Hiram Berens 1840-1913
Brenner Family
Paul Brenner’s (1912-2007) great grandparents emigrated from Germany to America between the 1840s and 1873. Jacob and Dora Hildebrand Brenner arrived in 1862 from Wurttemberg, Germany, with their son, Gottlieb and settled in Allegan County, Michigan. Gottlieb married Elizabeth Blinn in 1875. She emigrated with her parents, Phillip and Catharina in 1873. The Blinn’s initially settled in Ohio.
Gottlieb and Elizabeth’s son, Paul Brenner married Elizabeth Kraft in 1905. Elizabeth’s grandparents, Nicholaus and Maria Seibert Kraft arrived in 1860 from Hesse, Germany with their son, Charles. They settled initially in Indiana and by 1880, relocated to Michigan.
Charles Kraft married Mary Schaffer whose family was also, from Hesse and arrived in 1866.
Konrad Heinrich Schaffer married in Germany to Margret Telstring 1818-1865.
They came to Philadelphia from Leipzig around 1855 with three sons, Konrad, Jr., Charles Adam, Lewis, and his father, Adam born in 1790. Other siblings came by 1860.
Konrad and Adam first started a cabinet making shop in southeast Philadelphia. He turned to matchstick making by 1860 and successfully sold his strike anywhere matches to the Diamond Match Company who wanted to purchase his machinery and formula. Konrad stubbornly refused. Some legal issues developed when Diamond Match sent a man in to work undercover and “report” on Konrad ‘s methods.
Konrad reached a very satisfactory settlement with Diamond Match Company, but passed away, not long after. He left the bulk of his estate to his son Frank, first son, from his second marriage to Catherine, who was born in Germany 1840.
Berens Family
Ethel Gertrude Berens (1916-1992) married Paul Brenner (1912-2007) October 28, 1936 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her grandfathers, Harm Berens and Willem Lomholder, were 19th century German immigrants to Michigan. Harm Berens was from Lower Saxony, Germany and came to Michigan sometime before 1883. Willem Lomholder and family arrived in 1865, also from Lower Saxony. Her maternal grandmother, Caroline Dendel was born in Michigan, but her parents, Peter and Dorothea arrived a few decades earlier, in 1837 from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
Ethel Gertrude Berens’ paternal grandmother was Emmeline Jane Moomey (1858-1925).
The Moomey and Gift families are descended from the Pennsylvania Dutch who came to America from Germany in colonial times and settled in the Philadelphia area. She is also descended from Joseph Ditteau (1740-1772), a French Huguenot and Deacon Richard Butler (1610-1684), an English Puritan and one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut. Richard Butler was born by about 1610 based on estimated date of marriage. He came to Massachusetts Bay in 1633. He first settled in Cambridge; moved to Hartford in 1636. He died in Hartford 6 August 1684.
This is an image of his name inscribed on the founder’s cenotaph in the old burying ground in Hartford, CT.
Moomey, Ditto, and Gift Biographies
Samuel Mumme was born in London and immigrated to colonial Pennsylvania. Samuel’s grandparents were from Germany and moved to London in the late 1600s.
Samuel’s son John Jacob Moomey fought in the American Revolution. Below is an image of his service record cover page held in the national archives:
The immigrant’s great-grandson Jacob Cyrus Moomey (1818-1864) was a Civil War veteran with the Allegan Co., Mich. Company I, 13th Regiment, Michigan Infantry. He was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga 9/20/1863 and later died of disease as a POW and is buried at the Danville National Cemetery in Virginia.
Mariah Butler, wife of Civil War Veteran, Jacob Cyrus Moomey and 5th great-granddaughter of the 17th century Puritan immigrant, Deacon Richard Butler.
Joseph Ditteau was from Strasbourg, in the Alsace region on the border of Germany. His descendant, Francis Ditto was a private in the 13th Pennsylvania line of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and was captured at the Battle of Monmouth and later exchanged. He was also present at the Battle of Stony Point and the mutiny against Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne. He was a hunter and trapper and spoke Pennsylvania Dutch (German). He married Eleanor Gift in March, 1782 and was the father of nine children.
Francis and Elnore Ditto Biography:
“A genealogical history of the four daughters of John Adam Gift will follow: Elnore, oldest daughter, was married to Frances Ditto. They lived on their farm in Pennsylvania, now Adams Township, in Northumberland, now Snyder County, in what is still known as Musser’s Valley.
