Moses H. Yoder
(1833-1911) YR25149
-by Willa Yoder
MOSES H. YODER (1833-1911)
Moses H. Yoder, the youngest child of Christian (YR2514) and Esther Hertzler (HZ57) Yoder, was born at the family farm near Belleville in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, on May 27, 1833. Christian Yoder passed away in 1850 when Mose was a lad of 17. Nicholas Hertzler was appointed his guardian. In addition to the farm in Mifflin County, Christian owned two farms in Mercer County which were offered to his sons, Daniel and Christian after his death. The farm in Mifflin County was sold along with all the farm equipment and livestock. Esther moved to Lawrence County where she passed on in 1861. Esther was the grand-daughter of Jacob Hertzler, the immigrant.
CHRISTIAN YODER HOMESTEAD NEAR BELLEVILLE
We are unable to verify the exact date and place, but Moses married Barbara Kauffman (KF11553) about 1854 and it is assumed they were married in Lawrence Co., since that was
Barbara’s home. Barbara was born March 5, 1834, the daughter of Christian and Martha (Kurtz) Kauffman.
Moses and Barbara began married life in Wilmington Township, Lawrence County where Sarah Malinda was born in 1856 and Reuben C. in 1858. Moses had a reputation for having “itchy feet.” Sometime between 1858 and 1867, Moses moved his family to Michigan, where his sister, Anna, lived. Family legend says that Levi U. was born in Cass County, Michigan but his birth is recorded in Centreville, Michigan, the county seat of St. Joseph County. Sister Anna and husband, Jacob Yoder, owned property in both Cass and St. Joseph Counties and it is family legend that Moses’ family lived on Anna’s property in Cass County.
The fourth son, Ezra M., was born in LaGrange County, Indiana on November 26, 1871. The family was known to have lived in the small town of Vistula, in Elkhart County, Indiana and then moved to a farm northwest of the village of Schrock, now Honeyville, where Moses had a soap factory. This soap factory is shown in the LaGrange County 1874 atlas.
A deed recorded in LaGrange County, Indiana tells us that Moses and Barbara purchased a forty acre farm in Clearspring Township on September 7, 1874. The roads have been changed since that time and we were unable to access the exact spot where their home was located, but Jacob Kurtz (whose grandfather was a brother to Martha Kurtz) told us that the land near where the house stood had much finer soil than the surrounding land.
Perhaps Moses continued his soap making here and had a supply of ashes there that were used in his soap making. Barbara passed away on October 7, 1874 leaving a not quite 18 year old daughter to care for the home. We have been unable to locate Barbara’s grave even though we searched every cemetery in LaGrange Co., and nearby cemeteries in Elkhart Co.
About 1877, Moses met Elizabeth Slabaugh and they were married November 27, 1877 in Elkhart County. Elizabeth was born in Holmes County, Ohio on January 23, 1852, the daughter of John and Susanna (Nissley) Slabaugh. She brought to the marriage a son, Hiram Jacob (5-1-1875 to 6-5-1951) whom Moses adopted. Moses’ daughter, Sarah Malinda had married Valentine Marhofer in October 1877. This left a family of four boys for Moses and Elizabeth.
Moses, of the itchy feet, sold the farm to Gideon Yoder in April 1878. He was reported to have lived in the Forks Mennonite Church area for a time. Amanda Matilda was born into the family on October 2, 1878. In the spring of 1879 Moses took his family of Levi, Ezra, Hiram and baby Amanda and set out to homestead in McPherson County, Kansas.
If Reuben accompanied them on the trip, he returned to LaGrange County, Indiana where he married Maggie Bontrager in December of 1880.
Moses had a prosperous farm in McPherson County, near Inman. Emma and Moses, Jr. were born in Kansas. Moses Jr. died at the age of seven months and is buried in an Amish-Mennonite cemetery near Inman, Kansas. Martin was born in March 1888.
Again, itchy feet struck and Moses sold his farm to Emanuel Hostetler and in the spring of 1889 took his family mineral prospecting in southern Missouri. They camped at West Plains and later near Caulfied, Missouri. They survived several years of hardship, with little in the way of minerals and poor farmland. In 1892, Mose gave up and returned to McPherson County, Kansas. But he had heard of the proposed opening of the Cherokee Strip in Northern Oklahoma. On September 16, 1893, Mose, with help from Ezra and Hiram, staked his claim in then Woods County, Oklahoma, near what was later the village of Manchester. He was required to build a house at once. They constructed the walls of a sod house and returned to Kansas.
