Snyder Community
Hale County, Texas

Mennonite Colony Families

Milton H. (1854-1936) and Barbara (Neuschwanger) (1853-1926) Near

(These are the basic facts I have for this family, listed here to help guide the research process. As photos, family stories, and other data are submitted, I hope to develop a narrative.)

    Milton H. Near's family is listed on the Snyder Community historical marker as "among the first Mennonites to settle this farming community."

According to Milton's obituary, "In 1909 he moved with his family to Plainview, Texas, where they lived until 1920, when they moved to Denbigh, Va." The obituary also lists a son, John Henry, "who died at the age of two." ¹ The four daughters from the 1910 census record (below) are given as "Froney (Mrs. Elmer Wiese) of La Junta, Colo.; Martha, at home; Rebecca (Mrs. Hugh McLaughlin) of Plainview, Tex.; Lucy (Mrs. Henry Landis) of Chambersburg, Pa." Gospel Herald Vol. XXIX No.35 (November 26, 1936): page 750 or 751.

Barbara's obituary - Gospel Herald Vol. XIX No. 8 (May 20, 1926): p. 174, 175 or 176.

1900 Federal census - Kill Creek Township, Osborne County, Kansas
    Milton H. - aged 45, married 21 years, born Sep. 1853 in New York, both parents born in New York, farmer
    Barbary - aged 46, mother of 5 children, 4 children living, born Aug. 1853 in Canada, both parents born in Germany
    Froney M. - 20-year-old single daughter, born Nov. 1878 in Kansas
    Martha L. - 18-year-old single daughter, born June 1881 in Kansas
    Rebecca M. - 13-year-old daughter, born May 1887 in Kansas
    Lucy E. - 9-year-old daughter, born July 1891 in Kansas

1910 Federal census - Justice precinct No. 1, Hale County, Texas [same page as Perry Smith, John Hartzler, Jonas M. Kreider, and Joseph K. Hartzler]
    Milton - aged 55, married 31 years, born in New York, both parents born in New York, farmer on own account
    Barbary - aged 56, mother of 5 children, 4 children living, born in Con. [Can.?], both parents born in Germany
    Martha - 28-year-old daughter, born in Kansas
    Rebecca - 22-year-old daughter, born in Kansas
    Lucy - 18-year-old daughter, born in Kansas

1920 Federal census - Precinct 1 (Part of), Hale County, Texas
    Milton H. - aged 65
    Barbara - aged 66
    Martha L. - 38-year-old single daughter

    living next door are Milton and Barbara's daughter Lucy and her husband Henry E. Landis
        Landis, Henry E. - aged 37, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Maryland, farmer
        Lucy E. - aged 28
        Rhoda L. - 7-year-old daughter, born in Texas
        Elizabeth M. - 4-3/12-year-old daughter, born in Texas
        Leon [?] H. - 3-year-old son, born in Texas [This name doesn't match the sons listed in Lucy and Henry's obituaries.]

1930 Federal census - Main Colony Road, Denbigh District, Warwick County, Virginia
    Milton H. - aged 76
    Martha - 48-year-old single daughter

Footnote

1. Gary Neuschwanger, a visitor to this web site, gives John Henry Near's data as b. 12 Nov 1884 (Osborne, KS), d. 21 Nov 1887 (Osborne, KS). Gary's citation was: Neuschwanger, Weldon D. and Barbara L. Neuschwanger, Neuschwanger from Germany to North America, 1846 (Olympia, Wash.: Neuschwanger, 1988), p. 6.

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