HAFER FAMILY TREE RESEARCH
MATTHIAS HAFER. (4th Great
Grandparent of Gary Hafer.)
Born February 28, 1738/39 in Germany - Died about
March 21, 1791 in Reading, Berks, PA.
Matthias' wife was Julianna Schmid.
A Palatine, Matthias emigrated in 1773 from Alsace, on the borders of
the Rhine River in Germany, and settled in Alsace Township, Berks County,
one mile east of Reading. He was listed as a passenger on the ship
"Crawford" from Amsterdam arriving in Philadelphia on Oct. 25, 1773.
Matthias raised his family in Berks County and carried on farming until his
decease. The Hafer family is one of the oldest in Berks County and its
members are all respected, honorable and successful residents of the several
communities where they are to be found, possessing the sterling virtues that
made their founder Matthias Hafer, so welcome a settler in America. -
Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Morton L.
Montgomery, 1909, pp. 839, 1176. Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants
in Pennsylvania, by Rupp.
Picture of Matthias Hoefer's home provided by Dick Hunsinger.
Born February 7, 1784 in Alsace Twp., Berks, PA - Died October 13, 1853 in Alsace Twp., Berks, PA.
John's wife was Gertraut Kline.
Native of Berks County and for many years resided on his farm in Alsace and Exeter townships, which he cultivated in addition to working at his trade of stone mason. He assisted in the erection of the old Schwartzwald stone church and of Spie’s church in Alsace township. He is recalled as a man of robust appearance. John was buried at Schwartzwald Cemetery. (Information source: Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Morton L. Montgomery, 1909, pp. 581, 1176.)
Link: Alsace Twp. Map - 1876
In 1990, there were more Hafers living in
Pennsylvania than any other state.
Link
to color coded map:
Hafer surname distribution in the United States for 1990
HENRY HAFER. (2nd Great
Grandparent of Gary Hafer.)
Born September 4, 1819 in Reading, Berks, PA - Died November
27,1903 in Reading, Berks, PA.
Henry's wife was Juliana Egleman.
Some information is found in the Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks
County, Pennsylvania. Morton L. Montgomery, 1909, pp. 839, 1176. He
was one of the first employees of the Reading Railway Company where worked
for 35 years, most of the time as a brakeman. After he left the
company, he moved to near Williamsport where he was engaged in farming a
number of years. Estate records reveal that Henry Hafer lived at #47
Exeter Street, Reading, PA.
Recently, Hafer ranked
7,407
out of 88,799 surnames in the U.S.
Link:
Frequency of the Hafer surname
Born January 20, 1862 in Reading, Berks, PA - Died July 9, 1922 in Linden, Lycoming, PA.
Cyrus' wife was Jemima Paulhamus.
About all that is known about Cyrus was that he was born in Reading and died in Lycoming County. He was a farmer. Death Certificate Records reveal that he died of Pleura Pneumonia and was buried June 12, 1922 at Buchanan Cemetery, Old Lycoming Twp, Lycoming County, PA. He was living in Linden, PA at the time of death.
Born April 6,1888 in Woodward Twp., Lycoming, PA - Died October 10,1974 in Atlantic City, Atlantic, NJ.
Frederick's wife was Mabel W. Deyo.
His primary occupation was painter and wallpaper hanger. However, he did many things. Later, while residing in Atlantic City, NJ, one of his jobs included being a police officer. Records reveal that he may have lived in Grover, PA in 1923. He lived at 602 Broadway, Elmira, NY with his wife Mabel and daughter Elizabeth in 1925. Fred was a grocer at a store of the same address. He later lived at 813 W. Gray Street, Elmira, NY at the time of Elizabeth Deyo's death in 1928. He was buried October 14, 1974, in Buchanan Cemetery, Old Lycoming Twp, Lycoming County, PA.
Cameron's wife is Virginia Ruth Hall.
Cameron was a World War II veteran, participant in the Normandy Invasion and posthumous recipient of a Purple Heart for his involvement in France. Later in life, he received several patents and performance awards at IBM for his contribution to the development of the company's ink jet printer. At age 40, he moved his family from the laid back comforts and familiar surroundings of PA and upper NY state to the busy paced lifestyle of California. He lived there until his death from cancer.
Link: Chemung County, NY Map
Links:
Yahoo Hafer Group
Genforum - Hafer Group
Rootsweb Message Board - Hafer
Berks County is where the Matthias Hafer
family line began in 1773.
Links:
Berks County Genealogical Society
Berks County PA GenWeb
Berks County Courthouse
Berks Web Genealogical Links