Picture
courtesy of Jack Singleton, 2002Abraham Barr Sr. (about 1767–bef. 1840??)
m. abt 1794
Susanna Brenneisen (15 Aug 1766–18 Oct 1859), widow of John Howry the Younger
Susanna's children
by John Howry
Elizabeth Howry m. Jacob Fritz, of Lancaster Co
Susanna Howry m. Cheyney Pelen, of Lancaster Co
Mary Howry m. Joseph Withers, of PA
Children of Susanna
and Abraham Sr.
Sarah Barr 1m John Sides 2m John Dance, of Lancaster Co
John Barr m. Barbara Keesport, of Lancaster Co
Abraham Barr Jr. m. Catherine Rush/Resh, to Tippecanoe Co, Indiana
Julia Ann Barr m. Robert Leaman, to Dayton, Ohio
Martha Barr m. Benjamin Barr, to Montgomery Co, Indiana
Jacob Barr (never married), to Beaver Falls, PA
Ann Barr (m. unknown Cooper), of Enterprise, PA
Benjamin Barr m. Anna Cook of OH; to NY, Philadelphia, and Daytona, FL
Rebecca Barr m. James Paxton, to Beaver Falls, PA
Picture
courtesy of Jack Singleton, 2002
The Barrs are from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are related to the family that built the large home nicknamed "The Ark.," located in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. . Below is another picture:
Picture courtesy of EmmaJane Dennlinger, 2005 
Here is the house in Lancaster Co, PA, that I believe was built
by Abraham and Catharine Rush Barr.
They sold this house when they moved to Indiana in 1836.
Picture courtesy of EmmaJane Dennlinger.
Family
of
Abraham BARR, Sr.
and
Susannah “Betsy” BRENECY/BRENESSY/BRENEISEN HOWRY
Abraham BARR Sr. of Bart Township and Strasburg Township
b. 1767 (or 1754?)
d. about 1825?
s/o Jacob Barr and Anna Groff
Sources: LDS, Jane Evans Best; Clyde Groff et al, The Groff Book, will Jacob
Barr probated 1803; censuses
m. 1792? 1794? By 1795 (His second wife?):
Susannah “Betsy” BRENECY /BRENESSY HOWRY
b. 15 Aug 1766 (newspaper death notice)
d. 18 Oct 1859 (Mortality Schedule, newspaper death notice)
d/o Jacob BRENEISEN and Julianna (Sower?)
widow of John “the Younger” Howry d. 1791; 1m. Howry by 1783; three
children: Elizabeth, Susannah, and Mary Howry
Sources: Family treemaker file from Marie Malark; George W. Bare entry in WorldConnect;
Lillian Steinmetz Helffrich family tree, received from Jeff Ketterer; info from
Yvonne Bentz, Leonard Howry, Judie Nelson, Joe Wolfe; E. B. Espenshade, My American
Ancestors. Guardianship papers for John Howry; notes of Mrs. Harry Shephard;
Staley Streeter-Yost papers; Grace Vellema, G. Walter Barr research; Herr, Genealogical
Record of the Descendants of Hans Herr; B. F. Sides’s bio; Orphans Court
records; John Breneisen estate d. 1785; 1860 mortality schedule; 8 Nov 1859
newspaper death notice posted to Ancestry by Zachary Scott
Muriel Marvin, FamilySearch.org; 1800 PA census; 1815 Pa tax list
Children of Abraham and Betsy were
1. Sarah BARR
b. ca. 1795 (census records) d. 1877 (will, estate; census records)
m. John SIDES (SEITZ?) of Hawksville, PA d. 15 Aug 1823, s/o Peter Sides SEE
NOTE 2.
2m by 1833 John DANCE (Lance/Lantz/Dantz) d. 1836
Sources: will; Sarah Dance in 1860 w Housekeeper family age 62; in 1870 w Sidney
Hull and family age 75; will, estate
5 Children:
1 Barbara Sides (1813–aft 1877)
......m. Samuel A. JOHNSON (Dr.) SEE NOTE 3.
2 Abraham Barr SIDES (1814-89 bur Strasburg Mennonite Cem)
.......m. 28 Jan 1837 Elizabeth FRITZ (3 May 1818–3 Apr 1896 bur Strasburg
Mennonite Cem; d/o Jacob and Elizabeth.(HOWRY) FRITZ. SEE NOTE 4.
