Bishop Jacob Hertzler

Family Bible: Jakob Hertzler's family Bible is on permanent display at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Belleville, Pennsylvania. LifeSketch: Jacob Hertzler was the first Amish Bishop in America.

Jacob and his family immigrated to America on the ship "St. Andrew" which sailed from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The ship landed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 9, 1749 (Strassburger and Hinke, "Pennsylvania German Pioneers" p. 396). Jacob's son Jacob is also named on the ship list.

The Hertzler family settled in the Northkill Amish community in Bern (now Tilden) Township, Berks County, Pa.

The Hertzler homestead, which he named "Contentment", is located west of present-day Hamburg and about five miles east of Shartlesville on old Route 22. A historical marker is along the road and in front of the stone house that was built in part from the stone of the original Hertzler home.

During his long and productive life, Bishop Hertzler nurtured the Amish churches in the communities of Northkill, Tulpehocken and Maiden Creek, all of Berks County, and later one near Malvern in Chester County.

Jacob's great-grandson John, who authored the Hertzler Genealogy, described him at p. 332 as follows: "His dress was the Amish Mennonite mode, low pants, round cut coat with standing collar and hooks and eyes, and low, broad brimmed hat. He wore a long beard, was tall and slender in stature, forehead very bald, wore a knit woolen hat on his head to keep it warm in winter, was very sociable and talkative, and used strongly the Swiss dialect, positive in his opinions, stout and healthy in old age. At eighty years old he walked from Hamburg, Berks County, to Whiteland Twp, Chester County in two days in preference to riding on horse back." [Note: this was a distance of forty miles one way].

Jacob owned a large Froschauer German Bible, printed in 1744. A photo of the Bible is found in Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, vol. III, no. 3, p. 27 and in S. Duane Kauffman, "Mifflin County Amish and Mennonite Story", p. 234. The Bible is bound in heavy leather and measures 15" x 10" x 5 1/2". "From the pages of this huge Bible came the inspiration which produced and maintained the first Amish churches on these shores." (J.S. Schmidt, Amish historian). The Bible is now on permanent exhibit at the Mifflin County Mennonite Heritage Center, Belleville, Mifflin County, PA.

Birth and death dates of his children are from Gingerich and Kreider, Amish and Amish Mennonite Genealogies, HZ.

Allan A. Garber Sixth great grandson. HZ: Gingerich and Kreider, Amish and Amish Mennonite Genealogies

---

Jacob was the first Amish Bishop in America. "Bishop" Jacob Hertzler, first known Amish Bishop in America, was born in 1703 in Canton Bern, Switzerland. He died in 1786 in Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Northkill Amish Cemetery, two miles west of Hamburg, Pennsylvania. He immigrated on September 9, 1749 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is a book about his life called, "Life and Times of Jacob Hertzler: Pioneer Amish Bishop 1703 - 1786". In this book, you will also learn about the first known Amish school in America, which was organized on Hertzler's homestead.

According to the Jonathan and Katie Miller Eash Family Genealogy (Wilbur Hostetler, 1978):

Jacob Hertzler was an immigrant in 1749. He was the first Amish Mennonite bishop in America. His second wife, Catherine Reugy/Ruegy, the stepmother of his daughter, Catherine, was also part of the immigrant party.

---

17. BARBARA YODER was born 1700 in BERN CANTON,SWI.

Children of BARBARA YODER and JACOB YODER are:

i. MICHAEL YODER was born 1730 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1799 in UNION TWP,MIFFLIN CO,PA.

8. ii. JACOB "STRONG JACOB" YODER was born 1726 in GUGGISBERG,BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1790 in LANCASTER CO,PA. He married ANNA BEILER, daughter of JACOB CHRISTIAN BEILER and BARBARA VERONICA "FERONA" YODER. She was born 1726 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1804 in LANCASTER CO,PA.

iii. JOHN "HANS" YODER was born 1732 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1804 in BERKS CO,PA. He married ANNA BERKEY, daughter of JACOB BERKEY and ELIZABETH MISHLER. She was born 1732, and died 1804. He married MAGDALENA MAST. She was born 1734 in PA, and died in PA.

iv. CATHERINE YODER was born 1720 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died in BERKS CO,PA.

v. CHRISTIAN YODER was born 1722 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 20 NOV 1816 in BERKS CO,PA. He married BARBARA BEILER, daughter of JACOB CHRISTIAN BEILER and BARBARA VERONICA "FERONA" YODER. She was born 1723 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1781 in BERKS CO,PA.

