1797 – 1889
Christopher’s 4th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 120 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead
Family
- Children in this vault: Peter R. Sprunger (1825–1898)
Life and evidence
(Habegger, Swiss of Adams and Wells, M38)
Born 19 Feb 1797 on La Heutte, Courtelary; married 16 Jan 1823 on the Münsterberg Anna Moser (b. 19 Jun 1798 at La Combe, Moutier; d. there 15 Jun 1843). Married second, 29 Jan 1848, Magdalena Rüfenacht (1811–1850). A widower twice over, he arrived in Adams County on 6 Jul 1852 with his three youngest. Net worth in 1861: $83. Died at Berne 1 Nov 1889. His German obituary is in the Christlicher Bundes-Bote (1888–91 volume).
Children: Peter (1825), Verena (1828), Elisabeth (1832), Abraham “Lang Hami” (1837), Anna (1840); with Magdalena: Samuel Ferdinand (1848), later the influential elder of the Berne Mennonite Church.
Linked on Find a Grave as Peter R.’s father. Possibly a son of Peter Sprunger (1757–1840), progenitor of the 1973 genealogy, whose family fled Thurgau for the Jura about 1741 (GAMEO ‘Sprunger name’).
- Check in the 1973 Sprunger book whether Abraham was a son of Peter (1757–1840) task/human (Habegger already says yes; the 1973 book would confirm)
In their lifetime
- 1798 — 1798 Old Bern falls; religious freedom
- 1833 — 1833 First Swiss Mennonite settler in Putnam County, Ohio
- 1835 — 1835 The Ramseyers sail on the Richmond
- 1852 — 1852 Swiss Mennonites found Berne, Indiana
- 1869 — 1869 The Fieguths move from Prussia to Am Trakt
- 1874 — 1874 Military service ends the exemptions
Sources
Parents found — added 2026-10-31 by Claude
Habegger, Swiss of Adams and Wells, “The Sprunger Family”: a child of Peter Sprunger (1757–1840) (b. 20 Nov 1757, Pieterlen) and Anna Röthlisberger (b. 1762) (b. 20 Dec 1762, Kirchberg); siblings who came to America: Elisabeth (b. 1785, m. Peter Habegger), Johann (b. 1793) and Abraham (b. 1797). Since Christopher descends from both Johann and Abraham, Peter and Anna are double ancestors. To confirm against the 1973 Sprunger Genealogy.
Obituary, Christlicher Bundesbote, November 1889 (in German; OCR imperfect)
“Abraham Sprunger, father of Preacher S. F. Sprunger”, died at Berne, Indiana, 1 November 1889, after a long, hard illness. The Nachruf (memorial):
- Born in Canton [Bern], Switzerland, 19 February 1797; a member of the Mennonite church from 8 May 1814, “therefore 75 years”.
- 1828: married Anna Moser; 5 children, 4 living. After her death in June 184[3] (the scan reads “1848”) he married, on 20 January 1848, Magdalena Hüfenacht; 2 children, 1 living. She died 19 January 1850, and he remained a widower the rest of his life.
- Father of 7, with 181 descendants, 118 living.
- Emigration: he left with all his children (3 already married) and 20 other families: farewell to the old home on 7 March, embarkation at Havre, landing at New York on 28 April, arrival at Sonnenberg, Wayne County, Ohio, on 7 May (year read “1859” in the scan; probably 1852, the year the Swiss group reached Adams County).
- Funeral sermon by Joel Lehman and J. A. Sommer, assisted by Chr. Sprunger and S. F. Sprunger.
Narratives and research
- Stories: Double ancestors
- History: 1798 Old Bern falls; religious freedom, 1833 First Swiss Mennonite settler in Putnam County, Ohio, 1835 The Ramseyers sail on the Richmond, 1852 Swiss Mennonites found Berne, Indiana, 1869 The Fieguths move from Prussia to Am Trakt, 1874 Military service ends the exemptions
- Sources: Find a Grave, Habegger - The Swiss of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana, Sprunger Genealogy (1973)
Open questions
- First marriage: 16 Jan 1823 (Habegger) vs 1828 (Bundesbote 1889 obituary); second: 29 Jan 1848 Magdalena Rüfenacht (Habegger) vs 20 Jan 1848 Magdalena Hüfenacht (obituary scan; H/R and 2/9 likely OCR)
- Emigration year: Bundesbote 1889 obituary scan reads 1859; Swiss group to Adams County 1852 (Habegger); check the page image
Research log
- 2026-10-31: Habegger, Swiss of Adams and Wells, ‘The Sprunger Family’: parents Peter Sprunger (b. 1757, Pieterlen) and Anna Röthlisberger (b. 1762, Kirchberg) — found (family compilation)
- 2026-11-01: Christlicher Bundesbote Nov 1889 (vol. 1888–91): death notice and Nachruf: born in Canton [Bern] 19 Feb 1797, died Berne, Ind., 1 Nov 1889; member of the Mennonite church from 8 May 1814; m. 1828 Anna Moser (5 children); m. (2) 20 Jan 1848 Magdalena Hüfenacht (d. 19 Jan 1850; 2 children); 7 children, 181 descendants; emigrated with all his children and 20 other families: left home 7 Mar, embarked Havre, landed New York 28 Apr, reached Sonnenberg, Wayne Co., Ohio, 7 May
Record compiled 31 October 2026.
About this research
Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.