BIO: Christian Hess, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2010.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.
Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, 
Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and 
Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and 
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.  Illustrated.  Chicago: Warner, Beers 
& Co., 1886.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm
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                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.

                             CHAPTER XLII.

                        BOROUGH OF SHIREMANSTOWN.

457 	BOROUGH OF SHIREMANSTOWN.

  CHRISTIAN HESS, retired farmer, Shiremanstown, a son of Christian and 
Elizabeth (Martin) Hess, natives of Lancaster County, who were married 
in 1808, and in 1811 removed to Fairview Township, York Co., Penn., to 
a farm owned by the Rev. Samuel Hess, his father.  Christian Hess was 
born November 28, 1779, in Elizabethtown, Lancaster Co., Penn.  They 
reared eight children:  Samuel, the eldest son, born in Lancaster 
County, died at the age of fifteen; the other children, Nancy, Barbara, 
George, Christian, Elizabeth, Henry and Susannah were born in York 
County.  Our subject was married, in 1840, to Judith, daughter of Peter 
and Esther (Martin) Zimmerman, Rev. John Mumma performing the ceremony.  
After marriage Christian Hess assumed charge of his father's farm, 
working it on shares until 1857, when he purchased the homestead, 
paying for it in installments.  The children, eight in number, were all 
born on the homestead in York County, viz.:  Elizabeth, Peter, Hetty 
(the two latter twins), Barbara, Mary, Rebecca, Samuel and Catharine.  
Of these, Samuel is a minister of the Mennonite faith, and served a 
congregation at State Hill, Lower Allen Township; Peter married Lydia 
Brechbill, of Lancaster County; Hetty married Jacob M. Zimmerman, of 
the same county; Barbara, Elizabeth and Mary are housekeepers for their 
parents, and Rebecca, wife of George F. Umberger, died a few years ago.  
The Rev. Samuel Hess, above mentioned, wedded Annie Metzler, of 
Lancaster County, Penn.  In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Christian Hess removed to 
State Hill, where a nice farm was purchased, and which will probably be 
their home in the future.  The church near by makes it convenient for 
these aged Christians who, for more than half a century, have gone hand 
in hand to the house of God, setting noble examples for their children, 
who, without exception, follow in their footsteps.