Risser, Abraham

Abraham married Lehmann, Anna on 2 Jun 1746. Anna was born in 1725 in Geisberg, Alsace; died on 18 Sep 1782 in Friedelsheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Strohm, Maria. Maria was born in 1750. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elisabeth married Leisy, Abraham in 1785. Abraham (son of Leisy, Johannes and Holl, Katharina) was born in 1755; died in 1830 in Friedelsheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1885

Notes:

Friedelsheim, near Durkheim, Germany

Anna married Krebill, Friedrich on 16 Dec 1816 in Friedelsheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Friedrich (son of Grehbiel, Samuel and Würtz, Agnes) was born on 3 Feb 1788 in Altleiningen, Rheinpfalz, Germany; died on 3 May 1849 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1880, Vermillion, Ashland, Ohio, USA

Notes:

"JOHN S. GRABILL was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1818. In the fall of 1833 he left Germany in company with his parents and arrived in America Christmas week of 1833, spending the holidays of that year in Philadelphia. In January, 1834, the left Philadelphia for Ashland county, Ohio, traveling some five or six weeks by team, and located in Vermillion township. Mr. Grabillwas fiftenn years old when he arrived in Ashland county, and has resided in Ashland county ever since. His father died in 1845, and his mother at a later date. Mr. Grabill has given his whole time to farming, and by industry, economy, and good management occupies a front rank among the best farmers of Ashland county. On August 21, 1845, he married Miss Nancy Harper, of Vermillion township. They had one son, Samuel, born August 29, 1846, who was married March 13, 1877, to Miss Anna Ewing, by whom he has two children. Father and son live in the old house happily. In 1877 Mr. Grabill made a southern tour, visiting Atlanta, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Charleston, and many other cities, returning by way of Washington city."

Source: History of Ashland County, Ohio; George William Hill, M.D., published by Williams Bros., 1880

Johannes S. Grabill was nearly sixteen years of age when on February 9th,1834 he with his parents, five brothers and a sister arrived at the Hayesville cross-road in the State of Ohio. It was this John who wrote the letters from Havre de Grace in France, to his grandmother at Altleiningen describing their journey from the Pfalz through south-west Germany and France to the port where they embarked for America.

These and other letters which were written by members of this family from their pioneer home in America to their relatives in Germany were ultimately retrieved from there.

Still more letters which were received by Johannes from his brothers and sister after they had left the vicinity of Hayesville and settled in other localities were contributed to the Bluffton College Historical Library at Bluffton, Ohio, by present descendants of Johannes Grabill.

These letters provided the earliest information about our common ancestor Friedrich Krebill that we have. The following excerpts are from notes kept by "Johannes."

"1833. I was born of Christian parents who fed, clothed me and saw that I received a good school education as well as Christian instructions.

1837. Now I am nineteen years of age. We have left the Fatherland and came to the United States of America. My father's home was in a mill near Altleiningen. His name is Friedrich Krebill. My mother's name was Anna Risser and her home was at Friedelsheim near Bad Durkheim. They were married in 1818 and moved on to a farmstead called Messerschwanderhof, near Otterberg.

I was born May 4, 1818
Bro. Samuel was born October 24 1819
Bro. Abraham was born May 10 1821
Bro. Jacob was born Nov. 28 1822
Bro. Heinrich was bornJune 18 1824
Bro. [Peter] b-May 13, 1825 & d-Jan. 4, 1827 ( ed - Should read Christian)
Peter was born Nov. 5 1827
Sister Agnes was born Sept. 12 1830

We lived on the Messerschwanderhof for about 14 years. My father then sold this farm and rented half of the large Quirnheim estate. About three years later we left the Fatherland and moved to America where we settled on a farm near Hayesville Cross-Road. Father bought this 80 acre farm with a Saw Mill, a windmill, two small houses and half under cultivation for $1050/00."

The following he added later: "When I was attending school in Germany I wrote my name "Johannes Krebill" and was told that we were not related to the "Krehbiel" families in the Pfalz. In America the teacher suggested I spell my name Grabill. If I had it to do again it would not be done."

In a letter written in 1849 to his uncle Heinrich Krebill in Germany, Johannes mentioned that his wife was English and could speak only a few words of German. They, with their two year old son, were living on an eighty acre farm about a half mile from his parents' place.

