80 / Pioneer Amish Communities

search of land. Their experience was, typical: streams were forded, trails were mapped, food was rationed. On August 22, 1834, they reached present Lauber Hill in German Township of Fulton County. Here was the beginning of the settlement of what was to become the Central Mennonite Church.

Other families followed and land was acquired by Christian Lauber, Christian Rupp, Jacob Binder, Peter Schrock, Christian Beck, David Stutzman, Jacob Nofziger, and Peter Wyse. There was also Henry Roth, Jacob Roth, Peter Rupp, Daniel Short, Peter Stuckey, Peter Short, John Rufenacht, and Michael Grieser. Before the next few years were past John King became a landowner as did also Christian Riegsecker, and Christ and Peter Klopfenstein. In 1842 the Jacque Frey family arrived and purchased land. Joseph Nafziger purchased a farm in 1841. The Eichers and the Aeschlimans came also within these early years. At the end of the first twenty-six years of settlement a community was established and immigration all but ceased. The building of a church community had begun.

The first church service was held in Christian Lauber's cabin on Lauber Hill in the fall of 1835.'`' Christian Beck was in charge of the service. Little beyond this is known of the service. It is a fact, however, that German church services became a biweekly affair in private homes of the brotherhood.

The first local Amish bishop was Christian Rupp about whom very little is known .2' Apparently he performed the first Christian marriage in German Township when in 1841 he united in matrimony Christian Rychener and Magdalena Grieser. Peter Wyse (1800-56) was the second bishop and he probably served less than ten years, and some of this time may have overlapped with his predecessor. His successor was Peter Nofziger whose term and contribution is not noted in the meager records. Among the other church officers whose names have been preserved are Nicholas Koenig [King ] minister, and John Wyse (1821-84), the first deacon.

Into Fairfield County

One decade after certain Amish had settled in Holmes County others also settled near Bremen in Fairfield County. The latter settlers bore the names of Kurtz, Lantz, Morrel, Hartzler, King, and Zook. They occupied land close to the Mennonite community and the two groups lived as good neighbors and in time worshiped together. Descendants of this Amish congregation later moved to