Roder, Reader, Reeder, Rader! What Does the Name Mean?

THE LITERAL MEANING OF RADER-RÖDER.
The name “RÖDER” translates from German to English as “clearer of the woods”, or broadly speaking, “keeper of the land” or “farmer”. Many of the RADERS were farmers until the twentieth century. The modern name “RADER” translates to “wheel maker”.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE RÖDER-RADER NAME.
The spelling of the RADER family name developed a great many variations from the original RÖDER name found in the German records dating back to 1703. Anyone familiar with the German language will readily understand this problem. To an Englishman, the letter “o” with the umlaut (ö) spoken in German carries roughly as the sound of the English long “a” as in late. AND the “d” carries a slightly modified sound. (Ask a German to pronounce “RÖDER” for you). As a result of this problem, and the efforts of various branches of the family either to preserve the original pronunciation in English spelling or to adapt to an English pronunciation from the German, many variations of spelling arose, i.e. RÖEDER, ROEDER (Most common in Pennsylvania), RAEDER, RAIDER, READER, REDER, REIDER, REIMER, RIDER, RYDER, to name a few.15 Of interest, there are two different spellings of READER and several spellings for the name PAINTER in the deed for the Rader Lutheran Church20 in Timberville VA and over 110 different spellings have been found in various documents in the country (see page 296). Since many of the spellings are the same as existing names, research and documentation is some cases is very difficult (see page 297). A greater challenge is in determining the correct given name since each family in every generation had children with the same given name: Adam, Henry, John, William, etc.37 More than 90 Johns and over 80 Williams in fourteen generations in some family lines are on record at this date (1987)307 Regarding variations in the spelling or pronouncing of the RADER name, few people can say or spell “RADER” without assistance today.
“It has been said the early office holders in Virginia, like those recording history, were either English or of English extraction who did not know, in most instances, how to spell the name of early German settlers and did not care to learn how to spell the ‘foreigners’ names. Further, they were prejudiced in favor of the English. It appears Daniel Boone, having a good English name received credit for many things actually done by the Germans.”

A SEED-BED OF THE REPUBLIC.
About 1830, the spelling of Rader (and other names) became quite consistent in Va. These records, beside showing the name, listed the amounts and types of owned (taxed), e.g. a slave, a cow, or a horse, and sometimes buildings or the amount of land. Census taking (and takers) seemed to do much toward standardizing last names, possibly because the census takers and tax collectors were become more familiar with such German names as RADER. Also, some RADERS (and others) wer becoming better educated.
One of the most extreme cases of name variation is found in the New Goshenhoppen Church Records: “Anna Marg. Raehder, daughter of the late Adam Reder.” Of interest is the fact that many members of the family who remained in Pennsylvania retained the ROEDER spelling.

ABSTRACTS OF LAND SURVEYS
1761-1791 gives and excellent overview of the standardization of the RADER name, and shows the close proximity in which ADAM, MATHIAS, ANTHONY and GEORGE lived.345 (This was (3) ADAM, the father of MATHIAS, ANTHONY and GEORGE).
1765 Andrew Whitenlough adjoining George Reeders.
1765 Adam Rider adjoining Mathias Roads. (Mathias Rader)
1769 John Bear adjoining George Raders.
1773 Adam Rader adjoining his own land.
1780 Anthony Reader adjoining Adam Reader.
1783 Michael Rader assignee of Andrew Hudlow.
1783 David Miller adjoining Adam Raders.
1785 Joseph Rambo adjoining Michael Raiders.
1789 Jacob Hufft adjoining Adam Rader
1789 Louis Fuller adjoining Mathew Rader.
1791 William Herring adjoining George Rader and Adam Rader.
1790 Anthony Rader adjoining Adam Rader.

(Exerpt from William and June Rader's book)

Roder Farm Homestead

Timberville, Virginia is where our first Roder ancestors established their home. Yes, they lived in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania first, but this Timberville is where they lives and established a town, became prominent members of the town, built a church and raised their family.

