Joseph FUNK

                   GS BY ELMER M FUNK


Information obtained through Thomas B. Kirkpatrick, Columbia, Maryland.  tbkirkpatrick@home.com

OCCUPATION: Singing School Founder, Hymnal Printer, Writer &Translator of
Mennonite documents, Publisher, Farmer.

BIOGRAPHY-LAND: Eleventh child of Rev. Henry Funk of Hilltown Twp,Bucks Co, PA.
In 1786 moved with father's family to 1.5 miles West of Singers Glen,VA.
In 1809 bought 112.5a from Bishop Henry Rhodes in Mountain Valley, VA
(Now Singers Glen) according to 1810 tax records - deed lost.
The plot for this 112.5a originally surveyed by John Lincoln 17 May1796.
An 1820 deed shows 30 acres from Abraham Bare.

BURIAL: Singers Glen Cemetary.

BIRTH-CONFLICT: There are two dates and two locations for Joeph Funk's
Birth. His tombstone shows 9 Mar 1777. A.J. Fretz p.289  has 6 Apr1778 in Berks
Co, PA. R. Hott p.135 has 9 Mar 1777 date. Dale MacAllister in 1976book on
Donavan Memorial Church p.53 and p.56 lists 9 Mar 1777 in Berks Co.but in his
1979 biographic article in Singer's Glen Music & Heritage Festivalbooklet he
shows 6 April 1778 in Bucks PA. Frances Funk in Joseph Funk ABiography p.72
says he was born on 6 Apr 1778 "no doubt in Hilltown Township, BucksCounty".
Harry A. Brunk in his 1958 History of Mennonites in Virginia 1727-1900p.112
explains: "The traditional date of his birth has heretofore been givenas 1777.
But from the family record found in the flyleaves preliminary to thetitle page
of a copy of Heinrich Funk's Eine Restitution, we find that he wasborn in 1778.
This family record is now (1958) in the possesion of J.K. Ruebush of
Harrisonburg, Virginia."

SOURCES: Rev A.J. Fretz, A Brief History of Bishop Henry Funck andOther Funck
Pioneers;1709-1899; 1709-1899 ; Elkhart, IN, Mennonite Publishing Co,1899;
Reprint, Higginson Book Co, Salem, MA
-Frances Funk, Joseph Funk A Biography; Pub 1984, Frances Funk, HC72,Box 557,
Lake of the Woods, Locust Grove, VA 22508
-Harry Anthony Brunk, History of Mennonites in Virginia 1727-1900;Staunton,
VA, McClure Printing Co, 1959; Harrisonburg-Rockingham HistoricalSociety,
Dayton, VA
-Dale E MacAllister, Donovan Memorial Church in the Singers GlenCommunity, A
Historical Sketch 1875-1975; Singers Glen, VA; Harrisonburg-Rockingham
Historical Society, Dayton, VA
-Dale MacAllister & J. Robert Swank, Articles and Photos on Jos. Funkand
Singers Glen, Singers Glen Music & Heritage Festival Program, Aug1979; in poss
of Thomas B Kirkpatrick, Pasadena, MD
-Richard & Kathryn Hott, Hott Ancestors; 1710-1984; Adelphi, MD, Mr. &Mr
Richard D. Hott, 10423 Oakhill Ct, Adelphi, MD 20783

GS BY ELMER M FUNK - BORN IN BERKSHIRE CO
FFH - PAGE 289.


From: 	Tom Kirkpatrick  Top of Form 1 	Save Address 
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Date: 	Thu, 18 Jan 2001 18:46:58 -0500
To: 	"David M. Clements" 
Cc: 	Gary Gloyd , "Don Kirkpatrick (work)" , Don Kirkpatrick , Donald Keiffer , Donald Keiffer , "donald.keiffer" , "PeteKeefer@aol.com" , Robert Kirkpatrick , "chiefscott@etrademail.com" 
Subject: 	Re: Jacob Funk

Dave,

Many thanks for the quote. They got the first name wrong.
They are referring to Joseph Funk (1778-1862) , my great-great-great
grandfather, who established the publishing house (and singing school) in
Singer's Glen.
His daughter Mary Funk (picture attached) married John Kieffer. Their
daughter Annie married Benjamin Kirkpatrick, my great grandfather.
Annie's brother was Aldine Kieffer. William H. Ruebush was married to
Annie's sister Lucilla Kieffer.  They took over the publishing house and
moved it to Dayton.

If you have access to a copier, I would appreciate it if you could copy
the pages with those quotes, and hold it for me or mail it to me.

Thanks again,
Tom

P.S.  I am forwarding your email to others who are interested in
the Funk/Kieffer/Showalter lines..

P.P.S.. Now you see where I got my good looks from :-)


"David M. Clements" wrote:

> Interesting.	I am currently reading "Mercer University Lamar Memorial
> Lectures No. 34" by Bill C. Malone titled "Singing Cowboys and Musical
> Mopuntaineers: Souther Culture and the Roots of Country Music".  Here are
> two quotes:
>
> " In about 1816 a German Mennonite named Jacob Funk established a small
> publishing house in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (in a community that
> later bore the appropriate name of Singer's Glen).  There hepublished a
> modest littleGerman-language songbook, 'Choral Music',which
> apparentlyenjoyed only brief circulation.  This initial and inauspicious
> publishing venture, however, marked the beginning of a shape-note music
> empire which, in the hands of his descendants after 1865, blanketed the
> South with songbooks and singing teachers." p.15
>
> "Although hardy and indefatigable singing teachers had already taken the
> shape-note method as far west as Texas by the beginning of the Civil War,
> this system of musical proselytizing did not become a systemitized and
> elaborately organized business until after 1865when two of Jacob Funk's
> descendants, Aldine S. Kieffer and William H. Ruebush, built their
> shape-note empire at Dayton, Virginia. Kieffer and Ruebush published
> songbooks; established a 'normal school' that, under the direction of
> Benjamin Unseld, trained hundreds of potential teachers; sent those
> instructors to communities all over the South; and linked religious singers
> everywhere through their widely circulated magazine, 'Musical Million.'
> Farther South, in Darlington, Georgia, Anthony J. Showalter, the composer
of
> 'Leaning On the Everlasting Arms' and another descendant of Jacob Funk,
> opened still another music house whose representatives blanketed the lower
> South with songs, singing schools, songbooks, and instruction manuals."
p.
> 30
>
> > From: Tom Kirkpatrick 
> > Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 20:14:31 -0500
> > To: "David M. Clements" 
> > Subject: Re: Jacob Funk
> >
> > Perhaps.. My great-great-great grandfather Henry Funk had a son Jacob
> > Funk, b.1761 in Montgomery County, PA.. Henry was a Mennonite minister
> > and  Henry's father was Bishop Heinrich Funck (Henry Funk Sr.) who was
> > born about 1690 in the Palatinate (now Germany).  He emigrated to PA in
> > 1717 and d. 1760 in Franconia Twp,
> > Montgomery Co, PA.	He is often confused with another Heinrich Funck who
> > also arrived in 1717 but lived in Lancaster, PA... I think one of them
> > had a Father or Uncle named Jacob.
> >
> > Why?  What you got?
> >
> >
> > "David M. Clements" wrote:
> >
> >> Is the German Mennonite Jacob Funk any relative of yours?
> >