John Bear
Born: circa 1776, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: before Aug 1834, East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial: Alverton Cemetery, Alverton, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA
John Bear II was born around 1776 in Rockhill Township, Bucks County, the eldest son of John Bear I (d. 1793) and his widow Susanna. His father died intestate in 1793, and John is named as the "eldest son" in a petition filed in Bucks County Orphans Court on August 4, 1801. His siblings are listed as Jacob, Abraham, Barbara, and Susanna Bear, confirming his place within this early Pennsylvania German Mennonite family.
In 1805, John married Magdalena Kephart, daughter of Rev. Johannes "John Henry" Kephart, in Doylestown, Bucks County, according to The Danish Royal Skjöldung Genealogy of Zinke and certain Gebhardt (Kephart, Capehart) Families. Sometime after their marriage, the couple migrated westward to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where they raised their family.
John Bear worked as a carpenter by trade, as confirmed in family tradition and local records.
He and Magdalena had at least three known children:
- John Bear III (1807–1854), who later moved to Freeport, Illinois, and is buried there.
- Joseph Bear (b. ca. 1809, d. before 1857), whose daughter Amanda Bear is named in legal documents.
- Elizabeth Bear (1811–1889), who married John Sherrick Fretz and remained in Westmoreland County.
John Bear II died circa 1834, likely in East Huntingdon Township. His widow Magdalena remarried to Jacob Greenawalt, as confirmed in several deeds. She retained her dower rights to the Bear family property until her own death, sometime before 1857.
John Bear II is buried in Alverton Cemetery in Alverton, Westmoreland County, His gravestone is partially obscured by a footstone marked simply "J.B. John Bear." The main stone is written in German, and the full inscription — likely including dates and perhaps a verse — remains hidden behind the footstone. He is buried beside two of his grandchildren who died young and whose names offer a window into the family's legacy:
- Mary Agnes Bear (1838–1840), likely named in honor of her grandmother Agnes Oberholtzer (wife of Elder Christian Stauffer Sr.)
- John Stouffer Bear (d. March 15, 1837), likely named in honor of his maternal grandfather Elder Christian Stauffer Sr. and mother Mary Stauffer (wife of John Bear Jr.)
The two children share a gravestone still visible today, linking the Bear and Stauffer families together across generations.
Newly discovered Letter of Admiration for John Bear II dated 8 August 1834 confirm he died circa 1834.
John Bear
Born: circa 1776, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: before Aug 1834, East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial: Alverton Cemetery, Alverton, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA
John Bear II was born around 1776 in Rockhill Township, Bucks County, the eldest son of John Bear I (d. 1793) and his widow Susanna. His father died intestate in 1793, and John is named as the "eldest son" in a petition filed in Bucks County Orphans Court on August 4, 1801. His siblings are listed as Jacob, Abraham, Barbara, and Susanna Bear, confirming his place within this early Pennsylvania German Mennonite family.
In 1805, John married Magdalena Kephart, daughter of Rev. Johannes "John Henry" Kephart, in Doylestown, Bucks County, according to The Danish Royal Skjöldung Genealogy of Zinke and certain Gebhardt (Kephart, Capehart) Families. Sometime after their marriage, the couple migrated westward to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where they raised their family.
John Bear worked as a carpenter by trade, as confirmed in family tradition and local records.
He and Magdalena had at least three known children:
- John Bear III (1807–1854), who later moved to Freeport, Illinois, and is buried there.
- Joseph Bear (b. ca. 1809, d. before 1857), whose daughter Amanda Bear is named in legal documents.
- Elizabeth Bear (1811–1889), who married John Sherrick Fretz and remained in Westmoreland County.
John Bear II died circa 1834, likely in East Huntingdon Township. His widow Magdalena remarried to Jacob Greenawalt, as confirmed in several deeds. She retained her dower rights to the Bear family property until her own death, sometime before 1857.
John Bear II is buried in Alverton Cemetery in Alverton, Westmoreland County, His gravestone is partially obscured by a footstone marked simply "J.B. John Bear." The main stone is written in German, and the full inscription — likely including dates and perhaps a verse — remains hidden behind the footstone. He is buried beside two of his grandchildren who died young and whose names offer a window into the family's legacy:
- Mary Agnes Bear (1838–1840), likely named in honor of her grandmother Agnes Oberholtzer (wife of Elder Christian Stauffer Sr.)
- John Stouffer Bear (d. March 15, 1837), likely named in honor of his maternal grandfather Elder Christian Stauffer Sr. and mother Mary Stauffer (wife of John Bear Jr.)
The two children share a gravestone still visible today, linking the Bear and Stauffer families together across generations.
Newly discovered Letter of Admiration for John Bear II dated 8 August 1834 confirm he died circa 1834.
Inscription
J. B.
John Bear
Family Members
See more Bear memorials in:
Explore more
By Ancestry®
