Jonas Kern, second son of John Kern, and Magdalena Peter, was born Oct. 28, 1805, and died Dec. 28, 1892. At the early age of sixteen he was placed in charge of the mill and resided in the home where he was born and raised. The first slate quarry on the west side of the Lehigh river was opened in 1845 on lands of Jonas Kern, under lease from him to the great dissatisfaction of his neighbors.

His wife was Maria Wehr, a daughter of Michael Wehr, She died in February, 1851, aged thirty-seven years, and is buried at Frieden's church. They had two children: Violetta, who married Henry Kuntz, and Benjamin.