After the demise of his father that year and of his mother early in 1857, it was to "John" that his brothers Abraham, Jacob, Henry and Peter as well as his sister Agnes Eyman-Eberle directed their letters from their new homes farther west.

Abraham was probably the first to leave the old home vicinity when he settled in Bureau County in Illinois. Jacob and his sister Agnes Eyman were the next for they arrived in Lee County, Iova in the fall of 1856. Henry who was following a trade as a craftsman had been working in various localities and did not settle down right away. Peter and his wife and newly born babe
left in the spring of 1857 for Lee County in Iowa which made three of these Krebill descendants living within walking distance of each other.

After so short a space cf time as 22 years only one of the descendants of Friedrich and Anna Krebill remained in the Hayesville vicinity in Ohio.

It was in the 1920s that my uncle Fred. H. Krebill of Donnellson, Iowa had come into possession of the letters written by the Friedrich Krebill pioneers to their relatives in Germany. Of the five translated copies which Uncle Fred made, the one he gave to me was typed on some John L. Donley business stationery at Ashland, Ohio. Mr. Donley had married Elizabeth Grabill, a
granddaughter of John S. Grabill.

This seemed to have been about the last time that the Ohio and Iowa Krebills were in contact with each other until a few years ago Howard Grabill from Ashland contributed some letters and other papers to the Historical library of Bluffton College at Bluffton, Ohio and finally more recently when we began to solicit reports about the John S. Grabill descendants for our genealogica lbook.

Donley descendants still possess some acres from the ancestral properties in the Hayesville, Ohio area.

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.

Johannes married Harper, Nancy on 21 Aug 1845 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. Nancy was born on 12 May 1822 in Virginia, USA; died on 27 Mar 1876 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Samuel, the second son of Friedrich and Anna Krebill, was undoubtedly named after his miller grandfather Samuel Grehbiel of Altleiningen, Germany.

His life was interrupted when as a young man he contracted what was then called "consumption", now known as tuberculosis. At that time this affliction usually proved fatal and Samuel succumbed to the dreadful disease before his 23rd birthday.

Four years before his demise, Samuel was still taking an active part in the farm work so perhaps his illness was of short duration. He had not married.

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.

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]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1880, Franklin, Lee, Iowa, USA
• Residence: 1885, Lee County, Iowa, USA
• Residence: 1900, Franklin, Lee, Iowa, USA

Notes:

10 October 1907, p 6-7
Krebill -
September 21, 1907, in Donnellson, Iowa, Jacob Krebill, at the age of 84 years, 9 months, and 23 days. He was born in Friedelsheim, Rheinpfalz, Bavaria. In the year 1832 he came with his parents to America, who settled in Ashland County, Ohio. On April 6, 1846 he was joined in marriage, which was blessed with 11 children, of whom 2 sons and 3 daughters survive. His wife preceded him in death on August 4th of this year. He leaves 5 children, 3 brothers and sisters, 43 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. In the year 1857 he came with his family to Lee County, Iowa, where they have lived since that time. The congregation has appreciated his life and influence to such an extent that he was elected many years to the board of directors. Funeral sermons were preached by Elders Treftzer of Franklin (German) from John 11:28, and P.P. Hilty (English), from Hebrews 4:9.

________________________________________________________

Jacob Krebill - Third Generation by Olga A. Krebill Hirschler, 1966

Jacob> the fourth son of Friedrich and Anna, was a lad of eleven years when they arrived in Ohio. Jacob had attended public schools in Germany and probably did so for a Period
of time in their new home vicinity in America.

On a farm in those days a boy of eleven did not only do his share of the daily chores, he also took the place of a grown man with the field work.

Johannes Risser, an educated ordained minister, served the newly founded congregation of Mennonite pioneer families in the Hayesville community. The Rev. Risser was an uncle of Jacob's and conducted catechismal classes. Jacob attended these classes and ultimately, like his older brothers, was baptized in the Mennonite Christian faith and accepted as a member of the church.

At the age of 24 years Jacob married Eliza Ann Strickland and in the following ten years that they lived in the Hayesville community their first six children were born. Their first child lived but a few weeks and their third child lived about two and a half years.

