Christian Nafziger

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: 83
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• Immigration: 1822, Canada

Notes:

According to an unaccredited article in the Summer 1979 issue of the Nafzger Heritage News, Christian Nafziger “had gone after 1803 with the Stalter family to Bavaria, where he applied in vain to King Max I Josef, to whom the Stalters maintained good relations, for a tenement of a larger farm. Mr. [Hermann] Guth states that the letter can be found in the Staatsarchiv in Munich...” Christian and Maria were managing the estate of Count von Gohren at Ebersberg east of Munich when Christian left for Canada (via Amsterdam and New Orleans) in 1821. Christian made the arrangement that procured the German Block of Wilmot Township, Ontario, and returned for Maria in 1823. She emigrated with him on the Nimrod in 1826. The passenger list shows her husband age 50, and she was age 45.

“Lived on an estate in Ebersberg District near Munich. Because of high rent on the estate, in 1821 he decided to see if he could find a better situation for himself and his family. He decided to leave his family and to travel the world alone in pursuit of this dream location. He traveled first to Amsterdam and earned enough money to continue to New Orleans, arriving in January, 1822. He then traveled by foot through the southern states to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. After accumulating additional funds, he traveled north Waterloo, Ontario. There, he convinced the governor to give him and his countrymen a tract of land west of Waterloo if his council would approve it. Christian returned to New York and sailed to London. There, he met with the King of England and repeated his request. The King granted Christian and his countrymen each 50 acres of land west of Waterloo in order to encourage them to emigrate. He returned home, collected his family and friends, and with little money, but with the help of friends in Canada, they emigrated to Ontario via Philadelphia, arriving in October, 1826. Christian took possession of his 50 acres, built a home and began his life in his new country near modern Kitchener, Ontario. However, before he was finished with his new homestead, his wife Maria Stalter Nafziger died (1827). Christian died in 1836. An Ontario Heritage Foundation commemorative plaque erected at Baden in the county of Waterloo reads: "In 1822 Christian Nafziger, an Amish Mennonite from Munich, Germany, came to Upper Canada to find land on which to settle some 70 German families. With the assistance of a group of Mennonites headed by Jacob Erb, who had settled nearby, a petition was made to the government for land here in present-day Wilmot Township. Surveyed two years later by John Groessman, this "German Block" was peopled primarily by Amish from Europe. In 1824-25 Bishop John Stoltzfus of Pennsylvania organized the first congregation and ordained as ministers John Brenneman and Joseph Goldschmidt. Services were held in the homes of members until 1884 when a simple frame meeting house, which served until 1946, was erected near this site."

