JOHN DONER

John Doner, Sr., and his wife were born in Pennsylvania. He was ordained a minister there and came to Markham in the early part of 1800. He took up the land from the third to the fifth, about four hundred acres where old and new Gormley is built on. He had two sons and two daughters. His son, John, married Rachel Cober. His other son, Samuel, was born in 1823 and was called to the ministry in Markham about 1860. He moved to Nottawa later and was one of the first ministers of that place. His daughter, Fanny, married John Heise who also became a minister. Samuel Doner married Christina Raymer of near Markham village whose parents were Mennonites. His brother, Abraham, also left Markham at the same time and married Anna Hoover, whose brother, John, was a Mennonite minister. Peter Doner married Elizabeth Heise. He was born November 22, 1821. His son, John, married Susan Steckley, great-granddaughter of Christian Steckley, Sr., who was born in 1843, was chosen a deacon in 1882 and died in 1890. His son, Thomas, was chosen to the ministry in 1905. He was the last descendant of the old Christian Steckley homestead. He later moved to New Gormley and built a fine brick house where Mr. Jones now lives. Then he went to Clarence Centre, N.Y., where his wife's people lived. At present he is in Pennsylvania.

John Doner's daughter, Mary, married Christian Brenner of Ohio who was chosen a deacon of that place. His youngest daughter, Annie, married Darius Sider of Wainfleet who was chosen a deacon of that place. Their son, George, is also a deacon there. Daniel Steckley, Sr., married Nancy Doner July 15, 1827. He was chosen a deacon of Markham district in 1860. He has the most descendants of any in the Markham church at present.

John Doner's, Sr., two daughters married Samuel Baker, Sr., and David Byer, Sr., of the eighth concession of Markham, two of the early pioneers. David's father, Jonas Byer, came from Pennsylvania and built the house in 1829. They were Old Mennonites. John and David were converted in the Mennonite church at the age of twenty and later joined the Tunker church.