Eli SCHROCK

                   Eli and Magdalena (Wenger) Schrock Family History
of Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada
and Elkhart Co., Indiana
by Leland M. Haines
16416 Sutters Lane Court, Northville, MI 48167
248-348-2645. Email lhaines@mich.com

Copyright (c) 1995 Leland M. Haines, Northville, MI 48167


Eli Schrock , Born May 16, l816 Pennsylvania, Died March 5, 1843 Woolwich Township, Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada

Magdalena Wenger , Born August 13, l816 Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, Died August 14, l913 Elkhart Co., Indiana

address: Waterloo County, Ontario, and Magdalene after 1857, Elkhart County, Indiana

They were married in 1836, presumably in Woolwich Township, Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada.

The variations of the his last name spellings are:
1. Shruck in the Waterloo County records
2. Schrag on his tomestone
3. Schrog in Ezra Eby's book (ref 8010).

Eli and Magdalena were Mennonites and farmers living just north of what is now St. Jacobs, Ontario (north of Waterloo). There is not much else known about them, but the preceding does give us a good general picture of them. Mennonites were a religious group coming out of the Reformation period that sought to put first century Christian faith and practices into effect. They believed that Jesus Christ taught that Christians were to follow Him in all areas of life. This meant putting into effect all New Testament teachings, regardless of the cost or their popularity. Being farmers in the new Waterloo County community, settled by Lancaster County Mennonites meet they had a very simple life style, not only because of their religious beliefs but also because they were in an area settled for less that forty years.

Apparently Eli rented most of his land. Since the indications are that he came to the Waterloo area as a single man, he was probably rather poor, and probability was helped to get a start in life by his church brethren. The 1840 Woolwich Township assessment states that he had 90 acres under cultivation and 260 acres not cultivated. The large amount of uncultivated land reflects upon the recent settlement of the area. This land may have been owned by his mother-in-law. The assessments need to be rechecked to confirm this. This location is near Conestoga.

There is a record in the Waterloo County courthouse at Kitchener, Ontario that shows his estate sold 2 Roods, 14 Perches of land (1 perch = .5875 acres) to Jonas Wenger. The date of instrument was October 22, l844 and it was recorded on December 18, l845. This land with other land was sold to to Sebastian George, who resold it back to Jonas Wenger on a Mortgage. The deed for the first sale is given below:

"A Memorial to be registered pursuant to the Statute in such case made and provided, of an INDENTURE OF BERGAIN AND SALES, made the twenty second day of October, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty four, by and between Isaac Wenger, of the Township of Waterloo, in the County of Waterloo, in the District of Wellington and Province of Canada, Tailor, Executor of the Last Will and Testament of the late Eli Shruck, deceased, late of Woolwich Township, in the County, District and Province of one said of the one part, and Jonas Wenger, of Woolwich Township, County District and Province ofonesaid. Carpenter, of other part, Whereby, in virtue and power of the said Will and Testament of him, the said Eli Shruck, deceased, the said Executor, as the party of the First part, for and in consideration of the Sum of one pound of lawful money of the Province of Canada, to him in hand paid by the said party of the second part, the receipt whereof is acknowledged, did give, grant, bargain, sell, alien, assign, transfer, release, enfeoff, convey and convey and confirm unto the said party of Second Part, his heirs and assigns, All that certain Parcel or Tract of Land situate lying and being in the Township of Woolwich in the County of Waterloo, in the District of Wellington, and Province of Canada, Containing by admeasurement, two roods and fourteen square perches, be the same more or lefs, being composed of a part of lot number forty five of the German tract in the Township of Woolwich ofonesaid, and butted and bounded as follows, to wit; Commencing where a post has been planted in the center of the Arthur Road at the Distance of twelve chains and fifty links, more or lefs, along the center of said road from the Southern boundary of the said lot, Thence by Law sold to Michael Yogstaetter, south eighty two degrees and three quarters East, nine chains and fifty links, to a post; Thence North seven degrees and a quarter East, sixty one links to a post; Thence by land sold Moses Eby, North Eighty two degrees and three quarters West, nine chains and eighty links, more or lefs, to a post; Thence South nineteen degrees and a half East, seventy six links, more or lefs, to the place of Beginning. To have and to hold, the said above granted premises, with all the privileges and appurtenaces thereof, to the said part of the second part his heirs, to his own use fore ever. Which said indenture is witnessed by Adam S Rudy, of the village of Berlin, in the District of Wellington, ofonesaid, Bookbinder, and Christian Enslin, of the same place, Notary Public. And this Memorial thereby is hereby required to be registered by me the said Grantee herein named. Witness my hand and seal the twenty-second day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty four, (signed) Jonas Wenger"

No 447 Entered & registered the eighteenth day of December, l845, at nine o'clock, A.M. in Lib. D., page 502."

In 1857, Magdalena and her children moved to Elkhart County, Indiana. They entered through Cincinnati, Ohio. The 1860 US Census (Elkhart Co, Harrison Township, #264) showed she was a housekeeper in her daughter Sara and husband Christian Good's home. Her son's John, Joseph, and Eli were laborers for Christian Good.

