Person Page - 104

     Elizabeth Hendrix was buried at Abner Creek Baptist Church, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. She was born c 1852. She married (2) Anderson Crowell Childress, son of Isham Childress and Hannah Hughes, b 1880.¹ Elizabeth Hendrix died in Sep 1886.

     Chester Herschel Henry was born on 2 Nov 1925 at Harvey, Cook County, Illinois.^1,2 He was the son of Herschel Roy Henry and Delilah Alice Bowers.¹ Chester Herschel Henry married Ruth Evelyn Wells on 14 May 1949.^1,3 Chester Herschel Henry died on 10 Jun 1995 at age 69.⁴ He was buried on 14 Jun 1995 at Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont Township, Richland County, Illinois.
     The minister for the funeral at Summers-Kistler Funeral Home was Reverend Kenneth Ryan. The Casket Bearers were Allan Henry, Paul Henry, Bruce Fritschle, Rodger Boldrey, Rick Boldrey, and Craig Diel.⁵
     About 1978, Chester Henry was living in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, and was in the construction business.
     His obituary states:
     "Chester Herschel Henry, 69, of Groveland, Fla., formerly of Claremont, died at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 10, 1995.
"Services will be Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Summers-Kistler Funeral Home, with Rev. Kenneth Ryan officiating. Burial will be in the Crest Haven Cemetery. Visitation will be today from 6 - 8 p.m. Full military rites will be performed by the Olney Veterans Organizations.
"Memorials can be made to National Diabetes Foundation.
"Henry was born Nov. 2, 1925, the son of Herschel Roy and Lila (Bowers) Henry. He married Ruth Evelyn, an dshe[sic] preceded him in death.
"He was retired from construction and was a U. S. Marine veteran.
"He is survived by his mother, of Claremont; four sons, Michael Henry, of Groveland, Fla., Roy Thomas Henry, of Mount Dora, Fla., Jefferey Henry, of Grayville, and Scott Bradley Henry, of Evansville, Ind; one daughter, Sharon Gibson, of David, Fla; one brother, Gordon Henry, of Claremont; two sisters, Frances Pasley, of Seattle, Wash., and Darlene Fritschle, of Claremont; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
"He was preceded in death by his father, one son, one sister and his first wife."⁶

     Elinor Frances Henry was born on 8 Dec 1923 at Olney, Richland County, Illinois.^1,2 She was the daughter of Herschel Roy Henry and Delilah Alice Bowers.¹ Elinor Frances Henry married Ivan Albert Boldrey on 11 Apr 1944 at Olney, Richland County, Illinois.¹ Elinor Frances Henry appears in the Social Security Death Index as having died 8 Nov 1993 with the last place of residence listed as Claremont, Richland County, Illinois. Elinor Frances's SSN was issued in Illinois. Also, her birth date is given as 8 Dec 1923.³

     Herschel Roy Henry was buried at Crest Haven Memorial Cemetery, Claremont Township, Richland County, Illinois.² He was born on 26 Mar 1900.¹ He married Delilah Alice Bowers, daughter of Samuel Peter Bowers and Malvina Ernestine Houser, on 30 Sep 1922 at Salem, Marion County, Illinois.¹ Herschel Roy Henry died on 25 Feb 1980 at Claremont, Richland County, Illinois, at age 79.³ He was buried at Crest Haven Cemetery, Richland County, Illinois.⁴
     He registered with the World War I Selective Service System in Sep 1918 at Olney, Richland County, Illinois. He described himself as living R. 4, Olney, Illinois, age 18, born 26 March 1900, and his occupation was "Sectman B. & O S. H.". He was tall in height, medium in build, with blue eyes and had light hair. His closest relative was Carrie Henry of Olney.⁵
     Herschel was a farmer and in the construction business. His sons and several grandsons have followed him into various lines of construction work. Lila and Herschel lived at Harvey, Illinois, for several years before moving back to near Claremont, Illinois, in 1933. They lived on a farm southeast of Claremont until, upon retiring from farming, they built their home in Claremont. They have spent several winters in Florida.¹
     His obituary states:
     "Herschel R. Henry, 79, died at his home in Claremont at 1:25 a.m. today.
"He was born in Lawrence County on March 26, 1900, son of John and Carrie (Groff) Henry. He married Lillian Boldrey [sic] on Sept. 30, 1922, and she survives. He was a farmer and worked in masonry construction. He was a member of the Berryville Christian Church.
"He is also survived by two sons, Gordon, Claremont, and Chester, Howie in the Hills, Fla., three daughters, Mrs. Ivan (Eleanor) Boldrey and Mrs. Ed (Darlene) Fritschle, both of Claremont, and Mrs. Clive (Frances) Pasley, Seattle, Wash., three sisters, Florence Funk, Terre Haute, In., Welcome Hummel, Dayton, Oh., and Josephine Cessna, Olney, a brother, Elmer Henry, Harvey, 22 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren.
"He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, a sister, three grandsons, and a great-granddaughter.
"Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Summers Funeral Home with Revs. L.L. Converse and Kenneth Ryan presiding. Visitation is Tuesday from 6 - 9 p.m. Burial will be in Crest Haven Cemetery."⁴
     His obituary states:

