Thursday, August 8, 2013

Those Places Thursday - Lower Skippack Mennonite Church, Skippack PA


My ancestor Johannes KOLB came to America
in 1707 with his brothers, Martin and Jacob.
They settled in Germantown, but by 1709 or so
had removed to Skippack, Montgomery Co., PA.
On December 15, 1709, Johannes bought land
in Skippack. 

The family worshipped at the Skippack Mennonite
Congregation which was established ca. 1702, 
the 2nd oldest Mennonite congregation in America. 
"Later known as the "Lower Skippack", 
this congregation would become the largest and most influential in young America. It would establish Mennonite policy and practice in the new world, as church elders had remained in Germany." [from Skippack Historical Society_The Hunsicker Family page
And yes, the Hunsicker's are kin!!

Lower Skippack Mennonite Church 
(the first church was built in 1719; this
one built in the 1800's)

When the denomination split in 1848:
 (the Mennonite Church [MC] and 
the General Conference Mennonite Church [GCMC]), 
the members that stayed with the MC split 
and started the Upper Skippack Mennonite Church, 
which is now known as the Wellspring Church of Skippack

 The Lower Skippack Mennonite Church became affiliated with the GCMC and that is where my Kolb family has held their family reunions for many years.  A few years ago the two Mennonite denominations joined together again.  But today the Lower Skippack Mennonite Church continues on and is not affiliated, as to my understanding, with any particular Mennonite
denomination; and on its website states: 

The cemetery near the church is beautiful.  
Many of my kin are buried there: 

  We walked and talked among 
the graves for at least an hour when we
attended the 2007 reunion.


Christopher Dock, the school teacher:


Some of my family - and newly
found kin - enjoy visiting 
at the end of the 2007 "300th
Anniversary of the Kolb Brothers
Coming to America". 

I loved going to Skippack.  
And as the Terminator says, 
"I'll be back", you can count on that.
This place of my Johannes Kolb and 
his brothers and their families was a
place that touched my soul...
And, yes, I will go back!

Happy Hunting, 
Revis 









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