Contributed by: William
Brackett
brackettwilliam@yahoo.com
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The name Raber is of German derivations. I have been told it means “ vine tender”. It is sometimes spelled as Riber, Reber, Reavor, Rever or Raver in the early records. I have seen a reference to Jean (John) Philip Rebeur who was the tutor to Frederick William the 1st of Prussia about 1700. He was described as “Huguenot Calvanist”. This would make him French? I have also seen notations that he was “Swiss”. The first persons by this name that I have found in America were: Johann Leonhardt Reber who came to Pennsylvania on the ship "Snow Two Sisters" with the Commander of this ship being James Marshall and was from Rotterdam. Johann Leonhardt Reber "Qualified" on September 9, 1738. Conrad Raber who came to Pennsylvania on the ship "Ann Galley" with the Captain of this ship being William Wilson and was from Rotterdam. Conrad Raber "Qualified September 27, 1746" by taking the "Oaths to the Government". Johanes Raber who came to Pennsylvania on the ship "Ranier" with the Master of this ship being Henry Browning and was from Rotterdam “but last from ... England”. Johanes Raber took the "Oath to the Government" on September 26, 1749. Hans Michael Reber who came to Pennsylvania on the ship "Bennet Gally" with the Master of this ship being John Wadham and was from Rotterdam "but last from Portsmouth in England". Hans Michael Reber "subscribe the usual Qualifications" on August 13, 1750. Johanes Reber who came to Pennsylvania on the ship "Phoenix" with the Master of this ship being John Mason and was from Rotterdam "but last from Cowes in England". Johanes Reber took "the usual Qualifications to the Government" on September 15, 1749. In the books of the "Pennsylvania Archives Series", I found the following references, most of which are from Berks County: Leonard Reiber Philadelphia County 1747 John Raber Berks County 1761 Lawrence Reber Berks County 1762 Michael Reber Berks County 1767 Leonhardt Rever Berks County 1767 George Rever Berks County 1767 John Reaber Berks County 1767 Jacob Reyber Berks County 1767 Conrad Rever Berks County 1767 Hans Raver Berks County 1767 Hans is recorded as being a farmer Hanes Reber Berks County 1768 John Reeber Berks County 1768 George Reber Berks County 1768/79/80/81 Leonhard Reber Berks County 1768 Christopher Raver Berks County 1771 Valentine Reber Berks County 1779/80/81 Thomas Reber Berks County 1779/80/81 John Reaver Berks County 1779 Michael Reber Berks County 1779/80/81 George Reber Berks County 1779/80/81 Conrad Reber Berks County 1779/80/81/84 Conrad is recorded as being a farmer Michael Rever Berks County 1779 John George Reber Berks County 1780 John George is recorded as being a mason Bastian Rever Philadelphia County 1780 Conrad Reber Jr. Berks County 1781/84 Jacob Raber Berks County 1784 There are obvious spelling variations on this last name: Leonard/Leonhardt/Leonhard has his last name spelled Reiber/Rever/Reber and Conrad has his spelled both Rever and Reber. These are branches of the original immigrants of 1738-1750. The census records of Pennsylvania include: Johannes Reber Berks County 1775 Johannes was a son of John Reber; Revolutionary War Service Adam Raber Northampton County 1790 Jacob Reavor Philadelphia County 1790 Araham Reber York County 1790 Samuel Raver York County 1790 Conrad Reber Berks County 1790 Conrad Reber Sr. Berks County 1790 John George Reber Berks County 1790 Jacob Reber Berks County 1790 Jacob was a son of Samuel Raver John Reber Berks County 1790 John Reber Berks County 1790 John Reber Sr. Berks County 1790 George Reber Berks County 1790 George Reber Berks County 1790 Frederick Reber Berks County 1790 Evan Riber Union County 1820 Jacob Riber Bucks County 1820 John Riber Perry County 1820 Peter Riber Perry County 1820 Jacob Riber Schuylkill County 1820 Jacob Raver Adams County 1830 Jacob Raver Centre County 1830 Abraham Raver Centre County 1830 Jacob Raver York County 1830 Leonard Raver York County 1830 Samuel Raver York County 1830 George Raber Schuylkill County 1830 Daniel Raver Mifflin County 1830 Frederick Raver Columbia County 1830 Michael Raver Columbia County 1830 William Raver Columbia County 1830 John Raber Union County 1830 Michael Raber Union County 1830 Abraham Raver