John Fetterhoff and Susanna Snyder

John Fetterhoff came from a family with deep roots in America and a demonstrated commitment to the independence of their country.  His father Philip was a Colonel in the War of 1812, leading a company from his neighborhood to the defense of the city of Baltimore in 1814.  His great grandfather, Johan Georg immigrated from the Rhineland in Germany, took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States in 1778 during the Revolutionary War, and was listed as a private in the Lancaster County Militia in 1781. 

John and his wife, Susanna Snyder may have lived with their family on the "Mansion Farm", which had been in the possession of members of the Fetterhoff family for many years and is adjacent to the town of Fisherville, in Dauphin County, on it's western side.  John was a farmer, as were the three previous generations of Fetterhoff men, dating back to Johan Georg.  His father Colonel Philip Fetterhoff, in addition, had served as County Coroner and filled a number of other local offices.  

Based on the ages of their children, John and Susanna may have been married around the years 1840 to 1845.  It is likely that they were married in one of the Lutheran Churches in the area, perhaps at St. Peter's Fetterhoff's Church outside the town of Halifax.

By 1860, the family had grown considerably, John and Susanna had six children by that time.  Most of them were still small, but their son John was old enough to be helping his father working on the farm.  Three of the other children attended school during that year, and the last two Isaiah and Emiline were ages three and one, respectively.

Sometime during the next decade, their son John left home and the next oldest son, Philip, became of sufficient age to help in supporting the family and so he became a blacksmith, perhaps after some period of time as an apprentice.  Also, as so often happened in those days, John and Susanna's youngest child, Emiline, died sometime during that decade and so, there remained at home only their daughter Susanna, age 16, and their son, Isaiah, age 12.

Eventually, Philip married and he and his wife Catherine came to  live for a time at the Fetterhoff farm.  By 1870, they had three children of their own and so John and Susanna Fetterhoff enjoyed living with their grandchildren during this period.

John Fetterhoff passed away in 1883, and his wife Susanna three years later in 1886. They were both laid to rest at St. Peter's Fetterhoff's Church with many other members of their families.

The "Mansion Farm" referred to has, from it's inception, remained in the Fetterhoff family and is presently owned and occupied by Philip John Fetterhoff, great, great, great grandson of John Frederick Fetterhoff, the original owner.