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The earliest Blair County Brubaker was Jacob Brubaker (1781-1866). Unfortunately, we can not be certain of his ancestry any further back. According to Phares Brubaker Gibble's book on the Brubaker families of America written about 1951, it is possible that Jacob was a son of a Peter Brubaker of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and earlier family members reported that Jacob had come from the Conococheaque area of Franklin County and that he had brothers, John and Abraham. While researching some Mennonite publications recently, I ran across an article pertaining to this Peter Brubaker. While making no mention of "our" Jacob specifically, there is a son Jacob mentioned, born in 1768 with no further information, and sons Abraham and John, among others. Since there is no further information about this Jacob, perhaps this may still be our Jacob even with the discrepancy of birth dates. Of course, this would also make him a very long lived man, but as anyone who knows the family of Blair County Brubakers, it is not unsual for them to live well into their 90s. The Brubaker family farmed in Carson Valley for many years; Samuel Miller Brubaker, my great grandfather, built the family farm which still stands nears Sugar Run Road on Broad St. Ext. in Altoona, Pa. Basically, a very hard working German family, they left us with a heritage of pride in a job well done. My grandfather worked as a blacksmith in the PRR shops for 54 years, something unheard of these days, and his father before him worked from daylight to dark keeping up his own farm, as well as tending to the caretaker duties of his job on a local physician's estate. The Brubaker Coat of Arms The Brubacher Coat of Arms was secured in Switzerland by Dr. Albert P. Brubaker of Philadelphia when on a visit to that county. It had as a title, "Familie Brubacher," and was a black and white print. An expert of Washington, D.C., in matters heraldic secured the services of an artist to produce the colored print used on the arms pictured above. A coat of Arms is an heraldic insignia originally embroidered on a tabard, or short coat, worn by knights over armor. They originated in days of chivalry, when they were used to distinguish individuals whom it was difficult to recognize when in full armor. The favorite emblem of the knight later became the adopted badge of the family. The Brubaker Coat of Arms is marshalled and shows a blending of two or more coats of arms to form one composition. This composite is the result of families alliances. The upper part of the emblem came from the husband's side of the house, that at the bottom came from the wife's family. The outstanding insignia is the unicorn, which is a symbol of knightly honor, purity, protector of virtue, cure for all kinds of diseases, antidote for all poisons. Its selection was probably due to honor bestowed upon a doctor of feudal armies. The unicorn at the top rests on a wreath of twisted silk, the number and color of twists show family connections and rank. The lower unicorn is in the same position or attitude--that is "Rampant," and means the same as the upper, except that it has a shield as background and is standing on the mountain, thus representing lordship of clan, or cheiftain. The branches and leaves of Acanthus both at the right and the left symbolize children or branches of the family. The pendant around the peer's helmet is an indication of rank bestowed for service as a peer. The strop at the bottom was obviously used like a belt to hold the coat in place over the armor. * *(History and Genealogy of the Brubaker, Brubacher, Brewbaker Family in America by Phares Brubaker Gibble) The Descendants of Jacob Brubaker |
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