In the fall of 1856 Jacob and Eliza with their children Frederick, Amanda, Nancy and Mary left their Ohio home and traveled by covered wagon and horse teams across the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to Lee County, Iowa.

A Mennonite colony had been established here some years before and a church building had been built several miles due west from the town of Franklin.

On November 13 in 1856 two deeds were filed at the local court house by Jacob and Peter Krebill for 120 acres of land which they had purchased on the 5th of the month. One deed was for 80 acres described as the East 1/2 of the Southwest1l/4 of section 20 in Franklin Township of Lee County.

The other deed was for 40 acres described as the North 1/2 of the West 1/2 of the same Southwest 1/4 Of section 20.

Jacob and his family moved on to his farm right away but Peter remained at Hayesville until the following spring.

About 25 years later, on February 4th, 1881, Jacob filed a deed for 80 acres of land for which he had obtained the title on January 20th. It was described as the East 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4 of section 27 in Franklin Township.

On June 17, 1884, he filed another deed for the adjacent 80 acres for which he had obtained the title on March 12th, and described as the West 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4 of the same section 27.

There seems to be some indication that Jacob may have farmed this land prior to the time when he filed these deeds.

Perhaps he may have rented the land or possibly bought it on contract, before he obtained title to it.

In the year 1871 Jacob's son Frederick married Elizabeth Rings. Frederick and Elizabeth were the first to live on the west half of this 160 acre farm.

The house stood at the end of a short lane leading in from the road about midway between the town of Franklin to the east and the Green Tree crossroads to the west. In 1882, after five children had been born to the Frederick Krebills, Elizabeth the mother died following a serious tuberculosis illness. About a year later Frederick married a cousin of his former wife.

Up until this time Jacob had been living on his farm near the church. He had replaced the old house with a red brick one, enclosed it with an attractive front Yard, built a large bank barn and other improvements. He had a bearing apple orchard and grape vineyard. After Frederick's children had reached school age, which was about the time when he married the second time, he and his father Jacob exchanged farms. It has been reported that this was done so that the young children were closer to church and schools.

In 1884 Jacob built a small frame house on the east half of his 160 acre farm. This house stood close to the main road s.s well as to the lane which lead to the larger old home. When his son Joseph and Selma Weber were married they moved into this new house, which they occupied for about four years. When Jacob and Eliza's son William married Clara E. Weber, the parents moved into the smaller home near the road and Joseph and his brother William shared the old house.

Josephs occupied the south part and Wills the north part of this old house.

By 1894 the brothers Joseph and William rented the adjacent farm to the west and since their families had been expanding, William with his family moved into the house nearby which stood on the rented farm. However, the two brothers continued to farm the several farms together.

Jacob was a deacon at the Zion Mennonite Church for many years. After moving to their farm near Franklin Mr. and Mrs. Krebill would come to the church services driving a brown horse hitched to a top-buggy. They were honored with a reserved.space for their rig along the hitching rack in front of the church. After Jacob was no longer able to drive himself his son Joseph's family would bring them to the service.

These grandparents continued to live by themselves up until after their 61st wedding anniversary. A bell was mounted conveniently so they could call for help as the Joseph Krebill family still lived nearby in the old house. When the old folks retired early, their son Joseph would make it a routine of his to go up and sit on the porch by their bedroom window to talk.

In August 1907 Eliza became very ill and in a few days was called home by her Lord. In order that the aged Jacob might remain in his home environment, his son William's widow and children moved in to care for him. Only seven weeks after Eliza's demise, Jacob too was called to his eternal home.

________________________________________________________

Jacob Krebill - Third Generation by Olga A. Krebill Hirschler, 1966

In the fall of 1857 Jacob added a postscript to a letter vritten by his brother Peter to their brother Johennes Grabill at Heyesville, Ohio.

Dear brother;

I must write you briefly how we are getting along. I am sorry to report that our little Mary has been ill nearly all summer. She is presently so poorly that we are in doubt that she will be with us very long.

She is suffering with tuberculosis and the doctor says nothing can be done to help her. The rest of us are quite well.

