The Neffs

Hans Heinrich Neff was born in Germany in 1680. In 1717, he and his brother Franz and possibly another brother immigrated to the United States. They were Mennonites (also called Dunkards) and came to the U.S. to avoid religious persecution. With him was at least one child, John Henry, born in 1705. They settled in Pennsylvania in what later became Lancaster County, and became naturalized citizens in 1729.

John Henry learned medicine from his father. He probably left Pennsylvania shortly after his father's death in 1745, and may have lived in Maryland for a short time. By 1746, he was living in Virginia, near the North Fork of the Shenandoah River a few miles north of present-day New Market. He was probably the only physician in the Shenandoah Valley at the time, and was a well-respected man. He died in 1784, and is buried in the Neff-Kagey cemetery on his original land. His wife Anna died in 1796 and is buried there as well. Unfortunately, Anna's maiden surname and parents are unknown.

John Neff was born to John Henry and Anna Neff in about 1738 in Pennsylvania. He married Mary Ann Stickley (Stockli) in about 1759 in Virginia. They had at least 12 children, 7 girls and 5 boys. Their fifth child was Daniel Neff, born on October 24, 1768 on the Neff family Homestead in the Shenandoah Valley. Mary Ann died in 1796, and in 1801 John sold his land in Virginia and moved his family to the Miami River Valley in Ohio near Dayton (now the Harrison township). He originally purchased 1800 acres, and in 1805 he purchased more. His land stretched for over two miles along the west side of the Miami River near Dayton. John and his family were one of the first settlers in the area. John died in 1811.

Daniel Neff married Elizabeth Kauffman on October 18, 1796 in the Shenandoah Valley. They moved to Ohio in about 1804 and received 209 acres from John Neff. Later, they purchased 100 acres more from John's other heirs. Daniel and Elizabeth were among the first German Dunkards in the area, and the "Neff Cabin" was the meeting place for local Dunkards for many years. Daniel died in 1848, and Elizabeth died in 1853.

Daniel and Elizabeth had at least four sons and a daughter. Their fourth son, John, was born on January 2, 1807 on the Harrison township farm. On December 12, 1839, he married Elizabeth Deam in Montgomery County, Ohio. They had children Caroline, Henry H., Susana, and Laura who died in infancy. John died in 1863, and Elizabeth died in 1880.

Henry H. Neff was born on May 20, 1842 in Montgomery County, Ohio on the Neff family homestead. On May 2, 1864, he enlisted in the 132nd Ohio infantry, Company D. He was listed as the company musician. He mustered out on September 10, 1864. He returned home, and married Mary Ellen Grimes on March 5, 1874, in Dayton. While living in Dayton, they had three children: Aimee Alice, Charles Wilbur, and Glenna Bella. In January of 1882, the family moved to Sac City, Iowa. While in Sac city, daughters Evelyn, Carrie May, and Nettie B. were born. Henry died in 1897 in Sac City, probably of tuberculosis. Unfortunately, Aimee died of tuberculosis in 1898, and Carrie May and Glenna Bella died of the same disease in 1900 within a month of each other. Carrie May was only 5. Mary Ellen died in 1927 in Denver, Colorado, but was returned to Sac City to be buried.

This page was updated on: Monday, May 6, 2002