufacturers of Monroe was Peter 

Jottei, who vas here as early as 1840, and lrade vagons' This 

business was carried on by him for many years, and subsequent- 

1y by Williarn Jotter, his son, now the oldest citizen in Monr6e,-who 

took his place about 1872. He employs from three to 

five hands, and nanufactures the Edgar patent gate, and also 

a furrovinging sled or corn-naker. The Paragon Double Plow 

Works, ownea Uy Charles Warner, have been in operation six 

years. The bllcksrnith's shop was sold as early as 1859 by 

Peter Jotter, vho built it and it was afterw-ards sold-----' 

Cornlcination At1as, l4qp of Butler countv, ohio' L' H' Everts' 

Hunter Press, Phi1a. 1875. 

,'peter;otter was a resident of l€mon Township, rvas born in 

cerrnny, and settled in Butler County in 1841' His post office 

address vas Monroe and his occupation uas vagon-maker and farmer," 

l€tLer from w' Karl Joder, D-6700 Ludvigshafen'/Rh' oggersheim, 

Fried-Bessemir-Str. 5, West C'ermany, 1984' before Karl 

Joder died, quote,"Peter Jotter born al Munsterhof, Genreinde' 

************************************************ Or.issen in der Pfalz, lnrn 24 Oktober 1819." I do not ]aoov 

where or vhat his sources vere. (Ed. note: Karl had lTade 

a considerable search of all Joder connections in Germany) 

It 

(a famify sheet of Peter Jotter's descending children vas 

also included with the above data.) Many thanks to f4rs Ttnrp' 

*******************************i*******************************

(SFECUI,AI ION--continuod from page I ) 

have l'een narned for this s^,c't in the Karl Joder 

records but they were definitely two different nren. 

They vere narried seven rnonths aparL at SLeffisburg 

and their children are in the sane age bracket. The 

brother just older that Jacob Y65 (Peter Y64) married 

a Staehli, and in one of Karl Joder's books he says 

she r+ras a sister lo the wife of Jacob he indicates as 

Y65. This kind of sibling connection r{as colnnon--- 

Dicl Karl jump to conclusions? This couple is s,;jd 

l--cr have renained in Switzerland. This does not 

exactly rule them out as ancestors, for the niclcrame 

of I'ChrisL der Schweisz" or ',Schweitzer Christ', given 

Lo Ctrist,ian yR23 ttny show a close association to the 

horpland. On the other hand, other reasons can serve 

just as we11. ilakob and Margreth had a son Jacob, 

born 1689, who would have been about thirLy years old 

when the firsL child of the Wi.dow Barbara was born. His 

younger b,other Christian would have been 28 wher: 

Barbara YR21 las born (1725). 

'.;t 

We see D,:'. Gj.:,,-. 

crich decided that this couple tras more likely to belong 

to another family,(cAMlc-p. 574) but, the dates actually 

fit better than for Jacob and Verena. 

ltre familiar Amish nare of Kauffmn rnak-.r c'ne feel 

cornforlab.]-e with this 1alter lheory, as do th,' nan€s of 

the Lhree children on the baptisrnal record at Steffisburg---Hans, 

1685, Christian, 1687, and An:ra, 1688. That 

the entries for this family stop right at a point when 

there was a general exodus of the Amish out of Switzerland 

leads one to think this is when the family nnved 

north. Hans would he.re been about 35 when his first 

child was born, if he vas the inmigranL vho died at 

sea, and Christian would fia',ze been 38 irt 1725. This 

could be true but jt would not be a connnn age for two 

brothers to start their large famities. ol1 the other 

tnnd, Jost Y6 and Nicholas Y7 show an e)

(Hottle art. from page 3) 

In 17BB he paid the Federal Tax of L 1.6.3 on 200 

acres, 4 horses, and 4 catt1e.25 

On May 1788 he bought 40 acres of land located in 

SpringfieLd Twp., Bucks Co.zo 

In 1790 the Federal Census listed, besides Casper 

and veronica; one male over 16, (John)i one male 

under 16, (Jacob); and three females, (Susanna, 

Fronica, and Earbara); Anna and Maria being married 

at that time.27 

He died in Sep- I798,28his estate r{as settled by 

18 Nov. l7gg, being valued aL LLO22.3.g.29 He 

conveyed his plantation of 200 acres in Upper 

Saucon Tlrp., Northampton Co., and a tract of 40 

acres in Springfield Twp., Bucks Co. to his eldest 

son John, who at that time was vithout issue. 

