Elsie Shantz

Ephraim married Hannah Snider on 4 Jan 1874. Hannah was born on 23 Apr 1857 in Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

http://grebel.uwaterloo.ca/mao/Manuscript%20Collections/HM1.43.htm

Hist.Mss. 1.43 - Shantz, Jacob Y.
Dates of creation: ca:1844-1988

68 cm. of textual records

Jacob Y. Shantz was born near Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario, in 1822. He was married three times. In 1843 he married Barbara Biehn. In 1853 he married Nancy Brubacher. In 1871 he married Sarah Sherk. Two sons and three daughters were born of the first wife, and three sons and four daughters were born of the second wife. Shantz died in 1909. He lived his entire life in the Berlin area.

Shantz was an entrepreneur, civic leader and active church member (first of the Mennonite church, later of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ church). He is best known for his role in promoting the immigration of Mennonites from Russia to Manitoba in the 1870s. For further biographical information see Vicarious Pioneer: The Life of Jacob Y. Shantz / Samuel J. Steiner.- Winnipeg, MB : Hyperion Press, 1988.

The fonds was created by Lawrence Klippenstein and Samuel J. Steiner. Klippenstein began collecting material for a biography of Shantz ca.1974. In 1984 he gave this material to Samuel Steiner who collected more material for a biography of Shantz. Steiner subsequently completed a biography of Shantz that was published in 1988. In 1988 Steiner deposited the fonds in the Mennonite Archives of Ontario.

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Found on Feb 25, 2005 at http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web/region.nsf/0/D22EE171F2AA335185256B0A004D7B4C?OpenDocument

JACOB Y. SHANTZ
1822-1909

Jacob Y. Shantz, who was born in Berlin in 1822, a farmer and operator of a sawmill, was responsible for the erection of a building for the market which became famous through the years. He built the 1869 Market House in which the basement was the market; the first storey the municipal office, the council chamber, the post office and the library and the second storey was a public meeting hall. In this building he served for one month as mayor in 1822.

Shantz also carved a place for himself in Canadian history through his work in arranging settlement of the Russian Mennonites in the Canadian West.

He was married three times.

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From Ezra Eby book:
Jacob Y. Shantz, "was born near Berlin, May 2nd, 1822. On May 2nd, 1843, he was married to Barbara Biehn who was born April 7th, 1819, and died May 16th, 1853. He was again married, December 6th, 1853, to Nancy Brubacher who was born September 19th, 1832, and died in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, while there on a visit, October 1st, 1870. On October 1st, 1871, he was married the third time to Sarah Shuh who was born June 9th, 1823, and died April 29th, 1893. After Mr. Shantz's first marriage he took possession of his father's farm, still known as 'Jacob Shantz's place', where he resided for upwards of some forty years, then he moved to Berlin where he is now residing. His family consists of twelve children, five of whom are of first wife and the remaining seven of second wife.

Jacob married Barbara Biehn on 2 May 1843. Barbara (daughter of Abraham Biehn and Veronica Shantz) was born on 7 Apr 1819; died on 16 May 1853. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jacob married Mary Yost. Mary was born on 12 Mar 1784 in Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died on 22 Oct 1869 in Near Berlin, Waterloo Co., Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Ezra Eby book:

Abraham Biehn, "was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, February 7th, 1781. He was married to Veronica, daughter of Isaac and Barbara (Reiff) Shantz. She was born November 14th, 1789, and died July 27th, 1876. They resided on lot No. 1, Biehn's Tract, about one mile west of Doon, on the farm where his father had located in 1800. Here old Abraham Biehn and his wife resided until their death. He died November 3rd, 1858. their family consisted of five children."

Abraham married Veronica Shantz in 1808. Veronica (daughter of Isaac Shantz and Barbara Reiff) was born on 14 Nov 1789 in Pennsylvania; died on 27 Jul 1876 in near Doon, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Ezra Eby Book

Veronica Shantz, "was born November 14th, 1789. In 1808 she was married to Abraham Biehn, a farmer. They resided near Doon where she died July 27th, 1876.