“The following biography of Christian Nafziger appeared as an obituary in the publication Canada Museum in Berlin, Waterloo Township, Ontario, Canada, on 5 May 1836.
"Mr. Nafziger was born in the Palatinate in the year 1776, and later lived on a leased estate near Munich; but the extremely high rent caused him to use up so much of his savings that he saw no way before him to improve his situation there, so in the summer of 1821 he decided to try and see if something better was not in store for him in a distant land; following this, he took leave of his dearly beloved family, took up his staff and travelled alone into the wide world, without knowing where the journey would take him. He came to Amsterdam, where his upright conduct and his honest statements earned him the favor of Mr. von Eeghen, who gave him a bill of exchange for 50 dollars, drawn on Mssrs. Vincent Nolte and Company, New Orleans, where he arrived in January, 1822. After paying for his passage, he had 10 dollars left, and Mr. Nolte gave him ten dollars more, with which he journeyed on foot into the country, through the southern states to Philadelphia and Lancaster County. There he was given, as a gift, traveling money and an old horse, with which he came here to our dear Upper Canada in August 1822. Here he went to the governor and asked him for a piece of land. He [the governor] was willing, and promised him, for himself and his fellow countrymen, the tract of land west of Waterloo (which today is Wilmot), if his council would agree to it. Now, Mr. Nafziger was heartily glad about his good prospects for getting his own home; his only worry was how to get his family here; but advice and help for this problem as well were soon found in that charitable people in Waterloo gave him traveling money to return to his old home country. He began his journey immediately, went via New York to London, where he went to see the King, to whom he had told his story with an innocent heart and repeated his request for land, whereupon his Majesty most graciously granted 50 acres to him and to each of his fellow countrymen who would follow him, put a couple of pieces of money into his hand, and wished him a good journey, which he did continue, and arrived safely at the home of his family, finding them in good health. A short time later he wrote to his friends in Canada, describing with melancholy his sad situation and telling them that his sole but firm hope lay in trusting the dear Lord, who would certainly help him now again, as he had done so lovingly up to now. As soon as his letter arrived here, several friends offered at once to advance him the necessary money for his trip and to send it to Philadelphia, so that when he arrived there the money for his passage would be waiting for him. No sooner said than done.This news gladdened his noble German heart anew, and he started out immediately in the spring of 1826 with his family and many of his countrymen. His earlier friends in Amsterdam, on being shown the letter from Waterloo, gave a guarantee for payment of his ship passage; the journey was good, and soon our traveller landed with his party in Philadelphia, where he found the travel money which had been promised and experienced again that "whoever puts his trust in God will not be forsaken." He experienced this even further, for completely unexpectedly he got to know people from Bucks County in Pennsylvania who took him and his family home with them and gave him, as a gift, travel money and a wagon and team, which then with the continuing help of God brought him and his family, consisting of his wife, three sons and two daughters, here, where he arrived safely, with great joy, in October 1826. In the following year he took possession of his gift of land in Wilmot, cleared it, and built himself a home, but before he was completely finished, he had to experience that home here is not a lasting one, when his wife was taken to another eternal and better one, to which he now, as just reported, has followed her. Through his upright and virtuous way of life, the deceased won many friends and we hope and wish that his children and grandchildren will follow his example in all of his virtues."

Christian and Maria had the following children: Catharina, Jacobina, Christian Jr., Johannes, and Josef.”

“Nafziger's obituary should not be taken literally. It is written as a Christian pilgrimage story to demonstrate the rewards of an upright life, a style that was popular at the time. The parable of the sower from Matthew 13:18-23: "As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case as hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

Birth:
Kirschbacherhof
(Born 1778 in Siebeldingen, GR?—not sure the source of this.)

Christian married Maria Stalter in 1814 in Bavaria, GR. Maria (daughter of Heinrich Stalter and Katharina Imhoff) was born in 1786; died in 1827 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Near Munich

Notes:

“General Notes: In 1771, lease holder of the Geilweilerhof estate, not far from Muhlhofen, west of Landau, near Siebeldingen in the Palatinate. Here in 1525, during the Peasants' War, rebellious farmers of the area assembled and swore allegiance to the Bundschuh, at the so-called "Dagobert hedge". The Dagobert hedge was a very old thorn bush that had grown on a tall trunk into a crown shape, visible from far away. The "holy tree of Haingeraide" was said to grow and to bloom so long as there continued to be rights for the peasants of the Haingeraide. The hedge did survive the decrees of the French Revolution meant to equalize in justice, but only a few years later a thunderstorm with strong winds damaged it serverley. Today a newly-planted hedge grows where the holy tree once stood.”

Christian + Madeleine Güngerich. Madeleine (daughter of Christian Güngerich and Unknown Wife, daughter of Christian Güngerich and Jacobea Widmer) was born in Steinseltz, Bas-Rhin, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Amish Mennonite

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Minister/Farmer
• Reference Number: 72
• Religion: Amish Mennonite

Notes:

“In 1726, we find "Hans the old" of Fronsburg, signing a lease contract "for his son Christian". It was at this point that the Pfalzhof came into the possession of the Gungerich family. Christian, who could only sign his name with a mark, was born about 1690, and had eleven children in two marriages. He died in 1752...on the Pfalzhof...We found the name of his second wife, Barbara Jutzi, in the "Palatine Mennonite Census lists" housed at the Karlsruhe Generallandesarchiv. As a widow, Barbara and her five children ran the estate. The name of his first wife is as yet unknown.”