John vas required to pay the estate L 1000, lrhich 

vas to be divided among hj.s five sisters over a 

period of time. John was also responsible for the 

sup,:ort of Veronica, his mother, who received an 

outright legacy of L100. She rras also to have 

choice of Casner,s books and could chOOse tO live 

"in 

either of our dwelling houses". Jacob received 

an outright legacy of L400. The below listed seven 

cirildren are mentioned in his wi11.3O 

ANNA YODER 17643I 

MARrA YODER 13_176932 

JOHN YODER fO Oct. fZZf33 

SUSANNA YODER 13 Oct .I77434 

FRONICA YODER 12 Feb. 17'7835 

BARBARA YoDER 29 sep. 178019 

JACOB YODER 29 r4ar. 178437 

---ooo0ooo--- 

FOOTNOTES 

1,' Dee d o!- s a 19r-,Je!!- Yeg-e]..-!? c1-g-p-e-r-Y-9s-el " ( 

- 

d t d' 1 3 

- 

ap.. rroal-?eE.-1io"E .-1lgg). Northampton co', PA" 

DLed Book F, v. 2, p. 96. "Casper Yoder-----son of 

the said John Yoder." 

2Approximated on the basis of the birth dates of 

his brothers and his wife. 

3He vas single in 1'762 and Anna was born in 1764' 

4 ';;e;; of_B!lCe-CS_._E_eIrgy-8911=!9 Pgter-sell" ( dtd . ) 

12-Mar.-118?;=-a .-28 bet. 778't ), Northampton co' ' 

pa., Deed Book F , v-1, p- 275. Veronica intermarried 

vith the aforesaid Casper Yoder." 

5charles F. Seng, Saucon-Menn-9nf!9-lhurcll-Cgmelell, 

Upp.er_saucon_IIp._z -!,g!fgh_Co. , P4.,".( 2 July 1969 ) , 

p,23. Typescript list of burials at Lehigh Co. 

Historical SocieLy. 

"Hereinafter cited as Seng, 

Saucon Buria1s. " 

6"EelL! 

liEE-lg."rd" at the cenealogical Society of 

PA., Mss. entries recorded on the fly leaves of a 

1743 edition of a Clrristopher Sauer Bib1e. The first 

entry, which is partly obliterated, can be distinguished 

as "Fronica". Her tombstone, along with 

Henry Sell's Deed of Release, confirms her idenity 

and vital statistics, An English translation of 

this Bible record is available. 

TCharles Rhoads Roberts, comp. 

"Anniversagy H-i=s-tog1 

of Lehigh Q-99!!y, !4." v. 3 (A11entown, PA: Lehigh 

valley Pub. Co., i914), p. 1464. 

uN. I, supra. These three lracts were a composibe 

of purchaies made by his faLher from William All-en 

in 1735, and from the Proprietaries in I743. 

9PA Archives, 3rd Series, v. 19, p. 37. His occuoation 

is desiqnated as "farmer". 

1 0 " D.. d o t- -9 " li-.- HSftII-!-e-l-l- t o--q-glr. n-IJ-e!!-o!re r " 

(dt.d. 27 l4ay I772; rec. 23 Apr. 1713), Northampton 

Co., PA., Deed Book B, v. 1, p. 411. The original 

document is at the Schwenkfelder Library, Document 

collection +13/2. 

name as 

In this deed he signs his first 

"Capsber", llKenneth Gardiner Hamilton 

"John Ettwein and the 

Moravian Church During the Revolutionary Period'll 

i n Mo r avi al- n-i;;!gg!-ca 1--599 i-e t1r-!-fgn s . v - | 2 ( Be th- 

1ehem, PA: Times Pub. Co., 1940), pp.296-297' The 

Moravians were repeatedly reminded that they would 

be harshly dealt with, as the Saucon Mennonites had 

been. Justices Frederick Limback and .Iacob Morey 

of Upper Saucon and Upper Milford, as well as, John 

Sigfried, the county sheriff, taunted the gains they 

would Dersonallv obtain from further confiscations. 

rz'p.tTtj![pg_q9pISg__Ege]men,__et_Bl " (dtc. 4July 

1778), Fa. Historical and Museum Conmission, Records 

of the Supreme Executive Council of PA., Clemency 

File RG-27. 

