| Notes |
- Obit: Gospel Herald Mar 30 1922
Zehr. - Bishop Peter Zehr was born in Tazewell Co., Ill., Aug. 24, 1851; died at his home near Fisher, Ill., Mar. 14, 1922; aged 70 y. 6 m. 18 d. He suffered from a complication of diseases. He bore it very patiently. He was married to Barbara Heiser of Morton, Ill., June 8, 1876. To this union were born five children (Mrs. Catharine Cender, Dan P. Zehr, Mrs. Lizzie Cender, Mrs. Amelia Birky, and Joseph A., who preceded his father in his infancy). He leaves 15 grandchildren, three brothers, and three sisters. Five brothers and 1 sister preceded him to eternity. He united with the Mennonite Church in his youth. June 10, 1883, he was ordained to the ministry in Deer Creek, Ill. In 1893 he was ordained bishop in charge of the East Bend congregation near Fisher. He was known for his heart concern for the flock. His last prayers were for her welfare. The funeral was held Mar. 17, 1922, conducted by Bros. Samuel Gerber, C. F. Derstine, and Bros. Ezra B. Yordy. Text, I Thes. 4:14; II Cor. 5:1.
——————————————
PETER ZEHR DEAD
Peter Zehr, an aging resident of East Bend township residing northeast of town, died at his home on Tuesday night of last week.
Bishop Peter Zehr, son of Peter and Elizabeth Zehr was born near Deer Creek Ill., August 24th, 1851 and died at his late home March 14th 1922, aged 70 years 6 months and 18 days he suffered a complication of diseases. He was married to Barbra Heiser of Morton, Ill. June 8th, 1876, to this union were born five children as follows: Mrs. Catherine Cender; Dan P. Zehr; Mrs. Lizzie Cender; Mrs. Amelia Birkey; and Joseph A. Zehr who preceded his father to eternity in his infancy 33 yers ago.
He leaves 15 grandchildren one grandchild preceded him in death a number of years ago. He also leaves three brothers and three sisters as follows: Daniel Zehr of Danvers, Ill., Mrs. C. W. Heiser of Goodfield, Ill., Mrs. Joseph Baecher of Foosland, Ill., David D. Zehr of Manson, Iowa; Mrs. C. S. Zehr of Manson, Iowa, and Samuel Zehr of Foosland, Ill; five brothers and one sister preceded him in death in their infancy.
He united with the Mennonite Church in his youth, later in June 10th, 1883 he was ordained to the ministry in Deer Creek Ill. Ten years later he was ordained bishop in charge of the East Bend congregation near Fisher, Ill. He was known for his heart concern for the Church. His last prayers were for her welfare and for her souls.
The funeral services were held at the Mennonite Church March 17 conducted by Bishop Samuel Gerber Tremont Ill. Bishop Clayton Derstine of Eureka Ill. and by Pre Ezra Yordy of Eureka at the home. Texts.I Thess. 4:4, II Cor. 5:1.
Father thou art sweetly resting; Gone from all thy toil and pain.
For from earth and all its wrestling, Thou didst now thy crown obtain.
Thou didst love the good old bible, Turned its pages o’er and o’er.
Till the Savior bade thee leave it, And its promised realms explore.
—By his Children
————————————————————
Harold S. Bender said: “The proper name of the followers of Jakob Ammann is ‘Amish Mennonite’ although frequently they are referred to simply as Amish.” The Amish Mennonites came to Illinois a few years earlier than the Mennonites and came in larger numbers. Amish Mennonites from Dillon Creek and Goodfield and Hopedale [IL] began moving to the East Bend area of Champaign Co. [IL] in about 1880. (Source 1098)
——————————————————
Peter was the first minister of the East Bend Mennonite Church, Fisher, IL. He had served the Goodfield Mennonite Church (formed from the Mackinaw Meeting) from 1883-1889. In 1914, Bishop Peter Zehr started the practice of an all day meeting on the Fourth of July, including morning session, noon basket lunch, afternoon and evening sessions. Just the year before, in 1913, Peter writes in his church record book that “an evening service was held at East Bend Church, Champaign Co., IL, on Jun 19 by the four brothers-Daniel Zehr, Peter Zehr, David Zehr, Samuel Zehr. A sermon was held again by the four brothers at Goodfield, IL, Apr 30, 1918.”