Christian Hirstein says he is sorry that he does not hear from anyone in Ohio. He did not know that I had left there until he had almost arrived at our place here. He did not mention about receiving a letter from you. Write again,

Your brother Jacob.
______________________________________________________

Buried:
Mennonite Cemetary

Died:
near Donnellson

Jacob married Strickland, Eliza Anna on 6 Apr 1846 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. Eliza (daughter of Strickland, Joseph and Harper, Mary) was born on 21 Jan 1827 in Ashland, OH; died on 4 Aug 1907 in Donnellson, Lee, Iowa, USA; was buried in Donnellson, Lee, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Henry Krebill was about 10 years of age when his family, the Friedrich Krebills, arrived at Hayesville, Ohio. In a letter to their folks in Germany dated early in 1837, Henry's mother stated thathe had canpleted his apprenticeship but was still working for his employer.

From some early correspondence we gather that perhaps Henry had apprenticed for a shoe-maker and leather merchant which trade he may have followed before he got into the Colorado mining and ranching business.

Included the the "Altleiningen Krebills" book are letters and excerpts of letters written by Henry and by others about Henry. These letters indicate to some measure the itinerant'
mode of living he followed during most of his adult life.

Henry Krebill spent the last years of his life at the home of his nephew Frederick H. Krebill, near Donnellson, Iowa, where he lived in retirement until the time of his demise.

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

Notes:

The youngest child of Friedrich and Anna Krebill and was not much more than three years old when they arrived in America. She is probably the only one of the children who obtained all of her school education in America. In addition to attending the English public schools during these pioneer years, Agness, like most children of Mennonite families also attended german parochial school for a few months every summer as well as receiving catechismal instructions. After completing the catechism course at about the age of fourteen years, members of the class were baptized and accepted into the church as members. During much of her life, Agness was known by the name "Nancy".

Source:Torsten Eymann database,Web page downloaded, March, 2000 by Michael Hervey,http://www.iig.uni-freiburg.de/~eymann/

Am 25.10.1833 in die USA ausgewandert.Aus 1. Ehe mit Christian Eymann(1822) 5.5121 waren 4 Kinder.
In 2.Ehe verheiratet(4.3.1858)mit John Conrad Eberle,geb 16.1.1825 in Deutschlan,verstorben.am 24.5.1910 in Halstead,Kansas/USA.5 Kinder aus dieser Ehe.
Gustav Heinrich Eberle Louise Friderica E.verh.Jakob Dester
Lydia Rose E. verh.Charles H. Krehbiel.Christian Friedrich E.verh.Floy Marston
Jenny Christine Eberle

Buried:
Zion Mennonite Cemetery

Agnes married Eymann, Christian on 23 Aug 1848 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. Christian (son of Eymann, Jakob and Eymann, Anna) was born on 19 Apr 1822 in Biedesheim, Rheinpfalz, Germany; died on 8 Feb 1857 in Franklin, Lee, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Agnes married Eberle, Johannes Konrad on 4 Mar 1858 in Franklin, Lee, Iowa, USA. Johannes was born on 16 Jan 1824; died on 24 May 1910 in Halstead, Harvey County, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

______________________________________________________

Krebill, Peter, farmer, Section 19; P.O. Franklin Center; owns 190 acres of land, valued at $40 per acre; born Nov 7, 1827, in Bavaria, Germany; parents, Frederick and Anna Krebill, emigrated to what was then Richland Co., Ohio, in 1832, where the father died in March, 1849, and the mother Jan 17, 1856. Mr. Krebill married Magdalena Fox Feb 15, 1856; she was born April 6, 1833, in Bavaria, Germany. In the spring of 1857, they emigrated to Lee Co., Iowa, and located on his present farm. They have eleven children - Anna F., born Jan 15, 1857; David J., born May 11, 1858; Henry F., Nov 10, 1859; Margaret, April 29, 1862; Magdalena, Feb 15, 1864; Samuel, Jan 20, 1866; Peter, Dec 28, 1868; John, May 23, 1870; Edward, Feb 5, 1873; Laura, July 7, 1875; Frederick, March 9, 1878. Mr. Krebill is a member of the Mennonite Church; Democrat.

