Person Page - 44

     Howard Dewey STONEBRAKER was born on 25 August 1896 at Armstrongs Mills, Belmont County, Ohio, USA. He began military service on 1 June 1918 at Columbus Barracks, Columbus, Ohio, USA.¹ He ended military service on 10 January 1919.² He died on 18 May 1980 at Cincinnati, Clermont County, Ohio, USA, at age 83.³

     Oliver Bartley STONEBRAKER died at Norwood, Ohio, USA. He was born on 20 April 1892 at Armstrongs Mills, Belmont County, Ohio, USA.

     Fredrich ALTVATER was "We dedicate our humble efforts to Ron, Tom and Rocky. Special Thanks go
to Aunt Sadie (Mrs. Ralph M.) Oldfather and her son, Frank, for the use
of Grandfather Cassius E. Oldfather's Genealogy Book and Directory. It
would of been an impossible task to compile this pamphlet without their
generosity. We have discovered a few discrepancies between the Genealogy
Book and dates on headstones. Although we cautiously tried not to make
errors, being mere humans, it is possible we have. We hope you enjoy our
endeavor to bring this branch of the Oldfather Family Tree up-to-date as
much as we have enjoyed compiling it. May it be an incentive for you to
add to it as the years go by."
Excerpts were taken from the Genealogy of the Oldfather Family Compiled
by Rufus A. Longman, Published by R. A. Longman, Wedgewood and Lowry
Avenues, Cincinnati, Ohio 1912.
Page 5 " Explanatory from the Book:
About the year 1769 twenty heads of families left Berlin, Germany, for
America, where they hoped to have greater civil liberty and especially
greater freedom in the worship of God according to their own views of the
Scriptures. Six months were spent on the slow sailing vessel which
landed them in Baltimore, Maryland. From here they pushed their way to
Hagerstown, Maryland, and thence probably by the way of Cumberland,
Maryland, to what was then known as Bedford County, Pennsylvania, where
they laid out a town and named it Berlin, after the home they had left.
Bedford County was later divided and this portion of the county was
called Somerset. The charter in this town was dated 1784.
The names of the twenty heads of families were as follows: Jacob
Geideler, Jacob Keffer, John Nicholas, Peter Kober, Valentine Laudt,
Peter Loeble, Jacob Fischer, Frank Hay, Walter Heil, Jacob Glessner,
Henry Glessner, Fredrich Altvater, John Eideneger, Peter Sweitzer,
Michael Boger, Godfrey Knepper, Peter Weigerly, Nicholas Foust and
Nicholas Miller.
At this time most of the land in the valley that is now known as
"Brother's Valley" was taken up by farmers. However, 40 acres and 80
perches were still open around an ever flowing spring called "Fromme
Quelle" or "Pious Spring." For this land they obtained a warrant in the
name of Jacob Keffer, who in turn deeded it, one half to the Lutheran
Church and one half to the Reformed Church. Accordingly, when the lots
were laid out, Lot No. 1 was assigned to the Reformed Church and Lot No.
2 to the Lutheran Church, and so on. Every owner of a lot was to pay an
annual quit rent of one dollar for church and school purposes, the school
being in connection with the churches. From that date to the present
these two churches have received this quit rent.
The records of the Reformed Church date back to 1777, which show the
first elders to be Friedrich Altvater and Jacob Glessner, and the first
deacons to be John Ziegler and Arndt Grissinger. These records are all
written in German. From that date to the present some of the Altfathers
and their connections have been among the most able supporters of the
Reformed Church in Berlin. The records contain the names of all those
who communed each Easter and the Altfathers were always found in this
list.
There is still existing a birth certificate of Henry Oldfather (See
A, Page 9), which is written in German. The following is a translation
of the certificate:
"Heinrich Altvater was born in the year of our Lord 1770, on the 23
of October. The parents are Friedrich Altvater and his wedded wife
Magdalena, nee Freundschin. His dear parents themselves were sponsors.
This token was given by his grandfather Heinrich Gerlach together with
his dear grandmother Magdalena Gerlachin as a perpetual remembrance.
Done in York County, Straszbery.¹
He was born circa 1745 at Germany.² He immigrated in 1766 to Baltimore, Maryland, USA.² He married Magdalena FREUND circa 1770.³