Gabriel Holtzman

Notes:

Unknown Newspaper
Date about March 24, 1938
MAN ESCAPED DEATH TWICE
G. Holtzman Recalls On His 91st Birthday Anniversary

Nearly 60 years ago the hand of fate reached out and saved the life of Gabriel Holtzman, and today on the ocassion of his 91st birthday, he retells the story. Mr. Holtzman who led a very active life for many years is now retired, living at the home of his eldest daughter, Mrs. J. B. Dennis, 10 Homewood Ave. On two occasions Mr. Holtzman had narrow escapes from death, but the most miraculous was shortly after his marriage while engaged in logging operations. "One winter I leased a section of bush and, with the help of a teamster, I was hauling logs to my mill. The oxen we used were quite wild and the driver stood at their heads while I connected the logging chain around a big log" he reminisced. "I was sure that the chain from the whipple-tree was secure and just as I was about to step back from fastening the chain, the team started with a jerk and ran away". By some miracle the chain had became unfastened or Mr. Holtzman would have been crushed beneath the large log.

Mr. Holtzman's first escape from death occurred in his youth. He was swimming with a group of boys when two boys suddenly jumped on his back. "It was only in fun" he related "but they held me under water too long. I managed to reach the shore but I felt very sick for some time".

Mr. Holtzman was born in Phillipsburg on March 24, 1847, a son of Rev. and Mrs H. J. Holtzman. At the time of his birth his father was a blacksmith but later entered the ministry. Mr. Holtzman was one of a family of 11. Two brothers and one sister are still living.

A BAD BARGAIN
At the age of eight he left home to work for a Blenheim township farmer. He worked for four years before he realized he had made a bad deal. He had offered his services in return for a horse and buggy on his 21st birthday! For his four years of labor the nonagenarian never received a cent. Leaving the farm he entered the carpentry trade.

In 1871, at the age of 24, he was married to Magdalena Surerus. "At that time I had to walk 20 miles to do my courting".

Died:
Gabriel Holtzman, 93, of 244 Mill Street, died yesterday at K-W Hospital after a brief illness. Deceased was born at Philipsburg. His wife, Magdalena Surarus, died 26 years ago. Mr. Holtzman was a member of Zion Evangelical church and a former member of the Evangelical church in Zurich, where he lived for many years.

Surviving are seven sons, Benjamin of Eston, Sask., Samuel of Hamilton, Ephriam of Chesley, John of Chelsea, Mich., Norman of Niagara-on-the-lake, Emmanuel of Toronto and Cornell of D'Arcy, Sask., one daughter, Mrs. J. B. Dennis of Kitchener, two brothers, Rev. H. J. Holtzman of Neudorf, Sask., David of Wilmington, Cal., one sister, Mrs. Leah Kibler of Cavalier, N.D., 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

The remains are at Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home pending funeral arrangements.

Family/Spouse: Magdalena Surerus. Magdalena (daughter of Daniel Surerus and Margarethe Kaercher) was born on 3 Oct 1851 in Blenheim, Ontario; died on 15 Feb 1914 in Zurich, Hay Township, Huron County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Letter written to Ben Holtzman from his sister, Maggie of 10 Homewood Ave., Kitchener, Ontario on January 9, 1938

My Dear Bro -

Well first of all I will write about where you was born. You were born down on the Bronson line on Granpa Surerus farm in that old log house. I suppose you remember the house. When Mom and Dad were married they moved in the old log house for a while. I think Noah the one next to you was born there too. Then they moved to Mildmay and there I was born and when a mere baby they moved back to Zurich and that where we were all raised. Now we were baptized in the house by the factory which you ought to remember. Rev Mr. Dierlane baptized 5 or 6 of us at one time. We all had a certificate and I know you took yours with you some time or other. You was born June 3rd 1871. Dad never had a big family bible. Now I tell you if you could go see Aunt Mary mom's sister and get her to sign a paper that she could prove your birth for no doubt she was the one who waited on mom when you were born. And ask her who was in attendance and if you had a Doctor or not and if - "who". See if you can locate your Birth Certificate (Daufshein). I will try and see if they kept a record of baptisms in the Zurich church and if they did I might be able to get a copy from the minister that's there now.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Elizabeth Ruby. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Died in infancy.