Clearfield County 1830 Conrad Raver Berks County 1830 George Raver Berks County 1830 George Raver Jr. Berks County 1830 Henry Raver Berks County 1830 Conrad Raber Berks County 1830 John Raver Berks County 1830 John Raver Berks County 1830 Jonathan Raver Berks County 1830 Joseph Raver Berks County 1830 Nicholas Raver Berks County 1830 Peter Raver Berks County 1830 Samuel Raver Berks County 1830 Valentine Raver Berks County 1830 Michael Raver Cambria County 1830 Abraham Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Adam Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Benjamin Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Daniel Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Daniel Reber Schuylkill County 1830 George Reber Schuylkill County 1830 George Reber Schuylkill County 1830 George Reber Sr. Schuylkill County 1830 Isaac Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Jacob Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Jacob Reber Schuylkill County 1830 John Reber Schuylkill County 1830 John Reber Sr. Schuylkill County 1830 Nathan Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Samuel Reber Schuylkill County 1830 Jacob Reber Berks County 1830 Jacob Reber Jr. Berks County 1830 John Reber Lancaster County 1830 Jacob Rebers Berks County 1830 The name Conrad Reber was spelled Conrad Raber on the court records. Notice spellings: Raber, Raver, Rever and Reber in same county in the same years. By 1830 the name seems to have divided into three separate spellings dependent upon the family group: Raber, Reber and Raver. The Ohio census records include: John Raver Wayne County 1820 *John Raver Fairfield County 1820 Peter Raver Fairfield County 1820 Valentine Raver Fairfield County 1820 Daniel Raver Fairfield County 1830 William Raver Fairfield County 1830 Elizabeth Raver Stark County 1830 *Henry Raver Stark County 1830 Michael Raver Stark County 1830 John Raver Union County 1840 Thomas Raver Stark County 1840 John Raber Stark County 1840 William Raver Trumbull County 1840 George Reber Erie County 1840 Frederick Raver Fairfield County 1840 John H. Raver Fairfield County 1840 Benjamin Raber Fairfield County 1840 Benjamin Raber Fairfield County 1840 David Raber Fairfield County 1840 George Raber Fairfield County 1840 John Raber Fairfield County 1840 Thomas Raber Fairfield County 1840 William Raber Fairfield County 1840 Daniel Raber Summit County 1840 David Raber Summit County 1840 Henry Raber Summit County 1840
*These names appear in Berrien County, Michigan in the 1840s.These names repeat themselves in the 1850 Census of Ohio in much the same counties. Since the Berrien County Raber family was in Michigan by 1845-50, I did not include the 1850 Ohio Census in this writing. The Berrien County, Michigan Raber families follow:
“State of Michigan County of Berrien Jesse Helmick a Justice of the Peace within and for the of Berrien aforesaid Do hereby Certify that on the 17th day of August A.D. 1842 at J. Critzers I bound in marriage John Quick of the age of Thirty years a resident of the County of Berrien State of Michigan and Catharine Raver of the age of Eighteen years a resident of the County of Berrien State of Michigan in the presence of John Critzer and Eli Raver residents of Berrien County State of Michigan. Dated this 17th day of August A.D. 1842 Jesse Helmick Recorded Sept. 24, 1842 Justice of the Peace A Burnete …
B.C.” - “This is to certify That Mr Eli Raver aged 22 years of the
County of Berrien in the State of Michigan and Miss Mary Ann Mitchel aged 22
years of the same County and State, were Joined together in holy Matrimony on
the 6th day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight
hundred and forty six, In presence of Jacob Weaver and Titus Wray Residents of
