Helena Kraus was born on October 31, 1776. Her husband, Jacob Gerhard, was born to Peter and Susanna (Seibt) Gerhard 27 Oct 1767. He was the 3rd child of 6 siblings. Jacob lived in the Pennsburg, Upper Hanover Twp., area., and was Justice of the Peace there for many years, managing judicial affairs, executing deeds, settling minor disputes, and performing marriages in the Upper Perkiomen Valley region.
Near the Krauss farm was an area called Kraussdale. Around 1825, a Schwenkfelder Meeting House was built on this location, which served initially as a burial ground for Anna Kraus and her descendants. [image] Later it was the burial ground for the church members; it is now a historic site inactive for nearly 100 years, yet still well maintained by the Palm Schwenkfelder Church. Helena and Jacob are buried in the Kraussdale Schwenkfelder Cemetery.
Jacob’s father, Peter, was born in Germany in 1736. His passage to Pennsylvania is not documented but was probably during the 1750s. Marrying Susanna Seibt, a birthright Schwenkfelder, Peter joined the Schwenkfelder community, and the Gerhards became substantial members from then on.