Notes:

Died:
DENNIS, Mrs. Jabez B. (Margretha) -- At the Pinehaven Nursing Home, on Sunday, December 26, 1976, after a lengthy illness, Margretha Holtzman, formerly of 83 Arnold St., aged 101 years.

Mrs. Dennis was born in Hay Township, a daughter of the late Gabriel Holtzman and the former Magdalena Surarus. A member of Zion United Church.

She was predeceased by her husband, Jabez, in 1943. Surviving are two sons, Cedric of Fergus and Ivan of Kitchener and by grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was the last surviving member of her family; predeceased by eight brothers and one sister.

Funeral service was held today at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home with Rev. F. J. Roberts and Rev. G. F. Barthel officiating. Interment in Woodland cemetery.

Margaretha married Jabez Bennett Dennis on 15 Jan 1902 in Zurich, Hay Township, Huron County, Ontario. Jabez (son of James Dennis and Charlotte Peters) was born about 1878; died in 1943; was buried in Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married Elizabeth Beese on 23 Nov 1904 in Chesley, Bruce County, Ontario. Elizabeth was born about 1879 in Carrick Township, Bruce County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Ephriam Holtzman: Ephriam Holtzman, 83, of 29 Brunswick Ave, died Tuesday at K-W Hospital following a lengthy illness. Born May 4, 1879, in Hay Township, he was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Holtzman. A resident of Kitchener for the past six months, he had formerly lived in Chesley for a number of years where he had been employed by the Krug Furniture Company. Latterly he had occupied himself as a bee keeper in Chesley. Mr. Holtzman was a member of the Trinity Evangelical United brethren Church, Chesley. He was predeceased by his first wife, the former Mary Kosanke, in 1906. Surviving are his second wife, the former Elizabeth Wilkie of Chesley; four daughters, Mrs John (Bernice) Bell of London, Ont., Mrs. Celestia Hardy of Kitchener, Mrs. Vera Hoffman of Ypsilanti, Mich., and Mrs. Harold (Ruby) Lang of Fort Erie; Three brothers, Samuel and Norman of Hamilton and Cornell of Kitchener and one sister, Mrs. Margretha Dennis of Kitchener. Eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren also survive. The body is at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home where a funeral service will be conducted Friday at 2 o'clock with Rev. F. M. Faist officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery.

Ephraim married Mary Kosanke on 1 Jan 1902 in Linkville, Michigan. Mary (daughter of Joseph Kosanke) died in Dec 1906. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Ephraim married Elizabeth Wilkie on 20 Jan 1909 in Berlin, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. Elizabeth (daughter of August Wilkie and Elizabeth Shoemaker) was born in Oct 1881 in Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1920, Washtenaw County, Michigan

John married Alma Pearl Geiger on 28 Nov 1906 in Chandler, Michigan. Alma (daughter of Henry Geiger and Barbara Ruby) was born on 6 Aug 1886 in Winsor, Huron County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Norman married Alena Welz on 17 Feb 1916 in Waterloo County, Ontario. Alena (daughter of George W. Welz and Caroline Mary Rock) was born about 1884 in St. Jacob's, Woolwich Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Emanuel married Margery Rowntree on 7 Dec 1922 in Toronto, York County, Ontario. Margery was born about 1895 in Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1916, Kindersley, Saskatchewan

Family/Spouse: Edith Kurt. Edith was born on 3 Sep 1889 in Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario; died on 16 Aug 1963 in University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; was buried in D'Arcy Cemetery, D'Arcy, Saskatchewan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Died in infancy.

Notes:

Died:
Died in infancy.

Other Events:

• Census: 1920, Washtenaw County, Michigan

Other Events:

• Census: 1920, Washtenaw County, Michigan

Stuart married Winnifred "Winnie" Margaret Lambden on 7 Aug 1970 in Kindersley, Saskatchewan. Winnifred (daughter of Walter Lambden and Rose) was born about 1919 in D'Arcy, Saskatchewan; died on 22 Apr 2007 in Rosetown, Saskatchewan; was buried in D'Arcy Cemetery, D'Arcy, Saskatchewan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]