In-Page Links:

• Collection
  • Source
  • Notes
• Guide to the letters
• Key to Individuals
  • Bear Family
  • Other individuals
• Off-page Links

Collection Source:

This series of letters was sent to me, already in electronic form, by Debbie Bear. I have added them to my website at her request, as they nicely complement my own series of Gibbons/Kemper/Yancey Family Letters. Another reason I agreed to host these letters here on my website is that I am also a Bear descendant myself.

These letters came to Debbie by way of Elizabeth Hall Bear, who got them from Frances Eugene Bear (1894-1966), who in turn got them from Jessie Hough, the granddaughter of Bishop John Bear.

Collection Notes:

• These letters have been copied from the electronic version with no changes whatsoever.
• It appears that the person who transcribed these letters added parenthetical explanatory notes in various spots.
• It also appears to be the case that sections of the letters which were unreadable have been rendered as a series of dots: ...............

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Guide to the Letters:

• John Bear (recipient of all letters):
  • from his brother Henry Bear:
    • August 04, 1822
    • January 05, 1824
    • November 24, 1832
    • June 22, 1840
    • February 27, 1846
  • from his brother Charles Wesley Bear:
    • September 20, 1837
  • Baltimore Methodist Conference:
    • March 10, 1861

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Key to Individuals -- Bear Family:

Jacob Baer (11/15/1724-02/12/1783), son of Jacob Jagely Bar & Fronica Good, married Anna Barbara Miller (1726-11/27/1791), daughter of Adam Miller & Barbara Koger. Jacob and Anna Baer are buried in the Bear Family Cemetery near Elkton, Rockingham County, VA, in an area known as "Bear Lithia Springs". Children of Jacob Baer and Anna Barbara Miller include:

• Anna Barbara Baer (3/12/1741/42-3/12/1828), married 1^st to Philip Lingle, married 2^nd circa 1782 to Jacob Kisling (01/18/1760-05/23/1835). Children of Anna Barbara Baer and Jacob Kisling from whom I descend include:
  • Christina Kisling (06/05/1783-07/03/1873), married 9/12/1805 in Rockingham County, VA, to Joseph Mauzy (08/14/1779-12/20/1863), son of Henry Mauzy and Elizabeth Taylor. Their daughter Julia Mauzy married William Winsborough; Julia Victoria Winsborough married William Benjamin Yancey.
  • Ann Kisling (02/26/1792-12/10/1871), married 1^st to John Pence, and 2^nd to Rodham Kemper on 12/04/1823. Frances Virginia Kemper, daughter of Ann Kisling and Rodham Kemper, married Robert Allen Gibbons.
• Henry Bear (1756-1851), married Catherine Runkle (1773-10/09/1846). Henry and Catherine are both buried in the Elk Run Cemetery. Children of Henry Bear and Catherine Runkle include some of the letter writers:
  • Henry Bear (1798-02/01/1850), married on 09/28/1820 in Augusta County, VA, to Jane Kennerly (09/07/1800-02/14/1876), daughter of James Kennerly and Mary Bear. Henry died in Stockton, California; Jane died in Cooper County, Missouri.
  • John Bear (?-?), Bishop of the Methodist Church
  • Col. Jacob Bear (12/11/1801-02/27/1877), married Anna Moria Hall; Jacob is buried in Elk Run Cemetery
  • Charles Wesley Bear (09/21/1808-04/14/1879), married 01/31/1839 to Mary Elizabeth Conrad (05/11/1817-06/26/1841), daughter of Henry Conrad & Sarah Harnsberger; Wesley is buried in Green Hill Cemetery at Luray, and Mary is buried at Elk Run Cemetery in Elkton, under the name Mary Bare.
  • Daughter Bear (?-?, name unknown), married Dr. Alfred S. Wolfe
  • Elizabeth "Betsy" Bear (01/15/1806-09/29/1881), married on 04/17/1827 to Jacob Brubaker (11/25/1803-07/22/1872), son of John Brubaker and Barbara Mauck
  • Rebecca (or Anna) "Becky" Bear (06/12-or-28/1812-03/16/1869), married Mr. Hester, she is buried in Elk Run Cemetery
  • Alexander H. "Ellic" Bear (?-09/14/1837)
  • Adam Clark Bear (02/1820-08/1906), married on 02/15/1844 in Page County, VA, to Susan M. Long (09/13/1823-06/25/1898)
• Anna Maria Baer (?-Bef. 1831)
• Catherine Baer (?-1831)
• Elizabeth Baer (?-1831)
• Christina Baer (Aft. 1750-Aft. 1831)
• Anna Baer (Aft. 1750-?), married in 1788 to George Argenbright
• Adam Baer (1756-1847)
• Jacob Baer (12/13/1765-05/17/1827)

