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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2001-03 > 0984088765


From: Arthur H Laube <>
Subject: Dunkards abt 1800 Hinsdale
Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2001 16:59:25 -0500


I used Dunkards in the subject to catch the attention of Cumberland list
readers. In my writing about my wife's family in the Bowser's of
Jonathan Creek, Ohio, I prefer to use Brethren.

I have a Mater family - the name was spelled almost any imaginable way -
in Cumberland County before 1800.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am speculating that they were German speaking from most likely
Alsace or possibly Switzerland or Germany and they were Reformed or
Lutheran. There is a faint possibility that they were French speaking.
And they probably are recorded at the Philadelphia or Baltimore(records
burned)ports as Matter or some variation other than Mater. As I said
this is farout speculation - something to work on.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We find several Mater families in Cumberland County before and after
1800 and some of them are to found in Lutheran church and cemetery
records but the death and birth records of several families are to be
found only in county lists - not in any church record. And their are
marriages that must have taken place but they are not in known church
record. And that makes me think that some of my missing Maters may have
been Brethren. And then I discovered MATER, John d 12-2-1868, b
11-28-1789; AND Daniel d 3-15-1896, age 55y, d. in his?? 56th year"
John Mater in the Huntsdale Dunkard Cemetery records and JACK CLOPPE
has a Widder family from Elizabeth Mater, b 24 Oct 1828 d 12 Jan 1917,
daughter of John and Cora UTZ MATER. Many of her Widder descendants have
Brethren connections including a minister of COB.

Can someone help with the history of this church around 1800? Do
Brethren or Cumberland county researchers have any records of members of
this congregation?

Do some of the Matter researchers know of families who left their old
religion and became Dunkards/Brethren? Regards Hal

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