the place aforesaid Berrien County I hereby certify that I joined in marriage Henry Raver aged Forty Two to Margaret Kreutzer aged twenty two both of Oronoko Township. Present John Quick and Elliot Heathman both of Lake Township. They were married on the 22nd of February AD. 1852 at John Quicks Dated this 20th day of May A.D. 1852 Signed Leven Heathman Recorded May 20th 1852 Justice of the Peace Ebenexer McIlvaine County Clerk” *The names in this record are spelled Raver not Raber but they were written by the officials and not the individuals. John Raber died in Berrien County on November 4th 1866 at 54 years of age and he is buried in the Hinman Cemetery in Lake Township near Baroda. Margaret Raber wife of John, died April 1st 1879 at 49 years of age and she is buried next to John in the Hinman Cemetery. It appears this John Raber was one in the same as the Henry Raver who married Margaret Kreutzer in 1852. Also in the Hinman cemetery are the graves of: Pearl May Raber. She was the daughter of John and Catherine Raber. She was born in 1890 and died in 1891. Next to this grave is the grave marker for: John Raber 1853-1927 and Catherine Raber 1856-19xx. Catherine’s death date is incomplete. These were Pearl’s parents. Catherine’s death date was found to be 1932. On 08 Aug 1880 John “Rabor” married “Katie Myers”. The December 1, 1932 issue of the Niles Daily Star carried a brief notice of the death of Catherine Reber: "The body of Mrs. Catherine Reber, 77, who died on Nov. 29 in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Bertha Glasser, of Detroit, was brought to Galien today to the Kinney undertaking rooms. The funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 o'clock in the Congregational church in Baroda. Burial will be made in Baroda. Mrs. Estella Wolkins of Galien, also is a surviving daughter" This Catherine would have been born in 1855. Estella Wolkins’ death record gives her mother’s names as Kate Meyers. Catherine or Katie Myers was the daughter of Michael and Catherine (Mueller) Myers. It appears John and Catherine (Myers) Raber had three daughters: Estella Raber born Jan 1884 married Arden Wolkins in 1902. Pearl May Raber born 1890 died 1891 Bertha Raber born Mar 1892 married … Glasser John Raver is included in the 1880 census of Berrien County. George Raver was a landowner on section 5 near Buchanan in 1917. Cora Mae Raver is listed at Rt. # 2 Galien in Weesaw Township in 1917. James Raber is listed as a farmer and fruit grower at Rt. # 2 Galien in Weesaw Township in 1917. Note: In the 1860 census Catherine Dyer was living with John and Margaret (Crietzer) Raber. Subtracting 18 years of age
from Catherine Raver and John Quick’s marriage date of 1842 one would
find that she was born in 1824. There is another marriage record for Catherine Quick in Berrien County. On 20 Nov 1869 she married George W. Lake. In this record her maiden name is given as Critzer. Since it is not clear if she was a Raver or a Crietzer I have also researched that line. John and Katherine Raber are listed as farmers at Rt. # 2 Baroda in 1917. Howard S. and Martha L. Reber are listed as farmers at Rt # 2 St. Joseph in 1917. It appears that the most likely group of the Ohio Raver family that may have been in Berrien County would be that of Henry and John Raber of Summit and Stark Counties in Ohio. In the late 1830s and early 1840s there were several families from that area of northeastern Ohio who found their way to Berrien County, Michigan. The Creitzer family also came to Michigan from this same area. The tombstone inscriptions of John and Margaret Raber in Hinman Cemetery are spelled Raber not Raver. It has been found that
Catherine Raver's mother was Elizabeth (Everhart) Raver. It is
believed she was married to Conrad Raver of Stark County, Ohio.
In the 1830 census she is living with her childen next to her father,
George Everhart. In 1831 she married John "Kritzer". Joh
and Elizabeth (Everhart) Crietzer moved to Berrien County,
Michigan. Since Cather Raver was born prior to the 1831 marriage
she would have been a Raver, not a Crietzer. John and Catherine (Raver) Quick were married in 1842 in Berrien County, Michigan. They had a daughter Elizabeth Quick. Elizabeth (Betsy) Quick married John Harner February 25th 1862 in Berrien County, Michigan. Their daughter Jennie Harner married William Upson in 1897 in Berrien County, Michigan. During this marriage Jennie had an affair with a man named O’Dean and had a daughter. Their daughter Cora Upson married Walter Brackett in 1915 in Berrien County, Michigan. Cora was raised as an Upson and her records indicate that was her maiden name. Their son Harold Earl Brackett married 2nd Ula Arvena Daniel (nee Hambrick) in 1947 in Berrien County, Michigan. Their son William Brackett married Jane Hauch in Lakeside, Michigan in 1970.
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