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HomeMy WebLinkAbout812"Typewritten article, 5 pages; 21.7 x 28 cm; compiled by Joe Nighswander. NIGHSWANDER FAMILY GENEOLOGY 1682 TO 1997 It has been known for a long time that the Nighswanders of the Toronto, Markham, Stouffville area are descended from pioneers who emigrated from Maryland and Pennsylvania in the early 1800's. This part of our history is quite well documented through family Bibles, Ontario land registry offices, family records of Ontario Nighswanders, and research by Norman Wideman, Alma Beasley, and my father, David. While some of us (including my wife Elsie and myself) have visited Switzerland, more specifically the Langnau and Berne areas, and have found the name Neuenschwander both on tombstones and current records (real live persons!), there is little documentation that I am aware of, to support the commonly held assumption that our ancestors migrated from Switzerland to America in the 1700's. We were told in Switzerland that the name Neuenschwander means, ""the new owner of a mountain pasture"" i.e.., ""Neuen"" - new; ""Schwand"" - a mountain pasture; and ""er"" - the possessive suffix. We also visited a farm near Berne in the Jura mountains, which is known in the area as belonging in earlier years to the Neuenshwanders. We found initials which included ""N"" on an old shed door along with a 1700's date; also a lindertree, which, it is said, was a mark of the Anabaptists who planted these trees as they moved about in Europe to, in many cases, escape persecution. In 1984 I received a letter from a Mildred Nisewander Kangas (Mrs. John) who was asking for information about the Ontario Nighswanders. Her letter contains invaluable information about our ancestors from 1682 in Switzerland to Hans (John) who, with his mother and two siblings emigrated to America in October, 1754. I have no reason to doubt the viability of her research. The available dates of the births and deaths of John and his son, Abraham, establish with some accuracy, that the Abraham who emigrated to Ontario in 1824 was the son of John who came as a boy of four to America in 1754. I received the letter from Mrs. Kangas during my ""busy years"" at Parkview, and unfortunately I did not get around to corresponding with " "2 Nighswander Family Geneology her until June of 1993, only to have my letter returned marked ""deceased"". I am now trying to establish a link with her family, also a library to which I have been referred. The geneology provided by Mrs. Kangas in her 1984 letter is as follows. I have no reason to doubt or question the authenticity of her information: 1. Christian Neuenschwander was born in 1682 in Langnau Parish, Bern Cantor, Switzerland. In 1715 he married Magdalena Stouffer, daughter of Uli (Stouffer?) of Eggiwil Bern Canton. They later moved to areas northwest of Langnau, perhaps to escape persecution. In their last years they were in Erguel, Basil Episcopate. Among other children whose names are not included, they had a son, Abraham. Christian and Magdalena died between 1745 and 1754. 2. Abraham Neuenschwander was born in Switzerland (exact place not known) on Sept. 22, 1718, to Christian and Magdalena. He married a Katherina Baumgartner and to them were born at least three children, the middle one was Hans (John) who was born Sept. 22, 1750. Abraham died ""pre 1754""; but Katherina, with three small sons, decided to emigrate to America; again, likely, to escape religious persecution. They arrived in Pennsylvania on October 1, 1754, having crossed the ocean in the ship Phoenix. There are records in the archives of the Bowmansville Mennonite Church in Brecknock Twp. Lancaster Country, Penn., showing various Neuenschwander family members repaid sums to ""the poor box"" of that church as provided for in the ""alms letter"". These records mention the names of Isaac and Christian Neuenschwander, who may have been sons of Katherina and brothers of John, our ancestor. 3. Hans (John) Neuensnhwander was born in 1750 to Abraham and Katherina. He was 4 years of age when his widowed mother and two young brothers sailed for America on the Phoenix, arriving in Pennsylvania in Oct. 1, 1754. It is not known (by me, at least) whom he married or where he is buried. He may well be one of several Neuenschwanders who are buried in the Reiff church cemetery near Hagerstown, Maryland. He " "3 Nighswander Family Geneology died in 1789 in Maryland. (Elsie and I have visited the Reiff cemetery.) According to Mrs. Kangas, she is descended from Christian, the third and youngest son of Hans (John). We, the Ontario Nighswanders, are descended from another son, Abraham, who emigrated to Ontario in 1824. 