13. vi. ANNA YODER was born 1728 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died in BERKS CO,PA. She married SAMUEL KING. He was born Abt 1724 in GER/SWI, and died Abt 1785 in PA.

vii. BARBARA YODER was born 1734 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1790 in LANCASTER CO,PA.

viii. VERONICA YODER was born 1736 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1806 in MIFFLIN CO,PA. She married JOHN R HARTZLER, son of JACOB HARTZLER. He was born 1729 in BAS-RHIN,FRA, and died APR 1801 in BERKS CO,PA.

ix. MAGDALENA YODER was born 1724 in BERN CANTON,SWI. She married CHRISTIAN FISHER, son of HEIN ULRICH FISHER. He was born 1724 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1768 in CHESTER CO,PA.

18. JACOB CHRISTIAN BEILER was born 7 AUG 1687 in GUGGISBERG,BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1771 in PA.

19. BARBARA VERONICA "FERONA" YODER was born 1702 in BERN CANTON,SWI, and died 1737 in BERKS CO,PA. She was the daughter of 38. HANS YODER and 39. ANNA EICHER.

---

Came to US same as son John.Hartzler?
ÙCuÙDCatherine Gnaegi </cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ggtake4&id=I48668>ÙC/uÙD b: ABT 1706 in Switzerland Marriage? A tax list of Bern township, Berks County, in 1754 includes the following names, Jacob Burkey, Jacob Burkey, Jr., Christian Byler, Hans Curtis, Christian Fisher, Jacob Good, Christian Kauffman, Jacob Kauffman, Jacob Hartzler, Jacob Hochstetler, Christian Hershberger, Christian King, Samuel King, Stephen Kurtz, Hans Lantz, Jacob Mayer, Jacob Mast, Jacob Miller, Nicholas Miller, John Miller, Jacob Reesor, Christian Stutzman, Jacob Stutzman, Christian Yoder, Christian Yoder, Jr., Jacob Yoder, John Yoder, Christian Zoog, Moritz Zoog and Hans Zimmerman?

---

Jacob Hertzler Birth: 1703 Bern, Switzerland Death: 1786 Hamburg Berks County Pennsylvania, USA

"Bishop" Jacob Hertzler, first known Amish Bishop in America, was born in 1703 in Canton Bern, Switzerland. He died in 1786 in Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Northkill Amish Cemetery, two miles west of Hamburg, Pennsylvania. He immigrated on September 9, 1749 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is a book about his life called, "Life and Times of Jacob Hertzler: Pioneer Amish Bishop 1703 - 1786". In this book, you will also learn about the first known Amish school in America, which was organized on Hertzler's homestead.

Family links:

Spouse:

 Catherine Ruegy Hertzler

Children:

 Catherine Hertzler Hochstetler (____ - 1800)*

 John Hertzler (1729 - 1801)*

 Christian Hertzler (1744 - 1817)

Burial: Northkill Amish Burial Ground Berks County Pennsylvania, USA Created by: Janet Euler- Brady Record added: Sep 04, 2006 Find A Grave Memorial# 15614841

---

"Bishop" Jacob Hertzler, first known Amish Bishop in America, was born in 1703 in Canton Bern, Switzerland. He died in 1786 in Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Northkill Amish Cemetery, two miles west of Hamburg, Pennsylvania. He immigrated on September 9, 1749 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is a book about his life called, "Life and Times of Jacob Hertzler: Pioneer Amish Bishop 1703 - 1786". In this book, you will also learn about the first known Amish school in America, which was organized on Hertzler's homestead.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 19 2019, 21:48:50 UTC