1767 Daniel Gehman bought a tract of land from Hans Schantz, known as the "Gehman Homestead". Four generations of Gehman's lived at this location. The Route 222 bypass on the southside of Adamstown goes through what was Daniel's Homestead.
"Their names [early ministers of Brecknock] were Daniel Gehman and Ulric Burkholder, both natives of Switzerland. The former had a wonderful reputation for a species of clairvoyance, by means of which the courses of subterranean streams of water were as familiar to him as those flowing on the surface are to ordinary persons. His services were solicited by well-diggers from far and near to direct them where to find water. Tradition says his predictions were always reliable, and his utterances infallible. Moreover, it was also currently reported, and generally believed, that his knowledge of the mysterious was not confined to the hidden streams of water flowing underground, but that he also knew of rich deposits of ore of the precious metals; of gold mines vast and boundless, like those read of in fairy tales. Unfortunately for the lovers of mammon, he was a scrupulously plain man, whose conscience would not permit him to divulge the secret, for fear that the discovery of such fabulous wealth might stimulate a taste for luxury and pride, and thus the secret was buried with him. Tradition has also handed down to our times the following saying of his: 'In that part of Switzerland in which he resided, prior to his emigration, there occurred a summer during which no rain fell at all, and yet such heavy dews descended on the earth that the water thereof filled the wagon ruts in such abundance that sheep could drink out of them.' He was the father of Christian Gehman, who served these congregations as a preacher more than a quarter of a century afterwards." [1]
1774 Daniel Gehman became deacon on April 4. He helped organize Gehman's Mennonite Church near Adamstown, Lancaster County. [2]
1792 Daniel Gehman turned over the poor funds to deacons Hans Oberholtzer and Henry Weber. From that time on, he was in the Mennonite ministry [3].
1800 Daniel Gehman (age 45+) lived in Brecknock Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with his family. [4]
1808 On 5 January, Daniel Gehman, of Brecknock Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, dated his will. He named son Daniel and unmarried daughters Maria and Veronica. Son Daniel and son-in-law John Oberholtzer were named as executors. Joseph Bauman and Benjamin Bauman were witnesses. Probate was on 9 February 1810 and letters of administration were issued to Daniel Gehman and John Oberholtzer. [5]
1809 Daniel Gehman died [6] and was buried in Gehman's Mennonite Cemetery, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
1811 On 7 January, Christian Gehman, John Gehman, Samuel Gehman, John Oberholtzer and Elizabeth his wife, Anne Bowman widow, Mary Gehman, and Veronica Gehman; the children of Daniel Gehman, late of Brecknock Twp, Lancaster County, released the estate of Daniel Gehman to son Daniel Gehman. [7]
Research Notes:
Was Benjamin Bowman, witness to the 1808 will of Daniel Gehman, the son of Anna's step-son, Joseph?
[1] Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans, History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with Biographical Sketches (1883), 677, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[2] Martin G. Weaver, Mennonites of Lancaster Conference (1931), 149.
[3] Martin G. Weaver, Mennonites of Lancaster Conference (1931), 144.
[4] United States Federal Census, 1800, page 270, line 6, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[5] Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, Lancaster, Will K-163, [FamilySearchImage].
[6] Martin G. Weaver, Mennonites of Lancaster Conference (1931), 144.
[7] Recorder of Deeds, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 16, 100-104, [100], [101], [102], [103], [104], [FHLCatalog].
[8] Isaac W. Gehman, The Descendants and Family History of Samuel Sensenig Gehman and Lydia Weaver Hurst (Bowmansville, Pennsylvania: self-published, 2001), 10-11.
[9] Anna M Gehman, Gehman-Gayman Family History (Apparently self-published. Mohnton, Route 1 - Pennsylvania, 1954), 7.