.....Abraham worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad; co-purchaser of 200 Acres
in White Co, IN, in 1838
.....5 children:
.....1. Martha (b. 1831) m. Samuel W. POTTS;
.....2. Clementine (b. 1838) m. David MECK;
.....3. Dr. B. F. Sides (b. 1845);
.....4. Sallie M. SEE NOTE 5. (b. 1844/54 d. 5 Oct 1904 bur. Strasburg Mennonite
Cem) m. _____ SHAUB;
.....5. Elizabeth “Lizzie” F. Sides
3 Elizabeth "Eliza" Sides (30 Sep 1816–18 Sep 1863 bur Chestnut
Level cem, upper)
......m. P. W. HOUSEKEEPER (1 Dec 1816–9 Mar 1891 bur Chestnut Level cem,
upper); farmer; m2 Marthie ________.
..... children
4 Peter H. Sides (b 1817 d by 1870), Col. in Civil War 57th Penn. Inf. m. Adalia
H. _______.
5 B. F. Sides, physician "reared in home of Grandmother Barr"
....b: 26 Sep 1822 in Providence twp, Lancaster Co, PA d: 1901 in another source
says 1904
....Asst. Surg. 49th Penn. Inf.
....m: March 02,1854 Elenora "Ellen" KING b: Mar 28, 1830 d: 1906
...3 children
...1 Isabella "Belle" Sides b: 11 Dec1854 d: 1935 bur Chestnut Level
Presbyterian Cem, upper, Drumore twp, Lancaster Co, PA
.... m. Saunders McSPARRAN b: 3 Aug 1846 d: 28 July 1897 bur Chestnut Level
Presbyterian Cem, upper, Drumore twp, Lancaster Co, PA
..........1 Sallie B. McSparran. b: 1889 d: 1969 in Wilmington, DE; m. Herbert
V. DURKEE b: 1887 d: 1958; 2 children
..........2 Amelia McSparran b: 1892 d: 1966; m. J. Guy McCORMICK b: 1888 d:
1959: 2 children
.... 2 Sarah Sides (Sallie B. Sides) b: 1856 d: 1886 in young womanhood
.... 3 Janet Sides d: in infancy
Sources: Bio of B. F. Sides, PA Annals; FTM file from Marie Malark; Strasburg
Cem records;
2. Abraham II BARR
b. 2 Dec.1797 PA-20 Apr 1873, d. near Monitor, IN, bur Dayton, IN
m. 5 Dec.1820,Catharine RESH (RUSH) in Columbia, PA) by Rev. Mr.
Boyer. She d. 11 May 1866, aged 68y3m16d
to Tippecanoe Co, IN about 1836 [my ancestor]
Source: PA newspaper listing of marriage, Catharine’s death; Catharine’s
will, Tippecanoe Co, IN; Lafayette, IN newspaper listing of Abraham’s
death; tombstone records, Dayton Cem, Dayton, IN; Indiana school listings and
censuses
10 children:
1. Martha Barr 1821 PA d. 1888 m. 13 Nov 1844 Franklin PAIGE (1809-66)
...1.Albert Paige 1845-1860
...2.Alice Paige d. 1918 m. George CAMPBELL, Lebanon, IN 2dau
......1. Ethel Campbell m. Frank Coombs
......2. Myrtle Campbell m. Lester Forsythe JONES; no descendants
...3.Dau Paige 1866-1869
2. Alfred Rush Barr b. 1823 PA d. 1855 never married
3. Cyrus Barr 1825-26 PA d. 8 months
4. Mary Ann Barr 1826 PA d. 1861 IN, m. James GASKILL
.... 1. son Everett M. Gaskill d. young 1861
....
2. dau Elgie Gaskill d. unmarried
5. Catharine Barr 1829 PA-1901 IN m. George W. WARWICK, 5 daughters
...1. Lulu Warwick m. Mark KELLENBERGER; children
...2. Alpha Warwick (Alpharetta) m. Will PAYNE; d. age 26, no children
...3. Dora Warwick d. age 23
...4. Ina Warwick d. age 2 yrs.