     "Services for Herschel R. Henry, 79, Claremont, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Summers Funeral Home. Visitation is tonight frm 6-9 p.m. Burial is at Crest Haven Memorial Park.
"Among the survivors is his wife, Lila (Bowers) Henry."²

     Mark Henry was born on 10 Mar 1961.¹ He died on 10 Mar 1961.¹ He was buried at Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont Township, Richland County, Illinois.²
     He and Wade Henry were twins. They lived only a few hours.
     His obituary states:
     "Twin Sons of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Henry Die Today
"The twin sons of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Henry of Olney rt. 4, passed away shortly after birth this morning at Richland Memorial Hospital.
"Besides the parents, the infants are survived by two brothers, Phillip, 5, and Allen 3, and a sister, Debra, 2.
"Also grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Herschel Henry of Olney rt. 4, and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hensley of Webbers Falls, Okla.
"Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Crest Haven Memorial Park cemetery. Friends my call from 9 a. m. to noon Saturday at the Summers-Rainey Funeral Home."³

     Phillip Gordon Henry was born on 26 Sep 1955.¹ He died on 2 Jul 1991 at age 35.^2,3 He was buried on 5 Jul 1991 at Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont Township, Richland County, Illinois.⁴

     Stephen Chester Henry was born on 15 Sep 1951 at Richland County, Illinois.¹ He was the son of Chester Herschel Henry and Ruth Evelyn Wells.¹ Stephen Chester Henry died on 21 Apr 1962 at Richland County, Illinois, at age 10.² He was buried at Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont Township, Richland County, Illinois.³

     Wade Henry died on 10 Mar 1961.¹ He was born on 10 Mar 1961.¹ He was buried at Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont Township, Richland County, Illinois.²
     He and Mark Henry were twins. They lived only a few hours.

     Nancy Jane Hensley married Milton Alexander Willis.

     Anna Herr was born on 19 Nov 1727.² She was the daughter of Isaac Herr.¹ Anna Herr married John Groff c 1746.³ Anna Herr died b 1760.³

     Barbara Herr married William Ross Olds, son of Joseph Olds and Sally Whitney, on 14 Apr 1860 at Muscatine County, Iowa.¹
     Barbara Olds and William Ross Olds appeared on the census of 19 Jul 1860 at Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa, as follows:
     847/825 William Olds, 68, clerk, $500 real estate, b. Vt., married within year
      Barbara ", 62, $1000 real estate, $200 personal property, b. Pa., married within the year.²

     Barbara Herr was baptized on 31 Oct 1647 at Blumenstein, Canton Bern, Switzerland.¹ She was the daughter of Hans Herr.¹

     Christen Herr was baptized on 5 May 1644 at Blumenstein, Canton Bern, Switzerland.² He was the son of Hans Herr.¹

     Elizabeth Herr was the daughter of Isaac Herr.¹
     "Elizabeth Herr married first to John Brubaker, 1710 - 1743/5, the son of Jacob Brubaker, and married second to Peter Whitman or Witmer. John Brubaker owned land in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Pa."²