Birth:
Born Dernbach near Annweiler (IMH Mar 1990) - Thought to be likely date, tho there is no written documentation.

Died:
Pfalzhof near Arwe

Christian married Unknown Wife about 1713. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Minister
• Reference Number: 73
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• Residence: 1693-1695, Echery, Haut-Rhin, FR

Notes:

Gungerich, Gingerich, Gungrich (sometimes Jungerich) = old Germanic first name.

Jean Kingerique (Gungerich) from Schwarzenegg was living at Erguel in the Swiss Jura in 1724, his name appearing in a list of Anabaptists.... Hans Gungerich, known as "der Alte," was a long-time minister at Steinseltz in Alsace, near the German border. He died around 1785 at the age of ninety or more. He could have been the same Jean (Hans) in the French records of the Jura in 1724. The migration to Hesse came later, and the emigration to America was from there around 1820.

Hans (The Old) was a minister by 1711. Hans lived at Fronsburgerhof, Alsace, for some time before his death. Hans was first Reformed, then Swiss Anabaptist, then Amish.

IMH Mar 1990: "Minister of Fronsburg congregation; moved 1695 to Reidseltrz, Alsace; moved 1712 to Fronsburgerhof, Alsace."

"Hans is documented in 1693 in Eschery near Markirch (Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines) where Jakob Ammann had "banned" him (Robert Baecher). " Guth


Hans "The Elder" GUNGERICH-2799
Notes from BausHaus Family History Chad Baus
Elder of the Fronsberg congregation
Around 1693 he is named as a resident of Echery near Markirch in Alsace (where, according to one record, Jakob Amman had "banned" him), and in 1695 (together with Jakob Amman), in the neighboring village of Kleinleberau.
After 1711 he is on the estate Fronsburg, where he eventually dies. In 1726 and 1736 Hans is recorded on the estate Fronsburg with his sons Valentin and Johannes as co-leaseholders. The estate is located below a castle of the same name, which towers from a steep cliff above. As early as 1439 the castle itself was destroyed by troops of the Bishop of Strasbourg because it was a seat of marauding knights. Rebuilt in 1481 by the Fleckensteins, it was burned down late in the seventeenth century by the French General Montclar. Today part of the estate is used as a forestry house. The border between Alsace and the Palatinate has always been controversial. Today, the Fronsburg estate is within the French border.

In the year 1726 we find "Hans the Elder" as a signer of a lease agreement for his son Christian, whereby the Pfalzhof would pass to him in hereditary tenancy. Christian signed this agreement with his mark. Heritary tendancy meant that the leaseholder received the lease for life. After death, heirs or someone designated by the leaseholder had the right to continue the lease. From an economic perspective, property so leased was like personally owned property.

Even as a 90-year-old took part in the assembly of Amish elders in 1759 in Essingen as a representative of the Fronsberg congregation.)
From: http://www.diannebauer.com/publicroots/NAFZIGER%20JANTZI/ANCESTORS/nafzigerj/pafn08.htm#2799)

“He lived at Echery from 1693 to 1695, then a La Petite Lièpvre in the same time frame that Jacob Amman was there (1695-1712). The two villages are located on the road leading south from Ste. Maris-aux-Mines. Hans was one of Amman's followers who was placed 'under the ban' at La Petite Lièpvre in 1695. The gesture was meant to express humility before the Reist faction in a fruitless bid to reconcile.

After 1712 Hans lived between Niedersteinbach and Lembach on the Alsace-Palatinate border, about 8 miles from Berwartstein Castle. He leased grounds near le Château de Froensburg, a ruined sandstone castle that had been used for artillery practice by French troops in 1677. The land was exempt from Alsatian expulsion orders because it belonged to Zweibrücken Wittelsbachs. The leases almost coincided.
Over the years Hans held meetings of ministers at his home. He attended the assembly of ministers held at Essingen in 1759, representing the Froensburg congregation. He was 90 years old, and died the following year. “

Residence:
Echery near Markirch and southwest of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines

Died:
Near Lembach