Lydia Shank

Not long before she died, my mother read the entire set of books in the series Abram's Daughters by Beverly Lewis.  These books tell the story of an Amish family and mom told me that reading them helped her to understand her mother, who was raised Mennonite.  Blanche Myers came from a long line of Mennonites.  This church shares a history with the Amish which dates to the 1500's and the belief in adult rather than infant baptisms.  Both religions are referred to as Anabaptists and come from Germany.  So to understand my mother's family it helps to understand that heritage. 

Lydia Shank is my 2nd great-grandmother on my mother's side.

Her grandfather, Henry Wideman,was born in Pennsylvania but moved his family to Markham, Ontario, Canada in 1803.  As was typical of the time, he followed others of his faith to that area in search of land.  His tombstone says that he was "The First Mennonite Preacher in Canada".

Dickson Hill Cemetery, Ontario, Canada

He died in a logging accident leaving behind his wife Catherine and 8 children (4 had died earlier).  His daughter, Barbara, had already married Michael Shank whose family's Mennonite roots stretch back to Europe.  
 

Michael's 5th great-grandfather, Christian Shenk, was active in the 1000 year old Würzbrunnen church in Switzerland.

Michael and Barbara had 14 children, the 8th being Lydia.  Sometime after the birth of their last child in 1832 they moved to Putnam County, Ohio and Barbara died there in 1836.  She was only 46 years old.  Lydia was 15.

Ten years later Lydia married Jacob Myers, whose family was also Mennonite. The Myers were early settlers in Putnam County who had moved there from Maryland with others from their church.

The Myers and Shanks were farmers. Family is very important in the Mennonite faith and that was probably true of Lydia's family.  There were a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins living in the area and they likely knew all of them.  Though not as conservative as the Amish, they would have led a simple life and dressed conservatively.  Since they were farmers, they would have raised their own food and probably made much of their own clothing.  Lydia and Jacob had nine children.  Surprisingly, only one, my great-grandfather John H. Myers, had children of his own, one of whom was my grandmother Blanche.    

 

Blanche Myers and a Friend

The Mennonite Church is still active today.  You can read more about them by clicking here.