Written by Forrest Moyer on May 24, 2017
This series of posts highlights families descended from 18th-century Mennonite immigrants to eastern Pennsylvania, in connection with the MHC’s exhibit Opportunity & Conscience: Mennonite Immigration to Pennsylvania, on display through March 31, 2018. The stories reflect the enrichment brought to communities over centuries by the descendants of immigrants.
An old world devotional
John [Johannes] Detweiler (1721-1806) was born when his immigrant parents, Hans and Susanna, were in the first years of trying to carve out a life in the Skippack woods. They
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Written by Forrest Moyer on May 19, 2017
In 2016, two sets of beautiful 19th-century dishes were donated to the MHC.
The first is a full table setting of “flow blue” dishes, circa 1870, that belonged to Susan Godshall Frederick Rosenberger (1854-1932) of Souderton, PA. She married first, in about 1873, Benjamin H. Frederick (1852-1891) of Franconia Township; then Amos Rosenberger (1852-1924). Susan was a member of the Franconia Mennonite Church and is buried there with her first husband. The dishes may have been a wedding gift at their
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Written by Forrest Moyer on April 26, 2017
This series of posts highlights families descended from 18th-century Mennonite immigrants to eastern Pennsylvania, in connection with the MHC’s exhibit Opportunity & Conscience: Mennonite Immigration to Pennsylvania, on display through March 31, 2018. The stories reflect enrichment brought to communities over centuries by the descendants of immigrants.
Immigrant Valentine Hunsicker
Valentine Hunsicker (1700-1770) — or “Felti” as he was called — came to Pennsylvania as a teenager with his maternal grandfather, Valentine Clemmer (Klemmer) around 1717. They settled in the “Great Swamp”,
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Written by Forrest Moyer on April 19, 2017
This series of posts highlights families descended from 18th-century Mennonite immigrants to eastern Pennsylvania, in connection with the MHC’s exhibit Opportunity & Conscience: Mennonite Immigration to Pennsylvania, on display through March 31, 2018. The stories reflect the enrichment brought to communities over centuries by the descendants of immigrants.
Michael and Andrew Ziegler
Michael Ziegler, a 25-year-old weaver, was listed along with Henry Kolb and John Bean in the group of Germans who left Europe for America in 1709. Ziegler was Lutheran, but
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Written by Forrest Moyer on March 8, 2017
In 1976, MHEP Newsletter editor Joyce Munro interviewed John C. Wenger about his memories of writing the book History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference in 1936. It’s fascinating to read about the process of creating this substantial book that is still in 2017 the best source for information on some aspects of Franconia Mennonite history, including ministers who have served in the conference. The book is available for purchase at the Mennonite Heritage Center.
We’re forty years too late
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Written by Steve Diehl on February 22, 2017
We were glad to have the Souderton Charter School 7th graders visit us again today. Such a polite and inquisitive group! Here’s what our school field trips look like in the winter months:
After an introduction to the Center and finding out what students already know (this group had been well-prepared with recent study of Pennsylvania history and settlements), students are split into groups and rotate between three activity stations–Fraktur, Artifacts, and a Work and Hope scavenger hunt.
Paula Slemmer
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Written by Forrest Moyer on February 8, 2017
Souderton Mennonite Meetinghouse, circa 1910
Another article from the first year of the MHEP Newsletter features entries from the diary of William S. Hemsing (1866-1940) about his experiences at Souderton Mennonite Church. The full diary, subtitled An Intimate Look at Souderton, Pennsylvania, was published by Union National Bank in 1987 and is available to purchase in the Mennonite Heritage Center library for $8.00.
William Souder Hemsing, later to be Burgess of Souderton, was a teenage teller in the Union National Bank of
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Written by Forrest Moyer on February 1, 2017
This month we’re featuring a photograph collection recently donated to the MHC: photos of the former Herald/Provident Bookstore in Souderton, mid 1950s-1990s. The oldest photos date back to the original Herald Bookstore on Main Street and its move in 1957 to the new Souderton Shopping Center at Bethlehem Pike and Route 113.
The store was later renamed Provident Bookstore and eventually sold out of Mennonite hands, becoming Berean Christian Stores and finally Lifeway Stores, before closing permanently in February 2016. Long-term
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