This farm is now (in 1906) owned by D. A. Kern. This county was then (in 1800), sparsely settled, full of wild animals, such as the bear, the deer, the wolf, the wild cat, the catamount, and all kinds of large and small fur-bearing creatures. Mr. Ditto was a great hunter and trapper. Many of these animals were laid low by his unerring rifle and never-failing strong steel traps. He felt himself at home among such wild neighbors. He was also a Revolutionary soldier. He related to his granddaughter, Mrs. Mary M. DuBois, now residing at Tiffin, Ohio, that during his military service he often met and talked with General Washington. She further says her grandfather was a strong-minded and resolute man and not easily frightened, yet he was strictly honest and upright in his dealings with his fellowmen and he expected the same treatment from them.
The following incident happened while living in Musser’s Valley. Mr. Ditto was in the habit of burying his apples in a hole or pit in the ground and covering them, first with straw, then with earth to keep them from freezing during the winter. About the holidays when the family began to use these a small hole was dug through the frozen earth and a plug of hay or straw was inserted to keep the cold out. After the family had used apples for awhile he made the discovery that the apples were disappearing too fast. He made a new hole opposite the first one and set one of his strong steel traps over in front of the old hole, inside closing the new hole tightly and covering it
nicely with snow. The next morning when Mr. Ditto came out of his house, he discovered that he had caught his apple thief with his right arm in the hole and his hand fast in the trap and his empty bag beside him. He called Mr. Ditto saying, “come quickly and loosen me, I am almost frozen to death.” In Pennsylvania German he said “Kum gaschwind un moch mich lose ich bin by naw zum dod ferfrora.” He replied, “I have not time now I must go to the barn to feed my stock.”
Upon his return he loosened his apple thief and told him: “We have plenty of apples you could have had for the asking, but I don’t want them stolen. I will give you a bushel in your bag as a compensation for detaining you so unceremoniously at my apple hole. If you come back again for apples without permission, I will fill you full of buckshot. Mr. Ditto never revealed the name of his apple thief, but it leaked out afterwards that the guilty person was one of his neighbors.
Mr. Ditto’s residence was close by the north branch of the Middlecreek near its junction with Swift Run. This locality was densely covered with heavy timber and underbrush. This made splendid hunting ground. Mr. Jeremiah Gift when a young man from 1783 to 1790 often accompanied his brother-in.law, Francis Ditto, on his hunting and trapping expeditions, often camping out overnight. This was related to the writer, A. K. Gift, when a small boy, by his grandfather, Jeremiah. In the evening, after a day’s hunt Mr. Ditto would pass the time in taking the hides off the animals killed during the day.
Francis Ditto followed farming and his favorite business of hunting and trapping up to 1812, when the country became more thickly settled and game more scarce. Then he followed the example of the renowned pioneer, Daniel Boone, who with his father, ‘Squire Boone, settled on the banks of the Yadkin River. North Carolina in 1764. Soon others came and the settlement became crowded.
But to return to the subject of this sketch. On the 4th day July 1812, Francis Ditto, and his wife by their deed granted and confirmed a certain tract or parcel of land containing 228 acres to Adam Kern for the consideration of five hundred pounds, $2433.00, situated in Penn’s now Adams township in Northumberland, now Snyder County. Pa. After having so disposed of his farm and personal property, such as could not be transported by wagon teams, as there were no railroads in
that early day, Francis and family were ready to go on their long journey early the following morning, July 5, 1812, for the far west, as the Ohio country was them known. The evening before their departure their neighbors gathered to give them a last good-bye. While they were thus
assembled a member of the family came in and reported that the fence beyond the barn was on fire. This was quite a distance from the house. The family and their guests all ran out to put out the fire. Mr. Ditto, however, refused to leave the house, saying: “You go, I will remain here with my loaded rifles and my money bag.” There were then no banking facilities so he kept $700.00 in a strong canvas bag all in silver and gold coin. This was considerable wealth for those early days. Mr. Ditto readily apprehended what the fire beyond the barn meant so late that night. The fire was soon extinguished by the family and their friends and no attempt was made to rob the house.
After a long and tedious journey, they arrived at their destination in Pickaway county, Ohio. One record, however, gives it that they first landed at Piqua, Ohio, then removed to Pickaway county soon afterwards. In Pickaway County, Francis Ditto, procured considerable real estate, mostly government land, in the fertile Scioto River valley. Here he located permanently. Most of his children had grown up to manhood and womanhood in Pennsylvania and were a strong and hearty family, well suited for pioneer life. This Ohio country was then thinly settled and full of wild game, so Mr. Ditto was in his element, for he found hunting and trapping more remunerative here than in the state and county from which he had come.
Francis and Elner Ditto were blessed with the following children: John W., George, Andrew and Johnson. All the daughters the writer could trace at this late day were Catherine and Mary. All the historical data relating to the Ditto branch of the Gift Genealogy are very fragmentary. It was mostly obtained by tradition and correspondence between the writer and Mrs. Mary DuBois, a daughter of John W. Ditto and granddaughter of Francis. She is a kind old lady living in Tiffin, Ohio.
