This story has some amazing twists. Mary Elma Snearly b. Jan 21, 1890 d. Nov 11, 1968 was a Mennonite active in the Church at the corner of Main and North Forest Amherst, NY. She was the daughter of Reverend John S. Snearly b. Jun 21, 1856 d. Apr 29, 1944. Rev. John Snearly mother was Esther “Hettie” Metz b. Jan 18, 1820 d. Aug 7, 1877 Hattie was the daughter of John Metz b. Mar 4, 1784 d. Jun 11, 1860. John Metz is my 2nd Great Grandfather who immigrated from Lancaster Co. PA to Amherst NY in 1828. Mary Elma Snearly is my second cousin once removed who I never met and died at age 78.

In 1971-72 I had a student at North Tonawanda Senior High, Michael Duerr who became a good friend and still is. His wife Beth Jean Rogers parents were John Rogers and Joan Nauman who are of the Mennonite faith. Sometime in the mid to late 70’s John Rogers and I got talking about our ancestors and that Mary Snearly and I were cousins. In 1980 John Rogers and I were together again. He handed me a large package of material and said “this is for you.” His father in law Rev. Clifford S. Nauman had been at Mary Snearly’s estate auction [1969] and purchased a roll top desk and a box full of Mennonite papers that included was the funeral records of Rev. John S. Snearly. A second book containing a list of members from ~1908 to ~1960. The third book belonged to Rev, Nauman. He was actually looking for Mennonite records of the church.

In the spring of 1980 [per Joan Rogers] Rev. Neuman and his wife moved in with John and Joan as they were unable to live by themselves. Cleaning out the house Rev. Neuman didn’t want the records. John told him he knew someone who would.

Included was the Family Record from the Metz Bible which I don’t have and a Christmas shirt box full of obituaries. I looked at the material very quickly and stuffed it in a drawer in our family room. Between the late 70’s and 80’s it sat in the drawer. I was a member of The Sons of the American Revolution through Casper Kittinger. However I found out that Abraham Metz b. 1755 d. 1843 my 3rd Great Grandfather was in the American Revolution. I wanted him to be on my ancestral list. My problem was I needed proof between John Metz b.1784 and my Great Grandfather David b. 1822. I was literally going nuts searching for paper proof.

Some time in either 1988 or 89 Betty my wife said something to the affect that I should clean out that bottom drawer as she would like it for wrapping paper, which I did. The result was finding the Family Record and several other valuable records. I eventually made a booklet out of all the loose obituaries from the shirt box. I used the Family Record as my proof and on May 31, 1990 it became official my lineage to Abraham Metz had been accepted.