• General Notes

  Jacob's grandfather, George Adam GEETING (1741-1812), was an ordained minister in the German Reform Church (1783-1804); and an ordained minister and Bishop in the United Brethren Church (1804-1812). He was a close friend of William OTTERBEIN, the founder of the United Brethren Church. The site of the Mt. Hebron Cemetery and Geeting Meeting House (near Keedysville, Washington Co., Maryland), is designated as Historic Site Number 31 of the United Methodist Church.
  
  Jacob's father, Anthony SONNER (1760-1843) " built a very substantial grist mill on the north bank of the East Fork of White Oak Creek, which was operated by members of the family until 1900. Sonner's mill was a Highland Co. landmark for over half a century. The Sonners also established a saw mill near the grist mill." The land was granted him for his war service, on Massie and Kerr Survey No. 3849 in the northeastern corner of White Oak Township.
  
  Anthony SONNER is sometimes credited with organizing the first United Brethern Church in Highland County. Since he arrived a year before William AMBROSE, this seems plausible. Services were held in the Sonner's log home for several years. Eventually, the congregation purchased a blacksmith's shop on the south bank of White Oak Creek, about opposite Sonner's Mill, and this structure was converted for use as a church. It was called Sonner Chapel. A cemetery was laid out about a half mile from the Chapel on the New Market-Mowrystown Pike. In 1871, a new church was erected about a quarter of a mile south "on the cross roads". The land for the cemetery apparently was donated to the church by Anthony as later deed transfers except "one acre near the center of the farm for the grave yard".

Details of Johann's family with Christena Ambrose