Magdalena Cender

Notes:

Birth:
Berkey book says 4 Jun 1879

Buried:
East Bend Mennonite Cemetery

Magdalena married Christian Benjamin Birky on 24 Jan 1905 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL. Christian (son of Christian H. Birky and Barbara Wittrig) was born on 4 Jun 1879 in Delavan, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 3 Jun 1940 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL; was buried in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
By Peter Cender

1. C. B. Birky was born on 6 Jan 1906; died in 1906.
2. Harvey Christian Birky was born on 2 Mar 1907 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL; died on 19 Mar 1993 in Hesston, Harvey Co., KS; was buried on 22 Mar 1993 in Zimmerdale, Harvey Co., KS.
3. Lewis Arthur Birky was born on 13 Mar 1911 in Foosland, Champaign Co., IL; died on 24 Jun 1999 in Gibson City, Ford Co., IL; was buried in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL.
4. Martha Mabel Birky was born on 6 May 1912; died on 16 Jul 1991; was buried on 18 Jul 1991 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1854
• PURC: 28 Feb 1870, Roanoke Twp., Woodford Co., IL
• Census: 1880, Roanoke Twp., Woodford Co., IL
• Residence: 1892, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL
• PURC: 4 Feb 1892, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL
• Census: 1900, East Bend Twp., Champaign Co., IL

Notes:

Obit: Herald of Truth Feb 3, 1910
Cender.-- Jos. Cender was born in France, June 13, 1827; died near Fisher, Ill., Jan. 17, 1910; aged 82 y. 7 m. 4 d. He united with the A. M. church in his youth and remained a faithful member to the end. He united in marriage with Mary Rouvenac, Mar. 13, 1870. This union was blessed with seven children. He leaves 3 sons, 2 daughters, 8 grandchildren, one sister and many friends to mourn his departure. Two children and his companion preceded him to the spirit world. Funeral services were conducted at the home by Bro. Peter Zehr from Psa. 90:2, and at the church by Bro. Samuel Garber in English from Gal. 2:20, and by Bro. Andrew Schrock in German from II Tim. 4:7.
C. W. S.

Joseph and Mary settled in Roanoke in 1870. With them were Mary’s parents.

Immigration:
He is on the passenger list of the “John Hancock” along with his sister Madeleine.

PURC:
Sec. 26 Twn. 27N - 80 acres at $12/acre

Census:
Shows John, Mary and three children

Residence:
Moved from Roanoke, Woodford Co., IL

PURC:
Purchased land from William H. and Mary F. Swayze. Legal Description: W 1/2 of E 1/2 of W 1/ of NW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 17, Township 22N, Range 8E of 3rdPM.}



Census:
shows them as Joseph Centner, 72, born in June 1827; Mary, 58, born in March 1842; and three children born in Illinois: Mary, John, and Peter. It states that they both immigrated in 1854. They were living next door to Peter and Barbara Heiser Zehr.

Buried:
East Bend Mennonite Cemetery

Joseph married Mary Rouvenacht on 13 Mar 1870 in Tazewell Co., IL. Mary (daughter of Christian Rouvenac and Maria Switzer (Suisse)) was born on 29 Mar 1842 in Guermange, Saarebourg, Moselle, FR; died on 4 Mar 1909 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL; was buried in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1854

Notes:

Obit: Herald of Truth 3/27/09
Cender - Mary Cender (maiden name Rouvenac) was born in France, March 28, 1842; died of paralysis near Fisher, Ill., March 4, 1909; aged 66 y. 11 m. 6 d. She united with the A. M. Church in her younger years and remained a faithful member to the end. She was married to Joseph Cender and lived in this relation for nearly 39 years. To this union were born seven children. She leaves to mourn her departure an aged, mourning husband, three sons and two daughters. Funeral services were held at the house by Andrew Schrock of Metamora, Ill., in German and Samuel Gerber of Tremont, Ill., in English. Text Psa. 103; Gal. 2:20, and I Cor. 15:22.


Read at East Bend Mennonite Church Centennial:

“I was born in 1842 near Saarbourg, Lorraine, France. My parents were Christian and Maria Switzer Rouvenacht. They named me Maria too. My parents were Amish Mennonites and they, along with others of the same faith, experienced many hard times. Lorraine was a beautiful land, but since many families in our area, including the Oyers and the Mosimans, had already gone to America, my parents decided that it would be good for us as well. It was a long, hard trip. We were on the ocean many days. And then it was many more days until we would reach Woodford County where we made our first home. The first years in America were much different, and in some ways more difficult, than life had been in Lorraine, but we were happy with our new freedoms.