     Hans Herr married Elsbeth Loetscher.² Hans Herr was baptized on 27 Jan 1650 at Blumenstein, Canton Bern, Switzerland.^3,4 He was the son of Hans Herr.¹ Hans Herr died in 1725.⁵
     It is difficult to reconcile the definite information about Hans Herr available in some places with the doubts expressed by others.
     A recent book reports from some Swiss records, described here: "There were three refugee lists which were made when hundreds of Anabaptists (Mennonites) were exiled in 1671 from Switzerland. Two lists are found at the Mennonite Archives in Amsterdam, Holland. The third list has not yet been found. I have published the lists in my book "Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners" Volume I.
Among the refugees staying temporarily in the Dirmstein District of the Pfalz were the following;

Christian Herr, age 30, wife Grietgen Loetscher, age 28.
Hans Herr, age 20, wife Elsbeth Loetscher, age 22, no children.

The list was made for the Holland Mennonites. Grietgen is a form of Margaret in dutch. The list usually mentioned how many children were in each family and their ages, but no children were listed for either Hans or Christian Herr. They probably were both recently married. Hans' children are well documented in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I found two Herrs, Christian and Hans who were Mennonites living in the Pfalz who were probably the children of Christian Herr (b. 1641)."⁶
     "The Anabaptists in Switzerland suffered persecution in the 1600s, and many left the country (sometimes involuntarily), moving north into the Palatinate (also called the Pfalz), located on both sides of the Rhine River in what is now Germany. Hans and his wife, Elsbeth Lötscher, were among those who were displaced. They settled in Mannheim in the Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar rivers, “where the Swiss brethren bought a house” (alwaar Zwitzersz broeders een huys gekocht hadden). [Footnote 3: Lowry, James W., et al., Documents of Brotherly Love: Dutch Mennonite Aid to Swiss Anabaptists, Volume I, 1635-1709. (2007) p. 455.] The area had been devastated during the recent Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and life there was hard. Dutch Mennonites sent a delegation to the region to determine what aid was needed. Their report, dated 6 April 1672, detailed requests for help. Among those listed in Mannheim were: [Footnote 4: Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Toegangsnummer (Access number): 565.A “Archief van de Doopsgezinde Gemeenten” (Archives of the Mennonite Congregations), Inventarisnummer (Inventory number): 1196 “Specificatie van uitgaven ten behoeve der Zwitserche broeders …” (Specification of Expenses for the Swiss Brothers, Fled to the Palatinate, …) , image 8 of 19.] [Footnote 5: Lowry, James W., et al., Documents of Brotherly Love: Dutch Mennonite Aid to Swiss Anabaptists, Volume I, 1635-1709. (2007) p. 455.]
     "Hans Herr, about 20, and Elsbet Lötscher, his wife, age 22, no children. These people can feed themselves from their linen weaving.
"Also in Mannheim were Hans' brother, Christian Herr, 30, and three of Elsbeth's sisters: Margaret "Grietgen" Lötscher, 28 (Christian's wife); Anna Lötscher, about 29; and Salome Lötscher, about 20. The names and ages of the four Lötscher women correspond closely with four girls, daughters of the well-known Anabaptists Hans Lötscher and Anna Kammer, who were baptized in the village of Latterbach, near Erlenbach im Simmental. As the crow flies, Latterbach is only 10 km southwest of Blumenstein, where Hans was born, but by road, which skirts the intervening mountains, it's almost twice that far.