————————————————————
Willard Smith in Mennonites of Illinois tells of the tense time following World War I. “At the East Bend church at Fisher, vandals splashed yellow paint only on the front door. They also put up a flagpole and flag. Some members wanted to remove it, but Bishop Peter Zehr instructed that it remain flying. It was left there until it became tattered.” (p.356)
The final marriage (No. 59 in Peter’s church record book) performed by Peter seems to be on October 2, 1919, joining Samuel Heiser and Mrs. Alma Kohli. The last death recorded in his book is John Zehr, 30 June 1919.}
Read at East Bend Mennonite Church Centennial, 1989
“I moved to East Bend Township in 1889 for the purpose of starting a new church...I was born in Woodford County on August 24, 1851 and my parents were Peter and Elizabeth Oyer Zehr. When I was five years old, Pa bought a farm in Tazewell County by the Mackinaw River, so we moved there. Our house stood on the high hill overlooking the Mackinaw Valley. I had a happy childhood growing up with my three brothers Daniel, David and Samuel. I also had three sisters Elizabeth, Mary and Phoebe. We had Christian parents who must have been our inspiration , because all four of US boys grew up to be preachers. Our parents took US to church whenever possible and at first we had our church services in different homes. The preachers were my Uncle Jake Zehr, Christian Ropp and Christian Reesor.
I felt the call of God and wondered what he had in store for me. When the church at Goodfield called me to be a minister in 1883, I thought maybe that was the answer. The next year we built our new church building.
I had married Barbara Heiser in 1876 and by now Katie, Dan, and Lizzie were born. Things were going well but still it seemed God was calling me to something different. When it was brought to my attention that there were several families in Champaign County without a minister, it seemed that this was the answer to the call I had been feeling. When I said something to Barb, she was willing to go. Her brother Jake was already living there, and her brother Joe and family decided to move with us.
When I told the church, people objected to us moving. One day my son Dan came home and told me he had heard some people talking. they were saying, “Peter will come back with his pack on his back.” But Barb and I felt we must follow God’s call no matter what the home folks were saying.
In November of 1888, another son, Joseph, was added to our family. While we were preparing to move to Champaign County in the spring of 1889, baby Joseph took sick with the red measles. When we thought he was over the measles, we got our belongings together and boarded the train for Gibson City. The train ride was long, but it was so good to see Barb’s brother Jacob Heiser at the train depot to meet us. The spring air was so cold, and it was a rainy day when we arrived.
It seemed such a long ride in the cold rain until we got to our new home. But riding in a spring wagon was so much better than walking the eight miles like Jacob and Elizabeth had to do. We were so glad to get there, but that night Joseph became ill again with a setback from the measles. In spite of the best we could do, the baby died on March 23rd. We buried him in Blackford Cemetery. We couldn’t help but wonder why this happened to us.
To add to our wondering, four days after little Joseph died, Barb’s brother Joseph Heiser injured himself while moving some hay and died suddenly. Two deaths in four days! I knew what some home folks would be saying now!
But in spite of these setbacks, I felt God’s call to go ahead and organize a church. After we had our first church service, I felt a peace within me that I had not experienced before. I felt sure this was where God wanted me to be.
In 1891 our last child, Amelia, was born.
With more people moving to the area, Dixon School soon became too small, so in 1892 we rented the Houstonville Methodist Church for our meeting place. My brother David Zehr helped organize our first Sunday school and became the first Sunday school superintendent. With more and more people coming, we felt it was time to have our own church building. So in the summer of 1895 we built our first church building. Now we had a permanent place for our church home.
My concern was always for the welfare of the church and even unto my dying day I was praying for the church. I had a favorite motto that influenced my life and I passed it on to others. It went like this, “I shall pass through this world but once, if therefore there be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do, let me do it now, let me not deter it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
It was then used for at least some of the subsequent children, but ventually ended up with Bishop Peter and his wife Barbara. Most likely, all of their children used it, then it was given to Amelia (who married Alvin Birkey). It stayed with that family for many years until thier son, Delmar Gene, was born, and was the last person to sleep in the vintage bed. In July of 2023, the bed was gifted to Del and Donna’s family to keep, protect, and hand down at the appropriate time.} [6, 8, 9, 10]
|
1851 - 1922 (70 years)
[5, 6] 