"Hereinafter cited as PHMC Supreme 

Executive Council Records." 

"Freedom of conscience", 

and 

the signature beinq labored. 

"except going into military service" was their 

objection. _The 

opinion of friends and neighbors was, 

"their present blindness to their own essential 

interests, proceeds from an unhappy bias in their 

education". 

fipe-enirtrvES, 6th Series, v. 12, pp' 430-432 ' This 

list reveals the price of each item as well as the 

purchaser's name. At this sale John Bare (Baer) ' 

iurchased a Bible for * -6.7'6' rf this Bible could 

ie located today, its inportance would an obvious 

contribution to Yoder genealogy' 

1 4 " p 

" 

e t i ti orr--9!--Eyg- Y-9 s e-r- ( 

9!g- -E-9!ber-!ggtrgra! 

d t d' 

. 

9 sep. 1tr-Bl;-FiMC- snFEme Executive council Records ' 

Clemency File RG-27. 

15rria. The real success of this petition is that it 

vas instrumental in the modification of the Test Act' 

1 6' R e s o 1!!-i 94- -t9- -r9!9r-!9- 99srr 9 i r --!t'c- f c t 

(undated 

I !i94-^9! 

!y9_19-q9l-!l'g--n9l!E-!e9l'!,e1" 

), PHMC supreme 

c;ffi;i1-G;o;a;, crErnency File RG-27 ' This document 

is actually an nExtract from the Minutes" ' 

i 7 " i n s t r gs!-i-er'- ts-! sIL Be-]s!.err- se4-cer n i qs- !!9- !e!r * I :! 

"r-EytJ-eg-eI-a!g-EE G!-!E!!!,eI--(AaEea 1? sep ' r77B) ' 

pnl,rb- supr"t re-aonil]]- R;E;;a;-' clernencv F i 1e RG- 27' 

- 

This document is also printed in fu11 in the PA ARC- 

HIVES, lst Series, v' 6, p' 7"72' The petitioners 

claimed L 40,OOO in damages, an inquiry estinated the 

damages at about L90OO, arrction receipts totaled 

L-64a3. cf John L. Ruth "Tltas seeding Time" (scottdale 

PA: Herald Press, 1976), pp' 17L-1'73' This 

account engenders sympathy toward the Mennonites' 

rather than Presenting the facts ' 

i6A;;; trl. ousterrrout 

icontrolling the opposition.in 

PA. During the American Revolution" in.PA Magg-z1!9 

"i Hi"!9gI-e-!-q-pf-9g-I-e-p$ v. 105, No' 1 (Jan' 1981) ' 

n. rz. -rirEse-rEE6?EFwere, "discarded after plastic 

iape used on them by WPA workers in the thirties 

disinteqrated and stuck all the pages together" ' 

igj"t" 6. ana E. Diane Stemmons, "Pennsvlvania in 

1780,-A-SlsJewide Index-pf clgga 178! PA- !3txlf+:"' 

ts-"rt-iaie-cityt-19?Bt-p. ]oo' The source of this 

iist is the (Mormon) Genealogical Society, Microfilm 

No.5228, pt. -5th 1. 

20pe nncnfvns, Series, v. B, pp. 82, 351' 355. 

These were general muster ro11s, refl-ecting the 

able-bodi-ed men -o? eacn township' They do not infer 

that Casper Yoder' or any other Saucon Mennonite 

served in military service. There generally were 

finesfornotattendingmusterorpractice'although 

none specifically feviea against him have been found' 

2icutflv T-ink "churches of Upper Saucon Tolrnship" in 

uppe r_!aggs! : _A B i ce{r ! stl i gl-rli}! 

-(centei-varrEv' 

*-}7!}=L9t 9 _ 

pat ts71), p. 29' This name is 

translated erroneously as "Casper Young" ' 

22pe anCUMS, 3rd. Series, v. 19, P. 95. 

