John Bear

Title: John Bear fonds

Dates of creation: 1886, 1984

Physical description: 1 cm of textual records

Biographical sketch: John Baer (May 15, 1804-Dec. 24, 1894) was the oldest child of minister, Martin Bear, an immigrant to Canada in 1800. John Bear lived near Preston (Cambridge), Ontario. He was a contractor and builder, as well as farmer. On Feb. 11 1827 he married Anna Pannabecker (April 23, 1812-Feb. 16, 1875). They had thirteen children.

John Bear joined the Mennonite church in 1833, and was ordained as a minister by Benjamin Eby on December 2, 1838. In the division of the 1870s John Bear joined, and was a minister in, what became the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church. 

Custodial history: The original was donated by Lorna L. Bergey; the document was translated by Isaac R. Horst.

Scope and content: A rambling doctrinal statement in German script, and a translation

Notes: For further information see Ezra Eby, Biographical history of Waterloo Township. (Kitchener Eldon Weber, 1971 ed.), p. 44-45; L.J. Burkholder, A brief history of the Mennonites in Ontario (Toronto: Mennonite Conference of Ontario, 1935)

See also John Bear family Bible at BS239 1831

File list:

1. Handwritten manuscript booklet, 1886
2. Translation of above by Isaac Horst, 1984

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