After his mother's death when he was six months old, he lived with his uncle Heinrich Spainhour in Pennsylvania until his father remarried in 1752. In 1763 he moved with his family to NC, settling on a farm about four miles north of Bethania. On March 14, 1774, he and his wife received a land grant from the state of 100 acres near the Little Yadkin and moved there. This farm is just off the Brown Road today.

Moravian Reocrds, Bethania, 1778, June 3. "Johann Jacob Spoenhauer came to me with the request that I would visit him and his brother-in-law Arny, and baptise their children." His brother-in-law Arny would be Heinrich Arney, husband of his wife's sister Magdalena Volck.

July 18, 1782, Bethania. With the Brn. Volck and Fischer I rode to Moser's, where, at the request of his wife and children, I held the funeral of the older Moser. Although a large number had gaterhed, partly English partly German, all was quiet and orderly. At the request of Catharine Spönhauer, John Jacob's wife, I baptised their child with the name of Johannes.

Carmichael history gives birth date as June 2, not 22nd.

1803 summary. At the request of a number of German families there has been a public preaching in Spoenhauer's house, about ten miles from Bethania, and an effort will be made to repeat this about once in six weeks on a weekday.

This entry is indexed to Johann Jacob.

1805 summary. From time to time Br. Pfohl preached during the week at the house of Jacob Spönhauer, ten miles from Bethania. The German families there are in part connected with the Brethren at Heidelberg and Hebron and expressed the wish that a couple might live among them and that a congregation of the Brethren might be gathered.

Sep. 19, 1805. Br. Reichel and his son took breakfast at the home of Mr. East, six miles from Shepherd's, and at ten o'clock arrived at Jacob Spönhauer's, six miles from East's, where many of the German neighbors had gathered. Many of them come from among the Brethren in the neighborhood of Heidelberg and Lebanon . ... Jacob Spönhauer has a fine, large farm, from which there is a beautiful view of the Pilot Mountain.

Oct. 7. Johann Jacob Spönhauer, who lives in a section where many of the settlers are descendants of Brethren, has expressed a wish that they might be helped to a Brother who would live among them and teach their children, especially instructing them in English. Worthwhile as this desire is, for the present our conditions are such that little can be done to meet it.

Oct. 29, 1807. Br. Pfohl preached at Joh. Jacob Spönhauer's. Fewer attended than usual, because of the epidemic influenza, and because there was so much to be done in gathering the corn.

There are many more references in vol. 7 to preaching at his home, usually on a regular basis every four weeks.

Dec. 13, 1822. By request, Br. Wolle held the funeral of our friend Jacob Spönhauer, who fell asleep yesterday. Largely because he desired it, the Brethren in Bethania have preached every four weeks for many years on his farm on the Little Yadkin.

Dec. 12, 1822. We were notified that our good friend Johann Jacob Spönhauer had ended his journey here below after a long illness.

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"This was dictated by John Jacob Spainhower and written by his son-in-law John Doub Jr., oldest son of John Doub who married John Jacob Spainhower's half-sister, the youngest daughter of Werner Spainhower. John Doub's (Jr.) wife's name was Margarette. There were several copies of this history and all got misplaced or destroyed but one and I happened to get it, though mutilated, I think I have it transcribed correctly. " O.W.F. Doub - Aug. 27, 1920

Life of John Jacob Spainhower.

I was born on the 7th of Nov. 1750, near Yorktown, Penn. on the Codoras . My father Werner Spainhower and my mother Verona late Wristler followed husbandry. When I was 6 months old my dear mother died. On this occasion Henry Spainhower took me into his home to superintend my education. After having remained a widower one year my father reentered the matrimonial state. When he again took the care of my education upon himself.

Of my earlier years two remarkable instances of the preservation of my life have ever remained fresh in memory. When I was 2 (two) yrs. old I fell (as I was told) into deep water and would undoubtedly have drowned if my parents hearing the cries of the children that were with me, had not hurried to the spot. I was taken for dead out of the water and carried into the house where my parents and those present after my exertions succeeded in restoring me to life.

In my 9th year I experienced another preservation of my life, returning one day from the field for breakfast. I thought it a convenient time to climb for bird nests high up in the barn. I did so without thinking much about it, and fell down upon the threshing floor, where I remained lying senseless, how long I lay I was not aware of, until I recovered my senses and with a swollen face went out into the field where they looked at me with astonishment and asked me where I had been so long and what I had been doing. I could not avoid confessing my thoughtlessness and as it was near night and I much disfigured they sent me home and it was not until then that I learned that I had been senseless in the barn nearly the whole day.

In my 13th year my father moved to North Carolina where we arrived safe in Bethania, from there our cousin Henry Spainhower who had moved before us to N.C. and was settled in Bethania, brought us on his plantation four miles from Bethania. In the course of time my father bought land for himself which is now owned by the family of the late William Doub, where he died. Here I lived and assisted my father in the cultivation of his farm until my 23rd year,when I entered into the state of matrimoney with Ann Catherine Volk. This our union was blessed by our dear Lord with 13 children (viz) Six sons and Seven daughters of whom we lived to see 65 grand children.

One year after my marriage I bought a tract of land at no great distance form the Little Yadkin, where I still live, and through the blessing of God and persevering industry and economy I have hitherto made an honest living.