...5. Rena Warwick m. Aaron YOST; 3 children
........1. Dale M. Yost m. Cora GINGRICH
........2. Verne Yost m. Jo BALSMA
....... 3. Lloyd Yost m. Helen FLYNN
6. Ann Eliza Barr 1831 PA-1910 IN m. Benjamin Finley WALLACE, 3 children
......1. Ida Belle Wallace d. 1936 m. Rev. Meigs CROUSE d. 1943;
..........3 children: Ann Marie (c. 1880-1953), Rachael Miriam (c. 1898-1965),
Laura Louise CROUSE (d. after Dec. 1965).
......2. Clifford Wallace d. in early childhood
......3. Charles Wallace m. Dora KRUSE, 2 children; .m2 Katherine ZIEGLER
7. Samuel Kendig Barr 1832 PA-1887 Pontiac, IL
......m1st Emma F. BLANTON, div. 1867; 1 dau
........ 1 Eva B. Barr b. Nov 1860 IL m. Charles M. GRIGGS/GRIGSBY; 2 ch: Herbert;
Edith m. Chas. Weitz; 2 ch.
......m2nd 4 Jul 1869 IL? Josephine Josie MURPHY b. abt 1846, 3 ch; also raised
Josie's niece
.........1. Susie/Julia Barr b. 1870 IL
.........2. Mable Barr 1877 IL-1957; m. Roger MORTIMER
.........3. Kattie Barr1880 IL
.........(4) niece Mattie _____ b. 1886
8. Salome Barr 1835 PA-1897 IN m. Erastus Herman STALEY, 3 children
.........1. Erwin Erastus Staley b/d 1863
.........2. Kate Staley d. 1918 m. Mr. BECK m2d Mr. SEARLES
............1. Warren Searles m. Mary Ellen ____ 1 son Warren Willis Searles
.........3. James Herman Staley m. Carrie___
............1. Mary Staley b. 24 Jan 1905 MO, d. 15 Dec 1994 Dover Foxcroft,
Piscataquis Co, ME.
...............m. Sereno STREETER (1905-89) 3 children
9. Jacob Erastus Barr b. 1837 IN d. 1854 IN 17 yrs. old
10. Susan "Sue" Naomi Barr 1839 IN-1918 IN influenza, while nursing
Bertha
......m. abt 1866 William O. CROUSE
......1. Bertha Barr CROUSE d. 1918 Scranton, PA, influenza
Sources: Staley Streeter papers; censuses; tombstones; newspaper clippings;
Soc Sec records; obits
3. John BARR
b. 1795 (1850 census)
d. by 1860? Lancaster City? [9 Oct 1850?]
m. Barbara KEEPORTS of Lampeter, PA, 5 Sept 1803-13 Jan 1860, Woodward Cem,
Lancaster City
d/o Daniel Keeports d. 1843 and Feronica Miller
8 children, all b. PA
1. Miriam Barr (unmarried), lived in "home for old ladies" in Lancaster
"Mira" of letter to Abraham Jr.?
2. Sue Barr (unmarried?) in Lancaster; "Sue" of letter to Abraham
Jr.
3. Kate Barr m. Francis SHROEDER lived 40 yrs. in fine house 100 yrs old, later
private school for girls in Lancaster; 4 ch; Francis Shroder, Annie Emery Shroder
(d. young), John Barr Shroder (d. young), Henry Shroder
4. Edward Barr m. in London to a Brooklyn girl, Julia L. WELD
....4 daughters: Josephine Barr, Julia Keeports Barr, Mary Godfrey Barr, Elise
Adaline Rush Barr ("Rush after our g’tgrdm Barr" says Edward)