23rria. , p. r92. 

24t'.1. a ",rptu. They relinquished any further claim on her 

falher's estate. 

25pa ancgrvns, 3rd. series, v. 19, p. 303. 

(continue-page 5-1st colurnn) 

He that's contenl, 

He that complains, 

hath enough; 

has boo much. 

(next column-this Page) 

4,

26"Deed of Sale, Casper Yoder, estaLe to John Yoder" (dtd. 21 

Dec. 1798; rec. 3 Dec. 1811), Bucks Co., PA., Deed Book v.40, 

pp. 275-271. This was originally part of 169 acres bought 

from the Propietaries by Michael Bishop in 1161, 40 acres of 

which he sold to Henry and Efizabelh Johnson of Rockbill 

'IVp., Bucks Co. in 1781. 

zttJ. S. Census, Heads of Fanilies at the First Census of the 

U. S., Taken in the Year 1790: Pennsylvania,. (Baltimore: 

Genealoqical Pub. Co., Inc., 1977), p. 181. 

28,'wi11-of Casper yoder,, (dtd. 17 Api. 1798; pro. 5 oct 1798;), 

Northar.pton Co., PA., Will Book /,ttt , v. 3, p. 183, File *1884' 

"Hereinafter cited as, Will of Casper Yoder." An inventory 

of his goods was taken on 22 Sep. 1798 by Sarmel Bachrnan and 

Jotrn Geissinger. Although there is neither tomlcstone nor 

record, he is probably buried at the Saucon Mennonite Meetinghouse 

cemetery. 

29rUia. The iccount is presented by the executors, Abraham 

Yoder, his brother, and John Yoder, his son. 

30rui.:. The witnesses were Peter Meyer and "Semruel" Meyer. 

At this tirne his will was written, Anna was married to Jacob 

Moyer, and Maria "Mol1y" \,/as narried to Chrisbi-n Shinrel . 

3lt"tarvin C. Rosenbergei, Sprinqfield Mennonite Cemeterv (c. 

Row K. \pescript tist of buriats at Bucks Co., Historical 

Society, Anna Meyer is buri-ed beside of Jacob Meyer. 

frseng, Saucon Burials, p. 20. 

34rsrD. P-E. E;led aside of Jacob wersch. 

35N--ll =rr..-. Rrrrierl aside of Daniel Geissinger. 

roseng, Saucon Burials, p. 23. Buried beside of her nother' 

Veronica. She was an unmarried daughter. 

"'1.D10. p. ro. 

*****************************************************************t 

Photograph of the late Lynn Yoder of l'alrmont, West Vlrginia' a 

dedicateci researcher of Yooer faml1y hlstory. Lynn was a descendant 

of the Oley Va11ey Yoders who settled in Schuylkrl-l Oourlty' PA. 

'ihanks to Mrs.B.Stal-derrFairmont,W.VA. for sending in this photo. 

*yr*trlr**)e*'r)t'it*.1(r(**)a+)CictrJ(r**J(J()er(t()Clr**Jt****-)e***lr******t(tir(J(J(i(*J(i()€J(J(*iCJC 

A VIS]T BY THE WILFONGS 

During August Neal Wilfong and his wife, Miriam, spent 

a couple of days visiting this parL of Indiana. Neal has 

been a faithful correspondent (being a desc€ndant of Conrad 

Yoder the early NC pioneer) for the NC clan for the 

years vJe've been publishing the YNL. 

Neal keeps scrapbooks for the Yoder, Wilfong, Coulter and 

Blackburn familjes, being all his relatives representing 

the early vestern Catawba County pioneers. He especially 

showed an inLerest and r1:r.recirr-i',n ;n :'e }r. j:.h Iifestyle 

and historical background. 

He recently pubtished a book Hayfields and Plowshares 

which is a history of the Blackburn fanily in lhat parb of 

Catawba County. Samrel Blackburn, Neil's g-g-grandfather 

married Catherine Hoffman, a great-granddaughter of Conrad 

Yoder. Ttrus many of the Blackburn clan are descendants 

carrying Yoder blood. I have read the book and can highly 

reconmend it to an inberested prson. The bookcould be of 

interesl Lo rnny of the NC Yoders. 