Source:

The History of Lee County, Iowa
Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879
Franklin Township, Page 780
_______________________________________________________

Peter was just a boy about six years of age when the Friedrich Krebills arrived at Hayesville, Ohio early in 1834. The fact that Peter was so much younger than his brothers was to his advantage for he had the opportunity to attend English schools fork a longer period of time.

In addition to growing up on a farm with its many chores for the young, he also learned about operating a farmer's saw-mill.

Early in 1856, about seven years after the father, Friedrich, had died, and about a year before the mother Anna's demise, Peter Krebill and Magdalena Fox (Fuchs) were married. During this summer, Peter and his brother Jacob and their brother-in-law Christian Eymann, decided to move to the Franklin Prairie vicinity near Franklin in Lee County, Iowa.

In the fall of 1856 the brothers Jacob and Peter bought 120 acres of land about three miles due west from the Village of Franklin Center. However, Peter did not move to Iowa until the following spring after their first child, a daughter Anna, had been born. They left Hayesville in April of 1857 and like his brother Jacob and Christian Eymann did on the previous fall, Peter traveled by covered wagon and team. They arrived on the 13th of June and moved into a log cabin which stood on a forty- acre tract, a part of the 120 acres which the brothers had acquired the fall before. About a half mile north from the new Zion Mennonite church, a lane extended eastward to the Peter Krebill's cabin.

The wives of Jacob and Peter were non-mennonites. There seemed to have been some conversation among the church dignitaries to the effect that the wives should be required to be baptised before being accepted as members. However, in view of the fact that both of them had been baptised in protestant faiths, Peter warned the Mennonites that they would prefer to join another church if they insisted that this was mandatory. Fortunately the Mennonites accepted the wives as members without any reservations.

Peter Krebills lived in their log-cabin until they moved into another one when in 1865 Peter purchased about 50 acres of land in the south-west quarter of the adjacent section 19. His home on this newly acquired place stood just one mile west from his brother Jacob's place. In 1867 and 1869 Peter added two more tracts of land next to his first 50 acres. In 1883 he purchased still another piece of .farm-land which gave him title to the entire south-west quarter of section 19.

He also owned two wooded tracts across the road from his farm in Harrison Township which brought his holding up to about 200 acres. Peter followed a diversified type of farming, specialized in horse and cattle breeding and operated a grain threshing rig for many years. At first he used a horse-power and later a steam engine to run the grain separator.

The following pages contain excerpts from letters which Peter Krebill wrote from Lee County, Iowa to his brother John Grabill at Hayesville, Ohio.

These letters were written over a period of years from the time when Peter first arrived in Iowa in 1857 to the time of his brother John's demise in Ohio
in 1887.

The full text of these letters may be found at the Musselman historical library at the Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio.

John S. Grabill, Hayesville, 0. July 5, 1857, Franklin Center, Iowa.

The Jacob Krebill and Agnes Eymann families are all well. We arrived here on June 13th. We moved Agnes into one of Mrs. Strohm's
houses west from the church. I left brother Henry at brother Abraham's place. He said he would be traveling towards Peoria, and would write me when he found
a job. I have not heard yet. I went with Fred Fuchs to Montrose on the sixth. Goodbye
Peter Krebill.
___________________________________________________
John S. Grabill, Hayesville. September 23, 1857, Franklin Center.

David Risser offered to sell his eighty acre farm to sister Agnes Eymann and take her house at Franklin in trade. He asked $27/00 an acre and offered $672/00 for her house. Agnes bought the land. It is described as the west half of the northeast quarter of section 29 in Franklin township.

I sold my iron gray horse for $170/00 to John Rupp, a brother-in-law of Reinrich Hirschler. Brother Jacob bought the roan mare for $150/00 without an argument. Today was the first day of the three day fair at West Point.

Tell Fred Fox (Fuchs) I will write him before long.

Your brother Peter Kreebill.
____________________________________________________
John S. Grabill, Hayesville. January 18, 1868, Franklin Center.

The last one of two letters from you came from Philadelphia.

I got first premium on the large horse and second on the colt. Pork is worth $3/50 to $3/75, corn 15$, or 20# at Keokuk. I often think of the time when you took your first trip to the west, when we were all gathered around the table. Mother would say in german, "I wish John would come and eat some now."