5. Amaziah Barr m Fiana SHIRK; son Frank Barr
6. Daniel Barr, in Baltimore (D. W. of the letter to Abraham Barr Jr.?), m.
Philena MARSHALL; 2 children
7. Jacob K. Barr m. Margaret KRIDER; in Lancaster sons Frank, Edward, and Walter
Barr
8. Benjamin Barr, a physician, 21st and Arch St., Philadelphia [unproven possibility:
m. Catherine, lived in Philadelphia and New Jersey; 4 children]
Source: Staley Streeter/Yost papers; censuses; wills, from Dave Rish; newspaper
items from Jeff Ketterer; cemetery records from Dave Rish and online
4. Julia Ann (Julianna) BARR
b. ca. 1802 d. 15 Aug 1888 bur Woodland Cem, Dayton, OH
m. Robert LEAMAN of Lancaster, on Sept. 24, 1822 by Rev. [Joseph?] Clarkson
[of Protestant Episcopal Church?] in Lancaster City [St. James?]. d. 16 Mar
1867 bur. Woodland Cem, Dayton, OH
Source: newspaper, dau of Abraham Barr of Strasburg moved to Dayton or Cincinnati,
OH; church records of Lancaster Co, PA; 1880 census with dau Angeline McKinney
and family, b. 1802; Woodland Cem records; newspaper obits
9 children: 2 daus 7 sons
1. Susan Leaman b. abt 1824 PA m. Dr. D. Lucien HUBBARD; children
2. Angeline Leaman b. 1826 PA d. 1915 Dayton OH m. Robert Lewis McKINNEY; children
3. James B. Leaman 1828 PA to 1911 San Jose, CA; m. Permelia _____; m2 Mary
B. HARMAN
4. Samuel B. Leaman b. abt 1830 PA d. bef 1887 m. Mary BURK
5. Franklin B. Leaman 1832 PA -1907 San Jose, CA m Henrietta LUMSDEN
6. Abraham B. Leaman [Abraham Barr Leaman??] 1834 nr Oxford, Butler Co, OH-
aft 1890 Fulton, IL; 1m 1866 Eliza J. MOODY ; 2m 1879 Fulton Co, IL Julia BEESON;
3m 1888 Fulton Co, IL Lydia HAYNES; children
7. Francis Asbury Leaman abt 1838 OH - bef 1850, abt age 12
8. Robert Fulton Leaman, 1842 Dayton, OH d. 1887 Cincinnati, OH; m. Kate PHILLIPS
of Cin’ti. Beautiful home there.
9. Arthur T. Leaman 1846 OH - 1904 Canton, Fulton Co, IL; d. unmarried
Sources: county bios; censuses; Streeter papers; obits; cemetery records
5. Martha “Mattie” BARR
b. 19 Dec 1804 PA d. 19 Feb 1853 in Crawfordsville, IN
m. Benjamin BARR [a cousin], b. 1800-05 PA d. 1881 in Crawfordsville, IN. Benjamin's
family stopped over in Clark Co, OH.
11 or 12 children
1. Cyrus Barr (1824 PA) m. Elizabeth JOLLEY; children
2. Susannah Barr (1831 PA)
3. Benjamin Barr (1833 PA-1895) never married?
4. Martha Barr (1834 PA-54) m. Henry G. LAIRD; children; to Fountain Co, IN
5. James Barr (1835 PA-65) m. Margaret A. ELLIOTT; children
6. Ann Barr (1837 OH)
7. Marion J. Barr (1842 IN) m. Sarah Elizabeth ELLIOTT; to Rice Co., KS; children
8. Isaac N. Barr (1843 IN)
9. Mariah E. Barr (1845 IN) m. Joseph ALEXANDER; children
10 Angeline Barr (1846 IN) m. Joseph SNYDER; children
11. Mary Barr (1848 IN-82) m. John McCLAMROCK; children
12? One died in infancy?
Source: 1850 Montgomery Co, IN census, Oak Hill Cem records
6. Jacob BARR
b. abt 1804
d. Nov. 19 1886 bur Beaver Falls cemetery, Beaver Co, OH
never married
Sources: 1850 census, with Susan Barr, W. Lampter, Lanc Co, PA; 1860 census:
with Rebecca and James Paxton, Smyrna, PA, jobber; 1870 and 1880 census: with
Rebecca and James Paxton, Beaver Falls, PA; Cemetery records, Beaver Falls,
PA
7. Ann BARR
m. UNKNOWN COOPER, Enterprise, PA (now Bird-in-Hand)