The book is 6" x 9", casebound in vashable blue cover 

f980) with gold imprinting, fu1ly indored, with eight original 

pen and ink drawings and around 30 photos. About 200 pages 

vith index. The price is $18.90 + $1.00 for shipping. 

Neal's address follows; 

Neal Wilfong 

Rt. 2-Box 231A 

Cleveland NC 27013 

**********************t************t************* 

Andreas' Maja and Fabian.Joder are in the states for the next three 

years. They've purchased a home in Lhe Minneapolis area. They are 

f orrner residents of Stef f isburc.; , Swj.tzerlai(: :rnd had been Iiving in the 

canton of z'ug. severaJ. years ago they had lived in LaFayette rN. He is 

enployed by a Sviss firrn. We wnjoyed them as guests several years ago. 

. Z'Jil,ns mn r'*o:e?rir[,\ 

' 

fi..,ilr.,:r,t,l1',ir i:: !;1 ^$iiqrnnlifi. lr 

1,,:-

FIRST FLATBOAT TO NEW ORLEANS_-CAPT. JACOB YODER 

In a sma11 family graveyard near Taylorsvi11e, 

Sneneer Connfv- Kenlrrekw. rcsrs r}/rrtrs 

LJ 

r 

r\v'revv,\J r 

!vv 

with Lhe followjng inscriPtion: 

an iron tablet 

"Jacob Yoder, 

Was born ln Readlng (sic), Pennsylvania, 

Aug. 11, 1758; 

And was a soldier in the Revolutionary Arny 

in 1777 and 1778; 

He emigrated to the West in 1780, and in May 

t782. fron Fort Redstone' on the Monongahela 

river in the 

FIRST FLAT BOAT 

ThaL ever descended the Mississippi River, he 

landed in New Orleans, with a carSo of produce. 

He died April 7 , 1832, at his farm in 

Spence CounLy, Kentucky, and lies here interred 

beneath this tab1et." 

So is summed up the life of the most unique 

of our early Yoder forebears. The tablet itself 

is unique. It was cast by Hanks and Niles of 

Cincinnati in 1834, one of the first cast west 

of the Alleghenies, and was erected by Capt. 

Joseph Pierce, an old frj-end of Capt. Jacob from 

Cincinnati. 

Jacob Yoder was a son of John Yoder of 01ey 

Township, Berks County, PA and his wife Sarah 

Shankle. 

(John, son of John, son of the immi- 

grant Hans (Hance) Yoder (1672-1741). Jacob 

served in the Revolution and reportedly spent the 

i{1nter of I777-I778 at Va11ey Forge with Washington 

and his troops. After the war, Jacob went 

\^rest to claim government lands coming due him 

from his military service. In the west he also 

became engaged in cornmerce. One historical sketch 

of Spencer County, Kentucky describes the results 

of his river trin chronlcled on the memorial 

table: 

"This earpo Caot. Yoder sold to the Spanish 

comnandant at New 0rleans for a draft on the 

Captain-general of Cuba. Havanna was then entrepot 

of the furs received frorn the Mississippi 

River---l-arge quanities which had accumulated 

there, in consequence of the then exiating war 

between Great Britain and Spain. Yoder invested 

the proceeds of his draft in furs and hides, 

which he took to Baltimore, making a profitable 

\/pntrrrp- Hp reneFtad fho frin fn NeI.I 0f1eanS, 

and the adventure in furs and hides, but this 

time \^/as unsuccessful . In 1784 and 1785 he 

visited Vincennes and St. Louis, and settled in 

1785 in Bardstown, but removed in lB04 to Spencer 

County. He was engaged in several Indian campalgns; 

and in L794, furnished to each of the 

several regiments bound for Gen. Wayne's arrny, 50 

horses loaded with Provisions. 

Jacob was prominent in the affairs of this 

frontier community, then a part of Virginia. A 

list of Nelson County (Bardstown) tutilitary officers 

which can be found in the Executive papers 

at the Virginia State Library includes Jacob 

Yoder. He appears in this 1879 document as a 

Captain, appointed by the County Court. It j-s 

hard for us to realize today how wild these 

lands were at the tirne of Jacob's travels. The 

last buffalo ki11ed in this area of Kentucky was 

recorded as being in 1739. 