The following spring the family moved to Oklahoma. Elizabeth fixed breakfast in the snow the first morning they were at their new home, as there was no roof! The sod house was completed and there they lived until 1900 when Mose was able to build a frame
MOSES H. YODER OKLAHOMA HOMESTEAD
house. He had a successful farm in Oklahoma including a lovely orchard. Here they adopted Ida May in 1898. Moses died June 12, 1911 at his home surrounded by his loving family.
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Willa Yoder published the “Moses H. Yoder Family History” in 1995. Limited copies are still available at $25.00 each. These consist of 340 pages of family history, stories, pictures and genealogy. Contact Willa at email: [email protected] phone 269-651-7368 or 1301 Cato Lane, Apt A12, Sturgis, MI 49091.
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DNA and the
Samuel Yoder Line (OH13)
In the last YNL, we showed how Jacob Yoder of Lewisburg, Pa. (1783-1864) had been identified based on DNA testing to the line of Peter Yoder (OH14). Peter was one of the previously believed natural sons of John Yoder (OH1) . John was the son of Hans the immigrant of the Oley Line (OH) who had been born in Steffisburg to Adam Joder and his wife Barbara Ochsenbein on Mar. 6, 1672, and with his brother Yost became the first known Yoders in America. DNA testing showed that Peter had a distinctive DNA profile and was not a natural son of John. This profile was also found in the Jacob of Lewisburg line, and the testing and analysis of other information made for a definite identification of Jacob as a son of Peter, namely OH146. DNA testing had also revealed that Peter’s older brother Samuel (OH13) was not the natural son of John, nor was he a full brother to Peter. The two boys each had a different father, and were perhaps the subject of unrecorded adoptions.
OH1- John Yoder m1. Barbara______ m2. Elizabeth ( ) Keim (h2) d. 1779 (will made 3/8/1779 proved 10/20/1779)
+OH11- Hans (John) Jr. b. c1726
+OH11- Hans (John) Jr. b. c1726
Profile (which matches the Swiss Yoders): 
+OH12- Daniel b. c1723 –had girls- Y-DNA profile not known
+OH13- Samuel b.
+OH12- Daniel b. c1723 –had girls- Y-DNA profile not known
+OH13- Samuel b.
Profile: 
+OH14- Peter b.
+OH14- Peter b.
Profile: 
OH15- Maria Johanna b.
The early work Fragments of the Past, Historical Sketches of Oley and Vicinity, by Dr. Peter G. Bertolet gives the following information about Samuel, in a chapter entitled “Revolutionary Reminiscences”:
“Old Soldiers. 1. Samuel Yoder, father of George, was a soldier during the French War. He was with Wolfe on the Heights of Abraham in the capture of Quebec, He was gone ten years, and meanwhile endured many hardships and privations. (Everybody had given him up for lost, and as the years rolled on no one thought he would ever return, save his good and faithful wife, who remained constant to him. Her hope was finally realized, to the universal surprise of all, in his safe return.) He came back as one of the wretched examples generally the fruit of war, and finally died outdoors.
“His wife was a daughter of Mr. Oyster, of this place, and a sister to Mrs. John Yoder, already adverted to. Two children were born to them after his return. His son George was a soldier in the Revolution.”
Oley township tax records show records for Samuel: Name--Acres--horse-cattle- sheep Comment
1767 Oley - ------Samuel Yoder--------100--2-2-4--tax 12--(OH13)
1768 Oley - ------Sam. Yoder farmer--100--2-6-4--tax 7--OH13
The Berks County Registry of Wills includes 4 Jun 1771 3-65 Samuel Yoder to Elizabeth-widow (OH13) :
Samuel Yoder (OH13) died 1771. Admin Vol # P65
Land adjacent John Lesher (late Gabriel Boyer) John Yoder, Thomas Lee & Jacob Caughman & Manatawny creek- containing 112 acres w/o allowance for roads, etc. AND the other tract of land situate in Oley Hills adjoining land of John Yoder & Jacob Roads & vacant lands- containing 54 1/2 acres w/o allowance for roads, etc.
Obligation ___ George Yoder et al to Daniel Bertolet, Guard. of Abraham Yoder. George Yoder, John Yoder the younger & Peter Yoder pd to Daniel Levan for the use of the said minor David Yoder the full sum of 158 pounds, 5 shillings and 8 pence which is the share part of the said minor David Yoder.
Same as above- John Bertolet- for the use of minor Peter Yoder 105 lbs, 11 shillings, & 2 pence.
