See also: BC2015/3, BC2015/2, BC2014/19.

#1 – Dated 10 (January?) 1852, and in German, this letter includes the signatures of John E. Ulrey, and John Musselman.

#2 – Dated 19 September 1870, regarding Sister (Solomafian?) and including the signatures of William Minnich, H. Hendson, S. Zoock (Zook), Smith and H. Haynes?.

#3 – Dated 31 July 1875, regarding (  ?’s) wife, this letter including the signatures of Harrison, Harrison Hudson, Isaac Smith, Samuel Zook, Joseph Weimer, J. Eller, and W. H. Haynes?.

#4 –  Dated 11 April 1871 – Abraham Rife and wife, this letter including the signatures of Daniel Bowser, David B. Shively, Philip Erbaugh?, David R. Shively?, Abraham Williams?, G. Keller?.

#5 – Dated 15 August 1858 – from the Church of the Brethren in Clarke County, Ohio regarding John Grisso and Sally Grisso.

#6 – Dated 5 April 1873 from Beaverceek, Washington Co., Ohio?, regarding Anna Wright, and including the signatures of Andrew Cost., Leonard Emmert, D. F. Stouffer, Samuel M. Foltz, Samuel Resh, John W. Stouffer, Daniel W. Stouffer.

#6 – Dated () November 1853 from Mungumer (Montgomery?) County, Ohio, regarding Mary Mishler.

#7 – Dated 13 October 1861 from the Church near Hagerstown, Indiana, Wayne County, regarding Jacob Working and Susannah Working (wife), this letter including the signatures of David Hardman, Daniel Bowman, Zachariah Dellacy?, Jacob Bowman, John Hollar, John Werking, Daniel Hardman, Samuel iler (Eiler?).

#8 – Dated 11 July 1874 - Neosho Country Church, Kansas, regarding Sister (     ) Smoker, and including the signatures of Sidney Hodgens, William Hubble, Joseph Garber, William Benett (Bennet?), and Clum?.

#9 – 18 September 1865 from Franklin Co., Virginia, regarding John N. Flora, and including the signatures of John Bowman, Abraham Barnheart, Abraham Naff, Isaac Naff, Abraham Peters, Jacob Flora, George Barnhart, Joel Naff.  (See how the names, “Barnheart” and “Barnhart,” are spelled differently.)

#10 – Perhaps 1858?, from the church on the Mississinawa (Mississinewa?) regarding Daniel Sala, and including the signatures of George W. Studebaker, John Studebaker, John Younce, Joseph? Younce, David Rench?, Jacob Beery?, and George Younce.

#11 – 10 March 1866, from Washington Co., Indiana, regarding Albert H()t Hartsaugh and Lidia Hartsough (wife), and includes the names of Jacob Funderburgh, Daniel Smith, John H. Ulrich, S. () Funderburgh, Elias Shideler, Andrew H. Snowberger?, Aaron Shideler?. Note

#12 – 6 June 1848 or 1829?, regarding Mary Knauff, with the name of John Cable.

#13 – 16 January 1866, from Kosciusko County, Indiana, regarding Abraham Anderson and Anna Anderson (wife), and including the signatures of David Ulrey, Jacob (?), Jacob Landy, Jacob Metzger, Joseph Harman, Stephen Ulrey, John S. Ulery, George Funk, and Joseph Ulrey.

#14 – 25 January 1860, from Wayne County, Indiana, regarding Joshua Hoover and Mary Hoover (wife), and including the signatures of David Hardman, Daniel Bowman, Jacob Bowmun (Bowman?), John Werking, John Crull, Aron Ritchison (probably on pg. 103 as Aaron Richardson), Abraham Garver. Note: Perhaps the underlined are indeed the men mentioned on pg. 315 in“History of the COB in Indiana,” 1917 edition, pg. 315 – Regarding the Nettle Creek area - Four sons followed Benjamin Bowman in the ministry.  John was elected and ordained in the Nettle Creek congregation.  He moved to Huntington County in the early fifties.  He was the first bishop of the Antioch church.  Elder Jacob Bowman, preacher and orator, died in 1896.  Elder Daniel Bowman succeeded David Hardman in the oversight of the Nettle Creek congregation in 1863, etc. pg. 103 – John Werking included at Nettle Creek, as is John Crull, Aaron Richardson, and Abraham Garver. Pg. notes that Nettle Creek is the second oldest congregation in the state of Indiana.  The ministers from the Four Mile congregation began preaching in the northwest part of Wayne County.

#15 – 13 February 1868, from Franklin County, Virginia, regarding Edward F. Jinkins and Leuisey Jinkins (wife), and Mary Elizabeth Jinkins (daughter), and including the signatures of John Bowman, Abraham Barnhart, Abraham Naff, Isacc Naff (Isaac Naff), Abraham Peters, Jacob Flora, Joel Naff, and John H. Lamon (Leamon?).

#16 – 2 October 1836, from Mari( ) County, Ohio, regarding (  ), and including the signatures of Samuel Pfautz (Pfoutz), Christian Arnold, Johannes or Johanna Lowil(?), John (   ), Chistian Kinsie, and Abraham Graybill.

Since these letters of membership have been part of our collection for at least eight years, it is assumed that they were received and belonged to a single Church of the Brethren congregation, or to various COB congregations in Indiana. They were stored with the Ladoga area records. However, they could have been mixed-in with Ladoga materials by accident. See Archivist's Note:

BC2015/4 – Jeanine Wine, archivist, found these congregational letters in the Archives with other materials.  As far as she knows, they did not arrive with Bill Eberly’s Ladoga collection, but might be related to other Eberly research regarding the Church of the Brethren in northern Kosciusko County.  However, this collection of letters had to belong to SOME Indiana congregation.  Perhaps they actually did belong to Ladoga and Bill pulled them out to do his research and then returned them at a later date? One will note that these materials have been encapsulated by a similar hand – yet, elements of the Ladoga materials were encapsulated in this same format as well.  Jeanine will try to describe each letter and do some research, but time does not permit a full inquiry.  Names are often illegible or spelled differently. Only names that were partially recognizable were included below and many of these are questionable.    13 January 2015, Jeanine M. Wine

Description prepared 15 January 2015 by Jeanine M. Wine