BIOS: Samuel B. YODER, Berlin, Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Roth Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ ________________________________________________ History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pa.; Bedford County by E. Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; v.3, Pub. The Lewis Publishing Company, New York/Chicago 1906, pp. 116-121. Samuel B. Yoder, of Berlin, is a representative of a family which was founded in Pennsylvania by Christian Yoder, a native of Switzerland, who emigrated about 1745 to the province of Penn and settled in Berks county. In the spring of 1776 he removed with his family to Bedford, now Somerset county, where he had previously bought a large tract of timber land situated where Pugh now stands, about seven miles east of Somerset, in Stony Creek township. The deed for this property was dated October 9, 1775, the consideration named therein being nine hundred and sixty-eight dollars. There were no roads and the nearest neighbor was five miles distant. There was a small clearing where Christian erected a log house and barn, a picture of which is owned by his great-grandson, Samuel B. Yoder. He then began his battle with the wilderness, wild beasts and occasional Indians. Field after field was cleared and cultivated, until he had one of the largest and best farms in the county. He was a member of the Amish Mennonite church. Christian Yoder married, in Berks county, Barbara Hooley, and they were the parents of fifteen children, namely: Fanny, born in 1753; Barbara, 1756; Christian, 1758; Jacob, 1760; David, 1763; Yost, 1765; Jonathan, 1766; Magdalena, 1769; John, of whom later; Elizabeth, 1774; Solomon 1776; Gertrude, 1778; Jephthah and Esther [twins], 1780; and Henry, 1782. Mrs. Yoder died March 6, 1812, at an advanced age, and Mr. Yoder expired November 20, 1816, being then about ninety years old. Nearly all their children settled in the immediate neighborhood and founded a community known as the Yoder settlement. They all reared large families and lived to advanced ages, and the Yoder settlement was, at that early period, the best cultivated and most prosperous section of the county. John Yoder, son of Christian and Barbara (Hooley) Yoder, was born February 8, 1772, in Berks county, and was four years old when his parents came to Somerset county. Until his marriage he assisted in clearing the farm, which was then sold to him by his father, the deed being dated July 13, 1796, and the consideration being fourteen hundred and twenty-nine dollars and forty- four cents. In addition to the homestead he acquired a large tract in Cambria county, where the city of Johnstown now stands. This was divided into four farms, which were afterward owned by four of his children, one of these farms being the site of Grand View cemetery, where sixteen hundred and twenty victims of the Johnstown flood are now buried. Part of this tract is now Yoder township, having been named in honor of the family. John Yoder was a Whig and a member of the Amish Mennonite church. John Yoder married, in 1796, Barbara Yoder, to whom he was in no degree related, and their children were: Salome, wife of John Miller, had ten children, died May 21, 1877, aged eighty. Jonas, married Sarah Schrock, had nine children, accidentally killed June 15, 1860, aged sixty-two. Moses, walked from Pennsylvania through the wilderness to Canada and settled on a tract of timber land twenty miles north of Toronto. He died in Canada, March 26, 1880, at the age of eighty. Daniel, married Kate Kaufman, had four children, died June 24, 1879. Samuel, married Elizabeth Lehman, had nine children, died April 8, 1872, aged sixty-eight. Gertrude, wife of Henry Hershberger, had seven children, died May 11, 1880, aged seventy-five. David, married Sarah Lehman, had seven children, died January 8, 1856, aged fifty. Fanny, wife of Michael Schrock, had three children, died October 23, 1890, aged eighty-three. Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Kaufman, had thirteen children, died May 16, 1865, aged forty-three. Joshua, at twenty-two went to Canada, engaged in McKenzie rebellion, and on defeat of the rebels fled through the forest to Niagara river, where he crossed to New York. thence he went to Ohio and later to Union township, Elkhart county, Indiana, where he took up and patented a large tract of timber land, which he cleared and on which he made his home. He married, Maria Stump, had six children, and died March 28, 1867. Abner, taught in the schools and was a preacher of the Amish church, noted as an eloquent speaker and an able writer, the most gifted and intellectual member of the family. He married Fanny Schrock, had eleven children, and died December 12, 1883, at the age of seventy. Barbara, died in childhood. Benedict, of whom later. Lena, died in childhood. The mother of these children died December 1, 1856, at the age of eighty-one. She was a member of the Amish Mennonite church. Mr. Yoder, the father, died October 4, 1860, having lived eighty-four years on the homestead, and leaving behind him the memory of a religious and conscientious man. David Yoder, mentioned above, was the father of a son, Tobias Yoder, who served in the Union army during the Civil war. He participated in the fight at Charles City Cross Roads, where he was shot three times through the body and had his shoulder shattered by a charge of buckshot. After lying three days on the battlefield he was found by the enemy, taken to Libby prison and shortly afterward released on parole. He finally found his way into the Union lines, recovered and re-enlisted. Moses Yoder, his brother, served in the Fifty-fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. His son, John Yoder, served in the Fifty-fourth Regiment and died in a field hospital. Jonas Yoder, son of Samuel, brother of David, served in the Thirty-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. Benedict Yoder, son of John and Barbara (Yoder) Yoder, was born August 20, 1817, in Stony Creek township, and until his marriage worked for his father. He then bought a tract of timber