"Another document from April 1672 was a list of people who had received money from the Dutch Mennonites. Christian Herr "and his brother" (unnamed), of Manneheim, appeared on this list. [Footnote 6: Lowry, James W., et al., Documents of Brotherly Love: Dutch Mennonite Aid to Swiss Anabaptists, Volume I, 1635-1709. (2007) p. 507. ]
"Note: Some sources place Hans and Christian Herr in Biegelhof, Germany, in 1671, [Footnote 7: Mennonite Family History, volume 1, number 1 (January 1982), page 17. Palatinate Mennonites, by Lois Ann Mast.] [Footnote 8: Friesen, Steve, A Modest Mennonite Home, (1990), page 21.] but that information was based on a misreading of a document, which itself was in error.⁷ [Footnite 9: Anne Augspurger Schmidt-Lange, Corrected Mennonite Entries in Friedrich Zumbach’s 1947 Manuscript, “Schweizer Zuwanderung in den Kraichgau nach dem 30-jährigen Krieg (Swiss Immigration into the Kraichgau after the Thirty Years’ War)” Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, January 2019, page 8.]"
     Hanspeter Jecker, writing on his research into the Hans Herr family, said “. . . North American researchers have begun intensive discussions, first on the question of whether the pioneer ever actually traveled to Pennsylvania himself or whether perhaps only his sons made this long and difficult journey. A second question was whether perhaps this older Hans Herr, if he did actually travel to America himself, might have come in 1717 and not in 1710. And finally, as a third issue, there was the question of whether this man, who is celebrated as a highly honored patriarch and bishop, ever exercised a fuction in congregational leadership in the New World at all. All of this has led to even the web page of the 1719 Herr House & Museum concluding, 'Litle is actually known for sure about the Herr family genealogy prior to the Hans Herr after whom the Hans Herr House is named.'
"This is not and should noit be the place to go through the entire biography of Hans Herr. This article is only intended to help explain the beginnings of the Herr family in Switzerland, which up to now have been almost completely shrouded in darkness. Along with this, there is the hope that with this contribution, impulses can be generated to find answers for those open questions associated with the the later stay of the Herr familly in the Kraichgau and in Pennsylvania."
. . .
Jecker reports that while earlier writings about this family had placed their origin in Zurich canton, for later researchers "a few cracks and gaps began to appear in this biography, which had seemed at first glance to make complete sense. On the lists of persons who were helped by the Dutch Mennonites in early 1672, the following names appear among others on the list for Mannheim:
Christen Herr 30 Jaar Grietgen Lötcher 28 hebben [text missing] waer van 1 in Zwitzerlandt hebben 1 Kafbet en 1 deken [. . .]
Hans Herr by Elsbet Lotcher syn vrou 22 jaar geen kinderen dese luyden konen sich met Linnen weven noch wel ernerhen.
[Christen Herrs, 30 years, Grietgen Lötcher28, have [missing text] of which 1 is in Zwitzerland. They have 1 matttess made of chaff and one blanket . . .
Hans Herr, about 20, Elbet Lötscher, his wife, 22 years. No children. These people can feed themselves from their linen weaving.]