Jacob's move to Spencer County from neighboring 

Nelson came after his purchase at a courthouse 

auctlon of 4.000 acres of lands in 1804. 

0n this property near Taylorsville, Jacob built 

a thirteen room plantation home. The house was 

built -in,-l806 from bricks made of native clay 

throueh the labor of slaves. 

YODER PLANIATION HOUSE-BTTILT IN 1806 

In research to date, Capt. Jacob is the only member of the 

family confirmed to have owned slaves. A document which was 

in the possession of his farnily addressed the sale on Oct. 31 

l7B5 from one ldward Tyler to Jacob Yoder of a family of 

negroes. 

".rudah and her son llarry and an infant daughter 

urrramed.". This familywas reportedly origlnally brought to 

Kentucky from North Carolina by Squire Boone, father of the 

pioneer Daniel Boone, and like Jacob, also originally a resident 

of Berks County, Pennsylvania. The boy Harry was sti1l 

living wlth ther 

'^* 

living with the family of Capt. Jacob's daughter Y!s' 

David 

Poignind, on the homestead near Taylorsville in 1871 at the 

age of 89. 

Ilarry is quoted as describing visits to Capt. Jacob by 

I4r. John Fitch (1743-1798), well known pioneer of steamboat 

navigatlon. He described him as "short and stouut, speaking 

with a foreign accent' and always conversing with said 

Capt. Yoder in Dutch or German". 

A list of open accounts, bond and note holders due the 

estate of Co1. Andrew Hynes 1n Bardstown, 1801, includes 

Jacob Yoder and also one "Dick Yoder (Negro)". The third 

census, taken in 1810, shows in Jacob's household more than 

20 slaves and one "free co1ored". 

Jacob was certainly one of the wealthier slaveholders 

in the county at that time. Whether Lhe descendants of 

any of these slaves took the "s1ave-name" Yoder (as "Dick 

Yoder" apparently dld in the 1801 record cited above) is 

not knovn. If any YNL reader has ever run into any black 

Yoders, please let us know. 

' & . 

i/. 

6, 

SLAVE CABIN...single remaining structure 

as of 1974. Originally held house slaves 

(continue on page 7)

When the Oley Va1ley, PA historian, Peter G. 

Bartolet, M.D. gathered his information of the area 

during his professional visits of the 1840s and 

1850s, he met vith John and David Yoder' children 

of Jacob's brother Daniel. They recalled the visit 

of their uncle (who was born there on the homestead 

.,.not Readinq as the tablet stated) which had 

occured over 50 years before. (fraqments of lhe 

Past, published by the Women's Club of the Oley 

Va11ey, 1980). capt. Jacob is reported to have 

been 

"of a lively disposition and had imbibed 

considerably of the 

hemp and tobacco in 

liquor". He told how he raised 

KentuckY,a,rd "a1so told them 

many of the Revolutionary incidents' as well as 

those of the Indian wars in which he had engaged. 

He had traveled all the \^ray from Kenlucky and 

back again on horseback. 

some time. 

He stayed there for 

" 

Capt. Jacob married Mary Mossrnan (Feb. 1, 1713- 

Aug. 21, 1830). They had two daughters known to 

lir:ei Lc adulthood. Eliza, bcrn in 1795 in Bardsto'wn, 

married at Taylorsville about Aug. 25, 1824 

David Rozel Poignand. Mary (1810-fBB1) was married 

on Dec. 8, 1835 to Mason Brorrn of Frankfort. Mrs. 

Poignand originally received the homestead' but 

when all her heirs had died, il subsequently went 

to the family of her sister, Mrs. Brown. 

"Yoder 

, Kentucky never had a postoffice 

never existed as a torrn. T'he narne 

nor any stores. It 

"Yoder" 

appeared on th, 

lIEp of Kentucky because it was a stop on the Louisvil]e ani 

Nashville Railroad. Ttre passenger trains sLopped at the 

Yoder plantation for passenlJers, but especially for cans of 

milk which the plantation and surrou:.ding farms shippe

REPORT OF A YODER REUNTON 

Forty-one descendanls of Tobias and Mary (Flochstetler) -rioder 

gathered at Crooked Creek Christian camp in Wayland, Iova, 

ApriJ- 23-24 for the third reunion of this family. 

