From Martyrs to Modern Times
Gary’s Pennsylvania Huber ancestors were descended from the Swiss Hubers who were religiously persecuted Anabaptists. These European ancestors were steadfast in their beliefs, and many became martyrs.
The Anabaptist movement in the 1500s was anathema to the Catholics and Protestants because their beliefs challenged the accepted role of melding church and state; Anabaptists believed in the separation of church and state. One of their main views was a rejection of infant baptism. They also refused to swear oaths, wouldn’t serve in the military, and overall adhered to a life of pacifism. Religious persecution was a real thing.
Some of the Hubers who experienced martyrdom due to their Anabaptist beliefs were:
- 1527 – Hans Huber was imprisoned in Lahr, then expelled from the city.
- 1538 – Ulrich Huber was executed for standing up for his beliefs.
- 1542 – Hans Huber was burned at the stake for refusing to return to the Catholic church.
- 1635 – Sharach Huber was tortured in Moravia.
- 1645 – Wolfgang Huber was killed with a sword.
- 1645 – Hans Huber was thrown into prison and kept in chains for the rest of his life. His wife was exiled.
Understandably, many Anabaptists fled to an area in Germany called Palatinate (thereby becoming known as Swiss Palatinates) to escape the cruel treatment they or their brethren received. Unfortunately, life did not improve, and for many, actually got worse. William Penn traveled to this area three times and earned the people’s trust. He preached religious freedom. “The Palatinates were longing for some spot on earth where they could go and live in peace, freed from their cruel oppressors.” Thus began the migration to Pennsylvania.
This information came from two books of compiled records regarding various branches of the Huber family.
Compiled records are basically a published account of a family’s history. Many Hubers immigrated to Pennsylvania. The first book was The Huber-Hoover Family History compiled by Harry M. Hoover (Hoover is the Americanized version of Huber) and published by the Mennonite Publishing House in 1928. The second book was compiled by Gloria C. Hartzell and published in 1983.
This one is titled Genealogical History of John Francis Huber from Bucks County, PA and his Descendants with Related Families 1751-1983. John Francis Huber arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 on the ship Patience; this is Gary’s branch of the Huber family. His mother was born Georgene Elizabeth Huber. Georgene’s aunt, Elta Huber Bonner, was the family representative for Gary’s Huber branch. She provided information to be included in this compilation.
This was a huge undertaking. I call it “The Big Red Book” and it took Gloria 13 years and lots of help to create this 498 page family history. Gloria really dedicated her life to this project for many years. She and her husband traveled all over to gather information. She visited courthouses, historical societies, libraries, cemeteries, and even went to Salt Lake City to visit the Family Search Library which is the gold standard in genealogical research. In addition, Gloria provided family questionnaires and conducted telephone and personal interviews. She included research from the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution}. In addition to all the facts for individuals and family groups, Gloria provided pictures of wills, deeds, census records, family Bible information, religious records, tombstones, and photographs of ancestors.
Truthfully, compiled records are only as good as the researcher. Did they provide primary source material or focus on family lore? Once you have the information you can further evaluate it. The advantage of course, is having so many facts in one place. It’s also a great way to “add color” to facts when the researcher provides more than names and dates.