“One day when I was almost 28 years old, a visitor came to our door. Since he was also from France we made him very welcome. It was good to visit with someone from our homeland. Joseph Zentner (Cender) had been in America a few years and was now ready to find himself a wife. Even though he was 16 years older than me, I consented to marry Joseph on March 13, 1870. We began our life together on a farm just south of Roanoke, Illinois. We attended the Roanoke Amish Mennonite Church where Joe served as a trustee for a while. It was here that our seven children were born. That was Katie, Chris, Joe, Lena, John, Mary and Peter. Katie died when she was eight years old and we buried her in the Roanoke Mennonite Cemetery.

“It didn’t seem long until Joe had some good help as our young sons were growing up quickly. They were full of life, as Joe and I found out when we returned home to a surprise one day during hay season. It seemed the boys had been busy pulling the hay up into the haymow with a horse-drawn hayfork. All went well until they decided to send Katie up with a load of hay and left her stranded half way up the side of the barn. That is where we found her when we arrived home sooner than the boys expected us. A switchin’ was in order on that occasion. Joe decided he’d better be looking for more land to farm to keep the boys busy. And then too, they’d need their own places when they decided to get married. Land was getting scarce and prices were high in Woodford county, so Joe began looking around. He was hearing good things about Kansas, so he decided to make a trip there.

“When he arrived in Kansas he stepped off the train and started looking the area over. He noticed piles of buffalo chips scattered about and asked someone if the land required fertilizer already. Joe was told the buffalo chips were burned for fuel, as there were no coal mines in Kansas and coal was very expensive there. Joe had already made his decision about moving to Kansas. He quickly boarded the train and sat quietly in his seat while the lady land agent walked through the train calling, “Where’s Zentner, where’s Zentner?” He didn’t answer her because he didn’t even want to discuss a Kansas land purchase! When Joe got back to Woodford County, he told the family, “Kansas is not for us.”

“Joe said he’d heard about an Amish Mennonite settlement that had just been started near Fisher in Champaign County, Illinois. So he decided to check this out next. He took our oldest son, Chris, with him since he was almost 19 years old. When they got there Peter Zehr took them to look at some farms that were for sale. Joe decided he liked the William Swayze farm, so on February 4, 1892, he signed the papers and bought our new farm. Just in case we didn’t like this new place, Joe kept the one at Roanoke for a little while longer. Well, we made arrangements to move to our new home yet that spring. Our six children were a big help; Peter, the youngest, was ten years old. When the train reached Gibson City, we found Peter Zehr, Jacob Heiser and Charles Stormer there to meet us. They loaded our things on the wagons and tied the horses behind. The boys drove the cattle along behind the horses. The weather was cold and wet, and we were glad when that eight mile trip was over.

“We really weren’t very happy when we reached our new home. That spring of 192 was cold and rainy, which didn’t help our attitude either! But things began to happen and there were a lot of changes in the East Bend area. That year eleven new families moved nearby, and among them were four Birkey families. After Joe built our new house, we were much more comfortable and we began to appreciate our surroundings. It was such a nice neighborhood where we lived! Our house was almost across the road from Peter Zehr, then west of us was Charles Stormer, north were Joe Beacher and John Zehr, and south was August Ingold. A little east of us were Jake Heisers and Barbara Heiser and her family.

“As the years went by, we felt we’d made a good choice. When our children married we were happy to have them living nearby. We all attended the East Bend Mennonite Church, and as we worshipped with our family and friends, we thanked God many times through the years for His goodness and blessings. Because He was faithful in caring for us, we wanted to be faithful and live for Him.”

Birth:
headstone date is 28 March

Buried:
East Bend Mennonite Cemetery

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Reference Number: 100
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• Residence: 1815-1832, Niedernai, Bas-Rhin, FR
• Residence: 1832-1835, Saverne, FR
• Residence: 1836-1855, Rigny-la-Salle, Meuse, FR
• Immigration: 20 Jun 1855, Le Havre to New York

Notes:

“Christian Cender (1786-1861), a native of Belmont, Bas-Rhin, son of Ulrich Zehender (1761/62-1835), the principal lease-manager of the farm called Riedhof or Täuferhof near Niedernai in 1815, and Barbara Sommer (1765-1827), and himself a farmer assisting his father on that property. From the time of marriage until at least 1831, Magdalena Eymann and Christian Cender lived in Niedernai. From 1832 to 1835, they were near Saverne, Bas-Rhin. Then for two decades theirs was the sole Anabaptist family in the tiny village of Rigny-la-Salle, Meuse, near Vaucouleurs. To America in 1855...

