Grabill, Samuel Fredric

Other Events:

• Residence: 1860, Fairfield, Bureau, Illinois, USA

Notes:

Our quest among living Krebill descendants for information about members of the Abraham and Margaret Grabill family seemed to yield not one single clue which would indicate where they may have lived nor who or where descendants might be now. We had almost given up hope that we would be able to include any report about this family in our Krebill genealogical record.

However, recently when we were studying copies of some german script written letters we discovered one and part of another which were writter. by Henry, a brother, in which he described a trip to and visit with his brother Abraham. He named the towns which he passed through as well as his destination but failed to put down any names of the States.

We began by searching the Ohio map, then the Indiana one and finally the Illinois one where the town names and destination seemed to fit Henry's description. Our inquiry at the Bureau County Court House revealed records that in the year 1856 an Abraham Grabill purchased 80 acres of land near New Bedford.

Being pressed for time we continued our search and found a Tracy L. Grabill living near Walnut, Illinois, who is a descendant of the Abraham Family, who is still residing in the vicinity of the old Grabill homestead. With his help we were soon receiving reports from many other descendants and due to their interest and willingness to help, we are able to include their reports
as you find them on the following pages!

When Abraham acquired his farm there was no house on it and so a neighbor let the Grabill family live with them until a house could be built. He dug a well and walled it up with stone and built a tanning yard with vats so he could carry on the tanning of hides with his farm activities. Old letters indicate that his brother Jacob, on a business trip from Lee County, Iowa, stopped off at his brother's home for a visit.

Abraham was a Sargent in the 148th Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. It was reported in a letter dated December 1865 that he had returned home from the military service.

Abraham's wife Margaret passed away in 1888 and nine years later their only living son Fredrick too passed away. Fredrick left a surviving widow and two young children, Wayne and Tracy.

After his son's demise Abraham left his old homestead and went to live with his son-in-law and daughter Arnetta who resided at Kensington, Kansas, where he remained for the rest of his days.

Source, Olga A. Krebill Hirschler, The Altleiningen Krebills 1730-1966 (Paul and Olga Hirschler, 020 Lassen Street, Richmond, CA: 1966), Newberry Library, Chicago, also personal collection of Michael Hervey, page 33.

Abraham married Fivecoats, Margaret B. on 13 May 1847 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. Margaret was born on 7 Dec 1823 in Virginia, USA; died on 21 Apr 1888 in New Bedford, Bureau, Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Altleiningen, near Grunstadt, Germany

Friedrich married Risser, Anna on 16 Dec 1816 in Friedelsheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Anna (daughter of Risser, Sr Johannes and Strohm, Maria) was born on 15 Nov 1794 in Friedelsheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; died on 17 Jan 1857 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1885

Notes:

Friedelsheim, near Durkheim, Germany

Notes:

Miller Samuel Grehbiel

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries a Samuel Grehbiel family occupied what was known as the Altleiningen mill in the RheinPhalz area in southwestern Germany. The mill stood on the banks of a stream called Echbach, a short distance down stream from Altleiningen towards Grünstadt. These flour mills Were typical in this part of Europe wheresoever streams of sufficient flow existed to turn the water-wheels which operated the mill machinery . Much of the water which spilled from these wheels would find its way back into the stream and continue down to turn the wheel for other mills.

In those times flowing streams were the principal source of power for many industries.

About two centuries before there existed a protestant movement called Anabaptism. This was somewhat more radical than that which was initiated by
Martin Luther.

This movement was met with vehement actions by State and Church. Many were destroyed, many more tortured and driven into the vallys of the Alps or into the swamps of the low-lands. A converted catholic Priest, Menno Simons, made an effort to gather some of these refugees into groups and under his leadership formed the branch known as Mennonites. In the 1600s and 1700s many of these Mennonites fled to America and settled in the state of Pennsylvania and Virginia.

By the time of the Grehbiels at the Altleiningen mill, the Mennonites were starting to conform to the practice of other protestant Evangelical churches. In certain areas officials permitted Mennonite members to erect their own churches. However, all young men were required to serve two years of military training and be subject to conscription in case of war. This was contrary to the belief of the Mennonite religion and so these people were still at odds with the Church-State government and therefore not accorded full citizenship.

In addition the farmers were subjected to exorbitant rents and taxes. Because of the scarcity of land young men were unable to prwide a home and in consequence were not permitted to marry. Teen-aged boys were required to serve a four year apprenticeship in sane craft or trade and after being discharged they were permitted to travel as journeymen and work for others or perhaps ultimately establish a business for themselves.

Abraham, a son of Samuel and his first wife Katharina, was Mayor of Altleinigen for a period of time. While he was thus in office he signed all Official papers spelling his name, Abraham Krebill instead of the way his father spelled it. There is evidence that the rest of this family followed his Practice from then on.

Source: Olga A. Krebill Hirschler, The Altleiningen Krebills 1730-1966 (Paul and Olga Hirschler, 020 Lassen Street, Richmond, CA: 1966), Newberry Library, Chicago, also personal collection of Michael Hervey.

Mill Location: 49° 30' 39.28" N 8° 5' 3.72" E

Samuel married Würtz, Agnes in 1774. Agnes was born in 1750 in Munchhof Bhochspeyer, Germany; died on 22 Jun 1838 in Altleiningen, Rheinpfalz, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She came from Munchhof near Hochspeyer, Germany.

Johannes married Strohm, Maria. Maria was born in 1750. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]