She died in Elkhart County and is buried in the old section of the Olive Mennonite Church Cemetery. Eli is buried at the Martin Mennonite Church Cemetery, Waterloo County, Ontario (Row 5, Lot 2).

Little is known about Eli's background. He may have been born in Pennsylvania. Three of his children (Joseph, Susan and Eli) record in the 1880 US Census that their father was born there, and son John and daughter Mary Berkey stated in the 1910 US Census that their father was born in Pennsylvania. When he came to Waterloo County is not known. Schrock is not an Ontario Mennonite name, nor is it a Lancaster County, Pa name, and thus it must be assumed he moved into this Lancaster County Mennonite settlement as a young man.

Ezra E. Eby's A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and Other Townships of the County (1895) gives a history of almost all the families settling the area. He does not mention anything of a Schrag family. Under the Wenger's he writes, "8010 V Wenger, Magdalena, was married to Eli Schrog, a farmer. They reside in Indiana, US where their family has settled."

Ezra Eby does state that, "after the year 1835 emigration to this County from Pennsylvania had almost ceased. Only individual parties came afterwards." Eli may have been one of these individuals. Ezra may not have mentioned much about Eli in the write-up because his family had moved to Elkhart County in 1857 and therefore ceased to be apart of the Woolwick Township settlement.

If Eli Schrock was born in Pennsylvania he could have come from several areas. According to the Mennonite Encyclopedia, "As early as 1766 Johannes Schrag landed in Philadelphia. Casper Schrock, born in Switzerland c1745, came to America as a young man and settled in Somerset County, Pa.... Among the early members of the East Zorra Amish Mennonite church, organized c1837 in Ontario were Daniel Schragg, John Schrag and Joseph Schrag. Daniel (1813-1891) was born in Bavaria, lived in Pennsylvania, and settled in Ontario" (Vol IV, page 480).

According to Herman Schrock (David - John - Eli), his father David repeatedly said, "Eli Schrock came from Bavaria." Herman Schrock said that one of his aunts confirmed this. (see 22 Dec 1983 letter from Dennis D. Martin of Elkhart.

If Eli has a Bavarian background, he may somehow be connected with the three Bavarian Amish Schrag brothers (John, Joseph, and Daniel) of the Woolwich/East Zorra settlement west of Waterloo. The Daniel Schrag family has been researched. A family outline of his father's family, Jacob Schrag (July 1753-April 25, l838 Wilmot Township, Waterloo Co) and Maria Holly, is found on page 13 of the Daniel Schrag Family History & Genealogy book by Keith G. Schrag, Lorraine Roth, and Ruby and Alvin Gingerich. The only place he could fit into this family is as a son of the oldest child, Jacob (b. 1790).

Lorraine Roth has uncovered military discharge records for the three sons, John, Joseph, and Daniel. She has also found a record of the emigration of their father, Jacob, Sr. (b. 1753), with two daughters and the three well-known sons in 1837. Jacob Jr., brother to the three, did emigrate with the rest of the family. He could have emigrated earlier--perhaps by the way of Pennsylvania, as did most of these Bavarian Amish immigrants of the 1820s-1830s, or he may not even have emigrated.

The only thing known about Jacob Schrag (b. 1790) is his name and year of birth. This information is from a manuscript copied by one of his brother Christian's children. (see page 12 in Daniel Schrag's history). Since Daniel spent some time in Pennsylvania before going to Canada, his brother Jacob may have lived in Pennsylvania.

If Eli is a son of Jacob Jr. he would have been born in Pennsylvania after his father emigrated, thus fitting the 1880 census information given by some of the children. But there is no proof at this time that Eli is a son of Jacob, Jr. Two things may suggest that Eli may be a son; his Bavarian background and the Pennsylvania connection (Eli birth place and Jacob Sr. and Daniel connection to the state). Work is required to prove a connection.

Magdalena experience in life was like her mother's; they both became Widows when they still had children at home. Magdalena was widowed with seven children from 1 to 6 years old. Her mother Elizabeth was widow with seven children at home, the youngest being 6 years old. Her parent's story is told in the Wenger Book and is copied below: "Joseph & Barbara Wenger built a new house into which they moved in 1801, when Barbara was carried into the new house in a bed sheet..." (Barbara was the second wife).

"In the year of 1825, while the family was engaged in preparing to move to Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada, the father accidentally wounded his left wrist with an awl, which, at first considered an insignificant scratch and not given much attention, became a serious wound. Blood poison setting in caused death suddenly... (Elizabeth) Wenger, with her family of eleven children, set out, with teams, on the 500-mile journey to Waterloo County, Canada, now known as Ontario, Canada where they made their permanent home."

Ezra Eby adds, "The widow with her family moved to Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada, in 1825, and resided in the town of Waterloo, in the old Abraham Erb's home for eighteen months, then she moved two and one-half miles north of the town of Waterloo, on the place known as "Freueds" (now Eli Martin's), opposite the Martin Meeting Church. Here she resided until her death." Ezra Eby also writes, "In the year 1825 there were a great many arrivals, including several large companies. One of these companies consisted of Peter Weber and family, Widow Wenger, mother of the late Isaac Wenger of Ayton, Grey County, Ontario... This company left on 3rd of May and arrived at Waterloo on the 24th of the same month" (p 36).