There is a book written that a distant relative from another line wrote in 1982 William and JuneRader. This 300+ pg book is hard to find and in my possession. It has so much valuable information and is a great resource of pictures, family lines and history.
The following are pictures of the Rader Homestead taken by him through the years.

1983 picture of the Adam Roder farm. The house is on the left side. The farm was on the right.

Thihs picture was taken in 1950. There is a fireplace at each end of the house. The home was established in 1745.

This is the home in 1983.

From the rear in 1983.

This picture was taken in 1972.

Hans Adam and his sister Anna married Alexander Bender and his sister Anna. Both couples moved to Virginia. They went to Timberville VA about 1745 with Alexander
Painter and Margaret Painter. He owner 1500 acres and operated a lead mine on the property.


Joseph Spangenberg and Matthew Reutz from Bethlehem, PA
kept a diary of their journeys. It says "On the morning od
July 26, 1748 they came to a marked path. It brought them to a
salt lick which is frequented by the elks and where they are
usually shot by hunters. A kind spirit led them to the right
way which they continued their journey, till they came in the
evening to a German plantation. Here Adam Roder lives, whose
mother, 86 years of age lives at Makuntsche (Maucungie, now
Emmaus, Lehigh Co., PA) and belongs to the Moravian
congregation."
The missionaries were now in the vicinity of Timberville,
Rockingham Co., VA. About one mile west of this place stands
Rader's church, which is known to be one of the oldest places
in Rockingham.
The diary of Rev. Charles Lange, pastor at Frederick, MD
who visited the congregation 17 APR 1768 (see "Fathers of the
Reformed Church", Vol 11, p 154)

The front door of the Rader Lutheran Church, Timberville, VA.

When the War for Independence began Adam was too old to
fight but his sons and grandsons joined the fight. His son
Anthony is a Captain who fights at Williamsburg and Hot Water
creek, VA. His other son George was a private who preached
daily and was given a copy of "Whitfield's Sermons" by Geroge
Washington.
Conrad, Henry, Michael and Shadrach Rader (grandsons of
Adam and sons of Adam and Margaret) all served and received
pensions except Shadrack.


ADAM READER died April 18, 1773. He undoubtedly died at his plantation near Timberville, VA at the age of 67. There is a small cemetery located on a hill in front and to the south of the historic home. He and ANNA BARBARA were probably buried there.

M. ANNA BARBARA BENDER (PAINTER) Aug. 1727 She was the oldest daughter of MATTHIAUS and
CATHARINE BENDER. ANNA BARBARA BENDER and ALEXANDER BENDER were sister and brother
and ANNA MARGARETH RÖDER and (3) HANS ADAM RÖDER were sister and brother, making this a double relationship.

The Rader Church in Timberville, Virginia

The original Rader Church is located in Timberville, VA. The following is the history of the Raders migration to America. They came across the seas from Mutterstadt, Germany in the 17oo's.
My ancestral file looks like this:

Kim Rader Whiting
d o Robert Rader
s o Walter Rader
s o Floyd Rader
s o Richard Rader
s o John Rader
s o Henry Rader
s o Conrad Reader
s o Adam Roeder
s o Hans Adam Tauber Roder (See tombstone below)
s o Johann Adam Roder

I have all of the dates and info to back me up. Thought I'd share the background on the building of this church.





The following excerpt is taken from a book in my possession about the Rader lineage:


(from page E of "Record Book of the Rader Lutheran Church"
by D. William A. Rader (1990))

"Rader Church congregation is one of the oldest in the county of Rockingham,
having been organized prior to 1766, probably as early as 1750. The meeting
house was first constructed of logs. This was replaced in 1806. The present
structure is a fine white frame building built in l878. It is located on Fort
Run Creek about a mile northwest of Timberville, a public road passing between
the old cemetery and the church. The new part of the cemetery is on the same
side of the road as the church. It was Jointly owned by the Lutheran and
Reformed Congregations until about 1880 when the latter built a new meeting
house in the town of Timberville. As a center this old church antedates the town
of Timberville.'

