Henry Stauffer - History of Henry Stauffer Homestead

History of Henry Stauffer Homestead

The third owner was Henry Stover, son of Ulrich, but when he came into possession off and the amount he paid for it we have not been informed. Some time during either the lifetime of Ulrich or is son Henry portions of the homestead were divided or sold off, so that at the time the old homestead proper was sold there were but 87 acres (350,000 m2) and 42 perches remaining, which Henry Stover and his wife Barbara sold to their son, Reuben Stover, in 1855, for $4799.44. Reuben Stover was the fourth and last Stover owner of the old homestead. In 1860 Reuben Stover and wife sold the homestead of 87 acres (350,000 m2) and 22 perches to the present owner, Joseph Sine, for $5700. The house and barn were built by Henry Stover--the barn in 1808 and the house about the same time. The additions to the house and barn were built by Joseph Sine, the present owner. The immediate neighbors of Henry Stauffer, whose lands joined his plantation, were John Fretz, Christian Stover, Jacob Overholt and Frederick Solliday. The old family Bible of Henry Stauffer is in the possession of Aaron Stover, of Richland Centre, Pennsylvania. It contains a record of his family and also of his son Ulrich's family. It also contains some poetic descriptions that probably were composed and written by Ulrich Stover, as this and Ulrich Stover's family records seem to be the same hand writing. It reads as follows:

"Allein auf Gott setz dein vertraun,

Auf Menschen Heulf sollst du nicht bauen,

Gott ist allein der Glauben haellt

Sunst ist Kein Glaub mehr in der welt."

The name as written in the Bible is "Stauffer," but was changed to Stover by his son, Ralph Stover, by an Act of the Legislature of Pennsylvania--presumably about the time that he (Ralph) was a member of that body. It is quite evident that Henry Stauffer and wife were members of the Mennonite church at Deep Run, where they are buried. Children: Ulrich, Barbara, Henry, Jacob, Ralph.