land two miles west of the homestead and began wresting a farm from the forest. On the night of May 9, 1853, the home he had built caught fire and burned to the ground, no property being saved and the family barely escaping with their lives. Four of the boys, small though they were, saved themselves by jumping from the second-story windows. Mr. Yoder at once began rebuilding and erected the residence which still stands on the farm in which he makes his home. He has always been an ardent Republican and is a member of the Amish church. Mr. Yoder married, April 24, 1842, Sarah Miller, and their children are: Samuel B., of whom later; Daniel, born May 2, 1845, farmer and merchant in Kansas, married Maggie Yutzy, February 2, 1870, and has two children; Cornelius C., born September 21, 1846, educated in common and normal schools of Somerset county and in Iowa State University; taught four years and then moved to Ammish, Iowa, where he engaged in mercantile business; postmaster since 1871 and director in Wallman Savings Bank. He married, September 7, 1873, Margaret Palmer, and they have one child. John M., born November 22, 1847, was a farmer and was killed by a train in Iowa City, Iowa, January 5, 1894. He was a well educated man and had collected material for much of the family history. Mary, born November 21, 1849, at home. Simon T., born May 3, 1851, educated in common and normal schools, and at the age of sixteen began teaching in the schools of Pennsylvania, later removing to Iowa and becoming an instructor in the schools of that state. for ten years he was a merchant in Iowa City, Iowa, and for three years in Haddam, Kansas, where he was postmaster and editor of the 'Haddam Clipper.' He is now cashier of a bank in Washington, Kansas, where for six years he held the office of county clerk. He married Hattie E. Rhoades, who died November 23, 1884, leaving four children. Joseph H., born September 6, 1852, taught in Iowa schools; merchant and postmaster at Haddam; now merchant at Washington, Kansas. He married Tina Shaft and has two children. Sarah, born March 12, 1854, widow of Valentine Lehman, lives in Brothers Valley township, has eight children. Nancy A., born May 1, 1856, wife of Hiram Rhoades, of McPherson, Kansas. Gertrude, born December 9, 1857, at home. Ezra, merchant of Sharon Center, Iowa, postmaster for the last fifteen years; married Jennie Bowman and has two sons. Kate A., born April 13, 1862, wife of N. E. Mostoller, living on the homestead. Florence M., born May 4, 1869, wife of George Mostoller, of Lister, has one child. A daughter, who died at the age of two weeks, was the only member of the family who failed to reach maturity. Mrs. Yoder, the mother of the family, died May 30, 1900, in the seventy-sizth year of her age, having been born November 20, 1824. She was a member of the Amish church and for fifty-eight years was a devoted wife and mother. Benedict Yoder, now in his eighty-ninth year, has never had a day's illness and is as sound and active mentally, as physically, his prolonged vigor being, no doubt, the result of his habits of temperance and healthful toil. Samuel B. Yoder, son of Benedict and Sarah (Miller) Yoder, was born May 15, 1843, in Stony Creek township, and received his education in the Schrock school. He worked for his father until 1862, when he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Forty-second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was with his regiment in all its battles until July 1, 1863, when he received at Gettysburg two severe gunshot wounds, one passing through the left arm and the other through the right breast, penetrating the lung and paralyzing the right arm. For six months he lay in the hospital, and in 1864 was honorably discharged from the service. He has no use of his right hand and arm, but has learned to use the left with perfect dexterity. After his return from the war he married, purchased a farm of one hundred acres, and, as well as his weakened condition would allow, directed the agricultural labors for thirteen years. At the end of that time, in consequence of ill health, he sold the property, and after taking two years for recuperation obtained a position as salesman for the Susquehanna Fertilizer Company, selling to the farmers of Somerset and part of Cambria county. This position he retained twelve years and in 1894 was appointed postmaster of Pugh, where he conducted a grocery store in connection with the postoffice. The property of twenty acres on which he now lives was purchased in 1883, and he has built thereon a pleasant home and made other improvements. January 14, 1905, he resigned the office of postmaster. For three years he served as assessor of Stony Creek township, and for the same length of time was jury commissioner of Somerset county. He belongs to Post No. 210, G.A.R., of Somerset, and is a Republican in politics. He and his wife are members of the Mennonite church. Mr. Yoder married, June 8, 1865, Catharine Mummau, and they have been the parents of the following children: Lizzie, born January 15, 1866, married, Jully [sic] 1, 1886, Alexander Hunter, of Shanksville, has four children, Mabel, Nannie, Kate and Morton. Saide, born March 2, 1869, married, December 6, 1888, E. L. Coleman, of Shanksville. Margaret, born December 13, 1871, died October 29, 1882. Harvey G., born October 12, 1874, farmer, living with his father; married, June 27, 1895, Emma Walker, who had two children, Fred W., born October 3, 1895, and Russel S., December 16, 1899. After the death of his wife he married, June 5, 1902, Abbie Miller. John H., born January 25, 1879, died October 25, 1882. Annie K., born March 11, 1881, died October 27, 1882. Mrs. Yoder is a daughter of Jacob Mummau, who was born in 1814, and married, October 1, 1837, Elizabeth Miller, born August 17, 1819. The following were their children: Edward; Annie; John, killed in one of the battles of the Civil war; Maria; Catharine, born May 15, 1843, educated at Glade school, wife of Samuel B. Yoder; Caroline; and Sarah. Jacob Mummau died February 2, 1887, and the death of his widow occurred October 23, 1889.