Johann Jakob Widmer (1634 - 1737)

Born 1634 in Sumiswald, Bern, Switzerland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1737 at about age 103 in Switzerland

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Biography

THE WITMER FAMILY, compiled by MAXINE BLANKENHORN BENNETT, published by Clifford H. Bennett 1984, p.11: ^[1]

Although Swiss/German in origin, the Witmer family in this country has come to be identified with that group of early Americans known as the "Pennsylvania Dutch". The early English settlers coined this name and the really meant to say "Deutsch", meaning German, but the word soon became corrupted into "Dutch". This term was applied to those Swiss, Germans and even French Huguenots who arrived here in the 1700's and settled in a certain small area roughly defined as south-central and eastern Pennsylvania.

The Witmer surname means one who worked on a farm, the products of which went to the support of a Church. The form of the name in Switzerland is WIDMER, while several variations -- WIDMER, WIDMEYER, WITMYER, WHITMIRE, WHITMER, WHITMOYER, AND WHITMYER -- appear in the southern areas of Germany where branches of the fmaily early migrated.

The WITMER family was among the Swiss Waldenes who joined the Mennonite Church when it was founded by Menno Simon in 1538. In 1706, Mennonites bought land in what was known as the "Skippack Settlement", in the vicinity of Philadelphia County. In 1714, an edict was issued against the Anabaptists. Among these groups where the Mennonites, and as they believed in adult baptism, they were put to death for their doctrines.

The Mennonite Encyclopedia tells that the WIDMER/WITMER name, a Mennonite family name, was found among the Swiss Brethern as early as 1531, and some bearers of the name fled to the Palatinate about 1670, and others went to France.

Johann Jakob was born and raised in Sumiswald, Canton Bern, Switzerland. He embraced the Mennoite faith. "During the persecutions of the 17th century, Jacob and his family fled to Voverence near Vaufrey, Doubs, France. Later they were found among the Swiss Mennonites wandering in Germany and Switzerland.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/477012?availability=Family%20History%20Library

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=52306955&pid=565