John Reuben Wanner (1864-1932) was born in 1864 in Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1886, he married Fannie Grube (1865-1947) in Morgantown, PA (Berks County). They had ten children: Matilda K., Edna May, Elizabeth H., Emma Valeria, Florence G., Jacob Grube, John Reuben Jr., David Stanley, Estella Viola, and Ethelbert H. The Wanner children and their descendants married into various families in the Tri-County area (Berks, Chester, and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania), including the Bixler, Brower, Finger, Goodman, Guy, Hayes, Peiffer, Rettew, and Sternberger families. Wanner family papers, circa late 19th century-circa 1980s, consist of photographs, personal papers, postcards, memorial and funeral cards, newspaper clippings, and other materials. Other families represented in the collection include the Brower and Finger families, members of who married or were closely associated with members of the Wanner family.
Mennonites Hubert and Anna Brower left Germany and emigrated to Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1726. They settled in Coventry (now, East Coventry Township). Hubert and Anna's son, Henry Brower (1720-1784) purchased land and established a family farm in the Parker Ford area of Coventry. His descendents, many of who were farmers, doctors, and ministers, resided in this area of Chester County for several generations. The Brower family papers, circa 1750-1950s, consist of financial, legal, and property documents; letters; family records and genealogy research; school records and teacher certificates; photographs and scrapbooks; newspaper clippings, printed matter, and ephemera; and other materials. There are small amounts of materials from other families that are connected to the Brower family. Individuals well-represented in the collection include M. Bertha Brower (1900-2000), Dr. William Brower (1842-1919), Abraham Brower, and David Stiteler Taylor (1832-1925) and his second wife,...(see more)