Richard H. Yoder’s transcription of BERKS COUNTY INDEX OF REAL ESTATE which lists those who died without a will, but who owned real estate says:
1774---- Samuel Yoder -2- 72 leaving a wife and names five children. It indicates that Samuel had died three years earlier than this (which places the death date at 1771). It identifies son George (eldest son); sons Peter, David and Abraham (still minors); and daughter Mary.
And the INDEX TO APPOINTMENT AND DISCHARGES-ORPHAN COURT RECORDS-
BERKS CO, PA , records copied by Richard H Yoder in 1990 :
BERKS CO, PA , records copied by Richard H Yoder in 1990 :
1774 Samuel 2-173 Elizabeth, widow of Samuel, left 7
(OH13) children, 3 under 14. Peter, David, Abraham
(OH13) children, 3 under 14. Peter, David, Abraham
“Oldest son George received the 100 acres in Oley Twp and appears in the tax listings beginning in 1779:
Oley ------Geo. Yoder----100--2-4--tax 2,060
He also appears in the Bertolet book in the chapter on soldiers and his write-up says:
“George Yoder belonged to the militia and was sent to Amboy. He often mentioned that while in battle the shrill whistling of the cannon balls was always heard before the report. He served as a military soldier in some battles and many skirmishes in the Jerseys. But the militia were generally an army appendage that but little reliance could be placed in, and history ells us that not unseldom fled at the beginning of a battle.”
OH132- George Yoder was born 11/17/1752 in Oley twp. He died 7/8/1833 and is buried at the Spangeville Cem., Christ Church Cem. By his first wife Esther Bertolette (c1746-1778) he had 2 sons and 1 daughter. After she died he was married on 9/5/1782 to Mary Weidner (11/14/1751-4/1/1846), and they had three more sons and 2 daughters. Mary was a daughter of Lazarus Weidner and Elizabeth Yoder, daughter of Yost Yoder the immigrant. This Elizabeth (1720-12/5/1782 "at 7am of dropsy age 62 yrs") was the Elizabeth about whom the “Yost Yoder Ghost Story” was written. Had George’s father been the natural son of Hans Jr., Mary would have been the father’s first cousin. He can be found in Oley Township through the census of 1830.
OH133- Peter Yoder was born in 1763, and married Catharina Trout. Family researcher Tim Conrad reports that they were married 10 Aug 1783, and believes she was daughter of Balthasar Trout and Eva Moser. The marriage was shortly after her father died, so she is single in his will. Peter had a land dealing with the other Trouts and was a tanner like his father-in-law. According to land records. Peter can also be seen 1790 and 1800 in the Berks county census, and appears in Upper Mahantongo Twp., Schuylkill County, Pa. in 1810, 1820 and 1830. (Schuykill Co. was formed from Berks in 1811). Peter died in Nov.1836. Orphan Court records list children Anthony, Solomon, Jeremiah, Sarah, Maria, Hannah, and Catherine.
OH134- David Yoder was born in 1765 . The records of Schwartzenwald Reformed Church show that “David Jotter married Catharina Hoch of Oley 6/8/1805” at) (Catharine High b. Jan.1,1786 and d. Sep.3,1845) He and his family moved to White Deer Twp, Union Co., 1815. d. Jan 1826 Catherine is buried at the Klopp-Clapp Cemetery, White Deer Twp. A biographical sketch of their son Moses in an early county history says that Moses:
“accompanied his parents to Union County , Pa. in 1815 where they settled in White Deer Township , and purchased some 60 acres of land , selling it off in lots at a very reasonable price to bring settlers to the area. Here they had laid out the village of New Columbia , Union County, Pa.”
KLOPP (CLAPP) CEMETERY-WHITE DEER
(photo from “Find-A Grave”)
OH135 Abraham Yoder was born 1768. He is the least documented one of the male children. He moved to Upper Mahantongo Twp., Schuylkill County, Pa by 1810 and 1820, and then, it seems, returned to Berks County. Several years ago, we worked out what we believe to be a good portion of his family group and traced it into Ohio, but have been holding off on publishing it until we get a break-thru of documentation. Now the DNA testing has provided the first crack in this wall, as I’ll discuss below..
DNA RESULTS FROM THE SAMUEL YODER LINE
DNA testing has linked several folks to the line of Samuel Yoder through different sons. Some of these were from “unidentified” lines of Yoders, and others from known or suspected descendants. The testing has also confirmed a unique mutation in the line of oldest son George Yoder (OH132) —namely a value of “16” at the 25th Y Chromosome marker (Marker “464d”) vs the value of “17” that appears to be shared by Samuel himself. Descendants of two different sons of George both share the value, which means he was the source of the mutation. A known descendant of Peter, had the “17” value, as do other test results outside of the George Yoder family.