Tobias and Mary rnoved from Pennsyhania to Iowa where 

they raised a family: 

of those in attendance 

Henry, Noah, Lewis and Mahlon. Most 

'were 

from I\4ah1on's family. AIso 

present were a few grandchildren of Noah. The youngest child 

of l"Iahlon, who had five childrurr, vas Ida Yoder of Wadsworth, 

Ohio. Ida is the author of lhe book, Edlrard, which is a 

collection of the r+ritings and jour:nal of Edward, her brother. 

Ttre reunion attenders carne from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, 

Indiana, Ohio and Ontario. Highlight,s of the week-end were 

worshipping together Sunday nnrning, sharing family nernories, 

playing games, sharing mealsf and viewing three slide presentations 

rnade by various family members. One was a historical 

presentation of the Yoder family from Switzerland, 

firsL to Pennsylvania and then lo fowa. Another was a look 

at the strength of r,/omen in non-western countries. A third 

was a devotional sceni,c slide collection with nrusic. 

The next reunion of this fami.ly is planned for the fa1l of 

1990 at the same location. The family r+i11 be celebratj-ng 

Ida Yoder's B5th birthday. 

---By Cindy Yoder Shafik 

***************************************************************t 

NEWS-HERALD, perkaeie, pa., Vedneeday, July 6, l9g8 l5 

Yof hers Fomily Holds Reunion 

Ttre 65th Annual Yothers Reunion 

was held Sunday, June 19, at St. 

John's Evangelical Lutheran 

Church with 4? family members 

txesenl. ' 

The pioneer ancestor of this 

frmily was Hans (John) Yoder who 

eettled in Lower Milford TownshiP 

in 1720, then called "The and Barbara Yothers. who was 

baptized in 1840 by Bishop Henry 

Hunsberger, is still in the possession 

of the Yothers Family. Isaac M, 

Yothers was married to Susanna S. 

Overholt. 

After the Pa. Dutch smorgasbord 

Great meal, the president, John Meryl 

Swamp." Hans and Anna Yoder Hunsberger. awarded the following 

migrated from Switzerland circa prlzes: 

l?19 and bought the above mentioned 

property from Joseph Naomi Yothers, 83, of Souderton 

Growden for 15 pounds current was the oldest p€rson present and 

silver money. 

the youngest person was Matthew 

Their son, Casper Yoder, bought Richatd Benner, 8, of Souderton, son 

this property from his father in 1?50 of Richdrd (Yothers) and Sue 

for 20 pounds current money. Benner. 

Jacob Yoder, son of Casper, 1742- 

1826, chanSed his name to Yothers. 

He owned a farm of 131 acres in New 

Britain Towrship (then known as The traditional guessing game 

Vauxtown). Jacob Yothers had two winners were Betty (Yothers) 

wifes, the first Catharine O. KulP, Moyer from Lansdale and 

died in 1??3, and is buried in the Miriam Yothers from Souderton. 

Deep Run Old Mennonite Cemetery. Dan Hunsberger was elected as 

Jacob Yothers and his second wife, vice president for a four year term. 

Bbrbara (Fretz) Yothers, are both The officers are: President. Bob 

buried in the Doylestown Mennonite Yothers, Glenside; vice president, 

Cemetery. 

Dan Hunsberger, R.R. I, Perkasiei 

Jacob and Barbara Yothers are secretary-treasurer, Alverna 

the ancestors of all the Bucks 

(Yothers) Hunsberger, Apple Butter 

County Yothers families. 

Road. Perkasie, and historian, 

Tte fraktur-style birth-baptismal Ricbard J. Yothers, Jr., Boston, 

certificate of Isaac M. Yothers of Mass. 

Doylestown Township, (son of Jacob The next lamily reunion will be 

F. and Barbara (Meyer) Yothers held at the same place on the third 

and the grandson of the above Ja€ob Sunday in June 1989. 

THE PENNSYLVANIA YODER REUNION 

By H. Harold Hartzler 

One of my pleasant memories is that of 

attending the Yoder reunion. This was 

held annually beginning August 7, I92O, 

Near Ashland PA with 151 persons present. 

