Bucks County PA Archives Biographies.....Fretz, Allen M.
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joe Patterson, Patricia Bastik & Susan Walters Dec 2009

Source: History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania; edited by 
J.H. Battle; A. Warner & Co.; 1887
Bedminster Township


TZ minister of Mennonite church, P.O. Bedminster, belongs to 
the family so numerous in this part of the county, and of 
which there are several branches.  His great-grandfather 
Abraham lived on a farm which is a part of the original 
Fretz estate in the township, owned by his father Christian, 
to whom it was willed in 1772 by his father John, who owned 
and lived on it, and now owned by our subject's father, and 
occupied by his son, Mahlon M., the sixth generation of the 
Fretz family on the place now owned by the father of Allen 
M.  The family belonged to the Mennonite church, and have 
always been among the leaders.  Our subject's 
great-grandfather Abraham was a deacon of the church.  One 
of his sons, likewise named Abraham, is yet living, near 
Pipersville, this township, and is nearly 75 years of age.  
Another of his sons, Christian, was grandfather of Allen M., 
and was born on the old homestead, lived on and owned the 
place now occupied by the latter. His death took place in 
September, 1875, when he was 74 years old.  He had four 
children, of whom one, Abraham, died in 1876.  The others 
are as follows:  Eliza Ann, widow of Reuben Stover, living 
in Bedminsterville; Mary, wife of John M. Fretz, of this 
township; and Ely, father of Allen M., who was the eldest of 
the family, born in 1825, and now living on part of the 
place of his birth.  He was a miller and farmer, yet 
carrying on the home place, and his record is that of a 
straightforward and honorable man.  Like all of his 
ancestors he is a Mennonite, a member of the board of 
trustees of the Second Mennonite church at Deep Run, and 
treasurer of the board.  He is a director of the 
Sellersville National Bank.  He was married in 1850 to Mary, 
daughter of William Myers, of this township, who was born in 
1830.  Their children are:  Lucinda, wife of Edward Yost , 
of Plumstead; Emeline, living with Allen M.; Mahlon M., on 
the homestead; Francis M., with his father; Barbara, with 
Mahlon M.; Susan and Marietta, living at home; and Allen M., 
who was the oldest, and was born December 12, 1853, in 
Tinicum.  When 17 years old, he was sent by his parents to 
the Mennonite seminary at Wadsworth, O., after leaving which 
he taught school eleven terms.  In 1883 he was called to the 
ministry, and is now pastor of the Second Deep Run church.  
Feeling the pressing need of an English paper in the 
interest of the Mennonite church, he, with the aid of Rev. 
N. B. Grubb, of Philadelphia, succeeded in October, 1885, in 
getting out the prospectus of "The Mennonite," which was 
laid before the conference of the church, which body 
accepted it as one of the periodicals of the church.  Mr. 
Fretz is still one of the editors of the paper, which has 
steadily increased in popularity and circulation since it 
was started.  On September 18, 1880, he was married to 
Sarah, daughter of Abraham L. Leatherman, of Plumstead, 
where she was born November 28, 1858.  She died March 21, 
1882, and March 5, 1884, Mr. Fretz was married to Anna, 
daughter of Jacob F. Rittenhouse, of Campden, Ont., where 
she was born May 10, 1860.  They have one child, Jacob 
Rittenhouse Fretz.  Mr. Fretz is a busy man.  In addition to 
his ministerial and editorial duties, he carried on a part 
of the home farm, and no man in the township of Bedminster 
stands higher in the estimation of his fellow-men.  
Especially is this the case among the brethren of the church 
of which he is the zealous pastor.