“Christian Cender's notebook is in the hands of Alva Cender. He left no doubt as to who owned the book. On the first page he entered, "This housebook is mine, Christian Cender, whoever takes it is a thief, whoever brings it back is kind to me." The book contains mostly business transactions. On April 11, 1852, he recorded that "I settled my accounts with my son-in-law Christian Schrag."

Birth:
Schonenberg

Residence:
The family residence was the farm called Taüfferhoff-within the farm Reidhoff or Reith.

Immigration:
Arrival date on the “John Hancock” - The passenger list shows farmer Christian Zender, 58, France; Madelaine, 58; Madelaine, 35; Barbara, 28; Jean, 25; Cathrine, 21; Madelaine, 9; farmer Christophe Gerard, 35; Elise, 34; Christian, 4; Cathrine, 2; Joseph, eleven months; and Joseph [Cender], 29. Note that most of the stated ages were nearly correct except for those of Christian and his wife Magadlena/Madeleine: they were stated to be 58 when they were actually 65 and 58.

Christian married Magdalena Eymann on 2 Sep 1815 in Niedernai, Bas-Rhin, FR. Magdalena (daughter of Johannes Eymann and Anna Barbe Goldschmidt) was born on 20 Nov 1789 in Lubine, Vosges, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 13 Feb 1873 in Tazewell Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Reference Number: 101

Notes:

Birth:
near Saales

Notes:

Of Sarrebourg, FR.

Buried:
Roanoke Mennonite Cemetry

Christian married Maria Switzer (Suisse) on 6 Jun 1833 in Guermange, Saarebourg, Moselle, FR. Maria (daughter of Christophe Suisse and Marie Farni) was born on 29 Nov 1803 in Rhodes, Moselle, FR; died on 27 Oct 1883; was buried in Roanoke Twp., Woodford Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Headstone date

Buried:
Roanoke Mennonite Cemetery

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Death entry described him as cultivator
• Religion: Anabaptist
• Residence: Belmont, Bas-Rhin, FR
• Residence: 1822-27, Marcholsheim, Bas-Rhin, FR
• Residence: 1816, Niedernai, Bas-Rhin, FR
• Residence: 1831, Zellwiller, FR

Notes:

Five daughters followed between 1792 and 1801.

Residence:
Estate le-Heub, south of Marcholsheim

Residence:
Riedhof

Died:
Witnessed by Jean Lehmann and friend, Pierre Sommer, 34.

Ulrich married Barbe Sommer on 13 Dec 1785 in Natzwiller, Bas-Rhin, FR. Barbe (daughter of Christian Sommer and Barbara Gerber) was born about 1765 in Natzwiller, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 16 Nov 1827 in Marcholsheim, Bas-Rhin, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Described as a miller on her death entry.
• Religion: Anabaptist

Notes:

Birth:
Struthof (Barrenbach?)

Notes:

Married:
Struthof: “He took Anabaptist vows with Barbara/Barbe Sommer on the Struthof at Natzwiller Dec. 13, 1785. An entry with full witnesses (suggesting a ceremony took place there for legal purposes) was made in the Catholic parish book at Schirmeck Dec. 22, 1785. (At the same time an entry was created for Barbara’s brother Jean Sommer and Barbe Stucky). The groom was described as Ulric Zenter, a resident of Val d’Andlau, and a son of Jean Zenter and Elisabeth Retter. The bride was Johannes/Jean’s sister Barbe Sommer, a resident of the Struthof, and a daughter of anabaptistes Christian Sommer and Barbe Gerberin. Witnesses included father-of-the-groom Christian Sommer, anabaptiste; Ulric Zenter of Val d’Andlau [he signed Ulrich Zehender]; and anabaptiste Ulric Neuhauser of the Struthof [he signed with an ‘x,’ indicating he was illiterate].”

Notes:

Died:
Pre du Chene

Johannes + Anna Barbe Goldschmidt. Anna (daughter of Joseph Goldschmidt and Bachman) was born in 1750; died on 29 Oct 1819 in Niedernai, Bas-Rhin, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Riedhof (or Tauferhof) Obernai

Christian + Marie Blaser. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Miller

Christophe married Marie Farni on 29 Apr 1799 in Rhodes, Moselle, FR. Marie (daughter of Joseph Jean Farni and Anne Schertz (Chertz)) was born on 1 Jan 1780 in Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR; died in Oct 1847. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
1 Oct 1847?