4. Abraham Neiswander, son of John and ??, was born in Maryland on April 14, 1773. He was twice married, first to a woman referred to in the records as ""Miss Stone"", or ""Miss Starr"", or ""Stare"". They had three sons, John, born Jan. 17, 1798; Abraham, born July 17, 1799; and Christian, born June 25, 1801. There is no record of which I am aware, of any of these sons coming to Ontario. There is also no record of the death of Abraham's first wife. (Why is she referred to as ""Miss""? What an interesting story might well be connected with this woman, the first love of Abraham!) Abraham later (date not known) married Susannah Hoover, who was born on March 22, 1789. To Abraham and Susannah were born ten children; Samuel, Isaac, Martin (our ancestor), David, Michael, Daniel and Joseph (twins), Matilda, Elizabeth, Manuel. (Matilda is also called Otilia. She is an ancestor of Henry Turman.) Abraham and his wife Susannah, with ten children, emigrated to Ontario, arriving in May of 1824, and settling in the Markharm/Green River area. Abraham died on March 3, 1825, less than a year after moving to Ontario. All of the children, it seems, continued to live in Ontario, with the exception of Manuel, the youngest who moved back to Penn. and is buried there at Chambersburg. The descendants of Samuel moved to Manitoulin Island; indeed Samuel and his wife Elizabeth Kreider may have moved to Manitoulin with at least one son, Tobias, in the 1860's. (Elsie and I hope to research Manitoulin sometime.) However, Samuel and his wife, Elizabeth are buried in the Altona cemetery. Abraham died on March 3, 1825, and is said to be buried at the Wideman cemetery, although we have not been able to locate the [grav]e as of the date of this writing. Susannah, after Abraham's death, married a John Smith of Vaughan Township, and they had one daughter, Sarah. " "4 Nighswander Family Geneology 5. Martin Nighswander I was born to Abraham and Susannah (third son) on November 13, 1807. He was married twice, first on March 29, 1831 to Elizabeth Lehman 1814-1838. To them were born two children, Martin II and Susannah. (Martin is my great grandfather; Susannah is the ancestor of the Simeon/Murray Reesor families) His second wife was Barbara Reesor, whom he married on Feb. 26, 1839. They had five children: Annie; Menno; Fannie; Sarah; Rosanna. Martin Sr. died on Oct. 16, 1881, and is buried with his two wives in the Altona cemetery. He purchased property in 1838 at Lot 31, Cone. 9., Pickering, and probably moved there near the time of the death of his first wife, Elizabeth; (my assumption). The house on the north 100 acres was built in 1852. 6. Martin Nighswandar II was born to Martin Sr. and Elizabeth (Lehman) in 1839. He married Sarah Hoover 1836-1903. To them were born two children; Enos and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the ancestor of the ""farmer Dan Ramer"" family. Martin Jr. died on Dec. 9, 1914. he and Sarah are buried in the Altona cemetery. They lived on the south 100 acres at Lot 31. 7. Enos Nighswander was born to Martin Jr. and Sarah (Hoover) on Jan. 3, 1861. He married Elsie Burkholder, 1856-1931. They lived all their married lives on the south 100 acres of Lot 31, commonly known as the ""Mill property"". To them were born sons David 1886-1961 and Peter 1891-1975. Enos died on March 16, 19/7. he and Elsie are buried in the Altona cemetery. 8. David Nighswander was born to Enos and Elsie (Burkholder) on Jan. 23, 1886. He married Nancy Lehman, Mar. 14, 1884-Mar. 5, 1969. To them were born four children, Fred, Florence, Mary and Joseph (me). David and Nancy lived all of their married lives on the north 100 acres on Lot 31, Conc. 9., Pickering. THEY WERE MARRIED ON DEC. 14, 1910 David died on June 14, 1961, while researching family history near Hagerstown, Maryland, from where our ancestors Abraham and Susannah emigrated to Ontario in 1824. He and Nancy are buried in the Altona cemetery. " \"5 Nighswander Family Geneology I hope the above brief summary of our immediate family history is of interest. I must emphasize the information of our Swiss ancestors is based, at this point, at least, on the letter of 1984 from Mrs. John (Mildred Nisewander) Kangas. Hopefully this information can be further researched. J.M. Nighswander (Joe) "