FARNI 30. FARNI / FARNEY / FARHNI / FORNEY The name Fahrni is of Swiss origin, and no doubt derives from the parish or community by that name in the southern Emmental, Switzerland. Farhni is found and is used today in various forms: Farni, Farny, Farney, Forney. Farhni means ‘ferryman’. While the parish of Fahrni belongs to Steffisburg, the scattered villages and farmhouses that make up Fahrni belong to the District of Thun, Canton Bern in Switzerland. The local community is quite dependant of dairy farmimg and cattle raising, but since 1975, when the Schwartzenegg-Thun connected Farhni to other cities, a number of the 800+ residents travel to other cities for their jobs. Map of Thun District, Canton Bern, Switzerland. The cities/villages of Thun, Steffisburg, and Fahrni are marked with red circles Credit: Bing maps A FARNI FAMILY WITH ROOTS BACK TO STEFFISBURG, SWITZERLAND For this Farni family represented on the chart below, we have no documented connections to the rest of the Farni families listed in this FARNI Family Genealogical Introduction. The aim of this chart is to show a Farni family that has been traced back to the 1560’s in Steffisburg, Canton Bern, Switzerland, and that some of these families joined the Anabaptist movement in the mid 1600’s, and then that some of the Anabaptist Farni families moved to Sainte Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace, which was a known Anabaptist settlement. Christian Farny (m. Anne Hirschi), an Anabaptist listed in the following section, was born in 1744, also in Canton Bern, and also moved to Lorraine in northeastern France, where he died at Bistroff, Moselle, in - 1 - FARNI 1793. Though no bloodline connections have yet been discovered, we wonder if our Christian Farni (b. 1744) would connect to the Barbara Farni (b. 1638) and Christian Gerber family because of the similar faith and travel related decisions of these families. Generation I Cläuwi Farni m. Maria Waldmann ↓ Generation II Peter Farni baptized June 20, 1557, Steffisburg, Switzerland m. Verena Pieris ↓ Generation III Christen Farni baptized July 26, 1579, Steffisburg, Switzerland m. Anna Kemper on Oct. 26, 1601, Steffisburg, Switzerland ↓ Generation IV Nicklaus Farni baptized Oct. 9, 1603 Steffisburg, Switzerland m. Anna Stutzmann on Jan. 28, 1631, Steffisburg, Switzerland ↓ Generation V Barbara Farni Baptized on Nov. 11, 1638 m. on Feb. 21, 1653, Steffisburg, Switzerland to Christian Gerber, son of Ulrich Gerber and Barbara Farni (This family was Anabaptist) baptized Mar. 20, 1635, Steffisburg, Switzerland Between 1671 and 1674, the Christian Gerber and Barbara Farni family, Anabaptists, moved to Sainte Marie-aux-Mines (Markirch), Alsace, France, which was a known Anabaptist settlement. The information for this family chart was taken from the article, European Origins and Ancestors of Nicholas Gerber (ca.1698-1748), Immigrant and Early Resident of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, by Raymond C. Lantz, published in the April 2018 issue of Mennonite Family History. A View of Steffisburg, Switzerland The Farni family originates in the Steffisburg area Credit: Clark Park, Wikipedia, Public Domain - 2 - FARNI While we would like to connect the Fahrnis who were among the early settlers in Canada, to the Cläuwi Farni and Maria Waldmann family of the above family chart, we are not able. Maybe future research will find the connection. Of the Farnis who did come to Upper Canada, those bearing the name soon left. However, there are many descendants of Christian Farni and Anne Hirschi in Ontario, but with other surnames. Magdalena Fahrni married Joseph L. Lichti, and they remained in Canada, as have most of their descendants. Many other Amish-Mennonite immigrants to Canada were also Fahrni descendants. This FARNI Family Genealogical Introduction contains three separate Farni families, unrelated as far as we know at the present time. They will be presented in the following order: 1. The Christian Farny and Anne Hirshy Family a) John Farney/Forney and his sister, Madgdalena (Farny) Lichti 2. The Christian Farni and Peter Farny Families, Brothers a) The Joseph Farny Family of Bisping, Lorraine b) The Christian Farni Family c) The Peter Farny and Anne Kempf Family 3. The Joseph Farney Family of Lewis County, New York THE CHRISTIAN FARNY and ANNE HIRSCHI FAMILY A FARNY FAMILY IN LORRAINE, FRANCE Christian Farny and Anne Hirschy were residents of the Farm Belgrad (also called Bellegratte, Bellegarde, Belgrade, etc.), near Bistroff, Moselle, Lorraine, France. Records for eight children of this couple have been found. Two of them are of particular interest to us because of their descendants in Canada. Daughter Anne, was married to Christian Jantzi, and they continued to live on the Belgrad Farm on which their numerous