"Located on the church lot as early as 1813 was a school house which proves that
these pioneers were interested in education. Why was the stream on which the
church property is located called Fort Run? It is more than likely that the name
was derived from an early fort that was located thereon and that fort was at or
near the church. In fact during the early days of the settlement it is highly
probable that the fort was also used as a meeting house. This was the custom at
other places.'

"An early deed recites that the church is located in the "forest". A large
section of Rockingham County north of Timberville was known as the "forest" in
early times and in fact I have heard the name used in my time. So far as I know
no store, church crossroads corner, or other definite place has that name. It is
an indefinite name and applies to a large and indefinite section, in pioneer
days probably heavily timbered. This evidently suggested the name of the town o
Timberville, a thriving village on the south side of the southern railroad and
on the bank of the Shenandoah River, where I was born.,

"The Rader family was a prominent one in the early days. Anthony Rader was the
first Justice for a long time and in 1777 he was Captain of militia and Adam,
Jr. was vice Captain. Adam Sr., who deeded the land for the earlier church by
that name, died in 1773, teste, leaving surviving him five sons and three
daughters The name of the sons were George, Samuel, Mathias, Anthony and Adam.
On May 20, 1765 Adam Reider [Rader] and Anna, his wife, Alexander Painter
[Peinter, Bender] and Margaret, his wife, conveyed three acres of land to Peter
Scholl on behalf of the Presbyterian Congregation and to Michael Neice on behalf
of the Lutheran Congregation. At this time a meeting house was standing on or
near the lot conveyed by this deed which contains this expression "Back of said
meeting house where it now stands.'

"On May 7th, 1812, Adam Rader and Nicholas Cern (Karn) convey to Henry Stolp on
behalf of the Presbyterian Congregation, and John Roller on behalf of the
Lutheran Congregation. The deed recites that the description in the deed of 176
was not satisfactory which is the reason for the execution of this deed; that
Adam Rader, the Elder, and Alexander Painter had long since died and the above
Adam Rader and Nicholas Carn were their legal heirs, respectively "


Notes on the Rader Church, Timberville, Virginia:
The first thing Miss Annie Bowman remembers about her 210-year old church
congregation is watching neighbors planing logs by hand to build the fourth
Rader Lutheran Church to be located on its historic site outside Timberville,
Va.
Annie Bowman, an alert 100 year old resident of Harrisonburg, Va remembers early
days of traveling to and from Rader Church by walking or riding the three miles
on a surrey with her 14 brothers and sisters. When she was born in Timberville
in 1875, the Rev. John S. Bennick was the seventh minister of this long lived
church - a line of ministers that began with the Rev. Paul Henkel in 1792.
She remembers the old church. "It had a gallery on two sides with a pulpit that
had three to four steps. We had church about once a month and communion twice a
year. There were two wood stoves in the church."
It is believed that the Rev. Henkel started this post-Revolutionary congregation
before the construction of the first known building when the German settlers in
the congregation met in log huts or schools to worship together while guarding
against Indians and wild animals.
"The Meeting House", the first building constructed by the congregation, was
built in 1765 on land donated by Adam Rader and Alexander Painter. Inscribed on
the deed for the two acres of land given to the church were word donating this
site "forever, as long as the sun shines and the waters flow".
Adam Rader's generosity provided the congregation with a name for the church
which has been preserved for generations, although the spelling has changed, as
new churches have been built to replace the old.
The present church structure is built of brick. The location of the pews have
also changed from an earlier interior design which was arranged to allow for
quick exit by men rushing from the church to repel an Indian attack.


Until 1838, the language used in the church was German, spoken by earlier
Lutheran settlers who trekked to the Shenandoah Valley after the forefathers
arrived from Europe.