8. Benjamin BARR
b. 1810? Lancaster Co, PA d. bef. 1900 Daytona, Volusia Co, FL
m. Anna COOK of Cincinnati, OH b. 1824 OH d. aft 1900
lived in NY, Philadelphia, and Florida
children: 1
A. C. Barr, b. 1858 PA d. ?
m. Daytona, Volusia Co, FL to Laura KELSEY; 2 ch: Eileen b. Aug. 1885 d. Marin
Co, CA?; Robert b. Feb 25, 1890 d.d LA, CA 1968
Sources: Streeter Staley papers; census records, Volusia Co, FL.; Jeff Ketterer
newspaper items
9. Rebecca BARR
b. 1806 d. 15 Sep 1896 Akron, Summit Co, OH; bur Beaver
Falls, Beaver Co, OH
m. James PAXTON (PAXON), carpenter, jobber (1808-85) bur Beaver Falls, Beaver
Co, OH
Sources: 1850 census: Sadsbury twp, Chester Co, PA; 1860 census: Smyrna, Eden
twp, Lancaster Co, PA; 1870 census: Beaver Falls, Beaver Co, OH; 1880 census:
Beaver Falls, OH (James and Rebecca PARTON); cemetery records; obits
______________
Source Notes to Abraham and Susannah Barr family:
1. List of children from Staley Streeter papers and Helffrich Family tree.
2. John Sides (husband of Sarah Barr): Something wrong with birth date. Found
on card at Mennonite Historical Society, by Jack Singleton, June 2000.
3.Samuel Johnson (husband of Barbara Sides): Found on card at Mennonite Historical
Society, by Jack Singleton, June 2000
4. Jacob and Elizabeth Howary Fritz (inlaws of Abraham Barr Sides): James Mason
Fritz, 517 Crafton Ave, Pitman, NJ 08071, found on card at Mennonite Historical
Society by Jack Singleton, June 2000.
Thanks also to LaVal Housekeeper for her correspondence on the Housekeeper family.
5. Dr. B. F. Sides (son of Abraham Barr Sides and Elizabeth Fritz): Sources:
B.F.Sides bio, cem records, FamilySearch, Indiana deeds recs; card at Mennonite
Historical Society, found by Jack Singleton, June 2000; 1850 PA census
Family of
Susannah “Betsy” BRENECY/BRENESSY/BRENEISEN HOWRY
and John Howry
Susannah “Betsy” BRENECY /BRENESSY HOWRY
b. abt. 1764
d. aft 1850?
d/o John Jacob BRENEISEN (d. 1783) and Julianna
(Sower?) of Earl twp
1m by 1783 John “the Younger” Howry d. 1791
3 Children
1. Elizabeth Howry
b. 10 Feb 1784 (Strasburg Mennonite per MM)
d. 28 Sep 1869 (Strasburg Mennonite per MM)
m. Jacob FRITZ (LStH) (?s/o Jacob Fritz and Ann [Miller?]?)
9 children (JMFritz, LDS):
1-Ann Fritz
b. 10 Sep 1803 d. 14 Feb 1850;
m. 24 Oct 1826 [PLF] Abraham/Abram LEFEVRE 6 July 1803-27 Aug 1875 s/o George
LeFevre
2-John Fritz
b. 10 Feb 1805 d. 26 Apr 1836
3-Susan Fritz
b. 12 June 1807 d. 26 Apr 1842;
m. 19 Apr 1852 Levi Lefever (12 Feb 1804-25 June 1879) s/o Dr. Peter LeFevre
4-Benjamin Fritz
b. 10 Feb 1810 d. 31 May 1890; 1m Ann Groff, 2m Margaret Elizabeth RITZ
5-Jacob Fritz
b. 15 Nov 1812 d. 14 Apr 1892; m. Hester Ann WITMER;
Ch: J. W., Newton H., Ezra B. (bio; 1880 census)
6-Israel Fritz
b. 9 Sep 1815 d. 20 Apr 1839
7-Elizabeth Fritz
b. 3 May 1818 d. 3 Apr 1896 bur Strasb Menn;
m. 28 Jan 1837 Abraham Barr SIDES, b. 1814, gs/o Abraham Barr
8-Abraham Fritz
b. 1820
9-Martha Fritz
b. 1822
(Sources: James Mason Fritz; Lancaster Co Historical Society; Lillian Steinmetz
Hellfrich; FamilySearch.org; part of a deed on same page with a Howry deed;
internet postings for Jacob Fritz and Ann Miller, with son Jacob
< http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~millergonzalez/mueller.html>)
2. Susanna Howry
b. 1785 Strasburg Twp, Lanc Co, PA (1850 census)
d. still living in 1860, with daughter (1860 census)
m. Cheney PELEN of Strasburg, d. by 1830?(census) (AKA Cheney/Cheyney Pelen/
[census] and Pelen Cheyney [LStH]) and Peeling) of Strasburg? (bio of gson Abraham
Pelen, bio)
5 children:
1-Abram Cheney Pelen (LStH) [of Philadelphia? Census]
m. Elizabeth WATKINS (6 children: Henry, Augustus, John S., Clara, Charles C.,
Sarah J. [LDS])
2-Henry Pelen
b. ?