children and even some grandchildren were born. Anne died in 1816, but Christian continued on the farm with his second wife Catherine Spenler. Catherine and most of the Jantzi children migrated to Lewis County, New York and to Canada. (1) (See Notes below) Another daughter of Christian and Anne Farny was Madeleine/Magdalena, who became the third wife of Michel Zehr. Michel and Madeleine are the parents of Peter Zehr, who would be become known as "Dr." Peter Zehr in Canada. (2) Joseph Farny, the third son of Christian and Anne Farni, and his wife Anne Neuhouser were the grandparents of Magdalena Farni, who married Joseph L. Lichti of Wilmot Township, Ontario. No doubt, several other children of the Christian and Anne (Hirchy) Farny family will have descendants in other parts of the American continent. THE FAMILY OF CHRISTIAN FARNY AND ANNE HIRSCHY Christian Farni/Farny, Resident of the Farm Belgrad, Bistroff, Department of Moselle (Lorraine) b. Dec. 17, 1744 in Canton Bern, Switzerland d. before Sept. 23, 1793 at Bistroff, Moselle, Lorraine, France m. 1766/68 in Moselle anne hirsChi, dau. of Simon Hirschi (b. Jan. 14, 1726 at Grostenquin) and Barbara Schertz, Possible granddaughter of Jacob Hirschi and Barbara Rolle (anabaptist miller at Hingsange mill) b. ca. 1746\48 d. between 176 and 1802, Bistroff - 3 - FARNI The children of Christian Farni and Anne Hirschi include: 1. Pierre/Peter Farny, b. ca. 1761. d. May 7, 1805, Bening-lès-Harprich, a part of Harprich; m. Elisabeth Gerber, b. ca. 1762 d. Aug. 4, 1837 at Destry, Moselle. Their children include: a. Madeleine Farny, b. about 1794 Bénestroff. m. Aug. 12, 1813, at Destry Jean Hirschy. son of Jean Hirschi and Anne Rouvenacht b. about 1787 at Haut-Clocher, b. Catherine Farny, b. 1798 at Bénestroff . m. April 11, 1818 at Destry to Jean Kieffer, son of Joseph Kieffer and Magdalena Hirschi. b. Sept. 30, 1798 Folschviller. Jean Kieffer later became a recruiter-land agent for James LeRay de Chaumont and brought Zehr, Farny, Vercler, and Hirschi families to Castorland in the French Settlement, now called New Bremen, New York c. Jean Farny, b. May 1 or 11, 1801 at Harprich, d. Aug. 17, 1854, Spring Bay, Woodford County 2. Anne Farny b. Aug. 15, 1771 at Bistroff. d. Dec. 26, 1816 at Bistroff. m. March 2, 1794 at Bistroff Christian/Chrétien Jantzi, son of Michael Jantzi and Barbara Gerber. b. Oct. 18, 1766 on Brandelfing farm at Gros-Réderching d. Nov. 15, 1828 at Bistroff, Christian Jantzi 2m. May 21, 1817 at Bistroff Catherine Spenler, d. of Peter/Pierre Spänler and Marie Legere They had six more children As a widow, Catherine (Spenler) sailed from Le Havre on the Groton and arrived at New York June 4, 1834. She settled her family at Wellesley, Ontario. There are many descendants of this family in the Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish churches in Ontario today. The children of Anne Farny and Christian Jantzi born at Bistroff (Begrade Farm) include: a. Anna Jantzi, b. 25 May 1793 (3); d. 18 Jan 1886 m. to Michael Zehr b. Maria Jantzi, b. 4 Apr 1796; d. 8 Nov 1875?m. to Christian Nafziger c. Barbara/Elisabeth Jantzi, b. 9 May 1797; d. ?m. to John Peter Spenler d. Catherine Jantzi, b. 15 Jan 1801; d. ? e. Magdalena Jantzi, b. 23 Dec 1801; d. 28 Feb 1881 m. to Christian Kennel f. Christian Jantzi, b. 11 Oct 1804; d. 10 Apr 1817 g. John Jantzi, b. 24 Mar 1806; d. 12 Dec 1881m. to Elizabeth Gerber h. Catherine/Susanna Jantzi, b. 3 Mar 1808; d. ? m. to Christian Nafziger i. Michael Jantzi, b. 10 Apr 1810; d. 29 Mar 1903; m. to Maria Boshart; 2m. Catherine Schweitzer j. Joseph Jantzi, b. 14 Dec 1812; d. 18 Jan 1847; m. to Catherine Boshart Catherine 2m. to Christian Riser (See JANTZI Family Genealogical Introduction for more information) ● BWJ is a descendant of four of Anne Farny and Christian Jantzi’s children: Magdalene (1801); John (1806); Michael (1810); and Joseph (1812) 3. Joseph Farny b. Nov. 12, 1776. m. 1797 at Bistroff Anne Neuhauser, dau. of Christian Neyhauser and Anne Zimmerman b. April 15, 1772. a) Their daughter Marie Farny, b. 1802 gave birth to two illegitimate children: (i) Jean Farny/John Forney (1824-1908) m. Elizabeth Krob (ii) Magdalena Farny (1828-19150 m. Joseph L. Lichti - 4 - FARNI 4. Barbe Farny, b. July 1, 1777, Belgrade, Bistroff d. Dec. 9, 1836 at Bertring. m. May 7, 1802 on Belgrade Farm, Bistroff Josephe Stecker, son of Adrian Anthoni Stücker and Marie Müller b. Mar. 19, 1776 at Marienthal d. after 1838 Children a. Christian Farny (later Staker) b. 21 Jan 1801, Bistroff , m. 3 June 1826 to Magdelaine Gabriel b. Anna Stecker b. 1803 at Tragny; m. John Bachman c. Jean/John Stecker/Staker b. 1805 at Tagny, m. Barbera Schertz d. Joseph Stecker/Staker b. 1808 at Harprich e. Barbara Stecker b. 1810 at Harprich f. Catherine Stecker b. 1811 at Harprich g.