Now you are there and the rest of us are scattered from here to Pikes Peak! We had hoped to see Henry last fall but have not seen anything of him yet.

Your brother Peter Krebill.
____________________________________________________________

John S. Grabill, Hayesville. June 1, 1868, Franklin, Iowa.

John Hertzler and wife have been here. After they got back to Burlington he found the garden plow and he took it to their shop. He will send it to us as soon as possible. I still keep their plows here for sale. I sold my stallion to John Haffner, a son of Fred Haffner, for $300/00.

I have 50 acres of small grain and 50 acres of corn. Our Anna had a letter from brother Abraham's little girl.

Peter Krebill.
____________________________________________________________

John S. Grabill, Hayesville. October 2, 1881, Primrose, Iowa.

We did not hear from Henry all summer, if we do hear from him we will let you know right away.

Our Peter was baptized with six others last sunday September the 25th.

John, Edward and Laura are still in school. Little Freddie is only three years old.

Peter Krebill.

________________________________________________________________________
John S. Grabill, Hayesville. November 17, 1886, Primrose, Iowa.

I would like to hear that you are feeling better. Perhaps next summer you may feel like visiting us again.

I am feeding 23 steers. Our son Henry will start out for himself next summer. He rented a farm about a mile north from the Dover crossroads. So
by next year there will be four out of our eleven children out on their own. We haven't heard from brother Henry yet.

Peter Krebill.
___________________________________________________________________________

John S. Grabill, Hayesville. January 1, 1887, Primrose, Iowa.

Happy New Year! As I wrote the date I thought of the time fifty years ago on a new years day how you taught me to write the new date. It was on that big old chest by the old cook-stove.

Henry will marry a daughter of John Lowenberg who lives close to the church, and are preparing for their home by spring-time.

"Nephew Samuel'; Looking at the picture of your four children, that little girl standing by the tree reminds me so much of the little boy I used to see riding the dog around the house!

Tell them to be kind to their grand-pa when he is sick.
Peter Krebill.
_____________________________________________________________________________

John S. Grabill, Hayesville. January 17, 1887, Primrose, Iowa.

I miss your letters so much since you are not able to write.

For the past thirty years we have exchanged letters every year. On the 23rd of this month brother Jacob's daughter Charlotte and Elias Weber are to be married. Then on the 30th our Lena and Emil Leisy are to be married.

"Dear nephew Samuel"; Our Freddie wants to tell your boys Howard and John the little speach he gave in school:

"If older boys can make a speach
we.little boys can too
And though we may not say so much
Yet here's a word for you.
This world's large and full of room
There is a place for all
The rich, the poor, the wise, the good
The large as well as small
So give the little ones a chance
To show off what they know
And shun us not because we're small
For little boys will grow
Your uncle Peter Krebill.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Samuel H. Grabill, Hayesville, 0. March 13, 1887, Primrose, Iowa.

Dear Nephew;

I did not get around to answering your last letter before we received the sad news af your father's death. At the time Laura and Freddie were down with the measles and I could not leave at such a time to attend the funeral. At such a time one wonders "Why didn't I go and see him while he was still alive?" "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, even so saith the spirit, for they rest from their labor."

Emil and Lena Leisy live in Kansas now. Henry and Elise moved on to their farm last Tuesday. Katharine Latschar and Henry Sander are to be married next Sunday the 20th.

Well, Howard; Freddie was delighted to receive your nice letter. Freddie's English school will be out this week and then he will go to German school again. If you were here you could learn to talk and write german letters. Last wednesday was Freddie's birthday and his mother baked a big cake for him.

Does your mother bake one for you on your birthday? When I saw her she was a little girl, I think about two years old.

I wish I could see you all for I like children when they are good and mind their mothers.

Peter Krebill.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Buried:
Mennonite Cemetary

Died:
near Donnellson

Peter married Fuchs, Magdalena on 15 Feb 1856 in Hayesville, Ashland, Ohio, USA. Magdalena (daughter of Fuchs, Casper and Kraupner, Margaret) was born on 6 Apr 1833 in Neiferheim, Germany; died on 8 Mar 1908 in Donnellson, Lee, Iowa, USA; was buried in Donnellson, Lee, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]