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Key to other individuals mentioned in letters:

• Conrad:
  • Mr Conrad = unknown at this time
  • Stephen Conrad = (04/11/1812-04/17/1870), son of John Conrad and Anna Maria "Polly" Nicholas; married 02/10/1835 in Rockingham County, VA, to Mary C. Harnsberger (08/10/1818-01/09/1908). Stephen and Mary were born in Rockingham County, VA, but moved west 05/11/1839. They were known to be living in Boonville, Missouri in 1847. Stephen had a saddlery business there. They later moved to Rocheport, Missouri, and then to Columbia, Missouri, where they are buried.
    • Identification provided by Pam Benckhuysen
    • See Fran West's website entry for Stephen Conrad
• Harnsberger/Hansberger/Hansburger:
  • John Hansberger = unknown at this time
  • Mitchell Hansburger = perhaps Mitchell Harnsberger, brother-in-law of Stephen Conrad, who was known to have travelled west with Stephen and Mary.
    • Tentative identification provided by Pam Benckhuysen
• Miller:
  • Malinda Miller = unknown at this time
• Other Individuals:
  • Bro. Clark = unknown at this time, but probably a preacher
  • Bro. Morgan = unknown at this time, but probably a preacher
  • Dr. Bangs = unknown at this time
  • Dr. Bond = unknown at this time
  • Dr. Elliott = unknown at this time
  • Edward Stevens = unknown at this time
  • Henry Deck = unknown at this time
  • Henry Thornhile = unknown at this time
  • John Peirce = unknown at this time
  • Joseph Mays, Sr. = unknown at this time
  • Layton Yancey = almost definitely a descendant of Lewis Davis Yancey, via his son John S. Yancey who married Mary Layton. Probably a descendant of Capt. William Layton "Layton" Yancey and his wife Frances Lynn "Fannie" Lewis. Capt. Layton Yancey died in 1813, so this Layton mentioned here in 1824 is probably a descendant.
  • Martin Van Buren = 8th President of the United States; elected President in 1836 (defeated William Henry Harrison), served as President from 1837-1841. He inaugurated the independent treasury system. The 1840 letter refers to him as "the Old Serpent".
    • Source: World Almanac & Book of Facts, 1994 Edition
  • Mr. Kibler = unknown at this time
  • Mr. Waters = unknown at this time, but lived in or near Cooper County, Missouri, in June of 1840
  • Rev. Dr. Thomas = probably a Methodist minister, but otherwise unknown
  • Rev. John W. Bull = probably a Methodist minister, but otherwise unknown
  • Rev. N. J. B. Morgan = probably a Methodist minister, but otherwise unknown
  • Rev. Thomas Sewail = probably a Methodist minister, but otherwise unknown
  • The Tucks = unknown at this time
  • Thomas Kennerly = probably a relative of Henry Bear's wife Jane Kennerly, but otherwise unknown
  • Uncle Bear's John = unknown at this time
  • William Henry Harrison = 9th President of the United States; elected President in 1840, served as President for one month in 1841.
    • Source: World Almanac & Book of Facts, 1994 Edition

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Off-Page Links:

• Back to Main page for Gibbons/Kemper/Yancey Family Letter Series
• Back to Mary D. Taffet's Genealogy Page on Rootsweb
• My other web pages (external to Rootsweb):
  • Mary D. Taffet's Home Page (at Syracuse University)
  • Mary D. Taffet's Genealogy Page (at Syracuse University)
  • Mary D. Taffet's Moses Family Genealogy Web Site (formerly at Geocities, now on Rootsweb Freepages)
  • Mary D. Taffet's Family Page (at Familytreemaker)

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This page was last modified: Wednesday, 12-Sep-2018 14:28:44 MDT