John W., eldest son of Francis and Elnore Gift Ditto, was born in 1785 on the Ditto homestead, in Penna. now Adams township, Snyder county. Pa. He died in Seneca County, Ohio in 1853.
In 1812 he emigrated with his father’s family to Ohio. He settled first at Piqua. In 1821 he procured a Government Land Warrant for 160 acres in Seneca county, Ohio. He was married, and in 1822 he moved with his family to the new home, which was then wild and heavily timbered. He cleared some land and built a house for himself and one for his parents. He afterwards brought them from Pickaway County to their new home. Here Francis Ditto died at a good old age. By his own request, he was buried on a lot on the farm of his other son, George, near the home of John W. Francis Ditto was a Revolutionary soldier and was personally acquainted with General George Washington. The farm of George Ditto on which he is buried has changed owners many times since the burial of this honored veteran. It is said that his resting place is unmarked and greatly neglected. Very few of his posterity are now living there, therefore the county or government should remedy this oversight as soon as practicable and at least erect an inscribed marker.
I am including an excerpt from Francis Ditto’s court testimony in October 1823 in which he is applying for his Revolutionary War pension:
“When I enlisted, I was told by the recruiter that I should be sergeant of Horse but I was soon …….. for I served on foot, and or a private. My twin brother of the name of Jacob, with several others, enlisted at the same time and under similar representations, from the recruiting sergeant, but when they found they had been …… they departed, and earnestly signalling me to do the same but I concluded that my service was so much needed at that time that I would serve my term which was three years. Gen Wayne was ……officer under Washington and Lafayette was with ….Soon after my enlistment I joined the army at Valley Forge, when we …. during the winter.”
Francis Ditto was a pvt. in the 13th PA Line during the Revolutionary War, captured at the Battle of Monmouth and later exchanged. He was also present at the Battle of Stony Point and the mutiny against Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne. He was a hunter and trapper and spoke Pennsylvania Dutch. He married Eleanor Gift in March 1782 and was the father of nine children. His grave is unmarked.”
Biography of Johan Adam Gift
“In 1750 Johan Adam, and his two brothers, Peter and Nicholas Gift, emigrated from Germany to America. Johan Adam, settled in Weissenberg Township, Northampton County, (since the division in 1812, this Township is within the territory of Lehigh County. Pa.) In this latter county his two brothers also settled.
In September 1754 a proprietary warrant was granted to Johan Adam Gift for twenty-five acres of land, also on Dec. 10, 1773, he procured a warrant for one hundred acres all located in Weissenberg Township. The only proprietary taxes that could be traced in that township were paid in 1772. 4£. 8s. The next taxes he was assessed with were in 1778, in Penn Township, Northumberland, now Snyder County, on a valuation of real estate of 485£.
The foregoing shows that he sold his real estate and that in about 1777, he, with his family migrated to Penn Township. This section of country on the east, as well as for some distance on the west side of the Susquehanna River, was known as Shamokm. He settled in Middlecreek Valley, formerly Cumberland County, Pa. Subdivisions have since been made and this territory fell within the boundary of Northumberland, then Union, and finally in 1855 within the boundary of the new county of Snyder, and Middleburg became the county seat.
Johan Adam Gift owned and settled here on a farm which was warranted and surveyed in the name of Richard Tea, on the left or north bank of Middlecreek, about three miles west of where Middleburg is now located, and now within the boundary of Franklin Township. This farm then contained 250 acres. Afterwards he conveyed this farm to his son Anthony.
In 1793, lohan Adam, bought another farm, the main part of which was surveyed Oct. 10, 1755, in pursuance of a warrant dated Feb 10, 1755, to Abraham, David and Samuel Hurr, containing 225 acres. This farm is located on the south or right bank of Middlecreek, Franklin Township, a quarter of a mile west of Adhere Paxtonville now stands. Tills second farm he conveyed by deed to his youngest son Jeremiah. This farm remained in the Gift family, the posterity of John Adam, for one hundred years. It has since been sub-divided, the principal part of which is now (1907) owned by William A. Mitchell. This is the birthplace of the writer of this history, A. K. Gift, son of John Gift, grandson of Jeremiah and great-grandson of Johan (John) Adain. Johan Adam Gift died at a ripe old age. His beloved wife, Anna Catharine, must have preceded him to the spirit world. We believe this for this reason that he signed deeds, alone, for years before his death. Tradition says they are buried in the cemetery at Christ’s church, more familiarly known as Hassinger’s church, two miles west from Middleburg, Pa. Here their ashes rest in unmarked graves, but these level spots cannot speak, hence their history is lost in oblivion. This burial ground is the oldest in this part of Pennsylvania. “
Both biographies are excerpted from: “The history of the Gift, Kern, and Royer Families”, by Aaron Kern.