Second son, John Decker, first married Margaret Gumaer; for their history refer back to their names, and afterwards Sarah Hornbeck, daughter of Benjamin Hornbeck, of Rochester, They had two sons—Benjamin and Daniel, and four daughters—Margaret, Jane, Hannah and Mary. At the commencement of the Revolutionary War, he became Major of a Regiment of Militia of Orange county, and, when the Indians invaded the lower neighborhood, he was wounded by the enemy on his return from a funeral, and narrowly escaped from being taken.
Third son, Peter Decker, married (Catrina) Cole. They resided in the north part of New Jersey, and had two sons Thomas and John, and ____ daughters—Sarah (bap. July 24, 1763), Jane.
First daughter, Hannah Decker, married Anthony Van Etten, son of Jacob [FN] {tn} Van Etten, of Rochester, or its vicinity. He obtained a piece of land of his father-in-law and built the house afterwards occupied by his son, Henry Van Etten, on which he also erected a blacksmith shop, and with the help of an apprentice pursued the blacksmith business, of which he obtained a great run and became owner of one of the best farms in the present town of Deerpark. He served some years as a Justice of the Peace. They had ____ sons—Levi (bap. Feb. 12, 1758), Henry, Thomas (bap. Sept. 8, 1751), Anthony. (The Mahackamack church records gives the baptism of other children, namely: Antje, bap. Jan. 14, 1753; Jenneke, bap. Ap. 28, 1754; Margrieta, bap. Feb. 13, 1756; Alida, bap. Aug. 19, 1759; Blandina, bap. Sept. 4, 1763; Maria, bap. Nov. 2, 1765; Tomas, bap. October 16, 1768; Jacob, Oct. 29, 1770), and ____ daughters.
[FN] See page 133, note
{transcriber's note: Both the name Jacob and the footnote are hand written.}
Second daughter, Huldi Decker, married Jacob De Witt Gumaer. (For their history refer back to their names.)
The descendants of those four ancient families are dispersed into different parts of our country, and have become settled in different parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, and probably in some other States and territories; and some, in connection with those among whom they have intermarried, have remained on the premises of their forefathers and now possess nearly all the valuable land for agricultural purposes in the present town of Deerpark.
The reader will learn from this history that generally the descendants of the first pioneers became farmers, and continued in those occupations to the end of the third generation; and the greatest proportion of the fourth and fifth generation of the present time (1858) are farmers. Our ancestors were not in opulent circumstances, but generally had a plenty of the necessaries of life and were a thriving people, and, so far as the writer's knowledge extends in relation to those who have settled in other parts of our country, they have generally acquired farms.
Jacob Cuddeback has been known to say that by leaving France he had been deprived of many enjoyments he might have had in that country, but for these sacrifices he had the satisfaction of leaving his posterity in a country of good land and easily to be acquired.