Person:Aaron Moyer (1)

Aaron Moyer, the fourth child of Abraham Moyer and Barbara Shantz, was born on May 8, 1837 on a farm near Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. At age seventeen, he left the farm and served two years an an apprentice in a store in Berlin.

From 1856 to 1862 he taught school, including a few months in 1857 in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and in 1859 to 1860 he taught school in Quakertown, PA.

In 1863 he started a general store in New Dundee, Waterloo County, Ontario where he married a Mennonite, Veronica Bowman, on January 31, 1865. In 1870 Aaron sold the store in New Dundee and bought a 236 acre farm in Carrick Township, Bruce County.

n 1878 Aaron sold the farm and started a business in Walkerton where he stayed until 1884 when he moved to Mildmay. In 1896 he returned to Walkerton for a time but was back in Mildmay at the time of the 1901 census. Both Walkerton and Mildmay are in Carrick Township, Bruce County.

Aaron served four years in the Carrick Township Council as Councilor, Deputy Reeve and he served as Reeve in 1893.

In 1901 the family lived at Con. C Lot 26 in Mildmay. The property consisted of three lots containing at total of 46 acres, an eight-room house, a store, and seven outbuildings.

In 1905, when Aaron was sixty-eight years old, he and Veronica left Ontario to homestead in Saskatchewan. There was a large contingent of Ontario Mennonites to settle near Cressman or Guernsey, Saskatchewan in 1905 and 1906. Although Veronica had been raised as a Mennonite, the Moyer family were Methodist. Aaron died in Saskatchewan on May 21, 1907 and the following obituary from The Gospel Witness, a Mennonite paper, June 19, 1907 reflects their opinion of other faiths:

MOYER.-Aaron Moyer of near Cressman, Sask., died on May 21, 1907; aged 70 y. 13 d. Two years ago he moved out west with the Waterloo colony, from Ontario. Most of his lifetime was spent as a general merchant in New Dundee and Mildmay.

Sad to say, his life was not spent in the service of the Lord. During his sickness he accepted the claims of Christ. Funeral services were held by Pre. Poole at the house and at the church by E. S. Hallman and Pre. Gehrbrandt. Texts, Psalm 39:4 and I Samuel 20:3.

1. ↑ Canada West (Ontario): Waterloo County: Waterloo Township: page 212, in United Province of Canada. 1851 Census of Canada. (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada).

   Abraham Moyer, farmer, born in United States, age 49 [next] 14 July
   Barbara Moyer, born in Canada, age 40 in May
   Marian Moyer, age 19 on 19 Janry
   Anna Moyer, age 17 [next] 2 Septer.
   Esther Moyer, age 14 [next] 4 Novbr.
   Sarah Moyer, age 6 on 1 Janry.
   Lovina Moyer, age 1 on 12 Febry.
   Isaac Moyer, labourer, age 18 on 8 March
   Aron Moyer, labourer, age 15 on 8 May
   Moses Moyer, age 10 on 6 April
   David Moyer, age 8 [next] 29 Novbr.
   Samuel Moyer, age 3 on 1 March
   all are "Menonist"
   all the children born in Canada

   This census was actually taken in 1852, so ages should be assumed to be as of 1852.