A. L. Yoder of Ashland served as president 

and conlinued in that office until 

7925, 

(contrnue top of next column) 

Albhosgl my narne is Hartzler, I find that a number of n1 

ancesLors vere mernbers of the Yoder family. My cjreat-gr:€)at' 

grandfat.her Jacob ljarLzler vas th(: son of Veronica Yoder, 

daughLcr of the vidov Barbara Ycder. He nrarried Anna Yoder 

daughLer of Yost Yocier ancl Mary Seiver. Her sister Elizahr:tlr 

Yoder marrjed John King, son of Jacob King and Barbara 

7'tq, again my ancestor. 

Nancy Yoder. Cau.thLer of Chr:istian Yoderr and Magdalena 

Yoder, was my moLher's great-gl:andnroLher. Her sister 

Mattie Yocier married Abraham Zook. They vere also my 

great grandparents of my motlrer. Thus at least four of my 

ancestors were rne-mbers of the Yoder family. 

l,evi K. Ytder of Reedsville PA served as president of 

the Yoder reunion from1925 to 1928. He was a member of the 

Maple Grove Meruronite Church near Belleville PA. Paul B. 

Yoder of Palnyra served as presidenl from 1928 lo 1930' 

follolied by Henry B. Yoderof Manatawney, 1930-31' bhen 

Kensier Yoder of Reading, 1931-32, Ieonard Yoder of Re;rding, 

1932-33, and Robert F. Yoder of Shillington' 1933-34' 

Jo:r'ph W. Yoder of Huntitlg,lon vas elected presi.dent and uas 

re-elected every year until 1954. It was during those yc:ars 

that my family alLended Lhe Yoder reunion. 

J. W. Yoder, author of Rosanlajf the Amish was a very 

enthusiastic leader and pronnter of the Yoder reunions. 

Soon after his election as president iL vas decided to 

hold Lhe reunions at- Mt. I-ebanall near Leban^r cvery other 

year. Tt vas i ^ 1r. hr'f i 'f iii-r-,rr' -'trj.1 

las Par!: near Lew:tslton 

on alternaLe year:!t. This plan was follo';ed since 1944. 

J. w. Yoder lras a qreat sonc; leader. He composed a number 

of Yoder reunion sonrls r^4rich vJerc- sung al the reunj-ons. 

The firsl verse and chorus by J. W. Yoder follows: 

We're gathered friends from near and far, 

For fellowshiP and Praise; 

May this reunion be a sLar 

To briqhten al1 our days. 

Chorus 

T'LIen let us sing the Yoder narne. 

Let,'s lift jLs virtues high; 

Defend it e'er from wrong and shame 

When sore Lenpations nigh. 

*********************************t****************t 

Yoders To Indonesta 

Two children of t}t Ben Yoders of Goshen have b€en have been in Switzerland where he is the editor of the 

"comingandgoing."Mr. andMrs. MarlinVanElderen, World Council of Churches magazine. They have exright, 

who have been in Geneva, Switzerland, the past changed their apartment with former neighbors in 

eight years, have arrived for a visit with the family. Mr. Grand Rapids, Mich., for the six-week period. The Van 

and Mrs. Gregory Yoder, left, departed Sunday for In- Elderens and the Yoders attended the first reunion this 

donesia where they will spend a year of service for the weekend of the children of Harvey M. and Laura Yoder. 

{hristian Reformed l{orld Relief Society. They are About 75 family members attended. Harvey and laura 

shown with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Yoder of Yoder had nine children and six are still living. The reu- 

Goshen. The Gregory Yoders and their two children will nion was held at the Holiday Inn. Sunday rorship serbe 

stationed on the island of Java and will live in Jakar- vices were held at the Inn for the family by the Revs. 

ta. He has been teaching special education in Grand Mark Meckstroth and Ned Heeter. Family members at- 

Rapids, Mich. The Van Elderens and their four tending were from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, 

daughters will be visiting in the area six weeks. They Maryland, Minnesota, Florida, Illinois and Indiana. 

(Goshen News Photo) 

8,

w YODER NEWSLETTER - Yoder Family Information

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