m. Hannah P. FREE (6 ch: Chaney; Gustave; Martha J.; Anna [Sourbeer]; Henry;
Abraham m. Minnie NIEMAN [ch: Ivy, John] 2m Anna Mary [ch: Pauline])
3-Augustus Pelen
b. Dauphin Co, PA; occ grocer
m. 12 Jan 1853 Fany BANY by Rev. J. J. Strine, Lutheran, Lanc City
4-Sidney Pelen (daughter)
b. Dauphin Co, PA d. 11 Mar 1898 Paradise Twp, PA
m. George HULL, carpenter (8 children: John, Letitia [Hoak], Susan [Frew], Elizabeth,
Sidney A. [Frazer], George, Cornelius, Henry)
5-John Pelen b. ca. 1813 Lanc Co, PA
m. Catherine Chalfant (dau Lizzie [Enney]
(Sources: censuses provided by J. Ketterer and D Sterner; bio of Abraham Pelen,
s/o Henry Pelen, in PA Biographical Annals online at http://www.pa-roots.com/cgi-bin/data/lancasterbiographies.cgi?read=1494;
Lillian Steinmetz Hellfrich; marriage record of Augustus Pelen)
N.B.: Susanna Howry Pelen with daughter Sidney in 1850 and 1860 censuses; SHP’s
half sister Sarah Barr Sides Dance with Sidney Hull family in 1870
3. Mary Howry
6 children (LStH):
b. 24 Dec 1789 (LStH) (widow at 27 with 6 children per LStH)
d. aft 1850 census, maybe aft 1860 census
m. Joseph WITHERS d. 4 June 1818 (LStH)
s/o John Withers and Hannah ___
6 children (LStH):
1-John Howery Withers b. 1809 1m. 26 Mar 1833 Mary Ann McKINNEY, 3 ch.; 2m Elizabeth
HILL, 1 ch
2-Joseph Nelson Withers b. 1811 m. Elise SARCHETT, 5 ch.
3-George Withers b. 1812 m. Susan BRENNEMAN, 5 ch.
4-Mary Ann Withers b. 1814 b. MD? m. 30 Jan 1834, Samuel IRWIN, 4 ch.
5-Jacob Fulton Withers b. 1815 m. Rachel YARDLEY, 1 ch
6-Hanson Withers b. 1816 m. Lavina Matilda WAINWRIGHT
Sources:
Harmon, Cemeteries of Lancaster Co, PA
LStH Lillian Steinmetz Hellfrich
MM Marie Malark
DSterner David Sterner
JMFritz: James Mason Fritz
Misc. Bk 1784-87, pp. 108-10
9 Dec 1784 estate papers list heirs incl. Susannah s/o John Howry
Misc. Bk 1806-08, p. 337
28 Dec. 1807 petition of Jacob Fritz h/o Elizabeth d/o John Howery s/o Jacob
Howry
Misc. Bk 1808-13, p. 139
March 1810 Mary Howry chose husband as guardian, dismissing Abraham Barr.
Thanks to Yvonne Bentz, Jeff Ketterer, Marie Malark, David Sterner
Barrs in INTIPPEC posting of Lafayette Journal and Courier Index <http://www.rootsweb.com/~intippec/JC_ros.html>
Susan Y. Clawson <clawsonsy@hotmail.com>
Last updated 14 September 2012.