See following pages for family outline

1. Sarah Sckrock Dec 28, 1837 - Sept 25, 1866
m. Christian Good. Oct 5, 1834 - Feb 15, 1887

Sarah Shrock was born April 3, 1837, and is the oldest child of Eli and Magdalena Shrock of Ontario. She married Christian Good on February 8, 1857 after he returned to Canada early in 1857. Soon after their marriage Christian brought his bride to Indiana, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Christian, the second son of David and Susanna (Bowman) Good, was born in Waterloo Co., Ontario, Canada, on October 5, 1834. His parents were born in Pennsylvania. In 1828 at the age of 17, his father, accompanied by several other young men, walked from his parental home in Lancaster Co., PA., to Ontario, Canada to pioneer. Around the same time, his mother's family had come there from near Reading, Pennsylvania. David Good and Susanna Bowman (originally spelled Bauman) were married sometime between 1829 and 1831. They had four sons: Isaac, born Jan. 27, 1833; Christian, born Oct. 5, 1834; Martin, born Nov. 13, 1836; John, born Feb. 2, 1839. David Good was ordained a deacon in the Mennonite Church in Waterloo County and was said to have been the first man in that area to banish whiskey from his harvest fields. His own church brethren evidently did not share his convictions and refused to help him. He had to go twenty miles to find temperance people who would help harvest his grain. David Good and family are said to have lived for a time in Woolwick Twp., Hatton Co., N.B., before moving to near Wakarusa, Elkhart Co., Indiana in 1855. Land records in the courthouse of Elkhart County at Goshen show that David Good purchased 240 acres of land in Harrison Twp. on Dec. 8, 1856 for the sum of $6,000. On March 11, 1857 he purchased two 80-acre tracts in nearby Olive Township, Elkhart County. Christian Good returned to Canada early in 1857, as mentioned above, and married Sarah Shrock. Soon after their marriage Christian brought his bride to Indiana, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Their first two children, Gideon (b. 1857) and Anna (b. Oct. 10, 1858) died in infancy.

Sarah was called to her reward on September 25, 1866 at the age of 29 years. The little son, David, followed his mother in December 1866.

Christian Good married Mrs. Mary (Stauffer) Sensenich on August 11, 1867. To this union was born Martin, who died in infancy. Mary died March 21, 1907.

Upon the death of his father, Christian inherited 140 acres of the homestead in Harrison Twp. together with the responsibility of furnishing a home and provisions for his mother. Christian Good was a member of the Mennonite Church from young manhood until later years when he joined the River Brethren (a German Baptist Church) and was ordained a minister. The official name now is Brethren in Christ.

His obituary in the April 1887 Herald of Truth reads: Good - On the 15th of Feb., in Harrison Twp, Elkhart County, Indiana, of paralysis Christian Good, aged 52 years, 4 mouths and 10 days. He was a minister of the River Brethren Church for some years. He was buried at Yellow Creek Mennonite burying ground, where services were held by Henry Davidson and others.


11. Gideon Good, born Dec 28, 1857, D. Infancy
12. Anna Good, born Oct 10, 1858, D. Infancy

13. Susanna Good, Jan 4, 1860 - Dec. 19, 1923
m. Jacob Searer Oct. 20, 1849 - Sept. 3, 1925


131 Rosa May Good, 1878-1965; m. Michael I. Holdeman, 1878-1942
132 Clarence Arthur Searer, 1880-1954
133 Oscar Vernon Searer, 1884-1906
134 Edgar Lloyd Searer, 1887-
135 Mervyn Clyde Searer, 1889-
136 Cleo Novella Searer, 1895- m. Clemens Hallman, 1895-1927; 2m. Frank Hunter -1957
137 Russell Alton Searer, 1901
14. Isaac S. Good, Feb 19, 1862 - April 29, 1922
m Fannie Musser, Sept 13, 1865 - Jan.10, 1912
2m. Susan Musser, May 31, 1865-


141 Elsie Ussula Good, 1886-1921, m. O. Lloyd Yoder, 1886-1965
142 Christian Milo Good, 1890-1973
143 Amy Valeria Good, 1895, m. Warren C. Shaum , 1891
15. David Good, Mar 2, 1864 - Dec 1866

16. Eli Good, Sept. 22, 1865 - July 1941, m. Elizabeth Detweiler, Nov. 9, 1865 - June 1953


161 Alma Good, 1887-1887
162 Lulu Esma Good, 1888-1974, m. Leonard A. Mniece, 1886-1955
163 John Victor Good, 1890-1932
164 Bernice Sierra Good, 1895-1954
165 Raymond Allen Good, 1904-

2. John Schrock, Feb 27, 1838 - Sept 25, 1911
m. Esther Weldy June 19, 1841 - July 27, 1866
2m. Maria Shirk April 26, 1831 - Feb 6, 1913

John w