A second list makes it clear that Christen and Hans Herr were apparently brothers. In this list for distribution of goods to the Swiss Anabaptists refugees in Mannheim we find the entry for
Christen heer

To him and his brother (an hem en Syen broeder) for necessities of both households 100 rixdollars

also for travel money 6 f[florins?] 14 stivers

the 2 sisters for clothing 8 rixdollars

On the basis of these two documents, it becomes clear that
1. As far as ages are concened, Hans Herr was probably considerably younger than was thought up to now; every thing points to a birth year of 1652 (instead of 1639!), and for his brother Christian a birth year of about 1642 should be assumed.
2. Since at least one of the two marriages with the Lötscher women must have taken place before they fled Switzerland, the place of origin of the two wives (to be discused below) might give us a clue to the possible place of origin of the two brothers."⁸
     On 27 June 1710, a group of Mennonite men in London wrote back to their friends in Amsterdam thanking them for financial assistance and reporting that they were about to depart to America. This letter was signed by Martin Oberholzer, Martin Kundig, Christian Herr, Jacob Muller, Martin Meili, Hans Herr.⁹
     
     "In 1710 a group of men from this community of families visited William Penn in London to arrange the purchase of land within Pennsylvania for colonization. Six of these men were Jacob Miller, Martin Oberholtzer, Martin Maily, Christian Herr, Hans Herr and Martin Kindig. On June 29, 1710 the group left London for Philadelphia aboard the Mary Hope. Shortly after they arrived in Phil. in Sept. 1710 they secured the right to colonize land on Pequea Creek. A warrant was issued October 6th, 8th or 10th, 1710 (some discrepencies) and the land was surveyed October 23, 1710, then divided April 7, 1711. The land was divided between Martin Kendig, Martin Mylin, Christian Herr, John Herr, John Bundely, Christian Franciscus, Jacob Miller, Wendell Bowman John Funk."¹⁰
A monument in the Willow Street Mennonite Cemetery, Willow Street, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to this family. This monument was erected by a Herr reunion group.¹¹ Apparently, however, contemporary documentation for this information is lacking. A photograph of this monument shows the inscription as:
               Memorial
          Rev. Hans Herr, one of the pio-
          neer settlers of Lancaster
          County, born in Switzerland,
          Sep. 17, 1639. Died Oct. 11, 1725.
          Elizabeth Mylin Kendig Herr
          his wife, born in Switzerland,
          May 1, 1639, died June 9, 1730.
          Rev. Christian Herr, son of
          Hans Herr, Donater [sic] of this plot
          of ground for burial purposes
          born in Switzerland, died 1750.
          Anna his wife (inscription not completed).¹²

In contrast, others seem to doubt the existence of Hans Herr as an ancestor of the Lancaster County family. This view is expressed in an appendix to the Herr book¹³ which says "The tradition of Hans Herr being the aged father of the Herr family in America stems from oral history recorded in 1844 by I. Daniel Rupp (History of Lancaster County, p.81), who in the course of his research could have personally interviewed this Hans Herr's great-grandsons.¹⁴ Because Hans Herr was not a landholder and thus no primary sources have been found to substantiate this family tradition, some researchers have questioned his identity and his coming to America."
In an article titled "Hans Herr-A Myth?"¹⁵, editor Ira D. Landis wrote that many "facts" of history were initially oral traditions -- think Homer and the Trojan Wars. Although I. Daniel Rupp had written from oral tradition, he was a historian born less than a century after Herr arrived in America, had visited reputable sources before writing his report of Hans Herr's activity in America and deserved to be believed over those who were now "trying to paint a halo of mysticism around [Herr]". Thus Landis placed the senior Herr at the head of our genealogy.
The existence of a Hans Herr, one leader of a group of persecuted Mennonites fleeing from Bern, Switzerland, to Holland to London is not doubted but that he came to Pennsylvania or was the father of the next Herr generation is difficult for some to accept. A review of They Call it Strassburg by Charles D. Spotts¹⁶ finds fault with Spotts who spent several pages trying to show that Bishop Hans Herr never set foot in what is now Lancaster County and that from 1710 to 1717 only one Hans Herr (the land agent) was there. Spotts relied on Harris¹⁷ but the reviewer prefers Rupp who wrote a generation earlier.
     In this next long quote from Martin Brackbill I have omitted some of the footnotes.
On September 16th, 1710, [Footnote: 1 Dates, unless otherwise noted, have been adjusted to the modern calendar.] the ship "Maria Hope" sailed into Delaware Bay, after a comparatively uneventful voyage from London. The ship, although small, was heavily laden with freight for the thriving colony of Pennsylvania, and had a combined passenger and crew list of 94 persons. The master, John Annis, in his anxiety to get his ship within the safety of the bay, out of danger from pirates and privateers which infested coastal waters that year, ran his vessel aground on a low tide. As a result, the voyage was delayed several days, and it was not until September 20th, that anchor was dropped off New Castle, Delaware. Here the ship remained several days before continuing its voyage to Philadelphia, where it arrived September 23rd, more than a week after entering the bay. [Fooynpte 2: "Details of the arrival of the ship "Maria Hope," are from the "Diary of the Rev. Samuel Guldin, Relating His Journey to Pennsylvania, June to September, 1710," as translated from the German, by Prof. William J. Hinke, Ph.D., D.D., and published in the Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, March and June, 1930. Guldin, according to Dr. Hinke, was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1664, and died in Philadelphia, December 31st, 1745. He was accused of being a Pietist by the Swiss secular and church authorities, and lost his pulpit as a result. The name of the ship's captain is quoted from the diary of Thomas Chalkley, Quaker preacher, as reprinted by H. Frank Eshleman in "Historic Background and Annals of the Swiss and German Pioneer Settlers in Southeastern Pennsylvania," published in Lancaster, 1917."]
. . .
[CENTER:]"SWISS OBTAIN WARRANT FOR 10,500 ACRES